Biochemical characterization of a chromosomal toxin-antitoxin system in Mycobacterium tuberculosis

In the present paper, we report the biochemical characterization of a chromosomal toxin-antitoxin (TA) system in Mycobacterium tuberculosis, consisting of the Rv1991c gene and its upstream open reading frame (ORF) termed Rv1991a. Rv1991c was characterized as a toxin with ribonuclease activity and Rv1991a as the antitoxin against Rv1991c. Rv1991a interacted with Rv1991c to form a complex. A promoter located immediately upstream of Rv1991a was identified. Both Rv1991a and the Rv1991a-Rv1991c complex were able to bind to the promoter region of the Rv1991a-Rv1991c operon, indicating that the expression of the Rv1991a-Rv1991c operon can be autoregulated.     

杨芽黄素对前列腺癌细胞凋亡的影响及其机制

目的:探讨杨芽黄素对前列腺癌细胞22Rv.1的作用及机制。方法:将0~20μg/ml杨芽黄素作用于22Rv.1细胞和正常前列腺细胞RWPE-1,适时采用MTS法检测细胞的增殖活性,采用流式细胞仪、hoechst染色、LDH释放实验分别检测22Rv.1细胞凋亡、死亡、周期、核型变化和药物的细胞毒作用,利用qPCR和Westernblot分析22Rv.1细胞内基因转录和蛋白表达的改变,并通过抑瘤实验证实该药的抑癌作用。结果:杨芽黄素可显著抑制22Rv.1细胞增殖、诱导其凋亡,促进22Rv.1细胞凋亡相关基因dr4、dr5、trail、p53、caspase-3、caspase-8、caspase-9、bid、bax、foxo3的表达,并抑制抗凋亡基因akt、pi3k和bcl-2的表达。结论:杨芽黄素可通过影响TRAIL和PI3K/AKT信号通路诱导前列腺癌细胞凋亡,具有抗前列腺癌的作用。     

Mycobacterium tuberculosis encodes a YhhN family membrane protein with lysoplasmalogenase activity that protects against toxic host lysolipids

The pathogen Mycobacterium tuberculosis (M.tb) resides in human macrophages, wherein it exploits host lipids for survival. However, little is known about the interaction between M.tb and macrophage plasmalogens, a subclass of glycerophospholipids with a vinyl ether bond at the sn-1 position of the glycerol backbone. Lysoplasmalogens, produced from plasmalogens by hydrolysis at the sn-2 carbon by phospholipase A₂, are potentially toxic but can be broken down by host lysoplasmalogenase, an integral membrane protein of the YhhN family that hydrolyzes the vinyl ether bond to release a fatty aldehyde and glycerophospho-ethanolamine or glycerophospho-choline. Curiously, M.tb encodes its own YhhN protein (MtbYhhN), despite having no endogenous plasmalogens. To understand the purpose of this protein, the gene for MtbYhhN (Rv1401) was cloned and expressed in Mycobacterium smegmatis (M.smeg). We found the partially purified protein exhibited abundant lysoplasmalogenase activity specific for lysoplasmenylethanolamine or lysoplasmenylcholine (pLPC) (V_max∼15.5 μmol/min/mg; K_m∼83 μM). Based on cell density, we determined that lysoplasmenylethanolamine, pLPC, lysophosphatidylcholine, and lysophosphatidylethanolamine were not toxic to M.smeg cells, but pLPC and LPC were highly toxic to M.smeg spheroplasts, which are cell wall–deficient mycobacterial forms. Importantly, spheroplasts prepared from M.smeg cells overexpressing MtbYhhN were protected from membrane disruption/lysis by pLPC, which was rapidly depleted from the media. Finally, we found that overexpression of full-length MtbYhhN in M.smeg increased its survival within human macrophages by 2.6-fold compared to vector controls. These data support the hypothesis that MtbYhhN protein confers a growth advantage for mycobacteria in macrophages by cleaving toxic host pLPC into potentially energy-producing products.     

结核分枝杆菌H37有毒株与无毒株的代谢相关基因pabB和lpdA启动子活性分析

【目的】通过分析结核分枝杆菌无毒株H37Ra的全基因组序列,并与H37Rv基因组序列比较,发现pabB和lpdA预测的启动子区发生了突变。我们利用报告基因,确认启动子突变与其基因转录水平的关系,探索结核分枝杆菌H37Ra毒力丧失的内在原因。【方法】利用生物信息学方法预测这两对基因的启动子区,采用PCR技术克隆这两对基因的启动子,与分枝杆菌启动子探针载体pMC210相连,DNA测序证实连接片段正确后,用电穿孔法将重组质粒转化至耻垢分枝杆菌mc2155。利用Quantitative Real-Time RT-PCR检测报告基因lacZ转录水平的差异,进一步验证这两对基因启动子的突变对相应基因转录水平的影响。【结果】Quantitative Real Time PCR检测结果显示H37RapabB启动子活性是H37Rv pabB启动子活性的6倍(p0.05),而H37Rv lpdA启动子的活性是H37RalpdA启动子的2倍(p0.05)。【结论】pabB,lpdA的启动子在H37Ra中的突变对其启动子的活性产生了影响,其中lpdA启动子的突变可能与结核分枝杆菌H37Ra的毒力丧失有关。     

Rv3303c of Mycobacterium tuberculosis protects tubercle bacilli against oxidative stress in vivo and contributes to virulence in mice

Ability of Mycobacterium tuberculosis to survive under oxidative stress in vivo is an important aspect of pathogenesis. Rv3303c gene from M. tuberculosis encodes an NAD(P)H quinone reductase. These enzymes have been shown to manage oxidative stress in other pathogenic bacteria. We have hypothesized that Rv3303c protein will remove reactive oxygen species released by the host and hence reduce oxidative stress to M. tuberculosis. rv3303c was PCR cloned and the purified recombinant enzyme reduced superoxide generator menadione. Antisense and sense RNA constructs of rv3303c were electroporated in M. tuberculosis H37Rv. The transformants were characterized by difference in expression of specific mRNA and protein. Antisense transformants were markedly reduced in virulence as compared to sense transformants as judged by several parameters such as weight and survival of infected mice, growth in vivo, colonization and histopathology of lungs. In the presence of menadione, the sense transformant was more resistant to killing in vitro than the antisense transformant. It may be concluded that the rv3303c gene contributes to virulence of M. tuberculosis in vivo and this might be mediated in part by increased resistance to reactive oxygen intermediates thereby enhancing intracellular growth and colonization.     

Mechanistic analysis of Mycobacterium tuberculosis Rv1347c, a lysine Nepsilon-acyltransferase involved in mycobactin biosynthesis

Mycobactin acylation plays a crucial role in the ability of Mycobacterium tuberculosis to acquire intracellular iron during infection. M. tuberculosis Rv1347c, the lysine N^ε-acyltransferase responsible for mycobactin acylation, represents a valid target for the development of novel anti-tubercular agents. Here we investigate the substrate specificity of Rv1347c, evaluate its kinetic mechanism and probe the contributions of active-site residues to catalysis. Our results confirm that Rv1347c demonstrates a preference for longer acyl-chains and suggest that mycobactin acylation occurs subsequent to mycobactin core assembly. Steady-state bisubstrate kinetics and dead-end inhibitor studies support a random sequential kinetic mechanism. Analysis of the pH dependence of k_cat/K_m revealed the presence of two groups that must be deprotonated for efficient catalysis. Mutagenesis of His¹³⁰ and Asp¹⁶⁸ indicated that both residues are critical for acyltransferase activity and suggests that His¹³⁰ is responsible for general base activation of the ε-amino group of lysine.     

Crystal structure of the N‐terminal domain of EccA1 ATPase from the ESX‐1 secretion system of Mycobacterium tuberculosis

EccA₁ is an important component of the type VII secretion system (T7SS) that is responsible for transport of virulence factors in pathogenic mycobacteria. EccA₁ has an N‐terminal domain of unknown function and a C‐terminal AAA+ (ATPases associated with various cellular activities) domain. Here we report the crystal structure of the N‐terminal domain of EccA₁ from Mycobacterium tuberculosis, which shows an arrangement of six tetratricopeptide repeats that may mediate interactions of EccA₁ with secreted substrates. Furthermore, the size and shape of the N‐terminal domain suggest its orientation in the context of a hexamer model of full‐length EccA₁. Proteins 2014; 82:159–163. © 2013 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.     

异烟肼影响重组耻垢分支杆菌Rv1776c基因表达的实验研究

目的 研究经典抗结核药物异烟肼对重组耻垢分支杆菌生长增殖及其Rv1776c基因表达的影响。方法 将重组菌MS-Rv1776c接种于LB培养基培养作为对照组,实验组给予异烟肼药物处理,不同时间点取菌液测量A600值,根据所测A值绘制增殖曲线;提取菌液DNA以RT-PCR方法检测异烟肼对Rv1776c基因表达的影响;免疫印迹法SDS-PAGE及Western blot检测异烟肼对Rv1776c蛋白表达的影响。结果 异烟肼对两组重组耻垢分枝杆菌增殖无显著影响（P>0.05）;异烟肼可抑制Rv1776c基因的表达（P<0.05）;SDS-PAGE及Western blot检测发现异烟肼可显著降低ERv1776c蛋白的表达（P<0.05）。结论 异烟肼对重组耻垢分支杆菌的增殖无影响,但可抑制结核分枝杆菌Rv1776c基因及其表达的蛋白。该结果对研究结核菌从休眠菌到复苏初期及活跃期的药物预防提供了实验依据。     

The Mycobacterium tuberculosis complex has a pathway for the biosynthesis of 4‐formamido‐4,6‐dideoxy‐d‐glucose

Recent studies have demonstrated that the O‐antigens of some pathogenic bacteria such as Brucella abortus, Francisella tularensis, and Campylobacter jejuni contain quite unusual N‐formylated sugars (3‐formamido‐3,6‐dideoxy‐d ‐glucose or 4‐formamido‐4,6‐dideoxy‐d ‐glucose). Typically, four enzymes are required for the formation of such sugars: a thymidylyltransferase, a 4,6‐dehydratase, a pyridoxal 5'‐phosphate or PLP‐dependent aminotransferase, and an N‐formyltransferase. To date, there have been no published reports of N‐formylated sugars associated with Mycobacterium tuberculosis. A recent investigation from our laboratories, however, has demonstrated that one gene product from M. tuberculosis, Rv3404c, functions as a sugar N‐formyltransferase. Given that M. tuberculosis produces l ‐rhamnose, both a thymidylyltransferase (Rv0334) and a 4,6‐dehydratase (Rv3464) required for its formation have been identified. Thus, there is one remaining enzyme needed for the production of an N‐formylated sugar in M. tuberculosis, namely a PLP‐dependent aminotransferase. Here we demonstrate that the M. tuberculosis rv3402c gene encodes such an enzyme. Our data prove that M. tuberculosis contains all of the enzymatic activities required for the formation of dTDP‐4‐formamido‐4,6‐dideoxy‐d ‐glucose. Indeed, the rv3402c gene product likely contributes to virulence or persistence during infection, though its temporal expression and location remain to be determined.