Project description:Background: Treponema denticola is strongly associated with the development of periodontal disease. Both synergistic and antagonistic effects are observed among bacterial species in the process of biofilm formation. Bacteriocin-related genes have not yet been fully characterized in periodontopathic bacteria. The aim of this study was to detect and characterize bacteriocin-associated proteins in T. denticola. Methods: The whole genome sequence of T. denticola ATCC 35405 was screened with a Streptococcus mutans bacteriocin immunity protein (ImmA/Bip) sequence. The prevalence of homologous genes in T. denticola strains was then investigated by Southern blotting. Expression of the genes was evaluated by qRT-PCR. Results: In the genome sequence of T. denticola, an amino acid sequence coded by open reading frame TDE_0719 showed 26% identity with the S. mutans ImmA. Furthermore, two protein sequences coded by TDE_0425 and TDE_2431 in T. denticola ATCC 35405 showed ~40% identity with that coded by TDE0719. Therefore, TDE_0425, TDE_0719, and TDE_2431 were designated as tepA1, A2, and A3, respectively. Open reading frames showing similarity to the HlyD family of secretion proteins were detected downstream of tepA1, A2, and A3. They were designated as tepB1, B2, and B3, respectively. A gene harboring a bacteriocin-like signal sequence was detected upstream of tepA1. The prevalence of tepA1 and A2 differed among Treponema species. Susceptibility to chloramphenicol and ofloxiacin was slightly decreased in a tepA2 mutant while that to kanamycin was increased. Expression of tepA3-B3 was increased in the tepA2 mutant. Conclusion: These results indicate that T. denticola ATCC 35405 has three potential bacteriocin export proteins and that the presence of these genes differs among the Treponema strains. These proteins may be involved in resistance to chloramphenicol.
Project description:This is the first report of a bacteriocin being produced by lactobacillus acidophilus ATCC 4356. For protein identification, the ~8-kDa peptide band was removed from the acrylamide gel and digested in-gel by trypsin, and the resulting peptide fragments were extracted and analyzed by LC-MS/MS analysis. The MS data were processed using Thermo Proteome Discoverer software (v2.2) with the SEQUEST search engine. Three peptides, VAHCASQIGR (amino acids 23-32), GSAACVSYLTR (amino acids 69-79), GSAACVSYLTRHRHH (amino acids 69-83) were identified as tryptic fragments on the basis of LC-MS/MS.This is the first report of a bacteriocin being produced by lactobacillus acidophilus ATCC 4356. For protein identification, the ~8-kDa peptide band was removed from the acrylamide gel and digested in-gel by trypsin, and the resulting peptide fragments were extracted and analyzed by LC-MS/MS analysis. The MS data were processed using Thermo Proteome Discoverer software (v2.2) with the SEQUEST search engine. Three peptides, VAHCASQIGR (amino acids 23-32), GSAACVSYLTR (amino acids 69-79), GSAACVSYLTRHRHH (amino acids 69-83) were identified as tryptic fragments on the basis of LC-MS/MS.
Project description:The induction of genetic competence is a strategy used by bacteria to increase their genetic repertoire under stressful environmental conditions. Recently, Streptococcus pneumoniae has been shown to co-ordinate the uptake of transforming DNA with fratricide via increased expression of the peptide pheromone responsible for competence induction. Here, we document that environmental stress-induced expression of the peptide pheromone competence-stimulating peptide (CSP) in the oral pathogen Streptococcus mutans. We showed that CSP is involved in the stress response and determined the CSP-induced regulon in S. mutans by microarray analysis. Contrary to pneumococcus, S. mutans responds to increased concentrations of CSP by cell lysis in only a fraction of the population. We have focused on the mechanism of cell lysis and have identified a novel bacteriocin as the ‘death effector’. Most importantly, we showed that this bacteriocin causes cell death via a novel mechanism of action: intracellular action against self. We have also identified the cognate bacteriocin immunity protein, which resides in a separate unlinked genetic locus to allow its differential regulation. The role of the lytic response in S. mutans competence is also discussed. Together, these findings reveal a novel autolytic pathway in S. mutans which may be involved in the dissemination of fitness-enhancing genes in the oral biofilm.
Project description:<p>Biosynthetic gene clusters (BGCs) encoding the production of bacteriocins are widespread among bacterial isolates and are important genetic determinants of competitive fitness within a given habitat. Staphylococci produce a tremendous diversity of compounds, and the corresponding BGCs are frequently associated with mobile genetic elements, suggesting gain and loss of biosynthetic capacity. Pharmaceutical biology has shown that compound production in heterologous hosts is often challenging, and many BGC recipients initially produce small amounts of compound or show reduced growth rates. To assess whether transfer of BGCs between closely related Staphylococcus aureus strains can be instantly effective or requires elaborate metabolic adaptation, we investigated the intraspecies transfer of a BGC encoding the ribosomally synthesized and posttranslationally modified peptide (RiPP) micrococcin P1 (MP1). We found that acquisition of the BGC by S. aureus RN4220 enabled immediate MP1 production but also imposed a metabolic burden, which was relieved after prolonged cultivation by adaptive mutation. We used a multiomics approach to study this phenomenon and found adaptive evolution to select for strains with increased activity of the tricarboxylic acid cycle (TCA), which enhanced metabolic fitness and levels of compound production. Metabolome analysis revealed increases of central metabolites, including citrate and α-ketoglutarate in the adapted strain, suggesting metabolic adaptation to overcome the BGC-associated growth defects. Our results indicate that BGC acquisition requires genetic and metabolic predispositions, allowing the integration of bacteriocin production into the cellular metabolism. Inappropriate metabolic characteristics of recipients can entail physiological burdens, negatively impacting the competitive fitness of recipients within natural bacterial communities.</p><p><strong>IMPORTANCE:</strong> Human microbiomes are critically associated with human health and disease. Importantly, pathogenic bacteria can hide in human-associated communities and can cause disease when the composition of the community becomes unbalanced. Bacteriocin-producing commensals are able to displace pathogens from microbial communities, suggesting that their targeted introduction into human microbiomes might prevent pathogen colonization and infection. However, to develop probiotic approaches, strains are needed that produce high levels of bioactive compounds and retain cellular fitness within mixed bacterial communities. Our work offers insights into the metabolic burdens associated with the production of the bacteriocin micrococcin P1 and highlights evolutionary strategies that increase cellular fitness in the context of production. Metabolic adaptations are most likely broadly relevant for bacteriocin producers and need to be considered for the future development of effective microbiome editing strategies.</p>