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Webster MW, Weixlbaumer A. Macromolecular assemblies supporting transcription-translation coupling. Transcription 2021; 12:103-125. [PMID: 34570660 DOI: 10.1080/21541264.2021.1981713] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/20/2022] Open
Abstract
Coordination between the molecular machineries that synthesize and decode prokaryotic mRNAs is an important layer of gene expression control known as transcription-translation coupling. While it has long been known that translation can regulate transcription and vice-versa, recent structural and biochemical work has shed light on the underlying mechanistic basis. Complexes of RNA polymerase linked to a trailing ribosome (expressomes) have been structurally characterized in a variety of states at near-atomic resolution, and also directly visualized in cells. These data are complemented by recent biochemical and biophysical analyses of transcription-translation systems and the individual components within them. Here, we review our improved understanding of the molecular basis of transcription-translation coupling. These insights are discussed in relation to our evolving understanding of the role of coupling in cells.
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Affiliation(s)
- Michael W Webster
- Department of Integrated Structural Biology, Institut de Gé né tique et de Biologie Molé culaire et Cellulaire (IGBMC), Illkirch Cedex, France.,Université de Strasbourg, Strasbourg, France.,CNRS Umr 7104, Illkirch Cedex.,Inserm U1258, Illkirch Cedex, France
| | - Albert Weixlbaumer
- Department of Integrated Structural Biology, Institut de Gé né tique et de Biologie Molé culaire et Cellulaire (IGBMC), Illkirch Cedex, France.,Université de Strasbourg, Strasbourg, France.,CNRS Umr 7104, Illkirch Cedex.,Inserm U1258, Illkirch Cedex, France
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2
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Kumar PS, Kumar YN, Prasad UV, Yeswanth S, Swarupa V, Sowjenya G, Venkatesh K, Srikanth L, Rao VK, Sarma PVGK. In silico designing and molecular docking of a potent analog against Staphylococcus aureus porphobilinogen synthase. J Pharm Bioallied Sci 2014; 6:158-66. [PMID: 25035635 PMCID: PMC4097929 DOI: 10.4103/0975-7406.135246] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/08/2013] [Revised: 12/31/2013] [Accepted: 02/20/2014] [Indexed: 12/01/2022] Open
Abstract
Background: The emergence of multidrug-resistant strains of Staphylococcus aureus, there is an urgent need for the development of new antimicrobials which are narrow and pathogen specific. Aim: In this context, the present study is aimed to have a control on the staphylococcal infections by targeting the unique and essential enzyme; porphobilinogen synthase (PBGS) catalyzes the condensation of two molecules of δ-aminolevulinic acid, an essential step in the tetrapyrrole biosynthesis. Hence developing therapeutics targeting PBGS will be the promising choice to control and manage the staphylococcal infections. 4,5-dioxovalerate (DV) is known to inhibit PBGS. Materials and Methods: In view of this, in this study, novel dioxovalerate derivatives (DVDs) molecules were designed so as to inhibit PBGS, a potential target of S. aureus and their inhibitory activity was predicted using molecular docking studies by molecular operating environment. The 3D model of PBGS was constructed using Chlorobium vibrioform (Protein Data Bank 1W1Z) as a template by homology modeling method. Results: The built structure was close to the crystal structure with Z score − 8.97. Molecular docking of DVDs into the S. aureus PBGS active site revealed that they are showing strong interaction forming H-bonds with the active sites of K248 and R217. The ligand–receptor complex of DVD13 showed a best docking score of − 14.4555 kcal/mol among DV and all its analogs while the substrate showed docking score of − 13.0392 kcal/mol showing interactions with S199, K217 indicating that DVD13 can influence structural variations on the enzyme and thereby inhibiting the enzyme. Conclusion: The substrate analog DVD13 is showing significant interactions with active site of PBGS and it may be used as a potent inhibitor to control S. aureus infections.
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Affiliation(s)
- Pasupuleti Santhosh Kumar
- Department of Biotechnology, Sri Venkateswara Institute of Medical Sciences, Tirupati, Andhra Pradesh, India
| | - Yellapu Nanda Kumar
- Department of Zoology, Sri Venkateswara University, Tirupati, Andhra Pradesh, India
| | - Uppu Venkateswara Prasad
- Department of Biotechnology, Sri Venkateswara Institute of Medical Sciences, Tirupati, Andhra Pradesh, India
| | - Sthanikam Yeswanth
- Department of Biotechnology, Sri Venkateswara Institute of Medical Sciences, Tirupati, Andhra Pradesh, India
| | - Vimjam Swarupa
- Department of Biotechnology, Sri Venkateswara Institute of Medical Sciences, Tirupati, Andhra Pradesh, India
| | - Gopal Sowjenya
- Department of Biotechnology, Sri Venkateswara Institute of Medical Sciences, Tirupati, Andhra Pradesh, India
| | - Katari Venkatesh
- Department of Biotechnology, Sri Venkateswara Institute of Medical Sciences, Tirupati, Andhra Pradesh, India
| | - Lokanathan Srikanth
- Department of Biotechnology, Sri Venkateswara Institute of Medical Sciences, Tirupati, Andhra Pradesh, India
| | - Valasani Koteswara Rao
- Department of Pharmacology and Toxicology, University of Kansas, Lawrence, KS 66047, USA
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Tomar SK, Artsimovitch I. NusG-Spt5 proteins-Universal tools for transcription modification and communication. Chem Rev 2013; 113:8604-19. [PMID: 23638618 PMCID: PMC4259564 DOI: 10.1021/cr400064k] [Citation(s) in RCA: 47] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/28/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Sushil Kumar Tomar
- Department of Microbiology and The Center for RNA Biology, The Ohio State University , Columbus, Ohio 43210, United States
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Prax M, Lee CY, Bertram R. An update on the molecular genetics toolbox for staphylococci. MICROBIOLOGY-SGM 2013; 159:421-435. [PMID: 23378573 PMCID: PMC3709823 DOI: 10.1099/mic.0.061705-0] [Citation(s) in RCA: 25] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/18/2022]
Abstract
Staphylococci are Gram-positive spherical bacteria of enormous clinical and biotechnological relevance. Staphylococcus aureus has been extensively studied as a model pathogen. A plethora of methods and molecular tools has been developed for genetic modification of at least ten different staphylococcal species to date. Here we review recent developments of various genetic tools and molecular methods for staphylococcal research, which include reporter systems and vectors for controllable gene expression, gene inactivation, gene essentiality testing, chromosomal integration and transposon delivery. It is furthermore illustrated how mutant strain construction by homologous or site-specific recombination benefits from sophisticated counterselection methods. The underlying genetic components have been shown to operate in wild-type staphylococci or modified chassis strains. Finally, possible future developments in the field of applied Staphylococcus genetics are highlighted.
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Affiliation(s)
- Marcel Prax
- Department of Microbial Genetics, Interfaculty Institute of Microbiology and Infection Medicine Tübingen (IMIT), Faculty of Science, University of Tübingen, Waldhäuser Str. 70/8, 72076 Tübingen, Germany
| | - Chia Y Lee
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences, 4301 W. Markham Street, Slot 511, Little Rock, AR 72205, USA
| | - Ralph Bertram
- Department of Microbial Genetics, Interfaculty Institute of Microbiology and Infection Medicine Tübingen (IMIT), Faculty of Science, University of Tübingen, Waldhäuser Str. 70/8, 72076 Tübingen, Germany
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5
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Wang H, Claveau D, Vaillancourt JP, Roemer T, Meredith TC. High-frequency transposition for determining antibacterial mode of action. Nat Chem Biol 2011; 7:720-9. [DOI: 10.1038/nchembio.643] [Citation(s) in RCA: 46] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/31/2011] [Accepted: 06/29/2011] [Indexed: 11/09/2022]
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6
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Sevostyanova A, Artsimovitch I. Functional analysis of Thermus thermophilus transcription factor NusG. Nucleic Acids Res 2010; 38:7432-45. [PMID: 20639538 PMCID: PMC2995049 DOI: 10.1093/nar/gkq623] [Citation(s) in RCA: 42] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/29/2022] Open
Abstract
Transcription elongation factors from the NusG family are ubiquitous from bacteria to humans and play diverse roles in the regulation of gene expression. These proteins consist of at least two domains. The N-terminal domains directly bind to the largest, β′ in bacteria, subunit of RNA polymerase (RNAP), whereas the C-terminal domains interact with other cellular components and serve as platforms for the assembly of large nucleoprotein complexes. Escherichia coli NusG and its paralog RfaH modify RNAP into a fast, pause-resistant state but the detailed molecular mechanism of this modification remains unclear since no high-resolution structural data are available for the E. coli system. We wanted to investigate whether Thermus thermophilus (Tth) NusG can be used as a model for structural studies of this family of regulators. Here, we show that Tth NusG slows down rather than facilitates transcript elongation by its cognate RNAP. On the other hand, similarly to the E. coli regulators, Tth NusG apparently binds near the upstream end of the transcription bubble, competes with σA, and favors forward translocation by RNAP. Our data suggest that the mechanism of NusG recruitment to RNAP is universally conserved even though the regulatory outcomes among its homologs may appear distinct.
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Affiliation(s)
- Anastasiya Sevostyanova
- Department of Microbiology and The Center for RNA Biology, The Ohio State University, Columbus, OH 43210, USA
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7
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Huber J, Donald RG, Lee SH, Jarantow LW, Salvatore MJ, Meng X, Painter R, Onishi RH, Occi J, Dorso K, Young K, Park YW, Skwish S, Szymonifka MJ, Waddell TS, Miesel L, Phillips JW, Roemer T. Chemical Genetic Identification of Peptidoglycan Inhibitors Potentiating Carbapenem Activity against Methicillin-Resistant Staphylococcus aureus. ACTA ACUST UNITED AC 2009; 16:837-48. [DOI: 10.1016/j.chembiol.2009.05.012] [Citation(s) in RCA: 75] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/27/2009] [Revised: 05/25/2009] [Accepted: 05/28/2009] [Indexed: 10/20/2022]
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8
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Mooney RA, Schweimer K, Rösch P, Gottesman M, Landick R. Two structurally independent domains of E. coli NusG create regulatory plasticity via distinct interactions with RNA polymerase and regulators. J Mol Biol 2009; 391:341-58. [PMID: 19500594 DOI: 10.1016/j.jmb.2009.05.078] [Citation(s) in RCA: 154] [Impact Index Per Article: 10.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/06/2009] [Revised: 05/27/2009] [Accepted: 05/29/2009] [Indexed: 11/25/2022]
Abstract
NusG is a conserved regulatory protein that interacts with elongation complexes (ECs) of RNA polymerase, DNA, and RNA to modulate transcription in multiple and sometimes opposite ways. In Escherichia coli, NusG suppresses pausing and increases elongation rate, enhances termination by E. coli rho and phage HK022 Nun protein, and promotes antitermination by lambdaN and in ribosomal RNA operons. We report NMR studies that suggest that E. coli NusG consists of two largely independent N- and C-terminal structural domains, NTD and CTD, respectively. Based on tests of the functions of the NTD and CTD and variants of NusG in vivo and in vitro, we find that NTD alone is sufficient to suppress pausing and enhance transcript elongation in vitro. However, neither domain alone can enhance rho-dependent termination or support antitermination, indicating that interactions of both domains with ECs are required for these processes. We propose that the two domains of NusG mediate distinct interactions with ECs: the NTD interacts with RNA polymerase and the CTD interacts with rho and other regulators, providing NusG with different combinations of interactions to effect different regulatory outcomes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Rachel Anne Mooney
- Department of Biochemistry, University of Wisconsin, Madison, WI 53706, USA
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9
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Kedar GC, Brown-Driver V, Reyes DR, Hilgers MT, Stidham MA, Shaw KJ, Finn J, Haselbeck RJ. Evaluation of the metS and murB loci for antibiotic discovery using targeted antisense RNA expression analysis in Bacillus anthracis. Antimicrob Agents Chemother 2007; 51:1708-18. [PMID: 17339372 PMCID: PMC1855544 DOI: 10.1128/aac.01180-06] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/29/2023] Open
Abstract
The biowarfare-relevant bacterial pathogen Bacillus anthracis contains two paralogs each of the metS and murB genes, which encode the important antibiotic target functions methionyl-tRNA synthetase and UDP-N-acetylenolpyruvoylglucosamine reductase, respectively. Empirical screens were conducted to detect and characterize gene fragments of each of these four genes that could cause growth reduction of B. anthracis when inducibly expressed from a plasmid-borne promoter. Numerous such gene fragments that were overwhelmingly in the antisense orientation were identified for the metS1 and murB2 alleles, while no such orientation bias was seen for the metS2 and murB1 alleles. Gene replacement mutagenesis was used to confirm the essentiality of the metS1 and murB2 alleles, and the nonessentiality of the metS2 and murB1 alleles, for vegetative growth. Induced transcription of RNA from metS1 and murB2 antisense-oriented gene fragments resulted in specific reduction of mRNA of their cognate genes. Attenuation of MetS1 enzyme expression hypersensitized B. anthracis cells to a MetS-specific antimicrobial compound but not to other antibiotics that affect cell wall assembly, fatty acid biosynthesis, protein translation, or DNA replication. Antisense-dependent reduction of MurB2 enzyme expression caused hypersensitivity to beta-lactam antibiotics, a synergistic response that has also been noted for the MurA-specific antibiotic fosfomycin. These experiments form the basis of mode-of-action detection assays that can be used in the discovery of novel MetS- or MurB-specific antibiotic drugs that are effective against B. anthracis or other gram-positive bacterial pathogens.
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Affiliation(s)
- G C Kedar
- Trius Therapeutics Inc, San Diego, CA 92121, USA
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10
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Mills SD. When will the genomics investment pay off for antibacterial discovery? Biochem Pharmacol 2006; 71:1096-102. [PMID: 16387281 DOI: 10.1016/j.bcp.2005.11.025] [Citation(s) in RCA: 45] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/16/2005] [Revised: 11/17/2005] [Accepted: 11/28/2005] [Indexed: 12/11/2022]
Abstract
Effective solutions to antibacterial resistance are among the key unmet medical needs driving the antibacterial industry. A major thrust in a number of companies is the development of agents with new modes of action in order to bypass the increasing emergence of antibacterial resistance. However, few antibacterials marketed in the last 30 years have novel modes of action. Most recently, genomics and target-based screening technologies have been emphasized as a means to facilitate this and expedite the antibacterial discovery process. And although no new antibacterials have yet been marketed as result of these technologies, genomics has delivered well-validated novel bacterial targets as well as a host of genetic approaches to support the antibacterial discovery process. Likewise, high throughput screening technologies have delivered the capacity to perform robust screenings of large compound collections to identify target inhibitors for lead generation. One of the principal challenges still facing antibacterial discovery is to become proficient at optimizing target inhibitors into broad-spectrum antibacterials with appropriate in vivo properties. Genomics-based technologies clearly have the potential for additional application throughout the discovery process especially in the areas of structural biology and safety assessment.
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Affiliation(s)
- Scott D Mills
- Infection Discovery, AstraZeneca R&D Boston, 35 Gatehouse Drive, Waltham, MA 02451 USA.
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11
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Sun J, Zheng L, Landwehr C, Yang J, Ji Y. Identification of a novel essential two-component signal transduction system, YhcSR, in Staphylococcus aureus. J Bacteriol 2005; 187:7876-80. [PMID: 16267314 PMCID: PMC1280320 DOI: 10.1128/jb.187.22.7876-7880.2005] [Citation(s) in RCA: 29] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/20/2022] Open
Abstract
Two-component signal transduction systems play an important role in the ability of bacteria to adapt to various environments by sensing changes in their habitat and by altering gene expression. In this study, we report a novel two-component system, YhcSR, in Staphylococcus aureus which is required for bacterial growth in vitro. We found that the down-regulation of yhcSR expression by induced yhcS antisense RNA can inhibit and terminate bacterial growth. Moreover, without complementary yhcS or yhcR, no viable yhcS or yhcR gene replacement mutant was recoverable. Collectively, these results demonstrated that the YhcSR regulatory system is indispensable for S. aureus growth in culture. Moreover, induced yhcS antisense RNA selectively increased bacterial susceptibility to phosphomycin. These data suggest that YhcSR probably modulates the expression of genes critical for bacterial survival and may be a potential target for the development of novel antibacterial agents.
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Affiliation(s)
- Junsong Sun
- Department of Veterinary and Biomedical Sciences, College of Veterinary Medicine, University of Minnesota, St. Paul, 55108, USA
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12
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Abstract
The availability of genome sequences is revolutionizing the field of microbiology. Genetic methods are being modified to facilitate rapid analysis at a genome-wide level and are blossoming for human pathogens that were previously considered intractable. This revolution coincided with a growing concern about the emergence of microbial drug resistance, compelling the pharmaceutical industry to search for new antimicrobial agents. The availability of the new technologies, combined with many genetic strategies, has changed the way that researchers approach antibacterial drug discovery.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lynn Miesel
- Department of Antimicrobial Therapy, Schering-Plough Research Institute, 2015 Galloping Hill Road, Kenilworth, New Jersey 07033-0530, USA.
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13
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Chalker AF, Lunsford RD. Rational identification of new antibacterial drug targets that are essential for viability using a genomics-based approach. Pharmacol Ther 2002; 95:1-20. [PMID: 12163125 DOI: 10.1016/s0163-7258(02)00222-x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 49] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/26/2022]
Abstract
In the last two decades, the search for completely novel antibacterial agents has acquired a new sense of urgency due to the remarkable rise of antibiotic resistance among key bacterial pathogens. More recently, the advent of bacterial genomics has provided investigators with the data and bioinformatic tools to rationally identify novel antibacterial targets and the genome-scaled methodologies to validate them. Only 6 years have elapsed since the publication of the first complete bacterial genome sequence, but more than 50 complete microbial genome sequences are now available. This review will discuss the advantages and limitations of the existing bacterial genome dataset for the rational identification of novel antibacterial targets. Since the ability to rapidly identify essential genes where loss of function is coincident with loss of viability is the most important task of genomics-based target validation, essentiality testing methodologies (in which molecular genetic techniques are used to determine whether or not a gene product is required for viability of the parent cell) will be surveyed and their amenability to genome-scaled analysis assessed. Finally, we will discuss the impact of bacterial genomics to date on the development of novel and effective antibiotics.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alison F Chalker
- Department of Project Team Leadership and Management, GlaxoSmithKline Pharmaceutical Research and Development, 1250 South Collegeville Road, Collegeville, PA 19426-0989, USA.
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14
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Forsyth RA, Haselbeck RJ, Ohlsen KL, Yamamoto RT, Xu H, Trawick JD, Wall D, Wang L, Brown-Driver V, Froelich JM, C KG, King P, McCarthy M, Malone C, Misiner B, Robbins D, Tan Z, Zhu Zy ZY, Carr G, Mosca DA, Zamudio C, Foulkes JG, Zyskind JW. A genome-wide strategy for the identification of essential genes in Staphylococcus aureus. Mol Microbiol 2002; 43:1387-400. [PMID: 11952893 DOI: 10.1046/j.1365-2958.2002.02832.x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 368] [Impact Index Per Article: 16.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/20/2022]
Abstract
To address the need for new approaches to antibiotic drug development, we have identified a large number of essential genes for the bacterial pathogen, Staphylococcus aureus, using a rapid shotgun antisense RNA method. Staphylococcus aureus chromosomal DNA fragments were cloned into a xylose-inducible expression plasmid and transformed into S. aureus. Homology comparisons between 658 S. aureus genes identified in this particular antisense screen and the Mycoplasma genitalium genome, which contains 517 genes in total, yielded 168 conserved genes, many of which appear to be essential in M. genitalium and other bacteria. Examples are presented in which expression of an antisense RNA specifically reduces its cognate mRNA. A cell-based, drug-screening assay is also described, wherein expression of an antisense RNA confers specific sensitivity to compounds targeting that gene product. This approach enables facile assay development for high throughput screening for any essential gene, independent of its biochemical function, thereby greatly facilitating the search for new antibiotics.
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15
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Microbial genomics for antibiotic target discovery. METHODS IN MICROBIOLOGY 2002. [DOI: 10.1016/s0580-9517(02)33016-2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/22/2022]
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16
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Abstract
There is an urgent need to develop new classes of antibiotics to tackle the increase in resistance in many common bacterial pathogens. One strategy to develop new antibiotics is to identify and exploit new molecular targets and this strategy is being driven by the wealth of new genome sequence information now available. Additionally, new technologies have been developed to validate new antibacterial targets, for example, new technologies have been developed to enable rapid determination of whether a gene is essential and to assess the transcription status of a putative target during infection. As a result, many novel validated targets have now been identified and for some, appropriate high-throughput screens against diverse compound collections have been carried out. Novel antibiotic leads are emerging from these genomics-derived targeted screens and the challenge now is to optimize and develop these leads to become part of the next generation of antibiotics.
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Affiliation(s)
- D McDevitt
- Antimicrobials and Host Defense CEDD, GlaxoSmithKline, Collegeville, PA 19426, USA.
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17
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Fan F, Lunsford RD, Sylvester D, Fan J, Celesnik H, Iordanescu S, Rosenberg M, McDevitt D. Regulated ectopic expression and allelic-replacement mutagenesis as a method for gene essentiality testing in Staphylococcus aureus. Plasmid 2001; 46:71-5. [PMID: 11535039 DOI: 10.1006/plas.2001.1526] [Citation(s) in RCA: 30] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/22/2022]
Abstract
Conditional expression systems were utilized for the ectopic induction of essential genes in Staphylococcus aureus. Resulting strains were then subjected to allelic-replacement mutagenesis of the native allele under inducing conditions for expression of the ectopic copy of the gene. This strategy produced test strains whereby cellular viability was uniquely dependent on the presence of inducer and provided a direct and absolute confirmation of genetic essentiality for each locus. The procedure is particularly useful for genes that are difficult to analyze by conventional inactivation strategies due to either small size or complex genomic organization.
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Affiliation(s)
- F Fan
- Antimicrobials and Host Defense CEDD, Collegeville, Pennsylvania 19426, USA.
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18
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Ingham CJ, Furneaux PA. Mutations in the ss subunit of the Bacillus subtilis RNA polymerase that confer both rifampicin resistance and hypersensitivity to NusG. MICROBIOLOGY (READING, ENGLAND) 2000; 146 Pt 12:3041-3049. [PMID: 11101662 DOI: 10.1099/00221287-146-12-3041] [Citation(s) in RCA: 35] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/18/2022]
Abstract
Mutations conferring resistance to the antibiotic rifampicin (Rif(r)) occur at specific sites within the ss subunit of the prokaryotic RNA polymerase. Rif(r) mutants of Escherichia coli are frequently altered in the elongation and termination of transcription. Rif(r) rpoB mutations were isolated in Bacillus subtilis and their effects on transcription elongation factor NusG and Rho-dependent termination were investigated. RNase protection assay, Northern analysis and the expression of nusG-lacZ fusions in cells with an inducible NusG suggested the B. subtilis nusG gene was autoregulated at the level of transcription. Rif(r) mutations that changed residue Q469 to a basic residue (Q469K and Q469R) enhanced autoregulation of nusG. A mutant expressing a truncated form of NusG, due to a nonsense mutation within the nusG gene, was isolated on the basis of the loss of autoregulation. The mechanism of autoregulation was found to be independent both of transcription termination factor Rho and of the promoter transcribing nusG. Autoregulation required sequences within the 5' coding sequence of the nusG gene or immediately upstream. This is the first evidence from any bacterium that Rif(r) RNA polymerases can display altered transcription regulation by NusG.
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Affiliation(s)
- C J Ingham
- School of Biological Sciences, University Park, Nottingham University, Nottingham NG7 2RD, UK1
| | - P A Furneaux
- School of Biological Sciences, University Park, Nottingham University, Nottingham NG7 2RD, UK1
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Abstract
Utilizing genome sequence data from bacterial and fungal pathogens for the discovery of new antimicrobial agents has received considerable attention, both practical and critical, from the pharmaceutical and biotechnological communities. Although no new drugs derived from genomics-based discovery have been reported to be in a development pipeline, the utilization of genomics has revolutionized many aspects of drug discovery. The application, utility, opportunity, and challenges afforded by many of these new approaches are discussed.
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Affiliation(s)
- T Black
- Department of Chemotherapy and Molecular Genetics, Schering-Plough Research Institute, 2015 Galloping Hill Road, K-15-4700, Kenilworth, NJ 07974-1300, USA.
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20
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Jana M, Luong TT, Komatsuzawa H, Shigeta M, Lee CY. A method for demonstrating gene essentiality in Staphylococcus aureus. Plasmid 2000; 44:100-4. [PMID: 10873532 DOI: 10.1006/plas.2000.1473] [Citation(s) in RCA: 43] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/22/2022]
Abstract
A method for demonstrating whether a gene of Staphylococcus aureus is essential for growth in a rich medium is described. We have used this method to determine whether the murE gene, which encodes the UDP-N-acetylmuramyl tripeptide synthetase required for peptidoglycan synthesis, is essential for growth in S. aureus. In this study, strain CYL368 was constructed from S. aureus RN4220 by placing the murE gene in the chromosome under the control of the spac promoter (a hybrid promoter of the Escherichia coli lac operator and the Bacillus subtilis SPO1 phage promoter). To regulate the murE gene in CYL368, the E. coli lacI gene was expressed from the B. licheniformis penicillinase gene (pcn) promoter in plasmid pMJ8426. Strain CYL368(pMJ8426) grew normally in the presence of isopropyl-beta-d-thiogalactopyranoside but could not grow in the absence of the inducer. These results indicate that the murE gene expressed from the spac promoter in CYL368(pMJ8426) is needed for bacterial growth. We concluded that murE is an essential gene of S. aureus.
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Affiliation(s)
- M Jana
- Department of Microbiology, University of Kansas Medical Center, Kansas City, Kansas 61660, USA
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