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Lavecchia A, Fosso B, Engelen AH, Borin S, Manzari C, Picardi E, Pesole G, Placido A. Macroalgal microbiomes unveil a valuable genetic resource for halogen metabolism. MICROBIOME 2024; 12:47. [PMID: 38454513 PMCID: PMC10919026 DOI: 10.1186/s40168-023-01740-6] [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: 06/19/2023] [Accepted: 12/18/2023] [Indexed: 03/09/2024]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Macroalgae, especially reds (Rhodophyta Division) and browns (Phaeophyta Division), are known for producing various halogenated compounds. Yet, the reasons underlying their production and the fate of these metabolites remain largely unknown. Some theories suggest their potential antimicrobial activity and involvement in interactions between macroalgae and prokaryotes. However, detailed investigations are currently missing on how the genetic information of prokaryotic communities associated with macroalgae may influence the fate of organohalogenated molecules. RESULTS To address this challenge, we created a specialized dataset containing 161 enzymes, each with a complete enzyme commission number, known to be involved in halogen metabolism. This dataset served as a reference to annotate the corresponding genes encoded in both the metagenomic contigs and 98 metagenome-assembled genomes (MAGs) obtained from the microbiome of 2 red (Sphaerococcus coronopifolius and Asparagopsis taxiformis) and 1 brown (Halopteris scoparia) macroalgae. We detected many dehalogenation-related genes, particularly those with hydrolytic functions, suggesting their potential involvement in the degradation of a wide spectrum of halocarbons and haloaromatic molecules, including anthropogenic compounds. We uncovered an array of degradative gene functions within MAGs, spanning various bacterial orders such as Rhodobacterales, Rhizobiales, Caulobacterales, Geminicoccales, Sphingomonadales, Granulosicoccales, Microtrichales, and Pseudomonadales. Less abundant than degradative functions, we also uncovered genes associated with the biosynthesis of halogenated antimicrobial compounds and metabolites. CONCLUSION The functional data provided here contribute to understanding the still largely unexplored role of unknown prokaryotes. These findings support the hypothesis that macroalgae function as holobionts, where the metabolism of halogenated compounds might play a role in symbiogenesis and act as a possible defense mechanism against environmental chemical stressors. Furthermore, bacterial groups, previously never connected with organohalogen metabolism, e.g., Caulobacterales, Geminicoccales, Granulosicoccales, and Microtrichales, functionally characterized through MAGs reconstruction, revealed a biotechnologically relevant gene content, useful in synthetic biology, and bioprospecting applications. Video Abstract.
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Affiliation(s)
- Anna Lavecchia
- Department of Biosciences, Biotechnology and Environment, University of Bari "Aldo Moro", Via Orabona 4, Bari, 70124, Italy
| | - Bruno Fosso
- Department of Biosciences, Biotechnology and Environment, University of Bari "Aldo Moro", Via Orabona 4, Bari, 70124, Italy
| | - Aschwin H Engelen
- Center of Marine Sciences (CCMar), University of Algarve, Campus Gambelas, Faro, 8005-139, Portugal
| | - Sara Borin
- Department of Food, Environmental and Nutritional Sciences, University of Milan, Via Celoria 2, Milan, 20133, Italy
| | - Caterina Manzari
- Department of Biosciences, Biotechnology and Environment, University of Bari "Aldo Moro", Via Orabona 4, Bari, 70124, Italy
| | - Ernesto Picardi
- Department of Biosciences, Biotechnology and Environment, University of Bari "Aldo Moro", Via Orabona 4, Bari, 70124, Italy
- Institute of Biomembranes, Bioenergetics and Molecular Biotechnologies, National Research Council of Italy, Via Giovanni Amendola, Bari, 122/O, 70126, Italy
| | - Graziano Pesole
- Department of Biosciences, Biotechnology and Environment, University of Bari "Aldo Moro", Via Orabona 4, Bari, 70124, Italy
- Institute of Biomembranes, Bioenergetics and Molecular Biotechnologies, National Research Council of Italy, Via Giovanni Amendola, Bari, 122/O, 70126, Italy
| | - Antonio Placido
- Institute of Biomembranes, Bioenergetics and Molecular Biotechnologies, National Research Council of Italy, Via Giovanni Amendola, Bari, 122/O, 70126, Italy.
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Chmelova K, Gao T, Polak M, Schenkmayerova A, Croll TI, Shaikh TR, Skarupova J, Chaloupkova R, Diederichs K, Read RJ, Damborsky J, Novacek J, Marek M. Multimeric structure of a subfamily III haloalkane dehalogenase-like enzyme solved by combination of cryo-EM and x-ray crystallography. Protein Sci 2023; 32:e4751. [PMID: 37574754 PMCID: PMC10503415 DOI: 10.1002/pro.4751] [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: 05/08/2023] [Revised: 07/25/2023] [Accepted: 08/08/2023] [Indexed: 08/15/2023]
Abstract
Haloalkane dehalogenase (HLD) enzymes employ an SN 2 nucleophilic substitution mechanism to erase halogen substituents in diverse organohalogen compounds. Subfamily I and II HLDs are well-characterized enzymes, but the mode and purpose of multimerization of subfamily III HLDs are unknown. Here we probe the structural organization of DhmeA, a subfamily III HLD-like enzyme from the archaeon Haloferax mediterranei, by combining cryo-electron microscopy (cryo-EM) and x-ray crystallography. We show that full-length wild-type DhmeA forms diverse quaternary structures, ranging from small oligomers to large supramolecular ring-like assemblies of various sizes and symmetries. We optimized sample preparation steps, enabling three-dimensional reconstructions of an oligomeric species by single-particle cryo-EM. Moreover, we engineered a crystallizable mutant (DhmeAΔGG ) that provided diffraction-quality crystals. The 3.3 Å crystal structure reveals that DhmeAΔGG forms a ring-like 20-mer structure with outer and inner diameter of ~200 and ~80 Å, respectively. An enzyme homodimer represents a basic repeating building unit of the crystallographic ring. Three assembly interfaces (dimerization, tetramerization, and multimerization) were identified to form the supramolecular ring that displays a negatively charged exterior, while its interior part harboring catalytic sites is positively charged. Localization and exposure of catalytic machineries suggest a possible processing of large negatively charged macromolecular substrates.
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Affiliation(s)
- Klaudia Chmelova
- Loschmidt Laboratories, Department of Experimental Biology and RECETOX, Faculty of ScienceMasaryk UniversityBrnoCzech Republic
- International Clinical Research CenterSt. Anne's University Hospital BrnoBrnoCzech Republic
| | - Tadeja Gao
- Loschmidt Laboratories, Department of Experimental Biology and RECETOX, Faculty of ScienceMasaryk UniversityBrnoCzech Republic
- International Clinical Research CenterSt. Anne's University Hospital BrnoBrnoCzech Republic
| | - Martin Polak
- Central European Institute of TechnologyMasaryk UniversityBrnoCzech Republic
| | - Andrea Schenkmayerova
- Loschmidt Laboratories, Department of Experimental Biology and RECETOX, Faculty of ScienceMasaryk UniversityBrnoCzech Republic
- International Clinical Research CenterSt. Anne's University Hospital BrnoBrnoCzech Republic
| | - Tristan I. Croll
- Department of Hematology, Cambridge Institute for Medical ResearchUniversity of CambridgeCambridgeUK
| | - Tanvir R. Shaikh
- Central European Institute of TechnologyMasaryk UniversityBrnoCzech Republic
- Institute of NeuropathologyUniversity Medical Center GöttingenGöttingenGermany
| | - Jana Skarupova
- Loschmidt Laboratories, Department of Experimental Biology and RECETOX, Faculty of ScienceMasaryk UniversityBrnoCzech Republic
| | - Radka Chaloupkova
- Loschmidt Laboratories, Department of Experimental Biology and RECETOX, Faculty of ScienceMasaryk UniversityBrnoCzech Republic
- International Clinical Research CenterSt. Anne's University Hospital BrnoBrnoCzech Republic
| | - Kay Diederichs
- Department of BiologyUniversity of KonstanzKonstanzGermany
| | - Randy J. Read
- Department of Hematology, Cambridge Institute for Medical ResearchUniversity of CambridgeCambridgeUK
| | - Jiri Damborsky
- Loschmidt Laboratories, Department of Experimental Biology and RECETOX, Faculty of ScienceMasaryk UniversityBrnoCzech Republic
- International Clinical Research CenterSt. Anne's University Hospital BrnoBrnoCzech Republic
| | - Jiri Novacek
- Central European Institute of TechnologyMasaryk UniversityBrnoCzech Republic
| | - Martin Marek
- Loschmidt Laboratories, Department of Experimental Biology and RECETOX, Faculty of ScienceMasaryk UniversityBrnoCzech Republic
- International Clinical Research CenterSt. Anne's University Hospital BrnoBrnoCzech Republic
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Hirschi S, Ward TR, Meier WP, Müller DJ, Fotiadis D. Synthetic Biology: Bottom-Up Assembly of Molecular Systems. Chem Rev 2022; 122:16294-16328. [PMID: 36179355 DOI: 10.1021/acs.chemrev.2c00339] [Citation(s) in RCA: 19] [Impact Index Per Article: 9.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/28/2022]
Abstract
The bottom-up assembly of biological and chemical components opens exciting opportunities to engineer artificial vesicular systems for applications with previously unmet requirements. The modular combination of scaffolds and functional building blocks enables the engineering of complex systems with biomimetic or new-to-nature functionalities. Inspired by the compartmentalized organization of cells and organelles, lipid or polymer vesicles are widely used as model membrane systems to investigate the translocation of solutes and the transduction of signals by membrane proteins. The bottom-up assembly and functionalization of such artificial compartments enables full control over their composition and can thus provide specifically optimized environments for synthetic biological processes. This review aims to inspire future endeavors by providing a diverse toolbox of molecular modules, engineering methodologies, and different approaches to assemble artificial vesicular systems. Important technical and practical aspects are addressed and selected applications are presented, highlighting particular achievements and limitations of the bottom-up approach. Complementing the cutting-edge technological achievements, fundamental aspects are also discussed to cater to the inherently diverse background of the target audience, which results from the interdisciplinary nature of synthetic biology. The engineering of proteins as functional modules and the use of lipids and block copolymers as scaffold modules for the assembly of functionalized vesicular systems are explored in detail. Particular emphasis is placed on ensuring the controlled assembly of these components into increasingly complex vesicular systems. Finally, all descriptions are presented in the greater context of engineering valuable synthetic biological systems for applications in biocatalysis, biosensing, bioremediation, or targeted drug delivery.
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Affiliation(s)
- Stephan Hirschi
- Institute of Biochemistry and Molecular Medicine, University of Bern, Bühlstrasse 28, 3012 Bern, Switzerland.,Molecular Systems Engineering, National Centre of Competence in Research (NCCR), 4002 Basel, Switzerland
| | - Thomas R Ward
- Department of Chemistry, University of Basel, St. Johanns-Ring 19, 4056 Basel, Switzerland.,Molecular Systems Engineering, National Centre of Competence in Research (NCCR), 4002 Basel, Switzerland
| | - Wolfgang P Meier
- Department of Chemistry, University of Basel, St. Johanns-Ring 19, 4056 Basel, Switzerland.,Molecular Systems Engineering, National Centre of Competence in Research (NCCR), 4002 Basel, Switzerland
| | - Daniel J Müller
- Department of Biosystems Science and Engineering, ETH Zürich, Mattenstrasse 26, 4058 Basel, Switzerland.,Molecular Systems Engineering, National Centre of Competence in Research (NCCR), 4002 Basel, Switzerland
| | - Dimitrios Fotiadis
- Institute of Biochemistry and Molecular Medicine, University of Bern, Bühlstrasse 28, 3012 Bern, Switzerland.,Molecular Systems Engineering, National Centre of Competence in Research (NCCR), 4002 Basel, Switzerland
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Improvement in the Environmental Stability of Haloalkane Dehalogenase with Self-Assembly Directed Nano-Hybrid with Iron Phosphate. Catalysts 2022. [DOI: 10.3390/catal12080825] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/10/2023] Open
Abstract
Haloalkane dehalogenase (DhaA) catalyzes the hydrolysis of halogenated compounds through the cleavage of carbon halogen bonds. However, the low activity, poor environmental stability, and difficult recycling of free DhaA greatly increases the economic cost of practical application. Inspired by the organic–inorganic hybrid system, an iron-based hybrid nanocomposite biocatalyst FeHN@DhaA is successfully constructed to enhance its environmental tolerability. A series of characterization methods demonstrate that the synthesized enzyme–metal iron complexes exhibit granular nanostructures with good crystallinity. Under optimized conditions, the activity recovery and the effective encapsulation yield of FeHN@DhaA are 138.54% and 87.21%, respectively. Moreover, it not only exhibits excellent immobilized enzymatic properties but also reveals better tolerance to extreme acid, and is alkali compared with the free DhaA. In addition, the immobilized enzyme FeHN@DhaA can be easily recovered and has a satisfactory reusability, retaining 57.8% of relative activity after five reaction cycles. The results of this study might present an alternative immobilized DhaA-based clean biotechnology for the decontamination of organochlorine pollutants.
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