Organization and segregation of bacterial chromosomes

A visual review of the human pathogen Streptococcus pneumoniae

Being the principal causative agent of bacterial pneumonia, otitis media, meningitis and septicemia, the bacterium Streptococcus pneumoniae is a major global health problem. To highlight the molecular basis of this problem, we have portrayed essential biological processes of the pneumococcal life cycle in eight watercolor paintings. The paintings are done to a consistent nanometer scale based on currently available data from structural biology and proteomics. In this review article, the paintings are used to provide a visual review of protein synthesis, carbohydrate metabolism, cell wall synthesis, cell division, teichoic acid synthesis, virulence, transformation and pilus synthesis based on the available scientific literature within the field of pneumococcal biology. Visualization of the molecular details of these processes reveals several scientific questions about how molecular components of the pneumococcal cell are organized to allow biological function to take place. By the presentation of this visual review, we intend to stimulate scientific discussion, aid in the generation of scientific hypotheses and increase public awareness. A narrated video describing the biological processes in the context of a whole-cell illustration accompany this article.

HU of Streptococcus pneumoniae Is Essential for the Preservation of DNA Supercoiling

The histone-like protein HU is a conserved nucleoid-associated protein that is involved in the maintenance of the bacterial chromosome architecture. It is the only known nucleoid-associated protein in Streptococcus pneumoniae, but it has not been studied. The pneumococcal gene encoding this protein, hlp, is shown herein to be essential for cell viability. Its disruption was only possible either when it was duplicated in the chromosome and its expression induced from the P _Zn promoter, or when hlp was cloned into a plasmid under the control of the inducible P _mal promoter. In vitro assays indicated that pneumococcal HU shows a preference for binding to supercoiled DNA rather than to linear or nicked DNA. In vivo experiments in which the amount of HU was manipulated showed a relationship between the amount of HU and the level of DNA supercoiling. A twofold reduction in the amount of HU triggered a 21% increase in DNA relaxation in untreated cells. However, in cells treated with novobiocin, a drug that relaxes DNA by inhibiting DNA gyrase, a 35% increase in DNA relaxation was observed, instead of the expected 20% in cells with a constitutive HU amount. Conversely, a fourfold HU increase caused only 14% of DNA relaxation in the presence of novobiocin. Taken together, these results support an essential role for HU in the maintenance of DNA supercoiling in S. pneumoniae.

Multiscale Structuring of the E. coli Chromosome by Nucleoid-Associated and Condensin Proteins

As in eukaryotes, bacterial genomes are not randomly folded. Bacterial genetic information is generally carried on a circular chromosome with a single origin of replication from which two replication forks proceed bidirectionally toward the opposite terminus region. Here, we investigate the higher-order architecture of the Escherichia coli genome, showing its partition into two structurally distinct entities by a complex and intertwined network of contacts: the replication terminus (ter) region and the rest of the chromosome. Outside of ter, the condensin MukBEF and the ubiquitous nucleoid-associated protein (NAP) HU promote DNA contacts in the megabase range. Within ter, the MatP protein prevents MukBEF activity, and contacts are restricted to ∼280 kb, creating a domain with distinct structural properties. We also show how other NAPs contribute to nucleoid organization, such as H-NS, which restricts short-range interactions. Combined, these results reveal the contributions of major evolutionarily conserved proteins in a bacterial chromosome organization.

Bactofilin-mediated organization of the ParABS chromosome segregation system in Myxococcus xanthus

In bacteria, homologs of actin, tubulin, and intermediate filament proteins often act in concert with bacteria-specific scaffolding proteins to ensure the proper arrangement of cellular components. Among the bacteria-specific factors are the bactofilins, a widespread family of polymer-forming proteins whose biology is poorly investigated. Here, we study the three bactofilins BacNOP in the rod-shaped bacterium Myxococcus xanthus. We show that BacNOP co-assemble into elongated scaffolds that restrain the ParABS chromosome segregation machinery to the subpolar regions of the cell. The centromere (parS)-binding protein ParB associates with the pole-distal ends of these structures, whereas the DNA partitioning ATPase ParA binds along their entire length, using the newly identified protein PadC (MXAN_4634) as an adapter. The integrity of these complexes is critical for proper nucleoid morphology and chromosome segregation. BacNOP thus mediate a previously unknown mechanism of subcellular organization that recruits proteins to defined sites within the cytoplasm, far off the cell poles.

The roles played by bactofilins, a widespread type of bacterial cytoskeletal elements, are unclear. Here, the authors show that the bactofilins BacNOP facilitate proper subcellular localization of the ParABS chromosome segregation system in the model organism Myxococcus xanthus.

Developmental stage influences chromosome segregation patterns and arrangement in the extremely polyploid, giant bacterium Epulopiscium sp. type B

Few studies have described chromosomal dynamics in bacterial cells with more than two complete chromosome copies or described changes with respect to development in polyploid cells. We examined the arrangement of chromosomal loci in the very large, highly polyploid, uncultivated intestinal symbiont Epulopiscium sp. type B using fluorescent in situ hybridization. We found that in new offspring, chromosome replication origins (oriCs) are arranged in a three-dimensional array throughout the cytoplasm. As development progresses, most oriCs become peripherally located. Siblings within a mother cell have similar numbers of oriCs. When chromosome orientation was assessed in situ by labeling two chromosomal regions, no specific pattern was detected. The Epulopiscium genome codes for many of the conserved positional guide proteins used for chromosome segregation in bacteria. Based on this study, we present a model that conserved chromosomal maintenance proteins, combined with entropic demixing, provide the forces necessary for distributing oriCs. Without the positional regulation afforded by radial confinement, chromosomes are more randomly oriented in Epulopiscium than in most small rod-shaped cells. Furthermore, we suggest that the random orientation of individual chromosomes in large polyploid cells would not hamper reproductive success as it would in smaller cells with more limited genomic resources.

Mathematical modeling of spatiotemporal protein localization patterns in C. crescentus bacteria: A mechanism for asymmetric FtsZ ring positioning

We examine the localization patterns of ParA, ParB, PopZ, and MipZ, which are key division proteins in C. crescentus bacteria. While Par and PopZ proteins have been implicated in the physical segregation of the replicated chromosome, MipZ dimers control the placement of the cell division plane by preventing FtsZ proteins from assembling into a Z-ring. MipZ proteins generate bipolar gradients that are sensitive to Par protein localization, however, it is not understood how the MipZ gradient is shaped so as to allow for the correct Z-ring placement during asymmetric cell division in C. crescentus. In this paper, we develop and analyze a mathematical model that incorporates the known interactions between Par, PopZ, and MipZ proteins and use it to test mechanisms for MipZ gradient formation. Using our model, we show that gradient-dependent ParB advection velocities in conjunction with a ParA polar recycling mechanism are sufficient to maintain a robust new pole-directed ParA dimer gradient during segregation. A "saturation of binding site" hypothesis limiting access of ParA and MipZ to the ParB complex is then necessary and sufficient to generate time-averaged bipolar MipZ protein gradients with minima that are skewed toward ParA gradient peaks at the new pole, in agreement with data. By analyzing reduced versions of the model, we show the existence of oscillatory ParA localization regimes provided that cytoplasmic PopZ oligomers interact with ParA and ParA is over-expressed. We use our model to study mechanisms by which these protein patterns may simultaneously direct proper chromosome segregation and division site placement in C. crescentus.

Cohesins and condensins orchestrate the 4D dynamics of yeast chromosomes during the cell cycle

Duplication and segregation of chromosomes involves dynamic reorganization of their internal structure by conserved architectural proteins, including the structural maintenance of chromosomes (SMC) complexes cohesin and condensin. Despite active investigation of the roles of these factors, a genome-wide view of dynamic chromosome architecture at both small and large scale during cell division is still missing. Here, we report the first comprehensive 4D analysis of the higher-order organization of the Saccharomyces cerevisiae genome throughout the cell cycle and investigate the roles of SMC complexes in controlling structural transitions. During replication, cohesion establishment promotes numerous long-range intra-chromosomal contacts and correlates with the individualization of chromosomes, which culminates at metaphase. In anaphase, mitotic chromosomes are abruptly reorganized depending on mechanical forces exerted by the mitotic spindle. Formation of a condensin-dependent loop bridging the centromere cluster with the rDNA loci suggests that condensin-mediated forces may also directly facilitate segregation. This work therefore comprehensively recapitulates cell cycle-dependent chromosome dynamics in a unicellular eukaryote, but also unveils new features of chromosome structural reorganization during highly conserved stages of cell division.

The histone-like protein HU has a role in gene expression during the acid adaptation response in Helicobacter pylori

BACKGROUND

Gastritis, ulcers, and gastric malignancy have been linked to human gastric epithelial colonization by Helicobacter pylori. Characterization of the mechanisms by which H. pylori adapts to the human stomach environment is of crucial importance to understand H. pylori pathogenesis.

MATERIAL AND METHODS

In an effort to extend our knowledge of these mechanisms, we used proteomic analysis and qRT-PCR to characterize the role of the histone-like protein HU in the response of H. pylori to low pH.

RESULTS

Proteomic analysis revealed that genes involved in chemotaxis, oxidative stress, or metabolism are under control of the HU protein. Also, expression of the virulence factors Ggt and NapA is affected by the null mutation of hup gene both at neutral and acid pH, as evidenced by qRT-PCR analysis.

CONCLUSIONS

Those results showed that H. pylori gene expression is altered by shift to low pH, thus confirming that acid exposure leads to profound changes in genomic expression, and suggest that the HU protein is a regulator that may help the bacterium adapt to the acid stress. In accordance with previous reports, we found that the HU protein participates in gene expression regulation when the microorganism is exposed to acid stress. Such transcriptional regulation underlies protein accumulation in the H. pylori cell.

The Transcriptome of Streptococcus pneumoniae Induced by Local and Global Changes in Supercoiling

The bacterial chromosome is compacted in a manner optimal for DNA transactions to occur. The degree of compaction results from the level of DNA-supercoiling and the presence of nucleoid-binding proteins. DNA-supercoiling is homeostatically maintained by the opposing activities of relaxing DNA topoisomerases and negative supercoil-inducing DNA gyrase. DNA-supercoiling acts as a general cis regulator of transcription, which can be superimposed upon other types of more specific trans regulatory mechanism. Transcriptomic studies on the human pathogen Streptococcus pneumoniae, which has a relatively small genome (∼2 Mb) and few nucleoid-binding proteins, have been performed under conditions of local and global changes in supercoiling. The response to local changes induced by fluoroquinolone antibiotics, which target DNA gyrase subunit A and/or topoisomerase IV, involves an increase in oxygen radicals which reduces cell viability, while the induction of global supercoiling changes by novobiocin (a DNA gyrase subunit B inhibitor), or by seconeolitsine (a topoisomerase I inhibitor), has revealed the existence of topological domains that specifically respond to such changes. The control of DNA-supercoiling in S. pneumoniae occurs mainly via the regulation of topoisomerase gene transcription: relaxation triggers the up-regulation of gyrase and the down-regulation of topoisomerases I and IV, while hypernegative supercoiling down-regulates the expression of topoisomerase I. Relaxation affects 13% of the genome, with the majority of the genes affected located in 15 domains. Hypernegative supercoiling affects 10% of the genome, with one quarter of the genes affected located in 12 domains. However, all the above domains overlap, suggesting that the chromosome is organized into topological domains with fixed locations. Based on its response to relaxation, the pneumococcal chromosome can be said to be organized into five types of domain: up-regulated, down-regulated, position-conserved non-regulated, position-variable non-regulated, and AT-rich. The AT content is higher in the up-regulated than in the down-regulated domains. Genes within the different domains share structural and functional characteristics. It would seem that a topology-driven selection pressure has defined the chromosomal location of the metabolism, virulence and competence genes, which suggests the existence of topological rules that aim to improve bacterial fitness.

The nucleoid occlusion factor Noc controls DNA replication initiation in Staphylococcus aureus

Successive division events in the spherically shaped bacterium Staphylococcus aureus are oriented in three alternating perpendicular planes. The mechanisms that underlie this relatively unique pattern of division and coordinate it with chromosome segregation remain largely unknown. Thus far, the only known spatial regulator of division in this organism is the nucleoid occlusion protein Noc that inhibits assembly of the cytokinetic ring over the chromosome. However, Noc is not essential in S. aureus, indicating that additional regulators are likely to exist. To search for these factors, we screened for mutants that are synthetic lethal with Noc inactivation. Our characterization of these mutants led to the discovery that S. aureus Noc also controls the initiation of DNA replication. We show that cells lacking Noc over-initiate and mutations in the initiator gene dnaA suppress this defect. Importantly, these dnaA mutations also partially suppress the division problems associated with Δnoc. Reciprocally, we show that over-expression of DnaA enhances the over-initiation and cell division phenotypes of the Δnoc mutant. Thus, a single factor both blocks cell division over chromosomes and helps to ensure that new rounds of DNA replication are not initiated prematurely. This degree of economy in coordinating key cell biological processes has not been observed in rod-shaped bacteria and may reflect the challenges posed by the reduced cell volume and complicated division pattern of this spherical pathogen.

Crowding in Cellular Environments at an Atomistic Level from Computer Simulations

The effects of crowding in biological environments on biomolecular structure, dynamics, and function remain not well understood. Computer simulations of atomistic models of concentrated peptide and protein systems at different levels of complexity are beginning to provide new insights. Crowding, weak interactions with other macromolecules and metabolites, and altered solvent properties within cellular environments appear to remodel the energy landscape of peptides and proteins in significant ways including the possibility of native state destabilization. Crowding is also seen to affect dynamic properties, both conformational dynamics and diffusional properties of macromolecules. Recent simulations that address these questions are reviewed here and discussed in the context of relevant experiments.

DNA Replication in Mycobacterium tuberculosis

Faithful replication and maintenance of the genome are essential to the ability of any organism to survive and propagate. For an obligate pathogen such as Mycobacterium tuberculosis that has to complete successive cycles of transmission, infection, and disease in order to retain a foothold in the human population, this requires that genome replication and maintenance must be accomplished under the metabolic, immune, and antibiotic stresses encountered during passage through variable host environments. Comparative genomic analyses have established that chromosomal mutations enable M. tuberculosis to adapt to these stresses: the emergence of drug-resistant isolates provides direct evidence of this capacity, so too the well-documented genetic diversity among M. tuberculosis lineages across geographic loci, as well as the microvariation within individual patients that is increasingly observed as whole-genome sequencing methodologies are applied to clinical samples and tuberculosis (TB) disease models. However, the precise mutagenic mechanisms responsible for M. tuberculosis evolution and adaptation are poorly understood. Here, we summarize current knowledge of the machinery responsible for DNA replication in M. tuberculosis, and discuss the potential contribution of the expanded complement of mycobacterial DNA polymerases to mutagenesis. We also consider briefly the possible role of DNA replication-in particular, its regulation and coordination with cell division-in the ability of M. tuberculosis to withstand antibacterial stresses, including host immune effectors and antibiotics, through the generation at the population level of a tolerant state, or through the formation of a subpopulation of persister bacilli-both of which might be relevant to the emergence and fixation of genetic drug resistance.

The studies of ParA and ParB dynamics reveal asymmetry of chromosome segregation in mycobacteria

Active segregation of bacterial chromosomes usually involves the action of ParB proteins, which bind in proximity of chromosomal origin (oriC) regions forming nucleoprotein complexes - segrosomes. Newly duplicated segrosomes are moved either uni- or bidirectionally by the action of ATPases - ParA proteins. In Mycobacterium smegmatis the oriC region is located in an off-centred position and newly replicated segrosomes are segregated towards cell poles. The elimination of M. smegmatis ParA and/or ParB leads to chromosome segregation defects. Here, we took advantage of microfluidic time-lapse fluorescent microscopy to address the question of ParA and ParB dynamics in M. smegmatis and M. tuberculosis cells. Our results reveal that ParB complexes are segregated in an asymmetrical manner. The rapid movement of segrosomes is dependent on ParA that is transiently associated with the new pole. Remarkably in M. tuberculosis, the movement of the ParB complex is much slower than in M. smegmatis, but segregation as in M. smegmatis lasts approximately 10% of the cell cycle, which suggests a correlation between segregation dynamics and the growth rate. On the basis of our results, we propose a model for the asymmetric action of segregation machinery that reflects unequal division and growth of mycobacterial cells.

Novel Chromosome Organization Pattern in Actinomycetales-Overlapping Replication Cycles Combined with Diploidy

Bacteria regulate chromosome replication and segregation tightly with cell division to ensure faithful segregation of DNA to daughter generations. The underlying mechanisms have been addressed in several model species. It became apparent that bacteria have evolved quite different strategies to regulate DNA segregation and chromosomal organization. We have investigated here how the actinobacterium Corynebacterium glutamicum organizes chromosome segregation and DNA replication. Unexpectedly, we found that C. glutamicum cells are at least diploid under all of the conditions tested and that these organisms have overlapping C periods during replication, with both origins initiating replication simultaneously. On the basis of experimental data, we propose growth rate-dependent cell cycle models for C. glutamicum.

Bacterial cell cycles are known for few model organisms and can vary significantly between species. Here, we studied the cell cycle of Corynebacterium glutamicum, an emerging cell biological model organism for mycolic acid-containing bacteria, including mycobacteria. Our data suggest that C. glutamicum carries two pole-attached chromosomes that replicate with overlapping C periods, thus initiating a new round of DNA replication before the previous one is terminated. The newly replicated origins segregate to midcell positions, where cell division occurs between the two new origins. Even after long starvation or under extremely slow-growth conditions, C. glutamicum cells are at least diploid, likely as an adaptation to environmental stress that may cause DNA damage. The cell cycle of C. glutamicum combines features of slow-growing organisms, such as polar origin localization, and fast-growing organisms, such as overlapping C periods.

Brownian Ratchet Mechanism for Faithful Segregation of Low-Copy-Number Plasmids

Bacterial plasmids are extrachromosomal DNA that provides selective advantages for bacterial survival. Plasmid partitioning can be remarkably robust. For high-copy-number plasmids, diffusion ensures that both daughter cells inherit plasmids after cell division. In contrast, most low-copy-number plasmids need to be actively partitioned by a conserved tripartite ParA-type system. ParA is an ATPase that binds to chromosomal DNA; ParB is the stimulator of the ParA ATPase and specifically binds to the plasmid at a centromere-like site, parS. ParB stimulation of the ParA ATPase releases ParA from the bacterial chromosome, after which it takes a long time to reset its DNA-binding affinity. We previously demonstrated in vitro that the ParA system can exploit this biochemical asymmetry for directed cargo transport. Multiple ParA-ParB bonds can bridge a parS-coated cargo to a DNA carpet, and they can work collectively as a Brownian ratchet that directs persistent cargo movement with a ParA-depletion zone trailing behind. By extending this model, we suggest that a similar Brownian ratchet mechanism recapitulates the full range of actively segregated plasmid motilities observed in vivo. We demonstrate that plasmid motility is tuned as the replenishment rate of the ParA-depletion zone progressively increases relative to the cargo speed, evolving from diffusion to pole-to-pole oscillation, local excursions, and, finally, immobility. When the plasmid replicates, the daughters largely display motilities similar to that of their mother, except that when the single-focus progenitor is locally excursive, the daughter foci undergo directed segregation. We show that directed segregation maximizes the fidelity of plasmid partition. Given that local excursion and directed segregation are the most commonly observed modes of plasmid motility in vivo, we suggest that the operation of the ParA-type partition system has been shaped by evolution for high fidelity of plasmid segregation.

Protein depletion using the arabinose promoter in Xanthomonas citri subsp. citri

Xanthomonas citri subsp. citri (X. citri) is a plant pathogen and the etiological agent of citrus canker, a severe disease that affects all the commercially important citrus varieties, and has worldwide distribution. Citrus canker cannot be healed, and the best method known to control the spread of X. citri in the orchards is the eradication of symptomatic and asymptomatic plants in the field. However, in the state of São Paulo, Brazil, the main orange producing area in the world, control is evolving to an integrated management system (IMS) in which growers have to use less susceptible plants, windshields to prevent bacterial spread out and sprays of cupric bactericidal formulations. Our group has recently proposed alternative methods to control citrus canker, which are based on the use of chemical compounds able to disrupt vital cellular processes of X. citri. An important step in this approach is the genetic and biochemical characterization of genes/proteins that are the possible targets to be perturbed, a task not always simple when the gene/protein under investigation is essential for the organism. Here, we describe vectors carrying the arabinose promoter that enable controllable protein expression in X. citri. These vectors were used as complementation tools for the clean deletion of parB in X. citri, a widespread and conserved gene involved in the essential process of bacterial chromosome segregation. Overexpression or depletion of ParB led to increased cell size, which is probably a resultant of delayed chromosome segregation with subsequent retard of cell division. However, ParB is not essential in X. citri, and in its absence the bacterium was fully competent to colonize the host citrus and cause disease. The arabinose expression vectors described here are valuable tools for protein expression, and especially, to assist in the deletion of essential genes in X. citri.

Origins of chemoreceptor curvature sorting in Escherichia coli

Bacterial chemoreceptors organize into large clusters at the cell poles. Despite a wealth of structural and biochemical information on the system's components, it is not clear how chemoreceptor clusters are reliably targeted to the cell pole. Here, we quantify the curvature-dependent localization of chemoreceptors in live cells by artificially deforming growing cells of Escherichia coli in curved agar microchambers, and find that chemoreceptor cluster localization is highly sensitive to membrane curvature. Through analysis of multiple mutants, we conclude that curvature sensitivity is intrinsic to chemoreceptor trimers-of-dimers, and results from conformational entropy within the trimer-of-dimers geometry. We use the principles of the conformational entropy model to engineer curvature sensitivity into a series of multi-component synthetic protein complexes. When expressed in E. coli, the synthetic complexes form large polar clusters, and a complex with inverted geometry avoids the cell poles. This demonstrates the successful rational design of both polar and anti-polar clustering, and provides a synthetic platform on which to build new systems.

Xer Site Specific Recombination: Double and Single Recombinase Systems

The separation and segregation of newly replicated bacterial chromosomes can be constrained by the formation of circular chromosome dimers caused by crossing over during homologous recombination events. In Escherichia coli and most bacteria, dimers are resolved to monomers by site-specific recombination, a process performed by two Chromosomally Encoded tyrosine Recombinases (XerC and XerD). XerCD recombinases act at a 28 bp recombination site dif, which is located at the replication terminus region of the chromosome. The septal protein FtsK controls the initiation of the dimer resolution reaction, so that recombination occurs at the right time (immediately prior to cell division) and at the right place (cell division septum). XerCD and FtsK have been detected in nearly all sequenced eubacterial genomes including Proteobacteria, Archaea, and Firmicutes. However, in Streptococci and Lactococci, an alternative system has been found, composed of a single recombinase (XerS) genetically linked to an atypical 31 bp recombination site (difSL). A similar recombination system has also been found in 𝜀-proteobacteria such as Campylobacter and Helicobacter, where a single recombinase (XerH) acts at a resolution site called difH. Most Archaea contain a recombinase called XerA that acts on a highly conserved 28 bp sequence dif, which appears to act independently of FtsK. Additionally, several mobile elements have been found to exploit the dif/Xer system to integrate their genomes into the host chromosome in Vibrio cholerae, Neisseria gonorrhoeae, and Enterobacter cloacae. This review highlights the versatility of dif/Xer recombinase systems in prokaryotes and summarizes our current understanding of homologs of dif/Xer machineries.

Bacterial Nucleoid Occlusion: Multiple Mechanisms for Preventing Chromosome Bisection During Cell Division

In most bacteria cell division is driven by the prokaryotic tubulin homolog, FtsZ, which forms the cytokinetic Z ring. Cell survival demands both the spatial and temporal accuracy of this process to ensure that equal progeny are produced with intact genomes. While mechanisms preventing septum formation at the cell poles have been known for decades, the means by which the bacterial nucleoid is spared from bisection during cell division, called nucleoid exclusion (NO), have only recently been deduced. The NO theory was originally posited decades ago based on the key observation that the cell division machinery appeared to be inhibited from forming near the bacterial nucleoid. However, what might drive the NO process was unclear. Within the last 10 years specific proteins have been identified as important mediators of NO. Arguably the best studied NO mechanisms are those employed by the Escherichia coli SlmA and Bacillus subtilis Noc proteins. Both proteins bind specific DNA sequences within selected chromosomal regions to act as timing devices. However, Noc and SlmA contain completely different structural folds and utilize distinct NO mechanisms. Recent studies have identified additional processes and factors that participate in preventing nucleoid septation during cell division. These combined data show multiple levels of redundancy as well as a striking diversity of mechanisms have evolved to protect cells against catastrophic bisection of the nucleoid. Here we discuss these recent findings with particular emphasis on what is known about the molecular underpinnings of specific NO machinery and processes.

Multilocus Imaging of the E. coli Chromosome by Fluorescent In Situ Hybridization

Fluorescence in situ hybridization (FISH) is a widely used technique to detect and localize specific DNA or RNA sequences in cells. Although supplanted in many ways by fluorescently labeled DNA binding proteins, FISH remains the only cytological method to examine many genetic loci at once (up to six), and can be performed in any cell type and genotype. These advantages have proved invaluable in studying the spatial relationships between chromosome regions and the dynamics of chromosome segregation in bacteria. A detailed protocol for DNA FISH in E. coli is described.

Replication fork passage drives asymmetric dynamics of a critical nucleoid-associated protein in Caulobacter

In bacteria, chromosome dynamics and gene expression are modulated by nucleoid-associated proteins (NAPs), but little is known about how NAP activity is coupled to cell cycle progression. Using genomic techniques, quantitative cell imaging, and mathematical modeling, our study in Caulobacter crescentus identifies a novel NAP (GapR) whose activity over the cell cycle is shaped by DNA replication. GapR activity is critical for cellular function, as loss of GapR causes severe, pleiotropic defects in growth, cell division, DNA replication, and chromosome segregation. GapR also affects global gene expression with a chromosomal bias from origin to terminus, which is associated with a similar general bias in GapR binding activity along the chromosome. Strikingly, this asymmetric localization cannot be explained by the distribution of GapR binding sites on the chromosome. Instead, we present a mechanistic model in which the spatiotemporal dynamics of GapR are primarily driven by the progression of the replication forks. This model represents a simple mechanism of cell cycle regulation, in which DNA-binding activity is intimately linked to the action of DNA replication.

Unique Function of the Bacterial Chromosome Segregation Machinery in Apically Growing Streptomyces - Targeting the Chromosome to New Hyphal Tubes and its Anchorage at the Tips

The coordination of chromosome segregation with cell growth is fundamental to the proliferation of any organism. In most unicellular bacteria, chromosome segregation is strictly coordinated with cell division and involves ParA that moves the ParB nucleoprotein complexes bi- or unidirectionally toward the cell pole(s). However, the chromosome organization in multiploid, apically extending and branching Streptomyces hyphae challenges the known mechanisms of bacterial chromosome segregation. The complex Streptomyces life cycle involves two stages: vegetative growth and sporulation. In the latter stage, multiple cell divisions accompanied by chromosome compaction and ParAB assisted segregation turn multigenomic hyphal cell into a chain of unigenomic spores. However, the requirement for active chromosome segregation is unclear in the absence of canonical cell division during vegetative growth except in the process of branch formation. The mechanism by which chromosomes are targeted to new hyphae in streptomycete vegetative growth has remained unknown until now. Here, we address the question of whether active chromosome segregation occurs at this stage. Applied for the first time in Streptomyces, labelling of the chromosomal replication initiation region (oriC) and time-lapse microscopy, revealed that in vegetative hyphae every copy of the chromosome is complexed with ParB, whereas ParA, through interaction with the apical protein complex (polarisome), tightly anchors only one chromosome at the hyphal tip. The anchor is maintained during replication, when ParA captures one of the daughter oriCs. During spore germination and branching, ParA targets one of the multiple chromosomal copies to the new hyphal tip, enabling efficient elongation of hyphal tube. Thus, our studies reveal a novel role for ParAB proteins during hyphal tip establishment and extension.

To proliferate, cells synchronize growth and division with chromosome segregation. In unicellular bacteria, chromosomes segregate during replication by active movement of nucleoprotein complexes toward the cell pole(s). Here, we asked the question how active chromosome segregation occurs in the absence of cell division, during hyphal growth and branching of the filamentous bacterium, Streptomyces coelicolor. We show that in multigenomic Streptomyces hyphae, the bacterial segregation machinery anchors a single chromosome at the hyphal tip. Through chromosomal anchorage, segregation proteins facilitate chromosome targeting to the newly formed germ tubes or branches. Thus, being adapted for apical growth, in Streptomyces hyphae the bacterial segregation machinery imposes a chromosome distribution that is reminiscent of nuclear distribution in apically growing eukaryotic cells such as filamentous fungi.

How are molecular crowding and the spatial organization of a biopolymer interrelated

In a crowded cellular interior, dissolved biomolecules or crowders exert excluded volume effects on other biomolecules, which in turn control various processes including protein aggregation and chromosome organization. As a result of these effects, a long chain molecule can be phase-separated into a condensed state, redistributing the surrounding crowders. Using computer simulations and a theoretical approach, we study the interrelationship between molecular crowding and chain organization. In a parameter space of biological relevance, the distributions of monomers and crowders follow a simple relationship: the sum of their volume fractions rescaled by their size remains constant. Beyond a physical picture of molecular crowding it offers, this finding explains a few key features of what has been known about chromosome organization in an E. coli cell.

DNA-relay mechanism is sufficient to explain ParA-dependent intracellular transport and patterning of single and multiple cargos

Spatial ordering of macromolecular components inside cells is important for cellular physiology and replication. In bacteria, ParA/B systems are known to generate various intracellular patterns that underlie the transport and partitioning of low-copy-number cargos such as plasmids. ParA/B systems consist of ParA, an ATPase that dimerizes and binds DNA upon ATP binding, and ParB, a protein that binds the cargo and stimulates ParA ATPase activity. Inside cells, ParA is asymmetrically distributed, forming a propagating wave that is followed by the ParB-rich cargo. These correlated dynamics lead to cargo oscillation or equidistant spacing over the nucleoid depending on whether the cargo is in single or multiple copies. Currently, there is no model that explains how these different spatial patterns arise and relate to each other. Here, we test a simple DNA-relay model that has no imposed asymmetry and that only considers the ParA/ParB biochemistry and the known fluctuating and elastic dynamics of chromosomal loci. Stochastic simulations with experimentally derived parameters demonstrate that this model is sufficient to reproduce the signature patterns of ParA/B systems: the propagating ParA gradient correlated with the cargo dynamics, the single-cargo oscillatory motion, and the multicargo equidistant patterning. Stochasticity of ATP hydrolysis breaks the initial symmetry in ParA distribution, resulting in imbalance of elastic force acting on the cargo. Our results may apply beyond ParA/B systems as they reveal how a minimal system of two players, one binding to DNA and the other modulating this binding, can transform directionally random DNA fluctuations into directed motion and intracellular patterning.

Supercoiling Effects on Short-Range DNA Looping in E. coli

DNA-protein loops can be essential for gene regulation. The Escherichia coli lactose (lac) operon is controlled by DNA-protein loops that have been studied for decades. Here we adapt this model to test the hypothesis that negative superhelical strain facilitates the formation of short-range (6-8 DNA turns) repression loops in E. coli. The natural negative superhelicity of E. coli DNA is regulated by the interplay of gyrase and topoisomerase enzymes, adding or removing negative supercoils, respectively. Here, we measured quantitatively DNA looping in three different E. coli strains characterized by different levels of global supercoiling: wild type, gyrase mutant (gyrB226), and topoisomerase mutant (ΔtopA10). DNA looping in each strain was measured by assaying repression of the endogenous lac operon, and repression of ten reporter constructs with DNA loop sizes between 70-85 base pairs. Our data are most simply interpreted as supporting the hypothesis that negative supercoiling facilitates gene repression by small DNA-protein loops in living bacteria.

The Blueprint of a Minimal Cell: MiniBacillus

Bacillus subtilis is one of the best-studied organisms. Due to the broad knowledge and annotation and the well-developed genetic system, this bacterium is an excellent starting point for genome minimization with the aim of constructing a minimal cell. We have analyzed the genome of B. subtilis and selected all genes that are required to allow life in complex medium at 37°C. This selection is based on the known information on essential genes and functions as well as on gene and protein expression data and gene conservation. The list presented here includes 523 and 119 genes coding for proteins and RNAs, respectively. These proteins and RNAs are required for the basic functions of life in information processing (replication and chromosome maintenance, transcription, translation, protein folding, and secretion), metabolism, cell division, and the integrity of the minimal cell. The completeness of the selected metabolic pathways, reactions, and enzymes was verified by the development of a model of metabolism of the minimal cell. A comparison of the MiniBacillus genome to the recently reported designed minimal genome of Mycoplasma mycoides JCVI-syn3.0 indicates excellent agreement in the information-processing pathways, whereas each species has a metabolism that reflects specific evolution and adaptation. The blueprint of MiniBacillus presented here serves as the starting point for a successive reduction of the B. subtilis genome.

Long-range correlations in the mechanics of small DNA circles under topological stress revealed by multi-scale simulation

It is well established that gene regulation can be achieved through activator and repressor proteins that bind to DNA and switch particular genes on or off, and that complex metabolic networks determine the levels of transcription of a given gene at a given time. Using three complementary computational techniques to study the sequence-dependence of DNA denaturation within DNA minicircles, we have observed that whenever the ends of the DNA are constrained, information can be transferred over long distances directly by the transmission of mechanical stress through the DNA itself, without any requirement for external signalling factors. Our models combine atomistic molecular dynamics (MD) with coarse-grained simulations and statistical mechanical calculations to span three distinct spatial resolutions and timescale regimes. While they give a consensus view of the non-locality of sequence-dependent denaturation in highly bent and supercoiled DNA loops, each also reveals a unique aspect of long-range informational transfer that occurs as a result of restraining the DNA within the closed loop of the minicircles.

The MaoP/maoS Site-Specific System Organizes the Ori Region of the E. coli Chromosome into a Macrodomain

The Ori region of bacterial genomes is segregated early in the replication cycle of bacterial chromosomes. Consequently, Ori region positioning plays a pivotal role in chromosome dynamics. The Ori region of the E. coli chromosome is organized as a macrodomain with specific properties concerning DNA mobility, segregation of loci and long distance DNA interactions. Here, by using strains with chromosome rearrangements and DNA mobility as a read-out, we have identified the MaoP/maoS system responsible for constraining DNA mobility in the Ori region and limiting long distance DNA interactions with other regions of the chromosome. MaoP belongs to a group of proteins conserved in the Enterobacteria that coevolved with Dam methylase including SeqA, MukBEF and MatP that are all involved in the control of chromosome conformation and segregation. Analysis of DNA rings excised from the chromosome demonstrated that the single maoS site is required in cis on the chromosome to exert its effect while MaoP can act both in cis and in trans. The position of markers in the Ori region was affected by inactivating maoP. However, the MaoP/maoS system was not sufficient for positioning the Ori region at the ¼–¾ regions of the cell. We also demonstrate that the replication and the resulting expansion of bulk DNA are localized centrally in the cell. Implications of these results for chromosome positioning and segregation in E. coli are discussed.

The Ori region from bacterial chromosomes plays a pivotal role in chromosome organization and segregation as it is replicated and segregated early in cell division cycle and its positioning impacts the cellular organization of the chromosome in the cell. The E. coli chromosome is divided into four macrodomains (MD) defined as large regions in which DNA interactions occurred preferentially. Here we have identified a new system responsible for specifying properties to the Ori MD. This system is composed of two elements: a cis-acting target sequence called maoS and a gene of unknown function acting in trans called maoP. Remarkably, MaoP belongs to a group of proteins conserved only in Enterobacteria that coevolved with the Dam DNA methylase and that includes the MatP protein structuring the Ter macrodomain and the SeqA and MukBEF proteins involved in the control of chromosome conformation and segregation. These results reveal the presence of a dedicated set of factors required in chromosome management in enterobacteria that might compensate, at least partially, for the absence of the ParABS system involved in the condensation and/or segregation of the Ori region in most bacteria.

ParB Partition Proteins: Complex Formation and Spreading at Bacterial and Plasmid Centromeres

In bacteria, active partition systems contribute to the faithful segregation of both chromosomes and low-copy-number plasmids. Each system depends on a site-specific DNA binding protein to recognize and assemble a partition complex at a centromere-like site, commonly called parS. Many plasmid, and all chromosomal centromere-binding proteins are dimeric helix-turn-helix DNA binding proteins, which are commonly named ParB. Although the overall sequence conservation among ParBs is not high, the proteins share similar domain and functional organization, and they assemble into similar higher-order complexes. In vivo, ParBs "spread," that is, DNA binding extends away from the parS site into the surrounding non-specific DNA, a feature that reflects higher-order complex assembly. ParBs bridge and pair DNA at parS and non-specific DNA sites. ParB dimers interact with each other via flexible conformations of an N-terminal region. This review will focus on the properties of the HTH centromere-binding protein, in light of recent experimental evidence and models that are adding to our understanding of how these proteins assemble into large and dynamic partition complexes at and around their specific DNA sites.

The progression of replication forks at natural replication barriers in live bacteria

Protein-DNA complexes are one of the principal barriers the replisome encounters during replication. One such barrier is the Tus-ter complex, which is a direction dependent barrier for replication fork progression. The details concerning the dynamics of the replisome when encountering these Tus-ter barriers in the cell are poorly understood. By performing quantitative fluorescence microscopy with microfuidics, we investigate the effect on the replisome when encountering these barriers in live Escherichia coli cells. We make use of an E. coli variant that includes only an ectopic origin of replication that is positioned such that one of the two replisomes encounters a Tus-ter barrier before the other replisome. This enables us to single out the effect of encountering a Tus-ter roadblock on an individual replisome. We demonstrate that the replisome remains stably bound after encountering a Tus-ter complex from the non-permissive direction. Furthermore, the replisome is only transiently blocked, and continues replication beyond the barrier. Additionally, we demonstrate that these barriers affect sister chromosome segregation by visualizing specific chromosomal loci in the presence and absence of the Tus protein. These observations demonstrate the resilience of the replication fork to natural barriers and the sensitivity of chromosome alignment to fork progression.

Driving Apart and Segregating Genomes in Archaea

Genome segregation is a fundamental biological process in organisms from all domains of life. How this stage of the cell cycle unfolds in Eukarya has been clearly defined and considerable progress has been made to unravel chromosome partition in Bacteria. The picture is still elusive in Archaea. The lineages of this domain exhibit different cell-cycle lifestyles and wide-ranging chromosome copy numbers, fluctuating from 1 up to 55. This plurality of patterns suggests that a variety of mechanisms might underpin disentangling and delivery of DNA molecules to daughter cells. Here I describe recent developments in archaeal genome maintenance, including investigations of novel genome segregation machines that point to unforeseen bacterial and eukaryotic connections.

An increase in negative supercoiling in bacteria reveals topology-reacting gene clusters and a homeostatic response mediated by the DNA topoisomerase I gene

We studied the transcriptional response to an increase in DNA supercoiling in Streptococcus pneumoniae by using seconeolitsine, a new topoisomerase I inhibitor. A homeostatic response allowing recovery of supercoiling was observed in cells treated with subinhibitory seconeolitsine concentrations. Supercoiling increases of 40.7% (6 μM) and 72.9% (8 μM) were lowered to 8.5% and 44.1%, respectively. Likewise, drug removal facilitated the recovery of cell viability and DNA-supercoiling. Transcription of topoisomerase I depended on the supercoiling level. Also specific binding of topoisomerase I to the gyrase A gene promoter was detected by chromatin-immunoprecipitation. The transcriptomic response to 8 μM seconeolitsine had two stages. An early stage, associated to an increase in supercoiling, affected 10% of the genome. A late stage, manifested by supercoiling recovery, affected 2% of the genome. Nearly 25% of the early responsive genes formed 12 clusters with a coordinated transcription. Clusters were 6.7–31.4 kb in length and included 9–22 responsive genes. These clusters partially overlapped with those observed under DNA relaxation, suggesting that bacteria manage supercoiling stress using pathways with common components. This is the first report of a coordinated global transcriptomic response that is triggered by an increase in DNA supercoiling in bacteria.

HU multimerization shift controls nucleoid compaction

Molecular mechanisms controlling functional bacterial chromosome (nucleoid) compaction and organization are surprisingly enigmatic but partly depend on conserved, histone-like proteins HUαα and HUαβ and their interactions that span the nanoscale and mesoscale from protein-DNA complexes to the bacterial chromosome and nucleoid structure. We determined the crystal structures of these chromosome-associated proteins in complex with native duplex DNA. Distinct DNA binding modes of HUαα and HUαβ elucidate fundamental features of bacterial chromosome packing that regulate gene transcription. By combining crystal structures with solution x-ray scattering results, we determined architectures of HU-DNA nucleoproteins in solution under near-physiological conditions. These macromolecular conformations and interactions result in contraction at the cellular level based on in vivo imaging of native unlabeled nucleoid by soft x-ray tomography upon HUβ and ectopic HUα38 expression. Structural characterization of charge-altered HUαα-DNA complexes reveals an HU molecular switch that is suitable for condensing nucleoid and reprogramming noninvasive Escherichia coli into an invasive form. Collective findings suggest that shifts between networking and cooperative and noncooperative DNA-dependent HU multimerization control DNA compaction and supercoiling independently of cellular topoisomerase activity. By integrating x-ray crystal structures, x-ray scattering, mutational tests, and x-ray imaging that span from protein-DNA complexes to the bacterial chromosome and nucleoid structure, we show that defined dynamic HU interaction networks can promote nucleoid reorganization and transcriptional regulation as efficient general microbial mechanisms to help synchronize genetic responses to cell cycle, changing environments, and pathogenesis.

Multiple DNA Binding Proteins Contribute to Timing of Chromosome Replication in E. coli

Chromosome replication in Escherichia coli is initiated from a single origin, oriC. Initiation involves a number of DNA binding proteins, but only DnaA is essential and specific for the initiation process. DnaA is an AAA+ protein that binds both ATP and ADP with similar high affinities. DnaA associated with either ATP or ADP binds to a set of strong DnaA binding sites in oriC, whereas only DnaA^ATP is capable of binding additional and weaker sites to promote initiation. Additional DNA binding proteins act to ensure that initiation occurs timely by affecting either the cellular mass at which DNA replication is initiated, or the time window in which all origins present in a single cell are initiated, i.e. initiation synchrony, or both. Overall, these DNA binding proteins modulate the initiation frequency from oriC by: (i) binding directly to oriC to affect DnaA binding, (ii) altering the DNA topology in or around oriC, (iii) altering the nucleotide bound status of DnaA by interacting with non-coding chromosomal sequences, distant from oriC, that are important for DnaA activity. Thus, although DnaA is the key protein for initiation of replication, other DNA-binding proteins act not only on oriC for modulation of its activity but also at additional regulatory sites to control the nucleotide bound status of DnaA. Here we review the contribution of key DNA binding proteins to the tight regulation of chromosome replication in E. coli cells.

Function, expression, specificity, diversity and incompatibility of actinobacteriophage parABS systems

More than 180 individual phages infecting hosts in the phylum Actinobacteria have been sequenced and grouped into Cluster A because of their similar overall nucleotide sequences and genome architectures. These Cluster A phages are either temperate or derivatives of temperate parents, and most have an integration cassette near the centre of the genome containing an integrase gene and attP. However, about 20% of the phages lack an integration cassette, which is replaced by a 1.4 kbp segment with predicted partitioning functions, including plasmid-like parA and parB genes. Phage RedRock forms stable lysogens in Mycobacterium smegmatis in which the prophage replicates at 2.4 copies/chromosome and the partitioning system confers prophage maintenance. The parAB genes are expressed upon RedRock infection of M. smegmatis, but are downregulated once lysogeny is established by binding of RedRock ParB to parS-L, one of two centromere-like sites flanking the parAB genes. The RedRock parS-L and parS-R sites are composed of eight directly repeated copies of an 8 bp motif that is recognized by ParB. The actinobacteriophage parABS cassettes span considerable sequence diversity and specificity, providing a suite of tools for use in mycobacterial genetics.

Transcription rate and transcript length drive formation of chromosomal interaction domain boundaries

Chromosomes in all organisms are highly organized and divided into multiple chromosomal interaction domains, or topological domains. Regions of active, high transcription help establish and maintain domain boundaries, but precisely how this occurs remains unclear. Here, using fluorescence microscopy and chromosome conformation capture in conjunction with deep sequencing (Hi-C), we show that in Caulobacter crescentus, both transcription rate and transcript length, independent of concurrent translation, drive the formation of domain boundaries. We find that long, highly expressed genes do not form topological boundaries simply through the inhibition of supercoil diffusion. Instead, our results support a model in which long, active regions of transcription drive local decompaction of the chromosome, with these more open regions of the chromosome forming spatial gaps in vivo that diminish contacts between DNA in neighboring domains. These insights into the molecular forces responsible for domain formation in Caulobacter likely generalize to other bacteria and possibly eukaryotes.

Spatial organization shapes the turnover of a bacterial transcriptome

Spatial organization of the transcriptome has emerged as a powerful means for regulating the post-transcriptional fate of RNA in eukaryotes; however, whether prokaryotes use RNA spatial organization as a mechanism for post-transcriptional regulation remains unclear. Here we used super-resolution microscopy to image the E. coli transcriptome and observed a genome-wide spatial organization of RNA: mRNAs encoding inner-membrane proteins are enriched at the membrane, whereas mRNAs encoding outer-membrane, cytoplasmic and periplasmic proteins are distributed throughout the cytoplasm. Membrane enrichment is caused by co-translational insertion of signal peptides recognized by the signal-recognition particle. Time-resolved RNA-sequencing revealed that degradation rates of inner-membrane-protein mRNAs are on average greater that those of the other mRNAs and that this selective destabilization of inner-membrane-protein mRNAs is abolished by dissociating the RNA degradosome from the membrane. Together, these results demonstrate that the bacterial transcriptome is spatially organized and suggest that this organization shapes the post-transcriptional dynamics of mRNAs.

DOI:http://dx.doi.org/10.7554/eLife.13065.001

Within a cell, molecules of messenger RNA (mRNA) encode the proteins that the cell needs to survive and thrive. The amount of mRNA within a cell therefore plays an important role in determining both the amount and types of proteins that a cell contains and, thus, the behavior of the cell.

In eukaryotic organisms, like humans, it has been established that it is not just the amount of mRNA that influences cell behavior, but also where the mRNA molecules are found within the cell. However, in bacteria, which are much smaller than human cells, it has long been believed that the location of an mRNA within the cell does not affect its behavior. Despite this, recent studies that have looked at small numbers of bacterial mRNAs have shown that some of these molecules are found in larger numbers than usual at certain sites inside cells. This suggests that location may actually affect the activity of some bacterial mRNAs. But do similar localization patterns occur for all of the thousands of different mRNAs that bacteria can make?

To address this question, Moffitt et al. developed an approach that allows large, defined sets of mRNAs to be imaged in bacteria. Using this approach to study E. coli revealed that a considerable fraction of all the mRNAs that these bacteria can make locate themselves at specific sites within a cell. For example, mRNAs that encode proteins that reside inside the cell’s inner membrane are found enriched at this membrane. This localization also plays an important role in the life of these mRNAs, as they are degraded more quickly than those found elsewhere in the cell. This enhanced degradation rate arises partly because the enzymes that break down mRNA molecules are also found at the membrane.

Thus, bacteria can shape the process by which an mRNA is made into protein by controlling where in a cell the mRNA is located. The next steps are to understand why bacteria use cell location to influence the rate of mRNA degradation.

DOI:http://dx.doi.org/10.7554/eLife.13065.002

Mapping Topoisomerase IV Binding and Activity Sites on the E. coli Genome

Catenation links between sister chromatids are formed progressively during DNA replication and are involved in the establishment of sister chromatid cohesion. Topo IV is a bacterial type II topoisomerase involved in the removal of catenation links both behind replication forks and after replication during the final separation of sister chromosomes. We have investigated the global DNA-binding and catalytic activity of Topo IV in E. coli using genomic and molecular biology approaches. ChIP-seq revealed that Topo IV interaction with the E. coli chromosome is controlled by DNA replication. During replication, Topo IV has access to most of the genome but only selects a few hundred specific sites for its activity. Local chromatin and gene expression context influence site selection. Moreover strong DNA-binding and catalytic activities are found at the chromosome dimer resolution site, dif, located opposite the origin of replication. We reveal a physical and functional interaction between Topo IV and the XerCD recombinases acting at the dif site. This interaction is modulated by MatP, a protein involved in the organization of the Ter macrodomain. These results show that Topo IV, XerCD/dif and MatP are part of a network dedicated to the final step of chromosome management during the cell cycle.

DNA topoisomerases are ubiquitous enzymes that solve the topological problems associated with replication, transcription and recombination. Type II Topoisomerases play a major role in the management of newly replicated DNA. They contribute to the condensation and segregation of chromosomes to the future daughter cells and are essential for the optimal transmission of genetic information. In most bacteria, including the model organism Escherichia coli, these tasks are performed by two enzymes, DNA gyrase and DNA Topoisomerase IV (Topo IV). The distribution of the roles between these enzymes during the cell cycle is not yet completely understood. In the present study we use genomic and molecular biology methods to decipher the regulation of Topo IV during the cell cycle. Here we present data that strongly suggest the interaction of Topo IV with the chromosome is controlled by DNA replication and chromatin factors responsible for its loading to specific regions of the chromosome. In addition, our observations reveal, that by sharing several key factors, the DNA management processes ensuring accuracy of the late steps of chromosome segregation are all interconnected.

ParA and ParB coordinate chromosome segregation with cell elongation and division during Streptomyces sporulation

In unicellular bacteria, the ParA and ParB proteins segregate chromosomes and coordinate this process with cell division and chromosome replication. During sporulation of mycelial Streptomyces, ParA and ParB uniformly distribute multiple chromosomes along the filamentous sporogenic hyphal compartment, which then differentiates into a chain of unigenomic spores. However, chromosome segregation must be coordinated with cell elongation and multiple divisions. Here, we addressed the question of whether ParA and ParB are involved in the synchronization of cell-cycle processes during sporulation in Streptomyces To answer this question, we used time-lapse microscopy, which allows the monitoring of growth and division of single sporogenic hyphae. We showed that sporogenic hyphae stop extending at the time of ParA accumulation and Z-ring formation. We demonstrated that both ParA and ParB affect the rate of hyphal extension. Additionally, we showed that ParA promotes the formation of massive nucleoprotein complexes by ParB. We also showed that FtsZ ring assembly is affected by the ParB protein and/or unsegregated DNA. Our results indicate the existence of a checkpoint between the extension and septation of sporogenic hyphae that involves the ParA and ParB proteins.

Rapid pairing and resegregation of distant homologous loci enables double-strand break repair in bacteria

Double-strand break repair in Caulobacter is a dynamic process that can take place independent of DNA replication; resegregation of origin-proximal chromosomal regions after repair requires the ParABS system, whereas resegregation of origin-distal regions occurs independently of ParA and likely without dedicated segregation machinery.

Double-strand breaks (DSBs) can lead to the loss of genetic information and cell death. Although DSB repair via homologous recombination has been well characterized, the spatial organization of this process inside cells remains poorly understood, and the mechanisms used for chromosome resegregation after repair are unclear. In this paper, we introduced site-specific DSBs in Caulobacter crescentus and then used time-lapse microscopy to visualize the ensuing chromosome dynamics. Damaged loci rapidly mobilized after a DSB, pairing with their homologous partner to enable repair, before being resegregated to their original cellular locations, independent of DNA replication. Origin-proximal regions were resegregated by the ParABS system with the ParA structure needed for resegregation assembling dynamically in response to the DSB-induced movement of an origin-associated ParB away from one cell pole. Origin-distal regions were resegregated in a ParABS-independent manner and instead likely rely on a physical, spring-like force to segregate repaired loci. Collectively, our results provide a mechanistic basis for the resegregation of chromosomes after a DSB.

Lack of the H-NS Protein Results in Extended and Aberrantly Positioned DNA during Chromosome Replication and Segregation in Escherichia coli

The architectural protein H-NS binds nonspecifically to hundreds of sites throughout the chromosome and can multimerize to stiffen segments of DNA as well as to form DNA-protein-DNA bridges. H-NS has been suggested to contribute to the orderly folding of the Escherichia coli chromosome in the highly compacted nucleoid. In this study, we investigated the positioning and dynamics of the origins, the replisomes, and the SeqA structures trailing the replication forks in cells lacking the H-NS protein. In H-NS mutant cells, foci of SeqA, replisomes, and origins were irregularly positioned in the cell. Further analysis showed that the average distance between the SeqA structures and the replisome was increased by ∼100 nm compared to that in wild-type cells, whereas the colocalization of SeqA-bound sister DNA behind replication forks was not affected. This result may suggest that H-NS contributes to the folding of DNA along adjacent segments. H-NS mutant cells were found to be incapable of adopting the distinct and condensed nucleoid structures characteristic of E. coli cells growing rapidly in rich medium. It appears as if H-NS mutant cells adopt a “slow-growth” type of chromosome organization under nutrient-rich conditions, which leads to a decreased cellular DNA content.

IMPORTANCE

It is not fully understood how and to what extent nucleoid-associated proteins contribute to chromosome folding and organization during replication and segregation in Escherichia coli. In this work, we find in vivo indications that cells lacking the nucleoid-associated protein H-NS have a lower degree of DNA condensation than wild-type cells. Our work suggests that H-NS is involved in condensing the DNA along adjacent segments on the chromosome and is not likely to tether newly replicated strands of sister DNA. We also find indications that H-NS is required for rapid growth with high DNA content and for the formation of a highly condensed nucleoid structure under such conditions.

A general approach to visualize protein binding and DNA conformation without protein labelling

Single-molecule manipulation methods, such as magnetic tweezers and flow stretching, generally use the measurement of changes in DNA extension as a proxy for examining interactions between a DNA-binding protein and its substrate. These approaches are unable to directly measure protein–DNA association without fluorescently labelling the protein, which can be challenging. Here we address this limitation by developing a new approach that visualizes unlabelled protein binding on DNA with changes in DNA conformation in a relatively high-throughput manner. Protein binding to DNA molecules sparsely labelled with Cy3 results in an increase in fluorescence intensity due to protein-induced fluorescence enhancement (PIFE), whereas DNA length is monitored under flow of buffer through a microfluidic flow cell. Given that our assay uses unlabelled protein, it is not limited to the low protein concentrations normally required for single-molecule fluorescence imaging and should be broadly applicable to studying protein–DNA interactions.

Single-molecule imaging of protein-DNA association requires fluorescently labelled protein, which limits the protein concentration that can be used. Here the authors exploit protein induced fluorescent enhancement of DNA sparsely labelled with Cy3 to visualize protein binding and correlate it with changes in DNA conformation.

Plasmid Partition Mechanisms

The stable maintenance of low-copy-number plasmids in bacteria is actively driven by partition mechanisms that are responsible for the positioning of plasmids inside the cell. Partition systems are ubiquitous in the microbial world and are encoded by many bacterial chromosomes as well as plasmids. These systems, although different in sequence and mechanism, typically consist of two proteins and a DNA partition site, or prokaryotic centromere, on the plasmid or chromosome. One protein binds site-specifically to the centromere to form a partition complex, and the other protein uses the energy of nucleotide binding and hydrolysis to transport the plasmid, via interactions with this partition complex inside the cell. For plasmids, this minimal cassette is sufficient to direct proper segregation in bacterial cells. There has been significant progress in the last several years in our understanding of partition mechanisms. Two general areas that have developed are (i) the structural biology of partition proteins and their interactions with DNA and (ii) the action and dynamics of the partition ATPases that drive the process. In addition, systems that use tubulin-like GTPases to partition plasmids have recently been identified. In this chapter, we concentrate on these recent developments and the molecular details of plasmid partition mechanisms.

Relationship between digital information and thermodynamic stability in bacterial genomes

Ever since the introduction of the Watson-Crick model, numerous efforts have been made to fully characterize the digital information content of the DNA. However, it became increasingly evident that variations of DNA configuration also provide an “analog” type of information related to the physicochemical properties of the DNA, such as thermodynamic stability and supercoiling. Hence, the parallel investigation of the digital information contained in the base sequence with associated analog parameters is very important for understanding the coding capacity of the DNA. In this paper, we represented analog information by its thermodynamic stability and compare it with digital information using Shannon and Gibbs entropy measures on the complete genome sequences of several bacteria, including Escherichia coli (E. coli), Bacillus subtilis (B. subtilis), Streptomyces coelicolor (S. coelicolor), and Salmonella typhimurium (S. typhimurium). Furthermore, the link to the broader classes of functional gene groups (anabolic and catabolic) is examined. Obtained results demonstrate the couplings between thermodynamic stability and digital sequence organization in the bacterial genomes. In addition, our data suggest a determinative role of the genome-wide distribution of DNA thermodynamic stability in the spatial organization of functional gene groups.

The role of MatP, ZapA and ZapB in chromosomal organization and dynamics in Escherichia coli

Despite extensive research over several decades, a comprehensive view of how the Escherichia coli chromosome is organized within the nucleoid, and how two daughter chromosomes segregate has yet to emerge. Here we investigate the role of the MatP, ZapA and ZapB proteins in organizing the replication terminus (Ter) region and in the chromosomal segregation process. Quantitative image analysis of the fluorescently labeled Ter region shows that the replication terminus attaches to the divisome in a single segment along the perimeter of the cell in a MatP, ZapA and ZapB-dependent manner. The attachment does not significantly affect the bulk chromosome segregation in slow growth conditions. With or without the attachment, two chromosomal masses separate from each other at a speed comparable to the cell growth. The separation starts even before the replication terminus region positions itself at the center of the nucleoid. Modeling of the segregation based on conformational entropy correctly predicts the positioning of the replication terminus region within the nucleoid. However, the model produces a distinctly different chromosomal density distribution than the experiment, indicating that the conformational entropy plays a limited role in segregating the chromosomes in the late stages of replication.

Bacterial Chromosome Dynamics by Locus Tracking in Fluorescence Microscopy

Bacterial chromosomes have been shown in the last two decades to have remarkable spatial organization at various scales, and also well-defined movements during the cell cycle, for example, to reliably segregate daughter chromosomes. More recently, various labs have begun investigating the short-time dynamics (displacements during time intervals of 0.1-100 s), which one hopes to link to structure, in analogy to "microrheology" approaches applied successfully to study mechanical response of complex fluids. These studies of chromosome fluctuation dynamics have revealed differences of fluctuation amplitude across the chromosome, and different characters of motion depending on the time window of interest. The highly nontrivial motion at the shortest experimentally accessible times is still not fully understood in terms of physical models of DNA and cytosol. We describe how to carry out tracking experiments of single locus and how to analyze locus motility. We point out the importance of considering in the analysis the number of GFP molecules per fluorescent locus.

Using Fluorescence Recovery After Photobleaching (FRAP) to Study Dynamics of the Structural Maintenance of Chromosome (SMC) Complex In Vivo

The SMC complex, MukBEF, is important for chromosome organization and segregation in Escherichia coli. Fluorescently tagged MukBEF forms distinct spots (or "foci") in the cell, where it is thought to carry out most of its chromosome associated activities. This chapter outlines the technique of Fluorescence Recovery After Photobleaching (FRAP) as a method to study the properties of YFP-tagged MukB in fluorescent foci. This method can provide important insight into the dynamics of MukB on DNA and be used to study its biochemical properties in vivo.