Diverse organisms secrete redox-active antibiotics, which can be used as extracellular electron shuttles by resistant microbes. Shuttlemediated metabolism can support survival when substrates are available not locally but rather at a distance. Such conditions arise in multicellular communities, where the formation of chemical gradients leads to resource limitation for cells at depth. In the pathogenic bacterium Pseudomonas aeruginosa PA14, antibiotics called phenazines act as oxidants to balance the intracellular redox state of cells in anoxic biofilm subzones. PA14 colony biofilms show a profound morphogenic response to phenazines resulting from electron acceptor-dependent inhibition of ECM production. This effect is reminiscent of the developmental responses of some eukaryotic systems to redox control, but for bacterial systems its mechanistic basis has not been well defined. Here, we identify the regulatory protein RmcA and show that it links redox conditions to PA14 colony morphogenesis by modulating levels of bis-(3′,5′)-cyclic-dimeric-guanosine (c-di-GMP), a second messenger that stimulates matrix production, in response to phenazine availability. RmcA contains four Per-Arnt-Sim (PAS) domains and domains with the potential to catalyze the synthesis and degradation of c-di-GMP. Our results suggest that phenazine production modulates RmcA activity such that the protein degrades c-di-GMP and thereby inhibits matrix production during oxidizing conditions. RmcA thus forms a mechanistic link between cellular redox sensing and community morphogenesis analogous to the functions performed by PAS-domain-containing regulatory proteins found in complex eukaryotes.W hen microbial cells cannot import or are physically separated from metabolic electron donors or acceptors, diffusible compounds can act as electron carriers and support survival on these substrates (1, 2). These conditions arise in the presence of poised-potential electrodes or insoluble minerals, such as iron oxides (3-5), and in multicellular communities (biofilms) where the formation of chemical gradients leads to oxidant limitation for cells at depth (6-9). Diverse microbes secrete redoxactive compounds with the capacity to function as electron shuttles (10-12). In the pathogenic bacterium Pseudomonas aeruginosa PA14, electron-shuttling antibiotics called phenazines support survival on poised-potential electrodes and balance the intracellular redox state of cells in anoxic biofilm subzones (1, 9).Similar to those formed by many species of microbes, colonies of PA14 develop intricate wrinkle structures on agar-solidified growth media (13). Phenazines profoundly alter PA14 colony morphogenesis, inhibiting the onset of wrinkle formation and changing the organization of wrinkles (12) (Fig. 1A). Modeling of resource availability within colonies suggests that the earlier increase in the colony surface area-to-volume ratio in phenazine-null (Δphz) mutants maximizes access to oxygen for cells that would otherwise become limited for oxidant (14). Measurements of...
During development, the Hippo signaling pathway regulates key physiological processes, such as control of organ size, regeneration, and stem cell biology. Yes-associated protein (YAP) is a major transcriptional co-activator of the Hippo pathway. The scaffold protein IQGAP1 interacts with more than 100 binding partners to integrate diverse signaling pathways. In this study, we report that IQGAP1 binds to YAP and modulates its activity. The Hippo signaling pathway comprises numerous proteins that regulate organ size and shape, regeneration, and stem cell biology (1). The Hippo pathway responds to several stimuli, such as stress, polarity, and adhesion cues and has been implicated in tumorigenesis (2). The primary components of this cascade are a kinase module and a transcriptional module. The transcriptional module consists of yes-associated protein (YAP) 2 and the transcriptional co-activator with PDZ-binding motif (TAZ), which together drive the activities downstream of the Hippo pathway (3). Importantly, YAP shuttles between the cytoplasm and nucleus. Nevertheless, nuclear translocation of YAP is not sufficient for induction of transcriptional activity because YAP does not contain a DNA-binding region. Nuclear YAP activity is elicited by binding to transcription factors. Among these, TEA domain family members (TEADs) are the major transcription factors driving YAP-mediated gene transcription (4, 5). YAP activity is regulated through phosphorylation-dependent and -independent mechanisms. When Hippo is ON, YAP gets phosphorylated, and its co-transcriptional activity is inhibited. The kinase module of the Hippo pathway, including large tumor suppressor 1 and 2 (LATS1/2) and mammalian STE20-like protein kinase 1 and 2 (MST1/2), inhibits YAP by catalyzing phosphorylation at Ser 127 or Ser 381 (6). Phosphorylation of YAP at Ser 127 induces its interaction with 14-3-3, which leads to retention of YAP in the cytoplasm, thereby inhibiting transcriptional activity. Phosphorylation of YAP at Ser 381 (Ser 381 in mice corresponds to residue Ser 397 in humans; all reference to phosphorylation at this site will be described as Ser 381 ) leads to its ubiquitination and cytoplasmic degradation. Furthermore, other regulatory proteins, such as NF2 (neurofibromatin 2) and KIBRA (kidney and brain expressed protein), form a complex to activate the Hippo kinase module, thereby inhibiting YAP nuclear activity (7). YAP can also be modulated by direct protein-protein interactions. For example, the angiomotin (AMOT) family of proteins binds to YAP and promotes its cytoplasmic retention (8). In contrast, direct binding of YAP to multiple ankyrin repeats single KH domain-containing protein (MASK) in the nucleus potentiates YAP-mediated transcriptional activity (9).IQGAPs are evolutionary conserved, scaffold proteins with multiple functions. Three IQGAP family members (named IQGAP1, IQGAP2, and IQGAP3) have been identified in mammals (10). The expression of IQGAP2 is restricted to liver (11), and IQGAP3 is reported to be expressed in lung...
Sectioning via paraffin embedding is a broadly established technique in eukaryotic systems. Here we provide a method for the fixation, embedding, and sectioning of intact microbial colony biofilms using perfused paraffin wax. To adapt this method for use on colony biofilms, we developed techniques for maintaining each sample on its growth substrate and laminating it with an agar overlayer, and added lysine to the fixative solution. These optimizations improve sample retention and preservation of micromorphological features. Samples prepared in this manner are amenable to thin sectioning and imaging by light, fluorescence, and transmission electron microscopy. We have applied this technique to colony biofilms of Pseudomonas aeruginosa, Pseudomonas synxantha, Bacillus subtilis, and Vibrio cholerae. The high level of detail visible in samples generated by this method, combined with reporter strain engineering or the use of specific dyes, can provide exciting insights into the physiology and development of microbial communities.
The Ras family of small GTPases modulates numerous essential processes. Activating Ras mutations result in hyper-activation of selected signaling cascades, which leads to human diseases. The high frequency of Ras mutations in human malignant neoplasms has led to Ras being a desirable chemotherapeutic target. The IQGAP family of scaffold proteins binds to and regulates multiple signaling molecules, including the Rho family GTPases Rac1 and Cdc42. There are conflicting data in the published literature regarding interactions between IQGAP and Ras proteins. Initial reports showed no binding, but subsequent studies claim associations of IQGAP1 and IQGAP3 with K-Ras and H-Ras, respectively. Therefore, we set out to resolve this controversy. Here we demonstrate that neither endogenous IQGAP1 nor endogenous IQGAP3 binds to the major Ras isoforms, namely H-, K-, and N-Ras. Importantly, Ras activation by epidermal growth factor is not altered when IQGAP1 or IQGAP3 proteins are depleted from cells. These data strongly suggest that IQGAP proteins are not functional interactors of H-, K-, or N-Ras and challenge the rationale for targeting the interaction of Ras with IQGAP for the development of therapeutic agents.
AMP-activated protein kinase (AMPK) is a fundamental component of a protein kinase cascade that is an energy sensor. AMPK maintains energy homeostasis in the cell by promoting catabolic and inhibiting anabolic pathways. Activation of AMPK requires phosphorylation by the liver kinase B1 or by the Ca2+ /calmodulin-dependent protein kinase kinase 2 (CaMKK2). The scaffold protein IQGAP1 regulates intracellular signaling pathways, such as the mitogen-activated protein kinase and AKT signaling cascades. Recent work implicates the participation of IQGAP1 in metabolic function, but the molecular mechanisms underlying these effects are poorly understood. Here, using several approaches including binding analysis with fusion proteins, siRNA-mediated gene silencing, RT-PCR, and knockout mice, we investigated whether IQGAP1 modulates AMPK signaling. In vitro analysis reveals that IQGAP1 binds directly to the α1 subunit of AMPK. In addition, we observed a direct interaction between IQGAP1 and CaMKK2, which is mediated by the IQ domain of IQGAP1. Both CaMKK2 and AMPK associate with IQGAP1 in cells. The ability of metformin and increased intracellular free Ca2+ concentrations to activate AMPK is reduced in cells lacking IQGAP1. Importantly, Ca2+-stimulated AMPK phosphorylation was rescued by re-expression of IQGAP1 in IQGAP1-null cell lines. Comparison of the fasting response in wild-type and IQGAP1-null mice revealed that transcriptional regulation of the gluconeogenesis genes PCK1 and G6PC and the fatty acid synthesis genes FASN and ACC1 is impaired in IQGAP1-null mice. Our data disclose a previously unidentified functional interaction between IQGAP1 and AMPK and suggest that IQGAP1 modulates AMPK signaling.
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