20Spores are the major infectious particle of the Gram-positive nosocomial pathogen, 21 Clostridioides (formerly Clostridium) difficile, but the molecular details of how this organism 22 forms these metabolically dormant cells remain poorly characterized. The composition of the 23 spore coat in C. difficile differs markedly from that defined in the well-studied organism, 24 Bacillus subtilis, with only 25% of the ~70 spore coat proteins being conserved between the two 25 organisms, and only 2 of 9 coat assembly (morphogenetic) proteins defined in B. subtilis having 26 homologs in C. difficile. We previously identified SipL as a clostridia-specific coat protein 27 essential for functional spore formation. Heterologous expression analyses in E. coli revealed 28 that SipL directly interacts with C. difficile SpoIVA, a coat morphogenetic protein conserved in 29 all spore-forming organisms, through SipL's C-terminal LysM domain. In this study, we show 30 that SpoIVA-SipL binding is essential for C. difficile spore formation and identify specific 31 residues within the LysM domain that stabilize this interaction. Fluorescence microscopy 32 analyses indicate that binding of SipL's LysM domain to SpoIVA is required for SipL to localize 33 to the forespore, while SpoIVA requires SipL to promote encasement of SpoIVA around the 34 forespore. Since we also show that clostridial LysM domains are functionally interchangeable at 35 least in C. difficile, the basic mechanism for SipL-dependent assembly of clostridial spore coats 36 may be conserved. 37 38 39 3 Importance 40 41The metabolically dormant spore-form of the major nosocomial pathogen, Clostridioides 42 difficile, is its major infectious particle. However, the mechanisms controlling the formation of 43 these resistant cell types are not well understood, particularly with respect to its outermost layer, 44 the spore coat. We previously identified two spore morphogenetic proteins in C. difficile: 45 SpoIVA, which is conserved in all spore-forming organisms, and SipL, which is conserved only 46 in the Clostridia. Both SpoIVA and SipL are essential for heat-resistant spore formation and 47 directly interact through SipL's C-terminal LysM domain. In this study, we demonstrate that the 48 LysM domain is critical for SipL and SpoIVA function, likely by helping recruit SipL to the 49 forespore during spore morphogenesis. We further identified residues within the LysM domain 50 that are important for binding SpoIVA and thus functional spore formation. These findings 51 provide important insight into the molecular mechanisms controlling the assembly of infectious 52 C. difficile spores.53 4 Introduction 54 55The Gram-positive pathogen Clostridioides (formerly Clostridium) difficile is a leading 56 cause of antibiotic-associated diarrhea and gastroenteritis in the developed world (1, 2). Since C. 57 difficile is an obligate anaerobe, its major infectious particle is its aerotolerant, metabolically 58 dormant spore form (3, 4). C. difficile spores in the environment ar...

Trehalose glycolipids are found in many bacteria in the suborder Corynebacterineae, but methyl-branched acyltrehaloses are exclusive to virulent species such as the human pathogen Mycobacterium tuberculosis. In M. tuberculosis, the acyltransferase PapA3 catalyzes the formation of diacyltrehalose (DAT), but the enzymes responsible for downstream reactions leading to the final product, polyacyltrehalose (PAT), have not been identified. The PAT biosynthetic gene locus is similar to that of another trehalose glycolipid, sulfolipid 1. Recently, Chp1 was characterized as the terminal acyltransferase in sulfolipid 1 biosynthesis. Here we provide evidence that the homologue Chp2 (Rv1184c) is essential for the final steps of PAT biosynthesis. Disruption of chp2 led to the loss of PAT and a novel tetraacyltrehalose species, TetraAT, as well as the accumulation of DAT, implicating Chp2 as an acyltransferase downstream of PapA3. Disruption of the putative lipid transporter MmpL10 resulted in a similar phenotype. Chp2 activity thus appears to be regulated by MmpL10 in a relationship similar to that between Chp1 and MmpL8 in sulfolipid 1 biosynthesis. Chp2 is localized to the cell envelope fraction, consistent with its role in DAT modification and possible regulatory interactions with MmpL10. Labeling of purified Chp2 by an activity-based probe was dependent on the presence of the predicted catalytic residue Ser141 and was inhibited by the lipase inhibitor tetrahydrolipstatin (THL). THL treatment of M. tuberculosis resulted in selective inhibition of Chp2 over PapA3, confirming Chp2 as a member of the serine hydrolase superfamily. Efforts to produce in vitro reconstitution of acyltransferase activity using straight-chain analogues were unsuccessful, suggesting that Chp2 has specificity for native methyl-branched substrates.

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Outer membrane lipids in pathogenic mycobacteria are important for virulence and survival. While biosynthesis of these lipids has been extensively studied, mechanisms responsible for their assembly in the outer membrane are not understood. In the study of Gram-negative outer membrane assembly, protein-protein interactions define transport mechanisms, but analogous interactions have not been explored in mycobacteria. Here we identified interactions with the lipid transport protein LprG. Using site-specific photocrosslinking in live mycobacteria, we mapped three major interaction interfaces within LprG. We went on to identify proteins that crosslink at the entrance to the lipid binding pocket, an area likely relevant to LprG transport function. We verified LprG site-specific interactions with two hits, the conserved lipoproteins LppK and LppI. We further showed that LprG interacts physically and functionally with the mycolyltransferase Ag85A, as loss of either protein leads to similar defects in cell growth and mycolylation. Overall, our results support a model in which protein interactions coordinate multiple pathways in outer membrane biogenesis and connect lipid biosynthesis to transport.

Spores are the major infectious particle of the Gram-positive nosocomial pathogen Clostridioides difficile (formerly Clostridium difficile), but the molecular details of how this organism forms these metabolically dormant cells remain poorly characterized. The composition of the spore coat in C. difficile differs markedly from that defined in the well-studied organism Bacillus subtilis, with only 25% of the ∼70 spore coat proteins being conserved between the two organisms and with only 2 of 9 coat assembly (morphogenetic) proteins defined in B. subtilis having homologs in C. difficile. We previously identified SipL as a clostridium-specific coat protein essential for functional spore formation. Heterologous expression analyses in Escherichia coli revealed that SipL directly interacts with C. difficile SpoIVA, a coat-morphogenetic protein conserved in all spore-forming organisms, through SipL’s C-terminal LysM domain. In this study, we show that SpoIVA-SipL binding is essential for C. difficile spore formation and identify specific residues within the LysM domain that stabilize this interaction. Fluorescence microscopy analyses indicate that binding of SipL’s LysM domain to SpoIVA is required for SipL to localize to the forespore while SpoIVA requires SipL to promote encasement of SpoIVA around the forespore. Since we also show that clostridial LysM domains are functionally interchangeable at least in C. difficile, the basic mechanism for SipL-dependent assembly of clostridial spore coats may be conserved. IMPORTANCE The metabolically dormant spore form of the major nosocomial pathogen Clostridioides difficile is its major infectious particle. However, the mechanisms controlling the formation of this resistant cell type are not well understood, particularly with respect to its outermost layer, the spore coat. We previously identified two spore-morphogenetic proteins in C. difficile: SpoIVA, which is conserved in all spore-forming organisms, and SipL, which is conserved only in the clostridia. Both SpoIVA and SipL are essential for heat-resistant spore formation and directly interact through SipL’s C-terminal LysM domain. In this study, we demonstrate that the LysM domain is critical for SipL and SpoIVA function, likely by helping recruit SipL to the forespore during spore morphogenesis. We further identified residues within the LysM domain that are important for binding SpoIVA and, thus, functional spore formation. These findings provide important insight into the molecular mechanisms controlling the assembly of infectious C. difficile spores.

Although classified as Gram-positive bacteria, Corynebacterineae possess an asymmetric outer membrane that imparts structural and thereby physiological similarity to more distantly related Gram-negative bacteria. Like lipopolysaccharide in Gram-negative bacteria, lipids in the outer membrane of Corynebacterineae have been associated with the virulence of pathogenic species such as Mycobacterium tuberculosis (Mtb). For example, Mtb strains that lack long, branched-chain alkyl esters known as dimycocerosates (DIMs) are significantly attenuated in model infections. The resultant interest in the biosynthetic pathway of these unusual virulence factors has led to the elucidation of many of the steps leading to the final esterification of the alkyl beta-diol, phthiocerol, with branched-chain fatty acids known as mycocerosates. PapA5 is an acyltransferase implicated in these final reactions. We here show that PapA5 is indeed the terminal enzyme in DIM biosynthesis by demonstrating its dual esterification activity and chain-length preference using synthetic alkyl beta-diol substrate analogues. Applying these analogues to a series of PapA5 mutants, we also revise a model for the substrate binding within PapA5. Finally, we demonstrate that the Mtb Ser/Thr kinases PknB and PknE modify PapA5 on three overlapping Thr residues and a fourth Thr is unique to PknE phosphorylation. These results clarify the DIM biosynthetic pathway and indicate post-translational modifications that warrant further elucidation for their roles in regulation DIM biosynthesis.

The Centers for Disease Control has designated Clostridioides difficile as an urgent threat because of its intrinsic antibiotic resistance. C. difficile persists in the presence of antibiotics in part because it makes metabolically dormant spores. While recent work has shown that preventing the formation of infectious spores can reduce C. difficile disease recurrence, more selective antisporulation therapies are needed.

Clostridioides difficile is a leading cause of healthcare-associated infections worldwide. C. difficile infections are transmitted by its metabolically dormant, aerotolerant spore form. Functional spore formation depends on the assembly of two protective layers: a thick layer of modified peptidoglycan known as the cortex layer and a multilayered proteinaceous meshwork known as the coat. We previously identified two spore morphogenetic proteins, SpoIVA and SipL, that are essential for recruiting coat proteins to the developing forespore and making functional spores. While SpoIVA and SipL directly interact, the identities of the proteins they recruit to the forespore remained unknown. We used mass spectrometry-based affinity proteomics to identify proteins that interact with the SpoIVA-SipL complex. These analyses identified the Peptostreptococcaceae family-specific, sporulation-induced bitopic membrane protein CD3457 (renamed SpoVQ) as a protein that interacts with SipL and SpoIVA. Loss of SpoVQ decreased heat-resistant spore formation by ~5-fold and reduced cortex thickness ~2-fold; the thinner cortex layer of ∆spoVQ spores correlated with higher levels of spontaneous germination (i.e., in the absence of germinant). Notably, loss of SpoVQ in either spoIVA or sipL mutants prevented cortex synthesis altogether and greatly impaired the localization of a SipL-mCherry fusion protein around the forespore. Thus, SpoVQ is a novel regulator of C. difficile cortex synthesis that appears to link cortex and coat formation. The identification of SpoVQ as a spore morphogenetic protein further highlights how Peptostreptococcaceae family-specific mechanisms control spore formation in C. difficile.