E. coli Outer Membrane and Interactions with OmpLA

The outer membrane of Gram-negative bacteria is a unique asymmetric lipid bilayer composed of phospholipids (PLs) in the inner leaflet and lipopolysaccharides (LPSs) in the outer leaflet. Its function as a selective barrier is crucial for the survival of bacteria in many distinct environments, and it also renders Gram-negative bacteria more resistant to antibiotics than their Gram-positive counterparts. Here, we report the structural properties of a model of the Escherichia coli outer membrane and its interaction with outer membrane phospholipase A (OmpLA) utilizing molecular dynamics simulations. Our results reveal that given the lipid composition used here, the hydrophobic thickness of the outer membrane is ∼3 Å thinner than the corresponding PL bilayer, mainly because of the thinner LPS leaflet. Further thinning in the vicinity of OmpLA is observed due to hydrophobic matching. The particular shape of the OmpLA barrel induces various interactions between LPS and PL leaflets, resulting in asymmetric thinning around the protein. The interaction between OmpLA extracellular loops and LPS (headgroups and core oligosaccharides) stabilizes the loop conformation with reduced dynamics, which leads to secondary structure variation and loop displacement compared to that in a DLPC bilayer. In addition, we demonstrate that the LPS/PL ratios in asymmetric bilayers can be reliably estimated by the per-lipid surface area of each lipid type, and there is no statistical difference in the overall membrane structure for the outer membranes with one more or less LPS in the outer leaflet, although individual lipid properties vary slightly.     

Single-Cell E. coli Response to an Instantaneously Applied Chemotactic Signal

In response to an attractant or repellant, an Escherichia coli cell controls the rotational direction of its flagellar motor by a chemotaxis system. When an E. coli cell senses an attractant, a reduction in the intracellular concentration of a chemotaxis protein, phosphorylated CheY (CheY-P), induces counterclockwise (CCW) rotation of the flagellar motor, and this cellular response is thought to occur in several hundred milliseconds. Here, to measure the signaling process occurring inside a single E. coli cell, including the recognition of an attractant by a receptor cluster, the inactivation of histidine kinase CheA, and the diffusion of CheY and CheY-P molecules, we applied a serine stimulus by instantaneous photorelease from a caged compound and examined the cellular response at a temporal resolution of several hundred microseconds. We quantified the clockwise (CW) and CCW durations immediately after the photorelease of serine as the response time and the duration of the response, respectively. The results showed that the response time depended on the distance between the receptor and motor, indicating that the decreased CheY-P concentration induced by serine propagates through the cytoplasm from the receptor-kinase cluster toward the motor with a timing that is explained by the diffusion of CheY and CheY-P molecules. The response time included 240 ms for enzymatic reactions in addition to the time required for diffusion of the signaling molecule. The measured response time and duration of the response also revealed that the E. coli cell senses a similar serine concentration regardless of whether the serine concentration is increasing or decreasing. These detailed quantitative findings increase our understanding of the signal transduction process that occurs inside cells during bacterial chemotaxis.     

Binding and Cleavage of E. coli HUβ by the E. coli Lon Protease

The Escherichia coli Lon protease degrades the E. coli DNA-binding protein HUβ, but not the related protein HUα. Here we show that the Lon protease binds to both HUβ and HUα, but selectively degrades only HUβ in the presence of ATP. Mass spectrometry of HUβ peptide fragments revealed that region K18-G22 is the preferred cleavage site, followed in preference by L36-K37. The preferred cleavage site was further refined to A20-A21 by constructing and testing mutant proteins; Lon degraded HUβ-A20Q and HUβ-A20D more slowly than HUβ. We used optical tweezers to measure the rupture force between HU proteins and Lon; HUα, HUβ, and HUβ-A20D can bind to Lon, and in the presence of ATP, the rupture force between each of these proteins and Lon became weaker. Our results support a mechanism of Lon protease cleavage of HU proteins in at least three stages: binding of Lon with the HU protein (HUβ, HUα, or HUβ-A20D); hydrolysis of ATP by Lon to provide energy to loosen the binding to the HU protein and to allow an induced-fit conformational change; and specific cleavage of only HUβ.     

Molecular Dynamics and NMR Spectroscopy Studies of E. coli Lipopolysaccharide Structure and Dynamics

Lipopolysaccharide (LPS), a component of Gram-negative bacterial outer membranes, comprises three regions: lipid A, core oligosaccharide, and O-antigen polysaccharide. Using the CHARMM36 lipid and carbohydrate force fields, we have constructed a model of an Escherichia coli R1 (core) O6 (antigen) LPS molecule. Several all-atom bilayers are built and simulated with lipid A only (LIPA) and varying lengths of 0 (LPS0), 5 (LPS5), and 10 (LPS10) O6 antigen repeating units; a single unit of O6 antigen contains five sugar residues. From ¹H,¹H-NOESY experiments, cross-relaxation rates are obtained from an O-antigen polysaccharide sample. Although some experimental deviations are due to spin-diffusion, the remaining effective proton-proton distances show generally very good agreement between NMR experiments and molecular dynamics simulations. The simulation results show that increasing the LPS molecular length has an impact on LPS structure and dynamics and also on LPS bilayer properties. Terminal residues in a LPS bilayer are more flexible and extended along the membrane normal. As the core and O-antigen are added, per-lipid area increases and lipid bilayer order decreases. In addition, results from mixed LPS0/5 and LPS0/10 bilayer simulations show that the LPS O-antigen conformations at a higher concentration of LPS5 and LPS10 are more orthogonal to the membrane and less flexible. The O-antigen concentration of mixed LPS bilayers does not have a significant effect on per-lipid area and hydrophobic thickness. Analysis of ion and water penetration shows that water molecules can penetrate inside the inner core region, and hydration is critical to maintain the integrity of the bilayer structure.     

Construction of a compatible Gateway-based co-expression vector set for expressing multiprotein complexes in E. coli

We report the construction of a versatile Gateway-based co-expression vector set for producing multiprotein complexes in Escherichia coli. The set consists of two groups of three vectors (pCoGW and pCo0GW), each having a specific antibiotic resistance gene, a compatible origin of replication and allowing cloning of up to two genes, each under control of its own T7 promoter. To validate the set, 33 (co-)expression plasmids encoding fluorescent protein (GFP, DsRed and ECFP) have been generated. Protein expression levels were quantified and (co-)expression visualized by fluorescent microscopy. The results illustrate the applicability of these vectors in co-expression studies.     

Trashing of Single-Stranded DNA Generated during Processing of Arrested Replication Fork in E. coli

We analyzed formation of single-stranded DNA (ssDNA) related to SOS induction in nalidixilate (Nal)-treated Escherichia coli, using immunofluorescence microscopy accompanied by computer analysis. We found enhancement of both ssDNA concentrations and cells having ssDNA foci that often localized around cellpoles. Analyzing several mutants deficient in DNA repair or replication, we found, after Nal treatment, that recN, recA, uvrD and dnaB failed to increase ssDNA concentration and that recG and particularly ruvA only partially enhanced it. In Nal-treated recB mutant, despite its failure in SOS induction, ssDNA foci positive cells increased with a slight enhancement of its concentration. These observations suggest the existence of a cellular process that sequesters genotoxic ssDNA as inert form, offering a new concept for SOS suppressor genes action.     

Uropathogenic E. coli Adhesin-Induced Host Cell Receptor Conformational Changes: Implications in Transmembrane Signaling Transduction

Urinary tract infection is the second most common infectious disease and is caused predominantly by type 1-fimbriated uropathogenic Escherichia coli (UPEC). UPEC initiates infection by attaching to uroplakin (UP) Ia, its urothelial surface receptor, via the FimH adhesins capping the distal end of its fimbriae. UP Ia, together with UP Ib, UP II, and UP IIIa, forms a  16-nm receptor complex that is assembled into hexagonally packed, two-dimensional crystals (urothelial plaques) covering > 90% of the urothelial apical surface. Recent studies indicate that FimH is the invasin of UPEC as its attachment to the urothelial surface can induce cellular signaling events including calcium elevation and the phosphorylation of the UP IIIa cytoplasmic tail, leading to cytoskeletal rearrangements and bacterial invasion. However, it remains unknown how the binding of FimH to the UP receptor triggers a signal that can be transmitted through the highly impermeable urothelial apical membrane. We show here by cryo-electron microscopy that FimH binding to the extracellular domain of UP Ia induces global conformational changes in the entire UP receptor complex, including a coordinated movement of the tightly bundled transmembrane helices. This movement of the transmembrane helix bundles can cause a corresponding lateral translocation of the UP cytoplasmic tails, which can be sufficient to trigger downstream signaling events. Our results suggest a novel pathogen-induced transmembrane signal transduction mechanism that plays a key role in the initial stages of UPEC invasion and receptor-mediated bacterial invasion in general.     

Community behavior and amyloid-associated phenotypes among a panel of uropathogenic E. coli

Uropathogenic Escherichia coli (UPEC) are the major causative agents of urinary tract infection and engage in a coordinated genetic and molecular cascade to colonize the urinary tract. Disrupting the assembly and/or function of virulence factors and bacterial biofilms has emerged as an attractive target for the development of new therapeutic strategies to prevent and treat urinary tract infection, particularly in the era of increasing antibiotic resistance among human pathogens. UPEC vary widely in their genetic and molecular phenotypes and more data are needed to understand the features that distinguish isolates as more or less virulent and as more robust biofilm formers or poor biofilm formers. Curli are extracellular functional amyloid fibers produced by E. coli that contribute to pathogenesis and influence the host response during urinary tract infection (UTI). We have examined the production of curli and curli-associated phenotypes including biofilm formation among a specific panel of human clinical UPEC that has been studied extensively in the mouse model of UTI. Motility, curli production, and curli-associated biofilm formation attached to plastic were the most prevalent behaviors, shared by most clinical isolates. We discuss these results in the context on the previously reported behavior and phenotypes of these isolates in the murine cystitis model in vivo.     

Metal ion and inter-domain interactions as functional networks in E. coli topoisomerase I

Escherichia coli topoisomerase I (EcTopoI) is a type IA bacterial topoisomerase which is receiving large attention due to its potential application as novel target for antibacterial therapeutics. Nevertheless, a detailed knowledge of its mechanism of action at molecular level is to some extent lacking. This is partly due to the requirement of several factors (metal ions, nucleic acid) to the proper progress of the enzyme catalytic cycle. Additionally, each of them can differently affect the protein structure.