Bifunctional enzyme 6'-N-aminoglycoside acetyltransferase-2"-O-aminoglycoside phosphotransferase in Lactobacillus and Pediococcus isolates of animal origin.
Bifunctional enzyme 6'-N-aminoglycoside acetyltransferase-2"-O-aminoglycoside phosphotransferase in Lactobacillus and Pediococcus isolates of animal origin.
Project description:Aminoglycoside (6') acetyltransferase-Ie/aminoglycoside (2?) phosphotransferase-Ia [AAC(6')-Ie/APH(2?)-Ia] is one of the most problematic aminoglycoside resistance factors in clinical pathogens, conferring resistance to almost every aminoglycoside antibiotic available to modern medicine. Despite 3 decades of research, our understanding of the structure of this bifunctional enzyme remains limited. We used small-angle X-ray scattering (SAXS) to model the structure of this bifunctional enzyme in solution and to study the impact of substrate binding on the enzyme. It was observed that the enzyme adopts a rigid conformation in solution, where the N-terminal AAC domain is fixed to the C-terminal APH domain and not loosely tethered. The addition of acetyl-coenzyme A, coenzyme A, GDP, guanosine 5'-[?,?-imido]triphosphate (GMPPNP), and combinations thereof to the protein resulted in only modest changes to the radius of gyration (R(G)) of the enzyme, which were not consistent with any large changes in enzyme structure upon binding. These results imply some selective advantage to the bifunctional enzyme beyond coexpression as a single polypeptide, likely linked to an improvement in enzymatic properties. We propose that the rigid structure contributes to improved electrostatic steering of aminoglycoside substrates toward the two active sites, which may provide such an advantage.
Project description:Key messageA new selectable marker gene for stable transformation of the plastid genome was developed that is similarly efficient as the aadA, and produces no background of spontaneous resistance mutants. More than 25 years after its development for Chlamydomonas and tobacco, the transformation of the chloroplast genome still represents a challenging technology that is available only in a handful of species. The vast majority of chloroplast transformation experiments conducted thus far have relied on a single selectable marker gene, the spectinomycin resistance gene aadA. Although a few alternative markers have been reported, the aadA has remained unrivalled in efficiency and is, therefore, nearly exclusively used. The development of new marker genes for plastid transformation is of crucial importance to all efforts towards extending the species range of the technology as well as to those applications in basic research, biotechnology and synthetic biology that involve the multistep engineering of plastid genomes. Here, we have tested a bifunctional resistance gene for its suitability as a selectable marker for chloroplast transformation. The bacterial enzyme aminoglycoside acetyltransferase(6')-Ie/aminoglycoside phosphotransferase(2″)-Ia possesses an N-terminal acetyltransferase domain and a C-terminal phosphotransferase domain that can act synergistically and detoxify aminoglycoside antibiotics highly efficiently. We report that, in combination with selection for resistance to the aminoglycoside tobramycin, the aac(6')-Ie/aph(2″)-Ia gene represents an efficient marker for plastid transformation in that it produces similar numbers of transplastomic lines as the spectinomycin resistance gene aadA. Importantly, no spontaneous antibiotic resistance mutants appear under tobramycin selection.
Project description:The bifunctional acetyltransferase(6')-Ie-phosphotransferase(2'')-Ia [AAC(6')-Ie-APH(2'')-Ia] is the most important aminoglycoside-resistance enzyme in Gram-positive bacteria, conferring resistance to almost all known aminoglycoside antibiotics in clinical use. Owing to its importance, this enzyme has been the focus of intensive research since its isolation in the mid-1980s but, despite much effort, structural details of AAC(6')-Ie-APH(2'')-Ia have remained elusive. The structure of the Mg2GDP complex of the APH(2'')-Ia domain of the bifunctional enzyme has now been determined at 2.3 Å resolution. The structure of APH(2'')-Ia is reminiscent of the structures of other aminoglycoside phosphotransferases, having a two-domain architecture with the nucleotide-binding site located at the junction of the two domains. Unlike the previously characterized APH(2'')-IIa and APH(2'')-IVa enzymes, which are capable of utilizing both ATP and GTP as the phosphate donors, APH(2'')-Ia uses GTP exclusively in the phosphorylation of the aminoglycoside antibiotics, and in this regard closely resembles the GTP-dependent APH(2'')-IIIa enzyme. In APH(2'')-Ia this GTP selectivity is governed by the presence of a `gatekeeper' residue, Tyr100, the side chain of which projects into the active site and effectively blocks access to the adenine-binding template. Mutation of this tyrosine residue to a less bulky phenylalanine provides better access for ATP to the NTP-binding template and converts APH(2'')-Ia into a dual-specificity enzyme.
Project description:We report here the characterization of a novel aminoglycoside resistance gene, aac(6')-Iaf, present in two multidrug-resistant (MDR) Pseudomonas aeruginosa clinical isolates. These isolates, IMCJ798 and IMCJ799, were independently obtained from two patients, one with a urinary tract infection and the other with a decubitus ulcer, in a hospital located in the western part of Japan. Although the antibiotic resistance profiles of IMCJ798 and IMCJ799 were similar to that of MDR P. aeruginosa IMCJ2.S1, which caused outbreaks in the eastern part of Japan, the pulsed-field gel electrophoresis patterns for these isolates were different from that for IMCJ2.S1. Both IMCJ798 and IMCJ799 were found to contain a novel chromosomal class 1 integron, In123, which included aac(6')-Iaf as the first cassette gene. The encoded protein, AAC(6')-Iaf, was found to consist of 183 amino acids, with 91 and 87% identity to AAC(6')-Iq and AAC(6')-Im, respectively. IMCJ798, IMCJ799, and Escherichia coli transformants carrying a plasmid containing the aac(6')-Iaf gene and its upstream region were highly resistant to amikacin, dibekacin, and kanamycin but not to gentamicin. The production of AAC(6')-Iaf in these strains was confirmed by Western blot analysis. Thin-layer chromatography indicated that AAC(6')-Iaf is a functional acetyltransferase that specifically modifies the amino groups at the 6' positions of aminoglycosides. Collectively, these findings indicate that AAC(6')-Iaf contributes to aminoglycoside resistance.
Project description:Class 1 integrons accumulate antibiotic resistance genes by site-specific recombination at aatI-1 sites. Captured genes are transcribed from a promoter located within the integron; for class 1 integrons, the first gene to be transcribed and translated normally encodes an aminoglycoside antibiotic resistance protein (either an acetyltransferase [AAC] or adenyltransferase [AAD]). The leader RNA from the Pseudomonas fluorescens class 1 integron contains an aminoglycoside-sensing riboswitch RNA that controls the expression of the downstream aminoglycoside resistance gene. Here, we explore the relationship between integron-dependent DNA recombination and potential aminoglycoside-sensing riboswitch products of recombination derived from a series of aminoglycoside-resistant clinical strains. Sequence analysis of the clinical strains identified a series of sequence variants that were associated with class I integron-derived aminoglycoside-resistant (both aac and aad) recombinants. For the aac recombinants, representative sequences showed up to 6-fold aminoglycoside-dependent regulation of reporter gene expression. Microscale thermophoresis (MST) confirmed RNA binding. Covariance analysis generated a secondary-structure model for the RNA that is an independent verification of previous models that were derived from mutagenesis and chemical probing data and that was similar to that of the P. fluorescens riboswitch RNA. The aminoglycosides were among the first antibiotics to be used clinically, and the data suggest that in an aminoglycoside-rich environment, functional riboswitch recombinants were selected during integron-mediated recombination to regulate aminoglycoside resistance. The incorporation of a functional aminoglycoside-sensing riboswitch by integron recombination confers a selective advantage for the expression of resistance genes of diverse origins.
Project description:ObjectivesThe aac(6')-Ih gene encoding aminoglycoside 6'-N-acetyltransferase type I subtype h [AAC(6')-Ih] is plasmid-borne in Acinetobacter baumannii where it confers high-level amikacin resistance, but its origin remains unknown. We searched for the gene in the genomes of a collection of 133 Acinetobacter spp. and studied its species specificity, expression and dissemination.MethodsGene copy number was determined by quantitative PCR, expression by quantitative RT-PCR, MIC by microdilution and transfer by plasmid mobilization.ResultsThe aac(6')-Ih gene was present in the chromosome of the two Acinetobacter gyllenbergii of the collection and was detected in all seven A. gyllenbergii clinical isolates. They had indistinguishable flanking regions indicating that the gene was intrinsic to this species. A. baumannii PIS Aba23 promoters were provided by insertion of ISAba23, which disrupted the Pnative promoter in A. gyllenbergii. Both types of promoters were similarly potent in Escherichia coli and A. baumannii. Aminoglycoside MICs for A. baumannii harbouring pIP1858 were higher than for A. gyllenbergii due to gene dosage. The non-self-transferable plasmid could be mobilized to other A. baumannii cells by the broad host range plasmid RP4.ConclusionsWe have found the origin of aac(6')-Ih in A. gyllenbergii, a species isolated, although rarely, in humans, and documented that dissemination of this gene is restricted to the Acinetobacter genus.
Project description:Acquired resistance to aminoglycoside antibiotics primarily results from deactivation by three families of aminoglycoside-modifying enzymes. Here, we report the kinetic mechanism and structure of the aminoglycoside phosphotransferase 2''-IVa (APH(2'')-IVa), an enzyme responsible for resistance to aminoglycoside antibiotics in clinical enterococcal and staphylococcal isolates. The enzyme operates via a Bi-Bi sequential mechanism in which the two substrates (ATP or GTP and an aminoglycoside) bind in a random manner. The APH(2'')-IVa enzyme phosphorylates various 4,6-disubstituted aminoglycoside antibiotics with catalytic efficiencies (k(cat)/K(m)) of 1.5 x 10(3) to 1.2 x 10(6) (M(-1) s(-1)). The enzyme uses both ATP and GTP as the phosphate source, an extremely rare occurrence in the phosphotransferase and protein kinase enzymes. Based on an analysis of the APH(2'')-IVa structure, two overlapping binding templates specifically tuned for hydrogen bonding to either ATP or GTP have been identified and described. A detailed understanding of the structure and mechanism of the GTP-utilizing phosphotransferases is crucial for the development of either novel aminoglycosides or, more importantly, GTP-based enzyme inhibitors which would not be expected to interfere with crucial ATP-dependent enzymes.
Project description:Enzymatic modification of aminoglycoside antibiotics mediated by regioselective aminoglycoside N-acetyltransferases is the predominant cause of bacterial resistance to aminoglycosides. A recently discovered bifunctional aminoglycoside acetyltransferase (AAC(6')-Ib variant, AAC(6')-Ib-cr) has been shown to catalyze the acetylation of fluoroquinolones as well as aminoglycosides. We have expressed and purified AAC(6')-Ib-wt and its bifunctional variant AAC(6')-Ib-cr in Escherichia coli and characterized their kinetic and chemical mechanism. Initial velocity and dead-end inhibition studies support an ordered sequential mechanism for the enzyme(s). The three-dimensional structure of AAC(6')-Ib-wt was determined in various complexes with donor and acceptor ligands to resolutions greater than 2.2 A. Observation of the direct, and optimally positioned, interaction between the 6'-NH 2 and Asp115 suggests that Asp115 acts as a general base to accept a proton in the reaction. The structure of AAC(6')-Ib-wt permits the construction of a molecular model of the interactions of fluoroquinolones with the AAC(6')-Ib-cr variant. The model suggests that a major contribution to the fluoroquinolone acetylation activity comes from the Asp179Tyr mutation, where Tyr179 makes pi-stacking interactions with the quinolone ring facilitating quinolone binding. The model also suggests that fluoroquinolones and aminoglycosides have different binding modes. On the basis of kinetic properties, the pH dependence of the kinetic parameters, and structural information, we propose an acid/base-assisted reaction catalyzed by AAC(6')-Ib-wt and the AAC(6')-Ib-cr variant involving a ternary complex.
Project description:BackgroundAminoglycoside O-phosphotransferases make up a large class of bacterial enzymes that is widely distributed among pathogens and confer a high resistance to several clinically used aminoglycoside antibiotics. Aminoglycoside 2″-phosphotransferase IVa, APH(2″)-IVa, is an important member of this class, but there is little information on the thermodynamics of aminoglycoside binding and on the nature of its rate-limiting step.MethodsWe used isothermal titration calorimetry, electrostatic potential calculations, molecular dynamics simulations and X-ray crystallography to study the interactions between the enzyme and different aminoglycosides. We determined the rate-limiting step of the reaction by the means of transient kinetic measurements.ResultsFor the first time, Kd values were determined directly for APH(2″)-IVa and different aminoglycosides. The affinity of the enzyme seems to anti-correlate with the molecular weight of the ligand, suggesting a limited degree of freedom in the binding site. The main interactions are electrostatic bonds between the positively charged amino groups of aminoglycosides and Glu or Asp residues of APH. In spite of the significantly different ratio Kd/Km, there is no large difference in the transient kinetics obtained with the different aminoglycosides. We show that a product release step is rate-limiting for the overall reaction.ConclusionsAPH(2″)-IVa has a higher affinity for aminoglycosides carrying an amino group in 2' and 6', but tighter bindings do not correlate with higher catalytic efficiencies. As with APH(3')-IIIa, an intermediate containing product is preponderant during the steady state.General significanceThis intermediate may constitute a good target for future drug design.
Project description:The amikacin resistance gene aphA6 was first detected in the nosocomial pathogen Acinetobacter baumannii and subsequently in other genera. Analysis of 133 whole-genome sequences covering the taxonomic diversity of Acinetobacter spp. detected aphA6 in the chromosome of 2 isolates of A. guillouiae, which is an environmental species, 1 of 8 A. parvus isolates, and 5 of 34 A. baumannii isolates. The gene was also present in 29 out of 36 A. guillouiae isolates screened by PCR, indicating that it is ancestral to this species. The Pnative promoter for aphA6 in A. guillouiae and A. parvus was replaced in A. baumannii by PaphA6, which was generated by use of the insertion sequence ISAba125, which brought a -35 sequence. Study of promoter strength in Escherichia coli and A. baumannii indicated that PaphA6 was four times more potent than Pnative. There was a good correlation between aminoglycoside MICs and aphA6 transcription in A. guillouiae isolates that remained susceptible to amikacin. The marked topology differences of the phylogenetic trees of aphA6 and of the hosts strongly support its recent direct transfer within Acinetobacter spp. and also to evolutionarily remote bacterial genera. Concomitant expression of aphA6 must have occurred because, contrary to the donors, it can confer resistance to the new hosts. Mobilization and expression of aphA6 via composite transposons and the upstream IS-generating hybrid PaphA6, followed by conjugation, seems the most plausible mechanism. This is in agreement with the observation that, in the recipients, aphA6 is carried by conjugative plasmids and flanked by IS that are common in Acinetobacter spp. Our data indicate that resistance genes can also be found in susceptible environmental bacteria. Importance: We speculated that the aphA6 gene for an enzyme that confers resistance to amikacin, the most active aminoglycoside for the treatment of nosocomial infections due to Acinetobacter spp., originated in this genus before disseminating to phylogenetically distant genera pathogenic for humans. Using a combination of whole-genome sequencing of a collection of Acinetobacter spp. covering the breadth of the known taxonomic diversity of the genus, gene cloning, detailed promoter analysis, study of heterologous gene expression, and comparative analysis of the phylogenetic trees of aphA6 and of the bacterial hosts, we found that aphA6 originated in Acinetobacter guillouiae, an amikacin-susceptible environmental species. The gene conferred, upon mobilization, high-level resistance to the new hosts. This work stresses that nonpathogenic bacteria can act as reservoirs of resistance determinants, and it provides an example of the use of a genomic library to study the origin and dissemination of an antibiotic resistance gene to human pathogens.