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Ramsay JP, Bastholm TR, Verdonk CJ, Tambalo DD, Sullivan JT, Harold LK, Panganiban BA, Colombi E, Perry BJ, Jowsey W, Morris C, Hynes MF, Bond CS, Cameron ADS, Yost CK, Ronson CW. An epigenetic switch activates bacterial quorum sensing and horizontal transfer of an integrative and conjugative element. Nucleic Acids Res 2021; 50:975-988. [PMID: 34904658 PMCID: PMC8789080 DOI: 10.1093/nar/gkab1217] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/22/2021] [Revised: 11/23/2021] [Accepted: 11/25/2021] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Horizontal transfer of the integrative and conjugative element ICEMlSymR7A converts non-symbiotic Mesorhizobium spp. into nitrogen-fixing legume symbionts. Here, we discover subpopulations of Mesorhizobium japonicum R7A become epigenetically primed for quorum-sensing (QS) and QS-activated horizontal transfer. Isolated populations in this state termed R7A* maintained these phenotypes in laboratory culture but did not transfer the R7A* state to recipients of ICEMlSymR7A following conjugation. We previously demonstrated ICEMlSymR7A transfer and QS are repressed by the antiactivator QseM in R7A populations and that the adjacently-coded DNA-binding protein QseC represses qseM transcription. Here RNA-sequencing revealed qseM expression was repressed in R7A* cells and that RNA antisense to qseC was abundant in R7A but not R7A*. Deletion of the antisense-qseC promoter converted cells into an R7A*-like state. An adjacently coded QseC2 protein bound two operator sites and repressed antisense-qseC transcription. Plasmid overexpression of QseC2 stimulated the R7A* state, which persisted following curing of this plasmid. The epigenetic maintenance of the R7A* state required ICEMlSymR7A-encoded copies of both qseC and qseC2. Therefore, QseC and QseC2, together with their DNA-binding sites and overlapping promoters, form a stable epigenetic switch that establishes binary control over qseM transcription and primes a subpopulation of R7A cells for QS and horizontal transfer.
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Affiliation(s)
- Joshua P Ramsay
- Curtin Medical School and Curtin Health Innovation Research Institute, Curtin University, Perth, WA 6102, Australia
| | - Tahlia R Bastholm
- Curtin Medical School and Curtin Health Innovation Research Institute, Curtin University, Perth, WA 6102, Australia
| | - Callum J Verdonk
- School of Molecular Sciences, University of Western Australia, Perth, WA 6009, Australia.,Curtin Medical School and Curtin Health Innovation Research Institute, Curtin University, Perth, WA 6102, Australia
| | - Dinah D Tambalo
- Biology Department, University of Regina, Regina, SK S4S 0A2, Canada
| | - John T Sullivan
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, University of Otago, Dunedin, 9016, New Zealand
| | - Liam K Harold
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, University of Otago, Dunedin, 9016, New Zealand
| | - Beatrice A Panganiban
- Curtin Medical School and Curtin Health Innovation Research Institute, Curtin University, Perth, WA 6102, Australia
| | - Elena Colombi
- Curtin Medical School and Curtin Health Innovation Research Institute, Curtin University, Perth, WA 6102, Australia
| | - Benjamin J Perry
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, University of Otago, Dunedin, 9016, New Zealand
| | - William Jowsey
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, University of Otago, Dunedin, 9016, New Zealand
| | - Calum Morris
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, University of Otago, Dunedin, 9016, New Zealand
| | - Michael F Hynes
- Department of Biological Sciences, University of Calgary, Calgary, AB T2N 4V8, Canada
| | - Charles S Bond
- School of Molecular Sciences, University of Western Australia, Perth, WA 6009, Australia
| | | | | | - Clive W Ronson
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, University of Otago, Dunedin, 9016, New Zealand
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Klimuk E, Bogdanova E, Nagornykh M, Rodic A, Djordjevic M, Medvedeva S, Pavlova O, Severinov K. Controller protein of restriction-modification system Kpn2I affects transcription of its gene by acting as a transcription elongation roadblock. Nucleic Acids Res 2018; 46:10810-10826. [PMID: 30295835 PMCID: PMC6237814 DOI: 10.1093/nar/gky880] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/15/2018] [Revised: 09/13/2018] [Accepted: 09/18/2018] [Indexed: 12/21/2022] Open
Abstract
C-proteins control restriction-modification (R-M) systems' genes transcription to ensure sufficient levels of restriction endonuclease to allow protection from foreign DNA while avoiding its modification by excess methyltransferase. Here, we characterize transcription regulation in C-protein dependent R-M system Kpn2I. The Kpn2I restriction endonuclease gene is transcribed from a constitutive, weak promoter, which, atypically, is C-protein independent. Kpn2I C-protein (C.Kpn2I) binds upstream of the strong methyltransferase gene promoter and inhibits it, likely by preventing the interaction of the RNA polymerase sigma subunit with the -35 consensus element. Diminished transcription from the methyltransferase promoter increases transcription from overlapping divergent C-protein gene promoters. All known C-proteins affect transcription initiation from R-M genes promoters. Uniquely, the C.Kpn2I binding site is located within the coding region of its gene. C.Kpn2I acts as a roadblock stalling elongating RNA polymerase and decreasing production of full-length C.Kpn2I mRNA. Mathematical modeling shows that this unusual mode of regulation leads to the same dynamics of accumulation of R-M gene transcripts as observed in systems where C-proteins act at transcription initiation stage only. Bioinformatics analyses suggest that transcription regulation through binding of C.Kpn2I-like proteins within the coding regions of their genes may be widespread.
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Affiliation(s)
- Evgeny Klimuk
- Center of Life Sciences, Skolkovo Institute of Science and Technology, Skolkovo, Russia
- Institute of Molecular Genetics, Russian Academy of Sciences, Moscow, Russia
| | | | - Max Nagornykh
- Institute of Biochemistry and Physiology of Microorganisms, Russian Academy of Sciences, Puschino, Russia
| | - Andjela Rodic
- Faculty of Biology, University of Belgrade, Belgrade, Serbia
| | | | - Sofia Medvedeva
- Center of Life Sciences, Skolkovo Institute of Science and Technology, Skolkovo, Russia
| | - Olga Pavlova
- Waksman Institute of Microbiology, Piscataway, NJ 08854, USA
| | - Konstantin Severinov
- Center of Life Sciences, Skolkovo Institute of Science and Technology, Skolkovo, Russia
- Institute of Molecular Genetics, Russian Academy of Sciences, Moscow, Russia
- Waksman Institute of Microbiology, Piscataway, NJ 08854, USA
- Institute of Gene Biology, Russian Academy of Sciences, Moscow, Russia
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Fisunov GY, Evsyutina DV, Manuvera VA, Govorun VM. Binding site of restriction-modification system controller protein in Mollicutes. BMC Microbiol 2017; 17:26. [PMID: 28143392 PMCID: PMC5282649 DOI: 10.1186/s12866-017-0935-4] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/19/2016] [Accepted: 01/17/2017] [Indexed: 12/23/2022] Open
Abstract
Background Bacteria of the class Mollicutes underwent extreme reduction of genomes and gene expression control systems. Only a few regulators are known to date. In this work, we describe a novel group of transcriptional regulators that are distributed within different Mollicutes and control the expression of restriction-modification systems (RM-systems). Results We performed cross-species search of putative regulators of RM-systems (C-proteins) and respective binding sites in Mollicutes. We identified a set of novel putative C-protein binding motifs distributed within Mollicutes. We studied the most frequent motif and respective C-protein on the model of Mycoplasma gallisepticum S6. We confirmed our prediction and identified key nucleotides important for C-protein binding. Further we identified novel target promoters of C-protein in M. gallisepticum. Conclusions We found that C-protein of M. gallisepticum binds predicted conserved direct repeats of the (GTGTTAN5)2 motif. Apart from its own operon promoter, HsdC can bind to the promoters of the clpB chaperone gene and a tRNA cluster. Electronic supplementary material The online version of this article (doi:10.1186/s12866-017-0935-4) contains supplementary material, which is available to authorized users.
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Affiliation(s)
- Gleb Y Fisunov
- Federal Research and Clinical Centre of Physical-Chemical Medicine, Malaya Pirogovskaya 1a, Moscow, 119992, Russia.
| | - Daria V Evsyutina
- Federal Research and Clinical Centre of Physical-Chemical Medicine, Malaya Pirogovskaya 1a, Moscow, 119992, Russia.,Department of Bioengineering and Bioinformatics, Lomonosov Moscow State University, Leninskiye Gory, GSP-1, 73, Moscow, 119234, Russia
| | - Valentin A Manuvera
- Federal Research and Clinical Centre of Physical-Chemical Medicine, Malaya Pirogovskaya 1a, Moscow, 119992, Russia
| | - Vadim M Govorun
- Federal Research and Clinical Centre of Physical-Chemical Medicine, Malaya Pirogovskaya 1a, Moscow, 119992, Russia
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Morozova N, Sabantsev A, Bogdanova E, Fedorova Y, Maikova A, Vedyaykin A, Rodic A, Djordjevic M, Khodorkovskii M, Severinov K. Temporal dynamics of methyltransferase and restriction endonuclease accumulation in individual cells after introducing a restriction-modification system. Nucleic Acids Res 2016; 44:790-800. [PMID: 26687717 PMCID: PMC4737168 DOI: 10.1093/nar/gkv1490] [Citation(s) in RCA: 21] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/15/2015] [Revised: 12/08/2015] [Accepted: 12/08/2015] [Indexed: 11/14/2022] Open
Abstract
Type II restriction-modification (R-M) systems encode a restriction endonuclease that cleaves DNA at specific sites, and a methyltransferase that modifies same sites protecting them from restriction endonuclease cleavage. Type II R-M systems benefit bacteria by protecting them from bacteriophages. Many type II R-M systems are plasmid-based and thus capable of horizontal transfer. Upon the entry of such plasmids into a naïve host with unmodified genomic recognition sites, methyltransferase should be synthesized first and given sufficient time to methylate recognition sites in the bacterial genome before the toxic restriction endonuclease activity appears. Here, we directly demonstrate a delay in restriction endonuclease synthesis after transformation of Escherichia coli cells with a plasmid carrying the Esp1396I type II R-M system, using single-cell microscopy. We further demonstrate that before the appearance of the Esp1396I restriction endonuclease the intracellular concentration of Esp1396I methyltransferase undergoes a sharp peak, which should allow rapid methylation of host genome recognition sites. A mathematical model that satisfactorily describes the observed dynamics of both Esp1396I enzymes is presented. The results reported here were obtained using a functional Esp1396I type II R-M system encoding both enzymes fused to fluorescent proteins. Similar approaches should be applicable to the studies of other R-M systems at single-cell level.
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Affiliation(s)
- Natalia Morozova
- Peter the Great St. Petersburg Polytechnic University, St. Petersburg, 195251, Russia
| | - Anton Sabantsev
- Peter the Great St. Petersburg Polytechnic University, St. Petersburg, 195251, Russia
| | - Ekaterina Bogdanova
- Waksman Institute of Microbiology, Rutgers, the State University of New Jersey, Piscataway, NJ 08854, USA
| | - Yana Fedorova
- Peter the Great St. Petersburg Polytechnic University, St. Petersburg, 195251, Russia Skolkovo Institute of Science and Technology, Skolkovo, 143026, Russia
| | - Anna Maikova
- Peter the Great St. Petersburg Polytechnic University, St. Petersburg, 195251, Russia Skolkovo Institute of Science and Technology, Skolkovo, 143026, Russia
| | - Alexey Vedyaykin
- Peter the Great St. Petersburg Polytechnic University, St. Petersburg, 195251, Russia
| | - Andjela Rodic
- Faculty of Biology, University of Belgrade, 11000 Belgrade, Serbia
| | - Marko Djordjevic
- Faculty of Biology, University of Belgrade, 11000 Belgrade, Serbia
| | - Mikhail Khodorkovskii
- Peter the Great St. Petersburg Polytechnic University, St. Petersburg, 195251, Russia
| | - Konstantin Severinov
- Peter the Great St. Petersburg Polytechnic University, St. Petersburg, 195251, Russia Waksman Institute of Microbiology, Rutgers, the State University of New Jersey, Piscataway, NJ 08854, USA
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Rezulak M, Borsuk I, Mruk I. Natural C-independent expression of restriction endonuclease in a C protein-associated restriction-modification system. Nucleic Acids Res 2015; 44:2646-60. [PMID: 26656489 PMCID: PMC4824078 DOI: 10.1093/nar/gkv1331] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/23/2015] [Accepted: 11/13/2015] [Indexed: 12/24/2022] Open
Abstract
Restriction-modification (R-M) systems are highly prevalent among bacteria and archaea, and appear to play crucial roles in modulating horizontal gene transfer and protection against phage. There is much to learn about these diverse enzymes systems, especially their regulation. Type II R-M systems specify two independent enzymes: a restriction endonuclease (REase) and protective DNA methyltransferase (MTase). Their activities need to be finely balanced in vivo Some R-M systems rely on specialized transcription factors called C (controller) proteins. These proteins play a vital role in the temporal regulation of R-M gene expression, and function to indirectly modulate the horizontal transfer of their genes across the species. We report novel regulation of a C-responsive R-M system that involves a C protein of a poorly-studied structural class - C.Csp231I. Here, the C and REase genes share a bicistronic transcript, and some of the transcriptional auto-control features seen in other C-regulated R-M systems are conserved. However, separate tandem promoters drive most transcription of the REase gene, a distinctive property not seen in other tested C-linked R-M systems. Further, C protein only partially controls REase expression, yet plays a role in system stability and propagation. Consequently, high REase activity was observed after deletion of the entire C gene, and cells bearing the ΔC R-M system were outcompeted in mixed culture assays by those with the WT R-M system. Overall, our data reveal unexpected regulatory variation among R-M systems.
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Affiliation(s)
- Monika Rezulak
- Department of Microbiology, University of Gdansk, Wita Stwosza 59, 80-308 Gdansk, Poland
| | - Izabela Borsuk
- Department of Microbiology, University of Gdansk, Wita Stwosza 59, 80-308 Gdansk, Poland
| | - Iwona Mruk
- Department of Microbiology, University of Gdansk, Wita Stwosza 59, 80-308 Gdansk, Poland
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Simons M, Diffin FM, Szczelkun MD. ClpXP protease targets long-lived DNA translocation states of a helicase-like motor to cause restriction alleviation. Nucleic Acids Res 2014; 42:12082-91. [PMID: 25260590 PMCID: PMC4231737 DOI: 10.1093/nar/gku851] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/30/2023] Open
Abstract
We investigated how Escherichia coli ClpXP targets the helicase-nuclease (HsdR) subunit of the bacterial Type I restriction–modification enzyme EcoKI during restriction alleviation (RA). RA is a temporary reduction in endonuclease activity that occurs when Type I enzymes bind unmodified recognition sites on the host genome. These conditions arise upon acquisition of a new system by a naïve host, upon generation of new sites by genome rearrangement/mutation or during homologous recombination between hemimethylated DNA. Using recombinant DNA and proteins in vitro, we demonstrate that ClpXP targets EcoKI HsdR during dsDNA translocation on circular DNA but not on linear DNA. Protein roadblocks did not activate HsdR proteolysis. We suggest that DNA translocation lifetime, which is elevated on circular DNA relative to linear DNA, is important to RA. To identify the ClpX degradation tag (degron) in HsdR, we used bioinformatics and biochemical assays to design N- and C-terminal mutations that were analysed in vitro and in vivo. None of the mutants produced a phenotype consistent with loss of the degron, suggesting an as-yet-unidentified recognition pathway. We note that an EcoKI nuclease mutant still produces cell death in a clpx− strain, consistent with DNA damage induced by unregulated motor activity.
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Affiliation(s)
- Michelle Simons
- DNA-Protein Interactions Unit, School of Biochemistry, University of Bristol, Bristol, BS8 1TD, UK
| | - Fiona M Diffin
- DNA-Protein Interactions Unit, School of Biochemistry, University of Bristol, Bristol, BS8 1TD, UK
| | - Mark D Szczelkun
- DNA-Protein Interactions Unit, School of Biochemistry, University of Bristol, Bristol, BS8 1TD, UK
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Mruk I, Kobayashi I. To be or not to be: regulation of restriction-modification systems and other toxin-antitoxin systems. Nucleic Acids Res 2013; 42:70-86. [PMID: 23945938 PMCID: PMC3874152 DOI: 10.1093/nar/gkt711] [Citation(s) in RCA: 169] [Impact Index Per Article: 15.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/20/2022] Open
Abstract
One of the simplest classes of genes involved in programmed death is that containing the toxin–antitoxin (TA) systems of prokaryotes. These systems are composed of an intracellular toxin and an antitoxin that neutralizes its effect. These systems, now classified into five types, were initially discovered because some of them allow the stable maintenance of mobile genetic elements in a microbial population through postsegregational killing or the death of cells that have lost these systems. Here, we demonstrate parallels between some TA systems and restriction–modification systems (RM systems). RM systems are composed of a restriction enzyme (toxin) and a modification enzyme (antitoxin) and limit the genetic flux between lineages with different epigenetic identities, as defined by sequence-specific DNA methylation. The similarities between these systems include their postsegregational killing and their effects on global gene expression. Both require the finely regulated expression of a toxin and antitoxin. The antitoxin (modification enzyme) or linked protein may act as a transcriptional regulator. A regulatory antisense RNA recently identified in an RM system can be compared with those RNAs in TA systems. This review is intended to generalize the concept of TA systems in studies of stress responses, programmed death, genetic conflict and epigenetics.
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Affiliation(s)
- Iwona Mruk
- Department of Microbiology, University of Gdansk, Wita Stwosza 59, Gdansk, 80-308, Poland, Department of Medical Genome Sciences, Graduate School of Frontier Sciences, University of Tokyo, Tokyo 108-8639, Japan and Institute of Medical Science, University of Tokyo, Tokyo 108-8639, Japan
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