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Phage Phenomics: Physiological Approaches to Characterize Novel Viral Proteins
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Pathogen Moonlighting Proteins: From Ancestral Key Metabolic Enzymes to Virulence Factors

Luis Franco-Serrano1, David Sánchez-Redondo1, Araceli Nájar-García1

  • 1Institut de Biotecnologia i Biomedicina and Departament de Bioquímica i Biologia Molecular, Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona, Cerdanyola del Vallés, 08193 Barcelona, Spain.

Microorganisms
|July 2, 2021
PubMed

Insights

Moonlighting proteins, performing multiple functions, are key in pathogen virulence by remodeling host tissues. Bioinformatics analysis reveals specific motifs for ECM adhesion but suggests these proteins are poor vaccine candidates.

Area of Science:

  • Molecular Biology
  • Bioinformatics
  • Pathogen Biology

Background:

  • Moonlighting proteins possess multiple functions within a single polypeptide chain.
  • A significant portion (25%) of known moonlighting proteins are implicated in pathogen virulence.
  • These proteins often have conserved canonical functions in primary metabolism and contribute to extracellular matrix (ECM) remodeling.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To investigate the prevalence and mechanisms of moonlighting proteins in pathogen virulence.
  • To address why moonlighting proteins are frequently involved in virulence and associated with primary metabolism.
  • To understand how diverse moonlighting proteins bind host ECM targets like plasminogen (PLG) for tissue colonization.

Main Methods:

  • Extensive bioinformatics analysis of moonlighting proteins.
  • Identification of conserved motifs involved in host-pathogen interactions.
  • Gene Ontology (GO) enrichment analysis.

Main Results:

  • Identified several motifs potentially involved in ECM adhesion.
  • Observed an overrepresentation of Gene Ontology (GO) codes related to virulence in moonlighting proteins.
  • Found that moonlighting proteins are not ideal candidates for vaccine development.

Conclusions:

  • Moonlighting proteins play a crucial role in pathogen virulence through ECM remodeling and host tissue colonization.
  • Specific sequence motifs facilitate binding to host ECM proteins, particularly plasminogen.
  • The study provides insights into the evolutionary and functional significance of moonlighting proteins in infectious diseases.
Keywords:
microbial pathogensmoonlighting proteinsmultitasking proteinspathogen virulence factorsvaccines

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