Previous Article | Next Article ![]()
Journal of Bacteriology, May 1999, p. 2979-2983, Vol. 181, No. 9
Institute of Molecular Genetics and Genetic
Engineering, 11001 Belgrade, Yugoslavia
Received 28 September 1998/Accepted 17 February 1999
In previous studies we demonstrated that mutations in the genes
cysB, cysE, and cls
(nov) affect resistance of Escherichia coli to
novobiocin (J. Rakonjac, M. Milic, and D. J. Savic, Mol. Gen.
Genet. 228:307-311, 1991; R. Ivanisevic, M. Milic, D. Ajdic, J. Rakonjac, and D. J. Savic, J. Bacteriol. 177:1766-1771, 1995). In
this work we expand this list with mutations in rpoN (the
gene for RNA polymerase subunit The coumarin antibiotics novobiocin,
coumermycin A1, and chlorobiocin inhibit DNA supercoiling
reactions by blocking the B subunit (GyrB) of DNA gyrase (4,
5). Escherichia coli mutations that confer resistance
to high concentrations of novobiocin map at the gyrB gene
(5). In the past several years, we have identified several
classes of gyrB-independent mutants which affect E. coli resistance to novobiocin, the mutations mapping within genes
of well-established function: cls, the gene that codes for
cardiolipin synthase (9, 14, 22, 23), and cysB
and cysE, genes involved in biosynthesis of cysteine
(10, 13).
In this study, we add to this list the genes argS,
alaS, ileS, leuS, and rpoN,
which, when mutated, increase the resistance of E. coli to novobiocin.
Isolation and characterization of novobiocin-resistant
mutants.
Strains and plasmids used in this study are listed in
Table 1. All novobiocin-resistant
(Novr) mutants were isolated in E. coli C600,
whose native resistance to novobiocin was established at 12.5 µg/ml
(see Table 2). Diluted samples, approximately 108 cells per
ml, of 10 independent overnight cultures in Luria-Bertani (LB) broth
(12), were spread onto LA (LB with 1.5% agar) plates containing novobiocin at 400 µg/ml. Novobiocin-resistant colonies appeared after 2 days of incubation at 37°C. One thousand single colonies were picked and streaked on the same type of plates. Screening
of these colonies on minimal medium plates supplemented with threonine,
leucine, and cysteine (to eliminate Novr cysB
and cysE mutants [13]) showed that 71 colonies (7.1%) were auxotrophic mutants. Further analysis by
auxonography (testing for growth on minimal medium plates supplemented
with different combinations of amino acids) showed that among the 71 novobiocin-resistant auxotrophs, two required isoleucine (2.8%), two
required glutamine (2.8%), and one required adenosine (1.4%). The
natures of the other auxotrophs could not be determined by the
auxonography test. Further analyses were carried out with isoleucine
and glutamine mutants only.
0021-9193/99/$04.00+0
Copyright © 1999, American Society for Microbiology. All rights reserved.
tRNA Synthetase Mutants of Escherichia
coli K-12 Are Resistant to the Gyrase Inhibitor
Novobiocin


and
![]()
ABSTRACT
Top
Abstract
Text
References
54) and the tRNA
synthetase genes alaS, argS, ileS,
and leuS. Similarly to resistance to the penicillin
antibiotic mecillinam, resistance to novobiocin of tRNA synthetase
mutants appears to depend upon the RelA-mediated stringent response.
However, at this point the overlapping pathways of mecillinam and
novobiocin resistance diverge. Under conditions of stringent response
induction, either by the presence of tRNA synthetase mutations or by
constitutive production of RelA protein, inactivation of the
cls gene diminishes resistance to novobiocin but not to mecillinam.
![]()
TEXT
Top
Abstract
Text
References
TABLE 1.
Bacterial strains and plasmids used in this study
recipients, Ile+ cotransductants were
obtained at a frequency of about 65%, indicating that the
ile mutations very possibly map within ileS, the
gene that codes for isoleucyl-tRNA synthetase. The Tetr
ile+ transductants regained the native level of
resistance to novobiocin of the parental strain C600 (12.5 µg/ml),
while Tetr ile transductants retained high
resistance to the antibiotic (400 µg/ml). Finally, when
ile mutations were backcrossed from the Tetr
ile transductants into the parental strain C600, the level
of resistance to novobiocin changed from 12.5 to 400 µg/ml. These results were corroborated in a parallel experiment in which the presumed ileS mutations were complemented with plasmid
pMT521 (20), carrying wild-type alleles of the
ileS and lsp genes (Fig. 1). To prevent plasmid integration into
the chromosome by homologous recombination, the recA1
mutation was introduced by P1 transduction from strain SY396
(recA1 srl::Tn10) into the
ileS mutants. When transformed with plasmid pMT521, both
ileS mutants became prototrophs and were again sensitive to
novobiocin.
|
54 (strains SY435 [C600 rpoN1001] and SY436
[C600 rpoN1002]). This result was confirmed in a control
experiment with strain YMC18 (rpoN::Tn10) (from B. Magasanik), which
we also found to be both glutamine auxotrophic and resistant to
novobiocin. When the rpoN mutation from YMC18 was
transferred by P1 transduction into strain C600, the resulting
tetracycline-resistant transductants became glutamine auxotrophic and
resistant to novobiocin (results not presented).
Two classes of novobiocin-resistant ileS mutants.
In the course of characterizing novobiocin-resistant ileS
mutants, we found that the two independently isolated mutants
(ileS1001 and ileS1002 mutants) exhibited
different characteristics of resistance to novobiocin and growth rate.
They grew slowly in LB medium, with generation times of 173 and 84 min,
respectively, and their effective resistances to novobiocin also showed
a significant difference (Table 2).
|
) obtained upon
introduction of plasmids pMT101 to pMT104 into recombination-proficient
ileS1001 and ileS1002 mutants. The results suggest that the ileS1001 mutation maps on the
HpaI-StuI fragment, while ileS1002
mutation may be located on the HpaI-HpaI fragment of the plasmid (pMT521) (Fig. 1).
ileS mutants are resistant to mecillinam.
It is
known that some aminoacyl-tRNA synthetase mutants are resistant to the
-lactam antibiotic mecillinam (24). Mecillinam targets
penicillin-binding protein 2 (PBP2), which is required for lateral cell
elongation and maintenance of rod cell shape (17, 18).
Several classes of mutations lead to mecillinam resistance, and one
class of mutations maps within aminoacyl-tRNA synthetase genes (e.g.,
alaS and argS [24]). To
investigate whether novobiocin-resistant ileS mutants are
also resistant to mecillinam, we tested the strains carrying mutations
ileS1001 and ileS1002 by plating fully grown
cultures on LA plates with mecillinam. Both ileS mutants
showed increased resistance to mecillinam (Table 2). Thus, it was
logical to assume that other aminoacyl-tRNA synthetase mutants are
resistant to novobiocin. To test this hypothesis, we analyzed the
alaS21, argS201, and leuS3(Ts) tRNA
synthetase mutants, previously shown to have acquired resistance to
mecillinam (11, 24). The alaS and argS
alleles were introduced into strain C600 by transduction with phage
P1vir grown on strains SY500 (alaS21 Tn10) and SY502 (argS201 Tn10), and
the obtained constructs (strains SY501 and SY503) were tested for
resistance to novobiocin. The results presented in Table 2 show that
the mutants tested are resistant to novobiocin.
RelA contributes to novobiocin resistance. Previous studies on tRNA synthetase mutants showed a causative correlation between the activity of the stringent factor, the product of the relA gene, RelA-dependent synthesis of nucleotide ppGpp (3), and resistance to mecillinam (24). To examine a possible connection between the novobiocin resistance phenotype of tRNA synthetase mutants and the stringent response, we performed a comparative analysis employing alaS21 relA1 (SY510) and argS201 relA1 (SY511) double mutants and an isogenic pair of mutants with proficient stringent response capacities (alaS21 relA+ [SY501] and argS201 relA+ [SY503]). For unknown reasons, we did not manage to introduce either of the ileS mutations into a relA1 mutant of C600 (strain SY444). The results showed an eightfold decrease in resistance to novobiocin of double mutants relative to synthetase mutants with a wild-type relA allele (Table 2). In addition, a direct correlation between RelA activity and novobiocin resistance was also demonstrated. Introduction of plasmid pSM11, which encodes a truncated, hyperactive form of RelA (15), into strain SY506 (SY702) significantly increased its resistance to novobiocin (Table 2). Resistance to novobiocin remained unchanged in the control strains SY506 and SY701, showing that increased resistance to novobiocin is due neither to F-borne material nor to the pKK223-3 vector (Table 2). We conclude that RelA activity and the consequent overproduction of ppGpp induce resistance not only to mecillinam (24) but also to novobiocin.
Correlation between the stringent response and cls gene
activity.
Cardiolipin synthase (cls) mutants decrease
the native resistance of cells to novobiocin (9, 14, 23). To
address the question of how the activity of cls correlates
with increased resistance of aminoacyl-tRNA synthetase mutants to both
novobiocin and mecillinam, we introduced by P1vir
transduction the inactivated cls allele
(cls::mini-Tn10) into
ileS80, alaS21, and argS201 recipients (strains SY468, SY504, and SY505, respectively). The results of efficiency-of-plating tests showed that inactivation of cls
in aminoacyl-tRNA synthetase mutants causes a decrease in resistance to
novobiocin relative to synthetase mutants containing the wild-type allele of the cls gene (Tables 2 and
3). On the other hand, all of the
aminoacyl-tRNA synthetase mutants tested demonstrated unchanged,
high-level resistance to mecillinam regardless of the presence of
either the wild-type or mutated cls gene form (Tables 2 and
3).
|
Conclusions.
In this study, we lengthen the list of
gyrB-unrelated genes that affect E. coli
resistance to novobiocin. The relationship between inactivation of
rpoN, the gene for the
54 subunit of RNA
polymerase specific for the expression of genes involved in N
utilization pathways, and resistance to novobiocin remains for the
moment unknown. The ileS gene, analyzed in more detail,
belongs to a class of aminoacyl-tRNA synthetase mutants shown
previously to be responsible for mecillinam resistance (24). Similar results obtained with other tRNA synthetase mutants
(alaS, argS, leuS) give credence to
the belief that resistance to novobiocin (and mecillinam) is common to
all tRNA synthetase mutants.
| |
ACKNOWLEDGMENTS |
|---|
We are very grateful to R. D'Ari, B. Magasanik, and H. Wu for kindly providing bacterial strains and plasmids and to R. D'Ari for the gift of mecillinam and for help in preparing the manuscript. This work was supported by grant MSTRS 03E12.
| |
FOOTNOTES |
|---|
* Corresponding author. Present address: Department of Microbiology and Immunology, Health Sciences Center, University of Oklahoma, P.O. Box 26901, Oklahoma City, OK 73190. Phone: (405) 271-1202. Fax: (405) 271-3117. E-mail: DRAGUTIN-SAVIC{at}OUHSC.EDU.
Present address: Département de Biochimie Médicale,
Centre Médical Universitaire, 1211 Geneva 4, Switzerland.
Present address: Department of Pathology, New York University, New
York, NY.
| |
REFERENCES |
|---|
|
|
|---|
| 1. |
Appleyard, R. K.
1954.
Segregation of new lysogenic types during growth of a double lysogenic strain derived from Escherichia coli K12.
Genetics
39:440-452 |
| 2. | Bullock, W. O., J. M. Fernandez, and J. M. Short. 1987. XL1-Blue: a high efficiency plasmid transforming recA Escherichia coli strain with beta-galactosidase selection. BioTechniques 5:376-378. |
| 3. | Cashel, M., D. R. Gentry, V. J. Hernandez, and D. Vinella. 1996. The stringent response, p. 1458-1496. In F. C. Neidhardt, R. Curtiss III, J. L. Ingraham, E. C. C. Lin, K. B. Low, B. Magasanik, W. S. Reznikoff, M. Riley, M. Schaechter, and H. E. Umbarger (ed.), Escherichia coli and Salmonella: cellular and molecular biology, vol. 1. American Society for Microbiology, Washington, D.C. |
| 4. | Contreras, A., and A. Maxwell. 1992. gyrB mutations which confer coumarin resistance also affect DNA supercoiling and ATP hydrolysis by Escherichia coli DNA gyrase. Mol. Microbiol. 6:1617-1624[Medline]. |
| 5. |
Gellert, M.,
M. H. O'Dea,
T. Itoh, and J. Tomizawa.
1976.
Novobiocin and coumermycin inhibit DNA supercoiling catalyzed by DNA gyrase.
Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. USA
73:4474-4478 |
| 6. | Heber, S., and B. E. Tropp. 1991. Genetic regulation of cardiolipin synthase in Escherichia coli. Biochim. Biophys. Acta 1129:1-12[Medline]. |
| 7. | Hiraoka, S., H. Matsuzaki, and I. Shibuya. 1993. Active increase in cardiolipin synthesis in the stationary phase and its physiological significance in Escherichia coli. FEBS Lett. 336:221-224[Medline]. |
| 8. |
Innis, M. A.,
M. Tokunaga,
M. E. Williams,
J. M. Loranger,
S. Y. Chang,
S. Chang, and H. C. Wu.
1984.
Nucleotide sequence of the Escherichia coli prolipoprotein signal peptidase (lsp) gene.
Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. USA
81:3708-3712 |
| 9. |
Ivanisevic, R.,
M. Milic,
D. Ajdic,
J. Rakonjac, and D. J. Savic.
1995.
Nucleotide sequence, mutational analysis, transcriptional start site, and product analysis of nov, the gene which affects Escherichia coli K-12 resistance to the gyrase inhibitor novobiocin.
J. Bacteriol.
177:1766-1771 |
| 10. | Kredich, M. N. 1996. Biosynthesis of cysteine, p. 514-527. In F. C. Neidhardt, R. Curtiss III, J. L. Ingraham, E. C. C. Lin, K. B. Low, B. Magasanik, W. S. Reznikoff, M. Riley, M. Schaechter, and H. E. Umbarger (ed.), Escherichia coli and Salmonella: cellular and molecular biology, vol. 1. American Society for Microbiology, Washington, D.C. |
| 11. |
Low, B.,
F. Gates,
T. Goldstein, and D. Soll.
1971.
Isolation and characterization of temperature-sensitive Escherichia coli mutants with altered leucyl- and seryl-transfer ribonucleic acid synthetases.
J. Bacteriol.
108:742-750 |
| 12. | Miller, J. H. 1972. Experiments in molecular genetics. Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory Press, Cold Spring Harbor, N.Y. |
| 13. | Rakonjac, J., M. Milic, and D. J. Savic. 1991. cysB and cysE mutants of Escherichia coli K12 show increased resistance to novobiocin. Mol. Gen. Genet. 228:307-311[Medline]. |
| 14. | Rakonjac, J., M. Milic, D. Ajdic-Predic, D. Santos, R. Ivanisevic, and D. J. Savic. 1992. nov: a new genetic locus that affects the response of Escherichia coli K-12 to novobiocin. Mol. Microbiol. 6:1547-1553[Medline]. |
| 15. |
Schreiber, G.,
S. Metzger,
E. Aizenman,
R. Shmuel,
M. Cashel, and G. Glaser.
1991.
Overexpression of the relA gene in Escherichia coli.
J. Biol. Chem.
266:3760-3767 |
| 16. |
Singer, M.,
T. A. Baker,
G. Schnitzler,
S. M. Deischel,
M. Goel,
W. Dove,
K. J. Jaacks,
A. D. Grossman,
J. W. Erickson, and C. Gross.
1989.
A collection of strains containing genetically linked alternating antibiotic resistance elements for genetic mapping of Escherichia coli.
Microbiol. Rev.
53:1-24 |
| 17. | Spratt, B. G., and A. B. Pardee. 1975. Penicillin-binding protein and cell shape in E. coli. Nature (London) 254:515-517[Medline]. |
| 18. | Spratt, B. G. 1977. The mechanism of action of mecillinam. J. Antimicrob. Chemother. 3(Suppl. B):13-19. |
| 19. |
Tokunaga, M.,
J. M. Loranger,
P. Wolfe, and H. C. Wu.
1982.
Prolipoprotein signal peptidase in Escherichia coli is distinct from M13 procoat protein signal peptidase.
J. Biol. Chem.
257:9922-9925 |
| 20. |
Tokunaga, M.,
J. M. Loranger, and H. C. Wu.
1983.
Isolation and characterization of an Escherichia coli clone overproducing prolipoprotein signal peptidase.
J. Biol. Chem.
258:12102-12105 |
| 21. |
Tokunaga, M.,
J. M. Loranger,
S. Y. Chang,
M. Regue,
S. Chang, and H. C. Wu.
1985.
Identification of prolipoprotein signal peptidase and genomic organization of the lsp gene in Escherichia coli.
J. Biol. Chem.
260:5610-5615 |
| 22. | Tropp, B. E. 1998. Cardiolipin synthase from Escherichia coli. Biochim. Biophys. Acta 1348:192-200. |
| 23. |
Tropp, B. E.,
L. Ragolia,
W. Xia,
W. Dowhand,
R. Milkman,
K. E. Rudd,
R. Ivanisevic, and D. J. Savic.
1995.
Identity of the Escherichia coli cls and nov genes.
J. Bacteriol.
177:5155-5157 |
| 24. | Vinella, D., R. D'Ari, and P. Bouloc. 1992. Penicillin binding protein 2 is dispensable in Escherichia coli when ppGpp synthesis is induced. EMBO J. 11:1493-1501[Medline]. |
| 25. |
Vinella, D., and R. D'Ari.
1994.
Thermoinducible filamentation in Escherichia coli due to an altered RNA polymerase subunit is suppressed by high levels of ppGpp.
J. Bacteriol.
176:966-972 |
This article has been cited by other articles:
| |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Appl. Environ. Microbiol. | Infect. Immun. | Eukaryot. Cell |
|---|---|---|
| Mol. Cell. Biol. | J. Virol. | Microbiol. Mol. Biol. Rev. |
| ALL ASM JOURNALS |