Genome-wide identification of novel genes involved in Corynebacteriales cell envelope biogenesis using Corynebacterium glutamicum as a model

PLoS One. 2020 Dec 31;15(12):e0240497. doi: 10.1371/journal.pone.0240497. eCollection 2020.

Abstract

Corynebacteriales are Actinobacteria that possess an atypical didermic cell envelope. One of the principal features of this cell envelope is the presence of a large complex made up of peptidoglycan, arabinogalactan and mycolic acids. This covalent complex constitutes the backbone of the cell wall and supports an outer membrane, called mycomembrane in reference to the mycolic acids that are its major component. The biosynthesis of the cell envelope of Corynebacteriales has been extensively studied, in particular because it is crucial for the survival of important pathogens such as Mycobacterium tuberculosis and is therefore a key target for anti-tuberculosis drugs. In this study, we explore the biogenesis of the cell envelope of Corynebacterium glutamicum, a non-pathogenic Corynebacteriales, which can tolerate dramatic modifications of its cell envelope as important as the loss of its mycomembrane. For this purpose, we used a genetic approach based on genome-wide transposon mutagenesis. We developed a highly effective immunological test based on the use of anti-cell wall antibodies that allowed us to rapidly identify bacteria exhibiting an altered cell envelope. A very large number (10,073) of insertional mutants were screened by means of this test, and 80 were finally selected, representing 55 different loci. Bioinformatics analyses of these loci showed that approximately 60% corresponded to genes already characterized, 63% of which are known to be directly involved in cell wall processes, and more specifically in the biosynthesis of the mycoloyl-arabinogalactan-peptidoglycan complex. We identified 22 new loci potentially involved in cell envelope biogenesis, 76% of which encode putative cell envelope proteins. A mutant of particular interest was further characterized and revealed a new player in mycolic acid metabolism. Because a large proportion of the genes identified by our study is conserved in Corynebacteriales, the library described here provides a new resource of genes whose characterization could lead to a better understanding of the biosynthesis of the envelope components of these bacteria.

Publication types

  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

  • Bacterial Proteins / classification
  • Bacterial Proteins / genetics*
  • Bacterial Proteins / metabolism
  • Cell Wall / genetics*
  • Cell Wall / metabolism
  • Computational Biology / methods
  • Corynebacterium glutamicum / genetics*
  • Corynebacterium glutamicum / metabolism
  • DNA Transposable Elements
  • Galactans / genetics
  • Galactans / metabolism*
  • Gene Expression
  • Gene Ontology
  • Genetic Loci
  • Genome, Bacterial*
  • Molecular Sequence Annotation
  • Mutagenesis, Insertional
  • Mycolic Acids / metabolism*
  • Peptidoglycan / genetics
  • Peptidoglycan / metabolism*
  • Plasmids / chemistry
  • Plasmids / metabolism

Substances

  • Bacterial Proteins
  • DNA Transposable Elements
  • Galactans
  • Mycolic Acids
  • Peptidoglycan
  • arabinogalactan

Grants and funding

This work was funded by the Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique and University of Paris- Sud.