0000000000589173

AUTHOR

Julia Frunzke

Identification of Gip as a novel phage‐encoded gyrase inhibitor protein of Corynebacterium glutamicum

By targeting key regulatory hubs of their host, bacteriophages represent a powerful source for the identification of novel antimicrobial proteins. Here, a screening of small cytoplasmic proteins encoded by the CGP3 prophage of Corynebacterium glutamicum resulted in the identification of the gyrase-inhibiting protein Cg1978, termed Gip. Pull-down assays and surface plasmon resonance revealed a direct interaction of Gip with the gyrase subunit A (GyrA). The inhibitory activity of Gip was shown to be specific to the DNA gyrase of its bacterial host C. glutamicum. Overproduction of Gip in C. glutamicum resulted in a severe growth defect as well as an induction of the SOS response. Furthermore, …

research product

Identification of Gip as a novel phage-encoded gyrase inhibitor protein featuring a broad activity profile

AbstractBacteriophages represent a powerful source for the identification of novel antimicrobial proteins. In this study, a screening of small cytoplasmic proteins encoded by the CGP3 prophage of Corynebacterium glutamicum, resulted in the identification of the novel gyrase-inhibiting protein Cg1978 (Gip), which shows a direct interaction with the gyrase subunit A (GyrA). In vitro supercoiling assays further suggest a stabilization of the cleavage complex by Gip. Overproduction of Gip in C. glutamicum resulted in a severe growth defect as well as an induction of the SOS response. The cells adapted to gip overexpression by increasing expression levels of gyrAB and by reducing topA expression…

research product

Deciphering the Rules Underlying Xenogeneic Silencing and Counter-Silencing of Lsr2-like Proteins Using CgpS of Corynebacterium glutamicum as a Model

In actinobacteria, Lsr2-like nucleoid-associated proteins function as xenogeneic silencers (XS) of horizontally acquired genomic regions, including viral elements, virulence gene clusters in Mycobacterium tuberculosis, and genes involved in cryptic specialized metabolism in Streptomyces species. Consequently, a detailed mechanistic understanding of Lsr2 binding in vivo is relevant as a potential drug target and for the identification of novel bioactive compounds. Here, we followed an in vivo approach to investigate the rules underlying xenogeneic silencing and counter-silencing of the Lsr2-like XS CgpS from Corynebacterium glutamicum. Our results demonstrated that CgpS distinguishes between…

research product

Deciphering the rules underlying xenogeneic silencing and counter-silencing of Lsr2-like proteins

ABSTRACTLsr2-like nucleoid-associated proteins play an important role as xenogeneic silencers (XS) of horizontally acquired genomic regions in actinobacteria. In this study, we systematically analyzed the in vivo constraints underlying silencing and counter-silencing of the Lsr2-like protein CgpS inCorynebacterium glutamicum. Genome-wide analysis revealed binding of CgpS to regions featuring a distinct drop in GC-profile close to the transcription start site (TSS), but also identified an overrepresented motif with multiple A/T steps at the nucleation site of the nucleoprotein complex. Binding of specific transcription factors (TFs) may oppose XS activity leading to counter-silencing. Follow…

research product