Stress-induced chaperones: a first line of defense against the powerful oxidant hypochlorous acid

F1000Res. 2019 Sep 23:8:F1000 Faculty Rev-1678. doi: 10.12688/f1000research.19517.1. eCollection 2019.

Abstract

Hypochlorous acid (HOCl; bleach) is a powerful weapon used by our immune system to eliminate invading bacteria. Yet the way HOCl actually kills bacteria and how they defend themselves from its oxidative action have only started to be uncovered. As this molecule induces both protein oxidation and aggregation, bacteria need concerted efforts of chaperones and antioxidants to maintain proteostasis during stress. Recent advances in the field identified several stress-activated chaperones, like Hsp33, RidA, and CnoX, which display unique structural features and play a central role in protecting the bacterial proteome during HOCl stress.

Keywords: bacteria; bleach; chaperone; chlorination; holdase; oxidative stress; polyphosphate; protein folding.

Publication types

  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't
  • Review

MeSH terms

  • Bacteria / metabolism*
  • Bacterial Infections / immunology
  • Bacterial Proteins / metabolism
  • Humans
  • Hypochlorous Acid / chemistry*
  • Molecular Chaperones / metabolism*
  • Oxidants / chemistry*
  • Oxidation-Reduction
  • Proteolysis
  • Stress, Physiological*

Substances

  • Bacterial Proteins
  • Molecular Chaperones
  • Oxidants
  • Hypochlorous Acid

Grants and funding

CVG is a European Molecular Biology Organization (EMBO) post-doctoral fellow. This work was funded by grants from the Fonds de la Recherche Scientifique - FNRS for the Fund for Strategic Fundamental Research (FRFS)- Walloon Excellence in Lifesciences and Biotechnology (WELBIO) under grant number WELBIO-CR-2015A-03 (http://www.welbio.org).