Knockout of tusA facilitates flagella formation and cationic antimicrobial resistance by disrupting Fur transcriptional regulation in Escherichia coli

Abstract

tRNA 2-thiouridine synthesizing protein A (TusA), a sulfur-carrier protein, plays a crucial role in tRNA sulfur modification. Recent studies have reported that tusA deficiency affects iron-sulfur (Fe-S) homeostasis and cluster formation in Escherichia coli; however, its association with this phenotype remains unclear. In this study, we analyzed the phenotype of tusA-deficient E. coli ({Delta}tusA) and its underlying mechanisms using RNA sequencing. We observed that tusA deletion disrupted the expression of genes regulated by the ferric uptake regulator Fur or Fur-regulated transcription factors (flagellar transcriptional regulators D and C [FlhDC] and fumarate and nitrate reduction regulator [Fnr]). Increased expression of flhDC, which is the master regulator of flagellar genes facilitated flagella formation even under conditions in which the wild-type formed few flagella. Additionally, {Delta}tusA was resistant to cationic antibacterial agents, such as cetyltrimethylammonium bromide, cetylpyridinium chloride, and protamine sulfate. This resistance is associated with the increased expression of ompX or ompF, regulated by Fur and Fnr, respectively. Notably, both enhanced flagella formation and resistance to cationic antibacterial agents caused by tusA deletion were abolished in the fur-deficient background. These findings indicate that impaired expression of the fur regulon, possibly because of impaired Fe-S cluster formation, induces multiple phenotypic alterations in {Delta}tusA. IMPORTANCETusA is a sulfur carrier protein involved in tRNA sulfur modification, and its effect on translation has been studied. Recent studies have reported that tusA deficiency affects Fe-S homeostasis and cluster formation in Escherichia coli; however, its association with the phenotype remains unclear. Based on RNA sequencing, we indicated that the altered gene expression in {Delta}tusA resulted from the disruption of fur regulation that is controlled by Fe-S clusters. We further demonstrated that enhanced flagella formation and resistance to cationic drugs were mediated by Fur-dependent gene expression alterations. Our data indicate that the regulation of sulfur allocation for tRNA modification by TusA affects the global gene expression in bacteria.