Transpeptidases, members of the penicillin-binding protein (PBP) families, catalyze cross-linking of the bacterial cell wall. This transformation is critical for the survival of bacteria, and it is the target of inhibition by β-lactam antibiotics. We report herein our structural insights into catalysis by the essential PBP2x of Streptococcus pneumoniae by disclosing a total of four X-ray structures, two computational models based on the crystal structures, and molecular-dynamics simulations. The X-ray structures are for the apo PBP2x, the enzyme modified covalently in the active site by oxacillin (a penicillin antibiotic), the enzyme modified by oxacillin in the presence of a synthetic tetrasaccharide surrogate for the cell-wall peptidoglycan, and a noncovalent complex of cefepime (a cephalosporin antibiotic) bound to the active site. A prerequisite for catalysis by transpeptidases, including PBP2x, is the molecular recognition of nascent peptidoglycan strands, which harbor pentapeptide stems. We disclose that the recognition of nascent peptidoglycan by PBP2x takes place by complexation of one pentapeptide stem at an allosteric site located in the PASTA domains of this enzyme. This binding predisposes the third pentapeptide stem in the same nascent peptidoglycan strand to penetration into the active site for the turnover events. The complexation of the two pentapeptide stems in the same peptidoglycan strand is a recognition motif for the nascent peptidoglycan, critical for the cell-wall cross-linking reaction.

Bordetella pertussis is a Gram-negative strictly human pathogen of the respiratory tract and the etiological agent of whooping cough (pertussis). Previously, we have shown that RNA chaperone Hfq is required for virulence of B. pertussis. Furthermore, microarray analysis revealed that a large number of genes are affected by the lack of Hfq. This study represents the first attempt to characterize the Hfq regulon in bacterial pathogen using an integrative omics approach. Gene expression profiles were analyzed by RNA-seq and protein amounts in cell-associated and cell-free fractions were determined by LC-MS/MS technique. Comparative analysis of transcriptomic and proteomic data revealed solid correlation (r2 = 0.4) considering the role of Hfq in post-transcriptional control of gene expression. Importantly, our study confirms and further enlightens the role of Hfq in pathogenicity of B. pertussis as it shows that Δhfq strain displays strongly impaired secretion of substrates of Type III secretion system (T3SS) and substantially reduced resistance to serum killing. On the other hand, significantly increased production of proteins implicated in transport of important metabolites and essential nutrients observed in the mutant seems to compensate for the physiological defect introduced by the deletion of the hfq gene.

Bordetella pertussis, a strictly human re-emerging pathogen and the causative agent of whooping cough, exploits a broad variety of virulence factors to establish efficient infection. Here, we used RNA sequencing to analyse the changes in gene expression profiles of human THP-1 macrophages resulting from B. pertussis infection. In parallel, we attempted to determine the changes in intracellular B. pertussisspecific transcriptomic profiles resulting from interaction with macrophages. Our analysis revealed that global gene expression profiles in THP-1 macrophages are extensively rewired 6 h post-infection. Among the highly expressed genes, we identified those encoding cytokines, chemokines, and transcription regulators involved in the induction of the M1 and M2 macrophage polarization programmes. Notably, several host genes involved in the control of apoptosis and inflammation which are known to be hijacked by intracellular bacterial pathogens were overexpressed upon infection. Furthermore, in silico analyses identified large temporal changes in expression of specific gene subsets involved in signalling and metabolic pathways. Despite limited numbers of the bacterial reads, we observed reduced expression of majority of virulence factors and upregulation of several transcriptional regulators during infection suggesting that intracellular B. pertussis cells switch from virulent to avirulent phase and actively adapt to intracellular environment, respectively.

Despite high vaccination coverage, pertussis is increasing in many industrialized countries, including the Czech Republic. To better understand Bordetella pertussis resurgence, we analyzed historic strains and recent clinical isolates by using a comparative omics approach. Whole-genome sequencing showed that historic and recent isolates of B. pertussis have substantial variation in genome organization and form separate phylogenetic clusters. Subsequent RNA sequence analysis and liquid chromatography with mass tandem spectrometry analyses showed that these variations translated into discretely separated transcriptomic and proteomic profiles. When compared with historic strains, recent isolates showed increased expression of flagellar genes and genes involved in lipopolysaccharide biosynthesis and decreased expression of polysaccharide capsule genes. Compared with reference strain Tohama I, all strains had increased expression and production of the type III secretion system apparatus. We detected the potential link between observed effects and insertion sequence element–induced changes in gene context only for a few genes.

Quantitative changes in antibiotic resistance genes (ARGs) were investigated in six urban wastewater treatment plants (WWTPs) treating municipal and industrial wastewaters. In a selected WWTP, the fate of ARGs was studied in a 1-year time interval and in two phases of wastewater treatment process. Nine ARGs (tetW, tetO, tetA, tetB, tetM, bla, ermB, sul1, and intl1) were quantified in total and their relative abundance assessed by ARG copies/16SrRNA copies. From the tetracycline resistance genes, tetW was the only one detected in all sampled WWTPs. Its relative abundance in the nitrification tank of WWTP5 was found stable during the 1-year period, but was lowered by secondary sedimentation processes in the wastewater treatment down to 24% compared to the nitrification tank. Bacterial isolates showing high tetracycline resistance (minimal inhibition concentrations >100 μg/mL) were identified as members of Acinetobacter, Klebsiella, Citrobacter, Bacillus, and Enterobacter genera. Dynamic shifts in the relative abundance of ermB and sul1 were also demonstrated in wastewater samples from WWTP5.

We characterized physical and chemical properties of cell-membrane fragments from Bacillus subtilis 168 (trpC2) grown at pH 5.0, 7.0 and 8.5. Effects of long-term bacterial adaptation reflected in growth rates and in changes of the membrane lipid composition were correlated with lipid order and dynamics using time-resolved fluorescence anisotropy of 1,6-diphenyl-1,3,5-hexatriene. We demonstrate that the pH adaptation results in a modification of a fatty acid content of cellular membranes that significantly influences both the lipid-chain order and dynamics. For cultivation at acidic conditions, the lipid order increases and membrane dynamics decreases compared to pH 7.0. This results in rigid and ordered membranes. Cultivation at pH 8.5 causes slight membrane disordering. Instant pH changes induce qualitatively similar but smaller effects. Proton flux measurements performed on intact cells adapted to both pH 5.0 and 8.5 revealed lower cell-membrane permeability compared to bacteria cultivated at pH optimum. Our results indicate that both acidic and alkalic pH stress represent a permanent challenge for B. subtilis to keep a functional membrane state. The documented adaptation-induced adjustments of membrane properties could be an important part of mechanisms maintaining an optimal intracellular pH at a wide range of extracellular proton concentrations.

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Streptomycetes, soil-dwelling mycelial bacteria, can colonise surface of organic soil debris and soil particles. We analysed the effects of two different inert surfaces, glass and zirconia/silica, on the growth and antibiotic production in Streptomyces granaticolor. The surfaces used were in the form of microbeads and were surrounded by liquid growth media. Following the production of the antibiotic granaticin, more biomass was formed as well as a greater amount of antibiotic per milligram of protein on the glass beads than on the zirconia/silica beads. Comparison of young mycelium (6 h) proteomes, obtained from the cultures attached to the glass and zirconia/silica beads, revealed three proteins with altered expression levels (dihydrolipoamide dehydrogenase, amidophosphoribosyltransferase and cystathionine beta-synthase) and one unique protein (glyceraldehyde-3-phosphate dehydrogenase) that was present only in cells grown on glass beads. All of the identified proteins function primarily as cytoplasmic enzymes involved in different parts of metabolism; however, in several microorganisms, they are exposed on the cell surface and have been shown to be involved in adhesion or biofilm formation.