mycobacteria
Research Article | SpotlightThe Conserved Translation Factor LepA Is Required for Optimal Synthesis of a Porin Family in Mycobacterium smegmatisThe mycobacterial cell wall is a promising target for new antibiotics due to the abundance of important membrane-associated proteins. Defining mechanisms of synthesis of the membrane proteome will be critical to uncovering and validating drug targets.
Research ArticleFunctional Characterization of the γ-Aminobutyric Acid Transporter from Mycobacterium smegmatis MC2 155 Reveals Sodium-Driven GABA TransportThe spread of multidrug-resistant tuberculosis increases its global health impact in humans. As there is transmission both to and from animals, the spread of the disease also increases its effects in a broad range of animal species.
Research ArticleClpX Is Essential and Activated by Single-Strand DNA Binding Protein in MycobacteriaTuberculosis, caused by Mycobacterium tuberculosis, imposes a major global health burden, surpassing HIV and malaria in annual deaths. The ClpP1P2 proteolytic complex and its cofactor ClpX are attractive drug targets, but their precise cellular functions are unclear.
Research ArticlePhosphorylation on PstP Regulates Cell Wall Metabolism and Antibiotic Tolerance in Mycobacterium smegmatisRegulation of cell wall assembly is essential for bacterial survival and contributes to pathogenesis and antibiotic tolerance in mycobacteria, including pathogens such as Mycobacterium tuberculosis. However, little is known about how the cell wall is regulated in stress.
Research ArticleEthanol in Combination with Oxidative Stress Significantly Impacts Mycobacterial PhysiologyBacterial response to a combination of stresses can be unexpected and very different compared with that of an individual stress treatment. This study explores the physiological and transcriptional response of mycobacteria in response to the combinatorial treatment of an oxidant with the commonly used solvent ethanol. The presence of a subinhibitory concentration of organic peroxide increases the effectiveness of ethanol by inducing...
Research ArticleInsights into the Physiology and Metabolism of a Mycobacterial Cell in an Energy-Compromised StateM. smegmatis generates an inadequate amount of energy by substrate-level phosphorylation and mandatorily requires oxidative phosphorylation (OXPHOS) for its growth and metabolism. Here, we explored the influence of suboptimal OXPHOS on M. smegmatis physiology and metabolism....
Research ArticleMetabolomics Studies To Decipher Stress Responses in Mycobacterium smegmatis Point to a Putative Pathway of Methylated Amine BiosynthesisAlterations in metabolite levels provide fast and direct means to regulate enzymatic reactions and, therefore, metabolic pathways. This study documents, for the first time, the metabolic changes that occur in Mycobacterium smegmatis as a response to three stresses, namely, acidic stress, oxidative stress, and nutrient starvation. These stresses are also faced by...
Research ArticleThe Core and Holoenzyme Forms of RNA Polymerase from Mycobacterium smegmatisWe describe here three-dimensional structures of core and holoenzyme forms of mycobacterial RNA polymerase (RNAP) solved by cryo-electron microscopy. These structures fill the thus-far-empty spots in the gallery of the pivotal forms of mycobacterial RNAP and illuminate the extent of conformational dynamics of this enzyme. The presented findings may facilitate future designs of antimycobacterial drugs targeting RNAP.
Research ArticleCoenzyme F420-Dependent Glucose-6-Phosphate Dehydrogenase-Coupled Polyglutamylation of Coenzyme F420 in MycobacteriaCoenzyme F420-dependent reactions of Mycobacterium tuberculosis, which causes tuberculosis, potentially contributes to the virulence of this bacterium. The coenzyme carries a glutamic acid-derived tail, the length of which influences the metabolism of M. tuberculosis. Mutations that...
- Research ArticleIdentification of the Thioredoxin Partner of Vitamin K Epoxide Reductase in Mycobacterial Disulfide Bond Formation
Disulfide bond formation has a great impact on bacterial pathogenicity. Thus, disulfide-bond-forming proteins represent new targets for the development of antibacterials, since the inhibition of disulfide bond formation would result in the simultaneous loss of the activity of several classes of virulence factors. Here, we identified five candidate proteins encoded by the M....