scholarly journals MmpL Proteins in Physiology and Pathogenesis of M. tuberculosis

2019 ◽  
Vol 7 (3) ◽  
pp. 70 ◽  
Author(s):  
Geoff Melly ◽  
Georgiana Purdy
Keyword(s):  
Mycobacterium Tuberculosis ◽  
Membrane Protein ◽  
Molecular Mechanisms ◽  
Cell Envelope ◽  
Human Pathogen ◽  
Unique Structure ◽  
Bacterial Structure ◽  
Insight Into

Mycobacterium tuberculosis (Mtb) remains an important human pathogen. The Mtb cell envelope is a critical bacterial structure that contributes to virulence and pathogenicity. Mycobacterial membrane protein large (MmpL) proteins export bulky, hydrophobic substrates that are essential for the unique structure of the cell envelope and directly support the ability of Mtb to infect and persist in the host. This review summarizes recent investigations that have enabled insight into the molecular mechanisms underlying MmpL substrate export and the role that these substrates play during Mtb infection.

scholarly journals The Cell Wall Lipid PDIM Contributes to Phagosomal Escape and Host Cell Exit of Mycobacterium tuberculosis

mBio ◽  
2017 ◽  
Vol 8 (2) ◽  
Author(s):  
Jeff Quigley ◽  
V. Keith Hughitt ◽  
Carlos A. Velikovsky ◽  
Roy A. Mariuzza ◽  
Najib M. El-Sayed ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Cell Wall ◽  
Mycobacterium Tuberculosis ◽  
Host Cell ◽  
Molecular Mechanisms ◽  
Transcriptional Repressor ◽  
Cell Manipulation ◽  
Human Pathogen ◽  
Cell Necrosis ◽  
Unique Cell ◽  
Intracellular Vacuole

ABSTRACT The cell wall of Mycobacterium tuberculosis is composed of unique lipids that are important for pathogenesis. Indeed, the first-ever genetic screen in M. tuberculosis identified genes involved in the biosynthesis and transport of the cell wall lipid PDIM (phthiocerol dimycocerosates) as crucial for the survival of M. tuberculosis in mice. Here we show evidence for a novel molecular mechanism of the PDIM-mediated virulence in M. tuberculosis. We characterized the DNA interaction and the regulon of Rv3167c, a transcriptional repressor that is involved in virulence regulation of M. tuberculosis, and discovered that it controls the PDIM operon. A loss-of-function genetic approach showed that PDIM levels directly correlate with the capacity of M. tuberculosis to escape the phagosome and induce host cell necrosis and macroautophagy. In conclusion, our study attributes a novel role of the cell wall lipid PDIM in intracellular host cell modulation, which is important for host cell exit and dissemination of M. tuberculosis. IMPORTANCE Mycobacterium tuberculosis is a major human pathogen that has coevolved with its host for thousands of years. The complex and unique cell wall of M. tuberculosis contains the lipid PDIM (phthiocerol dimycocerosates), which is crucial for virulence of the bacterium, but its function is not well understood. Here we show that PDIM expression by M. tuberculosis is negatively regulated by a novel transcriptional repressor, Rv3167c. In addition, we discovered that the escape of M. tuberculosis from its intracellular vacuole was greatly augmented by the presence of PDIM. The increased release of M. tuberculosis into the cytosol led to increased host cell necrosis. The discovery of a link between the cell wall lipid PDIM and a major pathogenesis pathway of M. tuberculosis provides important insights into the molecular mechanisms of host cell manipulation by M. tuberculosis. IMPORTANCE Mycobacterium tuberculosis is a major human pathogen that has coevolved with its host for thousands of years. The complex and unique cell wall of M. tuberculosis contains the lipid PDIM (phthiocerol dimycocerosates), which is crucial for virulence of the bacterium, but its function is not well understood. Here we show that PDIM expression by M. tuberculosis is negatively regulated by a novel transcriptional repressor, Rv3167c. In addition, we discovered that the escape of M. tuberculosis from its intracellular vacuole was greatly augmented by the presence of PDIM. The increased release of M. tuberculosis into the cytosol led to increased host cell necrosis. The discovery of a link between the cell wall lipid PDIM and a major pathogenesis pathway of M. tuberculosis provides important insights into the molecular mechanisms of host cell manipulation by M. tuberculosis.

scholarly journals Evolution of Drug-Resistant Mycobacterium tuberculosis Strains and Their Adaptation to the Human Lung Environment

2021 ◽  
Vol 12 ◽  
Author(s):  
Anna Allué-Guardia ◽  
Juan I. García ◽  
Jordi B. Torrelles
Keyword(s):  
Mycobacterium Tuberculosis ◽  
Global Economy ◽  
Molecular Mechanisms ◽  
Cell Envelope ◽  
Association Studies ◽  
Treatment Strategies ◽  
Study Drug ◽  
Genome Wide Association Studies ◽  
Drug Resistant ◽  
Extrinsic Factors

In the last two decades, multi (MDR), extensively (XDR), extremely (XXDR) and total (TDR) drug-resistant Mycobacterium tuberculosis (M.tb) strains have emerged as a threat to public health worldwide, stressing the need to develop new tuberculosis (TB) prevention and treatment strategies. It is estimated that in the next 35 years, drug-resistant TB will kill around 75 million people and cost the global economy $16.7 trillion. Indeed, the COVID-19 pandemic alone may contribute with the development of 6.3 million new TB cases due to lack of resources and enforced confinement in TB endemic areas. Evolution of drug-resistant M.tb depends on numerous factors, such as bacterial fitness, strain’s genetic background and its capacity to adapt to the surrounding environment, as well as host-specific and environmental factors. Whole-genome transcriptomics and genome-wide association studies in recent years have shed some insights into the complexity of M.tb drug resistance and have provided a better understanding of its underlying molecular mechanisms. In this review, we will discuss M.tb phenotypic and genotypic changes driving resistance, including changes in cell envelope components, as well as recently described intrinsic and extrinsic factors promoting resistance emergence and transmission. We will further explore how drug-resistant M.tb adapts differently than drug-susceptible strains to the lung environment at the cellular level, modulating M.tb–host interactions and disease outcome, and novel next generation sequencing (NGS) strategies to study drug-resistant TB.

scholarly journals Proteome remodeling in the Mycobacterium tuberculosis PknG knockout: molecular evidence for the role of this kinase in cell envelope biogenesis and hypoxia response.

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Analía Lima ◽  
Alejandro Leyva ◽  
Bernardina Rivera ◽  
María Magdalena Portela ◽  
Magdalena Gil ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Mycobacterium Tuberculosis ◽  
Molecular Mechanisms ◽  
Cell Envelope ◽  
Molecular Evidence ◽  
Bacterial Survival ◽  
Human Pathogens ◽  
Hypoxic Conditions ◽  
Parallel Reaction Monitoring ◽  
Mutant Derivative

Mycobacterium tuberculosis, the ethiological agent of tuberculosis, is among the deadliest human pathogens. One of M. tuberculosis pathogenic hallmarks is its ability to persist in a dormant state in the host for long periods, reinitiating the infectious cycle when favorable environmental conditions are found. Thus, it is not surprising that this pathogen has developed different mechanisms to withstand the stressful conditions found in the host. In particular, the Ser/Thr protein kinase PknG has gained special relevance since it regulates nitrogen metabolism and facilitates bacterial survival inside macrophages. Nevertheless, the molecular mechanisms underlying these effects are far from being elucidated. To further investigate these issues, we performed quantitative proteomics analyses of protein extracts from M. tuberculosis H37Rv and a mutant derivative lacking pknG. Our results showed that in the absence of PknG the mycobacterial proteome was remodeled since 5.7% of the proteins encoded by M. tuberculosis presented significant changes in its relative abundance when compared to the wild-type strain. The main biological processes affected by pknG deletion were the biosynthesis of cell envelope components and the response to hypoxic conditions. As many as 13 DosR-regulated proteins were underrepresented in the pknG deletion mutant, including the distinctive Hrp-1, which was found to be 12-fold decreased according to Parallel Reaction Monitoring experiments. Altogether, the results presented here allow us to postulate that PknG regulation of bacterial adaptation to stress conditions might be an important mechanism underlying its reported effect on intracellular bacterial survival.

scholarly journals Cholesterol-dependent transcriptome remodeling reveals new insight into the contribution of cholesterol to Mycobacterium tuberculosis pathogenesis

2021 ◽  
Vol 11 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Jakub Pawełczyk ◽  
Anna Brzostek ◽  
Alina Minias ◽  
Przemysław Płociński ◽  
Anna Rumijowska-Galewicz ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Mycobacterium Tuberculosis ◽  
Sole Carbon Source ◽  
Transcriptome Profiling ◽  
Vitamin B ◽  
The Novel ◽  
Human Pathogen ◽  
Global Effect ◽  
Probable Role ◽  
Insight Into

AbstractMycobacterium tuberculosis (Mtb) is an obligate human pathogen that can adapt to the various nutrients available during its life cycle. However, in the nutritionally stringent environment of the macrophage phagolysosome, Mtb relies mainly on cholesterol. In previous studies, we demonstrated that Mtb can accumulate and utilize cholesterol as the sole carbon source. However, a growing body of evidence suggests that a lipid-rich environment may have a much broader impact on the pathogenesis of Mtb infection than previously thought. Therefore, we applied high-resolution transcriptome profiling and the construction of various mutants to explore in detail the global effect of cholesterol on the tubercle bacillus metabolism. The results allow re-establishing the complete list of genes potentially involved in cholesterol breakdown. Moreover, we identified the modulatory effect of vitamin B12 on Mtb transcriptome and the novel function of cobalamin in cholesterol metabolite dissipation which explains the probable role of B12 in Mtb virulence. Finally, we demonstrate that a key role of cholesterol in mycobacterial metabolism is not only providing carbon and energy but involves also a transcriptome remodeling program that helps in developing tolerance to the unfavorable host cell environment far before specific stress-inducing phagosomal signals occur.

scholarly journals Toxin secretion and trafficking by Mycobacterium tuberculosis

2021 ◽  
Vol 12 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
David Pajuelo ◽  
Uday Tak ◽  
Lei Zhang ◽  
Olga Danilchanka ◽  
Anna D. Tischler ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Mycobacterium Tuberculosis ◽  
Membrane Protein ◽  
Outer Membrane ◽  
Outer Membrane Protein ◽  
Molecular Mechanisms ◽  
Comprehensive Analysis ◽  
Secretion Systems ◽  
Type Vii Secretion ◽  
Toxin Secretion ◽  
Phagosomal Membrane

AbstractThe tuberculosis necrotizing toxin (TNT) is the major cytotoxicity factor of Mycobacterium tuberculosis (Mtb) in macrophages. TNT is the C-terminal domain of the outer membrane protein CpnT and gains access to the cytosol to kill macrophages infected with Mtb. However, molecular mechanisms of TNT secretion and trafficking are largely unknown. A comprehensive analysis of the five type VII secretion systems of Mtb revealed that the ESX-4 system is required for export of CpnT and surface accessibility of TNT. Furthermore, the ESX-2 and ESX-4 systems are required for permeabilization of the phagosomal membrane in addition to the ESX-1 system. Thus, these three ESX systems need to act in concert to enable trafficking of TNT into the cytosol of Mtb-infected macrophages. These discoveries establish new molecular roles for the two previously uncharacterized type VII secretion systems ESX-2 and ESX-4 and reveal an intricate link between toxin secretion and phagosomal permeabilization by Mtb.

scholarly journals Cell wall peptidoglycan in Mycobacterium tuberculosis: An Achilles’ heel for the TB-causing pathogen

2019 ◽  
Vol 43 (5) ◽  
pp. 548-575 ◽  
Author(s):  
Arundhati Maitra ◽  
Tulika Munshi ◽  
Jess Healy ◽  
Liam T Martin ◽  
Waldemar Vollmer ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Mycobacterium Tuberculosis ◽  
Molecular Mechanisms ◽  
Enzyme Inhibitors ◽  
Cell Envelope ◽  
Intracellular Pathogen ◽  
The World ◽  
Causes Of Mortality ◽  
Cellular Integrity ◽  
Unique Cell ◽  
Peptidoglycan Layer

ABSTRACTTuberculosis (TB), caused by the intracellular pathogen Mycobacterium tuberculosis, remains one of the leading causes of mortality across the world. There is an urgent requirement to build a robust arsenal of effective antimicrobials, targeting novel molecular mechanisms to overcome the challenges posed by the increase of antibiotic resistance in TB. Mycobacterium tuberculosis has a unique cell envelope structure and composition, containing a peptidoglycan layer that is essential for maintaining cellular integrity and for virulence. The enzymes involved in the biosynthesis, degradation, remodelling and recycling of peptidoglycan have resurfaced as attractive targets for anti-infective drug discovery. Here, we review the importance of peptidoglycan, including the structure, function and regulation of key enzymes involved in its metabolism. We also discuss known inhibitors of ATP-dependent Mur ligases, and discuss the potential for the development of pan-enzyme inhibitors targeting multiple Mur ligases.

scholarly journals Targeting MmpL3 for anti-tuberculosis drug development

2020 ◽  
Vol 48 (4) ◽  
pp. 1463-1472
Author(s):  
Jani R. Bolla
Keyword(s):  
Mycobacterium Tuberculosis ◽  
Membrane Protein ◽  
Drug Development ◽  
Crystal Structures ◽  
Therapeutic Target ◽  
Cell Envelope ◽  
Structural Features ◽  
Lipid Transport ◽  
Attractive Therapeutic Target ◽  
Made In

The unique architecture of the mycobacterial cell envelope plays an important role in Mycobacterium tuberculosis (Mtb) pathogenesis. A critical protein in cell envelope biogenesis in mycobacteria, required for transport of precursors, trehalose monomycolates (TMMs), is the Mycobacterial membrane protein large 3 (MmpL3). Due to its central role in TMM transport, MmpL3 has been an attractive therapeutic target and a key target for several preclinical agents. In 2019, the first crystal structures of the MmpL3 transporter and its complexes with lipids and inhibitors were reported. These structures revealed several unique structural features of MmpL3 and provided invaluable information on the mechanism of TMM transport. This review aims to highlight the recent advances made in the function of MmpL3 and summarises structural findings. The overall goal is to provide a mechanistic perspective of MmpL3-mediated lipid transport and inhibition, and to highlight the prospects for potential antituberculosis therapies.

Exploration of Ion Channels in Mycobacterium tuberculosis: Implication on Drug Discovery and Potent Drug Targets Against Tuberculosis

2020 ◽  
Vol 14 (1) ◽  
pp. 14-29
Author(s):  
Manish Dwivedi
Keyword(s):  
Mycobacterium Tuberculosis ◽  
Drug Targets ◽  
Cell Envelope ◽  
Intracellular Pathogen ◽  
Host Immune System ◽  
Transporter Proteins ◽  
Channel Proteins ◽  
Medical Importance ◽  
Potent Drug ◽  
Emergence Of Resistance

Scientific interest in mycobacteria has been sparked by the medical importance of Mycobacterium tuberculosis (Mtb) that is known to cause severe diseases in mammals, i.e. tuberculosis and by properties that distinguish them from other microorganisms which are notoriously difficult to treat. The treatment of their infections is difficult because mycobacteria fortify themselves with a thick impermeable cell envelope. Channel and transporter proteins are among the crucial adaptations of Mycobacterium that facilitate their strength to combat against host immune system and anti-tuberculosis drugs. In previous studies, it was investigated that some of the channel proteins contribute to the overall antibiotic resistance in Mtb. Moreover, in some of the cases, membrane proteins were found responsible for virulence of these pathogens. Given the ability of M. tuberculosis to survive as an intracellular pathogen and its inclination to develop resistance to the prevailing anti-tuberculosis drugs, its treatment requires new approaches and optimization of anti-TB drugs and investigation of new targets are needed for their potential in clinical usage. Therefore, it is imperative to investigate the survival of Mtb. in stressed conditions with different behavior of particular channel/ transporter proteins. Comprehensive understanding of channel proteins and their mechanism will provide us direction to find out preventive measures against the emergence of resistance and reduce the duration of the treatment, eventually leading to plausible eradication of tuberculosis.

scholarly journals Clinical Candidates Targeting the ATR–CHK1–WEE1 Axis in Cancer

Cancers ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 13 (4) ◽  
pp. 795
Author(s):  
Lukas Gorecki ◽  
Martin Andrs ◽  
Jan Korabecny
Keyword(s):  
Cell Cycle ◽  
Cancer Cells ◽  
Molecular Mechanisms ◽  
Patient Survival ◽  
Current Status ◽  
Future Perspectives ◽  
Phase Ii Trials ◽  
Anticancer Treatment ◽  
Positive Outlook ◽  
Insight Into

Selective killing of cancer cells while sparing healthy ones is the principle of the perfect cancer treatment and the primary aim of many oncologists, molecular biologists, and medicinal chemists. To achieve this goal, it is crucial to understand the molecular mechanisms that distinguish cancer cells from healthy ones. Accordingly, several clinical candidates that use particular mutations in cell-cycle progressions have been developed to kill cancer cells. As the majority of cancer cells have defects in G1 control, targeting the subsequent intra‑S or G2/M checkpoints has also been extensively pursued. This review focuses on clinical candidates that target the kinases involved in intra‑S and G2/M checkpoints, namely, ATR, CHK1, and WEE1 inhibitors. It provides insight into their current status and future perspectives for anticancer treatment. Overall, even though CHK1 inhibitors are still far from clinical establishment, promising accomplishments with ATR and WEE1 inhibitors in phase II trials present a positive outlook for patient survival.

scholarly journals Molecular Pathways Involved in the Development of Congenital Erythrocytosis

Genes ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 12 (8) ◽  
pp. 1150
Author(s):  
Jana Tomc ◽  
Nataša Debeljak
Keyword(s):  
Signal Transduction ◽  
Iron Homeostasis ◽  
Molecular Mechanisms ◽  
Oxygen Affinity ◽  
Molecular Pathways ◽  
Disease Development ◽  
Post Translational Modifications ◽  
Hemoglobin Oxygen Affinity ◽  
Insight Into ◽  
Idiopathic Erythrocytosis

Patients with idiopathic erythrocytosis are directed to targeted genetic testing including nine genes involved in oxygen sensing pathway in kidneys, erythropoietin signal transduction in pre-erythrocytes and hemoglobin-oxygen affinity regulation in mature erythrocytes. However, in more than 60% of cases the genetic cause remains undiagnosed, suggesting that other genes and mechanisms must be involved in the disease development. This review aims to explore additional molecular mechanisms in recognized erythrocytosis pathways and propose new pathways associated with this rare hematological disorder. For this purpose, a comprehensive review of the literature was performed and different in silico tools were used. We identified genes involved in several mechanisms and molecular pathways, including mRNA transcriptional regulation, post-translational modifications, membrane transport, regulation of signal transduction, glucose metabolism and iron homeostasis, which have the potential to influence the main erythrocytosis-associated pathways. We provide valuable theoretical information for deeper insight into possible mechanisms of disease development. This information can be also helpful to improve the current diagnostic solutions for patients with idiopathic erythrocytosis.

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