1
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Wagner M, Döhlemann J, Geisel D, Sobetzko P, Serrania J, Lenz P, Becker A. Engineering a Sinorhizobium meliloti Chassis with Monopartite, Single Replicon Genome Configuration. ACS Synth Biol 2024; 13:2515-2532. [PMID: 39109796 DOI: 10.1021/acssynbio.4c00281] [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: 08/17/2024]
Abstract
Multipartite bacterial genomes pose challenges for genome engineering and the establishment of additional replicons. We simplified the tripartite genome structure (3.65 Mbp chromosome, 1.35 Mbp megaplasmid pSymA, 1.68 Mbp chromid pSymB) of the nitrogen-fixing plant symbiont Sinorhizobium meliloti. Strains with bi- and monopartite genome configurations were generated by targeted replicon fusions. Our design preserved key genomic features such as replichore ratios, GC skew, KOPS, and coding sequence distribution. Under standard culture conditions, the growth rates of these strains and the wild type were nearly comparable, and the ability for symbiotic nitrogen fixation was maintained. Spatiotemporal replicon organization and segregation were maintained in the triple replicon fusion strain. Deletion of the replication initiator-encoding genes, including the oriVs of pSymA and pSymB from this strain, resulted in a monopartite genome with oriC as the sole origin of replication, a strongly unbalanced replichore ratio, slow growth, aberrant cellular localization of oriC, and deficiency in symbiosis. Suppressor mutation R436H in the cell cycle histidine kinase CckA and a 3.2 Mbp inversion, both individually, largely restored growth, but only the genomic rearrangement recovered the symbiotic capacity. These strains will facilitate the integration of secondary replicons in S. meliloti and thus be useful for genome engineering applications, such as generating hybrid genomes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Marcel Wagner
- Center for Synthetic Microbiology (SYNMIKRO), 35043 Marburg, Germany
- Department of Biology, Philipps-Universität Marburg, 35043 Marburg, Germany
| | - Johannes Döhlemann
- Center for Synthetic Microbiology (SYNMIKRO), 35043 Marburg, Germany
- Department of Biology, Philipps-Universität Marburg, 35043 Marburg, Germany
| | - David Geisel
- Department of Physics, Philipps-Universität Marburg, 35043 Marburg, Germany
| | - Patrick Sobetzko
- Center for Synthetic Microbiology (SYNMIKRO), 35043 Marburg, Germany
| | - Javier Serrania
- Center for Synthetic Microbiology (SYNMIKRO), 35043 Marburg, Germany
- Department of Biology, Philipps-Universität Marburg, 35043 Marburg, Germany
| | - Peter Lenz
- Department of Physics, Philipps-Universität Marburg, 35043 Marburg, Germany
| | - Anke Becker
- Center for Synthetic Microbiology (SYNMIKRO), 35043 Marburg, Germany
- Department of Biology, Philipps-Universität Marburg, 35043 Marburg, Germany
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2
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Sasazawa M, Tomares DT, Childers WS, Saurabh S. Biomolecular condensates as stress sensors and modulators of bacterial signaling. PLoS Pathog 2024; 20:e1012413. [PMID: 39146259 PMCID: PMC11326607 DOI: 10.1371/journal.ppat.1012413] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 08/17/2024] Open
Abstract
Microbes exhibit remarkable adaptability to environmental fluctuations. Signaling mechanisms, such as two-component systems and secondary messengers, have long been recognized as critical for sensing and responding to environmental cues. However, recent research has illuminated the potential of a physical adaptation mechanism in signaling-phase separation, which may represent a ubiquitous mechanism for compartmentalizing biochemistry within the cytoplasm in the context of bacteria that frequently lack membrane-bound organelles. This review considers the broader prospect that phase separation may play critical roles as rapid stress sensing and response mechanisms within pathogens. It is well established that weak multivalent interactions between disordered regions, coiled-coils, and other structured domains can form condensates via phase separation and be regulated by specific environmental parameters in some cases. The process of phase separation itself acts as a responsive sensor, influenced by changes in protein concentration, posttranslational modifications, temperature, salts, pH, and oxidative stresses. This environmentally triggered phase separation can, in turn, regulate the functions of recruited biomolecules, providing a rapid response to stressful conditions. As examples, we describe biochemical pathways organized by condensates that are essential for cell physiology and exhibit signaling features. These include proteins that organize and modify the chromosome (Dps, Hu, SSB), regulate the decay, and modification of RNA (RNase E, Hfq, Rho, RNA polymerase), those involved in signal transduction (PopZ, PodJ, and SpmX) and stress response (aggresomes and polyphosphate granules). We also summarize the potential of proteins within pathogens to function as condensates and the potential and challenges in targeting biomolecular condensates for next-generation antimicrobial therapeutics. Together, this review illuminates the emerging significance of biomolecular condensates in microbial signaling, stress responses, and regulation of cell physiology and provides a framework for microbiologists to consider the function of biomolecular condensates in microbial adaptation and response to diverse environmental conditions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Moeka Sasazawa
- Department of Chemistry, New York University, New York, New York, United States of America
| | - Dylan T Tomares
- Department of Chemistry, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, United States of America
| | - W Seth Childers
- Department of Chemistry, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, United States of America
| | - Saumya Saurabh
- Department of Chemistry, New York University, New York, New York, United States of America
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3
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Letzkus M, Trela C, Mera PE. Three factors ParA, TipN, and DnaA-mediated chromosome replication initiation are contributors of centromere segregation in Caulobacter crescentus. Mol Biol Cell 2024; 35:ar68. [PMID: 38568781 PMCID: PMC11151105 DOI: 10.1091/mbc.e23-12-0503] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/22/2023] [Revised: 03/05/2024] [Accepted: 03/25/2024] [Indexed: 04/05/2024] Open
Abstract
The ability of bacteria to maintain chromosomal integrity throughout their life cycle is crucial for survival. In Caulobacter crescentus, the polar factor TipN has been proposed to be involved with the partitioning system ParABS. Cells with tipN knocked out display subtle segregation defects of the centromere-like region parS. We hypothesized that TipN's role with parS segregation is obscured by other forces that are ParABS-independent. To test our hypothesis, we removed one of those forces - chromosome replication - and analyzed the role of TipN with ParA. We first confirm that ParA retains its ability to transport the centromeric region parS from the stalked pole to the opposite pole in the absence of chromosome replication. Our data revealed that in the absence of chromosome replication, TipN becomes essential for ParA's ability to transport parS. Furthermore, we identify a potential connection between the replication initiator DnaA and TipN. Although TipN is not essential for viability, tipN knockout cells lose viability when the regulation of DnaA levels is altered. Our data suggest that the DnaA-dependent susceptibility of tipN knockout cells is connected to parS segregation. Collectively, this work provides insights into the complex regulation involved in the coordination of chromosome replication and segregation in bacteria.
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Affiliation(s)
- Morgan Letzkus
- Department of Microbiology, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, Urbana, IL 61801
| | - Corey Trela
- Department of Microbiology, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, Urbana, IL 61801
| | - Paola E. Mera
- Department of Microbiology, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, Urbana, IL 61801
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4
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Holehouse AS, Kragelund BB. The molecular basis for cellular function of intrinsically disordered protein regions. Nat Rev Mol Cell Biol 2024; 25:187-211. [PMID: 37957331 DOI: 10.1038/s41580-023-00673-0] [Citation(s) in RCA: 55] [Impact Index Per Article: 55.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 09/26/2023] [Indexed: 11/15/2023]
Abstract
Intrinsically disordered protein regions exist in a collection of dynamic interconverting conformations that lack a stable 3D structure. These regions are structurally heterogeneous, ubiquitous and found across all kingdoms of life. Despite the absence of a defined 3D structure, disordered regions are essential for cellular processes ranging from transcriptional control and cell signalling to subcellular organization. Through their conformational malleability and adaptability, disordered regions extend the repertoire of macromolecular interactions and are readily tunable by their structural and chemical context, making them ideal responders to regulatory cues. Recent work has led to major advances in understanding the link between protein sequence and conformational behaviour in disordered regions, yet the link between sequence and molecular function is less well defined. Here we consider the biochemical and biophysical foundations that underlie how and why disordered regions can engage in productive cellular functions, provide examples of emerging concepts and discuss how protein disorder contributes to intracellular information processing and regulation of cellular function.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alex S Holehouse
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biophysics, Washington University School of Medicine, St Louis, MO, USA.
- Center for Biomolecular Condensates, Washington University in St Louis, St Louis, MO, USA.
| | - Birthe B Kragelund
- REPIN, Structural Biology and NMR Laboratory, Department of Biology, University of Copenhagen, Copenhagen, Denmark.
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5
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Monterroso B, Margolin W, Boersma AJ, Rivas G, Poolman B, Zorrilla S. Macromolecular Crowding, Phase Separation, and Homeostasis in the Orchestration of Bacterial Cellular Functions. Chem Rev 2024; 124:1899-1949. [PMID: 38331392 PMCID: PMC10906006 DOI: 10.1021/acs.chemrev.3c00622] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/31/2023] [Revised: 12/01/2023] [Accepted: 01/10/2024] [Indexed: 02/10/2024]
Abstract
Macromolecular crowding affects the activity of proteins and functional macromolecular complexes in all cells, including bacteria. Crowding, together with physicochemical parameters such as pH, ionic strength, and the energy status, influences the structure of the cytoplasm and thereby indirectly macromolecular function. Notably, crowding also promotes the formation of biomolecular condensates by phase separation, initially identified in eukaryotic cells but more recently discovered to play key functions in bacteria. Bacterial cells require a variety of mechanisms to maintain physicochemical homeostasis, in particular in environments with fluctuating conditions, and the formation of biomolecular condensates is emerging as one such mechanism. In this work, we connect physicochemical homeostasis and macromolecular crowding with the formation and function of biomolecular condensates in the bacterial cell and compare the supramolecular structures found in bacteria with those of eukaryotic cells. We focus on the effects of crowding and phase separation on the control of bacterial chromosome replication, segregation, and cell division, and we discuss the contribution of biomolecular condensates to bacterial cell fitness and adaptation to environmental stress.
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Affiliation(s)
- Begoña Monterroso
- Department
of Structural and Chemical Biology, Centro de Investigaciones Biológicas
Margarita Salas, Consejo Superior de Investigaciones
Científicas (CSIC), 28040 Madrid, Spain
| | - William Margolin
- Department
of Microbiology and Molecular Genetics, McGovern Medical School, UTHealth-Houston, Houston, Texas 77030, United States
| | - Arnold J. Boersma
- Cellular
Protein Chemistry, Bijvoet Centre for Biomolecular Research, Faculty
of Science, Utrecht University, Padualaan 8, 3584 CH Utrecht, The Netherlands
| | - Germán Rivas
- Department
of Structural and Chemical Biology, Centro de Investigaciones Biológicas
Margarita Salas, Consejo Superior de Investigaciones
Científicas (CSIC), 28040 Madrid, Spain
| | - Bert Poolman
- Department
of Biochemistry, University of Groningen, Nijenborgh 4, 9747 AG Groningen, The Netherlands
| | - Silvia Zorrilla
- Department
of Structural and Chemical Biology, Centro de Investigaciones Biológicas
Margarita Salas, Consejo Superior de Investigaciones
Científicas (CSIC), 28040 Madrid, Spain
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6
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Mahone CR, Payne IP, Lyu Z, McCausland JW, Barrows JM, Xiao J, Yang X, Goley ED. Integration of cell wall synthesis and chromosome segregation during cell division in Caulobacter. J Cell Biol 2024; 223:e202211026. [PMID: 38015166 PMCID: PMC10683668 DOI: 10.1083/jcb.202211026] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/05/2022] [Revised: 10/17/2023] [Accepted: 11/10/2023] [Indexed: 11/29/2023] Open
Abstract
To divide, bacteria must synthesize their peptidoglycan (PG) cell wall, a protective meshwork that maintains cell shape. FtsZ, a tubulin homolog, dynamically assembles into a midcell band, recruiting division proteins, including the PG synthases FtsW and FtsI. FtsWI are activated to synthesize PG and drive constriction at the appropriate time and place. However, their activation pathway remains unresolved. In Caulobacter crescentus, FtsWI activity requires FzlA, an essential FtsZ-binding protein. Through time-lapse imaging and single-molecule tracking of Caulobacter FtsW and FzlA, we demonstrate that FzlA is a limiting constriction activation factor that signals to promote conversion of inactive FtsW to an active, slow-moving state. We find that FzlA interacts with the DNA translocase FtsK and place FtsK genetically in a pathway with FzlA and FtsWI. Misregulation of the FzlA-FtsK-FtsWI pathway leads to heightened DNA damage and cell death. We propose that FzlA integrates the FtsZ ring, chromosome segregation, and PG synthesis to ensure robust and timely constriction during Caulobacter division.
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Affiliation(s)
- Christopher R. Mahone
- Department of Biological Chemistry, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD, USA
| | - Isaac P. Payne
- Department of Biological Chemistry, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD, USA
| | - Zhixin Lyu
- Department of Biophysics and Biophysical Chemistry, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD, USA
| | - Joshua W. McCausland
- Department of Biophysics and Biophysical Chemistry, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD, USA
| | - Jordan M. Barrows
- Department of Biological Chemistry, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD, USA
| | - Jie Xiao
- Department of Biophysics and Biophysical Chemistry, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD, USA
| | - Xinxing Yang
- Department of Biophysics and Biophysical Chemistry, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD, USA
- Division of Life Sciences and Medicine, MOE Key Laboratory for Membraneless Organelles and Cellular Dynamics, School of Basic Medical Sciences, University of Science and Technology of China, Hefei, China
| | - Erin D. Goley
- Department of Biological Chemistry, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD, USA
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7
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Tišma M, Kaljević J, Gruber S, Le TBK, Dekker C. Connecting the dots: key insights on ParB for chromosome segregation from single-molecule studies. FEMS Microbiol Rev 2024; 48:fuad067. [PMID: 38142222 PMCID: PMC10786196 DOI: 10.1093/femsre/fuad067] [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: 11/20/2023] [Revised: 12/19/2023] [Accepted: 12/22/2023] [Indexed: 12/25/2023] Open
Abstract
Bacterial cells require DNA segregation machinery to properly distribute a genome to both daughter cells upon division. The most common system involved in chromosome and plasmid segregation in bacteria is the ParABS system. A core protein of this system - partition protein B (ParB) - regulates chromosome organization and chromosome segregation during the bacterial cell cycle. Over the past decades, research has greatly advanced our knowledge of the ParABS system. However, many intricate details of the mechanism of ParB proteins were only recently uncovered using in vitro single-molecule techniques. These approaches allowed the exploration of ParB proteins in precisely controlled environments, free from the complexities of the cellular milieu. This review covers the early developments of this field but emphasizes recent advances in our knowledge of the mechanistic understanding of ParB proteins as revealed by in vitro single-molecule methods. Furthermore, we provide an outlook on future endeavors in investigating ParB, ParB-like proteins, and their interaction partners.
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Affiliation(s)
- Miloš Tišma
- Department of Bionanoscience, Kavli Institute of Nanoscience Delft, Delft University of Technology; Van der Maasweg 9, Delft, the Netherlands
| | - Jovana Kaljević
- Department of Molecular Microbiology, John Innes Centre, Norwich Research Park, Colney Lane, NR4 7UH Norwich, United Kingdom
| | - Stephan Gruber
- Department of Fundamental Microbiology (DMF), Faculty of Biology and Medicine (FBM), University of Lausanne, UNIL-Sorge, Biophore, CH-1015 Lausanne, Switzerland
| | - Tung B K Le
- Department of Molecular Microbiology, John Innes Centre, Norwich Research Park, Colney Lane, NR4 7UH Norwich, United Kingdom
| | - Cees Dekker
- Department of Bionanoscience, Kavli Institute of Nanoscience Delft, Delft University of Technology; Van der Maasweg 9, Delft, the Netherlands
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8
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Letzkus M, Trela C, Mera PE. TipN's involvement with centromere segregation in Caulobacter crescentus. BIORXIV : THE PREPRINT SERVER FOR BIOLOGY 2023:2023.12.20.572679. [PMID: 38187783 PMCID: PMC10769339 DOI: 10.1101/2023.12.20.572679] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/09/2024]
Abstract
Bacteria's ability to maintain chromosomal integrity throughout their life cycle is crucial for their survival. In Caulobacter crescentus, the polar factor TipN has been proposed to be involved with the partitioning system ParABS. However, cells with tipN knocked out display subtle parS segregation defects. We hypothesized that TipN's role with parS segregation is obscured by other forces that are ParABS-independent. To test our hypothesis, we removed one of those forces - chromosome replication - and analyzed the role of TipN with ParA. We first demonstrate that ParA retains its ability to transport the centromeric region parS from the stalked pole to the opposite pole in the absence of chromosome replication. Our data revealed that in the absence of chromosome replication, TipN becomes essential for ParA's ability to transport parS. Furthermore, we identify a potential connection between the replication initiator DnaA and TipN. Although TipN is not essential for viability, tipN knockout cells lose viability when the regulation of DnaA levels is altered. Our data suggest that the DnaA-dependent susceptibility of tipN knockout cells is connected to parS segregation. Collectively, this work provides insights into the complex regulation involved in the coordination of chromosome replication and segregation in bacteria.
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Affiliation(s)
- Morgan Letzkus
- Department of Microbiology, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, Urbana, IL, USA
| | - Corey Trela
- Department of Microbiology, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, Urbana, IL, USA
| | - Paola E. Mera
- Department of Microbiology, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, Urbana, IL, USA
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9
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Matusiak I, Strzałka A, Wadach P, Gongerowska-Jac M, Szwajczak E, Szydłowska-Helbrych A, Kepplinger B, Pióro M, Jakimowicz D. The interplay between the polar growth determinant DivIVA, the segregation protein ParA, and their novel interaction partner PapM controls the Mycobacterium smegmatis cell cycle by modulation of DivIVA subcellular distribution. Microbiol Spectr 2023; 11:e0175223. [PMID: 37966202 PMCID: PMC10714820 DOI: 10.1128/spectrum.01752-23] [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: 04/26/2023] [Accepted: 10/06/2023] [Indexed: 11/16/2023] Open
Abstract
IMPORTANCE The genus of Mycobacterium includes important clinical pathogens (M. tuberculosis). Bacteria of this genus share the unusual features of their cell cycle such as asymmetric polar cell elongation and long generation time. Markedly, control of the mycobacterial cell cycle still remains not fully understood. The main cell growth determinant in mycobacteria is the essential protein DivIVA, which is also involved in cell division. DivIVA activity is controlled by phosphorylation, but the mechanism and significance of this process are unknown. Here, we show how the previously established protein interaction partner of DivIVA in mycobacteria, the segregation protein ParA, affects the DivIVA subcellular distribution. We also demonstrate the role of a newly identified M. smegmatis DivIVA and ParA interaction partner, a protein named PapM, and we establish how their interactions are modulated by phosphorylation. Demonstrating that the tripartite interplay affects the mycobacterial cell cycle contributes to the general understanding of mycobacterial growth regulation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Izabela Matusiak
- Department of Molecular Microbiology, Faculty of Biotechnology, University of Wroclaw, Wroclaw, Poland
| | - Agnieszka Strzałka
- Department of Molecular Microbiology, Faculty of Biotechnology, University of Wroclaw, Wroclaw, Poland
| | - Patrycja Wadach
- Department of Molecular Microbiology, Faculty of Biotechnology, University of Wroclaw, Wroclaw, Poland
| | - Martyna Gongerowska-Jac
- Department of Molecular Microbiology, Faculty of Biotechnology, University of Wroclaw, Wroclaw, Poland
| | | | | | - Bernhard Kepplinger
- Department of Molecular Microbiology, Faculty of Biotechnology, University of Wroclaw, Wroclaw, Poland
| | - Monika Pióro
- Department of Molecular Microbiology, Faculty of Biotechnology, University of Wroclaw, Wroclaw, Poland
| | - Dagmara Jakimowicz
- Department of Molecular Microbiology, Faculty of Biotechnology, University of Wroclaw, Wroclaw, Poland
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10
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Puentes-Rodriguez SG, Norcross J, Mera PE. To let go or not to let go: how ParA can impact the release of the chromosomal anchoring in Caulobacter crescentus. Nucleic Acids Res 2023; 51:12275-12287. [PMID: 37933842 PMCID: PMC10711552 DOI: 10.1093/nar/gkad982] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/18/2023] [Revised: 10/06/2023] [Accepted: 10/17/2023] [Indexed: 11/08/2023] Open
Abstract
Chromosomal maintenance is vital for the survival of bacteria. In Caulobacter crescentus, chromosome replication initiates at ori and segregation is delayed until the nearby centromere-like region parS is replicated. Our understanding of how this sequence of events is regulated remains limited. The segregation of parS has been shown to involve multiple steps including polar release from anchoring protein PopZ, slow movement and fast ParA-dependent movement to the opposite cell pole. In this study, we demonstrate that ParA's competing attractions from PopZ and from DNA are critical for segregation of parS. Interfering with this balance of attractions-by expressing a variant ParA-R195E unable to bind DNA and thus favoring interactions exclusively between ParA-PopZ-results in cell death. Our data revealed that ParA-R195E's sole interactions with PopZ obstruct PopZ's ability to release the polar anchoring of parS, resulting in cells with multiple parS loci fixed at one cell pole. We show that the inability to separate and segregate multiple parS loci from the pole is specifically dependent on the interaction between ParA and PopZ. Collectively, our results reveal that the initial steps in chromosome segregation are highly regulated.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - John D Norcross
- Department of Microbiology, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, Urbana, IL, USA
| | - Paola E Mera
- Department of Microbiology, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, Urbana, IL, USA
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11
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Sadhir I, Murray SM. Mid-cell migration of the chromosomal terminus is coupled to origin segregation in Escherichia coli. Nat Commun 2023; 14:7489. [PMID: 37980336 PMCID: PMC10657355 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-023-43351-7] [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] [Received: 04/03/2023] [Accepted: 11/07/2023] [Indexed: 11/20/2023] Open
Abstract
Bacterial chromosomes are dynamically and spatially organised within cells. In slow-growing Escherichia coli, the chromosomal terminus is initially located at the new pole and must therefore migrate to midcell during replication to reproduce the same pattern in the daughter cells. Here, we use high-throughput time-lapse microscopy to quantify this transition, its timing and its relationship to chromosome segregation. We find that terminus centralisation is a rapid discrete event that occurs ~25 min after initial separation of duplicated origins and ~50 min before the onset of bulk nucleoid segregation but with substantial variation between cells. Despite this variation, its movement is tightly coincident with the completion of origin segregation, even in the absence of its linkage to the divisome, suggesting a coupling between these two events. Indeed, we find that terminus centralisation does not occur if origin segregation away from mid-cell is disrupted, which results in daughter cells having an inverted chromosome organisation. Overall, our study quantifies the choreography of origin-terminus positioning and identifies an unexplored connection between these loci, furthering our understanding of chromosome segregation in this bacterium.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ismath Sadhir
- Max Planck Institute for Terrestrial Microbiology and LOEWE Centre for Synthetic Microbiology (SYNMIKRO), Marburg, Germany
- Microcosm Earth Center, Max Planck Institute for Terrestrial Microbiology and Philipps-Universität Marburg, Marburg, Germany
| | - Seán M Murray
- Max Planck Institute for Terrestrial Microbiology and LOEWE Centre for Synthetic Microbiology (SYNMIKRO), Marburg, Germany.
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12
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Pląskowska K, Zakrzewska-Czerwińska J. Chromosome structure and DNA replication dynamics during the life cycle of the predatory bacterium Bdellovibrio bacteriovorus. FEMS Microbiol Rev 2023; 47:fuad057. [PMID: 37791401 PMCID: PMC11318664 DOI: 10.1093/femsre/fuad057] [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: 09/07/2023] [Revised: 09/27/2023] [Accepted: 10/02/2023] [Indexed: 10/05/2023] Open
Abstract
Bdellovibrio bacteriovorus, an obligate predatory Gram-negative bacterium that proliferates inside and kills other Gram-negative bacteria, was discovered more than 60 years ago. However, we have only recently begun to understand the detailed cell biology of this proficient bacterial killer. Bdellovibrio bacteriovorus exhibits a peculiar life cycle and bimodal proliferation, and thus represents an attractive model for studying novel aspects of bacterial cell biology. The life cycle of B. bacteriovorus consists of two phases: a free-living nonreplicative attack phase and an intracellular reproductive phase. During the reproductive phase, B. bacteriovorus grows as an elongated cell and undergoes binary or nonbinary fission, depending on the prey size. In this review, we discuss: (1) how the chromosome structure of B. bacteriovorus is remodeled during its life cycle; (2) how its chromosome replication dynamics depends on the proliferation mode; (3) how the initiation of chromosome replication is controlled during the life cycle, and (4) how chromosome replication is spatiotemporally coordinated with the proliferation program.
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Affiliation(s)
- Karolina Pląskowska
- Department of Molecular Microbiology, Faculty of Biotechnology, University
of Wrocław, ul. Joliot-Curie 14A, Wrocław,
Poland
| | - Jolanta Zakrzewska-Czerwińska
- Department of Molecular Microbiology, Faculty of Biotechnology, University
of Wrocław, ul. Joliot-Curie 14A, Wrocław,
Poland
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13
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Kaljević J, Tesseur C, Le TBK, Laloux G. Cell cycle-dependent organization of a bacterial centromere through multi-layered regulation of the ParABS system. PLoS Genet 2023; 19:e1010951. [PMID: 37733798 PMCID: PMC10547168 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pgen.1010951] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/12/2023] [Revised: 10/03/2023] [Accepted: 09/01/2023] [Indexed: 09/23/2023] Open
Abstract
The accurate distribution of genetic material is crucial for all organisms. In most bacteria, chromosome segregation is achieved by the ParABS system, in which the ParB-bound parS sequence is actively partitioned by ParA. While this system is highly conserved, its adaptation in organisms with unique lifestyles and its regulation between developmental stages remain largely unexplored. Bdellovibrio bacteriovorus is a predatory bacterium proliferating through polyploid replication and non-binary division inside other bacteria. Our study reveals the subcellular dynamics and multi-layered regulation of the ParABS system, coupled to the cell cycle of B. bacteriovorus. We found that ParA:ParB ratios fluctuate between predation stages, their balance being critical for cell cycle progression. Moreover, the parS chromosomal context in non-replicative cells, combined with ParB depletion at cell division, critically contribute to the unique cell cycle-dependent organization of the centromere in this bacterium, highlighting new levels of complexity in chromosome segregation and cell cycle control.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | - Tung B. K. Le
- John Innes Centre, Department of Molecular Microbiology, Norwich, United Kingdom
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14
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Ahmed YM, Bowman GR. Phospho-signaling couples polar asymmetry and proteolysis within a membraneless microdomain in C. crescentus. BIORXIV : THE PREPRINT SERVER FOR BIOLOGY 2023:2023.08.19.553945. [PMID: 37645878 PMCID: PMC10462113 DOI: 10.1101/2023.08.19.553945] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 08/31/2023]
Abstract
Asymmetric cell division in bacteria is achieved through cell polarization, where regulatory proteins are directed to specific cell poles. Curiously, both poles contain a membraneless microdomain, established by the polar assembly hub PopZ, through most of the cell cycle, yet many PopZ clients are unipolar and transiently localized. We find that PopZ's interaction with the response regulator CpdR is controlled by phosphorylation, via the histidine kinase CckA. Phosphorylated CpdR does not interact with PopZ and is not localized to cell poles. At poles where CckA acts as a phosphatase, de-phosphorylated CpdR binds directly with PopZ and subsequently recruits ClpX, substrates, and other members of a protease complex to the cell pole. We also find that co-recruitment of protease components and substrates to polar microdomains enhances their coordinated activity. This study connects phosphosignaling with polar assembly and the activity of a protease that triggers cell cycle progression and cell differentiation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yasin M Ahmed
- Department of Molecular Biology, University of Wyoming, Laramie Wyoming 82071
| | - Grant R Bowman
- Department of Molecular Biology, University of Wyoming, Laramie Wyoming 82071
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15
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Pląskowska K, Makowski Ł, Strzałka A, Zakrzewska-Czerwińska J. Binary or Nonbinary Fission? Reproductive Mode of a Predatory Bacterium Depends on Prey Size. mBio 2023:e0077223. [PMID: 37162334 DOI: 10.1128/mbio.00772-23] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/11/2023] Open
Abstract
Most bacteria, including model organisms such as Escherichia coli, Bacillus subtilis, and Caulobacter crescentus, reproduce by binary fission. However, some bacteria belonging to various lineages, including antibiotic-producing Streptomyces and predatory Bdellovibrio, proliferate by nonbinary fission, wherein three or more chromosome copies are synthesized and the resulting multinucleoid filamentous cell subdivides into progeny cells. Here, we demonstrate for the first time that the predatory bacterium Bdellovibrio bacteriovorus reproduces through both binary and nonbinary fission inside different prey bacteria. Switching between the two modes correlates with the prey size. In relatively small prey cells, B. bacteriovorus undergoes binary fission; the FtsZ ring assembles in the midcell, and the mother cell splits into two daughter cells. In larger prey cells, B. bacteriovorus switches to nonbinary fission and creates multiple asynchronously assembled FtsZ rings to produce three or more daughter cells. Completion of bacterial cell cycle critically depends on precise spatiotemporal coordination of chromosome replication with other cell cycle events, including cell division. We show that B. bacteriovorus always initiates chromosome replication at the invasive pole of the cell, but the spatiotemporal choreography of subsequent steps depends on the fission mode and/or the number of progeny cells. In nonbinary dividing filaments producing five or more progeny cells, the last round(s) of replication may also be initiated at the noninvasive pole. Altogether, we find that B. bacteriovorus reproduces through bimodal fission and that extracellular factors, such as the prey size, can shape replication choreography, providing new insights about bacterial life cycles. IMPORTANCE Most eukaryotic and bacterial cells divide by binary fission, where one mother cell produces two progeny cells, or, rarely, by nonbinary fission. All bacteria studied to date use only one of these two reproduction modes. We demonstrate for the first time that a predatory bacterium, Bdellovibrio bacteriovorus, exhibits bimodal fission and the mode of division depends on the size of the prey bacterium inside which B. bacteriovorus grows. This work provides key insights into the mode and dynamics of B. bacteriovorus proliferation in different pathogens that pose a major threat to human health due to their emerging antibiotic resistance (Proteus mirabilis, Salmonella enterica, and Shigella flexneri). The use of predatory bacteria such as B. bacteriovorus is currently regarded as a promising strategy to kill antibiotic-resistant pathogens. We find that B. bacteriovorus employs different chromosome replication choreographies and division modes when preying on those pathogens. Our findings may facilitate the design of efficient pathogen elimination strategies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Karolina Pląskowska
- Department of Molecular Microbiology, Faculty of Biotechnology, University of Wrocław, Wrocław, Poland
| | - Łukasz Makowski
- Department of Molecular Microbiology, Faculty of Biotechnology, University of Wrocław, Wrocław, Poland
| | - Agnieszka Strzałka
- Department of Molecular Microbiology, Faculty of Biotechnology, University of Wrocław, Wrocław, Poland
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16
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Puentes-Rodriguez SG, Norcross J, Mera PE. To let go or not to let go: how ParA can impact the release of the chromosomal anchoring in Caulobacter crescentus. BIORXIV : THE PREPRINT SERVER FOR BIOLOGY 2023:2023.04.12.536610. [PMID: 37090538 PMCID: PMC10120649 DOI: 10.1101/2023.04.12.536610] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 04/25/2023]
Abstract
Chromosomal maintenance is vital for the survival of bacteria. In Caulobacter crescentus, chromosome replication initiates at ori and segregation is delayed until the nearby centromere-like region parS is replicated. Our understanding of how this sequence of events is regulated remains limited. The segregation of parS has been shown to involve multiple steps including polar release from anchoring protein PopZ, slow movement, and fast ParA-dependent movement to opposite cell pole. In this study, we demonstrate that ParA's competing attractions from PopZ and from DNA are critical for segregation of parS. Interfering with this balance of attractions - by expressing a variant ParA-R195E unable to bind DNA and thus favoring interactions exclusively between ParA-PopZ - results in cell death. Our data revealed that ParA-R195E's sole interactions with PopZ obstruct PopZ's ability to release the polar anchoring of parS resulting in cells with multiple parS loci fixed at one cell pole. We show that the inability to separate and segregate multiple parS loci from the pole is specifically dependent on the interaction between ParA and PopZ. Interfering with interactions between PopZ and the partitioning protein ParB, which is the interaction that anchors parS at the cell pole, does not rescue the ability of cells to separate the fixed parS loci when expressing parA-R195E. Thus, ParA and PopZ appear to have a distinct conversation from ParB yet can impact the release of ParB-parS from the anchoring at the cell pole. Collectively, our results reveal that the initial steps in chromosome segregation are highly regulated.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - J.D. Norcross
- Department of Microbiology, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, Urbana, IL, USA
| | - Paola E. Mera
- Department of Microbiology, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, Urbana, IL, USA
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17
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Lu N, Duvall SW, Zhao G, Kowallis KA, Zhang C, Tan W, Sun J, Petitjean HN, Tomares DT, Zhao GP, Childers WS, Zhao W. Scaffold-Scaffold Interaction Facilitates Cell Polarity Development in Caulobacter crescentus. mBio 2023; 14:e0321822. [PMID: 36971555 PMCID: PMC10127582 DOI: 10.1128/mbio.03218-22] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 03/29/2023] Open
Abstract
Caulobacter crescentus
is a well-established bacterial model to study asymmetric cell division for decades. During cell development, the polarization of scaffold protein PopZ from monopolar to bipolar plays a central role in
C. crescentus
asymmetric cell division.
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18
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Goodsell DS, Lasker K. Integrative visualization of the molecular structure of a cellular microdomain. Protein Sci 2023; 32:e4577. [PMID: 36700303 PMCID: PMC9926476 DOI: 10.1002/pro.4577] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/15/2022] [Revised: 01/16/2023] [Accepted: 01/23/2023] [Indexed: 01/27/2023]
Abstract
An integrative approach to visualization is used to create a visual snapshot of the structural biology of the polar microdomain of Caulobacter crescentus. The visualization is based on the current state of molecular and cellular knowledge of the microdomain and its cellular context. The collaborative process of researching and executing the visualization has identified aspects that are well determined and areas that require further study. The visualization is useful for dissemination, education, and outreach, and the study lays the groundwork for future 3D modeling and simulation of this well-studied example of a cellular condensate.
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Affiliation(s)
- David S Goodsell
- Department of Integrative Structural and Computational Biology, The Scripps Research Institute, La Jolla, California, USA.,Research Collaboratory for Structural Bioinformatics Protein Data Bank, Rutgers, The State University of New Jersey, Piscataway, New Jersey, USA.,Institute for Quantitative Biomedicine, Rutgers, The State University of New Jersey, Piscataway, New Jersey, USA.,Rutgers Cancer Institute of New Jersey, Rutgers, The State University of New Jersey, New Brunswick, New Jersey, USA
| | - Keren Lasker
- Department of Integrative Structural and Computational Biology, The Scripps Research Institute, La Jolla, California, USA
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19
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Abstract
Maintaining proper chromosome inheritance after the completion of each cell cycle is paramount for bacterial survival. Mechanistic details remain incomplete for how bacteria manage to retain complete chromosomes after each cell cycle. In this study, we examined the potential roles of the partitioning protein ParA on chromosomal maintenance that go beyond triggering the onset of chromosome segregation in Caulobacter crescentus. Our data revealed that increasing the levels of ParA result in cells with multiple origins of replication in a DnaA-ATP-dependent manner. This ori supernumerary is retained even when expressing variants of ParA that are deficient in promoting chromosome segregation. Our data suggest that in Caulobacter ParA's impact on replication initiation is likely indirect, possibly through the effect of other cell cycle events. Overall, our data provide new insights into the highly interconnected network that drives the forward progression of the bacterial cell cycle. IMPORTANCE The successful generation of a daughter cell containing a complete copy of the chromosome requires the exquisite coordination of major cell cycle events. Any mistake in this coordination can be lethal, making these processes ideal targets for novel antibiotics. In this study, we focused on the coordination between the onset of chromosome replication, and the partitioning protein ParA. We demonstrate that altering the cellular levels of ParA causes cells to accumulate multiple origins of replication in Caulobacter crescentus. Our work provides important insights into the complex regulation involved in the coordination of the bacterial cell cycle.
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20
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Barrows JM, Goley ED. Synchronized Swarmers and Sticky Stalks: Caulobacter crescentus as a Model for Bacterial Cell Biology. J Bacteriol 2023; 205:e0038422. [PMID: 36715542 PMCID: PMC9945503 DOI: 10.1128/jb.00384-22] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 17.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/31/2023] Open
Abstract
First isolated and classified in the 1960s, Caulobacter crescentus has been instrumental in the study of bacterial cell biology and differentiation. C. crescentus is a Gram-negative alphaproteobacterium that exhibits a dimorphic life cycle composed of two distinct cell types: a motile swarmer cell and a nonmotile, division-competent stalked cell. Progression through the cell cycle is accentuated by tightly controlled biogenesis of appendages, morphological transitions, and distinct localization of developmental regulators. These features as well as the ability to synchronize populations of cells and follow their progression make C. crescentus an ideal model for answering questions relevant to how development and differentiation are achieved at the single-cell level. This review will explore the discovery and development of C. crescentus as a model organism before diving into several key features and discoveries that have made it such a powerful organism to study. Finally, we will summarize a few of the ongoing areas of research that are leveraging knowledge gained over the last century with C. crescentus to highlight its continuing role at the forefront of cell and developmental biology.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jordan M. Barrows
- Department of Biological Chemistry, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, Maryland, USA
| | - Erin D. Goley
- Department of Biological Chemistry, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, Maryland, USA
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21
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Diverse Partners of the Partitioning ParB Protein in Pseudomonas aeruginosa. Microbiol Spectr 2023; 11:e0428922. [PMID: 36622167 PMCID: PMC9927451 DOI: 10.1128/spectrum.04289-22] [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] [Indexed: 01/10/2023] Open
Abstract
In the majority of bacterial species, the tripartite ParAB-parS system, composed of an ATPase (ParA), a DNA-binding protein (ParB), and its target parS sequence(s), assists in the chromosome partitioning. ParB forms large nucleoprotein complexes at parS(s), located in the vicinity of origin of chromosomal replication (oriC), which after replication are subsequently positioned by ParA in cell poles. Remarkably, ParA and ParB participate not only in the chromosome segregation but through interactions with various cellular partners they are also involved in other cell cycle-related processes, in a species-specific manner. In this work, we characterized Pseudomonas aeruginosa ParB interactions with the cognate ParA, showing that the N-terminal motif of ParB is required for these interactions, and demonstrated that ParAB-parS-mediated rapid segregation of newly replicated ori domains prevented structural maintenance of chromosome (SMC)-mediated cohesion of sister chromosomes. Furthermore, using proteome-wide techniques, we have identified other ParB partners in P. aeruginosa, which encompass a number of proteins, including the nucleoid-associated proteins NdpA(PA3849) and NdpA2, MinE (PA3245) of Min system, and transcriptional regulators and various enzymes, e.g., CTP synthetase (PA3637). Among them are also NTPases PA4465, PA5028, PA3481, and FleN (PA1454), three of them displaying polar localization in bacterial cells. Overall, this work presents the spectrum of P. aeruginosa ParB partners and implicates the role of this protein in the cross-talk between chromosome segregation and other cellular processes. IMPORTANCE In Pseudomonas aeruginosa, a Gram-negative pathogen causing life-threatening infections in immunocompromised patients, the ParAB-parS system is involved in the precise separation of newly replicated bacterial chromosomes. In this work, we identified and characterized proteins interacting with partitioning protein ParB. We mapped the domain of interactions with its cognate ParA partner and showed that ParB-ParA interactions are crucial for the chromosome segregation and for proper SMC action on DNA. We also demonstrated ParB interactions with other DNA binding proteins, metabolic enzymes, and NTPases displaying polar localization in the cells. Overall, this study uncovers novel players cooperating with the chromosome partition system in P. aeruginosa, supporting its important regulatory role in the bacterial cell cycle.
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22
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Shapiro L. A Half Century Defining the Logic of Cellular Life. Annu Rev Genet 2022; 56:1-15. [DOI: 10.1146/annurev-genet-071719-021436] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/03/2022]
Abstract
Over more than fifty years, I have studied how the logic that controls and integrates cell function is built into the dynamic architecture of living cells. I worked with a succession of exceptionally talented students and postdocs, and we discovered that the bacterial cell is controlled by an integrated genetic circuit in which transcriptional and translational controls are interwoven with the three-dimensional deployment of key regulatory and morphological proteins. Caulobacter's interconnected genetic regulatory network includes logic that regulates sets of genes expressed at specific times in the cell cycle and mechanisms that synchronize the advancement of the core cyclical circuit with chromosome replication and cytokinesis. Here, I have traced my journey from New York City art student to Stanford developmental biologist.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lucy Shapiro
- Department of Developmental Biology, Stanford University School of Medicine, Stanford, California, USA
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23
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Tan W, Cheng S, Li Y, Li XY, Lu N, Sun J, Tang G, Yang Y, Cai K, Li X, Ou X, Gao X, Zhao GP, Childers WS, Zhao W. Phase separation modulates the assembly and dynamics of a polarity-related scaffold-signaling hub. Nat Commun 2022; 13:7181. [PMID: 36418326 PMCID: PMC9684454 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-022-35000-2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/04/2022] [Accepted: 11/14/2022] [Indexed: 11/26/2022] Open
Abstract
Asymmetric cell division (ACD) produces morphologically and behaviorally distinct cells and is the primary way to generate cell diversity. In the model bacterium Caulobacter crescentus, the polarization of distinct scaffold-signaling hubs at the swarmer and stalked cell poles constitutes the basis of ACD. However, mechanisms involved in the formation of these hubs remain elusive. Here, we show that a swarmer-cell-pole scaffold, PodJ, forms biomolecular condensates both in vitro and in living cells via phase separation. The coiled-coil 4-6 and the intrinsically disordered regions are the primary domains that contribute to biomolecular condensate generation and signaling protein recruitment in PodJ. Moreover, a negative regulation of PodJ phase separation by the stalked-cell-pole scaffold protein SpmX is revealed. SpmX impedes PodJ cell-pole accumulation and affects its recruitment ability. Together, by modulating the assembly and dynamics of scaffold-signaling hubs, phase separation may serve as a general biophysical mechanism that underlies the regulation of ACD in bacteria and other organisms.
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Affiliation(s)
- Wei Tan
- grid.458489.c0000 0001 0483 7922CAS Key Laboratory of Quantitative Engineering Biology, Shenzhen Institute of Synthetic Biology, Shenzhen Institutes of Advanced Technology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shenzhen, 518055 China
| | - Sihua Cheng
- grid.458489.c0000 0001 0483 7922CAS Key Laboratory of Quantitative Engineering Biology, Shenzhen Institute of Synthetic Biology, Shenzhen Institutes of Advanced Technology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shenzhen, 518055 China
| | - Yingying Li
- grid.458489.c0000 0001 0483 7922CAS Key Laboratory of Quantitative Engineering Biology, Shenzhen Institute of Synthetic Biology, Shenzhen Institutes of Advanced Technology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shenzhen, 518055 China
| | - Xiao-Yang Li
- grid.458489.c0000 0001 0483 7922CAS Key Laboratory of Quantitative Engineering Biology, Shenzhen Institute of Synthetic Biology, Shenzhen Institutes of Advanced Technology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shenzhen, 518055 China ,grid.256922.80000 0000 9139 560XDepartment of Pharmacy, School of Life Sciences, Henan University, Kaifeng, 475004 China
| | - Ning Lu
- grid.458489.c0000 0001 0483 7922CAS Key Laboratory of Quantitative Engineering Biology, Shenzhen Institute of Synthetic Biology, Shenzhen Institutes of Advanced Technology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shenzhen, 518055 China
| | - Jingxian Sun
- grid.458489.c0000 0001 0483 7922CAS Key Laboratory of Quantitative Engineering Biology, Shenzhen Institute of Synthetic Biology, Shenzhen Institutes of Advanced Technology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shenzhen, 518055 China
| | - Guiyue Tang
- grid.458489.c0000 0001 0483 7922CAS Key Laboratory of Quantitative Engineering Biology, Shenzhen Institute of Synthetic Biology, Shenzhen Institutes of Advanced Technology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shenzhen, 518055 China
| | - Yujiao Yang
- grid.9227.e0000000119573309CAS Key Laboratory of Synthetic Biology, CAS Center for Excellence in Molecular Plant Sciences, Shanghai Institute of Plant Physiology and Ecology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shanghai, 200032 China ,grid.410726.60000 0004 1797 8419University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 100049 China
| | - Kezhu Cai
- grid.458489.c0000 0001 0483 7922CAS Key Laboratory of Quantitative Engineering Biology, Shenzhen Institute of Synthetic Biology, Shenzhen Institutes of Advanced Technology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shenzhen, 518055 China ,grid.263817.90000 0004 1773 1790Department of Materials Science and Engineering, School of Engineering, Southern University of Science and Technology, Shenzhen, 518055 China
| | - Xuefei Li
- grid.458489.c0000 0001 0483 7922CAS Key Laboratory of Quantitative Engineering Biology, Shenzhen Institute of Synthetic Biology, Shenzhen Institutes of Advanced Technology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shenzhen, 518055 China
| | - Xijun Ou
- grid.263817.90000 0004 1773 1790Department of Biology, School of Life Sciences, Southern University of Science and Technology, Shenzhen, 518055 China
| | - Xiang Gao
- grid.458489.c0000 0001 0483 7922CAS Key Laboratory of Quantitative Engineering Biology, Shenzhen Institute of Synthetic Biology, Shenzhen Institutes of Advanced Technology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shenzhen, 518055 China
| | - Guo-Ping Zhao
- grid.458489.c0000 0001 0483 7922CAS Key Laboratory of Quantitative Engineering Biology, Shenzhen Institute of Synthetic Biology, Shenzhen Institutes of Advanced Technology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shenzhen, 518055 China ,grid.9227.e0000000119573309CAS Key Laboratory of Synthetic Biology, CAS Center for Excellence in Molecular Plant Sciences, Shanghai Institute of Plant Physiology and Ecology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shanghai, 200032 China ,grid.8547.e0000 0001 0125 2443State Key Lab of Genetic Engineering & Institutes of Biomedical Sciences, Department of Microbiology and Microbial Engineering, School of Life Sciences, Fudan University, Shanghai, 200433 China
| | - W. Seth Childers
- grid.21925.3d0000 0004 1936 9000Department of Chemistry, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, PA 15260 USA
| | - Wei Zhao
- grid.458489.c0000 0001 0483 7922CAS Key Laboratory of Quantitative Engineering Biology, Shenzhen Institute of Synthetic Biology, Shenzhen Institutes of Advanced Technology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shenzhen, 518055 China
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24
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Lasker K, Boeynaems S, Lam V, Scholl D, Stainton E, Briner A, Jacquemyn M, Daelemans D, Deniz A, Villa E, Holehouse AS, Gitler AD, Shapiro L. The material properties of a bacterial-derived biomolecular condensate tune biological function in natural and synthetic systems. Nat Commun 2022; 13:5643. [PMID: 36163138 PMCID: PMC9512792 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-022-33221-z] [Citation(s) in RCA: 38] [Impact Index Per Article: 19.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/06/2022] [Accepted: 09/09/2022] [Indexed: 11/17/2022] Open
Abstract
Intracellular phase separation is emerging as a universal principle for organizing biochemical reactions in time and space. It remains incompletely resolved how biological function is encoded in these assemblies and whether this depends on their material state. The conserved intrinsically disordered protein PopZ forms condensates at the poles of the bacterium Caulobacter crescentus, which in turn orchestrate cell-cycle regulating signaling cascades. Here we show that the material properties of these condensates are determined by a balance between attractive and repulsive forces mediated by a helical oligomerization domain and an expanded disordered region, respectively. A series of PopZ mutants disrupting this balance results in condensates that span the material properties spectrum, from liquid to solid. A narrow range of condensate material properties supports proper cell division, linking emergent properties to organismal fitness. We use these insights to repurpose PopZ as a modular platform for generating tunable synthetic condensates in human cells.
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Affiliation(s)
- Keren Lasker
- Department of Developmental Biology, Stanford University School of Medicine, Stanford, CA, USA.
- Department of Integrative Structural and Computational Biology, The Scripps Research Institute, La Jolla, CA, USA.
| | - Steven Boeynaems
- Department of Genetics, Stanford University School of Medicine, Stanford, CA, USA
| | - Vinson Lam
- Department of Molecular Biology, School of Biological Sciences, University of California San Diego, La Jolla, CA, USA
| | - Daniel Scholl
- Department of Integrative Structural and Computational Biology, The Scripps Research Institute, La Jolla, CA, USA
| | - Emma Stainton
- Department of Developmental Biology, Stanford University School of Medicine, Stanford, CA, USA
| | - Adam Briner
- Clem Jones Centre for Ageing Dementia Research (CJCADR), Queensland Brain Institute (QBI), The University of Queensland, Brisbane, QLD, Australia
| | - Maarten Jacquemyn
- KU Leuven Department of Microbiology, Immunology, and Transplantation, Laboratory of Virology and Chemotherapy, Rega Institute, KU Leuven, Leuven, Belgium
| | - Dirk Daelemans
- KU Leuven Department of Microbiology, Immunology, and Transplantation, Laboratory of Virology and Chemotherapy, Rega Institute, KU Leuven, Leuven, Belgium
| | - Ashok Deniz
- Department of Integrative Structural and Computational Biology, The Scripps Research Institute, La Jolla, CA, USA
| | - Elizabeth Villa
- Department of Molecular Biology, School of Biological Sciences, University of California San Diego, La Jolla, CA, USA
- Howard Hughes Medical Institute, University of California San Diego, La Jolla, CA, USA
| | - Alex S Holehouse
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biophysics, Washington University in St. Louis, St. Louis, MO, USA
- Center for Science and Engineering of Living Systems (CSELS), Washington University in St. Louis, St. Louis, MO, USA
| | - Aaron D Gitler
- Department of Genetics, Stanford University School of Medicine, Stanford, CA, USA.
| | - Lucy Shapiro
- Department of Developmental Biology, Stanford University School of Medicine, Stanford, CA, USA.
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25
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Mitra D, Pande S, Chatterji A. Polymer architecture orchestrates the segregation and spatial organization of replicating E. coli chromosomes in slow growth. SOFT MATTER 2022; 18:5615-5631. [PMID: 35861071 DOI: 10.1039/d2sm00734g] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/15/2023]
Abstract
The mechanism of chromosome segregation and organization in the bacterial cell cycle of E. coli is one of the least understood aspects in its life cycle. The E. coli chromosome is often modelled as a bead spring ring polymer. We introduce cross-links in the DNA-ring polymer, resulting in the formation of loops within each replicating bacterial chromosome. We use simulations to show that the chosen polymer-topology ensures its self-organization along the cell long-axis, such that various chromosomal loci get spatially localized as seen in vivo. The localization of loci arises due to entropic repulsion between polymer loops within each daughter DNA confined in a cylinder. The cellular addresses of the loci in our model are in fair agreement with those seen in experiments as given in J. A. Cass et al., Biophys. J., 2016, 110, 2597-2609. We also show that the adoption of such modified polymer architectures by the daughter DNAs leads to an enhanced propensity of their spatial segregation. Secondly, we match other experimentally reported results, including observation of the cohesion time and the ter-transition. Additionally, the contact map generated from our simulations reproduces the macro-domain like organization as seen in the experimentally obtained Hi-C map. Lastly, we have also proposed a plausible reconciliation of the 'Train Track' and the 'Replication Factory' models which provide conflicting descriptions of the spatial organization of the replication forks. Thus, we reconcile observations from complementary experimental techniques probing bacterial chromosome organization.
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26
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Sołtys K, Tarczewska A, Bystranowska D, Sozańska N. Getting Closer to Decrypting the Phase Transitions of Bacterial Biomolecules. Biomolecules 2022; 12:907. [PMID: 35883463 PMCID: PMC9312465 DOI: 10.3390/biom12070907] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/16/2022] [Revised: 06/24/2022] [Accepted: 06/26/2022] [Indexed: 12/31/2022] Open
Abstract
Liquid-liquid phase separation (LLPS) of biomolecules has emerged as a new paradigm in cell biology, and the process is one proposed mechanism for the formation of membraneless organelles (MLOs). Bacterial cells have only recently drawn strong interest in terms of studies on both liquid-to-liquid and liquid-to-solid phase transitions. It seems that these processes drive the formation of prokaryotic cellular condensates that resemble eukaryotic MLOs. In this review, we present an overview of the key microbial biomolecules that undergo LLPS, as well as the formation and organization of biomacromolecular condensates within the intracellular space. We also discuss the current challenges in investigating bacterial biomacromolecular condensates. Additionally, we highlight a summary of recent knowledge about the participation of bacterial biomolecules in a phase transition and provide some new in silico analyses that can be helpful for further investigations.
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Affiliation(s)
- Katarzyna Sołtys
- Department of Biochemistry, Molecular Biology and Biotechnology, Faculty of Chemistry, Wroclaw University of Science and Technology, Wybrzeże Wyspiańskiego 27, 50-370 Wroclaw, Poland; (A.T.); (D.B.); (N.S.)
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27
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Mishra D, Srinivasan R. Catching a Walker in the Act-DNA Partitioning by ParA Family of Proteins. Front Microbiol 2022; 13:856547. [PMID: 35694299 PMCID: PMC9178275 DOI: 10.3389/fmicb.2022.856547] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/17/2022] [Accepted: 04/28/2022] [Indexed: 12/01/2022] Open
Abstract
Partitioning the replicated genetic material is a crucial process in the cell cycle program of any life form. In bacteria, many plasmids utilize cytoskeletal proteins that include ParM and TubZ, the ancestors of the eukaryotic actin and tubulin, respectively, to segregate the plasmids into the daughter cells. Another distinct class of cytoskeletal proteins, known as the Walker A type Cytoskeletal ATPases (WACA), is unique to Bacteria and Archaea. ParA, a WACA family protein, is involved in DNA partitioning and is more widespread. A centromere-like sequence parS, in the DNA is bound by ParB, an adaptor protein with CTPase activity to form the segregation complex. The ParA ATPase, interacts with the segregation complex and partitions the DNA into the daughter cells. Furthermore, the Walker A motif-containing ParA superfamily of proteins is associated with a diverse set of functions ranging from DNA segregation to cell division, cell polarity, chemotaxis cluster assembly, cellulose biosynthesis and carboxysome maintenance. Unifying principles underlying the varied range of cellular roles in which the ParA superfamily of proteins function are outlined. Here, we provide an overview of the recent findings on the structure and function of the ParB adaptor protein and review the current models and mechanisms by which the ParA family of proteins function in the partitioning of the replicated DNA into the newly born daughter cells.
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Affiliation(s)
- Dipika Mishra
- School of Biological Sciences, National Institute of Science Education and Research, Bhubaneswar, India
- Homi Bhabha National Institutes, Mumbai, India
| | - Ramanujam Srinivasan
- School of Biological Sciences, National Institute of Science Education and Research, Bhubaneswar, India
- Homi Bhabha National Institutes, Mumbai, India
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Possoz C, Yamaichi Y, Galli E, Ferat JL, Barre FX. Vibrio cholerae Chromosome Partitioning without Polar Anchoring by HubP. Genes (Basel) 2022; 13:genes13050877. [PMID: 35627261 PMCID: PMC9140986 DOI: 10.3390/genes13050877] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/24/2022] [Revised: 05/10/2022] [Accepted: 05/11/2022] [Indexed: 12/02/2022] Open
Abstract
Partition systems are widespread among bacterial chromosomes. They are composed of two effectors, ParA and ParB, and cis acting sites, parS, located close to the replication origin of the chromosome (oriC). ParABS participate in chromosome segregation, at least in part because they serve to properly position sister copies of oriC. A fourth element, located at cell poles, is also involved in some cases, such as HubP for the ParABS1 system of Vibrio cholerae chromosome 1 (ch1). The polar anchoring of oriC of ch1 (oriC1) is lost when HubP or ParABS1 are inactivated. Here, we report that in the absence of HubP, ParABS1 actively maintains oriC1 at mid-cell, leading to the subcellular separation of the two ch1 replication arms. We further show that parS1 sites ectopically inserted in chromosome 2 (ch2) stabilize the inheritance of this replicon in the absence of its endogenous partition system, even without HubP. We also observe the positioning interference between oriC1 and oriC of ch2 regions when their positionings are both driven by ParABS1. Altogether, these data indicate that ParABS1 remains functional in the absence of HubP, which raises questions about the role of the polar anchoring of oriC1 in the cell cycle.
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Abstract
Many pathogens or symbionts of animals and plants contain multiple replicons, a configuration called a multipartite genome. Multipartite genomes enable those species to replicate their genomes faster and better adapt to new niches. Despite their prevalence, the mechanisms by which multipartite genomes are stably maintained are poorly understood. Agrobacterium tumefaciens is a plant pathogen that contains four replicons: a circular chromosome (Ch1), a linear chromosome (Ch2), and two large plasmids. Recent work indicates that their replication origins are clustered at the cell poles in a manner that depends on their ParB family centromeric proteins: ParB1 for Ch1 and individual RepB paralogs for Ch2 and the plasmids. However, understanding of these interactions and how they contribute to genome maintenance is limited. By combining genome-wide chromosome conformation capture (Hi-C) assays, chromatin-immunoprecipitation sequencing (ChIP-seq), and live cell fluorescence microscopy, we provide evidence here that centromeric clustering is mediated by interactions between these centromeric proteins. We further show that the disruption of centromere clustering results in the loss of replicons. Our data establish the role of centromeric clustering in multipartite genome stability. IMPORTANCE About 10% of sequenced bacteria have multiple replicons, also known as multipartite genomes. How these multipartite genomes are maintained is still poorly understood. Here, we use Agrobacterium tumefaciens as a model and show that the replication origins of the four replicons are clustered through direct interactions between the centromeric proteins; disruption of origin clustering leads to the loss of replicons. Thus, our study provided evidence that centromeric clustering is important for maintaining multipartite genomes.
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Tocheva EI. A picture is worth a thousand words: Direct in vivo visualization of the bacterial chromosome segregation protein, PopZ. J Mol Biol 2022; 434:167521. [PMID: 35245499 DOI: 10.1016/j.jmb.2022.167521] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/26/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Elitza I Tocheva
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, Life Sciences Institute, 2350 Health Sciences Mall, The University of British Columbia, Canada.
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Frank C, Pfeiffer D, Aktas M, Jendrossek D. Migration of Polyphosphate Granules in Agrobacterium tumefaciens. Microb Physiol 2022; 32:71-82. [PMID: 35168233 DOI: 10.1159/000521970] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/19/2021] [Accepted: 01/12/2022] [Indexed: 01/29/2023]
Abstract
Agrobacterium tumefaciens has two polyphosphate (polyP) kinases, one of which (PPK1AT) is responsible for the formation of polyP granules, while the other (PPK2AT) is used for replenishing the NTP pools by using polyP as a phosphate donor to phosphorylate nucleoside diphosphates. Fusions of eYFP with PPK2AT or of the polyP granule-associated phosin PptA from Ralstonia eutropha always co-localized with polyP granules in A. tumefaciens and allowed the tracking of polyP granules in time-lapse microscopy experiments without the necessity to label the cells with the toxic dye DAPI. Fusions of PPK1AT with mCherry formed fluorescent signals often attached to, but not completely co-localizing with, polyP granules in wild-type cells. Time-lapse microscopy revealed that polyP granules in about one-third of a cell population migrated from the old pole to the new cell pole shortly before or during cell division. Many cells de novo formed a second (nonmigrating) polyP granule at the opposite cell pole before cell division was completed, resulting in two daughter cells each having a polyP granule at the old pole after septum formation. Migration of polyP granules was disordered in mitomycin C-treated or in PopZ-depleted cells, suggesting that polyP granules can associate with DNA or with other molecules that are segregated during the cell cycle.
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Affiliation(s)
- Celina Frank
- Institute of Microbiology, University of Stuttgart, Stuttgart, Germany
| | - Daniel Pfeiffer
- Department of Microbiology, University Bayreuth, Bayreuth, Germany
| | - Meriyem Aktas
- Microbial Biology, Ruhr University Bochum, Bochum, Germany
| | - Dieter Jendrossek
- Institute of Microbiology, University of Stuttgart, Stuttgart, Germany
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Subcellular Dynamics of a Conserved Bacterial Polar Scaffold Protein. Genes (Basel) 2022; 13:genes13020278. [PMID: 35205323 PMCID: PMC8872289 DOI: 10.3390/genes13020278] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/20/2021] [Revised: 01/27/2022] [Accepted: 01/28/2022] [Indexed: 02/05/2023] Open
Abstract
In order to survive, bacterial cells rely on precise spatiotemporal organization and coordination of essential processes such as cell growth, chromosome segregation, and cell division. Given the general lack of organelles, most bacteria are forced to depend on alternative localization mechanisms, such as, for example, geometrical cues. DivIVA proteins are widely distributed in mainly Gram-positive bacteria and were shown to bind the membrane, typically in regions of strong negative curvature, such as the cell poles and division septa. Here, they have been shown to be involved in a multitude of processes: from apical cell growth and chromosome segregation in actinobacteria to sporulation and inhibition of division re-initiation in firmicutes. Structural analyses revealed that DivIVA proteins can form oligomeric assemblies that constitute a scaffold for recruitment of other proteins. However, it remained unclear whether interaction with partner proteins influences DivIVA dynamics. Using structured illumination microscopy (SIM), single-particle tracking (SPT) microscopy, and fluorescent recovery after photobleaching (FRAP) experiments, we show that DivIVA from Corynebacterium glutamicum is mobilized by its binding partner ParB. In contrast, we show that the interaction between Bacillus subtilis DivIVA and its partner protein MinJ reduces DivIVA mobility. Furthermore, we show that the loss of the rod-shape leads to an increase in DivIVA dynamics in both organisms. Taken together, our study reveals the modulation of the polar scaffold protein by protein interactors and cell morphology. We reason that this leads to a very simple, yet robust way for actinobacteria to maintain polar growth and their rod-shape. In B. subtilis, however, the DivIVA protein is tailored towards a more dynamic function that allows quick relocalization from poles to septa upon division.
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Toro-Nahuelpan M, Plitzko JM, Schüler D, Pfeiffer D. In vivo architecture of the polar organizing protein Z (PopZ) meshwork in the Alphaproteobacteria Magnetospirillum gryphiswaldense and Caulobacter crescentus. J Mol Biol 2021; 434:167423. [PMID: 34971672 DOI: 10.1016/j.jmb.2021.167423] [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: 07/28/2021] [Revised: 12/17/2021] [Accepted: 12/20/2021] [Indexed: 10/19/2022]
Abstract
The polar organizing protein Z (PopZ) forms a polar microdomain that is inaccessible to larger macromolecules such as ribosomes, and selectively sequesters proteins crucial for cell cycle control and polar morphogenesis in various Alphaproteobacteria. However, the in vivo architecture of this microdomain has remained elusive. Here, we analyzed the three-dimensional ultrastructural organization of the PopZ network in Magnetospirillum gryphiswaldense and Caulobacter crescentus by Volta phase plate Cryo-electron tomography, which provides high spatial resolution and improved image contrast. Our results suggest that PopZ forms a porous network of disordered short, flexible, and branching filaments.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mauricio Toro-Nahuelpan
- Department of Microbiology, University Bayreuth, Germany; Department of Molecular Structural Biology, Max Planck Institute of Biochemistry, Planegg-Martinsried, Germany
| | - Jürgen M Plitzko
- Department of Molecular Structural Biology, Max Planck Institute of Biochemistry, Planegg-Martinsried, Germany
| | - Dirk Schüler
- Department of Microbiology, University Bayreuth, Germany
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Osorio-Valeriano M, Altegoer F, Das CK, Steinchen W, Panis G, Connolley L, Giacomelli G, Feddersen H, Corrales-Guerrero L, Giammarinaro PI, Hanßmann J, Bramkamp M, Viollier PH, Murray S, Schäfer LV, Bange G, Thanbichler M. The CTPase activity of ParB determines the size and dynamics of prokaryotic DNA partition complexes. Mol Cell 2021; 81:3992-4007.e10. [PMID: 34562373 DOI: 10.1016/j.molcel.2021.09.004] [Citation(s) in RCA: 28] [Impact Index Per Article: 9.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/19/2021] [Revised: 07/27/2021] [Accepted: 08/31/2021] [Indexed: 01/29/2023]
Abstract
ParB-like CTPases mediate the segregation of bacterial chromosomes and low-copy number plasmids. They act as DNA-sliding clamps that are loaded at parS motifs in the centromere of target DNA molecules and spread laterally to form large nucleoprotein complexes serving as docking points for the DNA segregation machinery. Here, we solve crystal structures of ParB in the pre- and post-hydrolysis state and illuminate the catalytic mechanism of nucleotide hydrolysis. Moreover, we identify conformational changes that underlie the CTP- and parS-dependent closure of ParB clamps. The study of CTPase-deficient ParB variants reveals that CTP hydrolysis serves to limit the sliding time of ParB clamps and thus drives the establishment of a well-defined ParB diffusion gradient across the centromere whose dynamics are critical for DNA segregation. These findings clarify the role of the ParB CTPase cycle in partition complex assembly and function and thus advance our understanding of this prototypic CTP-dependent molecular switch.
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Affiliation(s)
- Manuel Osorio-Valeriano
- Department of Biology, University of Marburg, 35043 Marburg, Germany; Max Planck Institute for Terrestrial Microbiology, 35043 Marburg, Germany
| | - Florian Altegoer
- Department of Chemistry, University of Marburg, 35043 Marburg, Germany; Center for Synthetic Microbiology, 35043 Marburg, Germany
| | - Chandan K Das
- Theoretical Chemistry, Ruhr University Bochum, 44801 Bochum, Germany
| | - Wieland Steinchen
- Department of Chemistry, University of Marburg, 35043 Marburg, Germany; Center for Synthetic Microbiology, 35043 Marburg, Germany
| | - Gaël Panis
- Department of Microbiology and Molecular Medicine, University of Geneva, 1211 Geneva, Switzerland
| | - Lara Connolley
- Department of Systems & Synthetic Microbiology, Max Planck Institute for Terrestrial Microbiology, 35043 Marburg, Germany
| | - Giacomo Giacomelli
- Institute for General Microbiology, Christian Albrechts University, 24118 Kiel, Germany
| | - Helge Feddersen
- Institute for General Microbiology, Christian Albrechts University, 24118 Kiel, Germany
| | | | - Pietro I Giammarinaro
- Department of Chemistry, University of Marburg, 35043 Marburg, Germany; Center for Synthetic Microbiology, 35043 Marburg, Germany
| | - Juri Hanßmann
- Department of Biology, University of Marburg, 35043 Marburg, Germany
| | - Marc Bramkamp
- Institute for General Microbiology, Christian Albrechts University, 24118 Kiel, Germany
| | - Patrick H Viollier
- Department of Microbiology and Molecular Medicine, University of Geneva, 1211 Geneva, Switzerland
| | - Seán Murray
- Department of Systems & Synthetic Microbiology, Max Planck Institute for Terrestrial Microbiology, 35043 Marburg, Germany
| | - Lars V Schäfer
- Theoretical Chemistry, Ruhr University Bochum, 44801 Bochum, Germany
| | - Gert Bange
- Max Planck Institute for Terrestrial Microbiology, 35043 Marburg, Germany; Department of Chemistry, University of Marburg, 35043 Marburg, Germany; Center for Synthetic Microbiology, 35043 Marburg, Germany
| | - Martin Thanbichler
- Department of Biology, University of Marburg, 35043 Marburg, Germany; Max Planck Institute for Terrestrial Microbiology, 35043 Marburg, Germany; Center for Synthetic Microbiology, 35043 Marburg, Germany.
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Hong JC, Fan HC, Yang PJ, Lin DW, Wu HC, Huang HC. Localized Proteolysis for the Construction of Intracellular Asymmetry in Escherichia coli. ACS Synth Biol 2021; 10:1830-1836. [PMID: 34374512 DOI: 10.1021/acssynbio.1c00200] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/29/2022]
Abstract
Protein-level regulations have gained importance in building synthetic circuits, as they offer a potential advantage in the speed of operation compared to gene regulation circuits. In nature, localized protein degradation is prevalent in polarizing cellular signaling. We, therefore, set out to systematically investigate whether localized proteolysis can be employed to construct intracellular asymmetry in Escherichia coli. We demonstrate that, by inserting a cognate cleavage site between the reporter and C-terminal degron, the unstable reporter can be stabilized in the presence of the tobacco etch virus protease. Furthermore, the split protease can be functionally reconstituted by the PopZ-based polarity system to exert localized proteolysis. Selective stabilization of the unstable reporter at the PopZ pole can lead to intracellular asymmetry in E. coli. Our study provides complementary evidence to support that localized proteolysis may be a strategy for polarization in developmental cell biology. Circuits designed in this study may also help to expand the synthetic biology repository for the engineering of synthetic morphogenesis, particularly for processes that require rapid control of local protein abundance.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jui-Chung Hong
- Institute of Molecular and Cellular Biology, National Taiwan University, Taipei 10617, Taiwan
| | - Hao-Chun Fan
- Institute of Molecular and Cellular Biology, National Taiwan University, Taipei 10617, Taiwan
| | - Po-Jiun Yang
- Institute of Molecular and Cellular Biology, National Taiwan University, Taipei 10617, Taiwan
| | - Da-Wei Lin
- Institute of Molecular and Cellular Biology, National Taiwan University, Taipei 10617, Taiwan
| | - Hsuan-Chen Wu
- Department of Biochemical Science and Technology, National Taiwan University, Taipei 10617, Taiwan
| | - Hsiao-Chun Huang
- Institute of Molecular and Cellular Biology, National Taiwan University, Taipei 10617, Taiwan
- Department of Life Science, National Taiwan University, Taipei 10617, Taiwan
- Genome and Systems Biology Degree Program, National Taiwan University, Taipei 10617, Taiwan
- Graduate Institute of Electronics Engineering, National Taiwan University, Taipei 10617, Taiwan
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Gogou C, Japaridze A, Dekker C. Mechanisms for Chromosome Segregation in Bacteria. Front Microbiol 2021; 12:685687. [PMID: 34220773 PMCID: PMC8242196 DOI: 10.3389/fmicb.2021.685687] [Citation(s) in RCA: 20] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/25/2021] [Accepted: 05/19/2021] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
The process of DNA segregation, the redistribution of newly replicated genomic material to daughter cells, is a crucial step in the life cycle of all living systems. Here, we review DNA segregation in bacteria which evolved a variety of mechanisms for partitioning newly replicated DNA. Bacterial species such as Caulobacter crescentus and Bacillus subtilis contain pushing and pulling mechanisms that exert forces and directionality to mediate the moving of newly synthesized chromosomes to the bacterial poles. Other bacteria such as Escherichia coli lack such active segregation systems, yet exhibit a spontaneous de-mixing of chromosomes due to entropic forces as DNA is being replicated under the confinement of the cell wall. Furthermore, we present a synopsis of the main players that contribute to prokaryotic genome segregation. We finish with emphasizing the importance of bottom-up approaches for the investigation of the various factors that contribute to genome segregation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Christos Gogou
- Department of Bionanoscience, Kavli Institute of Nanoscience Delft, Delft University of Technology, Delft, Netherlands
| | - Aleksandre Japaridze
- Department of Bionanoscience, Kavli Institute of Nanoscience Delft, Delft University of Technology, Delft, Netherlands
| | - Cees Dekker
- Department of Bionanoscience, Kavli Institute of Nanoscience Delft, Delft University of Technology, Delft, Netherlands
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VirB, a key transcriptional regulator of virulence plasmid genes in Shigella flexneri, forms DNA-binding site dependent foci in the bacterial cytoplasm. J Bacteriol 2021; 203:JB.00627-20. [PMID: 33722845 PMCID: PMC8117518 DOI: 10.1128/jb.00627-20] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/06/2023] Open
Abstract
VirB is a key regulator of genes located on the large virulence plasmid (pINV) in the bacterial pathogen Shigella flexneri VirB is unusual; it is not related to other transcriptional regulators, instead, it belongs to a family of proteins that primarily function in plasmid and chromosome partitioning; exemplified by ParB. Despite this, VirB does not function to segregate DNA, but rather counters transcriptional silencing mediated by the nucleoid structuring protein, H-NS. Since ParB localizes subcellularly as discrete foci in the bacterial cytoplasm, we chose to investigate the subcellular localization of VirB to gain novel insight into how VirB functions as a transcriptional anti-silencer. To do this, a GFP-VirB fusion that retains the regulatory activity of VirB and yet, does not undergo significant protein degradation in S. flexneri, was used. Surprisingly, discrete fluorescent foci were observed in live wild-type S. flexneri cells and an isogenic virB mutant using fluorescence microscopy. In contrast, foci were rarely observed (<10%) in pINV-cured cells or in cells expressing a GFP-VirB fusion carrying amino acid substitutions in the VirB DNA binding domain. Finally, the 25 bp VirB-binding site was demonstrated to be sufficient and necessary for GFP-VirB focus formation using a set of small surrogate plasmids. Combined, these data demonstrate that the VirB:DNA interactions required for the transcriptional anti-silencing activity of VirB on pINV are a prerequisite for the subcellular localization of VirB in the bacterial cytoplasm. The significance of these findings, in light of the anti-silencing activity of VirB, is discussed.ImportanceThis study reveals the subcellular localization of VirB, a key transcriptional regulator of virulence genes found on the large virulence plasmid (pINV) in Shigella. Fluorescent signals generated by an active GFP-VirB fusion form 2, 3, or 4 discrete foci in the bacterial cytoplasm, predominantly at the quarter cell position. These signals are completely dependent upon VirB interacting with its DNA binding site found either on the virulence plasmid or an engineered surrogate. Our findings: 1) provide novel insight into VirB:pINV interactions, 2) suggest that VirB may have utility as a DNA marker, and 3) raise questions about how and why this anti-silencing protein that controls virulence gene expression on pINV of Shigella spp. forms discrete foci/hubs within the bacterial cytoplasm.
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Azaldegui CA, Vecchiarelli AG, Biteen JS. The emergence of phase separation as an organizing principle in bacteria. Biophys J 2021; 120:1123-1138. [PMID: 33186556 PMCID: PMC8059088 DOI: 10.1016/j.bpj.2020.09.023] [Citation(s) in RCA: 105] [Impact Index Per Article: 35.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/06/2020] [Revised: 09/10/2020] [Accepted: 09/15/2020] [Indexed: 12/12/2022] Open
Abstract
Recent investigations in bacteria suggest that membraneless organelles play a crucial role in the subcellular organization of bacterial cells. However, the biochemical functions and assembly mechanisms of these compartments have not yet been completely characterized. This article assesses the current methodologies used in the study of membraneless organelles in bacteria, highlights the limitations in determining the phase of complexes in cells that are typically an order of magnitude smaller than a eukaryotic cell, and identifies gaps in our current knowledge about the functional role of membraneless organelles in bacteria. Liquid-liquid phase separation (LLPS) is one proposed mechanism for membraneless organelle assembly. Overall, we outline the framework to evaluate LLPS in vivo in bacteria, we describe the bacterial systems with proposed LLPS activity, and we comment on the general role LLPS plays in bacteria and how it may regulate cellular function. Lastly, we provide an outlook for super-resolution microscopy and single-molecule tracking as tools to assess condensates in bacteria.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Anthony G Vecchiarelli
- Department of Molecular, Cellular, and Developmental Biology, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, Michigan.
| | - Julie S Biteen
- Department of Chemistry, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, Michigan.
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Lin DW, Liu Y, Lee YQ, Yang PJ, Ho CT, Hong JC, Hsiao JC, Liao DC, Liang AJ, Hung TC, Chen YC, Tu HL, Hsu CP, Huang HC. Construction of intracellular asymmetry and asymmetric division in Escherichia coli. Nat Commun 2021; 12:888. [PMID: 33563962 PMCID: PMC7873278 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-021-21135-1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/07/2019] [Accepted: 01/09/2021] [Indexed: 01/23/2023] Open
Abstract
The design principle of establishing an intracellular protein gradient for asymmetric cell division is a long-standing fundamental question. While the major molecular players and their interactions have been elucidated via genetic approaches, the diversity and redundancy of natural systems complicate the extraction of critical underlying features. Here, we take a synthetic cell biology approach to construct intracellular asymmetry and asymmetric division in Escherichia coli, in which division is normally symmetric. We demonstrate that the oligomeric PopZ from Caulobacter crescentus can serve as a robust polarized scaffold to functionalize RNA polymerase. Furthermore, by using another oligomeric pole-targeting DivIVA from Bacillus subtilis, the newly synthesized protein can be constrained to further establish intracellular asymmetry, leading to asymmetric division and differentiation. Our findings suggest that the coupled oligomerization and restriction in diffusion may be a strategy for generating a spatial gradient for asymmetric cell division.
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Affiliation(s)
- Da-Wei Lin
- Institute of Molecular and Cellular Biology, National Taiwan University, Taipei, Taiwan
| | - Yang Liu
- Institute of Molecular and Cellular Biology, National Taiwan University, Taipei, Taiwan
| | - Yue-Qi Lee
- Institute of Molecular and Cellular Biology, National Taiwan University, Taipei, Taiwan
| | - Po-Jiun Yang
- Institute of Molecular and Cellular Biology, National Taiwan University, Taipei, Taiwan
| | - Chia-Tse Ho
- Institute of Molecular and Cellular Biology, National Taiwan University, Taipei, Taiwan
| | - Jui-Chung Hong
- Institute of Molecular and Cellular Biology, National Taiwan University, Taipei, Taiwan
| | | | - Der-Chien Liao
- Institute of Molecular and Cellular Biology, National Taiwan University, Taipei, Taiwan
| | - An-Jou Liang
- Institute of Molecular and Cellular Biology, National Taiwan University, Taipei, Taiwan
| | - Tzu-Chiao Hung
- Institute of Molecular and Cellular Biology, National Taiwan University, Taipei, Taiwan
| | - Yu-Chuan Chen
- Institute of Chemistry, Academia Sinica, Taipei, Taiwan
| | - Hsiung-Lin Tu
- Institute of Chemistry, Academia Sinica, Taipei, Taiwan
- Genome and Systems Biology Degree Program, National Taiwan University, Taipei, Taiwan
| | - Chao-Ping Hsu
- Institute of Chemistry, Academia Sinica, Taipei, Taiwan
- Genome and Systems Biology Degree Program, National Taiwan University, Taipei, Taiwan
| | - Hsiao-Chun Huang
- Institute of Molecular and Cellular Biology, National Taiwan University, Taipei, Taiwan.
- Genome and Systems Biology Degree Program, National Taiwan University, Taipei, Taiwan.
- Department of Life Science, National Taiwan University, Taipei, Taiwan.
- Graduate Institute of Electronics Engineering, National Taiwan University, Taipei, Taiwan.
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40
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Z-Ring-Associated Proteins Regulate Clustering of the Replication Terminus-Binding Protein ZapT in Caulobacter crescentus. mBio 2021; 12:mBio.02196-20. [PMID: 33500340 PMCID: PMC7858052 DOI: 10.1128/mbio.02196-20] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/02/2023] Open
Abstract
Rapidly growing bacteria experience dynamic changes in chromosome architecture during chromosome replication and segregation, reflecting the importance of mechanisms that organize the chromosome globally and locally within a cell to maintain faithful transmission of genetic material across generations. During cell division in the model bacterium Caulobacter crescentus, the replication terminus of the chromosome is physically linked to the cytokinetic Z-ring at midcell. Regulated organization of the chromosome is essential for faithful propagation of genetic information. In the model bacterium Caulobacter crescentus, the replication terminus of the chromosome is spatially arranged in close proximity to the cytokinetic Z-ring during the cell cycle. Although the Z-ring-associated proteins ZapA and ZauP interact with the terminus recognition protein ZapT, the molecular functions of the complex that physically links the terminus and the Z-ring remain obscure. In this study, we found that the physical linkage helps to organize the terminus DNA into a clustered structure. Neither ZapA nor ZauP was required for ZapT binding to the terminus DNA, but clustering of the ZapT-DNA complexes over the Z-ring was severely compromised in cells lacking ZapA or ZauP. Biochemical characterization revealed that ZapT, ZauP, and ZapA interacted directly to form a highly ordered ternary complex. Moreover, multiple ZapT molecules were sequestered by each ZauP oligomer. Investigation of the functional structure of ZapT revealed that the C terminus of ZapT specifically interacted with ZauP and was essential for timely positioning of the Z-ring in vivo. Based on these findings, we propose that ZauP-dependent oligomerization of ZapT-DNA complexes plays a distinct role in organizing the replication terminus and the Z-ring. The C termini of ZapT homologs share similar chemical properties, implying a common mechanism for the physical linkage between the terminus and the Z-ring in bacteria.
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Chaudhary R, Mishra S, Kota S, Misra H. Molecular interactions and their predictive roles in cell pole determination in bacteria. Crit Rev Microbiol 2021; 47:141-161. [PMID: 33423591 DOI: 10.1080/1040841x.2020.1857686] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/22/2022]
Abstract
Bacterial cell cycle is divided into well-coordinated phases; chromosome duplication and segregation, cell elongation, septum formation, and cytokinesis. The temporal separation of these phases depends upon the growth rates and doubling time in different bacteria. The entire process of cell division starts with the assembly of divisome complex at mid-cell position followed by constriction of the cell wall and septum formation. In the mapping of mid-cell position for septum formation, the gradient of oscillating Min proteins across the poles plays a pivotal role in several bacteria genus. The cues in the cell that defines the poles and plane of cell division are not fully characterized in cocci. Recent studies have shed some lights on molecular interactions at the poles and the underlying mechanisms involved in pole determination in non-cocci. In this review, we have brought forth recent findings on these aspects together, which would suggest a model to explain the mechanisms of pole determination in rod shaped bacteria and could be extrapolated as a working model in cocci.
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Affiliation(s)
- Reema Chaudhary
- Molecular Biology Division, Bhabha Atomic Research Centre, Mumbai, India.,Life Sciences, Homi Bhabha National Institute, Mumbai, India
| | - Shruti Mishra
- Molecular Biology Division, Bhabha Atomic Research Centre, Mumbai, India.,Life Sciences, Homi Bhabha National Institute, Mumbai, India
| | - Swathi Kota
- Molecular Biology Division, Bhabha Atomic Research Centre, Mumbai, India.,Life Sciences, Homi Bhabha National Institute, Mumbai, India
| | - Hari Misra
- Molecular Biology Division, Bhabha Atomic Research Centre, Mumbai, India.,Life Sciences, Homi Bhabha National Institute, Mumbai, India
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42
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Generating asymmetry in a changing environment: cell cycle regulation in dimorphic alphaproteobacteria. Biol Chem 2020; 401:1349-1363. [DOI: 10.1515/hsz-2020-0235] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/30/2020] [Accepted: 08/28/2020] [Indexed: 12/15/2022]
Abstract
AbstractWhile many bacteria divide by symmetric binary fission, some alphaproteobacteria have strikingly asymmetric cell cycles, producing offspring that differs significantly in their morphology and reproductive state. To establish this asymmetry, these species employ a complex cell cycle regulatory pathway based on two-component signaling cascades. At the center of this network is the essential DNA-binding response regulator CtrA, which acts as a transcription factor controlling numerous genes with cell cycle-relevant functions as well as a regulator of chromosome replication. The DNA-binding activity of CtrA is controlled at the level of both protein phosphorylation and stability, dependent on an intricate network of regulatory proteins, whose function is tightly coordinated in time and space. CtrA is differentially activated in the two (developing) offspring, thereby establishing distinct transcriptional programs that ultimately determine their distinct cell fates. Phase-separated polar microdomains of changing composition sequester proteins involved in the (in-)activation and degradation of CtrA specifically at each pole. In this review, we summarize the current knowledge of the CtrA pathway and discuss how it has evolved to regulate the cell cycle of morphologically distinct alphaproteobacteria.
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43
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Nordyke CT, Ahmed YM, Puterbaugh RZ, Bowman GR, Varga K. Intrinsically Disordered Bacterial Polar Organizing Protein Z, PopZ, Interacts with Protein Binding Partners Through an N-terminal Molecular Recognition Feature. J Mol Biol 2020; 432:6092-6107. [PMID: 33058876 DOI: 10.1016/j.jmb.2020.09.020] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/16/2020] [Revised: 09/18/2020] [Accepted: 09/25/2020] [Indexed: 11/15/2022]
Abstract
The polar organizing protein Z (PopZ) is necessary for the formation of three-dimensional microdomains at the cell poles in Caulobacter crescentus, where it functions as a hub protein that recruits multiple regulatory proteins from the cytoplasm. Although a large portion of the protein is predicted to be natively unstructured, in reconstituted systems PopZ can self-assemble into a macromolecular scaffold that directly binds to at least ten different proteins. Here we report the solution NMR structure of PopZΔ134-177, a truncated form of PopZ that does not self-assemble but retains the ability to interact with heterologous proteins. We show that the unbound form of PopZΔ134-177 is unstructured in solution, with the exception of a small amphipathic α-helix in residues M10-I17, which is included within a highly conserved region near the N-terminal. In applying NMR techniques to map the interactions between PopZΔ134-177 and one of its binding partners, RcdA, we find evidence that the α-helix and adjoining amino acids extending to position E23 serve as the core of the binding motif. Consistent with this, a point mutation at position I17 severely compromises binding. Our results show that a partially structured Molecular Recognition Feature (MoRF) within an intrinsically disordered domain of PopZ contributes to the assembly of polar microdomains, revealing a structural basis for complex network assembly in Alphaproteobacteria that is analogous to those formed by intrinsically disordered hub proteins in other kingdoms.
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Affiliation(s)
- Christopher T Nordyke
- Department of Molecular, Cellular and Biomedical Sciences, University of New Hampshire, Durham, NH 03824, United States
| | - Yasin M Ahmed
- Department of Molecular Biology, University of Wyoming, Laramie, WY 82071, United States
| | - Ryan Z Puterbaugh
- Department of Molecular, Cellular and Biomedical Sciences, University of New Hampshire, Durham, NH 03824, United States
| | - Grant R Bowman
- Department of Molecular Biology, University of Wyoming, Laramie, WY 82071, United States.
| | - Krisztina Varga
- Department of Molecular, Cellular and Biomedical Sciences, University of New Hampshire, Durham, NH 03824, United States.
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44
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Nußbaum P, Ithurbide S, Walsh JC, Patro M, Delpech F, Rodriguez-Franco M, Curmi PMG, Duggin IG, Quax TEF, Albers SV. An Oscillating MinD Protein Determines the Cellular Positioning of the Motility Machinery in Archaea. Curr Biol 2020; 30:4956-4972.e4. [PMID: 33125862 DOI: 10.1016/j.cub.2020.09.073] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/12/2020] [Revised: 07/28/2020] [Accepted: 09/23/2020] [Indexed: 01/14/2023]
Abstract
MinD proteins are well studied in rod-shaped bacteria such as E. coli, where they display self-organized pole-to-pole oscillations that are important for correct positioning of the Z-ring at mid-cell for cell division. Archaea also encode proteins belonging to the MinD family, but their functions are unknown. MinD homologous proteins were found to be widespread in Euryarchaeota and form a sister group to the bacterial MinD family, distinct from the ParA and other related ATPase families. We aimed to identify the function of four archaeal MinD proteins in the model archaeon Haloferax volcanii. Deletion of the minD genes did not cause cell division or size defects, and the Z-ring was still correctly positioned. Instead, one of the deletions (ΔminD4) reduced swimming motility and hampered the correct formation of motility machinery at the cell poles. In ΔminD4 cells, there is reduced formation of the motility structure and chemosensory arrays, which are essential for signal transduction. In bacteria, several members of the ParA family can position the motility structure and chemosensory arrays via binding to a landmark protein, and consequently these proteins do not oscillate along the cell axis. However, GFP-MinD4 displayed pole-to-pole oscillation and formed polar patches or foci in H. volcanii. The MinD4 membrane-targeting sequence (MTS), homologous to the bacterial MinD MTS, was essential for the oscillation. Surprisingly, mutant MinD4 proteins failed to form polar patches. Thus, MinD4 from H. volcanii combines traits of different bacterial ParA/MinD proteins.
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Affiliation(s)
- Phillip Nußbaum
- Molecular Biology of Archaea, Institute of Biology II, Faculty of Biology, University of Freiburg, Schänzlestrasse 1, 79104 Freiburg, Germany
| | - Solenne Ithurbide
- The ithree institute, University of Technology, Sydney, Ultimo, NSW 2007, Australia
| | - James C Walsh
- EMBL Australia Node in Single Molecule Science and ARC Centre of Excellence in Advanced Molecular Imaging, School of Medical Sciences, UNSW Sydney, NSW 2052, Australia
| | - Megha Patro
- Molecular Biology of Archaea, Institute of Biology II, Faculty of Biology, University of Freiburg, Schänzlestrasse 1, 79104 Freiburg, Germany
| | - Floriane Delpech
- Molecular Biology of Archaea, Institute of Biology II, Faculty of Biology, University of Freiburg, Schänzlestrasse 1, 79104 Freiburg, Germany
| | - Marta Rodriguez-Franco
- Cell Biology, Institute of Biology II, Faculty of Biology, University of Freiburg, Schänzlestraße 1, 79104 Freiburg, Germany
| | - Paul M G Curmi
- School of Physics, University of New South Wales, Sydney, NSW 2052, Australia
| | - Iain G Duggin
- The ithree institute, University of Technology, Sydney, Ultimo, NSW 2007, Australia.
| | - Tessa E F Quax
- Archaeal Virus-Host Interactions, Institute of Biology II, Faculty of Biology, University of Freiburg, Schänzlestrasse 1, 79104 Freiburg, Germany.
| | - Sonja-Verena Albers
- Molecular Biology of Archaea, Institute of Biology II, Faculty of Biology, University of Freiburg, Schänzlestrasse 1, 79104 Freiburg, Germany.
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45
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Segregation of four Agrobacterium tumefaciens replicons during polar growth: PopZ and PodJ control segregation of essential replicons. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A 2020; 117:26366-26373. [PMID: 33024016 DOI: 10.1073/pnas.2014371117] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/18/2022] Open
Abstract
Agrobacterium tumefaciens C58 contains four replicons, circular chromosome (CC), linear chromosome (LC), cryptic plasmid (pAt), and tumor-inducing plasmid (pTi), and grows by polar growth from a single growth pole (GP), while the old cell compartment and its old pole (OP) do not elongate. We monitored the replication and segregation of these four genetic elements during polar growth. The three largest replicons (CC, LC, pAt) reside in the OP compartment prior to replication; post replication one copy migrates to the GP prior to division. CC resides at a fixed location at the OP and replicates first. LC does not stay fixed at the OP once the cell cycle begins and replicates from varied locations 20 min later than CC. pAt localizes similarly to LC prior to replication, but replicates before the LC and after the CC. pTi does not have a fixed location, and post replication it segregates randomly throughout old and new cell compartments, while undergoing one to three rounds of replication during a single cell cycle. Segregation of the CC and LC is dependent on the GP and OP identity factors PopZ and PodJ, respectively. Without PopZ, replicated CC and LC do not efficiently partition, resulting in sibling cells without CC or LC. Without PodJ, the CC and LC exhibit abnormal localization to the GP at the beginning of the cell cycle and replicate from this position. These data reveal PodJ plays an essential role in CC and LC tethering to the OP during early stages of polar growth.
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46
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Corrales-Guerrero L, He B, Refes Y, Panis G, Bange G, Viollier PH, Steinchen W, Thanbichler M. Molecular architecture of the DNA-binding sites of the P-loop ATPases MipZ and ParA from Caulobacter crescentus. Nucleic Acids Res 2020; 48:4769-4779. [PMID: 32232335 PMCID: PMC7229837 DOI: 10.1093/nar/gkaa192] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/19/2019] [Revised: 02/18/2020] [Accepted: 03/17/2020] [Indexed: 12/21/2022] Open
Abstract
The spatiotemporal regulation of chromosome segregation and cell division in Caulobacter crescentus is mediated by two different P-loop ATPases, ParA and MipZ. Both of these proteins form dynamic concentration gradients that control the positioning of regulatory targets within the cell. Their proper localization depends on their nucleotide-dependent cycling between a monomeric and a dimeric state and on the ability of the dimeric species to associate with the nucleoid. In this study, we use a combination of genetic screening, biochemical analysis and hydrogen/deuterium exchange mass spectrometry to comprehensively map the residues mediating the interactions of MipZ and ParA with DNA. We show that MipZ has non-specific DNA-binding activity that relies on an array of positively charged and hydrophobic residues lining both sides of the dimer interface. Extending our analysis to ParA, we find that the MipZ and ParA DNA-binding sites differ markedly in composition, although their relative positions on the dimer surface and their mode of DNA binding are conserved. In line with previous experimental work, bioinformatic analysis suggests that the same principles may apply to other members of the P-loop ATPase family. P-loop ATPases thus share common mechanistic features, although their functions have diverged considerably during the course of evolution.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Binbin He
- Department of Biology, University of Marburg, D-35043 Marburg, Germany
| | - Yacine Refes
- Department of Biology, University of Marburg, D-35043 Marburg, Germany
| | - Gaël Panis
- Department of Microbiology and Molecular Medicine, University of Geneva Medical School, CH-1211 Geneva, Switzerland
| | - Gert Bange
- Center for Synthetic Microbiology, D-35043 Marburg, Germany.,Department of Chemistry, University of Marburg, D-35043 Marburg, Germany
| | - Patrick H Viollier
- Department of Microbiology and Molecular Medicine, University of Geneva Medical School, CH-1211 Geneva, Switzerland
| | - Wieland Steinchen
- Center for Synthetic Microbiology, D-35043 Marburg, Germany.,Department of Chemistry, University of Marburg, D-35043 Marburg, Germany
| | - Martin Thanbichler
- Department of Biology, University of Marburg, D-35043 Marburg, Germany.,Center for Synthetic Microbiology, D-35043 Marburg, Germany.,Max Planck Fellow Group Bacterial Cell Biology, Max Planck Institute for Terrestrial Microbiology, D-35043 Marburg, Germany
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47
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Anand D, Schumacher D, Søgaard-Andersen L. SMC and the bactofilin/PadC scaffold have distinct yet redundant functions in chromosome segregation and organization in Myxococcus xanthus. Mol Microbiol 2020; 114:839-856. [PMID: 32738827 DOI: 10.1111/mmi.14583] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/04/2020] [Revised: 07/22/2020] [Indexed: 12/20/2022]
Abstract
In bacteria, ParABS systems and structural maintenance of chromosome (SMC) condensin-like complexes are important for chromosome segregation and organization. The rod-shaped Myxococcus xanthus cells have a unique chromosome arrangement in which a scaffold composed of the BacNOP bactofilins and PadC positions the essential ParB∙parS segregation complexes and the DNA segregation ATPase ParA in the subpolar regions. We identify the Smc and ScpAB subunits of the SMC complex in M. xanthus and demonstrate that SMC is conditionally essential, with Δsmc or ΔscpAB mutants being temperature sensitive. Inactivation of SMC caused defects in chromosome segregation and organization. Lack of the BacNOP/PadC scaffold also caused chromosome segregation defects but this scaffold is not essential for viability. Inactivation of SMC was synthetic lethal with lack of the BacNOP/PadC scaffold. Lack of SMC interfered with formation of the BacNOP/PadC scaffold while lack of this scaffold did not interfere with chromosome association by SMC. Altogether, our data support that three systems function together to enable chromosome segregation in M. xanthus. ParABS constitutes the basic and essential machinery. SMC and the BacNOP/PadC scaffold have different yet redundant roles in chromosome segregation with SMC supporting individualization of daughter chromosomes and BacNOP/PadC making the ParABS system operate more robustly.
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Affiliation(s)
- Deepak Anand
- Department of Ecophysiology, Max Planck Institute for Terrestrial Microbiology, Marburg, Germany
| | - Dominik Schumacher
- Department of Ecophysiology, Max Planck Institute for Terrestrial Microbiology, Marburg, Germany
| | - Lotte Søgaard-Andersen
- Department of Ecophysiology, Max Planck Institute for Terrestrial Microbiology, Marburg, Germany
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48
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ChiS is a noncanonical DNA-binding hybrid sensor kinase that directly regulates the chitin utilization program in Vibrio cholerae. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A 2020; 117:20180-20189. [PMID: 32719134 DOI: 10.1073/pnas.2001768117] [Citation(s) in RCA: 18] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/11/2023] Open
Abstract
Two-component signal transduction systems (TCSs) represent a major mechanism that bacteria use to sense and respond to their environment. Prototypical TCSs are composed of a membrane-embedded histidine kinase, which senses an environmental stimulus and subsequently phosphorylates a cognate partner protein called a response regulator that regulates gene expression in a phosphorylation-dependent manner. Vibrio cholerae uses the hybrid histidine kinase ChiS to activate the expression of the chitin utilization program, which is critical for the survival of this facultative pathogen in its aquatic reservoir. A cognate response regulator for ChiS has not been identified and the mechanism of ChiS-dependent signal transduction remains unclear. Here, we show that ChiS is a noncanonical membrane-embedded one-component system that can both sense chitin and directly regulate gene expression via a cryptic DNA binding domain. Unlike prototypical TCSs, we find that ChiS DNA binding is diminished, rather than stimulated, by phosphorylation. Finally, we provide evidence that ChiS likely activates gene expression by directly recruiting RNA polymerase. This work addresses the mechanism of action for a major transcription factor in V. cholerae and highlights the versatility of signal transduction systems in bacterial species.
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49
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Duvall SW, Childers WS. Design of a Histidine Kinase FRET Sensor to Detect Complex Signal Integration within Living Bacteria. ACS Sens 2020; 5:1589-1596. [PMID: 32495620 DOI: 10.1021/acssensors.0c00008] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/30/2022]
Abstract
Histidine kinases (HK) switch between conformational states that promote kinase and phosphatase activities to regulate diverse cellular processes. Past studies have shown that these functional states can display heterogeneity between cells in microbial communities and can vary at the subcellular level. Methods to track and correlate the kinase conformational state with the phenotypic response of living bacteria cells will offer new opportunities to interrogate bacterial signaling mechanisms. As a proof of principle, we incorporated both mClover3 (donor) and mRuby3 (acceptor) fluorescent proteins into the Caulobacter crescentus cell-cycle HK CckA as an in vivo fluorescence resonance energy transfer (FRET) sensor to detect these structural changes. Our engineered FRET sensor was responsive to CckA-specific input signals and detected subcellular changes in CckA signal integration that occurs as cells develop. We demonstrated the potential of using the CckA FRET sensor as an in vivo screening tool for HK inhibitors. In summary, we have developed a new HK FRET sensor design strategy that can be adopted to monitor in vivo changes for interrogation of a broad range of signaling mechanisms in living bacteria.
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Affiliation(s)
- Samuel W. Duvall
- Department of Chemistry, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania 15260, United States
| | - W. Seth Childers
- Department of Chemistry, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania 15260, United States
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50
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Cohan MC, Pappu RV. Making the Case for Disordered Proteins and Biomolecular Condensates in Bacteria. Trends Biochem Sci 2020; 45:668-680. [PMID: 32456986 DOI: 10.1016/j.tibs.2020.04.011] [Citation(s) in RCA: 60] [Impact Index Per Article: 15.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/03/2020] [Revised: 04/11/2020] [Accepted: 04/30/2020] [Indexed: 12/29/2022]
Abstract
Intrinsically disordered proteins/regions (IDPs/IDRs) contribute to a diverse array of molecular functions in eukaryotic systems. There is also growing recognition that membraneless biomolecular condensates, many of which are organized or regulated by IDPs/IDRs, can enable spatial and temporal regulation of complex biochemical reactions in eukaryotes. Motivated by these findings, we assess if (and how) membraneless biomolecular condensates and IDPs/IDRs are functionally involved in key cellular processes and molecular functions in bacteria. We summarize the conceptual underpinnings of condensate assembly and leverage these concepts by connecting them to recent findings that implicate specific types of condensates and IDPs/IDRs in important cellular level processes and molecular functions in bacterial systems.
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Affiliation(s)
- Megan C Cohan
- Department of Biomedical Engineering and Center for Science and Engineering of Living Systems (CSELS), Washington University in St. Louis, St. Louis, MO 63130, USA
| | - Rohit V Pappu
- Department of Biomedical Engineering and Center for Science and Engineering of Living Systems (CSELS), Washington University in St. Louis, St. Louis, MO 63130, USA.
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