DiBiasio, E. C. | bioRxiv Science

bioRxiv2020

Disassembly and degradation of MinD oscillator complexes by Escherichia coli ClpXP

MinD is a cell division ATPase in Escherichia coli that oscillates from pole to pole and regulates the spatial position of the cell division machinery. Together with MinC and MinE, the Min system restricts assembly of the FtsZ-ring to midcell, oscillating between the opposite ends of the cell and preventing FtsZ-ring misassembly at the poles. Here, we show that the ATP-dependent bacterial proteasome complex ClpXP degrades MinD in reconstituted degradation reactions in vitro, through direct recognition of the MinD N-terminal region, and in vivo. MinD degradation is enhanced during stationary phase, suggesting that ClpXP regulates levels of MinD in cells that are not actively dividing. MinC and MinD are known to co-assemble into linear polymers, therefore we monitored copolymers assembled in vitro after incubation with ClpXP and observed that ClpXP promotes rapid MinCD copolymer disassembly as a result of direct MinD degradation by ClpXP. The N-terminus of MinD, including residue Arg 3, which is near the ATP-binding site, is critical for degradation by ClpXP. Together, these results demonstrate that ClpXP degradation modifies conformational assemblies of MinD in vitro and depresses Min function in vivo during periods of reduced proliferation.

microbiology↗

bioRxiv2019

Peptidoglycan sensing prevents quiescence and promotes quorum-independent growth of uropathogenic Escherichia coli

The layer of peptidoglycan surrounding bacteria provides structural integrity for the bacterial cell wall. Many organisms, including human cells and diverse bacteria, detect peptidoglycan fragments that are released as bacteria grow. Uropathogenic Escherichia coli (UPEC) strains are the leading cause of human urinary tract infections (UTIs) and many patients experience recurrent infection after successful antibiotic treatment. The source of recurrent infections may be persistent bacterial reservoirs in vivo that are in a quiescent state and, thus, are not susceptible to antibiotics. Here, we show that multiple UPEC strains require a quorum to proliferate in vitro with glucose as the sole carbon source; at low density, the bacteria remain viable but enter a quiescent, non-proliferative state. Of all clinical UPEC isolates tested to date, 35% (51/145) enter this quiescent state, including archetypal strains CFT073 (from classic endemic lineage ST73) and JJ1886 (from recently emerged, multidrug-resistant pandemic lineage ST131). We further show that quorum-dependent UPEC quiescence is prevented and reversed by small molecules, called proliferants, that stimulate growth, such as L-lysine, L-methionine, and peptidoglycan (PG) stem peptides, including an isolated PG pentapeptide from Staphylococcus aureus. Together, our results indicate that (i) uptake of L-lysine and (ii) PG peptide sensing by UPEC modulate the quorum-regulated decision to proliferate and further demonstrate that PG fragments are important for intra- and interspecies signaling in pathogenic E. coli.

microbiology↗