Premium
The proteobacterial species Burkholderia pseudomallei produces ergothioneine, which enhances virulence in mammalian infection
Author(s) -
Gamage Akshamal M.,
Liao Cangsong,
Cheah Irwin K.,
Chen Yahua,
Lim Daniel R. X.,
Ku Joanne W. K.,
Chee Rhonda Sin Ling,
Gengenbacher Martin,
Seebeck Florian P.,
Halliwell Barry,
Gan YunnHwen
Publication year - 2018
Publication title -
the faseb journal
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.709
H-Index - 277
eISSN - 1530-6860
pISSN - 0892-6638
DOI - 10.1096/fj.201800716
Subject(s) - burkholderia pseudomallei , virulence , ergothioneine , microbiology and biotechnology , biology , burkholderia , bacteria , gene , genetics , biochemistry , antioxidant
Bacteria use various endogenous antioxidants for protection against oxidative stress associated with environmental survival or host infection. Although glutathione (GSH) is the most abundant and widely used antioxidant in Proteobacteria, ergothioneine (EGT) is another microbial antioxidant, mainly produced by fungi and Actinobacteria. The Burkholderia genus is found in diverse environmental niches. We observed that gene homologs required for the synthesis of EGT are widely distributed throughout the genus. By generating gene‐deletion mutants and monitoring production with isotope‐labeled substrates, we show that pathogenic Burkholderia pseudomallei and environmental B. thailandensis areabletosynthesize EGT de novo. Unlike most other bacterial EGT synthesis pathways described, Burkholderia spp. use cysteine rather than γ‐glutamyl cysteine as the thiol donor. Analysis of recombinant EgtB indicated that it is a proficient sulfoxide synthase, despite divergence in the active site architecture from that of mycobacteria. The absence of GSH, but not EGT, increased bacterial susceptibility to oxidative stresses in vitro. However, deletion of EGT synthesis conferred a reduced fitness to B. pseudomallei , with a delay in organ colonization and time to death during mouse infection. Therefore, despite the lack of an apparent antioxidant role in vitro , EGT is important for optimal bacterial pathogenesis in the mammalian host.—Gamage, A. M., Liao, C., Cheah, I. K., Chen, Y., Lim, D. R. X., Ku, J. W. K., Chee, R. S. L., Gengenbacher, M., Seebeck, F. P., Halliwell, B., Gan, Y.‐H. The proteobacterial species Burkholderia pseudomallei produces ergothioneine, which enhances virulence in mammalian infection. FASEB J. 32, 6395–6409 (2018). www.fasebj.org