SecDF as part of the Sec-translocase facilitates efficient secretion of Bacillus cereus toxins and cell wall-associated proteins

PLoS One. 2014 Aug 1;9(8):e103326. doi: 10.1371/journal.pone.0103326. eCollection 2014.

Abstract

The aim of this study was to explore the role of SecDF in protein secretion in Bacillus cereus ATCC 14579 by in-depth characterization of a markerless secDF knock out mutant. Deletion of secDF resulted in pleiotropic effects characterized by a moderately slower growth rate, aberrant cell morphology, enhanced susceptibility to xenobiotics, reduced virulence and motility. Most toxins, including food poisoning-associated enterotoxins Nhe, Hbl, and cytotoxin K, as well as phospholipase C were less abundant in the secretome of the ΔsecDF mutant as determined by label-free mass spectrometry. Global transcriptome studies revealed profound transcriptional changes upon deletion of secDF indicating cell envelope stress. Interestingly, the addition of glucose enhanced the described phenotypes. This study shows that SecDF is an important part of the Sec-translocase mediating efficient secretion of virulence factors in the Gram-positive opportunistic pathogen B. cereus, and further supports the notion that B. cereus enterotoxins are secreted by the Sec-system.

Publication types

  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

  • Animals
  • Bacillus cereus / drug effects
  • Bacillus cereus / physiology*
  • Bacillus cereus / ultrastructure
  • Bacterial Proteins / genetics
  • Bacterial Proteins / metabolism*
  • Bacterial Toxins / biosynthesis*
  • Biological Transport
  • Cell Wall / metabolism*
  • Drug Resistance, Bacterial / genetics
  • Gene Expression Profiling
  • Gene Expression Regulation, Bacterial
  • Gene Knockout Techniques
  • Moths / microbiology
  • Mutation
  • Stress, Physiological
  • Virulence / genetics
  • Xenobiotics / pharmacology

Substances

  • Bacterial Proteins
  • Bacterial Toxins
  • Xenobiotics

Grants and funding

The work was funded by The Norwegian Research Council (FUGE II) and EU grant IRSES-GA-2009_247634. The funders had no role in study design, data collection and analysis, decision to publish, or preparation of the manuscript.