Open AccessAlternative cardiolipin synthase C ls1 compensates for stalled C ls2 function in S taphylococcus aureus under conditions of acute acid stress
Author(s) -
Ohniwa Ryosuke L.,
Kitabayashi Kana,
Morikawa Kazuya
Publication year - 2013
Publication title -
fems microbiology letters
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.899
H-Index - 151
eISSN - 1574-6968
pISSN - 0378-1097
DOI - 10.1111/1574-6968.12037
Subject(s) - cardiolipin , staphylococcus aureus , mutant , atp synthase , biology , microbiology and biotechnology , biochemistry , biosynthesis , gene , bacteria , chemistry , genetics , phospholipid , membrane
S taphylococcus aureus possesses two distinct cardiolipin ( CL ) synthase genes, cls1 and cls2 . It was previously shown that cls2 encodes a housekeeping‐type CL synthase. However, the role of cls1 is elusive; a cls1 mutant was found to be equal to the wild type in terms of CL accumulation and stress tolerance. Here, we report that the physiological role of cls1 is to synthesize CL under conditions of acute low‐p H stress. Below p H 2.6, the cls1 mutant (i.e. carrying C ls2 alone) could not produce CL , while the cls2 mutant (carrying C ls1) effectively accumulated CL . The cls1 ‐dependent CL production was quick (within 5 min) and did not require de novo protein synthesis. Together with the results of phylogenetic analyses, our findings suggest that cls1 was generated through the duplication of cls2 after the divergence of the genus S taphylococcus and that the alternative CL synthase encoded by this gene confers improved survival in the face of acute acid stress.