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Rgg protein structure-function and inhibition by cyclic peptide compounds.

ABSTRACT: Peptide pheromone cell-cell signaling (quorum sensing) regulates the expression of diverse developmental phenotypes (including virulence) in Firmicutes, which includes common human pathogens, e.g., Streptococcus pyogenes and Streptococcus pneumoniae. Cytoplasmic transcription factors known as "Rgg proteins" are peptide pheromone receptors ubiquitous in Firmicutes. Here we present X-ray crystal structures of a Streptococcus Rgg protein alone and in complex with a tight-binding signaling antagonist, the cyclic undecapeptide cyclosporin A. To our knowledge, these represent the first Rgg protein X-ray crystal structures. Based on the results of extensive structure-function analysis, we reveal the peptide pheromone-binding site and the mechanism by which cyclosporin A inhibits activation of the peptide pheromone receptor. Guided by the Rgg-cyclosporin A complex structure, we predicted that the nonimmunosuppressive cyclosporin A analog valspodar would inhibit Rgg activation. Indeed, we found that, like cyclosporin A, valspodar inhibits peptide pheromone activation of conserved Rgg proteins in medically relevant Streptococcus species. Finally, the crystal structures presented here revealed that the Rgg protein DNA-binding domains are covalently linked across their dimerization interface by a disulfide bond formed by a highly conserved cysteine. The DNA-binding domain dimerization interface observed in our structures is essentially identical to the interfaces previously described for other members of the XRE DNA-binding domain family, but the presence of an intermolecular disulfide bond buried in this interface appears to be unique. We hypothesize that this disulfide bond may, under the right conditions, affect Rgg monomer-dimer equilibrium, stabilize Rgg conformation, or serve as a redox-sensitive switch.

SUBMITTER: Parashar V

PROVIDER: S-EPMC4413276 | biostudies-literature | 2015 Apr

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature

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Rgg protein structure-function and inhibition by cyclic peptide compounds.

Parashar Vijay V Aggarwal Chaitanya C Federle Michael J MJ Neiditch Matthew B MB

Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America 20150406 16

Peptide pheromone cell-cell signaling (quorum sensing) regulates the expression of diverse developmental phenotypes (including virulence) in Firmicutes, which includes common human pathogens, e.g., Streptococcus pyogenes and Streptococcus pneumoniae. Cytoplasmic transcription factors known as "Rgg proteins" are peptide pheromone receptors ubiquitous in Firmicutes. Here we present X-ray crystal structures of a Streptococcus Rgg protein alone and in complex with a tight-binding signaling antagonis ...[more]

PMID: 25847993

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Project description:BACKGROUND: Streptococcus mutans, the etiological agent of human dental caries, displays complex regulation of natural genetic competence. Competence development in S. mutans is controlled by a peptide derived from ComS (comX inducing peptide, XIP); which along with the cytosolic regulator ComR controls the expression of the alternative sigma factor comX, the master regulator of competence development. ComR-XIP controls the expression of both PcomX and PcomS, with the latter creating a positive feedback loop. Recently, a gene embedded within the coding region of comX was discovered and designated xrpA (comX regulatory peptide A). XrpA was found to be an antagonist of ComX, but the mechanism was not established. In this study, we began to dissect how XrpA exerts control over competence development in S. mutans. METHODS: RNA-Seq was utilized to compare the transcriptomes of S. mutans wild-type strain UA159 (3 replicates), UA159 with addition of 2 uM sXIP (3 replicates) and with a mutant of xrpA (comX::T162C; 3 replicates). Strains were grown to OD600 nm = 0.5 in FMC medium before harvest. sXIP was added at OD600 nm = 0.2. Deep sequencing was performed at the University of Florida ICBR facilities (Gainesville, FL). Approximately 20 million short-reads were obtained for each sample. After removing adapter sequences from each short-read and trimming of the 3’-ends by quality scores (59), the resulting sequences were mapped onto the reference genome of strain UA159 (GenBank accession no. AE014133) using the short-read aligner. Mapped short-read alignments were then converted into readable formats using SAMTOOLS. RESULTS: Using an optimzed data analysis workflow, we mapped 14-19 million reads per sample to the genome of UA159. For viewing of the mapped reads aligned to the genome, .bam files were uploaded into the Integrative Genomics Viewer (IGV – version 2.3.55) (61). A .csv file containing raw read counts for each replicate (3) was then uploaded to Degust (http://degust.erc.monash.edu/) and edgeR analysis performed to determine Log2 fold change and a false discovery rate (FDR). Comparison of the transcriptome by RNA-Seq of the wild-type with the mutant lacking XrpA revealed 56 differentially expressed genes, with 34 upregulated in xrpA and 22 downregulated. Many of the upregulated genes were competence-related genes, including comX and genes that are a part of the ComX regulon of S. mutans . Since loss of xrpA caused upregulation of competence genes, we also analyzed the transcriptome of UA159 treated with 2 uM sXIP to induce competence, with UA159 treated with vehicle (DMSO) as a control. Cells treated with sXIP had 137 genes differentially expressed compared to the DMSO control. CONCLUSIONS: Collectively, these data reveal that the novel regulator XrpA exerts its influence over competence development by impacting ComRS functions, resulting in decreased expression of comX and late com gene expression that negatively impact transformability. These results highlight XrpA as a new negative regulator of competence signaling as well as broaden our understanding of the complex regulatory mechanisms that modulate competence and virulence in S. mutans.

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Rgg protein structure-function and inhibition by cyclic peptide compounds.

Publications

Rgg protein structure-function and inhibition by cyclic peptide compounds.

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