Chromosomal toxin-antitoxin loci can diminish large-scale genome reductions in the absence of selection

Plasmid addiction systems: perspectives and applications in biotechnology

Biotechnical production processes often operate with plasmid-based expression systems in well-established prokaryotic and eukaryotic hosts such as Escherichia coli or Saccharomyces cerevisiae, respectively. Genetically engineered organisms produce important chemicals, biopolymers, biofuels and high-value proteins like insulin. In those bioprocesses plasmids in recombinant hosts have an essential impact on productivity. Plasmid-free cells lead to losses in the entire product recovery and decrease the profitability of the whole process. Use of antibiotics in industrial fermentations is not an applicable option to maintain plasmid stability. Especially in pharmaceutical or GMP-based fermentation processes, deployed antibiotics must be inactivated and removed. Several plasmid addiction systems (PAS) were described in the literature. However, not every system has reached a full applicable state. This review compares most known addiction systems and is focusing on biotechnical applications.

Toxin-antitoxin systems: why so many, what for?

Toxin-antitoxin (TA) systems are small genetic modules that are abundant in bacterial genomes. Three types have been described so far, depending on the nature and mode of action of the antitoxin component. While type II systems are surprisingly highly represented because of their capacity to move by horizontal gene transfer, type I systems appear to have evolved by gene duplication and are more constrained. Type III is represented by a unique example located on a plasmid. Type II systems promote stability of mobile genetic elements and might act at the selfish level. Conflicting hypotheses about chromosomally encoded systems, from programmed cell death and starvation-induced stasis to protection against invading DNA and stabilization of large genomic fragments have been proposed.

The PIN-domain ribonucleases and the prokaryotic VapBC toxin-antitoxin array

The PIN-domains are small proteins of ~130 amino acids that are found in bacteria, archaea and eukaryotes and are defined by a group of three strictly conserved acidic amino acids. The conserved three-dimensional structures of the PIN-domains cluster these acidic residues in an enzymatic active site. PIN-domains cleave single-stranded RNA in a sequence-specific, Mg²+- or Mn²+-dependent manner. These ribonucleases are toxic to the cells which express them and to offset this toxicity, they are co-expressed with tight binding protein inhibitors. The genes encoding these two proteins are adjacent in the genome of all prokaryotic organisms where they are found. This sequential arrangement of inhibitor-RNAse genes conforms to that of the so-called toxin-antitoxin (TA) modules and the PIN-domain TAs have been named VapBC TAs (virulence associated proteins, VapB is the inhibitor which contains a transcription factor domain and VapC is the PIN-domain ribonuclease). The presence of large numbers of vapBC loci in disparate prokaryotes has motivated many researchers to investigate their biochemical and biological functions. For example, the devastating human pathogen Mycobacterium tuberculosis has 45 vapBC loci encoded in its genome whereas its non-pathogenic relative, Mycobacterium smegmatis has just one vapBC operon. On another branch of the prokaryotic tree, the nitrogen-fixing symbiont of legumes, Sinorhizobium meliloti has 21 vapBC loci and at least one of these loci have been implicated in the regulation of growth in the plant nodule. A range of biological functions has been suggested for these operons and this review sets out to survey the PIN-domains and summarise the current knowledge about the vapBC TA systems and their roles in diverse bacteria.

Vibrio cholerae ParE2 poisons DNA gyrase via a mechanism distinct from other gyrase inhibitors

DNA gyrase is an essential bacterial enzyme required for the maintenance of chromosomal DNA topology. This enzyme is the target of several protein toxins encoded in toxin-antitoxin (TA) loci as well as of man-made antibiotics such as quinolones. The genome of Vibrio cholerae, the cause of cholera, contains three putative TA loci that exhibit modest similarity to the RK2 plasmid-borne parDE TA locus, which is thought to target gyrase although its mechanism of action is uncharacterized. Here we investigated the V. cholerae parDE2 locus. We found that this locus encodes a functional proteic TA pair that is active in Escherichia coli as well as V. cholerae. ParD2 co-purified with ParE2 and interacted with it directly. Unlike many other antitoxins, ParD2 could prevent but not reverse ParE2 toxicity. ParE2, like the unrelated F-encoded toxin CcdB and quinolones, targeted the GyrA subunit and stalled the DNA-gyrase cleavage complex. However, in contrast to other gyrase poisons, ParE2 toxicity required ATP, and it interfered with gyrase-dependent DNA supercoiling but not DNA relaxation. ParE2 did not bind GyrA fragments bound by CcdB and quinolones, and a set of strains resistant to a variety of known gyrase inhibitors all exhibited sensitivity to ParE2. Together, our findings suggest that ParE2 and presumably its many plasmid- and chromosome-encoded homologues inhibit gyrase in a different manner than previously described agents.

TADB: a web-based resource for Type 2 toxin-antitoxin loci in bacteria and archaea

TADB (http://bioinfo-mml.sjtu.edu.cn/TADB/) is an integrated database that provides comprehensive information about Type 2 toxin-antitoxin (TA) loci, genetic features that are richly distributed throughout bacterial and archaeal genomes. Two-gene and much less frequently three-gene Type 2 TA loci code for cognate partners that have been hypothesized or demonstrated to play key roles in stress response, bacterial physiology and stabilization of horizontally acquired genetic elements. TADB offers a unique compilation of both predicted and experimentally supported Type 2 TA loci-relevant data and currently contains 10,753 Type 2 TA gene pairs identified within 1240 prokaryotic genomes, and details of over 240 directly relevant scientific publications. A broad range of similarity search, sequence alignment, genome context browser and phylogenetic tools are readily accessible via TADB. We propose that TADB will facilitate efficient, multi-disciplinary and innovative exploration of the bacteria and archaea Type 2 TA space, better defining presently recognized TA-related phenomena and potentially even leading to yet-to-be envisaged frontiers. The TADB database, envisaged as a one-stop shop for Type 2 TA-related research, will be maintained, updated and improved regularly to ensure its ongoing maximum utility to the research community.

Gene cassette transcription in a large integron-associated array

Background

The integron/gene cassette system is a diverse and effective adaptive resource for prokaryotes. Short cassette arrays, with less than 10 cassettes adjacent to an integron, provide this resource through the expression of cassette-associated genes by an integron-borne promoter. However, the advantage provided by large arrays containing hundreds of cassettes is less obvious. In this work, using the 116-cassette array of Vibrio sp. DAT722 as a model, we investigated the theory that the majority of genes contained within large cassette arrays are widely expressed by intra-array promoters in addition to the integron-borne promoter.

Results

We demonstrated that the majority of the cassette-associated genes in the subject array were expressed. We further showed that cassette expression was conditional and that the conditionality varied across the array. We finally showed that this expression was mediated by a diversity of cassette-borne promoters within the array capable of responding to environmental stressors.

Conclusions

Widespread expression within large gene cassette arrays could provide an adaptive advantage to the host in proportion to the size of the array. Our findings explained the existence and maintenance of large cassette arrays within many prokaryotes. Further, we suggested that repeated rearrangement of cassettes containing genes and/or promoters within large arrays could result in the assembly of operon-like groups of co-expressed cassettes within an array. These findings add to our understanding of the adaptive repertoire of the integron/gene cassette system in prokaryotes and consequently, the evolutionary impact of this system.

The relBE2Spn toxin-antitoxin system of Streptococcus pneumoniae: role in antibiotic tolerance and functional conservation in clinical isolates

Type II (proteic) chromosomal toxin-antitoxin systems (TAS) are widespread in Bacteria and Archaea but their precise function is known only for a limited number of them. Out of the many TAS described, the relBE family is one of the most abundant, being present in the three first sequenced strains of Streptococcus pneumoniae (D39, TIGR4 and R6). To address the function of the pneumococcal relBE2Spn TAS in the bacterial physiology, we have compared the response of the R6-relBE2Spn wild type strain with that of an isogenic derivative, Delta relB2Spn under different stress conditions such as carbon and amino acid starvation and antibiotic exposure. Differences on viability between the wild type and mutant strains were found only when treatment directly impaired protein synthesis. As a criterion for the permanence of this locus in a variety of clinical strains, we checked whether the relBE2Spn locus was conserved in around 100 pneumococcal strains, including clinical isolates and strains with known genomes. All strains, although having various types of polymorphisms at the vicinity of the TA region, contained a functional relBE2Spn locus and the type of its structure correlated with the multilocus sequence type. Functionality of this TAS was maintained even in cases where severe rearrangements around the relBE2Spn region were found. We conclude that even though the relBE2Spn TAS is not essential for pneumococcus, it may provide additional advantages to the bacteria for colonization and/or infection.

Interaction specificity, toxicity and regulation of a paralogous set of ParE/RelE-family toxin-antitoxin systems

Toxin-antitoxin (TA) gene cassettes are widely distributed across bacteria, archaea and bacteriophage. The chromosome of the alpha-proteobacterium, Caulobacter crescentus, encodes eight ParE/RelE-superfamily toxins that are organized into operons with their cognate antitoxins. A systematic genetic analysis of these parDE and relBE TA operons demonstrates that seven encode functional toxins. The one exception highlights an example of a non-functional toxin pseudogene. Chromosomally encoded ParD and RelB proteins function as antitoxins, inhibiting their adjacently encoded ParE and RelE toxins. However, these antitoxins do not functionally complement each other, even when overexpressed. Transcription of these paralogous TA systems is differentially regulated under distinct environmental conditions. These data support a model in which multiple TA paralogs encoded by a single bacterial chromosome form independent functional units with insulated protein-protein interactions. Further characterization of the parDE(1) system at the single-cell level reveals that ParE(1) toxin functions to inhibit cell division but not cell growth; residues at the C-terminus of ParE(1) are critical for its stability and toxicity. While continuous ParE(1) overexpression results in a substantial loss in cell viability at the population level, a fraction of cells escape toxicity, providing evidence that ParE(1) toxicity is not uniform within clonal cell populations.

Assembly dynamics and stability of the pneumococcal epsilon zeta antitoxin toxin (PezAT) system from Streptococcus pneumoniae

The pneumococcal epsilon zeta antitoxin toxin (PezAT) system is a chromosomally encoded, class II toxin antitoxin system from the human pathogen Streptococcus pneumnoniae. Neutralization of the bacteriotoxic protein PezT is carried out by complex formation with its cognate antitoxin PezA. Here we study the stability of the inhibitory complex in vivo and in vitro. We found that toxin release is impeded in Escherichia coli and Bacillus subtilis due to the proteolytic resistance of PezA once bound to PezT. These findings are supported by in vitro experiments demonstrating a strong thermodynamic stabilization of both proteins upon binding. A detailed kinetic analysis of PezAT assembly revealed that these particular features of PezAT are based on a strong, electrostatically guided binding mechanism leading to a stable toxin antitoxin complex with femtomolar affinity. Our data show that PezAT complex formation is distinct to all other conventional toxin antitoxin modules and a controlled mode of toxin release is required for activation.

New toxins homologous to ParE belonging to three-component toxin-antitoxin systems in Escherichia coli O157:H7

Type II toxin-antitoxin (TA) systems are considered as protein pairs in which a specific toxin is associated with a specific antitoxin. We have identified a novel antitoxin family (paaA) that is associated with parE toxins. The paaA-parE gene pairs form an operon with a third component (paaR) encoding a transcriptional regulator. Two paralogous paaR-paaA-parE systems are found in E. coli O157:H7. Deletions of the paaA-parE pairs in O157:H7 allowed us to show that these systems are expressed in their natural host and that PaaA antitoxins specifically counteract toxicity of their associated ParE toxin. For the paaR2-paaA2-parE2 system, PaaR2 and Paa2-ParE2 complex are able to regulate the operon expression and both are necessary to ensure complete repression. The paaR2-paaA2-parE2 system mediates ClpXP-dependent post-segregational killing. The PaaR2 regulator appears to be essential for this function, most likely by maintaining an appropriate antitoxin : toxin ratio in steady-state conditions. Ectopic overexpression of ParE2 is bactericidal and is not resuscitated by PaaA2 expression. ParE2 colocalizes with the nucleoid, while it is diffusely distributed in the cytoplasm when PaaA2 is coexpressed. This indicates that ParE2 interacts with DNA-gyrase cycling on DNA and that coexpression of PaaA2 antitoxin sequesters ParE2 away from its target by protein-protein complex formation.

A conserved mode of protein recognition and binding in a ParD-ParE toxin-antitoxin complex

Toxin-antitoxin (TA) systems form a ubiquitous class of prokaryotic proteins with functional roles in plasmid inheritance, environmental stress response, and cell development. ParDE family TA systems are broadly conserved on plasmids and bacterial chromosomes and have been well characterized as genetic elements that promote stable plasmid inheritance. We present a crystal structure of a chromosomally encoded ParD-ParE complex from Caulobacter crescentus at 2.6 A resolution. This TA system forms an alpha(2)beta(2) heterotetramer in the crystal and in solution. The toxin-antitoxin binding interface reveals extensive polar and hydrophobic contacts of ParD antitoxin helices with a conserved recognition and binding groove on the ParE toxin. A cross-species comparison of this complex structure with related toxin structures identified an antitoxin recognition and binding subdomain that is conserved between distantly related members of the RelE/ParE toxin superfamily despite a low level of overall primary sequence identity. We further demonstrate that ParD antitoxin is dimeric, stably folded, and largely helical when not bound to ParE toxin. Thus, the paradigmatic model in which antitoxin undergoes a disorder-to-order transition upon toxin binding does not apply to this chromosomal ParD-ParE TA system.

Comprehensive functional analysis of Mycobacterium tuberculosis toxin-antitoxin systems: implications for pathogenesis, stress responses, and evolution

Toxin-antitoxin (TA) systems, stress-responsive genetic elements ubiquitous in microbial genomes, are unusually abundant in the major human pathogen Mycobacterium tuberculosis. Why M. tuberculosis has so many TA systems and what role they play in the unique biology of the pathogen is unknown. To address these questions, we have taken a comprehensive approach to identify and functionally characterize all the TA systems encoded in the M. tuberculosis genome. Here we show that 88 putative TA system candidates are present in M. tuberculosis, considerably more than previously thought. Comparative genomic analysis revealed that the vast majority of these systems are conserved in the M. tuberculosis complex (MTBC), but largely absent from other mycobacteria, including close relatives of M. tuberculosis. We found that many of the M. tuberculosis TA systems are located within discernable genomic islands and were thus likely acquired recently via horizontal gene transfer. We discovered a novel TA system located in the core genome that is conserved across the genus, suggesting that it may fulfill a role common to all mycobacteria. By expressing each of the putative TA systems in M. smegmatis, we demonstrate that 30 encode a functional toxin and its cognate antitoxin. We show that the toxins of the largest family of TA systems, VapBC, act by inhibiting translation via mRNA cleavage. Expression profiling demonstrated that four systems are specifically activated during stresses likely encountered in vivo, including hypoxia and phagocytosis by macrophages. The expansion and maintenance of TA genes in the MTBC, coupled with the finding that a subset is transcriptionally activated by stress, suggests that TA systems are important for M. tuberculosis pathogenesis.

Tuberculosis (TB) continues to be a major global health problem, causing 2 million deaths every year. A hallmark of TB pathogenesis is that the bacilli can enter into a slow or non-growing state in response to the host immune system. Because these persistent bacteria are resistant to antibiotic treatment, efforts to eliminate TB from the human population must include therapies to target dormant organisms as they can eventually resume replication to cause active disease. How Mycobacterium tuberculosis, the causative agent of TB, alters its replication dynamics in response to host cues is not understood. Toxin-antitoxin (TA) systems, which may control persistence in other bacteria, are massively expanded in M. tuberculosis, suggesting that they are important for TB pathogenesis. Surprisingly, the vast majority of these numerous TA systems are conserved only in pathogenic mycobacteria, suggesting their acquisition was important in M. tuberculosis evolution. Of the 88 putative TA systems identified, we show that 30 are functional in mycobacteria. A subset of these systems is activated upon exposure to stresses encountered during infection, indicating that specific TA systems are involved in adapting to environmental cues in the host. These genes are promising candidates for the development of novel therapies to target persistent bacteria.

Signals of growth regulation in bacteria

A fundamental characteristic of cells is their ability to regulate growth in response to changing environmental conditions. This review focuses on recent progress toward understanding the mechanisms by which bacterial growth is regulated. These phenomena include the 'viable but not culturable' (VBNC) state, in which bacterial growth becomes conditional, and 'persistence', which confers antibiotic resistance to a small fraction of bacteria in a population. Notably, at least one form of persistence appears to involve the generation of nongrowing phenotypic variants after transition through stationary phase. The possible roles of toxin-antitoxin modules in growth control are explored, as well as other mechanisms including contact-dependent growth inhibition, which regulates cellular metabolism and growth through binding to an outer membrane protein receptor.

Integrase-directed recovery of functional genes from genomic libraries

Large population sizes, rapid growth and 3.8 billion years of evolution firmly establish microorganisms as a major source of the planet's biological and genetic diversity. However, up to 99% of the microorganisms in a given environment cannot be cultured. Culture-independent methods that directly access the genetic potential of an environmental sample can unveil new proteins with diverse functions, but the sequencing of random DNA can generate enormous amounts of extraneous data. Integrons are recombination systems that accumulate open reading frames (gene cassettes), many of which code for functional proteins with enormous adaptive potential. Some integrons harbor hundreds of gene cassettes and evidence suggests that the gene cassette pool may be limitless in size. Accessing this genetic pool has been hampered since sequence-based techniques, such as hybridization or PCR, often recover only partial genes or a small subset of those present in the sample. Here, a three-plasmid genetic strategy for the sequence-independent recovery of gene cassettes from genomic libraries is described and its use by retrieving functional gene cassettes from the chromosomal integron of Vibrio vulnificus ATCC 27562 is demonstrated. By manipulating the natural activity of integrons, we can gain access to the caches of functional genes amassed by these structures.

Genomic and systems evolution in Vibrionaceae species

Background

The steadily increasing number of prokaryotic genomes has accelerated the study of genome evolution; in particular, the availability of sets of genomes from closely related bacteria has facilitated the exploration of the mechanisms underlying genome plasticity. The family Vibrionaceae is found in the Gammaproteobacteria and is abundant in aquatic environments. Taxa from the family Vibrionaceae are diversified in their life styles; some species are free living, others are symbiotic, and others are human pathogens. This diversity makes this family a useful set of model organisms for studying bacterial evolution. This evolution is driven by several forces, among them gene duplication and lateral gene transfer, which are believed to provide raw material for functional redundancy and novelty. The resultant gene copy increase in one genome is then detected as lineage-specific expansion (LSE).

Results

Here we present the results of a detailed comparison of the genomes of eleven Vibrionaceae strains that have distinct life styles and distinct phenotypes. The core genome shared by all eleven strains is composed of 1,882 genes, which make up about 31%–50% of the genome repertoire. We further investigated the distribution and features of genes that have been specifically expanded in one unique lineage of the eleven strains. Abundant duplicate genes have been identified in the eleven Vibrionaceae strains, with 1–11% of the whole genomes composed lineage specific radiations. These LSEs occurred in two distinct patterns: the first type yields one or more copies of a single gene; we call this a single gene expansion. The second pattern has a high evolutionary impact, as the expansion involves two or more gene copies in a block, with the duplicated block located next to the original block (a contiguous block expansion) or at some distance from the original block (a discontiguous block expansion). We showed that LSEs involve genes that are tied to defense and pathogenesis mechanisms as well as in the fundamental life cycle of Vibrionaceae species.

Conclusion

Our results provide evidence of genome plasticity and rapid evolution within the family Vibrionaceae. The comparisons point to sources of genomic variation and candidates for lineage-specific adaptations of each Vibrionaceae pathogen or nonpathogen strain. Such lineage specific expansions could reveal components in bacterial systems that, by their enhanced genetic variability, can be tied to responses to environmental challenges, interesting phenotypes, or adaptive pathogenic responses to host challenges.

Gene cassettes and cassette arrays in mobile resistance integrons

Gene cassettes are small mobile elements, consisting of little more than a single gene and recombination site, which are captured by larger elements called integrons. Several cassettes may be inserted into the same integron forming a tandem array. The discovery of integrons in the chromosome of many species has led to the identification of thousands of gene cassettes, mostly of unknown function, while integrons associated with transposons and plasmids carry mainly antibiotic resistance genes and constitute an important means of spreading resistance. An updated compilation of gene cassettes found in sequences of such 'mobile resistance integrons' in GenBank was facilitated by a specially developed automated annotation system. At least 130 different (<98% identical) cassettes that carry known or predicted antibiotic resistance genes were identified, along with many cassettes of unknown function. We list exemplar GenBank accession numbers for each and address some nomenclature issues. Various modifications to cassettes, some of which may be useful in tracking cassette epidemiology, are also described. Despite potential biases in the GenBank dataset, preliminary analysis of cassette distribution suggests interesting differences between cassettes and may provide useful information to direct more systematic studies.

A toxin-antitoxin system promotes the maintenance of an integrative conjugative element

SXT is an integrative and conjugative element (ICE) that confers resistance to multiple antibiotics upon many clinical isolates of Vibrio cholerae. In most cells, this ∼100 Kb element is integrated into the host genome in a site-specific fashion; however, SXT can excise to form an extrachromosomal circle that is thought to be the substrate for conjugative transfer. Daughter cells lacking SXT can theoretically arise if cell division occurs prior to the element's reintegration. Even though ∼2% of SXT-bearing cells contain the excised form of the ICE, cells that have lost the element have not been detected. Here, using a positive selection-based system, SXT loss was detected rarely at a frequency of ∼1×10⁻⁷. As expected, excision appears necessary for loss, and factors influencing the frequency of excision altered the frequency of SXT loss. We screened the entire 100 kb SXT genome and identified two genes within SXT, now designated mosA and mosT (for maintenance of SXT Antitoxin and Toxin), that promote SXT stability. These two genes, which lack similarity to any previously characterized genes, encode a novel toxin-antitoxin pair; expression of mosT greatly impaired cell growth and mosA expression ameliorated MosT toxicity. Factors that promote SXT excision upregulate mosAT expression. Thus, when the element is extrachromosomal and vulnerable to loss, SXT activates a TA module to minimize the formation of SXT-free cells.

Integrative and conjugative elements (ICEs) are a diverse group of mobile genetic elements found in many bacteria. These elements integrate into the host chromosome as well as excise and transfer to other bacteria. SXT, an ICE that encodes resistances to multiple antibiotics, is currently present in most clinical isolates of V. cholerae, the cause of cholera. Cells in which SXT is excised can potentially lose the ICE if cell division occurs prior to its re-integration, but explorations of mechanisms that promote ICE maintenance have received almost no attention. Using a positive selection-based strategy to detect SXT loss, we found that loss of this ICE was very rare (1 in 10⁷ cells). Two genes, mosAT, that lack similarity to genes of known function were found to promote SXT maintenance. We show that MosT blocks cell growth in the absence of SXT and its activity can be neutralized by MosA. Thus, these genes encode a functional toxin–antitoxin (TA) system. When SXT is extrachromosomal and vulnerable to loss, mosAT expression increases, minimizing the formation of SXT-free cells. The activity of mosAT may contribute to the maintenance of antibiotic resistance in bacterial populations.

Bacterial toxin-antitoxin systems: more than selfish entities?

Bacterial toxin–antitoxin (TA) systems are diverse and widespread in the prokaryotic kingdom. They are composed of closely linked genes encoding a stable toxin that can harm the host cell and its cognate labile antitoxin, which protects the host from the toxin's deleterious effect. TA systems are thought to invade bacterial genomes through horizontal gene transfer. Some TA systems might behave as selfish elements and favour their own maintenance at the expense of their host. As a consequence, they may contribute to the maintenance of plasmids or genomic islands, such as super-integrons, by post-segregational killing of the cell that loses these genes and so suffers the stable toxin's destructive effect. The function of the chromosomally encoded TA systems is less clear and still open to debate. This Review discusses current hypotheses regarding the biological roles of these evolutionarily successful small operons. We consider the various selective forces that could drive the maintenance of TA systems in bacterial genomes.

The decay of the chromosomally encoded ccdO157 toxin-antitoxin system in the Escherichia coli species

The origin and the evolution of toxin-antitoxin (TA) systems remain to be uncovered. TA systems are abundant in bacterial chromosomes and are thought to be part of the flexible genome that originates from horizontal gene transfer. To gain insight into TA system evolution, we analyzed the distribution of the chromosomally encoded ccdO157 system in 395 natural isolates of Escherichia coli. It was discovered in the E. coli O157:H7 strain in which it constitutes a genomic islet between two core genes (folA and apaH). Our study revealed that the folA-apaH intergenic region is plastic and subject to insertion of foreign DNA. It could be composed (i) of a repetitive extragenic palindromic (REP) sequence, (ii) of the ccdO157 system or subtle variants of it, (iii) of a large DNA piece that contained a ccdAO157 antitoxin remnant in association with ORFs of unknown function, or (iv) of a variant of it containing an insertion sequence in the ccdAO157 remnant. Sequence analysis and functional tests of the ccdO157 variants revealed that 69% of the variants were composed of an active toxin and antitoxin, 29% were composed of an active antitoxin and an inactive toxin, and in 2% of the cases both ORFs were inactive. Molecular evolution analysis showed that ccdBO157 is under neutral evolution, suggesting that this system is devoid of any biological role in the E. coli species.

The integron/gene cassette system: an active player in bacterial adaptation

The integron includes a site-specific recombination system capable of integrating and expressing genes contained in structures called mobile gene cassettes. Integrons were originally identified on mobile elements from pathogenic bacteria and were found to be a major reservoir of antibiotic-resistance genes. Integrons are now known to be ancient structures that are phylogenetically diverse and, to date, have been found in approximately 9% of sequenced bacterial genomes. Overall, gene diversity in cassettes is extraordinarily high, suggesting that the integron/gene cassette system has a broad role in adaptation rather than being confined to simply conferring resistance to antibiotics. In this chapter, we provide a review of the integron/gene cassette system highlighting characteristics associated with this system, diversity of elements contained within it, and their importance in driving bacterial evolution and consequently adaptation. Ideas on the evolution of gene cassettes and gene cassette arrays are discussed.

HicA of Escherichia coli defines a novel family of translation-independent mRNA interferases in bacteria and archaea

Toxin-antitoxin (TA) loci are common in free-living bacteria and archaea. TA loci encode a stable toxin that is neutralized by a metabolically unstable antitoxin. The antitoxin can be either a protein or an antisense RNA. So far, six different TA gene families, in which the antitoxins are proteins, have been identified. Recently, Makarova et al. (K. S. Makarova, N. V. Grishin, and E. V. Koonin, Bioinformatics 22:2581-2584, 2006) suggested that the hicAB loci constitute a novel TA gene family. Using the hicAB locus of Escherichia coli K-12 as a model system, we present evidence that supports this inference: expression of the small HicA protein (58 amino acids [aa]) induced cleavage in three model mRNAs and tmRNA. Concomitantly, the global rate of translation was severely reduced. Using tmRNA as a substrate, we show that HicA-induced cleavage does not require the target RNA to be translated. Expression of HicB (145 aa) prevented HicA-mediated inhibition of cell growth. These results suggest that HicB neutralizes HicA and therefore functions as an antitoxin. As with other antitoxins (RelB and MazF), HicB could resuscitate cells inhibited by HicA, indicating that ectopic production of HicA induces a bacteriostatic rather than a bactericidal condition. Nutrient starvation induced strong hicAB transcription that depended on Lon protease. Mining of 218 prokaryotic genomes revealed that hicAB loci are abundant in bacteria and archaea.

Influence of operator site geometry on transcriptional control by the YefM-YoeB toxin-antitoxin complex

YefM-YoeB is among the most prevalent and well-characterized toxin-antitoxin complexes. YoeB toxin is an endoribonuclease whose activity is inhibited by YefM antitoxin. The regions 5' of yefM-yoeB in diverse bacteria possess conserved sequence motifs that mediate transcriptional autorepression. The yefM-yoeB operator site arrangement is exemplified in Escherichia coli: a pair of palindromes with core hexamer motifs and a center-to-center distance of 12 bp overlap the yefM-yoeB promoter. YefM is an autorepressor that initially recognizes a long palindrome containing the core hexamer, followed by binding to a short repeat. YoeB corepressor greatly enhances the YefM-operator interaction. Scanning mutagenesis demonstrated that the short repeat is crucial for correct interaction of YefM-YoeB with the operator site in vivo and in vitro. Moreover, altering the relative positions of the two palindromes on the DNA helix abrogated YefM-YoeB cooperative interactions with the repeats: complex binding to the long repeat was maintained but was perturbed to the short repeat. Although YefM lacks a canonical DNA binding motif, dual conserved arginine residues embedded in a basic patch of the protein are crucial for operator recognition. Deciphering the molecular basis of toxin-antitoxin transcriptional control will provide key insights into toxin-antitoxin activation and function.

Crystallization of Doc and the Phd-Doc toxin-antitoxin complex

The phd/doc addiction system is responsible for the stable inheritance of lysogenic bacteriophage P1 in its plasmidic form in Escherichia coli and is the archetype of a family of bacterial toxin-antitoxin modules. The His66Tyr mutant of Doc (Doc(H66Y)) was crystallized in space group P2(1), with unit-cell parameters a = 53.1, b = 198.0, c = 54.1 A, beta = 93.0 degrees . These crystals diffracted to 2.5 A resolution and probably contained four dimers of Doc in the asymmetric unit. Doc(H66Y) in complex with a 22-amino-acid C-terminal peptide of Phd (Phd(52-73Se)) was crystallized in space group C2, with unit-cell parameters a = 111.1, b = 38.6, c = 63.3 A, beta = 99.3 degrees , and diffracted to 1.9 A resolution. Crystals of the complete wild-type Phd-Doc complex belonged to space group P3(1)21 or P3(2)21, had an elongated unit cell with dimensions a = b = 48.9, c = 354.9 A and diffracted to 2.4 A resolution using synchrotron radiation.

Doc of prophage P1 is inhibited by its antitoxin partner Phd through fold complementation

Prokaryotic toxin-antitoxin modules are involved in major physiological events set in motion under stress conditions. The toxin Doc (death on curing) from the phd/doc module on phage P1 hosts the C-terminal domain of its antitoxin partner Phd (prevents host death) through fold complementation. This Phd domain is intrinsically disordered in solution and folds into an alpha-helix upon binding to Doc. The details of the interactions reveal the molecular basis for the inhibitory action of the antitoxin. The complex resembles the Fic (filamentation induced by cAMP) proteins and suggests a possible evolutionary origin for the phd/doc operon. Doc induces growth arrest of Escherichia coli cells in a reversible manner, by targeting the protein synthesis machinery. Moreover, Doc activates the endogenous E. coli RelE mRNA interferase but does not require this or any other known chromosomal toxin-antitoxin locus for its action in vivo.

Insights and inferences about integron evolution from genomic data

Background

Integrons are mechanisms that facilitate horizontal gene transfer, allowing bacteria to integrate and express foreign DNA. These are important in the exchange of antibiotic resistance determinants, but can also transfer a diverse suite of genes unrelated to pathogenicity. Here, we provide a systematic analysis of the distribution and diversity of integron intI genes and integron-containing bacteria.

Results

We found integrons in 103 different pathogenic and non-pathogenic bacteria, in six major phyla. Integrons were widely scattered, and their presence was not confined to specific clades within bacterial orders. Nearly 1/3 of the intI genes that we identified were pseudogenes, containing either an internal stop codon or a frameshift mutation that would render the protein product non-functional. Additionally, 20% of bacteria contained more than one integrase gene. dN/dS ratios revealed mutational hotspots in clades of Vibrio and Shewanella intI genes. Finally, we characterized the gene cassettes associated with integrons in Methylobacillus flagellatus KT and Dechloromonas aromatica RCB, and found a heavy metal efflux gene as well as genes involved in protein folding and stability.

Conclusion

Our analysis suggests that the present distribution of integrons is due to multiple losses and gene transfer events. While, in some cases, the ability to integrate and excise foreign DNA may be selectively advantageous, the gain, loss, or rearrangment of gene cassettes could also be deleterious, selecting against functional integrases. Thus, such a high fraction of pseudogenes may suggest that the selective impact of integrons on genomes is variable, oscillating between beneficial and deleterious, possibly depending on environmental conditions.

A family of insertion sequences that impacts integrons by specific targeting of gene cassette recombination sites, the IS1111-attC Group

Integrons facilitate the evolution of complex phenotypes by physical and transcriptional linkage of genes. They can be categorized as chromosomal integrons (CIs) or mobile resistance integrons (MRIs). The significance of MRIs for the problem of multiple antibiotic resistance is well established. CIs are more widespread, but their only demonstrated significance is as a reservoir of gene cassettes for MRIs. In characterizing CIs associated with Pseudomonas, we discovered a subfamily of insertion sequences, termed the IS1111-attC group, that insert into the recombination sites of gene cassettes (attC site) by site-specific recombination. IS1111-attC elements appear to have recently spread from Pseudomonas species to clinical class 1 integrons. Such elements are expected to significantly impact integrons. To explore this further, we examined CIs in 24 strains representing multiple levels of evolutionary divergence within the genus Pseudomonas. Cassette arrays frequently had a degenerated "footprint" of an IS1111-attC group element at their terminus and in three cases were occupied by multiple functional IS1111-attC elements. Within Pseudomonas spp. the IS-integron interaction appears to follow an evolutionarily rapid cycle of infection, expansion, and extinction. The final outcome is extinction of the IS element and modification of the right-hand boundary of the integron. This system represents an unusual example of convergent evolution whereby heterologous families of site-specific recombinases of distinct genetic elements have adopted the same target site. The interactions described here represent a model for evolutionary processes that offer insights to a number of aspects of the biology of integrons and other mosaic genetic elements.

The evolution of class 1 integrons and the rise of antibiotic resistance

Class 1 integrons are central players in the worldwide problem of antibiotic resistance, because they can capture and express diverse resistance genes. In addition, they are often embedded in promiscuous plasmids and transposons, facilitating their lateral transfer into a wide range of pathogens. Understanding the origin of these elements is important for the practical control of antibiotic resistance and for exploring how lateral gene transfer can seriously impact on, and be impacted by, human activities. We now show that class 1 integrons can be found on the chromosomes of nonpathogenic soil and freshwater Betaproteobacteria. Here they exhibit structural and sequence diversity, an absence of antibiotic resistance genes, and a phylogenetic signature of lateral transfer. Some examples are almost identical to the core of the class 1 integrons now found in pathogens, leading us to conclude that environmental Betaproteobacteria were the original source of these genetic elements. Because these elements appear to be readily mobilized, their lateral transfer into human commensals and pathogens was inevitable, especially given that Betaproteobacteria carrying class 1 integrons are common in natural environments that intersect with the human food chain. The strong selection pressure imposed by the human use of antimicrobial compounds then ensured their fixation and global spread into new species.

Chromosomal toxin-antitoxin systems may act as antiaddiction modules

Toxin-antitoxin (TA) systems are widespread among bacterial chromosomes and mobile genetic elements. Although in plasmids TA systems have a clear role in their vertical inheritance by selectively killing plasmid-free daughter cells (postsegregational killing or addiction phenomenon), the physiological role of chromosomally encoded ones remains under debate. The assumption that chromosomally encoded TA systems are part of stress response networks and/or programmed cell death machinery has been called into question recently by the observation that none of the five canonical chromosomally encoded TA systems in the Escherichia coli chromosome seem to confer any selective advantage under stressful conditions (V. Tsilibaris, G. Maenhaut-Michel, N. Mine, and L. Van Melderen, J. Bacteriol. 189:6101-6108, 2007). Their prevalence in bacterial chromosomes indicates that they might have been acquired through horizontal gene transfer. Once integrated in chromosomes, they might in turn interfere with their homologues encoded by mobile genetic elements. In this work, we show that the chromosomally encoded Erwinia chrysanthemi ccd (control of cell death) (ccd(Ech)) system indeed protects the cell against postsegregational killing mediated by its F-plasmid ccd (ccd(F)) homologue. Moreover, competition experiments have shown that this system confers a fitness advantage under postsegregational conditions mediated by the ccd(F) system. We propose that ccd(Ech) acts as an antiaddiction module and, more generally, that the integration of TA systems in bacterial chromosomes could drive the evolution of plasmid-encoded ones and select toxins that are no longer recognized by the antiaddiction module.

Maintenance forced by a restriction-modification system can be modulated by a region in its modification enzyme not essential for methyltransferase activity

Several type II restriction-modification gene complexes can force their maintenance on their host bacteria by killing cells that have lost them in a process called postsegregational killing or genetic addiction. It is likely to proceed by dilution of the modification enzyme molecule during rounds of cell division following the gene loss, which exposes unmethylated recognition sites on the newly replicated chromosomes to lethal attack by the remaining restriction enzyme molecules. This process is in apparent contrast to the process of the classical types of postsegregational killing systems, in which built-in metabolic instability of the antitoxin allows release of the toxin for lethal action after the gene loss. In the present study, we characterize a mutant form of the EcoRII gene complex that shows stronger capacity in such maintenance. This phenotype is conferred by an L80P amino acid substitution (T239C nucleotide substitution) mutation in the modification enzyme. This mutant enzyme showed decreased DNA methyltransferase activity at a higher temperature in vivo and in vitro than the nonmutated enzyme, although a deletion mutant lacking the N-terminal 83 amino acids did not lose activity at either of the temperatures tested. Under a condition of inhibited protein synthesis, the activity of the L80P mutant was completely lost at a high temperature. In parallel, the L80P mutant protein disappeared more rapidly than the wild-type protein. These results demonstrate that the capability of a restriction-modification system in forcing maintenance on its host can be modulated by a region of its antitoxin, the modification enzyme, as in the classical postsegregational killing systems.

Integrons: mobilizable platforms that promote genetic diversity in bacteria

Integrons facilitate the capture of potentially adaptive exogenous genetic material by their host genomes. It is now clear that integrons are not limited to the clinical contexts in which they were originally discovered because approximately 10% of bacterial genomes that have been partially or completely sequenced harbour this genetic element. This wealth of sequence information has revealed that integrons are not only much more phylogenetically diverse than previously thought but also more mobilizable, with many integrons having been subjected to frequent lateral gene transfer throughout their evolutionary history. This indicates that the genetic characteristics that make integrons such efficient vectors for the spread of antibiotic resistance genes have been associated with these elements since their earliest origins. Here, we give an overview of the structural and phylogenetic diversity of integrons and describe evolutionary events that have contributed to the success of these genetic elements.

Molecular characterization of class 3 integrons from Delftia spp

Two environmental strains, Delftia acidovorans C17 and Delftia tsuruhatensis A90, were found to carry class 3 integrons, which have seldom been reported and then only from pathogens in which they are associated with antibiotic resistance genes. The Delftia integrons comprised a highly conserved class 3 integrase gene, upstream and oppositely oriented from a set of three or four gene cassettes that encoded unidentified functions. The A90 integron had one more gene cassette than the C17 integron, but the two were otherwise the same; furthermore, they were located within regions of sequence identity in both strains and linked to chromosomal genes. A screen of other Delftia and related strains did not reveal the presence of additional class 3 integrons. The observations suggest that these integrons were horizontally transferred to Delftia as part of a larger region and reside as chromosomal elements that probably predate transposon dissemination, as has been proposed for certain class 1 integrons.

What is the benefit to Escherichia coli of having multiple toxin-antitoxin systems in its genome?

The Escherichia coli K-12 chromosome encodes at least five proteic toxin-antitoxin (TA) systems. The mazEF and relBE systems have been extensively characterized and were proposed to be general stress response modules. On one hand, mazEF was proposed to act as a programmed cell death system that is triggered by a variety of stresses. On the other hand, relBE and mazEF were proposed to serve as growth modulators that induce a dormancy state during amino acid starvation. These conflicting hypotheses led us to test a possible synergetic effect of the five characterized E. coli TA systems on stress response. We compared the behavior of a wild-type strain and its derivative devoid of the five TA systems under various stress conditions. We were unable to detect TA-dependent programmed cell death under any of these conditions, even under conditions previously reported to induce it. Thus, our results rule out the programmed-cell-death hypothesis. Moreover, the presence of the five TA systems advantaged neither recovery from the different stresses nor cell growth under nutrient-limited conditions in competition experiments. This casts a doubt on whether TA systems significantly influence bacterial fitness and competitiveness during non-steady-state growth conditions.