Relatedness between the two-component lantibiotics lacticin 3147 and staphylococcin C55 based on structure, genetics and biological activity

<p>Abstract</p> <p>Background</p> <p>Two component lantibiotics, such as the plasmid-encoded lacticin 3147 produced by <it>Lactococcus lactis </it>DPC3147 and staphylococcin C55 produced by <it>Staphylococcus aureus </it>C55, represent an emergin...

Full description

Bibliographic Details
Main Authors: O'Sullivan Orla, O'Connor Paula, Cotter Paul D, O'Connor Eileen B, Tagg John R, Ross R Paul, Hill Colin
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: BMC 2007-04-01
Series:BMC Microbiology
Online Access:http://www.biomedcentral.com/1471-2180/7/24
_version_ 1818563720154972160
author O'Sullivan Orla
O'Connor Paula
Cotter Paul D
O'Connor Eileen B
Tagg John R
Ross R Paul
Hill Colin
author_facet O'Sullivan Orla
O'Connor Paula
Cotter Paul D
O'Connor Eileen B
Tagg John R
Ross R Paul
Hill Colin
author_sort O'Sullivan Orla
collection DOAJ
description <p>Abstract</p> <p>Background</p> <p>Two component lantibiotics, such as the plasmid-encoded lacticin 3147 produced by <it>Lactococcus lactis </it>DPC3147 and staphylococcin C55 produced by <it>Staphylococcus aureus </it>C55, represent an emerging subgroup of bacteriocins. These two bacteriocins are particularly closely related, exhibiting 86% (LtnA1 and C55α) and 55% (LtnA2 and C55β) identity in their component peptides. The aim of this study was to investigate, for the first time for any two component bacteriocins, the significance of the relatedness between these two systems.</p> <p>Results</p> <p>So close is this relatedness that the hybrid peptide pairs LtnA1:C55β and C55α:LtnA2 were found to have activities in the single nanomolar range, comparing well with the native pairings. To determine whether this flexibility extended to the associated post-translational modification/processing machinery, the staphylococcin C55 structural genes were directly substituted for their lacticin 3147 counterparts in the <it>ltn </it>operon on the large conjugative lactococcal plasmid pMRC01. It was established that the lacticin LtnA1 post-translational and processing machinery could produce functionally active C55α, but not C55β. In order to investigate in closer detail the significance of the differences between LtnA1 and C55α, three residues in LtnA1 were replaced with the equivalent residues in C55α. Surprisingly, one such mutant LtnA1-Leu21Ala was not produced. This may be significant given the positioning of this residue in a putative lipid II binding loop.</p> <p>Conclusion</p> <p>It is apparent, despite sharing striking similarities in terms of structure and activity, that these two complex bacteriocins display some highly dedicated features particular to either system.</p>
first_indexed 2024-12-14T01:20:04Z
format Article
id doaj.art-7800932e8ff6404c9cf00632cc3fd8b9
institution Directory Open Access Journal
issn 1471-2180
language English
last_indexed 2024-12-14T01:20:04Z
publishDate 2007-04-01
publisher BMC
record_format Article
series BMC Microbiology
spelling doaj.art-7800932e8ff6404c9cf00632cc3fd8b92022-12-21T23:22:27ZengBMCBMC Microbiology1471-21802007-04-01712410.1186/1471-2180-7-24Relatedness between the two-component lantibiotics lacticin 3147 and staphylococcin C55 based on structure, genetics and biological activityO'Sullivan OrlaO'Connor PaulaCotter Paul DO'Connor Eileen BTagg John RRoss R PaulHill Colin<p>Abstract</p> <p>Background</p> <p>Two component lantibiotics, such as the plasmid-encoded lacticin 3147 produced by <it>Lactococcus lactis </it>DPC3147 and staphylococcin C55 produced by <it>Staphylococcus aureus </it>C55, represent an emerging subgroup of bacteriocins. These two bacteriocins are particularly closely related, exhibiting 86% (LtnA1 and C55α) and 55% (LtnA2 and C55β) identity in their component peptides. The aim of this study was to investigate, for the first time for any two component bacteriocins, the significance of the relatedness between these two systems.</p> <p>Results</p> <p>So close is this relatedness that the hybrid peptide pairs LtnA1:C55β and C55α:LtnA2 were found to have activities in the single nanomolar range, comparing well with the native pairings. To determine whether this flexibility extended to the associated post-translational modification/processing machinery, the staphylococcin C55 structural genes were directly substituted for their lacticin 3147 counterparts in the <it>ltn </it>operon on the large conjugative lactococcal plasmid pMRC01. It was established that the lacticin LtnA1 post-translational and processing machinery could produce functionally active C55α, but not C55β. In order to investigate in closer detail the significance of the differences between LtnA1 and C55α, three residues in LtnA1 were replaced with the equivalent residues in C55α. Surprisingly, one such mutant LtnA1-Leu21Ala was not produced. This may be significant given the positioning of this residue in a putative lipid II binding loop.</p> <p>Conclusion</p> <p>It is apparent, despite sharing striking similarities in terms of structure and activity, that these two complex bacteriocins display some highly dedicated features particular to either system.</p>http://www.biomedcentral.com/1471-2180/7/24
spellingShingle O'Sullivan Orla
O'Connor Paula
Cotter Paul D
O'Connor Eileen B
Tagg John R
Ross R Paul
Hill Colin
Relatedness between the two-component lantibiotics lacticin 3147 and staphylococcin C55 based on structure, genetics and biological activity
BMC Microbiology
title Relatedness between the two-component lantibiotics lacticin 3147 and staphylococcin C55 based on structure, genetics and biological activity
title_full Relatedness between the two-component lantibiotics lacticin 3147 and staphylococcin C55 based on structure, genetics and biological activity
title_fullStr Relatedness between the two-component lantibiotics lacticin 3147 and staphylococcin C55 based on structure, genetics and biological activity
title_full_unstemmed Relatedness between the two-component lantibiotics lacticin 3147 and staphylococcin C55 based on structure, genetics and biological activity
title_short Relatedness between the two-component lantibiotics lacticin 3147 and staphylococcin C55 based on structure, genetics and biological activity
title_sort relatedness between the two component lantibiotics lacticin 3147 and staphylococcin c55 based on structure genetics and biological activity
url http://www.biomedcentral.com/1471-2180/7/24
work_keys_str_mv AT osullivanorla relatednessbetweenthetwocomponentlantibioticslacticin3147andstaphylococcinc55basedonstructuregeneticsandbiologicalactivity
AT oconnorpaula relatednessbetweenthetwocomponentlantibioticslacticin3147andstaphylococcinc55basedonstructuregeneticsandbiologicalactivity
AT cotterpauld relatednessbetweenthetwocomponentlantibioticslacticin3147andstaphylococcinc55basedonstructuregeneticsandbiologicalactivity
AT oconnoreileenb relatednessbetweenthetwocomponentlantibioticslacticin3147andstaphylococcinc55basedonstructuregeneticsandbiologicalactivity
AT taggjohnr relatednessbetweenthetwocomponentlantibioticslacticin3147andstaphylococcinc55basedonstructuregeneticsandbiologicalactivity
AT rossrpaul relatednessbetweenthetwocomponentlantibioticslacticin3147andstaphylococcinc55basedonstructuregeneticsandbiologicalactivity
AT hillcolin relatednessbetweenthetwocomponentlantibioticslacticin3147andstaphylococcinc55basedonstructuregeneticsandbiologicalactivity