M. Garrido

Induction of acid phosphatase and cholinesterase activities in Ps. aeruginosa and their in-vitro control by choline, acetylcholine and betaine

SummaryCholine, acetylcholine and betaine used as a sole carbon source, effectuate in Ps. aeruginosa an acid phosphatase activity in addition to a cholinesterase activity. Induction of both enzyme activities was repressed by succinate or glucose. Cyclic AMP failed to relieve the repression produced by these compounds. Substrates not related to choline and used as a sole source of carbon, were inefficient to produce induction of both enzymes.The in-vitro action of choline, acetylcholine and betaine on Ps. aeruginosa acid phosphatase and cholinesterase has also been studied. To perform these studies periplasmic extracts obtained by EDTA-lysozyme treatment of the cells grown on choline or betaine as sole source of carbon, were used. Acid phosphatase activity was competitively inhibited by betaine, whereas the inhibition produced by choline and acetylcholine showed competitive and noncompetitive components. Cholinesterase activity was noncompetitively inhibited by betaine. At low acetylthiocholine concentration choline was an inhibitor of cholinesterase, whereas at high substrate concentration choline raised the hydrolysis rate of acetylthiocholine.These findings allow the conclusion that acid phosphatase and cholinesterase are specifically induced by choline and its metabolites derivatives. Kinetic results led us to postulate that acid phosphatase and cholinesterase contain a similar allosteric site. This site would either be of an anionic nature or show affinity to a methyl group or display both characteristics.

Pseudomonas aeruginosa acid phosphatase and cholinesterase induced by choline and its metabolic derivatives may contain a similar anionic peripheral site

SummaryDifferent compounds derived from choline, and obtained by demethylation or by oxidation of the primary alcohol group with subsequent N-demethylation, were tested as inducer agents of acid phosphatase and cholinesterase in Ps. aeruginosa. It was found that betaine and dimethylglycine were the most effective inducers of both enzyme activities. These metabolites including choline itself, were not inducers of acid phosphatase and cholinesterase in other Gram-negative bacteria such as: Escherichia coli, Salmonella typhimurium, Shigella flexneri, Enterobacter liquefacciens and Proteus mirabilis. The acid phosphatase activities found in these bacteria were not inhibited in vitro by choline, betaine and phosphorylcholine. From these results it may be concluded that the acid phosphatase activity from Ps. aeruginosa is different from the same activity observed in the other bacteria. In addition, it is also shown that Ps. aeruginosa acid phosphatase and cholinesterase were inhibited by a number of compounds containing a positively charged amino group, with methyl or ethyl groups bound to it. These results seem to confirm that Ps. aeruginosa acid phosphatase and cholinesterase may contain a similar anionic site.

Identification, Cloning, and Expression of Pseudomonas aeruginosa Phosphorylcholine Phosphatase Gene

Pseudomonas aeruginosa phosphorylcholine phosphatase (PChP) is a periplasmic enzyme produced simultaneously with the hemolytic phospholipase C (PLc-H) when the bacteria are grown in the presence of choline, betaine, dimethylglycine or carnitine. Molecular analysis of the P. aeruginosa mutant JUF8-00, after Tn5-751 mutagenesis, revealed that the PA5292 gene in the P. aeruginosa PAO1 genome was responsible for the synthesis of PChP. The enzyme expressed in E. coli, rPChP-Ec, purified by a chitin-binding column (IMPACT-CN system, New England BioLabs) was homogeneous after SDS-PAGE analysis. PChP was also expressed in P. aeruginosa PAO1-LAC, rPChP-Pa. Both recombinant enzymes exhibited a molecular mass of approximately 40 kDa, as expected for the size of the PA5292 gene, and catalyzed the hydrolysis of phosphorylcholine, phosphorylethanolamine, and p-nitrophenylphosphate. The saturation curve of rPChP-Ec and rPChP-Pa by phosphorylcholine revealed that these recombinant enzymes, like the purified native PChP, also contained the high- and low-affinity sites for phosphorylcholine and that the enzyme activity was inhibited by high substrate concentration.

Pseudomonas aeruginosa acid phosphatase Activation by divalent cations and inhibition by aluminium ion

In Pseudomonas aeruginosa, the effect of different cations on the acid phosphatase activity was studied in order to acquire more information related to a previously proposed mechanism, involving the coordinated action of this enzyme with phospholipase C. Although the natural substrate of this enzyme is phosphorylcholine, in order to avoid the possible interaction of its positive charge and those of the different cations with the enzyme molecule, the artificial substrate p‐nitrophenylphosphate was utilized. Kinetic studies of the activation of acid phosphatase (phosphorycholine phosphatase) mediated by divalent cations Mg2+, Zn2+ and Cu2+ revealed that all these ions bind to the enzyme in a compulsory order (ordered bireactant system). The Km values obtained for p‐NPP in the presence of Mg2+, Zn2+ and Cu2+ were 1.4 mM, 1.0 mM and 3.5 mM, respectively. The K A values for the same ions were 1.25 mM, 0.05 mM and 0.03 mM, respectively. The V max obtained in the presence of Cu2+ was about twofold higher than that obtained in the presence of Mg2+ or Zn2+. The inhibition observed with Al3+ seems to be a multi‐site inhibition, The K′app and n values, from the Hill plot, were about 0.25 mM and 4.0 mM, respectively, which were independent of the metal ion utilized as activator. It is proposed that the acid phosphatase may excert its action under physiological conditions, depending on the availability of either one of these metal ions.

Phospholipids of Trypanosoma cruzi: Increase of polyphosphoinositides and phosphatidic acid after cholinergic stimulation*

We have studied the effect of carbamoylcholine in Trypanosoma cruzi epimastigote forms prelabelled with [32P]-Pi. Suspensions of cells were incubated at 28 degrees C to measure changes in the levels of [32P]-labelled phospholipids after stimulation. The presence of this cholinergic agonist induced changes in the phosphoinositide metabolism; a shift in the levels of phosphatidylinositol 4,5-bisphosphate (PIP2), phosphatidylinositol 4-phosphate (PIP) and phosphatidic acid (PA) was observed, whereas the levels of the other glycerophospholipids were not changed. This study shows that carbamoylcholine either directly or indirectly influences changes in phosphoinositide metabolism.

Pseudomonas aeruginosa acid phosphatase contains an anionic site with a trimethyl subsite

SummaryIn this work the action of the following compounds upon Ps. aeruginosa acid phosphatase has been studied: 1) alkylammonium compounds; 2) aminoalcohols and aminoacids with different substituents (−H, −CH3OH and −CH3) attached to the nitrogen atom; 3) alcohols analogous to some compounds of the above series, but without the amino group.It was found that the enzyme inhibition was more effective with N-trimethylated compounds than with the triethylated ones. The degree of inhibition depended on the number of methyl groups bound to the nitrogen atom. Taking into account the choline and betaine series the hydroxyl derivatives showed more affinity for the enzyme than the carboxylated ones. In each series the Ki values increased with the decrease of methyl groups bound to the nitrogen atom. The presence of a positively charged nitrogen atom in the molecule of the effector was essential. These results enable us to confirm that in the molecule of Ps. aeruginosa acid phosphatase there exists an anionic site with one subsite with affinity for methyl groups.

Identification of the Pseudornonas aeruginosa acid phosphatase as a phosphorylcholine phosphatase activity

SummaryCholine, betaine and N,N-dimethylglycine as the sole carbon and nitrogen source induced a periplasmic acid phosphatase activity in Pseudomonas aeruginosa. This enzyme produced the highest rates of hydrolysis in phosphorylcholine and phosphorylethanolamine among the various phosphoric esters tested. At saturating concentrations of Mg2+, the Km values were 0.2 and 0.7 mM for phosphorylcholine and phosphorylethanolamine respectively. At high concentrations both compounds were inhibitors of the enzyme activity. The Kinf1supsvalues for phosphorylcholine and phosphorylethanolamine were 1.0 and 3.0 mM respectively. The higher catalytic efficiency was that of phosphorylcholine. Considering these results it is possible to suggest that the Pseudomonas aeruginosa acid phosphatase is a phosphorylcholine phosphatase. The existence of this activity which is induced jointly with phospholipase C by different choline metabolites, in a high phosphate medium, suggests that the attack of Pseudomonas aeruginosa on the cell host may also be produced under conditions of high phosphate concentrations, when the alkaline phosphatase is absent.

Exopolyphosphatase of Pseudomonas aeruginosa is essential for the production of virulence factors, and its expression is controlled by NtrC and PhoB acting at two interspaced promoters.

The exopolyphosphatase (Ppx) of Pseudomonas aeruginosa is encoded by the PA5241 gene (ppx). Ppx catalyses the hydrolysis of inorganic polyphosphates to orthophosphate (Pi). In the present work, we identified and characterized the promoter region of ppx and its regulation under environmental stress conditions. The role of Ppx in the production of several virulence factors was demonstrated through studies performed on a ppx null mutant. We found that ppx is under the control of two interspaced promoters, dually regulated by nitrogen and phosphate limitation. Under nitrogen-limiting conditions, its expression was controlled from a σ(54)-dependent promoter activated by the response regulator NtrC. However, under Pi limitation, the expression was controlled from a σ(70) promoter, activated by PhoB. Results obtained from the ppx null mutant demonstrated that Ppx is involved in the production of virulence factors associated with both acute infection (e.g. motility-promoting factors, blue/green pigment production, C6-C12 quorum-sensing homoserine lactones) and chronic infection (e.g. rhamnolipids, biofilm formation). Molecular and physiological approaches used in this study indicated that P. aeruginosa maintains consistently proper levels of Ppx regardless of environmental conditions. The precise control of ppx expression appeared to be essential for the survival of P. aeruginosa and the occurrence of either acute or chronic infection in the host.

Acetylcholinesterase from rat red cells and cholinesterase ofPseudomonas aeruginosa: Different types of inhibition by atropine

SummaryThe inhibition by atropine of cholinesterase from Pseudomonas aeruginosa has been studied in parallel with the membrane bound acetylcholinesterase from rat red cells.Acetylcholinesterase of rat red cells, like other animal cholinesterases, was competitively inhibited while the cholinesterase fromPseudomonas aeruginosa was partially non competitively inhibited by atropine.These results clearly indicated a different behavior of cholinesterase fromPseudomonas aeruginosa in comparison with the enzyme ofPseudomonas fluorescens and other animal cholinesterases.

Pseudomonas aeruginosa Exopolyphosphatase Is Also a Polyphosphate: ADP Phosphotransferase.

Pseudomonas aeruginosa exopolyphosphatase (paPpx; EC 3.6.1.11) catalyzes the hydrolysis of polyphosphates (polyP), producing polyPn−1 plus inorganic phosphate (Pi). In a recent work we have shown that paPpx is involved in the pathogenesis of P. aeruginosa. The present study was aimed at performing the biochemical characterization of this enzyme. We found some properties that were already described for E. coli Ppx (ecPpx) but we also discovered new and original characteristics of paPpx: (i) the peptide that connects subdomains II and III is essential for enzyme activity; (ii) NH4 + is an activator of the enzyme and may function at concentrations lower than those of K+; (iii) Zn2+ is also an activator of paPpx and may substitute Mg2+ in the catalytic site; and (iv) paPpx also has phosphotransferase activity, dependent on Mg2+ and capable of producing ATP regardless of the presence or absence of K+ or NH4 + ions. In addition, we detected that the active site responsible for the phosphatase activity is also responsible for the phosphotransferase activity. Through the combination of molecular modeling and docking techniques, we propose a model of the paPpx N-terminal domain in complex with a polyP chain of 7 residues long and a molecule of ADP to explain the phosphotransferase activity.