Instituto de Investigaciones Biotecnológicas Dr. Rodolfo A. Ugalde (IIB-INTECH), Universidad Nacional de San Martín, Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas (UNSAM-CONICET), San Martín, Buenos Aires, Argentina.
J Bacteriol. 2013 Feb;195(3):493-501. doi: 10.1128/JB.01929-12. Epub 2012 Nov 16.
Phosphatidylcholine (PC), a common phospholipid of the eukaryotic cell membrane, is present in the cell envelope of the intracellular pathogen Brucella abortus, the etiological agent of bovine brucellosis. In this pathogen, the biosynthesis of PC proceeds mainly through the phosphatidylcholine synthase pathway; hence, it relies on the presence of choline in the milieu. These observations imply that B. abortus encodes an as-yet-unknown choline uptake system. Taking advantage of the requirement of choline uptake for PC synthesis, we devised a method that allowed us to identify a homologue of ChoX, the high-affinity periplasmic binding protein of the ABC transporter ChoXWV. Disruption of the choX gene completely abrogated PC synthesis at low choline concentrations in the medium, thus indicating that it is a high-affinity transporter needed for PC synthesis via the PC synthase (PCS) pathway. However, the synthesis of PC was restored when the mutant was incubated in media with higher choline concentrations, suggesting the presence of an alternative low-affinity choline uptake activity. By means of a fluorescence-based equilibrium-binding assay and using the kinetics of radiolabeled choline uptake, we show that ChoX binds choline with an extremely high affinity, and we also demonstrate that its activity is inhibited by increasing choline concentrations. Cell infection assays indicate that ChoX activity is required during the first phase of B. abortus intracellular traffic, suggesting that choline concentrations in the early and intermediate Brucella-containing vacuoles are limited. Altogether, these results suggest that choline transport and PC synthesis are strictly regulated in B. abortus.
磷脂酰胆碱(PC)是真核细胞膜的常见磷脂,存在于细胞内病原体布鲁氏菌的细胞包膜中,是牛布鲁氏菌病的病原体。在这种病原体中,PC 的生物合成主要通过磷脂酰胆碱合酶途径进行;因此,它依赖于环境中胆碱的存在。这些观察结果表明,B. abortus 编码了一种未知的胆碱摄取系统。利用胆碱摄取对 PC 合成的需求,我们设计了一种方法,可以鉴定 ChoX 的同源物,ChoXWV ABC 转运蛋白的高亲和力周质结合蛋白。在培养基中胆碱浓度较低时,choX 基因的缺失完全阻断了 PC 的合成,这表明它是一种高亲和力转运蛋白,通过 PC 合酶(PCS)途径合成 PC 是必需的。然而,当突变体在含有较高胆碱浓度的培养基中孵育时,PC 的合成得到恢复,这表明存在替代的低亲和力胆碱摄取活性。通过荧光平衡结合测定和放射性标记胆碱摄取的动力学,我们表明 ChoX 与胆碱结合具有极高的亲和力,并且我们还证明其活性受到胆碱浓度的抑制。细胞感染实验表明,ChoX 活性在 B. abortus 细胞内运输的第一阶段是必需的,这表明早期和中期布鲁氏菌包含的空泡中的胆碱浓度是有限的。总的来说,这些结果表明胆碱运输和 PC 合成在 B. abortus 中受到严格调控。