Effects of Regulatory Network Organization and Environment on PmrD Connector Activity and Polymyxin Resistance in Klebsiella pneumoniae and Escherichia coli

AI Chen, FJ Albicoro, J Zhu… - Antimicrobial agents and …, 2021 - Am Soc Microbiol
AI Chen, FJ Albicoro, J Zhu, M Goulian
Antimicrobial agents and chemotherapy, 2021Am Soc Microbiol
Polymyxins are a class of cyclic peptides with antimicrobial activity against Gram-negative
bacteria. In Enterobacteriaceae, the PhoQ/PhoP and PmrB/PmrA two-component systems
regulate many genes that confer resistance to both polymyxins and host antimicrobial
peptides. The activities of these two-component systems are modulated by additional
proteins that are conserved across Enterobacteriaceae, such as MgrB, a negative regulator
of PhoQ, and PmrD, a “connector” protein that activates PmrB/PmrA in response to …
Abstract
Polymyxins are a class of cyclic peptides with antimicrobial activity against Gram-negative bacteria. In Enterobacteriaceae, the PhoQ/PhoP and PmrB/PmrA two-component systems regulate many genes that confer resistance to both polymyxins and host antimicrobial peptides. The activities of these two-component systems are modulated by additional proteins that are conserved across Enterobacteriaceae, such as MgrB, a negative regulator of PhoQ, and PmrD, a “connector” protein that activates PmrB/PmrA in response to PhoQ/PhoP stimulation. Despite the conservation of many protein components of the PhoQ/PhoP-PmrD-PmrB/PmrA network, the specific molecular interactions and regulatory mechanisms vary across different genera. Here, we explore the role of PmrD in modulating this signaling network in Klebsiella pneumoniae and Escherichia coli. We show that in K. pneumoniae, PmrD is not required for polymyxin resistance arising from mutation of mgrB—the most common cause of spontaneous polymyxin resistance in this bacterium—suggesting that direct activation of polymyxin resistance genes by PhoQ/PhoP plays a critical role in this resistance pathway. However, for conditions of low pH or intermediate iron concentrations, both of which stimulate PmrB/PmrA, we find that PmrD does contribute to resistance. We further show that in E. coli, PmrD functions as a connector between PhoQ/PhoP and PmrB/PmrA, in contrast with previous reports. In this case, activity also depends on PmrB/PmrA stimulation, or on very high activation of PhoQ/PhoP. Our results indicate that the importance of the PmrD connector in modulating the polymyxin resistance network depends on both the network organization and on the environmental conditions associated with PmrB stimulation.
American Society for Microbiology