Clostridium difficile secreted Pro-Pro endopeptidase PPEP-1 (ZMP1/CD2830) modulates adhesion through cleavage of the collagen binding protein CD2831

FEBS Lett. 2015 Dec 21;589(24 Pt B):3952-8. doi: 10.1016/j.febslet.2015.10.027. Epub 2015 Oct 29.

Abstract

The Clostridium difficile cd2830 gene product is a secreted metalloprotease, named Pro-Pro endopeptidase (PPEP-1). PPEP-1 cleaves C. difficile cell surface proteins (e.g. CD2831). Here, we confirmed that PPEP-1 has a unique preference for prolines surrounding the scissile bond. Moreover, we show that it exhibits a high preference for an asparagine at the P2 position and hydrophobic residues at the P3 position. Using a PPEP-1 knockout C. difficile strain, we demonstrate that the removal of the collagen binding protein CD2831 is fully attributable to PPEP-1 activity. The PPEP-1 knockout strain demonstrated higher affinity for collagen type I with attenuated virulence in hamsters.

Keywords: Adhesion; Bacterial virulence; Collagen binding; Motility; Secreted protease.

MeSH terms

  • Amino Acid Motifs
  • Animals
  • Bacterial Adhesion*
  • Bacterial Proteins / chemistry
  • Bacterial Proteins / metabolism*
  • Clostridioides difficile / enzymology
  • Clostridioides difficile / pathogenicity
  • Clostridioides difficile / physiology*
  • Collagen Type I / metabolism*
  • Female
  • Gene Knockout Techniques
  • Hydrophobic and Hydrophilic Interactions
  • Membrane Proteins / chemistry
  • Membrane Proteins / genetics
  • Membrane Proteins / metabolism*
  • Mesocricetus
  • Metalloendopeptidases / genetics
  • Metalloendopeptidases / metabolism*
  • Mutation
  • Peptide Fragments / chemistry
  • Peptide Fragments / genetics
  • Peptide Fragments / metabolism
  • Protein Interaction Domains and Motifs
  • Proteolysis
  • Rats
  • Recombinant Fusion Proteins / chemistry
  • Recombinant Fusion Proteins / metabolism
  • Substrate Specificity
  • Virulence

Substances

  • Bacterial Proteins
  • Collagen Type I
  • Membrane Proteins
  • Peptide Fragments
  • Recombinant Fusion Proteins
  • Metalloendopeptidases