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Abstract
Over the last few decades, MS-based lipidomics has emerged as a powerful tool to study lipids in biological systems. This success is driven by the constant demand for complete and reliable data. The improvement of MS-based lipidomics will continue to be dependent on the advances in the technology of mass spectrometry and related techniques including separation and bioinformatics, and more importantly, on gaining insight into the knowledge of lipid chemistry essential to develop methodology for lipid analysis. It is hoped that the protocols in this book, collected from experts in their fields, can offer the beginner and the advanced user alike, useful tips toward successful lipidomic analysis.
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Affiliation(s)
- Fong-Fu Hsu
- Mass Spectrometry Resource, Division of Endocrinology, Metabolism, and Lipid Research, Department of Medicine, Washington University School of Medicine, St. Louis, MO, USA.
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Kropp C, Straub K, Linde M, Babinger P. Hexamerization and thermostability emerged very early during geranylgeranylglyceryl phosphate synthase evolution. Protein Sci 2020; 30:583-596. [PMID: 33342010 PMCID: PMC7888582 DOI: 10.1002/pro.4016] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/15/2020] [Revised: 12/09/2020] [Accepted: 12/11/2020] [Indexed: 12/12/2022]
Abstract
A large number of archaea live in hyperthermophilic environments. In consequence, their proteins need to adopt to these harsh conditions, including the enzymes that catalyze the synthesis of their membrane ether lipids. The enzyme that catalyzes the formation of the first ether bond in these lipids, geranylgeranylglyceryl phosphate synthase (GGGPS), exists as a hexamer in many hyperthermophilic archaea, and a recent study suggested that hexamerization serves for a fine‐tuning of the flexibility – stability trade‐off under hyperthermophilic conditions. We have recently reconstructed the sequences of ancestral group II GGGPS enzymes and now present a detailed biochemical characterization of nine of these predecessors, which allowed us to trace back the evolution of hexameric GGGPS and to draw conclusions about the properties of extant GGGPS branches that were not accessible to experiments up to now. Almost all ancestral GGGPS proteins formed hexamers, which demonstrates that hexamerization is even more widespread among the GGGPS family than previously assumed. Furthermore, all experimentally studied ancestral proteins showed high thermostability. Our results indicate that the hexameric oligomerization state and thermostability were present very early during the evolution of group II GGGPS, while the fine tuning of the flexibility – stability trade‐off developed very late, independent of the emergence of hexamerization.
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Affiliation(s)
- Cosimo Kropp
- Institute of Biophysics and Physical Biochemistry, Regensburg Center for Biochemistry, University of Regensburg, Regensburg, Germany
| | - Kristina Straub
- Institute of Biophysics and Physical Biochemistry, Regensburg Center for Biochemistry, University of Regensburg, Regensburg, Germany
| | - Mona Linde
- Institute of Biophysics and Physical Biochemistry, Regensburg Center for Biochemistry, University of Regensburg, Regensburg, Germany
| | - Patrick Babinger
- Institute of Biophysics and Physical Biochemistry, Regensburg Center for Biochemistry, University of Regensburg, Regensburg, Germany
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53
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Pfeifer K, Ergal İ, Koller M, Basen M, Schuster B, Rittmann SKMR. Archaea Biotechnology. Biotechnol Adv 2020; 47:107668. [PMID: 33271237 DOI: 10.1016/j.biotechadv.2020.107668] [Citation(s) in RCA: 45] [Impact Index Per Article: 11.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/24/2020] [Revised: 11/19/2020] [Accepted: 11/20/2020] [Indexed: 12/13/2022]
Abstract
Archaea are a domain of prokaryotic organisms with intriguing physiological characteristics and ecological importance. In Microbial Biotechnology, archaea are historically overshadowed by bacteria and eukaryotes in terms of public awareness, industrial application, and scientific studies, although their biochemical and physiological properties show a vast potential for a wide range of biotechnological applications. Today, the majority of microbial cell factories utilized for the production of value-added and high value compounds on an industrial scale are bacterial, fungal or algae based. Nevertheless, archaea are becoming ever more relevant for biotechnology as their cultivation and genetic systems improve. Some of the main advantages of archaeal cell factories are the ability to cultivate many of these often extremophilic organisms under non-sterile conditions, and to utilize inexpensive feedstocks often toxic to other microorganisms, thus drastically reducing cultivation costs. Currently, the only commercially available products of archaeal cell factories are bacterioruberin, squalene, bacteriorhodopsin and diether-/tetraether-lipids, all of which are produced utilizing halophiles. Other archaeal products, such as carotenoids and biohydrogen, as well as polyhydroxyalkanoates and methane are in early to advanced development stages, respectively. The aim of this review is to provide an overview of the current state of Archaea Biotechnology by describing the actual state of research and development as well as the industrial utilization of archaeal cell factories, their role and their potential in the future of sustainable bioprocessing, and to illustrate their physiological and biotechnological potential.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kevin Pfeifer
- Archaea Physiology & Biotechnology Group, Department of Functional and Evolutionary Ecology, Universität Wien, Wien, Austria; Institute of Synthetic Bioarchitectures, Department of Nanobiotechnology, University of Natural Resources and Life Sciences, Wien, Austria
| | - İpek Ergal
- Archaea Physiology & Biotechnology Group, Department of Functional and Evolutionary Ecology, Universität Wien, Wien, Austria
| | - Martin Koller
- Office of Research Management and Service, c/o Institute of Chemistry, University of Graz, Austria
| | - Mirko Basen
- Microbial Physiology Group, Division of Microbiology, Institute of Biological Sciences, University of Rostock, Rostock, Germany
| | - Bernhard Schuster
- Institute of Synthetic Bioarchitectures, Department of Nanobiotechnology, University of Natural Resources and Life Sciences, Wien, Austria
| | - Simon K-M R Rittmann
- Archaea Physiology & Biotechnology Group, Department of Functional and Evolutionary Ecology, Universität Wien, Wien, Austria.
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Styles MQ, Nesbitt EA, Hoffmann TD, Queen J, Ortenzi MV, Leak DJ. The heterologous production of terpenes by the thermophile Parageobacillus thermoglucosidasius in a consolidated bioprocess using waste bread. Metab Eng 2020; 65:146-155. [PMID: 33189879 DOI: 10.1016/j.ymben.2020.11.005] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/09/2020] [Revised: 08/26/2020] [Accepted: 11/08/2020] [Indexed: 11/16/2022]
Abstract
Parageobacillus thermoglucosidasius is a genetically tractable thermophile that grows rapidly at elevated temperatures, with a doubling time at 65 °C comparable to the shortest doubling times of Escherichia coli. It is capable of using a wide variety of substrates, including carbohydrate oligomers, and has been developed for the industrial production of ethanol. In this study, P. thermoglucosidasius NCIMB11955 has been engineered to produce the sesquiterpene τ-muurolol by introduction of a heterologous mevalonate pathway constructed using genes from several thermophilic archaea together with a recently characterised thermostable τ-muurolol synthase. P. thermoglucosidasius naturally uses the methylerythritol phosphate pathway for production of the terpene precursor, isopentenyl pyrophosphate, while archaea use a version of the mevalonate pathway. By introducing the orthogonal archaeal pathway it was possible to increase the flux through to sesquiterpene biosynthesis. Construction of such a large metabolic pathway created problems with genetic vector introduction and stability, so recombinant plasmids were introduced by conjugation, and a thermostable serine integrase system was developed for integration of large pathways onto the chromosome. Finally, by making the heterologous pathway maltose-inducible we demonstrate that the new strain is capable of using waste bread directly as an autoinduction carbon source for the production of terpenes in a consolidated bioprocess.
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Affiliation(s)
- Matthew Q Styles
- Department of Biology and Biochemistry, University of Bath, Claverton Down, Bath, BA2 7AY, UK
| | - Edward A Nesbitt
- Department of Biology and Biochemistry, University of Bath, Claverton Down, Bath, BA2 7AY, UK
| | - Timothy D Hoffmann
- Department of Biology and Biochemistry, University of Bath, Claverton Down, Bath, BA2 7AY, UK
| | - Junichi Queen
- Department of Biology and Biochemistry, University of Bath, Claverton Down, Bath, BA2 7AY, UK
| | - Maria V Ortenzi
- Department of Biology and Biochemistry, University of Bath, Claverton Down, Bath, BA2 7AY, UK
| | - David J Leak
- Department of Biology and Biochemistry, University of Bath, Claverton Down, Bath, BA2 7AY, UK.
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Garabedian BM, Meadows CW, Mingardon F, Guenther JM, de Rond T, Abourjeily R, Lee TS. An automated workflow to screen alkene reductases using high-throughput thin layer chromatography. BIOTECHNOLOGY FOR BIOFUELS 2020; 13:184. [PMID: 33292503 PMCID: PMC7653764 DOI: 10.1186/s13068-020-01821-w] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/31/2020] [Accepted: 10/21/2020] [Indexed: 06/12/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Synthetic biology efforts often require high-throughput screening tools for enzyme engineering campaigns. While innovations in chromatographic and mass spectrometry-based techniques provide relevant structural information associated with enzyme activity, these approaches can require cost-intensive instrumentation and technical expertise not broadly available. Moreover, complex workflows and analysis time can significantly impact throughput. To this end, we develop an automated, 96-well screening platform based on thin layer chromatography (TLC) and use it to monitor in vitro activity of a geranylgeranyl reductase isolated from Sulfolobus acidocaldarius (SaGGR). RESULTS Unreduced SaGGR products are oxidized to their corresponding epoxide and applied to thin layer silica plates by acoustic printing. These derivatives are chromatographically separated based on the extent of epoxidation and are covalently ligated to a chromophore, allowing detection of enzyme variants with unique product distributions or enhanced reductase activity. Herein, we employ this workflow to examine farnesol reduction using a codon-saturation mutagenesis library at the Leu377 site of SaGGR. We show this TLC-based screen can distinguish between fourfold differences in enzyme activity for select mutants and validated those results by GC-MS. CONCLUSIONS With appropriate quantitation methods, this workflow can be used to screen polyprenyl reductase activity and can be readily adapted to analyze broader catalyst libraries whose products are amenable to TLC analysis.
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Affiliation(s)
- Brett M Garabedian
- Joint BioEnergy Institute, 5885 Hollis Street, 4th floor, Emeryville, CA, 94608, USA
- Biological Systems & Engineering Division, Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory, Berkeley, CA, 94720, USA
| | - Corey W Meadows
- Joint BioEnergy Institute, 5885 Hollis Street, 4th floor, Emeryville, CA, 94608, USA
- Biological Systems & Engineering Division, Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory, Berkeley, CA, 94720, USA
| | | | - Joel M Guenther
- Joint BioEnergy Institute, 5885 Hollis Street, 4th floor, Emeryville, CA, 94608, USA
- Sandia National Laboratories, Livermore, CA, USA
| | - Tristan de Rond
- Joint BioEnergy Institute, 5885 Hollis Street, 4th floor, Emeryville, CA, 94608, USA
- Department of Chemistry, University of California, Berkeley, Berkeley, CA, 94720, USA
| | - Raya Abourjeily
- Total Raffinage Chimie, 2 Pl. Jean Millier, 92400, Courbevoie, France
| | - Taek Soon Lee
- Joint BioEnergy Institute, 5885 Hollis Street, 4th floor, Emeryville, CA, 94608, USA.
- Biological Systems & Engineering Division, Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory, Berkeley, CA, 94720, USA.
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56
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Wu W, Meador TB, Könneke M, Elvert M, Wegener G, Hinrichs KU. Substrate-dependent incorporation of carbon and hydrogen for lipid biosynthesis by Methanosarcina barkeri. ENVIRONMENTAL MICROBIOLOGY REPORTS 2020; 12:555-567. [PMID: 32783290 DOI: 10.1111/1758-2229.12876] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/15/2019] [Revised: 07/23/2020] [Accepted: 08/07/2020] [Indexed: 06/11/2023]
Abstract
Dual stable isotope probing has been used to infer rates of microbial biomass production and modes of carbon fixation. In order to validate this approach for assessing archaeal production, the methanogenic archaeon Methanosarcina barkeri was grown either with H2 , acetate or methanol with D2 O and 13 C-dissolved inorganic carbon (DIC). Our results revealed unexpectedly low D incorporation into lipids, with the net fraction of water-derived hydrogen amounting to 0.357 ± 0.042, 0.226 ± 0.003 and 0.393 ± 0.029 for growth on H2 /CO2 , acetate and methanol respectively. The variability in net water H assimilation into lipids during the growth of M. barkeri on different substrates is possibly attributed to different Gibbs free energy yields, such that higher energy yield promoted the exchange of hydrogen between medium water and lipids. Because NADPH likely serves as the portal for H transfer, increased NADPH production and/or turnover associated with high energy yield may explain the apparent differences in net water H assimilation into lipids. The variable DIC and water H incorporation into M. barkeri lipids imply systematic, metabolic patterns of isotope incorporation and suggest that the ratio of 13 C-DIC versus D2 O assimilation in environmental samples may serve as a proxy for microbial energetics in addition to microbial production and carbon assimilation pathways.
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Affiliation(s)
- Weichao Wu
- Organic Geochemistry Group, MARUM-Centre for Marine Environmental Sciences and Department of Geosciences, University of Bremen, Bremen, 28359, Germany
| | - Travis B Meador
- Organic Geochemistry Group, MARUM-Centre for Marine Environmental Sciences and Department of Geosciences, University of Bremen, Bremen, 28359, Germany
- Biology Centre Czech Academy of Sciences, Soil and Water Research Infrastructure, Ceske Budejovice, CZ-37005, Czechia
- Faculty of Science, Department Ecosystem Biology, University of South Bohemia, Ceske Budejovice, CZ-37005, Czechia
| | - Martin Könneke
- Organic Geochemistry Group, MARUM-Centre for Marine Environmental Sciences and Department of Geosciences, University of Bremen, Bremen, 28359, Germany
| | - Marcus Elvert
- Organic Geochemistry Group, MARUM-Centre for Marine Environmental Sciences and Department of Geosciences, University of Bremen, Bremen, 28359, Germany
| | - Gunter Wegener
- Organic Geochemistry Group, MARUM-Centre for Marine Environmental Sciences and Department of Geosciences, University of Bremen, Bremen, 28359, Germany
- Max Planck Institute for Marine Microbiology, Bremen, 28359, Germany
| | - Kai-Uwe Hinrichs
- Organic Geochemistry Group, MARUM-Centre for Marine Environmental Sciences and Department of Geosciences, University of Bremen, Bremen, 28359, Germany
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57
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Ren S, de Kok NAW, Gu Y, Yan W, Sun Q, Chen Y, He J, Tian L, Andringa RLH, Zhu X, Tang M, Qi S, Xu H, Ren H, Fu X, Minnaard AJ, Yang S, Zhang W, Li W, Wei Y, Driessen AJM, Cheng W. Structural and Functional Insights into an Archaeal Lipid Synthase. Cell Rep 2020; 33:108294. [PMID: 33086053 DOI: 10.1016/j.celrep.2020.108294] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/04/2020] [Revised: 08/27/2020] [Accepted: 09/30/2020] [Indexed: 02/08/2023] Open
Abstract
The UbiA superfamily of intramembrane prenyltransferases catalyzes an isoprenyl transfer reaction in the biosynthesis of lipophilic compounds involved in cellular physiological processes. Digeranylgeranylglyceryl phosphate (DGGGP) synthase (DGGGPase) generates unique membrane core lipids for the formation of the ether bond between the glycerol moiety and the alkyl chains in archaea and has been confirmed to be a member of the UbiA superfamily. Here, the crystal structure is reported to exhibit nine transmembrane helices along with a large lateral opening covered by a cytosolic cap domain and a unique substrate-binding central cavity. Notably, the lipid-bound states of this enzyme demonstrate that the putative substrate-binding pocket is occupied by the lipidic molecules used for crystallization, indicating the binding mode of hydrophobic substrates. Collectively, these structural and functional studies provide not only an understanding of lipid biosynthesis by substrate-specific lipid-modifying enzymes but also insights into the mechanisms of lipid membrane remodeling and adaptation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sixue Ren
- Division of Respiratory and Critical Care Medicine, Respiratory Infection and Intervention Laboratory of Frontiers Science Center for Disease-Related Molecular Network, State Key Laboratory of Biotherapy, West China Hospital of Sichuan University, Chengdu 610041, China
| | - Niels A W de Kok
- Department of Molecular Microbiology, Groningen Biomolecular Sciences and Biotechnology Institute, and The Zernike Institute for Advanced Materials, University of Groningen, Nijenborgh 7, 9747 AG Groningen, the Netherlands
| | - Yijun Gu
- National Facility for Protein Science Shanghai, Shanghai Synchrotron Radiation Facility, Shanghai Advanced Research Institute (Zhangjiang Lab), Zhangheng Road 239, Shanghai 201203, China
| | - Weizhu Yan
- Division of Respiratory and Critical Care Medicine, Respiratory Infection and Intervention Laboratory of Frontiers Science Center for Disease-Related Molecular Network, State Key Laboratory of Biotherapy, West China Hospital of Sichuan University, Chengdu 610041, China
| | - Qiu Sun
- Division of Respiratory and Critical Care Medicine, Respiratory Infection and Intervention Laboratory of Frontiers Science Center for Disease-Related Molecular Network, State Key Laboratory of Biotherapy, West China Hospital of Sichuan University, Chengdu 610041, China
| | - Yunying Chen
- Division of Respiratory and Critical Care Medicine, Respiratory Infection and Intervention Laboratory of Frontiers Science Center for Disease-Related Molecular Network, State Key Laboratory of Biotherapy, West China Hospital of Sichuan University, Chengdu 610041, China
| | - Jun He
- Division of Respiratory and Critical Care Medicine, Respiratory Infection and Intervention Laboratory of Frontiers Science Center for Disease-Related Molecular Network, State Key Laboratory of Biotherapy, West China Hospital of Sichuan University, Chengdu 610041, China
| | - Lejin Tian
- Division of Respiratory and Critical Care Medicine, Respiratory Infection and Intervention Laboratory of Frontiers Science Center for Disease-Related Molecular Network, State Key Laboratory of Biotherapy, West China Hospital of Sichuan University, Chengdu 610041, China
| | - Ruben L H Andringa
- Stratingh Institute for Chemistry, University of Groningen, Nijenborgh 7, 9747 AG Groningen, the Netherlands
| | - Xiaofeng Zhu
- Division of Respiratory and Critical Care Medicine, Respiratory Infection and Intervention Laboratory of Frontiers Science Center for Disease-Related Molecular Network, State Key Laboratory of Biotherapy, West China Hospital of Sichuan University, Chengdu 610041, China
| | - Mei Tang
- Division of Respiratory and Critical Care Medicine, Respiratory Infection and Intervention Laboratory of Frontiers Science Center for Disease-Related Molecular Network, State Key Laboratory of Biotherapy, West China Hospital of Sichuan University, Chengdu 610041, China
| | - Shiqian Qi
- Division of Respiratory and Critical Care Medicine, Respiratory Infection and Intervention Laboratory of Frontiers Science Center for Disease-Related Molecular Network, State Key Laboratory of Biotherapy, West China Hospital of Sichuan University, Chengdu 610041, China
| | - Heng Xu
- Division of Respiratory and Critical Care Medicine, Respiratory Infection and Intervention Laboratory of Frontiers Science Center for Disease-Related Molecular Network, State Key Laboratory of Biotherapy, West China Hospital of Sichuan University, Chengdu 610041, China
| | - Haiyan Ren
- Division of Respiratory and Critical Care Medicine, Respiratory Infection and Intervention Laboratory of Frontiers Science Center for Disease-Related Molecular Network, State Key Laboratory of Biotherapy, West China Hospital of Sichuan University, Chengdu 610041, China
| | - Xianghui Fu
- Division of Respiratory and Critical Care Medicine, Respiratory Infection and Intervention Laboratory of Frontiers Science Center for Disease-Related Molecular Network, State Key Laboratory of Biotherapy, West China Hospital of Sichuan University, Chengdu 610041, China
| | - Adriaan J Minnaard
- Stratingh Institute for Chemistry, University of Groningen, Nijenborgh 7, 9747 AG Groningen, the Netherlands
| | - Shengyong Yang
- Division of Respiratory and Critical Care Medicine, Respiratory Infection and Intervention Laboratory of Frontiers Science Center for Disease-Related Molecular Network, State Key Laboratory of Biotherapy, West China Hospital of Sichuan University, Chengdu 610041, China
| | - Wanjiang Zhang
- Department of Pathophysiology, Shihezi University School of Medicine, the Key Laboratory of Xinjiang Endemic and Ethnic Diseases, Shihezi, Xinjiang 832002, China
| | - Weimin Li
- Division of Respiratory and Critical Care Medicine, Respiratory Infection and Intervention Laboratory of Frontiers Science Center for Disease-Related Molecular Network, State Key Laboratory of Biotherapy, West China Hospital of Sichuan University, Chengdu 610041, China
| | - Yuquan Wei
- Division of Respiratory and Critical Care Medicine, Respiratory Infection and Intervention Laboratory of Frontiers Science Center for Disease-Related Molecular Network, State Key Laboratory of Biotherapy, West China Hospital of Sichuan University, Chengdu 610041, China
| | - Arnold J M Driessen
- Department of Molecular Microbiology, Groningen Biomolecular Sciences and Biotechnology Institute, and The Zernike Institute for Advanced Materials, University of Groningen, Nijenborgh 7, 9747 AG Groningen, the Netherlands.
| | - Wei Cheng
- Division of Respiratory and Critical Care Medicine, Respiratory Infection and Intervention Laboratory of Frontiers Science Center for Disease-Related Molecular Network, State Key Laboratory of Biotherapy, West China Hospital of Sichuan University, Chengdu 610041, China.
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Brázda V, Luo Y, Bartas M, Kaura P, Porubiaková O, Šťastný J, Pečinka P, Verga D, Da Cunha V, Takahashi TS, Forterre P, Myllykallio H, Fojta M, Mergny JL. G-Quadruplexes in the Archaea Domain. Biomolecules 2020; 10:biom10091349. [PMID: 32967357 PMCID: PMC7565180 DOI: 10.3390/biom10091349] [Citation(s) in RCA: 28] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/11/2020] [Revised: 09/16/2020] [Accepted: 09/18/2020] [Indexed: 11/26/2022] Open
Abstract
The importance of unusual DNA structures in the regulation of basic cellular processes is an emerging field of research. Amongst local non-B DNA structures, G-quadruplexes (G4s) have gained in popularity during the last decade, and their presence and functional relevance at the DNA and RNA level has been demonstrated in a number of viral, bacterial, and eukaryotic genomes, including humans. Here, we performed the first systematic search of G4-forming sequences in all archaeal genomes available in the NCBI database. In this article, we investigate the presence and locations of G-quadruplex forming sequences using the G4Hunter algorithm. G-quadruplex-prone sequences were identified in all archaeal species, with highly significant differences in frequency, from 0.037 to 15.31 potential quadruplex sequences per kb. While G4 forming sequences were extremely abundant in Hadesarchaea archeon (strikingly, more than 50% of the Hadesarchaea archaeon isolate WYZ-LMO6 genome is a potential part of a G4-motif), they were very rare in the Parvarchaeota phylum. The presence of G-quadruplex forming sequences does not follow a random distribution with an over-representation in non-coding RNA, suggesting possible roles for ncRNA regulation. These data illustrate the unique and non-random localization of G-quadruplexes in Archaea.
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Affiliation(s)
- Václav Brázda
- Institute of Biophysics of the Czech Academy of Sciences, Královopolská 135, 612 65 Brno, Czech Republic
| | - Yu Luo
- Institut Curie, CNRS UMR9187, INSERM U1196, Universite Paris Saclay, 91400 Orsay, France
| | - Martin Bartas
- Department of Biology and Ecology/Institute of Environmental Technologies, Faculty of Science, University of Ostrava, 710 00 Ostrava, Czech Republic
| | - Patrik Kaura
- Faculty of Mechanical Engineering, Brno University of Technology, Technicka 2896/2, 616 69 Brno, Czech Republic
| | - Otilia Porubiaková
- Institute of Biophysics of the Czech Academy of Sciences, Královopolská 135, 612 65 Brno, Czech Republic
- Faculty of Chemistry, Brno University of Technology, Purkyňova 464/118, 612 00 Brno, Czech Republic
| | - Jiří Šťastný
- Faculty of Mechanical Engineering, Brno University of Technology, Technicka 2896/2, 616 69 Brno, Czech Republic
- Mendel University in Brno, Zemědělská 1, 613 00 Brno, Czech Republic
| | - Petr Pečinka
- Department of Biology and Ecology/Institute of Environmental Technologies, Faculty of Science, University of Ostrava, 710 00 Ostrava, Czech Republic
| | - Daniela Verga
- Institut Curie, CNRS UMR9187, INSERM U1196, Universite Paris Saclay, 91400 Orsay, France
| | - Violette Da Cunha
- Institut de Biologie Intégrative de la Cellule (I2BC), CNRS, Université Paris-Saclay, CEDEX, 91198 Gif-sur-Yvette, France
| | - Tomio S Takahashi
- Institut de Biologie Intégrative de la Cellule (I2BC), CNRS, Université Paris-Saclay, CEDEX, 91198 Gif-sur-Yvette, France
| | - Patrick Forterre
- Institut de Biologie Intégrative de la Cellule (I2BC), CNRS, Université Paris-Saclay, CEDEX, 91198 Gif-sur-Yvette, France
| | - Hannu Myllykallio
- Laboratoire d'Optique et Biosciences, Ecole Polytechnique, CNRS, INSERM, Institut Polytechnique de Paris, 91128 Palaiseau, France
| | - Miroslav Fojta
- Institute of Biophysics of the Czech Academy of Sciences, Královopolská 135, 612 65 Brno, Czech Republic
| | - Jean-Louis Mergny
- Institute of Biophysics of the Czech Academy of Sciences, Královopolská 135, 612 65 Brno, Czech Republic
- Laboratoire d'Optique et Biosciences, Ecole Polytechnique, CNRS, INSERM, Institut Polytechnique de Paris, 91128 Palaiseau, France
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Plant-archaea relationships: a potential means to improve crop production in arid and semi-arid regions. World J Microbiol Biotechnol 2020; 36:133. [PMID: 32772189 DOI: 10.1007/s11274-020-02910-6] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/25/2020] [Accepted: 08/04/2020] [Indexed: 12/14/2022]
Abstract
Crop production in arid and semi-arid regions of the world is limited by several abiotic factors, including water stress, temperature extremes, low soil fertility, high soil pH, low soil water-holding capacity, and low soil organic matter. Moreover, arid and semi-arid areas experience low levels of rainfall with high spatial and temporal variability. Also, the indiscriminate use of chemicals, a practice that characterizes current agricultural practice, promotes crop and soil pollution potentially resulting in serious human health and environmental hazards. A reliable and sustainable alternative to current farming practice is, therefore, a necessity. One such option includes the use of plant growth-promoting microbes that can help to ameliorate some of the adverse effects of these multiple stresses. In this regard, archaea, functional components of the plant microbiome that are found both in the rhizosphere and the endosphere may contribute to the promotion of plant growth. Archaea can survive in extreme habitats such as areas with high temperatures and hypersaline water. No cases of archaea pathogenicity towards plants have been reported. Archaea appear to have the potential to promote plant growth, improve nutrient supply and protect plants against various abiotic stresses. A better understanding of recent developments in archaea functional diversity, plant colonizing ability, and modes of action could facilitate their eventual usage as reliable components of sustainable agricultural systems. The research discussed herein, therefore, addresses the potential role of archaea to improve sustainable crop production in arid and semi-arid areas.
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60
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Blank PN, Barnett AA, Ronnebaum TA, Alderfer KE, Gillott BN, Christianson DW, Himmelberger JA. Structural studies of geranylgeranylglyceryl phosphate synthase, a prenyltransferase found in thermophilic Euryarchaeota. Acta Crystallogr D Struct Biol 2020; 76:542-557. [PMID: 32496216 PMCID: PMC7271946 DOI: 10.1107/s2059798320004878] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/19/2019] [Accepted: 04/05/2020] [Indexed: 12/26/2022] Open
Abstract
Archaea are uniquely adapted to thrive in harsh environments, and one of these adaptations involves the archaeal membrane lipids, which are characterized by their isoprenoid alkyl chains connected via ether linkages to glycerol 1-phosphate. The membrane lipids of the thermophilic and acidophilic euryarchaeota Thermoplasma volcanium are exclusively glycerol dibiphytanyl glycerol tetraethers. The first committed step in the biosynthetic pathway of these archaeal lipids is the formation of the ether linkage between glycerol 1-phosphate and geranylgeranyl diphosphate, and is catalyzed by the enzyme geranylgeranylglyceryl phosphate synthase (GGGPS). The 1.72 Å resolution crystal structure of GGGPS from T. volcanium (TvGGGPS) in complex with glycerol and sulfate is reported here. The crystal structure reveals TvGGGPS to be a dimer, which is consistent with the absence of the aromatic anchor residue in helix α5a that is required for hexamerization in other GGGPS homologs; the hexameric quaternary structure in GGGPS is thought to provide thermostability. A phylogenetic analysis of the Euryarchaeota and a parallel ancestral state reconstruction investigated the relationship between optimal growth temperature and the ancestral sequences. The presence of an aromatic anchor residue is not explained by temperature as an ecological parameter. An examination of the active site of the TvGGGPS dimer revealed that it may be able to accommodate longer isoprenoid substrates, supporting an alternative pathway of isoprenoid membrane-lipid synthesis.
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Affiliation(s)
- P. N. Blank
- Department of Chemistry, University of Pennsylvania, 231 South 34th Street, Philadelphia, PA 19104, USA
| | - A. A. Barnett
- Department of Biology, DeSales University, 2755 Station Avenue, Center Valley, PA 18034, USA
| | - T. A. Ronnebaum
- Department of Chemistry, University of Pennsylvania, 231 South 34th Street, Philadelphia, PA 19104, USA
| | - K. E. Alderfer
- Department of Chemistry and Physics, DeSales University, 2755 Station Avenue, Center Valley, PA 18034, USA
| | - B. N. Gillott
- Department of Chemistry and Physics, DeSales University, 2755 Station Avenue, Center Valley, PA 18034, USA
| | - D. W. Christianson
- Department of Chemistry, University of Pennsylvania, 231 South 34th Street, Philadelphia, PA 19104, USA
| | - J. A. Himmelberger
- Department of Chemistry and Physics, DeSales University, 2755 Station Avenue, Center Valley, PA 18034, USA
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61
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The Cell Membrane of Sulfolobus spp.-Homeoviscous Adaption and Biotechnological Applications. Int J Mol Sci 2020; 21:ijms21113935. [PMID: 32486295 PMCID: PMC7312580 DOI: 10.3390/ijms21113935] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/30/2020] [Revised: 05/27/2020] [Accepted: 05/29/2020] [Indexed: 12/20/2022] Open
Abstract
The microbial cell membrane is affected by physicochemical parameters, such as temperature and pH, but also by the specific growth rate of the host organism. Homeoviscous adaption describes the process of maintaining membrane fluidity and permeability throughout these environmental changes. Archaea, and thereby, Sulfolobus spp. exhibit a unique lipid composition of ether lipids, which are altered in regard to the ratio of diether to tetraether lipids, number of cyclopentane rings and type of head groups, as a coping mechanism against environmental changes. The main biotechnological application of the membrane lipids of Sulfolobus spp. are so called archaeosomes. Archaeosomes are liposomes which are fully or partly generated from archaeal lipids and harbor the potential to be used as drug delivery systems for vaccines, proteins, peptides and nucleic acids. This review summarizes the influence of environmental parameters on the cell membrane of Sulfolobus spp. and the biotechnological applications of their membrane lipids.
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62
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Cavalier-Smith T, Chao EEY. Multidomain ribosomal protein trees and the planctobacterial origin of neomura (eukaryotes, archaebacteria). PROTOPLASMA 2020. [PMID: 31900730 DOI: 10.1007/s00709-019-01442] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/16/2023]
Abstract
Palaeontologically, eubacteria are > 3× older than neomura (eukaryotes, archaebacteria). Cell biology contrasts ancestral eubacterial murein peptidoglycan walls and derived neomuran N-linked glycoprotein coats/walls. Misinterpreting long stems connecting clade neomura to eubacteria on ribosomal sequence trees (plus misinterpreted protein paralogue trees) obscured this historical pattern. Universal multiprotein ribosomal protein (RP) trees, more accurate than rRNA trees, are taxonomically undersampled. To reduce contradictions with genically richer eukaryote trees and improve eubacterial phylogeny, we constructed site-heterogeneous and maximum-likelihood universal three-domain, two-domain, and single-domain trees for 143 eukaryotes (branching now congruent with 187-protein trees), 60 archaebacteria, and 151 taxonomically representative eubacteria, using 51 and 26 RPs. Site-heterogeneous trees greatly improve eubacterial phylogeny and higher classification, e.g. showing gracilicute monophyly, that many 'rDNA-phyla' belong in Proteobacteria, and reveal robust new phyla Synthermota and Aquithermota. Monoderm Posibacteria and Mollicutes (two separate wall losses) are both polyphyletic: multiple outer membrane losses in Endobacteria occurred separately from Actinobacteria; neither phylum is related to Chloroflexi, the most divergent prokaryotes, which originated photosynthesis (new model proposed). RP trees support an eozoan root for eukaryotes and are consistent with archaebacteria being their sisters and rooted between Filarchaeota (=Proteoarchaeota, including 'Asgardia') and Euryarchaeota sensu-lato (including ultrasimplified 'DPANN' whose long branches often distort trees). Two-domain trees group eukaryotes within Planctobacteria, and archaebacteria with Planctobacteria/Sphingobacteria. Integrated molecular/palaeontological evidence favours negibacterial ancestors for neomura and all life. Unique presence of key pre-neomuran characters favours Planctobacteria only as ancestral to neomura, which apparently arose by coevolutionary repercussions (explained here in detail, including RP replacement) of simultaneous outer membrane and murein loss. Planctobacterial C-1 methanotrophic enzymes are likely ancestral to archaebacterial methanogenesis and β-propeller-α-solenoid proteins to eukaryotic vesicle coats, nuclear-pore-complexes, and intraciliary transport. Planctobacterial chaperone-independent 4/5-protofilament microtubules and MamK actin-ancestors prepared for eukaryote intracellular motility, mitosis, cytokinesis, and phagocytosis. We refute numerous wrong ideas about the universal tree.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Ema E-Yung Chao
- Department of Zoology, University of Oxford, South Parks Road, Oxford, OX1 3PS, UK
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63
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Cavalier-Smith T, Chao EEY. Multidomain ribosomal protein trees and the planctobacterial origin of neomura (eukaryotes, archaebacteria). PROTOPLASMA 2020; 257:621-753. [PMID: 31900730 PMCID: PMC7203096 DOI: 10.1007/s00709-019-01442-7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 32] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/25/2019] [Accepted: 09/19/2019] [Indexed: 05/02/2023]
Abstract
Palaeontologically, eubacteria are > 3× older than neomura (eukaryotes, archaebacteria). Cell biology contrasts ancestral eubacterial murein peptidoglycan walls and derived neomuran N-linked glycoprotein coats/walls. Misinterpreting long stems connecting clade neomura to eubacteria on ribosomal sequence trees (plus misinterpreted protein paralogue trees) obscured this historical pattern. Universal multiprotein ribosomal protein (RP) trees, more accurate than rRNA trees, are taxonomically undersampled. To reduce contradictions with genically richer eukaryote trees and improve eubacterial phylogeny, we constructed site-heterogeneous and maximum-likelihood universal three-domain, two-domain, and single-domain trees for 143 eukaryotes (branching now congruent with 187-protein trees), 60 archaebacteria, and 151 taxonomically representative eubacteria, using 51 and 26 RPs. Site-heterogeneous trees greatly improve eubacterial phylogeny and higher classification, e.g. showing gracilicute monophyly, that many 'rDNA-phyla' belong in Proteobacteria, and reveal robust new phyla Synthermota and Aquithermota. Monoderm Posibacteria and Mollicutes (two separate wall losses) are both polyphyletic: multiple outer membrane losses in Endobacteria occurred separately from Actinobacteria; neither phylum is related to Chloroflexi, the most divergent prokaryotes, which originated photosynthesis (new model proposed). RP trees support an eozoan root for eukaryotes and are consistent with archaebacteria being their sisters and rooted between Filarchaeota (=Proteoarchaeota, including 'Asgardia') and Euryarchaeota sensu-lato (including ultrasimplified 'DPANN' whose long branches often distort trees). Two-domain trees group eukaryotes within Planctobacteria, and archaebacteria with Planctobacteria/Sphingobacteria. Integrated molecular/palaeontological evidence favours negibacterial ancestors for neomura and all life. Unique presence of key pre-neomuran characters favours Planctobacteria only as ancestral to neomura, which apparently arose by coevolutionary repercussions (explained here in detail, including RP replacement) of simultaneous outer membrane and murein loss. Planctobacterial C-1 methanotrophic enzymes are likely ancestral to archaebacterial methanogenesis and β-propeller-α-solenoid proteins to eukaryotic vesicle coats, nuclear-pore-complexes, and intraciliary transport. Planctobacterial chaperone-independent 4/5-protofilament microtubules and MamK actin-ancestors prepared for eukaryote intracellular motility, mitosis, cytokinesis, and phagocytosis. We refute numerous wrong ideas about the universal tree.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Ema E-Yung Chao
- Department of Zoology, University of Oxford, South Parks Road, Oxford, OX1 3PS, UK
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64
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Peng B, Kopczynski D, Pratt BS, Ejsing CS, Burla B, Hermansson M, Benke PI, Tan SH, Chan MY, Torta F, Schwudke D, Meckelmann SW, Coman C, Schmitz OJ, MacLean B, Manke MC, Borst O, Wenk MR, Hoffmann N, Ahrends R. LipidCreator workbench to probe the lipidomic landscape. Nat Commun 2020; 11:2057. [PMID: 32345972 PMCID: PMC7188904 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-020-15960-z] [Citation(s) in RCA: 43] [Impact Index Per Article: 10.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/04/2020] [Accepted: 04/06/2020] [Indexed: 12/16/2022] Open
Abstract
Mass spectrometry (MS)-based targeted lipidomics enables the robust quantification of selected lipids under various biological conditions but comprehensive software tools to support such analyses are lacking. Here we present LipidCreator, a software that fully supports targeted lipidomics assay development. LipidCreator offers a comprehensive framework to compute MS/MS fragment masses for over 60 lipid classes. LipidCreator provides all functionalities needed to define fragments, manage stable isotope labeling, optimize collision energy and generate in silico spectral libraries. We validate LipidCreator assays computationally and analytically and prove that it is capable to generate large targeted experiments to analyze blood and to dissect lipid-signaling pathways such as in human platelets.
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Affiliation(s)
- Bing Peng
- Leibniz-Institut für Analytische Wissenschaften - ISAS - e.V., 44139, Dortmund, Germany
- Division of Rheumatology, Department of Medicine Solna, Karolinska Institutet, Karolinska University Hospital, SE-171 76, Stockholm, Sweden
| | - Dominik Kopczynski
- Leibniz-Institut für Analytische Wissenschaften - ISAS - e.V., 44139, Dortmund, Germany
| | - Brian S Pratt
- University of Washington, Department of Genome Sciences, WA, 98195, Seattle, USA
| | - Christer S Ejsing
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, University of Southern Denmark, DK-, 5230, Odense, Denmark
- Cell Biology and Biophysics Unit, European Molecular Biology Laboratory, 69117, Heidelberg, Germany
| | - Bo Burla
- Singapore Lipidomics Incubator (SLING), Life Sciences Institute, National University of Singapore, 117456, Singapore, Singapore
| | - Martin Hermansson
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, University of Southern Denmark, DK-, 5230, Odense, Denmark
- Wihuri Research Institute, 00290, Helsinki, Finland
| | - Peter Imre Benke
- Singapore Lipidomics Incubator (SLING), Department of Biochemistry, Yong Loo Lin School of Medicine, National University of Singapore, 117596, Singapore, Singapore
| | - Sock Hwee Tan
- Department of Medicine, Yong Loo Lin School of Medicine, National University Hospital, 119228, Singapore, Singapore
- Cardiovascular Research Institute, National University of Singapore, 117599, Singapore, Singapore
| | - Mark Y Chan
- Department of Medicine, Yong Loo Lin School of Medicine, National University Hospital, 119228, Singapore, Singapore
- Cardiovascular Research Institute, National University of Singapore, 117599, Singapore, Singapore
- National University Heart Centre, National University Health System, 117599, Singapore, Singapore
| | - Federico Torta
- Singapore Lipidomics Incubator (SLING), Department of Biochemistry, Yong Loo Lin School of Medicine, National University of Singapore, 117596, Singapore, Singapore
| | - Dominik Schwudke
- Research Center Borstel, Leibniz Lung Center, Borstel, Germany
- German Center for Infection Research (DZIF), 38124, Braunschweig, Germany
- Airway Research Center North Member of the German Center for Lung Research (DZL), 22927, Großhansdorf, Germany
| | - Sven W Meckelmann
- Applied Analytical Chemistry, University of Duisburg-Essen, 45141, Essen, Germany
| | - Cristina Coman
- Leibniz-Institut für Analytische Wissenschaften - ISAS - e.V., 44139, Dortmund, Germany
- Department of Analytical Chemistry, University of Vienna, Währinger Strasse 38, 1090, Vienna, Austria
| | - Oliver J Schmitz
- Applied Analytical Chemistry, University of Duisburg-Essen, 45141, Essen, Germany
| | - Brendan MacLean
- University of Washington, Department of Genome Sciences, WA, 98195, Seattle, USA
| | - Mailin-Christin Manke
- Department of Cardiology and Cardiovascular Medicine, University of Tübingen, 72076, Tübingen, Germany
| | - Oliver Borst
- Department of Cardiology and Cardiovascular Medicine, University of Tübingen, 72076, Tübingen, Germany
| | - Markus R Wenk
- Singapore Lipidomics Incubator (SLING), Life Sciences Institute, National University of Singapore, 117456, Singapore, Singapore
- Singapore Lipidomics Incubator (SLING), Department of Biochemistry, Yong Loo Lin School of Medicine, National University of Singapore, 117596, Singapore, Singapore
| | - Nils Hoffmann
- Leibniz-Institut für Analytische Wissenschaften - ISAS - e.V., 44139, Dortmund, Germany
| | - Robert Ahrends
- Leibniz-Institut für Analytische Wissenschaften - ISAS - e.V., 44139, Dortmund, Germany.
- Department of Analytical Chemistry, University of Vienna, Währinger Strasse 38, 1090, Vienna, Austria.
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65
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Tasnádi G, Staśko M, Ditrich K, Hall M, Faber K. Preparative-Scale Enzymatic Synthesis of rac-Glycerol-1-phosphate from Crude Glycerol Using Acid Phosphatases and Phosphate. CHEMSUSCHEM 2020; 13:1759-1763. [PMID: 31944595 PMCID: PMC7187357 DOI: 10.1002/cssc.201903236] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/26/2019] [Revised: 01/15/2020] [Indexed: 06/10/2023]
Abstract
Glycerol is a byproduct of biodiesel production and is generated in large amounts, which has resulted in an increased interest in its valorization. In addition to its use as an energy source directly, the chemical modification of glycerol may result in value-added derivatives. Herein, acid phosphatases employed in the synthetic mode were evaluated for the enzymatic phosphorylation of glycerol. Nonspecific acid phosphatases could tolerate glycerol concentrations up to 80 wt % and pyrophosphate concentrations up to 20 wt % and led to product titers up to 167 g L-1 in a kinetic approach. In the complementary thermodynamic approach, phytases were able to condense glycerol and inorganic monophosphate directly. This unexpected behavior enabled the simple and cost-effective production of rac-glycerol-1-phosphate from crude glycerol obtained from a biodiesel plant. A preparative-scale synthesis on a 100 mL-scale resulted in the production of 16.6 g of rac-glycerol-1-phosphate with a reasonable purity (≈75 %).
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Affiliation(s)
- Gábor Tasnádi
- Department of ChemistryUniversity of GrazHeinrichstrasse 288010GrazAustria
- Austrian Centre of Industrial BiotechnologyPetersgasse 148010GrazAustria
| | - Marcin Staśko
- Department of ChemistryUniversity of GrazHeinrichstrasse 288010GrazAustria
- Current address: Opole University of TechnologyFaculty of Mechanical Engineering, 5 Mikołajczyka Street45-271OpolePoland
| | - Klaus Ditrich
- White Biotechnology Research BiocatalysisBASF SECarl-Bosch-Strasse 3867056LudwigshafenGermany
| | - Mélanie Hall
- Department of ChemistryUniversity of GrazHeinrichstrasse 288010GrazAustria
| | - Kurt Faber
- Department of ChemistryUniversity of GrazHeinrichstrasse 288010GrazAustria
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66
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Quehenberger J, Pittenauer E, Allmaier G, Spadiut O. The influence of the specific growth rate on the lipid composition of Sulfolobus acidocaldarius. Extremophiles 2020; 24:413-420. [PMID: 32200441 PMCID: PMC7174258 DOI: 10.1007/s00792-020-01165-1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/24/2019] [Accepted: 03/09/2020] [Indexed: 12/22/2022]
Abstract
Archaeal lipids are constituted of two isoprenoid chains connected via ether bonds to glycerol in the sn-2, 3 position. Due to these unique properties archaeal lipids are significantly more stable against high temperature, low pH, oxidation and enzymatic degradation than conventional lipids. Additionally, in members of the phylum Crenarchaeota condensation of two (monopolar) archaeal diether lipids to a single (bipolar) tetraether lipid as well as formation of cyclopentane rings in the isoprenoid core strongly reduce permeability of the crenarchaeal membranes. In this work we show that the Crenarchaeum Sulfolobus acidocaldarius changes its lipid composition as reaction to a shift in growth rate caused by nutrient limitation. We thereby identified a novel influencing factor for the lipid composition of S. acidocaldarius and were able to determine the effect of this factor on the lipid composition by using MALDI-MS for the semi-quantification of an archaeal lipidome: a shift in the specific growth rate during a controlled continuous cultivation of S. acidocaldarius from 0.011 to 0.035 h−1 led to a change in the ratio of diether to tetraether lipids from 1:3 to 1:5 and a decrease of the average number of cyclopentane rings from 5.1 to 4.6.
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Affiliation(s)
- Julian Quehenberger
- Research Division Biochemical Engineering, Faculty of Technical Chemistry, Institute of Chemical, Environmental and Bioscience Engineering, TU Wien, Vienna, Austria
| | - Ernst Pittenauer
- Research Group for Mass Spectrometric Bio and Polymer Analytics, Faculty of Technical Chemistry, Institute of Chemical Technologies and Analytics, TU Wien, Vienna, Austria
| | - Günter Allmaier
- Research Group for Mass Spectrometric Bio and Polymer Analytics, Faculty of Technical Chemistry, Institute of Chemical Technologies and Analytics, TU Wien, Vienna, Austria
| | - Oliver Spadiut
- Research Division Biochemical Engineering, Faculty of Technical Chemistry, Institute of Chemical, Environmental and Bioscience Engineering, TU Wien, Vienna, Austria.
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67
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Abstract
Aromatic prenyltransferases (PTases), including ABBA-type and dimethylallyl tryptophan synthase (DMATS)-type enzymes from bacteria and fungi, play important role for diversification of the natural products and improvement of the biological activities. For a decade, the characterization of enzymes and enzymatic synthesis of prenylated compounds by using ABBA-type and DMATS-type PTases have been demonstrated. Here, I introduce several examples of the studies on chemoenzymatic synthesis of unnatural prenylated compounds and the enzyme engineering of ABBA-type and DMATS-type PTases.
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68
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Abstract
Isoprenoids and their derivatives represent the largest group of organic compounds in nature and are distributed universally in the three domains of life. Isoprenoids are biosynthesized from isoprenyl diphosphate units, generated by two distinctive biosynthetic pathways: mevalonate pathway and methylerthritol 4-phosphate pathway. Archaea and eukaryotes exclusively have the former pathway, while most bacteria have the latter. Some bacteria, however, are known to possess the mevalonate pathway genes. Understanding the evolutionary history of these two isoprenoid biosynthesis pathways in each domain of life is critical since isoprenoids are so interweaved in the architecture of life that they would have had indispensable roles in the early evolution of life. Our study provides a detailed phylogenetic analysis of enzymes involved in the mevalonate pathway and sheds new light on its evolutionary history. The results suggest that a potential mevalonate pathway is present in the recently discovered superphylum Candidate Phyla Radiation (CPR), and further suggest a strong evolutionary relationship exists between archaea and CPR. Interestingly, CPR harbors the characteristics of both the bacterial-type and archaeal-type mevalonate pathways and may retain signatures regarding the ancestral isoprenoid biosynthesis pathway in the last universal common ancestor. Our study supports the ancient origin of the mevalonate pathway in the three domains of life as previously inferred, but concludes that the evolution of the mevalonate pathway was more complex.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yosuke Hoshino
- School of Biological Sciences, Georgia Institute of Technology, Atlanta, GA
| | - Eric A Gaucher
- School of Biological Sciences, Georgia Institute of Technology, Atlanta, GA.,School of Chemistry and Biochemistry, and Parker H. Petit Institute for Bioengineering and Biosciences, Georgia Institute of Technology, Atlanta, GA.,Department of Biology, Georgia State University, Atlanta, GA
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69
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Jordan SF, Nee E, Lane N. Isoprenoids enhance the stability of fatty acid membranes at the emergence of life potentially leading to an early lipid divide. Interface Focus 2019; 9:20190067. [PMID: 31641436 PMCID: PMC6802135 DOI: 10.1098/rsfs.2019.0067] [Citation(s) in RCA: 24] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/28/2019] [Accepted: 08/29/2019] [Indexed: 01/05/2023] Open
Abstract
Two key problems concern cell membranes during the emergence and early evolution of life: what was their initial composition, and why did the membranes of archaea and bacteria diverge? The composition of the first cell membranes could shed light on the most likely environment for the emergence of life. The opposing stereochemistry of modern lipid glycerol-phosphate headgroups in bacteria and archaea suggests that early membranes were composed of single chain amphiphiles, perhaps both fatty acids and isoprenoids. We investigated the effect of adding isoprenoids to fatty acid membranes using a combination of UV-visible spectroscopy, confocal microscopy and transmission electron microscopy. We tested the stability of these membranes across a pH range and under different concentrations of ionic species relevant to oceanic hydrothermal environments, including Na2+, Cl-, Mg2+, Ca2+, HC O 3 - , Fe3+, Fe2+ and S2-. We also tested the assembly of vesicles in the presence of Fe particles and FeS precipitates. We found that isoprenoids enhance the stability of membranes in the presence of salts but require 30-fold higher concentrations for membrane formation. Intriguingly, isoprenoids strongly inhibit the tendency of vesicles to aggregate together in the presence of either Fe particles or FeS precipitates. These striking physical differences in the stability and aggregation of protocells may have shaped the divergence of bacteria and archaea in early hydrothermal environments.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sean F. Jordan
- Centre for Life's Origin and Evolution, Department of Genetics, Evolution and Environment, University College London, Darwin Building, Gower Street, London WC1E 6BT, UK
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70
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Zhou A, Weber Y, Chiu BK, Elling FJ, Cobban AB, Pearson A, Leavitt WD. Energy flux controls tetraether lipid cyclization in Sulfolobus acidocaldarius. Environ Microbiol 2019; 22:343-353. [PMID: 31696620 DOI: 10.1111/1462-2920.14851] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/17/2019] [Revised: 10/16/2019] [Accepted: 10/22/2019] [Indexed: 12/31/2022]
Abstract
Microorganisms regulate the composition of their membranes in response to environmental cues. Many Archaea maintain the fluidity and permeability of their membranes by adjusting the number of cyclic moieties within the cores of their glycerol dibiphytanyl glycerol tetraether (GDGT) lipids. Cyclized GDGTs increase membrane packing and stability, which has been shown to help cells survive shifts in temperature and pH. However, the extent of this cyclization also varies with growth phase and electron acceptor or donor limitation. These observations indicate a relationship between energy metabolism and membrane composition. Here we show that the average degree of GDGT cyclization increases with doubling time in continuous cultures of the thermoacidophile Sulfolobus acidocaldarius (DSM 639). This is consistent with the behavior of a mesoneutrophile, Nitrosopumilus maritimus SCM1. Together, these results demonstrate that archaeal GDGT distributions can shift in response to electron donor flux and energy availability, independent of pH or temperature. Paleoenvironmental reconstructions based on GDGTs thus capture the energy available to microbes, which encompasses fluctuations in temperature and pH, as well as electron donor and acceptor availability. The ability of Archaea to adjust membrane composition and packing may be an important strategy that enables survival during episodes of energy stress.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alice Zhou
- Department of Earth Sciences, Dartmouth College, Hanover, New Hampshire, 03755, USA
| | - Yuki Weber
- Department of Earth & Planetary Sciences, Harvard University, Cambridge, Massachusetts, 02318, USA
| | - Beverly K Chiu
- Department of Earth Sciences, Dartmouth College, Hanover, New Hampshire, 03755, USA
| | - Felix J Elling
- Department of Earth & Planetary Sciences, Harvard University, Cambridge, Massachusetts, 02318, USA
| | - Alec B Cobban
- Department of Earth Sciences, Dartmouth College, Hanover, New Hampshire, 03755, USA
| | - Ann Pearson
- Department of Earth & Planetary Sciences, Harvard University, Cambridge, Massachusetts, 02318, USA
| | - William D Leavitt
- Department of Earth Sciences, Dartmouth College, Hanover, New Hampshire, 03755, USA.,Department of Chemistry, Dartmouth College, Hanover, New Hampshire, 03755, USA.,Department of Biological Sciences, Dartmouth College, Hanover, New Hampshire, 03755, USA
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72
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Pedersen SF, Counillon L. The SLC9A-C Mammalian Na +/H + Exchanger Family: Molecules, Mechanisms, and Physiology. Physiol Rev 2019; 99:2015-2113. [PMID: 31507243 DOI: 10.1152/physrev.00028.2018] [Citation(s) in RCA: 103] [Impact Index Per Article: 20.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/06/2023] Open
Abstract
Na+/H+ exchangers play pivotal roles in the control of cell and tissue pH by mediating the electroneutral exchange of Na+ and H+ across cellular membranes. They belong to an ancient family of highly evolutionarily conserved proteins, and they play essential physiological roles in all phyla. In this review, we focus on the mammalian Na+/H+ exchangers (NHEs), the solute carrier (SLC) 9 family. This family of electroneutral transporters constitutes three branches: SLC9A, -B, and -C. Within these, each isoform exhibits distinct tissue expression profiles, regulation, and physiological roles. Some of these transporters are highly studied, with hundreds of original articles, and some are still only rudimentarily understood. In this review, we present and discuss the pioneering original work as well as the current state-of-the-art research on mammalian NHEs. We aim to provide the reader with a comprehensive view of core knowledge and recent insights into each family member, from gene organization over protein structure and regulation to physiological and pathophysiological roles. Particular attention is given to the integrated physiology of NHEs in the main organ systems. We provide several novel analyses and useful overviews, and we pinpoint main remaining enigmas, which we hope will inspire novel research on these highly versatile proteins.
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Affiliation(s)
- S F Pedersen
- Section for Cell Biology and Physiology, Department of Biology, University of Copenhagen, Copenhagen, Denmark; and Université Côte d'Azur, CNRS, Laboratoire de Physiomédecine Moléculaire, LP2M, France, and Laboratories of Excellence Ion Channel Science and Therapeutics, Nice, France
| | - L Counillon
- Section for Cell Biology and Physiology, Department of Biology, University of Copenhagen, Copenhagen, Denmark; and Université Côte d'Azur, CNRS, Laboratoire de Physiomédecine Moléculaire, LP2M, France, and Laboratories of Excellence Ion Channel Science and Therapeutics, Nice, France
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73
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GDGT cyclization proteins identify the dominant archaeal sources of tetraether lipids in the ocean. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A 2019; 116:22505-22511. [PMID: 31591189 DOI: 10.1073/pnas.1909306116] [Citation(s) in RCA: 33] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/06/2023] Open
Abstract
Glycerol dibiphytanyl glycerol tetraethers (GDGTs) are distinctive archaeal membrane-spanning lipids with up to eight cyclopentane rings and/or one cyclohexane ring. The number of rings added to the GDGT core structure can vary as a function of environmental conditions, such as changes in growth temperature. This physiological response enables cyclic GDGTs preserved in sediments to be employed as proxies for reconstructing past global and regional temperatures and to provide fundamental insights into ancient climate variability. Yet, confidence in GDGT-based paleotemperature proxies is hindered by uncertainty concerning the archaeal communities contributing to GDGT pools in modern environments and ambiguity in the environmental and physiological factors that affect GDGT cyclization in extant archaea. To properly constrain these uncertainties, a comprehensive understanding of GDGT biosynthesis is required. Here, we identify 2 GDGT ring synthases, GrsA and GrsB, essential for GDGT ring formation in Sulfolobus acidocaldarius Both proteins are radical S-adenosylmethionine proteins, indicating that GDGT cyclization occurs through a free radical mechanism. In addition, we demonstrate that GrsA introduces rings specifically at the C-7 position of the core GDGT lipid, while GrsB cyclizes at the C-3 position, suggesting that cyclization patterns are differentially controlled by 2 separate enzymes and potentially influenced by distinct environmental factors. Finally, phylogenetic analyses of the Grs proteins reveal that marine Thaumarchaeota, and not Euryarchaeota, are the dominant source of cyclized GDGTs in open ocean settings, addressing a major source of uncertainty in GDGT-based paleotemperature proxy applications.
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74
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Prokaryotic and Mitochondrial Lipids: A Survey of Evolutionary Origins. ADVANCES IN EXPERIMENTAL MEDICINE AND BIOLOGY 2019. [PMID: 31502197 DOI: 10.1007/978-3-030-21162-2_2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 03/28/2024]
Abstract
Mitochondria and bacteria share a myriad of properties since it is believed that the powerhouses of the eukaryotic cell have evolved from a prokaryotic origin. Ribosomal RNA sequences, DNA architecture and metabolism are strikingly similar in these two entities. Proteins and nucleic acids have been a hallmark for comparison between mitochondria and prokaryotes. In this chapter, similarities (and differences) between mitochondrial and prokaryotic membranes are addressed with a focus on structure-function relationship of different lipid classes. In order to be suitable for the theme of the book, a special emphasis is reserved to the effects of bioactive sphingolipids, mainly ceramide, on mitochondrial membranes and their roles in initiating programmed cell death.
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75
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Cattò C, Cappitelli F. Testing Anti-Biofilm Polymeric Surfaces: Where to Start? Int J Mol Sci 2019; 20:E3794. [PMID: 31382580 PMCID: PMC6696330 DOI: 10.3390/ijms20153794] [Citation(s) in RCA: 25] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/24/2019] [Accepted: 08/02/2019] [Indexed: 12/11/2022] Open
Abstract
Present day awareness of biofilm colonization on polymeric surfaces has prompted the scientific community to develop an ever-increasing number of new materials with anti-biofilm features. However, compared to the large amount of work put into discovering potent biofilm inhibitors, only a small number of papers deal with their validation, a critical step in the translation of research into practical applications. This is due to the lack of standardized testing methods and/or of well-controlled in vivo studies that show biofilm prevention on polymeric surfaces; furthermore, there has been little correlation with the reduced incidence of material deterioration. Here an overview of the most common methods for studying biofilms and for testing the anti-biofilm properties of new surfaces is provided.
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Affiliation(s)
- Cristina Cattò
- Department of Food Environmental and Nutritional Sciences, Università degli Studi di Milano, via Celoria 2, 20133 Milano, Italy
| | - Francesca Cappitelli
- Department of Food Environmental and Nutritional Sciences, Università degli Studi di Milano, via Celoria 2, 20133 Milano, Italy.
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76
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Liman GLS, Hulko T, Febvre HP, Brachfeld AC, Santangelo TJ. A linear pathway for mevalonate production supports growth of Thermococcus kodakarensis. Extremophiles 2019; 23:229-238. [PMID: 30673855 DOI: 10.1007/s00792-019-01076-w] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/10/2018] [Accepted: 01/13/2019] [Indexed: 10/27/2022]
Abstract
The sole unifying feature of Archaea is the use of isoprenoid-based glycerol lipid ethers to compose cellular membranes. The branched hydrocarbon tails of archaeal lipids are synthesized via the polymerization of isopentenyl diphosphate (IPP) and dimethylallyl diphosphate (DMAPP), but many questions still surround the pathway(s) that result in production of IPP and DMAPP in archaeal species. Isotopic-labeling strategies argue for multiple biological routes for production of mevalonate, but biochemical and bioinformatic studies support only a linear pathway for mevalonate production. Here, we use a combination of genetic and biochemical assays to detail the production of mevalonate in the model archaeon Thermococcus kodakarensis. We demonstrate that a single, linear pathway to mevalonate biosynthesis is essential and that alternative routes of mevalonate production, if present, are not biologically sufficient to support growth in the absence of the classical mevalonate pathway resulting in IPP production from acetyl-CoA. Archaeal species provide an ideal platform for production of high-value isoprenoids in large quantities, and the results obtained provide avenues to further increase the production of mevalonate to drive isoprenoid production in archaeal hosts.
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Affiliation(s)
- Geraldy L S Liman
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Colorado State University, Fort Collins, CO, 80523, USA
| | - Tyler Hulko
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Colorado State University, Fort Collins, CO, 80523, USA
| | - Hallie P Febvre
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Colorado State University, Fort Collins, CO, 80523, USA
| | - Aaron C Brachfeld
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Colorado State University, Fort Collins, CO, 80523, USA
| | - Thomas J Santangelo
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Colorado State University, Fort Collins, CO, 80523, USA.
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77
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Meadows CW, Mingardon F, Garabedian BM, Baidoo EEK, Benites VT, Rodrigues AV, Abourjeily R, Chanal A, Lee TS. Discovery of novel geranylgeranyl reductases and characterization of their substrate promiscuity. BIOTECHNOLOGY FOR BIOFUELS 2018; 11:340. [PMID: 30607175 PMCID: PMC6309074 DOI: 10.1186/s13068-018-1342-2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/11/2018] [Accepted: 12/15/2018] [Indexed: 06/09/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Geranylgeranyl reductase (GGR) is a flavin-containing redox enzyme that hydrogenates a variety of unactivated polyprenyl substrates, which are further processed mostly for lipid biosynthesis in archaea or chlorophyll biosynthesis in plants. To date, only a few GGR genes have been confirmed to reduce polyprenyl substrates in vitro or in vivo. RESULTS In this work, we aimed to expand the confirmed GGR activity space by searching for novel genes that function under amenable conditions for microbial mesophilic growth in conventional hosts such as Escherichia coli or Saccharomyces cerevisiae. 31 putative GGRs were selected to test for potential reductase activity in vitro on farnesyl pyrophosphate, geranylgeranyl pyrophosphate, farnesol (FOH), and geranylgeraniol (GGOH). We report the discovery of several novel GGRs exhibiting significant activity toward various polyprenyl substrates under mild conditions (i.e., pH 7.4, T = 37 °C), including the discovery of a novel bacterial GGR isolated from Streptomyces coelicolor. In addition, we uncover new mechanistic insights within several GGR variants, including GGR-mediated phosphatase activity toward polyprenyl pyrophosphates and the first demonstration of completely hydrogenated GGOH and FOH substrates. CONCLUSION These collective results enhance the potential for metabolic engineers to manufacture a variety of isoprenoid-based biofuels, polymers, and chemical feedstocks in common microbial hosts such as E. coli or S. cerevisiae.
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Affiliation(s)
- Corey W. Meadows
- Joint BioEnergy Institute, 5885 Hollis Street, 4th floor, Emeryville, CA 94608 USA
- Biological Systems & Engineering Division, Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory, Berkeley, CA 94720 USA
| | | | - Brett M. Garabedian
- Joint BioEnergy Institute, 5885 Hollis Street, 4th floor, Emeryville, CA 94608 USA
- Biological Systems & Engineering Division, Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory, Berkeley, CA 94720 USA
| | - Edward E. K. Baidoo
- Joint BioEnergy Institute, 5885 Hollis Street, 4th floor, Emeryville, CA 94608 USA
- Biological Systems & Engineering Division, Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory, Berkeley, CA 94720 USA
| | - Veronica T. Benites
- Joint BioEnergy Institute, 5885 Hollis Street, 4th floor, Emeryville, CA 94608 USA
- Biological Systems & Engineering Division, Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory, Berkeley, CA 94720 USA
| | - Andria V. Rodrigues
- Joint BioEnergy Institute, 5885 Hollis Street, 4th floor, Emeryville, CA 94608 USA
- Biological Systems & Engineering Division, Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory, Berkeley, CA 94720 USA
| | - Raya Abourjeily
- Total Raffinage Chimie, 2 Pl. Jean Millier, 92400 Courbevoie, France
| | - Angelique Chanal
- Total Raffinage Chimie, 2 Pl. Jean Millier, 92400 Courbevoie, France
| | - Taek Soon Lee
- Joint BioEnergy Institute, 5885 Hollis Street, 4th floor, Emeryville, CA 94608 USA
- Biological Systems & Engineering Division, Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory, Berkeley, CA 94720 USA
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78
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Pohlschroder M, Pfeiffer F, Schulze S, Abdul Halim MF. Archaeal cell surface biogenesis. FEMS Microbiol Rev 2018; 42:694-717. [PMID: 29912330 PMCID: PMC6098224 DOI: 10.1093/femsre/fuy027] [Citation(s) in RCA: 39] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/09/2018] [Accepted: 06/12/2018] [Indexed: 12/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Cell surfaces are critical for diverse functions across all domains of life, from cell-cell communication and nutrient uptake to cell stability and surface attachment. While certain aspects of the mechanisms supporting the biosynthesis of the archaeal cell surface are unique, likely due to important differences in cell surface compositions between domains, others are shared with bacteria or eukaryotes or both. Based on recent studies completed on a phylogenetically diverse array of archaea, from a wide variety of habitats, here we discuss advances in the characterization of mechanisms underpinning archaeal cell surface biogenesis. These include those facilitating co- and post-translational protein targeting to the cell surface, transport into and across the archaeal lipid membrane, and protein anchoring strategies. We also discuss, in some detail, the assembly of specific cell surface structures, such as the archaeal S-layer and the type IV pili. We will highlight the importance of post-translational protein modifications, such as lipid attachment and glycosylation, in the biosynthesis as well as the regulation of the functions of these cell surface structures and present the differences and similarities in the biogenesis of type IV pili across prokaryotic domains.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Friedhelm Pfeiffer
- Computational Biology Group, Max Planck Institute of Biochemistry, 82152 Martinsried, Germany
| | - Stefan Schulze
- Department of Biology, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA 19104, USA
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79
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de Carvalho CCCR, Caramujo MJ. The Various Roles of Fatty Acids. Molecules 2018; 23:molecules23102583. [PMID: 30304860 PMCID: PMC6222795 DOI: 10.3390/molecules23102583] [Citation(s) in RCA: 306] [Impact Index Per Article: 51.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/03/2018] [Revised: 10/01/2018] [Accepted: 10/06/2018] [Indexed: 12/31/2022] Open
Abstract
Lipids comprise a large group of chemically heterogeneous compounds. The majority have fatty acids (FA) as part of their structure, making these compounds suitable tools to examine processes raging from cellular to macroscopic levels of organization. Among the multiple roles of FA, they have structural functions as constituents of phospholipids which are the "building blocks" of cell membranes; as part of neutral lipids FA serve as storage materials in cells; and FA derivatives are involved in cell signalling. Studies on FA and their metabolism are important in numerous research fields, including biology, bacteriology, ecology, human nutrition and health. Specific FA and their ratios in cellular membranes may be used as biomarkers to enable the identification of organisms, to study adaptation of bacterial cells to toxic compounds and environmental conditions and to disclose food web connections. In this review, we discuss the various roles of FA in prokaryotes and eukaryotes and highlight the application of FA analysis to elucidate ecological mechanisms. We briefly describe FA synthesis; analyse the role of FA as modulators of cell membrane properties and FA ability to store and supply energy to cells; and inspect the role of polyunsaturated FA (PUFA) and the suitability of using FA as biomarkers of organisms.
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Affiliation(s)
- Carla C C R de Carvalho
- Institute for Bioengineering and Biosciences, Department of Bioengineering, Instituto Superior Técnico, Universidade de Lisboa, Av. Rovisco Pais, 1049-001 Lisboa, Portugal.
| | - Maria José Caramujo
- Centre for Ecology, Evolution and Environmental Changes, Faculdade de Ciências, Universidade de Lisboa, Campo Grande, Edifício C2-5º Piso, 1749-016 Lisboa, Portugal.
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80
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Petrova TE, Boyko KM, Nikolaeva AY, Stekhanova TN, Gruzdev EV, Mardanov AV, Stroilov VS, Littlechild JA, Popov VO, Bezsudnova EY. Structural characterization of geranylgeranyl pyrophosphate synthase GACE1337 from the hyperthermophilic archaeon Geoglobus acetivorans. Extremophiles 2018; 22:877-888. [PMID: 30062607 DOI: 10.1007/s00792-018-1044-5] [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: 04/22/2018] [Accepted: 07/20/2018] [Indexed: 01/23/2023]
Abstract
A novel type 1 geranylgeranyl pyrophosphate synthase GACE1337 has been identified within the genome of a newly identified hyperthermophilic archaeon Geoglobus acetivorans. The enzyme has been cloned and over-expressed in Escherichia coli. The recombinant enzyme has been biochemically and structurally characterized. It is able to catalyze the synthesis of geranylgeranyl pyrophosphate as a major product and of farnesyl pyrophosphate in smaller amounts, as measured by gas chromatography-mass spectrometry at an elevated temperature of 60 °C. Its ability to produce two products is consistent with the fact that GACE1337 is the only short-chain isoprenyl diphosphate synthase in G. acetivorans. Attempts to crystallize the enzyme were successful only at 37 °C. The three-dimensional structure of GACE1337 was determined by X-ray diffraction to 2.5 Å resolution. A comparison of its structure with those of related enzymes revealed that the Geoglobus enzyme has the features of both type I and type III geranylgeranyl pyrophosphate synthases, which allow it to regulate the product length. The active enzyme is a dimer and has three aromatic amino acids, two Phe, and a Tyr, located in the hydrophobic cleft between the two subunits. It is proposed that these bulky residues play a major role in the synthetic reaction by controlling the product elongation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tatiana E Petrova
- Institute of Mathematical Problems of Biology, RAS, Branch of Keldysh Institute of Applied Mathematics of the Russian Academy of Sciences, Professor Vitkevich St., Pushchino, 142290, Russian Federation.
| | - Konstantin M Boyko
- Research Center of Biotechnology of the Russian Academy of Sciences, Leninsky Ave. 33, Bld. 2, Moscow, 119071, Russian Federation.,NBICS Center, National Research Centre "Kurchatov Institute", Akad. Kurchatova sqr, 1, Moscow, 123182, Russian Federation
| | - Alena Yu Nikolaeva
- Research Center of Biotechnology of the Russian Academy of Sciences, Leninsky Ave. 33, Bld. 2, Moscow, 119071, Russian Federation
| | - Tatiana N Stekhanova
- Research Center of Biotechnology of the Russian Academy of Sciences, Leninsky Ave. 33, Bld. 2, Moscow, 119071, Russian Federation
| | - Eugeny V Gruzdev
- Research Center of Biotechnology of the Russian Academy of Sciences, Leninsky Ave. 33, Bld. 2, Moscow, 119071, Russian Federation
| | - Andrey V Mardanov
- Research Center of Biotechnology of the Russian Academy of Sciences, Leninsky Ave. 33, Bld. 2, Moscow, 119071, Russian Federation
| | - Viktor S Stroilov
- N. D. Zelinsky Institute of Organic Chemistry (ZIOC RAS), Leninsky Prospekt, 47, Moscow, 119991, Russian Federation
| | - Jennifer A Littlechild
- Henry Wellcome Building for Biocatalysis, Biosciences, College of Life and Environmental Sciences, University of Exeter, Exeter, EX4 4QD, UK
| | - Vladimir O Popov
- Research Center of Biotechnology of the Russian Academy of Sciences, Leninsky Ave. 33, Bld. 2, Moscow, 119071, Russian Federation.,NBICS Center, National Research Centre "Kurchatov Institute", Akad. Kurchatova sqr, 1, Moscow, 123182, Russian Federation
| | - Ekaterina Yu Bezsudnova
- Research Center of Biotechnology of the Russian Academy of Sciences, Leninsky Ave. 33, Bld. 2, Moscow, 119071, Russian Federation
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81
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Staley JT, Caetano-Anollés G. Archaea-First and the Co-Evolutionary Diversification of Domains of Life. Bioessays 2018; 40:e1800036. [PMID: 29944192 DOI: 10.1002/bies.201800036] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/19/2018] [Revised: 05/12/2018] [Indexed: 12/13/2022]
Abstract
The origins and evolution of the Archaea, Bacteria, and Eukarya remain controversial. Phylogenomic-wide studies of molecular features that are evolutionarily conserved, such as protein structural domains, suggest Archaea is the first domain of life to diversify from a stem line of descent. This line embodies the last universal common ancestor of cellular life. Here, we propose that ancestors of Euryarchaeota co-evolved with those of Bacteria prior to the diversification of Eukarya. This co-evolutionary scenario is supported by comparative genomic and phylogenomic analyses of the distributions of fold families of domains in the proteomes of free-living organisms, which show horizontal gene recruitments and informational process homologies. It also benefits from the molecular study of cell physiologies responsible for membrane phospholipids, methanogenesis, methane oxidation, cell division, gas vesicles, and the cell wall. Our theory however challenges popular cell fusion and two-domain of life scenarios derived from sequence analysis, demanding phylogenetic reconciliation. Also see the video abstract here: https://youtu.be/9yVWn_Q9faY.
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Affiliation(s)
- James T Staley
- Department of Microbiology and Astrobiology Program, University of Washington, Seattle, WA, 98195, USA
| | - Gustavo Caetano-Anollés
- Department of Crop Sciences, C. R. Woese Institute for Genomic Biology, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, Urbana, IL, 61801, USA
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82
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Linde M, Heyn K, Merkl R, Sterner R, Babinger P. Hexamerization of Geranylgeranylglyceryl Phosphate Synthase Ensures Structural Integrity and Catalytic Activity at High Temperatures. Biochemistry 2018; 57:2335-2348. [DOI: 10.1021/acs.biochem.7b01284] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/17/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Mona Linde
- Institute of Biophysics and Physical Biochemistry, University of Regensburg, 93040 Regensburg, Germany
| | - Kristina Heyn
- Institute of Biophysics and Physical Biochemistry, University of Regensburg, 93040 Regensburg, Germany
| | - Rainer Merkl
- Institute of Biophysics and Physical Biochemistry, University of Regensburg, 93040 Regensburg, Germany
| | - Reinhard Sterner
- Institute of Biophysics and Physical Biochemistry, University of Regensburg, 93040 Regensburg, Germany
| | - Patrick Babinger
- Institute of Biophysics and Physical Biochemistry, University of Regensburg, 93040 Regensburg, Germany
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83
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Glabonjat RA, Ehgartner J, Duncan EG, Raber G, Jensen KB, Krikowa F, Maher WA, Francesconi KA. Arsenolipid biosynthesis by the unicellular alga Dunaliella tertiolecta is influenced by As/P ratio in culture experiments. Metallomics 2018; 10:145-153. [DOI: 10.1039/c7mt00249a] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/21/2022]
Abstract
Culture experiments exposing unicellular algae to varying arsenate/phosphate regimes and determining their arsenometallomes by HPLC–MS shows the interconnection of arsenolipids and water-soluble arsenicals.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ronald A. Glabonjat
- Institute of Chemistry
- NAWI Graz
- University of Graz
- Universitaetsplatz 1
- 8010 Graz
| | - Josef Ehgartner
- Institute of Chemistry
- NAWI Graz
- University of Graz
- Universitaetsplatz 1
- 8010 Graz
| | - Elliott G. Duncan
- Ecochemistry Laboratory
- Institute for Applied Ecology
- University of Canberra
- University Drive
- Bruce
| | - Georg Raber
- Institute of Chemistry
- NAWI Graz
- University of Graz
- Universitaetsplatz 1
- 8010 Graz
| | - Kenneth B. Jensen
- Institute of Chemistry
- NAWI Graz
- University of Graz
- Universitaetsplatz 1
- 8010 Graz
| | - Frank Krikowa
- Ecochemistry Laboratory
- Institute for Applied Ecology
- University of Canberra
- University Drive
- Bruce
| | - William A. Maher
- Ecochemistry Laboratory
- Institute for Applied Ecology
- University of Canberra
- University Drive
- Bruce
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84
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Malik SS, Azem-E-Zahra S, Kim KM, Caetano-Anollés G, Nasir A. Do Viruses Exchange Genes across Superkingdoms of Life? Front Microbiol 2017; 8:2110. [PMID: 29163404 PMCID: PMC5671483 DOI: 10.3389/fmicb.2017.02110] [Citation(s) in RCA: 20] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/24/2017] [Accepted: 10/16/2017] [Indexed: 12/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Viruses can be classified into archaeoviruses, bacterioviruses, and eukaryoviruses according to the taxonomy of the infected host. The host-constrained perception of viruses implies preference of genetic exchange between viruses and cellular organisms of their host superkingdoms and viral origins from host cells either via escape or reduction. However, viruses frequently establish non-lytic interactions with organisms and endogenize into the genomes of bacterial endosymbionts that reside in eukaryotic cells. Such interactions create opportunities for genetic exchange between viruses and organisms of non-host superkingdoms. Here, we take an atypical approach to revisit virus-cell interactions by first identifying protein fold structures in the proteomes of archaeoviruses, bacterioviruses, and eukaryoviruses and second by tracing their spread in the proteomes of superkingdoms Archaea, Bacteria, and Eukarya. The exercise quantified protein structural homologies between viruses and organisms of their host and non-host superkingdoms and revealed likely candidates for virus-to-cell and cell-to-virus gene transfers. Unexpected lifestyle-driven genetic affiliations between bacterioviruses and Eukarya and eukaryoviruses and Bacteria were also predicted in addition to a large cohort of protein folds that were universally shared by viral and cellular proteomes and virus-specific protein folds not detected in cellular proteomes. These protein folds provide unique insights into viral origins and evolution that are generally difficult to recover with traditional sequence alignment-dependent evolutionary analyses owing to the fast mutation rates of viral gene sequences.
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Affiliation(s)
- Shahana S Malik
- Department of Biosciences, COMSATS Institute of Information Technology, Islamabad, Pakistan
| | - Syeda Azem-E-Zahra
- Department of Biosciences, COMSATS Institute of Information Technology, Islamabad, Pakistan
| | - Kyung Mo Kim
- Division of Polar Life Sciences, Korea Polar Research Institute, Incheon, South Korea
| | - Gustavo Caetano-Anollés
- Evolutionary Bioinformatics Laboratory, Department of Crop Sciences, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, Urbana, IL, United States
| | - Arshan Nasir
- Department of Biosciences, COMSATS Institute of Information Technology, Islamabad, Pakistan.,Evolutionary Bioinformatics Laboratory, Department of Crop Sciences, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, Urbana, IL, United States
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85
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Ren S, Caforio A, Yang Q, Sun B, Yu F, Zhu X, Wang J, Dou C, Fu Q, Huang N, Sun Q, Nie C, Qi S, Gong X, He J, Wei Y, Driessen AJ, Cheng W. Structural and mechanistic insights into the biosynthesis of CDP-archaeol in membranes. Cell Res 2017; 27:1378-1391. [PMID: 28961231 DOI: 10.1038/cr.2017.122] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/09/2017] [Revised: 07/06/2017] [Accepted: 08/10/2017] [Indexed: 02/05/2023] Open
Abstract
The divergence of archaea, bacteria and eukaryotes was a fundamental step in evolution. One marker of this event is a major difference in membrane lipid chemistry between these kingdoms. Whereas the membranes of bacteria and eukaryotes primarily consist of straight fatty acids ester-bonded to glycerol-3-phosphate, archaeal phospholipids consist of isoprenoid chains ether-bonded to glycerol-1-phosphate. Notably, the mechanisms underlying the biosynthesis of these lipids remain elusive. Here, we report the structure of the CDP-archaeol synthase (CarS) of Aeropyrum pernix (ApCarS) in the CTP- and Mg2+-bound state at a resolution of 2.4 Å. The enzyme comprises a transmembrane domain with five helices and cytoplasmic loops that together form a large charged cavity providing a binding site for CTP. Identification of the binding location of CTP and Mg2+ enabled modeling of the specific lipophilic substrate-binding site, which was supported by site-directed mutagenesis, substrate-binding affinity analyses, and enzyme assays. We propose that archaeol binds within two hydrophobic membrane-embedded grooves formed by the flexible transmembrane helix 5 (TM5), together with TM1 and TM4. Collectively, structural comparisons and analyses, combined with functional studies, not only elucidated the mechanism governing the biosynthesis of phospholipids with ether-bonded isoprenoid chains by CTP transferase, but also provided insights into the evolution of this enzyme superfamily from archaea to bacteria and eukaryotes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sixue Ren
- Division of Respiratory and Critical Care Medicine, State Key Laboratory of Biotherapy, West China Hospital of Sichuan University and Collaborative Innovation Center of Biotherapy, Chengdu, Sichuan 610041, China
| | - Antonella Caforio
- Department of Molecular Microbiology, Groningen Biomolecular Sciences and Biotechnology Institute, University of Groningen, Nijenborgh 7, 9747 AG Groningen, The Netherlands.,The Zernike Institute for Advanced Materials, University of Groningen, Groningen, The Netherlands
| | - Qin Yang
- Division of Respiratory and Critical Care Medicine, State Key Laboratory of Biotherapy, West China Hospital of Sichuan University and Collaborative Innovation Center of Biotherapy, Chengdu, Sichuan 610041, China
| | - Bo Sun
- Department of Life Science, Shanghai Institute of Applied Physics, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shanghai, China
| | - Feng Yu
- Department of Life Science, Shanghai Institute of Applied Physics, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shanghai, China
| | - Xiaofeng Zhu
- Division of Respiratory and Critical Care Medicine, State Key Laboratory of Biotherapy, West China Hospital of Sichuan University and Collaborative Innovation Center of Biotherapy, Chengdu, Sichuan 610041, China
| | - Jinjing Wang
- Division of Respiratory and Critical Care Medicine, State Key Laboratory of Biotherapy, West China Hospital of Sichuan University and Collaborative Innovation Center of Biotherapy, Chengdu, Sichuan 610041, China
| | - Chao Dou
- Division of Respiratory and Critical Care Medicine, State Key Laboratory of Biotherapy, West China Hospital of Sichuan University and Collaborative Innovation Center of Biotherapy, Chengdu, Sichuan 610041, China
| | - Qiuyu Fu
- National Institute of Biological Science, Number 7 Science Park Road, Beijing 100084, China
| | - Niu Huang
- National Institute of Biological Science, Number 7 Science Park Road, Beijing 100084, China
| | - Qiu Sun
- Division of Respiratory and Critical Care Medicine, State Key Laboratory of Biotherapy, West China Hospital of Sichuan University and Collaborative Innovation Center of Biotherapy, Chengdu, Sichuan 610041, China
| | - Chunlai Nie
- Division of Respiratory and Critical Care Medicine, State Key Laboratory of Biotherapy, West China Hospital of Sichuan University and Collaborative Innovation Center of Biotherapy, Chengdu, Sichuan 610041, China
| | - Shiqian Qi
- Division of Respiratory and Critical Care Medicine, State Key Laboratory of Biotherapy, West China Hospital of Sichuan University and Collaborative Innovation Center of Biotherapy, Chengdu, Sichuan 610041, China
| | - Xinqi Gong
- Institute for Mathematical Sciences, Renmin University of China, Beijing, China
| | - Jianhua He
- Department of Life Science, Shanghai Institute of Applied Physics, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shanghai, China
| | - Yuquan Wei
- Division of Respiratory and Critical Care Medicine, State Key Laboratory of Biotherapy, West China Hospital of Sichuan University and Collaborative Innovation Center of Biotherapy, Chengdu, Sichuan 610041, China
| | - Arnold Jm Driessen
- Department of Molecular Microbiology, Groningen Biomolecular Sciences and Biotechnology Institute, University of Groningen, Nijenborgh 7, 9747 AG Groningen, The Netherlands.,The Zernike Institute for Advanced Materials, University of Groningen, Groningen, The Netherlands
| | - Wei Cheng
- Division of Respiratory and Critical Care Medicine, State Key Laboratory of Biotherapy, West China Hospital of Sichuan University and Collaborative Innovation Center of Biotherapy, Chengdu, Sichuan 610041, China
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86
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Claassens NJ, Siliakus MF, Spaans SK, Creutzburg SCA, Nijsse B, Schaap PJ, Quax TEF, van der Oost J. Improving heterologous membrane protein production in Escherichia coli by combining transcriptional tuning and codon usage algorithms. PLoS One 2017; 12:e0184355. [PMID: 28902855 PMCID: PMC5597330 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0184355] [Citation(s) in RCA: 23] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/19/2017] [Accepted: 08/22/2017] [Indexed: 12/27/2022] Open
Abstract
High-level, recombinant production of membrane-integrated proteins in Escherichia coli is extremely relevant for many purposes, but has also been proven challenging. Here we study a combination of transcriptional fine-tuning in E. coli LEMO21(DE3) with different codon usage algorithms for heterologous production of membrane proteins. The overexpression of 6 different membrane proteins is compared for the wild-type gene codon usage variant, a commercially codon-optimized variant, and a codon-harmonized variant. We show that transcriptional fine-tuning plays a major role in improving the production of all tested proteins. Moreover, different codon usage variants significantly improved production of some of the tested proteins. However, not a single algorithm performed consistently best for the membrane-integrated production of the 6 tested proteins. In conclusion, for improving heterologous membrane protein production in E. coli, the major effect is accomplished by transcriptional tuning. In addition, further improvements may be realized by attempting different codon usage variants, such as codon harmonized variants, which can now be easily generated through our online Codon Harmonizer tool.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nico J. Claassens
- Laboratory of Microbiology, Wageningen University and Research, Wageningen, The Netherlands
| | - Melvin F. Siliakus
- Laboratory of Microbiology, Wageningen University and Research, Wageningen, The Netherlands
| | - Sebastiaan K. Spaans
- Laboratory of Microbiology, Wageningen University and Research, Wageningen, The Netherlands
| | | | - Bart Nijsse
- Laboratory of Systems and Synthetic Biology, Wageningen University and Research, Wageningen, The Netherlands
| | - Peter J. Schaap
- Laboratory of Systems and Synthetic Biology, Wageningen University and Research, Wageningen, The Netherlands
| | - Tessa E. F. Quax
- Institut für Biologie II, Albert Ludwigs Universität Freiburg, Freiburg, Germany
| | - John van der Oost
- Laboratory of Microbiology, Wageningen University and Research, Wageningen, The Netherlands
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87
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Phylogenomic proximity and metabolic discrepancy of Methanosarcina mazei Go1 across methanosarcinal genomes. Biosystems 2017; 155:20-28. [DOI: 10.1016/j.biosystems.2017.03.002] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/17/2016] [Revised: 03/15/2017] [Accepted: 03/20/2017] [Indexed: 02/04/2023]
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88
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Ou X, Guo J, Wang L, Yang H, Liu X, Sun J, Liu Z. Ion- and water-binding sites inside an occluded hourglass pore of a trimeric intracellular cation (TRIC) channel. BMC Biol 2017; 15:31. [PMID: 28431535 PMCID: PMC5401562 DOI: 10.1186/s12915-017-0372-8] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/01/2017] [Accepted: 04/05/2017] [Indexed: 01/15/2023] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Trimeric intracellular cation (TRIC) channels are crucial for Ca2+ handling in eukaryotes and are involved in K+ uptake in prokaryotes. Recent studies on the representative members of eukaryotic and prokaryotic TRIC channels demonstrated that they form homotrimeric units with the ion-conducting pores contained within each individual monomer. RESULTS Here we report detailed insights into the ion- and water-binding sites inside the pore of a TRIC channel from Sulfolobus solfataricus (SsTRIC). Like the mammalian TRIC channels, SsTRIC is permeable to both K+ and Na+ with a slight preference for K+, and is nearly impermeable to Ca2+, Mg2+, or Cl-. In the 2.2-Å resolution K+-bound structure of SsTRIC, ion/water densities have been well resolved inside the pore. At the central region, a filter-like structure is shaped by the kinks on the second and fifth transmembrane helices and two nearby phenylalanine residues. Below the filter, the cytoplasmic vestibule is occluded by a plug-like motif attached to an array of pore-lining charged residues. CONCLUSIONS The asymmetric filter-like structure at the pore center of SsTRIC might serve as the basis for the channel to bind and select monovalent cations. A Velcro-like plug-pore interacting model has been proposed and suggests a unified framework accounting for the gating mechanisms of prokaryotic and eukaryotic TRIC channels.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xiaomin Ou
- National Laboratory of Biomacromolecules, CAS Center for Excellence in Biomacromolecules, Institute of Biophysics, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China
| | - Jianli Guo
- National Laboratory of Biomacromolecules, CAS Center for Excellence in Biomacromolecules, Institute of Biophysics, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China
| | - Longfei Wang
- National Laboratory of Biomacromolecules, CAS Center for Excellence in Biomacromolecules, Institute of Biophysics, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China
| | - Hanting Yang
- National Laboratory of Biomacromolecules, CAS Center for Excellence in Biomacromolecules, Institute of Biophysics, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China
- University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China
| | - Xiuying Liu
- National Laboratory of Biomacromolecules, CAS Center for Excellence in Biomacromolecules, Institute of Biophysics, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China
- University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China
| | - Jianyuan Sun
- State Key Laboratory of Brain & Cognitive Sciences, CAS Center for Excellence in Biomacromolecules, Institute of Biophysics, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China
- University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China
| | - Zhenfeng Liu
- National Laboratory of Biomacromolecules, CAS Center for Excellence in Biomacromolecules, Institute of Biophysics, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China.
- University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China.
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89
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Gaci N, Chaudhary PP, Tottey W, Alric M, Brugère JF. Functional amplification and preservation of human gut microbiota. MICROBIAL ECOLOGY IN HEALTH AND DISEASE 2017; 28:1308070. [PMID: 28572754 PMCID: PMC5443092 DOI: 10.1080/16512235.2017.1308070] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/29/2016] [Accepted: 03/15/2017] [Indexed: 12/13/2022]
Abstract
Background: The availability of fresh stool samples is a prerequisite in most gut microbiota functional studies. Objective: Strategies for amplification and long-term gut microbiota preservation from fecal samples would favor sample sharing, help comparisons and reproducibility over time and between laboratories, and improve the safety and ethical issues surrounding fecal microbiota transplantations. Design: Taking advantage of in vitro gut-simulating systems, we amplified the microbial repertoire of a fresh fecal sample and assessed the viability and resuscitation of microbes after preservation with some common intracellular and extracellular acting cryoprotective agents (CPAs), alone and in different combinations. Preservation efficiencies were determined after 3 and 6 months and compared with the fresh initial microbiota diversity and metabolic activity, using the chemostat-based Environmental Control System for Intestinal Microbiota (ECSIM) in vitro model of the gut environment. Microbial populations were tested for fermentation gas, short-chain fatty acids, and composition of amplified and resuscitated microbiota, encompassing methanogenic archaea. Results: Amplification of the microbial repertoire from a fresh fecal sample was achieved with high fidelity. Dimethylsulfoxide, alone or mixed with other CPAs, showed the best efficiency for functional preservation, and the duration of preservation had little effect. Conclusions: The amplification and resuscitation of fecal microbiota can be performed using specialized in vitro gut models. Correct amplification of the initial microbes should ease the sharing of clinical samples and improve the safety of fecal microbiota transplantation. Abbreviations: CDI, Clostridium difficile infection; CPA, cryoprotective agent; D, DMSO, dimethylsulfoxide; FMT, fecal microbiota transplantation; G, glycerol; IBD, inflammatory bowel disease; P, PEG-4000, polyethylene glycol 4000 g.mol−1; SCFA, short-chain fatty acid; SNR, signal-to-noise ratio
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Affiliation(s)
- Nadia Gaci
- EA-4678 CIDAM, Clermont Université, Université d'Auvergne, Clermont-Ferrand, France
| | | | - William Tottey
- EA-4678 CIDAM, Clermont Université, Université d'Auvergne, Clermont-Ferrand, France
| | - Monique Alric
- EA-4678 CIDAM, Clermont Université, Université d'Auvergne, Clermont-Ferrand, France
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90
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Eichler J, Guan Z. Lipid sugar carriers at the extremes: The phosphodolichols Archaea use in N-glycosylation. Biochim Biophys Acta Mol Cell Biol Lipids 2017; 1862:589-599. [PMID: 28330764 DOI: 10.1016/j.bbalip.2017.03.005] [Citation(s) in RCA: 20] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/26/2016] [Revised: 03/15/2017] [Accepted: 03/17/2017] [Indexed: 11/28/2022]
Abstract
N-glycosylation, a post-translational modification whereby glycans are covalently linked to select Asn residues of target proteins, occurs in all three domains of life. Across evolution, the N-linked glycans are initially assembled on phosphorylated cytoplasmically-oriented polyisoprenoids, with polyprenol (mainly C55 undecaprenol) fulfilling this role in Bacteria and dolichol assuming this function in Eukarya and Archaea. The eukaryal and archaeal versions of dolichol can, however, be distinguished on the basis of their length, degree of saturation and by other traits. As is true for many facets of their biology, Archaea, best known in their capacity as extremophiles, present unique approaches for synthesizing phosphodolichols. At the same time, general insight into the assembly and processing of glycan-bearing phosphodolichols has come from studies of the archaeal enzymes responsible. In this review, these and other aspects of archaeal phosphodolichol biology are addressed.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jerry Eichler
- Department of Life Sciences, Ben Gurion University of the Negev, Beersheva 84105, Israel.
| | - Ziqiang Guan
- Department of Biochemistry, Duke University Medical Center, Durham, NC 27710, USA
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91
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A RuBisCO-mediated carbon metabolic pathway in methanogenic archaea. Nat Commun 2017; 8:14007. [PMID: 28082747 PMCID: PMC5241800 DOI: 10.1038/ncomms14007] [Citation(s) in RCA: 72] [Impact Index Per Article: 10.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/06/2016] [Accepted: 11/18/2016] [Indexed: 11/08/2022] Open
Abstract
Two enzymes are considered to be unique to the photosynthetic Calvin–Benson cycle: ribulose-1,5-bisphosphate carboxylase/oxygenase (RuBisCO), responsible for CO2 fixation, and phosphoribulokinase (PRK). Some archaea possess bona fide RuBisCOs, despite not being photosynthetic organisms, but are thought to lack PRK. Here we demonstrate the existence in methanogenic archaea of a carbon metabolic pathway involving RuBisCO and PRK, which we term ‘reductive hexulose-phosphate' (RHP) pathway. These archaea possess both RuBisCO and a catalytically active PRK whose crystal structure resembles that of photosynthetic bacterial PRK. Capillary electrophoresis-mass spectrometric analysis of metabolites reveals that the RHP pathway, which differs from the Calvin–Benson cycle only in a few steps, is active in vivo. Our work highlights evolutionary and functional links between RuBisCO-mediated carbon metabolic pathways in methanogenic archaea and photosynthetic organisms. Whether the RHP pathway allows for autotrophy (that is, growth exclusively with CO2 as carbon source) remains unknown. Although not photosynthetic, some archaea possess RuBisCO, one of the enzymes characteristic of the photosynthetic Calvin-Benson cycle, but apparently lack another one, phosphoribulokinase (PRK). Here the authors describe a carbon metabolic pathway in methanogenic archaea, involving RuBisCO and PRK.
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92
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Caforio A, Driessen AJM. Archaeal phospholipids: Structural properties and biosynthesis. Biochim Biophys Acta Mol Cell Biol Lipids 2016; 1862:1325-1339. [PMID: 28007654 DOI: 10.1016/j.bbalip.2016.12.006] [Citation(s) in RCA: 55] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/03/2016] [Revised: 12/13/2016] [Accepted: 12/15/2016] [Indexed: 01/06/2023]
Abstract
Phospholipids are major components of the cellular membranes present in all living organisms. They typically form a lipid bilayer that embroiders the cell or cellular organelles, constitute a barrier for ions and small solutes and form a matrix that supports the function of membrane proteins. The chemical composition of the membrane phospholipids present in the two prokaryotic domains Archaea and Bacteria are vastly different. Archaeal lipids are composed of highly-methylated isoprenoid chains that are ether-linked to a glycerol-1-phosphate backbone while bacterial phospholipids consist of straight fatty acids bound by ester bonds to the enantiomeric glycerol-3-phosphate backbone. The chemical structure of the archaeal lipids and their compositional diversity ensures the required stability at extreme environmental conditions as many archaea thrive at such conditions including high or low temperature, high salinity and extreme acidic or alkaline pH values. However, not all archaea are extremophiles, and the presence of ether-linked phospholipids is a phylogenetic marker that distinguishes Archaea from other life forms. During the past decade, our understanding of the biosynthesis of archaeal lipids has progressed resulting in the characterization of the main biosynthetic steps of the pathway including the reconstitution of lipid biosynthesis in vitro. Here we describe the chemical and physical properties of archaeal lipids and membranes derived thereof, summarize the existing knowledge about the enzymology of the archaeal lipid biosynthetic pathway and discuss evolutionary theories associated with the "Lipid Divide" that resulted in the differentiation of bacterial and archaeal organisms. This article is part of a Special Issue entitled: Bacterial Lipids edited by Russell E. Bishop.
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Affiliation(s)
- Antonella Caforio
- Department of Molecular Microbiology, Groningen Biomolecular Sciences and Biotechnology Institute, University of Groningen, Nijenborgh 7, 9747 AG, Groningen, The Netherlands; The Zernike Institute for Advanced Materials, University of Groningen, Nijenborgh 7, 9747 AG, Groningen, The Netherlands
| | - Arnold J M Driessen
- Department of Molecular Microbiology, Groningen Biomolecular Sciences and Biotechnology Institute, University of Groningen, Nijenborgh 7, 9747 AG, Groningen, The Netherlands; The Zernike Institute for Advanced Materials, University of Groningen, Nijenborgh 7, 9747 AG, Groningen, The Netherlands.
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93
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Complementation of an aglB Mutant of Methanococcus maripaludis with Heterologous Oligosaccharyltransferases. PLoS One 2016; 11:e0167611. [PMID: 27907170 PMCID: PMC5131992 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0167611] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/13/2016] [Accepted: 11/17/2016] [Indexed: 01/04/2023] Open
Abstract
The oligosaccharyltransferase is the signature enzyme for N-linked glycosylation in all domains of life. In Archaea, this enzyme termed AglB, is responsible for transferring lipid carrier-linked glycans to select asparagine residues in a variety of target proteins including archaellins, S-layer proteins and pilins. This study investigated the ability of a variety of AglBs to compensate for the oligosaccharyltransferase activity in Methanococcus maripaludis deleted for aglB, using archaellin FlaB2 as the reporter protein since all archaellins in Mc. maripaludis are modified at multiple sites by an N-linked tetrasaccharide and this modification is required for archaellation. In the Mc. maripaludis ΔaglB strain FlaB2 runs as at a smaller apparent molecular weight in western blots and is nonarchaellated. We demonstrate that AglBs from Methanococcus voltae and Methanothermococcus thermolithotrophicus functionally replaced the oligosaccharyltransferase activity missing in the Mc. maripaludis ΔaglB strain, both returning the apparent molecular weight of FlaB2 to wildtype size and restoring archaellation. This demonstrates that AglB from Mc. voltae has a relaxed specificity for the linking sugar of the transferred glycan since while the N-linked glycan present in Mc. voltae is similar to that of Mc. maripaludis, the Mc. voltae glycan uses N-acetylglucosamine as the linking sugar. In Mc. maripaludis that role is held by N-acetylgalactosamine. This study also identifies aglB from Mtc. thermolithotrophicus for the first time by its activity. Attempts to use AglB from Methanocaldococcus jannaschii, Haloferax volcanii or Sulfolobus acidocaldarius to functionally replace the oligosaccharyltransferase activity missing in the Mc. maripaludis ΔaglB strain were unsuccessful.
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94
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Exploring Hydrogenotrophic Methanogenesis: a Genome Scale Metabolic Reconstruction of Methanococcus maripaludis. J Bacteriol 2016; 198:3379-3390. [PMID: 27736793 PMCID: PMC5116941 DOI: 10.1128/jb.00571-16] [Citation(s) in RCA: 27] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/21/2016] [Accepted: 09/22/2016] [Indexed: 02/03/2023] Open
Abstract
Hydrogenotrophic methanogenesis occurs in multiple environments, ranging from the intestinal tracts of animals to anaerobic sediments and hot springs. Energy conservation in hydrogenotrophic methanogens was long a mystery; only within the last decade was it reported that net energy conservation for growth depends on electron bifurcation. In this work, we focus on Methanococcus maripaludis, a well-studied hydrogenotrophic marine methanogen. To better understand hydrogenotrophic methanogenesis and compare it with methylotrophic methanogenesis that utilizes oxidative phosphorylation rather than electron bifurcation, we have built iMR539, a genome scale metabolic reconstruction that accounts for 539 of the 1,722 protein-coding genes of M. maripaludis strain S2. Our reconstructed metabolic network uses recent literature to not only represent the central electron bifurcation reaction but also incorporate vital biosynthesis and assimilation pathways, including unique cofactor and coenzyme syntheses. We show that our model accurately predicts experimental growth and gene knockout data, with 93% accuracy and a Matthews correlation coefficient of 0.78. Furthermore, we use our metabolic network reconstruction to probe the implications of electron bifurcation by showing its essentiality, as well as investigating the infeasibility of aceticlastic methanogenesis in the network. Additionally, we demonstrate a method of applying thermodynamic constraints to a metabolic model to quickly estimate overall free-energy changes between what comes in and out of the cell. Finally, we describe a novel reconstruction-specific computational toolbox we created to improve usability. Together, our results provide a computational network for exploring hydrogenotrophic methanogenesis and confirm the importance of electron bifurcation in this process. IMPORTANCE Understanding and applying hydrogenotrophic methanogenesis is a promising avenue for developing new bioenergy technologies around methane gas. Although a significant portion of biological methane is generated through this environmentally ubiquitous pathway, existing methanogen models portray the more traditional energy conservation mechanisms that are found in other methanogens. We have constructed a genome scale metabolic network of Methanococcus maripaludis that explicitly accounts for all major reactions involved in hydrogenotrophic methanogenesis. Our reconstruction demonstrates the importance of electron bifurcation in central metabolism, providing both a window into hydrogenotrophic methanogenesis and a hypothesis-generating platform to fuel metabolic engineering efforts.
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95
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Transcriptomes of the Extremely Thermoacidophilic Archaeon Metallosphaera sedula Exposed to Metal "Shock" Reveal Generic and Specific Metal Responses. Appl Environ Microbiol 2016; 82:4613-4627. [PMID: 27208114 DOI: 10.1128/aem.01176-16] [Citation(s) in RCA: 23] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/18/2016] [Accepted: 05/17/2016] [Indexed: 02/07/2023] Open
Abstract
UNLABELLED The extremely thermoacidophilic archaeon Metallosphaera sedula mobilizes metals by novel membrane-associated oxidase clusters and, consequently, requires metal resistance strategies. This issue was examined by "shocking" M. sedula with representative metals (Co(2+), Cu(2+), Ni(2+), UO2 (2+), Zn(2+)) at inhibitory and subinhibitory levels. Collectively, one-quarter of the genome (554 open reading frames [ORFs]) responded to inhibitory levels, and two-thirds (354) of the ORFs were responsive to a single metal. Cu(2+) (259 ORFs, 106 Cu(2+)-specific ORFs) and Zn(2+) (262 ORFs, 131 Zn(2+)-specific ORFs) triggered the largest responses, followed by UO2 (2+) (187 ORFs, 91 UO2 (2+)-specific ORFs), Ni(2+) (93 ORFs, 25 Ni(2+)-specific ORFs), and Co(2+) (61 ORFs, 1 Co(2+)-specific ORF). While one-third of the metal-responsive ORFs are annotated as encoding hypothetical proteins, metal challenge also impacted ORFs responsible for identifiable processes related to the cell cycle, DNA repair, and oxidative stress. Surprisingly, there were only 30 ORFs that responded to at least four metals, and 10 of these responded to all five metals. This core transcriptome indicated induction of Fe-S cluster assembly (Msed_1656-Msed_1657), tungsten/molybdenum transport (Msed_1780-Msed_1781), and decreased central metabolism. Not surprisingly, a metal-translocating P-type ATPase (Msed_0490) associated with a copper resistance system (Cop) was upregulated in response to Cu(2+) (6-fold) but also in response to UO2 (2+) (4-fold) and Zn(2+) (9-fold). Cu(2+) challenge uniquely induced assimilatory sulfur metabolism for cysteine biosynthesis, suggesting a role for this amino acid in Cu(2+) resistance or issues in sulfur metabolism. The results indicate that M. sedula employs a range of physiological and biochemical responses to metal challenge, many of which are specific to a single metal and involve proteins with yet unassigned or definitive functions. IMPORTANCE The mechanisms by which extremely thermoacidophilic archaea resist and are negatively impacted by metals encountered in their natural environments are important to understand so that technologies such as bioleaching, which leverage microbially based conversion of insoluble metal sulfides to soluble species, can be improved. Transcriptomic analysis of the cellular response to metal challenge provided both global and specific insights into how these novel microorganisms negotiate metal toxicity in natural and technological settings. As genetics tools are further developed and implemented for extreme thermoacidophiles, information about metal toxicity and resistance can be leveraged to create metabolically engineered strains with improved bioleaching characteristics.
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96
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Bobbala S, Hook S. Is There an Optimal Formulation and Delivery Strategy for Subunit Vaccines? Pharm Res 2016; 33:2078-97. [DOI: 10.1007/s11095-016-1979-0] [Citation(s) in RCA: 49] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/20/2016] [Accepted: 06/21/2016] [Indexed: 12/16/2022]
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97
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Linde M, Peterhoff D, Sterner R, Babinger P. Identification and Characterization of Heptaprenylglyceryl Phosphate Processing Enzymes in Bacillus subtilis. J Biol Chem 2016; 291:14861-70. [PMID: 27226549 DOI: 10.1074/jbc.m115.711994] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/23/2015] [Indexed: 11/06/2022] Open
Abstract
In Archaea, ether lipids play an essential role as the main building blocks of the cellular membrane. Recently, ether lipids have also been discovered in the domain of Bacteria, and the key enzymes that catalyze their synthesis, glycerol-1-phosphate dehydrogenase and heptaprenylglyceryl phosphate synthase, have been described. In Bacillales, heptaprenylglyceryl phosphate does not become linked to a second polyprenyl moiety like ether lipids in Archaea but is dephosphorylated and acetylated. Here, we report on the enzymes that catalyze these reactions. We enriched the phosphatase activity from a B. subtilis cell extract and suppose that dephosphorylation is catalyzed by the phosphatase PhoB or by any other phosphatase in an unspecific manner. By screening a B. subtilis knock-out library for deficiency in acetylation, the yvoF gene product was identified to be the acetyltransferase. The acetyl-CoA-dependent enzyme YvoF is a close relative of maltose O-acetyltransferase (MAT). Its catalytic properties were analyzed and compared with MAT. YvoF and MAT partially overlap in substrate and product range in vitro, but MAT is not able to complement the yvoF knock-out in vivo.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mona Linde
- From the Institute of Biophysics and Physical Biochemistry, University of Regensburg, 93040 Regensburg, Germany
| | - David Peterhoff
- From the Institute of Biophysics and Physical Biochemistry, University of Regensburg, 93040 Regensburg, Germany
| | - Reinhard Sterner
- From the Institute of Biophysics and Physical Biochemistry, University of Regensburg, 93040 Regensburg, Germany
| | - Patrick Babinger
- From the Institute of Biophysics and Physical Biochemistry, University of Regensburg, 93040 Regensburg, Germany
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98
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Koyanagi T, Leriche G, Yep A, Onofrei D, Holland GP, Mayer M, Yang J. Effect of Headgroups on Small-Ion Permeability across Archaea-Inspired Tetraether Lipid Membranes. Chemistry 2016; 22:8074-7. [DOI: 10.1002/chem.201601326] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/19/2016] [Indexed: 11/09/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Takaoki Koyanagi
- Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry; University of California San Diego; La Jolla CA 92093-0358 USA
| | - Geoffray Leriche
- Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry; University of California San Diego; La Jolla CA 92093-0358 USA
| | - Alvin Yep
- Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry; University of California San Diego; La Jolla CA 92093-0358 USA
| | - David Onofrei
- Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry; San Diego State University; San Diego CA 92182-1030 USA
| | - Gregory P. Holland
- Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry; San Diego State University; San Diego CA 92182-1030 USA
| | - Michael Mayer
- Adolphe Merkle Institute; University of Fribourg; Chemin des Verdiers 4 1700 Fribourg Switzerland
| | - Jerry Yang
- Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry; University of California San Diego; La Jolla CA 92093-0358 USA
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99
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Muskal SM, Sliman J, Kokai-Kun J, Pimentel M, Wacher V, Gottlieb K. Lovastatin lactone may improve irritable bowel syndrome with constipation (IBS-C) by inhibiting enzymes in the archaeal methanogenesis pathway. F1000Res 2016; 5:606. [PMID: 27347377 PMCID: PMC4909102 DOI: 10.12688/f1000research.8406.1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 06/20/2016] [Indexed: 12/14/2023] Open
Abstract
UNLABELLED Methane produced by the methanoarchaeon Methanobrevibacter smithii ( M. smithii) has been linked to constipation, irritable bowel syndrome with constipation (IBS-C), and obesity. Lovastatin, which demonstrates a cholesterol-lowering effect by the inhibition of HMG-CoA reductase, may also have an anti-methanogenesis effect through direct inhibition of enzymes in the archaeal methanogenesis pathway. We conducted protein-ligand docking experiments to evaluate this possibility. Results are consistent with recent clinical findings. METHODS F420-dependent methylenetetrahydromethanopterin dehydrogenase ( mtd), a key methanogenesis enzyme was modeled for two different methanogenic archaea: M. smithii and Methanopyrus kandleri. Once protein models were developed, ligand-binding sites were identified. Multiple ligands and their respective protonation, isomeric and tautomeric representations were docked into each site, including F420-coenzyme (natural ligand), lactone and β-hydroxyacid forms of lovastatin and simvastatin, and other co-complexed ligands found in related crystal structures. RESULTS 1) Generally, for each modeled site the lactone form of the statins had more favorable site interactions compared to F420; 2) The statin lactone forms generally had the most favorable docking scores, even relative to the native template PDB ligands; and 3) The statin β-hydroxyacid forms had less favorable docking scores, typically scoring in the middle with some of the F420 tautomeric forms. Consistent with these computational results were those from a recent phase II clinical trial ( NCT02495623) with a proprietary, modified-release lovastatin-lactone (SYN-010) in patients with IBS-C, which showed a reduction in symptoms and breath methane levels, compared to placebo. CONCLUSION The lactone form of lovastatin exhibits preferential binding over the native-F420 coenzyme ligand in silico and thus could inhibit the activity of the key M. smithii methanogenesis enzyme mtd in vivo. Statin lactones may thus exert a methane-reducing effect that is distinct from cholesterol lowering activity, which requires HMGR inhibition by statin β-hydroxyacid forms.
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Muskal SM, Sliman J, Kokai-Kun J, Pimentel M, Wacher V, Gottlieb K. Lovastatin lactone may improve irritable bowel syndrome with constipation (IBS-C) by inhibiting enzymes in the archaeal methanogenesis pathway. F1000Res 2016; 5:606. [PMID: 27347377 PMCID: PMC4909102 DOI: 10.12688/f1000research.8406.3] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 06/20/2016] [Indexed: 12/16/2022] Open
Abstract
UNLABELLED Methane produced by the methanoarchaeon Methanobrevibacter smithii ( M. smithii) has been linked to constipation, irritable bowel syndrome with constipation (IBS-C), and obesity. Lovastatin, which demonstrates a cholesterol-lowering effect by the inhibition of HMG-CoA reductase, may also have an anti-methanogenesis effect through direct inhibition of enzymes in the archaeal methanogenesis pathway. We conducted protein-ligand docking experiments to evaluate this possibility. Results are consistent with recent clinical findings. METHODS F420-dependent methylenetetrahydromethanopterin dehydrogenase ( mtd), a key methanogenesis enzyme was modeled for two different methanogenic archaea: M. smithii and Methanopyrus kandleri. Once protein models were developed, ligand-binding sites were identified. Multiple ligands and their respective protonation, isomeric and tautomeric representations were docked into each site, including F420-coenzyme (natural ligand), lactone and β-hydroxyacid forms of lovastatin and simvastatin, and other co-complexed ligands found in related crystal structures. RESULTS 1) Generally, for each modeled site the lactone form of the statins had more favorable site interactions compared to F420; 2) The statin lactone forms generally had the most favorable docking scores, even relative to the native template PDB ligands; and 3) The statin β-hydroxyacid forms had less favorable docking scores, typically scoring in the middle with some of the F420 tautomeric forms. Consistent with these computational results were those from a recent phase II clinical trial ( NCT02495623) with a proprietary, modified-release lovastatin-lactone (SYN-010) in patients with IBS-C, which showed a reduction in symptoms and breath methane levels, compared to placebo. CONCLUSION The lactone form of lovastatin exhibits preferential binding over the native-F420 coenzyme ligand in silico and thus could inhibit the activity of the key M. smithii methanogenesis enzyme mtd in vivo. Statin lactones may thus exert a methane-reducing effect that is distinct from cholesterol lowering activity, which requires HMGR inhibition by statin β-hydroxyacid forms.
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