Protein phylogenies and signature sequences: A reappraisal of evolutionary relationships among archaebacteria, eubacteria, and eukaryotes

Control of Specialized Metabolism by Signaling and Transcriptional Regulation: Opportunities for New Platforms for Drug Discovery?

Specialized metabolites are bacterially produced small molecules that have an extraordinary diversity of important biological activities. They are useful as biochemical probes of living systems, and they have been adapted for use as drugs for human afflictions ranging from infectious diseases to cancer. The biosynthetic genes for these molecules are controlled by a dense network of regulatory mechanisms: Cell-cell signaling and nutrient sensing are conspicuous features of this network. While many components of these mechanisms have been identified, important questions about their biological roles remain shrouded in mystery. In addition to identifying new molecules and solving their mechanisms of action (a central preoccupation in this field), we suggest that addressing questions of quorum sensing versus diffusion sensing and identifying the dominant nutritional and environmental cues for specialized metabolism are important directions for research.

A novel synthetic flavonoid with potent antibacterial properties: In vitro activity and proposed mode of action

The emergence of pathogenic multidrug-resistant bacteria demands new approaches in finding effective antibacterial agents. Synthetic flavonoids could be a reliable solution due to their important antimicrobial activity. We report here the potent in vitro antibacterial activity of ClCl-flav—a novel synthetic tricyclic flavonoid. The antimicrobial effects were tested using the minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC), time kill and biofilm formation assays. Fluorescence microscopy and scanning electron microscopy were employed to study the mechanism of action. MTT test was used to assess the cytotoxicity of ClCl-flav. Our results showed that Gram positive bacteria were more sensitive (MIC = 0.24 μg/mL) to ClCl-flav compared to the Gram negative ones (MIC = 3.9 μg/mL). We found that our compound showed significantly enhanced antibacterial activities, 32 to 72-fold more active than other synthetic flavonoids. ClCl-flav showed bactericidal activity at concentrations ranging from 0.48 to 15.62 μg/mL. At twice the MIC, all Escherichia coli and Klebsiella pneumoniae cells were killed within 1 h. Also ClCl-flav presented good anti-biofilm activity. The mechanism of action is related to the impairment of the cell membrane integrity. No or very low cytotoxicity was evidenced at effective concentrations against Vero cells. Based on the strong antibacterial activity and cytotoxicity assessment, ClCl-flav has a good potential for the design of new antimicrobial agents.

Phylogenetic framework for the phylum Tenericutes based on genome sequence data: proposal for the creation of a new order Mycoplasmoidales ord. nov., containing two new families Mycoplasmoidaceae fam. nov. and Metamycoplasmataceae fam. nov. harbouring Eperythrozoon, Ureaplasma and five novel genera

The genus Mycoplasma, including species earlier classified in the genera Eperythrozoon and Haemobartonella, contains ~ 120 species and constitutes an extensively polyphyletic assemblage of bacteria within the phylum Tenericutes. Due to their small genome sizes and lack of unique characteristics, the relationships among the mycoplasmas/Tenericutes are not reliably discerned. Using genome sequences for 140 Tenericutes, their evolutionary relationships were examined using multiple independent approaches. Phylogenomic trees were constructed for 63 conserved proteins, 45 ribosomal proteins, three main subunits of RNA polymerase and 16S rRNA gene sequences. In all of these trees, Tenericutes species reliably grouped into four main clades designated as the "Acholeplasma", "Spiroplasma", "Pneumoniae" and "Hominis" clusters. These clades are also distinguished based on a similarity matrix constructed based on 16S rRNA gene sequences. Mycoplasma species were dispersed across 3 of these 4 clades highlighting their extensive polyphyly. In parallel, our comparative genomic analyses have identified > 100 conserved signature indels (CSIs) and 14 conserved signature proteins (CSPs), which are uniquely shared by the members of four identified clades, strongly supporting their monophyly and identifying them in molecular terms. Mycoplasma mycoides, the type species of the genus Mycoplasma, and a small number of other Mycoplasma species, formed a strongly supported clade within the "Spiroplasma" cluster. Nine CSIs and 14 CSPs reliably distinguish this clade from all other Mycoplasmatales species. The remainder of the Mycoplasmatales species are part of the "Pneumoniae" and "Hominis" clusters, which group together in phylogenetic trees. Here we are proposing that the order Mycoplasmatales should be emended to encompass only the Mycoplasma species within the "Spiroplasma" cluster and that a new order, Mycoplasmoidales ord. nov., should be created to encompass the other Mycoplasma species. The "Pneumoniae" and the "Hominis" clusters are proposed as two new families, Mycoplasmoidaceae fam. nov., which includes the genera Eperythrozoon, Ureaplasma, and the newly proposed genera Malacoplasma and Mycoplasmoides, and Metamycoplasmataceae fam. nov. to contain the newly proposed genera Metamycoplasma, Mycoplasmopsis, and Mesomycoplasma. The results presented here allow reliable discernment, both in phylogenetic and molecular terms, of the members of the two proposed families as well as different described genera within these families including members of the genus Eperythrozoon, which is comprised of uncultivable organisms. The taxonomic reclassifications proposed here, which more accurately portray the genetic diversity among the Tenericutes/Mycoplasma species, provide a new framework for understanding the biological and clinical aspects of these important microbes.

Surfaceome and Proteosurfaceome in Parietal Monoderm Bacteria: Focus on Protein Cell-Surface Display

The cell envelope of parietal monoderm bacteria (archetypal Gram-positive bacteria) is formed of a cytoplasmic membrane (CM) and a cell wall (CW). While the CM is composed of phospholipids, the CW is composed at least of peptidoglycan (PG) covalently linked to other biopolymers, such as teichoic acids, polysaccharides, and/or polyglutamate. Considering the CW is a porous structure with low selective permeability contrary to the CM, the bacterial cell surface hugs the molecular figure of the CW components as a well of the external side of the CM. While the surfaceome corresponds to the totality of the molecules found at the bacterial cell surface, the proteinaceous complement of the surfaceome is the proteosurfaceome. Once translocated across the CM, secreted proteins can either be released in the extracellular milieu or exposed at the cell surface by associating to the CM or the CW. Following the gene ontology (GO) for cellular components, cell-surface proteins at the CM can either be integral (GO: 0031226), i.e., the integral membrane proteins, or anchored to the membrane (GO: 0046658), i.e., the lipoproteins. At the CW (GO: 0009275), cell-surface proteins can be covalently bound, i.e., the LPXTG-proteins, or bound through weak interactions to the PG or wall polysaccharides, i.e., the cell wall binding proteins. Besides monopolypeptides, some proteins can associate to each other to form supramolecular protein structures of high molecular weight, namely the S-layer, pili, flagella, and cellulosomes. After reviewing the cell envelope components and the different molecular mechanisms involved in protein attachment to the cell envelope, perspectives in investigating the proteosurfaceome in parietal monoderm bacteria are further discussed.

Phylogenomics and Comparative Genomic Studies Robustly Support Division of the Genus Mycobacterium into an Emended Genus Mycobacterium and Four Novel Genera

The genus Mycobacterium contains 188 species including several major human pathogens as well as numerous other environmental species. We report here comprehensive phylogenomics and comparative genomic analyses on 150 genomes of Mycobacterium species to understand their interrelationships. Phylogenetic trees were constructed for the 150 species based on 1941 core proteins for the genus Mycobacterium, 136 core proteins for the phylum Actinobacteria and 8 other conserved proteins. Additionally, the overall genome similarity amongst the Mycobacterium species was determined based on average amino acid identity of the conserved protein families. The results from these analyses consistently support the existence of five distinct monophyletic groups within the genus Mycobacterium at the highest level, which are designated as the "Tuberculosis-Simiae," "Terrae," "Triviale," "Fortuitum-Vaccae," and "Abscessus-Chelonae" clades. Some of these clades have also been observed in earlier phylogenetic studies. Of these clades, the "Abscessus-Chelonae" clade forms the deepest branching lineage and does not form a monophyletic grouping with the "Fortuitum-Vaccae" clade of fast-growing species. In parallel, our comparative analyses of proteins from mycobacterial genomes have identified 172 molecular signatures in the form of conserved signature indels and conserved signature proteins, which are uniquely shared by either all Mycobacterium species or by members of the five identified clades. The identified molecular signatures (or synapomorphies) provide strong independent evidence for the monophyly of the genus Mycobacterium and the five described clades and they provide reliable means for the demarcation of these clades and for their diagnostics. Based on the results of our comprehensive phylogenomic analyses and numerous identified molecular signatures, which consistently and strongly support the division of known mycobacterial species into the five described clades, we propose here division of the genus Mycobacterium into an emended genus Mycobacterium encompassing the "Tuberculosis-Simiae" clade, which includes all of the major human pathogens, and four novel genera viz. Mycolicibacterium gen. nov., Mycolicibacter gen. nov., Mycolicibacillus gen. nov. and Mycobacteroides gen. nov. corresponding to the "Fortuitum-Vaccae," "Terrae," "Triviale," and "Abscessus-Chelonae" clades, respectively. With the division of mycobacterial species into these five distinct groups, attention can now be focused on unique genetic and molecular characteristics that differentiate members of these groups.

Identification of epistatic mutations and insights into the evolution of the influenza virus using a mass-based protein phylogenetic approach

A mass-based protein phylogenetic approach developed in this laboratory has been applied to study mutation trends and identify consecutive or near-consecutive mutations typically associated with positive epistasis. While epistasis is thought to occur commonly during the evolution of viruses, the extent of epistasis in influenza, and its role in the evolution of immune escape and drug resistant mutants, remains to be systematically investigated. Here putative epistatic mutations within H3 hemagglutinin in type A influenza are identified where leading parent mutations were found to predominate within reported antigenic sites of the protein. Frequent subsequent mutations resided exclusively in different antigenic regions, providing the virus with a possible immune escape mechanism, or at other remote sites that drive beneficial protein structural and functional change. The results also enable a "small steps" evolutionary model to be proposed where the more frequent consecutive, or near-consecutive, non-conservative mutations exhibited less structural, and thus functional, change. This favours the evolutionary survival of the virus over mutations associated with more substantive change that may cause or risk its own extinction.

Phylogenomics

Phylogenomics aims at reconstructing the evolutionary histories of organisms taking into account whole genomes or large fractions of genomes. The abundance of genomic data for an enormous variety of organisms has enabled phylogenomic inference of many groups, and this has motivated the development of many computer programs implementing the associated methods. This chapter surveys phylogenetic concepts and methods aimed at both gene tree and species tree reconstruction while also addressing common pitfalls, providing references to relevant computer programs. A practical phylogenomic analysis example including bacterial genomes is presented at the end of the chapter.

Secondary Electrons as an Energy Source for Life

Life on Earth is found in a wide range of environments as long as the basic requirements of a liquid solvent, a nutrient source, and free energy are met. Previous hypotheses have speculated how extraterrestrial microbial life may function, among them that particle radiation might power living cells indirectly through radiolytic products. On Earth, so-called electrophilic organisms can harness electron flow from an extracellular cathode to build biomolecules. Here, we describe two hypothetical mechanisms, termed "direct electrophy" and "indirect electrophy" or "fluorosynthesis," by which organisms could harness extracellular free electrons to synthesize organic matter, thus expanding the ensemble of potential habitats in which extraterrestrial organisms might be found in the Solar System and beyond. The first mechanism involves the direct flow of secondary electrons from particle radiation to a microbial cell to power the organism. The second involves the indirect utilization of impinging secondary electrons and a fluorescing molecule, either biotic or abiotic in origin, to drive photosynthesis. Both mechanisms involve the attenuation of an incoming particle's energy to create low-energy secondary electrons. The validity of the hypotheses is assessed through simple calculations showing the biomass density attainable from the energy supplied. Also discussed are potential survival strategies that could be used by organisms living in possible habitats with a plentiful supply of secondary electrons, such as near the surface of an icy moon. While we acknowledge that the only definitive test for the hypothesis is to collect specimens, we also describe experiments or terrestrial observations that could support or nullify the hypotheses. Key Words: Radiation-Electrophiles-Subsurface life. Astrobiology 18, 73-85.

An Overview of the Bacterial Carbonic Anhydrases

Bacteria encode carbonic anhydrases (CAs, EC 4.2.1.1) belonging to three different genetic families, the α-, β-, and γ-classes. By equilibrating CO₂ and bicarbonate, these metalloenzymes interfere with pH regulation and other crucial physiological processes of these organisms. The detailed investigations of many such enzymes from pathogenic and non-pathogenic bacteria afford the opportunity to design both novel therapeutic agents, as well as biomimetic processes, for example, for CO₂ capture. Investigation of bacterial CA inhibitors and activators may be relevant for finding antibiotics with a new mechanism of action.

Inducible cellulase production from an organic solvent tolerant Bacillus sp. SV1 and evolutionary divergence of endoglucanase in different species of the genus Bacillus

Bacteria are important sources of cellulases with various industrial and biotechnological applications. In view of this, a non-hemolytic bacterial strain, tolerant to various environmental pollutants (heavy metals and organic solvents), showing high cellulolytic index (7.89) was isolated from cattle shed soil and identified as Bacillus sp. SV1 (99.27% pairwise similarity with Bacillus korlensis). Extracellular cellulases showed the presence of endoglucanase, total cellulase and β-glucosidase activities. Cellulase production was induced in presence of cellulose (3.3 times CMCase, 2.9 times FPase and 2.1 times β-glucosidase), and enhanced (115.1% CMCase) by low-cost corn steep solids. An in silico investigation of endoglucanase (EC 3.2.1.4) protein sequences of three Bacillus spp. as query, revealed their similarities with members of nine bacterial phyla and to Eukaryota (represented by Arthropoda and Nematoda), and also highlighted of a convergent and divergent evolution from other enzymes of different substrate [(1,3)-linked beta-d-glucans, xylan and chitosan] specificities. Characteristic conserved signature indels were observed among members of Actinobacteria (7 aa insert) and Firmicutes (9 aa insert) that served as a potential tool in support of their relatedness in phylogenetic trees.

Characterization of the DNA mismatch repair proteins MutS and MutL in a hypermutator Acinetobacter baumannii

Mutations of mutS and mutL genes have been linked with the emergence of hypermutator (HPM) phenotype in several bacteria. Nevertheless, there is scarce evidence that these mutations occurred in HPM Acinetobacter baumannii, therefore, it remains unknown whether the mutations located in domains mediating the functions of MutS and MutL. To address this information gap, the nucleotide sequences of mutS and mutL were characterized and their mutations were identified. Additionally, we proposed in silico models of mutated proteins and analyzed the secondary and tertiary structures, and the interaction interfaces of MutL and MutS. The HPM A. baumannii and a wild-type strain were subjected to PCR amplification of full length mutS and mutL, cloning, and sequencing. Following several reads of both strands of each gene and sequence assembly, the mutations were identified. Thereafter, the three-dimensional (3-D) structure of A. baumannii ATCC 19606 was developed and utilized as a template for homology modeling of the mutated amino acid sequences using the Phyre² and I-TASSER, VMD 1.9.3, LigPlus v.1.4.5, PyMOL v.0.99 software. Regardless of silent mutations (n = 43), 11 missense mutations were identified in the MutS domains of HPM strain such as A4T, T272S, D278N in N-terminus, connector, and core domains, respectively. Three mutations -I357T, A408S, N447S- and 16 silent mutations were observed in MutL. Secondary structure prediction of MutS revealed that the amount of alpha helices, beta sheets, and coils in HPM were 35, 29, and 63, respectively, while these values were 36, 28, and 63 for A. baumannii ATCC 19606 as non mutator. In the case of MutL, for both HPM and non-mutator, 20, 21, and 39 of complete protein were alpha helices, beta sheets, and coils, respectively. Superimposition of structures of MutS of HPM on non-mutator revealed that T272, D278, G457, S528, A533, Y715, and E747 are closely matched with S272, D278, A457, P528, V533, C715, and K747, respectively in non-mutator strain. When the structure of MutL model in HPM was superimposed on its counterpart in non-mutator, all but residues S447, S408, and T357 were identical. Many mutations along the mutS and mutL were noted, but most of the mutations were observed in the interaction interfaces of MutS and MutL. Other substitutions were predominantly detected in C-terminus of MutS that may lead to reduced ATP binding and hydrolysis. Three substitution mutations were adjacent to C-terminus of MutL and are raising the suggestion of reduction in MutL dimerization. It seems that a combination of these mutations is implicated in increased mutation frequency and accordingly emergence of HPM strain.

Constraining the timing of the Great Oxidation Event within the Rubisco phylogenetic tree

Ribulose 1,5-bisphosphate (RuBP) carboxylase/oxygenase (RuBisCO, or Rubisco) catalyzes a key reaction by which inorganic carbon is converted into organic carbon in the metabolism of many aerobic and anaerobic organisms. Across the broader Rubisco protein family, homologs exhibit diverse biochemical characteristics and metabolic functions, but the evolutionary origins of this diversity are unclear. Evidence of the timing of Rubisco family emergence and diversification of its different forms has been obscured by a meager paleontological record of early Earth biota, their subcellular physiology and metabolic components. Here, we use computational models to reconstruct a Rubisco family phylogenetic tree, ancestral amino acid sequences at branching points on the tree, and protein structures for several key ancestors. Analysis of historic substitutions with respect to their structural locations shows that there were distinct periods of amino acid substitution enrichment above background levels near and within its oxygen-sensitive active site and subunit interfaces over the divergence between Form III (associated with anoxia) and Form I (associated with oxia) groups in its evolutionary history. One possible interpretation is that these periods of substitutional enrichment are coincident with oxidative stress exerted by the rise of oxygenic photosynthesis in the Precambrian era. Our interpretation implies that the periods of Rubisco substitutional enrichment inferred near the transition from anaerobic Form III to aerobic Form I ancestral sequences predate the acquisition of Rubisco by fully derived cyanobacterial (i.e., dual photosystem-bearing, oxygen-evolving) clades. The partitioning of extant lineages at high clade levels within our Rubisco phylogeny indicates that horizontal transfer of Rubisco is a relatively infrequent event. Therefore, it is possible that the mutational enrichment periods between the Form III and Form I common ancestral sequences correspond to the adaptation of key oxygen-sensitive components of Rubisco prior to, or coincident with, the Great Oxidation Event.

Phylogenetic analysis of the diacylglycerol kinase family of proteins and identification of multiple highly-specific conserved inserts and deletions within the catalytic domain that are distinctive characteristics of different classes of DGK homologs

Diacylglycerol kinase (DGK) family of proteins, which phosphorylates diacylglycerol into phosphatidic acid, play important role in controlling diverse cellular processes in eukaryotic organisms. Most vertebrate species contain 10 different DGK isozymes, which are grouped into 5 different classes based on the presence or absence of specific functional domains. However, the relationships among different DGK isozymes or how they have evolved from a common ancestor is unclear. The catalytic domain constitutes the single largest sequence element within the DGK proteins that is commonly and uniquely shared by all family members, but there is limited understanding of the overall function of this domain. In this work, we have used the catalytic domain sequences to construct a phylogenetic tree for the DGK family members from representatives of the main vertebrate classes and have also examined the distributions of various DGK isozymes in eukaryotic phyla. In a tree based on catalytic domain sequences, the DGK homologs belonging to different classes formed strongly supported clusters which were separated by long branches, and the different isozymes within each class also generally formed monophyletic groupings. Further, our analysis of the sequence alignments of catalytic domains has identified >10 novel sequence signatures consisting of conserved signature indels (inserts or deletions, CSIs) that are distinctive characteristics of either particular classes of DGK isozymes, or are commonly shared by members of two or more classes of DGK isozymes. The conserved indels in protein sequences are known to play important functional roles in the proteins/organisms where they are found. Thus, our identification of multiple highly specific CSIs that are distinguishing characteristics of different classes of DGK homologs points to the existence of important differences in the catalytic domain function among the DGK isozymes. The identified CSIs in conjunction with the results of blast searches on species distribution of DGK isozymes also provide useful insights into the evolutionary relationships among the DGK family of proteins.

Relationships Among Microbial Communities, Maternal Cells, Oligosaccharides, and Macronutrients in Human Milk

BACKGROUND

Human milk provides all essential nutrients necessary for early life and is rich in nonnutrients, maternally derived (host) cells, and bacteria, but almost nothing is known about the interplay among these components. Research aim: The primary objective of this research was to characterize relationships among macronutrients, maternal cells, and bacteria in milk.

METHODS

Milk samples were collected from 16 women and analyzed for protein, lipid, fatty acid, lactose, and human milk oligosaccharide concentrations. Concentrations of maternal cells were determined using microscopy, and somatic cell counts were enumerated. Microbial ecologies were characterized using culture-independent methods.

RESULTS

Absolute and relative concentrations of maternal cells were mostly consistent within each woman as were relative abundances of bacterial genera, and there were many apparent relationships between these factors. For instance, relative abundance of Serratia was negatively associated with somatic cell counts ( r = -.47, p < .0001) and neutrophil concentration ( r = -.38, p < .0006). Concentrations of several oligosaccharides were correlated with maternally derived cell types as well as somatic cell counts; for example, lacto-N-tetraose and lacto-N-neotetraose were inversely correlated with somatic cell counts ( r = -.64, p = .0082; r = -.52, p = .0387, respectively), and relative abundance of Staphylococcus was positively associated with total oligosaccharide concentration ( r = .69, p = .0034). Complex relationships between milk nutrients and bacterial community profile, maternal cells, and milk oligosaccharides were also apparent.

CONCLUSION

These data support the possibility that profiles of maternally derived cells, nutrient concentrations, and the microbiome of human milk might be interrelated.

Identification of a conserved 8 aa insert in the PIP5K protein in the Saccharomycetaceae family of fungi and the molecular dynamics simulations and structural analysis to investigate its potential functional role

Homologs of the phosphatidylinositol-4-phosphate-5-kinase (PIP5K), which controls a multitude of essential cellular functions, contain a 8 aa insert in a conserved region that is specific for the Saccharomycetaceae family of fungi. Using structures of human PIP4K proteins as templates, structural models were generated of the Saccharomyces cerevisiae and human PIP5K proteins. In the modeled S. cerevisiae PIP5K, the 8 aa insert forms a surface exposed loop, present on the same face of the protein as the activation loop of the kinase domain. Electrostatic potential analysis indicates that the residues from 8 aa conserved loop form a highly positively charged surface patch, which through electrostatic interaction with the anionic portions of phospholipid head groups, is expected to play a role in the membrane interaction of the yeast PIP5K. To unravel this prediction, molecular dynamics (MD) simulations were carried out to examine the binding interaction of PIP5K, either containing or lacking the conserved signature insert, with two different membrane lipid bilayers. The results from MD studies provide insights concerning the mechanistic of interaction of PIP5K with lipid bilayer, and support the contention that the identified 8 aa conserved insert in fungal PIP5K plays an important role in the binding of this protein with membrane surface. Proteins 2017; 85:1454-1467. © 2017 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

Evolutionary Relationships and Taxa-Specific Conserved Signature Indels Among Cellulases of Archaea, Bacteria, and Eukarya

The cellulases from different cellulolytic organisms have evolutionary relationships, which range from single-celled prokaryotes to the complex eukaryotes of the living world. This in silico analysis revealed the presence of a conserved cellulase domain along with evolutionary relationships among cellulases from several species of Archaea, Bacteria, and Eukarya. The amino acid sequences of cellulases from Archaea and Bacteria showed closer identity with their domain or phylum members that provided insights into convergent and divergent evolution of cellulases from other enzymes with different substrate specificities. Evolutionary relatedness was also observed in phylogenetic trees among a number of cellulase sequences of diverse taxa. In cellulases, propensity for alanine, glycine, leucine, serine, and threonine was high, but low for cysteine, histidine, and methionine. Catalytic aspartic acid had a higher propensity than glutamic acid, and both were involved in regular expression patterns. Characteristic group and multigroup-specific conserved signature indels located in the catalytic domains of cellulases were observed that further clarified evolutionary relationships. These indels can be distinctive molecular tools for understanding phylogeny and identification of unknown cellulolytic species of common evolutionary descent in different environments.

Novel insights into the origin and diversification of photosynthesis based on analyses of conserved indels in the core reaction center proteins

The evolution and diversification of different types of photosynthetic reaction centers (RCs) remains an important unresolved problem. We report here novel sequence features of the core proteins from Type I RCs (RC-I) and Type II RCs (RC-II) whose analyses provide important insights into the evolution of the RCs. The sequence alignments of the RC-I core proteins contain two conserved inserts or deletions (indels), a 3 amino acid (aa) indel that is uniquely found in all RC-I homologs from Cyanobacteria (both PsaA and PsaB) and a 1 aa indel that is specifically shared by the Chlorobi and Acidobacteria homologs. Ancestral sequence reconstruction provides evidence that the RC-I core protein from Heliobacteriaceae (PshA), lacking these indels, is most closely related to the ancestral RC-I protein. Thus, the identified 3 aa and 1 aa indels in the RC-I protein sequences must have been deletions, which occurred, respectively, in an ancestor of the modern Cyanobacteria containing a homodimeric form of RC-I and in a common ancestor of the RC-I core protein from Chlorobi and Acidobacteria. We also report a conserved 1 aa indel in the RC-II protein sequences that is commonly shared by all homologs from Cyanobacteria but not found in the homologs from Chloroflexi, Proteobacteria and Gemmatimonadetes. Ancestral sequence reconstruction provides evidence that the RC-II subunits lacking this indel are more similar to the ancestral RC-II protein. The results of flexible structural alignments of the indel-containing region of the RC-II protein with the homologous region in the RC-I core protein, which shares structural similarity with the RC-II homologs, support the view that the 1 aa indel present in the RC-II homologs from Cyanobacteria is a deletion, which was not present in the ancestral form of the RC-II protein. Our analyses of the conserved indels found in the RC-I and RC-II proteins, thus, support the view that the earliest photosynthetic lineages with living descendants likely contained only a single RC (RC-I or RC-II), and the presence of both RC-I and RC-II in a linked state, as found in the modern Cyanobacteria, is a derivation from these earlier phototrophs.

Phylogenetic Analysis Using Protein Mass Spectrometry

Through advances in molecular biology, comparative analysis of DNA sequences is currently the cornerstone in the study of molecular evolution and phylogenetics. Nevertheless, protein mass spectrometry offers some unique opportunities to enable phylogenetic analyses in organisms where DNA may be difficult or costly to obtain. To date, the methods of phylogenetic analysis using protein mass spectrometry can be classified into three categories: (1) de novo protein sequencing followed by classical phylogenetic reconstruction, (2) direct phylogenetic reconstruction using proteolytic peptide mass maps, and (3) mapping of mass spectral data onto classical phylogenetic trees. In this chapter, we provide a brief description of the three methods and the protocol for each method along with relevant tools and algorithms.

Indel variant analysis of short-read sequencing data with Scalpel

As the second most common type of variation in the human genome, insertions and deletions (indels) have been linked to many diseases, but the discovery of indels of more than a few bases in size from short-read sequencing data remains challenging. Scalpel (http://scalpel.sourceforge.net) is an open-source software for reliable indel detection based on the microassembly technique. It has been successfully used to discover mutations in novel candidate genes for autism, and it is extensively used in other large-scale studies of human diseases. This protocol gives an overview of the algorithm and describes how to use Scalpel to perform highly accurate indel calling from whole-genome and whole-exome sequencing data. We provide detailed instructions for an exemplary family-based de novo study, but we also characterize the other two supported modes of operation: single-sample and somatic analysis. Indel normalization, visualization and annotation of the mutations are also illustrated. Using a standard server, indel discovery and characterization in the exonic regions of the example sequencing data can be completed in ∼5 h after read mapping.

The HemQ coprohaem decarboxylase generates reactive oxygen species: implications for the evolution of classical haem biosynthesis

Bacteria require a haem biosynthetic pathway for the assembly of a variety of protein complexes, including cytochromes, peroxidases, globins, and catalase. Haem is synthesised via a series of tetrapyrrole intermediates, including non-metallated porphyrins, such as protoporphyrin IX, which is well known to generate reactive oxygen species in the presence of light and oxygen. Staphylococcus aureus has an ancient haem biosynthetic pathway that proceeds via the formation of coproporphyrin III, a less reactive porphyrin. Here, we demonstrate, for the first time, that HemY of S. aureus is able to generate both protoporphyrin IX and coproporphyrin III, and that the terminal enzyme of this pathway, HemQ, can stimulate the generation of protoporphyrin IX (but not coproporphyrin III). Assays with hydrogen peroxide, horseradish peroxidase, superoxide dismutase, and catalase confirm that this stimulatory effect is mediated by superoxide. Structural modelling reveals that HemQ enzymes do not possess the structural attributes that are common to peroxidases that form compound I [Fe^IV==O]⁺, which taken together with the superoxide data leaves Fenton chemistry as a likely route for the superoxide-mediated stimulation of protoporphyrinogen IX oxidase activity of HemY. This generation of toxic free radicals could explain why HemQ enzymes have not been identified in organisms that synthesise haem via the classical protoporphyrin IX pathway. This work has implications for the divergent evolution of haem biosynthesis in ancestral microorganisms, and provides new structural and mechanistic insights into a recently discovered oxidative decarboxylase reaction.

Three-Dimensional Distribution of Phospholipids in Gram Negative Bacteria

Exploration of the molecular structure of the bacterial cell envelope informs our understanding of its role in bacterial growth. This is crucial for research into both inhibiting and promoting bacterial growth as well as fundamental studies of cell cycle control. The spatial arrangement of the lipids in the cell envelope of Gram negative bacteria in particular has attracted considerable research attention in recent years. In this mini-review, we explore advances in understanding the spatial distribution of lipids in the model Gram negative prokaryote Escherichia coli. This includes the distribution of lipids in three dimensions, (a) lateral distribution within a monolayer, (b) asymmetry between bilayers and monolayers, and (c) distribution as a function of progress through membrane division (temporal shifts). We conclude that lipid distribution in E. coli and probably all bacteria is dynamic despite a narrow lipid profile and that the biophysical properties of the membrane are inhomogeneous as a result. Finally, we suggest that further work in this field may indicate how lipid distribution is controlled and what this means for bacterial growth and metabolism and even cell cycle control.

Identification of distinctive molecular traits that are characteristic of the phylum "Deinococcus-Thermus" and distinguish its main constituent groups

The phylum "Deinococcus-Thermus" contains two heavily researched groups of extremophilic bacteria: the highly radioresistant order Deinococcales and the thermophilic order Thermales. Very few characteristics are known that are uniquely shared by members of the phylum "Deinococcus-Thermus". Comprehensive phylogenetic and comparative analyses of >65 "Deinococcus-Thermus" genomes reported here have identified numerous molecular signatures in the forms of conserved signature insertions/deletions (CSIs) and conserved signature proteins (CSPs), which provide distinguishing characteristics of the phylum "Deinococcus-Thermus" and its main groups. We have identified 58 unique CSIs and 155 unique CSPs that delineate different phylogenetic groups within the phylum. Of these identified traits, 24 CSIs and 29 CSPs are characteristic of the phylum "Deinococcus-Thermus" and they provide novel and reliable means to circumscribe/describe this phylum. An additional 3 CSIs and 3 CSPs are characteristic of the order Deinococcales, and 6 CSIs and 51 CSPs are characteristic of the order Thermales. The remaining 25 CSIs and 72 CSPs identified in this study are distinctive traits of genus level groups within the phylum "Deinococcus-Thermus". The molecular characteristics identified in this work provide novel and independent support for the common ancestry of the members of the phylum "Deinococcus-Thermus" and provide a new means to distinguish the main constituent clades of the phylum. Additionally, the CSIs and CSPs identified in this work may play a role in the unique extremophilic adaptations of the members of this phylum and further functional analyses of these characteristics could provide novel biochemical insights into the unique adaptations found within the phylum "Deinococcus-Thermus".

Crystal structure analysis of C-phycoerythrin from marine cyanobacterium Phormidium sp. A09DM

The role of unique sequence features of C-phycoerythrin, isolated from Phormidium sp. A09DM, has been investigated by crystallographic studies. Two conserved indels (i.e. inserts or deletions) are found in the β-subunit of Phormidium phycoerythrin that are distinctive characteristics of large number of cyanobacterial sequences. The identified signatures are a two-residue deletion from position 21 and a nine-residue insertion at position 146. Crystals of Phormidium phycoerythrin were obtained at pH values of 5 and 8.5, and structures have been resolved to high precision at 1.95 and 2.1 Å resolution, respectively. In both the structures, heterodimers of α- and β- subunits assemble as hexamers. The 7-residue insertion at position 146 significantly reduces solvent exposure of π-conjugated A-C rings of a phycoerythrobilin (PEB) chromophore, and can influence energy absorption and energy transfer characteristics. The structural analyses (with 12-fold redundancy) suggest that protein micro-environment alone dictates the conformation of bound chromophores. The low- and high-energy absorbing chromophores are identified based on A-B ring coplanarity. The spatial distribution of these is found to be similar to that observed in R-phycoerythrin, suggesting the direction of energy transfer from outer-surface of hexamer to inner-hollow cavity in the Phormidium protein. The crystal structures also reveal that a commonly observed Hydrogen-bonding network in phycobiliproteins, involving chromophore bound to α-subunit and amino acid at position 73 of β-subunit, may not be essential for structural and functional integrity of C-phycoerythrin orthologs. In solution, the protein displays slight red shift and decrease in fluorescence emission at acidic pH. The mechanism for which may be static and correlates with the proximity of +ve electric field of Arg148 to the C-ring of a PEB chromophore.

New light on bacterial carbonic anhydrases phylogeny based on the analysis of signal peptide sequences

Among protein families, carbonic anhydrases (CAs, EC 4.2.1.1) are metalloenzymes characterized by a common reaction mechanism in all life domains: the carbon dioxide hydration to bicarbonate and protons (CO2+H2O ⇔ HCO3(-)+H(+)). Six genetically distinct CA families are known to date, the α-, β-, γ-, δ-, ζ- and η-CAs. The last CA class was recently discovered analyzing the amino acid sequences of CAs from Plasmodia. Bacteria encode for enzymes belonging to the α-, β-, and γ-CA classes and recently, phylogenetic analysis revealed an interesting relationship regarding the evolution of bacterial CA classes. This result evidenced that the three bacterial CA classes, in spite of the high level of the structural similarity, are evolutionarily distinct, but we noted that the primary structure of some β-CAs identified in the genome of Gram-negative bacteria present a pre-sequence of 18 or more amino acid residues at the N-terminal part. These observations and subsequent phylogenetic data presented here prompted us to propose that the β-CAs found in Gram-negative bacteria with a periplasmic space and characterized by the presence of a signal peptide might have a periplasmic localization and a role similar to that described previously for the α-CAs.

Phylogenomic Analyses and Comparative Studies on Genomes of the Bifidobacteriales: Identification of Molecular Signatures Specific for the Order Bifidobacteriales and Its Different Subclades

The order Bifidobacteriales comprises a diverse variety of species found in the gastrointestinal tract of humans and other animals, some of which are opportunistic pathogens, whereas a number of others exhibit health-promoting effects. However, currently very few biochemical or molecular characteristics are known which are specific for the order Bifidobacteriales, or specific clades within this order, which distinguish them from other bacteria. This study reports the results of detailed comparative genomic and phylogenetic studies on 62 genome-sequenced species/strains from the order Bifidobacteriales. In a robust phylogenetic tree for the Bifidobacteriales constructed based on 614 core proteins, a number of well-resolved clades were observed including a clade separating the Scarodvia-related genera (Scardovia clade) from the genera Bifidobacterium and Gardnerella, as well as a number of previously reported clusters of Bifidobacterium spp. In parallel, our comparative analyses of protein sequences from the Bifidobacteriales genomes have identified numerous molecular markers that are specific for this group of bacteria. Of these markers, 32 conserved signature indels (CSIs) in widely distributed proteins and 10 signature proteins are distinctive characteristics of all sequenced Bifidobacteriales species and provide novel and highly specific means for distinguishing these bacteria. In addition, multiple other molecular signatures are specific for the following clades of Bifidobacteriales: (i) 5 CSIs specific for a clade comprising of the Scardovia-related genera; (ii) 3 CSIs and 2 CSPs specific for a clade consisting of the Bifidobacterium and Gardnerella spp.; (iii) multiple other signatures demarcating a number of clusters of the B. asteroides-and B. longum- related species. The described molecular markers provide novel and reliable means for distinguishing the Bifidobacteriales and a number of their clades in molecular terms and for the classification of these bacteria. The Bifidobacteriales-specific CSIs, found in important proteins, are predicted to play important roles in modifying the cellular functions of the affected proteins. Hence, biochemical studies on the cellular functions of these CSIs could lead to discovery of novel characteristics of either all Bifidobacteriales, or specific groups of bacteria within this order. Some of the functions affected/modified by these genetic changes could also be important for the probiotic/pathogenic activities of the bifidobacteria.

Sporulation, bacterial cell envelopes and the origin of life

Electron cryotomography (ECT) enables the 3D reconstruction of intact cells in a near-native state. Images produced by ECT have led to the proposal that an ancient sporulation-like event gave rise to the second membrane in diderm bacteria. Tomograms of sporulating monoderm and diderm bacterial cells show how sporulation can lead to the generation of diderm cells. Tomograms of Gram-negative and Gram-positive cell walls and purified sacculi suggest that they are more closely related than previously thought and support the hypothesis that they share a common origin. Mapping the distribution of cell envelope architectures onto a recent phylogenetic tree of life indicates that the diderm cell plan, and therefore the sporulation-like event that gave rise to it, must be very ancient. One explanation for this model is that during the cataclysmic transitions of the early Earth, cellular evolution may have gone through a bottleneck in which only spores survived, which implies that the last bacterial common ancestor was a spore.

Impact of genomics on the understanding of microbial evolution and classification: the importance of Darwin's views on classification

Analyses of genome sequences, by some approaches, suggest that the widespread occurrence of horizontal gene transfers (HGTs) in prokaryotes disguises their evolutionary relationships and have led to questioning of the Darwinian model of evolution for prokaryotes. These inferences are critically examined in the light of comparative genome analysis, characteristic synapomorphies, phylogenetic trees and Darwin's views on examining evolutionary relationships. Genome sequences are enabling discovery of numerous molecular markers (synapomorphies) such as conserved signature indels (CSIs) and conserved signature proteins (CSPs), which are distinctive characteristics of different prokaryotic taxa. Based on these molecular markers, exhibiting high degree of specificity and predictive ability, numerous prokaryotic taxa of different ranks, currently identified based on the 16S rRNA gene trees, can now be reliably demarcated in molecular terms. Within all studied groups, multiple CSIs and CSPs have been identified for successive nested clades providing reliable information regarding their hierarchical relationships and these inferences are not affected by HGTs. These results strongly support Darwin's views on evolution and classification and supplement the current phylogenetic framework based on 16S rRNA in important respects. The identified molecular markers provide important means for developing novel diagnostics, therapeutics and for functional studies providing important insights regarding prokaryotic taxa.

Novel Entropically Driven Conformation-specific Interactions with Tomm34 Protein Modulate Hsp70 Protein Folding and ATPase Activities

Co-chaperones containing tetratricopeptide repeat (TPR) domains enable cooperation between Hsp70 and Hsp90 to maintain cellular proteostasis. Although the details of the molecular interactions between some TPR domains and heat shock proteins are known, we describe a novel mechanism by which Tomm34 interacts with and coordinates Hsp70 activities. In contrast to the previously defined Hsp70/Hsp90-organizing protein (Hop), Tomm34 interaction is dependent on the Hsp70 chaperone cycle. Tomm34 binds Hsp70 in a complex process; anchorage of the Hsp70 C terminus by the TPR1 domain is accompanied by additional contacts formed exclusively in the ATP-bound state of Hsp70 resulting in a high affinity entropically driven interaction. Tomm34 induces structural changes in determinants within the Hsp70-lid subdomain and modulates Hsp70/Hsp40-mediated refolding and Hsp40-stimulated Hsp70 ATPase activity. Because Tomm34 recruits Hsp90 through its TPR2 domain, we propose a model in which Tomm34 enables Hsp70/Hsp90 scaffolding and influences the Hsp70 chaperone cycle, providing an additional role for co-chaperones that contain multiple TPR domains in regulating protein homeostasis.

Evidence for the presence of key chlorophyll-biosynthesis-related proteins in the genus Rubrobacter (Phylum Actinobacteria) and its implications for the evolution and origin of photosynthesis

Homologs showing high degree of sequence similarity to the three subunits of the protochlorophyllide oxidoreductase enzyme complex (viz. BchL, BchN, and BchB), which carries out a central role in chlorophyll-bacteriochlorophyll (Bchl) biosynthesis, are uniquely found in photosynthetic organisms. The results of BLAST searches and homology modeling presented here show that proteins exhibiting a high degree of sequence and structural similarity to the BchB and BchN proteins are also present in organisms from the high G+C Gram-positive phylum of Actinobacteria, specifically in members of the genus Rubrobacter (R. x ylanophilus and R. r adiotolerans). The results presented exclude the possibility that the observed BLAST hits are for subunits of the nitrogenase complex or the chlorin reductase complex. The branching in phylogenetic trees and the sequence characteristics of the Rubrobacter BchB/BchN homologs indicate that these homologs are distinct from those found in other photosynthetic bacteria and that they may represent ancestral forms of the BchB/BchN proteins. Although a homolog showing high degree of sequence similarity to the BchL protein was not detected in Rubrobacter, another protein, belonging to the ParA/Soj/MinD family, present in these bacteria, exhibits high degree of structural similarity to the BchL. In addition to the BchB/BchN homologs, Rubrobacter species also contain homologs showing high degree of sequence similarity to different subunits of magnesium chelatase (BchD, BchH, and BchI) as well as proteins showing significant similarity to the BchP and BchG proteins. Interestingly, no homologs corresponding to the BchX, BchY, and BchZ proteins were detected in the Rubrobacter species. These results provide the first suggestive evidence that some form of photosynthesis either exists or was anciently present within the phylum Actinobacteria (high G+C Gram-positive) in members of the genus Rubrobacter. The significance of these results concerning the origin of the Bchl-based photosynthesis is also discussed.

Early Microbial Evolution: The Age of Anaerobes

In this article, the term "early microbial evolution" refers to the phase of biological history from the emergence of life to the diversification of the first microbial lineages. In the modern era (since we knew about archaea), three debates have emerged on the subject that deserve discussion: (1) thermophilic origins versus mesophilic origins, (2) autotrophic origins versus heterotrophic origins, and (3) how do eukaryotes figure into early evolution. Here, we revisit those debates from the standpoint of newer data. We also consider the perhaps more pressing issue that molecular phylogenies need to recover anaerobic lineages at the base of prokaryotic trees, because O2 is a product of biological evolution; hence, the first microbes had to be anaerobes. If molecular phylogenies do not recover anaerobes basal, something is wrong. Among the anaerobes, hydrogen-dependent autotrophs--acetogens and methanogens--look like good candidates for the ancestral state of physiology in the bacteria and archaea, respectively. New trees tend to indicate that eukaryote cytosolic ribosomes branch within their archaeal homologs, not as sisters to them and, furthermore tend to root archaea within the methanogens. These are major changes in the tree of life, and open up new avenues of thought. Geochemical methane synthesis occurs as a spontaneous, abiotic exergonic reaction at hydrothermal vents. The overall similarity between that reaction and biological methanogenesis fits well with the concept of a methanogenic root for archaea and an autotrophic origin of microbial physiology.

Rapid Heme Transfer Reactions between NEAr Transporter Domains of Staphylococcus aureus: A Theoretical Study Using QM/MM and MD Simulations

In vertebrates, most iron is present as heme or is chelated by proteins. Thus, Gram-positive pathogens such as Staphylococcus aureus have evolved an iron-regulated surface determinant (Isd) system that transports heme across thick cell walls into the cytoplasm. Recent studies have demonstrated that heme is rapidly transferred between the NEAr Transporter (NEAT) domains of the Isd system, despite its high affinity toward each domain, suggesting the presence of an intermediate NEAT•heme•NEAT complex. In the present study, we performed short restrained molecular dynamics (MD) simulations to dock the acceptor NEAT domain to the donor NEAT•heme complex and obtained models where the two NEAT domains were arranged with two-fold pseudo symmetry around the heme molecule. After turning off the restraints, complex structures were stably maintained during subsequent unrestrained MD simulations, except for the hydrogen bond between the propionate group of the heme molecule and the donor NEAT domain, potentially facilitating the transition of heme from the donor to the acceptor. Subsequent structural optimization using the quantum mechanics/molecular mechanics (QM/MM) method showed that two tyrosine residues, one from each NEAT domain, were simultaneously coordinated to the ferric heme iron in the intermediate complex only if they were deprotonated. Based on these results, we propose a reaction scheme for heme transfer between NEAT domains.

Evolution of the methyl directed mismatch repair system in Escherichia coli

DNA mismatch repair (MMR) repairs mispaired bases in DNA generated by replication errors. MutS or MutS homologs recognize mispairs and coordinate with MutL or MutL homologs to direct excision of the newly synthesized DNA strand. In most organisms, the signal that discriminates between the newly synthesized and template DNA strands has not been definitively identified. In contrast, Escherichia coli and some related gammaproteobacteria use a highly elaborated methyl-directed MMR system that recognizes Dam methyltransferase modification sites that are transiently unmethylated on the newly synthesized strand after DNA replication. Evolution of methyl-directed MMR is characterized by the acquisition of Dam and the MutH nuclease and by the loss of the MutL endonuclease activity. Methyl-directed MMR is present in a subset of Gammaproteobacteria belonging to the orders Enterobacteriales, Pasteurellales, Vibrionales, Aeromonadales, and a subset of the Alteromonadales (the EPVAA group) as well as in gammaproteobacteria that have obtained these genes by horizontal gene transfer, including the medically relevant bacteria Fluoribacter, Legionella, and Tatlockia and the marine bacteria Methylophaga and Nitrosococcus.

A thiol-disulfide oxidoreductase of the Gram-positive pathogen Corynebacterium diphtheriae is essential for viability, pilus assembly, toxin production and virulence

The Gram-positive pathogen Corynebacterium diphtheriae exports through the Sec apparatus many extracellular proteins that include the key virulence factors diphtheria toxin and the adhesive pili. How these proteins attain their native conformations after translocation as unfolded precursors remains elusive. The fact that the majority of these exported proteins contain multiple cysteine residues and that several membrane-bound oxidoreductases are encoded in the corynebacterial genome suggests the existence of an oxidative protein-folding pathway in this organism. Here we show that the shaft pilin SpaA harbors a disulfide bond in vivo and alanine substitution of these cysteines abrogates SpaA polymerization and leads to the secretion of degraded SpaA peptides. We then identified a thiol-disulfide oxidoreductase (MdbA), whose structure exhibits a conserved thioredoxin-like domain with a CPHC active site. Remarkably, deletion of mdbA results in a severe temperature-sensitive cell division phenotype. This mutant also fails to assemble pilus structures and is greatly defective in toxin production. Consistent with these defects, the ΔmdbA mutant is attenuated in a guinea pig model of diphtheritic toxemia. Given its diverse cellular functions in cell division, pilus assembly and toxin production, we propose that MdbA is a component of the general oxidative folding machine in C. diphtheriae.

Comparative Genomics of Candidate Phylum TM6 Suggests That Parasitism Is Widespread and Ancestral in This Lineage

Candidate phylum TM6 is a major bacterial lineage recognized through culture-independent rRNA surveys to be low abundance members in a wide range of habitats; however, they are poorly characterized due to a lack of pure culture representatives. Two recent genomic studies of TM6 bacteria revealed small genomes and limited gene repertoire, consistent with known or inferred dependence on eukaryotic hosts for their metabolic needs. Here, we obtained additional near-complete genomes of TM6 populations from agricultural soil and upflow anaerobic sludge blanket reactor metagenomes which, together with the two publicly available TM6 genomes, represent seven distinct family level lineages in the TM6 phylum. Genome-based phylogenetic analysis confirms that TM6 is an independent phylum level lineage in the bacterial domain, possibly affiliated with the Patescibacteria superphylum. All seven genomes are small (1.0–1.5 Mb) and lack complete biosynthetic pathways for various essential cellular building blocks including amino acids, lipids, and nucleotides. These and other features identified in the TM6 genomes such as a degenerated cell envelope, ATP/ADP translocases for parasitizing host ATP pools, and protein motifs to facilitate eukaryotic host interactions indicate that parasitism is widespread in this phylum. Phylogenetic analysis of ATP/ADP translocase genes suggests that the ancestral TM6 lineage was also parasitic. We propose the name Dependentiae (phyl. nov.) to reflect dependence of TM6 bacteria on host organisms.

Molecular signatures that are distinctive characteristics of the vertebrates and chordates and supporting a grouping of vertebrates with the tunicates

Members of the phylum Chordata and the subphylum Vertebrata are presently distinguished solely on the basis of morphological characteristics. The relationship of the vertebrates to the two non-vertebrate chordate subphyla is also a subject of debate. Analyses of protein sequences have identified multiple conserved signature indels (CSIs) that are specific for Chordata or for Vertebrata. Five CSIs in 4 important proteins are specific for the Vertebrata, whereas two other CSIs are uniquely found in all sequenced chordate species including Ciona intestinalis and Oikapleura dioica (Tunicates) as well as Branchiostoma floridae (Cephalochordates). The shared presence of these molecular signatures by all vertebrates/chordate species, but in no other animal taxa, strongly indicates that the genetic changes represented by the identified CSIs diagnose monophyletic groups. Two other discovered CSIs are uniquely shared by different vertebrate species and by either one (Ciona intestinalis) or both tunicate (Ciona and Oikapleura) species, but they are not found in Branchiostoma or other animal species. Specific presence of these CSIs in different vertebrates and either one or both tunicate species provides strong independent evidence that the vertebrate species are more closely related to the urochordates (tunicates) than to the cephalochordates.

Genome Diversity of Spore-Forming Firmicutes

Formation of heat-resistant endospores is a specific property of the members of the phylum Firmicutes (low-G+C Gram-positive bacteria). It is found in representatives of four different classes of Firmicutes, Bacilli, Clostridia, Erysipelotrichia, and Negativicutes, which all encode similar sets of core sporulation proteins. Each of these classes also includes non-spore-forming organisms that sometimes belong to the same genus or even species as their spore-forming relatives. This chapter reviews the diversity of the members of phylum Firmicutes, its current taxonomy, and the status of genome-sequencing projects for various subgroups within the phylum. It also discusses the evolution of the Firmicutes from their apparently spore-forming common ancestor and the independent loss of sporulation genes in several different lineages (staphylococci, streptococci, listeria, lactobacilli, ruminococci) in the course of their adaptation to the saprophytic lifestyle in a nutrient-rich environment. It argues that the systematics of Firmicutes is a rapidly developing area of research that benefits from the evolutionary approaches to the ever-increasing amount of genomic and phenotypic data and allows arranging these data into a common framework.

Influence of rhizobacterial volatiles on the root system architecture and the production and allocation of biomass in the model grass Brachypodium distachyon (L.) P. Beauv

BACKGROUND

Plant growth-promoting rhizobacteria are increasingly being seen as a way of complementing conventional inputs in agricultural systems. The effects on their host plants are diverse and include volatile-mediated growth enhancement. This study sought to assess the effects of bacterial volatiles on the biomass production and root system architecture of the model grass Brachypodium distachyon (L.) Beauv.

RESULTS

An in vitro experiment allowing plant-bacteria interaction throughout the gaseous phase without any physical contact was used to screen 19 bacterial strains for their growth-promotion ability over a 10-day co-cultivation period. Five groups of bacteria were defined and characterised based on their combined influence on biomass production and root system architecture. The observed effects ranged from unchanged to greatly increased biomass production coupled with increased root length and branching. Primary root length was increased only by the volatile compounds emitted by Enterobacter cloacae JM22 and Bacillus pumilus T4. Overall, the most significant results were obtained with Bacillus subtilis GB03, which induced an 81 % increase in total biomass, as well as enhancing total root length, total secondary root length and total adventitious root length by 88.5, 201.5 and 474.5 %, respectively.

CONCLUSIONS

This study is the first report on bacterial volatile-mediated growth promotion of a grass plant. Contrasting modulations of biomass production coupled with changes in root system architecture were observed. Most of the strains that increased total plant biomass also modulated adventitious root growth. Under our screening conditions, total biomass production was strongly correlated with the length and branching of the root system components, except for primary root length. An analysis of the emission kinetics of the bacterial volatile compounds is being undertaken and should lead to the identification of the compounds responsible for the observed growth-promotion effects. Within the context of the inherent characteristics of our in vitro system, this paper identifies the next critical experimental steps and discusses them from both a fundamental and an applied perspective.

A phylogenomic and molecular markers based analysis of the phylum Chlamydiae: proposal to divide the class Chlamydiia into two orders, Chlamydiales and Parachlamydiales ord. nov., and emended description of the class Chlamydiia

The phylum Chlamydiae contains nine ecologically and genetically diverse families all placed within a single order. In this work, we have completed a comprehensive comparative analysis of 36 sequenced Chlamydiae genomes in order to identify shared molecular characteristics, namely conserved signature insertions/deletions (CSIs) and conserved signature proteins (CSPs), which can serve as distinguishing characteristics of supra-familial clusters within the phylum Chlamydiae. Our analysis has led to the identification of 32 CSIs which are specific to clusters within the phylum Chlamydiae at various phylogenetic depths. Importantly, 17 CSIs and 98 CSPs were found to be specific for the family Chlamydiaceae while another 3 CSI variants and 15 CSPs were specific for a grouping of the families Criblamydiaceae, Parachlamydiaceae, Simkaniaceae and Waddliaceae. These two clusters were also found to be distinguishable in 16S rRNA based phylogenetic trees, concatenated protein based phylogenetic trees, character compatibility based phylogenetic analyses, and on the basis of 16S rRNA gene sequence identity and average amino acid identity values. On the basis of the identified molecular characteristics, branching in phylogenetic trees, and the genetic distance between the two clusters within the phylum Chlamydiae we propose a division of the class Chlamydiia into two orders: an emended order Chlamydiales, containing the family Chlamydiaceae and the closely related Candidatus family Clavichlamydiaceae, and the novel order Parachlamydiales ord. nov. containing the families Parachlamydiaceae, Simkaniaceae and Waddliaceae and the Candidatus families Criblamydiaceae, Parilichlamydiaceae, Piscichlamydiaceae, and Rhabdochlamydiaceae. We also include a brief discussion of the reunification of the genera Chlamydia and Chlamydophila.

MDN: A Web Portal for Network Analysis of Molecular Dynamics Simulations

We introduce a web portal that employs network theory for the analysis of trajectories from molecular dynamics simulations. Users can create protein energy networks following methodology previously introduced by our group, and can identify residues that are important for signal propagation, as well as measure the efficiency of signal propagation by calculating the network coupling. This tool, called MDN, was used to characterize signal propagation in Escherichia coli heat-shock protein 70-kDa. Two variants of this protein experimentally shown to be allosterically active exhibit higher network coupling relative to that of two inactive variants. In addition, calculations of partial coupling suggest that this quantity could be used as part of the criteria to determine pocket druggability in drug discovery studies.

Cloning, characterization and anion inhibition studies of a new γ-carbonic anhydrase from the Antarctic bacterium Pseudoalteromonas haloplanktis

A new γ-class carbonic anhydrase (CA, EC 4.2.1.1) was cloned, purified and characterized from the Antarctic bacterium Pseudoalteromonas haloplanktis, PhaCAγ. The enzyme has a medium-low catalytic activity for the physiologic reaction of CO2 hydration to bicarbonate and protons, with a kcat of 1.4×10(5)s(-1) and a kcat/Km of 1.9×10(6)M(-1)s(-1). An anion inhibition study of PhaCAγ with inorganic anions and small molecule inhibitors is also reported. Many anions present in sea water, such as chloride, fluoride, sulfate, iodide, but also others such as azide, perchlorate and tetrafluoroborate did not inhibit this enzyme. Pseudohalides such as cyanate, thiocyanate, cyanide, selenocyanide, and also bicarbonate, nitrate, nitrite and many complex inorganic anions showed inhibition in the millimolar range (KI in the range of 1.7-9.3mM). The best PhaCAγ inhibitors detected in this study were diethyldithiocarbamate (KI of 0.96 mM) as well as sulfamide, sulfamate, phenylboronic acid and phenylarsonic acid (KI in the range of 82-91 μM). Since γ-CAs are poorly understood at this moment, being present in carboxysomes and thus involved in photosynthesis, this study may be relevant for a better understanding of these processes in Antarctic bacteria/cyanobacteria.

Characterizing HSF1 Binding and Post-Translational Modifications of hsp70 Promoter in Cultured Cortical Neurons: Implications in the Heat-Shock Response

Causes of lower induction of Hsp70 in neurons during heat shock are still a matter of debate. To further inquire into the mechanisms regulating Hsp70 expression in neurons, we studied the activity of Heat Shock Factor 1 (HSF1) and histone posttranslational modifications (PTMs) at the hsp70 promoter in rat cortical neurons. Heat shock induced a transient and efficient translocation of HSF1 to neuronal nuclei. However, no binding of HSF1 at the hsp70 promoter was detected while it bound to the hsp25 promoter in cortical neurons during heat shock. Histone PTMs analysis showed that the hsp70 promoter harbors lower levels of histone H3 and H4 acetylation in cortical neurons compared to PC12 cells under basal conditions. Transcriptomic profiling data analysis showed a predominant usage of cryptic transcriptional start sites at hsp70 gene in the rat cerebral cortex, compared with the whole brain. These data support a weaker activation of hsp70 canonical promoter. Heat shock increased H3Ac at the hsp70 promoter in PC12 cells, which correlated with increased Hsp70 expression while no modifications occurred at the hsp70 promoter in cortical neurons. Increased histone H3 acetylation by Trichostatin A led to hsp70 mRNA and protein induction in cortical neurons. In conclusion, we found that two independent mechanisms maintain a lower induction of Hsp70 in cortical neurons. First, HSF1 fails to bind specifically to the hsp70 promoter in cortical neurons during heat shock and, second, the hsp70 promoter is less accessible in neurons compared to non-neuronal cells due to histone deacetylases repression.

Genome-based taxonomic framework for the class Negativicutes: division of the class Negativicutes into the orders Selenomonadales emend., Acidaminococcales ord. nov. and Veillonellales ord. nov

The class Negativicutes is currently divided into one order and two families on the basis of 16S rRNA gene sequence phylogenies. We report here comprehensive comparative genomic analyses of the sequenced members of the class Negativicutes to demarcate its different evolutionary groups in molecular terms, independently of phylogenetic trees. Our comparative genomic analyses have identified 14 conserved signature indels (CSIs) and 48 conserved signature proteins (CSPs) that either are specific for the entire class or differentiate four main groups within the class. Two CSIs and nine CSPs are shared uniquely by all or most members of the class Negativicutes, distinguishing this class from all other sequenced members of the phylum Firmicutes. Four other CSIs and six CSPs were specific characteristics of the family Acidaminococcaceae, two CSIs and four CSPs were uniquely present in the family Veillonellaceae, six CSIs and eight CSPs were found only in Selenomonas and related genera, and 17 CSPs were identified uniquely in Sporomusa and related genera. Four additional CSPs support a pairing of the groups containing the genera Selenomonas and Sporomusa. We also report detailed phylogenetic analyses for the Negativicutes based on core protein sequences and 16S rRNA gene sequences, which strongly support the four main groups identified by CSIs and by CSPs. Based on the results from different lines of investigation, we propose a division of the class Negativicutes into an emended order Selenomonadales containing the new families Selenomonadaceae fam. nov. and Sporomusaceae fam. nov. and two new orders, Acidaminococcales ord. nov. and Veillonellales ord. nov., respectively containing the families Acidaminococcaceae and Veillonellaceae.