Skip to main content
U.S. Department of Energy
Office of Scientific and Technical Information

Structural mechanism of transcription regulation of the Staphylococcus aureus multidrug efflux operon mepRA by the MarR family repressor MepR

Journal Article · · Nucleic Acids Research
DOI:https://doi.org/10.1093/nar/gkt1215· OSTI ID:1625519
 [1];  [2];  [2];  [3];  [4]
  1. Duke Univ., Durham, NC (United States); DOE/OSTI
  2. JD Dingel VA Medical Center, Detroit, MI (United States)
  3. JD Dingel VA Medical Center, Detroit, MI (United States); Wayne State Univ., Detroit, MI (United States)
  4. Duke Univ., Durham, NC (United States)

The multidrug efflux pump MepA is a major contributor to multidrug resistance in Staphylococcus aureus. MepR, a member of the multiple antibiotic resistance regulator (MarR) family, represses mepA and its own gene. Here, we report the structure of a MepR–mepR operator complex. Structural comparison of DNA-bound MepR with ‘induced’ apoMepR reveals the large conformational changes needed to allow the DNA-binding winged helix-turn-helix motifs to interact with the consecutive major and minor grooves of the GTTAG signature sequence. Intriguingly, MepR makes no hydrogen bonds to major groove nucleobases. Rather, recognition-helix residues Thr60, Gly61, Pro62 and Thr63 make sequence-specifying van der Waals contacts with the TTAG bases. Removing these contacts dramatically affects MepR–DNA binding activity. The wings insert into the flanking minor grooves, whereby residue Arg87, buttressed by Asp85, interacts with the O2 of T4 and O4' ribosyl oxygens of A23 and T4. Mutating Asp85 and Arg87, both conserved throughout the MarR family, markedly affects MepR repressor activity. The His14':Arg59 and Arg10':His35:Phe108 interaction networks stabilize the DNA-binding conformation of MepR thereby contributing significantly to its high affinity binding. A structure-guided model of the MepR–mepA operator complex suggests that MepR dimers do not interact directly and cooperative binding is likely achieved by DNA-mediated allosteric effects.

Research Organization:
Duke University, Durham, NC (United States)
Sponsoring Organization:
USDOE Office of Science (SC), Biological and Environmental Research (BER). Biological Systems Science Division
Grant/Contract Number:
AC02-05CH11231
OSTI ID:
1625519
Journal Information:
Nucleic Acids Research, Journal Name: Nucleic Acids Research Journal Issue: 4 Vol. 42; ISSN 0305-1048
Publisher:
Oxford University PressCopyright Statement
Country of Publication:
United States
Language:
English

References (70)

The X-ray crystal structure of PA1374 from Pseudomonas aeruginosa, a putative oxidative-stress sensing transcriptional regulator journal February 2013
Optimization of the Palindromic Order of the TtgR Operator Enhances Binding Cooperativity journal June 2007
Mechanism for Attenuation of DNA Binding by MarR Family Transcriptional Regulators by Small Molecule Ligands journal July 2009
Structure of an OhrR-ohrA Operator Complex Reveals the DNA Binding Mechanism of the MarR Family journal October 2005
Structural Mechanism of Organic Hydroperoxide Induction of the Transcription Regulator OhrR journal November 2007
Invasin and beyond: regulation of Yersinia virulence by RovA journal June 2004
The mar regulon: multiple resistance to antibiotics and other toxic chemicals journal October 1999
Crystal Structure of the Zinc-Dependent MarR Family Transcriptional Regulator AdcR in the Zn(II)-Bound State journal December 2011
Structural mechanisms of multidrug recognition and regulation by bacterial multidrug transcription factors journal August 2002
Structural and function analyses of the global regulatory protein SarA from Staphylococcus aureus journal February 2006
The crystal structure of MexR from Pseudomonas aeruginosa in complex with its antirepressor ArmR journal September 2008
Structural study of TcaR and its complexes with multiple antibiotics from Staphylococcus epidermidis journal April 2010
Crystal Structures of SlyA Protein, a Master Virulence Regulator of Salmonella , in Free and DNA-bound States journal May 2011
MarR-type Transcriptional Regulator ChlR Activates Expression of Tetrapyrrole Biosynthesis Genes in Response to Low-oxygen Conditions in Cyanobacteria* journal April 2012
The Oxidation-sensing Regulator (MosR) Is a New Redox-dependent Transcription Factor in Mycobacterium tuberculosis journal September 2012
Redox Active Thiol Sensors of Oxidative and Nitrosative Stress journal November 2012
Structural and biochemical characterization of MepR, a multidrug binding transcription regulator of the Staphylococcus aureus multidrug efflux pump MepA journal January 2009
Conformational analysis of nucleic acids revisited: Curves+ journal July 2009
Interpreting protein/DNA interactions: distinguishing specific from non-specific and electrostatic from non-electrostatic components journal November 2010
Study of PcaV from Streptomyces coelicolor yields new insights into ligand-responsive MarR family transcription factors journal February 2013
Investigation of DNA sequence recognition by a streptomycete MarR family transcriptional regulator through surface plasmon resonance and X-ray crystallography journal June 2013
Structural analysis of the antibiotic-recognition mechanism of MarR proteins journal May 2013
Probing Allostery Through DNA journal February 2013
Efflux-Related Resistance to Norfloxacin, Dyes, and Biocides in Bloodstream Isolates of Staphylococcus aureus journal June 2007
Regulation of chromosomally mediated multiple antibiotic resistance: the mar regulon. journal October 1997
Multidrug Resistance in Staphylococcus aureus Due to Overexpression of a Novel Multidrug and Toxin Extrusion (MATE) Transport Protein journal May 2005
A Novel MATE Family Efflux Pump Contributes to the Reduced Susceptibility of Laboratory-Derived Staphylococcus aureus Mutants to Tigecycline journal May 2005
MepR, a Repressor of the Staphylococcus aureus MATE Family Multidrug Efflux Pump MepA, Is a Substrate-Responsive Regulatory Protein journal March 2006
SlyA Is a Transcriptional Regulator Involved in the Virulence of Enterococcus faecalis journal May 2011
Functional Consequences of Substitution Mutations in MepR, a Repressor of the Staphylococcus aureus mepA Multidrug Efflux Pump Gene journal June 2013
Alteration of the Repressor Activity of MarR, the Negative Regulator of the Escherichia coli marRAB Locus, by Multiple Chemicals In Vitro journal August 1999
OhrR Is a Repressor of ohrA, a Key Organic Hydroperoxide Resistance Determinant in Bacillus subtilis journal July 2001
Crystal Structure of the SarS Protein from Staphylococcus aureus journal July 2003
Mutations Affecting DNA-Binding Activity of the MexR Repressor of mexR-mexA-mexB-oprM Operon Expression journal October 2003
The Molecular Mechanisms of Allosteric Mutations Impairing MepR Repressor Function in Multidrug-Resistant Strains of Staphylococcus aureus journal August 2013
Regulation of Bacterial Drug Export Systems journal December 2002
PHENIX: a comprehensive Python-based system for macromolecular structure solution. text January 2010
[20] Processing of X-ray diffraction data collected in oscillation mode book January 1997
Preparation of selenomethionyl proteins for phase determination book January 1997
7.9 Molecular Genetic Analysis of Staphylococcal Virulence book January 1998
The mar regulon: multiple resistance to antibiotics and other toxic chemicals journal October 1999
Structural Insight on the Mechanism of Regulation of the MarR Family of Proteins: High-Resolution Crystal Structure of a Transcriptional Repressor from Methanobacterium thermoautotrophicum journal March 2008
Regulation of virulence by members of the MarR/SlyA family journal April 2006
Mutational analysis of MarR, the negative regulator of marRAB expression in Escherichia coli, suggests the presence of two regions required for DNA binding: M. N. Alekshun, Y. S. Kim and S. B. Levy journal March 2000
Protein cysteine phosphorylation of SarA/MgrA family transcriptional regulators mediates bacterial virulence and antibiotic resistance journal August 2012
Crystal Structures of SlyA Protein, a Master Virulence Regulator of Salmonella , in Free and DNA-bound States journal May 2011
MarR-type Transcriptional Regulator ChlR Activates Expression of Tetrapyrrole Biosynthesis Genes in Response to Low-oxygen Conditions in Cyanobacteria* journal April 2012
Structural Basis for Intrinsic Thermosensing by the Master Virulence Regulator RovA of Yersinia journal August 2012
The Oxidation-sensing Regulator (MosR) Is a New Redox-dependent Transcription Factor in Mycobacterium tuberculosis journal September 2012
Clustal W and Clustal X version 2.0 journal September 2007
ST1710–DNA complex crystal structure reveals the DNA binding mechanism of the MarR family of regulators journal June 2009
Coot model-building tools for molecular graphics journal November 2004
PHENIX: a comprehensive Python-based system for macromolecular structure solution journal January 2010
Structural analysis of the antibiotic-recognition mechanism of MarR proteins journal May 2013
Efflux-Related Resistance to Norfloxacin, Dyes, and Biocides in Bloodstream Isolates of Staphylococcus aureus journal June 2007
Expression of the multidrug resistance operon mexA-mexB-oprM in Pseudomonas aeruginosa: mexR encodes a regulator of operon expression. journal September 1996
Regulation of chromosomally mediated multiple antibiotic resistance: the mar regulon. journal October 1997
Multidrug Resistance in Staphylococcus aureus Due to Overexpression of a Novel Multidrug and Toxin Extrusion (MATE) Transport Protein journal May 2005
A Novel MATE Family Efflux Pump Contributes to the Reduced Susceptibility of Laboratory-Derived Staphylococcus aureus Mutants to Tigecycline journal May 2005
MepR, a Repressor of the Staphylococcus aureus MATE Family Multidrug Efflux Pump MepA, Is a Substrate-Responsive Regulatory Protein journal March 2006
SlyA Is a Transcriptional Regulator Involved in the Virulence of Enterococcus faecalis journal May 2011
Evaluation of a Tetracycline-Inducible Promoter in Staphylococcus aureus In Vitro and In Vivo and Its Application in Demonstrating the Role of sigB in Microcolony Formation journal December 2001
Functional Consequences of Substitution Mutations in MepR, a Repressor of the Staphylococcus aureus mepA Multidrug Efflux Pump Gene journal June 2013
Alteration of the Repressor Activity of MarR, the Negative Regulator of the Escherichia coli marRAB Locus, by Multiple Chemicals In Vitro journal August 1999
OhrR Is a Repressor of ohrA, a Key Organic Hydroperoxide Resistance Determinant in Bacillus subtilis journal July 2001
Crystal Structure of the SarS Protein from Staphylococcus aureus journal July 2003
Mutations Affecting DNA-Binding Activity of the MexR Repressor of mexR-mexA-mexB-oprM Operon Expression journal October 2003
Regulation of Bacterial Drug Export Systems journal December 2002
The Molecular Mechanisms of Allosteric Mutations Impairing MepR Repressor Function in Multidrug-Resistant Strains of Staphylococcus aureus journal August 2013
Protein Identification and Analysis Tools on the ExPASy Server book January 2005

Cited By (12)

Structural analysis of the regulatory mechanism of MarR protein Rv2887 in M. tuberculosis journal July 2017
The activity of CouR, a MarR family transcriptional regulator, is modulated through a novel molecular mechanism journal September 2015
Tuning site-specific dynamics to drive allosteric activation in a pneumococcal zinc uptake regulator journal April 2018
Structural insights into repression of the Pneumococcal fatty acid synthesis pathway by repressor FabT and co‐repressor acyl‐ACP journal July 2019
Biology of MarR family transcription factors and implications for targets of antibiotics against tuberculosis journal April 2019
MarR family proteins are important regulators of clinically relevant antibiotic resistance journal November 2019
Structural basis of transcriptional regulation by CouR, a repressor of coumarate catabolism, in Rhodopseudomonas palustris journal May 2018
Plasticity in oligomerization, operator architecture, and DNA binding in the mode of action of a bacterial B 12 -based photoreceptor journal September 2018
MarR family transcription factors: dynamic variations on a common scaffold journal July 2017
Genetic compensation by epob in pronephros development in epoa mutant zebrafish journal August 2019
Specificity of protein–DNA interactions in hypersaline environment: structural studies on complexes of Halobacterium salinarum oxidative stress-dependent protein hsRosR journal July 2019
Tuning site-specific dynamics to drive allosteric activation in a pneumococcal zinc uptake regulator journal October 2018