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Shah R, Narh JK, Urlaub M, Jankiewicz O, Johnson C, Livingston B, Dahl JU. Pseudomonas aeruginosa kills Staphylococcus aureus in a polyphosphate-dependent manner. mSphere 2024:e0068624. [PMID: 39365057 DOI: 10.1128/msphere.00686-24] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/22/2024] [Accepted: 09/16/2024] [Indexed: 10/05/2024] Open
Abstract
Due to their frequent coexistence in many polymicrobial infections, including in patients with cystic fibrosis or burn/chronic wounds, many studies have investigated the mechanistic details of the interaction between the opportunistic pathogens Pseudomonas aeruginosa and Staphylococcus aureus. P. aeruginosa rapidly outcompetes S. aureus under in vitro cocultivation conditions, which is mediated by several of P. aeruginosa's virulence factors. Here, we report that polyphosphate (polyP), an efficient stress defense system and virulence factor in P. aeruginosa, plays a role in the pathogen's ability to inhibit and kill S. aureus in a contact-independent manner. We show that P. aeruginosa cells characterized by low polyP levels are less detrimental to S. aureus growth and survival while the Gram-positive pathogen is significantly more compromised by the presence of P. aeruginosa cells that produce high levels of polyP. The polyP-dependent phenotype of P. aeruginosa-mediated killing of S. aureus could at least in part be direct, as polyP was detected in the spent media and causes significant damage to the S. aureus cell envelope. However, more likely is that polyP's effects are indirect through modulating the production of one of P. aeruginosa's virulence factors, pyocyanin. We show that pyocyanin production in P. aeruginosa occurs polyP-dependently and harms S. aureus through membrane damage and potentially the generation of reactive oxygen species, resulting in the increased expression of antioxidant enzymes. In summary, our study adds a new component to the list of biomolecules that the Gram-negative pathogen P. aeruginosa generates to compete with S. aureus for resources.IMPORTANCEHow do interactions between microorganisms shape the course of polymicrobial infections? Previous studies have provided evidence that the two opportunistic pathogens Pseudomonas aeruginosa and Staphylococcus aureus generate molecules that modulate their interaction with potentially significant impact on disease outcomes. Our study identified the biopolymer polyphosphate (polyP) as a new effector molecule that impacts P. aeruginosa's interaction with S. aureus. We show that P. aeruginosa kills S. aureus in a polyP-dependent manner, which occurs primarily through the polyP-dependent production of the P. aeruginosa virulence factor pyocyanin. Our findings add a new role for polyP to an already extensive list of functions. A more in-depth understanding of how polyP influences interspecies interactions is critical, as targeting polyP synthesis in bacteria such as P. aeruginosa may have a significant impact on other microorganisms and potentially result in dynamic changes in the microbial composition.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ritika Shah
- School of Biological Sciences, Illinois State University, Microbiology, Normal, Illinois, USA
| | - Julius Kwesi Narh
- School of Biological Sciences, Illinois State University, Microbiology, Normal, Illinois, USA
| | - Magdalena Urlaub
- School of Biological Sciences, Illinois State University, Microbiology, Normal, Illinois, USA
| | - Olivia Jankiewicz
- School of Biological Sciences, Illinois State University, Microbiology, Normal, Illinois, USA
| | - Colton Johnson
- School of Biological Sciences, Illinois State University, Microbiology, Normal, Illinois, USA
| | - Barry Livingston
- School of Biological Sciences, Illinois State University, Microbiology, Normal, Illinois, USA
| | - Jan-Ulrik Dahl
- School of Biological Sciences, Illinois State University, Microbiology, Normal, Illinois, USA
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2
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Hamm CW, Gray MJ. Inorganic polyphosphate and the stringent response coordinately control cell division and cell morphology in Escherichia coli. BIORXIV : THE PREPRINT SERVER FOR BIOLOGY 2024:2024.09.11.612536. [PMID: 39314361 PMCID: PMC11419118 DOI: 10.1101/2024.09.11.612536] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 09/25/2024]
Abstract
Bacteria encounter numerous stressors in their constantly changing environments and have evolved many methods to deal with stressors quickly and effectively. One well known and broadly conserved stress response in bacteria is the stringent response, mediated by the alarmone (p)ppGpp. (p)ppGpp is produced in response to amino acid starvation and other nutrient limitations and stresses and regulates both the activity of proteins and expression of genes. Escherichia coli also makes inorganic polyphosphate (polyP), an ancient molecule evolutionary conserved across most bacteria and other cells, in response to a variety of stress conditions, including amino acid starvation. PolyP can act as an energy and phosphate storage pool, metal chelator, regulatory signal, and chaperone, among other functions. Here we report that E. coli lacking both (p)ppGpp and polyP have a complex phenotype indicating previously unknown overlapping roles for (p)ppGpp and polyP in regulating cell division, cell morphology, and metabolism. Disruption of either (p)ppGpp or polyP synthesis led to formation of filamentous cells, but simultaneous disruption of both pathways resulted in cells with heterogenous cell morphologies, including highly branched cells, severely mislocalized Z-rings, and cells containing substantial void spaces. These mutants also failed to grow when nutrients were limited, even when amino acids were added. These results provide new insights into the relationship between polyP synthesis and the stringent response in bacteria and point towards their having a joint role in controlling metabolism, cell division, and cell growth.
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Affiliation(s)
- Christopher W. Hamm
- Department of Microbiology, Heersink School of Medicine, University of Alabama at Birmingham, Birmingham, Alabama, USA
| | - Michael J. Gray
- Department of Microbiology, Heersink School of Medicine, University of Alabama at Birmingham, Birmingham, Alabama, USA
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3
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Gray MJ. The role of metals in hypothiocyanite resistance in Escherichia coli. J Bacteriol 2024; 206:e0009824. [PMID: 39016617 PMCID: PMC11340325 DOI: 10.1128/jb.00098-24] [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: 03/06/2024] [Accepted: 06/25/2024] [Indexed: 07/18/2024] Open
Abstract
The innate immune system employs a variety of antimicrobial oxidants to control and kill host-associated bacteria. Hypothiocyanite/hypothiocyanous acid (-OSCN/HOSCN) is one such antimicrobial oxidant that is synthesized by lactoperoxidase, myeloperoxidase, and eosinophil peroxidase at sites throughout the human body. HOSCN has potent antibacterial activity while being largely non-toxic toward human cells. The molecular mechanisms by which bacteria sense and defend themselves against HOSCN have only recently begun to be elaborated, notably by the discovery of bacterial HOSCN reductase (RclA), an HOSCN-degrading enzyme widely conserved among bacteria that live on epithelial surfaces. In this paper, I show that Ni2+ sensitizes Escherichia coli to HOSCN by inhibiting glutathione reductase and that inorganic polyphosphate protects E. coli against this effect, probably by chelating Ni2+ ions. I also found that RclA is very sensitive to inhibition by Cu2+ and Zn2+, metals that are accumulated to high levels by innate immune cells, and that, surprisingly, thioredoxin and thioredoxin reductase are not involved in HOSCN stress resistance in E. coli. These results advance our understanding of the contribution of different oxidative stress responses and redox buffering pathways to HOSCN resistance in E. coli and illustrate important interactions between metal ions and the enzymes bacteria use to defend themselves against oxidative stress. IMPORTANCE Hypothiocyanite (HOSCN) is an antimicrobial oxidant produced by the innate immune system. The molecular mechanisms by which host-associated bacteria defend themselves against HOSCN have only recently begun to be understood. The results in this paper are significant because they show that the low molecular weight thiol glutathione and enzyme glutathione reductase are critical components of the Escherichia coli HOSCN response, working by a mechanism distinct from that of the HOSCN-specific defenses provided by the RclA, RclB, and RclC proteins and that metal ions (including nickel, copper, and zinc) may impact the ability of bacteria to resist HOSCN by inhibiting specific defensive enzymes (e.g., glutathione reductase or RclA).
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Affiliation(s)
- Michael J. Gray
- Department of Microbiology, Heersink School of Medicine, University of Alabama at Birmingham, Birmingham, Alabama, USA
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4
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Sato N, Endo M, Nishi H, Fujiwara S, Tsuzuki M. Polyphosphate-kinase-1 dependent polyphosphate hyperaccumulation for acclimation to nutrient loss in the cyanobacterium, Synechocystis sp. PCC 6803. FRONTIERS IN PLANT SCIENCE 2024; 15:1441626. [PMID: 39145186 PMCID: PMC11322815 DOI: 10.3389/fpls.2024.1441626] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/31/2024] [Accepted: 07/15/2024] [Indexed: 08/16/2024]
Abstract
Polyphosphate is prevalent in living organisms. To obtain insights into polyphosphate synthesis and its physiological significance in cyanobacteria, we characterize sll0290, a homolog of the polyphosphate-kinase-1 gene, in the freshwater cyanobacterium Synechocystis sp. PCC 6803. The Sll0290 protein structure reveals characteristics of Ppk1. A Synechocystis sll0290 disruptant and sll0290-overexpressing Escherichia coli transformant demonstrated loss and gain of polyphosphate synthesis ability, respectively. Accordingly, sll0290 is identified as ppk1. The disruptant (Δppk1) grows normally with aeration of ordinary air (0.04% CO2), consistent with its photosynthesis comparable to the wild type level, which contrasts with a previously reported high-CO2 (5%) requirement for Δppk1 in an alkaline hot spring cyanobacterium, Synechococcus OS-B'. Synechocystis Δppk1 is defective in polyphosphate hyperaccumulation and survival competence at the stationary phase, and also under sulfur-starvation conditions, implying that sulfur limitation is one of the triggers to induce polyphosphate hyperaccumulation in stationary cells. Furthermore, Δppk1 is defective in the enhancement of total phosphorus contents under sulfur-starvation conditions, a phenomenon that is only partially explained by polyphosphate hyperaccumulation. This study therefore demonstrates that in Synechocystis, ppk1 is not essential for low-CO2 acclimation but plays a crucial role in dynamic P-metabolic regulation, including polyP hyperaccumulation, to maintain physiological fitness under sulfur-starvation conditions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Norihiro Sato
- School of Life Sciences, Tokyo University of Pharmacy and Life Sciences, Hachioji, Tokyo, Japan
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5
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Gray MJ. The role of metals in hypothiocyanite resistance in Escherichia coli. BIORXIV : THE PREPRINT SERVER FOR BIOLOGY 2024:2024.03.07.583962. [PMID: 38496647 PMCID: PMC10942458 DOI: 10.1101/2024.03.07.583962] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 03/19/2024]
Abstract
The innate immune system employs a variety of antimicrobial oxidants to control and kill host-associated bacteria. Hypothiocyanite/hypothiocyanous acid (-OSCN/HOSCN) is one such antimicrobial oxidant that is synthesized by lactoperoxidase, myeloperoxidase, and eosinophil peroxidase at sites throughout the human body. HOSCN has potent antibacterial activity while being largely non-toxic towards human cells. The molecular mechanisms by which bacteria sense and defend themselves against HOSCN have only recently begun to be elaborated, notably by the discovery of bacterial HOSCN reductase (RclA), an HOSCN-degrading enzyme widely conserved among bacteria that live on epithelial surfaces. In this paper, I show that Ni2+ sensitizes Escherichia coli to HOSCN by inhibiting glutathione reductase, and that inorganic polyphosphate protects E. coli against this effect, probably by chelating Ni2+ ions. I also found that RclA is very sensitive to inhibition by Cu2+ and Zn2+, metals that are accumulated to high levels by innate immune cells, and that, surprisingly, thioredoxin and thioredoxin reductase are not involved in HOSCN stress resistance in E. coli. These results advance our understanding of the contribution of different oxidative stress response and redox buffering pathways to HOSCN resistance in E. coli and illustrate important interactions between metal ions and the enzymes bacteria use to defend themselves against oxidative stress.
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Affiliation(s)
- Michael J. Gray
- Department of Microbiology, Heersink School of Medicine, University of Alabama at Birmingham, Birmingham, Alabama, USA
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6
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Lu Z, Hu Y, Wang J, Zhang B, Zhang Y, Cui Z, Zhang L, Zhang A. Structure of the exopolyphosphatase (PPX) from Zymomonas mobilis reveals a two-magnesium-ions PPX. Int J Biol Macromol 2024; 262:129796. [PMID: 38311144 DOI: 10.1016/j.ijbiomac.2024.129796] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/14/2023] [Revised: 01/23/2024] [Accepted: 01/25/2024] [Indexed: 02/10/2024]
Abstract
Rapid adaptation of metabolic capabilities is crucial for bacterial survival in habitats with fluctuating nutrient availability. In such conditions, the bacterial stringent response is a central regulatory mechanism activated by nutrient starvation or other stressors. This response is primarily controlled by exopolyphosphatase/guanosine pentaphosphate phosphohydrolase (PPX/GPPA) enzymes. To gain further insight into these enzymes, the high-resolution crystal structure of PPX from Zymomonas mobilis (ZmPPX) was determined at 1.8 Å. The phosphatase activity of PPX was strictly dependent on the presence of divalent metal cations. Notably, the structure of ZmPPX revealed the presence of two magnesium ions in the active site center, which is atypical compared to other PPX structures where only one divalent ion is observed. ZmPPX exists as a dimer in solution and belongs to the "long" PPX group consisting of four domains. Remarkably, the dimer configuration exhibits a substantial and deep aqueduct with positive potential along its interface. This aqueduct appears to extend towards the active site region, suggesting that this positively charged aqueduct could potentially serve as a binding site for polyP.
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Affiliation(s)
- Zuokun Lu
- Food and Pharmacy College, Xuchang University, Xuchang 461000, Henan, China; Key Laboratory of Biomarker-Based Rapid Detection Technology for Food Safety of Henan Province, Xuchang University, Xuchang 461000, Henan, China
| | - Yongsheng Hu
- Food and Pharmacy College, Xuchang University, Xuchang 461000, Henan, China
| | - Jiazhan Wang
- Food and Pharmacy College, Xuchang University, Xuchang 461000, Henan, China
| | - Bingyang Zhang
- Food and Pharmacy College, Xuchang University, Xuchang 461000, Henan, China
| | - Yanyan Zhang
- Food and Pharmacy College, Xuchang University, Xuchang 461000, Henan, China
| | - Zhaohui Cui
- Food and Pharmacy College, Xuchang University, Xuchang 461000, Henan, China; Key Laboratory of Biomarker-Based Rapid Detection Technology for Food Safety of Henan Province, Xuchang University, Xuchang 461000, Henan, China
| | - Liang Zhang
- Food and Pharmacy College, Xuchang University, Xuchang 461000, Henan, China; Key Laboratory of Biomarker-Based Rapid Detection Technology for Food Safety of Henan Province, Xuchang University, Xuchang 461000, Henan, China
| | - Aili Zhang
- Food and Pharmacy College, Xuchang University, Xuchang 461000, Henan, China.
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Shah R, Jankiewicz O, Johnson C, Livingston B, Dahl JU. Pseudomonas aeruginosa kills Staphylococcus aureus in a polyphosphate-dependent manner. BIORXIV : THE PREPRINT SERVER FOR BIOLOGY 2023:2023.12.05.570291. [PMID: 38106195 PMCID: PMC10723280 DOI: 10.1101/2023.12.05.570291] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/19/2023]
Abstract
Due to their frequent coexistence in many polymicrobial infections, including in patients with burn or chronic wounds or cystic fibrosis, recent studies have started to investigate the mechanistic details of the interaction between the opportunistic pathogens Pseudomonas aeruginosa and Staphylococcus aureus. P. aeruginosa rapidly outcompetes S. aureus under in vitro co-cultivation conditions, which is mediated by several of P. aeruginosa's virulence factors. Here, we report that polyphosphate (polyP), an efficient stress defense system and virulence factor in P. aeruginosa, plays a role for the pathogen's ability to inhibit and kill S. aureus in a contact-independent manner. We show that P. aeruginosa cells characterized by low polyP level are less detrimental to S. aureus growth and survival while the gram-positive pathogen is significantly more compromised by the presence of P. aeruginosa cells that produce high level of polyP. We show that the polyP-dependent phenotype could be a direct effect by the biopolymer, as polyP is present in the spent media and causes significant damage to the S. aureus cell envelope. However, more likely is that polyP's effects are indirect through the regulation of one of P. aeruginosa's virulence factors, pyocyanin. We show that pyocyanin production in P. aeruginosa occurs polyP-dependent and harms S. aureus through membrane damage and the generation of reactive oxygen species, resulting in increased expression of antioxidant enzymes. In summary, our study adds a new component to the list of biomolecules that the gram-negative pathogen P. aeruginosa generates to compete with S. aureus for resources.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ritika Shah
- School of Biological Sciences, Illinois State University, Microbiology, Normal, IL, USA
| | - Olivia Jankiewicz
- School of Biological Sciences, Illinois State University, Microbiology, Normal, IL, USA
| | - Colton Johnson
- School of Biological Sciences, Illinois State University, Microbiology, Normal, IL, USA
| | - Barry Livingston
- School of Biological Sciences, Illinois State University, Microbiology, Normal, IL, USA
| | - Jan-Ulrik Dahl
- School of Biological Sciences, Illinois State University, Microbiology, Normal, IL, USA
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8
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Rahman RJ, Rijal R, Jing S, Chen TA, Ismail I, Gomer RH. Polyphosphate uses mTOR, pyrophosphate, and Rho GTPase components to potentiate bacterial survival in Dictyostelium. mBio 2023; 14:e0193923. [PMID: 37754562 PMCID: PMC10653871 DOI: 10.1128/mbio.01939-23] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/25/2023] [Accepted: 07/31/2023] [Indexed: 09/28/2023] Open
Abstract
IMPORTANCE Although most bacteria are quickly killed after phagocytosis by a eukaryotic cell, some pathogenic bacteria escape death after phagocytosis. Pathogenic Mycobacterium species secrete polyP, and the polyP is necessary for the bacteria to prevent their killing after phagocytosis. Conversely, exogenous polyP prevents the killing of ingested bacteria that are normally killed after phagocytosis by human macrophages and the eukaryotic microbe Dictyostelium discoideum. This suggests the possibility that in these cells, a signal transduction pathway is used to sense polyP and prevent killing of ingested bacteria. In this report, we identify key components of the polyP signal transduction pathway in D. discoideum. In cells lacking these components, polyP is unable to inhibit killing of ingested bacteria. The pathway components have orthologs in human cells, and an exciting possibility is that pharmacologically blocking this pathway in human macrophages would cause them to kill ingested pathogens such as Mycobacterium tuberculosis.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ryan J. Rahman
- Department of Biology, Texas A&M University, College Station, Texas, USA
| | - Ramesh Rijal
- Department of Biology, Texas A&M University, College Station, Texas, USA
| | - Shiyu Jing
- Department of Biology, Texas A&M University, College Station, Texas, USA
| | - Te-An Chen
- Department of Biology, Texas A&M University, College Station, Texas, USA
| | - Issam Ismail
- Department of Biology, Texas A&M University, College Station, Texas, USA
| | - Richard H. Gomer
- Department of Biology, Texas A&M University, College Station, Texas, USA
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9
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Rijal R, Ismail I, Jing S, Gomer RH. Starvation Induces Extracellular Accumulation of Polyphosphate in Dictyostelium discoideum to Inhibit Macropinocytosis, Phagocytosis, and Exocytosis. Int J Mol Sci 2023; 24:5923. [PMID: 36982997 PMCID: PMC10056890 DOI: 10.3390/ijms24065923] [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: 02/16/2023] [Revised: 03/10/2023] [Accepted: 03/16/2023] [Indexed: 03/30/2023] Open
Abstract
Dictyostelium discoideum is a soil-dwelling unicellular eukaryote that accumulates extracellular polyphosphate (polyP). At high cell densities, when the cells are about to overgrow their food supply and starve, the corresponding high extracellular concentrations of polyP allow the cells to preemptively anticipate starvation, inhibit proliferation, and prime themselves to begin development. In this report, we show that starved D. discoideum cells accumulate cell surface and extracellular polyP. Starvation reduces macropinocytosis, exocytosis, and phagocytosis, and we find that these effects require the G protein-coupled polyP receptor (GrlD) and two enzymes, Polyphosphate kinase 1 (Ppk1), which is required for synthesizing intracellular polyP, cell surface polyP, and some of the extracellular polyP, and Inositol hexakisphosphate kinase (I6kA), which is required for cell surface polyP and polyP binding to cells, and some of the extracellular polyP. PolyP reduces membrane fluidity, and we find that starvation reduces membrane fluidity; this effect requires GrlD and Ppk1, but not I6kA. Together, these data suggest that in starved cells, extracellular polyP decreases membrane fluidity, possibly as a protective measure. In the starved cells, sensing polyP appears to decrease energy expenditure from ingestion, and decrease exocytosis, and to both decrease energy expenditures and retain nutrients.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ramesh Rijal
- Department of Biology, Texas A&M University, College Station, TX 77843-3474, USA
| | | | | | - Richard H. Gomer
- Department of Biology, Texas A&M University, College Station, TX 77843-3474, USA
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10
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Rijal R, Ismail I, Jing S, Gomer RH. Starvation induces extracellular accumulation of polyphosphate in Dictyostelium discoideum to inhibit macropinocytosis, phagocytosis, and exocytosis. BIORXIV : THE PREPRINT SERVER FOR BIOLOGY 2023:2023.02.16.528874. [PMID: 36824815 PMCID: PMC9949037 DOI: 10.1101/2023.02.16.528874] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/19/2023]
Abstract
Dictyostelium discoideum is a soil-dwelling unicellular eukaryote that accumulates extracellular polyphosphate (polyP). At high cell densities, when the cells are about to overgrow their food supply and starve, the corresponding high extracellular concentrations of polyP allow the cells to preemptively anticipate starvation, inhibit proliferation, and prime themselves to begin development. In this report, we show that starved D. discoideum cells accumulate cell surface and extracellular polyP. Starvation reduces macropinocytosis, exocytosis, and phagocytosis, and we find that these effects require the G protein-coupled polyP receptor (GrlD) and two enzymes, Polyphosphate kinase 1 (Ppk1), which is required for synthesizing intracellular polyP, cell surface polyP, and some of the extracellular polyP, and Inositol hexakisphosphate kinase (I6kA), which is required for cell surface polyP and polyP binding to cells, and some of the extracellular polyP. PolyP reduces membrane fluidity, and we find that starvation reduces membrane fluidity, and this effect requires GrlD and Ppk1 but not I6kA. Together, these data suggest that in starved cells, extracellular polyP decreases membrane fluidity, possibly as a protective measure. In the starved cells, sensing polyP appears to decrease energy expenditure from ingestion, and decrease exocytosis, to both decrease energy expenditures and retain nutrients.
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11
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Muñoz-Villagrán C, Grossolli-Gálvez J, Acevedo-Arbunic J, Valenzuela X, Ferrer A, Díez B, Levicán G. Characterization and genomic analysis of two novel psychrotolerant Acidithiobacillus ferrooxidans strains from polar and subpolar environments. Front Microbiol 2022; 13:960324. [PMID: 36090071 PMCID: PMC9449456 DOI: 10.3389/fmicb.2022.960324] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/02/2022] [Accepted: 08/01/2022] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
The bioleaching process is carried out by aerobic acidophilic iron-oxidizing bacteria that are mainly mesophilic or moderately thermophilic. However, many mining sites are located in areas where the mean temperature is lower than the optimal growth temperature of these microorganisms. In this work, we report the obtaining and characterization of two psychrotolerant bioleaching bacterial strains from low-temperature sites that included an abandoned mine site in Chilean Patagonia (PG05) and an acid rock drainage in Marian Cove, King George Island in Antarctic (MC2.2). The PG05 and MC2.2 strains showed significant iron-oxidation activity and grew optimally at 20°C. Genome sequence analyses showed chromosomes of 2.76 and 2.84 Mbp for PG05 and MC2.2, respectively, and an average nucleotide identity estimation indicated that both strains clustered with the acidophilic iron-oxidizing bacterium Acidithiobacillus ferrooxidans. The Patagonian PG05 strain had a high content of genes coding for tolerance to metals such as lead, zinc, and copper. Concordantly, electron microscopy revealed the intracellular presence of polyphosphate-like granules, likely involved in tolerance to metals and other stress conditions. The Antarctic MC2.2 strain showed a high dosage of genes for mercury resistance and low temperature adaptation. This report of cold-adapted cultures of the At. ferrooxidans species opens novel perspectives to satisfy the current challenges of the metal bioleaching industry.
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Affiliation(s)
- Claudia Muñoz-Villagrán
- Departamento de Biología, Facultad de Química y Biología, Universidad de Santiago de Chile (USACH), Santiago, Chile
| | - Jonnathan Grossolli-Gálvez
- Departamento de Biología, Facultad de Química y Biología, Universidad de Santiago de Chile (USACH), Santiago, Chile
| | - Javiera Acevedo-Arbunic
- Departamento de Biología, Facultad de Química y Biología, Universidad de Santiago de Chile (USACH), Santiago, Chile
| | - Ximena Valenzuela
- Programa de Biorremediación, Campus Patagonia, Universidad Austral de Chile, Valdivia, Chile
| | - Alonso Ferrer
- Núcleo de Química y Bioquímica, Facultad de Ciencias, Ingeniería y Tecnología, Universidad Mayor, Santiago, Chile
| | - Beatriz Díez
- Departamento de Genética Molecular y Microbiología, Pontificia Universidad Católica de Chile, Santiago, Chile
- Center for Climate and Resilience Research (CR)2, Santiago, Chile
- Center for Genome Regulation (CRG), Santiago, Chile
| | - Gloria Levicán
- Departamento de Biología, Facultad de Química y Biología, Universidad de Santiago de Chile (USACH), Santiago, Chile
- *Correspondence: Gloria Levicán,
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Lu B, Qian J, He F, Wang P, He Y, Tang S, Tian X. Effects of long-term perfluorooctane sulfonate (PFOS) exposure on activated sludge performance, composition, and its microbial community. ENVIRONMENTAL POLLUTION (BARKING, ESSEX : 1987) 2022; 295:118684. [PMID: 34921944 DOI: 10.1016/j.envpol.2021.118684] [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: 09/11/2021] [Revised: 12/07/2021] [Accepted: 12/12/2021] [Indexed: 06/14/2023]
Abstract
The widespread presence and persistence of perfluorooctane sulfonate (PFOS) in wastewater treatment plants, as well as its toxicity and bioaccumulation potential, necessitates the investigation on their impact on bioreactor performance. A 48-day exposure test was adopted to study the effects of low (10 μg L-1) and high (1000 μg L-1) PFOS concentrations in a sequencing batch reactor on the performance, composition, and microbial community of activated sludge. The results suggested that adding PFOS at low and high concentrations lowered the removal efficiency of total nitrogen by 22.48% (p < 0.01) and 16.30% (p < 0.01) respectively, while enhanced that of total phosphorus by 1.87% (p > 0.05) and 7.07% (p < 0.05) respectively, compared with the control group. The addition of PFOS also led to the deterioration of activated sludge dewatering performance. Composition and spectroscopic measurements revealed that the PFOS dosage changed the composition of the activated sludge. Furthermore, the PFOS altered the structure and function of the activated sludge microbial community as well as key enzyme activities.
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Affiliation(s)
- Bianhe Lu
- Key Laboratory of Integrated Regulation and Resource Development on Shallow Lakes, Ministry of Education, Hohai University, Nanjing, 210098, People's Republic of China; College of Environment, Hohai University, Nanjing, 210098, People's Republic of China
| | - Jin Qian
- Key Laboratory of Integrated Regulation and Resource Development on Shallow Lakes, Ministry of Education, Hohai University, Nanjing, 210098, People's Republic of China; College of Environment, Hohai University, Nanjing, 210098, People's Republic of China.
| | - Fei He
- Nanjing Institute of Environmental Sciences, Ministry of Ecology and Environment of the People's Republic of China, No.8 Jiangwangmiao Street, Nanjing, 210042, China
| | - Peifang Wang
- Key Laboratory of Integrated Regulation and Resource Development on Shallow Lakes, Ministry of Education, Hohai University, Nanjing, 210098, People's Republic of China; College of Environment, Hohai University, Nanjing, 210098, People's Republic of China
| | - Yuxuan He
- Key Laboratory of Integrated Regulation and Resource Development on Shallow Lakes, Ministry of Education, Hohai University, Nanjing, 210098, People's Republic of China; College of Environment, Hohai University, Nanjing, 210098, People's Republic of China
| | - Sijing Tang
- Key Laboratory of Integrated Regulation and Resource Development on Shallow Lakes, Ministry of Education, Hohai University, Nanjing, 210098, People's Republic of China; College of Environment, Hohai University, Nanjing, 210098, People's Republic of China
| | - Xin Tian
- Key Laboratory of Integrated Regulation and Resource Development on Shallow Lakes, Ministry of Education, Hohai University, Nanjing, 210098, People's Republic of China; College of Environment, Hohai University, Nanjing, 210098, People's Republic of China
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Masoura M, Milner MT, Overton TW, Gkatzionis K, Lund PA. Use of Transposon Directed Insertion-Site Sequencing to Probe the Antibacterial Mechanism of a Model Honey on E. coli K-12. Front Microbiol 2022; 12:803307. [PMID: 35111142 PMCID: PMC8803141 DOI: 10.3389/fmicb.2021.803307] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/27/2021] [Accepted: 11/19/2021] [Indexed: 12/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Antimicrobial resistance is an ever-growing health concern worldwide that has created renewed interest in the use of traditional anti-microbial treatments, including honey. However, understanding the underlying mechanism of the anti-microbial action of honey has been hampered due to the complexity of its composition. High throughput genetic tools could assist in understanding this mechanism. In this study, the anti-bacterial mechanism of a model honey, made of sugars, hydrogen peroxide, and gluconic acid, was investigated using genome-wide transposon mutagenesis combined with high-throughput sequencing (TraDIS), with the strain Escherichia coli K-12 MG1655 as the target organism. We identified a number of genes which when mutated caused a severe loss of fitness when cells were exposed to the model honey. These genes encode membrane proteins including those involved in uptake of essential molecules, and components of the electron transport chain. They are enriched for pathways involved in intracellular homeostasis and redox activity. Genes involved in assembly and activity of formate dehydrogenase O (FDH-O) were of particular note. The phenotypes of mutants in a subset of the genes identified were confirmed by phenotypic screening of deletion strains. We also found some genes which when mutated led to enhanced resistance to treatment with the model honey. This study identifies potential synergies between the main honey stressors and provides insights into the global antibacterial mechanism of this natural product.
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Affiliation(s)
- Maria Masoura
- School of Chemical Engineering, University of Birmingham, Birmingham, United Kingdom
- Institute of Microbiology and Infection (IMI), University of Birmingham, Birmingham, United Kingdom
| | - Mathew T. Milner
- Institute of Microbiology and Infection (IMI), University of Birmingham, Birmingham, United Kingdom
| | - Tim W. Overton
- School of Chemical Engineering, University of Birmingham, Birmingham, United Kingdom
| | - Konstantinos Gkatzionis
- School of Chemical Engineering, University of Birmingham, Birmingham, United Kingdom
- Department of Food Science and Nutrition, School of the Environment, University of the Aegean, Lemnos, Greece
| | - Peter A. Lund
- Institute of Microbiology and Infection (IMI), University of Birmingham, Birmingham, United Kingdom
- *Correspondence: Peter A. Lund,
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Neville N, Roberge N, Jia Z. Polyphosphate Kinase 2 (PPK2) Enzymes: Structure, Function, and Roles in Bacterial Physiology and Virulence. Int J Mol Sci 2022; 23:ijms23020670. [PMID: 35054854 PMCID: PMC8776046 DOI: 10.3390/ijms23020670] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/05/2021] [Revised: 01/06/2022] [Accepted: 01/07/2022] [Indexed: 01/27/2023] Open
Abstract
Inorganic polyphosphate (polyP) has been implicated in an astonishing array of biological functions, ranging from phosphorus storage to molecular chaperone activity to bacterial virulence. In bacteria, polyP is synthesized by polyphosphate kinase (PPK) enzymes, which are broadly subdivided into two families: PPK1 and PPK2. While both enzyme families are capable of catalyzing polyP synthesis, PPK1s preferentially synthesize polyP from nucleoside triphosphates, and PPK2s preferentially consume polyP to phosphorylate nucleoside mono- or diphosphates. Importantly, many pathogenic bacteria such as Pseudomonas aeruginosa and Acinetobacter baumannii encode at least one of each PPK1 and PPK2, suggesting these enzymes may be attractive targets for antibacterial drugs. Although the majority of bacterial polyP studies to date have focused on PPK1s, PPK2 enzymes have also begun to emerge as important regulators of bacterial physiology and downstream virulence. In this review, we specifically examine the contributions of PPK2s to bacterial polyP homeostasis. Beginning with a survey of the structures and functions of biochemically characterized PPK2s, we summarize the roles of PPK2s in the bacterial cell, with a particular emphasis on virulence phenotypes. Furthermore, we outline recent progress on developing drugs that inhibit PPK2 enzymes and discuss this strategy as a novel means of combatting bacterial infections.
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15
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An Autocrine Negative Feedback Loop Inhibits Dictyostelium discoideum Proliferation through Pathways Including IP3/Ca 2. mBio 2021; 12:e0134721. [PMID: 34154396 PMCID: PMC8262924 DOI: 10.1128/mbio.01347-21] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/20/2022] Open
Abstract
Little is known about how eukaryotic cells can sense their number or spatial density and stop proliferating when the local density reaches a set value. We previously found that Dictyostelium discoideum accumulates extracellular polyphosphate to inhibit its proliferation, and this requires the G protein-coupled receptor GrlD and the small GTPase RasC. Here, we show that cells lacking the G protein component Gβ, the Ras guanine nucleotide exchange factor GefA, phosphatase and tensin homolog (PTEN), phospholipase C (PLC), inositol 1,4,5-trisphosphate (IP3) receptor-like protein A (IplA), polyphosphate kinase 1 (Ppk1), or the TOR complex 2 component PiaA have significantly reduced sensitivity to polyphosphate-induced proliferation inhibition. Polyphosphate upregulates IP3, and this requires GrlD, GefA, PTEN, PLC, and PiaA. Polyphosphate also upregulates cytosolic Ca2+, and this requires GrlD, Gβ, GefA, RasC, PLC, IplA, Ppk1, and PiaA. Together, these data suggest that polyphosphate uses signal transduction pathways including IP3/Ca2+ to inhibit the proliferation of D. discoideum. IMPORTANCE Many mammalian tissues such as the liver have the remarkable ability to regulate their size and have their cells stop proliferating when the tissue reaches the correct size. One possible mechanism involves the cells secreting a signal that they all sense, and a high level of the signal tells the cells that there are enough of them and to stop proliferating. Although regulating such mechanisms could be useful to regulate tissue size to control cancer or birth defects, little is known about such systems. Here, we use a microbial system to study such a mechanism, and we find that key elements of the mechanism have similarities to human proteins. This then suggests the possibility that we may eventually be able to regulate the proliferation of selected cell types in humans and animals.
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Shikura N, Darbon E, Esnault C, Deniset-Besseau A, Xu D, Lejeune C, Jacquet E, Nhiri N, Sago L, Cornu D, Werten S, Martel C, Virolle MJ. The Phosin PptA Plays a Negative Role in the Regulation of Antibiotic Production in Streptomyces lividans. Antibiotics (Basel) 2021; 10:325. [PMID: 33804592 PMCID: PMC8003754 DOI: 10.3390/antibiotics10030325] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/01/2021] [Revised: 03/16/2021] [Accepted: 03/17/2021] [Indexed: 12/30/2022] Open
Abstract
In Streptomyces, antibiotic biosynthesis is triggered in phosphate limitation that is usually correlated with energetic stress. Polyphosphates constitute an important reservoir of phosphate and energy and a better understanding of their role in the regulation of antibiotic biosynthesis is of crucial importance. We previously characterized a gene, SLI_4384/ppk, encoding a polyphosphate kinase, whose disruption greatly enhanced the weak antibiotic production of Streptomyces lividans. In the condition of energetic stress, Ppk utilizes polyP as phosphate and energy donor, to generate ATP from ADP. In this paper, we established that ppk is co-transcribed with its two downstream genes, SLI_4383, encoding a phosin called PptA possessing a CHAD domain constituting a polyphosphate binding module and SLI_4382 encoding a nudix hydrolase. The expression of the ppk/pptA/SLI_4382 operon was shown to be under the positive control of the two-component system PhoR/PhoP and thus mainly expressed in condition of phosphate limitation. However, pptA and SLI_4382 can also be transcribed alone from their own promoter. The deletion of pptA resulted into earlier and stronger actinorhodin production and lower lipid content than the disruption of ppk, whereas the deletion of SLI_4382 had no obvious phenotypical consequences. The disruption of ppk was shown to have a polar effect on the expression of pptA, suggesting that the phenotype of the ppk mutant might be linked, at least in part, to the weak expression of pptA in this strain. Interestingly, the expression of phoR/phoP and that of the genes of the pho regulon involved in phosphate supply or saving were strongly up-regulated in pptA and ppk mutants, revealing that both mutants suffer from phosphate stress. Considering the presence of a polyphosphate binding module in PptA, but absence of similarities between PptA and known exo-polyphosphatases, we proposed that PptA constitutes an accessory factor for exopolyphosphatases or general phosphatases involved in the degradation of polyphosphates into phosphate.
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Affiliation(s)
- Noriyasu Shikura
- Institute for Integrative Biology of the Cell (I2BC), Université Paris-Saclay, CEA, CNRS, 91198 Gif-sur-Yvette, France; (N.S.); (E.D.); (C.E.); (D.X.); (C.L.); (L.S.); (D.C.); (C.M.)
| | - Emmanuelle Darbon
- Institute for Integrative Biology of the Cell (I2BC), Université Paris-Saclay, CEA, CNRS, 91198 Gif-sur-Yvette, France; (N.S.); (E.D.); (C.E.); (D.X.); (C.L.); (L.S.); (D.C.); (C.M.)
| | - Catherine Esnault
- Institute for Integrative Biology of the Cell (I2BC), Université Paris-Saclay, CEA, CNRS, 91198 Gif-sur-Yvette, France; (N.S.); (E.D.); (C.E.); (D.X.); (C.L.); (L.S.); (D.C.); (C.M.)
| | - Ariane Deniset-Besseau
- Laboratoire de Chimie Physique (LCP), CNRS UMR 8000, Université Paris-Saclay, 91405 Orsay, France;
| | - Delin Xu
- Institute for Integrative Biology of the Cell (I2BC), Université Paris-Saclay, CEA, CNRS, 91198 Gif-sur-Yvette, France; (N.S.); (E.D.); (C.E.); (D.X.); (C.L.); (L.S.); (D.C.); (C.M.)
- Department of Ecology, Institute of Hydrobiology, School of Life Science and Technology, Key Laboratory of Eutrophication and Red Tide Prevention of Guangdong Higher Education Institutes, Engineering Research Center of Tropical and Subtropical Aquatic Ecological Engineering, Ministry of Education, Jinan University, Guangzhou 510632, China
| | - Clara Lejeune
- Institute for Integrative Biology of the Cell (I2BC), Université Paris-Saclay, CEA, CNRS, 91198 Gif-sur-Yvette, France; (N.S.); (E.D.); (C.E.); (D.X.); (C.L.); (L.S.); (D.C.); (C.M.)
| | - Eric Jacquet
- Institut de Chimie des Substances Naturelles, CNRS, Université Paris Saclay, 91190 Gif-sur-Yvette, France; (E.J.); (N.N.)
| | - Naima Nhiri
- Institut de Chimie des Substances Naturelles, CNRS, Université Paris Saclay, 91190 Gif-sur-Yvette, France; (E.J.); (N.N.)
| | - Laila Sago
- Institute for Integrative Biology of the Cell (I2BC), Université Paris-Saclay, CEA, CNRS, 91198 Gif-sur-Yvette, France; (N.S.); (E.D.); (C.E.); (D.X.); (C.L.); (L.S.); (D.C.); (C.M.)
| | - David Cornu
- Institute for Integrative Biology of the Cell (I2BC), Université Paris-Saclay, CEA, CNRS, 91198 Gif-sur-Yvette, France; (N.S.); (E.D.); (C.E.); (D.X.); (C.L.); (L.S.); (D.C.); (C.M.)
| | - Sebastiaan Werten
- Institute of Biological Chemistry, Biocenter, Medical University of Innsbruck, Innrain 80, 6020 Innsbruck, Austria;
| | - Cécile Martel
- Institute for Integrative Biology of the Cell (I2BC), Université Paris-Saclay, CEA, CNRS, 91198 Gif-sur-Yvette, France; (N.S.); (E.D.); (C.E.); (D.X.); (C.L.); (L.S.); (D.C.); (C.M.)
| | - Marie-Joelle Virolle
- Institute for Integrative Biology of the Cell (I2BC), Université Paris-Saclay, CEA, CNRS, 91198 Gif-sur-Yvette, France; (N.S.); (E.D.); (C.E.); (D.X.); (C.L.); (L.S.); (D.C.); (C.M.)
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17
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Did Cyclic Metaphosphates Have a Role in the Origin of Life? ORIGINS LIFE EVOL B 2021; 51:1-60. [PMID: 33721178 DOI: 10.1007/s11084-021-09604-5] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/16/2020] [Accepted: 01/29/2021] [Indexed: 12/13/2022]
Abstract
How life began still eludes science life, the initial progenote in the context presented herein, being a chemical aggregate of primordial inorganic and organic molecules capable of self-replication and evolution into ever increasingly complex forms and functions.Presented is a hypothesis that a mineral scaffold generated by geological processes and containing polymerized phosphate units was present in primordial seas that provided the initiating factor responsible for the sequestration and organization of primordial life's constituents. Unlike previous hypotheses proposing phosphates as the essential initiating factor, the key phosphate described here is not a polynucleotide or just any condensed phosphate but a large (in the range of at least 1 kilo-phosphate subunits), water soluble, cyclic metaphosphate, which is a closed loop chain of polymerized inorganic phosphate residues containing only phosphate middle groups. The chain forms an intrinsic 4-phosphate helix analogous to its structure in Na Kurrol's salt, and as with DNA, very large metaphosphates may fold into hairpin structures. Using a Holliday-junction-like scrambling mechanism, also analogous to DNA, rings may be manipulated (increased, decreased, exchanged) easily with little to no need for additional energy, the reaction being essentially an isomerization.A literature review is presented describing findings that support the above hypothesis. Reviewed is condensed phosphate inorganic chemistry including its geological origins, biological occurrence, enzymes and their genetics through eukaryotes, polyphosphate functions, circular polynucleotides and the role of the Holliday junction, previous biogenesis hypotheses, and an Eoarchean Era timeline.
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18
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Denoncourt A, Downey M. Model systems for studying polyphosphate biology: a focus on microorganisms. Curr Genet 2021; 67:331-346. [PMID: 33420907 DOI: 10.1007/s00294-020-01148-x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/24/2020] [Revised: 12/08/2020] [Accepted: 12/14/2020] [Indexed: 12/19/2022]
Abstract
Polyphosphates (polyP) are polymers of inorganic phosphates joined by high-energy bonds to form long chains. These chains are present in all forms of life but were once disregarded as 'molecular fossils'. PolyP has gained attention in recent years following new links to diverse biological roles ranging from energy storage to cell signaling. PolyP research in humans and other higher eukaryotes is limited by a lack of suitable tools and awaits the identification of enzymatic players that would enable more comprehensive studies. Therefore, many of the most important insights have come from single-cell model systems. Here, we review determinants of polyP metabolism, regulation, and function in major microbial systems, including bacteria, fungi, protozoa, and algae. We highlight key similarities and differences that may aid in our understanding of how polyP impacts cell physiology at a molecular level.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alix Denoncourt
- Department of Cellular and Molecular Medicine, University of Ottawa, Ottawa, K1H 8M5, Canada.,Ottawa Institute of Systems Biology, Ottawa, K1H 8M5, Canada
| | - Michael Downey
- Department of Cellular and Molecular Medicine, University of Ottawa, Ottawa, K1H 8M5, Canada. .,Ottawa Institute of Systems Biology, Ottawa, K1H 8M5, Canada.
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19
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Ropelewska M, Gross MH, Konieczny I. DNA and Polyphosphate in Directed Proteolysis for DNA Replication Control. Front Microbiol 2020; 11:585717. [PMID: 33123115 PMCID: PMC7566177 DOI: 10.3389/fmicb.2020.585717] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/21/2020] [Accepted: 09/10/2020] [Indexed: 12/03/2022] Open
Abstract
The strict control of bacterial cell proliferation by proteolysis is vital to coordinate cell cycle processes and to adapt to environmental changes. ATP-dependent proteases of the AAA + family are molecular machineries that contribute to cellular proteostasis. Their activity is important to control the level of various proteins, including those that are essential for the regulation of DNA replication. Since the process of proteolysis is irreversible, the protease activity must be tightly regulated and directed toward a specific substrate at the exact time and space in a cell. In our mini review, we discuss the impact of phosphate-containing molecules like DNA and inorganic polyphosphate (PolyP), accumulated during stress, on protease activities. We describe how the directed proteolysis of essential replication proteins contributes to the regulation of DNA replication under normal and stress conditions in bacteria.
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Affiliation(s)
- Malgorzata Ropelewska
- Laboratory of Molecular Biology, Intercollegiate Faculty of Biotechnology of University of Gdańsk and Medical University of Gdańsk, Gdańsk, Poland
| | - Marta H Gross
- Laboratory of Molecular Biology, Intercollegiate Faculty of Biotechnology of University of Gdańsk and Medical University of Gdańsk, Gdańsk, Poland
| | - Igor Konieczny
- Laboratory of Molecular Biology, Intercollegiate Faculty of Biotechnology of University of Gdańsk and Medical University of Gdańsk, Gdańsk, Poland
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20
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Interactions between DksA and Stress-Responsive Alternative Sigma Factors Control Inorganic Polyphosphate Accumulation in Escherichia coli. J Bacteriol 2020; 202:JB.00133-20. [PMID: 32341074 DOI: 10.1128/jb.00133-20] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/11/2020] [Accepted: 04/21/2020] [Indexed: 01/24/2023] Open
Abstract
Bacteria synthesize inorganic polyphosphate (polyP) in response to a variety of different stress conditions. polyP protects bacteria by acting as a protein-stabilizing chaperone, metal chelator, or regulator of protein function, among other mechanisms. However, little is known about how stress signals are transmitted in the cell to lead to increased polyP accumulation. Previous work in the model enterobacterium Escherichia coli has indicated that the RNA polymerase-binding regulatory protein DksA is required for polyP synthesis in response to nutrient limitation stress. In this work, I set out to characterize the role of DksA in polyP regulation in more detail. I found that overexpression of DksA increases cellular polyP content (explaining the long-mysterious phenotype of dksA overexpression rescuing growth of a dnaK mutant at high temperatures) and characterized the roles of known functional residues of DksA in this process, finding that binding to RNA polymerase is required but that none of the other functions of DksA appear to be necessary. Transcriptomics revealed genome-wide transcriptional changes upon nutrient limitation, many of which were affected by DksA, and follow-up experiments identified complex interactions between DksA and the stress-sensing alternative sigma factors FliA, RpoN, and RpoE that impact polyP production, indicating that regulation of polyP synthesis is deeply entwined in the multifactorial stress response network of E. coli IMPORTANCE Inorganic polyphosphate (polyP) is an evolutionarily ancient, widely conserved biopolymer required for stress resistance and pathogenesis in diverse bacteria, but we do not understand how its synthesis is regulated. In this work, I gained new insights into this process by characterizing the role of the transcriptional regulator DksA in polyP regulation in Escherichia coli and identifying previously unknown links between polyP synthesis and the stress-responsive alternative sigma factors FliA, RpoN, and RpoE.
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21
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Abstract
Neutrophils kill invading microbes and therefore represent the first line of defense of the innate immune response. Activated neutrophils assemble NADPH oxidase to convert substantial amounts of molecular oxygen into superoxide, which, after dismutation into peroxide, serves as the substrate for the generation of the potent antimicrobial hypochlorous acid (HOCl) in the phagosomal space. In this minireview, we explore the most recent insights into physiological consequences of HOCl stress. Not surprisingly, Gram-negative bacteria have evolved diverse posttranslational defense mechanisms to protect their proteins, the main targets of HOCl, from HOCl-mediated damage. We discuss the idea that oxidation of conserved cysteine residues and partial unfolding of its structure convert the heat shock protein Hsp33 into a highly active chaperone holdase that binds unfolded proteins and prevents their aggregation. We examine two novel members of the Escherichia coli chaperone holdase family, RidA and CnoX, whose thiol-independent activation mechanism differs from that of Hsp33 and requires N-chlorination of positively charged amino acids during HOCl exposure. Furthermore, we summarize the latest findings with respect to another bacterial defense strategy employed in response to HOCl stress, which involves the accumulation of the universally conserved biopolymer inorganic polyphosphate. We then discuss sophisticated adaptive strategies that bacteria have developed to enhance their survival during HOCl stress. Understanding bacterial defense and survival strategies against one of the most powerful neutrophilic oxidants may provide novel insights into treatment options that potentially compromise the ability of pathogens to resist HOCl stress and therefore may increase the efficacy of the innate immune response.
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22
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Paula FS, Chin JP, Schnürer A, Müller B, Manesiotis P, Waters N, Macintosh KA, Quinn JP, Connolly J, Abram F, McGrath JW, O'Flaherty V. The potential for polyphosphate metabolism in Archaea and anaerobic polyphosphate formation in Methanosarcina mazei. Sci Rep 2019; 9:17101. [PMID: 31745137 PMCID: PMC6864096 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-019-53168-4] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/11/2019] [Accepted: 10/24/2019] [Indexed: 12/12/2022] Open
Abstract
Inorganic polyphosphate (polyP) is ubiquitous across all forms of life, but the study of its metabolism has been mainly confined to bacteria and yeasts. Few reports detail the presence and accumulation of polyP in Archaea, and little information is available on its functions and regulation. Here, we report that homologs of bacterial polyP metabolism proteins are present across the major taxa in the Archaea, suggesting that archaeal populations may have a greater contribution to global phosphorus cycling than has previously been recognised. We also demonstrate that polyP accumulation can be induced under strictly anaerobic conditions, in response to changes in phosphate (Pi) availability, i.e. Pi starvation, followed by incubation in Pi replete media (overplus), in cells of the methanogenic archaeon Methanosarcina mazei. Pi-starved M. mazei cells increased transcript abundance of the alkaline phosphatase (phoA) gene and of the high-affinity phosphate transport (pstSCAB-phoU) operon: no increase in polyphosphate kinase 1 (ppk1) transcript abundance was observed. Subsequent incubation of Pi-starved M. mazei cells under Pi replete conditions, led to a 237% increase in intracellular polyphosphate content and a > 5.7-fold increase in ppk1 gene transcripts. Ppk1 expression in M. mazei thus appears not to be under classical phosphate starvation control.
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Affiliation(s)
- Fabiana S Paula
- Microbiology, School of Natural Sciences and Ryan Institute, National University of Ireland Galway, Galway, Republic of Ireland.
- Department of Molecular Sciences, Biocenter, Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences, Uppsala, Sweden.
| | - Jason P Chin
- School of Biological Sciences and the Institute for Global Food Security, The Queen's University of Belfast, Belfast, UK
| | - Anna Schnürer
- Department of Molecular Sciences, Biocenter, Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences, Uppsala, Sweden
| | - Bettina Müller
- Department of Molecular Sciences, Biocenter, Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences, Uppsala, Sweden
| | - Panagiotis Manesiotis
- School of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, The Queen's University of Belfast, Belfast, UK
| | - Nicholas Waters
- Microbiology, School of Natural Sciences and Ryan Institute, National University of Ireland Galway, Galway, Republic of Ireland
- Information and Computational Sciences, James Hutton Institute, Dundee, UK
| | - Katrina A Macintosh
- School of Biological Sciences and the Institute for Global Food Security, The Queen's University of Belfast, Belfast, UK
| | - John P Quinn
- School of Biological Sciences and the Institute for Global Food Security, The Queen's University of Belfast, Belfast, UK
| | - Jasmine Connolly
- Microbiology, School of Natural Sciences and Ryan Institute, National University of Ireland Galway, Galway, Republic of Ireland
| | - Florence Abram
- Microbiology, School of Natural Sciences and Ryan Institute, National University of Ireland Galway, Galway, Republic of Ireland
| | - John W McGrath
- School of Biological Sciences and the Institute for Global Food Security, The Queen's University of Belfast, Belfast, UK
| | - Vincent O'Flaherty
- Microbiology, School of Natural Sciences and Ryan Institute, National University of Ireland Galway, Galway, Republic of Ireland.
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23
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Inorganic Polyphosphate Accumulation in Escherichia coli Is Regulated by DksA but Not by (p)ppGpp. J Bacteriol 2019; 201:JB.00664-18. [PMID: 30745375 DOI: 10.1128/jb.00664-18] [Citation(s) in RCA: 32] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/26/2018] [Accepted: 02/07/2019] [Indexed: 12/25/2022] Open
Abstract
Production of inorganic polyphosphate (polyP) by bacteria is triggered by a variety of different stress conditions. polyP is required for stress survival and virulence in diverse pathogenic microbes. Previous studies have hypothesized a model for regulation of polyP synthesis in which production of the stringent-response second messenger (p)ppGpp directly stimulates polyP accumulation. In this work, I have now shown that this model is incorrect, and (p)ppGpp is not required for polyP synthesis in Escherichia coli However, stringent mutations of RNA polymerase that frequently arise spontaneously in strains defective in (p)ppGpp synthesis and null mutations of the stringent-response-associated transcription factor DksA both strongly inhibit polyP accumulation. The loss of polyP synthesis in a mutant lacking DksA was reversed by deletion of the transcription elongation factor GreA, suggesting that competition between these proteins for binding to the secondary channel of RNA polymerase plays an important role in controlling polyP activation. These results provide new insights into the poorly understood regulation of polyP synthesis in bacteria and indicate that the relationship between polyP and the stringent response is more complex than previously suspected.IMPORTANCE Production of polyP in bacteria is required for virulence and stress response, but little is known about how bacteria regulate polyP levels in response to changes in their environments. Understanding this regulation is important for understanding how pathogenic microbes resist killing by disinfectants, antibiotics, and the immune system. In this work, I have clarified the connections between polyP regulation and the stringent response to starvation stress in Escherichia coli and demonstrated an important and previously unknown role for the transcription factor DksA in controlling polyP levels.
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24
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Abstract
Polyphosphate (polyP) consists of a linear arrangement of inorganic phosphates and defies its structural simplicity with an astounding number of different activities in the cell. Already well known for its ability to partake in phosphate, calcium, and energy metabolism, polyP recently gained a new functional dimension with the discovery that it serves as a stabilizing scaffold for protein-folding intermediates. In this review, we summarize and discuss the recent studies that have identified polyP not only as a potent protein-like chaperone that protects cells against stress-induced protein aggregation, but also as a robust modifier of amyloidogenic processes that shields neuronal cells from amyloid toxicity. We consider some of the most pressing questions in the field, the obstacles faced, and the potential avenues to take to provide a complete picture about the working mechanism and physiological relevance of this intriguing biopolymer.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lihan Xie
- From the Departments of Molecular, Cellular and Developmental Biology and
| | - Ursula Jakob
- From the Departments of Molecular, Cellular and Developmental Biology and
- Biological Chemistry, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, Michigan 48109-1085
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25
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Große C, Poehlein A, Blank K, Schwarzenberger C, Schleuder G, Herzberg M, Nies DH. The third pillar of metal homeostasis inCupriavidus metalliduransCH34: preferences are controlled by extracytoplasmic function sigma factors. Metallomics 2019; 11:291-316. [DOI: 10.1039/c8mt00299a] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/21/2022]
Abstract
InC. metallidurans, a network of 11 extracytoplasmic function sigma factors forms the third pillar of metal homeostasis acting in addition to the metal transportome and metal repositories as the first and second pillar.
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Affiliation(s)
- Cornelia Große
- Molecular Microbiology
- Martin-Luther-University Halle-Wittenberg
- Kurt-Mothes-Str. 3
- 06099 Halle (Saale)
- Germany
| | - Anja Poehlein
- Göttingen Genomics Laboratory
- Georg-August-University Göttingen, Grisebachstr. 8
- 37077 Göttingen
- Germany
| | - Kathrin Blank
- Molecular Microbiology
- Martin-Luther-University Halle-Wittenberg
- Kurt-Mothes-Str. 3
- 06099 Halle (Saale)
- Germany
| | - Claudia Schwarzenberger
- Molecular Microbiology
- Martin-Luther-University Halle-Wittenberg
- Kurt-Mothes-Str. 3
- 06099 Halle (Saale)
- Germany
| | - Grit Schleuder
- Molecular Microbiology
- Martin-Luther-University Halle-Wittenberg
- Kurt-Mothes-Str. 3
- 06099 Halle (Saale)
- Germany
| | - Martin Herzberg
- Molecular Microbiology
- Martin-Luther-University Halle-Wittenberg
- Kurt-Mothes-Str. 3
- 06099 Halle (Saale)
- Germany
| | - Dietrich H. Nies
- Molecular Microbiology
- Martin-Luther-University Halle-Wittenberg
- Kurt-Mothes-Str. 3
- 06099 Halle (Saale)
- Germany
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Kim JS, Kim DS, Lee KC, Lee JS, King GM, Kang S. Microbial community structure and functional potential of lava-formed Gotjawal soils in Jeju, Korea. PLoS One 2018; 13:e0204761. [PMID: 30312313 PMCID: PMC6193574 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0204761] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/03/2018] [Accepted: 09/13/2018] [Indexed: 11/19/2022] Open
Abstract
The Gotjawal areas of Jeju Island, Korea, are comprised of unmanaged forests growing on volcanic soils. They support unique assemblages of vascular plants from both northern and southern hemispheres, but are threatened by human disturbance. The health and ecosystem function of these assemblages likely depends in part on the diversity and community structure of soil microbial communities, about which little is known. To assess the diversity of Gotjawal soil microbial communities, twenty samples were collected in November 2010 from 4 representatives of Gotjawal forests. While soil properties and microbial communities measured by 16S rRNA gene sequence data were marginally distinct among sites by PERMANOVA (p = 0.017–0.191), GeoChip data showed significant differences among sites (p <0.006). Gene composition overall, and the composition of 3 functional gene categories had similar structures themselves and similar associations with environmental factors. Among these communities, phosphorous cycling genes exhibited the most distinct patterns. 16S rRNA gene sequence data resulted in a mean 777 operational taxonomic units (OTUs), which included the following major phyla: Proteobacteria (27.9%), Actinobacteria (17.7%), Verrucomicrobia (14.3%), Acidobacteria (9.6%), Planctomycetes (9.8%), Bacteroidetes (8.9%), and Chloroflexi (2.2%). Indicator species analysis (ISA) was used to determine the taxa with high indicator value, which represented the following: uncultured Chlamydiaceae, Caulobacter, uncultured Sinobacteraceae, Paenibacillus, Arenimonas, Clostridium sensu.stricto, uncultured Burkholderiales incertae sedis, and Nocardioides in Aewol (AW), Aquicella, uncultured Planctomycetia, and Aciditerrimonas in Gujwa-Seongsan (GS), uncultured Acidobacteria Gp1, and Hamadaea in Hankyeong-Andeok (HA), and Bosea, Haliea, and Telmatocola in Jocheon-Hamdeok (JH) Gotjawal. Collectively, these results demonstrated the uniqueness of microbial communities within each Gotjawal region, likely reflecting different patterns of soil, plant assemblages and microclimates.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jong-Shik Kim
- Gyeongbuk Institute for Marine Bioindustry, Uljin, Republic of Korea
- * E-mail: (JSK); (SK)
| | - Dae-Shin Kim
- World Heritage and Mt. Hallasan Research Institute, Jeju Special Self-Governing Province, Republic of Korea
| | - Keun Chul Lee
- Korean Collection for Type Cultures, Korea Research Institute of Bioscience and Biotechnology, Jeongup, Republic of Korea
| | - Jung-Sook Lee
- Korean Collection for Type Cultures, Korea Research Institute of Bioscience and Biotechnology, Jeongup, Republic of Korea
| | - Gary M. King
- Biological Sciences, Louisiana State University, Baton Rouge, LA, United States of America
| | - Sanghoon Kang
- Department of Biology, Baylor University, Waco, TX, United States of America
- * E-mail: (JSK); (SK)
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27
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Turner CB, Wade BD, Meyer JR, Sommerfeld BA, Lenski RE. Evolution of organismal stoichiometry in a long-term experiment with Escherichia coli. ROYAL SOCIETY OPEN SCIENCE 2017; 4:170497. [PMID: 28791173 PMCID: PMC5541568 DOI: 10.1098/rsos.170497] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/11/2017] [Accepted: 06/21/2017] [Indexed: 05/25/2023]
Abstract
Organismal stoichiometry refers to the relative proportion of chemical elements in the biomass of organisms, and it can have important effects on ecological interactions from population to ecosystem scales. Although stoichiometry has been studied extensively from an ecological perspective, much less is known about the rates and directions of evolutionary changes in elemental composition. We measured carbon, nitrogen and phosphorus content of 12 Escherichia coli populations that evolved under controlled carbon-limited, serial-transfer conditions for 50 000 generations. The bacteria evolved higher relative nitrogen and phosphorus content, consistent with selection for increased use of the more abundant elements. Total carbon assimilated also increased, indicating more efficient use of the limiting element. We also measured stoichiometry in one population repeatedly through time. Stoichiometry changed more rapidly in early generations than later on, similar to the trajectory seen for competitive fitness. Altogether, our study shows that stoichiometry evolved over long time periods, and that it did so in a predictable direction, given the carbon-limited environment.
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Affiliation(s)
- Caroline B. Turner
- Ecology, Evolutionary Biology and Behavior Program, Michigan State University, East Lansing, MI, USA
- BEACON Center for the Study of Evolution in Action, Michigan State University, East Lansing, MI, USA
- Department of Microbiology and Molecular Genetics, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, PA, USA
| | - Brian D. Wade
- Department of Plant, Soil and Microbial Sciences, Michigan State University, East Lansing, MI, USA
| | - Justin R. Meyer
- Division of Biological Sciences, University of California, San Diego, La Jolla, CA, USA
| | - Brooke A. Sommerfeld
- Department of Integrative Biology, Michigan State University, East Lansing, MI, USA
| | - Richard E. Lenski
- Ecology, Evolutionary Biology and Behavior Program, Michigan State University, East Lansing, MI, USA
- BEACON Center for the Study of Evolution in Action, Michigan State University, East Lansing, MI, USA
- Department of Plant, Soil and Microbial Sciences, Michigan State University, East Lansing, MI, USA
- Department of Integrative Biology, Michigan State University, East Lansing, MI, USA
- Department of Microbiology and Molecular Genetics, Michigan State University, East Lansing, MI, USA
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28
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Zhou Y, Lisowski W, Zhou Y, Jern NW, Huang K, Fong E. Genetic improvement of Magnetospirillum gryphiswaldense for enhanced biological removal of phosphate. Biotechnol Lett 2017; 39:1509-1514. [PMID: 28660385 DOI: 10.1007/s10529-017-2383-5] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/17/2017] [Accepted: 06/21/2017] [Indexed: 11/25/2022]
Abstract
OBJECTIVES To improve its phosphate accumulating abilities for phosphate recycling from wastewater, a magnetotactic bacterium, Magnetospirillum gryphiswaldense, was genetically modified to over-express polyphosphate kinase. RESULTS Polyphosphate kinase was over-expressed in the bacterium. The recombinant strain accumulated ninefold more polyphosphate from synthetic wastewater compared to original wild type. The magnetic property of the recombinant M. gryphiswaldense strain was retained. CONCLUSIONS The recombinant M. gryphiswaldense can be used for phosphate removal and recovery in bioremediation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yanping Zhou
- College of Electronics and Information Engineering, Sichuan University, Chengdu, 610065, China
| | - Wiktor Lisowski
- School of Materials Science and Engineering, Nanyang Technological University, 50 Nanyang Avenue, Singapore, 639798, Singapore
| | - Yan Zhou
- Advanced Environmental Biotechnology Centre, Nanyang Environment and Water Research Institute, Nanyang Technological University, 1 CleanTech Loop, Singapore, 637141, Singapore
| | - Ng Wun Jern
- Advanced Environmental Biotechnology Centre, Nanyang Environment and Water Research Institute, Nanyang Technological University, 1 CleanTech Loop, Singapore, 637141, Singapore
| | - Kama Huang
- College of Electronics and Information Engineering, Sichuan University, Chengdu, 610065, China
| | - Eileen Fong
- School of Materials Science and Engineering, Nanyang Technological University, 50 Nanyang Avenue, Singapore, 639798, Singapore.
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29
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Xu N, Ye C, Chen X, Liu J, Liu L. Genome-scale metabolic modelling common cofactors metabolism in microorganisms. J Biotechnol 2017; 251:1-13. [PMID: 28385592 DOI: 10.1016/j.jbiotec.2017.04.004] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/21/2017] [Revised: 04/02/2017] [Accepted: 04/03/2017] [Indexed: 12/20/2022]
Abstract
The common cofactors ATP/ADP, NAD(P)(H), and acetyl-CoA/CoA are indispensable participants in biochemical reactions in industrial microbes. To systematically explore the effects of these cofactors on cell growth and metabolic phenotypes, the first genome-scale cofactor metabolic model, icmNX6434, including 6434 genes, 1782 metabolites, and 6877 reactions, was constructed from 14 genome-scale metabolic models of 14 industrial strains. The origin, consumption, and interactions of these common cofactors in microbial cells were elucidated by the icmNX6434 model, and they played important roles in cell growth. The essential cofactor modules contained 2480 genes and 2948 reactions; therefore, improving cofactor biosynthesis, directing these cofactors into essential metabolic pathways, as well as avoiding cofactor utilization during byproduct biosynthesis and futile cycles, are three ways to increase cell growth. The effects of these common cofactors on the distribution and rate of the carbon flux in four universal modes, as well as an optimized metabolic flux, could be obtained by manipulating cofactor availability and balance. Significant changes in the ATP, NAD(H), NADP(H), or acetyl-CoA concentrations triggered relevant metabolic responses to acidic, oxidative, heat, and osmotic stress. Globally, the model icmNX6434 provides a comprehensive platform to elucidate the physiological effects of these cofactors on cell growth, metabolic flux, and industrial robustness. Moreover, the results of this study are a further example of using a consensus genome-scale metabolic model to increase our understanding of key biological processes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nan Xu
- State Key Laboratory of Food Science and Technology, Jiangnan University, 1800 Lihu Road, Wuxi, Jiangsu 214122, China; College of Bioscience and Biotechnology, Yangzhou University, Yangzhou, Jiangsu 225009, China; The Laboratory of Food Microbial-Manufacturing Engineering, Jiangnan University, Wuxi 214122, China
| | - Chao Ye
- State Key Laboratory of Food Science and Technology, Jiangnan University, 1800 Lihu Road, Wuxi, Jiangsu 214122, China; Key Laboratory of Industrial Biotechnology, Ministry of Education, School of Biotechnology, Jiangnan University, 1800 Lihu Road, Wuxi, Jiangsu 214122, China; The Laboratory of Food Microbial-Manufacturing Engineering, Jiangnan University, Wuxi 214122, China
| | - Xiulai Chen
- State Key Laboratory of Food Science and Technology, Jiangnan University, 1800 Lihu Road, Wuxi, Jiangsu 214122, China; Key Laboratory of Industrial Biotechnology, Ministry of Education, School of Biotechnology, Jiangnan University, 1800 Lihu Road, Wuxi, Jiangsu 214122, China; The Laboratory of Food Microbial-Manufacturing Engineering, Jiangnan University, Wuxi 214122, China
| | - Jia Liu
- State Key Laboratory of Food Science and Technology, Jiangnan University, 1800 Lihu Road, Wuxi, Jiangsu 214122, China; Key Laboratory of Industrial Biotechnology, Ministry of Education, School of Biotechnology, Jiangnan University, 1800 Lihu Road, Wuxi, Jiangsu 214122, China; The Laboratory of Food Microbial-Manufacturing Engineering, Jiangnan University, Wuxi 214122, China
| | - Liming Liu
- State Key Laboratory of Food Science and Technology, Jiangnan University, 1800 Lihu Road, Wuxi, Jiangsu 214122, China; Key Laboratory of Industrial Biotechnology, Ministry of Education, School of Biotechnology, Jiangnan University, 1800 Lihu Road, Wuxi, Jiangsu 214122, China; The Laboratory of Food Microbial-Manufacturing Engineering, Jiangnan University, Wuxi 214122, China.
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30
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Liang M, Frank S, Lünsdorf H, Warren MJ, Prentice MB. Bacterial microcompartment-directed polyphosphate kinase promotes stable polyphosphate accumulation inE. coli. Biotechnol J 2017; 12. [DOI: 10.1002/biot.201600415] [Citation(s) in RCA: 45] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/06/2016] [Revised: 01/17/2017] [Accepted: 01/18/2017] [Indexed: 12/31/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Mingzhi Liang
- Department of Microbiology; University College Cork; Cork Ireland
- School of Biosciences; University of Kent; Canterbury Kent UK
| | - Stefanie Frank
- Department of Biochemical Engineering; University College London; London UK
| | - Heinrich Lünsdorf
- Central Facility for Microscopy; Helmholtz Center of Infection Research; Braunschweig Germany
| | | | - Michael B. Prentice
- Department of Microbiology; University College Cork; Cork Ireland
- Department of Pathology; University College Cork; Cork Ireland
- APC Microbiome Institute; University College Cork; Cork Ireland
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31
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Varas M, Valdivieso C, Mauriaca C, Ortíz-Severín J, Paradela A, Poblete-Castro I, Cabrera R, Chávez FP. Multi-level evaluation of Escherichia coli polyphosphate related mutants using global transcriptomic, proteomic and phenomic analyses. Biochim Biophys Acta Gen Subj 2017; 1861:871-883. [PMID: 28069396 DOI: 10.1016/j.bbagen.2017.01.007] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/31/2016] [Revised: 12/26/2016] [Accepted: 01/05/2017] [Indexed: 12/20/2022]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Polyphosphate (polyP) is a linear biopolymer found in all living cells. In bacteria, mutants lacking polyphosphate kinase 1 (PPK1), the enzyme responsible for synthesis of most polyP, have many structural and functional defects. However, little is known about the causes of these pleiotropic alterations. The link between ppk1 deletion and those numerous phenotypes observed can be the result of complex molecular interactions that can be elucidated via a systems biology approach. METHODS By integrating different omics levels (transcriptome, proteome and phenome), we described the functioning of various metabolic pathways among Escherichia coli polyphosphate mutant strains (Δppk1, Δppx, and ΔpolyP). Bioinformatic analyses reveal the complex metabolic and regulatory bases of the phenotypes unique to polyP mutants. RESULTS Our results suggest that during polyP deficiency (Δppk1 mutant), metabolic pathways needed for energy supply are up-regulated, including fermentation, aerobic and anaerobic respiration. Transcriptomic and q-proteomic contrasting changes between Δppk1 and Δppx mutant strains were observed in those central metabolic pathways and confirmed by using Phenotypic microarrays. In addition, our results suggest a regulatory connection between polyP, second messenger metabolism, alternative Sigma/Anti-Sigma factors and type-II toxin-antitoxin (TA) systems. CONCLUSIONS We suggest a broader role for polyP via regulation of ATP-dependent proteolysis of type II toxin-antitoxin system and alternative Sigma/Anti-Sigma factors, that could explain the multiple structural and functional deficiencies described due to alteration of polyP metabolism. GENERAL SIGNIFICANCE Understanding the interplay of polyP in bacterial metabolism using a systems biology approach can help to improve design of novel antimicrobials toward pathogens.
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Affiliation(s)
- Macarena Varas
- Systems Microbiology Laboratory, Department of Biology, Faculty of Science, University of Chile, Chile.
| | - Camilo Valdivieso
- Systems Microbiology Laboratory, Department of Biology, Faculty of Science, University of Chile, Chile; Department of Ecology, Faculty of Science, University of Chile, Chile.
| | - Cecilia Mauriaca
- Systems Microbiology Laboratory, Department of Biology, Faculty of Science, University of Chile, Chile.
| | - Javiera Ortíz-Severín
- Systems Microbiology Laboratory, Department of Biology, Faculty of Science, University of Chile, Chile.
| | | | - Ignacio Poblete-Castro
- Facultad de Ciencias Biológicas, Center for Bioinformatics and Integrative Biology, Biosystems Engineering Laboratory, Universidad Andrés Bello, Chile.
| | - Ricardo Cabrera
- Department of Biology, Faculty of Sciences, University of Chile, Chile.
| | - Francisco P Chávez
- Systems Microbiology Laboratory, Department of Biology, Faculty of Science, University of Chile, Chile.
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32
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Ramisetty BCM, Ghosh D, Roy Chowdhury M, Santhosh RS. What Is the Link between Stringent Response, Endoribonuclease Encoding Type II Toxin-Antitoxin Systems and Persistence? Front Microbiol 2016; 7:1882. [PMID: 27933045 PMCID: PMC5120126 DOI: 10.3389/fmicb.2016.01882] [Citation(s) in RCA: 49] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/03/2016] [Accepted: 11/09/2016] [Indexed: 11/21/2022] Open
Abstract
Persistence is a transient and non-inheritable tolerance to antibiotics by a small fraction of a bacterial population. One of the proposed determinants of bacterial persistence is toxin–antitoxin systems (TASs) which are also implicated in a wide range of stress-related phenomena. Maisonneuve E, Castro-Camargo M, Gerdes K. 2013. Cell 154:1140–1150 reported an interesting link between ppGpp mediated stringent response, TAS, and persistence. It is proposed that accumulation of ppGpp enhances the accumulation of inorganic polyphosphate which modulates Lon protease to degrade antitoxins. The decrease in the concentration of antitoxins supposedly activated the toxin to increase in the number of persisters during antibiotic treatment. In this study, we show that inorganic polyphosphate is not required for transcriptional activation of yefM/yoeB TAS, which is an indirect indication of Lon-dependent degradation of YefM antitoxin. The Δ10 strain, an Escherichia coli MG1655 derivative in which the 10 TAS are deleted, is more sensitive to ciprofloxacin compared to wild type MG1655. Furthermore, we show that the Δ10 strain has relatively lower fitness compared to the wild type and hence, we argue that the persistence related implications based on Δ10 strain are void. We conclude that the transcriptional regulation and endoribonuclease activity of YefM/YoeB TAS is independent of ppGpp and inorganic polyphosphate. Therefore, we urge for thorough inspection and debate on the link between chromosomal endoribonuclease TAS and persistence.
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Affiliation(s)
- Bhaskar C M Ramisetty
- School of Chemical and Biotechnology, SASTRA UniversityThanjavur, India; Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, University of Southern DenmarkOdense, Denmark
| | - Dimpy Ghosh
- School of Chemical and Biotechnology, SASTRA University Thanjavur, India
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33
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Boetsch C, Aguayo-Villegas DR, Gonzalez-Nilo FD, Lisa ÁT, Beassoni PR. Putative binding mode of Escherichia coli exopolyphosphatase and polyphosphates based on a hybrid in silico/biochemical approach. Arch Biochem Biophys 2016; 606:64-72. [PMID: 27424154 DOI: 10.1016/j.abb.2016.07.005] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/10/2016] [Revised: 07/05/2016] [Accepted: 07/08/2016] [Indexed: 12/11/2022]
Abstract
The exopolyphosphatase of Escherichia coli processively and completely hydrolyses long polyphosphate chains to ortho-phosphate. Genetic surveys, based on the analysis of single ppx(-) or ppk(-) mutants and on the double mutant, demonstrate a relationship between these genes and the survival capacity. The exopolyphosphatase belongs to the ASKHA protein superfamily, hence, its active site is well known; however, the knowledge of the way in which this enzyme binds polyP remains incomplete. Here we present different computational approaches, site-direct mutagenesis and kinetic data to understand the relationship between structure and function of exopolyphosphatase. We propose H(378) as a fundamental gatekeeper for the recognition of long chain polyphosphate.
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Affiliation(s)
- Cristhian Boetsch
- Departamento de Biología Molecular, Facultad de Ciencias Exactas Físico-Químicas y Naturales, Universidad Nacional de Río Cuarto, Río Cuarto, Argentina
| | | | | | - Á Teresita Lisa
- Departamento de Biología Molecular, Facultad de Ciencias Exactas Físico-Químicas y Naturales, Universidad Nacional de Río Cuarto, Río Cuarto, Argentina
| | - Paola R Beassoni
- Departamento de Biología Molecular, Facultad de Ciencias Exactas Físico-Químicas y Naturales, Universidad Nacional de Río Cuarto, Río Cuarto, Argentina.
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34
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Establishing Virulence Associated Polyphosphate Kinase 2 as a drug target for Mycobacterium tuberculosis. Sci Rep 2016; 6:26900. [PMID: 27279366 PMCID: PMC4899718 DOI: 10.1038/srep26900] [Citation(s) in RCA: 30] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/09/2015] [Accepted: 05/10/2016] [Indexed: 02/03/2023] Open
Abstract
Inorganic polyphosphate (PolyP) plays an essential role in microbial stress adaptation, virulence and drug tolerance. The genome of Mycobacterium tuberculosis encodes for two polyphosphate kinases (PPK-1, Rv2984 and PPK-2, Rv3232c) and polyphosphatases (ppx-1, Rv0496 and ppx-2, Rv1026) for maintenance of intracellular PolyP levels. Microbial polyphosphate kinases constitute a molecular mechanism, whereby microorganisms utilize PolyP as phosphate donor for synthesis of ATP. In the present study we have constructed ppk-2 mutant strain of M. tuberculosis and demonstrate that PPK-2 enzyme contributes to its ability to cause disease in guinea pigs. We observed that ppk-2 mutant strain infected guinea pigs had significantly reduced bacterial loads and tissue pathology in comparison to wild type infected guinea pigs at later stages of infection. We also report that in comparison to the wild type strain, ppk-2 mutant strain was more tolerant to isoniazid and impaired for survival in THP-1 macrophages. In the present study we have standardized a luciferase based assay system to identify chemical scaffolds that are non-cytotoxic and inhibit M. tuberculosis PPK-2 enzyme. To the best of our knowledge this is the first study demonstrating feasibility of high throughput screening to obtain small molecule PPK-2 inhibitors.
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35
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Deciphering the relationship among phosphate dynamics, electron-dense body and lipid accumulation in the green alga Parachlorella kessleri. Sci Rep 2016; 6:25731. [PMID: 27180903 PMCID: PMC4867602 DOI: 10.1038/srep25731] [Citation(s) in RCA: 44] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/16/2015] [Accepted: 04/18/2016] [Indexed: 01/08/2023] Open
Abstract
Phosphorus is an essential element for life on earth and is also important for modern agriculture, which is dependent on inorganic fertilizers from phosphate rock. Polyphosphate is a biological polymer of phosphate residues, which is accumulated in organisms during the biological wastewater treatment process to enhance biological phosphorus removal. Here, we investigated the relationship between polyphosphate accumulation and electron-dense bodies in the green alga Parachlorella kessleri. Under sulfur-depleted conditions, in which some symporter genes were upregulated, while others were downregulated, total phosphate accumulation increased in the early stage of culture compared to that under sulfur-replete conditions. The P signal was detected only in dense bodies by energy dispersive X-ray analysis. Transmission electron microscopy revealed marked ultrastructural variations in dense bodies with and without polyphosphate. Our findings suggest that the dense body is a site of polyphosphate accumulation, and P. kessleri has potential as a phosphate-accumulating organism.
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36
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Seo JS, Kwon MG, Hwang JY, Jung SH, Han HJ, Kim MS, Do JW, Park MA, Kim DW, Cho WS, Lee K. Complete genome sequence and comparative genome analysis of Streptococcus parauberis KCTC11980. Genes Genomics 2015. [DOI: 10.1007/s13258-015-0325-y] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/23/2022]
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37
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Smirnov A, Esnault C, Prigent M, Holland IB, Virolle MJ. Phosphate Homeostasis in Conditions of Phosphate Proficiency and Limitation in the Wild Type and the phoP Mutant of Streptomyces lividans. PLoS One 2015; 10:e0126221. [PMID: 25978423 PMCID: PMC4433243 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0126221] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/17/2014] [Accepted: 03/31/2015] [Indexed: 01/18/2023] Open
Abstract
Phosphate, as a constituent of the high energy molecules, ATP/GTP and polyphosphate, plays a crucial role in most of the metabolic processes of living organisms. Therefore, the adaptation to low Pi availability is a major challenge for bacteria. In Streptomyces, this adaptation is tightly controlled by the two component PhoR/PhoP system. In this study, the free intracellular Pi, ATP, ADP and polyP content of the wild type and the phoP mutant strain of S. lividans TK24 were analyzed at discrete time points throughout growth in Pi replete and limited media. PolyP length and content was shown to be directly related to the Pi content of the growth medium. In Pi repletion, ATP and high molecular weight (HMW) polyP contents were higher in the phoP mutant than in the WT strain. This supports the recently proposed repressive effect of PhoP on oxidative phosphorylation. High oxidative phosphorylation activity might also have a direct or indirect positive impact on HMW polyP synthesis. In Pi sufficiency as in Pi limitation, the degradation of these polymers was shown to be clearly delayed in the phoP mutant, indicating PhoP dependent expression of the enzymes involved in this degradation. The efficient storage of Pi as polyphosphate and/or its inefficient degradation in Pi in the phoP mutant resulted in low levels of free Pi and ATP that are likely to be, at least in part, responsible for the very poor growth of this mutant in Pi limitation. Furthermore, short polyP was shown to be present outside the cell, tightly bound to the mycelium via electrostatic interactions involving divalent cations. Less short polyP was found to be associated with the mycelium of the phoP mutant than with that of the WT strain, indicating that generation and externalization of these short polyP molecules was directly or indirectly dependent on PhoP.
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Affiliation(s)
- Aleksey Smirnov
- “Energetic Metabolism of Streptomyces”, Institute for Integrative Biology of the Cell (I2BC), CEA, CNRS, Université Paris-Sud, Orsay, France
| | - Catherine Esnault
- Energetic Metabolism of Streptomyces, Institute for Integrative Biology of the Cell (I2BC), University Paris-Sud, Orsay, France, Sorbonne Universités, UPMC, Univ. Paris 06, UFR927, Sciences de la vie, Paris, France
| | - Magali Prigent
- “Genomic, Structure and Translation”, Institute for Integrative Biology of the Cell (I2BC), University Paris-Sud, Orsay, France
| | - Ian Barry Holland
- Institute for Integrative Biology of the Cell (I2BC), Université Paris-Sud, Orsay, France
| | - Marie-Joelle Virolle
- “Energetic Metabolism of Streptomyces”, Institute for Integrative Biology of the Cell (I2BC), University Paris-Sud, Orsay, France
- * E-mail:
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Simbulan-Rosenthal CM, Gaur A, Sanabria VA, Dussan LJ, Saxena R, Schmidt J, Kitani T, Chen YS, Rahim S, Uren A, Crooke E, Rosenthal DS. Inorganic polyphosphates are important for cell survival and motility of human skin keratinocytes. Exp Dermatol 2015; 24:636-9. [DOI: 10.1111/exd.12729] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 04/09/2015] [Indexed: 12/01/2022]
Affiliation(s)
| | - Anirudh Gaur
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology; Georgetown University; School of Medicine; Washington DC USA
| | - Virginia A. Sanabria
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology; Georgetown University; School of Medicine; Washington DC USA
| | - Lucia J. Dussan
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology; Georgetown University; School of Medicine; Washington DC USA
| | - Rahul Saxena
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology; Georgetown University; School of Medicine; Washington DC USA
| | - Jozef Schmidt
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology; Georgetown University; School of Medicine; Washington DC USA
| | - Takashi Kitani
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology; Georgetown University; School of Medicine; Washington DC USA
| | - You-shin Chen
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology; Georgetown University; School of Medicine; Washington DC USA
| | - Said Rahim
- Department of Oncology; Georgetown University; School of Medicine; Washington DC USA
- Lombardi Comprehensive Cancer Center; Georgetown University; School of Medicine; Washington DC USA
| | - Aykut Uren
- Department of Oncology; Georgetown University; School of Medicine; Washington DC USA
- Lombardi Comprehensive Cancer Center; Georgetown University; School of Medicine; Washington DC USA
| | - Elliott Crooke
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology; Georgetown University; School of Medicine; Washington DC USA
- Lombardi Comprehensive Cancer Center; Georgetown University; School of Medicine; Washington DC USA
| | - Dean S. Rosenthal
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology; Georgetown University; School of Medicine; Washington DC USA
- Lombardi Comprehensive Cancer Center; Georgetown University; School of Medicine; Washington DC USA
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39
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Dedkova EN, Blatter LA. Role of β-hydroxybutyrate, its polymer poly-β-hydroxybutyrate and inorganic polyphosphate in mammalian health and disease. Front Physiol 2014; 5:260. [PMID: 25101001 PMCID: PMC4102118 DOI: 10.3389/fphys.2014.00260] [Citation(s) in RCA: 103] [Impact Index Per Article: 10.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/16/2014] [Accepted: 06/19/2014] [Indexed: 12/14/2022] Open
Abstract
We provide a comprehensive review of the role of β-hydroxybutyrate (β-OHB), its linear polymer poly-β-hydroxybutyrate (PHB), and inorganic polyphosphate (polyP) in mammalian health and disease. β-OHB is a metabolic intermediate that constitutes 70% of ketone bodies produced during ketosis. Although ketosis has been generally considered as an unfavorable pathological state (e.g., diabetic ketoacidosis in type-1 diabetes mellitus), it has been suggested that induction of mild hyperketonemia may have certain therapeutic benefits. β-OHB is synthesized in the liver from acetyl-CoA by β-OHB dehydrogenase and can be used as alternative energy source. Elevated levels of PHB are associated with pathological states. In humans, short-chain, complexed PHB (cPHB) is found in a wide variety of tissues and in atherosclerotic plaques. Plasma cPHB concentrations correlate strongly with atherogenic lipid profiles, and PHB tissue levels are elevated in type-1 diabetic animals. However, little is known about mechanisms of PHB action especially in the heart. In contrast to β-OHB, PHB is a water-insoluble, amphiphilic polymer that has high intrinsic viscosity and salt-solvating properties. cPHB can form non-specific ion channels in planar lipid bilayers and liposomes. PHB can form complexes with polyP and Ca(2+) which increases membrane permeability. The biological roles played by polyP, a ubiquitous phosphate polymer with ATP-like bonds, have been most extensively studied in prokaryotes, however polyP has recently been linked to a variety of functions in mammalian cells, including blood coagulation, regulation of enzyme activity in cancer cells, cell proliferation, apoptosis and mitochondrial ion transport and energy metabolism. Recent evidence suggests that polyP is a potent activator of the mitochondrial permeability transition pore in cardiomyocytes and may represent a hitherto unrecognized key structural and functional component of the mitochondrial membrane system.
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Affiliation(s)
- Elena N Dedkova
- Department of Molecular Biophysics and Physiology, Rush University Medical Center Chicago, IL, USA
| | - Lothar A Blatter
- Department of Molecular Biophysics and Physiology, Rush University Medical Center Chicago, IL, USA
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Grillo-Puertas M, Schurig-Briccio LA, Rodríguez-Montelongo L, Rintoul MR, Rapisarda VA. Copper tolerance mediated by polyphosphate degradation and low-affinity inorganic phosphate transport system in Escherichia coli. BMC Microbiol 2014; 14:72. [PMID: 24645672 PMCID: PMC3994843 DOI: 10.1186/1471-2180-14-72] [Citation(s) in RCA: 33] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/26/2013] [Accepted: 03/14/2014] [Indexed: 11/22/2022] Open
Abstract
Background Metal tolerance in bacteria has been related to polyP in a model in which heavy metals stimulate the polymer hydrolysis, forming metal-phosphate complexes that are exported. As previously described in our laboratory, Escherichia coli cells grown in media containing a phosphate concentration >37 mM maintained an unusually high polyphosphate (polyP) level in stationary phase. The aim of the present work was to evaluate the influence of polyP levels as the involvement of low-affinity inorganic phosphate transport (Pit) system in E. coli copper tolerance. Results PolyP levels were modulated by the media phosphate concentration and/or using mutants in polyP metabolism. Stationary phase wild-type cells grown in high phosphate medium were significantly more tolerant to copper than those grown in sufficient phosphate medium. Copper addition to tolerant cells induced polyP degradation by PPX (an exopolyphosphatase), phosphate efflux and membrane polarization. ppk−ppx− (unable to synthesize/degrade polyP), ppx− (unable to degrade polyP) and Pit system mutants were highly sensitive to metal even in high phosphate media. In exponential phase, CopA and polyP-Pit system would act simultaneously to detoxify the metal or one could be sufficient to safeguard the absence of the other. Conclusions Our results support a mechanism for copper detoxification in exponential and stationary phases of E. coli, involving Pit system and degradation of polyP. Data reflect the importance of the environmental phosphate concentration in the regulation of the microbial physiological state.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | | | | | - Viviana Andrea Rapisarda
- Instituto Superior de Investigaciones Biológicas, INSIBIO (CONICET-UNT) and Instituto de Química Biológica "Dr Bernabé Bloj", Facultad de Bioquímica, Química y Farmacia (UNT), Chacabuco 461 CP T4000ILI, Tucumán, Argentina.
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Gray MJ, Wholey WY, Wagner NO, Cremers CM, Mueller-Schickert A, Hock NT, Krieger AG, Smith EM, Bender RA, Bardwell JCA, Jakob U. Polyphosphate is a primordial chaperone. Mol Cell 2014; 53:689-99. [PMID: 24560923 DOI: 10.1016/j.molcel.2014.01.012] [Citation(s) in RCA: 234] [Impact Index Per Article: 23.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/29/2013] [Revised: 12/10/2013] [Accepted: 01/16/2014] [Indexed: 11/29/2022]
Abstract
Composed of up to 1,000 phospho-anhydride bond-linked phosphate monomers, inorganic polyphosphate (polyP) is one of the most ancient, conserved, and enigmatic molecules in biology. Here we demonstrate that polyP functions as a hitherto unrecognized chaperone. We show that polyP stabilizes proteins in vivo, diminishes the need for other chaperone systems to survive proteotoxic stress conditions, and protects a wide variety of proteins against stress-induced unfolding and aggregation. In vitro studies reveal that polyP has protein-like chaperone qualities, binds to unfolding proteins with high affinity in an ATP-independent manner, and supports their productive refolding once nonstress conditions are restored. Our results uncover a universally important function for polyP and suggest that these long chains of inorganic phosphate may have served as one of nature's first chaperones, a role that continues to the present day.
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Affiliation(s)
- Michael J Gray
- Department of Molecular, Cellular, and Developmental Biology, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI 48109, USA
| | - Wei-Yun Wholey
- Department of Molecular, Cellular, and Developmental Biology, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI 48109, USA; Cellular and Molecular Biology Program, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI 48109, USA
| | - Nico O Wagner
- Department of Molecular, Cellular, and Developmental Biology, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI 48109, USA
| | - Claudia M Cremers
- Department of Molecular, Cellular, and Developmental Biology, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI 48109, USA
| | - Antje Mueller-Schickert
- Department of Molecular, Cellular, and Developmental Biology, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI 48109, USA; Howard Hughes Medical Institute, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI 48109, USA
| | - Nathaniel T Hock
- Department of Molecular, Cellular, and Developmental Biology, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI 48109, USA
| | - Adam G Krieger
- Department of Molecular, Cellular, and Developmental Biology, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI 48109, USA
| | - Erica M Smith
- Department of Molecular, Cellular, and Developmental Biology, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI 48109, USA
| | - Robert A Bender
- Department of Molecular, Cellular, and Developmental Biology, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI 48109, USA
| | - James C A Bardwell
- Department of Molecular, Cellular, and Developmental Biology, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI 48109, USA; Cellular and Molecular Biology Program, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI 48109, USA; Howard Hughes Medical Institute, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI 48109, USA
| | - Ursula Jakob
- Department of Molecular, Cellular, and Developmental Biology, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI 48109, USA; Cellular and Molecular Biology Program, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI 48109, USA.
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Maisonneuve E, Castro-Camargo M, Gerdes K. (p)ppGpp controls bacterial persistence by stochastic induction of toxin-antitoxin activity. Cell 2013; 154:1140-1150. [PMID: 23993101 DOI: 10.1016/j.cell.2013.07.048] [Citation(s) in RCA: 383] [Impact Index Per Article: 34.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/08/2013] [Revised: 05/22/2013] [Accepted: 07/31/2013] [Indexed: 11/17/2022]
Abstract
Persistence refers to the phenomenon in which isogenic populations of antibiotic-sensitive bacteria produce rare cells that transiently become multidrug tolerant. Whether slow growth in a rare subset of cells underlies the persistence phenotype has not be examined in wild-type bacteria. Here, we show that an exponentially growing population of wild-type Escherichia coli cells produces rare cells that stochastically switch into slow growth, that the slow-growing cells are multidrug tolerant, and that they are able to resuscitate. The persistence phenotype depends hierarchically on the signaling nucleotide (p)ppGpp, Lon protease, inorganic polyphosphate, and toxin-antitoxins. We show that the level of (p)ppGpp varies stochastically in a population of exponentially growing cells and that the high (p)ppGpp level in rare cells induces slow growth and persistence. (p)ppGpp triggers slow growth by activating toxin-antitoxin loci through a regulatory cascade depending on inorganic polyphosphate and Lon protease.
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Affiliation(s)
- Etienne Maisonneuve
- Centre for Bacterial Cell Biology, Institute for Cell and Molecular Biosciences, Newcastle University, Richardson Road, Newcastle upon Tyne NE2 4AX, UK
| | - Manuela Castro-Camargo
- Centre for Bacterial Cell Biology, Institute for Cell and Molecular Biosciences, Newcastle University, Richardson Road, Newcastle upon Tyne NE2 4AX, UK
| | - Kenn Gerdes
- Centre for Bacterial Cell Biology, Institute for Cell and Molecular Biosciences, Newcastle University, Richardson Road, Newcastle upon Tyne NE2 4AX, UK.
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Wrench AP, Gardner CL, Siegel SD, Pagliai FA, Malekiha M, Gonzalez CF, Lorca GL. MglA/SspA complex interactions are modulated by inorganic polyphosphate. PLoS One 2013; 8:e76428. [PMID: 24116108 PMCID: PMC3792966 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0076428] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/21/2013] [Accepted: 08/29/2013] [Indexed: 12/17/2022] Open
Abstract
The transcription factors MglA and SspA of Francisella tularensis form a heterodimer complex and interact with the RNA polymerase to regulate the expression of the Francisella pathogenicity island (FPI) genes. These genes are essential for this pathogen's virulence and survival within host cells. Our goal was to determine if an intracellular metabolite modulate these protein/protein interactions. In this study, we identified inorganic polyphosphate (polyP) as a signal molecule that promotes the interaction of MglA and SspA from F. tularensis SCHU S4. Analysis of the Mgla/SspA interaction was carried out using a two-hybrid system. The Escherichia coli reporter strain contained a deletion on the ppK-ppX operon, inhibiting polyP synthesis. The interaction between MglA and SspA was significantly impaired, as was the interaction between the MglA/SspA complex and the regulatory protein, FevR, indicating the stabilizing effect of polyP. In F. tularensis, chromatin immune precipitation studies revealed that in the absence of polyP, binding of the MglA/SspA complex to the promoter region of the pdpD, iglA, fevR and ppK genes is decreased. Isothermal titration calorimetry (ITC) indicated that polyP binds directly to the MglA/SspA complex with high affinity (KD = 0.3 µM). These observations directly correlated with results obtained from calorimetric scans (DSC), where a strong shift in the mid-transition temperature (Tm) of the MglA/SspA complex was observed in the presence of polyP.
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Affiliation(s)
- Algevis P. Wrench
- Department of Microbiology and Cell Science, Genetics Institute, Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences, University of Florida, Gainesville, Florida, United States of America
| | - Christopher L. Gardner
- Department of Microbiology and Cell Science, Genetics Institute, Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences, University of Florida, Gainesville, Florida, United States of America
| | - Sara D. Siegel
- Department of Microbiology and Cell Science, Genetics Institute, Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences, University of Florida, Gainesville, Florida, United States of America
| | - Fernando A. Pagliai
- Department of Microbiology and Cell Science, Genetics Institute, Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences, University of Florida, Gainesville, Florida, United States of America
| | - Mahsa Malekiha
- Department of Microbiology and Cell Science, Genetics Institute, Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences, University of Florida, Gainesville, Florida, United States of America
| | - Claudio F. Gonzalez
- Department of Microbiology and Cell Science, Genetics Institute, Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences, University of Florida, Gainesville, Florida, United States of America
| | - Graciela L. Lorca
- Department of Microbiology and Cell Science, Genetics Institute, Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences, University of Florida, Gainesville, Florida, United States of America
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Reusch RN. Physiological importance of poly-(R)-3-hydroxybutyrates. Chem Biodivers 2013; 9:2343-66. [PMID: 23161623 DOI: 10.1002/cbdv.201200278] [Citation(s) in RCA: 25] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/06/2012] [Indexed: 01/25/2023]
Abstract
Poly-(R)-3-hydroxybutyrates (PHB), linear polymers of (R)-3-hydroxybutyrate, are components of all biological cells in which short polymers (<200 monomer residues) are covalently attached to certain proteins and/or noncovalently associated with polyphosphates - inorganic polyphosphate (polyP), RNA, and DNA. The low concentrations, lack of unusual atoms or functional groups, and flexible backbones of this complexed PHB, referred to as cPHB, make them invisible to many analytical procedures; whereas other physical properties - water-insolubility, high intrinsic viscosity, temperature sensitivity, multiple bonding interactions with other molecules - make them requisite participants in vital physiological processes as well as contributors to the development of certain diseases.
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Affiliation(s)
- Rosetta N Reusch
- Department of Microbiology and Molecular Genetics, Michigan State University, East Lansing, MI 48824, USA.
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45
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Kulakovskaya T, Kulaev I. Enzymes of inorganic polyphosphate metabolism. PROGRESS IN MOLECULAR AND SUBCELLULAR BIOLOGY 2013; 54:39-63. [PMID: 24420710 DOI: 10.1007/978-3-642-41004-8_3] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/13/2022]
Abstract
Inorganic polyphosphate (PolyP) is a linear polymer containing a few to several hundred orthophosphate residues linked by energy-rich phosphoanhydride bonds. Investigation of PolyP-metabolizing enzymes is important for medicine, because PolyPs perform numerous functions in the cells. In human organism, PolyPs are involved in the regulation of Ca(2+) uptake in mitochondria, bone tissue development, and blood coagulation. The essentiality of polyphosphate kinases in the virulence of pathogenic bacteria is a basis for the discovery of new antibiotics. The properties of the major enzymes of PolyP metabolism, first of all polyphosphate kinases and exopolyphosphatases, are described in the review. The main differences between the enzymes of PolyP biosynthesis and utilization of prokaryotic and eukaryotic cells, as well as the multiple functions of some enzymes of PolyP metabolism, are considered.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tatyana Kulakovskaya
- Skryabin Institute of Biochemistry and Physiology of Microorganisms, Russian Academy of Sciences, Pushchino, Moscow Region, 142290, Russia,
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46
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Grillo-Puertas M, Villegas JM, Rintoul MR, Rapisarda VA. Polyphosphate degradation in stationary phase triggers biofilm formation via LuxS quorum sensing system in Escherichia coli. PLoS One 2012; 7:e50368. [PMID: 23226268 PMCID: PMC3511525 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0050368] [Citation(s) in RCA: 38] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/02/2012] [Accepted: 10/19/2012] [Indexed: 12/12/2022] Open
Abstract
In most natural environments, association with a surface in a structure known as biofilm is the prevailing microbial life-style of bacteria. Polyphosphate (polyP), an ubiquitous linear polymer of hundreds of orthophosphate residues, has a crucial role in stress responses, stationary-phase survival, and it was associated to bacterial biofilm formation and production of virulence factors. In previous work, we have shown that Escherichia coli cells grown in media containing a critical phosphate concentration >37 mM maintained an unusual high polyP level in stationary phase. The aim of the present work was to analyze if fluctuations in polyP levels in stationary phase affect biofilm formation capacity in E. coli. Polymer levels were modulated by the media phosphate concentration or using mutant strains in polyP metabolism. Cells grown in media containing phosphate concentrations higher than 25 mM were defective in biofilm formation. Besides, there was a disassembly of 24 h preformed biofilm by the addition of high phosphate concentration to the medium. These phenotypes were related to the maintenance or re-synthesis of polyP in stationary phase in static conditions. No biofilm formation was observed in ppk(-)ppx(-) or ppk(-)ppx(-)/ppk(+) strains, deficient in polyP synthesis and hydrolysis, respectively. luxS and lsrK mutants, impaired in autoinducer-2 quorum sensing signal metabolism, were unable to form biofilm unless conditioned media from stationary phase wild type cells grown in low phosphate were used. We conclude that polyP degradation is required for biofilm formation in sufficient phosphate media, activating or triggering the production of autoinducer-2. According to our results, phosphate concentration of the culture media should be carefully considered in bacterial adhesion and virulence studies.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | | | - Viviana A. Rapisarda
- Instituto Superior de Investigaciones Biológicas (Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas-Universidad Nacional de Tucumán), and Instituto de Química Biológica “Dr Bernabé Bloj” (Universidad Nacional de Tucumán), San Miguel de Tucumán, Tucumán, Argentina
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47
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Morrissey JH, Choi SH, Smith SA. Polyphosphate: an ancient molecule that links platelets, coagulation, and inflammation. Blood 2012; 119:5972-9. [PMID: 22517894 PMCID: PMC3383012 DOI: 10.1182/blood-2012-03-306605] [Citation(s) in RCA: 266] [Impact Index Per Article: 22.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/20/2022] Open
Abstract
Inorganic polyphosphate is widespread in biology and exhibits striking prohemostatic, prothrombotic, and proinflammatory effects in vivo. Long-chain polyphosphate (of the size present in infectious microorganisms) is a potent, natural pathophysiologic activator of the contact pathway of blood clotting. Medium-chain polyphosphate (of the size secreted from activated human platelets) accelerates factor V activation, completely abrogates the anticoagulant function of tissue factor pathway inhibitor, enhances fibrin clot structure, and greatly accelerates factor XI activation by thrombin. Polyphosphate may have utility as a hemostatic agent, whereas antagonists of polyphosphate may function as novel antithrombotic/anti-inflammatory agents. The detailed molecular mechanisms by which polyphosphate modulates blood clotting reactions remain to be elucidated.
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Affiliation(s)
- James H Morrissey
- Biochemistry Department, University of Illinois, 506 S Mathews Ave, Urbana, IL 61801, USA.
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48
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Inorganic polyphosphates in extremophiles and their possible functions. Extremophiles 2012; 16:573-83. [PMID: 22585316 DOI: 10.1007/s00792-012-0457-9] [Citation(s) in RCA: 46] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/07/2012] [Accepted: 04/19/2012] [Indexed: 12/17/2022]
Abstract
Many extremophilic microorganisms are polyextremophiles, being confronted with more than one stress condition. For instance, some thermoacidophilic microorganisms are in addition capable to resist very high metal concentrations. Most likely, they have developed special adaptations to thrive in their living environments. Inorganic polyphosphate (polyP) is a molecule considered to be primitive in its origin and ubiquitous in nature. It has many roles besides being a reservoir for inorganic phosphate and energy. Of special interest are those functions related to survival under stressing conditions in all kinds of cells. PolyP may therefore have a fundamental part in extremophilic microorganism's endurance. Evidence for a role of polyP in the continued existence under acidic conditions, high concentrations of toxic heavy metals and elevated salt concentrations are reviewed in the present work. Actual evidence suggests that polyP may provide mechanistic alternatives in tuning microbial fitness for the adaptation under stressful environmental situations and may be of crucial relevance amongst extremophiles. The enzymes involved in polyP metabolism show structure conservation amongst bacteria and archaea. However, the lack of a canonical polyP synthase in Crenarchaea, which greatly accumulate polyP, strongly suggests that in this phylum a different enzyme may be in charge of its synthesis.
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ppGpp and polyphosphate modulate cell cycle progression in Caulobacter crescentus. J Bacteriol 2011; 194:28-35. [PMID: 22020649 DOI: 10.1128/jb.05932-11] [Citation(s) in RCA: 70] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/20/2022] Open
Abstract
Caulobacter crescentus differentiates from a motile, foraging swarmer cell into a sessile, replication-competent stalked cell during its cell cycle. This developmental transition is inhibited by nutrient deprivation to favor the motile swarmer state. We identify two cell cycle regulatory signals, ppGpp and polyphosphate (polyP), that inhibit the swarmer-to-stalked transition in both complex and glucose-exhausted media, thereby increasing the proportion of swarmer cells in mixed culture. Upon depletion of available carbon, swarmer cells lacking the ability to synthesize ppGpp or polyP improperly initiate chromosome replication, proteolyze the replication inhibitor CtrA, localize the cell fate determinant DivJ, and develop polar stalks. Furthermore, we show that swarmer cells produce more ppGpp than stalked cells upon starvation. These results provide evidence that ppGpp and polyP are cell-type-specific developmental regulators.
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50
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Shi T, Fu T, Xie J. Polyphosphate deficiency affects the sliding motility and biofilm formation of Mycobacterium smegmatis. Curr Microbiol 2011; 63:470-6. [PMID: 21882007 DOI: 10.1007/s00284-011-0004-4] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/12/2011] [Accepted: 08/17/2011] [Indexed: 01/16/2023]
Abstract
Inorganic polyphosphate (polyP) is a ubiquitous linear polymer of hundreds of orthophosphate (Pi) residues linked by ATP-like, high-energy, phosphoanhydride bonds. The gene Rv1026 in Mycobacterium tuberculosis encodes a putative exopolyphosphatase which progressively hydrolyzes the terminal residues of polyP to liberate Pi. Rv1026 was cloned into the expressive plasmid pMV261. The resulting plasmid pRv1026 and the plasmid pMV261 were transformed into M. smegmatis strain mc(2)155 by electroporation. The recombinant M. smegmatis (pRv1026) showed relatively decreased polyP concentration and a phenotype different from the M. smegmatis (pMV261) in sliding motility and biofilm formation. The surfactant Tween 80 can enhance this effect on the sliding motility and biofilm formation of M. smegmatis. There are four different peaks between the gas chromatography of cellular wall fatty acid of the M. smegmatis (pRv1026) and the M. smegmatis (pMV261). These results indicate that polyP deficiency can affect the fatty acid composition of cellular wall and these alteration of cell wall might elucidate the reductive ability of strains to slide and form biofilm. This investigation provides novel recognition about the role of Rv1026, which provides novel clues for further study on the physiological role of Rv1026 in M. tuberculosis.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tingyu Shi
- Institute of Modern Biopharmaceuticals, State Key Laboratory Breeding Base of Eco-Environment and Bio-Resource of the Three Gorges Area, School of Life Sciences, Southwest University, Chongqing 400715, China
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