NarE: a novel ADP-ribosyltransferase from Neisseria meningitidis

Mol Microbiol. 2003 Nov;50(3):1055-67. doi: 10.1046/j.1365-2958.2003.03770.x.

Abstract

Mono ADP-ribosyltransferases (ADPRTs) are a class of functionally conserved enzymes present in prokaryotic and eukaryotic organisms. In bacteria, these enzymes often act as potent toxins and play an important role in pathogenesis. Here we report a profile-based computational approach that, assisted by secondary structure predictions, has allowed the identification of a previously undiscovered ADP-ribosyltransferase in Neisseria meningitidis (NarE). NarE shows structural homologies with E. coli heat-labile enterotoxin (LT) and cholera toxin (CT) and possesses ADP-ribosylating and NAD-glycohydrolase activities. As in the case of LT and CT, NarE catalyses the transfer of the ADP-ribose moiety to arginine residues. Despite the absence of a signal peptide, the protein is efficiently exported into the periplasm of Neisseria. The narE gene is present in 25 out of 43 strains analysed, is always present in ET-5 and Lineage 3 but absent in ET-37 and Cluster A4 hypervirulent lineages. When present, the gene is 100% conserved in sequence and is inserted upstream of and co-transcribed with the lipoamide dehydrogenase E3 gene. Possible roles in the pathogenesis of N. meningitidis are discussed.

MeSH terms

  • ADP Ribose Transferases / drug effects
  • ADP Ribose Transferases / genetics*
  • ADP Ribose Transferases / metabolism*
  • Amino Acid Sequence
  • Amino Acids / metabolism
  • Bacterial Toxins / metabolism
  • Base Sequence
  • Cholera Toxin / metabolism
  • Dithiothreitol / pharmacology
  • Enterotoxins / metabolism
  • Escherichia coli Proteins*
  • Magnesium / pharmacology
  • Molecular Sequence Data
  • Multigene Family
  • NAD / metabolism
  • NAD+ Nucleosidase / metabolism
  • Neisseria meningitidis, Serogroup B / enzymology*
  • Neisseria meningitidis, Serogroup B / genetics
  • Neisseria meningitidis, Serogroup B / pathogenicity
  • Periplasm / metabolism
  • Protein Sorting Signals
  • Sequence Homology, Amino Acid
  • Substrate Specificity
  • Virulence / genetics

Substances

  • Amino Acids
  • Bacterial Toxins
  • Enterotoxins
  • Escherichia coli Proteins
  • Protein Sorting Signals
  • NAD
  • Cholera Toxin
  • heat-labile enterotoxin, E coli
  • ADP Ribose Transferases
  • NarE protein, Neisseria meningitidis
  • NAD+ Nucleosidase
  • Magnesium
  • Dithiothreitol