To divide or not to divide: control of the bacterial cell cycle by environmental cues

Pathogens in Crohn's Disease: The Role of Adherent Invasive Escherichia coli

In Crohn's disease (CD), gut dysbiosis is marked by the prevalence of pathogenic bacterial species. Although several microbes have been reported as risk factors or causative agents of CD, it is not yet clear which is the real trigger of the disease. Thirty years ago, a new pathovar of Escherichia coli strain was isolated in the ileal mucosa of CD patients. This strain, called adherent invasive E. coli (AIEC), for its ability to invade the intestinal mucosa, could represent the causative agent of the disease. Several authors studied the mechanisms by which the AIEC penetrate and replicate within macrophages, and release inflammatory cytokines sustaining inflammation. In this review we will discuss about the role of AIEC in the pathogenesis of CD, the virulence factors mediating adhesion and invasion of AIEC in mucosal tissue, the environmental conditions improving AIEC survival and replication within macrophages. Finally, we will also give an overview of the new strategies developed to limit AIEC overgrowth.

Modulation of prey size reveals adaptability and robustness in the cell cycle of an intracellular predator

Despite a remarkable diversity of lifestyles, bacterial replication has only been investigated in a few model species. In bacteria that do not rely on canonical binary division for proliferation, the coordination of major cellular processes is still largely mysterious. Moreover, the dynamics of bacterial growth and division remain unexplored within spatially confined niches where nutrients are limited. This includes the life cycle of the model endobiotic predatory bacterium Bdellovibrio bacteriovorus, which grows by filamentation within its prey and produces a variable number of daughter cells. Here, we examined the impact of the micro-compartment in which predators replicate (i.e., the prey bacterium) on their cell-cycle progression at the single-cell level. Using Escherichia coli with genetically encoded size differences, we show that the duration of the predator cell cycle scales with prey size. Consequently, prey size determines predator offspring numbers. We found that individual predators elongate exponentially, with a growth rate determined by the nutritional quality of the prey, irrespective of prey size. However, the size of newborn predator cells is remarkably stable across prey nutritional content and size variations. Tuning the predatory cell cycle by modulating prey dimensions also allowed us to reveal invariable temporal connections between key cellular processes. Altogether, our data imply adaptability and robustness shaping the enclosed cell-cycle progression of B. bacteriovorus, which might contribute to optimal exploitation of the finite resources and space in their prey. This study extends the characterization of cell cycle control strategies and growth patterns beyond canonical models and lifestyles.

A nascent polypeptide sequence modulates DnaA translation elongation in response to nutrient availability

The ability to regulate DNA replication initiation in response to changing nutrient conditions is an important feature of most cell types. In bacteria, DNA replication is triggered by the initiator protein DnaA, which has long been suggested to respond to nutritional changes; nevertheless, the underlying mechanisms remain poorly understood. Here, we report a novel mechanism that adjusts DnaA synthesis in response to nutrient availability in Caulobacter crescentus. By performing a detailed biochemical and genetic analysis of the dnaA mRNA, we identified a sequence downstream of the dnaA start codon that inhibits DnaA translation elongation upon carbon exhaustion. Our data show that the corresponding peptide sequence, but not the mRNA secondary structure or the codon choice, is critical for this response, suggesting that specific amino acids in the growing DnaA nascent chain tune translational efficiency. Our study provides new insights into DnaA regulation and highlights the importance of translation elongation as a regulatory target. We propose that translation regulation by nascent chain sequences, like the one described, might constitute a general strategy for modulating the synthesis rate of specific proteins under changing conditions.

The Chaperonin GroESL Facilitates Caulobacter crescentus Cell Division by Supporting the Functions of the Z-Ring Regulators FtsA and FzlA

The highly conserved chaperonin GroESL performs a crucial role in protein folding; however, the essential cellular pathways that rely on this chaperone are underexplored. Loss of GroESL leads to severe septation defects in diverse bacteria, suggesting the folding function of GroESL may be integrated with the bacterial cell cycle at the point of cell division. Here, we describe new connections between GroESL and the bacterial cell cycle using the model organism Caulobacter crescentus. Using a proteomics approach, we identify candidate GroESL client proteins that become insoluble or are degraded specifically when GroESL folding is insufficient, revealing several essential proteins that participate in cell division and peptidoglycan biosynthesis. We demonstrate that other cell cycle events, such as DNA replication and chromosome segregation, are able to continue when GroESL folding is insufficient. We further find that deficiency of two FtsZ-interacting proteins, the bacterial actin homologue FtsA and the constriction regulator FzlA, mediate the GroESL-dependent block in cell division. Our data show that sufficient GroESL is required to maintain normal dynamics of the FtsZ scaffold and divisome functionality in C. crescentus. In addition to supporting divisome function, we show that GroESL is required to maintain the flow of peptidoglycan precursors into the growing cell wall. Linking a chaperone to cell division may be a conserved way to coordinate environmental and internal cues that signal when it is safe to divide.

Antibiotics modulate attractive interactions in bacterial colonies affecting survivability under combined treatment

Biofilm formation protects bacteria from antibiotics. Very little is known about the response of biofilm-dwelling bacteria to antibiotics at the single cell level. Here, we developed a cell-tracking approach to investigate how antibiotics affect structure and dynamics of colonies formed by the human pathogen Neisseria gonorrhoeae. Antibiotics targeting different cellular functions enlarge the cell volumes and modulate within-colony motility. Focusing on azithromycin and ceftriaxone, we identify changes in type 4 pilus (T4P) mediated cell-to-cell attraction as the molecular mechanism for different effects on motility. By using strongly attractive mutant strains, we reveal that the survivability under ceftriaxone treatment depends on motility. Combining our results, we find that sequential treatment with azithromycin and ceftriaxone is synergistic. Taken together, we demonstrate that antibiotics modulate T4P-mediated attractions and hence cell motility and colony fluidity.

Antagonistic Mechanism of Metabolites Produced by Lactobacillus casei on Lysis of Enterohemorrhagic Escherichia coli

Enhancing extracellular metabolic byproducts of probiotics is one of the promising strategies to improve overall host health as well as to control enteric infections caused by various foodborne pathogens. However, the underlying mechanism of action of those metabolites and their effective concentrations are yet to be established. In this study, we determined the antibacterial potential of the metabolites in the cell-free culture supernatant (CFCS) collected from wild-type Lactobacillus casei (LC_wt) and genetically modified LC to overexpress linoleate isomerase (LC_CLA). We also evaluated the mechanism of action of CFCSs collected from the culture of LC_wt in the presence or absence of 0.5% peanut flour (CFCS^wt and CFCS^wt+PF, respectively) and LC_CLA alone (CFCS^CLA) against enterohemorrhagic Escherichia coli (EHEC). The metabolites present in CFCS^wt+PF and CFCS^CLA eliminated EHEC within 24 and 48 h, respectively. Whereas CFCS^wt failed to eliminate EHEC but reduced their growth by 6.7 logs (p < 0.05) as compared to the control. Significant downregulation of the expression of cell division gene, ftsZ, supported the observed degree of bactericidal and bacteriostatic properties of the collected CFCSs. Upregulation of EHEC genes related to maintaining cell membrane integrity, DNA damage repair, and molecular chaperons indicated an intensive stress condition imposed by the total metabolites present in CFCSs on EHEC growth and cellular structures. A range of deviated morphological features provoked by the metabolites indicated a membrane-targeted action, in general, to compromise the membrane permeability of EHEC. The information obtained from this study may contribute to a more efficient prevention of EHEC related infections.

Asymmetric chromosome segregation and cell division in DNA damage-induced bacterial filaments

Faithful propagation of life requires coordination of DNA replication and segregation with cell growth and division. In bacteria, this results in cell size homeostasis and periodicity in replication and division. The situation is perturbed under stress such as DNA damage, which induces filamentation as cell cycle progression is blocked to allow for repair. Mechanisms that release this morphological state for reentry into wild-type growth are unclear. Here we show that damage-induced Escherichia coli filaments divide asymmetrically, producing short daughter cells that tend to be devoid of damage and have wild-type size and growth dynamics. The Min-system primarily determines division site location in the filament, with additional regulation of division completion by chromosome segregation. Collectively, we propose that coordination between chromosome (and specifically terminus) segregation and cell division may result in asymmetric division in damage-induced filaments and facilitate recovery from a stressed state.

Molecular mechanism of antimutagenicity by an ethoxy-substituted phylloquinone (vitamin K1 derivative) from spinach (Spinacea oleracea L.)

In our previous study, an antimutagenic compound from spinach (Spinacea oleracea L.), ethoxy-substituted phylloquinone (ESP) was isolated and characterized. The current study deals with elucidation of the possible mechanism of antimutagenicity of ESP against ethyl methanesulfonate (EMS) deploying model systems such as human lymphoblast (TK^+/- or TK6) cell line (thymidine kinase gene mutation assay) and Escherichia coli MG1655 (rifampicin resistance assay). Findings of the study ruled out the possibility of direct inactivation of EMS by ESP. DAPI competitive binding assay indicated the DNA minor groove binding activity of ESP. Interestingly, ESP did not display major groove binding or intercalating abilities. Further, proteomics study using 2-D gel electrophoresis in E. coli and subsequent studies involving single gene knockout strains revealed the possible role of tnaA (tryptophanase) and dgcP (diguanylate cyclase) genes in observed antimutagenicity. These genes have been reported to be involved in indole and cyclic-di-GMP biosynthesis, respectively, which eventually lead to cell division inhibition. In case of TK^+/- cell line system, ADCY genes (adenylate cyclase), a functional analogue of dgcP gene, were found to be transcriptionally up-regulated. The generation/doubling time were significantly higher in E. coli or TK^+/- cells treated with ESP than control cells. The findings indicated inhibition of cell proliferation by ESP through gene regulation as a possible mechanism of antimutagenicity across the biological system. Cell division inhibition actually provides additional time for the repair of damaged DNA leading to antimutagenicity.

Riboregulation in Nitrogen-Fixing Endosymbiotic Bacteria

Small non-coding RNAs (sRNAs) are ubiquitous components of bacterial adaptive regulatory networks underlying stress responses and chronic intracellular infection of eukaryotic hosts. Thus, sRNA-mediated regulation of gene expression is expected to play a major role in the establishment of mutualistic root nodule endosymbiosis between nitrogen-fixing rhizobia and legume plants. However, knowledge about this level of genetic regulation in this group of plant-interacting bacteria is still rather scarce. Here, we review insights into the rhizobial non-coding transcriptome and sRNA-mediated post-transcriptional regulation of symbiotic relevant traits such as nutrient uptake, cell cycle, quorum sensing, or nodule development. We provide details about the transcriptional control and protein-assisted activity mechanisms of the functionally characterized sRNAs involved in these processes. Finally, we discuss the forthcoming research on riboregulation in legume symbionts.

Ligand Guided Selection (LIGS) of Artificial Nucleic Acid Ligands against Cell Surface Targets

With the success of RNA-based therapeutic drugs, the demand has increased for sophisticated nucleic-acid-based targeting agents. Nucleic acid aptamers (NAAs), in this regard, represent a suitable class of molecules with synthetic versatility. Aptamers are composed of single-stranded RNA/DNA/XNA molecules, which can be identified using a method called systematic evolution of ligands by exponential enrichment (SELEX) against any molecule. This Spotlight summarizes the recent introduction of ligand guided selection (LIGS), which will permit the identification of a wide range of functional aptamers against complex targets such as cell surface receptors while maintaining their native functional state. Aptamers identified from LIGS will allow researchers to develop aptamers in biomedicine as low-cost, stable therapeutic agents and diagnostic molecules or biochemical devices.

The Crohn's disease-associated Escherichia coli strain LF82 relies on SOS and stringent responses to survive, multiply and tolerate antibiotics within macrophages

Adherent Invasive Escherichia coli (AIEC) strains recovered from Crohn's disease lesions survive and multiply within macrophages. A reference strain for this pathovar, AIEC LF82, forms microcolonies within phagolysosomes, an environment that prevents commensal E. coli multiplication. Little is known about the LF82 intracellular growth status, and signals leading to macrophage intra-vacuolar multiplication. We used single-cell analysis, genetic dissection and mathematical models to monitor the growth status and cell cycle regulation of intracellular LF82. We found that within macrophages, bacteria may replicate or undergo non-growing phenotypic switches. This switch results from stringent response firing immediately after uptake by macrophages or at later stages, following genotoxic damage and SOS induction during intracellular replication. Importantly, non-growers resist treatment with various antibiotics. Thus, intracellular challenges induce AIEC LF82 phenotypic heterogeneity and non-growing bacteria that could provide a reservoir for antibiotic-tolerant bacteria responsible for relapsing infections.

Coordination of Polyploid Chromosome Replication with Cell Size and Growth in a Cyanobacterium

Polyploidy has evolved many times across the kingdom of life. The relationship between cell growth and chromosome replication in bacteria has been studied extensively in monoploid model organisms such as Escherichia coli but not in polyploid organisms. Our study of the polyploid cyanobacterium Synechococcus elongatus demonstrates that replicating chromosome number is restricted and regulated by DnaA to maintain a relatively stable gene copy number/cell volume ratio during cell growth. In addition, our results suggest that polyploidy confers resistance to UV, which damages DNA. This compensatory polyploidy is likely necessitated by photosynthesis, which requires sunlight and generates damaging reactive oxygen species, and may also explain how polyploid bacteria can adapt to extreme environments with high risk of DNA damage.

Homologous chromosome number (ploidy) has diversified among bacteria, archaea, and eukaryotes over evolution. In bacteria, model organisms such as Escherichia coli possess a single chromosome encoding the entire genome during slow growth. In contrast, other bacteria, including cyanobacteria, maintain multiple copies of individual chromosomes (polyploid). Although a correlation between ploidy level and cell size has been observed in bacteria and eukaryotes, it is poorly understood how replication of multicopy chromosomes is regulated and how ploidy level is adjusted to cell size. In addition, the advantages conferred by polyploidy are largely unknown. Here we show that only one or a few multicopy chromosomes are replicated at once in the cyanobacterium Synechococcus elongatus and that this restriction depends on regulation of DnaA activity. Inhibiting the DnaA intrinsic ATPase activity in S. elongatus increased the number of replicating chromosomes and chromosome number per cell but did not affect cell growth. In contrast, when cell growth rate was increased or decreased, DnaA level, DnaA activity, and the number of replicating chromosomes also increased or decreased in parallel, resulting in nearly constant chromosome copy number per unit of cell volume at constant temperature. When chromosome copy number was increased by inhibition of DnaA ATPase activity or reduced culture temperature, cells exhibited greater resistance to UV light. Thus, it is suggested that the stepwise replication of the genome enables cyanobacteria to maintain nearly constant gene copy number per unit of cell volume and that multicopy chromosomes function as backup genetic information to compensate for genomic damage.

NapM enhances the survival of Mycobacterium tuberculosis under stress and in macrophages

Hostile environmental cues cause Mycobacterium tuberculosis to enter a state of slow growth for survival. However, the underlying regulatory mechanism remains unclear. DnaA is essential for DNA replication initiation and represents an efficient target for growth regulation in bacteria. Here, we show that the nucleoid-associated protein NapM is a DnaA antagonist, protecting M. tuberculosis from stress-mediated killing. NapM can be induced by diverse stressful signals. It binds to DnaA to inhibit both its DNA replication origin-binding and ATP hydrolysis activity. As a DnaA antagonist, NapM inhibits the mycobacterial DNA synthesis in vitro and in vivo in M. tuberculosis. Furthermore, we show that NapM contributes to the survival of M. tuberculosis under stress and within macrophages during infection. Our findings provide a previously unidentified mechanism of mycobacterial survival under stress and also suggest NapM as a potential drug target for tuberculosis control.

Reciprocal control of motility and biofilm formation by the PdhS2 two-component sensor kinase of Agrobacterium tumefaciens

A core regulatory pathway that directs developmental transitions and cellular asymmetries in Agrobacterium tumefaciens involves two overlapping, integrated phosphorelays. One of these phosphorelays putatively includes four histidine sensor kinase homologues, DivJ, PleC, PdhS1 and PdhS2, and two response regulators, DivK and PleD. In several different alphaproteobacteria, this pathway influences a conserved downstream phosphorelay that ultimately controls the phosphorylation state of the CtrA master response regulator. The PdhS2 sensor kinase reciprocally regulates biofilm formation and swimming motility. In the current study, the mechanisms by which the A. tumefaciens sensor kinase PdhS2 directs this regulation are delineated. PdhS2 lacking a key residue implicated in phosphatase activity is markedly deficient in proper control of attachment and motility phenotypes, whereas a kinase-deficient PdhS2 mutant is only modestly affected. A genetic interaction between DivK and PdhS2 is revealed, unmasking one of several connections between PdhS2-dependent phenotypes and transcriptional control by CtrA. Epistasis experiments suggest that PdhS2 may function independently of the CckA sensor kinase, the cognate sensor kinase for CtrA, which is inhibited by DivK. Global expression analysis of the pdhS2 mutant reveals a restricted regulon, most likely functioning through CtrA to separately control motility and regulate the levels of the intracellular signal cyclic diguanylate monophosphate (cdGMP), thereby affecting the production of adhesive polysaccharides and attachment. We hypothesize that in A. tumefaciens the CtrA regulatory circuit has expanded to include additional inputs through the addition of PdhS-type sensor kinases, likely fine-tuning the response of this organism to the soil microenvironment.

Synthesis and degradation of FtsZ quantitatively predict the first cell division in starved bacteria

In natural environments, microbes are typically non-dividing and gauge when nutrients permit division. Current models are phenomenological and specific to nutrient-rich, exponentially growing cells, thus cannot predict the first division under limiting nutrient availability. To assess this regime, we supplied starving Escherichia coli with glucose pulses at increasing frequencies. Real-time metabolomics and microfluidic single-cell microscopy revealed unexpected, rapid protein, and nucleic acid synthesis already from minuscule glucose pulses in non-dividing cells. Additionally, the lag time to first division shortened as pulsing frequency increased. We pinpointed division timing and dependence on nutrient frequency to the changing abundance of the division protein FtsZ. A dynamic, mechanistic model quantitatively relates lag time to FtsZ synthesis from nutrient pulses and FtsZ protease-dependent degradation. Lag time changed in model-congruent manners, when we experimentally modulated the synthesis or degradation of FtsZ. Thus, limiting abundance of FtsZ can quantitatively predict timing of the first cell division.

Decoupling Yeast Cell Division and Stress Defense Implicates mRNA Repression in Translational Reallocation during Stress

Stress tolerance and rapid growth are often competing interests in cells. Upon severe environmental stress, many organisms activate defense systems concurrent with growth arrest. There has been debate as to whether aspects of the stress-activated transcriptome are regulated by stress or an indirect byproduct of reduced proliferation. For example, stressed Saccharomyces cerevisiae cells mount a common gene expression program called the environmental stress response (ESR) [1] comprised of ∼300 induced (iESR) transcripts involved in stress defense and ∼600 reduced (rESR) mRNAs encoding ribosomal proteins (RPs) and ribosome biogenesis factors (RiBi) important for division. Because ESR activation also correlates with reduced growth rate in nutrient-restricted chemostats and prolonged G1 in slow-growing mutants, an alternate proposal is that the ESR is simply a consequence of reduced division [2-5]. A major challenge is that past studies did not separate effects of division arrest and stress defense; thus, the true responsiveness of the ESR-and the purpose of stress-dependent rESR repression in particular-remains unclear. Here, we decoupled cell division from the stress response by following transcriptome, proteome, and polysome changes in arrested cells responding to acute stress. We show that the ESR cannot be explained by changes in growth rate or cell-cycle phase during stress acclimation. Instead, failure to repress rESR transcripts reduces polysome association of induced transcripts, delaying production of their proteins. Our results suggest that stressed cells alleviate competition for translation factors by removing mRNAs and ribosomes from the translating pool, directing translational capacity toward induced transcripts to accelerate protein production.

Fundamental principles in bacterial physiology-history, recent progress, and the future with focus on cell size control: a review

Bacterial physiology is a branch of biology that aims to understand overarching principles of cellular reproduction. Many important issues in bacterial physiology are inherently quantitative, and major contributors to the field have often brought together tools and ways of thinking from multiple disciplines. This article presents a comprehensive overview of major ideas and approaches developed since the early 20th century for anyone who is interested in the fundamental problems in bacterial physiology. This article is divided into two parts. In the first part (sections 1-3), we review the first 'golden era' of bacterial physiology from the 1940s to early 1970s and provide a complete list of major references from that period. In the second part (sections 4-7), we explain how the pioneering work from the first golden era has influenced various rediscoveries of general quantitative principles and significant further development in modern bacterial physiology. Specifically, section 4 presents the history and current progress of the 'adder' principle of cell size homeostasis. Section 5 discusses the implications of coarse-graining the cellular protein composition, and how the coarse-grained proteome 'sectors' re-balance under different growth conditions. Section 6 focuses on physiological invariants, and explains how they are the key to understanding the coordination between growth and the cell cycle underlying cell size control in steady-state growth. Section 7 overviews how the temporal organization of all the internal processes enables balanced growth. In the final section 8, we conclude by discussing the remaining challenges for the future in the field.

Regulation of the replication initiator DnaA in Caulobacter crescentus

The decision to initiate DNA replication is a critical step in the cell cycle of all organisms. In nearly all bacteria, replication initiation requires the activity of the conserved replication initiation protein DnaA. Due to its central role in cell cycle progression, DnaA activity must be precisely regulated. This review summarizes the current state of DnaA regulation in the asymmetrically dividing α-proteobacterium Caulobacter crescentus, an important model for bacterial cell cycle studies. Mechanisms will be discussed that regulate DnaA activity and abundance under optimal conditions and in coordination with the asymmetric Caulobacter cell cycle. Furthermore, we highlight recent findings of how regulated DnaA synthesis and degradation collaborate to adjust DnaA abundance under stress conditions. The mechanisms described provide important examples of how DNA replication is regulated in an α-proteobacterium and thus represent an important starting point for the study of DNA replication in many other bacteria. This article is part of a Special Issue entitled: Dynamic gene expression, edited by Prof. Patrick Viollier.

Small Molecule Chelators Reveal That Iron Starvation Inhibits Late Stages of Bacterial Cytokinesis

Bacterial cell division requires identification of the division site, assembly of the division machinery, and constriction of the cell envelope. These processes are regulated in response to several cellular and environmental signals. Here, we use small molecule iron chelators to characterize the surprising connections between bacterial iron homeostasis and cell division. We demonstrate that iron starvation downregulates the transcription of genes encoding proteins involved in cell division, reduces protein biosynthesis, and prevents correct positioning of the division machinery at the division site. These combined events arrest the constriction of the cell during late stages of cytokinesis in a manner distinct from known mechanisms of inhibiting cell division. Overexpression of genes encoding cell division proteins or iron transporters partially suppresses the biological activity of iron chelators and restores growth and division. We propose a model demonstrating the effect of iron availability on the regulatory mechanisms coordinating division in response to the nutritional state of the cell.

Genetic and biochemical interactions between the bacterial replication initiator DnaA and the nucleoid-associated protein Rok in Bacillus subtilis

We identified interactions between the conserved bacterial replication initiator and transcription factor DnaA and the nucleoid-associated protein Rok of Bacillus subtilis. DnaA binds directly to clusters of DnaA boxes at the origin of replication and elsewhere, including the promoters of several DnaA-regulated genes. Rok, an analog of H-NS from gamma-proteobacteria that affects chromosome architecture and of Lsr2 from Mycobacteria, binds A+T-rich sequences throughout the genome and represses expression of many genes. Using crosslinking and immunoprecipitation followed by deep sequencing (ChIP-seq), we found that DnaA was associated with eight previously identified regions containing clusters of DnaA boxes, plus 36 additional regions that were also bound by Rok. Association of DnaA with these additional regions appeared to be indirect as it was dependent on Rok and independent of the DNA-binding domain of DnaA. Gene expression and mutant analyses support a model in which DnaA and Rok cooperate to repress transcription of yxaJ, the yybNM operon and the sunA-bdbB operon. Our results indicate that DnaA modulates the activity of Rok. We postulate that this interaction might affect nucleoid architecture. Furthermore, DnaA might interact similarly with Rok analogues in other organisms.

A Kinase-Phosphatase Switch Transduces Environmental Information into a Bacterial Cell Cycle Circuit

The bacterial cell cycle has been extensively studied under standard growth conditions. How it is modulated in response to environmental changes remains poorly understood. Here, we demonstrate that the freshwater bacterium Caulobacter crescentus blocks cell division and grows to filamentous cells in response to stress conditions affecting the cell membrane. Our data suggest that stress switches the membrane-bound cell cycle kinase CckA to its phosphatase mode, leading to the rapid dephosphorylation, inactivation and proteolysis of the master cell cycle regulator CtrA. The clearance of CtrA results in downregulation of division and morphogenesis genes and consequently a cell division block. Upon shift to non-stress conditions, cells quickly restart cell division and return to normal cell size. Our data indicate that the temporary inhibition of cell division through the regulated inactivation of CtrA constitutes a growth advantage under stress. Taken together, our work reveals a new mechanism that allows bacteria to alter their mode of proliferation in response to environmental cues by controlling the activity of a master cell cycle transcription factor. Furthermore, our results highlight the role of a bifunctional kinase in this process that integrates the cell cycle with environmental information.

Free-living bacteria are frequently exposed to various environmental stress conditions. To survive under such adverse conditions, cells must induce pathways that prevent and alleviate cellular damages, but they must also adjust their cell cycle to guarantee cellular integrity. It has long been observed that various bacteria transform into filamentous cells under certain conditions in nature, indicating that they dynamically modulate cell division and the cell cycle in response to environmental cues. The molecular bases that allow bacteria to regulate cell division in response to fluctuating environmental conditions remain poorly understood. Here, we describe a new mechanism by which Caulobacter crescentus blocks division and transforms into filamentous cells under stress. We find that the observed cell division block depends on precise regulation of the key cell cycle regulator CtrA. Under optimal conditions, the membrane-bound cell cycle kinase CckA activates CtrA in response to spatiotemporal cues to induce expression of genes required for cell division. Our data suggest that external stress triggers CckA to dephosphorylate and inactivate CtrA, thus ensuring the downregulation of CtrA-regulated functions, including cell division. Given that CckA and CtrA are highly conserved among alphaproteobacteria, the mechanism found here, might operate in diverse bacteria, including those that are medically and agriculturally relevant.

A Diguanylate Cyclase Acts as a Cell Division Inhibitor in a Two-Step Response to Reductive and Envelope Stresses

Cell division arrest is a universal checkpoint in response to environmental assaults that generate cellular stress. In bacteria, the cyclic di-GMP (c-di-GMP) signaling network is one of several signal transduction systems that regulate key processes in response to extra-/intracellular stimuli. Here, we find that the diguanylate cyclase YfiN acts as a bifunctional protein that produces c-di-GMP in response to reductive stress and then dynamically relocates to the division site to arrest cell division in response to envelope stress in Escherichia coli YfiN localizes to the Z ring by interacting with early division proteins and stalls cell division by preventing the initiation of septal peptidoglycan synthesis. These studies reveal a new role for a diguanylate cyclase in responding to environmental change, as well as a novel mechanism for arresting cell division.

IMPORTANCE

While the major role of c-di-GMP signaling is to control the decision to move freely or settle in a biofilm, recent studies show a broader range of output functions for c-di-GMP signaling. This work reports an unexpected second role for YfiN, a conserved diguanylate cyclase in Gram-negative bacteria, known to contribute to persistence in the host. We find that YfiN acts as a cell division inhibitor in response to envelope stress. Unlike known cell division inhibitors, the interaction of YfiN with cell division proteins retains the Z ring at the midcell but prevents septal invagination. The new function of YfiN not only emphasizes the versatility of c-di-GMP signaling but describes a novel mechanism for a cell division checkpoint.

The small 6C RNA of Corynebacterium glutamicum is involved in the SOS response

The 6C RNA family is a class of small RNAs highly conserved in Actinobacteria, including the genera Mycobacterium, Streptomyces and Corynebacterium whose physiological function has not yet been elucidated. We found that strong transcription of the cgb_03605 gene, which encodes 6C RNA in C. glutamicum, was driven by the SigA- and SigB-dependent promoter Pcgb_03605. 6C RNA was detected at high level during exponential growth phase (180 to 240 molcules per cell) which even increased at the entry of the stationary phase. 6C RNA level did not decrease within 240 min after transcription had been stopped with rifampicin, which suggests high 6C RNA stability. The expression of cgb_03605 further increased approximately twofold in the presence of DNA-damaging mitomycin C (MMC) and nearly threefold in the absence of LexA. Deletion of the 6C RNA gene cgb_03605 resulted in a higher sensitivity of C. glutamicum toward MMC and UV radiation. These results indicate that 6C RNA is involved in the DNA damage response. Both 6C RNA level-dependent pausing of cell growth and branched cell morphology in response to MMC suggest that 6C RNA may also be involved in a control of cell division.

Adder and a coarse-grained approach to cell size homeostasis in bacteria

Cell size control and homeostasis is a long-standing subject in biology. Recent experimental work provides extensive evidence for a simple, quantitative size homeostasis principle coined adder (as opposed to sizer or timer). The adder principle provides unexpected insights into how bacteria maintain their size without employing a feedback mechanism. We review the genesis of adder and recent cell size homeostasis study on evolutionarily divergent bacterial organisms and beyond. We propose new coarse-grained approaches to understand the underlying mechanisms of cell size control at the whole cell level.

Biofouling of inlet pipes affects water quality in running seawater aquaria and compromises sponge cell proliferation

Marine organism are often kept, cultured, and experimented on in running seawater aquaria. However, surprisingly little attention is given to the nutrient composition of the water flowing through these systems, which is generally assumed to equal in situ conditions, but may change due to the presence of biofouling organisms. Significantly lower bacterial abundances and higher inorganic nitrogen species (nitrate, nitrite, and ammonium) were measured in aquarium water when biofouling organisms were present within a 7-year old inlet pipe feeding a tropical reef running seawater aquaria system, compared with aquarium water fed by a new, biofouling-free inlet pipe. These water quality changes are indicative of the feeding activity and waste production of the suspension- and filter-feeding communities found in the old pipe, which included sponges, bivalves, barnacles, and ascidians. To illustrate the physiological consequences of these water quality changes on a model organism kept in the aquaria system, we investigated the influence of the presence and absence of the biofouling community on the functioning of the filter-feeding sponge Halisarca caerulea, by determining its choanocyte (filter cell) proliferation rates. We found a 34% increase in choanocyte proliferation rates following the replacement of the inlet pipe (i.e., removal of the biofouling community). This indicates that the physiological functioning of the sponge was compromised due to suboptimal food conditions within the aquarium resulting from the presence of the biofouling organisms in the inlet pipe. This study has implications for the husbandry and performance of experiments with marine organisms in running seawater aquaria systems. Inlet pipes should be checked regularly, and replaced if necessary, in order to avoid excessive biofouling and to approach in situ water quality.

The Caulobacter crescentus Homolog of DnaA (HdaA) Also Regulates the Proteolysis of the Replication Initiator Protein DnaA

It is not known how diverse bacteria regulate chromosome replication. Based on Escherichia coli studies, DnaA initiates replication and the homolog of DnaA (Hda) inactivates DnaA using the RIDA (regulatory inactivation of DnaA) mechanism that thereby prevents extra chromosome replication cycles. RIDA may be widespread, because the distantly related Caulobacter crescentus homolog HdaA also prevents extra chromosome replication (J. Collier and L. Shapiro, J Bacteriol 191:5706-5715, 2009, http://dx.doi.org/10.1128/JB.00525-09). To further study the HdaA/RIDA mechanism, we created a C. crescentus strain that shuts off hdaA transcription and rapidly clears HdaA protein. We confirm that HdaA prevents extra replication, since cells lacking HdaA accumulate extra chromosome DNA. DnaA binds nucleotides ATP and ADP, and our results are consistent with the established E. coli mechanism whereby Hda converts active DnaA-ATP to inactive DnaA-ADP. However, unlike E. coli DnaA, C. crescentus DnaA is also regulated by selective proteolysis. C. crescentus cells lacking HdaA reduce DnaA proteolysis in logarithmically growing cells, thereby implicating HdaA in this selective DnaA turnover mechanism. Also, wild-type C. crescentus cells remove all DnaA protein when they enter stationary phase. However, cells lacking HdaA retain stable DnaA protein even when they stop growing in nutrient-depleted medium that induces complete DnaA proteolysis in wild-type cells. Additional experiments argue for a distinct HdaA-dependent mechanism that selectively removes DnaA prior to stationary phase. Related freshwater Caulobacter species also remove DnaA during entry to stationary phase, implying a wider role for HdaA as a novel component of programed proteolysis.

IMPORTANCE

Bacteria must regulate chromosome replication, and yet the mechanisms are not completely understood and not fully exploited for antibiotic development. Based on Escherichia coli studies, DnaA initiates replication, and the homolog of DnaA (Hda) inactivates DnaA to prevent extra replication. The distantly related Caulobacter crescentus homolog HdaA also regulates chromosome replication. Here we unexpectedly discovered that unlike the E. coli Hda, the C. crescentus HdaA also regulates DnaA proteolysis. Furthermore, this HdaA proteolysis acts in logarithmically growing and in stationary-phase cells and therefore in two very different physiological states. We argue that HdaA acts to help time chromosome replications in logarithmically growing cells and that it is an unexpected component of the programed entry into stationary phase.

Nutritional Control of DNA Replication Initiation through the Proteolysis and Regulated Translation of DnaA

Bacteria can arrest their own growth and proliferation upon nutrient depletion and under various stressful conditions to ensure their survival. However, the molecular mechanisms responsible for suppressing growth and arresting the cell cycle under such conditions remain incompletely understood. Here, we identify post-transcriptional mechanisms that help enforce a cell-cycle arrest in Caulobacter crescentus following nutrient limitation and during entry into stationary phase by limiting the accumulation of DnaA, the conserved replication initiator protein. DnaA is rapidly degraded by the Lon protease following nutrient limitation. However, the rate of DnaA degradation is not significantly altered by changes in nutrient availability. Instead, we demonstrate that decreased nutrient availability downregulates dnaA translation by a mechanism involving the 5' untranslated leader region of the dnaA transcript; Lon-dependent proteolysis of DnaA then outpaces synthesis, leading to the elimination of DnaA and the arrest of DNA replication. Our results demonstrate how regulated translation and constitutive degradation provide cells a means of precisely and rapidly modulating the concentration of key regulatory proteins in response to environmental inputs.

The duplication of genetic material is a prerequisite for cellular growth and proliferation. Under optimal growth conditions, when cells strive to grow and divide, DNA replication must be initiated with high frequency. However, under nutrient limiting conditions cells stop initiating DNA replication to ensure cellular integrity. Here, we identify mechanisms responsible for blocking DNA replication initiation under nutrient limitation in Caulobacter crescentus. In this bacterium nutrient limitation results in a strong downregulation of DnaA, the conserved replication initiator protein, which is required for DNA replication in nearly all bacteria. Our data demonstrate that the downregulation of DnaA depends on a reduction in DnaA synthesis in combination with fast degradation by the protease Lon. The changes in DnaA synthesis are mediated by a post-transcriptional mechanism, which adjusts DnaA translation in response to nutrient availability. The constitutively high rate of DnaA degradation then ensures the rapid clearance of the protein following the changes in translation. Our work exemplifies how regulated protein synthesis and fast degradation of key regulatory proteins allow for the precise and dynamic control of important cellular processes in response to environmental changes.

Redefining bacterial origins of replication as centralized information processors

In this review we stress the differences between eukaryotes and bacteria with respect to their different cell cycles, replication mechanisms and genome organizations. One of the most basic and underappreciated differences is that a bacterial chromosome uses only one ori while eukaryotic chromosome uses multiple oris. Consequently, eukaryotic oris work redundantly in a cell cycle divided into separate phases: First inactive replication proteins assemble on eukaryotic oris, and then they await conditions (in the separate “S-phase”) that activate only the ori-bound and pre-assembled replication proteins. S-phase activation (without re-assembly) ensures that a eukaryotic ori “fires” (starts replication) only once and that each chromosome consistently duplicates only once per cell cycle. This precise chromosome duplication does not require precise multiple ori firing in S-phase. A eukaryotic ori can fire early, late or not at all. The single bacterial ori has no such margin for error and a comparable imprecision is lethal. Single ori usage is not more primitive; it is a totally different strategy that distinguishes bacteria. We further argue that strong evolutionary pressures created more sophisticated single ori systems because bacteria experience extreme and rapidly changing conditions. A bacterial ori must rapidly receive and process much information in “real-time” and not just in “cell cycle time.” This redefinition of bacterial oris as centralized information processors makes at least two important predictions: First that bacterial oris use many and yet to be discovered control mechanisms and second that evolutionarily distinct bacteria will use many very distinct control mechanisms. We review recent literature that supports both predictions. We will highlight three key examples and describe how negative-feedback, phospho-relay, and chromosome-partitioning systems act to regulate chromosome replication. We also suggest future studies and discuss using replication proteins as novel antibiotic targets.

A stress-induced small RNA modulates alpha-rhizobial cell cycle progression

Mechanisms adjusting replication initiation and cell cycle progression in response to environmental conditions are crucial for microbial survival. Functional characterization of the trans-encoded small non-coding RNA (trans-sRNA) EcpR1 in the plant-symbiotic alpha-proteobacterium Sinorhizobium meliloti revealed a role of this class of riboregulators in modulation of cell cycle regulation. EcpR1 is broadly conserved in at least five families of the Rhizobiales and is predicted to form a stable structure with two defined stem-loop domains. In S. meliloti, this trans-sRNA is encoded downstream of the divK-pleD operon. ecpR1 belongs to the stringent response regulon, and its expression was induced by various stress factors and in stationary phase. Induced EcpR1 overproduction led to cell elongation and increased DNA content, while deletion of ecpR1 resulted in reduced competitiveness. Computationally predicted EcpR1 targets were enriched with cell cycle-related mRNAs. Post-transcriptional repression of the cell cycle key regulatory genes gcrA and dnaA mediated by mRNA base-pairing with the strongly conserved loop 1 of EcpR1 was experimentally confirmed by two-plasmid differential gene expression assays and compensatory changes in sRNA and mRNA. Evidence is presented for EcpR1 promoting RNase E-dependent degradation of the dnaA mRNA. We propose that EcpR1 contributes to modulation of cell cycle regulation under detrimental conditions.

Microorganisms frequently encounter adverse conditions unfavorable for cell proliferation. They have evolved diverse mechanisms, including transcriptional control and targeted protein degradation, to adjust cell cycle progression in response to environmental cues. Non-coding RNAs are widespread regulators of various cellular processes in all domains of life. In prokaryotes, trans-encoded small non-coding RNAs (trans-sRNAs) contribute to a rapid cellular response to changing environments, but so far have not been directly related to cell cycle regulation. Here, we report the first example of a trans-sRNA (EcpR1) with two experimentally confirmed targets in the core of cell cycle regulation and demonstrate that in the plant-symbiotic alpha-proteobacterium Sinorhizobium meliloti the regulatory mechanism involves base-pairing of this sRNA with the dnaA and gcrA mRNAs. Most trans-sRNAs are restricted to closely related species, but the stress-induced EcpR1 is broadly conserved in the order of Rhizobiales suggesting an evolutionary advantage conferred by ecpR1. It broadens the functional diversity of prokaryotic sRNAs and adds a new regulatory level to the mechanisms that contribute to interlinking stress responses with the cell cycle machinery.

Cell kinetics during regeneration in the sponge Halisarca caerulea: how local is the response to tissue damage?

Sponges have a remarkable capacity to rapidly regenerate in response to wound infliction. In addition, sponges rapidly renew their filter systems (choanocytes) to maintain a healthy population of cells. This study describes the cell kinetics of choanocytes in the encrusting reef sponge Halisarca caerulea during early regeneration (0-8 h) following experimental wound infliction. Subsequently, we investigated the spatial relationship between regeneration and cell proliferation over a six-day period directly adjacent to the wound, 1 cm, and 3 cm from the wound. Cell proliferation was determined by the incorporation of 5-bromo-2'-deoxyuridine (BrdU). We demonstrate that during early regeneration, the growth fraction of the choanocytes (i.e., the percentage of proliferative cells) adjacent to the wound is reduced (7.0 ± 2.5%) compared to steady-state, undamaged tissue (46.6 ± 2.6%), while the length of the cell cycle remained short (5.6 ± 3.4 h). The percentage of proliferative choanocytes increased over time in all areas and after six days of regeneration choanocyte proliferation rates were comparable to steady-state tissue. Tissue areas farther from the wound had higher rates of choanocyte proliferation than areas closer to the wound, indicating that more resources are demanded from tissue in the immediate vicinity of the wound. There was no difference in the number of proliferative mesohyl cells in regenerative sponges compared to steady-state sponges. Our data suggest that the production of collagen-rich wound tissue is a key process in tissue regeneration for H. caerulea, and helps to rapidly occupy the bare substratum exposed by the wound. Regeneration and choanocyte renewal are competing and negatively correlated life-history traits, both essential to the survival of sponges. The efficient allocation of limited resources to these life-history traits has enabled the ecological success and diversification of sponges.

Growth rate and cell size: a re-examination of the growth law

Research into the mechanisms regulating bacterial cell size has its origins in a single paper published over 50 years ago. In it Schaechter and colleagues made the observation that the chemical composition and size of a bacterial cell is a function of growth rate, independent of the medium used to achieve that growth rate, a finding that is colloquially referred to as the growth law. Recent findings hint at unforeseen complexity in the growth law, and suggest that nutrients rather than growth rate are the primary arbiter of size. The emerging picture suggests that size is a complex, multifactorial phenomenon mediated through the varied impacts of central carbon metabolism on cell cycle progression and biosynthetic capacity.

Dr-FtsA, an actin homologue in Deinococcus radiodurans differentially affects Dr-FtsZ and Ec-FtsZ functions in vitro

The Deinococcus radiodurans genome encodes homologues of divisome proteins including FtsZ and FtsA. FtsZ of this bacterium (Dr-FtsZ) has been recently characterized. In this paper, we study FtsA of D. radiodurans (Dr-FtsA) and its involvement in regulation of FtsZ function. Recombinant Dr-FtsA showed neither ATPase nor GTPase activity and its polymerization was ATP dependent. Interestingly, we observed that Dr-FtsA, when compared with E. coli FtsA (Ec-FtsA), has lower affinity for both Dr-FtsZ and Ec-FtsZ. Also, Dr-FtsA showed differential effects on GTPase activity and sedimentation characteristics of Dr-FtsZ and Ec-FtsZ. For instance, Dr-FtsA stimulated GTPase activity of Dr-FtsZ while GTPase activity of Ec-FtsZ was reduced in the presence of Dr-FtsA. Stimulation of GTPase activity of Dr-FtsZ by Dr-FtsA resulted in depolymerization of Dr-FtsZ. Dr-FtsA effects on GTPase activity and polymerization/depolymerisation characteristics of Dr-FtsZ did not change significantly in the presence of ATP. Recombinant E. coli expressing Dr-FtsA showed cell division inhibition in spite of in trans expression of Dr-FtsZ in these cells. These results suggested that Dr-FtsA, although it lacks ATPase activity, is still functional and differentially affects Dr-FtsZ and Ec-FtsZ function in vitro.

Cell cycle: once out, never in again

A recent study shows that prolonged inhibition of bacterial cell division causes a block of DNA replication, which is followed by an irreversible cell cycle arrest. The finding indicates a tight coupling between cell division and DNA replication in bacteria.