51
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Calculating metalation in cells reveals CobW acquires Co II for vitamin B 12 biosynthesis while related proteins prefer Zn II. Nat Commun 2021; 12:1195. [PMID: 33608553 PMCID: PMC7895991 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-021-21479-8] [Citation(s) in RCA: 25] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/26/2020] [Accepted: 01/25/2021] [Indexed: 02/01/2023] Open
Abstract
Protein metal-occupancy (metalation) in vivo has been elusive. To address this challenge, the available free energies of metals have recently been determined from the responses of metal sensors. Here, we use these free energy values to develop a metalation-calculator which accounts for inter-metal competition and changing metal-availabilities inside cells. We use the calculator to understand the function and mechanism of GTPase CobW, a predicted CoII-chaperone for vitamin B12. Upon binding nucleotide (GTP) and MgII, CobW assembles a high-affinity site that can obtain CoII or ZnII from the intracellular milieu. In idealised cells with sensors at the mid-points of their responses, competition within the cytosol enables CoII to outcompete ZnII for binding CobW. Thus, CoII is the cognate metal. However, after growth in different [CoII], CoII-occupancy ranges from 10 to 97% which matches CobW-dependent B12 synthesis. The calculator also reveals that related GTPases with comparable ZnII affinities to CobW, preferentially acquire ZnII due to their relatively weaker CoII affinities. The calculator is made available here for use with other proteins.
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52
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Chaudhry AH, Nayab S, Hussain SB, Ali M, Pan Z. Current Understandings on Magnesium Deficiency and Future Outlooks for Sustainable Agriculture. Int J Mol Sci 2021; 22:1819. [PMID: 33673043 PMCID: PMC7917752 DOI: 10.3390/ijms22041819] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/31/2020] [Revised: 01/27/2021] [Accepted: 01/28/2021] [Indexed: 11/24/2022] Open
Abstract
The productivity of agricultural produce is fairly dependent on the availability of nutrients and efficient use. Magnesium (Mg2+) is an essential macronutrient of living cells and is the second most prevalent free divalent cation in plants. Mg2+ plays a role in several physiological processes that support plant growth and development. However, it has been largely forgotten in fertilization management strategies to increase crop production, which leads to severe reductions in plant growth and yield. In this review, we discuss how the Mg2+ shortage induces several responses in plants at different levels: morphological, physiological, biochemical and molecular. Additionally, the Mg2+ uptake and transport mechanisms in different cellular organelles and the role of Mg2+ transporters in regulating Mg2+ homeostasis are also discussed. Overall, in this review, we critically summarize the available information about the responses of Mg deficiency on plant growth and development, which would facilitate plant scientists to create Mg2+-deficiency-resilient crops through agronomic and genetic biofortification.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ahmad Hassan Chaudhry
- College of Horticulture and Forestry Sciences, Huazhong Agricultural University, Wuhan 430070, China;
| | - Shafa Nayab
- Department of Horticulture, Muhammad Nawaz Shareef University of Agriculture, Multan 60000, Pakistan; (S.N.); (S.B.H.)
| | - Syed Bilal Hussain
- Department of Horticulture, Muhammad Nawaz Shareef University of Agriculture, Multan 60000, Pakistan; (S.N.); (S.B.H.)
| | - Muqarrab Ali
- Department of Agronomy, Muhammad Nawaz Shareef University of Agriculture, Multan 60000, Pakistan;
| | - Zhiyong Pan
- College of Horticulture and Forestry Sciences, Huazhong Agricultural University, Wuhan 430070, China;
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Bedair TM, Heo Y, Ryu J, Bedair HM, Park W, Han DK. Biocompatible and functional inorganic magnesium ceramic particles for biomedical applications. Biomater Sci 2021; 9:1903-1923. [PMID: 33506843 DOI: 10.1039/d0bm01934h] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/19/2022]
Abstract
Magnesium ceramics hold promise for numerous biological applications. This review covers the synthesis of magnesium ceramic particles with specific morphologies and potential modification techniques. Magnesium ceramic particles possess multiple characteristics directly applicable to human biology; they are anti-inflammatory, antibacterial, antiviral, and offer anti-cancer effects. Based on these advantages, magnesium hydroxide nanoparticles have been extensively utilized across biomedical fields. In a vascular stent, the incorporation of magnesium ceramic nanoparticles enhances re-endothelialization. Additionally, tissue regeneration for bone, cartilage, and kidney can be promoted by magnesium ceramics. This review enables researchers to identify the optimum synthetic conditions to prepare magnesium ceramics with specific morphologies and sizes and select the appropriate modification protocols. It is also intended to elucidate the desirable physicochemical properties and biological benefits of magnesium ceramics.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tarek M Bedair
- Department of Biomedical Science, CHA University, 335 Pangyo-ro, Bundang-gu, Seongnam-si, Gyeonggi 13488, Korea.
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54
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Cooperativity and Allostery in RNA Systems. Methods Mol Biol 2020; 2253:255-271. [PMID: 33315228 DOI: 10.1007/978-1-0716-1154-8_15] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 03/15/2023]
Abstract
Allostery is among the most basic biological principles employed by biological macromolecules to achieve a biologically active state in response to chemical cues. Although initially used to describe the impact of small molecules on the conformation and activity of protein enzymes, the definition of this term has been significantly broadened to describe long-range conformational change of macromolecules in response to small or large effectors. Such a broad definition could be applied to RNA molecules, which do not typically serve as protein-free cellular enzymes but fold and form macromolecular assemblies with the help of various ligand molecules, including ions and proteins. Ligand-induced allosteric changes in RNA molecules are often accompanied by cooperative interactions between RNA and its ligand, thus streamlining the folding and assembly pathways. This chapter provides an overview of the interplay between cooperativity and allostery in RNA systems and outlines methods to study these two biological principles.
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55
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Rivas E. RNA structure prediction using positive and negative evolutionary information. PLoS Comput Biol 2020; 16:e1008387. [PMID: 33125376 PMCID: PMC7657543 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pcbi.1008387] [Citation(s) in RCA: 33] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/22/2020] [Revised: 11/11/2020] [Accepted: 09/24/2020] [Indexed: 12/22/2022] Open
Abstract
Knowing the structure of conserved structural RNAs is important to elucidate their function and mechanism of action. However, predicting a conserved RNA structure remains unreliable, even when using a combination of thermodynamic stability and evolutionary covariation information. Here we present a method to predict a conserved RNA structure that combines the following three features. First, it uses significant covariation due to RNA structure and removes spurious covariation due to phylogeny. Second, it uses negative evolutionary information: basepairs that have variation but no significant covariation are prevented from occurring. Lastly, it uses a battery of probabilistic folding algorithms that incorporate all positive covariation into one structure. The method, named CaCoFold (Cascade variation/covariation Constrained Folding algorithm), predicts a nested structure guided by a maximal subset of positive basepairs, and recursively incorporates all remaining positive basepairs into alternative helices. The alternative helices can be compatible with the nested structure such as pseudoknots, or overlapping such as competing structures, base triplets, or other 3D non-antiparallel interactions. We present evidence that CaCoFold predictions are consistent with structures modeled from crystallography. The availability of deeper comparative sequence alignments and recent advances in statistical analysis of RNA sequence covariation have made it possible to identify a reliable set of conserved base pairs, as well as a reliable set of non-basepairs (positions that vary without covarying). Predicting an overall consensus secondary structure consistent with a set of individual inferred pairs and non-pairs remains a problem. Current RNA structure prediction algorithms that predict nested secondary structures cannot use the full set of inferred covarying pairs, because covariation analysis also identifies important non-nested pairing interactions such as pseudoknots, base triples, and alternative structures. Moreover, although algorithms for incorporating negative constraints exist, negative information from covariation analysis (inferred non-pairs) has not been systematically exploited. Here I introduce an efficient approximate RNA structure prediction algorithm that incorporates all inferred pairs and excludes all non-pairs. Using this, and an improved visualization tool, I show that the method correctly identifies many non-nested structures in agreement with known crystal structures, and improves many curated consensus secondary structure annotations in RNA sequence alignment databases.
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Affiliation(s)
- Elena Rivas
- Department of Molecular and Cellular Biology, Harvard University, Cambridge, Massachusetts, USA
- * E-mail:
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56
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Halder A, Kumar S, Valsson O, Reddy G. Mg 2+ Sensing by an RNA Fragment: Role of Mg 2+-Coordinated Water Molecules. J Chem Theory Comput 2020; 16:6702-6715. [PMID: 32941038 DOI: 10.1021/acs.jctc.0c00589] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/28/2022]
Abstract
RNA molecules selectively bind to specific metal ions to populate their functional active states, making it important to understand their source of ion selectivity. In large RNA systems, metal ions interact with the RNA at multiple locations, making it difficult to decipher the precise role of ions in folding. To overcome this complexity, we studied the role of different metal ions (Mg2+, Ca2+, and K+) in the folding of a small RNA hairpin motif (5'-ucCAAAga-3') using unbiased all-atom molecular dynamics simulations. The advantage of studying this system is that it requires specific binding of a single metal ion to fold to its native state. We find that even for this small RNA, the folding free energy surface (FES) is multidimensional as different metal ions present in the solution can simultaneously facilitate folding. The FES shows that specific binding of a metal ion is indispensable for its folding. We further show that in addition to the negatively charged phosphate groups, the spatial organization of electronegative nucleobase atoms drives the site-specific binding of the metal ions. Even though the binding site cannot discriminate between different metal ions, RNA folds efficiently only in a Mg2+ solution. We show that the rigid network of Mg2+-coordinated water molecules facilitates the formation of important interactions in the transition state. The other metal ions such as K+ and Ca2+ cannot facilitate the formation of such interactions. These results allow us to hypothesize possible metal-sensing mechanisms in large metalloriboswitches and also provide useful insights into the design of appropriate collective variables for studying large RNA molecules using enhanced sampling methods.
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Affiliation(s)
- Antarip Halder
- Solid State and Structural Chemistry Unit, Indian Institute of Science, Bengaluru 560012, Karnataka, India
| | - Sunil Kumar
- Solid State and Structural Chemistry Unit, Indian Institute of Science, Bengaluru 560012, Karnataka, India
| | - Omar Valsson
- Max Planck Institute for Polymer Research, Ackermannweg 10, D-55128 Mainz, Germany
| | - Govardhan Reddy
- Solid State and Structural Chemistry Unit, Indian Institute of Science, Bengaluru 560012, Karnataka, India
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57
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Binas O, de Jesus V, Landgraf T, Völklein AE, Martins J, Hymon D, Kaur Bains J, Berg H, Biedenbänder T, Fürtig B, Lakshmi Gande S, Niesteruk A, Oxenfarth A, Shahin Qureshi N, Schamber T, Schnieders R, Tröster A, Wacker A, Wirmer-Bartoschek J, Wirtz Martin MA, Stirnal E, Azzaoui K, Richter C, Sreeramulu S, José Blommers MJ, Schwalbe H. 19 F NMR-Based Fragment Screening for 14 Different Biologically Active RNAs and 10 DNA and Protein Counter-Screens. Chembiochem 2020; 22:423-433. [PMID: 32794266 PMCID: PMC7436455 DOI: 10.1002/cbic.202000476] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/15/2020] [Revised: 08/11/2020] [Indexed: 11/17/2022]
Abstract
We report here the nuclear magnetic resonance 19F screening of 14 RNA targets with different secondary and tertiary structure to systematically assess the druggability of RNAs. Our RNA targets include representative bacterial riboswitches that naturally bind with nanomolar affinity and high specificity to cellular metabolites of low molecular weight. Based on counter‐screens against five DNAs and five proteins, we can show that RNA can be specifically targeted. To demonstrate the quality of the initial fragment library that has been designed for easy follow‐up chemistry, we further show how to increase binding affinity from an initial fragment hit by chemistry that links the identified fragment to the intercalator acridine. Thus, we achieve low‐micromolar binding affinity without losing binding specificity between two different terminator structures.
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Affiliation(s)
- Oliver Binas
- Institute for Organic Chemistry and Chemical Biology, Center for Biomolecular Magnetic Resonance (BMRZ), Johann Wolfgang Goethe-University Frankfurt, Max-von-Laue Strasse 7, 60438, Frankfurt am Main, Germany
| | - Vanessa de Jesus
- Institute for Organic Chemistry and Chemical Biology, Center for Biomolecular Magnetic Resonance (BMRZ), Johann Wolfgang Goethe-University Frankfurt, Max-von-Laue Strasse 7, 60438, Frankfurt am Main, Germany
| | - Tom Landgraf
- Institute for Organic Chemistry and Chemical Biology, Center for Biomolecular Magnetic Resonance (BMRZ), Johann Wolfgang Goethe-University Frankfurt, Max-von-Laue Strasse 7, 60438, Frankfurt am Main, Germany
| | - Albrecht Eduard Völklein
- Institute for Organic Chemistry and Chemical Biology, Center for Biomolecular Magnetic Resonance (BMRZ), Johann Wolfgang Goethe-University Frankfurt, Max-von-Laue Strasse 7, 60438, Frankfurt am Main, Germany
| | - Jason Martins
- Institute for Organic Chemistry and Chemical Biology, Center for Biomolecular Magnetic Resonance (BMRZ), Johann Wolfgang Goethe-University Frankfurt, Max-von-Laue Strasse 7, 60438, Frankfurt am Main, Germany
| | - Daniel Hymon
- Institute for Organic Chemistry and Chemical Biology, Center for Biomolecular Magnetic Resonance (BMRZ), Johann Wolfgang Goethe-University Frankfurt, Max-von-Laue Strasse 7, 60438, Frankfurt am Main, Germany
| | - Jasleen Kaur Bains
- Institute for Organic Chemistry and Chemical Biology, Center for Biomolecular Magnetic Resonance (BMRZ), Johann Wolfgang Goethe-University Frankfurt, Max-von-Laue Strasse 7, 60438, Frankfurt am Main, Germany
| | - Hannes Berg
- Institute for Organic Chemistry and Chemical Biology, Center for Biomolecular Magnetic Resonance (BMRZ), Johann Wolfgang Goethe-University Frankfurt, Max-von-Laue Strasse 7, 60438, Frankfurt am Main, Germany
| | - Thomas Biedenbänder
- Institute for Organic Chemistry and Chemical Biology, Center for Biomolecular Magnetic Resonance (BMRZ), Johann Wolfgang Goethe-University Frankfurt, Max-von-Laue Strasse 7, 60438, Frankfurt am Main, Germany
| | - Boris Fürtig
- Institute for Organic Chemistry and Chemical Biology, Center for Biomolecular Magnetic Resonance (BMRZ), Johann Wolfgang Goethe-University Frankfurt, Max-von-Laue Strasse 7, 60438, Frankfurt am Main, Germany
| | - Santosh Lakshmi Gande
- Institute for Organic Chemistry and Chemical Biology, Center for Biomolecular Magnetic Resonance (BMRZ), Johann Wolfgang Goethe-University Frankfurt, Max-von-Laue Strasse 7, 60438, Frankfurt am Main, Germany
| | - Anna Niesteruk
- Institute for Organic Chemistry and Chemical Biology, Center for Biomolecular Magnetic Resonance (BMRZ), Johann Wolfgang Goethe-University Frankfurt, Max-von-Laue Strasse 7, 60438, Frankfurt am Main, Germany
| | - Andreas Oxenfarth
- Institute for Organic Chemistry and Chemical Biology, Center for Biomolecular Magnetic Resonance (BMRZ), Johann Wolfgang Goethe-University Frankfurt, Max-von-Laue Strasse 7, 60438, Frankfurt am Main, Germany
| | - Nusrat Shahin Qureshi
- Institute for Organic Chemistry and Chemical Biology, Center for Biomolecular Magnetic Resonance (BMRZ), Johann Wolfgang Goethe-University Frankfurt, Max-von-Laue Strasse 7, 60438, Frankfurt am Main, Germany
| | - Tatjana Schamber
- Institute for Organic Chemistry and Chemical Biology, Center for Biomolecular Magnetic Resonance (BMRZ), Johann Wolfgang Goethe-University Frankfurt, Max-von-Laue Strasse 7, 60438, Frankfurt am Main, Germany
| | - Robbin Schnieders
- Institute for Organic Chemistry and Chemical Biology, Center for Biomolecular Magnetic Resonance (BMRZ), Johann Wolfgang Goethe-University Frankfurt, Max-von-Laue Strasse 7, 60438, Frankfurt am Main, Germany
| | - Alix Tröster
- Institute for Organic Chemistry and Chemical Biology, Center for Biomolecular Magnetic Resonance (BMRZ), Johann Wolfgang Goethe-University Frankfurt, Max-von-Laue Strasse 7, 60438, Frankfurt am Main, Germany
| | - Anna Wacker
- Institute for Organic Chemistry and Chemical Biology, Center for Biomolecular Magnetic Resonance (BMRZ), Johann Wolfgang Goethe-University Frankfurt, Max-von-Laue Strasse 7, 60438, Frankfurt am Main, Germany
| | - Julia Wirmer-Bartoschek
- Institute for Organic Chemistry and Chemical Biology, Center for Biomolecular Magnetic Resonance (BMRZ), Johann Wolfgang Goethe-University Frankfurt, Max-von-Laue Strasse 7, 60438, Frankfurt am Main, Germany
| | - Maria Alexandra Wirtz Martin
- Institute for Organic Chemistry and Chemical Biology, Center for Biomolecular Magnetic Resonance (BMRZ), Johann Wolfgang Goethe-University Frankfurt, Max-von-Laue Strasse 7, 60438, Frankfurt am Main, Germany
| | - Elke Stirnal
- Institute for Organic Chemistry and Chemical Biology, Center for Biomolecular Magnetic Resonance (BMRZ), Johann Wolfgang Goethe-University Frankfurt, Max-von-Laue Strasse 7, 60438, Frankfurt am Main, Germany
| | - Kamal Azzaoui
- Saverna Therapeutics, Gewerbestrasse 24, 4123, Allschwil, Switzerland
| | - Christian Richter
- Institute for Organic Chemistry and Chemical Biology, Center for Biomolecular Magnetic Resonance (BMRZ), Johann Wolfgang Goethe-University Frankfurt, Max-von-Laue Strasse 7, 60438, Frankfurt am Main, Germany
| | - Sridhar Sreeramulu
- Institute for Organic Chemistry and Chemical Biology, Center for Biomolecular Magnetic Resonance (BMRZ), Johann Wolfgang Goethe-University Frankfurt, Max-von-Laue Strasse 7, 60438, Frankfurt am Main, Germany
| | | | - Harald Schwalbe
- Institute for Organic Chemistry and Chemical Biology, Center for Biomolecular Magnetic Resonance (BMRZ), Johann Wolfgang Goethe-University Frankfurt, Max-von-Laue Strasse 7, 60438, Frankfurt am Main, Germany
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58
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Chan CW, Mondragón A. Crystal structure of an atypical cobalamin riboswitch reveals RNA structural adaptability as basis for promiscuous ligand binding. Nucleic Acids Res 2020; 48:7569-7583. [PMID: 32544228 PMCID: PMC7367189 DOI: 10.1093/nar/gkaa507] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/06/2020] [Revised: 05/15/2020] [Accepted: 06/11/2020] [Indexed: 11/25/2022] Open
Abstract
Cobalamin riboswitches encompass a structurally diverse group of cis-acting, gene regulatory elements found mostly in bacterial messenger RNA and are classified into subtypes based on secondary and tertiary characteristics. An unusual variant of the cobalamin riboswitch with predicted structural features was identified in Bacillus subtilis over a decade ago, but its structure and mechanisms of cobalamin selectivity and translational control have remained unsolved. We present the crystal structure of the aptamer domain of this atypical cobalamin riboswitch and a model for the complete riboswitch, including its expression platform domain. We demonstrate that this riboswitch binds to multiple cobalamin derivatives and correlate its promiscuous behavior to its structure and unique arrangement of peripheral elements. Comparative structural analyses between conventional cobalamin riboswitches and the B. subtilis cobalamin riboswitch reveal that the likely basis for this promiscuous ligand binding is intrinsic structural adaptability encoded in the RNA structure. It suggests that cobalamin selectivity might ultimately be viewed as existing on a spectrum of affinity for each derivative rather than as belonging to distinct types based on ligand specificities. Our work provides an interesting and notable example of functional coupling of ligand-sensing and adaptive folding by a structured RNA molecule.
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Affiliation(s)
- Clarence W Chan
- Department of Molecular Biosciences, Northwestern University, 2205 Tech Drive, Evanston, IL 60208-3500, USA
| | - Alfonso Mondragón
- Department of Molecular Biosciences, Northwestern University, 2205 Tech Drive, Evanston, IL 60208-3500, USA
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59
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Beyene SS, Ling T, Ristevski B, Chen M. A novel riboswitch classification based on imbalanced sequences achieved by machine learning. PLoS Comput Biol 2020; 16:e1007760. [PMID: 32687488 PMCID: PMC7392346 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pcbi.1007760] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/26/2020] [Revised: 07/30/2020] [Accepted: 05/13/2020] [Indexed: 11/24/2022] Open
Abstract
Riboswitch, a part of regulatory mRNA (50-250nt in length), has two main classes: aptamer and expression platform. One of the main challenges raised during the classification of riboswitch is imbalanced data. That is a circumstance in which the records of a sequences of one group are very small compared to the others. Such circumstances lead classifier to ignore minority group and emphasize on majority ones, which results in a skewed classification. We considered sixteen riboswitch families, to be in accord with recent riboswitch classification work, that contain imbalanced sequences. The sequences were split into training and test set using a newly developed pipeline. From 5460 k-mers (k value 1 to 6) produced, 156 features were calculated based on CfsSubsetEval and BestFirst function found in WEKA 3.8. Statistically tested result was significantly difference between balanced and imbalanced sequences (p < 0.05). Besides, each algorithm also showed a significant difference in sensitivity, specificity, accuracy, and macro F-score when used in both groups (p < 0.05). Several k-mers clustered from heat map were discovered to have biological functions and motifs at the different positions like interior loops, terminal loops and helices. They were validated to have a biological function and some are riboswitch motifs. The analysis has discovered the importance of solving the challenges of majority bias analysis and overfitting. Presented results were generalized evaluation of both balanced and imbalanced models, which implies their ability of classifying, to classify novel riboswitches. The Python source code is available at https://github.com/Seasonsling/riboswitch.
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Affiliation(s)
- Solomon Shiferaw Beyene
- Department of Bioinformatics, College of Life Sciences, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, China
| | - Tianyi Ling
- Department of Bioinformatics, College of Life Sciences, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, China
- School of Medicine, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, Zhejiang, China
| | - Blagoj Ristevski
- Faculty of Information and Communication Technologies, Bitola, St. Kliment Ohridski University Bitola, ul. Partizanska Bitola, Republic of North Macedonia
| | - Ming Chen
- Department of Bioinformatics, College of Life Sciences, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, China
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60
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Sherlock ME, Breaker RR. Former orphan riboswitches reveal unexplored areas of bacterial metabolism, signaling, and gene control processes. RNA (NEW YORK, N.Y.) 2020; 26:675-693. [PMID: 32165489 PMCID: PMC7266159 DOI: 10.1261/rna.074997.120] [Citation(s) in RCA: 30] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/25/2023]
Abstract
Comparative sequence analyses have been used to discover numerous classes of structured noncoding RNAs, some of which are riboswitches that specifically recognize small-molecule or elemental ion ligands and influence expression of adjacent downstream genes. Determining the correct identity of the ligand for a riboswitch candidate typically is aided by an understanding of the genes under its regulatory control. Riboswitches whose ligands were straightforward to identify have largely been associated with well-characterized metabolic pathways, such as coenzyme or amino acid biosynthesis. Riboswitch candidates whose ligands resist identification, collectively known as orphan riboswitches, are often associated with genes coding for proteins of unknown function, or genes for various proteins with no established link to one another. The cognate ligands for 16 former orphan riboswitch motifs have been identified to date. The successful pursuit of the ligands for these classes has provided insight into areas of biology that are not yet fully explored, such as ion homeostasis, signaling networks, and other previously underappreciated biochemical or physiological processes. Herein we discuss the strategies and methods used to match ligands with orphan riboswitch classes, and overview the lessons learned to inform and motivate ongoing efforts to identify ligands for the many remaining candidates.
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Affiliation(s)
- Madeline E Sherlock
- Department of Molecular Biophysics and Biochemistry, Yale University, New Haven, Connecticut 06520, USA
| | - Ronald R Breaker
- Department of Molecular Biophysics and Biochemistry, Yale University, New Haven, Connecticut 06520, USA
- Department of Molecular, Cellular and Developmental Biology, Yale University, New Haven, Connecticut 06520, USA
- Howard Hughes Medical Institute, Yale University, New Haven, Connecticut 06520, USA
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61
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Discovery of ANTAR-RNAs and their Mechanism of Action in Mycobacteria. J Mol Biol 2020; 432:4032-4048. [PMID: 32422150 DOI: 10.1016/j.jmb.2020.05.003] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/07/2020] [Revised: 05/07/2020] [Accepted: 05/07/2020] [Indexed: 02/07/2023]
Abstract
Non-coding RNAs play pivotal roles in bacterial signaling. However, RNAs from certain phyla (specially high-GC actinobacteria) still remain elusive. Here, by re-engineering the existing genome-wide search approach, we discover a family of structurally conserved RNAs that are present ubiquitously across actinobacteria, including mycobacteria. In vitro analysis shows that RNAs belonging to this family bind response-regulator proteins that contain the widely prevalent ANTAR domain. The Mycobacterium tuberculosis ANTAR protein gets phosphorylated by a histidine kinase and interacts with RNA only in its phosphorylated state. These newly identified RNAs reside only in certain transcripts and typically overlap with the ribosome-binding site, regulating translation of these transcripts. In this way, the RNAs directly link signaling pathways to translational control, thus expanding the mechanistic tool kit available for ANTAR-based control of gene expression. In mycobacteria, we find that RNAs targeted by ANTAR proteins majorly encode enzymes of lipid metabolism and associated redox pathways. This now allows us to identify the key genes that mediate ANTAR-dependent control of lipid metabolism. Our study establishes the identity and wide prevalence of ANTAR-target RNAs in mycobacteria, bringing RNA-mediated regulation in these bacteria to the center stage.
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Abstract
Iron is essential for nearly every organism, and mismanagement of its intracellular concentrations (either deficiency or excess) contributes to diminished virulence in human pathogens, necessitating intricate metalloregulatory mechanisms. To date, although several metal-responsive riboswitches have been identified in bacteria, none has been shown to respond to FeII. The czcD riboswitch, present in numerous human gut microbiota and pathogens, was recently shown to respond to NiII and CoII but thought not to respond to FeII, on the basis of aerobic, in vitro assays; its function in vivo is not well understood. We constructed a fluorescent sensor using this riboswitch fused to the RNA aptamer, Spinach2. When assayed anaerobically, the resulting sensor responds in vitro to FeII, as well as to MnII, CoII, NiII, and ZnII, but only in the cases of FeII and MnII do the apparent Kd values (0.4 and 11 μM, respectively) fall within the range of labile metal concentrations maintained by known metalloregulators. We also show that the sensor-which is, to the best of our knowledge, the first reversible genetically encoded fluorescent sensor for FeII-responds to iron in Escherichia coli cells. Finally, we demonstrate that the putative metal exporters directly downstream of two czcD riboswitches efficiently rescue iron toxicity in a heterologous expression system. Together, our results indicate that iron merits consideration as a plausible physiological ligand for czcD riboswitches, although a response to general metal stress cannot be ruled out at present.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jiansong Xu
- Department of Chemistry, The Pennsylvania State University, University Park, Pennsylvania 16802, United States
| | - Joseph A Cotruvo
- Department of Chemistry, The Pennsylvania State University, University Park, Pennsylvania 16802, United States
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63
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Novel PMMA bone cement nanocomposites containing magnesium phosphate nanosheets and hydroxyapatite nanofibers. MATERIALS SCIENCE & ENGINEERING. C, MATERIALS FOR BIOLOGICAL APPLICATIONS 2020; 109:110497. [DOI: 10.1016/j.msec.2019.110497] [Citation(s) in RCA: 32] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/12/2018] [Revised: 11/05/2019] [Accepted: 11/26/2019] [Indexed: 11/23/2022]
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64
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Hu G, Li H, Xu S, Wang J. Ligand Binding Mechanism and Its Relationship with Conformational Changes in Adenine Riboswitch. Int J Mol Sci 2020; 21:ijms21061926. [PMID: 32168940 PMCID: PMC7139962 DOI: 10.3390/ijms21061926] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/09/2020] [Revised: 03/01/2020] [Accepted: 03/09/2020] [Indexed: 12/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Riboswitches are naturally occurring RNA aptamers that control the expression of essential bacterial genes by binding to specific small molecules. The binding with both high affinity and specificity induces conformational changes. Thus, riboswitches were proposed as a possible molecular target for developing antibiotics and chemical tools. The adenine riboswitch can bind not only to purine analogues but also to pyrimidine analogues. Here, long molecular dynamics (MD) simulations and molecular mechanics Poisson–Boltzmann surface area (MM-PBSA) computational methodologies were carried out to show the differences in the binding model and the conformational changes upon five ligands binding. The binding free energies of the guanine riboswitch aptamer with C74U mutation complexes were compared to the binding free energies of the adenine riboswitch (AR) aptamer complexes. The calculated results are in agreement with the experimental data. The differences for the same ligand binding to two different aptamers are related to the electrostatic contribution. Binding dynamical analysis suggests a flexible binding pocket for the pyrimidine ligand in comparison with the purine ligand. The 18 μs of MD simulations in total indicate that both ligand-unbound and ligand-bound aptamers transfer their conformation between open and closed states. The ligand binding obviously affects the conformational change. The conformational states of the aptamer are associated with the distance between the mass center of two key nucleotides (U51 and A52) and the mass center of the other two key nucleotides (C74 and C75). The results suggest that the dynamical character of the binding pocket would affect its biofunction. To design new ligands of the adenine riboswitch, it is recommended to consider the binding affinities of the ligand and the conformational change of the ligand binding pocket.
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Affiliation(s)
- Guodong Hu
- Correspondence: (G.H.); (J.W.); Tel.: +86-534-8987536 (G.H.); +86-534-8985933 (J.W.)
| | | | | | - Jihua Wang
- Correspondence: (G.H.); (J.W.); Tel.: +86-534-8987536 (G.H.); +86-534-8985933 (J.W.)
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65
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Pohland AC, Schneider D. Mg2+ homeostasis and transport in cyanobacteria - at the crossroads of bacterial and chloroplast Mg2+ import. Biol Chem 2020; 400:1289-1301. [PMID: 30913030 DOI: 10.1515/hsz-2018-0476] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/21/2018] [Accepted: 03/19/2019] [Indexed: 12/29/2022]
Abstract
Magnesium cation (Mg2+) is the most abundant divalent cation in living cells, where it is required for various intracellular functions. In chloroplasts and cyanobacteria, established photosynthetic model systems, Mg2+ is the central ion in chlorophylls, and Mg2+ flux across the thylakoid membrane is required for counterbalancing the light-induced generation of a ΔpH across the thylakoid membrane. Yet, not much is known about Mg2+ homoeostasis, transport and distribution within cyanobacteria. However, Mg2+ transport across membranes has been studied in non-photosynthetic bacteria, and first observations and findings are reported for chloroplasts. Cyanobacterial cytoplasmic membranes appear to contain the well-characterized Mg2+ channels CorA and/or MgtE, which both facilitate transmembrane Mg2+ flux down the electrochemical gradient. Both Mg2+ channels are typical for non-photosynthetic bacteria. Furthermore, Mg2+ transporters of the MgtA/B family are also present in the cytoplasmic membrane to mediate active Mg2+ import into the bacterial cell. While the cytoplasmic membrane of cyanobacteria resembles a 'classical' bacterial membrane, essentially nothing is known about Mg2+ channels and/or transporters in thylakoid membranes of cyanobacteria or chloroplasts. As discussed here, at least one Mg2+ channelling protein must be localized within thylakoid membranes. Thus, either one of the 'typical' bacterial Mg2+ channels has a dual localization in the cytoplasmic plus the thylakoid membrane, or another, yet unidentified channel is present in cyanobacterial thylakoid membranes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Anne-Christin Pohland
- Institut für Pharmazie und Biochemie, Johannes-Gutenberg-Universität Mainz, Johann-Joachim-Becher-Weg 30, D-55128 Mainz, Germany
| | - Dirk Schneider
- Institut für Pharmazie und Biochemie, Johannes-Gutenberg-Universität Mainz, Johann-Joachim-Becher-Weg 30, D-55128 Mainz, Germany
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66
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Began J, Cordier B, Březinová J, Delisle J, Hexnerová R, Srb P, Rampírová P, Kožíšek M, Baudet M, Couté Y, Galinier A, Veverka V, Doan T, Strisovsky K. Rhomboid intramembrane protease YqgP licenses bacterial membrane protein quality control as adaptor of FtsH AAA protease. EMBO J 2020; 39:e102935. [PMID: 31930742 PMCID: PMC7231995 DOI: 10.15252/embj.2019102935] [Citation(s) in RCA: 25] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/12/2019] [Revised: 11/18/2019] [Accepted: 12/12/2019] [Indexed: 12/31/2022] Open
Abstract
Magnesium homeostasis is essential for life and depends on magnesium transporters, whose activity and ion selectivity need to be tightly controlled. Rhomboid intramembrane proteases pervade the prokaryotic kingdom, but their functions are largely elusive. Using proteomics, we find that Bacillus subtilis rhomboid protease YqgP interacts with the membrane‐bound ATP‐dependent processive metalloprotease FtsH and cleaves MgtE, the major high‐affinity magnesium transporter in B. subtilis. MgtE cleavage by YqgP is potentiated in conditions of low magnesium and high manganese or zinc, thereby protecting B. subtilis from Mn2+/Zn2+ toxicity. The N‐terminal cytosolic domain of YqgP binds Mn2+ and Zn2+ ions and facilitates MgtE cleavage. Independently of its intrinsic protease activity, YqgP acts as a substrate adaptor for FtsH, a function that is necessary for degradation of MgtE. YqgP thus unites protease and pseudoprotease function, hinting at the evolutionary origin of rhomboid pseudoproteases such as Derlins that are intimately involved in eukaryotic ER‐associated degradation (ERAD). Conceptually, the YqgP‐FtsH system we describe here is analogous to a primordial form of “ERAD” in bacteria and exemplifies an ancestral function of rhomboid‐superfamily proteins.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jakub Began
- Institute of Organic Chemistry and Biochemistry, Czech Academy of Science, Prague, Czech Republic.,Department of Genetics and Microbiology, Faculty of Science, Charles University, Prague, Czech Republic
| | - Baptiste Cordier
- Laboratoire de Chimie Bactérienne (LCB), Institut de Microbiologie de la Méditerranée (IMM), CNRS, UMR 7283, Aix Marseille Univ, Marseille Cedex 20, France
| | - Jana Březinová
- Institute of Organic Chemistry and Biochemistry, Czech Academy of Science, Prague, Czech Republic.,Department of Biochemistry, Faculty of Science, Charles University, Prague, Czech Republic
| | - Jordan Delisle
- Laboratoire de Chimie Bactérienne (LCB), Institut de Microbiologie de la Méditerranée (IMM), CNRS, UMR 7283, Aix Marseille Univ, Marseille Cedex 20, France
| | - Rozálie Hexnerová
- Institute of Organic Chemistry and Biochemistry, Czech Academy of Science, Prague, Czech Republic
| | - Pavel Srb
- Institute of Organic Chemistry and Biochemistry, Czech Academy of Science, Prague, Czech Republic
| | - Petra Rampírová
- Institute of Organic Chemistry and Biochemistry, Czech Academy of Science, Prague, Czech Republic
| | - Milan Kožíšek
- Institute of Organic Chemistry and Biochemistry, Czech Academy of Science, Prague, Czech Republic
| | - Mathieu Baudet
- CEA, Inserm, IRIG-BGE, Univ. Grenoble Alpes, Grenoble, France
| | - Yohann Couté
- CEA, Inserm, IRIG-BGE, Univ. Grenoble Alpes, Grenoble, France
| | - Anne Galinier
- Laboratoire de Chimie Bactérienne (LCB), Institut de Microbiologie de la Méditerranée (IMM), CNRS, UMR 7283, Aix Marseille Univ, Marseille Cedex 20, France
| | - Václav Veverka
- Institute of Organic Chemistry and Biochemistry, Czech Academy of Science, Prague, Czech Republic.,Department of Cell Biology, Faculty of Science, Charles University, Prague, Czech Republic
| | - Thierry Doan
- Laboratoire de Chimie Bactérienne (LCB), Institut de Microbiologie de la Méditerranée (IMM), CNRS, UMR 7283, Aix Marseille Univ, Marseille Cedex 20, France.,Laboratoire d'Ingénierie des Systèmes Macromoléculaires (LISM), Institut de Microbiologie de la Méditerranée (IMM), CNRS, UMR 7255, Aix Marseille Univ, Marseille Cedex 20, France
| | - Kvido Strisovsky
- Institute of Organic Chemistry and Biochemistry, Czech Academy of Science, Prague, Czech Republic
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67
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Martin JE, Le MT, Bhattarai N, Capdevila DA, Shen J, Winkler ME, Giedroc DP. A Mn-sensing riboswitch activates expression of a Mn2+/Ca2+ ATPase transporter in Streptococcus. Nucleic Acids Res 2020; 47:6885-6899. [PMID: 31165873 PMCID: PMC6649816 DOI: 10.1093/nar/gkz494] [Citation(s) in RCA: 30] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/21/2019] [Revised: 05/08/2019] [Accepted: 05/31/2019] [Indexed: 12/27/2022] Open
Abstract
Maintaining manganese (Mn) homeostasis is important for the virulence of numerous bacteria. In the human respiratory pathogen Streptococcus pneumoniae, the Mn-specific importer PsaBCA, exporter MntE, and transcriptional regulator PsaR establish Mn homeostasis. In other bacteria, Mn homeostasis is controlled by yybP-ykoY family riboswitches. Here, we characterize a yybP-ykoY family riboswitch upstream of the mgtA gene encoding a PII-type ATPase in S. pneumoniae, suggested previously to function in Ca2+ efflux. We show that the mgtA riboswitch aptamer domain adopts a canonical yybP-ykoY structure containing a three-way junction that is compacted in the presence of Ca2+ or Mn2+ at a physiological Mg2+ concentration. Although Ca2+ binds to the RNA aptamer with higher affinity than Mn2+, in vitro activation of transcription read-through of mgtA by Mn2+ is much greater than by Ca2+. Consistent with this result, mgtA mRNA and protein levels increase ≈5-fold during cellular Mn stress, but only in genetic backgrounds of S. pneumoniae and Bacillus subtilis that exhibit Mn2+ sensitivity, revealing that this riboswitch functions as a failsafe ‘on’ signal to prevent Mn2+ toxicity in the presence of high cellular Mn2+. In addition, our results suggest that the S. pneumoniae yybP-ykoY riboswitch functions to regulate Ca2+ efflux under these conditions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Julia E Martin
- Department of Biological Sciences, Idaho State University, Pocatello, ID 83209, USA
| | - My T Le
- Department of Cell Biology, Faculty of Biological Sciences, Vietnam National University, Hanoi, Vietnam
| | - Nabin Bhattarai
- Department of Biological Sciences, Idaho State University, Pocatello, ID 83209, USA
| | | | - Jiangchuan Shen
- Department of Cellular and Molecular Biochemistry, Indiana University, Bloomington, IN 47405, USA
| | - Malcolm E Winkler
- Department of Biology, Indiana University, Bloomington, IN 47405, USA
| | - David P Giedroc
- Department of Chemistry, Indiana University, Bloomington, IN 47405, USA
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68
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Chen J, Wang X, Pang L, Zhang JZH, Zhu T. Effect of mutations on binding of ligands to guanine riboswitch probed by free energy perturbation and molecular dynamics simulations. Nucleic Acids Res 2020; 47:6618-6631. [PMID: 31173143 PMCID: PMC6649850 DOI: 10.1093/nar/gkz499] [Citation(s) in RCA: 118] [Impact Index Per Article: 29.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/26/2019] [Revised: 05/22/2019] [Accepted: 05/29/2019] [Indexed: 12/14/2022] Open
Abstract
Riboswitches can regulate gene expression by direct and specific interactions with ligands and have recently attracted interest as potential drug targets for antibacterial. In this work, molecular dynamics (MD) simulations, free energy perturbation (FEP) and molecular mechanics generalized Born surface area (MM-GBSA) methods were integrated to probe the effect of mutations on the binding of ligands to guanine riboswitch (GR). The results not only show that binding free energies predicted by FEP and MM-GBSA obtain an excellent correlation, but also indicate that mutations involved in the current study can strengthen the binding affinity of ligands GR. Residue-based free energy decomposition was applied to compute ligand-nucleotide interactions and the results suggest that mutations highly affect interactions of ligands with key nucleotides U22, U51 and C74. Dynamics analyses based on MD trajectories indicate that mutations not only regulate the structural flexibility but also change the internal motion modes of GR, especially for the structures J12, J23 and J31, which implies that the aptamer domain activity of GR is extremely plastic and thus readily tunable by nucleotide mutations. This study is expected to provide useful molecular basis and dynamics information for the understanding of the function of GR and possibility as potential drug targets for antibacterial.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jianzhong Chen
- School of Science, Shandong Jiaotong University, Jinan 250357 China
| | - Xingyu Wang
- NYU-ECNU Center for Computational Chemistry at NYU Shanghai, Shanghai 200062, China
| | - Laixue Pang
- School of Science, Shandong Jiaotong University, Jinan 250357 China
| | - John Z H Zhang
- NYU-ECNU Center for Computational Chemistry at NYU Shanghai, Shanghai 200062, China.,Shanghai Engineering Research Center of Molecular Therapeutics & New Drug Development, School of Chemistry and Molecular Engineering, East China Normal University, Shanghai 200062, China
| | - Tong Zhu
- NYU-ECNU Center for Computational Chemistry at NYU Shanghai, Shanghai 200062, China.,Shanghai Engineering Research Center of Molecular Therapeutics & New Drug Development, School of Chemistry and Molecular Engineering, East China Normal University, Shanghai 200062, China
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69
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Abstract
RNA molecules fold into complex three-dimensional structures that sample alternate conformations ranging from minor differences in tertiary structure dynamics to major differences in secondary structure. This allows them to form entirely different substructures with each population potentially giving rise to a distinct biological outcome. The substructures can be partitioned along an existing energy landscape given a particular static cellular cue or can be shifted in response to dynamic cues such as ligand binding. We review a few key examples of RNA molecules that sample alternate conformations and how these are capitalized on for control of critical regulatory functions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Marie Teng-Pei Wu
- Department of Molecular and Cellular Biology, Harvard University, Cambridge, Massachusetts 02138
| | - Victoria D'Souza
- Department of Molecular and Cellular Biology, Harvard University, Cambridge, Massachusetts 02138
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70
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71
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Schmidt OP, Jurt S, Johannsen S, Karimi A, Sigel RKO, Luedtke NW. Concerted dynamics of metallo-base pairs in an A/B-form helical transition. Nat Commun 2019; 10:4818. [PMID: 31645548 PMCID: PMC6811676 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-019-12440-x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/16/2018] [Accepted: 09/05/2019] [Indexed: 01/31/2023] Open
Abstract
Metal-mediated base pairs expand the repertoire of nucleic acid structures and dynamics. Here we report solution structures and dynamics of duplex DNA containing two all-natural C-HgII-T metallo base pairs separated by six canonical base pairs. NMR experiments reveal a 3:1 ratio of well-resolved structures in dynamic equilibrium. The major species contains two (N3)T-HgII-(N3)C base pairs in a predominantly B-form helix. The minor species contains (N3)T-HgII-(N4)C base pairs and greater A-form characteristics. Ten-fold different 1J coupling constants (15N,199Hg) are observed for (N3)C-HgII (114 Hz) versus (N4)C-HgII (1052 Hz) connectivities, reflecting differences in cytosine ionization and metal-bonding strengths. Dynamic interconversion between the two types of C-HgII-T base pairs are coupled to a global conformational exchange between the helices. These observations inspired the design of a repetitive DNA sequence capable of undergoing a global B-to-A-form helical transition upon adding HgII, demonstrating that C-HgII-T has unique switching potential in DNA-based materials and devices.
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Affiliation(s)
- Olivia P Schmidt
- Department of Chemistry, University of Zurich, Zurich, Switzerland
| | - Simon Jurt
- Department of Chemistry, University of Zurich, Zurich, Switzerland
| | - Silke Johannsen
- Department of Chemistry, University of Zurich, Zurich, Switzerland
| | - Ashkan Karimi
- Department of Chemistry, University of Zurich, Zurich, Switzerland
| | - Roland K O Sigel
- Department of Chemistry, University of Zurich, Zurich, Switzerland
| | - Nathan W Luedtke
- Department of Chemistry, University of Zurich, Zurich, Switzerland.
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72
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Suddala KC, Price IR, Dandpat SS, Janeček M, Kührová P, Šponer J, Banáš P, Ke A, Walter NG. Local-to-global signal transduction at the core of a Mn 2+ sensing riboswitch. Nat Commun 2019; 10:4304. [PMID: 31541094 PMCID: PMC6754395 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-019-12230-5] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/30/2019] [Accepted: 08/28/2019] [Indexed: 01/01/2023] Open
Abstract
The widespread Mn2+-sensing yybP-ykoY riboswitch controls the expression of bacterial Mn2+ homeostasis genes. Here, we first determine the crystal structure of the ligand-bound yybP-ykoY riboswitch aptamer from Xanthomonas oryzae at 2.96 Å resolution, revealing two conformations with docked four-way junction (4WJ) and incompletely coordinated metal ions. In >100 µs of MD simulations, we observe that loss of divalents from the core triggers local structural perturbations in the adjacent docking interface, laying the foundation for signal transduction to the regulatory switch helix. Using single-molecule FRET, we unveil a previously unobserved extended 4WJ conformation that samples transient docked states in the presence of Mg2+. Only upon adding sub-millimolar Mn2+, however, can the 4WJ dock stably, a feature lost upon mutation of an adenosine contacting Mn2+ in the core. These observations illuminate how subtly differing ligand preferences of competing metal ions become amplified by the coupling of local with global RNA dynamics.
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Affiliation(s)
- Krishna C Suddala
- Single Molecule Analysis Group and Center for RNA Biomedicine, Department of Chemistry, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI, 48109, USA
| | - Ian R Price
- Department of Molecular Biology and Genetics, Cornell University, Ithaca, NY, 14850, USA
| | - Shiba S Dandpat
- Single Molecule Analysis Group and Center for RNA Biomedicine, Department of Chemistry, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI, 48109, USA
| | - Michal Janeček
- Institute of Biophysics of the Czech Academy of Sciences, Kralovopolská 135, Brno, 612 65, Czech Republic
- Department of Physical Chemistry, Faculty of Science, Palacký University, tř. 17 listopadu 12, Olomouc, 771 46, Czech Republic
| | - Petra Kührová
- Department of Physical Chemistry, Faculty of Science, Palacký University, tř. 17 listopadu 12, Olomouc, 771 46, Czech Republic
- Regional Centre of Advanced Technologies and Materials, Faculty of Science, Palacký University, tř. 17 listopadu 12, Olomouc, 771 46, Czech Republic
| | - Jiří Šponer
- Institute of Biophysics of the Czech Academy of Sciences, Kralovopolská 135, Brno, 612 65, Czech Republic
- Regional Centre of Advanced Technologies and Materials, Faculty of Science, Palacký University, tř. 17 listopadu 12, Olomouc, 771 46, Czech Republic
| | - Pavel Banáš
- Institute of Biophysics of the Czech Academy of Sciences, Kralovopolská 135, Brno, 612 65, Czech Republic
- Department of Physical Chemistry, Faculty of Science, Palacký University, tř. 17 listopadu 12, Olomouc, 771 46, Czech Republic
- Regional Centre of Advanced Technologies and Materials, Faculty of Science, Palacký University, tř. 17 listopadu 12, Olomouc, 771 46, Czech Republic
| | - Ailong Ke
- Department of Molecular Biology and Genetics, Cornell University, Ithaca, NY, 14850, USA.
| | - Nils G Walter
- Single Molecule Analysis Group and Center for RNA Biomedicine, Department of Chemistry, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI, 48109, USA.
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73
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Trachsel E, Redder P, Linder P, Armitano J. Genetic screens reveal novel major and minor players in magnesium homeostasis of Staphylococcus aureus. PLoS Genet 2019; 15:e1008336. [PMID: 31415562 PMCID: PMC6711546 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pgen.1008336] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/24/2019] [Revised: 08/27/2019] [Accepted: 07/29/2019] [Indexed: 12/19/2022] Open
Abstract
Magnesium is one of the most abundant metal ions in living cells. Very specific and devoted transporters have evolved for transporting Mg2+ ions across the membrane and maintain magnesium homeostasis. Using genetic screens, we were able to identify the main players in magnesium homeostasis in the opportunistic pathogen Staphylococcus aureus. Here, we show that import of magnesium relies on the redundant activity of either CorA2 or MgtE since in absence of these two importers, bacteria require increased amounts of magnesium in the medium. A third CorA-like importer seems to play a minor role, at least under laboratory conditions. For export of magnesium, we identified two proteins, MpfA and MpfB. MpfA, is the main actor since it is essential for growth in high magnesium concentrations. We show that gain of function mutations or overexpression of the minor factor, MpfB, which is part of a sigmaB controlled stress response regulon, can compensate for the absence of MpfA.
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Affiliation(s)
- Emilie Trachsel
- Department of Microbiology and Molecular Medicine, CMU, Faculty of Medicine, University of Geneva, Geneva, Switzerland
| | - Peter Redder
- Department of Microbiology and Molecular Medicine, CMU, Faculty of Medicine, University of Geneva, Geneva, Switzerland
- LMGM UMR5100, Centre de Biologie Integrative, Paul Sabatier University, Toulouse, France
| | - Patrick Linder
- Department of Microbiology and Molecular Medicine, CMU, Faculty of Medicine, University of Geneva, Geneva, Switzerland
| | - Joshua Armitano
- Department of Microbiology and Molecular Medicine, CMU, Faculty of Medicine, University of Geneva, Geneva, Switzerland
- * E-mail:
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74
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Weiss CA, Hoberg JA, Liu K, Tu BP, Winkler WC. Single-Cell Microscopy Reveals That Levels of Cyclic di-GMP Vary among Bacillus subtilis Subpopulations. J Bacteriol 2019; 201:e00247-19. [PMID: 31138629 PMCID: PMC6657594 DOI: 10.1128/jb.00247-19] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/08/2019] [Accepted: 05/21/2019] [Indexed: 11/20/2022] Open
Abstract
The synthesis of signaling molecules is one strategy bacteria employ to sense alterations in their environment and rapidly adjust to those changes. In Gram-negative bacteria, bis-(3'-5')-cyclic dimeric GMP (c-di-GMP) regulates the transition from a unicellular motile state to a multicellular sessile state. However, c-di-GMP signaling has been less intensively studied in Gram-positive organisms. To that end, we constructed a fluorescent yfp reporter based on a c-di-GMP-responsive riboswitch to visualize the relative abundance of c-di-GMP for single cells of the Gram-positive model organism Bacillus subtilis Coupled with cell-type-specific fluorescent reporters, this riboswitch reporter revealed that c-di-GMP levels are markedly different among B. subtilis cellular subpopulations. For example, cells that have made the decision to become matrix producers maintain higher intracellular c-di-GMP concentrations than motile cells. Similarly, we find that c-di-GMP levels differ between sporulating and competent cell types. These results suggest that biochemical measurements of c-di-GMP abundance are likely to be inaccurate for a bulk ensemble of B. subtilis cells, as such measurements will average c-di-GMP levels across the population. Moreover, the significant variation in c-di-GMP levels between cell types hints that c-di-GMP might play an important role during B. subtilis biofilm formation. This study therefore emphasizes the importance of using single-cell approaches for analyzing metabolic trends within ensemble bacterial populations.IMPORTANCE Many bacteria have been shown to differentiate into genetically identical yet morphologically distinct cell types. Such population heterogeneity is especially prevalent among biofilms, where multicellular communities are primed for unexpected environmental conditions and can efficiently distribute metabolic responsibilities. Bacillus subtilis is a model system for studying population heterogeneity; however, a role for c-di-GMP in these processes has not been thoroughly investigated. Herein, we introduce a fluorescent reporter, based on a c-di-GMP-responsive riboswitch, to visualize the relative abundance of c-di-GMP for single B. subtilis cells. Our analysis shows that c-di-GMP levels are conspicuously different among B. subtilis cellular subtypes, suggesting a role for c-di-GMP during biofilm formation. These data highlight the utility of riboswitches as tools for imaging metabolic changes within individual bacterial cells. Analyses such as these offer new insight into c-di-GMP-regulated phenotypes, especially given that other biofilms also consist of multicellular communities.
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Affiliation(s)
- Cordelia A Weiss
- Department of Cell Biology and Molecular Genetics, University of Maryland, College Park, Maryland, USA
| | - Jakob A Hoberg
- Department of Cell Biology and Molecular Genetics, University of Maryland, College Park, Maryland, USA
| | - Kuanqing Liu
- Department of Biochemistry, The University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center, Dallas, Texas, USA
| | - Benjamin P Tu
- Department of Biochemistry, The University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center, Dallas, Texas, USA
| | - Wade C Winkler
- Department of Cell Biology and Molecular Genetics, University of Maryland, College Park, Maryland, USA
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75
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Abdelkareem M, Saint-André C, Takacs M, Papai G, Crucifix C, Guo X, Ortiz J, Weixlbaumer A. Structural Basis of Transcription: RNA Polymerase Backtracking and Its Reactivation. Mol Cell 2019; 75:298-309.e4. [PMID: 31103420 PMCID: PMC7611809 DOI: 10.1016/j.molcel.2019.04.029] [Citation(s) in RCA: 70] [Impact Index Per Article: 14.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/19/2019] [Revised: 03/14/2019] [Accepted: 04/21/2019] [Indexed: 12/14/2022]
Abstract
Regulatory sequences or erroneous incorporations during DNA transcription cause RNA polymerase backtracking and inactivation in all kingdoms of life. Reactivation requires RNA transcript cleavage. Essential transcription factors (GreA and GreB, or TFIIS) accelerate this reaction. We report four cryo-EM reconstructions of Escherichia coli RNA polymerase representing the entire reaction pathway: (1) a backtracked complex; a backtracked complex with GreB (2) before and (3) after RNA cleavage; and (4) a reactivated, substrate-bound complex with GreB before RNA extension. Compared with eukaryotes, the backtracked RNA adopts a different conformation. RNA polymerase conformational changes cause distinct GreB states: a fully engaged GreB before cleavage; a disengaged GreB after cleavage; and a dislodged, loosely bound GreB removed from the active site to allow RNA extension. These reconstructions provide insight into the catalytic mechanism and dynamics of RNA cleavage and extension and suggest how GreB targets backtracked complexes without interfering with canonical transcription.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mo'men Abdelkareem
- Department of Integrated Structural Biology, Institut de Génétique et de Biologie Moléculaire et Cellulaire (IGBMC), Strasbourg, France; Université de Strasbourg, Strasbourg, France; CNRS UMR7104, Strasbourg, France; INSERM U1258, 67404 Illkirch Cedex, France
| | - Charlotte Saint-André
- Department of Integrated Structural Biology, Institut de Génétique et de Biologie Moléculaire et Cellulaire (IGBMC), Strasbourg, France; Université de Strasbourg, Strasbourg, France; CNRS UMR7104, Strasbourg, France; INSERM U1258, 67404 Illkirch Cedex, France
| | - Maria Takacs
- Department of Integrated Structural Biology, Institut de Génétique et de Biologie Moléculaire et Cellulaire (IGBMC), Strasbourg, France; Université de Strasbourg, Strasbourg, France; CNRS UMR7104, Strasbourg, France; INSERM U1258, 67404 Illkirch Cedex, France
| | - Gabor Papai
- Department of Integrated Structural Biology, Institut de Génétique et de Biologie Moléculaire et Cellulaire (IGBMC), Strasbourg, France; Université de Strasbourg, Strasbourg, France; CNRS UMR7104, Strasbourg, France; INSERM U1258, 67404 Illkirch Cedex, France
| | - Corinne Crucifix
- Department of Integrated Structural Biology, Institut de Génétique et de Biologie Moléculaire et Cellulaire (IGBMC), Strasbourg, France; Université de Strasbourg, Strasbourg, France; CNRS UMR7104, Strasbourg, France; INSERM U1258, 67404 Illkirch Cedex, France
| | - Xieyang Guo
- Department of Integrated Structural Biology, Institut de Génétique et de Biologie Moléculaire et Cellulaire (IGBMC), Strasbourg, France; Université de Strasbourg, Strasbourg, France; CNRS UMR7104, Strasbourg, France; INSERM U1258, 67404 Illkirch Cedex, France
| | - Julio Ortiz
- Department of Integrated Structural Biology, Institut de Génétique et de Biologie Moléculaire et Cellulaire (IGBMC), Strasbourg, France; Université de Strasbourg, Strasbourg, France; CNRS UMR7104, Strasbourg, France; INSERM U1258, 67404 Illkirch Cedex, France
| | - Albert Weixlbaumer
- Department of Integrated Structural Biology, Institut de Génétique et de Biologie Moléculaire et Cellulaire (IGBMC), Strasbourg, France; Université de Strasbourg, Strasbourg, France; CNRS UMR7104, Strasbourg, France; INSERM U1258, 67404 Illkirch Cedex, France.
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76
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Gupta A, Swati D. Riboswitches in Archaea. Comb Chem High Throughput Screen 2019; 22:135-149. [DOI: 10.2174/1386207322666190425143301] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/12/2018] [Revised: 03/15/2019] [Accepted: 04/13/2019] [Indexed: 12/15/2022]
Abstract
Background:
Riboswitches are cis-acting, non-coding RNA elements found in the
5’UTR of bacterial mRNA and 3’ UTR of eukaryotic mRNA, that fold in a complex manner to act
as receptors for specific metabolites hence altering their conformation in response to the change in
concentrations of a ligand or metabolite. Riboswitches function as gene regulators in numerous
bacteria, archaea, fungi, algae and plants.
Aim and Objective:
This study identifies different classes of riboswitches in the Archaeal domain
of life. Previous studies have suggested that riboswitches carry a conserved aptameric domain in
different domains of life. Since Archaea are considered to be the most idiosyncratic organisms it
was interesting to look for the conservation pattern of riboswitches in these obviously strange
microorganisms.
Materials and Methods:
Completely sequenced Archaeal Genomes present in the NCBI repository
were used for studying riboswitches and other ncRNAs. The sequence files in FASTA format were
downloaded from NCBI Genome database and information related to these genomes was retrieved
from GenBank. Three bioinformatics approaches were used namely, ab initio, consensus structure
prediction and statistical model-based prediction for identifying riboswitches.
Results:
Archaeal genomes have a sporadic distribution of putative riboswitches like the TPP,
FMN, Guanidine, Lysine and c-di-AMP riboswitches, which are known to occur in bacteria. Also,
a class of riboswitch sensing c-di-GMP, a second messenger, has been identified in a few Archaeal
organisms.
Conclusion:
This study clearly reveals that bioinformatics methods are likely to play a major role
in identifying conserved riboswitches and in establishing how widespread these classes are in all
domains of life, even though the final confirmation may come from wet lab methods.
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Affiliation(s)
- Angela Gupta
- Department of Bioinformatics, Mahila Mahavidyalaya, Banaras Hindu University, Varanasi, India
| | - D. Swati
- Department of Bioinformatics, Mahila Mahavidyalaya, Banaras Hindu University, Varanasi, India
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77
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Abstract
Riboswitches are RNA elements that recognize diverse chemical and biomolecular inputs, and transduce this recognition process to genetic, fluorescent, and other engineered outputs using RNA conformational changes. These systems are pervasive in cellular biology and are a promising biotechnology with applications in genetic regulation and biosensing. Here, we derive a simple expression bounding the activation ratio-the proportion of RNA in the active vs. inactive states-for both ON and OFF riboswitches that operate near thermodynamic equilibrium: 1+[I]/KdI, where [I] is the input ligand concentration and KdI is the intrinsic dissociation constant of the aptamer module toward the input ligand. A survey of published studies of natural and synthetic riboswitches confirms that the vast majority of empirically measured activation ratios have remained well below this thermodynamic limit. A few natural and synthetic riboswitches achieve activation ratios close to the limit, and these molecules highlight important principles for achieving high riboswitch performance. For several applications, including "light-up" fluorescent sensors and chemically-controlled CRISPR/Cas complexes, the thermodynamic limit has not yet been achieved, suggesting that current tools are operating at suboptimal efficiencies. Future riboswitch studies will benefit from comparing observed activation ratios to this simple expression for the optimal activation ratio. We present experimental and computational suggestions for how to make these quantitative comparisons and suggest new molecular mechanisms that may allow non-equilibrium riboswitches to surpass the derived limit.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Michelle Wu
- Program in Biomedical Informatics, Stanford University, Stanford, CA, United States
| | - Michael Gotrik
- Department of Biochemistry, Stanford University, Stanford, CA, United States
| | - Rhiju Das
- Department of Biochemistry, Stanford University, Stanford, CA, United States; Department of Physics, Stanford University, Stanford, CA, United States.
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78
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Manzourolajdad A, Spouge JL. Structural prediction of RNA switches using conditional base-pair probabilities. PLoS One 2019; 14:e0217625. [PMID: 31188853 PMCID: PMC6561571 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0217625] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/10/2018] [Accepted: 05/15/2019] [Indexed: 11/23/2022] Open
Abstract
An RNA switch triggers biological functions by toggling between two conformations. RNA switches include bacterial riboswitches, where ligand binding can stabilize a bound structure. For RNAs with only one stable structure, structural prediction usually just requires a straightforward free energy minimization, but for an RNA switch, the prediction of a less stable alternative structure is often computationally costly and even problematic. The current sampling-clustering method predicts stable and alternative structures by partitioning structures sampled from the energy landscape into two clusters, but it is very time-consuming. Instead, we predict the alternative structure of an RNA switch from conditional probability calculations within the energy landscape. First, our method excludes base pairs related to the most stable structure in the energy landscape. Then, it detects stable stems (“seeds”) in the remaining landscape. Finally, it folds an alternative structure prediction around a seed. While having comparable riboswitch classification performance, the conditional-probability computations had fewer adjustable parameters, offered greater predictive flexibility, and were more than one thousand times faster than the sampling step alone in sampling-clustering predictions, the competing standard. Overall, the described approach helps traverse thermodynamically improbable energy landscapes to find biologically significant substructures and structures rapidly and effectively.
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Affiliation(s)
- Amirhossein Manzourolajdad
- National Center for Biotechnology Information, National Library of Medicine, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, Maryland, United States of America
- * E-mail:
| | - John L. Spouge
- National Center for Biotechnology Information, National Library of Medicine, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, Maryland, United States of America
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79
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Chandrangsu P, Huang X, Gaballa A, Helmann JD. Bacillus subtilis FolE is sustained by the ZagA zinc metallochaperone and the alarmone ZTP under conditions of zinc deficiency. Mol Microbiol 2019; 112:751-765. [PMID: 31132310 DOI: 10.1111/mmi.14314] [Citation(s) in RCA: 45] [Impact Index Per Article: 9.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 05/22/2019] [Indexed: 12/23/2022]
Abstract
Bacteria tightly regulate intracellular zinc levels to ensure sufficient zinc to support essential functions, while preventing toxicity. The bacterial response to zinc limitation includes the expression of putative zinc metallochaperones belonging to subfamily 1 of the COG0523 family of G3E GTPases. However, the client proteins and the metabolic processes served by these chaperones are unclear. Here, we demonstrate that the Bacillus subtilis YciC zinc metallochaperone (here renamed ZagA for ZTP activated GTPase A) supports de novo folate biosynthesis under conditions of zinc limitation, and interacts directly with the zinc-dependent GTP cyclohydrolase IA, FolE (GCYH-IA). Furthermore, we identify a role for the alarmone ZTP, a modified purine biosynthesis intermediate, in the response to zinc limitation. ZTP, a signal of 10-formyl-tetrahydrofolate (10f-THF) deficiency in bacteria, transiently accumulates as FolE begins to fail, stimulates the interaction between ZagA and FolE, and thereby helps to sustain folate synthesis despite declining zinc availability.
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Affiliation(s)
- Pete Chandrangsu
- Department of Microbiology, Cornell University, Ithaca, NY, 14853, USA.,W.M. Keck Science Department, Claremont McKenna, Pitzer and Scripps College, Claremont, CA, 91711, USA
| | - Xiaojuan Huang
- Department of Microbiology, Cornell University, Ithaca, NY, 14853, USA
| | - Ahmed Gaballa
- Department of Microbiology, Cornell University, Ithaca, NY, 14853, USA
| | - John D Helmann
- Department of Microbiology, Cornell University, Ithaca, NY, 14853, USA
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80
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Pavlova N, Kaloudas D, Penchovsky R. Riboswitch distribution, structure, and function in bacteria. Gene 2019; 708:38-48. [PMID: 31128223 DOI: 10.1016/j.gene.2019.05.036] [Citation(s) in RCA: 57] [Impact Index Per Article: 11.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/18/2019] [Revised: 05/12/2019] [Accepted: 05/20/2019] [Indexed: 10/26/2022]
Abstract
Riboswitches are gene control elements that directly bind to specific ligands to regulate gene expression without the need for proteins. They are found in all three domains of life, including Bacteria, Archaea, and Eukaryota. Riboswitches are mostly spread in bacteria and archaea. In this paper, we discuss the general distribution, structure, and function of 28 different riboswitch classes as we focus our attention on riboswitches in bacteria. Bacterial riboswitches regulate gene expression by four distinct mechanisms. They regulate the expression of a limited number of genes. However, most of these genes are responsible for the synthesis of essential metabolites without which the cell cannot function. Therefore, riboswitch distribution is also important for antibacterial drug development.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nikolet Pavlova
- Department of Genetics, Faculty of Biology, Sofia University "Saint Kliment Ohridski", 8 Dragan Tzankov Blvd., 1164 Sofia, Bulgaria
| | - Dimitrios Kaloudas
- Department of Genetics, Faculty of Biology, Sofia University "Saint Kliment Ohridski", 8 Dragan Tzankov Blvd., 1164 Sofia, Bulgaria
| | - Robert Penchovsky
- Department of Genetics, Faculty of Biology, Sofia University "Saint Kliment Ohridski", 8 Dragan Tzankov Blvd., 1164 Sofia, Bulgaria.
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81
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Bhattacharya S, Jhunjhunwala A, Halder A, Bhattacharyya D, Mitra A. Going beyond base-pairs: topology-based characterization of base-multiplets in RNA. RNA (NEW YORK, N.Y.) 2019; 25:573-589. [PMID: 30792229 PMCID: PMC6467009 DOI: 10.1261/rna.068551.118] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/31/2018] [Accepted: 02/18/2019] [Indexed: 05/17/2023]
Abstract
Identification and characterization of base-multiplets, which are essentially mediated by base-pairing interactions, can provide insights into the diversity in the structure and dynamics of complex functional RNAs, and thus facilitate hypothesis driven biological research. The necessary nomenclature scheme, an extension of the geometric classification scheme for base-pairs by Leontis and Westhof, is however available only for base-triplets. In the absence of information on topology, this scheme is not applicable to quartets and higher order multiplets. Here we propose a topology-based classification scheme which, in conjunction with a graph-based algorithm, can be used for the automated identification and characterization of higher order base-multiplets in RNA structures. Here, the RNA structure is represented as a graph, where nodes represent nucleotides and edges represent base-pairing connectivity. Sets of connected components (of n nodes) within these graphs constitute subgraphs representing multiplets of "n" nucleotides. The different topological variants of the RNA multiplets thus correspond to different nonisomorphic forms of these subgraphs. To annotate RNA base-multiplets unambiguously, we propose a set of topology-based nomenclature rules for quartets, which are extendable to higher multiplets. We also demonstrate the utility of our approach toward the identification and annotation of higher order RNA multiplets, by investigating the occurrence contexts of selected examples in order to gain insights regarding their probable functional roles.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sohini Bhattacharya
- Center for Computational Natural Sciences and Bioinformatics (CCNSB), International Institute of Information Technology (IIIT-H), Gachibowli, Hyderabad 500032, India
| | - Ayush Jhunjhunwala
- Center for Computational Natural Sciences and Bioinformatics (CCNSB), International Institute of Information Technology (IIIT-H), Gachibowli, Hyderabad 500032, India
| | - Antarip Halder
- Center for Computational Natural Sciences and Bioinformatics (CCNSB), International Institute of Information Technology (IIIT-H), Gachibowli, Hyderabad 500032, India
| | - Dhananjay Bhattacharyya
- Computational Science Division, Saha Institute of Nuclear Physics (SINP), 1/AF, Bidhannagar, Kolkata 700064, India
| | - Abhijit Mitra
- Center for Computational Natural Sciences and Bioinformatics (CCNSB), International Institute of Information Technology (IIIT-H), Gachibowli, Hyderabad 500032, India
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82
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Sung HL, Nesbitt DJ. Single-Molecule FRET Kinetics of the Mn 2+ Riboswitch: Evidence for Allosteric Mg 2+ Control of "Induced-Fit" vs "Conformational Selection" Folding Pathways. J Phys Chem B 2019; 123:2005-2015. [PMID: 30739441 DOI: 10.1021/acs.jpcb.8b11841] [Citation(s) in RCA: 22] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/31/2022]
Abstract
Gene expression in bacteria is often regulated dynamically by conformational changes in a riboswitch upon ligand binding, a detailed understanding of which is very much in its infancy. For example, the manganese riboswitch is a widespread RNA motif that conformationally responds in regulating bacterial gene expression to micromolar levels of its eponymous ligand, Mn2+, but the mechanistic pathways are poorly understood. In this work, we quantitatively explore the dynamic folding behavior of the manganese riboswitch by single-molecule fluorescence resonance energy transfer spectroscopy as a function of cation/ligand conditions. From the detailed analysis of the kinetics, the Mn2+ is shown to fold the riboswitch by a "bind-then-fold" (i.e., "induced-fit", IF) mechanism, whereby the ligand binds first and then promotes folding. On the other hand, the data also clearly reveal the presence of a folded yet ligand-free structure predominating due to the addition of physiological Mg2+ to a nonselective metal ion binding site. Of particular kinetic interest, such a Mg2+ "prefolded" conformation of the riboswitch is shown to exhibit a significantly increased affinity for Mn2+ and further stabilization by subsequent binding of the ligand, thereby promoting efficient riboswitch folding by a "fold-then-bind" (i.e., "conformational selection", CS) mechanism. Our results not only demonstrate Mg2+-controlled switching between IF and CS riboswitch folding pathways but also suggest a novel heterotropic allosteric control in the manganese riboswitch activity co-regulated by Mg2+ binding.
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83
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Abstract
RNA is a versatile biomolecule capable of transferring information, taking on distinct three-dimensional shapes, and reacting to ambient conditions. RNA molecules utilize a wide range of mechanisms to control gene expression. An example of such regulation is riboswitches. Consisting exclusively of RNA, they are able to control important metabolic processes, thus providing an elegant and efficient RNA-only regulation system. Existing across all domains of life, riboswitches appear to represent one of the most highly conserved mechanisms for the regulation of a broad range of biochemical pathways. Through binding of a wide range of small-molecule ligands to their so-called aptamer domain, riboswitches undergo a conformational change in their downstream "expression platform." In consequence, the pattern of gene expression changes, which in turn results in increased or decreased protein production. Riboswitches unite the sensing and transduction of a signal that can directly be coupled to the metabolism of the cell; thus they constitute a very potent regulatory mechanism for many organisms. Highly specific RNA-binding domains not only occur in vivo but can also be evolved by means of the SELEX (systematic evolution of ligands by exponential enrichment) method, which allows in vitro selection of aptamers against almost any ligand. Coupling of these aptamers with an expression platform has led to the development of synthetic riboswitches, a highly active research field of great relevance and immense potential. The aim of this review is to summarize developments in the riboswitch field over the last decade and address key questions of recent research.
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84
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Sun LZ, Chen SJ. Predicting RNA-Metal Ion Binding with Ion Dehydration Effects. Biophys J 2018; 116:184-195. [PMID: 30612712 DOI: 10.1016/j.bpj.2018.12.006] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/16/2018] [Revised: 11/30/2018] [Accepted: 12/07/2018] [Indexed: 01/02/2023] Open
Abstract
Metal ions play essential roles in nucleic acids folding and stability. The interaction between metal ions and nucleic acids can be highly complicated because of the interplay between various effects such as ion correlation, fluctuation, and dehydration. These effects may be particularly important for multivalent ions such as Mg2+ ions. Previous efforts to model ion correlation and fluctuation effects led to the development of the Monte Carlo tightly bound ion model. Here, by incorporating ion hydration/dehydration effects into the Monte Carlo tightly bound ion model, we develop a, to our knowledge, new approach to predict ion binding. The new model enables predictions for not only the number of bound ions but also the three-dimensional spatial distribution of the bound ions. Furthermore, the new model reveals several intriguing features for the bound ions such as the mutual enhancement/inhibition in ion binding between the fully hydrated (diffuse) ions, the outer-shell dehydrated ions, and the inner-shell dehydrated ions and novel features for the monovalent-divalent ion interplay due to the hydration effect.
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Affiliation(s)
- Li-Zhen Sun
- Department of Applied Physics, Zhejiang University of Technology, Hangzhou, China; Department of Physics, Department of Biochemistry, and Informatics Institute, University of Missouri, Columbia, Missouri
| | - Shi-Jie Chen
- Department of Physics, Department of Biochemistry, and Informatics Institute, University of Missouri, Columbia, Missouri.
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85
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Li X, Chen F, Xiao J, Chou SH, Li X, He J. Genome-wide Analysis of the Distribution of Riboswitches and Function Analyses of the Corresponding Downstream Genes in Prokaryotes. Curr Bioinform 2018. [DOI: 10.2174/1574893613666180423145812] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/22/2022]
Abstract
Background:
Riboswitches are structured elements that usually reside in the noncoding
regions of mRNAs, with which various ligands bind to control a wide variety of downstream gene
expressions. To date, more than twenty different classes of riboswitches have been characterized to
sense various metabolites, including purines and their derivatives, coenzymes, amino acids, and metal
ions, etc.
</P><P>
Objective: This study aims to study the genome-wide analysis of the distribution of riboswitches and
function analyses of the corresponding downstream genes in prokaryotes.
Results:
In this study, we have completed a genome context analysis of 27 riboswitches to elucidate
their metabolic capacities of riboswitch-mediated gene regulation from the completely-sequenced 3,079
prokaryotic genomes. Furthermore, Cluster of Orthologous Groups of proteins (COG) annotation was
applied to predict and classify the possible functions of corresponding downstream genes of these
riboswitches. We found that they could all be successfully annotated and grouped into 20 different COG
functional categories, in which the two main clusters "coenzyme metabolism [H]" and "amino acid
transport and metabolism [E]" were the most significantly enriched.
Conclusion:
Riboswitches are found to be widespread in bacteria, among which three main classes of
TPP-, cobalamin- and SAM-riboswitch were the most widely distributed. We found a wide variety of
functions were associated with the corresponding downstream genes, suggesting that a wide extend of
regulatory roles were mediated by these riboswitches in prokaryotes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xinfeng Li
- State Key Laboratory of Agricultural Microbiology, College of Life Science and Technology, Huazhong Agricultural University, Wuhan, Hubei 430070, China
| | - Fang Chen
- State Key Laboratory of Agricultural Microbiology, College of Life Science and Technology, Huazhong Agricultural University, Wuhan, Hubei 430070, China
| | - Jinfeng Xiao
- State Key Laboratory of Agricultural Microbiology, College of Life Science and Technology, Huazhong Agricultural University, Wuhan, Hubei 430070, China
| | - Shan-Ho Chou
- Institute of Biochemistry and NCHU Agricultural Biotechnology Center, National Chung Hsing University, Taichung 40227, Taiwan
| | - Xuming Li
- State Key Laboratory of Agricultural Microbiology, College of Life Science and Technology, Huazhong Agricultural University, Wuhan, Hubei 430070, China
| | - Jin He
- State Key Laboratory of Agricultural Microbiology, College of Life Science and Technology, Huazhong Agricultural University, Wuhan, Hubei 430070, China
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86
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Bray MS, Lenz TK, Haynes JW, Bowman JC, Petrov AS, Reddi AR, Hud NV, Williams LD, Glass JB. Multiple prebiotic metals mediate translation. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A 2018; 115:12164-12169. [PMID: 30413624 PMCID: PMC6275528 DOI: 10.1073/pnas.1803636115] [Citation(s) in RCA: 39] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/22/2022] Open
Abstract
Today, Mg2+ is an essential cofactor with diverse structural and functional roles in life's oldest macromolecular machine, the translation system. We tested whether ancient Earth conditions (low O2, high Fe2+, and high Mn2+) can revert the ribosome to a functional ancestral state. First, SHAPE (selective 2'-hydroxyl acylation analyzed by primer extension) was used to compare the effect of Mg2+, Fe2+, and Mn2+ on the tertiary structure of rRNA. Then, we used in vitro translation reactions to test whether Fe2+ or Mn2+ could mediate protein production, and quantified ribosomal metal content. We found that (i) Mg2+, Fe2+, and Mn2+ had strikingly similar effects on rRNA folding; (ii) Fe2+ and Mn2+ can replace Mg2+ as the dominant divalent cation during translation of mRNA to functional protein; and (iii) Fe and Mn associate extensively with the ribosome. Given that the translation system originated and matured when Fe2+ and Mn2+ were abundant, these findings suggest that Fe2+ and Mn2+ played a role in early ribosomal evolution.
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Affiliation(s)
- Marcus S Bray
- School of Biological Sciences, Georgia Institute of Technology, Atlanta, GA 30332
| | - Timothy K Lenz
- School of Chemistry and Biochemistry, Georgia Institute of Technology, Atlanta, GA 30332
| | - Jay William Haynes
- School of Chemistry and Biochemistry, Georgia Institute of Technology, Atlanta, GA 30332
| | - Jessica C Bowman
- School of Chemistry and Biochemistry, Georgia Institute of Technology, Atlanta, GA 30332
| | - Anton S Petrov
- School of Chemistry and Biochemistry, Georgia Institute of Technology, Atlanta, GA 30332
| | - Amit R Reddi
- School of Chemistry and Biochemistry, Georgia Institute of Technology, Atlanta, GA 30332
| | - Nicholas V Hud
- School of Chemistry and Biochemistry, Georgia Institute of Technology, Atlanta, GA 30332
| | - Loren Dean Williams
- School of Chemistry and Biochemistry, Georgia Institute of Technology, Atlanta, GA 30332;
| | - Jennifer B Glass
- School of Earth and Atmospheric Sciences, Georgia Institute of Technology, Atlanta, GA 30332
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87
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Li C, Zhao X, Zhu X, Xie P, Chen G. Structural Studies of the 3',3'-cGAMP Riboswitch Induced by Cognate and Noncognate Ligands Using Molecular Dynamics Simulation. Int J Mol Sci 2018; 19:ijms19113527. [PMID: 30423927 PMCID: PMC6274999 DOI: 10.3390/ijms19113527] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/26/2018] [Revised: 11/03/2018] [Accepted: 11/04/2018] [Indexed: 01/09/2023] Open
Abstract
Riboswtich RNAs can control gene expression through the structural change induced by the corresponding small-molecule ligands. Molecular dynamics simulations and free energy calculations on the aptamer domain of the 3′,3′-cGAMP riboswitch in the ligand-free, cognate-bound and noncognate-bound states were performed to investigate the structural features of the 3′,3′-cGAMP riboswitch induced by the 3′,3′-cGAMP ligand and the specificity of ligand recognition. The results revealed that the aptamer of the 3′,3′-cGAMP riboswitch in the ligand-free state has a smaller binding pocket and a relatively compact structure versus that in the 3′,3′-cGAMP-bound state. The binding of the 3′,3′-cGAMP molecule to the 3′,3′-cGAMP riboswitch induces the rotation of P1 helix through the allosteric communication from the binding sites pocket containing the J1/2, J1/3 and J2/3 junction to the P1 helix. Simultaneously, these simulations also revealed that the preferential binding of the 3′,3′-cGAMP riboswitch to its cognate ligand, 3′,3′-cGAMP, over its noncognate ligand, c-di-GMP and c-di-AMP. The J1/2 junction in the 3′,3′-cGAMP riboswitch contributing to the specificity of ligand recognition have also been found.
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Affiliation(s)
- Chaoqun Li
- College of Chemistry, Chemical Engineering and Materials, Handan University, No. 530 North Xueyuan Road, Hanshan District, Han Dan 056005, Hebei, China.
| | - Xiaojia Zhao
- College of Chemistry, Chemical Engineering and Materials, Handan University, No. 530 North Xueyuan Road, Hanshan District, Han Dan 056005, Hebei, China.
| | - Xiaomin Zhu
- College of Chemistry, Chemical Engineering and Materials, Handan University, No. 530 North Xueyuan Road, Hanshan District, Han Dan 056005, Hebei, China.
| | - Pengtao Xie
- College of Chemistry, Chemical Engineering and Materials, Handan University, No. 530 North Xueyuan Road, Hanshan District, Han Dan 056005, Hebei, China.
| | - Guangju Chen
- College of Chemistry, Beijing Normal University, 19# Xinjiekouwai Street, Beijing 100875, China.
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88
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Kimura T, Lorenz-Fonfria VA, Douki S, Motoki H, Ishitani R, Nureki O, Higashi M, Furutani Y. Vibrational and Molecular Properties of Mg2+ Binding and Ion Selectivity in the Magnesium Channel MgtE. J Phys Chem B 2018; 122:9681-9696. [DOI: 10.1021/acs.jpcb.8b07967] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/07/2023]
Affiliation(s)
- Tetsunari Kimura
- Department of Life and Coordination-Complex Molecular Science, Institute for Molecular Science, National Institutes of Natural Sciences, 38 Nishigo-Naka, Myodaiji, Okazaki 444-8585, Japan
- Department of Structural Molecular Science, The Graduate University for Advanced Studies (SOKENDAI), 38 Nishigo-Naka, Myodaiji, Okazaki 444-8585, Japan
| | - Victor A. Lorenz-Fonfria
- Institute of Molecular Science (ICMol), Universitat de València, Catedràtic José Beltrán Martínez 2, 46980 Paterna, Spain
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Universitat de València, Carrer Doctor Moliner 50, 46100 Burjassot, Spain
| | - Shintaro Douki
- Department of Biophysics and Biochemistry, Graduate School of Science, The University of Tokyo, 7-3-1 Hongo, Bunkyo-ku, Tokyo 113-0033, Japan
| | - Hideyoshi Motoki
- Department of Chemistry, Biology and Marine Science, University of the Ryukyus, 1 Senbaru, Nishihara, Nakagami, Okinawa 903-0213, Japan
| | - Ryuichiro Ishitani
- Department of Biophysics and Biochemistry, Graduate School of Science, The University of Tokyo, 7-3-1 Hongo, Bunkyo-ku, Tokyo 113-0033, Japan
| | - Osamu Nureki
- Department of Biophysics and Biochemistry, Graduate School of Science, The University of Tokyo, 7-3-1 Hongo, Bunkyo-ku, Tokyo 113-0033, Japan
| | - Masahiro Higashi
- Department of Chemistry, Biology and Marine Science, University of the Ryukyus, 1 Senbaru, Nishihara, Nakagami, Okinawa 903-0213, Japan
| | - Yuji Furutani
- Department of Life and Coordination-Complex Molecular Science, Institute for Molecular Science, National Institutes of Natural Sciences, 38 Nishigo-Naka, Myodaiji, Okazaki 444-8585, Japan
- Department of Structural Molecular Science, The Graduate University for Advanced Studies (SOKENDAI), 38 Nishigo-Naka, Myodaiji, Okazaki 444-8585, Japan
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89
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Classification of riboswitch sequences using k-mer frequencies. Biosystems 2018; 174:63-76. [PMID: 30205141 DOI: 10.1016/j.biosystems.2018.09.001] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/31/2018] [Revised: 08/16/2018] [Accepted: 09/05/2018] [Indexed: 12/24/2022]
Abstract
Riboswitches are non-coding RNAs that regulate gene expression by altering the structural conformation of mRNA transcripts. Their regulation mechanism might be exploited for interesting biomedical applications such as drug targets and biosensors. A major challenge consists in accurately identifying metabolite-binding RNA switches which are structurally complex and diverse. In this regard, we investigated the classification of 16 riboswitch families using supervised learning algorithms trained solely with sequence-based features. We generated a reduced feature set and proposed a visual representation to explore its components. We induced Support Vector Machine, Random Forest, Naive Bayes, J48, and HyperPipes classifiers with our proposed feature set and tested their performance over independent data. Our best multi-class classifier achieved F-measure values of 0.996 and 0.966 in the training and test phases, respectively, outperforming those of a previous approach. When compared against BLAST, our best classifiers yielded competitive results. This work shows that the classifiers trained with our sequence-based feature set accurately discriminate riboswitches.
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90
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Li C, Zhao X, Xie P, Hu J, Bi H. Molecular dynamics simulation on the allosteric analysis of the c-di-GMP class I riboswitch induced by ligand binding. J Mol Recognit 2018; 32:e2756. [PMID: 30033590 DOI: 10.1002/jmr.2756] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/26/2018] [Revised: 06/20/2018] [Accepted: 06/21/2018] [Indexed: 02/02/2023]
Abstract
Riboswitches are RNA molecules that regulate gene expression using conformation change, affected by binding of small molecule ligands. Although a number of ligand-bound aptamer complex structures have been solved, it is important to know ligand-free conformations of the aptamers in order to understand the mechanism of specific binding by ligands. In this paper, we use dynamics simulations on a series of models to characterize the ligand-free and ligand-bound aptamer domain of the c-di-GMP class I (GEMM-I) riboswitch. The results revealed that the ligand-free aptamer has a stable state with a folded P2 and P3 helix, an unfolded P1 helix and open binding pocket. The first Mg ions binding to the aptamer is structurally favorable for the successive c-di-GMP binding. The P1 helix forms when c-di-GMP is successive bound. Three key junctions J1/2, J2/3 and J1/3 in the GEMM-I riboswitch contributing to the formation of P1 helix have been found. The binding of the c-di-GMP ligand to the GEMM-I riboswitch induces the riboswitch's regulation through the direct allosteric communication network in GEMM-I riboswitch from the c-di-GMP binding sites in the J1/2 and J1/3 junctions to the P1 helix, the indirect ones from those in the J2/3 and P2 communicating to P1 helix via the J1/2 and J1/3 media.
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Affiliation(s)
- Chaoqun Li
- College of Chemistry, Chemical Engineering and Materials, Handan University, No.530 North Xueyuan Road, Hanshan District, Han Dan, Hebei province, China
| | - Xiaojia Zhao
- College of Chemistry, Chemical Engineering and Materials, Handan University, No.530 North Xueyuan Road, Hanshan District, Han Dan, Hebei province, China
| | - Pengtao Xie
- College of Chemistry, Chemical Engineering and Materials, Handan University, No.530 North Xueyuan Road, Hanshan District, Han Dan, Hebei province, China
| | - Junping Hu
- College of Chemistry, Chemical Engineering and Materials, Handan University, No.530 North Xueyuan Road, Hanshan District, Han Dan, Hebei province, China
| | - Huimin Bi
- College of Chemistry, Chemical Engineering and Materials, Handan University, No.530 North Xueyuan Road, Hanshan District, Han Dan, Hebei province, China
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91
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Patel S, Panchasara H, Braddick D, Gohil N, Singh V. Synthetic small RNAs: Current status, challenges, and opportunities. J Cell Biochem 2018; 119:9619-9639. [DOI: 10.1002/jcb.27252] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/20/2018] [Accepted: 06/20/2018] [Indexed: 12/25/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Shreya Patel
- Department of Microbiology, Synthetic Biology Laboratory School of Biological Sciences and Biotechnology, Institute of Advanced Research, Koba Institutional Area Gandhinagar India
| | - Happy Panchasara
- Department of Microbiology, Synthetic Biology Laboratory School of Biological Sciences and Biotechnology, Institute of Advanced Research, Koba Institutional Area Gandhinagar India
| | | | - Nisarg Gohil
- Department of Microbiology, Synthetic Biology Laboratory School of Biological Sciences and Biotechnology, Institute of Advanced Research, Koba Institutional Area Gandhinagar India
| | - Vijai Singh
- Department of Microbiology, Synthetic Biology Laboratory School of Biological Sciences and Biotechnology, Institute of Advanced Research, Koba Institutional Area Gandhinagar India
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92
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Convergent Use of Heptacoordination for Cation Selectivity by RNA and Protein Metalloregulators. Cell Chem Biol 2018; 25:962-973.e5. [PMID: 29805037 DOI: 10.1016/j.chembiol.2018.04.016] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/01/2018] [Revised: 03/13/2018] [Accepted: 04/14/2018] [Indexed: 11/23/2022]
Abstract
The large yybP-ykoY family of bacterial riboswitches is broadly distributed phylogenetically. Previously, these gene-regulatory RNAs were proposed to respond to Mn2+. X-ray crystallography revealed a binuclear cation-binding pocket. This comprises one hexacoordinate site, with six oxygen ligands, which preorganizes the second, with five oxygen and one nitrogen ligands. The relatively soft nitrogen ligand was proposed to confer affinity for Mn2+, but how this excludes other soft cations remained enigmatic. By subjecting representative yybP-ykoY riboswitches to diverse cations in vitro, we now find that these RNAs exhibit limited transition metal ion selectivity. Among the cations tested, Cd2+ and Mn2+ bind most tightly, and comparison of three new Cd2+-bound crystal structures suggests that these riboswitches achieve selectivity by enforcing heptacoordination (favored by high-spin Cd2+ and Mn2+, but otherwise uncommon) in the softer site. Remarkably, the Cd2+- and Mn2+-selective bacterial transcription factor MntR also uses heptacoordination within a binuclear site to achieve selectivity.
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93
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Watkins AM, Geniesse C, Kladwang W, Zakrevsky P, Jaeger L, Das R. Blind prediction of noncanonical RNA structure at atomic accuracy. SCIENCE ADVANCES 2018; 4:eaar5316. [PMID: 29806027 PMCID: PMC5969821 DOI: 10.1126/sciadv.aar5316] [Citation(s) in RCA: 28] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/19/2017] [Accepted: 04/17/2018] [Indexed: 05/26/2023]
Abstract
Prediction of RNA structure from nucleotide sequence remains an unsolved grand challenge of biochemistry and requires distinct concepts from protein structure prediction. Despite extensive algorithmic development in recent years, modeling of noncanonical base pairs of new RNA structural motifs has not been achieved in blind challenges. We report a stepwise Monte Carlo (SWM) method with a unique add-and-delete move set that enables predictions of noncanonical base pairs of complex RNA structures. A benchmark of 82 diverse motifs establishes the method's general ability to recover noncanonical pairs ab initio, including multistrand motifs that have been refractory to prior approaches. In a blind challenge, SWM models predicted nucleotide-resolution chemical mapping and compensatory mutagenesis experiments for three in vitro selected tetraloop/receptors with previously unsolved structures (C7.2, C7.10, and R1). As a final test, SWM blindly and correctly predicted all noncanonical pairs of a Zika virus double pseudoknot during a recent community-wide RNA-Puzzle. Stepwise structure formation, as encoded in the SWM method, enables modeling of noncanonical RNA structure in a variety of previously intractable problems.
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Affiliation(s)
- Andrew M. Watkins
- Department of Biochemistry, Stanford University School of Medicine, Stanford, CA 94305, USA
| | - Caleb Geniesse
- Department of Biochemistry, Stanford University School of Medicine, Stanford, CA 94305, USA
- Biophysics Program, Stanford University, Stanford, CA 94305, USA
| | - Wipapat Kladwang
- Department of Biochemistry, Stanford University School of Medicine, Stanford, CA 94305, USA
| | - Paul Zakrevsky
- Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, Biomolecular Science and Engineering Program, University of California at Santa Barbara, Santa Barbara, CA 93106, USA
| | - Luc Jaeger
- Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, Biomolecular Science and Engineering Program, University of California at Santa Barbara, Santa Barbara, CA 93106, USA
| | - Rhiju Das
- Department of Biochemistry, Stanford University School of Medicine, Stanford, CA 94305, USA
- Biophysics Program, Stanford University, Stanford, CA 94305, USA
- Department of Physics, Stanford University, Stanford, CA 94305, USA
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94
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Maruyama T, Imai S, Kusakizako T, Hattori M, Ishitani R, Nureki O, Ito K, Maturana AD, Shimada I, Osawa M. Functional roles of Mg 2+ binding sites in ion-dependent gating of a Mg 2+ channel, MgtE, revealed by solution NMR. eLife 2018; 7:31596. [PMID: 29611805 PMCID: PMC5882242 DOI: 10.7554/elife.31596] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/28/2017] [Accepted: 03/25/2018] [Indexed: 01/30/2023] Open
Abstract
Magnesium ions (Mg2+) are divalent cations essential for various cellular functions. Mg2+ homeostasis is maintained through Mg2+ channels such as MgtE, a prokaryotic Mg2+ channel whose gating is regulated by intracellular Mg2+ levels. Our previous crystal structure of MgtE in the Mg2+-bound, closed state revealed the existence of seven crystallographically-independent Mg2+-binding sites, Mg1-Mg7. The role of Mg2+-binding to each site in channel closure remains unknown. Here, we investigated Mg2+-dependent changes in the structure and dynamics of MgtE using nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy. Mg2+-titration experiments, using wild-type and mutant forms of MgtE, revealed that the Mg2+ binding sites Mg1, Mg2, Mg3, and Mg6, exhibited cooperativity and a higher affinity for Mg2+, enabling the remaining Mg2+ binding sites, Mg4, Mg5, and Mg7, to play important roles in channel closure. This study revealed the role of each Mg2+-binding site in MgtE gating, underlying the mechanism of cellular Mg2+ homeostasis.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tatsuro Maruyama
- Department of Physical Chemistry, Graduate School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, The University of Tokyo, Tokyo, Japan
| | - Shunsuke Imai
- Department of Physical Chemistry, Graduate School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, The University of Tokyo, Tokyo, Japan
| | - Tsukasa Kusakizako
- Department of Biological Sciences, Graduate School of Science, The University of Tokyo, Tokyo, Japan
| | - Motoyuki Hattori
- State Key Laboratory of Genetic Engineering, School of Life Sciences, Fudan University, Shanghai, China.,Collaborative Innovation Center of Genetics and Development, School of Life Sciences, Fudan University, Shanghai, China.,Department of Physiology and Biophysics, School of Life Sciences, Fudan University, Shanghai, China
| | - Ryuichiro Ishitani
- Department of Biological Sciences, Graduate School of Science, The University of Tokyo, Tokyo, Japan
| | - Osamu Nureki
- Department of Biological Sciences, Graduate School of Science, The University of Tokyo, Tokyo, Japan
| | - Koichi Ito
- Department of Computational Biology and Medical Sciences, Graduate School of Frontier Sciences, The University of Tokyo, Chiba, Japan
| | - Andrès D Maturana
- Department of Bioengineering Sciences, Graduate School of Bioagricultural Sciences, Nagoya University, Nagoya, Japan
| | - Ichio Shimada
- Department of Physical Chemistry, Graduate School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, The University of Tokyo, Tokyo, Japan
| | - Masanori Osawa
- Department of Physical Chemistry, Graduate School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, The University of Tokyo, Tokyo, Japan.,Division of Physics for Life Functions, Faculty of Pharmacy, Keio University, Tokyo, Japan
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95
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Moldovan MA, Petrova SA, Gelfand MS. Comparative genomic analysis of fungal TPP-riboswitches. Fungal Genet Biol 2018; 114:34-41. [PMID: 29548845 DOI: 10.1016/j.fgb.2018.03.004] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/08/2017] [Revised: 02/17/2018] [Accepted: 03/08/2018] [Indexed: 12/11/2022]
Abstract
Riboswitches are conserved RNA structures located in non-coding regions of mRNA and able to bind small molecules (e.g. metabolites) changing conformation upon binding. This feature enables them to function as regulators of gene expression. The thiamin pyrophosphate (TPP) riboswitch is the only type of riboswitches found not only in bacteria, but also in eukaryotes - in plants, green algae, protists, and fungi. Two main mechanisms of fungal TPP riboswitch action, involving alternative splicing, have been established so far. Here, we report a large-scale bioinformatic study of riboswitch structural features, action mechanisms, and distribution along the fungal taxonomy groups. For each putatively regulated gene, we reconstruct the riboswitch structure, identify other components of the regulation machinery, and establish mechanisms of riboswitch-mediated regulation. In addition to three genes known to be regulated by TPP riboswitches, thiazole synthase THI4, hydroxymethilpyrimidine-syntase NMT1, and putative transporter NCU01977, we identify two new genes, a putative thiamin transporter THI9 and a transporter of unknown specificity. While the riboswitch sequence and structure remain highly conserved in all species and genes, the mode of riboswitch-mediated regulation varies between regulated genes. The riboswitch usage varies strongly between fungal taxa, with the largest number of riboswitch-regulated genes found in Pezizomycotina and no riboswitch-mediated regulation established in Saccaromycotina.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mikhail A Moldovan
- A.A. Kharkevich Institute for Information Transmission Problems, RAS, Bolshoy Karetny per. 19, Moscow 127051, Russia; Faculty of Bioengineering and Bioinformatics, M.V. Lomonosov Moscow State University, Vorobievy Gory 1-73, Moscow 119991, Russia,; Center for Data-Intensive Biomedicine and Biotechnology, Skolkovo Institute of Science and Technology, Moscow 143028, Russia.
| | - Svetlana A Petrova
- A.A. Kharkevich Institute for Information Transmission Problems, RAS, Bolshoy Karetny per. 19, Moscow 127051, Russia
| | - Mikhail S Gelfand
- A.A. Kharkevich Institute for Information Transmission Problems, RAS, Bolshoy Karetny per. 19, Moscow 127051, Russia; Faculty of Bioengineering and Bioinformatics, M.V. Lomonosov Moscow State University, Vorobievy Gory 1-73, Moscow 119991, Russia,; Center for Data-Intensive Biomedicine and Biotechnology, Skolkovo Institute of Science and Technology, Moscow 143028, Russia; Faculty of Computer Science, Higher School of Economics, Kochnovsky pr. 3, Moscow 125319, Russia
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96
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Khani A, Popp N, Kreikemeyer B, Patenge N. A Glycine Riboswitch in Streptococcus pyogenes Controls Expression of a Sodium:Alanine Symporter Family Protein Gene. Front Microbiol 2018. [PMID: 29527194 PMCID: PMC5829553 DOI: 10.3389/fmicb.2018.00200] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/20/2022] Open
Abstract
Regulatory RNAs play important roles in the control of bacterial gene expression. In this study, we investigated gene expression regulation by a putative glycine riboswitch located in the 5'-untranslated region of a sodium:alanine symporter family (SAF) protein gene in the group A Streptococcus pyogenes serotype M49 strain 591. Glycine-dependent gene expression mediated by riboswitch activity was studied using a luciferase reporter gene system. Maximal reporter gene expression was observed in the absence of glycine and in the presence of low glycine concentrations. Differences in glycine-dependent gene expression were not based on differential promoter activity. Expression of the SAF protein gene and the downstream putative cation efflux protein gene was investigated in wild-type bacteria by RT-qPCR transcript analyses. During growth in the presence of glycine (≥1 mM), expression of the genes were downregulated. Northern blot analyses revealed premature transcription termination in the presence of high glycine concentrations. Growth in the presence of 0.1 mM glycine led to the production of a full-length transcript. Furthermore, stability of the SAF protein gene transcript was drastically reduced in the presence of glycine. We conclude that the putative glycine riboswitch in S. pyogenes serotype M49 strain 591 represses expression of the SAF protein gene and the downstream putative cation efflux protein gene in the presence of high glycine concentrations. Sequence and secondary structure comparisons indicated that the streptococcal riboswitch belongs to the class of tandem aptamer glycine riboswitches.
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Affiliation(s)
- Afsaneh Khani
- Institute of Medical Microbiology, Virology and Hygiene, University Medicine Rostock, Rostock, Germany
| | - Nicole Popp
- Institute of Medical Microbiology, Virology and Hygiene, University Medicine Rostock, Rostock, Germany
| | - Bernd Kreikemeyer
- Institute of Medical Microbiology, Virology and Hygiene, University Medicine Rostock, Rostock, Germany
| | - Nadja Patenge
- Institute of Medical Microbiology, Virology and Hygiene, University Medicine Rostock, Rostock, Germany
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97
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Wang C, Wang L, Ding Y, Lu X, Zhang G, Yang J, Zheng H, Wang H, Jiang Y, Xu L. LncRNA Structural Characteristics in Epigenetic Regulation. Int J Mol Sci 2017; 18:ijms18122659. [PMID: 29292750 PMCID: PMC5751261 DOI: 10.3390/ijms18122659] [Citation(s) in RCA: 120] [Impact Index Per Article: 17.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/27/2017] [Revised: 11/24/2017] [Accepted: 11/26/2017] [Indexed: 12/27/2022] Open
Abstract
The rapid development of new generation sequencing technology has deepened the understanding of genomes and functional products. RNA-sequencing studies in mammals show that approximately 85% of the DNA sequences have RNA products, for which the length greater than 200 nucleotides (nt) is called long non-coding RNAs (lncRNA). LncRNAs now have been shown to play important epigenetic regulatory roles in key molecular processes, such as gene expression, genetic imprinting, histone modification, chromatin dynamics, and other activities by forming specific structures and interacting with all kinds of molecules. This paper mainly discusses the correlation between the structure and function of lncRNAs with the recent progress in epigenetic regulation, which is important to the understanding of the mechanism of lncRNAs in physiological and pathological processes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Chenguang Wang
- College of Bioinformatics Science and Technology, Harbin Medical University, Harbin 150081, China.
- Training Center for Students Innovation and Entrepreneurship Education, Harbin Medical University, Harbin 150081, China.
| | - Lianzong Wang
- College of Bioinformatics Science and Technology, Harbin Medical University, Harbin 150081, China.
- Training Center for Students Innovation and Entrepreneurship Education, Harbin Medical University, Harbin 150081, China.
| | - Yu Ding
- College of Bioinformatics Science and Technology, Harbin Medical University, Harbin 150081, China.
- Training Center for Students Innovation and Entrepreneurship Education, Harbin Medical University, Harbin 150081, China.
| | - Xiaoyan Lu
- College of Bioinformatics Science and Technology, Harbin Medical University, Harbin 150081, China.
- Training Center for Students Innovation and Entrepreneurship Education, Harbin Medical University, Harbin 150081, China.
| | - Guosi Zhang
- College of Bioinformatics Science and Technology, Harbin Medical University, Harbin 150081, China.
- Training Center for Students Innovation and Entrepreneurship Education, Harbin Medical University, Harbin 150081, China.
| | - Jiaxin Yang
- College of Bioinformatics Science and Technology, Harbin Medical University, Harbin 150081, China.
- Training Center for Students Innovation and Entrepreneurship Education, Harbin Medical University, Harbin 150081, China.
| | - Hewei Zheng
- College of Bioinformatics Science and Technology, Harbin Medical University, Harbin 150081, China.
- Training Center for Students Innovation and Entrepreneurship Education, Harbin Medical University, Harbin 150081, China.
| | - Hong Wang
- College of Bioinformatics Science and Technology, Harbin Medical University, Harbin 150081, China.
- Training Center for Students Innovation and Entrepreneurship Education, Harbin Medical University, Harbin 150081, China.
| | - Yongshuai Jiang
- College of Bioinformatics Science and Technology, Harbin Medical University, Harbin 150081, China.
- Training Center for Students Innovation and Entrepreneurship Education, Harbin Medical University, Harbin 150081, China.
| | - Liangde Xu
- College of Bioinformatics Science and Technology, Harbin Medical University, Harbin 150081, China.
- Training Center for Students Innovation and Entrepreneurship Education, Harbin Medical University, Harbin 150081, China.
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98
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Gong S, Wang Y, Wang Z, Zhang W. Computational Methods for Modeling Aptamers and Designing Riboswitches. Int J Mol Sci 2017; 18:E2442. [PMID: 29149090 PMCID: PMC5713409 DOI: 10.3390/ijms18112442] [Citation(s) in RCA: 25] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/19/2017] [Revised: 11/12/2017] [Accepted: 11/14/2017] [Indexed: 02/04/2023] Open
Abstract
Riboswitches, which are located within certain noncoding RNA region perform functions as genetic "switches", regulating when and where genes are expressed in response to certain ligands. Understanding the numerous functions of riboswitches requires computation models to predict structures and structural changes of the aptamer domains. Although aptamers often form a complex structure, computational approaches, such as RNAComposer and Rosetta, have already been applied to model the tertiary (three-dimensional (3D)) structure for several aptamers. As structural changes in aptamers must be achieved within the certain time window for effective regulation, kinetics is another key point for understanding aptamer function in riboswitch-mediated gene regulation. The coarse-grained self-organized polymer (SOP) model using Langevin dynamics simulation has been successfully developed to investigate folding kinetics of aptamers, while their co-transcriptional folding kinetics can be modeled by the helix-based computational method and BarMap approach. Based on the known aptamers, the web server Riboswitch Calculator and other theoretical methods provide a new tool to design synthetic riboswitches. This review will represent an overview of these computational methods for modeling structure and kinetics of riboswitch aptamers and for designing riboswitches.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sha Gong
- Hubei Key Laboratory of Economic Forest Germplasm Improvement and Resources Comprehensive Utilization, Hubei Collaborative Innovation Center for the Characteristic Resources Exploitation of Dabie Mountains, Huanggang Normal University, Huanggang 438000, China.
| | - Yanli Wang
- Department of Physics, Wuhan University, Wuhan 430072, China.
| | - Zhen Wang
- Department of Physics, Wuhan University, Wuhan 430072, China.
| | - Wenbing Zhang
- Department of Physics, Wuhan University, Wuhan 430072, China.
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99
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Liu Y, Liu Y, Wang M. Design, Optimization and Application of Small Molecule Biosensor in Metabolic Engineering. Front Microbiol 2017; 8:2012. [PMID: 29089935 PMCID: PMC5651080 DOI: 10.3389/fmicb.2017.02012] [Citation(s) in RCA: 58] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/31/2017] [Accepted: 09/29/2017] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
The development of synthetic biology and metabolic engineering has painted a great future for the bio-based economy, including fuels, chemicals, and drugs produced from renewable feedstocks. With the rapid advance of genome-scale modeling, pathway assembling and genome engineering/editing, our ability to design and generate microbial cell factories with various phenotype becomes almost limitless. However, our lack of ability to measure and exert precise control over metabolite concentration related phenotypes becomes a bottleneck in metabolic engineering. Genetically encoded small molecule biosensors, which provide the means to couple metabolite concentration to measurable or actionable outputs, are highly promising solutions to the bottleneck. Here we review recent advances in the design, optimization and application of small molecule biosensor in metabolic engineering, with particular focus on optimization strategies for transcription factor (TF) based biosensors.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yang Liu
- Tianjin Institute of Industrial Biotechnology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Tianjin, China
| | - Ye Liu
- Tianjin Institute of Industrial Biotechnology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Tianjin, China
| | - Meng Wang
- Tianjin Institute of Industrial Biotechnology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Tianjin, China
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100
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Kanazawa H, Kondo J. Crystal structure of a novel RNA motif that allows for precise positioning of a single metal ion. J Inorg Biochem 2017; 176:140-143. [PMID: 28898762 DOI: 10.1016/j.jinorgbio.2017.08.029] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/03/2017] [Revised: 08/15/2017] [Accepted: 08/30/2017] [Indexed: 11/18/2022]
Abstract
We have determined a crystal structure of an RNA duplex containing a novel metal-binding motif. The motif is composed of two sheared G○A base pairs, two unpaired A residues and four phosphate groups in close proximity. Four A residues make an A-A-A-A stacking column at the minor groove side and two G bases are highly inclined, thereby forming the pocket-shaped motif at the major groove side. In the present structure, a hydrated Sr2+ ion exists in the pocket and binds to the O6 and N7 atoms of the two G bases and four phosphate groups. According to the previously-reported metal-binding properties to RNA molecules, many of divalent cations, such as Mg2+, Mn2+, Co2+, Zn2+, Ba2+, Pb2+ and Cd2+, may bind to the motif. This metal-binding motif can be used as a modular building block that allows for precise positioning of a single metal ion in functional nucleic acid molecules.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hiroki Kanazawa
- Graduate School of Science and Technology, Sophia University, Tokyo 102-8554, Japan
| | - Jiro Kondo
- Graduate School of Science and Technology, Sophia University, Tokyo 102-8554, Japan; Department of Materials and Life Sciences, Sophia University, Tokyo 102-8554, Japan.
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