Biology subjects

Buchrieser, C.

Publications and source records attributed to Buchrieser, C..

18 recordsLinked to original sources

bioRxiv2026

Drinking water treatment drastically modifies multi-kingdom water communities, but clinically relevant opportunistic bacterial pathogens persist

Controlling pathogenic microorganisms during water treatment processes is a major public health concern. However, the impact of different water sources and treatment processes on the drinking water microbiome and opportunistic bacterial pathogens remains poorly understood. Here, we report the analyses of two water systems: a river and groundwater source, and their corresponding treated waters, sampled bi-weekly for 6 months. Microbial communities were analysed through a metabarcoding and dPCR workflow coupling universal prokaryotic and eukaryotic primers with genus-targeting primers for Legionella and Pseudomonas to achieve a deep taxonomic resolution. We show that microbial communities in groundwater were more diverse than those in river water and that water treatment affected -diversity. Water treatment had a stronger influence on community composition than water system or seasonal variation. Despite lower bacterial loads, the relative abundance of Legionella, Pseudomonas, and non-tuberculous Mycobacteria (NTM) remained stable or even increased after water treatment, suggesting that conventional treatment processes promote enrichment of specific taxa. Excitingly, the genus-targeting analyses revealed a remarkable and previously uncharacterized diversity of Legionella species. L.pneumophila, pathogenic Pseudomonas clades and P. aeruginosa were detected in all environments, emphasizing their ability to adapt to diverse ecological conditions. Analysis of the eukaryotic fraction emphasized the persistence and emergence of eukaryotic hosts associated with these waterborne opportunistic pathogens. Our findings offer important insights into how water source characteristics and treatment processes influence the composition of the drinking water microbiome, while the high taxonomic resolution achieved for waterborne opportunistic bacterial pathogens underscores their ecological adaptability.

microbiology↗

bioRxiv2026

Single-cell metabolomics reveals infection-specific metabolic reprogramming of human macrophages

During intracellular infection, host cells adopt different metabolic states that traditional bulk analyses cannot distinguish. Using single-cell spatial metabolomics of human macrophages infected with Legionella pneumophila, we show that bacterial uptake activates host metabolism, whereas the bacterial effectors secreted through the type IV secretion system counteract this response and promote a glycolytic shift. The activity of effectors also generates distinct metabolic states within the infected macrophage population.

microbiology↗

bioRxiv2026

Bacterial targeting of host paraspeckles uncovers a new SFPQ-based regulation

Nuclear functions are key in protecting cells against infections, yet intracellular pathogens like Legionella pneumophila can exploit these mechanisms to survive. We characterized a L. pneumophila protein, LpDot1, which shares sequence similarity with the eukaryotic catalytic domain of the histone methyltransferase DOT1. Structure determination, together with biochemical and biophysical analyses, revealed that LpDot1 methylates non-histone nuclear proteins, notably the splicing factor proline-glutamine rich protein (SFPQ). Importantly, LpDot1 targets the previously uncharacterized K518, located on an important structural motif of SFPQ, therefore impairing its dimerization in vitro. During infection, L. pneumophila modulates SFPQ abundance and activities in a LpDot1-dependent manner, thereby hijacking paraspeckle organization and the host cell splicing machinery, leading to alternative splice variants of infection related genes such as NF-kB2 and CD45. To our knowledge, this is the first report of a bacterial effector directly modifying paraspeckle dynamics, providing new insight into previously uncharacterized eukaryotic regulatory pathways.

microbiology↗

bioRxiv2025

The Legionella effector RidL promotes mitochondrial fragmentation through phosphorylation activation of the large GTPase Drp1

Intracellular pathogens such as Legionella pneumophila secrete effector proteins that manipulate host cell processes to promote bacterial survival. One such effector, RidL, is known to inhibit retrograde trafficking by interacting with the retromer complex via its N-terminal domain. Here, we identify a second function of RidL mediated by its C-terminal domain, which directly binds to the mitochondrial fission GTPase Drp1 and related large GTPases. In vitro, RidL reduces Drp1 GTPase activity and disrupts its oligomerization. During infection, RidL localizes to mitochondria, enhances the accumulation of Drp1 and the outer membrane protein Tom20, and impairs mitochondrial dynamics and function. Moreover, in L. pneumophila-infected cells, RidL promotes phosphorylation of Drp1 at Ser616, leading to Drp1 activation and mitochondrial fragmentation. These findings establish RidL as a bifunctional effector that targets both the retromer complex and Drp1 through distinct domains. By interfering with host mitochondrial dynamics, RidL enables L. pneumophila to remodel host organelles and optimize conditions for intracellular replication.

microbiology↗

bioRxiv2025

Complex-I Preserves Mitochondrial Polarization during Infection of Human Macrophages by Secretion-competent Bacteria

Intracellular bacteria remodel host bioenergetics and modulate mitochondrial membrane potential ({Delta}{psi}m). However, how individual electron-transport chain (ETC) components sustain {Delta}{psi}m during infection of primary human macrophages remains unclear. Here we combine extracellular flux analysis with single-cell live imaging to understand how the ETC functions in human monocyte-derived macrophages (hMDMs) during infection with (Legionella pneumophila (Lp) or Salmonella enterica serovar Typhimurium (S.Tm). At 5 h post-infection, the Lp type IV secretion system (T4SS) and the S.Tm SPI-1 T3SS were required for the early drop of the oxygen consumption rate. Despite reduced respiration, the {Delta}{psi}m was preserved in all infection conditions and pathogen-specific strategies to maintain the {Delta}{psi}m were revealed. While Lp infection modulates the FOF1-ATPase to function in the reverse mode (hydrolase) with the adenine-nucleotide translocator (ANT) remaining in forward mode, S.Tm does not reverse the FOF1-ATPase during infection. Systematic inhibition of ETC complexes established that Complex I is uniquely required to maintain the {Delta}{psi}m during infection with virulent bacteria but not with secretion-deficient mutant strains. Complex II is required in all infection conditions but its inhibition had a minimal effect in non-infected cells, indicating infection-driven participation of this complex in the electron flow in the ETC coupled with the preservation of the {Delta}{psi}m. Complexes III and IV were essential in infected and non-infected cells. Together, our results identify a Complex I-driven maintenance of the {Delta}{psi}m, establishing Complex I as a bioenergetic checkpoint that distinguishes virulent from secretion-deficient intracellular bacteria. Furthermore we reveal that divergent strategies are employed by Lp and S.Tm to preserve macrophage mitochondrial polarization early during infection.

microbiology↗

bioRxiv2025

Avirulent Pseudomonas aeruginosa T3SS-negative strains belonging to Clade 5 produce variable quantities of secondary metabolites

Pseudomonas species are ubiquitous in the environment and serve as valuable source of enzymes and secondary metabolites for industrial applications. P. aeruginosa secretes metalloproteases such as elastase LasB and produces bioactive small molecules, including pyocyanin, rhamnolipids, and pyoverdine, with potential biotechnological applications. However, the interest in P. aeruginosa for industrial use has been limited due to the virulence-associated Type III Secretion System (T3SS), a key factor in host-pathogen interactions. In this study, we genotypically and phenotypically characterized a collection of P. aeruginosa strains naturally lacking T3SS-encoding genes. Phylogenetic analysis revealed that these strains belong to two distinct clades. Several strains exhibited low or no cytotoxicity on epithelial cell lines and were avirulent in the Galleria infection model. The level of LasB and the three metabolites -- pyocyanin, rhamnolipids, and pyoverdine -- varied independently of virulence profiles. Notably, we identified avirulent strains capable of producing at least two secondary metabolites, including monorhamnolipids, highlighting their potential for biotechnological applications.

microbiology↗

bioRxiv2024

Backtracking Metabolic Dynamics in Single Cells Predicts Bacterial Replication in Human Macrophages

Accurately tracking dynamic state transitions is crucial for modeling and predicting biological outcomes, as it captures heterogeneity of cellular responses. To build a model to predict bacterial infection in single cells, we have monitored in parallel infection progression and metabolic parameters in thousands of human primary macrophages infected with the intracellular pathogen Legionella pneumophila. By combining livecell imaging with a novel tool for classifying cells based on infection outcomes, we were able to trace the specific evolution of metabolic parameters linked to distinct outcomes, such as bacterial replication or cell death. Our findings revealed that early changes in mitochondrial membrane potential ({Delta}{psi}m) and in the production of mitochondrial Reactive Oxygen Species (mROS) are associated with macrophages that will later support bacterial growth. We used these data to train an explainable machine-learning model and achieved 83% accuracy in predicting L. pneumophila replication in single, infected cells before bacterial replication starts. Our results highlight backtracking as a valuable tool to gain new insights in host-pathogen interactions and identify early mitochondrial alterations as key predictive markers of success of bacterial infection.

microbiology↗

bioRxiv2024

The T4bSS of Legionella features a two-step secretion pathway with an inner membrane intermediate for secretion of transmembrane effectors

To promote intracellular survival and infection, Legionella spp. translocate hundreds of effector proteins into eukaryotic host cells using a type IV b protein secretion system (T4bSS). T4bSS are well known to translocate soluble as well as transmembrane domain-containing effector proteins (TMD-effectors) but the mechanisms of secretion are still poorly understood. Herein we investigated the secretion of hydrophobic TMD-effectors, of which about 80 were previously reported to be encoded by L. pneumophila. A proteomic analysis of fractionated membranes revealed that TMD-effectors are targeted to and inserted into the bacterial inner membranes of L. pneumophila independent of the presence of a functional T4bSS. While the T4bSS chaperones IcmS and IcmW were critical for secretion of all tested TMD-effectors, they did not influence inner membrane targeting of these proteins. As for soluble effector proteins, translocation of TMD-effectors into host cells depended on a C-terminal secretion signal and this signal needed to be presented towards the cytoplasmic side of the inner membrane. A different secretion behavior of TMD- and soluble effectors and the need for small periplasmic loops within TMD-effectors provided strong evidence that TMD-effectors are secreted in a two-step secretion process: Initially, an inner membrane intermediate is formed, that is extracted towards the cytoplasmic side, possibly by the help of the type IV coupling protein complex and subsequently secreted into eukaryotic host cells by the T4bSS core complex. Overall, our study highlights the amazing versatility of T4bSS to secrete soluble and TMD-effectors from different subcellular locations of the bacterial cell.

microbiology↗

bioRxiv2023

The unique Legionella longbeachae capsule favors intracellular replication and immune evasion

Legionella longbeachae and Legionella pneumophila cause Legionnaires disease despite species-specific differences in environmental niches, disease epidemiology, and genomic content. Here, we characterized a new L. longbeachae virulence factor, a capsule that is expressed in post-exponential growth phase as shown by electron microscopy. Analysis of the capsule composition via HLPC revealed the presence of a highly anionic polysaccharide absent in a capsule mutant. The capsule is crucial for replication and virulence in vivo in a mouse model of infection and in the natural host Acanthamoeba castellanii. It has anti-phagocytic function when encountering innate immune cells, it is involved in a low cytokine responses in mice and in human monocyte derived macrophages and helps to dampen the innate immune response. The L. longbeachae capsule is a novel virulence factor, unique among known Legionella species, that aids L. longbeachae to survive in specific niches and partly confers L. longbeachae its unique infection characteristics.

microbiology↗

bioRxiv2022

A Legionella pneumophila effector impedes host gene silencing to promote virulence

RNA silencing is a gene silencing mechanism directed by small RNAs. Human miRNAs act as central regulators of host-bacteria interactions. However, it is unknown whether human pathogenic bacteria could impede RNA silencing to promote virulence. Here, we show that the Legionella pneumophila type IV-secreted effector LegK1 efficiently suppresses siRNA and miRNA activities in human cells. This effect depends on its known kinase activity, but also on its novel capacity, found here, to bind Argonaute (Ago) proteins. We further demonstrate that the ability of LegK1 to activate NF-{kappa}B signaling is required for RNA silencing suppression, establishing a link between effector-mediated NF-{kappa}B signaling and RNA silencing suppression. LegK1 also promotes L. pneumophila growth in both amoeba and human macrophages, supporting a role for this effector in virulence. Finally, we show that, in infected-macrophages, the latter activity relies, in part, on the genetic targeting of human Ago4. These findings indicate that a L. pneumophila effector has evolved to suppress RNA silencing to promote virulence. Significance StatementIt is now well established that mammalian viruses suppress RNAi to promote their replication in host cells. However, whether mammalian pathogenic bacteria use a similar virulence strategy remains unknown. Here, we show that the LegK1 effector from Legionella pneumophia, the causal agent of Legionnaires disease, efficiently suppresses RNAi in human cells. This effect depends on its ability to interact with Argonaute (Ago) proteins and to activate NF-{kappa}B signaling. In addition, LegK1 promotes virulence in infected-macrophages through the genetic targeting of human Ago4. Based on the lack of NF-{kappa}B-related factors in amoebae, and on the presence of canonical Ago proteins in these natural L. pneumophila hosts, we propose that the RNAi suppression activity of LegK1 represents its primary virulence function.

molecular biology↗

bioRxiv2022

Legionella para-effectors target chromatin and promote bacterial replication

Legionella pneumophila replicates intracellularly by secreting effectors via a type IV secretion system. One of these effectors is a eukaryotic methyltransferase (RomA) that methylates K14 of histone H3 (H3K14me3) to counteract host immune responses. However, it is not known how L. pneumophila infection catalyses H3K14 methylation as this residue is usually acetylated. Here we show that L. pneumophila secretes a eukaryotic-like histone deacetylase (LphD) that specifically targets H3K14ac and works in synergy with RomA. Both effectors target host chromatin and bind the HBO1 histone acetyltransferase complex that acetylates H3K14. Full activity of RomA is dependent on the presence of LphD as H3K14 methylation levels are significantly decreased in a {Delta}lphD mutant. The dependency of these two chromatin-modifying effectors on each other is further substantiated by mutational and virulence assays revealing that the presence of only one of these two effectors impairs intracellular replication, while a double knockout ({Delta}lphD{Delta}romA) can restore intracellular replication. Uniquely, we present evidence for "para-effectors", an effector pair, that actively and coordinately modify host histones to hijack the host response. The identification of epigenetic marks modulated by pathogens opens new vistas for the development of innovative therapeutic strategies to counteract bacterial infection and strengthening host defences.

microbiology↗

bioRxiv2021

Chromosome-scale assemblies of Acanthamoeba castellanii genomes provide insights into Legionella pneumophila infection-related chromatin re-organization

The unicellular amoeba Acanthamoeba castellanii is ubiquitous in aquatic environments, where it preys on bacteria. The organism also hosts bacterial endosymbionts, some of which are parasitic, including human pathogens such as Chlamydia and Legionella spp. Here we report complete, high quality genome sequences for two extensively studied A. castellanii strains, Neff and C3. Combining long- and short-read data with Hi-C, we generated near chromosome-level assemblies for both strains with 90% of the genome contained in 29 scaffolds for the Neff strain and 31 for the C3 strain. Comparative genomics revealed strain-specific functional enrichment, most notably genes related to signal transduction in the C3 strain, and to viral replication in Neff. Furthermore, we characterized the spatial organization of the A. castellanii genome and showed that it is reorganized during infection by Legionella pneumophila. Infection-dependent chromatin loops were found to be enriched in genes for signal transduction and phosphorylation processes. In genomic regions where chromatin organization changed during Legionella infection, we found functional enrichment for genes associated with metabolism, organelle assembly, and cytoskeleton organization, suggesting that changes in chromosomal folding are associated with host cell biology during infection.

genomics↗

bioRxiv2021

Zebrafish larvae as a powerful model to dissect protective innate immunity in response to Legionella pneumophila infection

The zebrafish has become a powerful model organism to study host-pathogen interactions. Here, we developed a zebrafish model of Legionella pneumophila infection to dissect innate immune responses. We show that L. pneumophila cause zebrafish larvae death in a dose dependent manner, and that macrophages are the first line of defence, with neutrophils cooperating to clear the infection. When either macrophages or neutrophils are depleted, these "immunocompromised" larvae become lethally sensitive to L. pneumophila similar to what is known for humans that develop pneumonia. Also as observed in human infections, the adaptor signalling molecule Myd88 is not required to control disease in the larvae. Furthermore, proinflammatory cytokine genes il1{beta} and tnf were upregulated during infection, recapitulating key immune responses seen in human infection. Strikingly, we uncovered a previously undescribed infection phenotype in zebrafish larvae, whereby bloodborne, wild type L. pneumophila invade and grow in the larval yolk region, a phenotype not observed with a type IV secretion system deficient mutant that cannot translocate effectors into its host cell. Thus, zebrafish larva represents an innovative L. pneumophila infection model that that on one hand mimics important aspects of the human immune response to L. pneumophila infection and that on the other hand will allow to elucidate the mechanisms by which type IV secretion effectors allow L. pneumophila to cross membranes and to obtain nutrients from nutrient rich environments.

microbiology↗

bioRxiv2021

Reverting the mode of action of the mitochondrial FOF1-ATPase by Legionella pneumophila preserves its replication niche

Legionella pneumophila, the causative agent of Legionnaires disease, a severe pneumonia, injects via a type-IV-secretion-system (T4SS) more than 300 proteins into macrophages, its main host cell in humans. Certain of these proteins are implicated in reprogramming the metabolism of infected cells by reducing mitochondrial oxidative phosphorylation (OXPHOS) early after infection. Here we show that despite reduced OXPHOS, the mitochondrial membrane potential ({Delta}{psi}m) is maintained during infection of primary human monocyte-derived macrophages (hMDMs). We reveal that L. pneumophila reverses the ATP-synthase activity of the mitochondrial FOF1-ATPase to ATP-hydrolase activity in a T4SS-dependent manner, which leads to a conservation of the {Delta}{psi}m, preserves mitochondrial polarization and prevents macrophage cell death. Analyses of T4SS effectors known to target mitochondrial functions revealed that LpSpl is partially involved in conserving the {Delta}{psi}m, but not LncP and MitF. The inhibition of the L. pneumophila-induced "reverse mode" of the FOF1-ATPase collapsed the {Delta}{psi}m and caused cell death in infected cells. Single-cell analyses suggested that bacterial replication occurs preferentially in hMDMs that conserved the {Delta}{psi}m and showed delayed cell death. This direct manipulation of the mode of activity of the FOF1-ATPase is a newly identified feature of L. pneumophila allowing to delay host cell death and thereby to preserve the bacterial replication niche during infection.

microbiology↗

bioRxiv2021

The unique Brucella effectors NyxA and NyxB target SENP3 to modulate the subcellular localisation of nucleolar proteins

The cell nucleus is a primary target for intracellular bacterial pathogens to counteract immune responses and hijack host signalling pathways to cause disease. The mechanisms controlling nuclear protein localisation in the context of stress responses induced upon bacterial infection are still poorly understood. Here we show that the Brucella abortus effectors NyxA and NyxB interfere with the host sentrin specific protease 3 (SENP3), which is essential for intracellular replication. Translocated Nyx effectors directly interact with SENP3 via a defined acidic patch identified from the crystal structure of NyxB, preventing its nucleolar localisation at the late stages of the infection. By sequestering SENP3, the Nyx effectors induce the cytoplasmic accumulation of the nucleolar AAA-ATPase NVL, the large subunit ribosomal protein L5 (RPL5) and the ribophagy receptor NUFIP1 in Nyx-enriched structures in the vicinity of replicating bacteria. This shuttling of ribosomal biogenesis-associated nucleolar proteins is negatively regulated by SENP3 and dependent on the autophagy-initiation protein Beclin1, indicative of a ribophagy-derived process induced during Brucella infection. Our results highlight a new nucleomodulatory function by two unique Brucella effectors, and reveal that SENP3 is a critical regulator of the subcellular localisation of multiple nucleolar proteins during Brucella infection, promoting intracellular replication.

microbiology↗

bioRxiv2019

Legionella pneumophila infection and antibiotic treatment engenders a highly disturbed pulmonary microbiome with decreased microbial diversity

BackgroundLung microbiome analyses have shown that the healthy lung is not sterile but it is colonized like other body sites by bacteria, fungi and viruses. However, little is known about the microbial composition of the lung microbiome during infectious diseases such as pneumonia and how it evolves during antibiotic therapy. To better understand the impact of the composition of the pulmonary microbiome on severity and outcome of pneumonia we analysed the composition and evolution of the human lung microbiome during pneumonia caused by the bacterium Legionella pneumophila.\n\nResultsWe collected 10 bronchoalveolar lavage (BAL) samples from three patients during long-term hospitalisation due to severe pneumonia and performed a longitudinal in-depth study of the composition of their lung microbiome by high-throughput Illumina sequencing of the 16S rRNA gene (bacteria and archaea), ITS region (fungi) and 18S rRNA gene (eukaryotes). We found that the composition of the bacterial lung microbiome during pneumonia is hugely disturbed containing a very high percentage of the pathogen, a very low bacterial diversity, and an increased presence of opportunistic microorganisms such as species belonging to Staphylococcaceae and Streptococcaceae. The microbiome of antibiotic treated patients cured from pneumonia represented a different perturbation state with a higher abundance of resistant bacteria (mainly Firmicutes) and a significantly different bacterial composition as that found in healthy individuals. In contrast, the mycobiome remains more stable during pneumonia and antimicrobial therapy. Interestingly we identified possible cooperation within and between both communities. Furthermore, archaea (Methanobrevibacter) and protozoa (Acanthamoeba and Trichomonas) were detected.\n\nConclusionsBacterial pneumonia leads to a collapse of the healthy microbiome and a strongly disturbed bacterial composition of the pulmonary microbiome that is dominated by the pathogen. Antibiotic treatment allows some bacteria to regrow or recolonize the lungs but the restoration of a healthy lung microbiome composition is only regained a certain time after the antibiotic treatment. Archaea and protozoa should also be considered, as they might be important but yet overseen members of the lung microbiome. Interactions between the micro- and the mycobiome might play a role in the restoration of the microbiome and the clinical evolution of the disease.

microbiology↗

bioRxiv2018

More than 16,000 effectors in the Legionella genus genome provide multiple, independent combinations for replication in human cells

SignificanceLegionella pneumophila is a bacterial pathogen causing outbreaks of a lethal pneumonia. The genus Legionella comprises 65 species for which aquatic amoebae are the natural reservoirs. Using functional and comparative genomics to deconstruct the entire bacterial genus we reveal the surprising parallel evolutionary trajectories that have led to the emergence of human pathogenic Legionella. An unexpectedly large and unique repository of secreted proteins (>16,000) containing eukaryotic-like proteins acquired from all domains of life (plant, animal, fungal, archaea) is contrasting with a highly conserved type 4 secretion system. This study reveals an unprecedented environmental reservoir of bacterial virulence factors, and provides a new understanding of how reshuffling and gene-acquisition from environmental eukaryotic hosts, may allow for the emergence of human pathogens.\n\nAbstractThe bacterial genus Legionella comprises 65 species among, which Legionella pneumophila is a human pathogen causing severe pneumonia. To understand the evolution of an environmental to an accidental human pathogen, we have functionally analyzed 80 Legionella genomes spanning 58 species. Uniquely, an immense repository of 16,000 secreted proteins encoding 137 different eukaryotic-like domains and more than 200 eukaryotic-like proteins is paired with a highly conserved T4SS. Specifically, we show that eukaryotic Rho and Rab GTPase domains are found nearly exclusively in eukaryotes and Legionella species. Translocation assays for selected Rab-GTPase proteins revealed that they are indeed T4SS secreted substrates. Furthermore, F/U-box and SET domains were present in >70% of all species suggesting that manipulation of host signal transduction, protein turnover and chromatin modification pathways, respectively are fundamental intracellular replication strategies for Legionellae. In contrast, the Sec-7 domain was restricted to L. pneumophila and seven other species, indicating effector repertoire tailoring within different amoebae. Functional screening of 47 species revealed 60% were competent for intracellular replication in THP-1 cells, but interestingly this phenotype was associated with diverse effector assemblages. These data, combined with evolutionary analysis indicate that the capacity to infect eukaryotic cells has been acquired independently many times within the genus and that a highly conserved yet versatile T4SS secretes an exceptional number of different proteins shaped by inter-domain gene transfer. Furthermore we revealed the surprising extent to which legionellae have co-opted genes and thus cellular functions from their eukaryotic hosts and provides a new understanding of how dynamic reshuffling and gene-acquisition has led to the emergence of major human pathogens.

genomics↗

bioRxiv2018

A metal-regulated AMPylation/deAMPylation switch in FIC proteins

FIC proteins regulate molecular processes in bacteria and animals by carrying out various post-translational modifications (PTM) of proteins by phosphate-containing compounds. The most frequent FIC-catalyzed PTM is the addition of AMP using ATP as a cofactor, a reaction coined AMPylation. In a large subgroup of FIC proteins, AMPylation is inhibited by a structurally conserved glutamate, but a diffusible signal able to relieve autoinhibition has not been identified. Here, we addressed this issue by studying two members of this subgroup, a single-domain FIC protein from the bacterial pathogen Enterococcus faecalis (EfFIC) and human HYPE/FicD, which is involved in the unfolded protein response in the endoplasmic reticulum. By combining structural and biochemical analysis, we find that EfFIC catalyzes both AMPylation and deAMPylation, and that both enzymatic activities are borne by the same active site. Remarkably, the conserved glutamate implements a multi-position metal switch, whereby different metals support or inhibit each of these reactions. As a result, the balance between the AMPylation and deAMPylation activities of EfFIC is controlled by the Mg2+/Ca2+ ratio, with Ca2+ favoring deAMPylation. Furthermore, we show that deAMPylation of the endoplasmic reticulum BIP chaperone by human FicD/HYPE is dependent on the Mg2+/Ca2+ ratio, with high Ca2+ concentration impairing deAMPylation. Our findings suggest that the conserved glutamate is a signature of AMPylation/deAMPylation bifunctionnality in FIC proteins. They also identify for the first time a diffusible signal that can rapidly modulate these opposing activities, which opens important perspectives for their functions in bacterial stress and human ER homeostasis.

biochemistry↗