Bacteria and humans have a complex relationship: our abundant commensal organisms provide numerous benefits, whereas pathogenic bacteria impose a large burden of morbidity and mortality. The immune system restricts bacterial growth through nutritional immunity, antimicrobial peptides, lytic enzymes, and phagocytic cells. Potential pathogens respond to these threats by the activation of specific adaptive responses, many of which are critical for virulence. We study stress responses in Bacillus subtilis, a model Gram positive bacterium. One project addresses responses to the changing availability of the essential nutrient metal ions zinc, iron, and manganese. The immune system restricts the growth of pathogens by metal sequestration, both in tissues (e.g. by calprotectin) and after phagocytosis. In addition, phagocytic cells kill cells by metal intoxication. We have demonstrated that metal ion homeostasis relies on specific metal-sensing transcription factors that respond to limitation and excess of iron (Fur and PerR), manganese (MntR), and zinc (Zur and CzrA). We will characterize the genes regulated by these transcription factors, their roles in metal homeostasis, and identify the physiological effects that result from both metal ion limitation and intoxication. This work will build upon our recent identification of the major efflux systems for both iron and manganese. The insights from these studies will be directly relevant to the similar stress responses present in human pathogens. The immune system also restricts the growth of pathogens by production of antibacterial peptides and lytic enzymes, both of which affect the integrity of the cell envelope. The cell envelope is also a target for many of our most important antibiotics. In a second project, we have defined several distinct cell envelope stress responses in B. subtilis, with a focus on those regulated by extracytoplasmic function sigma factors. We will investigate the contributions of genes activated by the antibiotic-inducible sigma-M transcription factor to cell envelope homeostasis, and more specifically to acclimation to antibiotics. In parallel, we will examine the role of a cell wall stress responsive kinase/phosphatase system and the second messenger cyclic-di-AMP. Cells with mutations in these stress response pathways are sensitive to cell wall antibiotics (e.g. beta-lactams). Selection of antibiotic resistant suppressors provides a powerful approach for delineating these responsive pathways and their interconnections. These pathways are central to cell envelope homeostasis generally, in addition to their role in sensing and responding to antibiotic-induced stress, and are implicated in the emergence of antibiotic tolerance and resistance in pathogens.
The innate immune system restricts the growth of invading bacteria by limiting access to essential nutrient metal ions (nutritional immunity) and by production of antimicrobial peptides and enzymes that attack the cell envelope. Using Bacillus subtilis as a model system, we characterize the bacterial stress responses elicited by metal ion limitation and excess, and by antibiotics that interfere with integrity of the cell envelope. The resulting insights are relevant for understanding the mechanisms that allow bacterial cells (both beneficial and harmful) to adapt to the host environment.
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