Peptide-nucleotide antibiotic Microcin C is a potent inducer of stringent response and persistence in both sensitive and producing cells.
Microcin C (McC) is a peptide-nucleotide antibiotic that inhibits aspartyl-tRNA synthetase. Here, we show that McC is a strong inducer of persistence in Escherichia coli. Persistence induced by McC is mediated by (p)ppGpp and requires chromosomally encoded toxin-antitoxin modules. McC-producing cells have increased persistence levels due to a combined effect of McC imported from the cultured medium and intracellularly synthesized antibiotic. McC-producing cells also induce persistence in sensitive cells during co-cultivation, underscoring complex interactions in bacterial communities where an antagonistic compound produced by one community member can benefit other members by increasing their ability to withstand antibiotics.
Skolkovo Institute of Science and Technology, Skolkovo, 143025, Russia.|Institute of Gene Biology, Russian Academy of Sciences, Moscow, 119334, Russia.|Department of Biology, University of Copenhagen, Copenhagen, DK-2200, Denmark.
Julia
J
Piskunova
Department of Biology, University of Copenhagen, Copenhagen, DK-2200, Denmark.
Etienne
E
Maisonneuve
Department of Biology, University of Copenhagen, Copenhagen, DK-2200, Denmark.
Elsa
E
Germain
Department of Biology, University of Copenhagen, Copenhagen, DK-2200, Denmark.
Kenn
http://orcid.org/0000-0002-7462-4612
K
Gerdes
Skolkovo Institute of Science and Technology, Skolkovo, 143025, Russia.|Institute of Gene Biology, Russian Academy of Sciences, Moscow, 119334, Russia.|Waksman Institute for Microbiology, Rutgers The State University of New Jersey, Piscataway, NJ, 08854, USA.
Konstantin
http://orcid.org/0000-0001-9706-450X
K
Severinov
D000900:Anti-Bacterial Agents / Q000494:pharmacology; D001226:Aspartate-tRNA Ligase / Q000378:metabolism; D001430:Bacteriocins / Q000494:pharmacology*; D004926:Escherichia coli / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism; D029968:Escherichia coli Proteins / Q000378:metabolism; D015964:Gene Expression Regulation, Bacterial / Q000187:drug effects; D010766:Phosphorylation
D000900:Anti-Bacterial Agents; D001430:Bacteriocins; D029968:Escherichia coli Proteins; C020411:microcin; D001226:Aspartate-tRNA Ligase