The SigD regulon of Mycobacterium abscessus determines cell envelope composition and antibiotic susceptibility

A major determinant of the exceptional intrinsic resistance of M. abscessus is the lipid-rich cell envelope, yet the regulatory systems that remodel envelope-associated pathways remain poorly defined. Here, we determine the σD regulon in M. abscessus and establish its role in cell envelope homeostasis and intrinsic resistance to hydrophobic antibiotics. RNA-Seq analysis of a MabΔsigD mutant identified 447 differentially expressed genes, while ChIP-Seq mapped 72 σD binding sites and defined a conserved promoter motif (GTAACA/G-N16-CGAT). Using a combination of σD binding, motif orientation and expression data, we identified a core set of directly regulated genes, distinct from what was previously observed in M. tuberculosis, many of which encode proteins involved in envelope-associated functions. These include loci involved in trehalose polyphleate (TPP) biosynthesis, the antigen 85 complex and peptidoglycan remodeling enzymes. Deletion of sigD resulted in a significant reduction in TPPs in the cell envelope and an increase in ethidium bromide accumulation. Consistent with these changes, loss of σD selectively sensitized M. abscessus to hydrophobic antibiotics, including rifampicin and tigecycline. Deletion of mmpL10, which is required for transport of TPP precursors, recapitulated the drug sensitivity of MabΔsigD, implicating envelope composition as a key effector of the phenotype. Expression of the σD regulon further increased during starvation and in response to SDS, isoniazid, and ethambutol, mediated by degradation of RsdA, consistent with a role in stress-responsive envelope adaptation. Together, these findings demonstrate σD is active during logarithmic growth in rich media where it regulates the expression of envelope-associated genes that influence envelope permeability and basal level susceptibility to hydrophobic antibiotics; its activity further increases in response to cell envelope stress, presumably promoting envelope remodeling to counteract damage.