Hélène Bénédetti

Distinct regions of the colicin A translocation domain are involved in the interaction with TolA and TolB proteins upon import into Escherichia coli

Group A colicins need proteins of the Escherichia coli envelope Tol complex (TolA, TolB, TolQ and TolR) to reach their cellular target. The N‐terminal domain of colicins is involved in the import process. The N‐terminal domains of colicins A and E1 have been shown to interact with TolA, and the N‐terminal domain of colicin E3 has been shown to interact with TolB. We found that a pentapeptide conserved in the N‐terminal domain of all group A colicins, the ‘TolA box’, was important for colicin A import but was not involved in the colicin A–TolA interaction. It was, however, involved in the colicin A–TolB interaction. The interactions of colicin A N‐terminal domain deletion mutants with TolA and TolB were investigated. Random mutagenesis was performed on a construct allowing the colicin A N‐terminal domain to be exported in the bacteria periplasm. This enabled us to select mutant protein domains unable to compete with the wild‐type domain of the entire colicin A for import into the cells. Our results demonstrate that different regions of the colicin A N‐terminal domain interact with TolA and TolB. The colicin A N‐terminal domain was also shown to form a trimeric complex with TolA and TolB.

Individual domains of colicins confer specificity in colicin uptake, in pore-properties and in immunity requirement☆

Six different hybrid colicins were constructed by recombining various domains of the two pore-forming colicins A and E1. These hybrid colicins were purified and their properties were studied. All of them were active against sensitive cells, although to varying degrees. From the results, one can conclude that: (1) the binding site of OmpF is located in the N-terminal domain of colicin A; (2) the OmpF, TolB and TolR dependence for translocation is also located in this domain; (3) the TolC dependence for colicin E1 is located in the N-terminal domain of colicin E1; (4) the 183 N-terminal amino acid residues of colicin E1 are sufficient to promote E1AA uptake and thus probably colicin E1 uptake; (5) there is an interaction between the central domain and C-terminal domain of colicin A; (6) the individual functioning of different domains in various hybrids suggests that domain interactions can be reconstituted in hybrids that are fully active, whereas in others that are much less active, non-proper domain interactions may interfere with translocation; (7) there is a specific recognition of the C-terminal domains of colicin A and colicin E1 by their respective immunity proteins.

Structure of the Escherichia coli TolB protein determined by MAD methods at 1.95 Å resolution

BACKGROUND The periplasmic protein TolB from Escherichia coli is part of the Tol-PAL (peptidoglycan-associated lipoprotein) multiprotein complex used by group A colicins to penetrate and kill cells. TolB homologues are found in many gram-negative bacteria and the Tol-PAL system is thought to play a role in bacterial envelope integrity. TolB is required for lethal infection by Salmonella typhimurium in mice. RESULTS The crystal structure of the selenomethionine-substituted TolB protein from E. coli was solved using multiwavelength anomalous dispersion methods and refined to 1. 95 A. TolB has a two-domain structure. The N-terminal domain consists of two alpha helices, a five-stranded beta-sheet floor and a long loop at the back of this floor. The C-terminal domain is a six-bladed beta propeller. The small, possibly mobile, contact area (430 A(2)) between the two domains involves residues from the two helices and the first and sixth blades of the beta propeller. All available genomic sequences were used to identify new TolB homologues in gram-negative bacteria. The TolB structure was then interpreted using the observed conservation pattern. CONCLUSIONS The TolB beta-propeller C-terminal domain exhibits sequence similarities to numerous members of the prolyl oligopeptidase family and, to a lesser extent, to class B metallo-beta-lactamases. The alpha/beta N-terminal domain shares a structural similarity with the C-terminal domain of transfer RNA ligases. We suggest that the TolB protein might be part of a multiprotein complex involved in the recycling of peptidoglycan or in its covalent linking with lipoproteins.

The N-terminal domain of colicin E3 interacts with TolB which is involved in the colicin translocation step.

Colicins use two envelope multiprotein systems to reach their cellular target in susceptible cells of Escherichia coli: the Tol system for group A colicins and the TonB system for group B colicins. The N‐terminal domain of colicins is involved in the translocation step. To determine whether it interacts in vivo with proteins of the translocation system, constructs were designed to produce and export to the cell periplasm the N‐terminal domains of colicin E3 (group A) and colicin B (group B). Producing cells became specifically tolerant to entire extracellular colicins of the same group. The periplasmic N‐terminal domains therefore compete with entire colicins for proteins of the translocation system and thus interact in situ with these proteins on the inner side of the outer membrane. In vivo cross‐linking and co‐immunoprecipitation experiments in cells producing the colicin E3 N‐terminal domain demonstrated the existence of a 120 kDa complex containing the colicin domain and TolB. After in vitro cross‐linking experiments with these two purified proteins, a 120 kDa complex was also obtained. This suggests that the complex obtained in vivo contains exclusively TolB and the colicin E3 domain. The N‐terminal domain of a translocation‐defective colicin E3 mutant was found to no longer interact with TolB. Hence, this interaction must play an important role in colicin E3 translocation.

Comparison of the uptake systems for the entry of various BtuB group colicins into Escherichia coli.

Colicins A, E1, E2 and E3 belong to the BtuB group of colicins. The NH2-terminal region of colicin A is required for translocation, and defects in this region cannot be overcome by osmotic shock of sensitive cells. In addition to BtuB, colicin A requires OmpF for efficient uptake by sensitive cells. The roles of BtuB and OmpF in translocation and binding to the receptor of the colicins A, E1, E2 and E3 were compared. The results suggest that for colicin A OmpF is used both as a receptor and for translocation across the outer membrane. In contrast, for colicin E1, OmpF is used neither as a receptor nor for translocation. For colicins E2 and E3, the situation is intermediate: only BtuB is used as a receptor but both BtuB and OmpF are involved in the translocation step.

Tfs1p, a Member of the PEBP Family, Inhibits the Ira2p but Not the Ira1p Ras GTPase-Activating Protein in Saccharomyces cerevisiae

ABSTRACT Ras proteins are guanine nucleotide-binding proteins that are highly conserved among eukaryotes. They are involved in signal transduction pathways and are tightly regulated by two sets of antagonistic proteins: GTPase-activating proteins (GAPs) inhibit Ras proteins, whereas guanine exchange factors activate them. In this work, we describe Tfs1p, the first physiological inhibitor of a Ras GAP, Ira2p, in Saccharomyces cerevisiae. TFS1 is a multicopy suppressor of the cdc25-1 mutation in yeast and corresponds to the so-called Ic CPY cytoplasmic inhibitor. Moreover, Tfs1p belongs to the phosphatidylethanolamine-binding protein (PEBP) family, one member of which is RKIP, a kinase and serine protease inhibitor and a metastasis inhibitor in prostate cancer. In this work, the results of (i) a two-hybrid screen of a yeast genomic library, (ii) glutathione S-transferase pulldown experiments, (iii) multicopy suppressor tests of cdc25-1 mutants, and (iv) stress resistance tests to evaluate the activation level of Ras demonstrate that Tfs1p interacts with and inhibits Ira2p. We further show that the conserved ligand-binding pocket of Tfs1—the hallmark of the PEBP family—is important for its inhibitory activity.

Import of colicins across the outer membrane of Escherichia coli involves multiple protein interactions in the periplasm

Several proteins of the Tol/Pal system are required for group A colicin import into Escherichia coli. Colicin A interacts with TolA and TolB via distinct regions of its N‐terminal domain. Both interactions are required for colicin translocation. Using in vivo and in vitro approaches, we show in this study that colicin A also interacts with a third component of the Tol/Pal system required for colicin import, TolR. This interaction is specific to colicins dependent on TolR for their translocation, strongly suggesting a direct involvement of the interaction in the colicin translocation step. TolR is anchored to the inner membrane by a single transmembrane segment and protrudes into the periplasm. The interaction involves part of the periplasmic domain of TolR and a small region of the colicin A N‐terminal domain. This region and the other regions responsible for the interaction with TolA and TolB have been mapped precisely within the colicin A N‐terminal domain and appear to be arranged linearly in the colicin sequence. Multiple contacts with periplasmic‐exposed Tol proteins are therefore a general principle required for group A colicin translocation.

Analysis of the Escherichia coli Tol-Pal and TonB systems by periplasmic production of Tol, TonB, colicin, or phage capsid soluble domains.

The aim of this review is to describe an in vivo assay of the interactions taking place in the Tol-Pal or TonB-ExbB-ExbD envelope complexes in the periplasm of Escherichia coli and between them and colicins or g3p protein of filamentous bacteriophages. Domains of colicins or periplasmic soluble domains of Tol or TonB proteins can be artificially addressed to the periplasm of bacteria by fusing them to a signal sequence from an exported protein. These domains interact specifically in the periplasm with the Tol or TonB complexes and disturb their function, which can be directly detected by the appearance of specific tol or tonB phenotypes. This technique can be used to detect new interactions, to characterize them biochemically and to map them or to induce tol or tonB phenotypes to study the functions of these two complexes.

Design, synthesis, and biological activity of pyridopyrimidine scaffolds as novel PI3K/mTOR dual inhibitors.

The design, synthesis, and screening of dual PI3K/mTOR inhibitors that gave nanomolar enzymatic and cellular activities on both targets with an acceptable kinase selectivity profile are described. A docking study was performed to understand the binding mode of the compounds and to explain the differences in biological activity. In addition, cellular effects of the best dual inhibitors were determined on six cancer cell lines and compared to those on a healthy diploid cell line for cellular cytotoxicity. Two compounds are highly potent on cancer cells in the submicromolar range without any toxicity on healthy cells. A more detailed analysis of the cellular effect of these PI3K/mTOR dual inhibitors demonstrated that they induce G1-phase cell cycle arrest in breast cancer cells and trigger apoptosis. These compounds show an interesting kinase profile as dual PI3K/mTOR tool compounds or as a chemical series for further optimization to progress into in vivo experiments.

Binding of colicins A and El to purified TolA domains

Colicins are divided into two groups according to the proteins required for their import into sensitive bacteria. The Tol and TonB pathways are involved in import of group A and group B colicins respectively. Because previous analyses have shown that colicin El and colicin A (two group A colicins) interact in vitro with the C-terminal domain of TolA (TolAlll) while colicin B (group B colicin)does not, attention was focused on these interactions with purified proteins.TolA has been described as a three-domain protein with an N-terminal inner-membrane anchor and a long periplasmic region formed by two domains(TolAII and TolAlll). TolAIII, TolAll and TolAII-Ill soluble domains with an N-terminal hexa-histidine extension were purified. The interactions of colicins with the purified TolA domains were analysed by overlay Western blotting,which indicated that both N-terminal domains of colicins A and E l interacted with TolAIII, while a gel shift procedure detected no interaction with colicin El.The binding kinetic values of the N-terminal domains of colicins A and E l to TolAlll were estimated by surface plasmon resonance and were shown to be similar.