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Durante-Rodríguez G, Gutiérrez-Del-Arroyo P, Vélez M, Díaz E, Carmona M. Further Insights into the Architecture of the PN Promoter That Controls the Expression of the bzd Genes in Azoarcus. Genes (Basel) 2019; 10:genes10070489. [PMID: 31252700 PMCID: PMC6678401 DOI: 10.3390/genes10070489] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/24/2019] [Revised: 06/12/2019] [Accepted: 06/26/2019] [Indexed: 12/01/2022] Open
Abstract
The anaerobic degradation of benzoate in bacteria involves the benzoyl-CoA central pathway. Azoarcus/Aromatoleum strains are a major group of anaerobic benzoate degraders, and the transcriptional regulation of the bzd genes was extensively studied in Azoarcus sp. CIB. In this work, we show that the bzdR regulatory gene and the PN promoter can also be identified upstream of the catabolic bzd operon in all benzoate-degrader Azoarcus/Aromatoleum strains whose genome sequences are currently available. All the PN promoters from Azoarcus/Aromatoleum strains described here show a conserved architecture including three operator regions (ORs), i.e., OR1 to OR3, for binding to the BzdR transcriptional repressor. Here, we demonstrate that, whereas OR1 is sufficient for the BzdR-mediated repression of the PN promoter, the presence of OR2 and OR3 is required for de-repression promoted by the benzoyl-CoA inducer molecule. Our results reveal that BzdR binds to the PN promoter in the form of four dimers, two of them binding to OR1. The BzdR/PN complex formed induces a DNA loop that wraps around the BzdR dimers and generates a superstructure that was observed by atomic force microscopy. This work provides further insights into the existence of a conserved BzdR-dependent mechanism to control the expression of the bzd genes in Azoarcus strains.
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Affiliation(s)
- Gonzalo Durante-Rodríguez
- Microbial and Plant Biotechnology Department. Centro de Investigaciones Biológicas-CSIC. Ramiro de Maeztu, 9. 28040 Madrid, Spain
| | - Paloma Gutiérrez-Del-Arroyo
- Biocatalysis Department. Institute of Catalysis and Petrochemistry-CSIC. Marie Curie, 2, Cantoblanco. 28049 Madrid, Spain
| | - Marisela Vélez
- Biocatalysis Department. Institute of Catalysis and Petrochemistry-CSIC. Marie Curie, 2, Cantoblanco. 28049 Madrid, Spain
| | - Eduardo Díaz
- Microbial and Plant Biotechnology Department. Centro de Investigaciones Biológicas-CSIC. Ramiro de Maeztu, 9. 28040 Madrid, Spain
| | - Manuel Carmona
- Microbial and Plant Biotechnology Department. Centro de Investigaciones Biológicas-CSIC. Ramiro de Maeztu, 9. 28040 Madrid, Spain.
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Dubrovin EV, Schächtele M, Klinov DV, Schäffer TE. Time-Lapse Single-Biomolecule Atomic Force Microscopy Investigation on Modified Graphite in Solution. LANGMUIR : THE ACS JOURNAL OF SURFACES AND COLLOIDS 2017; 33:10027-10034. [PMID: 28850785 DOI: 10.1021/acs.langmuir.7b02220] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/07/2023]
Abstract
Atomic force microscopy (AFM) of biomolecular processes at the single-molecule level can provide unique information for understanding molecular function. In AFM studies of biomolecular processes in solution, mica surfaces are predominantly used as substrates. However, owing to its high surface charge, mica may induce high local ionic strength in the vicinity of its surface, which may shift the equilibrium of studied biomolecular processes such as biopolymer adsorption or protein-DNA interaction. In the search for alternative substrates, we have investigated the behavior of adsorbed biomolecules, such as plasmid DNA and E. coli RNA polymerase σ70 subunit holoenzyme (RNAP), on highly oriented pyrolytic graphite (HOPG) surfaces modified with stearylamine and oligoglycine-hydrocarbon derivative (GM) monolayers using AFM in solution. We have demonstrated ionic-strength-dependent DNA mobility on GM HOPG and nativelike dimensions of RNAP molecules adsorbed on modified HOPG surfaces. We propose an approach to the real-time AFM investigation of transcription on stearylamine monolayers on graphite. We conclude that modified graphite allows us to study biomolecules and biomolecular processes on its surface at controlled ionic strength and may be used as a complement to mica in AFM investigations.
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Affiliation(s)
- Evgeniy V Dubrovin
- University of Tübingen , Institute of Applied Physics, Auf der Morgenstelle 10, 72076 Tübingen, Germany
- Federal Research and Clinical Center of Physical-Chemical Medicine , Malaya Pirogovskaya 1a, Moscow 119435, Russian Federation
- Lomonosov Moscow State University , Leninskie gory 1-2, Moscow 119991, Russian Federation
| | - Marc Schächtele
- University of Tübingen , Institute of Applied Physics, Auf der Morgenstelle 10, 72076 Tübingen, Germany
| | - Dmitry V Klinov
- Federal Research and Clinical Center of Physical-Chemical Medicine , Malaya Pirogovskaya 1a, Moscow 119435, Russian Federation
| | - Tilman E Schäffer
- University of Tübingen , Institute of Applied Physics, Auf der Morgenstelle 10, 72076 Tübingen, Germany
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Liu Y, Guthold M, Snyder MJ, Lu H. AFM of self-assembled lambda DNA-histone networks. Colloids Surf B Biointerfaces 2015; 134:17-25. [PMID: 26141439 DOI: 10.1016/j.colsurfb.2015.06.026] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/07/2015] [Revised: 06/09/2015] [Accepted: 06/11/2015] [Indexed: 11/20/2022]
Abstract
Atomic force microscopy (AFM) was used to investigate the self-assembly behavior of λ-DNA and histones at varying histone:DNA ratios. Without histones and at the lowest histone:DNA ratio (less than one histone per 1000 base pairs of DNA), the DNA appeared as individual (uncomplexed), double-stranded DNA molecules. At increasing histone concentrations (one histone per 500, 250 and 167 base pairs of DNA), the DNA molecules started to form extensive polygonal networks of mostly pentagons and hexagons. The observed networks might be one of the naturally occurring, stable DNA-histone structures. The condensing effects of the divalent cations Mg(2+) and Ca(2+) on the DNA-histone complexes were also investigated. The networks persisted at high Mg(2+) concentration (20mM) and the highest histone concentration. At high Ca(2+) concentration and the highest histone concentration, the polygonal network disappeared and, instead, individual, tightly condensed aggregates were formed.
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Affiliation(s)
- YuYing Liu
- Department of Physics, College of Science, China Agricultural University, Beijing 100083, China
| | - Martin Guthold
- Department of Physics, Wake Forest University, Winston Salem 27109, USA.
| | - Matthew J Snyder
- Department of Physics, Wake Forest University, Winston Salem 27109, USA
| | - HongFeng Lu
- Department of Physics, College of Science, China Agricultural University, Beijing 100083, China.
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Billingsley DJ, Lee AJ, Johansson NAB, Walton A, Stanger L, Crampton N, Bonass WA, Thomson NH. Patchiness of ion-exchanged mica revealed by DNA binding dynamics at short length scales. NANOTECHNOLOGY 2014; 25:025704. [PMID: 24334563 DOI: 10.1088/0957-4484/25/2/025704] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/03/2023]
Abstract
The binding of double-stranded (ds) DNA to mica can be controlled through ion-exchanging the mica with divalent cations. Measurements of the end-to-end distance of linear DNA molecules discriminate whether the binding mechanism occurs through 2D surface equilibration or kinetic trapping. A range of linear dsDNA fragments have been used to investigate length dependences of binding. Mica, ion-exchanged with Ni(II) usually gives rise to kinetically trapped DNA molecules, however, short linear fragments (<800 bp) are seen to deviate from the expected behaviour. This indicates that ion-exchanged mica is heterogeneous, and contains patches or domains, separating different ionic species. These results correlate with imaging of dsDNA under aqueous buffer on Ni(II)-mica and indicate that binding domains are of the order of 100 nm in diameter. Shorter DNA fragments behave intermediate to the two extreme cases of 2D equilibration and kinetic trapping. Increasing the incubation time of Ni(II) on mica, from minutes to hours, brings the conformations of the shorter DNA fragments closer to the theoretical value for kinetic trapping, indicating that long timescale kinetics play a role in ion-exchange. X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) was used to confirm that the relative abundance of Ni(II) ions on the mica surface increases with time. These findings can be used to enhance spatial control of binding of DNA to inorganic surfaces with a view to patterning high densities arrays.
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Affiliation(s)
- D J Billingsley
- School of Physics and Astronomy, University of Leeds, Woodhouse Lane, Leeds, West Yorkshire LS2 9JT, UK. Department of Oral Biology, School of Dentistry, University of Leeds, Woodhouse Lane, Leeds, West Yorkshire LS2 9LU, UK
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Wolfe KC, Hastings WA, Dutta S, Long A, Shapiro BA, Woolf TB, Guthold M, Chirikjian GS. Multiscale modeling of double-helical DNA and RNA: a unification through Lie groups. J Phys Chem B 2012; 116:8556-72. [PMID: 22676719 PMCID: PMC4833121 DOI: 10.1021/jp2126015] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/01/2023]
Abstract
Several different mechanical models of double-helical nucleic-acid structures that have been presented in the literature are reviewed here together with a new analysis method that provides a reconciliation between these disparate models. In all cases, terminology and basic results from the theory of Lie groups are used to describe rigid-body motions in a coordinate-free way, and when necessary, coordinates are introduced in a way in which simple equations result. We consider double-helical DNAs and RNAs which, in their unstressed referential state, have backbones that are either straight, slightly precurved, or bent by the action of a protein or other bound molecule. At the coarsest level, we consider worm-like chains with anisotropic bending stiffness. Then, we show how bi-rod models converge to this for sufficiently long filament lengths. At a finer level, we examine elastic networks of rigid bases and show how these relate to the coarser models. Finally, we show how results from molecular dynamics simulation at full atomic resolution (which is the finest scale considered here) and AFM experimental measurements (which is at the coarsest scale) relate to these models.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kevin C. Wolfe
- Department of Mechanical Engineering, Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, Maryland, United States
| | | | - Samrat Dutta
- Department of Physics, Wake Forest University, Winston-Salem, North Carolina, United States
| | - Andrew Long
- Department of Mechanical Engineering, Northwestern University, Evanston, Illinois, United States
| | - Bruce A. Shapiro
- Center for Cancer Research Nanobiology Program, Frederick National Laboratory for Cancer Research, National Cancer Institute, Frederick, Maryland, United States
| | - Thomas B. Woolf
- Department of Physiology, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, Maryland, United States
| | - Martin Guthold
- Department of Physics, Wake Forest University, Winston-Salem, North Carolina, United States
| | - Gregory S. Chirikjian
- Department of Mechanical Engineering, Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, Maryland, United States
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Billingsley DJ, Crampton N, Kirkham J, Thomson NH, Bonass WA. Single-stranded loops as end-label polarity markers for double-stranded linear DNA templates in atomic force microscopy. Nucleic Acids Res 2012; 40:e99. [PMID: 22453274 PMCID: PMC3401461 DOI: 10.1093/nar/gks276] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/30/2012] [Revised: 03/13/2012] [Accepted: 03/13/2012] [Indexed: 11/24/2022] Open
Abstract
Visualization of DNA-protein interactions by atomic force microscopy (AFM) has deepened our understanding of molecular processes such as DNA transcription. Interpretation of systems where more than one protein acts on a single template, however, is complicated by protein molecules migrating along the DNA. Single-molecule AFM imaging experiments can reveal more information if the polarity of the template can be determined. A nucleic acid-based approach to end-labelling is desirable because it does not compromise the sample preparation procedures for biomolecular AFM. Here, we report a method involving oligonucleotide loop-primed synthesis for the end labelling of double-stranded DNA to discriminate the polarity of linear templates at the single-molecule level. Single-stranded oligonucleotide primers were designed to allow loop formation while retaining 3'-single-strand extensions to facilitate primer annealing to the template. Following a DNA polymerase extension, the labelled templates were shown to have the ability to form open promoter complexes on a model nested gene template using two Escherichia coli RNA polymerases in a convergent transcription arrangement. Analysis of the AFM images indicates that the added loops have no effect on the ability of the promoters to recruit RNA polymerase. This labelling strategy is proposed as a generic methodology for end-labelling linear DNA for studying DNA-protein interactions by AFM.
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Affiliation(s)
- Daniel J. Billingsley
- School of Physics and Astronomy and Department of Oral Biology, Leeds Dental Institute, University of Leeds, Woodhouse Lane, Leeds, West Yorkshire, LS2 9JT, UK
| | - Neal Crampton
- School of Physics and Astronomy and Department of Oral Biology, Leeds Dental Institute, University of Leeds, Woodhouse Lane, Leeds, West Yorkshire, LS2 9JT, UK
| | - Jennifer Kirkham
- School of Physics and Astronomy and Department of Oral Biology, Leeds Dental Institute, University of Leeds, Woodhouse Lane, Leeds, West Yorkshire, LS2 9JT, UK
| | - Neil H. Thomson
- School of Physics and Astronomy and Department of Oral Biology, Leeds Dental Institute, University of Leeds, Woodhouse Lane, Leeds, West Yorkshire, LS2 9JT, UK
| | - William A. Bonass
- School of Physics and Astronomy and Department of Oral Biology, Leeds Dental Institute, University of Leeds, Woodhouse Lane, Leeds, West Yorkshire, LS2 9JT, UK
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Townson SA, Samuelson JC, Bao Y, Xu SY, Aggarwal AK. BstYI Bound to Noncognate DNA Reveals a “Hemispecific” Complex: Implications for DNA Scanning. Structure 2007; 15:449-59. [PMID: 17437717 DOI: 10.1016/j.str.2007.03.002] [Citation(s) in RCA: 26] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/23/2007] [Revised: 03/02/2007] [Accepted: 03/05/2007] [Indexed: 11/20/2022]
Abstract
DNA recognition by proteins is essential for specific expression of genes in a living organism. En route to a target DNA site, a protein will often sample noncognate DNA sites through nonspecific protein-DNA interactions, resulting in a variety of conformationally different binding states. We present here the crystal structure of endonuclease BstYI bound to a noncognate DNA. Surprisingly, the structure reveals the enzyme in a "hemispecific" binding state on the pathway between nonspecific and specific recognition. A single base pair change in the DNA abolishes binding of only one monomer, with the second monomer bound specifically. We show that the enzyme binds essentially as a rigid body, and that one end of the DNA is accommodated loosely in the binding cleft while the other end is held tightly. Another intriguing feature of the structure is Ser172, which has a dual role in establishing nonspecific and specific contacts. Taken together, the structure provides a snapshot of an enzyme in a "paused" intermediate state that may be part of a more general mechanism of scanning DNA.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sharon A Townson
- Department of Structural and Chemical Biology, Mount Sinai School of Medicine, 1425 Madison Avenue, New York, NY 10029, USA
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