A metabolic intermediate of the fructose-asparagine utilization pathway inhibits growth of a Salmonella fraB mutant

Sci Rep. 2016 Jul 12:6:28117. doi: 10.1038/srep28117.

Abstract

Insertions in the Salmonella enterica fra locus, which encodes the fructose-asparagine (F-Asn) utilization pathway, are highly attenuated in mouse models of inflammation (>1000-fold competitive index). Here, we report that F-Asn is bacteriostatic to a fraB mutant (IC50 19 μM), but not to the wild-type or a fra island deletion mutant. We hypothesized that the presence of FraD kinase and absence of FraB deglycase causes build-up of a toxic metabolite: 6-phosphofructose-aspartate (6-P-F-Asp). We used biochemical assays to assess FraB and FraD activities, and mass spectrometry to confirm that the fraB mutant accumulates 6-P-F-Asp. These results, together with our finding that mutants lacking fraD or the fra island are not attenuated in mice, suggest that the extreme attenuation of a fraB mutant stems from 6-P-F-Asp toxicity. Salmonella FraB is therefore an excellent drug target, a prospect strengthened by the absence of the fra locus in most of the gut microbiota.

Publication types

  • Research Support, N.I.H., Extramural

MeSH terms

  • Animals
  • Asparagine / metabolism*
  • Aspartic Acid / pharmacology*
  • Bacterial Proteins / genetics*
  • Bacterial Proteins / metabolism
  • Fructose / metabolism*
  • Fructosephosphates / pharmacology*
  • Gene Expression Regulation, Bacterial / drug effects
  • Mass Spectrometry
  • Metabolomics
  • Mice
  • Mutation
  • Phosphotransferases
  • Salmonella enterica / drug effects
  • Salmonella enterica / genetics
  • Salmonella enterica / growth & development*

Substances

  • Bacterial Proteins
  • Fructosephosphates
  • Fructose
  • Aspartic Acid
  • Asparagine
  • Phosphotransferases