51
|
Wolfsberg E, Long CP, Antoniewicz MR. Metabolism in dense microbial colonies: 13C metabolic flux analysis of E. coli grown on agar identifies two distinct cell populations with acetate cross-feeding. Metab Eng 2018; 49:242-247. [PMID: 30179665 DOI: 10.1016/j.ymben.2018.08.013] [Citation(s) in RCA: 32] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/09/2018] [Revised: 07/27/2018] [Accepted: 08/31/2018] [Indexed: 11/25/2022]
Abstract
In this study, we have investigated for the first time the metabolism of E. coli grown on agar using 13C metabolic flux analysis (13C-MFA). To date, all 13C-MFA studies on microbes have been performed with cells grown in liquid culture. Here, we extend the scope of 13C-MFA to biological systems where cells are grown in dense microbial colonies. First, we identified new optimal 13C tracers to quantify fluxes in systems where the acetate yield cannot be easily measured. We determined that three parallel labeling experiments with the tracers [1,2-13C]glucose, [1,6-13C]glucose, and [4,5,6-13C]glucose permit precise estimation of not only intracellular fluxes, but also of the amount of acetate produced from glucose. Parallel labeling experiments were then performed with wild-type E. coli and E. coli ΔackA grown in liquid culture and on agar plates. Initial attempts to fit the labeling data from wild-type E. coli grown on agar did not produce a statistically acceptable fit. To resolve this issue, we employed the recently developed co-culture 13C-MFA approach, where two E. coli subpopulations were defined in the model that engaged in metabolite cross-feeding. The flux results identified two distinct E. coli cell populations, a dominant cell population (92% of cells) that metabolized glucose via conventional metabolic pathways and secreted a large amount of acetate (~40% of maximum theoretical yield), and a second smaller cell population (8% of cells) that consumed the secreted acetate without any glucose influx. These experimental results are in good agreement with recent theoretical simulations. Importantly, this study provides a solid foundation for future investigations of a wide range of problems involving microbial biofilms that are of great interest in biotechnology, ecology and medicine, where metabolite cross-feeding between cell populations is a core feature of the communities.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Eric Wolfsberg
- Department of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering, Metabolic Engineering and Systems Biology Laboratory, University of Delaware, Newark DE 19716, USA
| | - Christopher P Long
- Department of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering, Metabolic Engineering and Systems Biology Laboratory, University of Delaware, Newark DE 19716, USA
| | - Maciek R Antoniewicz
- Department of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering, Metabolic Engineering and Systems Biology Laboratory, University of Delaware, Newark DE 19716, USA.
| |
Collapse
|
52
|
Xu C, Sun T, Li S, Chen L, Zhang W. Adaptive laboratory evolution of cadmium tolerance in Synechocystis sp. PCC 6803. BIOTECHNOLOGY FOR BIOFUELS 2018; 11:205. [PMID: 30061927 PMCID: PMC6058365 DOI: 10.1186/s13068-018-1205-x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 31] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/09/2018] [Accepted: 07/16/2018] [Indexed: 05/08/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Cadmium has been a significant threat to environment and human health due to its high toxicity and wide application in fossil-fuel burning and battery industry. Cyanobacteria are one of the most dominant prokaryotes, and the previous studies suggested that they could be valuable in removing Cd2+ from waste water. However, currently, the tolerance to cadmium is very low in cyanobacteria. To further engineer cyanobacteria for the environmental application, it is thus necessary to determine the mechanism that they respond to high concentration of cadmium. RESULTS In this study, a robust strain of Synechocystis PCC 6803 (named ALE-9.0) tolerant to CdSO4 with a concentration up to 9.0 µM was successfully isolated via adaptive laboratory evolution over 802-day continuous passages under cadmium stress. Whole-genome re-sequencing was then performed and nine mutations were identified for the evolved strain compared to the wild-type strain. Among these mutations, a large fragment deletion in slr0454 encoding a cation or drug efflux system protein was found to contribute directly to the resistance to Cd2+ stress. In addition, five other mutations were also demonstrated related to the improved Cd2+ tolerance in ALE-9.0. Moreover, the evolved ALE-9.0 strain was found to obtain cross tolerance to some other heavy metals like zinc and cobalt as well as higher resistance to high light. CONCLUSIONS The work here identified six genes and their mutations related to Cd2+ tolerance in Synechocystis PCC 6803, and demonstrated the feasibility of adaptive laboratory evolution in tolerance modifications. This work also provided valuable information regarding the cadmium tolerance mechanism in Synechocystis PCC 6803, and useful insights for cyanobacterial robustness and tolerance engineering.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Chunxiao Xu
- Laboratory of Synthetic Microbiology, School of Chemical Engineering & Technology, Tianjin University, Tianjin, 300072 People’s Republic of China
- Key Laboratory of Systems Bioengineering, Ministry of Education of China, Tianjin, 300072 People’s Republic of China
- Collaborative Innovation Center of Chemical Science and Engineering, Tianjin, People’s Republic of China
| | - Tao Sun
- Laboratory of Synthetic Microbiology, School of Chemical Engineering & Technology, Tianjin University, Tianjin, 300072 People’s Republic of China
- Key Laboratory of Systems Bioengineering, Ministry of Education of China, Tianjin, 300072 People’s Republic of China
- Collaborative Innovation Center of Chemical Science and Engineering, Tianjin, People’s Republic of China
| | - Shubin Li
- Laboratory of Synthetic Microbiology, School of Chemical Engineering & Technology, Tianjin University, Tianjin, 300072 People’s Republic of China
- Key Laboratory of Systems Bioengineering, Ministry of Education of China, Tianjin, 300072 People’s Republic of China
- Collaborative Innovation Center of Chemical Science and Engineering, Tianjin, People’s Republic of China
| | - Lei Chen
- Laboratory of Synthetic Microbiology, School of Chemical Engineering & Technology, Tianjin University, Tianjin, 300072 People’s Republic of China
- Key Laboratory of Systems Bioengineering, Ministry of Education of China, Tianjin, 300072 People’s Republic of China
- Collaborative Innovation Center of Chemical Science and Engineering, Tianjin, People’s Republic of China
| | - Weiwen Zhang
- Laboratory of Synthetic Microbiology, School of Chemical Engineering & Technology, Tianjin University, Tianjin, 300072 People’s Republic of China
- Key Laboratory of Systems Bioengineering, Ministry of Education of China, Tianjin, 300072 People’s Republic of China
- Collaborative Innovation Center of Chemical Science and Engineering, Tianjin, People’s Republic of China
- Center for Biosafety Research and Strategy, Tianjin University, Tianjin, People’s Republic of China
| |
Collapse
|
53
|
Zebec Z, Scrutton NS. Genome Editing for the Production of Natural Products inEscherichia coli. ACTA ACUST UNITED AC 2018. [DOI: 10.1002/adbi.201800056] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/03/2023]
Affiliation(s)
- Ziga Zebec
- Manchester Institute of Biotechnology and School of Chemistry; The University of Manchester; Manchester M1 7DN UK
| | - Nigel S. Scrutton
- Manchester Institute of Biotechnology and School of Chemistry; The University of Manchester; Manchester M1 7DN UK
| |
Collapse
|
54
|
Kenney GE, Rosenzweig AC. Methanobactins: Maintaining copper homeostasis in methanotrophs and beyond. J Biol Chem 2018; 293:4606-4615. [PMID: 29348173 PMCID: PMC5880147 DOI: 10.1074/jbc.tm117.000185] [Citation(s) in RCA: 33] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/02/2023] Open
Abstract
Methanobactins (Mbns) are ribosomally produced, post-translationally modified natural products that bind copper with high affinity and specificity. Originally identified in methanotrophic bacteria, which have a high need for copper, operons encoding these compounds have also been found in many non-methanotrophic bacteria. The proteins responsible for Mbn biosynthesis include several novel enzymes. Mbn transport involves export through a multidrug efflux pump and re-internalization via a TonB-dependent transporter. Release of copper from Mbn and the molecular basis for copper regulation of Mbn production remain to be elucidated. Future work is likely to result in the identification of new enzymatic chemistry, opportunities for bioengineering and drug targeting of copper metabolism, and an expanded understanding of microbial metal homeostasis.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Grace E Kenney
- Departments of Molecular Biosciences, Evanston, Illinois 60208
| | - Amy C Rosenzweig
- Departments of Molecular Biosciences, Evanston, Illinois 60208; Chemistry, Northwestern University, Evanston, Illinois 60208.
| |
Collapse
|