4oxq

Publication Abstract from PubMed

The Gram-positive bacterium Staphylococcus pseudintermedius is a leading cause of canine bacterial pyoderma, resulting in worldwide morbidity in dogs. S. pseudintermedius also causes life-threatening human infections. Further, methicillin-resistant S. pseudintermedius is emerging, resembling the human health threat of methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus. Therefore, it is increasingly important to characterize targets for intervention strategies to counteract S. pseudintermedius infections. Here we used biophysical methods, mutagenesis, and X-ray crystallography, to define the ligand-binding properties and structure of SitA, a S. pseudintermedius surface lipoprotein. SitA was strongly and specifically stabilized by Mn2+ and Zn2+ ions. Crystal structures of SitA complexed with Mn2+ and Zn2+ revealed a canonical class III solute-binding protein with the metal cation bound in a cavity between N- and C-terminal lobes. Unexpectedly, one crystal contained both apo- and holo-forms of SitA, revealing a large side-chain reorientation of His64, and associated structural differences accompanying ligand binding. Such conformational changes may regulate fruitful engagement of the cognate ATP-binding cassette (ABC) transporter system (SitBC) required for metal uptake. These results provide the first detailed characterization and mechanistic insights for a potential therapeutic target of the major canine pathogen S. pseudintermedius, and also shed light on homologous structures in related staphylococcal pathogens afflicting humans.

Apo, Zn2+-bound and Mn2+-bound structures reveal ligand binding properties of SitA from the pathogen Staphylococcus pseudintermedius.,Abate F, Malito E, Cozzi R, Lo Surdo P, Maione D, Bottomley MJ Biosci Rep. 2014 Oct 14. PMID:25311310^[1]

From MEDLINE®/PubMed®, a database of the U.S. National Library of Medicine.