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The conserved carboxyl domain of MorC, an inner membrane protein of Aggregatibacter actinomycetemcomitans, is

K P Smith1, R D Voogt1, T Ruiz2

  • 1Department of Microbiology and Molecular Genetics, University of Vermont, Burlington, VT, USA.

Molecular Oral Microbiology
|July 25, 2015
PubMed

Insights

Morphogenesis protein C (MorC) is vital for bacterial cell envelope integrity. This study confirms MorC

Area of Science:

  • Microbiology
  • Molecular Biology
  • Bacterial Pathogenesis

Background:

  • Aggregatibacter actinomycetemcomitans Morphogenesis protein C (MorC) is crucial for maintaining cell envelope integrity and membrane morphology.
  • The MorC sequence and operon organization are conserved across Gammaproteobacteria, suggesting functional importance.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To investigate the functional conservation of MorC homologs across diverse Gammaproteobacteria.
  • To determine the role of specific MorC domains, particularly the C-terminus DUF490 domain, in maintaining membrane physiology and virulence factor secretion.

Main Methods:

  • Bioinformatic analysis of 435 Gammaproteobacteria sequences to assess MorC conservation.
  • Construction and functional analysis of an A. actinomycetemcomitans morC mutant expressing MorC homologs from Haemophilus influenzae, Escherichia coli, Pseudomonas aeruginosa, and Moraxella catarrhalis.
  • Assessment of mutant phenotypes including bile salt sensitivity, leukotoxin secretion, autoaggregation, and membrane morphology.
  • Deletion mutagenesis to identify essential functional domains within the A. actinomycetemcomitans MorC protein.

Main Results:

  • MorC from the closely related H. influenzae functionally complemented the A. actinomycetemcomitans morC mutant.
  • MorC homologs from more distantly related species partially restored mutant phenotypes, indicating varying degrees of functional conservation.
  • Deletion of the C-terminal DUF490 domain, specifically the last 10 amino acids, significantly disrupted membrane stability and leukotoxin secretion.

Conclusions:

  • The MorC protein sequence is functionally conserved across Gammaproteobacteria.
  • The C-terminal DUF490 domain of MorC is essential for maintaining bacterial membrane integrity and function.
  • Understanding MorC conservation and function provides insights into bacterial cell envelope physiology and potential therapeutic targets.
Keywords:
DUF490TamBYtfNmembrane morphologytoxin secretion

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