Mucosal sugars delineate pyrazine vs pyrazinone autoinducer signaling in Klebsiella oxytoca.

ABSTRACT: Virulent Klebsiella oxytoca strains are associated with gut and lung pathologies, yet our understanding of the molecular signals governing pathogenesis remains limited. Here, we characterized a family of K. oxytoca pyrazine and pyrazinone autoinducers and explored their roles in microbial and host signaling. We identified the human mucin capping sugar Neu5Ac as a selective elicitor of leupeptin, a protease inhibitor prevalent in clinical lung isolates of K. oxytoca, and leupeptin-derived pyrazinone biosynthesis. Additionally, we uncovered a separate pyrazine pathway, regulated by general carbohydrate metabolism, derived from a broadly conserved PLP-dependent enzyme. While both pyrazine and pyrazinone signaling induce iron acquisition responses, including enterobactin biosynthesis, pyrazino

SUBMITTER: Hamchand R 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC11480411 | biostudies-literature | 2024 Oct

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature