Article
Agriculture, Dairy & Animal Science
Hao Wu, Yangling Zhang, Li Li, Yanni Li, Lin Yuan, E. Yue, Jianjun Qiao
Summary: The acid tolerance of Lactococcus lactis is important for food fermentation and probiotic applications. This study found that certain cell wall or membrane-related genes were significantly upregulated under acid stress, and overexpression of these genes increased the survival rate of the strain under acid stress. The transcriptional regulator TCSR7 was identified to bind to the upstream region of the DLTD gene, and its upregulation increased the expression of DLTD, leading to an increase in positive charge on the cell membrane surface and enhanced acid tolerance.
JOURNAL OF DAIRY SCIENCE
(2022)
Article
Microbiology
Takura Wakinaka, Minenosuke Matsutani, Jun Watanabe, Yoshinobu Mogi, Masafumi Tokuoka, Akihiro Ohnishi
Summary: This study identified the ribitol-containing wall teichoic acid as a crucial receptor for bacteriophage infection in Tetragenococcus halophilus. The mechanisms of host-phage interactions were investigated through gene mutation analysis.
MICROBIOLOGY SPECTRUM
(2022)
Article
Immunology
Sabrina Faozia, Tasmim Hossain, Kyu Hong Cho
Summary: The second messenger molecule c-di-AMP is crucial in the pathogenesis and virulence of S. pyogenes. Deleting the c-di-AMP phosphodiesterase gene pde2 severely inhibits the production of SpeB. In this study, we identified dltX as a suppressor gene of the SpeB-null phenotype in the Delta pde2 mutant. The Dlt operon, including dltX and dltA, is responsible for the incorporation of D-alanine into lipoteichoic acids. DltX is a newly discovered small membrane protein. Inactivation of dltX or dltA in the Delta pde2 mutant restored SpeB production, suggesting that D-alanylation is crucial for the suppressor phenotype.
FRONTIERS IN CELLULAR AND INFECTION MICROBIOLOGY
(2023)
Article
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Aisling Brady, Nuria Quiles-Puchalt, Francisca Gallego del Sol, Sara Zamora-Caballero, Alonso Felipe-Ruiz, Jorge Val-Calvo, Wilfried J. J. Meijer, Alberto Marina, Jose R. Penades
Summary: Some Bacillus-infecting bacteriophages utilize a peptide-based communication system, called arbitrium, to coordinate the lysis-lysogeny decision. AimR, a key player in this system, is involved in a complex network of regulation. The SP beta phage, possessing a functional arbitrium system, can optimize production of infective particles while preserving the number of surviving cells, which increases phage persistence in nature.
Article
Microbiology
Yutaka Koyano, Kiyoshirou Okajima, Mako Mihara, Hiroki Yamamoto
Summary: In Gram-positive bacteria, the cell wall is composed of mesh-like peptidoglycan and covalently linked wall teichoic acid (WTA). Nascent WTA decoration occurs in a patch-like manner at the peptidoglycan synthesis sites on the cytoplasmic membrane. The newly synthesized WTA is inserted into the cell wall layer and reaches the outermost layer of the cell wall after approximately half an hour. The incorporation of newly glucosylated WTA is inhibited by vancomycin but restored upon the removal of the antibiotic.
JOURNAL OF BACTERIOLOGY
(2023)
Article
Biology
Mariana Tinajero-Trejo, Oliver Carnell, Azhar F. Kabli, Laia Pasquina-Lemonche, Lucia Lafage, Aidong Han, Jamie K. Hobbs, Simon J. Foster
Summary: DivIC plays a crucial role in cell division and survival in Staphylococcus aureus by regulating peptidoglycan synthesis and recruitment of synthesis enzymes. Its function and recruitment rely on its interaction with the cell wall.
COMMUNICATIONS BIOLOGY
(2022)
Article
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Yinglan Guo, Nina M. Pfahler, Simon L. Volpel, Thilo Stehle
Summary: Peptidoglycan (PG) is the major structural polymer of the bacterial cell wall, and the PG layer of gram-positive bacterial pathogens is permeated with anionic glycopolymers known as wall teichoic acids (WTAs) and lipoteichoic acids (LTAs). The WTA structures in gram-positive bacteria, particularly in Staphylococcus aureus, play a crucial role in phage adhesion, bacterial biofilm formation, and virulence. Enzymes TarM, TarS, and TarP glycosylate the WTA of S. aureus at different locations, with recent structural information aiding in the understanding of S. aureus' resistance mechanisms.
CURRENT OPINION IN STRUCTURAL BIOLOGY
(2021)
Article
Food Science & Technology
Wanwan Hou, Shimo Kang, Jiang Chang, Xiaorong Tian, Chunlei Shi
Summary: The study demonstrated that by inducing GlpQ to degrade WTA, LBA effectively inhibits the biofilm formation of Staphylococcus aureus, reducing its adhesive ability.
Article
Multidisciplinary Sciences
Qilin Yu, Haohao Mao, Bowen Yang, Yahui Zhu, Cheng Sun, Zhiqiang Zhao, Yang Li, Yaobin Zhang
Summary: Electrical stimulation was found to enhance microbial extracellular electron transfer (EET), but the underlying reasons were unclear. This study showed that Bacillus subtilis, a gram-positive bacterium capable of extracellular respiration, had a higher EET capacity after electrical domestication. It was discovered that the polarization of amide groups induced by electrical stimulation promoted H-bond recombination and radical generation of protein-like substances, facilitating extracellular electron transfer via proton-coupled mechanism.
Article
Microbiology
Elhanan Tzipilevich, Philip N. Benfey
Summary: Bacteriophage predation plays a crucial role in bacterial community dynamics and evolution, but its effects in natural habitats, especially in the plant root microbiome, remain understudied. Research has identified a new phage resistance mechanism involving potassium ion modulation and biofilm formation, which has significant implications for plant health. Further studies are needed to explore the full extent of phage-bacterium interactions in diverse microbial communities.
Article
Multidisciplinary Sciences
Bixi He, Ankita J. Sachla, John D. Helmann
Summary: In this study, the authors provide evidence that TerC family proteins are involved in the metalation of enzymes during export through the general secretion pathway. They found that Bacillus subtilis strains lacking MeeF and MeeY have reduced protein export capacity and decreased levels of manganese in the secreted proteome. MeeF and MeeY co-purify with proteins of the general secretory pathway and are essential for the function of the Mn2+-dependent lipoteichoic acid synthase.
NATURE COMMUNICATIONS
(2023)
Article
Multidisciplinary Sciences
Hannah Tsunemoto, Joseph Sugie, Eray Enustun, Kit Pogliano, Joe Pogliano
Summary: In this study, the interactions between the jumbo phage CYRILLIC CAPITAL LETTER EFKZ and antibiotics against Pseudomonas aeruginosa were investigated. Different classes of antibiotics showed varying effects on phage replication, with some strongly inhibiting replication and others having minimal impact. A computational model was developed to explain how the dynamic properties of the PhuZ spindle contribute to phage nucleus centering and why certain antibiotics affect nucleus positioning. These findings provide important insights into the molecular mechanisms underlying the interactions between antibiotics and jumbo phage replication.
Article
Microbiology
Bailey J. Schultz, Eric D. Snow, Suzanne Walker
Summary: Bacterial cell envelope polymers are often modified with acyl esters that modulate physiology, enhance pathogenesis, and provide antibiotic resistance. A widespread strategy for the acylation of cell envelope polymers has been identified, where a membrane-bound O-acyltransferase (MBOAT) transfers an acyl group onto a hexapeptide motif, which shuttles the acyl group to another transferase. This conserved chemistry is widely used for acylation throughout the prokaryotic world.
NATURE MICROBIOLOGY
(2023)
Review
Microbiology
Jingxuan Zhou, Yi Cai, Ying Liu, Haoyue An, Kaihong Deng, Muhammad Awais Ashraf, Lili Zou, Jun Wang
Summary: The development of new antimicrobials is urgent and difficult due to the emergence of antibiotic resistance in bacteria. The bacterial cell wall is a high-priority target for antibiotic screening, and extensively studied targets in the cell wall have been reviewed. Recent advances in peptidoglycan, lipopolysaccharide, teichoic acid, and lipoprotein have also been discussed. New methods such as macromolecular labeling and structure-based drug design hold promise for screening ideal antibiotics.
FRONTIERS IN MICROBIOLOGY
(2022)
Review
Microbiology
Xia Wu, Jing Han, Guoli Gong, Mattheos A. G. Koffas, Jian Zha
Summary: Wall teichoic acids (WTAs) are charged glycopolymers containing phosphodiester-linked polyol units, serving important physiological functions in Gram-positive cell division, gene transfer, surface adhesion, drug resistance, and biofilm formation. WTAs play critical roles in antimicrobial resistance, virulence, interaction with bacteriolytic enzymes, and regulation of cell metabolism, with wide applications in antibacterial drug discovery, vaccine development, pathogen detection, and microbial production. Major challenges and potential future directions in exploring WTA physiology and applications are also discussed.
FEMS MICROBIOLOGY REVIEWS
(2021)