scholarly journals An OregonGreen488-labelled d-amino acid for visualizing peptidoglycan by super-resolution STED nanoscopy

Microbiology ◽  
2020 ◽  
Vol 166 (12) ◽  
pp. 1129-1135 ◽  
Author(s):  
Bill Söderström ◽  
Alessandro Ruda ◽  
Göran Widmalm ◽  
Daniel O. Daley
Keyword(s):  
Amino Acids ◽  
Amino Acid ◽  
Chemical Synthesis ◽  
Super Resolution ◽  
Molecular Probes ◽  
Stimulated Emission ◽  
Gram Negative Bacteria ◽  
Gram Negative ◽  
Peptidoglycan Synthesis ◽  
Peptidoglycan Layer

Fluorescent d-amino acids (FDAAs) are molecular probes that are widely used for labelling the peptidoglycan layer of bacteria. When added to growing cells they are incorporated into the stem peptide by a transpeptidase reaction, allowing the timing and localization of peptidoglycan synthesis to be determined by fluorescence microscopy. Herein we describe the chemical synthesis of an OregonGreen488-labelled FDAA (OGDA). We also demonstrate that OGDA can be efficiently incorporated into the PG of Gram-positive and some Gram-negative bacteria, and imaged by super-resolution stimulated emission depletion (STED) nanoscopy at a resolution well below 100 nm.

scholarly journals β-Aminopeptidases: Insight into Enzymes without a Known Natural Substrate

2019 ◽  
Vol 85 (15) ◽  
Author(s):  
Marietta John-White ◽  
James Gardiner ◽  
Priscilla Johanesen ◽  
Dena Lyras ◽  
Geoffrey Dumsday
Keyword(s):  
Amino Acids ◽  
Amino Acid ◽  
Gram Negative Bacteria ◽  
Diverse Range ◽  
Α Subunit ◽  
Gram Negative ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Proteolytic Resistance ◽  
Insight Into ◽  
Unique Capability

ABSTRACT β-Aminopeptidases have the unique capability to hydrolyze N-terminal β-amino acids, with varied preferences for the nature of β-amino acid side chains. This unique capability makes them useful as biocatalysts for synthesis of β-peptides and to kinetically resolve β-peptides and amides for the production of enantiopure β-amino acids. To date, six β-aminopeptidases have been discovered and functionally characterized, five from Gram-negative bacteria and one from a fungus, Aspergillus. Here we report on the purification and characterization of an additional four β-aminopeptidases, one from a Gram-positive bacterium, Mycolicibacterium smegmatis (BapAMs), one from a yeast, Yarrowia lipolytica (BapAYlip), and two from Gram-negative bacteria isolated from activated sludge identified as Burkholderia spp. (BapABcA5 and BapABcC1). The genes encoding β-aminopeptidases were cloned, expressed in Escherichia coli, and purified. The β-aminopeptidases were produced as inactive preproteins that underwent self-cleavage to form active enzymes comprised of two different subunits. The subunits, designated α and β, appeared to be tightly associated, as the active enzyme was recovered after immobilized-metal affinity chromatography (IMAC) purification, even though only the α-subunit was 6-histidine tagged. The enzymes were shown to hydrolyze chromogenic substrates with the N-terminal l-configurations β-homo-Gly (βhGly) and β3-homo-Leu (β3hLeu) with high activities. These enzymes displayed higher activity with H-βhGly-p-nitroanilide (H-βhGly-pNA) than previously characterized enzymes from other microorganisms. These data indicate that the new β-aminopeptidases are fully functional, adding to the toolbox of enzymes that could be used to produce β-peptides. Overexpression studies in Pseudomonas aeruginosa also showed that the β-aminopeptidases may play a role in some cellular functions. IMPORTANCE β-Aminopeptidases are unique enzymes found in a diverse range of microorganisms that can utilize synthetic β-peptides as a sole carbon source. Six β-aminopeptidases have been previously characterized with preferences for different β-amino acid substrates and have demonstrated the capability to catalyze not only the degradation of synthetic β-peptides but also the synthesis of short β-peptides. Identification of other β-aminopeptidases adds to this toolbox of enzymes with differing β-amino acid substrate preferences and kinetics. These enzymes have the potential to be utilized in the sustainable manufacture of β-amino acid derivatives and β-peptides for use in biomedical and biomaterial applications. This is important, because β-amino acids and β-peptides confer increased proteolytic resistance to bioactive compounds and form novel structures as well as structures similar to α-peptides. The discovery of new enzymes will also provide insight into the biological importance of these enzymes in nature.

scholarly journals Characterization of the 6'-N-aminoglycoside acetyltransferase gene aac(6')-Im [corrected] associated with a sulI-type integron.

1997 ◽  
Vol 41 (2) ◽  
pp. 314-318 ◽  
Author(s):  
E Hannecart-Pokorni ◽  
F Depuydt ◽  
L de wit ◽  
E van Bossuyt ◽  
J Content ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Escherichia Coli ◽  
Amino Acids ◽  
Amino Acid ◽  
Resistance Gene ◽  
Citrobacter Freundii ◽  
Gram Negative ◽  
Gene Environment ◽  
Insert Region ◽  
Klebsiella Spp

The amikacin resistance gene aac(6')-Im [corrected] from Citrobacter freundii Cf155 encoding an aminoglycoside 6'-N-acetyltransferase was characterized. The gene was identified as a coding sequence of 521 bp located down-stream from the 5' conserved segment of an integron. The sequence of this aac(6')-Im [corrected] gene corresponded to a protein of 173 amino acids which possessed 64.2% identity in a 165-amino-acid overlap with the aac(6')-Ia gene product (F.C. Tenover, D. Filpula, K.L. Phillips, and J. J. Plorde, J. Bacteriol. 170:471-473, 1988). By using PCR, the aac(6')-Im [corrected] gene could be detected in 8 of 86 gram-negative clinical isolates from two Belgian hospitals, including isolates of Citrobacter, Klebsiella spp., and Escherichia coli. PCR mapping of the aac(6')-Im [corrected] gene environment in these isolates indicated that the gene was located within a sulI-type integron; the insert region is 1,700 bases long and includes two genes cassettes, the second being ant (3")-Ib.

scholarly journals Improved Derivatives of Bactenecin, a Cyclic Dodecameric Antimicrobial Cationic Peptide

1999 ◽  
Vol 43 (5) ◽  
pp. 1274-1276 ◽  
Author(s):  
Manhong Wu ◽  
Robert E. W. Hancock
Keyword(s):  
Amino Acid ◽  
Antimicrobial Peptide ◽  
Tryptophan Residue ◽  
Gram Negative Bacteria ◽  
Cationic Peptide ◽  
Gram Positive ◽  
Antimicrobial Spectrum ◽  
Gram Negative ◽  
Derivatives Of

ABSTRACT Both linear and cyclic derivatives of the cyclic 12-amino-acid antimicrobial peptide bactenecin were designed based on optimization of amphipathicity and charge location. In general, increasing the number of positive charges at the N and C termini and adding an extra tryptophan residue in the loop not only increased the activities against both gram-positive and gram-negative bacteria but also broadened the antimicrobial spectrum.

Val-Geninthiocin: Structure Elucidation and MSn Fragmentation of Thiopeptide Antibiotics Produced by Streptomyces sp. RSF18

2008 ◽  
Vol 63 (10) ◽  
pp. 1223-1230 ◽  
Author(s):  
Imran Sajid ◽  
Khaled A. Shaaban ◽  
Holm Frauendorf ◽  
Shahida Hasnain ◽  
Hartmut Laatscha
Keyword(s):  
Amino Acids ◽  
Biological Activity ◽  
Antifungal Activity ◽  
Structure Elucidation ◽  
Gram Negative Bacteria ◽  
Gram Negative ◽  
Unusual Amino Acids ◽  
Streptomyces Sp ◽  
Gram Positive Bacteria ◽  
Thiopeptide Antibiotics

AbstractVal-Geninthiocin (2), a new member of thiopeptide antibiotics, was isolated from the mycelium of Streptomyces sp. RSF18, along with the closely related geninthiocin (1) and the macrolide, chalcomycin. By intensive NMR and MS studies, Val-geninthiocin (2) was identified as desoxygeninthiocin, a thiopeptide, containing several oxazole and thiazole units and a number of unusual amino acids. Compound 2 shows potent activity against Gram-positive bacteria and minor antifungal activity, while it is not effective against Gram-negative bacteria or microalgae. Here we describe the fermentation, isolation and structure elucidation as well as the biological activity of 2.

scholarly journals How the assembly and protection of the bacterial cell envelope depend on cysteine residues

2020 ◽  
Vol 295 (34) ◽  
pp. 11984-11994 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jean-François Collet ◽  
Seung-Hyun Cho ◽  
Bogdan I. Iorga ◽  
Camille V. Goemans
Keyword(s):  
Amino Acid ◽  
Cell Envelope ◽  
Multilayered Structure ◽  
Cysteine Residues ◽  
Permeability Barrier ◽  
Gram Negative Bacteria ◽  
Amino Acid Residues ◽  
Gram Negative ◽  
Oxidative Inactivation ◽  
Peptidoglycan Cell Wall

The cell envelope of Gram-negative bacteria is a multilayered structure essential for bacterial viability; the peptidoglycan cell wall provides shape and osmotic protection to the cell, and the outer membrane serves as a permeability barrier against noxious compounds in the external environment. Assembling the envelope properly and maintaining its integrity are matters of life and death for bacteria. Our understanding of the mechanisms of envelope assembly and maintenance has increased tremendously over the past two decades. Here, we review the major achievements made during this time, giving central stage to the amino acid cysteine, one of the least abundant amino acid residues in proteins, whose unique chemical and physical properties often critically support biological processes. First, we review how cysteines contribute to envelope homeostasis by forming stabilizing disulfides in crucial bacterial assembly factors (LptD, BamA, and FtsN) and stress sensors (RcsF and NlpE). Second, we highlight the emerging role of enzymes that use cysteine residues to catalyze reactions that are necessary for proper envelope assembly, and we also explain how these enzymes are protected from oxidative inactivation. Finally, we suggest future areas of investigation, including a discussion of how cysteine residues could contribute to envelope homeostasis by functioning as redox switches. By highlighting the redox pathways that are active in the envelope of Escherichia coli, we provide a timely overview of the assembly of a cellular compartment that is the hallmark of Gram-negative bacteria.

scholarly journals On the Architecture of the Gram-Negative Bacterial Murein Sacculus

2000 ◽  
Vol 182 (20) ◽  
pp. 5925-5930 ◽  
Author(s):  
David Pink ◽  
Jeremy Moeller ◽  
Bonnie Quinn ◽  
Manfred Jericho ◽  
Terry Beveridge
Keyword(s):  
Gram Negative Bacteria ◽  
Defect Structures ◽  
Waste Products ◽  
Gram Negative ◽  
Large Molecules ◽  
Glycan Chain ◽  
Pass Through ◽  
Murein Sacculus ◽  
Chain Lengths ◽  
Peptidoglycan Layer

ABSTRACT The peptidoglycan network of the murein sacculus must be porous so that nutrients, waste products, and secreted proteins can pass through. Using Escherichia coli and Pseudomonas aeruginosa as a baseline for gram-negative sacculi, the hole size distribution in the peptidoglycan network has been modeled by computer simulation to deduce the network's properties. By requiring that the distribution of glycan chain lengths predicted by the model be in accord with the distribution observed, we conclude that the holes are slits running essentially perpendicular to the local axis of the glycan chains (i.e., the slits run along the long axis of the cell). This result is in accord with previous permeability measurements of Beveridge and Jack and Demchik and Koch. We outline possible advantages that might accrue to the bacterium via this architecture and suggest ways in which such defect structures might be detected. Certainly, large molecules do penetrate the peptidoglycan layer of gram-negative bacteria, and the small slits that we suggest might be made larger by the bacterium.

Preparation of amino acid-appended cholic acid derivatives as sensitizers of Gram-negative bacteria

1999 ◽  
Vol 40 (10) ◽  
pp. 1865-1868 ◽  
Author(s):  
Atiq-ur-Rehman ◽  
Chunhong Li ◽  
Loren P. Budge ◽  
Sarah E. Street ◽  
Paul B. Savage
Keyword(s):  
Amino Acid ◽  
Cholic Acid ◽  
Gram Negative Bacteria ◽  
Gram Negative ◽  
Cholic Acid Derivatives
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