Peptide antibiotic sensing and detoxification modules of Bacillus subtilis

Research output: Contribution to journalResearch articleContributedpeer-review

Contributors

  • Anna Staroń - , Ludwig Maximilian University of Munich (Author)
  • Dora Elisabeth Finkeisen - (Author)
  • Thorsten Mascher - , Chair of General Microbiology (Author)

Abstract

Peptide antibiotics are produced by a wide range of microorganisms. Most of them target the cell envelope, often by inhibiting cell wall synthesis. One of the resistance mechanisms against antimicrobial peptides is a detoxification module consisting of a two-component system and an ABC transporter. Upon the detection of such a compound, the two-component system induces the expression of the ABC transporter, which in turn removes the antibiotic from its site of action, mediating the resistance of the cell. Three such peptide antibiotic-sensing and detoxification modules are present in Bacillus subtilis. Here we show that each of these modules responds to a number of peptides and confers resistance against them. BceRS-BceAB (BceRS-AB) responds to bacitracin, plectasin, mersacidin, and actagardine. YxdJK-LM is induced by a cationic antimicrobial peptide, LL-37. The PsdRS-AB (formerly YvcPQ-RS) system responds primarily to lipid II-binding lantibiotics such as nisin and gallidermin. We characterized the psdRS-AB operon and defined the regulatory sequences within the P(psdA) promoter. Mutation analysis demonstrated that P(psdA) expression is fully PsdR dependent. The features of both the P(bceA) and P(psdA) promoters make them promising candidates as novel whole-cell biosensors that can easily be adjusted for high-throughput screening.

Details

Original languageEnglish
Pages (from-to)515-25
Number of pages11
JournalAntimicrobial agents and chemotherapy
Volume55
Issue number2
Publication statusPublished - 20 Jan 2011
Peer-reviewedYes

External IDs

PubMedCentral PMC3028804
Scopus 78751685410

Keywords

Keywords

  • ATP-Binding Cassette Transporters/genetics, Anti-Bacterial Agents/metabolism, Antimicrobial Cationic Peptides/metabolism, Bacillus subtilis/drug effects, Bacitracin/metabolism, Bacterial Proteins/genetics, Bacteriocins/metabolism, Biosensing Techniques, Drug Resistance, Bacterial, Gene Expression Regulation, Bacterial, Operon, Peptides/metabolism, Signal Transduction