Formate dehydrogenase, ubiquinone, and cytochrome bd-I are required for peptidoglycan recognition protein-induced oxidative stress and killing in Escherichia coli

Sci Rep. 2020 Feb 6;10(1):1993. doi: 10.1038/s41598-020-58302-1.

Abstract

Mammalian Peptidoglycan Recognition Proteins (PGRPs) kill bacteria through induction of synergistic oxidative, thiol, and metal stress. PGRPs induce oxidative stress in bacteria through a block in the respiratory chain, which results in decreased respiration and incomplete reduction of oxygen (O2) to hydrogen peroxide (H2O2). In this study we identify the site of PGRP-induced generation of H2O2 in Escherichia coli. Tn-seq screening of E. coli Tn10 insertion library revealed that mutants in formate dehydrogenase (FDH) genes had the highest survival following PGRP treatment. Mutants lacking functional FDH-O had abolished PGRP-induced H2O2 production and the highest resistance to PGRP-induced killing, and formate enhanced PGRP-induced killing and H2O2 production in an FDH-dependent manner. Mutants in ubiquinone synthesis (but not menaquinone and demethylmenaquinone) and cytochrome bd-I (but not cytochromes bo3 and bd-II) also had completely abolished PGRP-induced H2O2 production and high resistance to PGRP-induced killing. Because electrons in the respiratory chain flow from dehydrogenases' substrates through quinones and then cytochromes to O2, these results imply that the site of PGRP-induced incomplete reduction of O2 to H2O2 is downstream from dehydrogenases and ubiquinone at the level of cytochrome bd-I, which results in oxidative stress. These results reveal several essential steps in PGRP-induced bacterial killing.

Publication types

  • Research Support, N.I.H., Extramural

MeSH terms

  • Animals
  • Carrier Proteins / genetics
  • Carrier Proteins / isolation & purification
  • Carrier Proteins / metabolism*
  • Cell Line
  • Cytochrome d Group / biosynthesis
  • Cytochromes b / biosynthesis
  • Drosophila melanogaster
  • Escherichia coli / physiology*
  • Escherichia coli Proteins / genetics
  • Escherichia coli Proteins / metabolism*
  • Formate Dehydrogenases / genetics
  • Formate Dehydrogenases / metabolism*
  • Host Microbial Interactions*
  • Humans
  • Hydrogen Peroxide / metabolism
  • Mutation
  • Oxidation-Reduction
  • Oxidative Stress / physiology
  • Recombinant Proteins / genetics
  • Recombinant Proteins / isolation & purification
  • Recombinant Proteins / metabolism
  • Ubiquinone / biosynthesis

Substances

  • Carrier Proteins
  • Escherichia coli Proteins
  • Recombinant Proteins
  • peptidoglycan recognition protein
  • Ubiquinone
  • Cytochrome d Group
  • Cytochromes b
  • Hydrogen Peroxide
  • Formate Dehydrogenases
  • formate dehydrogenase-O