Inactivation of MSMEG_0412 gene drastically affects surface related properties of Mycobacterium smegmatis.
The outermost layer of mycobacterial cell wall is rich in lipids and glycolipids, surface molecules which differ among species. Mycobacterium smegmatis, an attractive model for the study of both pathogenic and non-pathogenic mycobacteria, presents glycopeptidolipids (GPLs). All the genes necessary for the biosynthesis of such molecules are clustered in a single region of 65 kb and among them, the msmeg_0412 gene has not been characterized yet. Here we report the isolation and subsequent analysis of a MSMEG_0412 null mutant strain.



The inactivation of the msmeg_0412 gene had a drastic impact on bacterial surface properties which resulted in the lack of sliding motility, altered biofilm formation and enhanced drug susceptibility. The GPLs analysis showed that the observed mutant phenotype was due to GPLs deficiencies on the mycobacterial cell wall. In addition, we report that the expression of the gene is enhanced in the presence of lipidic substrates and that the encoded protein has a membrane localization.



msmeg_0412 plays a crucial role for GPLs production and translocation on M. smegmatis surface. Its deletion alters the surface properties and the antibiotic permeability of the mycobacterial cell barrier.
Department of Biology, University of Naples "Federico II", Via Cintia, 80126, Naples, Italy.
Anna
A
Zanfardino
Department of Biology, University of Naples "Federico II", Via Cintia, 80126, Naples, Italy.
Adriana
A
Migliardi
Department of Chemical Sciences, University of Naples "Federico II", Via Cintia, 80126, Naples, Italy.
Daniele
D
D'Alonzo
Department of Chemical Sciences, University of Naples "Federico II", Via Cintia, 80126, Naples, Italy.
Angela
A
Lombardi
Department of Biology, University of Naples "Federico II", Via Cintia, 80126, Naples, Italy.
Mario
M
Varcamonti
Department of Biology, University of Naples "Federico II", Via Cintia, 80126, Naples, Italy. angelina.cordone@unina.it.
Angela
0000-0002-6131-3145
A
Cordone
D000900:Anti-Bacterial Agents / Q000494:pharmacology; D001426:Bacterial Proteins / Q000235:genetics* / Q000378:metabolism; D018441:Biofilms; D017353:Gene Deletion; D020868:Gene Silencing; D020102:Mycobacterium smegmatis / Q000187:drug effects / Q000235:genetics / Q000502:physiology*; D010641:Phenotype; D013499:Surface Properties
D000900:Anti-Bacterial Agents; D001426:Bacterial Proteins
Biofilm; Cell wall; GPLs; Lipolytic; Mycobacterium smegmatis; msmeg_0412