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Implications of the Inability of Listeria monocytogenes EGD-e To Grow Anaerobically Due to a Deletion in the Class III NrdD Ribonucleotide Reductase for Its Use as a Model Laboratory Strain

Ofer, Amos ; Kreft, Juergen ; Logan, Derek LU orcid ; Cohen, Gerald ; Borovok, Ilya and Aharonowitz, Yair (2011) In Journal of Bacteriology 193(12). p.2931-2940
Abstract
Listeria monocytogenes is a Gram-positive facultative intracellular bacterium that causes life-threatening diseases in humans. It grows and survives in environments of low oxygen tension and under conditions of strict anaerobiosis. Oxygen-limiting conditions may be an important factor in determining its pathogenicity. L. monocytogenes serovar 1/2a strain EGD-e has been employed intensively to elucidate the mechanisms of intracellular multiplication and virulence. Listeria possesses genes encoding class I aerobic and class III anaerobic ribonucleotide reductases (RNRs). The class III RNR consists of a catalytic subunit NrdD and an activase NrdG. Surprisingly, L. monocytogenes EGD-e, but not other L. monocytogenes strains or other listerial... (More)
Listeria monocytogenes is a Gram-positive facultative intracellular bacterium that causes life-threatening diseases in humans. It grows and survives in environments of low oxygen tension and under conditions of strict anaerobiosis. Oxygen-limiting conditions may be an important factor in determining its pathogenicity. L. monocytogenes serovar 1/2a strain EGD-e has been employed intensively to elucidate the mechanisms of intracellular multiplication and virulence. Listeria possesses genes encoding class I aerobic and class III anaerobic ribonucleotide reductases (RNRs). The class III RNR consists of a catalytic subunit NrdD and an activase NrdG. Surprisingly, L. monocytogenes EGD-e, but not other L. monocytogenes strains or other listerial species, is unable to grow under strict anaerobic conditions. Inspection of listerial NrdD amino acid sequences revealed a six-amino acid deletion in the C-terminal portion of the EGD-e protein, next to the essential glycyl radical domain. Nevertheless, L. monocytogenes EGD-e can grow under microaerophilic conditions due to the recruitment of residual class Ia RNR activity. A three-dimensional (3D) model based on the structure of bacteriophage T4 NrdD identified the location of the deletion, which appears in a highly conserved part of the NrdD RNR structure, in the alpha/beta barrel domain near the glycyl radical domain. The deleted KITPFE region is essential either for interactions with the NrdG activase or, indirectly, for the stability of the glycyl radical loop. Given that L. monocytogenes EGD-e lacks a functional anaerobic RNR, the present findings are relevant to the interpretation of studies of pathogenesis with this strain specifically, in particular under conditions of low oxygen tension. (Less)
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organization
publishing date
type
Contribution to journal
publication status
published
subject
in
Journal of Bacteriology
volume
193
issue
12
pages
2931 - 2940
publisher
American Society for Microbiology
external identifiers
  • wos:000291011000004
  • pmid:21478338
  • scopus:79958232699
  • pmid:21478338
ISSN
0021-9193
DOI
10.1128/JB.01405-10
language
English
LU publication?
yes
id
b19e893c-7312-4f77-b41e-222018849e06 (old id 1985935)
date added to LUP
2016-04-01 10:48:14
date last changed
2022-01-26 02:38:13
@article{b19e893c-7312-4f77-b41e-222018849e06,
  abstract     = {{Listeria monocytogenes is a Gram-positive facultative intracellular bacterium that causes life-threatening diseases in humans. It grows and survives in environments of low oxygen tension and under conditions of strict anaerobiosis. Oxygen-limiting conditions may be an important factor in determining its pathogenicity. L. monocytogenes serovar 1/2a strain EGD-e has been employed intensively to elucidate the mechanisms of intracellular multiplication and virulence. Listeria possesses genes encoding class I aerobic and class III anaerobic ribonucleotide reductases (RNRs). The class III RNR consists of a catalytic subunit NrdD and an activase NrdG. Surprisingly, L. monocytogenes EGD-e, but not other L. monocytogenes strains or other listerial species, is unable to grow under strict anaerobic conditions. Inspection of listerial NrdD amino acid sequences revealed a six-amino acid deletion in the C-terminal portion of the EGD-e protein, next to the essential glycyl radical domain. Nevertheless, L. monocytogenes EGD-e can grow under microaerophilic conditions due to the recruitment of residual class Ia RNR activity. A three-dimensional (3D) model based on the structure of bacteriophage T4 NrdD identified the location of the deletion, which appears in a highly conserved part of the NrdD RNR structure, in the alpha/beta barrel domain near the glycyl radical domain. The deleted KITPFE region is essential either for interactions with the NrdG activase or, indirectly, for the stability of the glycyl radical loop. Given that L. monocytogenes EGD-e lacks a functional anaerobic RNR, the present findings are relevant to the interpretation of studies of pathogenesis with this strain specifically, in particular under conditions of low oxygen tension.}},
  author       = {{Ofer, Amos and Kreft, Juergen and Logan, Derek and Cohen, Gerald and Borovok, Ilya and Aharonowitz, Yair}},
  issn         = {{0021-9193}},
  language     = {{eng}},
  number       = {{12}},
  pages        = {{2931--2940}},
  publisher    = {{American Society for Microbiology}},
  series       = {{Journal of Bacteriology}},
  title        = {{Implications of the Inability of Listeria monocytogenes EGD-e To Grow Anaerobically Due to a Deletion in the Class III NrdD Ribonucleotide Reductase for Its Use as a Model Laboratory Strain}},
  url          = {{http://dx.doi.org/10.1128/JB.01405-10}},
  doi          = {{10.1128/JB.01405-10}},
  volume       = {{193}},
  year         = {{2011}},
}