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Journal of Bacteriology logoLink to Journal of Bacteriology
. 2008 Dec 19;191(7):2144–2152. doi: 10.1128/JB.01487-08

Comparative Proteomic Analysis of the Haemophilus ducreyi Porin-Deficient Mutant 35000HP::P2AB

Jeremiah J Davie 1, Anthony A Campagnari 1,2,3,4,*
PMCID: PMC2655505  PMID: 19103932

Abstract

Haemophilus ducreyi is an obligate human pathogen and the causative agent of the sexually transmitted, genital ulcerative disease chancroid. The genome of strain 35000HP contains two known porin proteins, OmpP2A and OmpP2B. Loss of OmpP2A and OmpP2B expression in the mutant 35000HP::P2AB resulted in no obvious growth defect or phenotype. Comparison of outer membrane profiles indicated increased expression of the 58.5-kDa chaperone, GroEL, in the porin-deficient mutant. A proteomics-based comparison resulted in the identification of 231 proteins present in membrane-associated protein samples, of which a subset of 56 proteins was differentially expressed at a level of 1.5-fold or greater in the porin-deficient strain 35000HP::P2AB relative to that in 35000HP. Twenty of the differentially expressed proteins were selected for real-time PCR, resulting in the validation of 90% of the selected subgroup. Proteins identified in these studies suggested a decreased membrane stability phenotype, which was verified by disk diffusion assay. Loss of OmpP2A and OmpP2B resulted in global protein expression changes which appear to compensate for the absence of porin expression in 35000HP::P2AB.


Genital ulcers can result from infections with a number of sexually transmitted pathogens, including Haemophilus ducreyi (22). Infection with H. ducreyi is uncommon in the United States but has been identified as a cofactor in the transmission of human immunodeficiency virus in developing nations, where both diseases are endemic (14, 50). As with all gram-negative bacteria, the outer membrane (OM) is the primary permeability barrier for H. ducreyi (34, 35). Porin proteins are important components of the OM, comprising a significant portion of the OM protein content of and functioning as the primary means for hydrophilic solutes, wastes, and antimicrobial agents to cross the OM (34, 35). The genomes of enteric, gram-negative bacteria commonly possess several porin encoding genes (4, 19, 27, 37). However, the genome of 35000HP contains only two known porin genes, ompP2A and ompP2B. Interestingly, unlike 35000HP, most clinical isolates of H. ducreyi express OmpP2A exclusively (40). OmpP2A and OmpP2B share 27% to 33% homology with the OmpP2 porin of Haemophilus influenzae Rd (40, 45, 49). Deletion of ompP2 in H. influenzae type b resulted in a construct with a pronounced growth defect that was avirulent in vivo (9). In contrast to results of these previous studies, the deletion of both ompP2A and ompP2B in 35000HP::P2AB had no statistically significant effect on pustule formation in the human challenge model (20).

In the present study, we performed a proteomics-based, comparative analysis of 35000HP::P2AB to 35000HP in order to identify protein expression differences that may correlate with phenotypic differences caused by (or resulting from) the absence of OmpP2A and OmpP2B. We have detected the expression of 231 proteins, a subset of which is differentially expressed at both the protein and transcript level. These results suggest that a global change in protein expression occurs in 35000HP::P2AB which functionally compensates for the loss of OmpP2A and OmpP2B.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

Bacterial strains, culture media, and growth conditions.

H. ducreyi strains 35000HP and 35000HP::P2AB have been described previously (20, 47). These strains were routinely cultured at 35.5°C on supplemented chocolate agar or in H. ducreyi broth as described previously (8).

Membrane-associated protein isolation and analysis.

Total membrane preparations (MP) for sodium dodecyl sulfate-10% polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis (SDS-PAGE) were isolated as previously described (46). MP samples for the Protein Biomarker Discovery Service (ProtTech Inc., Norristown, PA) were isolated as described previously (46), with the following modification: protein samples were resuspended in a modified buffer Z containing 50 mM HEPES (final concentration) substituted for 50 mM Tris, pH 8.0 (final concentration), to prevent interference with the lysine residue acylation reaction. SDS-PAGE and Western immunoblot analysis were performed as described previously (25). All lanes contained 10 μg/ml of protein as determined by the Lowry protein assay (Sigma-Aldrich, Springfield, MO).

Antibody development and characterization.

We previously developed antisera specific to either OmpP2A or OmpP2B, and the development of monoclonal antibody (MAb) 2C7 has been described elsewhere (47). MAb 1B2-1B7 was purchased from the American Type Culture Collection and has been previously demonstrated to bind the lipooligosaccharide (LOS) of H. ducreyi (12, 13, 32, 54). The GroEL-specific MAb 2G3 was generated following whole-cell immunization with H. ducreyi strains 35000, CIP542, and 33921 utilizing a previously described protocol (7, 17).

RNA isolation.

Broth cultures inoculated with either 35000HP or 35000HP::P2AB were grown to an optical density at 600 nm of 0.950. Ten-milliliter aliquots were immediately treated with RNAlater (Ambion, Austin, TX) to prevent RNA degradation. RNA was isolated using TRIzol reagent (Invitrogen, Carlsbad, CA) according to the manufacturer's instructions. RNA samples were treated with Baseline-ZERO DNase (Epicentre, Madison, WI) to remove contaminating genomic DNA, and RNA clean up was performed using the RNeasy mini kit (Qiagen, Valencia, CA) RNA clean-up protocol as per the manufacturer's instructions. RNA was converted to cDNA using the high-capacity cDNA archive kit (Applied Biosystems, Foster City, CA).

RT-PCR analysis.

All primers used in this study are listed in Table 1 and were designed using PrimerQuest Software (http://www.idtdna.com/Scitools/Applications/Primerquest/). Primer specificity and amplification efficiency were validated as described previously (29). Quantitative, real-time PCR (qRT-PCR) was performed in a Rotor-Gene 3000 (Corbett Research, Sydney, Australia) RT instrument using the QuantiTect SYBR green PCR kit (Qiagen) using the following thermocycling parameters: 95°C for 15 min, followed by 40 cycles of 94°C for 15 s, 60°C for 30 s, and 72°C for 30 s. RT data were collected by the Rotor-Gene 6 analysis program and transformed using the 2−ΔΔCT method in Microsoft Excel 2007 prior to statistical analysis in GraphPad Prism 4.0 (La Jolla, CA) (29).

TABLE 1.

Nucleotide sequences of qRT-PCR primers used in this study

Primer Sequence 5′ → 3′
aceE-F ACCGAGCCTTCTTTCGCTAGTTGT
aceE-R TACGGATGGCTTTGGTCGTTCTGA
argH-F GCACAAATTAGTGGCAACGGCTGA
argH-R GCCAATGCACCACAAAATGGA
cafA-F AAACCGCCGSGTTCATCACAATGG
cafA-R GAACCAAAGGCGCTCGCTTAACAA
frdA-F TTAATGACGGAAGGGTGTCGTGGT
frdA-R TTTGTCACGTGGGCCTAACTCCAT
groEL-F AACTTTAGTGGTTAATACTATGCGTGGT
groEL-R ACGGTCGCCGAAGCC
HD1190-F AGTGCAACGGACGGTGGTAATACT
HD1190-R GCTCAAGAAGAAGCAGGCGGTTTA
HD1337-F GGTGCTTGTTTATGGGCTGCCATT
HD1337-R CGAAGAAATTCGCGCGATTATTGCACA
HD1400-F GCACTCTGGCAACAACAGCCATTA
HD1400-R CACGCTCTTTGCTTAACGCTGTGA
HD1654-F GCCATTTAATGTAACCGCAGGGCA
HD1654-R TAAATGGCGCCAATCGGCATTACC
imp-F ACTTTGCGGGCGAAGAAATTA
imp-R TGTGGTGCCTGTTGTTCAATTCGG
mukB-F GTTGTCTTGCTGTTGGCGGTGTA
mukB-R CGGAATTTAATCAGCAAGCGGCGA
nudH-F ATGACGCAAGTCAGCCGGTATGTA
nudH-R AACCCAACGCCAACCATCAAACTC
nusG-F TTACGATGGCGAGGTTTATCCGCA
nusG-R TGCCACGTGTAATGGGCTTCATTG
putP-F AGGCGGTCGTCGTTTAGGTAGTTT
putP-R GCCCGCAACCAGTTTCCAGTTAAA
recB-F GACTTTCAACGCGCAGCAGAACAT
recB-R TTGCTTGGAATGGCTGAATAGCGG
rluB-F ACACTTACTTTAGCCGGTCGGGTT
rluB-R AATTCAGCACCGTTTAGCACACCC
rpoD-F AGTACAGTGTGCGGTGGCTGAATA
rpoD-R TCTGCGACCACATCTGATGCTTCT
secB-F TAGAAGACAGTGGCGATACGGCAT
secB-R AGTACGCTAGGGCATTGTGATGCT
suhB-F TTTACTGCGGTACGTGGTGAAGGT
suhB-R TAGCACCGGTTAAATCACGACGCT
uup-F TTGCCGAACCTTGTAATTCACGCC
uup-R AAGGTATTAAAGCACGCCGAACGC

Disk diffusion assays.

Disk diffusion assays were performed as described previously (30), with the following modifications. Chocolate agar plates, inoculated with 200 μl of 35000HP or 35000HP::P2AB suspended in brain heart infusion to an optical density at 600 nm of 0.2, were incubated for 30 min at 35.5°C, 5% CO2 prior to application of paper disks saturated with the appropriate detergent or hydrophobic antibiotic. Each detergent or hydrophobic antibiotic was assayed in quadruplicate during three independent experiments at the following concentrations: cetyltrimethylammonium bromide (CTAB; 100 mg/ml), N-lauroyl sarcosine (100 mg/ml), SDS (100 mg/ml), Triton X-100 (10%, vol/vol), Tween 20 (10%, vol/vol), novobiocin (10 mg/ml), polymyxin B (10 mg/ml), and deoxycholate (100 mg/ml). All chemicals were purchased from Sigma-Aldrich (Springfield, MO). Statistical significance was determined by a paired, two-tailed Student's t test in GraphPad Prism 4.0.

Protein differential expression analysis.

Differential expression of membrane-associated proteins was determined by the Protein Biomarker Discovery Service offered by ProtTech, Inc. This service utilizes 1-D gel electrophoresis coupled with subsequent light chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry (LC-MS-MS) analysis of isotope-coded affinity-tagged membrane-associated protein samples (28). This isotope-coded affinity-tagged technique, known as lysine-residue isotope tagging, is a proprietary extension of previously established N-terminal protein labeling techniques (33, 55, 56). Data analysis was performed as described previously (21).

MS analysis.

Matrix-assisted laser desorption ionization-MS services were performed at the Department of Biochemistry Proteomics Core Facility, University at Buffalo, SUNY.

RESULTS

Characterization of the 35000HP::P2AB mutant.

We have previously described the construction of a 35000HP mutant defective in expression of both OmpP2A and OmpP2B (20). Comparative growth analysis of 35000HP and 35000HP::P2AB demonstrated that the loss of both porins had no effect on growth in standard culture medium (Fig. 1). These data are in striking contrast to previous studies describing a severe growth defect in an H. influenzae type b OmpP2 mutant (9). In addition, deletion of classical porins in other gram-negative bacteria often results in either a growth defect or a lethal phenotype (1, 6, 8-10, 41). To explore possible explanations for this unexpected result, MPs were isolated from 35000HP and 35000HP::P2AB and analyzed for any differences in the protein profiles by SDS-PAGE (data not shown) and Western blot analysis (Fig. 2). Western blots probed with OmpP2A-specific (Fig. 2A) and OmpP2B-specific (Fig. 2B) antisera confirmed the proper phenotypes of 35000HP and 35000::P2AB. Whereas Western blots probed with the OmpA homolog-specific MAb 2C7 (Fig. 2C) and LOS-specific MAb 1B2-1B7 (Fig. 2D) demonstrate that 35000HP and 35000::P2AB expressed equivalent levels of these membrane components, a Western blot probed with MAb 2G3 demonstrated increased reactivity to 35000HP::P2AB relative to 35000HP (Fig. 2E). MAb 2G3 reacts to a 58.5-kDa protein with an apparent molecular weight consistent with the H. ducreyi heat shock and chaperonin protein GroEL (unpublished results). To confirm that MAb 2G3 was specific to GroEL, the 58.5-kDa band was excised and subjected to matrix-assisted laser desorption ionization-MS and peptide mass fingerprint analysis. The NCBI database was queried using the Mascot search engine (http://www.matrixscience.com), which returned a single, high-probability hit (Mowse score, 160) to the H. ducreyi GroEL.

FIG. 1.

FIG. 1.

Growth comparison of H. ducreyi 35000HP to the porin-deficient 35000HP::P2AB. The growth of 35000HP (squares) was compared to that of 35000HP::P2AB (triangles) in H. ducreyi broth. No discernible, statistically significant difference was identified in the doubling time of 35000HP compared to that of 35000HP::P2AB (P = 0.482; n = 3).

FIG. 2.

FIG. 2.

Observation of the increased expression of a 58.5-kDa protein in the porin-deficient mutant. Western blot analysis of 35000HP (lane 2) and 35000HP::P2AB (lane 3) total MPs using antibodies specific to OmpP2A (A), OmpP2B (B), OmpA2/MOMP (C), LOS (D), and GroEL (E). Molecular size standards (lane 1) are shown in kilodaltons.

Comparative proteomic analysis.

To determine if the increase in GroEL expression represented a singular response or was indicative of one or more previously unrecognized phenotypes, MP preparations from 35000HP and 35000HP::P2AB were compared for differential protein expression by ProtTech, Inc. (Norristown, PA). This 1-D gel electrophoresis coupled with a subsequent LC-MS-MS-based technique provides enhanced identification of membrane-associated and hydrophobic proteins compared to 2-D electrophoresis-based approaches (16, 52). A total of 231 proteins were identified between both strains, of which 170 (74%) have not been previously detected in prior H. ducreyi proteomics studies (Table 2), thus demonstrating the value of this method as a complement to standard 2-D electrophoresis-based techniques (39, 43). In total, 56 proteins were identified as being differentially expressed in the porin-deficient mutant relative to 35000HP (1.5-fold or greater), with the average differentially expressed protein being identified by 3.7 ± 0.6 peptides. Thirty-six proteins were increased in expression in 35000HP::P2AB relative to that in 35000HP, including the cytoplasmic chaperone SecB, the proline permease PutP, and the stress-associated dinucleoside polyphosphate hydrolase NudH. Twenty proteins were decreased in expression in 35000HP::P2AB relative to that in 35000HP, including the LOS/lipopolysaccharide (LPS) export protein Imp, the serum resistance protein DsrA, and the antiphagocytic proteins LspA1 and LspA2. A complete list of the differentially expressed proteins, exhibiting 1.5- to 33.3-fold changes in expression, is shown in Table 3. When the differentially expressed proteins were organized by the cluster of orthologous groups (COG) entry present for each protein in the 35000HP genome, a number of functional categories was identified (Fig. 3). Closer analysis of each functional category yielded interesting results (Fig. 3B). In particular, the number of differentially expressed metabolism-associated proteins indicated that a wide variety of metabolic processes had been affected. This change in metabolism is also mirrored by changes in proteins involved in transcription and translation. These data suggest that OmpP2A and OmpP2B may function as general diffusion pores, as has been described for OmpP2 of H. influenzae (51). Further analysis of the differentially expressed proteins identified a subset involved in membrane biogenesis. The number of affected chaperone, secretory, peptidoglycan, and membrane-associated proteins also suggests that OmpP2A and OmpP2B function in a structural capacity in the OM of 35000HP and that the loss of these proteins could result in a membrane biogenesis and/or stability defect. Finally, the loss of OmpP2A and OmpP2B resulted in the differential expression of several proteins with no defined function.

TABLE 2.

Complete list of membrane-associated proteins identified by Protein Biomarker Discovery Service

NCBI RefSeq accession no. Protein characteristic(s)a
NP_872672.1 Major OM protein homolog, OmpA2
NP_873123.1 Lipoprotein Hlp
NP_872671.1 Major OM protein
NP_872802.1 Periplasmic zinc transporter
NP_873651.1 Hypothetical OM protein
NP_873192.1 30S ribosomal protein S7b
NP_872695.1 Periplasmic nitrate reductaseb
NP_873124.1 Lipoprotein HlpBb
NP_874240.1 FKBP-type peptidyl-prolyl cis-trans isomerase FkpA
NP_874283.1 30S ribosomal protein S4b
NP_872858.1 15-kDa OM lipoproteinb
NP_872909.1 Manganese superoxide dismutase
NP_874147.1 60-kDa chaperonin
NP_873267.1 Endo-1,4-beta-xylanase Ab
NP_873991.1 30S ribosomal protein S2
NP_873158.1 Heme binding protein
NP_873136.1 Hypothetical protein HD0595b
NP_872850.1 Hypothetical protein HD0256
NP_874290.1 30S ribosomal protein S5b
NP_873316.1 Hypothetical protein HD0805b
NP_873652.1 OM protein D-15
NP_874221.1 50S ribosomal protein L7/L12
NP_874308.1 50S ribosomal protein L2b
NP_873552.1 Spermidine/putrescine-binding periplasmic protein
NP_874222.1 50S ribosomal protein L10
NP_873987.1 Ribosome releasing factor
NP_874254.1 Collagen adhesin NcaA
NP_874343.1 Hemoglobin-binding protein HgbA
NP_873635.1 OM protein P4
NP_872793.1 Chaperone protein DnaK
NP_874312.1 30S ribosomal protein S10b
NP_873494.1 DNA-binding protein HUb
NP_873733.1 Tight adherence protein Db
NP_874137.1 18,000-molecular-weight peptidoglycan-associated OM lipoprotein PAL
NP_873827.1 Hypothetical protein HD1409b
NP_874224.1 50S ribosomal protein L11b
NP_873538.1 Nucleoside diphosphate kinase
NP_874163.1 Translation initiation factor IF3b
NP_873902.1 30S ribosomal protein S9
NP_873019.1 Pyruvate kinase II
NP_873133.1 Hypothetical protein HD0591b
NP_873623.1 Large supernatant protein 2b
NP_873911.1 Large supernatant protein 1b
NP_874292.1 50S ribosomal protein L6b
NP_872899.1 Transaldolase
NP_874286.1 50S ribosomal protein L36b
NP_873852.1 OM protein P2 homolog
NP_874288.1 50S ribosomal protein L15b
NP_872690.1 Fine tangled pili major subunit
NP_872796.1 Hypothetical protein HD0192b
NP_874256.1 DNA-directed RNA polymerase omega subunitb
NP_873235.1 3-Oxoacyl-(acyl-carrier-protein) reductase, truncated
NP_872807.1 50S ribosomal protein L27b
NP_873584.1 Dihydrodipicolinate synthaseb
NP_874160.1 Hypothetical protein HD1798b
NP_873288.1 50S ribosomal protein L32b
NP_873671.1 Hypothetical protein HD1218b
NP_872936.1 Heat shock protein HtpXb
NP_873637.1 RNA polymerase sigma-70 factorb
NP_873668.1 Small protein Ab
NP_873029.1 Hypothetical protein HD0457b
NP_873262.1 RNA-binding protein Hfqb
NP_874092.1 50S ribosomal protein L31b
NP_874225.1 Transcription antitermination protein NusG
NP_874223.1 50S ribosomal protein L1
NP_873210.1 Hypothetical protein HD0680
NP_874284.1 30S ribosomal protein S11b
NP_872663.1 Coproporphyrinogen III oxidaseb
NP_872680.1 Elongation factor Tu
NP_873194.1 Elongation factor Tu
NP_874042.1 Phosphoglyceromutase
NP_874291.1 50S ribosomal protein L18b
NP_874280.1 30S ribosomal protein S16b
NP_872641.1 ATP synthase subunit Bb
NP_873551.1 HSP-70 cofactor
NP_873350.1 Superoxide dismutase [Cu-Zn]b
NP_873801.1 Hypothetical protein HD1377b
NP_872827.1 Phosphotransferase system phosphocarrier protein HPrb
NP_873040.1 Conserved putative lipoproteinb
NP_873191.1 30S ribosomal protein S12b
NP_873285.1 Serum resistance protein DsrA
NP_873532.1 30S ribosomal protein S18b
NP_873221.1 RNA polymerase sigma factorb
NP_874075.1 Organic solvent tolerance protein precursorb
NP_873197.1 Export protein SecB
NP_873277.1 Lipoproteinb
NP_873102.1 Aminopeptidase A/Ib
NP_873292.1 Hypothetical protein HD0776b
NP_874344.1 Large-conductance mechanosensitive channelb
NP_872854.1 Periplasmic serine protease do
NP_874177.1 Iron (chelated) ABC transporter, periplasmic-binding protein
NP_873279.1 Acid phosphatase stationary-phase survival proteinb
NP_874108.1 Putative uroporphyrinogen III C-methyltransferaseb
NP_872940.1 Hypothetical protein HD0358b
NP_874148.1 Co-chaperonin GroES
NP_874289.1 50S ribosomal protein L30b
NP_874140.1 Colicin transport protein, TolQb
NP_874120.1 Ferritin-like protein 1
NP_874012.1 Dihydrolipoamide acetyltransferase
NP_873182.1 Hypothetical protein HD0646b
NP_873496.1 Hypothetical protein HD1006b
NP_873530.1 30S ribosomal protein S6
NP_874117.1 Preprotein translocase subunit YajCb
NP_874285.1 30S ribosomal protein S13b
NP_872698.1 Possible cytochrome c-type proteinb
NP_872785.1 3-Hydroxydecanoyl-acyl carrier protein dehydrataseb
NP_873254.1 50S ribosomal protein L28b
NP_873904.1 Hypothetical protein HD1495b
NP_874263.1 Acyl carrier protein
NP_873249.1 Hypothetical protein HD0725b
NP_874191.1 Xanthine phosphoribosyltransferaseb
NP_873669.1 Hypothetical protein HD1215b
NP_873895.1 Integration host factor, alpha chainb
NP_874296.1 50S ribosomal protein L24b
NP_873876.1 Translation initiation factor IF2b
NP_872806.1 50S ribosomal protein L21b
NP_873499.1 Putative solute/DNA competence effectorb
NP_874282.1 DNA-directed RNA polymerase alpha subunit
NP_874327.1 Hypothetical protein HD2003
NP_874111.1 ABC-type transport protein Uupb
NP_873974.1 Condensin subunit B
NP_874219.1 DNA-directed RNA polymerase beta subunitb
NP_873097.1 5"-Phosphoribosylglycinamide transformylaseb
NP_873358.1 2-Dehydro-3-deoxyphosphooctonate aldolaseb
NP_873559.1 Cysteine desulfurase
NP_873624.1 Anaerobic glycerol-3-phosphate dehydrogenase, subunit Ab
NP_873795.1 Hypothetical protein HD1371b
NP_873981.1 ATP-dependent RNA helicaseb
NP_874039.1 Hypothetical protein HD1654b
NP_874114.1 DNA gyrase subunit Ab
NP_872657.1 Fumarate reductase
NP_872776.1 Dinucleoside polyphosphate hydrolaseb
NP_872798.1 RNase Eb
NP_873314.1 Haemophilus somnus” lipoprotein C homologb
NP_873489.1 Sodium/proline symporter, proline permeaseb
NP_873554.1 Exodeoxyribonuclease V, beta subunitb
NP_873994.1 GTP-binding protein Erab
NP_874019.1 Cytoplasmic axial filament proteinb
NP_874161.1 50S ribosomal protein L20b
NP_874167.1 Thiamine biosynthesis protein ThiIb
NP_874218.1 DNA-directed RNA polymerase beta" subunitb
NP_872924.1 Probable pseudouridylate synthaseb
NP_873015.1 Inositol-1-monophosphataseb
NP_873352.1 DNA polymerase III subunit betab
NP_873522.1 Argininosuccinate lyaseb
NP_873683.1 DNA polymerase Ib
NP_873822.1 Putative soluble lytic murein transglycosylaseb
NP_873909.1 Inositol-5-monophosphate dehydrogenase
NP_873978.1 DNA topoisomerase IV subunit Ab
NP_874013.1 2-Oxoglutarate dehydrogenase
NP_874067.1 Type III restriction enzymeb
NP_874255.1 ATP-dependent DNA helicase RecGb
NP_874330.1 ATP-dependent protease ATP-binding subunitb
NP_873678.1 Transcriptional regulatory proteinb
NP_872770.1 RNase activity regulator protein RraAb
NP_873187.1 Opacity associated protein Ab
NP_873533.1 50S ribosomal protein L9
NP_874341.1 Hypothetical protein HD2023b
NP_872931.1 Nitrate reductase, cytochrome c-type proteinb
NP_873712.1 Protein-export membrane proteinb
NP_873322.1 Arginine ABC transporter, periplasmic-binding proteinb
NP_874304.1 50S ribosomal protein L16b
NP_874305.1 30S ribosomal protein S3b
NP_873175.1 Possible cell division proteinb
NP_873241.1 Twin arginine translocase protein Ab
NP_873417.1 Hypothetical protein HD0923b
NP_873558.1 Hypothetical protein HD1080b
NP_873615.1 Serine transporterb
NP_874095.1 Na+/H+ antiporter proteinb
NP_874189.1 Probable OM proteinb
NP_873253.1 50S ribosomal protein L33b
NP_874227.1 Putative oligopeptide transporterb
NP_874302.1 30S ribosomal protein S17b
NP_872773.1 Inorganic pyrophosphatase
NP_873718.1 Single-strand DNA-binding protein
NP_873875.1 Ribosome-binding factor Ab
NP_873990.1 Elongation factor Ts
NP_874138.1 Colicin tolerance proteinb
NP_874162.1 50S ribosomal protein L35b
NP_872836.1 S-Adenosyl-methyltransferaseb
NP_872825.1 Glucose-specific phosphotransferase system enzyme IIA componentb
NP_872882.1 Hypothetical protein HD0292b
NP_873347.1 Putative secreted proteaseb
NP_873491.1 Hypothetical protein HD1001b
NP_873542.1 Hypothetical protein HD1060b
NP_873812.1 Molybdopterin converting factor subunit 2b
NP_874081.1 Hypothetical protein HD1710b
NP_874171.1 Thioredoxin
NP_872949.1 Ferric uptake regulation proteinb
NP_873141.1 Hypothetical protein HD0600
NP_873397.1 Cytolethal distending toxin protein Ab
NP_874145.1 Cytochrome d ubiquinol oxidase, subunit Ib
NP_874229.1 Peptide deformylaseb
NP_873284.1 Mannose-specific phosphotransferase IIAB component
NP_873537.1 Probable pseudouridine synthaseb
NP_873649.1 (3R)-Hydroxymyristoyl-acyl carrier protein dehydrataseb
NP_873684.1 Outer-membrane lipoprotein carrier protein precursorb
NP_873695.1 50S ribosomal protein L25b
NP_873769.1 Thiol/disulfide interchange protein
NP_873885.1 Hypothetical protein HD1472b
NP_874309.1 50S ribosomal protein L23b
NP_874277.1 50S ribosomal protein L19b
NP_872711.1 Hypothetical protein HD0097b
NP_872838.1 Penicillin-binding protein 3b
NP_872902.1 Dipeptide transport system permease proteinb
NP_873167.1 2,3,4,5-Tetrahydropyridine-2-carboxylate N-succinyltransferase
NP_873199.1 Trigger factor
NP_873226.1 Possible TetR family transcriptional regulatorb
NP_873335.1 UDP-glucose-4-epimeraseb
NP_874007.1 Hypothetical protein HD1618b
NP_874027.1 Possible integral membrane protein of DedA familyb
NP_874105.1 30S ribosomal protein S15b
NP_874192.1 Aminoacyl-histidine dipeptidaseb
NP_874297.1 50S ribosomal protein L14b
NP_872715.1 Hypothetical protein HD0101b
NP_872816.1 Heme-binding protein Ab
NP_872842.1 UDP-N-acetylmuramoyl-l-alanyl-d-glutamate synthetaseb
NP_872976.1 Electron transport complex protein RnfC
NP_873011.1 Transcription antitermination protein NusBb
NP_873283.1 Mannose-specific phosphotransferase system IIC componentb
NP_873507.1 Probable macrolide-specific efflux proteinb
NP_873672.1 Hypothetical protein HD1219b
NP_873685.1 Ribosomal protein S6 modification proteinb
NP_873703.1 Exoribonuclease IIb
NP_873728.1 Recombination factor protein RarAb
NP_873764.1 Hypothetical protein HD1332b
NP_873846.1 Alanyl-tRNA synthetaseb
NP_873849.1 Hypothetical protein HD1432b
NP_873984.1 Pyridoxine biosynthesis proteinb
NP_874196.1 TDP-4-keto-6-deoxy-d-glucose transaminaseb
NP_874310.1 50S ribosomal protein L4b
a

Proteins are listed in order of relative abundance from greatest to least.

b

Proteins that have not been identified in previous H. ducreyi proteomics studies (39, 43).

TABLE 3.

Differential expression of membrane-associated proteins in 35000HP::P2AB relative to that in 35000HP

NCBI RefSeq accession no. Protein Function COG assignment No. of peptidesa Fold change in expressionb
NP_872657.1 FrdA Fumarate reductase (flavoprotein subunit) C 2 4.2
NP_872698.1 NapB Nitrate reductase (cytochrome c subunit) C 4 1.7
NP_872776.1 NudH Dinucleoside polyphosphate hydrolase LR 2 2.2
NP_872819.1 ClpX Periplasmic protease O 4 ND
NP_872924.1 RluB Probable pseudouridylate synthase J 2 33.3
NP_872976.1 RnfC Iron-sulfur binding NADH dehydrogenase C 5 ND
NP_873015.1 SuhB Inositol-1-monophosphatase G 2 5.9
NP_873097.1 PurT Phosphoribosylglycinamide formyltransferase F 4 ND
NP_873171.1 AccC Acetyl coenzyme A carboxylase (biotin carboxylase subunit) I 3 ND
NP_873182.1 HD0646 Ligand-gated channel (CirA superfamily) S 1 ND
NP_873191.1 RpsL 30S ribosomal protein S12 J 4 2.0
NP_873197.1 SecB Chaperone/export protein U 2 ND
NP_873221.1 RpoD RNA polymerase general sigma factor K 3 2.6
NP_873288.1 RpmF 50S ribosomal protein L32 J 2 ND
NP_873292.1 HD0776 Protein of unknown function S 3 ND
NP_873489.1 PutP Proline permease ER 2 6.7
NP_873522.1 ArgH Argininosuccinate lyase E 2 3.9
NP_873554.1 RecB Exodeoxyribonuclease V (beta subunit) L 2 25.0
NP_873651.1 HD1190 Predicted OM protein (OmpH-like) M 2 2.0
NP_873672.1 HD1219 Protein of unknown function S 3 ND
NP_873728.1 RarA DNA recombination factor L 8 ND
NP_873766.1 Kgd Alpha-ketoglutarate decarboxylase C 4 ND
NP_873801.1 HD1377 Protein of unknown function S 3 6.3
NP_873812.1 MoaE Molybdopterin converting factor (subunit 2) H 1 ND
NP_873822.1 HD1400 Putative soluble lytic murein transglycosylase M 2 2.1
NP_873873.1 Pta Phosphate acetyltransferase CR 3 ND
NP_873912.1 ManB Probable phosphomannomutase G 4 ND
NP_873974.1 MukB Chromatin remodeling D 2 2.1
NP_873995.1 Rnc RNase III K 3 ND
NP_874012.1 AceF Dihydrolipoamide acetyltransferase C 11 ND
NP_874147.1 GroEL 60-kDa chaperonin O 12 3.3
NP_874148.1 GroES Co-chaperonin with GroEL O 4 2.0
NP_874162.1 RpmI 50S ribosomal protein L35 J 3 3.3
NP_874219.1 RpoB DNA-directed RNA polymerase (beta subunit) K 2 ND
NP_874225.1 NusG Transcription antitermination protein K 2 3.6
NP_874227.1 HD1887 Putative oligopeptide transporter S 1 ND
NP_873852.1 OmpP2B Porin M 1 ND*
NP_873623.1 LspA2 Hemagglutinin-like macrophage phagocytic inhibitor U 30 −2.0
NP_874013.1 AceE Pyruvate dehydrogenase C 2 −1.9
NP_874019.1 CafA RNase G J 2 −9.4
NP_874039.1 HD1654 Protein of unknown function S 2 −4.0
NP_874075.1 Imp LPS/LOS export and organic solvent tolerance protein M 3 −1.6
NP_874111.1 Uup ABC-type transport protein R 2 −1.5
NP_874280.1 RpsP 30S ribosomal protein S16 J 3 −1.5
NP_874286.1 RpmJ 50S ribosomal protein L36 J 8 −2.0
NP_873133.1 HD0591 Putative two-component sensor kinase of LemA family S 3 −1.5
NP_873235.1 FabG 3-Oxoacyl-(acyl carrier protein) reductase IQR 1 ND*
NP_873285.1 DsrA Serum resistance protein UW 1 ND*
NP_873911.1 LspA1 Hemagglutinin-like macrophage phagocytic inhibitor U 10 −2.0
NP_874095.1 NhaB Na+/H+ antiporter protein P 1 ND*
NP_874191.1 Gpt Xanthine-guanosine phosphoribosyltransferase F 1 ND*
NP_874224.1 RplK 50S ribosomal protein L11 J 1 ND*
NP_874256.1 RpoZ DNA-directed RNA polymerase omega subunit K 4 −2.0
NP_874282.1 RpoA DNA-directed RNA polymerase alpha subunit K 4 −2.0
NP_874285.1 RpsM 30S ribosomal protein S13 J 2 −2.0
NP_874312.1 RpsJ 30S ribosomal protein S10 J 5 ND*
a

Number of peptides used to identify the protein by LC-MS-MS analysis. The average differentially expressed protein was identified by 3.7 ± 0.6 peptides.

b

Several proteins were present in detectable quantities in one but not both samples, preventing quantitative analysis of protein expression. ND, not detected in 35000HP; ND*, not detected in 35000HP::P2AB.

FIG. 3.

FIG. 3.

COG classification of differentially expressed proteins in 35000HP::P2AB relative to those in 35000HP. (A) Proteins whose expression increased or decreased in 35000HP::P2AB relative to those in 35000HP were grouped by similar functional category: I, information storage and processing; II, cellular processing and signaling; III, metabolism; and IV, poorly categorized. (B) Differential expression of proteins within similar functional categories was further delineated by individual COG assignment. Proteins demonstrating increased expression in 35000HP::P2AB are denoted by solid bars, while proteins demonstrating decreased expression are denoted by hatched bars. Several proteins have multiple COG assignments; COG assignments for individual proteins are listed in Table 3.

Verification of proteomics data by qRT-PCR.

We validated our proteomics data by qRT-PCR analysis to correlate gene expression with protein expression. Twenty of the 56 proteins were selected for verification, representing slightly more than a third of the differentially expressed protein data set. These data correlated with the protein expression results, serving to validate 18 of the 20 selected proteins and representing a 90% accuracy rate for the Protein Biomarker Discovery Service (Table 4). The change in gene expression for cafA and mukB failed to meet the 1.5-fold cutoff value, indicating that either their cognate proteins are not increased in expression in the porin-deficient mutant or that posttranscriptional regulatory mechanisms are responsible for the increase in expression detected by the Protein Biomarker Discovery Service.

TABLE 4.

qRT-PCR analysis of gene expression for differentially expressed proteins

NCBI accession no. Gene Mean fold change ± SEa
gi33149018 groEL 4.0 ± 2.5
gi33151304 frdA 5.5 ± 1.0
gi33151423 nudH 2.0 ± 0.4
gi33151571 rluB 1.7 ± 0.06
gi33151662 suhB 2.2 ± 0.3
gi33151844 secB 2.1 ± 0.7
gi33151868 rpoD 1.9 ± 0.3
gi33152136 putP 2.1 ± 0.04
gi33152169 argH 2.3 ± 0.6
gi33152201 recB 3.4 ± 1.1
gi33152298 HD1190 4.1 ± 2.3
gi33152448 HD1377 2.6 ± 0.6
gi33152469 HD1400 1.9 ± 0.2
gi33152621 mukB 1.2 ± 0.09
gi33152660 aceE −3.5 ± 0.2
gi33152666 cafA −1.4 ± 0.1
gi33152686 HD1654 −2.3 ± 0.1
gi33152722 imp −3.4 ± 0.8
gi33152758 uup −5.5 ± 1.0
gi33152872 nusG 2.3 ± 0.5
a

Mean fold change in gene expression in 35000HP::P2AB relative to 35000HP, normalized to gyrA expression as previously described (32).

35000HP::P2AB exhibits increased membrane permeability to hydrophobic agents.

Changes in proteins associated with LPS/LOS export (Imp), peptidoglycan biosynthesis (HD1400), the OM (LspA1/2 and DsrA), and stress-associated chaperone function (GroEL/ES) in 35000HP::P2AB suggested that the loss of OmpP2A and OmpP2B may play a role in maintaining the structural integrity of the OM. We initially performed antibiotic sensitivity studies which showed that 35000HP::P2AB was more susceptible to erythromycin, a porin-independent antibiotic, but more resistant to the porin-dependent antibiotics tetracycline, ciprofloxacin, and tigecycline compared to the wild type (data not shown). We performed subsequent disk diffusion assays assessing the stability of the membrane to challenge from detergents and hydrophobic antibiotics. These data demonstrated that the porin-deficient mutant was more sensitive than the wild type to all detergents tested with the exception of the cationic detergent CTAB (Fig. 4). 35000HP::P2AB also exhibited increased sensitivity to hydrophobic antibiotics that do not enter the cell through porin proteins (Fig. 4 and data not shown). Taken together, these data indicate that the loss of OmpP2A and OmpP2B renders the OM more permeable to hydrophobic solutes.

FIG. 4.

FIG. 4.

Disk diffusion analysis of membrane stability. Disk diffusion assays were performed to evaluate the stability of 35000HP (solid bars) and 35000HP::P2AB (hatched bars). Asterisks denote values that differ in a statistically significant manner at a P value of 0.05 (*), 0.005 (**), or 0.0005 (***).

DISCUSSION

The loss of classical porin expression in gram-negative pathogens often results in decreased fitness in both in vitro and in vivo environments (1, 6, 8-10, 41). However, 35000HP::P2AB did not exhibit any loss of viability or demonstrate any growth defect in vitro or in vivo in the human challenge model (20). Proteomic comparison of 35000HP::P2AB to 35000HP identified 231 proteins, 56 of which were determined to be differentially expressed. The differentially expressed proteins represented 18 separate COG classifications whose functions were predominantly associated with metabolism, protein trafficking, and membrane biogenesis. Differential expression was verified by qRT-PCR for 18 out of 20 selected proteins, representing a 90% success rate among the tested subset. Taken together, we suggest that the loss of OmpP2A and OmpP2B expression in 35000HP::P2AB results in global changes in protein expression and affects a wide range of cellular processes, the alteration of which appears to compensate for the loss of porin function in standard growth conditions.

Analysis of the COG assignments of the differentially expressed proteins indicates several interesting deviations in global protein expression in 35000HP::P2AB relative to that in 35000HP. Alterations in the metabolism-associated proteins are more numerous than any other COG category. Increased expression of the putative oligopeptide permease HD1887 and the proline permease PutP is anticipated to facilitate increased proline uptake in the porin-deficient mutant, an activity that has been demonstrated to help Escherichia coli survive a multitude of environmental stresses (23, 44, 53). Likewise, expression of argininosuccinate lyase (ArgH) was similarly increased. ArgH catalyzes the conversion of argininosuccinate into fumarate and arginine. Arginine stockpiling has also been demonstrated to occur in E. coli under a number of stressful growth conditions, including low pH and phosphate, nitrogen, and carbon deprivation (11, 18, 34). Such changes suggest that OmpP2A and OmpP2B function as general diffusion pores and/or facilitate the specific uptake of one or more cofactors involved in multiple metabolic pathways (2, 51).

The decreased expression of LspA2 and DsrA in the porin-deficient mutant is another interesting observation. Although the mechanisms that transport LspA2 and DsrA to the OM and surface are different, the energy expended in synthesizing and exporting these proteins is fairly significant. Thus, it is possible that the decreased expression of these two proteins may represent an attempt to minimize the metabolic burden on the porin-deficient mutant consistent with the alterations in metabolic activity mentioned above. In contrast, expression of MOMP and OmpA2, two major OM protein components, was unchanged. These data suggest that these last two proteins are more important for the survival and growth of the porin mutant in vitro than LspA2 and DsrA. However, far more mechanistic studies are needed to more accurately address these observations.

GroEL involvement in stress responses is well studied for many bacteria, including H. ducreyi (18, 26, 36, 38, 48). 35000HP::P2AB exhibits increased expression of NudH, a dinucleoside polyphosphate hydrolase involved in the breakdown of toxic compounds, maintenance of normal metabolite pools, and the degradation of intercellular signaling molecules, including the alarmone diadenosine tetraphosphate (AP4A) (3, 31). As diadenosine oligophosphates such as AP4A have been demonstrated to link chaperone expression and stress responses in other organisms, it is possible a similar mechanism is at work in 35000HP::P2AB (3, 31). Similarly, NudH may function to integrate membrane and metabolic stress responses within the porin-deficient mutant (3, 31).

SecB is a cytoplasmic chaperone responsible for the primary binding of nascently synthesized polypeptides bound for the OM (11). Increased SecB expression in 35000HP::P2AB is matched by a similar increase in the expression of the conserved hypothetical protein, HD1190. In silico analysis of HD1190 demonstrated the presence of an OmpH-like sequence motif by CDART (conserved domain architecture tool) analysis and that it is highly similar to OmpH-like proteins of other Pasteurellaceae by BLAST (15). OmpH, also known as Skp, is one of three periplasmic chaperones that bind immature OMPs and target them to the OM for transport (24, 42). Several prominent secreted and OM proteins, notably LspA1/2 and DsrA, are decreased in expression in the porin-deficient mutant. The changes in translation-associated, chaperone, and OM protein expression in 35000HP::P2AB suggest alterations in protein export and/or secretion in the absence of OmpP2A and OmpP2B.

Increased expression of HD1400, a putative lytic murein transglycosylase may permit increased protein secretion into the periplasm or may increase cell wall permeability. The loss of OmpP2A and OmpP2B also resulted in the decreased expression of the Imp protein. In E. coli, Imp is an essential OM protein required for the export of LPS (5). Phenotypic analyses of Imp mutants demonstrated increased sensitivity to detergents and hydrophobic antibiotics, as well as increased membrane permeability to maltodextrins (5, 41). As inferred from the decreased expression of Imp in 35000HP::P2AB, the porin-deficient mutant exhibits increased sensitivity to both hydrophobic antibiotics and detergents (Fig. 4). These observations suggest that 35000HP::P2AB may be subject to increased cell envelope permeability, at both the OM and the cell wall, and that this property may partially offset the loss of OmpP2A and OmpP2B in a nonspecific manner. The decreased membrane stability of the porin-deficient mutant is interesting because this strain remains virulent in the human challenge model (20). It is possible that clearance of H. ducreyi in this model does not involve membrane stability and it is also possible that the porin-deficient mutant may be less virulent in the later stages of infection, a parameter that cannot be measured in this human system. However, more studies are needed to address these hypotheses.

To our knowledge, this report constitutes the first comparative proteomic analysis of a bacterium deficient in the expression of both known porin proteins. While the loss of OmpP2A and OmpP2B expression in 35000HP::P2AB has multiple effects on bacterial physiology, this mutant has no obvious growth defect and remains fully virulent in vivo (20). The survival of the porin-deficient mutant is an important observation as porin mutants in Haemophilus spp. exhibit severe phenotypic defects, including loss of viability (9). Additionally, we cannot rule out the possibility that other presently undetected proteins may also demonstrate altered expression or function to compensate for the loss of OmpP2A and OmpP2B in 35000HP::P2AB. We are currently extending our analyses of the proteins identified in this study with particular emphasis on membrane stability and permeability, metabolic profiling, and nutrient uptake. These data will be instrumental in characterizing the general and specific functions of OmpP2A and OmpP2B for H. ducreyi biology and pathogenesis.

Acknowledgments

This work was supported by a grant to AAC from the John R. Oishei Foundation.

We thank N. R. Luke and S. R. Gill for critical review of the manuscript and D. Zhang (ProtTech, Inc.) for assistance and advice in the interpretation of the proteomics data.

Footnotes

Published ahead of print on 19 December 2008.

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