The putative lactococcal extracytoplasmic function anti-sigma factor llmg2447 determines resistance to the cell wall-active bacteriocin lcn972.
Lactococcin 972 (Lcn972) is a cell wall-active bacteriocin that inhibits cell wall biosynthesis in Lactococcus lactis. In this work, the transcriptomes of the Lcn972-resistant (Lcn(r)) mutant L. lactis D1 and its parent strain were compared to identify factors involved in Lcn972 resistance. Upregulated genes included members of the cell envelope stress (CesSR) regulon, the penicillin-binding protein pbpX gene and gene llmg2447, which may encode a putative extracytoplasmic function (ECF) anti-sigma factor. The gene llmg2447 is located downstream of the nonfunctional ECF gene sigX(pseudo). Nisin-controlled expression of llmg2447 led to high Lcn972 resistance in L. lactis, with no cross-resistance to other cell wall-active antimicrobials. Upregulation of llmg2447 in L. lactis D1 (Lcn(r)) was linked to the integration of insertion element IS981 into the llmg2447 promoter region, replacing the native -35 box and activating the otherwise silent promoter P(2447). This is the first example of an orphan ECF anti-sigma factor involved in bacteriocin resistance. This new role in neutralizing cell wall-active compounds (e.g., Lcn972) could have evolved from a putative primary function of Llmg2447 in sensing cell envelope stress.
DairySafe Group, Department of Technology and Biotechnology of Dairy Products, IPLA-CSIC, Villaviciosa, Asturias, Spain.
Clara
C
Roces
Verónica
V
Pérez
Ana B
AB
Campelo
Diego
D
Blanco
Jan
J
Kok
Oscar P
OP
Kuipers
Ana
A
Rodríguez
Beatriz
B
Martínez
D001430:Bacteriocins / Q000096:biosynthesis / Q000494:pharmacology*; D002473:Cell Wall / Q000187:drug effects; D024881:Drug Resistance, Bacterial / Q000235:genetics*; D015964:Gene Expression Regulation, Bacterial / Q000187:drug effects*; D013294:Lactococcus lactis / Q000187:drug effects / Q000235:genetics* / Q000378:metabolism; D016254:Mutagenesis, Insertional; D009561:Nisin / Q000494:pharmacology; D046915:Penicillin-Binding Proteins / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism; D011401:Promoter Regions, Genetic; D018085:Regulon; D012097:Repressor Proteins / Q000235:genetics* / Q000378:metabolism; D012808:Sigma Factor / Q000037:antagonists & inhibitors*
D001430:Bacteriocins; D046915:Penicillin-Binding Proteins; D012097:Repressor Proteins; D012808:Sigma Factor; C402706:lactococcin 972; D009561:Nisin