Protein expression profiling of Staphylococcus aureus in response to the bacteriocin bovicin HC5

• Published in: Applied microbiology and biotechnology 2021-10, Vol.105 (20), p.7857-7869
• Main Authors: Pimentel-Filho, Natan de Jesus, Fuchs, Stephan, Baracat-Pereira, Maria Cristina, Mantovani, Hilário Cuquetto, Riedel, Katharina, Vanetti, Maria Cristina Dantas
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Amino acids; Analysis; Antibiotics; Bacteriocins; Biomedical and Life Sciences; Biosynthesis; Biotechnology; Catabolism; Catabolite repression; Cell membranes; Chaperones; Deoxyribonucleic acid; DNA; DNA polymerase; DNA-directed DNA polymerase; Energy efficiency; Genetic aspects; Genomics; Homeostasis; Identification and classification; Life Sciences; Metabolism; Microbial Genetics and Genomics; Microbiology; Pathogens; Physiological aspects; Properties; Protein biosynthesis; Protein expression; Protein synthesis; Proteins; Proteomics; Staphylococcus aureus; Stationary phase; Stress (Physiology); Stress response; Sublethal dosage; Transcriptomics; Tricarboxylic acid cycle
• ISSN: 0175-7598; 1432-0614
• DOI: 10.1007/s00253-021-11594-3

Alternative strategies to antibiotic treatment are required to inhibit pathogens, including Staphylococcus aureus . Bacteriocins, such as the lantibiotic bovicin HC5, have shown potential to control pathogens. This study aims to evaluate the stress response of S. aureus to bovicin HC5 using a proteomic approach. Sublethal concentrations of the bacteriocin repressed the synthesis of 62 cytoplasmic proteins, whereas 42 proteins were induced in S. aureus COL. Specifically, synthesis of several proteins involved in amino acid biosynthesis, mainly products of ilv-leu operon, and DNA metabolism, such as DNA polymerase I, decreased following bovicin treatment while proteins involved in catabolism, mainly tricarboxylic acid cycle metabolism, and chaperones were over-expressed. The levels of CodY and CcpA, important regulators involved in the stationary phase adaptation and catabolite repression, respectively, also increased in the presence of the bacteriocin. These results indicate that stress caused by the sublethal concentration of bovicin HC5 in the cell membrane results in growth reduction, reduced protein synthesis, and, at the same time, enhanced the levels of chaperones and enzymes involved in energy-efficient catabolism in an attempt to restore energy and cell homeostasis. These results bring relevant information to amplify the knowledge concerning the bacterial physiological changes in response to the stress caused by the cell exposition to bovicin HC5. New potential targets for controlling this pathogen can also be determined from the new protein expression pattern presented. Key points • Bovicin HC5 changed the synthesis of cytoplasmic proteins of S. aureus . • Bovicin HC5 interfered in the synthesis of proteins of amino acids biosynthesis . • Synthesis of chaperones enhanced in the presence of sublethal dosage of bovicin HC5 . Graphical abstract