Role of serine/threonine protein phosphatase PrpN in the life cycle of Bacillus anthracis

PLoS Pathog. 2022 Aug 1;18(8):e1010729. doi: 10.1371/journal.ppat.1010729. eCollection 2022 Aug.

Abstract

Reversible protein phosphorylation at serine/threonine residues is one of the most common protein modifications, widely observed in all kingdoms of life. The catalysts controlling this modification are specific serine/threonine kinases and phosphatases that modulate various cellular pathways ranging from growth to cellular death. Genome sequencing and various omics studies have led to the identification of numerous serine/threonine kinases and cognate phosphatases, yet the physiological relevance of many of these proteins remain enigmatic. In Bacillus anthracis, only one ser/thr phosphatase, PrpC, has been functionally characterized; it was reported to be non-essential for bacterial growth and survival. In the present study, we characterized another ser/thr phosphatase (PrpN) of B. anthracis by various structural and functional approaches. To examine its physiological relevance in B. anthracis, a null mutant strain of prpN was generated and shown to have defects in sporulation and reduced synthesis of toxins (PA and LF) and the toxin activator protein AtxA. We also identified CodY, a global transcriptional regulator, as a target of PrpN and ser/thr kinase PrkC. CodY phosphorylation strongly controlled its binding to the promoter region of atxA, as shown using phosphomimetic and phosphoablative mutants. In nutshell, the present study reports phosphorylation-mediated regulation of CodY activity in the context of anthrax toxin synthesis in B. anthracis by a previously uncharacterized ser/thr protein phosphatase-PrpN.

Publication types

  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't
  • Research Support, N.I.H., Intramural

MeSH terms

  • Animals
  • Bacillus anthracis* / physiology
  • Bacterial Proteins / genetics
  • Bacterial Proteins / metabolism
  • Life Cycle Stages
  • Phosphoprotein Phosphatases / genetics
  • Phosphoprotein Phosphatases / metabolism
  • Phosphorylation
  • Protein Serine-Threonine Kinases / genetics
  • Serine / metabolism
  • Threonine / metabolism

Substances

  • Bacterial Proteins
  • Threonine
  • Serine
  • Protein Serine-Threonine Kinases
  • Phosphoprotein Phosphatases

Grants and funding

Research reported in this manuscript was supported by SERB CRG grant (No. CRG/2018/000847/HS) and SERB JC Bose fellowship (No. SB/S2/JCB-012/2015) to YS, and in part by intramural funding from the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, NIH to SHL. The funders had no role in study design, data collection and analysis, decision to publish, or preparation of the manuscript.