1
|
Zhao YX, Xiang X, Liu XP. The biochemical characterization of a TatD nuclease from Thermus thermophilus. Protein Expr Purif 2024:106557. [PMID: 39009198 DOI: 10.1016/j.pep.2024.106557] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/27/2024] [Revised: 07/12/2024] [Accepted: 07/13/2024] [Indexed: 07/17/2024]
Abstract
Nucleases play pivotal roles in DNA repair and apoptosis. Moreover, they have various applications in biotechnology and industry. Among nucleases, TatD has been characterized as an exonuclease with various biological functions in different organisms. Here, we biochemically characterized the potential TatD nuclease from Thermus thermophilus. The tatD gene from T. thermophilus was cloned, then the recombinant TatD nuclease was expressed and purified. Our results revealed that the TthTatD nuclease could degrade both single-stranded and double-stranded DNA, and its activity is dependent on the divalent metal ions Mg2+ and Mn2+. Remarkably, the activity of TthTatD nuclease is highest at 37°C and decreases with increasing temperature. TthTatD is not a thermostable enzyme, even though it is from a thermophilic bacterium. Based on the sequence similarity and molecular docking of the DNA substrate into the modeled TthTatD structure, several key conserved residues were identified and their roles were confirmed by analyzing the enzymatic activities of the site-directed mutants. The residues E86 and H149 play key roles in binding metal ions, residues R124/K126 and K211/R212 had a critical role in binding DNA substrate. Our results confirm the enzymatic properties of TthTatD and provide a primary basis for its possible application in biotechnology.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Yi-Xuan Zhao
- SJTU Yazhou Bay Institute of Deepsea Sci-Tech, Yongyou Industrial Park, Sanya 572024, China
| | - Xiao Xiang
- SJTU Yazhou Bay Institute of Deepsea Sci-Tech, Yongyou Industrial Park, Sanya 572024, China; State Key Laboratory of Microbial Metabolism, School of Life Sciences and Biotechnology, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, 800 Dong-Chuan Road, Shanghai 200240, China; Joint International Research Laboratory of Metabolic & Developmental Sciences (Ministry of Education), Shanghai Jiao Tong University, 800 Dong-Chuan Road, Shanghai 200240, China; State Key Laboratory of Ocean Engineering, School of Naval Architecture, Ocean and Civil Engineering, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, 800 Dong-Chuan Road, Shanghai 200240, China.
| | - Xi-Peng Liu
- SJTU Yazhou Bay Institute of Deepsea Sci-Tech, Yongyou Industrial Park, Sanya 572024, China; State Key Laboratory of Microbial Metabolism, School of Life Sciences and Biotechnology, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, 800 Dong-Chuan Road, Shanghai 200240, China; Joint International Research Laboratory of Metabolic & Developmental Sciences (Ministry of Education), Shanghai Jiao Tong University, 800 Dong-Chuan Road, Shanghai 200240, China.
| |
Collapse
|
2
|
Takafuji Y, Fischer T, Miyazaki K, Honda K. Complete genome sequences of Thermus thermophilus strains isolated from Shirahama Hot Spring in Japan. Microbiol Resour Announc 2024:e0031624. [PMID: 38990021 DOI: 10.1128/mra.00316-24] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/27/2024] [Accepted: 06/19/2024] [Indexed: 07/12/2024] Open
Abstract
We isolated six Thermus thermophilus strains from Shirahama Hot Spring in Japan. Complete genome sequences, determined by combining Oxford Nanopore long-read and Illumina short-read sequence data, revealed that they showed >99.9% average nucleotide identities with each other and approximately 97% to the genome of the type strain HB8T.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Yuki Takafuji
- International Center for Biotechnology, Osaka University, Suita, Osaka, Japan
| | - Tim Fischer
- International Center for Biotechnology, Osaka University, Suita, Osaka, Japan
| | - Kentaro Miyazaki
- International Center for Biotechnology, Osaka University, Suita, Osaka, Japan
| | - Kohsuke Honda
- International Center for Biotechnology, Osaka University, Suita, Osaka, Japan
- Industrial Biotechnology Initiative Division, Institute for Open and Transdisciplinary Research Initiatives (OTRI), Suita, Osaka, Japan
| |
Collapse
|
3
|
Gómez‐Campo CL, Abdelmoteleb A, Pulido V, Gost M, Sánchez‐Hevia DL, Berenguer J, Mencía M. Differential requirement for RecFOR pathway components in Thermus thermophilus. ENVIRONMENTAL MICROBIOLOGY REPORTS 2024; 16:e13269. [PMID: 38822640 PMCID: PMC11143384 DOI: 10.1111/1758-2229.13269] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/20/2023] [Accepted: 04/06/2024] [Indexed: 06/03/2024]
Abstract
Recombinational repair is an important mechanism that allows DNA replication to overcome damaged templates, so the DNA is duplicated timely and correctly. The RecFOR pathway is one of the common ways to load RecA, while the RuvABC complex operates in the resolution of DNA intermediates. We have generated deletions of recO, recR and ruvB genes in Thermus thermophilus, while a recF null mutant could not be obtained. The recO deletion was in all cases accompanied by spontaneous loss of function mutations in addA or addB genes, which encode a helicase-exonuclease also key for recombination. The mutants were moderately affected in viability and chromosome segregation. When we generated these mutations in a Δppol/addAB strain, we observed that the transformation efficiency was maintained at the typical level of Δppol/addAB, which is 100-fold higher than that of the wild type. Most mutants showed increased filamentation phenotypes, especially ruvB, which also had DNA repair defects. These results suggest that in T. thermophilus (i) the components of the RecFOR pathway have differential roles, (ii) there is an epistatic relationship of the AddAB complex over the RecFOR pathway and (iii) that neither of the two pathways or their combination is strictly required for viability although they are necessary for normal DNA repair and chromosome segregation.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Cristina L. Gómez‐Campo
- Center for Plant Biotechnology and Genomics (CBGP)Polytechnic University of MadridMadridSpain
| | - Ali Abdelmoteleb
- Department of Molecular BiologyScience Faculty, Center for Molecular Biology Severo Ochoa (CBM), Autonomous University of Madrid‐Higher Council of Scientific Research (CSIC)MadridSpain
- Department of Botany, Faculty of AgricultureMenoufia UniversityShebin El‐KomEgypt
| | - Verónica Pulido
- Department of Molecular BiologyScience Faculty, Center for Molecular Biology Severo Ochoa (CBM), Autonomous University of Madrid‐Higher Council of Scientific Research (CSIC)MadridSpain
| | - Marc Gost
- Department of Molecular BiologyScience Faculty, Center for Molecular Biology Severo Ochoa (CBM), Autonomous University of Madrid‐Higher Council of Scientific Research (CSIC)MadridSpain
| | | | - José Berenguer
- Department of Molecular BiologyScience Faculty, Center for Molecular Biology Severo Ochoa (CBM), Autonomous University of Madrid‐Higher Council of Scientific Research (CSIC)MadridSpain
| | - Mario Mencía
- Department of Molecular BiologyScience Faculty, Center for Molecular Biology Severo Ochoa (CBM), Autonomous University of Madrid‐Higher Council of Scientific Research (CSIC)MadridSpain
| |
Collapse
|
4
|
Cowan DA, Albers SV, Antranikian G, Atomi H, Averhoff B, Basen M, Driessen AJM, Jebbar M, Kelman Z, Kerou M, Littlechild J, Müller V, Schönheit P, Siebers B, Vorgias K. Extremophiles in a changing world. Extremophiles 2024; 28:26. [PMID: 38683238 PMCID: PMC11058618 DOI: 10.1007/s00792-024-01341-7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/27/2023] [Accepted: 04/02/2024] [Indexed: 05/01/2024]
Abstract
Extremophiles and their products have been a major focus of research interest for over 40 years. Through this period, studies of these organisms have contributed hugely to many aspects of the fundamental and applied sciences, and to wider and more philosophical issues such as the origins of life and astrobiology. Our understanding of the cellular adaptations to extreme conditions (such as acid, temperature, pressure and more), of the mechanisms underpinning the stability of macromolecules, and of the subtleties, complexities and limits of fundamental biochemical processes has been informed by research on extremophiles. Extremophiles have also contributed numerous products and processes to the many fields of biotechnology, from diagnostics to bioremediation. Yet, after 40 years of dedicated research, there remains much to be discovered in this field. Fortunately, extremophiles remain an active and vibrant area of research. In the third decade of the twenty-first century, with decreasing global resources and a steadily increasing human population, the world's attention has turned with increasing urgency to issues of sustainability. These global concerns were encapsulated and formalized by the United Nations with the adoption of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development and the presentation of the seventeen Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) in 2015. In the run-up to 2030, we consider the contributions that extremophiles have made, and will in the future make, to the SDGs.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- D A Cowan
- Centre for Microbial Ecology and Genomics, Department of Biochemistry, Genetics and Microbiology, University of Pretoria, Pretoria, 0002, South Africa.
| | - S V Albers
- Faculty of Biology, University of Freiburg, Freiburg, Germany
| | - G Antranikian
- Institute of Technical Biocatalysis, Hamburg University of Technology, 21073, Hamburg, Germany
| | - H Atomi
- Graduate School of Engineering, Kyoto University, Kyoto, Japan
| | - B Averhoff
- Department of Molecular Microbiology and Bioenergetics, Institute of Molecular Biosciences, Goethe University Frankfurt, Frankfurt Am Main, Germany
| | - M Basen
- Department of Microbiology, Institute of Biological Sciences, University of Rostock, Rostock, Germany
| | - A J M Driessen
- Groningen Biomolecular Sciences and Biotechnology Institute, University of Groningen, Nijenborgh 7, 9747 AG, Groningen, The Netherlands
| | - M Jebbar
- Univ. Brest, CNRS, Ifremer, Laboratoire de Biologie Et d'Écologie Des Écosystèmes Marins Profonds (BEEP), IUEM, Rue Dumont d'Urville, 29280, Plouzané, France
| | - Z Kelman
- Institute for Bioscience and Biotechnology Research and the National Institute of Standards and Technology, Rockville, MD, USA
| | - M Kerou
- Department of Functional and Evolutionary Ecology, Faculty of Life Sciences, University of Vienna, Vienna, Austria
| | - J Littlechild
- Henry Wellcome Building for Biocatalysis, Faculty of Health and Life Sciences, University of Exeter, Exeter, UK
| | - V Müller
- Department of Molecular Microbiology and Bioenergetics, Institute of Molecular Biosciences, Goethe University Frankfurt, Frankfurt Am Main, Germany
| | - P Schönheit
- Institute of General Microbiology, Christian Albrechts University, Kiel, Germany
| | - B Siebers
- Molecular Enzyme Technology and Biochemistry (MEB), Environmental Microbiology and Biotechnology (EMB), Centre for Water and Environmental Research (CWE), University of Duisburg-Essen, 45117, Essen, Germany
| | - K Vorgias
- Biology Department and RI-Bio3, National and Kapodistrian University of Athens, Athens, Greece
| |
Collapse
|
5
|
Marks TJ, Rowland IR. The Diversity of Bacteriophages in Hot Springs. Methods Mol Biol 2024; 2738:73-88. [PMID: 37966592 DOI: 10.1007/978-1-0716-3549-0_4] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/16/2023]
Abstract
Bacteriophages are ubiquitous in all environments that support microbial life. This includes hot springs, which can range in temperatures between 40 and 98 °C and pH levels between 1 and 9. Bacteriophages that survive in the higher temperatures of hot springs are known as thermophages. Thermophages have developed distinct adaptations allowing for thermostability in these extreme environments, including increased G + C DNA percentages, reliance upon the pentose phosphate metabolic pathway to avoid oxidative stress, and a codon preference for those with a GNA sequence leading to increased hydrophobic interactions and disulfide bonds. In this review, we discuss the diversity of characterized thermophages in hot spring environments that span five viral families: Myoviridae, Siphoviridae, Tectiviridae, Sphaerolipoviridae, and Inoviridae. Potential industrial and medicinal applications of thermophages will also be addressed.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Timothy J Marks
- Department of Pharmaceutical and Clinical Sciences, Campbell University, Buies Creek, NC, USA.
| | - Isabella R Rowland
- Department of Pharmaceutical and Clinical Sciences, Campbell University, Buies Creek, NC, USA
| |
Collapse
|
6
|
Kawai G, Sampei GI, Nishiyama M, Bessho Y. Non-coding RNAs and functional RNA elements in Thermus thermophilus. J GEN APPL MICROBIOL 2023; 69:131-134. [PMID: 37271520 DOI: 10.2323/jgam.2023.05.001] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/06/2023]
Abstract
To complete the ThermusQ database, small non-coding RNAs (ncRNAs) and functional RNA elements found in Thermus thermophilus were summarized with annotations. The well-known three ncRNAs, M1 RNA, tmRNA and SRP RNA, were annotated as ttj8_nc001 to ttj8_nc003, and 10 novel RNAs were annotated as ttj8_nc004 to ttj8_nc013. Antisense RNAs for some ORFs were annotated as ttj8_EST00001 to ttj8_EST00006. In addition, a set of conserved sequences found in T. thermophilus HB27 were also described.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Gota Kawai
- Graduate School of Advanced Engineering, Chiba Institute of Technology
| | - Gen-Ichi Sampei
- Graduate School of Informatics and Engineering, The University of Electro-Communications
| | - Makoto Nishiyama
- Graduate School of Agricultural and Life Sciences, The University of Tokyo
- Collaborative Research Institute for Innovative Microbiology, The University of Tokyo
| | - Yoshitaka Bessho
- RIKEN SPring-8 Center, Harima Institute
- Center for Interdisciplinary AI and Data Science, Ochanomizu University
| |
Collapse
|
7
|
Chen YZ, Rong WT, Qin YC, Lu LY, Liu J, Li MJ, Xin L, Li XD, Guan DL. Integrative analysis of microbiota and metabolomics in chromium-exposed silkworm ( Bombyx mori) midguts based on 16S rDNA sequencing and LC/MS metabolomics. Front Microbiol 2023; 14:1278271. [PMID: 37954243 PMCID: PMC10635416 DOI: 10.3389/fmicb.2023.1278271] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/16/2023] [Accepted: 09/27/2023] [Indexed: 11/14/2023] Open
Abstract
The gut microbiota, a complex ecosystem integral to host wellbeing, is modulated by environmental triggers, including exposure to heavy metals such as chromium. This study aims to comprehensively explore chromium-induced gut microbiota and metabolomic shifts in the quintessential lepidopteran model organism, the silkworm (Bombyx mori). The research deployed 16S rDNA sequence analysis and LC/MS metabolomics in its experimental design, encompassing a control group alongside low (12 g/kg) and high (24 g/kg) feeding chromium dosing regimens. Considerable heterogeneity in microbial diversity resulted between groups. Weissella emerged as potentially resilient to chromium stress, while elevated Propionibacterium was noted in the high chromium treatment group. Differential analysis tools LEfSe and random forest estimation identified key species like like Cupriavidus and unspecified Myxococcales, offering potential avenues for bioremediation. An examination of gut functionality revealed alterations in the KEGG pathways correlated with biosynthesis and degradation, suggesting an adaptive metabolic response to chromium-mediated stress. Further results indicated consequential fallout in the context of metabolomic alterations. These included an uptick in histidine and dihydropyrimidine levels under moderate-dose exposure and a surge of gentisic acid with high-dose chromium exposure. These are critical players in diverse biological processes ranging from energy metabolism and stress response to immune regulation and antioxidative mechanisms. Correlative analyses between bacterial abundance and metabolites mapped noteworthy relationships between marker bacterial species, such as Weissella and Pelomonas, and specific metabolites, emphasizing their roles in enzyme regulation, synaptic processes, and lipid metabolism. Probiotic bacteria showed robust correlations with metabolites implicated in stress response, lipid metabolism, and antioxidant processes. Our study reaffirms the intricate ties between gut microbiota and metabolite profiles and decodes some systemic adaptations under heavy-metal stress. It provides valuable insights into ecological and toxicological aspects of chromium exposure that can potentially influence silkworm resilience.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Ya-Zhen Chen
- Guangxi Key Laboratory of Sericulture Ecology and Applied Intelligent Technology, Hechi University, Hechi, China
- Guangxi Collaborative Innovation Center of Modern Sericulture and Silk, Hechi University, Hechi, China
| | - Wan-Tao Rong
- Guangxi Key Laboratory of Sericulture Ecology and Applied Intelligent Technology, Hechi University, Hechi, China
- Guangxi Collaborative Innovation Center of Modern Sericulture and Silk, Hechi University, Hechi, China
| | - Ying-Can Qin
- Guangxi Key Laboratory of Sericulture Ecology and Applied Intelligent Technology, Hechi University, Hechi, China
- Guangxi Collaborative Innovation Center of Modern Sericulture and Silk, Hechi University, Hechi, China
| | - Lin-Yuan Lu
- Guangxi Key Laboratory of Sericulture Ecology and Applied Intelligent Technology, Hechi University, Hechi, China
- Guangxi Collaborative Innovation Center of Modern Sericulture and Silk, Hechi University, Hechi, China
| | - Jing Liu
- Guangxi Key Laboratory of Sericulture Ecology and Applied Intelligent Technology, Hechi University, Hechi, China
- Guangxi Collaborative Innovation Center of Modern Sericulture and Silk, Hechi University, Hechi, China
| | - Ming-Jie Li
- Guangxi Key Laboratory of Sericulture Ecology and Applied Intelligent Technology, Hechi University, Hechi, China
- Guangxi Collaborative Innovation Center of Modern Sericulture and Silk, Hechi University, Hechi, China
| | - Lei Xin
- Guangxi Key Laboratory of Sericulture Ecology and Applied Intelligent Technology, Hechi University, Hechi, China
- Guangxi Collaborative Innovation Center of Modern Sericulture and Silk, Hechi University, Hechi, China
| | - Xiao-Dong Li
- Guangxi Key Laboratory of Sericulture Ecology and Applied Intelligent Technology, Hechi University, Hechi, China
- Guangxi Collaborative Innovation Center of Modern Sericulture and Silk, Hechi University, Hechi, China
| | - De-Long Guan
- Guangxi Key Laboratory of Sericulture Ecology and Applied Intelligent Technology, Hechi University, Hechi, China
- Guangxi Collaborative Innovation Center of Modern Sericulture and Silk, Hechi University, Hechi, China
| |
Collapse
|
8
|
Valenzuela B, Solís-Cornejo F, Araya R, Zamorano P. Isolation and Characterization of Thermus thermophilus Strain ET-1: An Extremely Thermophilic Bacterium with Extracellular Thermostable Proteolytic Activity Isolated from El Tatio Geothermal Field, Antofagasta, Chile. Int J Mol Sci 2023; 24:14512. [PMID: 37833960 PMCID: PMC10572604 DOI: 10.3390/ijms241914512] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/18/2023] [Revised: 09/10/2023] [Accepted: 09/16/2023] [Indexed: 10/15/2023] Open
Abstract
The present study describes the isolation of an extremely thermophilic bacterium from El Tatio, a geyser field in the high planes of Northern Chile. The thermophile bacterium named Thermus thermophilus strain ET-1 showed 99% identity with T. thermophilus SGO.5JP 17-16 (GenBank accession No. CP002777) by 16S rDNA gene analysis. Morphologically, the cells were non-sporeforming Gram-negative rods that formed colonies with yellow pigmentation. This strain is able to proliferate between 55 and 80 °C with a pH range of 6-10, presenting an optimum growth rate at 80 °C and pH 8. The bacterium produces an extracellular protease activity. Characterization of this activity in a concentrated enzyme preparation revealed that extracellular protease had an optimal enzymatic activity at 80 °C at pH 10, a high thermostability with a half-life at 80 °C of 10 h, indicating that this enzyme can be classified as an alkaline protease. The proteolytic enzyme exhibits great stability towards chelators, divalent ions, organic solvents, and detergents. The enzyme was inhibited by phenylmethylsulfonyl fluoride (PMSF), implying that it was a serine protease. The high thermal and pH stability and the resistance to chelators/detergents suggest that the protease activity from this T. thermophilus. strain could be of interest in biotechnological applications.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Bernardita Valenzuela
- Laboratorio de Microorganismos Extremófilos, Instituto Antofagasta, Universidad de Antofagasta, Antofagasta 1240000, Chile;
| | - Francisco Solís-Cornejo
- Laboratorio de Microorganismos Extremófilos, Instituto Antofagasta, Universidad de Antofagasta, Antofagasta 1240000, Chile;
| | - Rubén Araya
- Instituto de Ciencias Naturales Alexander von Humboldt, Facultad de Ciencias del Mar y Recursos Biológicos, Universidad de Antofagasta, Antofagasta 1240000, Chile;
| | - Pedro Zamorano
- Laboratorio de Microorganismos Extremófilos, Instituto Antofagasta, Universidad de Antofagasta, Antofagasta 1240000, Chile;
- Departamento Biomédico, Facultad de Ciencias de la Salud, Universidad de Antofagasta; Antofagasta 1240000, Chile
| |
Collapse
|
9
|
Kirchner L, Müller V, Averhoff B. A temperature dependent pilin promoter for production of thermostable enzymes in Thermus thermophilus. Microb Cell Fact 2023; 22:187. [PMID: 37726752 PMCID: PMC10507856 DOI: 10.1186/s12934-023-02192-1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/27/2023] [Accepted: 09/02/2023] [Indexed: 09/21/2023] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Enzymes from thermophiles are of great interest for research and bioengineering due to their stability and efficiency. Thermophilic expression hosts such as Thermus thermophilus [T. thermophilus] can overcome specific challenges experienced with protein production in mesophilic expression hosts, such as leading to better folding, increased protein stability, solubility, and enzymatic activity. However, available inducible promoters for efficient protein production in T. thermophilus HB27 are limited. RESULTS In this study, we characterized the pilA4 promoter region and evaluated its potential as a tool for production of thermostable enzymes in T. thermophilus HB27. Reporter gene analysis using a promoterless β-glucosidase gene revealed that the pilA4 promoter is highly active under optimal growth conditions at 68 °C and downregulated during growth at 80 °C. Furthermore, growth in minimal medium led to significantly increased promoter activity in comparison to growth in complex medium. Finally, we proved the suitability of the pilA4 promoter for heterologous production of thermostable enzymes in T. thermophilus by producing a fully active soluble mannitol-1-phosphate dehydrogenase from Thermoanaerobacter kivui [T. kivui], which is used in degradation of brown algae that are rich in mannitol. CONCLUSIONS Our results show that the pilA4 promoter is an efficient tool for gene expression in T. thermophilus with a high potential for use in biotechnology and synthetic biology applications.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Lennart Kirchner
- Molecular Microbiology & Bioenergetics, Institute of Molecular Biosciences, Johann Wolfgang Goethe University Frankfurt/Main, Max-von-Laue- Str. 9, 60438, Frankfurt, Germany
| | - Volker Müller
- Molecular Microbiology & Bioenergetics, Institute of Molecular Biosciences, Johann Wolfgang Goethe University Frankfurt/Main, Max-von-Laue- Str. 9, 60438, Frankfurt, Germany
| | - Beate Averhoff
- Molecular Microbiology & Bioenergetics, Institute of Molecular Biosciences, Johann Wolfgang Goethe University Frankfurt/Main, Max-von-Laue- Str. 9, 60438, Frankfurt, Germany.
| |
Collapse
|
10
|
Chen Y, Liu G, Ali MR, Zhang M, Zhou G, Sun Q, Li M, Shirin J. Regulation of gut bacteria in silkworm (Bombyx mori) after exposure to endogenous cadmium-polluted mulberry leaves. ECOTOXICOLOGY AND ENVIRONMENTAL SAFETY 2023; 256:114853. [PMID: 37023650 DOI: 10.1016/j.ecoenv.2023.114853] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/14/2022] [Revised: 03/08/2023] [Accepted: 03/29/2023] [Indexed: 06/19/2023]
Abstract
Soil cadmium (Cd) pollution presents a severe pollution burden to flora and fauna due to its non-degradability and transferability. The Cd in the soil is stressing the silkworm (Bombyx mori) out through a soil-mulberry-silkworm system. The gut microbiota of B.mori are reported to shape host health. However, earlier research had not reported the effect of endogenous Cd-polluted mulberry leaves on the gut microbiota of B.mori. In the current research, we compared the phyllosphere bacteria of endogenous Cd-polluted mulberry leaves at different concentrations. The investigation of the gut bacteria of B.mori fed with the mulberry leaves was done to evaluate the impact of endogenous Cd- polluted mulberry leaves on the gut bacteria of the silkworm. The results revealed a dramatic change in the gut bacteria of B.mori whereas, the changes in the phyllosphere bacteria of mulberry leaves in response to an increased Cd concentration were insignificant. It also increased the α-diversity and altered the gut bacterial community structure of B. mori. A significant change in the abundance of dominant phyla of gut bacteria of B.mori was recorded. At the genus level, the abundance of Enterococcus, Brachybacterium and Brevibacterium group related to disease resistance, and the abundance of Sphingomonas, Glutamicibacter and Thermus related to metal detoxification was significantly increased after Cd exposure. Meanwhile, there was a significant decrease in the abundance of the pathogenic bacteria Serratia and Enterobacter. The results demonstrated that endogenous Cd-polluted mulberry leaves caused perturbations in the gut bacterial composition of B.mori, which may driven by Cd content rather than phyllosphere bacteria. A significant variation in the specific bacterial community indicated the adaptation of B. mori gut for its role in heavy metal detoxification and immune function regulation. The results of this study help to understand the bacterial community associated with endogenous Cd-polluted resistance in the gut of B.mori, which proves to be a novel addition in describing its response in activating the detoxification mechanism and promoting its growth and development. This research work will help to explore the other mechanisms and microbiota associated with the adaptations to mitigate the Cd pollution problems.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Yongjing Chen
- School of Resources and Environmental Engineering, Anhui University, Hefei 230601, Anhui Province, China; Anhui Province Engineering Laboratory for Mine Ecological Remediation, Hefei, China; Anhui Province Key Laboratory of Wetland Ecological Protection and Restoration, Hefei, China
| | - Guijia Liu
- School of Resources and Environmental Engineering, Anhui University, Hefei 230601, Anhui Province, China; Anhui Province Engineering Laboratory for Mine Ecological Remediation, Hefei, China; Anhui Province Key Laboratory of Wetland Ecological Protection and Restoration, Hefei, China
| | - Maria Rafraf Ali
- School of Resources and Environmental Engineering, Anhui University, Hefei 230601, Anhui Province, China; Anhui Province Engineering Laboratory for Mine Ecological Remediation, Hefei, China; Anhui Province Key Laboratory of Wetland Ecological Protection and Restoration, Hefei, China
| | - Mingzhu Zhang
- School of Resources and Environmental Engineering, Anhui University, Hefei 230601, Anhui Province, China; Anhui Province Engineering Laboratory for Mine Ecological Remediation, Hefei, China; Anhui Province Key Laboratory of Wetland Ecological Protection and Restoration, Hefei, China
| | - Guowei Zhou
- School of Resources and Environmental Engineering, Anhui University, Hefei 230601, Anhui Province, China; Anhui Province Engineering Laboratory for Mine Ecological Remediation, Hefei, China; Anhui Province Key Laboratory of Wetland Ecological Protection and Restoration, Hefei, China
| | - Qingye Sun
- School of Resources and Environmental Engineering, Anhui University, Hefei 230601, Anhui Province, China; Anhui Province Engineering Laboratory for Mine Ecological Remediation, Hefei, China; Anhui Province Key Laboratory of Wetland Ecological Protection and Restoration, Hefei, China.
| | - Mingjun Li
- School of Resources and Environmental Engineering, Anhui University, Hefei 230601, Anhui Province, China; Anhui Province Engineering Laboratory for Mine Ecological Remediation, Hefei, China; Anhui Province Key Laboratory of Wetland Ecological Protection and Restoration, Hefei, China
| | - Jazbia Shirin
- School of Resources and Environmental Engineering, Anhui University, Hefei 230601, Anhui Province, China; Anhui Province Engineering Laboratory for Mine Ecological Remediation, Hefei, China; Anhui Province Key Laboratory of Wetland Ecological Protection and Restoration, Hefei, China
| |
Collapse
|
11
|
Wang J, Wei J, Li H, Li Y. High-efficiency genome editing of an extreme thermophile Thermus thermophilus using endogenous type I and type III CRISPR-Cas systems. MLIFE 2022; 1:412-427. [PMID: 38818488 PMCID: PMC10989782 DOI: 10.1002/mlf2.12045] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/12/2022] [Revised: 10/13/2022] [Accepted: 10/15/2022] [Indexed: 06/01/2024]
Abstract
Thermus thermophilus is an attractive species in the bioindustry due to its valuable natural products, abundant thermophilic enzymes, and promising fermentation capacities. However, efficient and versatile genome editing tools are not available for this species. In this study, we developed an efficient genome editing tool for T. thermophilus HB27 based on its endogenous type I-B, I-C, and III-A/B CRISPR-Cas systems. First, we systematically characterized the DNA interference capabilities of the different types of the native CRISPR-Cas systems in T. thermophilus HB27. We found that genomic manipulations such as gene deletion, mutation, and in situ tagging could be easily implemented by a series of genome-editing plasmids carrying an artificial self-targeting mini-CRISPR and a donor DNA responsible for the recombinant recovery. We also compared the genome editing efficiency of different CRISPR-Cas systems and the editing plasmids with donor DNAs of different lengths. Additionally, we developed a reporter gene system for T. thermophilus based on a heat-stable β-galactosidase gene TTP0042, and constructed an engineered strain with a high production capacity of superoxide dismutases by genome modification.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Jinting Wang
- State Key Laboratory of Agricultural Microbiology and College of Life Science and TechnologyHuazhong Agricultural UniversityWuhanChina
- Shenzhen Institute of Nutrition and HealthHuazhong Agricultural UniversityShenzhenChina
- Shenzhen Branch, Guangdong Laboratory for Lingnan Modern Agriculture, Genome Analysis Laboratory of the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs, Agricultural Genomics Institute at ShenzhenChinese Academy of Agricultural SciencesShenzhenChina
| | - Junwei Wei
- State Key Laboratory of Agricultural Microbiology and College of Life Science and TechnologyHuazhong Agricultural UniversityWuhanChina
- Shenzhen Institute of Nutrition and HealthHuazhong Agricultural UniversityShenzhenChina
- Shenzhen Branch, Guangdong Laboratory for Lingnan Modern Agriculture, Genome Analysis Laboratory of the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs, Agricultural Genomics Institute at ShenzhenChinese Academy of Agricultural SciencesShenzhenChina
| | - Haijuan Li
- College of Biological and Environmental EngineeringXi'an UniversityXi'anChina
| | - Yingjun Li
- State Key Laboratory of Agricultural Microbiology and College of Life Science and TechnologyHuazhong Agricultural UniversityWuhanChina
- Shenzhen Institute of Nutrition and HealthHuazhong Agricultural UniversityShenzhenChina
- Shenzhen Branch, Guangdong Laboratory for Lingnan Modern Agriculture, Genome Analysis Laboratory of the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs, Agricultural Genomics Institute at ShenzhenChinese Academy of Agricultural SciencesShenzhenChina
| |
Collapse
|
12
|
Laube E, Meier-Credo J, Langer JD, Kühlbrandt W. Conformational changes in mitochondrial complex I of the thermophilic eukaryote Chaetomium thermophilum. SCIENCE ADVANCES 2022; 8:eadc9952. [PMID: 36427319 PMCID: PMC9699679 DOI: 10.1126/sciadv.adc9952] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/13/2022] [Accepted: 10/07/2022] [Indexed: 05/23/2023]
Abstract
Mitochondrial complex I is a redox-driven proton pump that generates proton-motive force across the inner mitochondrial membrane, powering oxidative phosphorylation and ATP synthesis in eukaryotes. We report the structure of complex I from the thermophilic fungus Chaetomium thermophilum, determined by cryoEM up to 2.4-Å resolution. We show that the complex undergoes a transition between two conformations, which we refer to as state 1 and state 2. The conformational switch is manifest in a twisting movement of the peripheral arm relative to the membrane arm, but most notably in substantial rearrangements of the Q-binding cavity and the E-channel, resulting in a continuous aqueous passage from the E-channel to subunit ND5 at the far end of the membrane arm. The conformational changes in the complex interior resemble those reported for mammalian complex I, suggesting a highly conserved, universal mechanism of coupling electron transport to proton pumping.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Eike Laube
- Max-Planck-Institute of Biophysics, Frankfurt 60438, Germany
| | - Jakob Meier-Credo
- Max-Planck-Institute of Biophysics, Frankfurt 60438, Germany
- Max-Planck-Institute for Brain Research, Frankfurt 60438, Germany
| | - Julian D. Langer
- Max-Planck-Institute of Biophysics, Frankfurt 60438, Germany
- Max-Planck-Institute for Brain Research, Frankfurt 60438, Germany
| | | |
Collapse
|
13
|
New Platform for Screening Genetic Libraries at Elevated Temperatures: Biological and Genomic Information and Genetic Tools of Geobacillus thermodenitrificans K1041. Appl Environ Microbiol 2022; 88:e0105122. [PMID: 36069579 PMCID: PMC9499010 DOI: 10.1128/aem.01051-22] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/20/2022] Open
Abstract
Geobacillus thermodenitrificans K1041 is an unusual thermophile that is highly transformable via electroporation, making it a promising host for screening genetic libraries at elevated temperatures. In this study, we determined its biological properties, draft genome sequence, and effective vectors and also optimized the electroporation procedures in an effort to enhance its utilization. The organism exhibited swarming motility but not detectable endospore formation, and growth was rapid at 60°C under neutral and relatively low-salt conditions. Although the cells showed negligible acceptance of shuttle plasmids from general strains of Escherichia coli, methylation-controlled plasmids from dam mutant strains were efficiently accepted, suggesting circumvention of a restriction-modification system in G. thermodenitrificans K1041. We optimized the electroporation procedure to achieve efficiencies of 103 to 105 CFU/μg for five types of plasmids, which exhibited the different copy numbers and segregational stabilities in G. thermodenitrificans K1041. Some sets of plasmids were compatible. Moreover, we observed substantial plasmid-directed production of heterologous proteins in the intracellular or extracellular environments. Our successful construction of a library of promoter mutants using K1041 cells as hosts and subsequent screening at elevated temperatures to identify improved promoters revealed that G. thermodenitrificans K1041 was practical as a library host. The draft genomic sequence of the organism contained 3,384 coding genes, including resA and mcrB genes, which are involved in restriction-modification systems. Further examination revealed that in-frame deletions of resA increased transformation efficiencies, but mcrB deletion had no effect. The ΔresA mutant exhibited transformation efficiencies of >105 CFU/μg for some plasmids. IMPORTANCE Geobacillus thermodenitrificans K1041 has yet to be fully characterized. Although it is transformable via electroporation, it rarely accepts Escherichia coli-derived plasmids. This study clarified the biological and genomic properties of G. thermodenitrificans K1041. Additionally, we developed an electroporation procedure resulting in efficient acceptance of E. coli-derived plasmids. This procedure produced transformants using small amounts of plasmids immediately after the ligation reaction. Thus, G. thermodenitrificans K1041 was identified as a host for screening promoter mutants at elevated temperatures. Furthermore, because this strain efficiently produced heterologous proteins, it could serve as a host for screening thermostable proteins encoded in random mutant libraries or metagenomes. We also generated a ΔresA mutant that exhibited transformation efficiencies of >105 CFU/μg, which were highest in cases of electroporation-based transformation of Geobacillus spp. with E. coli-derived plasmids. Our findings provide a new platform for screening diverse genetic libraries at elevated temperatures.
Collapse
|
14
|
Incomplete denitrification phenotypes in diverse Thermus species from diverse geothermal spring sediments and adjacent soils in southwest China. Extremophiles 2022; 26:23. [PMID: 35802188 PMCID: PMC9270275 DOI: 10.1007/s00792-022-01272-1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/30/2022] [Accepted: 06/06/2022] [Indexed: 01/22/2023]
Abstract
A few members of the bacterial genus Thermus have been shown to be incomplete denitrifiers, terminating with nitrite (NO2−) or nitrous oxide (N2O). However, the denitrification abilities of the genus as a whole remain poorly characterized. Here, we describe diverse denitrification phenotypes and genotypes of a collection of 24 strains representing ten species, all isolated from a variety of geothermal systems in China. Confirmed terminal products of nitrate reduction were nitrite or N2O, while nitric oxide (NO) was inferred as the terminal product in some strains. Most strains produced N2O; complete denitrification was not observed. Denitrification phenotypes were largely consistent with the presence of denitrification genes, and strains of the same species often had the same denitrification phenotypes and largely syntenous denitrification gene clusters. Genes for nirS and nirK coexisted in three Thermus brockianus and three Thermus oshimai genomes, which is a unique hallmark of some denitrifying Thermus strains and may be ecologically important. These results show that incomplete denitrification phenotypes are prominent, but variable, within and between Thermus species. The incomplete denitrification phenotypes described here suggest Thermus species may play important roles in consortial denitrification in high-temperature terrestrial biotopes where sufficient supply of oxidized inorganic nitrogen exists.
Collapse
|
15
|
Amyloidogenic Peptides: New Class of Antimicrobial Peptides with the Novel Mechanism of Activity. Int J Mol Sci 2022; 23:ijms23105463. [PMID: 35628272 PMCID: PMC9140876 DOI: 10.3390/ijms23105463] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/24/2022] [Revised: 04/28/2022] [Accepted: 05/11/2022] [Indexed: 12/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Antibiotic-resistant bacteria are recognized as one of the leading causes of death in the world. We proposed and successfully tested peptides with a new mechanism of antimicrobial action “protein silencing” based on directed co-aggregation. The amyloidogenic antimicrobial peptide (AAMP) interacts with the target protein of model or pathogenic bacteria and forms aggregates, thereby knocking out the protein from its working condition. In this review, we consider antimicrobial effects of the designed peptides on two model organisms, E. coli and T. thermophilus, and two pathogenic organisms, P. aeruginosa and S. aureus. We compare the amino acid composition of proteomes and especially S1 ribosomal proteins. Since this protein is inherent only in bacterial cells, it is a good target for studying the process of co-aggregation. This review presents a bioinformatics analysis of these proteins. We sum up all the peptides predicted as amyloidogenic by several programs and synthesized by us. For the four organisms we studied, we show how amyloidogenicity correlates with antibacterial properties. Let us especially dwell on peptides that have demonstrated themselves as AMPs for two pathogenic organisms that cause dangerous hospital infections, and in which the minimal inhibitory concentration (MIC) turned out to be comparable to the MIC of gentamicin sulfate. All this makes our study encouraging for the further development of AAMP. The hybrid peptides may thus provide a starting point for the antibacterial application of amyloidogenic peptides.
Collapse
|
16
|
Abstract
The hypervariable residues that compose the major part of proteins’ surfaces are generally considered outside evolutionary control. Yet, these “nonconserved” residues determine the outcome of stochastic encounters in crowded cells. It has recently become apparent that these encounters are not as random as one might imagine, but carefully orchestrated by the intracellular electrostatics to optimize protein diffusion, interactivity, and partner search. The most influential factor here is the protein surface-charge density, which takes different optimal values across organisms with different intracellular conditions. In this study, we examine how far the net-charge density and other physicochemical properties of proteomes will take us in terms of distinguishing organisms in general. The results show that these global proteome properties not only follow the established taxonomical hierarchy, but also provide clues to functional adaptation. In many cases, the proteome–property divergence is even resolved at species level. Accordingly, the variable parts of the genes are not as free to drift as they seem in sequence alignment, but present a complementary tool for functional, taxonomic, and evolutionary assignment.
Collapse
|
17
|
Le Y, Sun J. CRISPR/Cas genome editing systems in thermophiles: Current status, associated challenges, and future perspectives. ADVANCES IN APPLIED MICROBIOLOGY 2022; 118:1-30. [PMID: 35461662 DOI: 10.1016/bs.aambs.2022.02.001] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/19/2022]
Abstract
Thermophiles, offering an attractive and unique platform for a broad range of applications in biofuels and environment protections, have received a significant attention and growing interest from academy and industry. However, the exploration and exploitation of thermophilic organisms have been hampered by the lack of a powerful genome manipulation tool to improve production efficiency. At current, the clustered Regularly Interspaced Short Palindromic Repeat (CRISPR)/CRISPR associated (Cas) system has been successfully exploited as a competent, simplistic, and powerful tool for genome engineering both in eukaryotes and prokaryotes. Indeed, with the significant efforts made in recent years, some thermostable Cas9 proteins have been well identified and characterized and further, some thermostable Cas9-based editing tools have been successfully established in some representative obligate thermophiles. In this regard, we reviewed the current status and its progress in CRISPR/Cas-based genome editing system towards a variety of thermophilic organisms. Despite the potentials of these progresses, multiple factors/barriers still have to be overcome and optimized for improving its editing efficiency in thermophiles. Some insights into the roles of thermostable CRISPR/Cas technologies for the metabolic engineering of thermophiles as a thermophilic microbial cell factory were also fully analyzed and discussed.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Yilin Le
- Biofuels institute, School of the Environment and Safety Engineering, Jiangsu University, Zhenjiang, Jiangsu, PR China.
| | - Jianzhong Sun
- Biofuels institute, School of the Environment and Safety Engineering, Jiangsu University, Zhenjiang, Jiangsu, PR China.
| |
Collapse
|
18
|
Merlo R, Mattossovich R, Genta M, Valenti A, Di Mauro G, Minassi A, Miggiano R, Perugino G. First thermostable CLIP-tag by rational design applied to an archaeal O-alkyl-guanine-DNA-alkyl-transferase. Comput Struct Biotechnol J 2022; 20:5275-5286. [PMID: 36212535 PMCID: PMC9519396 DOI: 10.1016/j.csbj.2022.09.015] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/25/2022] [Revised: 09/08/2022] [Accepted: 09/08/2022] [Indexed: 11/30/2022] Open
Abstract
Self-labelling protein tags (SLPs) are resourceful tools that revolutionized sensor imaging, having the versatile ability of being genetically fused with any protein of interest and undergoing activation with alternative probes specifically designed for each variant (namely, SNAP-tag, CLIP-tag and Halo-tag). Commercially available SLPs are highly useful in studying molecular aspects of mesophilic organisms, while they fail in characterizing model organisms that thrive in harsh conditions. By applying an integrated computational and structural approach, we designed a engineered variant of the alkylguanine-DNA-alkyl-transferase (OGT) from the hyper-thermophilic archaeon Saccharolobus solfataricus (SsOGT), with no DNA-binding activity, able to covalently react with O6-benzyl-cytosine (BC-) derivatives, obtaining the first thermostable CLIP-tag, named SsOGT-MC8. The presented construct is able to recognize and to covalently bind BC- substrates with a marked specificity, displaying a very low activity on orthogonal benzyl-guanine (BG-) substrate and showing a remarkable thermal stability that broadens the applicability of SLPs. The rational mutagenesis that, starting from SsOGT, led to the production of SsOGT-MC8 was first evaluated by structural predictions to precisely design the chimeric construct, by mutating specific residues involved in protein stability and substrate recognition. The final construct was further validated by biochemical characterization and X-ray crystallography, allowing us to present here the first structural model of a CLIP-tag establishing the molecular determinants of its activity, as well as proposing a general approach for the rational engineering of any O6-alkylguanine-DNA-alkyl-transferase turning it into a SNAP- and a CLIP-tag variant.
Collapse
|
19
|
Farci D, Kereïche S, Pangeni S, Haniewicz P, Bodrenko IV, Ceccarelli M, Winterhalter M, Piano D. Structural analysis of the architecture and in situ localization of the main S-layer complex in Deinococcus radiodurans. Structure 2021; 29:1279-1285.e3. [PMID: 34265277 DOI: 10.1016/j.str.2021.06.014] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/09/2021] [Revised: 05/22/2021] [Accepted: 06/25/2021] [Indexed: 10/20/2022]
Abstract
Bacterial surface layers are paracrystalline assemblies of proteins that provide the first line of defense against environmental shocks. Here, we report the 3D structure, in situ localization, and orientation of the S-layer deinoxanthin-binding complex (SDBC), a hetero-oligomeric assembly of proteins that in Deinococcus radiodurans represents the main S-layer unit. The SDBC is resolved at 11-Å resolution by single-particle analysis, while its in situ localization is determined by cryo-electron crystallography on intact cell-wall fragments leading to a projection map at 4.5-Å resolution. The SDBC exhibits a triangular base with three comma-shaped pores, and a stalk departing orthogonally from the center of the base and oriented toward the intracellular space. Combining state-of-the-art techniques, results show the organization of this S-layer and its connection within the underlying membranes, demonstrating the potential for applications from nanotechnologies to medicine.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Domenica Farci
- Department of Plant Physiology, Warsaw University of Life Sciences - SGGW, 02-776 Warsaw, Poland.
| | - Sami Kereïche
- Institute of Biology and Medical Genetics, First Faculty of Medicine, Charles University, 12800 Prague, Czech Republic.
| | - Sushil Pangeni
- Department of Life Sciences & Chemistry, Jacobs University Bremen, 28759 Bremen, Germany
| | - Patrycja Haniewicz
- Department of Plant Physiology, Warsaw University of Life Sciences - SGGW, 02-776 Warsaw, Poland
| | - Igor V Bodrenko
- Department of Physics and IOM/CNR, University of Cagliari, 09042 Monserrato, Italy
| | - Matteo Ceccarelli
- Department of Physics and IOM/CNR, University of Cagliari, 09042 Monserrato, Italy
| | - Mathias Winterhalter
- Department of Life Sciences & Chemistry, Jacobs University Bremen, 28759 Bremen, Germany
| | - Dario Piano
- Department of Plant Physiology, Warsaw University of Life Sciences - SGGW, 02-776 Warsaw, Poland; Laboratory of Plant Physiology and Photobiology, Department of Life and Environmental Sciences, University of Cagliari, 09123 Cagliari, Italy.
| |
Collapse
|
20
|
Efficient genome editing of an extreme thermophile, Thermus thermophilus, using a thermostable Cas9 variant. Sci Rep 2021; 11:9586. [PMID: 33953310 PMCID: PMC8100143 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-021-89029-2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/18/2020] [Accepted: 04/20/2021] [Indexed: 02/03/2023] Open
Abstract
Thermophilic organisms are extensively studied in industrial biotechnology, for exploration of the limits of life, and in other contexts. Their optimal growth at high temperatures presents a challenge for the development of genetic tools for their genome editing, since genetic markers and selection substrates are often thermolabile. We sought to develop a thermostable CRISPR-Cas9 based system for genome editing of thermophiles. We identified CaldoCas9 and designed an associated guide RNA and showed that the pair have targetable nuclease activity in vitro at temperatures up to 65 °C. We performed a detailed characterization of the protospacer adjacent motif specificity of CaldoCas9, which revealed a preference for 5'-NNNNGNMA. We constructed a plasmid vector for the delivery and use of the CaldoCas9 based genome editing system in the extreme thermophile Thermus thermophilus at 65 °C. Using the vector, we generated gene knock-out mutants of T. thermophilus, targeting genes on the bacterial chromosome and megaplasmid. Mutants were obtained at a frequency of about 90%. We demonstrated that the vector can be cured from mutants for a subsequent round of genome editing. CRISPR-Cas9 based genome editing has not been reported previously in the extreme thermophile T. thermophilus. These results may facilitate development of genome editing tools for other extreme thermophiles and to that end, the vector has been made available via the plasmid repository Addgene.
Collapse
|
21
|
Grishin SY, Dzhus UF, Selivanova OM, Balobanov VA, Surin AK, Galzitskaya OV. Comparative Analysis of Aggregation of Thermus thermophilus Ribosomal Protein bS1 and Its Stable Fragment. BIOCHEMISTRY (MOSCOW) 2021; 85:344-354. [PMID: 32564739 DOI: 10.1134/s0006297920030104] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/02/2023]
Abstract
Functionally important multidomain bacterial protein bS1 is the largest ribosomal protein of subunit 30S. It interacts with both mRNA and proteins and is prone to aggregation, although this process has not been studied in detail. Here, we obtained bacterial strains overproducing ribosomal bS1 protein from Thermus thermophilus and its stable fragment bS1(49) and purified these proteins. Using fluorescence spectroscopy, dynamic light scattering, and high-performance liquid chromatography combined with mass spectrometric analysis of products of protein limited proteolysis, we demonstrated that disordered regions at the N- and C-termini of bS1 can play a key role in the aggregation of this protein. The truncated fragment bS1(49) was less prone to aggregation compared to the full-size bS1. The revealed properties of the studied proteins can be used to obtain protein crystals for elucidating the structure of the bS1 stable fragment.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- S Yu Grishin
- Institute of Protein Research, Russian Academy of Sciences, Pushchino, Moscow Region, 142290, Russia
| | - U F Dzhus
- Institute of Protein Research, Russian Academy of Sciences, Pushchino, Moscow Region, 142290, Russia
| | - O M Selivanova
- Institute of Protein Research, Russian Academy of Sciences, Pushchino, Moscow Region, 142290, Russia
| | - V A Balobanov
- Institute of Protein Research, Russian Academy of Sciences, Pushchino, Moscow Region, 142290, Russia
| | - A K Surin
- Institute of Protein Research, Russian Academy of Sciences, Pushchino, Moscow Region, 142290, Russia. .,State Research Center for Applied Microbiology and Biotechnology, Obolensk, Moscow Region, 142279, Russia.,Branch of the Institute of Bioorganic Chemistry, Russian Academy of Sciences, Pushchino, Moscow Region, 142290, Russia
| | - O V Galzitskaya
- Institute of Protein Research, Russian Academy of Sciences, Pushchino, Moscow Region, 142290, Russia. .,Institute of Theoretical and Experimental Biophysics, Russian Academy of Sciences, Pushchino, Moscow Region, 142290, Russia
| |
Collapse
|
22
|
DeCastro ME, Doane MP, Dinsdale EA, Rodríguez-Belmonte E, González-Siso MI. Exploring the taxonomical and functional profile of As Burgas hot spring focusing on thermostable β-galactosidases. Sci Rep 2021; 11:101. [PMID: 33420292 PMCID: PMC7794327 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-020-80489-6] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/24/2020] [Accepted: 12/17/2020] [Indexed: 01/29/2023] Open
Abstract
In the present study we investigate the microbial community inhabiting As Burgas geothermal spring, located in Ourense (Galicia, Spain). The approximately 23 Gbp of Illumina sequences generated for each replicate revealed a complex microbial community dominated by Bacteria in which Proteobacteria and Aquificae were the two prevalent phyla. An association between the two most prevalent genera, Thermus and Hydrogenobacter, was suggested by the relationship of their metabolism. The high relative abundance of sequences involved in the Calvin-Benson cycle and the reductive TCA cycle unveils the dominance of an autotrophic population. Important pathways from the nitrogen and sulfur cycle are potentially taking place in As Burgas hot spring. In the assembled reads, two complete ORFs matching GH2 beta-galactosidases were found. To assess their functional characterization, the two ORFs were cloned and overexpressed in E. coli. The pTsbg enzyme had activity towards o-Nitrophenyl-β-D-galactopyranoside (ONPG) and p-Nitrophenyl-β-D-fucopyranoside, with high thermal stability and showing maximal activity at 85 °C and pH 6, nevertheless the enzyme failed to hydrolyze lactose. The other enzyme, Tsbg, was unable to hydrolyze even ONPG or lactose. This finding highlights the challenge of finding novel active enzymes based only on their sequence.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- María-Eugenia DeCastro
- Grupo EXPRELA, Centro de Investigacións Científicas Avanzadas (CICA), Facultade de Ciencias, Universidade da Coruña, A Coruña, Spain
| | - Michael P Doane
- Department of Biology, San Diego State University, 5500 Campanile Dr., San Diego, CA, 92182, USA
- Syndey Institute of Marine Science, 19 Chowder Bay Rd, Mosman, NSW, 2088, Australia
| | - Elizabeth Ann Dinsdale
- Department of Biology, San Diego State University, 5500 Campanile Dr., San Diego, CA, 92182, USA
- College of Science and Engineering, Flinders University, Sturt Rd, Bedford Park, SA, 5042, Australia
| | - Esther Rodríguez-Belmonte
- Grupo EXPRELA, Centro de Investigacións Científicas Avanzadas (CICA), Facultade de Ciencias, Universidade da Coruña, A Coruña, Spain
| | - María-Isabel González-Siso
- Grupo EXPRELA, Centro de Investigacións Científicas Avanzadas (CICA), Facultade de Ciencias, Universidade da Coruña, A Coruña, Spain.
| |
Collapse
|
23
|
Tahara N, Tachibana I, Takeo K, Yamashita S, Shimada A, Hashimoto M, Ohno S, Yokogawa T, Nakagawa T, Suzuki F, Ebihara A. Boosting Auto-Induction of Recombinant Proteins in Escherichia coli with Glucose and Lactose Additives. Protein Pept Lett 2021; 28:1180-1190. [PMID: 34353248 PMCID: PMC8811614 DOI: 10.2174/0929866528666210805120715] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/17/2021] [Revised: 05/25/2021] [Accepted: 05/27/2021] [Indexed: 11/22/2022]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Auto-induction is a convenient way to produce recombinant proteins without inducer addition using lac operon-controlled Escherichia coli expression systems. Auto-induction can occur unintentionally using a complex culture medium prepared by mixing culture substrates. The differences in culture substrates sometimes lead to variations in the induction level. OBJECTIVES In this study, we investigated the feasibility of using glucose and lactose as boosters of auto-induction with a complex culture medium. METHODS First, auto-induction levels were assessed by quantifying recombinant GFPuv expression under the control of the T7 lac promoter. Effectiveness of the additive-containing medium was examined using ovine angiotensinogen (tac promoter-based expression) and Thermus thermophilus manganese-catalase (T7 lac promoter-based expression). RESULTS Auto-induced GFPuv expression was observed with the enzymatic protein digest Polypepton, but not with another digest tryptone. Regardless of the type of protein digest, supplementing Terrific Broth medium with glucose (at a final concentration of 2.9 g/L) and lactose (at a final concentration of 7.6 g/L) was successful in obtaining an induction level similar to that achieved with a commercially available auto-induction medium. The two recombinant proteins were produced in milligram quantity of purified protein per liter of culture. CONCLUSION The medium composition shown in this study would be practically useful for attaining reliable auto-induction for E. coli-based recombinant protein production.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Nariyasu Tahara
- Graduate School of Applied Biological Sciences, Gifu University, 1-1 Yanagido, Gifu 501-1193, Japan
| | - Itaru Tachibana
- Faculty of Applied Biological Sciences, Gifu University, 1-1 Yanagido, Gifu 501-1193, Japan
| | - Kazuyo Takeo
- Faculty of Applied Biological Sciences, Gifu University, 1-1 Yanagido, Gifu 501-1193, Japan
| | - Shinji Yamashita
- United Graduate School of Agricultural Science, Gifu University, 1-1 Yanagido, Gifu 501-1193, Japan
| | - Atsuhiro Shimada
- Faculty of Applied Biological Sciences, Gifu University, 1-1 Yanagido, Gifu 501-1193, Japan
| | - Misuzu Hashimoto
- Faculty of Applied Biological Sciences, Gifu University, 1-1 Yanagido, Gifu 501-1193, Japan
| | - Satoshi Ohno
- Faculty of Engineering, Gifu University, 1-1 Yanagido, Gifu 501-1193, Japan
| | - Takashi Yokogawa
- Faculty of Engineering, Gifu University, 1-1 Yanagido, Gifu 501-1193, Japan
| | - Tsutomu Nakagawa
- Faculty of Applied Biological Sciences, Gifu University, 1-1 Yanagido, Gifu 501-1193, Japan
| | - Fumiaki Suzuki
- Faculty of Applied Biological Sciences, Gifu University, 1-1 Yanagido, Gifu 501-1193, Japan
| | - Akio Ebihara
- Faculty of Applied Biological Sciences, Gifu University, 1-1 Yanagido, Gifu 501-1193, Japan
| |
Collapse
|
24
|
Blesa A, Baquedano I, González-de la Fuente S, Mencía M, Berenguer J. Integrative and Conjugative Element ICETh1 Functions as a Pangenomic DNA Capture Module in Thermus thermophilus. Microorganisms 2020; 8:microorganisms8122051. [PMID: 33371442 PMCID: PMC7767461 DOI: 10.3390/microorganisms8122051] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/27/2020] [Revised: 12/18/2020] [Accepted: 12/18/2020] [Indexed: 11/16/2022] Open
Abstract
Transjugation is an unconventional conjugation mechanism in Thermus thermophilus (Tth) that involves the active participation of both mating partners, encompassing a DNA secretion system (DSS) in the donor and an active natural competence apparatus (NCA) in the recipient cells. DSS is encoded within an integrative and conjugative element (ICETh1) in the strain Tth HB27, whereas the NCA is constitutively expressed in both mates. Previous experiments suggested the presence of multiple origins of transfer along the genome, which could generate genomic mosaicity among the progeny. Here, we designed transjugation experiments between two closely related strains of Tth with highly syntenic genomes, containing enough single nucleotide polymorphisms to allow precise parenthood analysis. Individual clones from the progeny were sequenced, revealing their origin as derivatives of our ICETh1-containing intended “donor” strain (HB27), which had acquired separate fragments from the genome of the ICETh1-free HB8 cells, which are our intended recipient. Due to the bidirectional nature of transjugation, only assays employing competence-defective HB27 derivatives as donors allowed the recovery of HB8-derived progeny. These results show a preference for a retrotransfer mechanism in transjugation in ICETh1-bearing strains, supporting an inter-strain gene-capture function for ICETh1. This function could benefit the donor-capable host by facilitating the acquisition of adaptive traits from external sources, ultimately increasing the open pangenome of Thermus, maximizing the potential repertoire of physiological and phenotypical traits related to adaptation and speciation.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Alba Blesa
- Department of Biotechnology, Faculty of Experimental Sciences, Universidad Francisco de Vitoria, 28223 Madrid, Spain
- Correspondence: (A.B.); (J.B.); Tel.: +34-91194498 (J.B.)
| | - Ignacio Baquedano
- Centro de Biología Molecular Severo Ochoa (CBMSO), Universidad Autónoma de Madrid-Consejo Superior de Investigaciones Científicas, 28049 Madrid, Spain; (I.B.); (S.G.-d.l.F.); (M.M.)
| | - Sandra González-de la Fuente
- Centro de Biología Molecular Severo Ochoa (CBMSO), Universidad Autónoma de Madrid-Consejo Superior de Investigaciones Científicas, 28049 Madrid, Spain; (I.B.); (S.G.-d.l.F.); (M.M.)
| | - Mario Mencía
- Centro de Biología Molecular Severo Ochoa (CBMSO), Universidad Autónoma de Madrid-Consejo Superior de Investigaciones Científicas, 28049 Madrid, Spain; (I.B.); (S.G.-d.l.F.); (M.M.)
| | - José Berenguer
- Centro de Biología Molecular Severo Ochoa (CBMSO), Universidad Autónoma de Madrid-Consejo Superior de Investigaciones Científicas, 28049 Madrid, Spain; (I.B.); (S.G.-d.l.F.); (M.M.)
- Correspondence: (A.B.); (J.B.); Tel.: +34-91194498 (J.B.)
| |
Collapse
|
25
|
Nitrate Respiration in Thermus thermophilus NAR1: from Horizontal Gene Transfer to Internal Evolution. Genes (Basel) 2020; 11:genes11111308. [PMID: 33158244 PMCID: PMC7694296 DOI: 10.3390/genes11111308] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/13/2020] [Revised: 10/31/2020] [Accepted: 11/02/2020] [Indexed: 12/12/2022] Open
Abstract
Genes coding for enzymes of the denitrification pathway appear randomly distributed among isolates of the ancestral genus Thermus, but only in few strains of the species Thermus thermophilus has the pathway been studied to a certain detail. Here, we review the enzymes involved in this pathway present in T. thermophilus NAR1, a strain extensively employed as a model for nitrate respiration, in the light of its full sequence recently assembled through a combination of PacBio and Illumina technologies in order to counteract the systematic errors introduced by the former technique. The genome of this strain is divided in four replicons, a chromosome of 2,021,843 bp, two megaplasmids of 370,865 and 77,135 bp and a small plasmid of 9799 pb. Nitrate respiration is encoded in the largest megaplasmid, pTTHNP4, within a region that includes operons for O2 and nitrate sensory systems, a nitrate reductase, nitrate and nitrite transporters and a nitrate specific NADH dehydrogenase, in addition to multiple insertion sequences (IS), suggesting its mobility-prone nature. Despite nitrite is the final product of nitrate respiration in this strain, the megaplasmid encodes two putative nitrite reductases of the cd1 and Cu-containing types, apparently inactivated by IS. No nitric oxide reductase genes have been found within this region, although the NorR sensory gene, needed for its expression, is found near the inactive nitrite respiration system. These data clearly support that partial denitrification in this strain is the consequence of recent deletions and IS insertions in genes involved in nitrite respiration. Based on these data, the capability of this strain to transfer or acquire denitrification clusters by horizontal gene transfer is discussed.
Collapse
|
26
|
Pulschen AA, Mutavchiev DR, Culley S, Sebastian KN, Roubinet J, Roubinet M, Risa GT, van Wolferen M, Roubinet C, Schmidt U, Dey G, Albers SV, Henriques R, Baum B. Live Imaging of a Hyperthermophilic Archaeon Reveals Distinct Roles for Two ESCRT-III Homologs in Ensuring a Robust and Symmetric Division. Curr Biol 2020; 30:2852-2859.e4. [PMID: 32502411 PMCID: PMC7372223 DOI: 10.1016/j.cub.2020.05.021] [Citation(s) in RCA: 30] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/14/2020] [Revised: 04/15/2020] [Accepted: 05/06/2020] [Indexed: 12/14/2022]
Abstract
Live-cell imaging has revolutionized our understanding of dynamic cellular processes in bacteria and eukaryotes. Although similar techniques have been applied to the study of halophilic archaea [1-5], our ability to explore the cell biology of thermophilic archaea has been limited by the technical challenges of imaging at high temperatures. Sulfolobus are the most intensively studied members of TACK archaea and have well-established molecular genetics [6-9]. Additionally, studies using Sulfolobus were among the first to reveal striking similarities between the cell biology of eukaryotes and archaea [10-15]. However, to date, it has not been possible to image Sulfolobus cells as they grow and divide. Here, we report the construction of the Sulfoscope, a heated chamber on an inverted fluorescent microscope that enables live-cell imaging of thermophiles. By using thermostable fluorescent probes together with this system, we were able to image Sulfolobus acidocaldarius cells live to reveal tight coupling between changes in DNA condensation, segregation, and cell division. Furthermore, by imaging deletion mutants, we observed functional differences between the two ESCRT-III proteins implicated in cytokinesis, CdvB1 and CdvB2. The deletion of cdvB1 compromised cell division, causing occasional division failures, whereas the ΔcdvB2 exhibited a profound loss of division symmetry, generating daughter cells that vary widely in size and eventually generating ghost cells. These data indicate that DNA separation and cytokinesis are coordinated in Sulfolobus, as is the case in eukaryotes, and that two contractile ESCRT-III polymers perform distinct roles to ensure that Sulfolobus cells undergo a robust and symmetrical division.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
| | - Delyan R Mutavchiev
- MRC-Laboratory for Molecular Cell Biology, UCL, Gower Street, London WC1E 6BT, UK
| | - Siân Culley
- MRC-Laboratory for Molecular Cell Biology, UCL, Gower Street, London WC1E 6BT, UK
| | - Kim Nadine Sebastian
- Molecular Biology of Archaea, Institute of Biology II - Microbiology, University of Freiburg, 79104 Freiburg, Germany
| | | | | | | | - Marleen van Wolferen
- Molecular Biology of Archaea, Institute of Biology II - Microbiology, University of Freiburg, 79104 Freiburg, Germany
| | - Chantal Roubinet
- MRC-Laboratory for Molecular Cell Biology, UCL, Gower Street, London WC1E 6BT, UK
| | - Uwe Schmidt
- Center for System Biology Dresden (CSBD), 01307 Dresden, Germany; Max Planck Institute of Molecular Cell Biology and Genetics (MPI-CBG), 01307 Dresden, Germany
| | - Gautam Dey
- MRC-Laboratory for Molecular Cell Biology, UCL, Gower Street, London WC1E 6BT, UK
| | - Sonja-Verena Albers
- Molecular Biology of Archaea, Institute of Biology II - Microbiology, University of Freiburg, 79104 Freiburg, Germany
| | - Ricardo Henriques
- MRC-Laboratory for Molecular Cell Biology, UCL, Gower Street, London WC1E 6BT, UK
| | - Buzz Baum
- MRC-Laboratory for Molecular Cell Biology, UCL, Gower Street, London WC1E 6BT, UK; Institute for the Physics of Living Systems, UCL, London WC1E 6BT, UK.
| |
Collapse
|
27
|
Martínez-Espinosa RM. Microorganisms and Their Metabolic Capabilities in the Context of the Biogeochemical Nitrogen Cycle at Extreme Environments. Int J Mol Sci 2020; 21:ijms21124228. [PMID: 32545812 PMCID: PMC7349289 DOI: 10.3390/ijms21124228] [Citation(s) in RCA: 22] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/21/2020] [Accepted: 06/12/2020] [Indexed: 12/23/2022] Open
Abstract
Extreme microorganisms (extremophile) are organisms that inhabit environments characterized by inhospitable parameters for most live beings (extreme temperatures and pH values, high or low ionic strength, pressure, or scarcity of nutrients). To grow optimally under these conditions, extremophiles have evolved molecular adaptations affecting their physiology, metabolism, cell signaling, etc. Due to their peculiarities in terms of physiology and metabolism, they have become good models for (i) understanding the limits of life on Earth, (ii) exploring the possible existence of extraterrestrial life (Astrobiology), or (iii) to look for potential applications in biotechnology. Recent research has revealed that extremophilic microbes play key roles in all biogeochemical cycles on Earth. Nitrogen cycle (N-cycle) is one of the most important biogeochemical cycles in nature; thanks to it, nitrogen is converted into multiple chemical forms, which circulate among atmospheric, terrestrial and aquatic ecosystems. This review summarizes recent knowledge on the role of extreme microorganisms in the N-cycle in extremophilic ecosystems, with special emphasis on members of the Archaea domain. Potential implications of these microbes in global warming and nitrogen balance, as well as their biotechnological applications are also discussed.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Rosa María Martínez-Espinosa
- Biochemistry and Molecular Biology Division, Agrochemistry and Biochemistry Department, Faculty of Sciences, University of Alicante, Ap. 99, E-03080 Alicante, Spain; ; Tel.: +34-965903400 (ext. 1258)
- Multidisciplinary Institute for Environmental Studies “Ramón Margalef”, University of Alicante, Ap. 99, E-03080 Alicante, Spain
| |
Collapse
|
28
|
Fujino Y, Goda S, Suematsu Y, Doi K. Development of a new gene expression vector for Thermus thermophilus using a silica-inducible promoter. Microb Cell Fact 2020; 19:126. [PMID: 32513169 PMCID: PMC7282064 DOI: 10.1186/s12934-020-01385-2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/19/2020] [Accepted: 06/01/2020] [Indexed: 01/30/2023] Open
Abstract
Background Thermostable enzymes are commonly produced in mesophilic hosts for research and bioengineering purposes. However, these hosts do not overexpress the active forms of some biologically functional thermoenzymes. Therefore, an efficient thermophilic expression system is needed. Thermus thermophilus contains an easily manipulable genome and is therefore among the best candidate microbes for a “hot” expression system. We previously identified a strong and inducible promoter that was active in T. thermophilus under supersaturated silica conditions. Here, we report a new heterologous gene expression system based on a silica-inducible promoter in T. thermophilus. Results A Thermus sp. A4 gene encoding thermostable β-galactosidase was cloned as a reporter gene into the expression vector pSix1, which contains a selection marker that confers thermostable resistance to hygromycin and a 600 bp DNA region containing a putative silica-inducible promoter. β-galactosidase activity was 11-fold higher in the presence than in the absence of 10 mM silicic acid. SDS-PAGE revealed a prominent band corresponding to 73 kDa of β-galactosidase, and this enzyme was expressed as an active and soluble protein (yield: 27 mg/L) in Thermus but as an inclusion body in Escherichia coli. Truncation of the putative silica-inducible promoter region in Thermus expression vector improved the yield of the target protein, possibly by avoiding plasmid instability due to homologous recombination. Finally, we developed an expression vector containing the pSix1 backbone and a 100 bp DNA region corresponding to the silica-inducible promoter. We used this vector to successfully express the active form of glutamate dehydrogenase from Pyrobaculum islandicum (PisGDH) without additional treatment (yield: 9.5 mg/L), whereas the expression of active PisGDH in E. coli required heat treatment. Conclusion We successfully expressed the thermostable β-galactosidase and PisGDH in T. thermophilus as active and soluble forms and achieved with our system the highest known protein expression levels in this species. These thermoenzymes were expressed in active and soluble forms. Our results validate the use of our silica-inducible expression system as a novel strategy for the intracellular overexpression of thermostable proteins.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Yasuhiro Fujino
- Institute of Genetic Resources, Faculty of Agriculture, Kyushu University, 744 Motooka, Nishi-ku, Fukuoka, 819-0395, Japan
| | - Shuichiro Goda
- Graduate School of Science and Engineering, Soka University, 1-236, Tangi-cho, Hachioji-shi, Tokyo, 192-8577, Japan
| | - Yuri Suematsu
- Institute of Genetic Resources, Faculty of Agriculture, Kyushu University, 744 Motooka, Nishi-ku, Fukuoka, 819-0395, Japan
| | - Katsumi Doi
- Institute of Genetic Resources, Faculty of Agriculture, Kyushu University, 744 Motooka, Nishi-ku, Fukuoka, 819-0395, Japan.
| |
Collapse
|
29
|
Sunny JS, Mukund N, Natarajan A, Saleena LM. Identifying heat shock response systems from the genomic assembly of Ureibacillus thermophilus LM102 using protein-protein interaction networks. Gene X 2020; 737:144449. [DOI: 10.1016/j.gene.2020.144449] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/01/2019] [Revised: 01/28/2020] [Accepted: 02/04/2020] [Indexed: 11/30/2022] Open
|
30
|
Engineering Biology to Construct Microbial Chassis for the Production of Difficult-to-Express Proteins. Int J Mol Sci 2020; 21:ijms21030990. [PMID: 32024292 PMCID: PMC7037952 DOI: 10.3390/ijms21030990] [Citation(s) in RCA: 21] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/06/2019] [Revised: 01/28/2020] [Accepted: 01/31/2020] [Indexed: 12/12/2022] Open
Abstract
A large proportion of the recombinant proteins manufactured today rely on microbe-based expression systems owing to their relatively simple and cost-effective production schemes. However, several issues in microbial protein expression, including formation of insoluble aggregates, low protein yield, and cell death are still highly recursive and tricky to optimize. These obstacles are usually rooted in the metabolic capacity of the expression host, limitation of cellular translational machineries, or genetic instability. To this end, several microbial strains having precisely designed genomes have been suggested as a way around the recurrent problems in recombinant protein expression. Already, a growing number of prokaryotic chassis strains have been genome-streamlined to attain superior cellular fitness, recombinant protein yield, and stability of the exogenous expression pathways. In this review, we outline challenges associated with heterologous protein expression, some examples of microbial chassis engineered for the production of recombinant proteins, and emerging tools to optimize the expression of heterologous proteins. In particular, we discuss the synthetic biology approaches to design and build and test genome-reduced microbial chassis that carry desirable characteristics for heterologous protein expression.
Collapse
|
31
|
Abstract
Thermophilic organisms hold great potential for industry due to their numerous advantages in biotechnological applications such as higher reaction rate, higher substrate loading, decreased susceptibility to reaction contamination, energy savings in industrial fermentations, and ability to express thermostable proteins that can be utilized in many important industrial processes. Bioprospecting for thermophiles will continue to reveal new enzymatic and metabolic paradigms with industrial applicability. In order to translate these paradigms to production scale, routine methods for microbial genetic engineering are needed, yet remain to be developed in many newly isolated thermophiles. Major challenges and recent developments in the establishment of reliable genetic systems in thermophiles are discussed. Here, we use a hyperthermophilic, cellulolytic bacterium, Caldicellulosiruptor bescii, as a case study to demonstrate the development of a genetic system for an industrially useful thermophile, describing in detail methods for transformation, genetic tool utilization, and chromosomal modification using targeted gene deletion and insertion techniques.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Daehwan Chung
- National Renewable Energy Laboratory, Golden, CO, USA.
| | - Nicholas S Sarai
- Division of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, California Institute of Technology, Pasadena, CA, USA
| | | | | |
Collapse
|
32
|
Functional Characterization and Structural Analysis of NADH Oxidase Mutants from Thermus thermophilus HB27: Role of Residues 166, 174, and 194 in the Catalytic Properties and Thermostability. Microorganisms 2019; 7:microorganisms7110515. [PMID: 31683638 PMCID: PMC6921046 DOI: 10.3390/microorganisms7110515] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/15/2019] [Revised: 10/25/2019] [Accepted: 10/28/2019] [Indexed: 11/16/2022] Open
Abstract
The Thermus thermophilus strain HB27 NADH-oxidase (Tt27-NOX) catalyzes the oxidation of nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide (NAD(P)H) by reducing molecular oxygen to hydrogen peroxide in a two-electron transfer mechanism. Surprisingly, Tt27-NOX showed significant differences in catalytic properties compared to its counterpart from the strain HB8 (Tt8-NOX), despite a high degree of sequence homology between both variants. The sequence comparison between both enzymes revealed only three divergent amino acid residues at positions 166, 174, and 194. Motivated with these findings, in this work we performed mutagenesis experiments in the former three positions to study the specific role of these residues in the catalytic properties and thermostability of Tt27-NOX. We subjected five mutants, along with the wild-type enzyme, to biochemical characterization and thermal stability studies. As a result, we identified two more active and more thermostable variants than any Tt8-NOX variant reported in the literature. The most active and thermostable variant K166/H174/Y194 retained 90% of its initial activity after 5 h at pH 7 and 80 °C and an increase in melting temperature of 48.3 °C compared with the least active variant K166/R174/Y194 (inactivated after 15 min of incubation). These results, supported by structural analysis and molecular dynamics simulation studies, suggest that Lys at position 166 may stabilize the loop in which His174 is located, increasing thermal stability.
Collapse
|
33
|
Complete Genome Sequencing of Thermus thermophilus Strain HC11, Isolated from Mine Geyser in Japan. Microbiol Resour Announc 2019; 8:8/39/e00873-19. [PMID: 31558631 PMCID: PMC6763646 DOI: 10.1128/mra.00873-19] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/30/2022] Open
Abstract
Thermus thermophilus strain HC11 was isolated from Mine Geyser in Japan, where type strain HB8 was isolated 50 years ago. In this article, the complete genome sequence of HC11 is presented. HC11 shares the highest average nucleotide identity with HB8 among known T. thermophilus genomes (93.1%) with no genetic rearrangements. Thermus thermophilus strain HC11 was isolated from Mine Geyser in Japan, where type strain HB8 was isolated 50 years ago. In this article, the complete genome sequence of HC11 is presented. HC11 shares the highest average nucleotide identity with HB8 among known T. thermophilus genomes (93.1%) with no genetic rearrangements.
Collapse
|
34
|
Verdú C, Sanchez E, Ortega C, Hidalgo A, Berenguer J, Mencía M. A Modular Vector Toolkit with a Tailored Set of Thermosensors To Regulate Gene Expression in Thermus thermophilus. ACS OMEGA 2019; 4:14626-14632. [PMID: 31528818 PMCID: PMC6740178 DOI: 10.1021/acsomega.9b02107] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/09/2019] [Accepted: 08/14/2019] [Indexed: 05/02/2023]
Abstract
Modular plasmid architectures have shown to be a very useful resource to standardize, build, share, and compare biological parts and functional vectors, and are being applied in an increasing number of microorganisms. Here, we present a modular plasmid toolkit for Thermus thermophilus, a species considered as a workhorse for biotechnology and a model for high-temperature biology. Apart from integrating improved versions of already existing parts, we have characterized specific promoters and developed a thermosensor-based palette that restricts the expression to Thermus and, at the same time, controls protein expression in this organism in a temperature-dependent manner.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
| | | | | | | | - José Berenguer
- E-mail: . Tel.: +34 911964498. Fax: +34 911964420 (J.B.)
| | - Mario Mencía
- E-mail: . Tel.: +34 911964664.
Fax: +34 911964420 (M.M.)
| |
Collapse
|
35
|
Das P, Chatterjee S, Behera BK, Dangar TK, Das BK, Mohapatra T. Isolation and characterization of marine bacteria from East Coast of India: functional screening for salt stress tolerance. Heliyon 2019; 5:e01869. [PMID: 31245639 PMCID: PMC6581878 DOI: 10.1016/j.heliyon.2019.e01869] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/02/2019] [Revised: 05/09/2019] [Accepted: 05/29/2019] [Indexed: 11/29/2022] Open
Abstract
Soil salinization has become a severe constraint for crop production world-wide which necessitated development or induced enhancement of salt stress tolerance in plant life to sustain production in saline lands. Recognition and prospecting of valuable stress tolerant genes from natural microbial resources of saline habitat is obscure to date. Therefore, the investigation was towards isolation and characterization of marine salt stress tolerant microbes along the East coast of India for revelation of effective salt stress tolerant genes. Salt stress tolerance was assessed from 98 bacterial isolates obtained from 28 water and soil samples. Among them, 35 isolates which failed to grow beyond 4% salt were discarded and remainder 63 isolates were selected for further functional analysis and only seven isolates recorded ≥8% NaCl stress tolerance. Phylogeny revealed that four isolates belong to Firmicutes and three isolates were members of Proteobacteria. Ribosomal Database Project Release-11 and SILVA SSU database based genotyping and taxonomic identity analysis confirmed that the higher (20%) salt stress tolerant bacteria were Staphylococcus sp., Enterococcus sp., Enterobacter sp. and Proteus sp. To investigate candidate, as well as, novel salt stress tolerant genes, the seven bacterial isolates would provide new horizon to focus on the recent developments of salinity stress tolerance. In addition, the findings evidently point out the diversity of salt stress tolerant marine bacteria in coastal Odisha and West Bengal, India.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Priyanka Das
- Biotechnology Laboratory, Fishery Resource and Environmental Management Division, ICAR- Central Inland Fisheries Research Institute, Barrackpore, West Bengal, India.,Parasitology and Microbiology Research Laboratory, Department of Zoology, University of Burdwan, Burdwan, West Bengal, India
| | - Soumendranath Chatterjee
- Parasitology and Microbiology Research Laboratory, Department of Zoology, University of Burdwan, Burdwan, West Bengal, India
| | - Bijay Kumar Behera
- Biotechnology Laboratory, Fishery Resource and Environmental Management Division, ICAR- Central Inland Fisheries Research Institute, Barrackpore, West Bengal, India
| | - Tushar Kanti Dangar
- Microbiology Laboratory, Crop Production Division, ICAR-National Rice Research Institute, Cuttack, Odisha, India
| | - Basanta Kumar Das
- Biotechnology Laboratory, Fishery Resource and Environmental Management Division, ICAR- Central Inland Fisheries Research Institute, Barrackpore, West Bengal, India
| | | |
Collapse
|
36
|
Huijbers MME, Wu JW, Westphal AH, Berkel WJH. Dimerization of Proline Dehydrogenase from
Thermus thermophilus
Is Crucial for Its Thermostability. Biotechnol J 2019; 14:e1800540. [DOI: 10.1002/biot.201800540] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/20/2018] [Revised: 11/22/2018] [Indexed: 11/08/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Mieke M. E. Huijbers
- Laboratory of BiochemistryWageningen University & ResearchStippeneng 4, 6708 WE Wageningen The Netherlands
| | - Jenny W. Wu
- Laboratory of BiochemistryWageningen University & ResearchStippeneng 4, 6708 WE Wageningen The Netherlands
| | - Adrie H. Westphal
- Laboratory of BiochemistryWageningen University & ResearchStippeneng 4, 6708 WE Wageningen The Netherlands
| | - Willem J. H. Berkel
- Laboratory of BiochemistryWageningen University & ResearchStippeneng 4, 6708 WE Wageningen The Netherlands
| |
Collapse
|
37
|
Li H. Selection-free markerless genome manipulations in the polyploid bacterium Thermus thermophilus. 3 Biotech 2019; 9:148. [PMID: 30944795 DOI: 10.1007/s13205-019-1682-z] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/09/2019] [Accepted: 03/14/2019] [Indexed: 12/17/2022] Open
Abstract
A genome manipulation approach based on double-crossover homologous recombination was developed in the polyploid model organism Thermus thermophilus HB27 without the use of any selectable marker. The method was established and optimized by targeting the megaplasmid-encoded β-glucosidase gene bgl. When linear and supercoiled forms of marker-free suicide vector were used for transformations, the frequencies of obtaining apparent Bgl- mutant were 10- 5 and 10- 3, respectively; while the frequency could reach 10- 2 when transformation with concatemer form of the same vector. All randomly selected Bgl- colonies from the transformations were found to be true bgl knockout mutants. Thus, markerless gene deletion mutants could be constructed in T. thermophilus by the direct selection-free method. The functionality of this approach was further demonstrated by deletion of one chromosomal locus (TTC_0340-0341) as well as by generation of a reporter strain for the phytoene synthase promoter (PcrtB), homozygous mutants of the both targets could also be detected with a frequency of approximately 10- 2. During the genome modification process, heterozygous cells carrying two different alleles at a same locus (e.g., bgl and pyrE) could also be generated. However, in the absence of selection pressure, these strains could rapidly convert to homozygous strains containing only one of the two alleles. This indicated that allele segregation could occur in the heterozygous T. thermophilus cells, which probably explained the ease of obtaining homozygous gene deletion mutants with high frequency (10- 2) in the polyploid genomic background, as after the mutant allele had been introduced to the target region, allele segregation would lead to homozygous mutant cells. This marker-free genome manipulation approach does not require phenotype-based screens, and is applicable in gene deletion and tagging applications.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Haijuan Li
- College of Biological and Environmental Engineering, Xi'an University, No. 168 South Taibai Road, Xi'an, 710065 China
| |
Collapse
|
38
|
Blesa A, Sánchez M, Sacristán-Horcajada E, González-de la Fuente S, Peiró R, Berenguer J. Into the Thermus Mobilome: Presence, Diversity and Recent Activities of Insertion Sequences Across Thermus spp. Microorganisms 2019; 7:microorganisms7010025. [PMID: 30669685 PMCID: PMC6352166 DOI: 10.3390/microorganisms7010025] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/27/2018] [Revised: 01/09/2019] [Accepted: 01/17/2019] [Indexed: 11/28/2022] Open
Abstract
A high level of transposon-mediated genome rearrangement is a common trait among microorganisms isolated from thermal environments, probably contributing to the extraordinary genomic plasticity and horizontal gene transfer (HGT) observed in these habitats. In this work, active and inactive insertion sequences (ISs) spanning the sequenced members of the genus Thermus were characterized, with special emphasis on three T. thermophilus strains: HB27, HB8, and NAR1. A large number of full ISs and fragments derived from different IS families were found, concentrating within megaplasmids present in most isolates. Potentially active ISs were identified through analysis of transposase integrity, and domestication-related transposition events of ISTth7 were identified in laboratory-adapted HB27 derivatives. Many partial copies of ISs appeared throughout the genome, which may serve as specific targets for homologous recombination contributing to genome rearrangement. Moreover, recruitment of IS1000 32 bp segments as spacers for CRISPR sequence was identified, pointing to the adaptability of these elements in the biology of these thermophiles. Further knowledge about the activity and functional diversity of ISs in this genus may contribute to the generation of engineered transposons as new genetic tools, and enrich our understanding of the outstanding plasticity shown by these thermophiles.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Alba Blesa
- Department of Biotechnology, Faculty of Experimental Sciences, Universidad Francisco de Vitoria, Madrid 28223, Spain.
| | - Mercedes Sánchez
- Centro de Biología Molecular Severo Ochoa (CBMSO), Universidad Autónoma de Madrid-Consejo Superior de Investigaciones Científicas, Madrid 28049, Spain.
| | - Eva Sacristán-Horcajada
- Centro de Biología Molecular Severo Ochoa (CBMSO), Universidad Autónoma de Madrid-Consejo Superior de Investigaciones Científicas, Madrid 28049, Spain.
| | - Sandra González-de la Fuente
- Centro de Biología Molecular Severo Ochoa (CBMSO), Universidad Autónoma de Madrid-Consejo Superior de Investigaciones Científicas, Madrid 28049, Spain.
| | - Ramón Peiró
- Centro de Biología Molecular Severo Ochoa (CBMSO), Universidad Autónoma de Madrid-Consejo Superior de Investigaciones Científicas, Madrid 28049, Spain.
| | - José Berenguer
- Centro de Biología Molecular Severo Ochoa (CBMSO), Universidad Autónoma de Madrid-Consejo Superior de Investigaciones Científicas, Madrid 28049, Spain.
| |
Collapse
|
39
|
Guler HI, Ceylan E, Canakci S, Belduz AO. A novel cryptic and theta type plasmid (pHIG22) from Thermus scodotuctus sp. K6. Gene 2018; 679:282-290. [PMID: 30092344 DOI: 10.1016/j.gene.2018.08.015] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/20/2018] [Accepted: 08/04/2018] [Indexed: 11/29/2022]
Abstract
A cryptic plasmid pHIG22 from Thermus scotoductus sp. K6, an isolate from the Alangullu Hot Spring (Aydin, Turkey), was sequenced and characterized. The pHIG22 plasmid is a multicopy, double stranded and 2222 bp circular molecule with 62.78% GC content, which shows a characteristical nucleotide sequence without any homology to other known plasmids. Five open reading frames were predicted based on the nucleotide sequence analysis. The deduced amino acid sequence of all predicted ORFs didn't show any similarity with any known proteins. Three palindroms were detected and two promoter sequences were predicted in both strands. With electron microscopy (TEM) analysis, the replication intermediates were seen as typical Q-shaped molecules that committing pHIG22 replicates via the Theta replication mechanism. A 2012 bp region among 387 and 614 bp of pHIG22 was determined as minimal replicon which carries the elements necessary for plasmid replication and ori region. Furthermore, quantitative real-time PCR showed that the relative copy number of pHIG22 was estimated to be 148.2 ± 4.7 copies per chromosome equivalent. The new Theta type plasmid would be useful and beneficial to build vectors for cloning of thermophilic genes and in vivo protein engineering.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Halil Ibrahim Guler
- Karadeniz Technical University, Faculty of Science, Department of Molecular Biology and Genetics, 61080 Trabzon, Turkey
| | - Esma Ceylan
- Karadeniz Technical University, Faculty of Science, Department of Biology, 61080 Trabzon, Turkey
| | - Sabriye Canakci
- Karadeniz Technical University, Faculty of Science, Department of Biology, 61080 Trabzon, Turkey
| | - Ali Osman Belduz
- Karadeniz Technical University, Faculty of Science, Department of Biology, 61080 Trabzon, Turkey.
| |
Collapse
|
40
|
Physiological and genomic properties of Thermus tenuipuniceus sp. nov., a novel slight reddish color member isolated from a terrestrial geothermal spring. Syst Appl Microbiol 2018; 41:611-618. [PMID: 30217696 DOI: 10.1016/j.syapm.2018.08.011] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/23/2018] [Revised: 08/15/2018] [Accepted: 08/21/2018] [Indexed: 11/23/2022]
Abstract
Two closely related, thermophilic bacteria, designated strains YIM 76954T and YIM 76947, were isolated from the Rehai Geothermal Field, Tengchong, Yunnan province, south-west China. Polyphasic approach and whole genome sequencing were used to determine the taxonomy status and genomic profiles of the novel strains. Phylogenetic analysis based on 16S rRNA gene sequences indicated that the two isolates were closely related to Thermus scotoductus SE-1T (97.1% sequence similarity), and T. amyloliquefaciens YIM 77409T (96.6%). The strains could be differentiated from most recognized Thermus species by their whitish to slight reddish colony color, distinct DNA fingerprinting profiles and low ANI values. Cells stained Gram-negative, rod-shaped of diameter 0.2-0.5μm and length 1.5-5.0μm. Growth occurred at 50-75°C, pH 6.0-9.0 and in the presence of up to 1.0% (w/v) NaCl concentration. Thiosulfate was found to enhance cell growth, besides improving the intensity of its colony color. Oxygen, nitrate, sulfur, and Fe(III) could be used as terminal electron acceptors for growth. MK-8 was the major respiratory menaquinone. Major fatty acids were iso-C17:0, iso-C15:0, anteiso-C17:0, and anteiso-C15:0. The genome size was 2.26Mbp with 65.5% average GC content. A total of 2374 genes was predicted, comprising 2322 protein-coding and 52 RNA genes. On the basis of the polyphasic evidence presented, it is proposed that strain YIM 76954T represents a novel species of the genus Thermus, for which the name Thermus tenuipuniceus sp. nov. is proposed. The type strain is YIM 76954T (=JCM 30350T=KCTC 4677T).
Collapse
|
41
|
Zablocki O, van Zyl L, Trindade M. Biogeography and taxonomic overview of terrestrial hot spring thermophilic phages. Extremophiles 2018; 22:827-837. [PMID: 30121708 DOI: 10.1007/s00792-018-1052-5] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/28/2018] [Accepted: 08/13/2018] [Indexed: 12/11/2022]
Abstract
Bacterial viruses ("phages") play important roles in the regulation and evolution of microbial communities in most ecosystems. Terrestrial hot springs typically contain thermophilic bacterial communities, but the diversity and impacts of its associated viruses ("thermophilic phages") are largely unexplored. Here, we provide a taxonomic overview of phages that have been isolated strictly from terrestrial hot springs around the world. In addition, we placed 17 thermophilic phage genomes in a global phylogenomic context to detect evolutionary patterns. Thermophilic phages have diverse morphologies (e.g., tailed, filamentous), unique virion structures (e.g., extremely long tailed siphoviruses), and span five taxonomic families encompassing strictly thermophilic phage genera. Within the phage proteomic tree, six thermophilic phage-related clades were identified, with evident genomic relatedness between thermophilic phages and archaeal viruses. Moreover, whole proteome analyses showed clustering between phages that infect distinct host phyla, such as Firmicutes and Deinococcus-Thermus. The potential for discovery of novel phage-host systems in terrestrial hot springs remain mostly untapped, thus additional emphasis on thermophilic phages in ecological prospecting is encouraged to gain insights into the microbial population dynamics of these environments.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Olivier Zablocki
- Department of Microbiology, The Ohio State University, Columbus, OH, USA.,Institute for Microbial Biotechnology and Metagenomics, University of the Western Cape, Bellville, South Africa
| | - Leonardo van Zyl
- Institute for Microbial Biotechnology and Metagenomics, University of the Western Cape, Bellville, South Africa
| | - Marla Trindade
- Institute for Microbial Biotechnology and Metagenomics, University of the Western Cape, Bellville, South Africa.
| |
Collapse
|
42
|
Functional dissection of the three N-terminal general secretory pathway domains and the Walker motifs of the traffic ATPase PilF from Thermus thermophilus. Extremophiles 2018; 22:461-471. [PMID: 29464394 DOI: 10.1007/s00792-018-1008-9] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/08/2017] [Accepted: 02/05/2018] [Indexed: 01/25/2023]
Abstract
The traffic ATPase PilF of Thermus thermophilus powers pilus assembly as well as uptake of DNA. PilF differs from other traffic ATPases by a triplicated general secretory pathway II, protein E, N-terminal domain (GSPIIABC). We investigated the in vivo and in vitro roles of the GSPII domains, the Walker A motif and a catalytic glutamate by analyzing a set of PilF deletion derivatives and pilF mutants. Here, we report that PilF variants devoid of the first two or all three GSPII domains do not form stable hexamers indicating a role of the triplicated GSPII domain in complex formation and/or stability. A pilFΔGSPIIC mutant was significantly impaired in piliation which leads to the conclusion that the GSPIIC domain plays a vital role in pilus assembly. Interestingly, the pilFΔGSPIIC mutant was hypertransformable. This suggests that GSPIIC strongly affects transformation efficiency. A pilF∆GSPIIA mutant exhibited wild-type piliation but reduced pilus-mediated twitching motility, suggesting that GSPIIA plays a role in pilus dynamics. Furthermore, we report that pilF mutants with a defect in the ATP binding Walker A motif or in the catalytic glutamate residue are defective in piliation and natural transformation. These findings show that both, ATP binding and hydrolysis, are essential for the dual function of PilF in natural transformation and pilus assembly.
Collapse
|
43
|
Optimization of the production of an extracellular and thermostable amylolytic enzyme by Thermus thermophilus HB8 and basic characterization. Extremophiles 2017; 22:189-202. [PMID: 29260387 DOI: 10.1007/s00792-017-0987-2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/31/2017] [Accepted: 12/08/2017] [Indexed: 10/18/2022]
Abstract
The objective of this study was to determine the potential of Thermus thermophilus HB8 for accumulating a high level of extracellular, thermostable amylolytic enzyme. Initial production tests indicated clearly that only very low levels of amylolytic activity could be detected, solely from cells after extraction using the mild, non-ionic detergent Triton X-100. A sequential optimization strategy, based on statistical designs, was used to enhance greatly the production of extracellular amylolytic activity to achieve industrially attractive enzyme titers. Focus was placed on the optimal level of initial biomass concentration, culture medium composition and temperature for maximizing extracellular amylolytic enzyme accumulation. Empirical models were then developed describing the effects of the experimental parameters and their interactions on extracellular amylolytic enzyme production. Following such efforts, extracellular amylolytic enzyme accumulation was increased more than 70-fold, with enzyme titers in the 76 U/mL range. The crude extracellular enzyme was thereafter partially characterized. The optimal temperature and pH values were found to be 80 °C and 9.0, respectively. 100% of the initial enzyme activity could be recovered after incubation for 24 h at 80 °C, therefore, proving the very high thermostability of the enzyme preparation.
Collapse
|
44
|
Alvarez L, Quintáns NG, Blesa A, Baquedano I, Mencía M, Bricio C, Berenguer J. Hierarchical Control of Nitrite Respiration by Transcription Factors Encoded within Mobile Gene Clusters of Thermus thermophilus. Genes (Basel) 2017; 8:genes8120361. [PMID: 29194386 PMCID: PMC5748679 DOI: 10.3390/genes8120361] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/31/2017] [Revised: 11/23/2017] [Accepted: 11/29/2017] [Indexed: 11/16/2022] Open
Abstract
Denitrification in Thermus thermophilus is encoded by the nitrate respiration conjugative element (NCE) and nitrite and nitric oxide respiration (nic) gene clusters. A tight coordination of each cluster’s expression is required to maximize anaerobic growth, and to avoid toxicity by intermediates, especially nitric oxides (NO). Here, we study the control of the nitrite reductases (Nir) and NO reductases (Nor) upon horizontal acquisition of the NCE and nic clusters by a formerly aerobic host. Expression of the nic promoters PnirS, PnirJ, and PnorC, depends on the oxygen sensor DnrS and on the DnrT protein, both NCE-encoded. NsrR, a nic-encoded transcription factor with an iron–sulfur cluster, is also involved in Nir and Nor control. Deletion of nsrR decreased PnorC and PnirJ transcription, and activated PnirS under denitrification conditions, exhibiting a dual regulatory role never described before for members of the NsrR family. On the basis of these results, a regulatory hierarchy is proposed, in which under anoxia, there is a pre-activation of the nic promoters by DnrS and DnrT, and then NsrR leads to Nor induction and Nir repression, likely as a second stage of regulation that would require NO detection, thus avoiding accumulation of toxic levels of NO. The whole system appears to work in remarkable coordination to function only when the relevant nitrogen species are present inside the cell.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Laura Alvarez
- Centro de Biología Molecular Severo Ochoa, Universidad Autónoma de Madrid-Consejo Superior de Investigaciones Científicas, 28049 Madrid, Spain.
- Current Address: Laboratory for Molecular Infection Medicine Sweden, Department of Molecular Biology, Umeå University, 90187 Umeå, Sweden.
| | - Nieves G Quintáns
- Centro de Biología Molecular Severo Ochoa, Universidad Autónoma de Madrid-Consejo Superior de Investigaciones Científicas, 28049 Madrid, Spain.
| | - Alba Blesa
- Centro de Biología Molecular Severo Ochoa, Universidad Autónoma de Madrid-Consejo Superior de Investigaciones Científicas, 28049 Madrid, Spain.
| | - Ignacio Baquedano
- Centro de Biología Molecular Severo Ochoa, Universidad Autónoma de Madrid-Consejo Superior de Investigaciones Científicas, 28049 Madrid, Spain.
| | - Mario Mencía
- Centro de Biología Molecular Severo Ochoa, Universidad Autónoma de Madrid-Consejo Superior de Investigaciones Científicas, 28049 Madrid, Spain.
| | - Carlos Bricio
- Centro de Biología Molecular Severo Ochoa, Universidad Autónoma de Madrid-Consejo Superior de Investigaciones Científicas, 28049 Madrid, Spain.
| | - José Berenguer
- Centro de Biología Molecular Severo Ochoa, Universidad Autónoma de Madrid-Consejo Superior de Investigaciones Científicas, 28049 Madrid, Spain.
| |
Collapse
|
45
|
Bacusmo JM, Kuzmishin AB, Cantara WA, Goto Y, Suga H, Musier-Forsyth K. Quality control by trans-editing factor prevents global mistranslation of non-protein amino acid α-aminobutyrate. RNA Biol 2017; 15:576-585. [PMID: 28737471 DOI: 10.1080/15476286.2017.1353846] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/19/2022] Open
Abstract
Accuracy in protein biosynthesis is maintained through multiple pathways, with a critical checkpoint occurring at the tRNA aminoacylation step catalyzed by aminoacyl-tRNA synthetases (ARSs). In addition to the editing functions inherent to some synthetases, single-domain trans-editing factors, which are structurally homologous to ARS editing domains, have evolved as alternative mechanisms to correct mistakes in aminoacyl-tRNA synthesis. To date, ARS-like trans-editing domains have been shown to act on specific tRNAs that are mischarged with genetically encoded amino acids. However, structurally related non-protein amino acids are ubiquitous in cells and threaten the proteome. Here, we show that a previously uncharacterized homolog of the bacterial prolyl-tRNA synthetase (ProRS) editing domain edits a known ProRS aminoacylation error, Ala-tRNAPro, but displays even more robust editing of tRNAs misaminoacylated with the non-protein amino acid α-aminobutyrate (2-aminobutyrate, Abu) in vitro and in vivo. Our results indicate that editing by trans-editing domains such as ProXp-x studied here may offer advantages to cells, especially under environmental conditions where concentrations of non-protein amino acids may challenge the substrate specificity of ARSs.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Jo Marie Bacusmo
- a Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry , The Ohio State University , Columbus , OH , USA.,b Center for RNA Biology , The Ohio State University , Columbus , OH , USA
| | - Alexandra B Kuzmishin
- a Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry , The Ohio State University , Columbus , OH , USA.,b Center for RNA Biology , The Ohio State University , Columbus , OH , USA
| | - William A Cantara
- a Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry , The Ohio State University , Columbus , OH , USA.,b Center for RNA Biology , The Ohio State University , Columbus , OH , USA
| | - Yuki Goto
- c Department of Chemistry , Graduate School of Science, The University of Tokyo , Bunkyo , Tokyo , Japan
| | - Hiroaki Suga
- c Department of Chemistry , Graduate School of Science, The University of Tokyo , Bunkyo , Tokyo , Japan
| | - Karin Musier-Forsyth
- a Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry , The Ohio State University , Columbus , OH , USA.,b Center for RNA Biology , The Ohio State University , Columbus , OH , USA
| |
Collapse
|
46
|
Development of a new host-vector system for colour selection of cloned DNA inserts using a newly designed β-galactosidase gene containing multiple cloning sites in Thermus thermophilus HB27. Extremophiles 2017; 21:1111-1117. [PMID: 28894938 DOI: 10.1007/s00792-017-0961-z] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/25/2017] [Accepted: 09/01/2017] [Indexed: 10/18/2022]
Abstract
We constructed a new Thermus thermophilus cloning vector which enables the colour selection of cloned DNA inserts in the T. thermophilus HB27 host strain (β-gal-) on growth plates containing 3,4-cyclohexenoesculetin β-D-galactopyranoside (S-gal) in the medium. This vector harbors a modified β-galactosidase gene (TTP0042 of T. thermophilus HB27) with 12 unique restriction enzyme sites (Acc65I, AvrII, BlpI, BssHII, EcoRI, EcoRV, HindIII, NruI, SalI, SpeI, SphI and XbaI) as multiple cloning sites under the control of the T. thermophilus slpA promoter. This host-vector system facilitates cloning procedures in T. thermophilus HB27.
Collapse
|
47
|
Rodrigues RAL, Andrade ACDSP, Boratto PVDM, Trindade GDS, Kroon EG, Abrahão JS. An Anthropocentric View of the Virosphere-Host Relationship. Front Microbiol 2017; 8:1673. [PMID: 28912772 PMCID: PMC5582082 DOI: 10.3389/fmicb.2017.01673] [Citation(s) in RCA: 20] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/11/2017] [Accepted: 08/17/2017] [Indexed: 02/02/2023] Open
Abstract
For over a century, viruses have been known as the most abundant and diverse group of organisms on Earth, forming a virosphere. Based on extensive meta-analyses, we present, for the first time, a wide and complete overview of virus–host network, covering all known viral species. Our data indicate that most of known viral species, regardless of their genomic category, have an intriguingly narrow host range, infecting only 1 or 2 host species. Our data also show that the known virosphere has expanded based on viruses of human interest, related to economical, medical or biotechnological activities. In addition, we provide an overview of the distribution of viruses on different environments on Earth, based on meta-analyses of available metaviromic data, showing the contrasting ubiquity of head-tailed phages against the specificity of some viral groups in certain environments. Finally, we uncovered all human viral species, exploring their diversity and the most affected organic systems. The virus–host network presented here shows an anthropocentric view of the virology. It is therefore clear that a huge effort and change in perspective is necessary to see more than the tip of the iceberg when it comes to virology.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Rodrigo A L Rodrigues
- Laboratório de Vírus, Department of Microbiology, Universidade Federal de Minas GeraisBelo Horizonte, Brazil
| | - Ana C Dos S P Andrade
- Laboratório de Vírus, Department of Microbiology, Universidade Federal de Minas GeraisBelo Horizonte, Brazil
| | - Paulo V de M Boratto
- Laboratório de Vírus, Department of Microbiology, Universidade Federal de Minas GeraisBelo Horizonte, Brazil
| | - Giliane de S Trindade
- Laboratório de Vírus, Department of Microbiology, Universidade Federal de Minas GeraisBelo Horizonte, Brazil
| | - Erna G Kroon
- Laboratório de Vírus, Department of Microbiology, Universidade Federal de Minas GeraisBelo Horizonte, Brazil
| | - Jônatas S Abrahão
- Laboratório de Vírus, Department of Microbiology, Universidade Federal de Minas GeraisBelo Horizonte, Brazil
| |
Collapse
|
48
|
Towards a sustainable biobased industry - Highlighting the impact of extremophiles. N Biotechnol 2017; 40:144-153. [PMID: 28512003 DOI: 10.1016/j.nbt.2017.05.002] [Citation(s) in RCA: 54] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/05/2017] [Revised: 02/28/2017] [Accepted: 05/03/2017] [Indexed: 11/21/2022]
Abstract
The transition of the oil-based economy towards a sustainable economy completely relying on biomass as renewable feedstock requires the concerted action of academia, industry, politics and civil society. An interdisciplinary approach of various fields such as microbiology, molecular biology, chemistry, genetics, chemical engineering and agriculture in addition to cross-sectional technologies such as economy, logistics and digitalization is necessary to meet the future global challenges. The genomic era has contributed significantly to the exploitation of naturés biodiversity also from extreme habitats. By applying modern technologies it is now feasible to deliver robust enzymes (extremozymes) and robust microbial systems that are active at temperatures up to 120°C, at pH 0 and 12 and at 1000bar. In the post-genomic era, different sophisticated "omics" analyses will allow the identification of countless novel enzymes regardless of the lack of cultivability of most microorganisms. Furthermore, elaborate protein-engineering methods are clearing the way towards tailor-made robust biocatalysts. Applying environmentally friendly and efficient biological processes, terrestrial and marine biomass can be converted to high value products e.g. chemicals, building blocks, biomaterials, pharmaceuticals, food, feed and biofuels. Thus, further application of extremophiles has the potential to improve sustainability of existing biotechnological processes towards a greener biobased industry.
Collapse
|
49
|
Bacon LF, Hamley-Bennett C, Danson MJ, Leak DJ. Development of an efficient technique for gene deletion and allelic exchange in Geobacillus spp. Microb Cell Fact 2017; 16:58. [PMID: 28381218 PMCID: PMC5382374 DOI: 10.1186/s12934-017-0670-4] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/10/2017] [Accepted: 03/29/2017] [Indexed: 12/30/2022] Open
Abstract
Background Geobacillus thermoglucosidasius is a thermophilic, natural ethanol producer and a potential candidate for commercial bioethanol production. Previously, G. thermoglucosidasius has been genetically modified to create an industrially-relevant ethanol production strain. However, creating chromosomal integrations and deletions in Geobacillus spp. is laborious. Here we describe a new technique to create marker-less mutations in Geobacillus utilising a novel homologous recombination process. Results Our technique incorporates counter-selection using β-glucosidase and the synthetic substrate X-Glu, in combination with a two-step homologous recombination process where the first step is a selectable double-crossover event that deletes the target gene. We demonstrate how we have utilised this technique to delete two components of the proteinaceous shell of the Geobacillus propanediol-utilization microcompartment, and simultaneously introduce an oxygen-sensitive promoter in front of the remaining shell-component genes and confirm its functional incorporation. Conclusion The selectable deletion of the target gene in the first step of our process prevents re-creation of wild-type which can occur in most homologous recombination techniques, circumventing the need for PCR screening to identify mutants. Our new technique therefore offers a faster, more efficient method of creating mutants in Geobacillus.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Leann F Bacon
- Department of Biology and Biochemistry, University of Bath, Bath, BA2 7AY, UK
| | | | - Michael J Danson
- Department of Biology and Biochemistry, University of Bath, Bath, BA2 7AY, UK
| | - David J Leak
- Department of Biology and Biochemistry, University of Bath, Bath, BA2 7AY, UK.
| |
Collapse
|
50
|
Schäfers C, Blank S, Wiebusch S, Elleuche S, Antranikian G. Complete genome sequence of Thermus brockianus GE-1 reveals key enzymes of xylan/xylose metabolism. Stand Genomic Sci 2017; 12:22. [PMID: 28174620 PMCID: PMC5292009 DOI: 10.1186/s40793-017-0225-7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/24/2016] [Accepted: 12/23/2016] [Indexed: 11/20/2022] Open
Abstract
Thermus brockianus strain GE-1 is a thermophilic, Gram-negative, rod-shaped and non-motile bacterium that was isolated from the Geysir geothermal area, Iceland. Like other thermophiles, Thermus species are often used as model organisms to understand the mechanism of action of extremozymes, especially focusing on their heat-activity and thermostability. Genome-specific features of T. brockianus GE-1 and their properties further help to explain processes of the adaption of extremophiles at elevated temperatures. Here we analyze the first whole genome sequence of T. brockianus strain GE-1. Insights of the genome sequence and the methodologies that were applied during de novo assembly and annotation are given in detail. The finished genome shows a phred quality value of QV50. The complete genome size is 2.38 Mb, comprising the chromosome (2,035,182 bp), the megaplasmid pTB1 (342,792 bp) and the smaller plasmid pTB2 (10,299 bp). Gene prediction revealed 2,511 genes in total, including 2,458 protein-encoding genes, 53 RNA and 66 pseudo genes. A unique genomic region on megaplasmid pTB1 was identified encoding key enzymes for xylan depolymerization and xylose metabolism. This is in agreement with the growth experiments in which xylan is utilized as sole source of carbon. Accordingly, we identified sequences encoding the xylanase Xyn10, an endoglucanase, the membrane ABC sugar transporter XylH, the xylose-binding protein XylF, the xylose isomerase XylA catalyzing the first step of xylose metabolism and the xylulokinase XylB, responsible for the second step of xylose metabolism. Our data indicate that an ancestor of T. brockianus obtained the ability to use xylose as alternative carbon source by horizontal gene transfer.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Christian Schäfers
- Institute of Technical Microbiology, Hamburg University of Technology (TUHH), Kasernenstraße 12, 21073 Hamburg, Germany
| | - Saskia Blank
- Institute of Technical Microbiology, Hamburg University of Technology (TUHH), Kasernenstraße 12, 21073 Hamburg, Germany
| | - Sigrid Wiebusch
- Institute of Technical Microbiology, Hamburg University of Technology (TUHH), Kasernenstraße 12, 21073 Hamburg, Germany
| | - Skander Elleuche
- Institute of Technical Microbiology, Hamburg University of Technology (TUHH), Kasernenstraße 12, 21073 Hamburg, Germany
| | - Garabed Antranikian
- Institute of Technical Microbiology, Hamburg University of Technology (TUHH), Kasernenstraße 12, 21073 Hamburg, Germany
| |
Collapse
|