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Multiple promoters and induction by heat shock of the gene encoding the alternative sigma factor AlgU (sigma E) which controls mucoidy in cystic fibrosis isolates of Pseudomonas aeruginosa.

ABSTRACT: Overproduction of the exopolysaccharide alginate causes mucoid colony morphology in Pseudomonas aeruginosa and is considered a major virulence determinant expressed by this organism during chronic respiratory infections in cystic fibrosis. One of the principal regulatory elements governing conversion to mucoidy in P. aeruginosa is AlgU, an alternative sigma factor which is 66% identical to and functionally interchangeable with sigma E from Escherichia coli and Salmonella typhimurium. sigma E has been implicated in the expression of systems enhancing bacterial resistance to environmental stress. In this study, we report that the gene encoding AlgU is transcribed in wild-type nonmucoid P. aeruginosa from multiple promoters (P1 through P5) that fall into three categories: (i) the P1 and P3 promoters, which display strong similarity to the -35 and -10 canonical sequences of sigma E promoters and were found to be absolutely dependent on AlgU; (ii) the P2 promoter, which was less active in algU mutants, but transcription of which was not completely abrogated in algU::Tcr cells; and (iii) the transcripts corresponding to P4 and P5, which were not affected by inactivation of algU. Introduction of E. coli rpoE (encoding sigma E) or algU into P. aeruginosa algU::Tcr strains restored P1 and P3 transcription and brought the P2 signal back to the wild-type level. The AlgU-dependent promoters P1 and P3 were inducible by heat shock in wild-type nonmucoid P. aeruginosa PAO1. At the protein level, induction of AlgU synthesis under conditions of extreme heat shock was detected by metabolic labeling of newly synthesized proteins, two-dimensional gel analysis, and reaction with polyclonal antibodies raised against an AlgU peptide. Another AlgU-dependent promoter, the proximal promoter of algR, was also found to be induced by heat shock. Under conditions of high osmolarity, growth at elevated temperature induced alginate synthesis in the wild-type nonmucoid P. aeruginosa PAO1. Cumulatively, these results suggest that algU itself is subject to complex regulation and is inducible by extreme heat shock, that the alginate system is a subset of the stress-responsive elements controlled by AlgU, and that AlgU and, by extension, its homologs in other organisms (e.g., sigma E in S. typhimurium) may play a role in bacterial virulence and adjustments to adverse growth conditions.

SUBMITTER: Schurr MJ

PROVIDER: S-EPMC177379 | biostudies-other | 1995 Oct

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-other

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Multiple promoters and induction by heat shock of the gene encoding the alternative sigma factor AlgU (sigma E) which controls mucoidy in cystic fibrosis isolates of Pseudomonas aeruginosa.

Schurr M J MJ Yu H H Boucher J C JC Hibler N S NS Deretic V V

Journal of bacteriology 19951001 19

Overproduction of the exopolysaccharide alginate causes mucoid colony morphology in Pseudomonas aeruginosa and is considered a major virulence determinant expressed by this organism during chronic respiratory infections in cystic fibrosis. One of the principal regulatory elements governing conversion to mucoidy in P. aeruginosa is AlgU, an alternative sigma factor which is 66% identical to and functionally interchangeable with sigma E from Escherichia coli and Salmonella typhimurium. sigma E has ...[more]

PMID: 7559357

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Project description:Alginate overproducition by mucoid Pseudomonas aeruginosa is a critical pathogenic determinant expressed by this organism during chronic infections in cystic fibrosis. Conversion to mucoidy and a subsequent loss of mucoid character can occur via different mutations in the algU mucA mucB gene cluster. The algU gene encodes a 22.2-kDa putative alternative sigma factor required for expression of the critical alginate biosynthetic gene algD. In this work, algU transcription was studied by S1 nuclease protection analysis. Transcription from the promoter proximal to the algU coding region was found to be dependent on AlgU. The -35 and -10 sequences of this newly mapped promoter showed strong similarity ot the promoters of two other critical alg genes: algD and algR. The proximal promoter of algR was also shown to depend on algU. Interestingly, the putative -35 and -10 regions of all three promoters displayed striking similarity to the consensus sequence of the sigma E-dependent promoters in Escherichia coli and Salmonella typhimurium. This 24-kDa sigma factor, controlling genes participating in resistance to high temperatures and oxidative stress, has been previously biochemically characterized, but the gene for sigma E remained unidentified. To examine whether AlgU is related to sigma E, the effect of algU inactivation on the sensitivity of P. aeruginosa to killing by heat and reactive oxygen intermediates was tested. Two isogenic pairs of algU+ and algU mutant strains were compared. The algU mutants, irrespective of the mucoid status of the parental strains, displayed increased sensitivity to killing by paraquat, known to generate intracellular superoxide radicals, and heat. Further lgobal homology searches revealed the presence of a previously unrecognized E. coli gene with the predicted gene product showing a striking 66% identity to AlgU. The corresponding gene from S. typhimurium was cloned and sequenced, and it is displayed one amino acid substitution relative to its E. coli equivalent. AlgU and its close homologs in E. coli and S. typhimurium may be functionally related.

Project description:Survival of Pseudomonas aeruginosa in cystic fibrosis (CF) chronic infections is based on a genetic adaptation process consisting of mutations in specific genes, which can produce advantageous phenotypic switches and ensure its persistence in the lung. Among these, mutations inactivating the regulators MucA (alginate biosynthesis), LasR (quorum sensing) and MexZ (multidrug-efflux pump MexXY) are the most frequently observed, with those inactivating the DNA mismatch repair system (MRS) being also highly prevalent in P. aeruginosa CF isolates, leading to hypermutator phenotypes that could contribute to this adaptive mutagenesis by virtue of an increased mutation rate. Here, we characterized the mutations found in the mucA, lasR, mexZ and MRS genes in P. aeruginosa isolates obtained from Argentinean CF patients, and analyzed the potential association of mucA, lasR and mexZ mutagenesis with MRS-deficiency and antibiotic resistance. Thus, 38 isolates from 26 chronically infected CF patients were characterized for their phenotypic traits, PFGE genotypic patterns, mutations in the mucA, lasR, mexZ, mutS and mutL gene coding sequences and antibiotic resistance profiles. The most frequently mutated gene was mexZ (79%), followed by mucA (63%) and lasR (39%) as well as a high prevalence (42%) of hypermutators being observed due to loss-of-function mutations in mutL (60%) followed by mutS (40%). Interestingly, mutational spectra were particular to each gene, suggesting that several mechanisms are responsible for mutations during chronic infection. However, no link could be established between hypermutability and mutagenesis in mucA, lasR and mexZ, indicating that MRS-deficiency was not involved in the acquisition of these mutations. Finally, although inactivation of mucA, lasR and mexZ has been previously shown to confer resistance/tolerance to antibiotics, only mutations in MRS genes could be related to an antibiotic resistance increase. These results help to unravel the mutational dynamics that lead to the adaptation of P. aeruginosa to the CF lung.

Project description:To provide a more detailed survey of adaptive changes in the physiology of P. aeruginosa (PA) during long-term infection of the cystic fibrosis (CF) lung, we performed a comparative proteome and transcriptome analysis of a set of isogenic sequential non-mutator and mutator isolates from three selected CF patients. Recently, we showed that during CF lung persistence PA mutators converge to a virulence-attenuated phenotype. In this study, we demonstrate that besides virulence-associated traits (VATs) the adaptation process of PA predominantly comprises metabolic pathways. In end-stage mutator strains, transcripts of genes encoding VATs, chemotaxis, degradation of aromatic compounds and several two-component regulatory systems were decreased. In contrast, several transcripts of genes or proteins involved in metabolism of fatty acids, nucleotides, amino acids and the generation of energy were increased. Of particular interest is the increased expression level of genes involved in (i) the anaerobic arginine-deiminase pathway, (ii) the anaerobic respiration such as nitrate-uptake protein OprF, redox-active azurin and cytchrome c551 peroxidase, (iii) the micro-aerobic respiration such as high oxygen-affinity cytochrome oxidase cbb3 (iv) the tricarboxylic acid cycle (TCA), glyoxylate shunt and anaplerotic carboxylation reactions to oxaloacetate. Strikingly, an increased transcription of the anaerobic regulator gene anr correlates with the up-regulation of ANR-dependent genes. In conclusion, these changes in transcriptome and proteome indicate an adaptive shift towards constitutive expression of genes of metabolic pathways obviously required for growth under micro-aerobic and nutritional conditions of suppurative CF lung tissue. Finally, these results provide us with new targets for antimicrobial agents and biomarkers reflecting adaptation of PA towards progressive CF lung disease. Keywords: in vitro study/interstrain comparison/clinical isolates/early nonmutator vs. late mutator; variable time point of isolation from cf respiratory secretions

Project description:To provide a more detailed survey of adaptive changes in the physiology of P. aeruginosa (PA) during long-term infection of the cystic fibrosis (CF) lung, we performed a comparative proteome and transcriptome analysis of a set of isogenic sequential non-mutator and mutator isolates from three selected CF patients. Recently, we showed that during CF lung persistence PA mutators converge to a virulence-attenuated phenotype. In this study, we demonstrate that besides virulence-associated traits (VATs) the adaptation process of PA predominantly comprises metabolic pathways. In end-stage mutator strains, transcripts of genes encoding VATs, chemotaxis, degradation of aromatic compounds and several two-component regulatory systems were decreased. In contrast, several transcripts of genes or proteins involved in metabolism of fatty acids, nucleotides, amino acids and the generation of energy were increased. Of particular interest is the increased expression level of genes involved in (i) the anaerobic arginine-deiminase pathway, (ii) the anaerobic respiration such as nitrate-uptake protein OprF, redox-active azurin and cytchrome c551 peroxidase, (iii) the micro-aerobic respiration such as high oxygen-affinity cytochrome oxidase cbb3 (iv) the tricarboxylic acid cycle (TCA), glyoxylate shunt and anaplerotic carboxylation reactions to oxaloacetate. Strikingly, an increased transcription of the anaerobic regulator gene anr correlates with the up-regulation of ANR-dependent genes. In conclusion, these changes in transcriptome and proteome indicate an adaptive shift towards constitutive expression of genes of metabolic pathways obviously required for growth under micro-aerobic and nutritional conditions of suppurative CF lung tissue. Finally, these results provide us with new targets for antimicrobial agents and biomarkers reflecting adaptation of PA towards progressive CF lung disease. Experiment Overall Design: P. aeruginosa isolates recovered from different time points of chronic cystic fibrosis lung disease were cultered in vitro, harvested for RNA extraction and hybridization on Affymetrix microarrays. We compared the transcriptome (triplicate microarrays) of early non-mutator P. aeruginosa isolates with late mutator isolates with high mutation frequency probably the driving force of an efficient adaptation to changing environements to conclude from differences in gene expression to the requirements of CF lung environment. Experiment Overall Design: Second publication of array data to be added later

Dataset Information

Multiple promoters and induction by heat shock of the gene encoding the alternative sigma factor AlgU (sigma E) which controls mucoidy in cystic fibrosis isolates of Pseudomonas aeruginosa.

Publications

Multiple promoters and induction by heat shock of the gene encoding the alternative sigma factor AlgU (sigma E) which controls mucoidy in cystic fibrosis isolates of Pseudomonas aeruginosa.

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