1H, 13C, 15N resonance assignment of the chitin-binding protein CBP21 from Serratia marcescens

Resonance assignments for the apo-form of the cellulose-active lytic polysaccharide monooxygenase TaLPMO9A

The apo-form of the 24.4 kDa AA9 family lytic polysaccharide monooxygenase TaLPMO9A from Thermoascus aurantiacus has been isotopically labeled and recombinantly expressed in Pichia pastoris. In this paper, we report the ¹H, ¹³C, and ¹⁵N chemical shift assignments, as well as an analysis of the secondary structure of the protein based on the secondary chemical shifts.

Backbone and side-chain (1)H, (13)C, and (15)N chemical shift assignments for the apo-form of the lytic polysaccharide monooxygenase NcLPMO9C

The apo-form of the 23.3 kDa catalytic domain of the AA9 family lytic polysaccharide monooxygenase NcLPMO9C from Neurospora crassa has been isotopically labeled and recombinantly expressed in Pichia pastoris. In this paper, we report the (1)H, (13)C, and (15)N chemical shift assignments of this LPMO.

Eco-Evolutionary Dynamics of Episomes among Ecologically Cohesive Bacterial Populations

Although plasmids and other episomes are recognized as key players in horizontal gene transfer among microbes, their diversity and dynamics among ecologically structured host populations in the wild remain poorly understood. Here, we show that natural populations of marine Vibrionaceae bacteria host large numbers of families of episomes, consisting of plasmids and a surprisingly high fraction of plasmid-like temperate phages. Episomes are unevenly distributed among host populations, and contrary to the notion that high-density communities in biofilms act as hot spots of gene transfer, we identified a strong bias for episomes to occur in free-living as opposed to particle-attached cells. Mapping of episomal families onto host phylogeny shows that, with the exception of all phage and a few plasmid families, most are of recent evolutionary origin and appear to have spread rapidly by horizontal transfer. Such high eco-evolutionary turnover is particularly surprising for plasmids that are, based on previously suggested categorization, putatively nontransmissible, indicating that this type of plasmid is indeed frequently transferred by currently unknown mechanisms. Finally, analysis of recent gene transfer among plasmids reveals a network of extensive exchange connecting nearly all episomes. Genes functioning in plasmid transfer and maintenance are frequently exchanged, suggesting that plasmids can be rapidly transformed from one category to another. The broad distribution of episomes among distantly related hosts and the observed promiscuous recombination patterns show how episomes can offer their hosts rapid assembly and dissemination of novel functions.

IMPORTANCE

Plasmids and other episomes are an integral part of bacterial biology in all environments, yet their study is heavily biased toward their role as vectors for antibiotic resistance genes. This study presents a comprehensive analysis of all episomes within several coexisting bacterial populations of Vibrionaceae from the coastal ocean and represents the largest-yet genomic survey of episomes from a single bacterial family. The host population framework allows analysis of the eco-evolutionary dynamics at unprecedented resolution, yielding several unexpected results. These include (i) discovery of novel, nonintegrative temperate phages, (ii) revision of a class of episomes, previously termed "nontransmissible," as highly transmissible, and (iii) surprisingly high evolutionary turnover of episomes, manifest as frequent birth, spread, and loss.

NMR structure of a lytic polysaccharide monooxygenase provides insight into copper binding, protein dynamics, and substrate interactions

Lytic polysaccharide monooxygenases currently classified as carbohydrate binding module family 33 (CBM33) and glycoside hydrolase family 61 (GH61) are likely to play important roles in future biorefining. However, the molecular basis of their unprecedented catalytic activity remains largely unknown. We have used NMR techniques and isothermal titration calorimetry to address structural and functional aspects of CBP21, a chitin-active CBM33. NMR structural and relaxation studies showed that CBP21 is a compact and rigid molecule, and the only exception is the catalytic metal binding site. NMR data further showed that His28 and His114 in the catalytic center bind a variety of divalent metal ions with a clear preference for Cu(2+) (K(d) = 55 nM; from isothermal titration calorimetry) and higher preference for Cu(1+) (K(d) ∼ 1 nM; from the experimentally determined redox potential for CBP21-Cu(2+) of 275 mV using a thermodynamic cycle). Strong binding of Cu(1+) was also reflected in a reduction in the pK(a) values of the histidines by 3.6 and 2.2 pH units, respectively. Cyanide, a mimic of molecular oxygen, was found to bind to the metal ion only. These data support a model where copper is reduced on the enzyme by an externally provided electron and followed by oxygen binding and activation by internal electron transfer. Interactions of CBP21 with a crystalline substrate were mapped in a (2)H/(1)H exchange experiment, which showed that substrate binding involves an extended planar binding surface, including the metal binding site. Such a planar catalytic surface seems well-suited to interact with crystalline substrates.