YjgM is a crotonyltransferase critical for polymyxin resistance of Escherichia coli
Jianpeng Zhuang,
Shiqin Liu,
Gao-Fei Du,
Zuye Fang,
Jiayi Wu,
Nan Li,
Tairan Zhong,
Jiayi Xu,
Qing-Yu He,
Xuesong Sun
Affiliations
Jianpeng Zhuang
MOE Key Laboratory of Tumor Molecular Biology and State Key Laboratory of Bioactive Molecules and Druggability Assessment, Institute of Life and Health Engineering, College of Life Science and Technology, Jinan University, Guangzhou, China
Shiqin Liu
MOE Key Laboratory of Tumor Molecular Biology and State Key Laboratory of Bioactive Molecules and Druggability Assessment, Institute of Life and Health Engineering, College of Life Science and Technology, Jinan University, Guangzhou, China
Gao-Fei Du
MOE Key Laboratory of Tumor Molecular Biology and State Key Laboratory of Bioactive Molecules and Druggability Assessment, Institute of Life and Health Engineering, College of Life Science and Technology, Jinan University, Guangzhou, China; Key Laboratory of Laboratory Diagnostics, Medical Technology School, Xuzhou Medical University, Xuzhou, Jiangsu, China
Zuye Fang
MOE Key Laboratory of Tumor Molecular Biology and State Key Laboratory of Bioactive Molecules and Druggability Assessment, Institute of Life and Health Engineering, College of Life Science and Technology, Jinan University, Guangzhou, China
Jiayi Wu
MOE Key Laboratory of Tumor Molecular Biology and State Key Laboratory of Bioactive Molecules and Druggability Assessment, Institute of Life and Health Engineering, College of Life Science and Technology, Jinan University, Guangzhou, China
Nan Li
MOE Key Laboratory of Tumor Molecular Biology and State Key Laboratory of Bioactive Molecules and Druggability Assessment, Institute of Life and Health Engineering, College of Life Science and Technology, Jinan University, Guangzhou, China
Tairan Zhong
MOE Key Laboratory of Tumor Molecular Biology and State Key Laboratory of Bioactive Molecules and Druggability Assessment, Institute of Life and Health Engineering, College of Life Science and Technology, Jinan University, Guangzhou, China
Jiayi Xu
MOE Key Laboratory of Tumor Molecular Biology and State Key Laboratory of Bioactive Molecules and Druggability Assessment, Institute of Life and Health Engineering, College of Life Science and Technology, Jinan University, Guangzhou, China
Qing-Yu He
MOE Key Laboratory of Tumor Molecular Biology and State Key Laboratory of Bioactive Molecules and Druggability Assessment, Institute of Life and Health Engineering, College of Life Science and Technology, Jinan University, Guangzhou, China; Corresponding author
Xuesong Sun
MOE Key Laboratory of Tumor Molecular Biology and State Key Laboratory of Bioactive Molecules and Druggability Assessment, Institute of Life and Health Engineering, College of Life Science and Technology, Jinan University, Guangzhou, China; Corresponding author
Summary: Lysine crotonylation has attracted widespread attention in recent years. However, little is known about bacterial crotonylation, particularly crotonyltransferase and decrotonylase, and its effects on antibiotic resistance. Our study demonstrates the ubiquitous presence of crotonylation in E. coli, which promotes bacterial resistance to polymyxin. We identify the crotonyltransferase YjgM and its regulatory pathways in E. coli with a focus on crotonylation. Further studies show that YjgM upregulates the crotonylation of the substrate protein PmrA, thereby boosting PmrA’s affinity for binding to the promoter of eptA, which, in turn, promotes EptA expression and confers polymyxin resistance in E. coli. Additionally, we discover that PmrA’s crucial crotonylation site and functional site is Lys 164. These significant discoveries highlight the role of crotonylation in bacterial drug resistance and offer a fresh perspective on creating antibacterial compounds.