Streptococcus pyogenes Ser/Thr kinase-regulated cell wall hydrolase is a cell division plane-recognizing and chain-forming virulence factor

J Biol Chem. 2010 Oct 1;285(40):30861-74. doi: 10.1074/jbc.M110.153825. Epub 2010 Jul 19.

Abstract

Cell division and cell wall synthesis are closely linked complex phenomena and play a crucial role in the maintenance and regulation of bacterial virulence. Eukaryotic-type Ser/Thr kinases reported in prokaryotes, including that in group A Streptococcus (GAS) (Streptococcus pyogenes Ser/Thr kinase (SP-STK)), regulate cell division, growth, and virulence. The mechanism of this regulation is, however, unknown. In this study, we demonstrated that SP-STK-controlled cell division is mediated under the positive regulation of secretory protein that possesses a cysteine and histidine-dependent aminohydrolases/peptidases (CHAP) domain with functionally active cell wall hydrolase activity (henceforth named as CdhA (CHAP-domain-containing and chain-forming cell wall hydrolase). Deletion of the CdhA-encoding gene resulted in severe cell division and growth defects in GAS mutants. The mutant expressing the truncated CdhA (devoid of the CHAP domain), although displayed no such defects, it became attenuated for virulence in mice and highly susceptible to cell wall-acting antibiotics, as observed for the mutant lacking CdhA. When CdhA was overexpressed in the wild-type GAS as well as in heterologous strains, Escherichia coli and Staphylococcus aureus, we observed a distinct increase in bacterial chain length. Our data reveal that CdhA is a multifunctional protein with a major function of the N-terminal region as a cell division plane-recognizing domain and that of the C-terminal CHAP domain as a virulence-regulating domain. CdhA is thus an important therapeutic target.

Publication types

  • Research Support, N.I.H., Extramural

MeSH terms

  • Animals
  • Bacterial Proteins / genetics
  • Bacterial Proteins / metabolism*
  • Cell Wall / enzymology*
  • Cell Wall / metabolism
  • Escherichia coli / genetics
  • Gene Deletion
  • Humans
  • Hydrolases / genetics
  • Hydrolases / metabolism*
  • Mice
  • Mice, Inbred BALB C
  • Protein Serine-Threonine Kinases / genetics
  • Protein Serine-Threonine Kinases / metabolism*
  • Staphylococcus aureus / genetics
  • Streptococcal Infections / genetics
  • Streptococcal Infections / metabolism*
  • Streptococcal Infections / therapy
  • Streptococcus pyogenes / enzymology*
  • Streptococcus pyogenes / genetics
  • Streptococcus pyogenes / pathogenicity*
  • Virulence Factors / genetics
  • Virulence Factors / metabolism*

Substances

  • Bacterial Proteins
  • Virulence Factors
  • Protein Serine-Threonine Kinases
  • Hydrolases