Self-association of MreC as a regulatory signal in bacterial cell wall elongation

Alexandre Martins, Carlos Contreras-Martel, Manon Janet-Maitre, Mayara M. Miyachiro, Leandro F. Estrozi, Daniel Maragno Trindade, Caíque C. Malospirito, Fernanda Rodrigues-Costa, Lionel Imbert, Viviana Job, Guy Schoehn, Ina Attrée and Andréa Dessen ()
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Alexandre Martins: Univ. Grenoble Alpes, CEA, CNRS, Institut de Biologie Structurale (IBS)
Carlos Contreras-Martel: Univ. Grenoble Alpes, CEA, CNRS, Institut de Biologie Structurale (IBS)
Manon Janet-Maitre: Univ. Grenoble Alpes, CEA, CNRS, Institut de Biologie Structurale (IBS)
Mayara M. Miyachiro: Univ. Grenoble Alpes, CEA, CNRS, Institut de Biologie Structurale (IBS)
Leandro F. Estrozi: Univ. Grenoble Alpes, CEA, CNRS, Institut de Biologie Structurale (IBS)
Daniel Maragno Trindade: Brazilian Biosciences National Laboratory (LNBio), CNPEM
Caíque C. Malospirito: Brazilian Biosciences National Laboratory (LNBio), CNPEM
Fernanda Rodrigues-Costa: Brazilian Biosciences National Laboratory (LNBio), CNPEM
Lionel Imbert: Univ. Grenoble Alpes, CEA, CNRS, Institut de Biologie Structurale (IBS)
Viviana Job: Univ. Grenoble Alpes, CEA, CNRS, Institut de Biologie Structurale (IBS)
Guy Schoehn: Univ. Grenoble Alpes, CEA, CNRS, Institut de Biologie Structurale (IBS)
Ina Attrée: Univ. Grenoble Alpes, CEA, CNRS, Institut de Biologie Structurale (IBS)
Andréa Dessen: Univ. Grenoble Alpes, CEA, CNRS, Institut de Biologie Structurale (IBS)

Nature Communications, 2021, vol. 12, issue 1, 1-10

Abstract: Abstract The elongasome, or Rod system, is a protein complex that controls cell wall formation in rod-shaped bacteria. MreC is a membrane-associated elongasome component that co-localizes with the cytoskeletal element MreB and regulates the activity of cell wall biosynthesis enzymes, in a process that may be dependent on MreC self-association. Here, we use electron cryo-microscopy and X-ray crystallography to determine the structure of a self-associated form of MreC from Pseudomonas aeruginosa in atomic detail. MreC monomers interact in head-to-tail fashion. Longitudinal and lateral interfaces are essential for oligomerization in vitro, and a phylogenetic analysis of proteobacterial MreC sequences indicates the prevalence of the identified interfaces. Our results are consistent with a model where MreC’s ability to alternate between self-association and interaction with the cell wall biosynthesis machinery plays a key role in the regulation of elongasome activity.

Date: 2021
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DOI: 10.1038/s41467-021-22957-9

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