Journal of Molecular Biology
Volume 432, Issue 19, 4 September 2020, Pages 5244-5258
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The Unique Phospholipidome of the Enteric Pathogen Campylobacter jejuni: Lysophosholipids Are Required for Motility at Low Oxygen Availability

https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jmb.2020.07.012Get rights and content
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Highlights

  • First analysis of the complete phospholipidome of the bacterial pathogen C. jejuni

  • Nine phospholipid classes were discovered carrying between one and three acyl chains

  • C.jejuni phospholipidome possess an unusually high percentage of lysophospholipids.

  • Lysophospholipids are needed to allow C.jejuni to be motile under low O2 conditions.

  • The C.jejuni phospholipidome is highly dynamic in response to environmental changes.

Abstract

In response to changes in their environment bacteria need to change both their protein and phospholipid repertoire to match environmental requirements, but the dynamics of bacterial phospholipid composition under different growth conditions is still largely unknown. In the present study, we investigated the phospholipidome of the bacterial pathogen Campylobacter jejuni. Transcription profiling on logarithmic and stationary phase grown cells of the microaerophilic human pathogen C. jejuni using RNA-seq revealed differential expression of putative phospholipid biosynthesis genes. By applying high-performance liquid chromatography tandem–mass spectrometry, we identified 203 phospholipid species representing the first determination of the phospholipidome of this pathogen. We identified nine different phospholipid classes carrying between one and three acyl chains. Phospholipidome analysis on bacteria of different ages (0–5 days) showed rapid changes in the ratio of phospholipids containing ethanolamine, or glycerol as phospholipid head group and in the number of cyclopropane bond containing fatty acids. Oxygen concentration influenced the percentage of lysophospholipids, and cyclo-propane bonds containing acyl chains. We show that large amounts of the phospholipids are lysophospholipids (30–45%), which mutant studies reveal are needed for normal C. jejuni motility at low oxygen conditions. C. jejuni possesses an unusual phospholipidome that is highly dynamic in response to environmental changes.

Keywords

Campylobacter jejuni
phospholipidome
lysophospholipids
PldA
Cfa

Abbreviations

PE
phosphatidylethanolamine
PG
phosphatidylglycerol
CL
cardiolipin
LPG
lysyl-phosphatidylglycerol
PI
phosphatidylinositol
PA
phosphatidic acid
PC
phosphatidylcholine
PS
phosphatidylserine
Cfa
cyclopropane fatty acid synthase
PldA
phospholipase A
LysoPA
lyso-phosphatidic acid

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