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An interbacterial cysteine protease toxin inhibits cell growth by targeting type II DNA topoisomerases GyrB and ParE.

Bacteria deploy a diverse arsenal of toxic effectors to antagonize competitors, profoundly influencing the composition of microbial communities. Previous studies have identified an interbacterial toxin predicted to exhibit proteolytic activity that is broadly distributed among gram-negative bacteria. However, the precise mechanism of intoxication remains unresolved. Here, we demonstrate that one such protease toxin from Escherichia coli, Cpe1, disrupts DNA replication and chromosome segregation by cleaving conserved sequences within the ATPase domain of type II DNA topoisomerases GyrB and ParE. This cleavage effectively inhibits topoisomerase-mediated relaxation of supercoiled DNA, resulting in impaired bacterial growth. Cpe1 belongs to the papain-like cysteine protease family and is associated with toxin delivery pathways, including the type VI secretion system and contact-dependent growth inhibition. The structure of Cpe1 in complex with its immunity protein reveals a neutralization mechanism involving competitive substrate binding rather than active site occlusion, distinguishing it from previously characterized effector-immunity pairs. Our findings unveil a unique mode of interbacterial intoxication and provide insights into how bacteria protect themselves from self-poisoning by protease toxins.

Escherichia coli

DNA gyrase: purification and catalytic properties of a fragment of gyrase B protein.

A protein isolated from Escherichia coli complements the DNA gyrase A (NalA) protein to generate an activity that relaxes supercoiled DNA. Oxolinic acid, a known inhibitor of DNA gyrase, blocks this activity and causes double-strand cleavage of DNA at the same sites as are attacked by DNA gyrase. The protein, of molecular weight 50,000, appears to be fragment of the DNA gyrase B (Cou) protein (molecular weight, 90,000) as judged by the identical sizes of numerous peptides produced by partial proteolytic digestion. The complex of this fragment and the gyrase A protein lacks both the DNA-supercoiling and DNA-dependent ATPase activities of DNA gyrase.

Catalysis

A topoisomerase from Escherichia coli related to DNA gyrase.

We have identified a topoisomerase activity from Escherichia coli related to DNA gyrase (topoisomerase II): we designate it topoisomerase II'. It was constructed of two subunits, which were purified separately. One is the product of the gyrA (formerly nalA) gene and is identical to subunit A of DNA gyrase. The other is a 50,000-dalton protein, which we have purified to homogeneity and call v. v may be a processed form of the much larger gyrase subunit B or may be derived from a transcript of part of the subunit B structural gene, because preliminary peptide maps of the two subunits are similar. Topoisomerase II' relaxes negatively supercoiled DNA and, uniquely among E. coli topoisomerases, relaxes positive supercoils efficiently. It is the only topoisomerase that can introduce positive supercoils; these are stoichiometric with enzyme molecules. Topoisomerase II' resembles gyrase in its sensitivity to oxolinic acid, the wrapping of DNA in an apparent positive supercoil around the enzyme, and the introduction in an aborted reaction of site-specific double-strand breaks in the DNA with concomitant covalent attachment of protein to both newly created 5' ends. Unlike DNA gyrase, topoisomerase II' has no negative supercoiling activity. Functional chimeric topoisomerases were constructed with the alpha subunit of the Micrococcus luteus gyrase and v or gyrase subunit B from E. coli. We discuss the implications of the dual of the gyrA gene product.

Bacterial Proteins

Isolation and characterisation of a strain carrying a conditional lethal mutation in the cou gene of Escherichia coli K12.

A strain which carries a mutation conferring clorobiocin resistance and temperature sensitivity for growth was isolated from Escherichia coli K12. Genetic mapping and the molecular weight of the gene product suggest that the mutation is in the cou gene, specifying a sub-unit of DNA gyrase. Nuclear organisation and segregation and placement of septa are grossly abnormal in the mutant at 42 degrees C. RNA synthesis and initiation of DNA replication are also affected at the restrictive temperature but the rate of DNA chain elongation continues almost undisturbed.

Chromosome Mapping

Torsional stress and local denaturation in supercoiled DNA.

It is shown that local denaturation can be a natural consequence of supercoiling, even in environments where base pairing of linear DNA is energetically favored. Any change in the molecular total twist from its unstressed value is partitioned between local denaturation and smooth twisting in both the native and coil regions so as to minimize the total conformational free energy involved. Threshold degrees of torsional deformation are found for the existence of stable, locally melted conformations. As these thresholds are surpassed, the number of denatured bases increase smoothly from zero. Existing experimental evidence regarding denaturation in supercoiled DNA is in good agreement with the predictions of this theory. In addition, from existing data one can estimate the partitioning of superhelicity between twisting and writhing. Possible consequences of stress-induced strand separation on the accessibility of the DNA to enzyme attack are discussed. Control of local melting by DNA topoisomerases and DNA gyrases could regulate diverse events involved in transcription, replication, recombination, and repair.

Base Sequence

A sign inversion mechanism for enzymatic supercoiling of DNA.

Both the introduction and the removal of supertwists by DNA gyrase change the linking number of DNA in steps of two. This surprising finding provides strong evidence that gyrase acts by a mechanism, called sign inversion, whereby a positive supercoil is directly inverted into a negative one via a transient double-strand break.

Adenosine Triphosphate

Escherichia coli mutants thermosensitive for deoxyribonucleic acid gyrase subunit A: effects on deoxyribonucleic acid replication, transcription, and bacteriophage growth.

Temperature-sensitive nalA mutants of Escherichia coli have been used to investigate the structure and functions of deoxyribonucleic acid (DNA) gyrase. Extracts of one such mutant (nalA43) had thermosensitive DNA gyrase subunit A activity but normal gyrase subunit B activity, proving definitively that nalA is the structural gene for subunit A. Extracts of a second nalA (Ts) mutant (nalA45) had a 50-fold deficiency of gyrase subunit A activity. The residual DNA supertwisting was catalyzed by the mutant DNA gyrase rather than by a novel supertwisting enzyme. The nalA45(Ts) extract was also deficient in the nalidixic acid target, which is defined as the protein necessary to confer drug sensitivity to in vitro DNA replication directed by a nalidixic acid-resistant mutant extract. Thus, gyrase subunit A and the nalidixic acid target are one and the same protein, the nalA gene product. Shift of the nalA43(Ts) mutant to a nonpermissive temperature resulted in a precipitous decline in the rate of [(3)H]thymidine incorporation, demonstrating an obligatory role of the nalA gene product in DNA replication. The rates of incorporation of [(3)H]uridine pulses and continuously administered [(3)H]uracil were quickly reduced approximately twofold upon temperature shift of the nalA43(Ts) mutant, and therefore some but not all transcription requires the nalA gene product. The thermosensitive growth of bacteriophages phiX174 and T4 in the nalA43(Ts) host shows that these phages depend on the host nalA gene product. In contrast, the growth of phage T7 was strongly inhibited by nalidixic acid but essentially unaffected by the nalA43(Ts) mutation. The inhibition of T7 growth by nalidixic acid was, however, eliminated by temperature inactivation of the nal43 gene product. Therefore, nalidixic acid may block T7 growth by a corruption rather than a simple elimination of the nalidixic acid target. Possible mechanisms for such a corruption are considered, and their relevance to the puzzling dominance of drug sensitivity is discussed.

Coliphages

Search for a DNA gyrase in mammalian mitochondria.

Incorporation of labeled deoxynucleoside triphosphates into mtDNA by isolated rat liver mitochondria has been shown previously to reflect DNA replication. We have used this system to seek evidence for a mtDNA gyrase. Coumermycin, novobiocin, nalidixic acid, and oxolinic acid are known to be inhibitors of Escherichia coli gyrase, to inhibit E. coli DNA replication, to abolish colicin E1 replication, and to depress the supercoiling of phage lambda DNA, the last two via inhibition of the DNA gyrase. Our results show that these agents inhibit [3H]dATP incorporation into bulk mtDNA at concentrations similar to those used for E. coli. Analysis by sucrose gradient sedimentation confirms the inhibition and shows further that the synthesis of the highly supercoiled form of mtDNA (i.e. 39 S DNA) is depressed relative to other mtDNA forms (i.e. 27 S DNA), suggesting an inhibition of the supercoiling process. Analysis of the DNA by CsCl/propidium diiodide centrifugation shows, in addition, that incubation with coumermycin results in the appearance of a mtDNA form shown to be relaxed mtDNA. The results are consistent with the occurrence of a mtDNA gyrase and its operation in mtDNA replication.

Animals