Summary Staphylococcus aureus virulence is regulated when secreted autoinducing peptides (AIPs) are recognized by a membrane-bound receptor histidine kinase (RHK), AgrC. Some AIPs are agonists of virulence gene expression, while others are antagonists. It is unclear how AIP binding regulates AgrC activity. Here, we reconstitute an AgrC family member, AgrC-I, using nanometer-scale lipid bilayer discs. We show that AgrC-I requires membranes rich in anionic lipids to function. The agonist, AIP-I, binds AgrC-I non-cooperatively in a 2:2 stoichiometry, while an antagonist ligand, AIP-II, functions as an inverse agonist of the kinase activity. We also demonstrate the kinase and sensor domains in AgrC are connected by a helical linker whose conformational state exercises rheostat-like control over the kinase activity. Binding of agonist or inverse-agonist peptides results in twisting of the linker in different directions. These two observations provide a view of the molecular motions triggered by ligand binding in an intact membrane-bound RHK.

Bacteria use a chemical communication process called quorum sensing (QS) to control collective behaviours, such as pathogenesis and biofilm formation1,2. QS relies on the production, release, and group-wide detection of signal molecules called autoinducers. To date, studies of bacterial pathogenesis in well-mixed cultures have revealed virulence factors and the regulatory circuits controlling them, including the overarching role of QS3. Although flow is ubiquitous to nearly all living systems4, much less explored is how QS influences pathogenic traits in scenarios that mimic host environments, for example, under fluid flow and in complex geometries. Previous studies have showed that sufficiently strong flow represses QS5–7. Nonetheless, it is not known how QS functions under constant or intermittent flow, how it varies within biofilms or as a function of position along a confined flow, or how surface topography (grooves, crevices, pores) influence QS-mediated communication. We explore these questions using two common pathogens Staphylococcus aureus and Vibrio cholerae. We identify conditions where flow represses QS and other conditions where QS is activated despite flow, including characterizing geometric and topographic features that influence the QS response. Our studies highlight that, under flow, genetically identical cells do not exhibit phenotypic uniformity with respect to QS in space and time, leading to complex patterns of pathogenesis and colonization. Understanding the ramifications of spatially and temporally non-uniform QS responses in realistic environments will be crucial for successful deployment of synthetic pro- and anti-QS strategies.

Sortase mediated ligation is a highly specific platform for conjugation that relies on the specificity of the transpeptidase Sortase A (SrtA) for short peptide sequences (LPXTG and GGG). SrtA retains its specificity while accepting a wide range of potential substrates, but its broad use is limited by the wild-type enzyme’s poor kinetics, which require large amounts of SrtA and extended reaction times for efficient conjugation. Prior explorations have aimed to improve the kinetics of SrtA with limited success. Herein we describe the discovery of further improved SrtA variants with increased efficiency for the conjugation reaction, and demonstrate their robustness in labelling proteins and antibodies in a site-specific manner. Our variants require significantly lower amounts of enzyme than WT SrtA and can be used to attach small molecules to the N or C-terminus of the heavy or light chain in antibodies with excellent yields. These improved variants can also be used for highly efficient site-specific PEGylation.

Homozygous mutations in the abnormal spindle-like, microcephaly-associated ASPM gene are the leading cause of autosomal recessive primary microcephaly. ASPM is the putative human ortholog of the Drosophila melanogaster abnormal spindles gene (asp), which is essential for mitotic spindle function. Here, we report that downregulation of endogenous ASPM by siRNA decreases protein levels of endogenous BRCA1. ASPM localizes to the centrosome in interphase and to the spindle poles from prophase through telophase. These findings indicate that ASPM may be involved in mitotic spindle function, possibly, through regulation of BRCA1.

Bacteria use a process called quorum sensing to communicate and orchestrate collective behaviors including virulence factor secretion and biofilm formation. Quorum sensing relies on production, release, accumulation, and population-wide detection of signal molecules called autoinducers. Here, we develop concepts to coat surfaces with quorum-sensing-manipulation molecules as a method to control collective behaviors. We probe this strategy using Staphylococcus aureus. Pro- and anti-quorum-sensing molecules can be covalently attached to surfaces using click chemistry, where they retain their abilities to influence bacterial behaviors. We investigate key features of the compounds, linkers, and surfaces necessary to appropriately position molecules to interact with cognate receptors, and the ability of modified surfaces to resist long-term storage, repeated infections, host plasma components, and flow-generated stresses. Our studies highlight how this surface approach can be used to make colonization-resistant materials against S. aureus and other pathogens and how the approach can be adapted to promote beneficial behaviors of bacteria on surfaces.

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Staphylococci produce autoinducing peptides (AIPs) as quorumsensing signals that regulate virulence. These AIPs feature a thiolactone macrocycle that connects the peptide C terminus to the side chain of an internal cysteine. AIPs are processed from ribosomally synthesized precursors [accessory gene regulator D (AgrD)] through two proteolytic events. Formation of the thiolactone is coupled to the first of these and involves the activity of the integral membrane protease AgrB. This step is expected to be thermodynamically unfavorable, and therefore, it is unclear how AIP-producing bacteria produce sufficient amounts of the thiolactone-containing intermediate to drive quorum sensing. Herein, we present the in vitro reconstitution of the AgrB-dependent proteolysis of an AgrD precursor from Staphylococcus aureus. Our data show that efficient thiolactone production is driven by two unanticipated features of the system: (i) membrane association of the thiolactone-containing intermediate, which stabilizes the macrocycle, and (ii) rapid degradation of the C-terminal proteolysis fragment AgrD C , which affects the reaction equilibrium position. Cell-based studies confirm the intimate link between AIP production and intracellular AgrD C levels. Thus, our studies explain the chemical principles that drive AIP production, including uncovering a hitherto unknown link between quorum sensing and peptide turnover.Staphylococcus aureus | quorum sensing | thiolactone | protein homeostasis | thermodynamics of proteolysis

Ubiquitylation of histone H2B at lysine 120 (H2B-Ub), a post-translational modification first discovered in 1980, plays a critical role in diverse nuclear processes including the regulation of transcription and DNA damage repair. Herein, we use a suite of protein chemistry methods to explore how H2B-Ub stimulates hDot1L-mediated methylation of histone H3 on lysine 79 (H3K79me). By using semisynthetic ‘designer' chromatin containing H2B-Ub bearing a site-specifically installed photocrosslinker, here we report an interaction between a functional hotspot on ubiquitin and the N-terminus of histone H2A. Our biochemical studies indicate that this interaction is required for stimulation of hDot1L activity and leads to a repositioning of hDot1L on the nucleosomal surface, which likely places the active site of the enzyme proximal to H3K79. Collectively, our data converge on a possible mechanism for hDot1L stimulation in which H2B-Ub physically ‘corrals' the enzyme into a productive binding orientation.