1
|
Raghunandanan S, Zhang K, Zhang Y, Sze CW, Priya R, Luo Y, Lynch MJ, Crane BR, Li C, Yang XF. MCP5, a methyl-accepting chemotaxis protein regulated by both the Hk1-Rrp1 and Rrp2-RpoN-RpoS pathways, is required for the immune evasion of Borrelia burgdorferi. BIORXIV : THE PREPRINT SERVER FOR BIOLOGY 2024:2024.06.10.598185. [PMID: 38915556 PMCID: PMC11195095 DOI: 10.1101/2024.06.10.598185] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/26/2024]
Abstract
Borrelia (or Borreliella) burgdorferi, the causative agent of Lyme disease, is a motile and invasive zoonotic pathogen, adept at navigating between its arthropod vector and mammalian host. While motility and chemotaxis are well established as essential for its enzootic cycle, the function of methyl-accepting chemotaxis proteins (MCPs) in the infectious cycle of B. burgdorferi remains unclear. In this study, we demonstrate that MCP5, one of the most abundant MCPs in B. burgdorferi, is differentially expressed in response to environmental signals as well as at different stages of the pathogen's enzootic cycle. Specifically, the expression of mcp5 is regulated by the Hk1-Rrp1 and Rrp2-RpoN-RpoS pathways, which are critical for the spirochete's colonization of the tick vector and mammalian host, respectively. Infection experiments with an mcp5 mutant revealed that spirochetes lacking MCP5 could not establish infections in either C3H/HeN mice or Severe Combined Immunodeficiency (SCID) mice, which are defective in adaptive immunity, indicating the essential role of MCP5 in mammalian infection. However, the mcp5 mutant could establish infection and disseminate in NOD SCID Gamma (NSG) mice, which are deficient in both adaptive and most innate immune responses, suggesting a crucial role of MCP5 in evading host innate immunity. In the tick vector, the mcp5 mutants survived feeding but failed to transmit to mice, highlighting the importance of MCP5 in transmission. Our findings reveal that MCP5, regulated by the Rrp1 and Rrp2 pathways, is critical for the establishment of infection in mammalian hosts by evading host innate immunity and is important for the transmission of spirochetes from ticks to mammalian hosts, underscoring its potential as a target for intervention strategies.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Sajith Raghunandanan
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, Indiana University School of Medicine, Indianapolis, IN 46202
| | - Kai Zhang
- Department of Oral Craniofacial Molecular Biology, School of Dentistry, Virginia Commonwealth University, Richmond, Virginia, 23298
| | - Yan Zhang
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, Indiana University School of Medicine, Indianapolis, IN 46202
- Wenzhou Key Laboratory of Sanitary Microbiology, Key Laboratory of Laboratory Medicine, Ministry of Education, School of Laboratory Medicine and Life Sciences, Wenzhou Medical University, Wenzhou, China, 325035
| | - Ching Wooen Sze
- Department of Oral Craniofacial Molecular Biology, School of Dentistry, Virginia Commonwealth University, Richmond, Virginia, 23298
| | - Raj Priya
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, Indiana University School of Medicine, Indianapolis, IN 46202
| | - Yongliang Luo
- Wenzhou Key Laboratory of Sanitary Microbiology, Key Laboratory of Laboratory Medicine, Ministry of Education, School of Laboratory Medicine and Life Sciences, Wenzhou Medical University, Wenzhou, China, 325035
| | - Michael J Lynch
- Department of Chemistry and Chemical Biology, Cornell University, Ithaca, NY 14853, USA
| | - Brian R Crane
- Department of Chemistry and Chemical Biology, Cornell University, Ithaca, NY 14853, USA
| | - Chunhao Li
- Department of Oral Craniofacial Molecular Biology, School of Dentistry, Virginia Commonwealth University, Richmond, Virginia, 23298
| | - X. Frank Yang
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, Indiana University School of Medicine, Indianapolis, IN 46202
| |
Collapse
|
2
|
Kumari K, Sharma PK, Singh RP. Unravelling the transcriptome response of Enterobacter sp. S-33 under varying temperature. Arch Microbiol 2024; 206:81. [PMID: 38294553 DOI: 10.1007/s00203-023-03792-6] [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: 11/22/2023] [Revised: 11/22/2023] [Accepted: 12/11/2023] [Indexed: 02/01/2024]
Abstract
Enterobacter genus includes the bacteria occupying every aspect of environment, however, their adaptability at varying temperature is not clear. In the present study, we analyzed the transcriptome response of Enterobacter sp. S-33 and their functional genes under various temperatures (30-45 ℃) that were expressed and accumulated in cells under temperature-stress. During a temperature shift from 37 to 45 ℃, 165 genes showed differential expression including 112 up-regulated and 53 down-regulated. In particular, heat-shock genes such as CspA, 16 kDa heat shock protein A/B and transcriptional regulators such as LysR, TetR, and LuxR were differentially expressed, indicating the role of complex molecular mechanism of Enterobacter adapting to temperature stress. Similarly, genes associated to signal transduction, ABC transporters, iron homeostasis, and quorum sensing were also induced. The Gene ontology enrichment analysis of differentially expressed genes (DEGs) were categorized into "transmembrane transport", "tRNA binding", "hydrogen sulfide biosynthetic process" and "sulfate assimilation" terms. In addition, Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes pathways showed that ABC transporter as well as quorum sensing pathways were significantly enriched. Overall, current study has contributed to explore the adaptive molecular mechanisms of Enterobacter spp. upon temperature change, which further opens new avenues for future in-depth functional studies.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Kiran Kumari
- Department of Bioengineering and Biotechnology, Birla Institute of Technology, Mesra, Ranchi, Jharkhand, 835215, India
| | - Parva Kumar Sharma
- Department of Plant Sciences and Landscape Architecture, University of Maryland, College Park, MD, 20742, USA
| | - Rajnish Prakash Singh
- Department of Biotechnology, Jaypee Institute of Information Technology, Noida, India.
| |
Collapse
|
3
|
Liu Z, Zhang T, Wu K, Li Z, Chen X, Jiang S, Du L, Lu S, Lin C, Wu J, Wang X. Metagenomic Analysis Reveals A Possible Association Between Respiratory Infection and Periodontitis. GENOMICS, PROTEOMICS & BIOINFORMATICS 2022; 20:260-273. [PMID: 34252627 PMCID: PMC9684085 DOI: 10.1016/j.gpb.2021.07.001] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/15/2020] [Revised: 04/30/2021] [Accepted: 07/01/2021] [Indexed: 01/05/2023]
Abstract
Periodontitis is an inflammatory disease that is characterized by progressive destruction of the periodontium and causes tooth loss in adults. Periodontitis is known to be associated with dysbiosis of the oral microflora, which is often linked to various diseases. However, the complexity of plaque microbial communities of periodontitis, antibiotic resistance, and enhanced virulence make this disease difficult to treat. In this study, using metagenomic shotgun sequencing, we investigated the etiology, antibiotic resistance genes (ARGs), and virulence genes (VirGs) of periodontitis. We revealed a significant shift in the composition of oral microbiota as well as several functional pathways that were represented significantly more abundantly in periodontitis patients than in controls. In addition, we observed several positively selected ARGs and VirGs with the Ka/Ks ratio > 1 by analyzing our data and a previous periodontitis dataset, indicating that ARGs and VirGs in oral microbiota may be subjected to positive selection. Moreover, 5 of 12 positively selected ARGs and VirGs in periodontitis patients were found in the genomes of respiratory tract pathogens. Of note, 91.8% of the background VirGs with at least one non-synonymous single-nucleotide polymorphism for natural selection were also from respiratory tract pathogens. These observations suggest a potential association between periodontitis and respiratory infection at the gene level. Our study enriches the knowledge of pathogens and functional pathways as well as the positive selection of antibiotic resistance and pathogen virulence in periodontitis patients, and provides evidence at the gene level for an association between periodontitis and respiratory infection.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Zhenwei Liu
- Institute of Genomic Medicine, Wenzhou Medical University, Wenzhou 325000, China
| | - Tao Zhang
- Institute of Genomic Medicine, Wenzhou Medical University, Wenzhou 325000, China
| | - Keke Wu
- Wenzhou Center for Disease Control and Prevention, Wenzhou 325000, China
| | - Zhongshan Li
- Institute of Genomic Medicine, Wenzhou Medical University, Wenzhou 325000, China
| | - Xiaomin Chen
- Institute of Genomic Medicine, Wenzhou Medical University, Wenzhou 325000, China
| | - Shan Jiang
- Institute of Genomic Medicine, Wenzhou Medical University, Wenzhou 325000, China
| | - Lifeng Du
- Institute of Genomic Medicine, Wenzhou Medical University, Wenzhou 325000, China
| | - Saisai Lu
- Rheumatology Department, The First Affiliated Hospital of Wenzhou Medical University, Wenzhou 352000, China
| | - Chongxiang Lin
- Department of Stomatology, The First Affiliated Hospital of Wenzhou Medical University, Wenzhou 325000, China
| | - Jinyu Wu
- Institute of Genomic Medicine, Wenzhou Medical University, Wenzhou 325000, China,Corresponding authors.
| | - Xiaobing Wang
- Rheumatology Department, The First Affiliated Hospital of Wenzhou Medical University, Wenzhou 352000, China,Corresponding authors.
| |
Collapse
|
4
|
Tahir U, Aslam F, Nawaz S, Khan UH, Yasmin A. Annotation of chemotaxis gene clusters and proteins involved in chemotaxis of Bacillus subtilis strain MB378 capable of biodecolorizing different dyes. ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCE AND POLLUTION RESEARCH INTERNATIONAL 2022; 29:3510-3520. [PMID: 34389949 DOI: 10.1007/s11356-021-15634-3] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/22/2021] [Accepted: 07/21/2021] [Indexed: 06/13/2023]
Abstract
This study explores the chemotactic potential of Bacillus subtilis MB378 against industrial dyes. Initial screening with swim plate assay showed significant movement of Bacillus subtilis MB378 towards test compounds. According to quantitative capillary assay, B. subtilis MB378 exhibited high chemotaxis potential towards Acid Orange 52 (CI: 9.52), followed by Direct Red 28 (CI: 8.39) and Basic Green 4 (CI: 5.21) in glucose-supplemented medium. Sequencing and gene annotation results evidently showed presence of chemotaxis genes and flagellar motor proteins in Bacillus subtilis draft genome. Methyl-accepting proteins (involved in chemotaxis regulation) belonged to pfam00672, pfam00072, and pfam00015 protein families. Annotated chemotaxis machinery of MB378 comprised 8 Che genes, 5 chemoreceptor genes, associated flagellar proteins, and rotary motors. Chemotaxis genes of B. subtilis MB378 were compared with genes of closely related Bacillus strains (168, WK1, and HTA426), depicting highly conserved regions showing evolutionary relation between them. Considering results of present study, it can be speculated that test compounds triggered chemotactic genes, which made these compounds bioavailable to the bacterium. Hence, the bacterium recognized and approached these compounds and facilitated biodegradation and detoxification of these compounds.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Uruj Tahir
- Microbiology and Biotechnology Laboratory, Department of Environmental Sciences, Fatima Jinnah Women University, Rawalpindi, 46000, Pakistan.
- Department of Biotechnology, Fatima Jinnah Women University, Rawalpindi, 46000, Pakistan.
- Department of Environmental Sciences, Faculty of Natural Sciences, University of Okara, Okara, 56130, Pakistan.
| | - Fozia Aslam
- Microbiology and Biotechnology Laboratory, Department of Environmental Sciences, Fatima Jinnah Women University, Rawalpindi, 46000, Pakistan
| | - Shiza Nawaz
- National Institute for Biotechnology and Genetic Engineering, Faisalabad, Pakistan
| | - Umair Hassan Khan
- School of Agriculture and Environment, The University of Western Australia, Crawley, Perth, Australia
| | - Azra Yasmin
- Microbiology and Biotechnology Laboratory, Department of Environmental Sciences, Fatima Jinnah Women University, Rawalpindi, 46000, Pakistan
- Department of Biotechnology, Fatima Jinnah Women University, Rawalpindi, 46000, Pakistan
| |
Collapse
|
5
|
Tabassum R, Abbas G, Azam SS. Immunoinformatics based designing and simulation of multi-epitope vaccine against multi-drug resistant Stenotrophomonas maltophilia. J Mol Liq 2021. [DOI: 10.1016/j.molliq.2021.116899] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/06/2023]
|
6
|
Yan C, Li X, Zhang G, Zhu Y, Bi J, Hao H, Hou H. Quorum Sensing-Mediated and Growth Phase-Dependent Regulation of Metabolic Pathways in Hafnia alvei H4. Front Microbiol 2021; 12:567942. [PMID: 33737914 PMCID: PMC7960787 DOI: 10.3389/fmicb.2021.567942] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/31/2020] [Accepted: 01/26/2021] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Quorum sensing (QS) is a widespread regulatory mechanism in bacteria used to coordinate target gene expression with cell density. Thus far, little is known about the regulatory relationship between QS and cell density in terms of metabolic pathways in Hafnia alvei H4. In this study, transcriptomics analysis was performed under two conditions to address this question. The comparative transcriptome of H. alvei H4 wild-type at high cell density (OD600 = 1.7) relative to low cell density (OD600 = 0.3) was considered as growth phase-dependent manner (GPDM), and the transcriptome profile of luxI/R deletion mutant (ΔluxIR) compared to the wild-type was considered as QS-mediated regulation. In all, we identified 206 differentially expressed genes (DEGs) mainly presented in chemotaxis, TCA cycle, two-component system, ABC transporters and pyruvate metabolism, co-regulated by the both density-dependent regulation, and the results were validated by qPCR and swimming phenotypic assays. Aside from the co-regulated DEGs, we also found that 59 DEGs, mediated by density-independent QS, function in pentose phosphate and histidine metabolism and that 2084 cell-density-dependent DEGs involved in glycolysis/gluconeogenesis and phenylalanine metabolism were influenced only by GPDM from significantly enriched analysis of transcriptome data. The findings provided new information about the interplay between two density-dependent metabolic regulation, which could assist with the formulation of control strategies for this opportunistic pathogen, especially at high cell density.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Congyang Yan
- School of Food Science and Technology, Dalian Polytechnic University, Dalian, China.,Liaoning Key Lab for Aquatic Processing Quality and Safety, Dalian, China
| | - Xue Li
- School of Food Science and Technology, Dalian Polytechnic University, Dalian, China.,Liaoning Key Lab for Aquatic Processing Quality and Safety, Dalian, China
| | - Gongliang Zhang
- School of Food Science and Technology, Dalian Polytechnic University, Dalian, China.,Liaoning Key Lab for Aquatic Processing Quality and Safety, Dalian, China
| | - Yaolei Zhu
- School of Food Science and Technology, Dalian Polytechnic University, Dalian, China.,Liaoning Key Lab for Aquatic Processing Quality and Safety, Dalian, China
| | - Jingran Bi
- School of Food Science and Technology, Dalian Polytechnic University, Dalian, China.,Liaoning Key Lab for Aquatic Processing Quality and Safety, Dalian, China
| | - Hongshun Hao
- Liaoning Key Lab for Aquatic Processing Quality and Safety, Dalian, China
| | - Hongman Hou
- School of Food Science and Technology, Dalian Polytechnic University, Dalian, China.,Liaoning Key Lab for Aquatic Processing Quality and Safety, Dalian, China
| |
Collapse
|
7
|
Gasperotti AF, Herrera Seitz MK, Balmaceda RS, Prosa LM, Jung K, Studdert CA. Direct binding of benzoate derivatives to two chemoreceptors with Cache sensor domains in Halomonas titanicae KHS3. Mol Microbiol 2020; 115:672-683. [PMID: 33098326 DOI: 10.1111/mmi.14630] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/22/2020] [Revised: 10/15/2020] [Accepted: 10/17/2020] [Indexed: 02/06/2023]
Abstract
Halomonas titanicae KHS3, isolated from a hydrocarbon-contaminated sea harbor in Argentina, is able to grow on aromatic hydrocarbons and displays chemotaxis toward those compounds. This behavior might contribute to the efficiency of its degradation capacity. Using high throughput screening, we identified two chemoreceptors (Htc1 and Htc2) that bind benzoate derivatives and other organic acids. Whereas Htc1 has a high affinity for benzoate (Kd 112 µM) and 2-hydroxybenzoate (Kd 83 µM), Htc2 binds 2-hydroxybenzoate with low affinity (Kd 3.25 mM), and also C3/C4 dicarboxylates. Both chemoreceptors are able to trigger a chemotactic response of E. coli cells to the specific ligands. A H. titanicae htc1 mutant has reduced chemotaxis toward benzoate, and is complemented upon expression of the corresponding receptor. Both chemoreceptors have a Cache-type sensor domain, double (Htc1) or single (Htc2), and their ability to bind aromatic compounds is reported here for the first time.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Ana F Gasperotti
- Instituto de Investigaciones Biológicas, CONICET - Universidad Nacional de Mar del Plata, Mar del Plata, Argentina.,Department of Microbiology, Ludwig-Maximilians-Universität München, Martinsried, Germany
| | - M Karina Herrera Seitz
- Instituto de Investigaciones Biológicas, CONICET - Universidad Nacional de Mar del Plata, Mar del Plata, Argentina
| | - Rocío S Balmaceda
- Instituto de Agrobiotecnología del Litoral, CONICET - Universidad Nacional del Litoral, Santa Fe, Argentina
| | - Luciano M Prosa
- Instituto de Investigaciones Biológicas, CONICET - Universidad Nacional de Mar del Plata, Mar del Plata, Argentina
| | - Kirsten Jung
- Department of Microbiology, Ludwig-Maximilians-Universität München, Martinsried, Germany
| | - Claudia A Studdert
- Instituto de Agrobiotecnología del Litoral, CONICET - Universidad Nacional del Litoral, Santa Fe, Argentina
| |
Collapse
|
8
|
Liew KJ, Bruce NC, Sani RK, Chong CS, Yaakop AS, Shamsir MS, Goh KM. Global Transcriptomic Responses of Roseithermus sacchariphilus Strain RA in Media Supplemented with Beechwood Xylan. Microorganisms 2020; 8:E976. [PMID: 32610703 PMCID: PMC7409140 DOI: 10.3390/microorganisms8070976] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/14/2020] [Revised: 06/23/2020] [Accepted: 06/27/2020] [Indexed: 11/17/2022] Open
Abstract
The majority of the members in order Rhodothermales are underexplored prokaryotic extremophiles. Roseithermus, a new genus within Rhodothermales, was first described in 2019. Roseithermus sacchariphilus is the only species in this genus. The current report aims to evaluate the transcriptomic responses of R. sacchariphilus strain RA when cultivated on beechwood xylan. Strain RA doubled its growth in Marine Broth (MB) containing xylan compared to Marine Broth (MB) alone. Strain RA harbors 54 potential glycosyl hydrolases (GHs) that are affiliated with 30 families, including cellulases (families GH 3, 5, 9, and 44) and hemicellulases (GH 2, 10, 16, 29, 31,43, 51, 53, 67, 78, 92, 106, 113, 130, and 154). The majority of these GHs were upregulated when the cells were grown in MB containing xylan medium and enzymatic activities for xylanase, endoglucanase, β-xylosidase, and β-glucosidase were elevated. Interestingly, with the introduction of xylan, five out of six cellulolytic genes were upregulated. Furthermore, approximately 1122 genes equivalent to one-third of the total genes for strain RA were upregulated. These upregulated genes were mostly involved in transportation, chemotaxis, and membrane components synthesis.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Kok Jun Liew
- Faculty of Science, Universiti Teknologi Malaysia, Johor 81310, Malaysia; (K.J.L.); (C.S.C.); (M.S.S.)
| | - Neil C. Bruce
- Centre for Novel Agricultural Products, Department of Biology, University of York, Wentworth Way, York YO10 5DD, UK;
| | - Rajesh Kumar Sani
- Department of Chemical and Biological Engineering, South Dakota School of Mines and Technology, Rapid City, SD 57701, USA;
| | - Chun Shiong Chong
- Faculty of Science, Universiti Teknologi Malaysia, Johor 81310, Malaysia; (K.J.L.); (C.S.C.); (M.S.S.)
| | - Amira Suriaty Yaakop
- School of Biological Sciences, Universiti Sains Malaysia, Pulau Pinang 11800, Malaysia;
| | - Mohd Shahir Shamsir
- Faculty of Science, Universiti Teknologi Malaysia, Johor 81310, Malaysia; (K.J.L.); (C.S.C.); (M.S.S.)
- Faculty of Applied Sciences and Technology, Universiti Tun Hussein Onn Malaysia, Pagoh Higher Education Hub, Johor 84600, Malaysia
| | - Kian Mau Goh
- Faculty of Science, Universiti Teknologi Malaysia, Johor 81310, Malaysia; (K.J.L.); (C.S.C.); (M.S.S.)
| |
Collapse
|
9
|
Hybrid Two-Component Sensors for Identification of Bacterial Chemoreceptor Function. Appl Environ Microbiol 2019; 85:AEM.01626-19. [PMID: 31492670 DOI: 10.1128/aem.01626-19] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/19/2019] [Accepted: 08/31/2019] [Indexed: 12/12/2022] Open
Abstract
Soil bacteria adapt to diverse and rapidly changing environmental conditions by sensing and responding to environmental cues using a variety of sensory systems. Two-component systems are a widespread type of signal transduction system present in all three domains of life and typically are comprised of a sensor kinase and a response regulator. Many two-component systems function by regulating gene expression in response to environmental stimuli. The bacterial chemotaxis system is a modified two-component system with additional protein components and a response that, rather than regulating gene expression, involves behavioral adaptation and results in net movement toward or away from a chemical stimulus. Soil bacteria generally have 20 to 40 or more chemoreceptors encoded in their genomes. To simplify the identification of chemoeffectors (ligands) sensed by bacterial chemoreceptors, we constructed hybrid sensor proteins by fusing the sensor domains of Pseudomonas putida chemoreceptors to the signaling domains of the Escherichia coli NarX/NarQ nitrate sensors. Responses to potential attractants were monitored by β-galactosidase assays using an E. coli reporter strain in which the nitrate-responsive narG promoter was fused to lacZ Hybrid receptors constructed from PcaY, McfR, and NahY, which are chemoreceptors for aromatic acids, tricarboxylic acid cycle intermediates, and naphthalene, respectively, were sensitive and specific for detecting known attractants, and the β-galactosidase activities measured in E. coli correlated well with results of chemotaxis assays in the native P. putida strain. In addition, a screen of the hybrid receptors successfully identified new ligands for chemoreceptor proteins and resulted in the identification of six receptors that detect propionate.IMPORTANCE Relatively few of the thousands of chemoreceptors encoded in bacterial genomes have been functionally characterized. More importantly, although methyl-accepting chemotaxis proteins, the major type of chemoreceptors present in bacteria, are easily identified bioinformatically, it is not currently possible to predict what chemicals will bind to a particular chemoreceptor. Chemotaxis is known to play roles in biodegradation as well as in host-pathogen and host-symbiont interactions, but many studies are currently limited by the inability to identify relevant chemoreceptor ligands. The use of hybrid receptors and this simple E. coli reporter system allowed rapid and sensitive screening for potential chemoeffectors. The fusion site chosen for this study resulted in a high percentage of functional hybrids, indicating that it could be used to broadly test chemoreceptor responses from phylogenetically diverse samples. Considering the wide range of chemical attractants detected by soil bacteria, hybrid receptors may also be useful as sensitive biosensors.
Collapse
|
10
|
Combating tigecycline resistant Acinetobacter baumannii: A leap forward towards multi-epitope based vaccine discovery. Eur J Pharm Sci 2019; 132:1-17. [DOI: 10.1016/j.ejps.2019.02.023] [Citation(s) in RCA: 41] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/03/2018] [Revised: 01/31/2019] [Accepted: 02/16/2019] [Indexed: 01/27/2023]
|
11
|
Balaraman P, Plettner E. Chemotaxis by Pseudomonas putida (ATCC 17453) towards camphor involves cytochrome P450 cam (CYP101A1). Biochim Biophys Acta Gen Subj 2018; 1863:304-312. [PMID: 30391161 DOI: 10.1016/j.bbagen.2018.10.018] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/09/2018] [Revised: 10/27/2018] [Accepted: 10/29/2018] [Indexed: 11/29/2022]
Abstract
The camphor-degrading microorganism, Pseudomonas putida strain ATCC 17453, is an aerobic, gram-negative soil bacterium that uses camphor as its sole carbon and energy source. The genes responsible for the catabolic degradation of camphor are encoded on the extra-chromosomal CAM plasmid. A monooxygenase, cytochrome P450cam, mediates hydroxylation of camphor to 5-exo-hydroxycamphor as the first and committed step in the camphor degradation pathway, requiring a dioxygen molecule (O2) from air. Under low O2 levels, P450cam catalyzes the production of borneol via an unusual reduction reaction. We have previously shown that borneol downregulates the expression of P450cam. To understand the function of P450cam and the consequences of down-regulation by borneol under low O2 conditions, we have studied chemotaxis of camphor induced and non-induced P. putida strain ATCC 17453. We have tested camphor, borneol, oxidized camphor metabolites and known bacterial attractants (d)-glucose, (d) - and (l)-glutamic acid for their elicitation chemotactic behavior. In addition, we have used 1-phenylimidazole, a P450cam inhibitor, to investigate if P450cam plays a role in the chemotactic ability of P. putida in the presence of camphor. We found that camphor, a chemoattractant, became toxic and chemorepellent when P450cam was inhibited. We have also evaluated the effect of borneol on chemotaxis and found that the bacteria chemotaxed away from camphor in the presence of borneol. This is the first report of the chemotactic behaviour of P. putida ATCC 17453 and the essential role of P450cam in this process.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Priyadarshini Balaraman
- Department of Chemistry, Simon Fraser University, 8888 University Drive, Burnaby, BC, V5A 1S6, Canada
| | - Erika Plettner
- Department of Chemistry, Simon Fraser University, 8888 University Drive, Burnaby, BC, V5A 1S6, Canada.
| |
Collapse
|
12
|
Heterologous Expression of Pseudomonas putida Methyl-Accepting Chemotaxis Proteins Yields Escherichia coli Cells Chemotactic to Aromatic Compounds. Appl Environ Microbiol 2018; 84:AEM.01362-18. [PMID: 30006400 DOI: 10.1128/aem.01362-18] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/04/2018] [Accepted: 07/05/2018] [Indexed: 12/17/2022] Open
Abstract
Escherichia coli, commonly used in chemotaxis studies, is attracted mostly by amino acids, sugars, and peptides. We envisioned modifying the chemotaxis specificity of E. coli by expressing heterologous chemoreceptors from Pseudomonas putida enabling attraction either to toluene or benzoate. The mcpT gene encoding the type 40-helical bundle (40H) methyl-accepting chemoreceptor for toluene from Pseudomonas putida MT53 and the pcaY gene for the type 40H receptor for benzoate and related molecules from P. putida F1 were expressed from the trg promoter on a plasmid in motile wild-type E. coli MG1655. E. coli cells expressing McpT accumulated in chemoattraction assays to sources with 60 to 200 μM toluene, although less strongly than the response to 100 μM serine, but statistically significantly stronger than that to sources without any added attractant. An McpT-mCherry fusion protein was detectably expressed in E. coli and yielded weak but distinguishable membranes and polar foci in 1% of cells. E. coli cells expressing PcaY showed weak attraction to 0.1 to 1 mM benzoate, but 50 to 70% of cells localized the PcaY-mCherry fusion to their membrane. We conclude that implementing heterologous receptors in the E. coli chemotaxis network is possible and, upon improvement of the compatibility of the type 40H chemoreceptors, may bear interest for biosensing.IMPORTANCE Bacterial chemotaxis might be harnessed for the development of rapid biosensors, in which chemical availability is deduced from cell accumulation to chemoattractants over time. Chemotaxis of Escherichia coli has been well studied, but the bacterium is not attracted to chemicals of environmental concern, such as aromatic solvents. We show here that heterologous chemoreceptors for aromatic compounds from Pseudomonas putida at least partly functionally complement the E. coli chemotaxis network, yielding cells attracted to toluene or benzoate. Complementation was still inferior to native chemoattractants, like serine, but our study demonstrates the potential for obtaining selective sensing for aromatic compounds in E. coli.
Collapse
|
13
|
Bae JE, Kim IJ, Kim KJ, Nam KH. Crystal structure of a substrate-binding protein from Rhodothermus marinus reveals a single α/β-domain. Biochem Biophys Res Commun 2018; 497:368-373. [PMID: 29432740 DOI: 10.1016/j.bbrc.2018.02.086] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/06/2018] [Accepted: 02/08/2018] [Indexed: 11/26/2022]
Abstract
Substrate-binding proteins (SBPs) bind to specific ligands and are associated with membrane protein complexes for transport or signal transduction. Most SBPs recognize substrates by the hinge motion between two distinct α/β domains. However, short SBP motifs are often observed in protein databases, which are located around methyl-accepting chemotaxis protein genes, but structural and functional studies have yet to be performed. Here, we report the crystal structure of an unusually small SBP from Rhodothermus marinus (named as RmSBP) at 1.9 Å. This protein is composed of a single α/β-domain, unlike general SBPs that have two distinct domains. RmSBP exhibits a high structural similarity to the C-terminal domain of the previously reported amino acid bound SBPs, while it does not contain an N-terminal domain for substrate recognition. As a result of the structural comparison analysis, RmSBP has a putative SBP that is different from the previously reported SBP. Our results provide insight into a new class of substrate recognition mechanism by the mini SBP protein.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Ji-Eun Bae
- School of Life Sciences, KNU Creative BioResearch Group, Kyungpook National University, Daegu 41566, Republic of Korea; KNU Institute for Microorganisms, Kyungpook National University, Daegu 41566, Republic of Korea
| | - In Jung Kim
- Division of Biotechnology, College of Life Sciences and Biotechnology, Korea University, Seoul 02841, Republic of Korea
| | - Kyung-Jin Kim
- School of Life Sciences, KNU Creative BioResearch Group, Kyungpook National University, Daegu 41566, Republic of Korea; KNU Institute for Microorganisms, Kyungpook National University, Daegu 41566, Republic of Korea.
| | - Ki Hyun Nam
- Division of Biotechnology, College of Life Sciences and Biotechnology, Korea University, Seoul 02841, Republic of Korea; Institute of Life Science and Natural Resources, Korea University, Seoul 02841, Republic of Korea.
| |
Collapse
|
14
|
Sagawa T, Mashiko R, Yokota Y, Naruse Y, Okada M, Kojima H. Logistic Regression of Ligands of Chemotaxis Receptors Offers Clues about Their Recognition by Bacteria. Front Bioeng Biotechnol 2018; 5:88. [PMID: 29404321 PMCID: PMC5786873 DOI: 10.3389/fbioe.2017.00088] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/13/2017] [Accepted: 12/26/2017] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Because of relative simplicity of signal transduction pathway, bacterial chemotaxis sensory systems have been expected to be applied to biosensor. Tar and Tsr receptors mediate chemotaxis of Escherichia coli and have been studied extensively as models of chemoreception by bacterial two-transmembrane receptors. Such studies are typically conducted using two canonical ligands: l-aspartate for Tar and l-serine for Tsr. However, Tar and Tsr also recognize various analogs of aspartate and serine; it remains unknown whether the mechanism by which the canonical ligands are recognized is also common to the analogs. Moreover, in terms of engineering, it is important to know a single species of receptor can recognize various ligands to utilize bacterial receptor as the sensor for wide range of substances. To answer these questions, we tried to extract the features that are common to the recognition of the different analogs by constructing classification models based on machine-learning. We computed 20 physicochemical parameters for each of 38 well-known attractants that act as chemoreception ligands, and 15 known non-attractants. The classification models were generated by utilizing one or more of the seven physicochemical properties as descriptors. From the classification models, we identified the most effective physicochemical parameter for classification: the minimum electron potential. This descriptor that occurred repeatedly in classification models with the highest accuracies, This descriptor used alone could accurately classify 42/53 of compounds. Among the 11 misclassified compounds, eight contained two carboxyl groups, which is analogous to the structure of characteristic of aspartate analog. When considered separately, 16 of the 17 aspartate analogs could be classified accurately based on the distance between their two carboxyl groups. As shown in these results, we succeed to predict the ligands for bacterial chemoreceptors using only a few descriptors; single descriptor for single receptor. This result might be due to the relatively simple topology of bacterial two-transmembrane receptors compared to the G-protein-coupled receptors of seven-transmembrane receptors. Moreover, this distance between carboxyl groups correlated with the receptor binding affinity of the aspartate analogs. In view of this correlation, we propose a common mechanism underlying ligand recognition by Tar of compounds with two carboxyl groups.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Takashi Sagawa
- National Institute of Information and Communications Technology (NICT), Advanced ICT Research Institute, Kobe, Japan
| | - Ryota Mashiko
- National Institute of Information and Communications Technology (NICT), Advanced ICT Research Institute, Kobe, Japan.,Department of Bioengineering, Nagaoka University of Technology, Nagaoka, Japan
| | - Yusuke Yokota
- National Institute of Information and Communications Technology (NICT), Advanced ICT Research Institute, Kobe, Japan
| | - Yasushi Naruse
- National Institute of Information and Communications Technology (NICT), Advanced ICT Research Institute, Kobe, Japan
| | - Masato Okada
- National Institute of Information and Communications Technology (NICT), Advanced ICT Research Institute, Kobe, Japan.,Department of Complexity Science and Engineering, The University of Tokyo, Kashiwa, Japan
| | - Hiroaki Kojima
- National Institute of Information and Communications Technology (NICT), Advanced ICT Research Institute, Kobe, Japan
| |
Collapse
|
15
|
Transcriptional control of motility enables directional movement of Escherichia coli in a signal gradient. Sci Rep 2017; 7:8959. [PMID: 28827562 PMCID: PMC5566481 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-017-08870-6] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/17/2017] [Accepted: 07/18/2017] [Indexed: 11/08/2022] Open
Abstract
Manipulation of cellular motility using a target signal can facilitate the development of biosensors or microbe-powered biorobots. Here, we engineered signal-dependent motility in Escherichia coli via the transcriptional control of a key motility gene. Without manipulating chemotaxis, signal-dependent switching of motility, either on or off, led to population-level directional movement of cells up or down a signal gradient. We developed a mathematical model that captures the behaviour of the cells, enables identification of key parameters controlling system behaviour, and facilitates predictive-design of motility-based pattern formation. We demonstrated that motility of the receiver strains could be controlled by a sender strain generating a signal gradient. The modular quorum sensing-dependent architecture for interfacing different senders with receivers enabled a broad range of systems-level behaviours. The directional control of motility, especially combined with the potential to incorporate tuneable sensors and more complex sensing-logic, may lead to tools for novel biosensing and targeted-delivery applications.
Collapse
|
16
|
Matilla MA, Krell T. Chemoreceptor-based signal sensing. Curr Opin Biotechnol 2017; 45:8-14. [PMID: 28088095 DOI: 10.1016/j.copbio.2016.11.021] [Citation(s) in RCA: 42] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/30/2016] [Revised: 11/03/2016] [Accepted: 11/10/2016] [Indexed: 01/02/2023]
Abstract
Chemoreceptors are at the beginning of chemosensory signaling cascades that correspond to a major signal transduction mechanism. Chemoreceptors show a significant structural diversity of their ligand binding domains which present either a mono-modular or bi-modular arrangement. Although the majority of chemoreceptors are of unknown function, significant progress has been made in recent years in their functional annotation, which is reviewed here. In vitro ligand binding studies to recombinant ligand binding domains proved to be an efficient strategy to identify chemoreceptor functions. Obtained information is consistent with the view that a major driving force for the evolution of chemotaxis is to access carbon and nitrogen sources. The use of the newly generated information for the construction of biosensors is discussed.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Miguel A Matilla
- Department of Environmental Protection, Estación Experimental del Zaidín, Consejo Superior de Investigaciones Científicas, C/Prof. Albareda, 1, 18008 Granada, Spain
| | - Tino Krell
- Department of Environmental Protection, Estación Experimental del Zaidín, Consejo Superior de Investigaciones Científicas, C/Prof. Albareda, 1, 18008 Granada, Spain.
| |
Collapse
|
17
|
Saeki K, Tominaga M, Kawai-Noma S, Saito K, Umeno D. Rapid Diversification of BetI-Based Transcriptional Switches for the Control of Biosynthetic Pathways and Genetic Circuits. ACS Synth Biol 2016; 5:1201-1210. [PMID: 26991155 DOI: 10.1021/acssynbio.5b00230] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/30/2022]
Abstract
Synthetic biologists are in need of genetic switches, or inducible sensor/promoter systems, that can be reliably integrated in multiple contexts. Using a liquid-based selection method, we systematically engineered the choline-inducible transcription factor BetI, yielding various choline-inducible and choline-repressive promoter systems with various input-output characteristics. In addition to having high stringency and a high maximum induction level, they underwent a graded and single-peaked response to choline. Taking advantage of these features, we demonstrated the utility of these systems for controlling the carotenoid biosynthetic pathway and for constructing two-input logic gates. Additionally, we demonstrated the rapidity, throughput, robustness, and cost-effectiveness of our selection method, which facilitates the conversion of natural genetic controlling systems into systems that are designed for various synthetic biology applications.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Kazuya Saeki
- Department
of Applied Chemistry and Biotechnology, Faculty of Engineering, Chiba University, 1-33 Yayoi-Cyo, Inage-ku, Chiba 263-8522, Japan
| | - Masahiro Tominaga
- Department
of Applied Chemistry and Biotechnology, Faculty of Engineering, Chiba University, 1-33 Yayoi-Cyo, Inage-ku, Chiba 263-8522, Japan
| | - Shigeko Kawai-Noma
- Department
of Applied Chemistry and Biotechnology, Faculty of Engineering, Chiba University, 1-33 Yayoi-Cyo, Inage-ku, Chiba 263-8522, Japan
| | - Kyoichi Saito
- Department
of Applied Chemistry and Biotechnology, Faculty of Engineering, Chiba University, 1-33 Yayoi-Cyo, Inage-ku, Chiba 263-8522, Japan
| | - Daisuke Umeno
- Department
of Applied Chemistry and Biotechnology, Faculty of Engineering, Chiba University, 1-33 Yayoi-Cyo, Inage-ku, Chiba 263-8522, Japan
- Precursory Research
for Embryonic Science and Technology (PRESTO), Japan Science and Technology
Agency (JST), 4-1-8 Honcho, Kawaguchi, Saitama 332-0012, Japan
| |
Collapse
|
18
|
Bi S, Pollard AM, Yang Y, Jin F, Sourjik V. Engineering Hybrid Chemotaxis Receptors in Bacteria. ACS Synth Biol 2016; 5:989-1001. [PMID: 27285081 DOI: 10.1021/acssynbio.6b00053] [Citation(s) in RCA: 45] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/29/2022]
Abstract
Most bacteria use transmembrane sensors to detect a wide range of environmental stimuli. A large class of such sensors are the chemotaxis receptors used by motile bacteria to follow environmental chemical gradients. In Escherichia coli, chemotaxis receptors are known to mediate highly sensitive responses to ligands, making them potentially useful for biosensory applications. However, with only four ligand-binding chemotaxis receptors, the natural ligand spectrum of E. coli is limited. The design of novel chemoreceptors to extend the sensing capabilities of E. coli is therefore a critical aspect of chemotaxis-based biosensor development. One path for novel sensor design is to harvest the large natural diversity of chemosensory functions found in bacteria by creating hybrids that have the signaling domain from E. coli chemotaxis receptors and sensory domains from other species. In this work, we demonstrate that the E. coli receptor Tar can be successfully combined with most typical sensory domains found in chemotaxis receptors and in evolutionary-related two-component histidine kinases. We show that such functional hybrids can be generated using several different fusion points. Our work further illustrates how hybrid receptors could be used to quantitatively characterize ligand specificity of chemotaxis receptors and histidine kinases using standardized assays in E. coli.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Shuangyu Bi
- Max Planck Institute for Terrestrial Microbiology & LOEWE Center for Synthetic Microbiology (SYNMIKRO), Marburg, Germany
| | - Abiola M. Pollard
- Max Planck Institute for Terrestrial Microbiology & LOEWE Center for Synthetic Microbiology (SYNMIKRO), Marburg, Germany
| | - Yiling Yang
- Max Planck Institute for Terrestrial Microbiology & LOEWE Center for Synthetic Microbiology (SYNMIKRO), Marburg, Germany
| | - Fan Jin
- Max Planck Institute for Terrestrial Microbiology & LOEWE Center for Synthetic Microbiology (SYNMIKRO), Marburg, Germany
| | - Victor Sourjik
- Max Planck Institute for Terrestrial Microbiology & LOEWE Center for Synthetic Microbiology (SYNMIKRO), Marburg, Germany
| |
Collapse
|
19
|
Tien SM, Hsu CY, Chen BS. Engineering Bacteria to Search for Specific Concentrations of Molecules by a Systematic Synthetic Biology Design Method. PLoS One 2016; 11:e0152146. [PMID: 27096615 PMCID: PMC4838244 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0152146] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/01/2015] [Accepted: 03/09/2016] [Indexed: 11/18/2022] Open
Abstract
Bacteria navigate environments full of various chemicals to seek favorable places for survival by controlling the flagella’s rotation using a complicated signal transduction pathway. By influencing the pathway, bacteria can be engineered to search for specific molecules, which has great potential for application to biomedicine and bioremediation. In this study, genetic circuits were constructed to make bacteria search for a specific molecule at particular concentrations in their environment through a synthetic biology method. In addition, by replacing the “brake component” in the synthetic circuit with some specific sensitivities, the bacteria can be engineered to locate areas containing specific concentrations of the molecule. Measured by the swarm assay qualitatively and microfluidic techniques quantitatively, the characteristics of each “brake component” were identified and represented by a mathematical model. Furthermore, we established another mathematical model to anticipate the characteristics of the “brake component”. Based on this model, an abundant component library can be established to provide adequate component selection for different searching conditions without identifying all components individually. Finally, a systematic design procedure was proposed. Following this systematic procedure, one can design a genetic circuit for bacteria to rapidly search for and locate different concentrations of particular molecules by selecting the most adequate “brake component” in the library. Moreover, following simple procedures, one can also establish an exclusive component library suitable for other cultivated environments, promoter systems, or bacterial strains.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Shin-Ming Tien
- Lab of Control and Systems Biology, Department of Electrical Engineering, National Tsing Hua University, Hsinchu, Taiwan
| | - Chih-Yuan Hsu
- Lab of Control and Systems Biology, Department of Electrical Engineering, National Tsing Hua University, Hsinchu, Taiwan
| | - Bor-Sen Chen
- Lab of Control and Systems Biology, Department of Electrical Engineering, National Tsing Hua University, Hsinchu, Taiwan
- * E-mail:
| |
Collapse
|
20
|
Kaplan E, Sela N, Doron-Faigenboim A, Navon-Venezia S, Jurkevitch E, Cytryn E. Genomic and Functional Characterization of qnr-Encoding Plasmids from Municipal Wastewater Biosolid Klebsiella pneumoniae Isolates. Front Microbiol 2015; 6:1354. [PMID: 26696974 PMCID: PMC4672061 DOI: 10.3389/fmicb.2015.01354] [Citation(s) in RCA: 21] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/03/2015] [Accepted: 11/16/2015] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Municipal wastewater treatment facilities are considered to be “hotspots” for antibiotic resistance, since they conjoin high densities of environmental and fecal bacteria with selective pressure in the form of sub-therapeutic concentrations of antibiotics. Discharged effluents and biosolids from these facilities can disseminate antibiotic resistant genes to terrestrial and aquatic environments, potentially contributing to the increasing global trend in antibiotic resistance. This phenomenon is especially pertinent when resistance genes are associated with mobile genetic elements such as conjugative plasmids, which can be transferred between bacterial phyla. Fluoroquinolones are among the most abundant antibiotic compounds detected in wastewater treatment facilities, especially in biosolids, where due to their hydrophobic properties they accumulate to concentrations that may exceed 40 mg/L. Although fluoroquinolone resistance is traditionally associated with mutations in the gyrA/topoisomerase IV genes, there is increasing evidence of plasmid-mediated quinolone resistance, which is primarily encoded on qnr genes. In this study, we sequenced seven qnr-harboring plasmids from a diverse collection of Klebsiella strains, isolated from dewatered biosolids from a large wastewater treatment facility in Israel. One of the plasmids, termed pKPSH-11XL was a large (185.4 kbp), multi-drug resistance, IncF-type plasmid that harbored qnrB and 10 additional antibiotic resistance genes that conferred resistance to five different antibiotic families. It was highly similar to the pKPN3-like plasmid family that has been detected in multidrug resistant clinical Klebsiella isolates. In contrast, the six additional plasmids were much smaller (7–9 Kbp) and harbored a qnrS -type gene. These plasmids were highly similar to each other and closely resembled pGNB2, a plasmid isolated from a German wastewater treatment facility. Comparative genome analyses of pKPSH-11XL and other pKPN3-like plasmids concomitant to phylogenetic analysis of housekeeping genes from host Klebsiella strains, revealed that these plasmids are limited to a predominantly human-associated sub-clade of Klebsiella, suggesting that their host range is very narrow. Conversely, the pGNB2-like plasmids had a much broader host range and appeared to be associated with Klebsiella residing in natural environments. This study suggests that: (A) qnrB-harboring multidrug-resistant pKPN3-like plasmids can endure the rigorous wastewater treatment process and may therefore be disseminated to downstream environments; and (B) that small qnrS-harboring pGNB2-like plasmids are ubiquitous in wastewater treatment facilities and are most likely environmental in origin.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Ella Kaplan
- Department of Soil Chemistry, Plant Nutrition and Microbiology, Institute of Soil, Water and Environmental Sciences, The Volcani Center, Agricultural Research Organization Beit Dagan, Israel ; Department of Agroecology and Plant Health, The Robert H. Smith Faculty of Agriculture, Food and Environment, The Hebrew University of Jerusalem Rehovot, Israel
| | - Noa Sela
- Department of Soil Chemistry, Plant Nutrition and Microbiology, Institute of Soil, Water and Environmental Sciences, The Volcani Center, Agricultural Research Organization Beit Dagan, Israel
| | - Adi Doron-Faigenboim
- Department of Soil Chemistry, Plant Nutrition and Microbiology, Institute of Soil, Water and Environmental Sciences, The Volcani Center, Agricultural Research Organization Beit Dagan, Israel ; Department of Plant Pathology, The Volcani Center, Agricultural Research Organization Beit Dagan, Israel
| | | | - Edouard Jurkevitch
- Department of Agroecology and Plant Health, The Robert H. Smith Faculty of Agriculture, Food and Environment, The Hebrew University of Jerusalem Rehovot, Israel
| | - Eddie Cytryn
- Department of Soil Chemistry, Plant Nutrition and Microbiology, Institute of Soil, Water and Environmental Sciences, The Volcani Center, Agricultural Research Organization Beit Dagan, Israel
| |
Collapse
|
21
|
Castro D, Cordeiro IB, Taquita P, Eberlin MN, Garcia JS, Souza GHMF, Arruda MAZ, Andrade EV, Filho SA, Crainey JL, Lozano LL, Nogueira PA, Orlandi PP. Proteomic analysis of Chromobacterium violaceum and its adaptability to stress. BMC Microbiol 2015; 15:272. [PMID: 26627076 PMCID: PMC4666173 DOI: 10.1186/s12866-015-0606-2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/22/2015] [Accepted: 11/24/2015] [Indexed: 12/15/2022] Open
Abstract
Background Chromobacterium violaceum (C. violaceum) occurs abundantly in a variety of ecosystems, including ecosystems that place the bacterium under stress. This study assessed the adaptability of C. violaceum by submitting it to nutritional and pH stresses and then analyzing protein expression using bi-dimensional electrophoresis (2-DE) and Maldi mass spectrometry. Results Chromobacterium violaceum grew best in pH neutral, nutrient-rich medium (reference conditions); however, the total protein mass recovered from stressed bacteria cultures was always higher than the total protein mass recovered from our reference culture. The diversity of proteins expressed (repressed by the number of identifiable 2-DE spots) was seen to be highest in the reference cultures, suggesting that stress reduces the overall range of proteins expressed by C. violaceum. Database comparisons allowed 43 of the 55 spots subjected to Maldi mass spectrometry to be characterized as containing a single identifiable protein. Stress-related expression changes were noted for C. violaceum proteins related to the previously characterized bacterial proteins: DnaK, GroEL-2, Rhs, EF-Tu, EF-P; MCP, homogentisate 1,2-dioxygenase, Arginine deiminase and the ATP synthase β-subunit protein as well as for the ribosomal protein subunits L1, L3, L5 and L6. The ability of C. violaceum to adapt its cellular mechanics to sub-optimal growth and protein production conditions was well illustrated by its regulation of ribosomal protein subunits. With the exception of the ribosomal subunit L3, which plays a role in protein folding and maybe therefore be more useful in stressful conditions, all the other ribosomal subunit proteins were seen to have reduced expression in stressed cultures. Curiously, C. violeaceum cultures were also observed to lose their violet color under stress, which suggests that the violacein pigment biosynthetic pathway is affected by stress. Conclusions Analysis of the proteomic signatures of stressed C. violaceum indicates that nutrient-starvation and pH stress can cause changes in the expression of the C. violaceum receptors, transporters, and proteins involved with biosynthetic pathways, molecule recycling, energy production. Our findings complement the recent publication of the C. violeaceum genome sequence and could help with the future commercial exploitation of C. violeaceum. Electronic supplementary material The online version of this article (doi:10.1186/s12866-015-0606-2) contains supplementary material, which is available to authorized users.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Diogo Castro
- Instituto Leônidas e Maria Deane - ILMD- Fiocruz, 476 Teresina St., 69057-070, Manaus, AM, Brazil. .,Universidade Estadual do Amazonas, 3578 Djalma Batista Av., 69050-010, Manaus, AM, Brazil.
| | - Isabelle Bezerra Cordeiro
- Universidade Estadual de Campinas, Institute of Chemistry, Thomson Mass Spectrometry Laboratory PO and Spectrometry, Sample Preparation and Mechanization Group (GEPAM), 13084-971, Campinas, SP, Brazil. .,Universidade Estadual do Amazonas, 3578 Djalma Batista Av., 69050-010, Manaus, AM, Brazil.
| | - Paula Taquita
- Instituto Leônidas e Maria Deane - ILMD- Fiocruz, 476 Teresina St., 69057-070, Manaus, AM, Brazil.
| | - Marcos Nogueira Eberlin
- Universidade Estadual de Campinas, Institute of Chemistry, Thomson Mass Spectrometry Laboratory PO and Spectrometry, Sample Preparation and Mechanization Group (GEPAM), 13084-971, Campinas, SP, Brazil.
| | - Jerusa Simone Garcia
- Universidade Estadual de Campinas, Institute of Chemistry, Thomson Mass Spectrometry Laboratory PO and Spectrometry, Sample Preparation and Mechanization Group (GEPAM), 13084-971, Campinas, SP, Brazil.
| | | | - Marco Aurélio Zezzi Arruda
- Universidade Estadual de Campinas, Institute of Chemistry, Thomson Mass Spectrometry Laboratory PO and Spectrometry, Sample Preparation and Mechanization Group (GEPAM), 13084-971, Campinas, SP, Brazil.
| | - Edmar V Andrade
- Universidade Estadual do Amazonas, 3578 Djalma Batista Av., 69050-010, Manaus, AM, Brazil.
| | - Spartaco A Filho
- Universidade Estadual do Amazonas, 3578 Djalma Batista Av., 69050-010, Manaus, AM, Brazil.
| | - J Lee Crainey
- Instituto Leônidas e Maria Deane - ILMD- Fiocruz, 476 Teresina St., 69057-070, Manaus, AM, Brazil.
| | - Luis Lopez Lozano
- Biotechnology Laboratory/ Universidade Federal do Amazonas, 3000 Rodrigo Octávio Av., 69077-000, Manaus, AM, Brazil.
| | - Paulo A Nogueira
- Instituto Leônidas e Maria Deane - ILMD- Fiocruz, 476 Teresina St., 69057-070, Manaus, AM, Brazil.
| | - Patrícia P Orlandi
- Instituto Leônidas e Maria Deane - ILMD- Fiocruz, 476 Teresina St., 69057-070, Manaus, AM, Brazil.
| |
Collapse
|
22
|
Salt Stress Induced Changes in the Exoproteome of the Halotolerant Bacterium Tistlia consotensis Deciphered by Proteogenomics. PLoS One 2015; 10:e0135065. [PMID: 26287734 PMCID: PMC4545795 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0135065] [Citation(s) in RCA: 30] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/10/2014] [Accepted: 07/16/2015] [Indexed: 11/19/2022] Open
Abstract
The ability of bacteria to adapt to external osmotic changes is fundamental for their survival. Halotolerant microorganisms, such as Tistlia consotensis, have to cope with continuous fluctuations in the salinity of their natural environments which require effective adaptation strategies against salt stress. Changes of extracellular protein profiles from Tistlia consotensis in conditions of low and high salinities were monitored by proteogenomics using a bacterial draft genome. At low salinity, we detected greater amounts of the HpnM protein which is involved in the biosynthesis of hopanoids. This may represent a novel, and previously unreported, strategy by halotolerant microorganisms to prevent the entry of water into the cell under conditions of low salinity. At high salinity, proteins associated with osmosensing, exclusion of Na+ and transport of compatible solutes, such as glycine betaine or proline are abundant. We also found that, probably in response to the high salt concentration, T. consotensis activated the synthesis of flagella and triggered a chemotactic response neither of which were observed at the salt concentration which is optimal for growth. Our study demonstrates that the exoproteome is an appropriate indicator of adaptive response of T. consotensis to changes in salinity because it allowed the identification of key proteins within its osmoadaptive mechanism that had not previously been detected in its cell proteome.
Collapse
|
23
|
Bi S, Lai L. Bacterial chemoreceptors and chemoeffectors. Cell Mol Life Sci 2015; 72:691-708. [PMID: 25374297 PMCID: PMC11113376 DOI: 10.1007/s00018-014-1770-5] [Citation(s) in RCA: 39] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/15/2014] [Revised: 10/05/2014] [Accepted: 10/23/2014] [Indexed: 01/11/2023]
Abstract
Bacteria use chemotaxis signaling pathways to sense environmental changes. Escherichia coli chemotaxis system represents an ideal model that illustrates fundamental principles of biological signaling processes. Chemoreceptors are crucial signaling proteins that mediate taxis toward a wide range of chemoeffectors. Recently, in deep study of the biochemical and structural features of chemoreceptors, the organization of higher-order clusters in native cells, and the signal transduction mechanisms related to the on-off signal output provides us with general insights to understand how chemotaxis performs high sensitivity, precise adaptation, signal amplification, and wide dynamic range. Along with the increasing knowledge, bacterial chemoreceptors can be engineered to sense novel chemoeffectors, which has extensive applications in therapeutics and industry. Here we mainly review recent advances in the E. coli chemotaxis system involving structure and organization of chemoreceptors, discovery, design, and characterization of chemoeffectors, and signal recognition and transduction mechanisms. Possible strategies for changing the specificity of bacterial chemoreceptors to sense novel chemoeffectors are also discussed.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Shuangyu Bi
- Center for Quantitative Biology, Peking University, Beijing, 100871 China
- Max Planck Institute for Terrestrial Microbiology, 35043 Marburg, Germany
| | - Luhua Lai
- Center for Quantitative Biology, Peking University, Beijing, 100871 China
- BNLMS, State Key Laboratory for Structural Chemistry of Unstable and Stable Species, and Peking-Tsinghua Center for Life Sciences at College of Chemistry and Molecular Engineering, Peking University, Beijing, 100871 China
| |
Collapse
|
24
|
Zhang M, Forbes NS. Trg-deficient Salmonella colonize quiescent tumor regions by exclusively penetrating or proliferating. J Control Release 2014; 199:180-9. [PMID: 25523033 DOI: 10.1016/j.jconrel.2014.12.014] [Citation(s) in RCA: 23] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/14/2014] [Revised: 12/04/2014] [Accepted: 12/13/2014] [Indexed: 01/15/2023]
Abstract
Chemotherapeutics fail to effectively treat tumors because they cannot reach quiescent regions far from blood vessels. Motile Salmonella are an attractive delivery system that could break this therapeutic barrier. However, little is known about the dissemination and tissue penetration of individual bacteria in tumors after intravenous administration. We hypothesized that eliminating the Trg receptor would improve accumulation in tumor quiescence. To test this hypothesis, we deleted the trg gene from nonpathogenic Salmonella. To quantify individual bacterial behavior, we measured tissue penetration in a tumor-on-a-chip device and measured colony localization in mouse tumors using immunofluorescence. In tumors in vitro and in mice, trg(-) Salmonella penetrated farther into tissue than control bacteria. This difference in localization was caused by the inability to sense sugars in well perfused tissue. Three distinct bacterial phenotypes were observed: proliferating, penetrating, and inactive. Large proliferating colonies, containing more than 40% of individual bacteria, only formed less than 60μm from blood vessels. Small colonies, in comparison, were present both near (inactive) and far (penetrating) from vessels. The farthest was 361.2μm from a vessel, demonstrating the ability to target avascular regions. In addition, colonization was most pronounced in poorly vascularized tumor regions. We show that deletion of trg amplifies Salmonella accumulation in quiescent tumor regions, and, for the first time, identify biological processes that control bacterial distribution in tumors. Understanding how Salmonella penetrate tissue, target quiescence and specifically replicate in tumors are essential steps toward creating a tightly controlled, tunable bacterial therapy.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Miaomin Zhang
- Department of Chemical Engineering, University of Massachusetts, Amherst, MA, USA; Pioneer Valley Life Sciences Institute, Springfield, MA, USA
| | - Neil S Forbes
- Department of Chemical Engineering, University of Massachusetts, Amherst, MA, USA; Pioneer Valley Life Sciences Institute, Springfield, MA, USA.
| |
Collapse
|
25
|
Soto W, Nishiguchi MK. Microbial experimental evolution as a novel research approach in the Vibrionaceae and squid-Vibrio symbiosis. Front Microbiol 2014; 5:593. [PMID: 25538686 PMCID: PMC4260504 DOI: 10.3389/fmicb.2014.00593] [Citation(s) in RCA: 21] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/07/2014] [Accepted: 10/20/2014] [Indexed: 12/21/2022] Open
Abstract
The Vibrionaceae are a genetically and metabolically diverse family living in aquatic habitats with a great propensity toward developing interactions with eukaryotic microbial and multicellular hosts (as either commensals, pathogens, and mutualists). The Vibrionaceae frequently possess a life history cycle where bacteria are attached to a host in one phase and then another where they are free from their host as either part of the bacterioplankton or adhered to solid substrates such as marine sediment, riverbeds, lakebeds, or floating particulate debris. These two stages in their life history exert quite distinct and separate selection pressures. When bound to solid substrates or to host cells, the Vibrionaceae can also exist as complex biofilms. The association between bioluminescent Vibrio spp. and sepiolid squids (Cephalopoda: Sepiolidae) is an experimentally tractable model to study bacteria and animal host interactions, since the symbionts and squid hosts can be maintained in the laboratory independently of one another. The bacteria can be grown in pure culture and the squid hosts raised gnotobiotically with sterile light organs. The partnership between free-living Vibrio symbionts and axenic squid hatchlings emerging from eggs must be renewed every generation of the cephalopod host. Thus, symbiotic bacteria and animal host can each be studied alone and together in union. Despite virtues provided by the Vibrionaceae and sepiolid squid-Vibrio symbiosis, these assets to evolutionary biology have yet to be fully utilized for microbial experimental evolution. Experimental evolution studies already completed are reviewed, along with exploratory topics for future study.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- William Soto
- BEACON Center for the Study of Evolution in Action, Michigan State UniversityEast Lansing, MI, USA
| | | |
Collapse
|
26
|
Plasmid-encoded MCP is involved in virulence, motility, and biofilm formation of Cronobacter sakazakii ATCC 29544. Infect Immun 2014; 83:197-204. [PMID: 25332122 DOI: 10.1128/iai.02633-14] [Citation(s) in RCA: 27] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/12/2022] Open
Abstract
The aim of this study was to elucidate the function of the plasmid-borne mcp (methyl-accepting chemotaxis protein) gene, which plays pleiotropic roles in Cronobacter sakazakii ATCC 29544. By searching for virulence factors using a random transposon insertion mutant library, we identified and sequenced a new plasmid, pCSA2, in C. sakazakii ATCC 29544. An in silico analysis of pCSA2 revealed that it included six putative open reading frames, and one of them was mcp. The mcp mutant was defective for invasion into and adhesion to epithelial cells, and the virulence of the mcp mutant was attenuated in rat pups. In addition, we demonstrated that putative MCP regulates the motility of C. sakazakii, and the expression of the flagellar genes was enhanced in the absence of a functional mcp gene. Furthermore, a lack of the mcp gene also impaired the ability of C. sakazakii to form a biofilm. Our results demonstrate a regulatory role for MCP in diverse biological processes, including the virulence of C. sakazakii ATCC 29544. To the best of our knowledge, this study is the first to elucidate a potential function of a plasmid-encoded MCP homolog in the C. sakazakii sequence type 8 (ST8) lineage.
Collapse
|
27
|
Bao G, Dong H, Zhu Y, Mao S, Zhang T, Zhang Y, Chen Z, Li Y. Comparative genomic and proteomic analyses of Clostridium acetobutylicum Rh8 and its parent strain DSM 1731 revealed new understandings on butanol tolerance. Biochem Biophys Res Commun 2014; 450:1612-8. [DOI: 10.1016/j.bbrc.2014.07.052] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/01/2014] [Accepted: 07/09/2014] [Indexed: 10/25/2022]
|
28
|
Zhou Y, Li R, Gao XY, Lapidus A, Han J, Haynes M, Lobos E, Huntemann M, Pati A, Ivanova NN, Rohde M, Mavromatis K, Tindall BJ, Markowitz V, Woyke T, Klenk HP, Kyrpides NC, Li WJ. High quality draft genome sequence of the slightly halophilic bacterium Halomonas zhanjiangensis type strain JSM 078169(T) (DSM 21076(T)) from a sea urchin in southern China. Stand Genomic Sci 2014; 9:1020-30. [PMID: 25197480 PMCID: PMC4148996 DOI: 10.4056/sigs.5449586] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/01/2023] Open
Abstract
Halomonas zhanjiangensis Chen et al. 2009 is a member of the genus Halomonas, family Halomonadaceae, class Gammaproteobacteria. Representatives of the genus Halomonas are a group of halophilic bacteria often isolated from salty environments. The type strain H. zhanjiangensis JSM 078169(T) was isolated from a sea urchin (Hemicentrotus pulcherrimus) collected from the South China Sea. The genome of strain JSM 078169(T) is the fourteenth sequenced genome in the genus Halomonas and the fifteenth in the family Halomonadaceae. The other thirteen genomes from the genus Halomonas are H. halocynthiae, H. venusta, H. alkaliphila, H. lutea, H. anticariensis, H. jeotgali, H. titanicae, H. desiderata, H. smyrnensis, H. salifodinae, H. boliviensis, H. elongata and H stevensii. Here, we describe the features of strain JSM 078169(T), together with the complete genome sequence and annotation from a culture of DSM 21076(T). The 4,060,520 bp long draft genome consists of 17 scaffolds with the 3,659 protein-coding and 80 RNA genes and is a part of Genomic Encyclopedia of Type Strains, Phase I: the one thousand microbial genomes (KMG) project.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Yu Zhou
- Key Laboratory of Microbial Diversity in Southwest China, Ministry of Education and the Laboratory for Conservation and Utilization of Bio-Resources, Yunnan Institute of Microbiology, Yunnan University, Kunming, China
- State Key Laboratory Breeding Base for Zhejiang Sustainable Plant Pest Control; Institute of Quality and Standard for Agro-products, Zhejiang Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Hangzhou, Zhejiang, China
| | - Rui Li
- State Key Laboratory Breeding Base for Zhejiang Sustainable Plant Pest Control; Institute of Quality and Standard for Agro-products, Zhejiang Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Hangzhou, Zhejiang, China
| | - Xiao-Yang Gao
- Key Laboratory of Biogeography and Bioresource in Arid Land, Xinjiang Institute of Ecology and Geography, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Urumqi, China
- University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China
| | - Alla Lapidus
- Theodosius Dobzhansky Center for Genome Bionformatics, St. Petersburg State University, St. Petersburg, Russia
- Algorithmic Biology Lab, St. Petersburg Academic University, St. Petersburg, Russia
| | - James Han
- DOE Joint Genome Institute, Walnut Creek, California, USA
| | - Matthew Haynes
- DOE Joint Genome Institute, Walnut Creek, California, USA
| | | | | | - Amrita Pati
- DOE Joint Genome Institute, Walnut Creek, California, USA
| | | | - Manfred Rohde
- HZI – Helmholtz Centre for Infection Research, Braunschweig, Germany
| | | | - Brian J. Tindall
- Leibniz-Institute DSMZ - German Collection of Microorganisms and Cell Cultures, Braunschweig, Germany
| | - Victor Markowitz
- Biological Data Management and Technology Center, Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory, Berkeley, California, USA
| | - Tanja Woyke
- DOE Joint Genome Institute, Walnut Creek, California, USA
| | - Hans-Peter Klenk
- Leibniz-Institute DSMZ - German Collection of Microorganisms and Cell Cultures, Braunschweig, Germany
| | - Nikos C. Kyrpides
- DOE Joint Genome Institute, Walnut Creek, California, USA
- Department of Biological Sciences, King Abdulaziz University, Jeddah, Saudi Arabia
| | - Wen-Jun Li
- Key Laboratory of Microbial Diversity in Southwest China, Ministry of Education and the Laboratory for Conservation and Utilization of Bio-Resources, Yunnan Institute of Microbiology, Yunnan University, Kunming, China
- Key Laboratory of Biogeography and Bioresource in Arid Land, Xinjiang Institute of Ecology and Geography, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Urumqi, China
| |
Collapse
|
29
|
Casey A, Fox EM, Schmitz-Esser S, Coffey A, McAuliffe O, Jordan K. Transcriptome analysis of Listeria monocytogenes exposed to biocide stress reveals a multi-system response involving cell wall synthesis, sugar uptake, and motility. Front Microbiol 2014; 5:68. [PMID: 24616718 PMCID: PMC3937556 DOI: 10.3389/fmicb.2014.00068] [Citation(s) in RCA: 55] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/18/2013] [Accepted: 02/07/2014] [Indexed: 12/02/2022] Open
Abstract
Listeria monocytogenes is a virulent food-borne pathogen most often associated with the consumption of “ready-to-eat” foods. The organism is a common contaminant of food processing plants where it may persist for extended periods of time. A commonly used approach for the control of Listeria monocytogenes in the processing environment is the application of biocides such as quaternary ammonium compounds. In this study, the transcriptomic response of a persistent strain of L. monocytogenes (strain 6179) on exposure to a sub-lethal concentration of the quaternary ammonium compound benzethonium chloride (BZT) was assessed. Using RNA-Seq, gene expression levels were quantified by sequencing the transcriptome of L. monocytogenes 6179 in the presence (4 ppm) and absence of BZT, and mapping each data set to the sequenced genome of strain 6179. Hundreds of differentially expressed genes were identified, and subsequent analysis suggested that many biological processes such as peptidoglycan biosynthesis, bacterial chemotaxis and motility, and carbohydrate uptake, were involved in the response of L. monocyotogenes to the presence of BZT. The information generated in this study further contributes to our understanding of the response of bacteria to environmental stress. In addition, this study demonstrates the importance of using the bacterium's own genome as a reference when analysing RNA-Seq data.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Aidan Casey
- Teagasc Food Research Centre Fermoy, Ireland
| | - Edward M Fox
- CSIRO Animal Food and Health Sciences Werribee, VIC, Australia
| | - Stephan Schmitz-Esser
- Department of Farm Animals and Veterinary Public Health, Institute of Milk Hygiene, University of Veterinary Medicine Vienna, Austria
| | - Aidan Coffey
- Department of Biological Sciences, Cork Institute of Technology Cork, Ireland
| | | | | |
Collapse
|
30
|
Discovery of novel chemoeffectors and rational design of Escherichia coli chemoreceptor specificity. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A 2013; 110:16814-9. [PMID: 24082101 DOI: 10.1073/pnas.1306811110] [Citation(s) in RCA: 37] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/18/2022] Open
Abstract
Bacterial chemoreceptors mediate chemotactic responses to diverse stimuli. Here, by using an integrated in silico, in vitro, and in vivo approach, we screened a large compound library and found eight novel chemoeffectors for the Escherichia coli chemoreceptor Tar. Six of the eight new Tar binding compounds induce attractant responses, and two of them function as antagonists that can bind Tar without inducing downstream signaling. Comparison between the antagonist and attractant binding patterns suggests that the key interactions for chemotaxis signaling are mediated by the hydrogen bonds formed between a donor group in the attractant and the main-chain carbonyls (Y149 and/or Q152) on the α4 helix of Tar. This molecular insight for signaling is verified by converting an antagonist to an attractant when introducing an N-H group into the antagonist to restore the hydrogen bond. Similar signal triggering effect by an O-H group is also confirmed. Our study suggests that the Tar chemoeffector binding pocket may be separated into two functional regions: region I mainly contributes to binding and region II contributes to both binding and signaling. This scenario of binding and signaling suggests that Tar may be rationally designed to respond to a nonnative ligand by altering key residues in region I to strengthen binding with the novel ligand while maintaining the key interactions in region II for signaling. Following this strategy, we have successfully redesigned Tar to respond to l-arginine, a basic amino acid that does not have chemotactic effect for WT Tar, by two site-specific mutations (R69'E and R73'E).
Collapse
|
31
|
Kumar S, Vikram S, Raghava GPS. Genome annotation of Burkholderia sp. SJ98 with special focus on chemotaxis genes. PLoS One 2013; 8:e70624. [PMID: 23940608 PMCID: PMC3734258 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0070624] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/08/2013] [Accepted: 06/20/2013] [Indexed: 11/18/2022] Open
Abstract
Burkholderia sp. strain SJ98 has the chemotactic activity towards nitroaromatic and chloronitroaromatic compounds. Recently our group published draft genome of strain SJ98. In this study, we further sequence and annotate the genome of stain SJ98 to exploit the potential of this bacterium. We specifically annotate its chemotaxis genes and methyl accepting chemotaxis proteins. Genome of Burkholderia sp. SJ98 was annotated using PGAAP pipeline that predicts 7,268 CDSs, 52 tRNAs and 3 rRNAs. Our analysis based on phylogenetic and comparative genomics suggest that Burkholderia sp. YI23 is closest neighbor of the strain SJ98. The genes involved in the chemotaxis of strain SJ98 were compared with genes of closely related Burkholderia strains (i.e. YI23, CCGE 1001, CCGE 1002, CCGE 1003) and with well characterized bacterium E. coli K12. It was found that strain SJ98 has 37 che genes including 19 methyl accepting chemotaxis proteins that involved in sensing of different attractants. Chemotaxis genes have been found in a cluster along with the flagellar motor proteins. We also developed a web resource that provides comprehensive information on strain SJ98 that includes all analysis data (http://crdd.osdd.net/raghava/genomesrs/burkholderia/).
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Shailesh Kumar
- Bioinformatics Centre, Council of Scientific and Industrial Research - Institute of Microbial Technology, Sector 39-A, Chandigarh, India
| | - Surendra Vikram
- Bioinformatics Centre, Council of Scientific and Industrial Research - Institute of Microbial Technology, Sector 39-A, Chandigarh, India
| | - Gajendra Pal Singh Raghava
- Bioinformatics Centre, Council of Scientific and Industrial Research - Institute of Microbial Technology, Sector 39-A, Chandigarh, India
| |
Collapse
|
32
|
Construction of a genetic multiplexer to toggle between chemosensory pathways in Escherichia coli. J Mol Biol 2010; 406:215-27. [PMID: 21185306 DOI: 10.1016/j.jmb.2010.12.019] [Citation(s) in RCA: 53] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/23/2010] [Revised: 12/05/2010] [Accepted: 12/08/2010] [Indexed: 11/20/2022]
Abstract
Many applications require cells to switch between discrete phenotypic states. Here, we harness the FimBE inversion switch to flip a promoter, allowing expression to be toggled between two genes oriented in opposite directions. The response characteristics of the switch are characterized using two-color cytometry. This switch is used to toggle between orthogonal chemosensory pathways by controlling the expression of CheW and CheW*, which interact with the Tar (aspartate) and Tsr* (serine) chemoreceptors, respectively. CheW* and Tsr* each contain a mutation at their protein-protein interface such that they interact with each other. The complete genetic program containing an arabinose-inducible FimE controlling CheW/CheW* (and constitutively expressed tar/tsr*) is transformed into an Escherichia coli strain lacking all native chemoreceptors. This program enables bacteria to swim toward serine or aspartate in the absence or in the presence of arabinose, respectively. Thus, the program functions as a multiplexer with arabinose as the selector. This demonstrates the ability of synthetic genetic circuits to connect to a natural signaling network to switch between phenotypes.
Collapse
|
33
|
Mishler DM, Topp S, Reynoso CMK, Gallivan JP. Engineering bacteria to recognize and follow small molecules. Curr Opin Biotechnol 2010; 21:653-6. [PMID: 20576425 DOI: 10.1016/j.copbio.2010.05.007] [Citation(s) in RCA: 19] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/14/2010] [Accepted: 05/27/2010] [Indexed: 11/27/2022]
Abstract
The ability to recognize and react to specific environmental cues allows bacteria to localize to environments favorable to their survival and growth. Synthetic biologists have begun to exploit the chemosensory pathways that control cell motility to reprogram how bacteria move in response to novel signals. Reprograming is often accomplished by designing novel protein or RNA parts that respond to specific small molecules not normally recognized by the natural chemosensory pathways. Additionally, cell motility and localization can be coupled to bacterial quorum sensing, potentially allowing consortia of cells to perform complex tasks.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Dennis M Mishler
- Department of Chemistry and Center for Fundamental and Applied Molecular Evolution, Emory University, 1515 Dickey Drive, Atlanta, GA 30322, USA
| | | | | | | |
Collapse
|
34
|
Sinha J, Reyes SJ, Gallivan JP. Reprogramming bacteria to seek and destroy an herbicide. Nat Chem Biol 2010; 6:464-70. [PMID: 20453864 PMCID: PMC2873063 DOI: 10.1038/nchembio.369] [Citation(s) in RCA: 138] [Impact Index Per Article: 9.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/22/2009] [Accepted: 04/06/2010] [Indexed: 12/26/2022]
Abstract
A major goal of synthetic biology is to reprogram cells to perform complex tasks. Here we show how a combination of in vitro and in vivo selection rapidly identifies a synthetic riboswitch that activates protein translation in response to the herbicide atrazine. We further demonstrate that this riboswitch can reprogram bacteria to migrate in the presence of atrazine. Finally, we show that incorporating a gene from an atrazine catabolic pathway allows these cells to seek and destroy atrazine.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Joy Sinha
- Department of Chemistry and Center for Fundamental and Applied Molecular Evolution, Emory University, Atlanta, Georgia, USA
| | | | | |
Collapse
|
35
|
Probing bacterial transmembrane histidine kinase receptor-ligand interactions with natural and synthetic molecules. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A 2010; 107:5575-80. [PMID: 20212168 DOI: 10.1073/pnas.1001392107] [Citation(s) in RCA: 52] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/18/2022] Open
Abstract
Bacterial histidine kinases transduce extracellular signals into the cytoplasm. Most stimuli are chemically undefined; therefore, despite intensive study, signal recognition mechanisms remain mysterious. We exploit the fact that quorum-sensing signals are known molecules to identify mutants in the Vibrio cholerae quorum-sensing receptor CqsS that display altered responses to natural and synthetic ligands. Using this chemical-genetics approach, we assign particular amino acids of the CqsS sensor to particular roles in recognition of the native ligand, CAI-1 (S-3 hydroxytridecan-4-one) as well as ligand analogues. Amino acids W104 and S107 dictate receptor preference for the carbon-3 moiety. Residues F162 and C170 specify ligand head size and tail length, respectively. By combining mutations, we can build CqsS receptors responsive to ligand analogues altered at both the head and tail. We suggest that rationally designed ligands can be employed to study, and ultimately to control, histidine kinase activity.
Collapse
|
36
|
Engineered single- and multi-cell chemotaxis pathways in E. coli. Mol Syst Biol 2009; 5:283. [PMID: 19536206 PMCID: PMC2710872 DOI: 10.1038/msb.2009.41] [Citation(s) in RCA: 19] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/29/2009] [Accepted: 05/19/2009] [Indexed: 12/04/2022] Open
Abstract
We have engineered the chemotaxis system of Escherichia coli to respond to molecules that are not attractants for wild-type cells. The system depends on an artificially introduced enzymatic activity that converts the target molecule into a ligand for an E. coli chemoreceptor, thereby enabling the cells to respond to the new attractant. Two systems were designed, and both showed robust chemotactic responses in semisolid and liquid media. The first incorporates an asparaginase enzyme and the native E. coli aspartate receptor to produce a response to asparagine; the second uses penicillin acylase and an engineered chemoreceptor for phenylacetic acid to produce a response to phenylacetyl glycine. In addition, by taking advantage of a ‘hitchhiker' effect in which cells producing the ligand can induce chemotaxis of neighboring cells lacking enzymatic activity, we were able to design a more complex system that functions as a simple microbial consortium. The result effectively introduces a logical ‘AND' into the system so that the population only swims towards the combined gradients of two attractants.
Collapse
|
37
|
Tang SY, Fazelinia H, Cirino PC. AraC Regulatory Protein Mutants with Altered Effector Specificity. J Am Chem Soc 2008; 130:5267-71. [DOI: 10.1021/ja7109053] [Citation(s) in RCA: 116] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/28/2022]
|
38
|
Topp S, Gallivan JP. Random walks to synthetic riboswitches--a high-throughput selection based on cell motility. Chembiochem 2008; 9:210-3. [PMID: 18098254 DOI: 10.1002/cbic.200700546] [Citation(s) in RCA: 64] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/06/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Shana Topp
- Department of Chemistry and Center for Fundamental and Applied Molecular Evolution, Emory University, 1515 Dickey Drive, Atlanta, GA 30322, USA
| | | |
Collapse
|
39
|
Geisinger E, George EA, Chen J, Muir TW, Novick RP. Identification of ligand specificity determinants in AgrC, the Staphylococcus aureus quorum-sensing receptor. J Biol Chem 2008; 283:8930-8. [PMID: 18222919 DOI: 10.1074/jbc.m710227200] [Citation(s) in RCA: 72] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/16/2022] Open
Abstract
Activation of the agr system, a major regulator of staphylococcal virulence, is initiated by the binding of a specific autoinducing peptide (AIP) to the extracellular domain of AgrC, a classical receptor histidine protein kinase. There are four known agr specificity groups in Staphylococcus aureus, and we have previously localized the determinant of AIP receptor specificity to the C-terminal half of the AgrC sensor domain. We have now identified the specific amino acid residues that determine ligand activation specificity for agr groups I and IV, the two most closely related. Comparison of the AgrC-I and AgrC-IV sequences revealed a set of five divergent residues in the region of the second extracellular loop of the receptor that could be responsible. Accordingly, we exchanged these residues between AgrC-I and AgrC-IV and tested the resulting constructs for activation by the respective AIPs, measuring activation kinetics with a transcriptional fusion of blaZ to the principal agr promoter, P3. Exchange of all five residues caused a complete switch in receptor specificity. Replacement of two of the AgrC-IV residues by the corresponding residues in AgrC-I caused the receptor to be activated by AIP-I nearly as well as the wild type AgrC-I receptor. Replacement of two different AgrC-I residues by the corresponding AgrC-IV residues broadened receptor recognition specificity to include both AIPs. Various types of intermediate activity were observed with other replacement mutations. Preliminary characterization of the AgrC-I-AIP-I interaction suggests that ligand specificity may be sterically determined.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Edward Geisinger
- Molecular Pathogenesis Program and Departments of Microbiology and Medicine, the Kimmel Center for Biology and Medicine of the Skirball Institute, New York University School of Medicine, New York, NY 10016, USA
| | | | | | | | | |
Collapse
|
40
|
Weiss LE, Badalamenti JP, Weaver LJ, Tascone AR, Weiss PS, Richard TL, Cirino PC. Engineering motility as a phenotypic response to LuxI/R-dependent quorum sensing inEscherichia coli. Biotechnol Bioeng 2008; 100:1251-5. [DOI: 10.1002/bit.21862] [Citation(s) in RCA: 23] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/09/2023]
|
41
|
|
42
|
Affiliation(s)
- Jörg S Hartig
- Department of Chemistry, University of Konstanz, 78457 Konstanz, Germany.
| |
Collapse
|
43
|
Hawkins AC, Arnold FH, Stuermer R, Hauer B, Leadbetter JR. Directed evolution of Vibrio fischeri LuxR for improved response to butanoyl-homoserine lactone. Appl Environ Microbiol 2007; 73:5775-81. [PMID: 17675429 PMCID: PMC2074898 DOI: 10.1128/aem.00060-07] [Citation(s) in RCA: 43] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/20/2022] Open
Abstract
LuxR is the 3-oxohexanoyl-homoserine lactone (3OC6HSL)-dependent transcriptional activator of the prototypical acyl-homoserine lactone (AHL) quorum-sensing system of Vibrio fischeri. Wild-type LuxR exhibits no response to butanoyl-HSL (C4HSL) in quantitative bioassays at concentrations of up to 1 microM; a previously described LuxR variant (LuxR-G2E) exhibits a broadened response to diverse AHLs, including pentanoyl-HSL (C5HSL), but not to C4HSL. Here, two rounds of directed evolution of LuxR-G2E generated variants of LuxR that responded to C4HSL at concentrations as low as 10 nM. One variant, LuxR-G4E, had only one change, I45F, relative to the parent LuxR-G2E, which itself differs from the wild type at three residues. Dissection of the four mutations within LuxR-G4E demonstrated that at least three of these changes were simultaneously required to achieve any measurable C4HSL response. The four changes improved both sensitivity and specificity towards C4HSL relative to any of the other 14 possible combinations of those residues. These data confirm that LuxR is evolutionarily pliable and suggest that LuxR is not intrinsically asymmetric in its response to quorum-sensing signals with different acyl-side-chain lengths.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Andrew C Hawkins
- Environmental Science & Engineering, California Institute of Technology, 1200 E. California Blvd., Mail Code 138-78, Pasadena, CA 91125-7800, USA
| | | | | | | | | |
Collapse
|
44
|
Abstract
Chemotactic bacteria navigate their chemical environment by coupling sophisticated information processing capabilities to molecular motors that propel the cells forward. The ability to reprogram bacteria to follow entirely new chemical signals would create powerful new opportunities in bioremediation, bionanotechnology, and synthetic biology. However, the complexities of bacterial signaling and limitations of current protein engineering methods combine to make reprogramming bacteria to follow novel molecules a difficult task. Here we show that by using a synthetic riboswitch rather than an engineered protein to recognize a ligand, E. coli can be guided toward and precisely localized to a completely new chemical signal.
Collapse
|
45
|
Draheim RR, Bormans AF, Lai RZ, Manson MD. Tuning a bacterial chemoreceptor with protein-membrane interactions. Biochemistry 2007; 45:14655-64. [PMID: 17144658 DOI: 10.1021/bi061259i] [Citation(s) in RCA: 48] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/29/2022]
Abstract
Chemoreceptors in Escherichia coli are homodimeric transmembrane proteins that convert environmental stimuli into intracellular signals controlling flagellar motion. Chemoeffectors bind to the extracellular (periplasmic) domain of the receptors, whereas their cytoplasmic domain mediates signaling and adaptation. The second transmembrane helix (TM2) connects these two domains. TM2 contains an aliphatic core flanked by amphipathic aromatic residues that have specific affinity for polar-hydrophobic membrane interfaces. We previously showed that Trp-209, near the cytoplasmic end of TM2, helps maintain the normal baseline-signaling state of the aspartate chemoreceptor (Tar) and that Tyr-210 plays an auxiliary role in this control. We have now repositioned the Trp-209/Tyr-210 pair in single-residue increments about the cytoplasmic polar-hydrophobic interface. Changes from WY-2 to WY+1 modulate the baseline-signaling state of the receptor in predictable and incremental steps that can be compensated by adaptive methylation/demethylation. Greater displacements, as in WY-3, WY+2, and WY+3, bias the receptor to the off kinase-inhibiting state or the on kinase-stimulating state, respectively, to a degree that cannot be fully compensated by the adaptation system. Aromatic residues analogous to Trp-209/Tyr-210 are present in other chemoreceptors and many transmembrane sensor kinases, where they may serve a similar function.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Roger R Draheim
- Department of Biology, 3258 TAMU, Texas A&M University, College Station, Texas 77843, USA
| | | | | | | |
Collapse
|
46
|
Voigt CA. Genetic parts to program bacteria. Curr Opin Biotechnol 2006; 17:548-57. [PMID: 16978856 DOI: 10.1016/j.copbio.2006.09.001] [Citation(s) in RCA: 169] [Impact Index Per Article: 9.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/09/2006] [Revised: 07/21/2006] [Accepted: 09/01/2006] [Indexed: 12/27/2022]
Abstract
Genetic engineering is entering a new era, where microorganisms can be programmed using synthetic constructs of DNA encoding logic and operational commands. A toolbox of modular genetic parts is being developed, comprised of cell-based environmental sensors and genetic circuits. Systems have already been designed to be interconnected with each other and interfaced with the control of cellular processes. Engineering theory will provide a predictive framework to design operational multicomponent systems. On the basis of these developments, increasingly complex cellular machines are being constructed to build specialty chemicals, weave biomaterials, and to deliver therapeutics.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Christopher A Voigt
- Biophysics and Chemistry & Chemical Biology, Department of Pharmaceutical Chemistry, University of California San Francisco, QB3 Box 2540, 1700 4th Street, San Francisco, CA 94158, USA.
| |
Collapse
|
47
|
Abstract
The synthesis of increasingly complex unnatural networks embedded in living matter is an emerging theme in synthetic biology. Synthetic networks have allowed the creation of organisms endowed with toggle switches, logic gates, pattern-forming systems, oscillators, cellular sensors, new modes of gene regulation and expanded genetic codes. A common challenge of this work is the addition of specific new functions to complex living organisms. This requires spatial and temporal control of molecular interactions and fluxes to achieve the desired outcomes. Here we review recent successes in this emerging field and discuss strategies for addressing the challenges of increasing network complexity.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Jason W Chin
- Medical Research Council Laboratory of Molecular Biology, Hills Road, Cambridge CB2 2QH, UK.
| |
Collapse
|