The WalRK two-component system is essential for proper cell envelope biogenesis in Clostridioides difficile

Abstract

The WalR-WalK two-component regulatory system (TCS) is found in all Firmicutes, where it regulates the expression of multiple genes required for remodeling the cell envelope during growth and division. Unlike most TCSs, WalRK is essential for viability, so it has attracted interest as a potential antibiotic target. Here we used overexpression of WalR and CRISPR interference to investigate the Wal system of Clostridioides difficile, a major cause of hospital-associated diarrhea in high-income countries. We confirmed the wal operon is essential and identified morphological defects and cell lysis as the major terminal phenotypes of altered wal expression. We also used RNA-seq to identify over 150 genes whose expression changes in response to WalR levels. This gene set is enriched in cell envelope genes and includes several predicted PG hydrolases and proteins that could regulate PG hydrolase activity. A distinct feature of the C. difficile cell envelope is the presence of an S-layer and we found WalR affects expression of several genes which encode S-layer proteins. An unexpected finding was that some Wal-associated phenotypic defects were inverted in comparison to what has been reported in other Firmicutes. For example, down-regulation of Wal signaling caused C. difficile cells to become longer rather than shorter, as in Bacillus subtilis. Likewise, down-regulation of Wal rendered C. difficile more sensitive to vancomycin, whereas reduced Wal activity is linked to increased vancomycin resistance in Staphylococcus aureus.