Protein kinases PknA and PknB independently and coordinately regulate essential Mycobacterium tuberculosis physiologies and antimicrobial susceptibility

PLoS Pathog. 2020 Apr 7;16(4):e1008452. doi: 10.1371/journal.ppat.1008452. eCollection 2020 Apr.

Abstract

The Mycobacterium tuberculosis Ser/Thr protein kinases PknA and PknB are essential for growth and have been proposed as possible drug targets. We used a titratable conditional depletion system to investigate the functions of these kinases. Depletion of PknA or PknB or both kinases resulted in growth arrest, shortening of cells, and time-dependent loss of acid-fast staining with a concomitant decrease in mycolate synthesis and accumulation of trehalose monomycolate. Depletion of PknA and/or PknB resulted in markedly increased susceptibility to β-lactam antibiotics, and to the key tuberculosis drug rifampin. Phosphoproteomic analysis showed extensive changes in protein phosphorylation in response to PknA depletion and comparatively fewer changes with PknB depletion. These results identify candidate substrates of each kinase and suggest specific and coordinate roles for PknA and PknB in regulating multiple essential physiologies. These findings support these kinases as targets for new antituberculosis drugs and provide a valuable resource for targeted investigation of mechanisms by which protein phosphorylation regulates pathways required for growth and virulence in M. tuberculosis.

Publication types

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

MeSH terms

  • Antitubercular Agents / pharmacology*
  • Bacterial Proteins / genetics
  • Bacterial Proteins / metabolism*
  • Cord Factors / metabolism
  • Gene Expression Regulation, Bacterial / drug effects
  • Humans
  • Mycobacterium tuberculosis / drug effects
  • Mycobacterium tuberculosis / enzymology*
  • Mycobacterium tuberculosis / genetics
  • Mycobacterium tuberculosis / growth & development
  • Protein Serine-Threonine Kinases / genetics
  • Protein Serine-Threonine Kinases / metabolism*
  • Tuberculosis / microbiology

Substances

  • Antitubercular Agents
  • Bacterial Proteins
  • Cord Factors
  • trehalose monomycolate
  • PknA protein, Mycobacterium tuberculosis
  • PknB protein, Mycobacterium tuberculosis
  • Protein Serine-Threonine Kinases