State Key Laboratory of Agricultural Microbiology, College of Veterinary Medicine, Huazhong Agricultural Universitygrid.35155.37, Wuhan, China.
Wuhan Keqian Biology Co., Ltd., Wuhan, China.
J Bacteriol. 2022 Apr 19;204(4):e0061221. doi: 10.1128/jb.00612-21. Epub 2022 Mar 21.
Flagellum-mediated bacterial motility is important for bacteria to take up nutrients, adapt to environmental changes, and establish infection. The twin-arginine translocation system (Tat) is an important protein export system, playing a critical role in bacterial physiology and pathogenesis. It has been observed for a long time that the Tat system is critical for bacterial motility. However, the underlying mechanism remains unrevealed. In this study, a comparative transcriptomics analysis was performed with extraintestinal pathogenic Escherichia coli (ExPEC), which identified a considerable number of genes differentially expressed when the Tat system was disrupted. Among them, a large proportion of flagellar biosynthesis genes showed downregulation, indicating that transcription regulation plays an important role in mediating the motility defects. We further identified three Tat substrate proteins, MdoD, AmiA, and AmiC, that were responsible for the nonmotile phenotype. The Rcs system was deleted in the Δ, the Δ, and the ΔΔ strains, which restored the motility of Δ and partially restored the motility of Δ and ΔΔ. The flagella were also observed in all of the ΔΔ, ΔΔ, and ΔΔΔ strains, but not in the Δ, Δ, and ΔΔ strains, by using transmission electron microscopy. Quantitative reverse transcription-PCR data revealed that the regulons of the Rcs system displayed differential expression in the mutant, indicating that the Rcs signaling was activated. Our results suggest that the Rcs system plays an important role in mediating the motility defects of the mutant of ExPEC. The Tat system is an important protein export system critical for bacterial physiology and pathogenesis. It has been observed for a long time that the Tat system is critical for bacterial motility. However, the underlying mechanism remains unrevealed. In this study, we combine transcriptomics analysis and bacterial genetics, which reveal that transcription regulation plays an important role in mediating the motility defects of the mutant of extraintestinal pathogenic Escherichia coli. The Tat substrate proteins responsible for the motility defects are identified. We further show that the Rcs system contributes to the motility suppression. We for the first time reveal the link between the Tat system and bacterial motility, which is important for understanding the physiological functions of the Tat system.
鞭毛介导的细菌运动对于细菌摄取营养物质、适应环境变化和建立感染至关重要。双精氨酸转运系统(Tat)是一种重要的蛋白质输出系统,在细菌生理学和发病机制中起着关键作用。长期以来,人们一直观察到 Tat 系统对细菌运动至关重要。然而,其潜在的机制尚未被揭示。在这项研究中,我们对肠外致病性大肠杆菌(ExPEC)进行了比较转录组学分析,发现当 Tat 系统被破坏时,大量基因的表达发生了差异。其中,很大一部分鞭毛生物合成基因下调,表明转录调控在介导运动缺陷中起着重要作用。我们进一步鉴定了三个 Tat 底物蛋白 MdoD、AmiA 和 AmiC,它们负责非运动表型。在Δ、Δ和ΔΔ菌株中缺失 Rcs 系统,恢复了Δ的运动性,并部分恢复了Δ和ΔΔ的运动性。在所有的ΔΔ、ΔΔ和ΔΔΔ菌株中都观察到了鞭毛,而在Δ、Δ和ΔΔ菌株中则没有,这是通过透射电子显微镜观察到的。定量反转录 PCR 数据显示,Rcs 系统的调控子在突变体中显示出差异表达,表明 Rcs 信号被激活。我们的结果表明,Rcs 系统在介导 ExPEC 的突变体的运动缺陷中起着重要作用。Tat 系统是一种重要的蛋白质输出系统,对细菌生理学和发病机制至关重要。长期以来,人们一直观察到 Tat 系统对细菌运动至关重要。然而,其潜在的机制仍然未知。在这项研究中,我们结合转录组学分析和细菌遗传学,揭示了转录调控在介导 ExPEC 的突变体的运动缺陷中起着重要作用。确定了导致运动缺陷的 Tat 底物蛋白。我们进一步表明,Rcs 系统有助于抑制运动。我们首次揭示了 Tat 系统与细菌运动之间的联系,这对于理解 Tat 系统的生理功能很重要。