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Martinson JNV, Chacón JM, Smith BA, Villarreal AR, Hunter RC, Harcombe WR. Mutualism reduces the severity of gene disruptions in predictable ways across microbial communities. THE ISME JOURNAL 2023; 17:2270-2278. [PMID: 37865718 PMCID: PMC10689784 DOI: 10.1038/s41396-023-01534-6] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/25/2023] [Revised: 10/03/2023] [Accepted: 10/06/2023] [Indexed: 10/23/2023]
Abstract
Predicting evolution in microbial communities is critical for problems from human health to global nutrient cycling. Understanding how species interactions impact the distribution of fitness effects for a focal population would enhance our ability to predict evolution. Specifically, does the type of ecological interaction, such as mutualism or competition, change the average effect of a mutation (i.e., the mean of the distribution of fitness effects)? Furthermore, how often does increasing community complexity alter the impact of species interactions on mutant fitness? To address these questions, we created a transposon mutant library in Salmonella enterica and measured the fitness of loss of function mutations in 3,550 genes when grown alone versus competitive co-culture or mutualistic co-culture with Escherichia coli and Methylorubrum extorquens. We found that mutualism reduces the average impact of mutations, while competition had no effect. Additionally, mutant fitness in the 3-species communities can be predicted by averaging the fitness in each 2-species community. Finally, we discovered that in the mutualism S. enterica obtained vitamins and more amino acids than previously known. Our results suggest that species interactions can predictably impact fitness effect distributions, in turn suggesting that evolution may ultimately be predictable in multi-species communities.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jonathan N V Martinson
- Department of Ecology, Evolution, and Behavior, University of Minnesota, St. Paul, MN, USA
- BioTechnology Institute, University of Minnesota, St. Paul, MN, USA
| | - Jeremy M Chacón
- Department of Ecology, Evolution, and Behavior, University of Minnesota, St. Paul, MN, USA
- BioTechnology Institute, University of Minnesota, St. Paul, MN, USA
- Minnesota Super Computing Institute, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, MN, USA
| | - Brian A Smith
- Department of Ecology, Evolution, and Behavior, University of Minnesota, St. Paul, MN, USA
- BioTechnology Institute, University of Minnesota, St. Paul, MN, USA
| | - Alex R Villarreal
- Department of Microbiology & Immunology, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, MN, USA
| | - Ryan C Hunter
- Department of Microbiology & Immunology, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, MN, USA
| | - William R Harcombe
- Department of Ecology, Evolution, and Behavior, University of Minnesota, St. Paul, MN, USA.
- BioTechnology Institute, University of Minnesota, St. Paul, MN, USA.
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2
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Abellon-Ruiz J, Jana K, Silale A, Frey AM, Baslé A, Trost M, Kleinekathöfer U, van den Berg B. BtuB TonB-dependent transporters and BtuG surface lipoproteins form stable complexes for vitamin B 12 uptake in gut Bacteroides. Nat Commun 2023; 14:4714. [PMID: 37543597 PMCID: PMC10404256 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-023-40427-2] [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: 11/25/2022] [Accepted: 07/27/2023] [Indexed: 08/07/2023] Open
Abstract
Vitamin B12 (cobalamin) is required for most human gut microbes, many of which are dependent on scavenging to obtain this vitamin. Since bacterial densities in the gut are extremely high, competition for this keystone micronutrient is severe. Contrasting with Enterobacteria, members of the dominant genus Bacteroides often encode several BtuB vitamin B12 outer membrane transporters together with a conserved array of surface-exposed B12-binding lipoproteins. Here we show that the BtuB transporters from Bacteroides thetaiotaomicron form stable, pedal bin-like complexes with surface-exposed BtuG lipoprotein lids, which bind B12 with high affinities. Closing of the BtuG lid following B12 capture causes destabilisation of the bound B12 by a conserved BtuB extracellular loop, causing translocation of the vitamin to BtuB and subsequent transport. We propose that TonB-dependent, lipoprotein-assisted small molecule uptake is a general feature of Bacteroides spp. that is important for the success of this genus in colonising the human gut.
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Affiliation(s)
- Javier Abellon-Ruiz
- Biosciences Institute, Faculty of Medical Sciences, Newcastle University, Newcastle upon Tyne, NE2 4HH, UK
| | - Kalyanashis Jana
- School of Science, Constructor University, Campus Ring 1, 28759, Bremen, Germany
| | - Augustinas Silale
- Biosciences Institute, Faculty of Medical Sciences, Newcastle University, Newcastle upon Tyne, NE2 4HH, UK
| | - Andrew M Frey
- Biosciences Institute, Faculty of Medical Sciences, Newcastle University, Newcastle upon Tyne, NE2 4HH, UK
| | - Arnaud Baslé
- Biosciences Institute, Faculty of Medical Sciences, Newcastle University, Newcastle upon Tyne, NE2 4HH, UK
| | - Matthias Trost
- Biosciences Institute, Faculty of Medical Sciences, Newcastle University, Newcastle upon Tyne, NE2 4HH, UK
| | | | - Bert van den Berg
- Biosciences Institute, Faculty of Medical Sciences, Newcastle University, Newcastle upon Tyne, NE2 4HH, UK.
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Martinson JNV, Chacón JM, Smith BA, Villarreal AR, Hunter RC, Harcombe WR. Mutualism reduces the severity of gene disruptions in predictable ways across microbial communities. BIORXIV : THE PREPRINT SERVER FOR BIOLOGY 2023:2023.05.08.539835. [PMID: 37214994 PMCID: PMC10197568 DOI: 10.1101/2023.05.08.539835] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/24/2023]
Abstract
Predicting evolution in microbial communities is critical for problems from human health to global nutrient cycling. Understanding how species interactions impact the distribution of fitness effects for a focal population would enhance our ability to predict evolution. Specifically, it would be useful to know if the type of ecological interaction, such as mutualism or competition, changes the average effect of a mutation (i.e., the mean of the distribution of fitness effects). Furthermore, how often does increasing community complexity alter the impact of species interactions on mutant fitness? To address these questions, we created a transposon mutant library in Salmonella enterica and measured the fitness of loss of function mutations in 3,550 genes when grown alone versus competitive co-culture or mutualistic co-culture with Escherichia coli and Methylorubrum extorquens. We found that mutualism reduces the average impact of mutations, while competition had no effect. Additionally, mutant fitness in the 3-species communities can be predicted by averaging the fitness in each 2-species community. Finally, the fitness effects of several knockouts in the mutualistic communities were surprising. We discovered that S. enterica is obtaining a different source of carbon and more vitamins and amino acids than we had expected. Our results suggest that species interactions can predictably impact fitness effect distributions, in turn suggesting that evolution may ultimately be predictable in multi-species communities.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jonathan N V Martinson
- Department of Ecology, Evolution, and Behavior, University of Minnesota, St. Paul, MN, USA
- BioTechnology Institute, University of Minnesota, St. Paul, MN, USA
| | - Jeremy M Chacón
- Department of Ecology, Evolution, and Behavior, University of Minnesota, St. Paul, MN, USA
- BioTechnology Institute, University of Minnesota, St. Paul, MN, USA
- Current address: Minnesota Super Computing Institute, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, MN, USA
| | - Brian A Smith
- Department of Ecology, Evolution, and Behavior, University of Minnesota, St. Paul, MN, USA
- BioTechnology Institute, University of Minnesota, St. Paul, MN, USA
| | - Alex R Villarreal
- Department of Microbiology & Immunology, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, MN, USA
| | - Ryan C Hunter
- Department of Microbiology & Immunology, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, MN, USA
| | - William R Harcombe
- Department of Ecology, Evolution, and Behavior, University of Minnesota, St. Paul, MN, USA
- BioTechnology Institute, University of Minnesota, St. Paul, MN, USA
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Bunbury F, Deery E, Sayer AP, Bhardwaj V, Harrison EL, Warren MJ, Smith AG. Exploring the onset of B 12 -based mutualisms using a recently evolved Chlamydomonas auxotroph and B 12 -producing bacteria. Environ Microbiol 2022; 24:3134-3147. [PMID: 35593514 PMCID: PMC9545926 DOI: 10.1111/1462-2920.16035] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/22/2021] [Revised: 03/28/2022] [Accepted: 04/29/2022] [Indexed: 12/01/2022]
Abstract
Cobalamin (vitamin B12 ) is a cofactor for essential metabolic reactions in multiple eukaryotic taxa, including major primary producers such as algae, and yet only prokaryotes can produce it. Many bacteria can colonize the algal phycosphere, forming stable communities that gain preferential access to photosynthate and in return provide compounds such as B12 . Extended coexistence can then drive gene loss, leading to greater algal-bacterial interdependence. In this study, we investigate how a recently evolved B12 -dependent strain of Chlamydomonas reinhardtii, metE7, forms a mutualism with certain bacteria, including the rhizobium Mesorhizobium loti and even a strain of the gut bacterium E. coli engineered to produce cobalamin. Although metE7 was supported by B12 producers, its growth in co-culture was slower than the B12 -independent wild-type, suggesting that high bacterial B12 provision may be necessary to favour B12 auxotrophs and their evolution. Moreover, we found that an E. coli strain that releases more B12 makes a better mutualistic partner, and although this trait may be more costly in isolation, greater B12 release provided an advantage in co-cultures. We hypothesize that, given the right conditions, bacteria that release more B12 may be selected for, particularly if they form close interactions with B12 -dependent algae.
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Affiliation(s)
- Freddy Bunbury
- Department of Plant Sciences, University of Cambridge, Downing Street, Cambridge, CB2 3EA, UK
| | - Evelyne Deery
- School of Biosciences, University of Kent, Canterbury, Kent, CT2 7NH, UK
| | - Andrew P Sayer
- Department of Plant Sciences, University of Cambridge, Downing Street, Cambridge, CB2 3EA, UK
| | - Vaibhav Bhardwaj
- Department of Plant Sciences, University of Cambridge, Downing Street, Cambridge, CB2 3EA, UK
| | - Ellen L Harrison
- Department of Plant Sciences, University of Cambridge, Downing Street, Cambridge, CB2 3EA, UK
| | - Martin J Warren
- School of Biosciences, University of Kent, Canterbury, Kent, CT2 7NH, UK.,Quadram Institute Bioscience, Norwich Research Park, Norwich, NR4 7UQ, UK
| | - Alison G Smith
- Department of Plant Sciences, University of Cambridge, Downing Street, Cambridge, CB2 3EA, UK
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Nijland M, Martínez Felices JM, Slotboom DJ, Thangaratnarajah C. Membrane transport of cobalamin. VITAMINS AND HORMONES 2022; 119:121-148. [PMID: 35337617 DOI: 10.1016/bs.vh.2022.01.008] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/14/2023]
Abstract
A wide variety of organisms encode cobalamin-dependent enzymes catalyzing essential metabolic reactions, but the cofactor cobalamin (vitamin B12) is only synthesized by a subset of bacteria and archaea. The biosynthesis of cobalamin is complex and energetically costly, making cobalamin variants and precursors metabolically valuable. Auxotrophs for these molecules have evolved uptake mechanisms to compensate for the lack of a synthesis pathway. Bacterial transport of cobalamin involves the passage over one or two lipidic membranes in Gram-positive and -negative bacteria, respectively. In higher eukaryotes, a complex system of carriers, receptors and transporters facilitates the delivery of the essential molecule to the tissues. Biochemical and genetic approaches have identified different transporter families involved in cobalamin transport. The majority of the characterized cobalamin transporters are active transport systems that belong to the ATP-binding cassette (ABC) superfamily of transporters. In this chapter, we describe the different cobalamin transport systems characterized to date that are present in bacteria and humans, as well as yet-to-be-identified transporters.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mark Nijland
- University of Groningen, Faculty of Science and Engineering, Groningen Biomolecular Sciences and Biotechnology, Membrane Enzymology Group, Groningen, Netherlands
| | - Jose M Martínez Felices
- University of Groningen, Faculty of Science and Engineering, Groningen Biomolecular Sciences and Biotechnology, Membrane Enzymology Group, Groningen, Netherlands
| | - Dirk J Slotboom
- University of Groningen, Faculty of Science and Engineering, Groningen Biomolecular Sciences and Biotechnology, Membrane Enzymology Group, Groningen, Netherlands.
| | - Chancievan Thangaratnarajah
- University of Groningen, Faculty of Science and Engineering, Groningen Biomolecular Sciences and Biotechnology, Membrane Enzymology Group, Groningen, Netherlands
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Abstract
Bioremediation is a sustainable remediation technology as it utilizes microorganisms to convert hazardous compounds into their less toxic or non-toxic constituent elements. This technology has achieved some success in the past decades; however, factors involving microbial consortia, such as microbial assembly, functional interactions, and the role of member species, hinder its development. Microbial consortia may be engineered to reconfigure metabolic pathways and reprogram social interactions to get the desired function, thereby providing solutions to its inherent problems. The engineering of microbial consortia is commonly applied for the commercial production of biomolecules. However, in the field of bioremediation, the engineering of microbial consortia needs to be emphasized. In this review, we will discuss the molecular and ecological mechanisms of engineering microbial consortia with a particular focus on metabolic cross-feeding within species and the transfer of metabolites. We also discuss the advantages and limitations of top-down and bottom-up approaches of engineering microbial consortia and their applications in bioremediation.
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Balabanova L, Averianova L, Marchenok M, Son O, Tekutyeva L. Microbial and Genetic Resources for Cobalamin (Vitamin B12) Biosynthesis: From Ecosystems to Industrial Biotechnology. Int J Mol Sci 2021; 22:ijms22094522. [PMID: 33926061 PMCID: PMC8123684 DOI: 10.3390/ijms22094522] [Citation(s) in RCA: 32] [Impact Index Per Article: 10.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/27/2021] [Revised: 04/23/2021] [Accepted: 04/23/2021] [Indexed: 12/12/2022] Open
Abstract
Many microbial producers of coenzyme B12 family cofactors together with their metabolically interdependent pathways are comprehensively studied and successfully used both in natural ecosystems dominated by auxotrophs, including bacteria and mammals, and in the safe industrial production of vitamin B12. Metabolic reconstruction for genomic and metagenomic data and functional genomics continue to mine the microbial and genetic resources for biosynthesis of the vital vitamin B12. Availability of metabolic engineering techniques and usage of affordable and renewable sources allowed improving bioprocess of vitamins, providing a positive impact on both economics and environment. The commercial production of vitamin B12 is mainly achieved through the use of the two major industrial strains, Propionobacterium shermanii and Pseudomonas denitrificans, that involves about 30 enzymatic steps in the biosynthesis of cobalamin and completely replaces chemical synthesis. However, there are still unresolved issues in cobalamin biosynthesis that need to be elucidated for future bioprocess improvements. In the present work, we review the current state of development and challenges for cobalamin (vitamin B12) biosynthesis, describing the major and novel prospective strains, and the studies of environmental factors and genetic tools effecting on the fermentation process are reported.
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Affiliation(s)
- Larissa Balabanova
- Department of Bioeconomy and Food Security, School of Economics and Management, Far Eastern Federal University, 690922 Vladivostok, Russia; (L.A.); (M.M.); (O.S.); (L.T.)
- Laboratory of Marine Biochemistry, G.B. Elyakov Pacific Institute of Bioorganic Chemistry, Far Eastern Branch, Russian Academy of Sciences, 690022 Vladivostok, Russia
- ARNIKA, Territory of PDA Nadezhdinskaya, 692481 Primorskiy Region, Russia
- Correspondence:
| | - Liudmila Averianova
- Department of Bioeconomy and Food Security, School of Economics and Management, Far Eastern Federal University, 690922 Vladivostok, Russia; (L.A.); (M.M.); (O.S.); (L.T.)
- ARNIKA, Territory of PDA Nadezhdinskaya, 692481 Primorskiy Region, Russia
| | - Maksim Marchenok
- Department of Bioeconomy and Food Security, School of Economics and Management, Far Eastern Federal University, 690922 Vladivostok, Russia; (L.A.); (M.M.); (O.S.); (L.T.)
- ARNIKA, Territory of PDA Nadezhdinskaya, 692481 Primorskiy Region, Russia
| | - Oksana Son
- Department of Bioeconomy and Food Security, School of Economics and Management, Far Eastern Federal University, 690922 Vladivostok, Russia; (L.A.); (M.M.); (O.S.); (L.T.)
- ARNIKA, Territory of PDA Nadezhdinskaya, 692481 Primorskiy Region, Russia
| | - Liudmila Tekutyeva
- Department of Bioeconomy and Food Security, School of Economics and Management, Far Eastern Federal University, 690922 Vladivostok, Russia; (L.A.); (M.M.); (O.S.); (L.T.)
- ARNIKA, Territory of PDA Nadezhdinskaya, 692481 Primorskiy Region, Russia
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Mathur Y, Sreyas S, Datar PM, Sathian MB, Hazra AB. CobT and BzaC catalyze the regiospecific activation and methylation of the 5-hydroxybenzimidazole lower ligand in anaerobic cobamide biosynthesis. J Biol Chem 2020; 295:10522-10534. [PMID: 32503839 PMCID: PMC7397103 DOI: 10.1074/jbc.ra120.014197] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/04/2020] [Revised: 06/01/2020] [Indexed: 11/06/2022] Open
Abstract
Vitamin B12 and other cobamides are essential cofactors required by many organisms and are synthesized by a subset of prokaryotes via distinct aerobic and anaerobic routes. The anaerobic biosynthesis of 5,6-dimethylbenzimidazole (DMB), the lower ligand of vitamin B12, involves five reactions catalyzed by the bza operon gene products, namely the hydroxybenzimidazole synthase BzaAB/BzaF, phosphoribosyltransferase CobT, and three methyltransferases, BzaC, BzaD, and BzaE, that conduct three distinct methylation steps. Of these, the methyltransferases that contribute to benzimidazole lower ligand diversity in cobamides remain to be characterized, and the precise role of the bza operon protein CobT is unclear. In this study, we used the bza operon from the anaerobic bacterium Moorella thermoacetica (comprising bzaA-bzaB-cobT-bzaC) to examine the role of CobT and investigate the activity of the first methyltransferase, BzaC. We studied the phosphoribosylation catalyzed by MtCobT and found that it regiospecifically activates 5-hydroxybenzimidazole (5-OHBza) to form the 5-OHBza-ribotide (5-OHBza-RP) isomer as the sole product. Next, we characterized the domains of MtBzaC and reconstituted its methyltransferase activity with the predicted substrate 5-OHBza and with two alternative substrates, the MtCobT product 5-OHBza-RP and its riboside derivative 5-OHBza-R. Unexpectedly, we found that 5-OHBza-R is the most favored MtBzaC substrate. Our results collectively explain the long-standing observation that the attachment of the lower ligand in anaerobic cobamide biosynthesis is regiospecific. In conclusion, we validate MtBzaC as a SAM:hydroxybenzimidazole-riboside methyltransferase (HBIR-OMT). Finally, we propose a new pathway for the synthesis and activation of the benzimidazolyl lower ligand in anaerobic cobamide biosynthesis.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yamini Mathur
- Department of Biology, Indian Institute of Science Education and Research, Pune, India
| | - Sheryl Sreyas
- Department of Chemistry, Indian Institute of Science Education and Research, Pune, India
| | - Prathamesh M Datar
- Department of Chemistry, Indian Institute of Science Education and Research, Pune, India
| | - Manjima B Sathian
- Department of Chemistry, Indian Institute of Science Education and Research, Pune, India
| | - Amrita B Hazra
- Department of Biology, Indian Institute of Science Education and Research, Pune, India
- Department of Chemistry, Indian Institute of Science Education and Research, Pune, India
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Johnson DR, Noack S. Editorial overview: Causes and biotechnological application of microbial metabolic specialization. Curr Opin Biotechnol 2020; 62:iii-vi. [DOI: 10.1016/j.copbio.2020.01.007] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/26/2022]
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Anaerobic bacteria need their vitamin B 12 to digest estrogen. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A 2020; 117:1833-1835. [PMID: 31919281 DOI: 10.1073/pnas.1921340117] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/17/2023] Open
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