Open AccessDisruption of the NlpD lipoprotein of the plague pathogen Yersinia pestis affects iron acquisition and the activity of the twin-arginine translocation system
Author(s) -
Avital Tidhar,
Yi Levy,
Ayelet Zauberman,
Yaron Vagima,
David Gur,
Moshe Aftalion,
Ofir Israeli,
Theodor Chitlaru,
Naomi Ariel,
Yehuda Flashner,
Anat Zvi,
Emanuelle Mamroud
Publication year - 2019
Publication title -
plos neglected tropical diseases
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.99
H-Index - 135
eISSN - 1935-2735
pISSN - 1935-2727
DOI - 10.1371/journal.pntd.0007449
Subject(s) - yersinia pestis , virulence , biology , bacterial outer membrane , microbiology and biotechnology , mutant , cell envelope , genetics , gene , escherichia coli
We have previously shown that the cell morphogenesis NlpD lipoprotein is essential for virulence of the plague bacteria, Yersinia pestis . To elucidate the role of NlpD in Y . pestis pathogenicity, we conducted a whole-genome comparative transcriptome analysis of the wild-type Y . pestis strain and an nlpD mutant under conditions mimicking early stages of infection. The analysis suggested that NlpD is involved in three phenomena: (i) Envelope stability/integrity evidenced by compensatory up-regulation of the Cpx and Psp membrane stress-response systems in the mutant; (ii) iron acquisition, supported by modulation of iron metabolism genes and by limited growth in iron-deprived medium; (iii) activity of the twin-arginine (Tat) system, which translocates folded proteins across the cytoplasmic membrane. Virulence studies of Y . pestis strains mutated in individual Tat components clearly indicated that the Tat system is central in Y . pestis pathogenicity and substantiated the assumption that NlpD essentiality in iron utilization involves the activity of the Tat system. This study reveals a new role for NlpD in Tat system activity and iron assimilation suggesting a modality by which this lipoprotein is involved in Y . pestis pathogenesis.