1
|
Cao X, Zhang Y, Ding Y, Wan Y. Identification of RNA structures and their roles in RNA functions. Nat Rev Mol Cell Biol 2024; 25:784-801. [PMID: 38926530 DOI: 10.1038/s41580-024-00748-6] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 05/28/2024] [Indexed: 06/28/2024]
Abstract
The development of high-throughput RNA structure profiling methods in the past decade has greatly facilitated our ability to map and characterize different aspects of RNA structures transcriptome-wide in cell populations, single cells and single molecules. The resulting high-resolution data have provided insights into the static and dynamic nature of RNA structures, revealing their complexity as they perform their respective functions in the cell. In this Review, we discuss recent technical advances in the determination of RNA structures, and the roles of RNA structures in RNA biogenesis and functions, including in transcription, processing, translation, degradation, localization and RNA structure-dependent condensates. We also discuss the current understanding of how RNA structures could guide drug design for treating genetic diseases and battling pathogenic viruses, and highlight existing challenges and future directions in RNA structure research.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Xinang Cao
- Stem Cell and Regenerative Biology, Genome Institute of Singapore, Singapore, Singapore
| | - Yueying Zhang
- Department of Cell and Developmental Biology, John Innes Centre, Norwich, UK
| | - Yiliang Ding
- Department of Cell and Developmental Biology, John Innes Centre, Norwich, UK.
| | - Yue Wan
- Stem Cell and Regenerative Biology, Genome Institute of Singapore, Singapore, Singapore.
- Department of Biochemistry, Yong Loo Lin School of Medicine, National University of Singapore, Singapore, Singapore.
| |
Collapse
|
2
|
Hall I, Zablock K, Sobetski R, Weidmann CA, Keane SC. Functional Validation of SAM Riboswitch Element A from Listeria monocytogenes. Biochemistry 2024. [PMID: 39323220 DOI: 10.1021/acs.biochem.4c00247] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 09/27/2024]
Abstract
SreA is one of seven candidate S-adenosyl methionine (SAM) class I riboswitches identified in Listeria monocytogenes, a saprophyte and opportunistic foodborne pathogen. SreA precedes genes encoding a methionine ATP-binding cassette (ABC) transporter, which imports methionine and is presumed to regulate transcription of its downstream genes in a SAM-dependent manner. The proposed role of SreA in controlling the transcription of genes encoding an ABC transporter complex may have important implications for how the bacteria senses and responds to the availability of the metabolite SAM in the diverse environments in which L. monocytogenes persists. Here we validate SreA as a functional SAM-I riboswitch through ligand binding studies, structure characterization, and transcription termination assays. We determined that SreA has both a structure and SAM binding properties similar to those of other well-characterized SAM-I riboswitches. Despite the apparent structural similarities to previously described SAM-I riboswitches, SreA induces transcription termination in response to comparatively lower (nanomolar) ligand concentrations. Furthermore, SreA is a leaky riboswitch that permits some transcription of the downstream gene even in the presence of millimolar SAM, suggesting that L. monocytogenes may "dampen" the expression of genes for methionine import but likely does not turn them "OFF".
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Ian Hall
- Department of Chemistry, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, Michigan 48109, United States
| | - Kaitlyn Zablock
- Department of Chemistry, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, Michigan 48109, United States
| | - Raeleen Sobetski
- Program in Biophysics, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, Michigan 48109, United States
| | - Chase A Weidmann
- Department of Biological Chemistry, Center for RNA Biomedicine, Rogel Cancer Center, University of Michigan Medical School, Ann Arbor, Michigan 48109, United States
| | - Sarah C Keane
- Department of Chemistry, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, Michigan 48109, United States
- Program in Biophysics, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, Michigan 48109, United States
| |
Collapse
|
3
|
Morón Á, Ortiz-Miravalles L, Peñalver M, García-Del Portillo F, Pucciarelli MG, Ortega AD. Rli51 Attenuates Transcription of the Listeria Pathogenicity Island 1 Gene mpl and Functions as a Trans-Acting sRNA in Intracellular Bacteria. Int J Mol Sci 2024; 25:9380. [PMID: 39273334 PMCID: PMC11394854 DOI: 10.3390/ijms25179380] [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: 07/25/2024] [Revised: 08/21/2024] [Accepted: 08/26/2024] [Indexed: 09/15/2024] Open
Abstract
Listeria pathogenicity island 1 (LIPI-1) is a genetic region containing a cluster of genes essential for virulence of the bacterial pathogen Listeria monocytogenes. Main virulence factors in LIPI-1 include long 5' untranslated regions (5'UTRs), among which is Rli51, a small RNA (sRNA) in the 5'UTR of the Zn-metalloprotease-coding mpl. So far, Rli51 function and molecular mechanisms have remained obscure. Here, we show that Rli51 exhibits a dual mechanism of regulation, functioning as a cis- and as a trans-acting sRNA. Under nutrient-rich conditions, rli51-mpl transcription is prematurely terminated, releasing a short 121-nucleotide-long sRNA. Rli51 is predicted to function as a transcription attenuator that can fold into either a terminator or a thermodynamically more stable antiterminator. We show that the sRNA Rli21/RliI binds to a single-stranded RNA loop in Rli51, which is essential to mediate premature transcription termination, suggesting that sRNA binding could stabilize the terminator fold. During intracellular infection, rli51 transcription is increased, which generates a higher abundance of the short Rli51 sRNA and allows for transcriptional read-through into mpl. Comparative intracellular bacterial transcriptomics in rli51-null mutants and the wild-type reference strain EGD-e suggests that Rli51 upregulates iron-scavenging proteins and downregulates virulence factors from LIPI-1. MS2 affinity purification confirmed that Rli51 binds transcripts of the heme-binding protein Lmo2186 and Lmo0937 in vivo. These results prove that Rli51 functions as a trans-acting sRNA in intracellular bacteria. Our research shows a growth condition-dependent mechanism of regulation for Rli51, preventing unintended mpl transcription in extracellular bacteria and regulating genes important for virulence in intracellular bacteria.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Álvaro Morón
- Department of Cell Biology, Facultad de Ciencias Biológicas, Universidad Complutense de Madrid, 28040 Madrid, Spain
- Laboratory of Intracellular Bacterial Pathogens, National Centre for Biotechnology (CNB)-CSIC, 28049 Madrid, Spain
| | - Laura Ortiz-Miravalles
- Laboratory of Intracellular Bacterial Pathogens, National Centre for Biotechnology (CNB)-CSIC, 28049 Madrid, Spain
- Department of Molecular Biology, Universidad Autónoma de Madrid, Centro de Biologia Molecular Severo Ochoa (CBM) CSIC-UAM, 28049 Madrid, Spain
| | - Marcos Peñalver
- Laboratory of Intracellular Bacterial Pathogens, National Centre for Biotechnology (CNB)-CSIC, 28049 Madrid, Spain
- Department of Molecular Biology, Universidad Autónoma de Madrid, Centro de Biologia Molecular Severo Ochoa (CBM) CSIC-UAM, 28049 Madrid, Spain
| | | | - M Graciela Pucciarelli
- Laboratory of Intracellular Bacterial Pathogens, National Centre for Biotechnology (CNB)-CSIC, 28049 Madrid, Spain
- Department of Molecular Biology, Universidad Autónoma de Madrid, Centro de Biologia Molecular Severo Ochoa (CBM) CSIC-UAM, 28049 Madrid, Spain
| | - Alvaro Darío Ortega
- Department of Cell Biology, Facultad de Ciencias Biológicas, Universidad Complutense de Madrid, 28040 Madrid, Spain
- Department of Molecular Biology, Universidad Autónoma de Madrid, Centro de Biologia Molecular Severo Ochoa (CBM) CSIC-UAM, 28049 Madrid, Spain
| |
Collapse
|
4
|
Hua C, Huang J, Sun Y, Wang T, Li Y, Cui Z, Deng X. Hfq mediates transcriptome-wide RNA structurome reprogramming under virulence-inducing conditions in a phytopathogen. Cell Rep 2024; 43:114544. [PMID: 39052478 DOI: 10.1016/j.celrep.2024.114544] [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: 01/12/2024] [Revised: 05/27/2024] [Accepted: 07/10/2024] [Indexed: 07/27/2024] Open
Abstract
Although RNA structures play important roles in regulating gene expression, the mechanism and function of mRNA folding in plant bacterial pathogens remain elusive. Therefore, we perform dimethyl sulfate sequencing (DMS-seq) on the Pseudomonas syringae under nutrition-rich and -deficient conditions, revealing that the mRNA structure changes substantially in the minimal medium (MM) that tunes global translation efficiency (TE), thereby inducing virulence. This process is led by the increased expression of hfq, which is directly activated by transcription regulators RpoS and CysB. The co-occurrence of Hfq and RpoS in diverse bacteria and the deep conservation of Hfq Y25 is critical for RNA-mediated regulation and implicates the wider biological importance of mRNA structure and feedback loops in the control of global gene expression.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Canfeng Hua
- Department of Biomedical Sciences, City University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong, China
| | - Jiadai Huang
- Department of Biomedical Sciences, City University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong, China
| | - Yue Sun
- Department of Biomedical Sciences, City University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong, China
| | - Tingting Wang
- Department of Biomedical Sciences, City University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong, China
| | - Youyue Li
- Department of Biomedical Sciences, City University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong, China
| | - Zining Cui
- National Key Laboratory of Green Pesticide, Integrative Microbiology Research Center, Guangdong Province Key Laboratory of Microbial Signals and Disease Control, College of Plant Protection, South China Agricultural University, Guangzhou, China
| | - Xin Deng
- Department of Biomedical Sciences, City University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong, China; Shenzhen Research Institute, City University of Hong Kong, Shenzhen, Guangdong, China; Tung Biomedical Sciences Center, City University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong, China.
| |
Collapse
|
5
|
Roncarati D, Vannini A, Scarlato V. Temperature sensing and virulence regulation in pathogenic bacteria. Trends Microbiol 2024:S0966-842X(24)00180-X. [PMID: 39164134 DOI: 10.1016/j.tim.2024.07.009] [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: 06/06/2024] [Revised: 07/16/2024] [Accepted: 07/23/2024] [Indexed: 08/22/2024]
Abstract
Pathogenic bacteria can detect a variety of environmental signals, including temperature changes. While sudden and significant temperature variations act as danger signals that trigger a protective heat-shock response, minor temperature fluctuations typically signal to the pathogen that it has moved from one environment to another, such as entering a specific niche within a host during infection. These latter temperature fluctuations are utilized by pathogens to coordinate the expression of crucial virulence factors. Here, we elucidate the critical role of temperature in governing the expression of virulence factors in bacterial pathogens. Moreover, we outline the molecular mechanisms used by pathogens to detect temperature fluctuations, focusing on systems that employ proteins and nucleic acids as sensory devices. We also discuss the potential implications and the extent of the risk that climate change poses to human pathogenic diseases.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Davide Roncarati
- Department of Pharmacy and Biotechnology (FaBiT), Alma Mater Studiorum - University of Bologna, Bologna, Italy.
| | - Andrea Vannini
- Department of Pharmacy and Biotechnology (FaBiT), Alma Mater Studiorum - University of Bologna, Bologna, Italy
| | - Vincenzo Scarlato
- Department of Pharmacy and Biotechnology (FaBiT), Alma Mater Studiorum - University of Bologna, Bologna, Italy
| |
Collapse
|
6
|
Kader Chowdhury QMM, Islam S, Narayanan L, Ogunleye SC, Wang S, Thu D, Freitag NE, Lawrence ML, Abdelhamed H. An insight into the role of branched-chain α-keto acid dehydrogenase (BKD) complex in branched-chain fatty acid biosynthesis and virulence of Listeria monocytogenes. J Bacteriol 2024; 206:e0003324. [PMID: 38899896 PMCID: PMC11270904 DOI: 10.1128/jb.00033-24] [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: 02/02/2024] [Accepted: 05/31/2024] [Indexed: 06/21/2024] Open
Abstract
Listeria monocytogenes is a foodborne bacterial pathogen that causes listeriosis. Positive regulatory factor A (PrfA) is a pleiotropic master activator of virulence genes of L. monocytogenes that becomes active upon the entry of the bacterium into the cytosol of infected cells. L. monocytogenes can survive and multiply at low temperatures; this is accomplished through the maintenance of appropriate membrane fluidity via branched-chain fatty acid (BCFA) synthesis. Branched-chain α-keto acid dehydrogenase (BKD), which is composed of four polypeptides encoded by lpd, bkdA1, bkdA2, and bkdB, is known to play a vital role in BCFA biosynthesis. Here, we constructed BKD-deficient Listeria strains by in-frame deletion of lpd, bkdA1, bkdA2, and bkdB genes. To determine the role in in vivo and in vitro, mouse model challenges, plaque assay in murine L2 fibroblast, and intracellular replication in J744A.1 macrophage were conducted. BKD-deficient strains exhibited defects in BCFA composition, virulence, and PrfA-regulon function within the host cells. Transcriptomics analysis revealed that the transcript level of the PrfA-regulon was lower in ΔbkdA1 strain than those in the wild-type. This study demonstrates that L. monocytogenes strains lacking BKD complex components were defective in PrfA-regulon function, and full activation of wild-type prfA may not occur within host cells in the absence of BKD. Further study will investigate the consequences of BKD deletion on PrfA function through altering BCFA catabolism.IMPORTANCEListeria monocytogenes is the causative agent of listeriosis, a disease with a high mortality rate. In this study, we have shown that the deletion of BKD can impact the function of PrfA and the PrfA-regulon. The production of virulence proteins within host cells is necessary for L. monocytogenes to promote its intracellular survival and is likely dependent on membrane integrity. We thus report a link between L. monocytogenes membrane integrity and the function of PrfA. This knowledge will increase our understanding of L. monocytogenes pathogenesis, which may provide insight into the development of antimicrobial agents.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Q M Monzur Kader Chowdhury
- Department of Comparative Biomedical Sciences, College of Veterinary Medicine, Mississippi State University, Mississippi State, Mississippi, USA
| | - Shamima Islam
- Department of Comparative Biomedical Sciences, College of Veterinary Medicine, Mississippi State University, Mississippi State, Mississippi, USA
| | - Lakshmi Narayanan
- Department of Comparative Biomedical Sciences, College of Veterinary Medicine, Mississippi State University, Mississippi State, Mississippi, USA
| | - Seto C. Ogunleye
- Department of Comparative Biomedical Sciences, College of Veterinary Medicine, Mississippi State University, Mississippi State, Mississippi, USA
| | - Shangshang Wang
- Department of Animal and Dairy Sciences, Mississippi State University, Mississippi State, Mississippi, USA
| | - Dinh Thu
- Tyson Foods, R&D Ingredient Solutions, Springdale, Arkansas, USA
| | - Nancy E. Freitag
- Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences, University of Illinois at Chicago, Chicago, Illinois, USA
| | - Mark L. Lawrence
- Department of Comparative Biomedical Sciences, College of Veterinary Medicine, Mississippi State University, Mississippi State, Mississippi, USA
| | - Hossam Abdelhamed
- Department of Comparative Biomedical Sciences, College of Veterinary Medicine, Mississippi State University, Mississippi State, Mississippi, USA
| |
Collapse
|
7
|
Feltham L, Moran J, Goldrick M, Lord E, Spiller DG, Cavet JS, Muldoon M, Roberts IS, Paszek P. Bacterial aggregation facilitates internalin-mediated invasion of Listeria monocytogenes. Front Cell Infect Microbiol 2024; 14:1411124. [PMID: 39045131 PMCID: PMC11263170 DOI: 10.3389/fcimb.2024.1411124] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/02/2024] [Accepted: 06/24/2024] [Indexed: 07/25/2024] Open
Abstract
Dissemination of food-borne L. monocytogenes in the host relies on internalin-mediated invasion, but the underlying invasion strategies remain elusive. Here we use live-cell microscopy to follow single cell interactions between individual human cells and L. monocytogenes and elucidate mechanisms associated with internalin B (InlB)-mediated invasion. We demonstrate that whilst a replicative invasion of nonphagocytic cells is a rare event even at high multiplicities of invasion, L. monocytogenes overcomes this by utilising a strategy relaying on PrfA-mediated ActA-based aggregation. We show that L. monocytogenes forms aggregates in extracellular host cell environment, which promote approximately 5-fold more host cell adhesions than the non-aggregating actA-ΔC mutant (which lacks the C-terminus coding region), with the adhering bacteria inducing 3-fold more intracellular invasions. Aggregation is associated with robust MET tyrosine kinase receptor clustering in the host cells, a hallmark of InlB-mediated invasion, something not observed with the actA-ΔC mutant. Finally, we show via RNA-seq analyses that aggregation involves a global adaptive response to host cell environment (including iron depletion), resulting in metabolic changes in L. monocytogenes and upregulation of the PrfA virulence regulon. Overall, our analyses provide new mechanistic insights into internalin-mediated host-pathogen interactions of L. monocytogenes.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Liam Feltham
- School of Biology, Faculty of Biology, Medicine and Health, University of Manchester, Manchester Academic Health Science Centre, Manchester, United Kingdom
| | - Josephine Moran
- School of Biology, Faculty of Biology, Medicine and Health, University of Manchester, Manchester Academic Health Science Centre, Manchester, United Kingdom
| | - Marie Goldrick
- School of Biology, Faculty of Biology, Medicine and Health, University of Manchester, Manchester Academic Health Science Centre, Manchester, United Kingdom
| | - Elizabeth Lord
- School of Biology, Faculty of Biology, Medicine and Health, University of Manchester, Manchester Academic Health Science Centre, Manchester, United Kingdom
| | - David G. Spiller
- School of Biology, Faculty of Biology, Medicine and Health, University of Manchester, Manchester Academic Health Science Centre, Manchester, United Kingdom
| | - Jennifer S. Cavet
- School of Biology, Faculty of Biology, Medicine and Health, University of Manchester, Manchester Academic Health Science Centre, Manchester, United Kingdom
| | - Mark Muldoon
- Department of Mathematics, University of Manchester, Manchester, United Kingdom
| | - Ian. S. Roberts
- School of Biology, Faculty of Biology, Medicine and Health, University of Manchester, Manchester Academic Health Science Centre, Manchester, United Kingdom
| | - Pawel Paszek
- School of Biology, Faculty of Biology, Medicine and Health, University of Manchester, Manchester Academic Health Science Centre, Manchester, United Kingdom
- Institute of Fundamental Technological Research, Polish Academy of Sciences, Warsaw, Poland
| |
Collapse
|
8
|
Koksaldi I, Park D, Atilla A, Kang H, Kim J, Seker UOS. RNA-Based Sensor Systems for Affordable Diagnostics in the Age of Pandemics. ACS Synth Biol 2024; 13:1026-1037. [PMID: 38588603 PMCID: PMC11036506 DOI: 10.1021/acssynbio.3c00698] [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: 11/21/2023] [Revised: 03/25/2024] [Accepted: 03/25/2024] [Indexed: 04/10/2024]
Abstract
In the era of the COVID-19 pandemic, the significance of point-of-care (POC) diagnostic tools has become increasingly vital, driven by the need for quick and precise virus identification. RNA-based sensors, particularly toehold sensors, have emerged as promising candidates for POC detection systems due to their selectivity and sensitivity. Toehold sensors operate by employing an RNA switch that changes the conformation when it binds to a target RNA molecule, resulting in a detectable signal. This review focuses on the development and deployment of RNA-based sensors for POC viral RNA detection with a particular emphasis on toehold sensors. The benefits and limits of toehold sensors are explored, and obstacles and future directions for improving their performance within POC detection systems are presented. The use of RNA-based sensors as a technology for rapid and sensitive detection of viral RNA holds great potential for effectively managing (dealing/coping) with present and future pandemics in resource-constrained settings.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Ilkay
Cisil Koksaldi
- UNAM
− Institute of Materials Science and Nanotechnology, National
Nanotechnology Research Center (UNAM), Bilkent
University, Ankara 06800, Turkey
| | - Dongwon Park
- Department
of Life Sciences, Pohang University of Science
and Technology, Pohang 37673, South Korea
| | - Abdurahman Atilla
- UNAM
− Institute of Materials Science and Nanotechnology, National
Nanotechnology Research Center (UNAM), Bilkent
University, Ankara 06800, Turkey
| | - Hansol Kang
- Department
of Life Sciences, Pohang University of Science
and Technology, Pohang 37673, South Korea
| | - Jongmin Kim
- Department
of Life Sciences, Pohang University of Science
and Technology, Pohang 37673, South Korea
| | - Urartu Ozgur Safak Seker
- UNAM
− Institute of Materials Science and Nanotechnology, National
Nanotechnology Research Center (UNAM), Bilkent
University, Ankara 06800, Turkey
| |
Collapse
|
9
|
Balcerowicz M, Wigge PA, Di Antonio M, Chung B. Monitoring Real-Time Temperature Dynamics of a Short RNA Hairpin Using Förster Resonance Energy Transfer and Circular Dichroism. Methods Mol Biol 2024; 2795:149-158. [PMID: 38594536 DOI: 10.1007/978-1-0716-3814-9_15] [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] [Indexed: 04/11/2024]
Abstract
RNA molecules play crucial roles in gene expression regulation and cellular signaling, and these functions are governed by the formation of RNA secondary and tertiary structures. These structures are highly dynamic and subject to rapid changes in response to environmental cues, temperature in particular. Thermosensitive RNA secondary structures have been harnessed by multiple organisms to survey their temperature environment and to adjust gene expression accordingly. It is thus highly desirable to observe RNA structural changes in real time over a range of temperatures. Multiple approaches have been developed to study structural dynamics, but many of these require extensive processing of the RNA, large amounts of RNA input, and/or cannot be applied under physiological conditions. Here, we describe the use of a dually fluorescently labeled RNA oligonucleotide (containing a predicted hairpin structure) to monitor subtle RNA structural dynamics in vitro by Förster resonance energy transfer (FRET) and circular dichroism (CD) spectroscopy. These approaches can be employed under physiologically relevant conditions over a range of temperatures and with RNA concentrations as low as 200 nM; they enable us to observe RNA structural dynamics in real time and to correlate these dynamics with changes in biological processes such as translation.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Martin Balcerowicz
- Division of Plant Sciences, University of Dundee at the James Hutton Institute, Dundee, UK.
| | - Philip A Wigge
- Leibniz Institute for Vegetable and Ornamental Crops (IGZ), Grossbeeren, Germany
| | - Marco Di Antonio
- Imperial College London, Chemistry Department, Molecular Science Research Hub, London, UK.
- The Institute of Chemical Biology (ICB), Molecular Science Research Hub, London, UK.
- The Francis Crick Institute, London, UK.
| | - Betty Chung
- Department of Pathology, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, UK.
| |
Collapse
|
10
|
Meireles D, Pombinho R, Cabanes D. Signals behind Listeria monocytogenes virulence mechanisms. Gut Microbes 2024; 16:2369564. [PMID: 38979800 PMCID: PMC11236296 DOI: 10.1080/19490976.2024.2369564] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/16/2024] [Accepted: 06/13/2024] [Indexed: 07/10/2024] Open
Abstract
The tight and coordinated regulation of virulence gene expression is crucial to ensure the survival and persistence of bacterial pathogens in different contexts within their hosts. Considering this, bacteria do not express virulence factors homogenously in time and space, either due to their associated fitness cost or to their detrimental effect at specific infection stages. To efficiently infect and persist into their hosts, bacteria have thus to monitor environmental cues or chemical cell-to-cell signaling mechanisms that allow their transition from the external environment to the host, and therefore adjust gene expression levels, intrinsic biological activities, and appropriate behaviors. Listeria monocytogenes (Lm), a major Gram-positive facultative intracellular pathogen, stands out for its adaptability and capacity to thrive in a wide range of environments. Because of that, Lm presents itself as a significant concern in food safety and public health, that can lead to potentially life-threatening infections in humans. A deeper understanding of the intricate bacterial virulence mechanisms and the signals that control them provide valuable insights into the dynamic interplay between Lm and the host. Therefore, this review addresses the role of some crucial signals behind Lm pathogenic virulence mechanisms and explores how the ability to assimilate and interpret these signals is fundamental for pathogenesis, identifying potential targets for innovative antimicrobial strategies.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Diana Meireles
- Instituto de Investigação e Inovação em Saúde, Porto, Portugal
- Group of Molecular Microbiology, IBMC, Porto, Portugal
- Instituto de Ciências Biomédicas Abel Salazar – ICBAS, Porto, Portugal
| | - Rita Pombinho
- Instituto de Investigação e Inovação em Saúde, Porto, Portugal
- Group of Molecular Microbiology, IBMC, Porto, Portugal
| | - Didier Cabanes
- Instituto de Investigação e Inovação em Saúde, Porto, Portugal
- Group of Molecular Microbiology, IBMC, Porto, Portugal
| |
Collapse
|
11
|
Wadsworth GM, Zahurancik WJ, Zeng X, Pullara P, Lai LB, Sidharthan V, Pappu RV, Gopalan V, Banerjee PR. RNAs undergo phase transitions with lower critical solution temperatures. Nat Chem 2023; 15:1693-1704. [PMID: 37932412 PMCID: PMC10872781 DOI: 10.1038/s41557-023-01353-4] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/19/2022] [Accepted: 09/19/2023] [Indexed: 11/08/2023]
Abstract
Co-phase separation of RNAs and RNA-binding proteins drives the biogenesis of ribonucleoprotein granules. RNAs can also undergo phase transitions in the absence of proteins. However, the physicochemical driving forces of protein-free, RNA-driven phase transitions remain unclear. Here we report that various types of RNA undergo phase separation with system-specific lower critical solution temperatures. This entropically driven phase separation is an intrinsic feature of the phosphate backbone that requires Mg2+ ions and is modulated by RNA bases. RNA-only condensates can additionally undergo enthalpically favourable percolation transitions within dense phases. This is enabled by a combination of Mg2+-dependent bridging interactions between phosphate groups and RNA-specific base stacking and base pairing. Phase separation coupled to percolation can cause dynamic arrest of RNAs within condensates and suppress the catalytic activity of an RNase P ribozyme. Our work highlights the need to incorporate RNA-driven phase transitions into models for ribonucleoprotein granule biogenesis.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Gable M Wadsworth
- Department of Physics, The State University of New York at Buffalo, Buffalo, NY, USA
| | - Walter J Zahurancik
- Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, Center for RNA Biology, The Ohio State University, Columbus, OH, USA
| | - Xiangze Zeng
- Department of Biomedical Engineering and Center for Biomolecular Condensates, Washington University in St. Louis, St. Louis, MO, USA
- Department of Physics, Hong Kong Baptist University, Hong Kong, China
- Teaching and Research Division, School of Chinese Medicine, Hong Kong Baptist University, Hong Kong, China
| | - Paul Pullara
- Department of Physics, The State University of New York at Buffalo, Buffalo, NY, USA
| | - Lien B Lai
- Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, Center for RNA Biology, The Ohio State University, Columbus, OH, USA
| | - Vaishnavi Sidharthan
- Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, Center for RNA Biology, The Ohio State University, Columbus, OH, USA
| | - Rohit V Pappu
- Department of Biomedical Engineering and Center for Biomolecular Condensates, Washington University in St. Louis, St. Louis, MO, USA.
| | - Venkat Gopalan
- Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, Center for RNA Biology, The Ohio State University, Columbus, OH, USA.
| | - Priya R Banerjee
- Department of Physics, The State University of New York at Buffalo, Buffalo, NY, USA.
| |
Collapse
|
12
|
Chung KP, Loiacono FV, Neupert J, Wu M, Bock R. An RNA thermometer in the chloroplast genome of Chlamydomonas facilitates temperature-controlled gene expression. Nucleic Acids Res 2023; 51:11386-11400. [PMID: 37855670 PMCID: PMC10639063 DOI: 10.1093/nar/gkad816] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/31/2023] [Revised: 09/01/2023] [Accepted: 09/20/2023] [Indexed: 10/20/2023] Open
Abstract
Riboregulators such as riboswitches and RNA thermometers provide simple, protein-independent tools to control gene expression at the post-transcriptional level. In bacteria, RNA thermometers regulate protein synthesis in response to temperature shifts. Thermometers outside of the bacterial world are rare, and in organellar genomes, no RNA thermometers have been identified to date. Here we report the discovery of an RNA thermometer in a chloroplast gene of the unicellular green alga Chlamydomonas reinhardtii. The thermometer, residing in the 5' untranslated region of the psaA messenger RNA forms a hairpin-type secondary structure that masks the Shine-Dalgarno sequence at 25°C. At 40°C, melting of the secondary structure increases accessibility of the Shine-Dalgarno sequence to initiating ribosomes, thus enhancing protein synthesis. By targeted nucleotide substitutions and transfer of the thermometer into Escherichia coli, we show that the secondary structure is necessary and sufficient to confer the thermometer properties. We also demonstrate that the thermometer provides a valuable tool for inducible transgene expression from the Chlamydomonas plastid genome, in that a simple temperature shift of the algal culture can greatly increase recombinant protein yields.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Kin Pan Chung
- Max-Planck-Institut für Molekulare Pflanzenphysiologie, Department Organelle Biology, Biotechnology and Molecular Ecophysiology, Am Mühlenberg 1, D-14476 Potsdam-Golm, Germany
| | - F Vanessa Loiacono
- Max-Planck-Institut für Molekulare Pflanzenphysiologie, Department Organelle Biology, Biotechnology and Molecular Ecophysiology, Am Mühlenberg 1, D-14476 Potsdam-Golm, Germany
| | - Juliane Neupert
- Max-Planck-Institut für Molekulare Pflanzenphysiologie, Department Organelle Biology, Biotechnology and Molecular Ecophysiology, Am Mühlenberg 1, D-14476 Potsdam-Golm, Germany
| | - Mengting Wu
- Max-Planck-Institut für Molekulare Pflanzenphysiologie, Department Organelle Biology, Biotechnology and Molecular Ecophysiology, Am Mühlenberg 1, D-14476 Potsdam-Golm, Germany
| | - Ralph Bock
- Max-Planck-Institut für Molekulare Pflanzenphysiologie, Department Organelle Biology, Biotechnology and Molecular Ecophysiology, Am Mühlenberg 1, D-14476 Potsdam-Golm, Germany
| |
Collapse
|
13
|
Cossart P. Raising a Bacterium to the Rank of a Model System: The Listeria Paradigm. Annu Rev Microbiol 2023; 77:1-22. [PMID: 37713460 DOI: 10.1146/annurev-micro-110422-112841] [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] [Indexed: 09/17/2023]
Abstract
My scientific career has resulted from key decisions and reorientations, sometimes taken rapidly but not always, guided by discussions or collaborations with amazing individuals from whom I learnt a lot scientifically and humanly. I had never anticipated that I would accomplish so much in what appeared as terra incognita when I started to interrogate the mechanisms underlying the virulence of the bacterium Listeria monocytogenes. All this has been possible thanks to a number of talented team members who ultimately became friends.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Pascale Cossart
- Department of Cell Biology and Infection, Institut Pasteur, Paris, France;
| |
Collapse
|
14
|
Xu J, Hou J, Ding M, Wang Z, Chen T. Riboswitches, from cognition to transformation. Synth Syst Biotechnol 2023; 8:357-370. [PMID: 37325181 PMCID: PMC10265488 DOI: 10.1016/j.synbio.2023.05.008] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/01/2023] [Revised: 05/20/2023] [Accepted: 05/25/2023] [Indexed: 06/17/2023] Open
Abstract
Riboswitches are functional RNA elements that regulate gene expression by directly detecting metabolites. Twenty years have passed since it was first discovered, researches on riboswitches are becoming increasingly standardized and refined, which could significantly promote people's cognition of RNA function as well. Here, we focus on some representative orphan riboswitches, enumerate the structural and functional transformation and artificial design of riboswitches including the coupling with ribozymes, hoping to attain a comprehensive understanding of riboswitch research.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Jingdong Xu
- School of Chemical Engineering and Technology, Tianjin University, Tianjin, 300350, China
- Frontier Science Center for Synthetic Biology, Key Laboratory of Systems Bioengineering, Ministry of Education, Tianjin, 300350, China
- Collaborative Innovation Center of Chemical Science and Engineering, Tianjin, 300350, China
| | - Junyuan Hou
- School of Chemical Engineering and Technology, Tianjin University, Tianjin, 300350, China
- Frontier Science Center for Synthetic Biology, Key Laboratory of Systems Bioengineering, Ministry of Education, Tianjin, 300350, China
- Collaborative Innovation Center of Chemical Science and Engineering, Tianjin, 300350, China
| | - Mengnan Ding
- School of Chemical Engineering and Technology, Tianjin University, Tianjin, 300350, China
- Frontier Science Center for Synthetic Biology, Key Laboratory of Systems Bioengineering, Ministry of Education, Tianjin, 300350, China
- Collaborative Innovation Center of Chemical Science and Engineering, Tianjin, 300350, China
| | - Zhiwen Wang
- School of Chemical Engineering and Technology, Tianjin University, Tianjin, 300350, China
- Frontier Science Center for Synthetic Biology, Key Laboratory of Systems Bioengineering, Ministry of Education, Tianjin, 300350, China
- Collaborative Innovation Center of Chemical Science and Engineering, Tianjin, 300350, China
| | - Tao Chen
- School of Chemical Engineering and Technology, Tianjin University, Tianjin, 300350, China
- Frontier Science Center for Synthetic Biology, Key Laboratory of Systems Bioengineering, Ministry of Education, Tianjin, 300350, China
- Collaborative Innovation Center of Chemical Science and Engineering, Tianjin, 300350, China
| |
Collapse
|
15
|
Moran J, Feltham L, Bagnall J, Goldrick M, Lord E, Nettleton C, Spiller DG, Roberts I, Paszek P. Live-cell imaging reveals single-cell and population-level infection strategies of Listeria monocytogenes in macrophages. Front Immunol 2023; 14:1235675. [PMID: 37675103 PMCID: PMC10478088 DOI: 10.3389/fimmu.2023.1235675] [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: 06/06/2023] [Accepted: 08/01/2023] [Indexed: 09/08/2023] Open
Abstract
Pathogens have developed intricate strategies to overcome the host's innate immune responses. In this paper we use live-cell microscopy with a single bacterium resolution to follow in real time interactions between the food-borne pathogen L. monocytogenes and host macrophages, a key event controlling the infection in vivo. We demonstrate that infection results in heterogeneous outcomes, with only a subset of bacteria able to establish a replicative invasion of macrophages. The fate of individual bacteria in the same host cell was independent from the host cell and non-cooperative, being independent from co-infecting bacteria. A higher multiplicity of infection resulted in a reduced probability of replication of the overall bacterial population. By use of internalisation assays and conditional probabilities to mathematically describe the two-stage invasion process, we demonstrate that the higher MOI compromises the ability of macrophages to phagocytose bacteria. We found that the rate of phagocytosis is mediated via the secreted Listeriolysin toxin (LLO), while the probability of replication of intracellular bacteria remained constant. Using strains expressing fluorescent reporters to follow transcription of either the LLO-encoding hly or actA genes, we show that replicative bacteria exhibited higher PrfA regulon expression in comparison to those bacteria that did not replicate, however elevated PrfA expression per se was not sufficient to increase the probability of replication. Overall, this demonstrates a new role for the population-level, but not single cell, PrfA-mediated activity to regulate outcomes of host pathogen interactions.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
| | | | | | | | | | | | | | - Ian Roberts
- School of Biology, Faculty of Biology, Medicine and Health, University of Manchester, Manchester Academic Health Science Centre, Manchester, United Kingdom
| | - Pawel Paszek
- School of Biology, Faculty of Biology, Medicine and Health, University of Manchester, Manchester Academic Health Science Centre, Manchester, United Kingdom
| |
Collapse
|
16
|
Scheller D, Becker F, Wimbert A, Meggers D, Pienkoß S, Twittenhoff C, Knoke LR, Leichert LI, Narberhaus F. The oxidative stress response, in particular the katY gene, is temperature-regulated in Yersinia pseudotuberculosis. PLoS Genet 2023; 19:e1010669. [PMID: 37428814 PMCID: PMC10358904 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pgen.1010669] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/15/2023] [Accepted: 06/12/2023] [Indexed: 07/12/2023] Open
Abstract
Pathogenic bacteria, such as Yersinia pseudotuberculosis encounter reactive oxygen species (ROS) as one of the first lines of defense in the mammalian host. In return, the bacteria react by mounting an oxidative stress response. Previous global RNA structure probing studies provided evidence for temperature-modulated RNA structures in the 5'-untranslated region (5'-UTR) of various oxidative stress response transcripts, suggesting that opening of these RNA thermometer (RNAT) structures at host-body temperature relieves translational repression. Here, we systematically analyzed the transcriptional and translational regulation of ROS defense genes by RNA-sequencing, qRT-PCR, translational reporter gene fusions, enzymatic RNA structure probing and toeprinting assays. Transcription of four ROS defense genes was upregulated at 37°C. The trxA gene is transcribed into two mRNA isoforms, of which the most abundant short one contains a functional RNAT. Biochemical assays validated temperature-responsive RNAT-like structures in the 5'-UTRs of sodB, sodC and katA. However, they barely conferred translational repression in Y. pseudotuberculosis at 25°C suggesting partially open structures available to the ribosome in the living cell. Around the translation initiation region of katY we discovered a novel, highly efficient RNAT that was primarily responsible for massive induction of KatY at 37°C. By phenotypic characterization of catalase mutants and through fluorometric real-time measurements of the redox-sensitive roGFP2-Orp1 reporter in these strains, we revealed KatA as the primary H2O2 scavenger. Consistent with the upregulation of katY, we observed an improved protection of Y. pseudotuberculosis at 37°C. Our findings suggest a multilayered regulation of the oxidative stress response in Yersinia and an important role of RNAT-controlled katY expression at host body temperature.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Daniel Scheller
- Ruhr University Bochum, Faculty of Biology and Biotechnology, Microbial Biology, Bochum, Germany
| | - Franziska Becker
- Ruhr University Bochum, Faculty of Biology and Biotechnology, Microbial Biology, Bochum, Germany
| | - Andrea Wimbert
- Ruhr University Bochum, Faculty of Biology and Biotechnology, Microbial Biology, Bochum, Germany
| | - Dominik Meggers
- Ruhr University Bochum, Faculty of Biology and Biotechnology, Microbial Biology, Bochum, Germany
| | - Stephan Pienkoß
- Ruhr University Bochum, Faculty of Biology and Biotechnology, Microbial Biology, Bochum, Germany
| | - Christian Twittenhoff
- Ruhr University Bochum, Faculty of Biology and Biotechnology, Microbial Biology, Bochum, Germany
| | - Lisa R Knoke
- Ruhr University Bochum, Faculty of Medicine, Institute of Biochemistry and Pathobiochemistry, Microbial Biochemistry, Bochum, Germany
| | - Lars I Leichert
- Ruhr University Bochum, Faculty of Medicine, Institute of Biochemistry and Pathobiochemistry, Microbial Biochemistry, Bochum, Germany
| | - Franz Narberhaus
- Ruhr University Bochum, Faculty of Biology and Biotechnology, Microbial Biology, Bochum, Germany
| |
Collapse
|
17
|
Assmann SM, Chou HL, Bevilacqua PC. Rock, scissors, paper: How RNA structure informs function. THE PLANT CELL 2023; 35:1671-1707. [PMID: 36747354 PMCID: PMC10226581 DOI: 10.1093/plcell/koad026] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 10.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/12/2022] [Revised: 01/05/2023] [Accepted: 01/30/2023] [Indexed: 05/30/2023]
Abstract
RNA can fold back on itself to adopt a wide range of structures. These range from relatively simple hairpins to intricate 3D folds and can be accompanied by regulatory interactions with both metabolites and macromolecules. The last 50 yr have witnessed elucidation of an astonishing array of RNA structures including transfer RNAs, ribozymes, riboswitches, the ribosome, the spliceosome, and most recently entire RNA structuromes. These advances in RNA structural biology have deepened insight into fundamental biological processes including gene editing, transcription, translation, and structure-based detection and response to temperature and other environmental signals. These discoveries reveal that RNA can be relatively static, like a rock; that it can have catalytic functions of cutting bonds, like scissors; and that it can adopt myriad functional shapes, like paper. We relate these extraordinary discoveries in the biology of RNA structure to the plant way of life. We trace plant-specific discovery of ribozymes and riboswitches, alternative splicing, organellar ribosomes, thermometers, whole-transcriptome structuromes and pan-structuromes, and conclude that plants have a special set of RNA structures that confer unique types of gene regulation. We finish with a consideration of future directions for the RNA structure-function field.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Sarah M Assmann
- Department of Biology, Pennsylvania State University, University Park, PA 16802, USA
- Center for RNA Molecular Biology, Pennsylvania State University, University Park, PA 16802, USA
| | - Hong-Li Chou
- Department of Biology, Pennsylvania State University, University Park, PA 16802, USA
| | - Philip C Bevilacqua
- Center for RNA Molecular Biology, Pennsylvania State University, University Park, PA 16802, USA
- Department of Chemistry, Pennsylvania State University, University Park, PA 16802, USA
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Pennsylvania State University, University Park, PA 16802, USA
| |
Collapse
|
18
|
Shah P, Ruan X, van Loon JJA, Dicke M. Temperature-modulated host-pathogen interactions between Hermetia illucens L. (Diptera: Stratiomyidae) and Pseudomonas protegens Pf-5. J Invertebr Pathol 2023; 198:107934. [PMID: 37169329 DOI: 10.1016/j.jip.2023.107934] [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: 03/14/2023] [Revised: 04/28/2023] [Accepted: 05/04/2023] [Indexed: 05/13/2023]
Abstract
Temperature is an important abiotic factor influencing the survival and fitness of pathogens as well as their hosts. We investigated the effect of three temperatures (18°C, 27°C and 37°C) on survival and performance of black soldier fly larvae (BSFL), Hermetia illucens L., upon infection by an entomopathogenic Gram-negative bacterium, Pseudomonas protegens Pf-5. The effect of different temperatures on pathogen fitness was investigated both in vivo and in vitro. Pathogen performance under exposure to the insect antimicrobial peptide cecropin was investigated at the three temperatures using radial-diffusion plate assays. Higher rearing temperatures resulted in higher larval survival, increased larval weight, and higher inhibitory activity of cecropin against P. protegens Pf-5. At higher temperature, bacterial growth, both in vivo and in vitro, was reduced, resulting in increased BSFL survival. These observations collectively indicate the important effect of rearing temperature on host-pathogen interactions and the possibility to apply temperature treatment in reducing entomopathogen effects in BSFL.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Parth Shah
- Laboratory of Entomology, Wageningen University & Research, 6700 AA Wageningen, The Netherlands
| | - Xinyan Ruan
- Laboratory of Entomology, Wageningen University & Research, 6700 AA Wageningen, The Netherlands
| | - Joop J A van Loon
- Laboratory of Entomology, Wageningen University & Research, 6700 AA Wageningen, The Netherlands
| | - Marcel Dicke
- Laboratory of Entomology, Wageningen University & Research, 6700 AA Wageningen, The Netherlands.
| |
Collapse
|
19
|
Oliveira AH, Tiensuu T, Guerreiro D, Tükenmez H, Dessaux C, García-Del Portillo F, O'Byrne C, Johansson J. The Virulence and Infectivity of Listeria monocytogenes Are Not Substantially Altered by Elevated SigB Activity. Infect Immun 2023:e0057122. [PMID: 37125941 DOI: 10.1128/iai.00571-22] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/02/2023] Open
Abstract
Listeria monocytogenes is a bacterial pathogen capable of causing severe infections but also thriving outside the host. To respond to different stress conditions, L. monocytogenes mainly utilizes the general stress response regulon, which largely is controlled by the alternative sigma factor Sigma B (SigB). In addition, SigB is important for virulence gene expression and infectivity. Upon encountering stress, a large multicomponent protein complex known as the stressosome becomes activated, ultimately leading to SigB activation. RsbX is a protein needed to reset a "stressed" stressosome and prevent unnecessary SigB activation in nonstressed conditions. Consequently, absence of RsbX leads to constitutive activation of SigB even without prevailing stress stimulus. To further examine the involvement of SigB in the virulence of this pathogen, we investigated whether a strain with constitutively active SigB would be affected in virulence factor expression and/or infectivity in cultured cells and in a chicken embryo infection model. Our results suggest that increased SigB activity does not substantially alter virulence gene expression compared with the wild-type (WT) strain at transcript and protein levels. Bacteria lacking RsbX were taken up by phagocytic and nonphagocytic cells at a similar frequency to WT bacteria, both in stressed and nonstressed conditions. Finally, the absence of RsbX only marginally affected the ability of bacteria to infect chicken embryos. Our results suggest only a minor role of RsbX in controlling virulence factor expression and infectivity under these conditions.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Ana H Oliveira
- Laboratory for Molecular Infection Medicine Sweden, Umeå University, Umeå, Sweden
- Department of Molecular Biology, Umeå University, Umeå, Sweden
- Umeå Centre of Microbial Research, Umeå University, Umeå, Sweden
| | - Teresa Tiensuu
- Laboratory for Molecular Infection Medicine Sweden, Umeå University, Umeå, Sweden
- Department of Molecular Biology, Umeå University, Umeå, Sweden
- Umeå Centre of Microbial Research, Umeå University, Umeå, Sweden
| | - Duarte Guerreiro
- Laboratory for Molecular Infection Medicine Sweden, Umeå University, Umeå, Sweden
- Department of Molecular Biology, Umeå University, Umeå, Sweden
- Umeå Centre of Microbial Research, Umeå University, Umeå, Sweden
- Bacterial Stress Response Group, Microbiology, School of Biological and Chemical Sciences, University of Galway, Galway, Ireland
| | - Hasan Tükenmez
- Laboratory for Molecular Infection Medicine Sweden, Umeå University, Umeå, Sweden
- Department of Molecular Biology, Umeå University, Umeå, Sweden
- Umeå Centre of Microbial Research, Umeå University, Umeå, Sweden
- Department of Chemistry, Umeå University, Umeå, Sweden
| | - Charlotte Dessaux
- Laboratory of Intracellular Bacterial Pathogens, National Center of Biotechnology, (CNB)-CSIC, Madrid, Spain
| | | | - Conor O'Byrne
- Bacterial Stress Response Group, Microbiology, School of Biological and Chemical Sciences, University of Galway, Galway, Ireland
| | - Jörgen Johansson
- Laboratory for Molecular Infection Medicine Sweden, Umeå University, Umeå, Sweden
- Department of Molecular Biology, Umeå University, Umeå, Sweden
- Umeå Centre of Microbial Research, Umeå University, Umeå, Sweden
| |
Collapse
|
20
|
Abstract
Listeria monocytogenes is a Gram-positive facultative intracellular pathogen that can cause severe invasive infections upon ingestion with contaminated food. Clinically, listerial disease, or listeriosis, most often presents as bacteremia, meningitis or meningoencephalitis, and pregnancy-associated infections manifesting as miscarriage or neonatal sepsis. Invasive listeriosis is life-threatening and a main cause of foodborne illness leading to hospital admissions in Western countries. Sources of contamination can be identified through international surveillance systems for foodborne bacteria and strains' genetic data sharing. Large-scale whole genome studies have increased our knowledge on the diversity and evolution of L. monocytogenes, while recent pathophysiological investigations have improved our mechanistic understanding of listeriosis. In this article, we present an overview of human listeriosis with particular focus on relevant features of the causative bacterium, epidemiology, risk groups, pathogenesis, clinical manifestations, and treatment and prevention.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Merel M Koopmans
- Amsterdam UMC, University of Amsterdam, Department of Neurology, Amsterdam Neuroscience, Amsterdam, the Netherlands
| | - Matthijs C Brouwer
- Amsterdam UMC, University of Amsterdam, Department of Neurology, Amsterdam Neuroscience, Amsterdam, the Netherlands
| | - José A Vázquez-Boland
- Infection Medicine, Edinburgh Medical School (Biomedical Sciences), University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, United Kingdom
| | - Diederik van de Beek
- Amsterdam UMC, University of Amsterdam, Department of Neurology, Amsterdam Neuroscience, Amsterdam, the Netherlands
| |
Collapse
|
21
|
Wu J, McAuliffe O, O'Byrne CP. Trehalose transport occurs via TreB in Listeria monocytogenes and it influences biofilm development and acid resistance. Int J Food Microbiol 2023; 394:110165. [PMID: 36933360 DOI: 10.1016/j.ijfoodmicro.2023.110165] [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: 12/25/2022] [Revised: 02/09/2023] [Accepted: 02/28/2023] [Indexed: 03/12/2023]
Abstract
Listeria monocytogenes is a pathogenic bacterium that can inhabit a diverse range of environmental niches. This is largely attributed to the high proportion of carbohydrate-specific phosphotransferase system (PTS) genes in its genome. Carbohydrates can be assimilated as sources of energy but additionally they can serve as niche-specific cues for L. monocytogenes to shape its global gene expression, in order to cope with anticipated stresses. To examine carbon source utilization among wild L. monocytogenes isolates and to understand underlying molecular mechanisms, a diverse collection of L. monocytogenes strains (n = 168) with whole genome sequence (WGS) data available was screened for the ability to grow in chemically defined media with different carbon sources. The majority of the strains grew in glucose, mannose, fructose, cellobiose, glycerol, trehalose, and sucrose. Maltose, lactose, and rhamnose supported slower growth while ribose did not support any growth. In contrast to other strains, strain1386, which belonged to clonal complex 5 (CC5), was unable to grow on trehalose as a sole carbon source. WGS data revealed that it carried a substitution (N352K) in a putative PTS EIIBC trehalose transporter, TreB, while this asparagine residue is conserved in other strains in this collection. Spontaneous mutants of strain 1386 that could grow in trehalose were found to harbour a reversion of the substitution in TreB. These results provide genetic evidence that TreB is responsible for trehalose uptake and that the N352 residue is essential for TreB activity. Moreover, reversion mutants also restored other unusual phenotypes that strain 1386 displayed, i.e. altered colony morphology, impaired biofilm development, and reduced acid resistance. Transcriptional analysis at stationary phase with buffered BHI media revealed that trehalose metabolism positively influences the transcription of genes encoding amino acid-based acid resistance mechanisms. In summary, our results demonstrated that N352 is key to the function of the sole trehalose transporter TreB in L. monocytogenes and suggest that trehalose metabolism alters physiology to favour biofilm development and acid stress resistance. Moreover, since strain 1386 is among the strains recommended by the European Union Reference Laboratory for conducting food challenge studies in order to determine whether or not L. monocytogenes can grow in food, these findings have important implications for food safety.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Jialun Wu
- Bacterial Stress Response Group, Microbiology, School of Biological & Chemical Sciences, University of Galway, Galway H91 TK33, Ireland
| | | | - Conor P O'Byrne
- Bacterial Stress Response Group, Microbiology, School of Biological & Chemical Sciences, University of Galway, Galway H91 TK33, Ireland.
| |
Collapse
|
22
|
Esser A, Mayer G. Characterization of the glmS Ribozymes from Listeria Monocytogenes and Clostridium Difficile. Chemistry 2023; 29:e202202376. [PMID: 36194523 PMCID: PMC10099748 DOI: 10.1002/chem.202202376] [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: 07/30/2022] [Indexed: 11/23/2022]
Abstract
The glmS ribozyme regulates the expression of the essential GlmS enzyme being involved in cell wall biosynthesis. While >450 variants of the glmS ribozyme were identified by in silico approaches and homology searches, only a few have yet been experimentally investigated. Herein, we validate and characterize the glmS ribozymes of the human pathogens Clostridium difficile and Listeria monocytogenes. Both ribozymes, as their previous characterized homologs rely on glucosamine-6-phosphate as co-factor and the presence of divalent cations for exerting the cleavage reaction. The observed EC50 values in turn were found to be in the submicromolar range, at least an order of magnitude lower than observed for glmS ribozymes from other bacteria. The glmS ribozyme of L. monocytogenes was further shown to bear unique properties. It discriminates between co-factors very stringently and other than the glmS ribozyme of C. difficile retains activity at low temperatures. This finding illustrates that albeit being highly conserved, glmS ribozymes have unique characteristics.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Anna Esser
- Life & Medical Sciences Institute, University of Bonn, Gerhard-Domagk-Str. 1, 53121, Bonn, Germany
| | - Günter Mayer
- Life & Medical Sciences Institute, University of Bonn, Gerhard-Domagk-Str. 1, 53121, Bonn, Germany.,Center of Aptamer Research & Development, University of Bonn, Gerhard-Domagk-Str. 1, 53121, Bonn, Germany
| |
Collapse
|
23
|
Xu L, Xiao Y, Zhang J, Fang X. Structural insights into translation regulation by the THF-II riboswitch. Nucleic Acids Res 2023; 51:952-965. [PMID: 36620887 PMCID: PMC9881143 DOI: 10.1093/nar/gkac1257] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/01/2022] [Revised: 12/12/2022] [Accepted: 12/15/2022] [Indexed: 01/10/2023] Open
Abstract
In bacteria, expression of folate-related genes is controlled by the tetrahydrofolate (THF) riboswitch in response to specific binding of THF and its derivatives. Recently, a second class of THF riboswitches, named THF-II, was identified in Gram-negative bacteria, which exhibit distinct architecture from the previously characterized THF-I riboswitches found in Gram-positive bacteria. Here, we present the crystal structures of the ligand-bound THF-II riboswitch from Mesorhizobium loti. These structures exhibit a long rod-like fold stabilized by continuous base pair and base triplet stacking across two helices of P1 and P2 and their interconnecting ligand-bound binding pocket. The pterin moiety of the ligand docks into the binding pocket by forming hydrogen bonds with two highly conserved pyrimidines in J12 and J21, which resembles the hydrogen-bonding pattern at the ligand-binding site FAPK in the THF-I riboswitch. Using small-angle X-ray scattering and isothermal titration calorimetry, we further characterized the riboswitch in solution and reveal that Mg2+ is essential for pre-organization of the binding pocket for efficient ligand binding. RNase H cleavage assay indicates that ligand binding reduces accessibility of the ribosome binding site in the right arm of P1, thus down-regulating the expression of downstream genes. Together, these results provide mechanistic insights into translation regulation by the THF-II riboswitch.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
| | | | - Jie Zhang
- Beijing Advanced Innovation Center for Structural Biology, Beijing Frontier Research Center for Biological Structure, School of Life Sciences, Tsinghua University, Beijing 100084, China,Center for Synthetic and Systems Biology, Tsinghua University, Beijing 100084, China
| | | |
Collapse
|
24
|
Wortel IMN, Kim S, Liu AY, Ibarra EC, Miller MJ. Listeria motility increases the efficiency of epithelial invasion during intestinal infection. PLoS Pathog 2022; 18:e1011028. [PMID: 36584235 PMCID: PMC9836302 DOI: 10.1371/journal.ppat.1011028] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/28/2022] [Revised: 01/12/2023] [Accepted: 11/28/2022] [Indexed: 12/31/2022] Open
Abstract
Listeria monocytogenes (Lm) is a food-borne pathogen that causes severe bacterial gastroenteritis, with high rates of hospitalization and mortality. Lm is ubiquitous in soil, water and livestock, and can survive and proliferate at low temperatures. Following oral ingestion of contaminated food, Lm crosses the epithelium through intestinal goblet cells in a mechanism mediated by Lm InlA binding host E-cadherin. Importantly, human infections typically occur with Lm growing at or below room temperature, which is flagellated and motile. Even though many important human bacterial pathogens are flagellated, little is known regarding the effect of Lm motility on invasion and immune evasion. Here, we used complementary imaging and computer modeling approaches to test the hypothesis that bacterial motility helps Lm locate and engage target cells permissive for invasion. Imaging explanted mouse and human intestine, we showed that Lm grown at room temperature uses motility to scan the epithelial surface and preferentially attach to target cells. Furthermore, we integrated quantitative parameters from our imaging experiments to construct a versatile "layered" cellular Potts model (L-CPM) that simulates host-pathogen dynamics. Simulated data are consistent with the hypothesis that bacterial motility enhances invasion by allowing bacteria to search the epithelial surface for their preferred invasion targets. Indeed, our model consistently predicts that motile bacteria invade twice as efficiently over the first hour of infection. We also examined how bacterial motility affected interactions with host cellular immunity. In a mouse model of persistent infection, we found that neutrophils migrated to the apical surface of the epithelium 5 hours post infection and interacted with Lm. Yet in contrast to the view that neutrophils "hunt" for bacteria, we found that these interactions were driven by motility of Lm-which moved at least ~50x faster than neutrophils. Furthermore, our L-CPM predicts that motile bacteria maintain their invasion advantage even in the presence of host phagocytes, with the balance between invasion and phagocytosis governed almost entirely by bacterial motility. In conclusion, our simulations provide insight into host pathogen interaction dynamics at the intestinal epithelial barrier early during infection.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Inge M. N. Wortel
- Data Science, Institute for Computing and Information Sciences, Radboud University, Nijmegen, the Netherlands
| | - Seonyoung Kim
- Department of Internal Medicine, Division of Infectious Diseases, Washington University School of Medicine, St. Louis, Missouri, United States of America
| | - Annie Y. Liu
- Department of Internal Medicine, Division of Infectious Diseases, Washington University School of Medicine, St. Louis, Missouri, United States of America
| | - Enid C. Ibarra
- Department of Internal Medicine, Division of Infectious Diseases, Washington University School of Medicine, St. Louis, Missouri, United States of America
| | - Mark J. Miller
- Department of Internal Medicine, Division of Infectious Diseases, Washington University School of Medicine, St. Louis, Missouri, United States of America
| |
Collapse
|
25
|
Cossart P. Pasteur's legacy persists: an interview with Pascale Cossart. Dis Model Mech 2022; 15:dmm050009. [PMID: 36504390 PMCID: PMC10655819 DOI: 10.1242/dmm.050009] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/14/2022] Open
Affiliation(s)
- Pascale Cossart
- The Institut Pasteur, 25-28 Rue du Dr Roux, 75015 Paris, France
| |
Collapse
|
26
|
Costa VG, Costa SM, Saramago M, Cunha MV, Arraiano CM, Viegas SC, Matos RG. Developing New Tools to Fight Human Pathogens: A Journey through the Advances in RNA Technologies. Microorganisms 2022; 10:2303. [PMID: 36422373 PMCID: PMC9697208 DOI: 10.3390/microorganisms10112303] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/08/2022] [Revised: 11/12/2022] [Accepted: 11/15/2022] [Indexed: 09/18/2024] Open
Abstract
A long scientific journey has led to prominent technological advances in the RNA field, and several new types of molecules have been discovered, from non-coding RNAs (ncRNAs) to riboswitches, small interfering RNAs (siRNAs) and CRISPR systems. Such findings, together with the recognition of the advantages of RNA in terms of its functional performance, have attracted the attention of synthetic biologists to create potent RNA-based tools for biotechnological and medical applications. In this review, we have gathered the knowledge on the connection between RNA metabolism and pathogenesis in Gram-positive and Gram-negative bacteria. We further discuss how RNA techniques have contributed to the building of this knowledge and the development of new tools in synthetic biology for the diagnosis and treatment of diseases caused by pathogenic microorganisms. Infectious diseases are still a world-leading cause of death and morbidity, and RNA-based therapeutics have arisen as an alternative way to achieve success. There are still obstacles to overcome in its application, but much progress has been made in a fast and effective manner, paving the way for the solid establishment of RNA-based therapies in the future.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
| | | | | | | | | | - Sandra C. Viegas
- Instituto de Tecnologia Química e Biológica António Xavier, Universidade Nova de Lisboa, Avenida da República, 2780-157 Oeiras, Portugal; (V.G.C.); (S.M.C.); (M.S.); (M.V.C.); (C.M.A.)
| | - Rute G. Matos
- Instituto de Tecnologia Química e Biológica António Xavier, Universidade Nova de Lisboa, Avenida da República, 2780-157 Oeiras, Portugal; (V.G.C.); (S.M.C.); (M.S.); (M.V.C.); (C.M.A.)
| |
Collapse
|
27
|
Tribelli PM, López NI. Insights into the temperature responses of Pseudomonas species in beneficial and pathogenic host interactions. Appl Microbiol Biotechnol 2022; 106:7699-7709. [PMID: 36271255 DOI: 10.1007/s00253-022-12243-z] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/30/2022] [Revised: 09/30/2022] [Accepted: 10/12/2022] [Indexed: 11/28/2022]
Abstract
Pseudomonas species are metabolically versatile bacteria able to exploit a wide range of ecological niches. Different Pseudomonas species can grow as free-living cells, biofilms, or associated with plants or animals, including humans, and their ecological success partially lies in their ability to grow and adapt to different temperatures. These bacteria are relevant for human activities, due to their clinical importance and their biotechnological potential for different applications such as bioremediation and the production of biopolymers, surfactants, secondary metabolites, and enzymes. In agriculture, some of them can act as plant growth promoters and are thus used as inoculants, whereas others, like P. syringae pathovars, can cause disease in commercial crops. This review aims to provide an overview of the temperature-response mechanisms in Pseudomonas species, looking for novel features or strategies based on techniques such as transcriptomics and proteomics. We focused on temperature-dependent traits mainly associated with virulence, host colonization, survival, and production of secondary metabolites. We analyzed human, animal, and plant pathogens and plant growth-promoting Pseudomonas species, including P. aeruginosa, P. plecoglossicida, several P. syringae pathovars, and P. protegens. Our aim was to provide a comprehensive view of the relevance of temperature-response traits in human and animal health and agricultural applications. Our analysis showed that features relevant to the bacterial-host interaction are adjusted to the environmental or host temperature regardless of the optimal growth temperature in the laboratory, and thus contribute to improving bacterial fitness. KEY POINTS: • In Pseudomonas species, temperature impacts the bacterial-host interaction. • Interaction traits are expressed at temperatures different from the optimal reported. • The bacterial-host interaction could be affected by climate change.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Paula M Tribelli
- Departamento de Química Biológica, Facultad de Ciencias Exactas y Naturales, Universidad de Buenos Aires, 1428EGA, Buenos Aires, Argentina. .,IQUIBICEN-CONICET, Buenos Aires, Argentina.
| | - Nancy I López
- Departamento de Química Biológica, Facultad de Ciencias Exactas y Naturales, Universidad de Buenos Aires, 1428EGA, Buenos Aires, Argentina.,IQUIBICEN-CONICET, Buenos Aires, Argentina
| |
Collapse
|
28
|
Zhang D, Li SHJ, King CG, Wingreen NS, Gitai Z, Li Z. Global and gene-specific translational regulation in Escherichia coli across different conditions. PLoS Comput Biol 2022; 18:e1010641. [PMID: 36264977 PMCID: PMC9624429 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pcbi.1010641] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/27/2022] [Revised: 11/01/2022] [Accepted: 10/06/2022] [Indexed: 11/05/2022] Open
Abstract
How well mRNA transcript levels represent protein abundances has been a controversial issue. Particularly across different environments, correlations between mRNA and protein exhibit remarkable variability from gene to gene. Translational regulation is likely to be one of the key factors contributing to mismatches between mRNA level and protein abundance in bacteria. Here, we quantified genome-wide transcriptome and relative translation efficiency (RTE) under 12 different conditions in Escherichia coli. By quantifying the mRNA-RTE correlation both across genes and across conditions, we uncovered a diversity of gene-specific translational regulations, cooperating with transcriptional regulations, in response to carbon (C), nitrogen (N), and phosphate (P) limitations. Intriguingly, we found that many genes regulating translation are themselves subject to translational regulation, suggesting possible feedbacks. Furthermore, a random forest model suggests that codon usage partially predicts a gene's cross-condition variability in translation efficiency; such cross-condition variability tends to be an inherent quality of a gene, independent of the specific nutrient limitations. These findings broaden the understanding of translational regulation under different environments and provide novel strategies for the control of translation in synthetic biology. In addition, our data offers a resource for future multi-omics studies.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Di Zhang
- Center for Quantitative Biology, Academy for Advanced Interdisciplinary Studies, Peking University, Beijing, China
- Peking-Tsinghua Center for Life Sciences, Academy for Advanced Interdisciplinary Studies, Peking University, Beijing, China
| | - Sophia Hsin-Jung Li
- Department of Molecular Biology, Princeton University, Princeton, New Jersey, United States of America
- Institute of Bioengineering, School of Life Sciences, Swiss Federal Institute of Technology Lausanne, Lausanne, Switzerland
- Global Health Institute, School of Life Sciences, Swiss Federal Institute of Technology Lausanne, Lausanne, Switzerland
| | - Christopher G. King
- Department of Molecular Biology, Princeton University, Princeton, New Jersey, United States of America
| | - Ned S. Wingreen
- Department of Molecular Biology, Princeton University, Princeton, New Jersey, United States of America
- Lewis-Sigler Institute for Integrative Genomics, Princeton University, Princeton, New Jersey, United States of America
- * E-mail: (NSW); (ZG); (ZL)
| | - Zemer Gitai
- Department of Molecular Biology, Princeton University, Princeton, New Jersey, United States of America
- * E-mail: (NSW); (ZG); (ZL)
| | - Zhiyuan Li
- Center for Quantitative Biology, Academy for Advanced Interdisciplinary Studies, Peking University, Beijing, China
- Peking-Tsinghua Center for Life Sciences, Academy for Advanced Interdisciplinary Studies, Peking University, Beijing, China
- * E-mail: (NSW); (ZG); (ZL)
| |
Collapse
|
29
|
Thomas SE, Balcerowicz M, Chung BYW. RNA structure mediated thermoregulation: What can we learn from plants? FRONTIERS IN PLANT SCIENCE 2022; 13:938570. [PMID: 36092413 PMCID: PMC9450479 DOI: 10.3389/fpls.2022.938570] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/07/2022] [Accepted: 06/27/2022] [Indexed: 06/15/2023]
Abstract
RNA molecules have the capacity to form a multitude of distinct secondary and tertiary structures, but only the most energetically favorable conformations are adopted at any given time. Formation of such structures strongly depends on the environment and consequently, these structures are highly dynamic and may refold as their surroundings change. Temperature is one of the most direct physical parameters that influence RNA structure dynamics, and in turn, thermosensitive RNA structures can be harnessed by a cell to perceive and respond to its temperature environment. Indeed, many thermosensitive RNA structures with biological function have been identified in prokaryotic organisms, but for a long time such structures remained elusive in eukaryotes. Recent discoveries, however, reveal that thermosensitive RNA structures are also found in plants, where they affect RNA stability, pre-mRNA splicing and translation efficiency in a temperature-dependent manner. In this minireview, we provide a short overview of thermosensitive RNA structures in prokaryotes and eukaryotes, highlight recent advances made in identifying such structures in plants and discuss their similarities and differences to established prokaryotic RNA thermosensors.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Sherine E. Thomas
- Department of Pathology, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, United Kingdom
| | - Martin Balcerowicz
- Division of Plant Sciences, The James Hutton Institute, University of Dundee, Dundee, United Kingdom
| | - Betty Y.-W. Chung
- Department of Pathology, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, United Kingdom
| |
Collapse
|
30
|
NupR Responding to Multiple Signals Is a Nucleoside Permease Regulator in Bacillus thuringiensis BMB171. Microbiol Spectr 2022; 10:e0154322. [PMID: 35862946 PMCID: PMC9430930 DOI: 10.1128/spectrum.01543-22] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/20/2022] Open
Abstract
Nucleoside transport is essential for maintaining intracellular nucleoside and nucleobase homeostasis for living cells. Here, we identified an uncharacterized GntR/HutC family transcriptional regulator, NagR2, renamed NupR (nucleoside permease regulator), that mainly controls nucleoside transport in the Bacillus thuringiensis BMB171 strain. The deletion or overexpression of nupR affected the bacteria's utilization of guanosine, adenosine, uridine, and cytidine rather than thymidine. We further demonstrated that zinc ion is an effector for the NupR, dissociating NupR from its target DNA. Moreover, the expression of nupR is inhibited by NupR, ComK, and PurR, while it is promoted by CcpA. Also, a purine riboswitch located in its 5′ noncoding region influences the expression of nupR. Guanine is the ligand of the riboswitch, reducing the expression of nupR by terminating the transcription of nupR in advance. Hence, our results reveal an exquisite regulation mechanism enabling NupR to respond to multiple signals, control genes involved in nucleoside transport, and contribute to nucleoside substance utilization. Overall, this study provides essential clues for future studies exploring the function of the NupR homolog in other bacteria, such as Bacillus cereus, Bacillus anthracis, Klebsiella pneumoniae, and Streptococcus pneumoniae. IMPORTANCE The transport of nucleosides and their homeostasis within the cell are essential for growth and proliferation. Here, we have identified a novel transcription factor, NupR, which, to our knowledge, is the first GntR family transcription factor primarily involved in the regulation of nucleoside transport. Moreover, responding to diverse intracellular signals, NupR regulates nucleoside transport. It is vital for utilizing extracellular nucleosides and maintaining intracellular nucleoside homeostasis. NupR may also be involved in other pathways such as pH homeostasis, molybdenum cofactor biosynthesis, nitrate metabolism, and transport. In addition, nucleosides have various applications, such as antiviral drugs. Thus, the elucidation of the transport mechanism of nucleosides could be helpful for the construction of engineered strains for nucleoside production.
Collapse
|
31
|
Liu Y, Yoo BB, Hwang CA, Martinez MR, Datta AR, Fratamico PM. Involvement of a putative ATP-Binding Cassette (ABC) Involved in manganese transport in virulence of Listeria monocytogenes. PLoS One 2022; 17:e0268924. [PMID: 35617277 PMCID: PMC9135185 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0268924] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/07/2022] [Accepted: 05/10/2022] [Indexed: 11/18/2022] Open
Abstract
Listeria monocytogenes is a foodborne pathogen and the causative agent of listeriosis, a disease associated with high fatality (20–30%) and hospitalization rates (>95%). ATP-Binding Cassette (ABC) transporters have been demonstrated to be involved in the general stress response. In previous studies, in-frame deletion mutants of the ABC transporter genes, LMOf2365_1875 and LMOf2365_1877, were constructed and analyzed; however, additional work is needed to investigate the virulence potential of these deletion mutants. In this study, two in vitro methods and one in vivo model were used to investigate the virulence potential of in-frame deletion mutants of ABC transporter genes. First, the invasion efficiency in host cells was measured using the HT-29 human cell line. Second, cell-to-cell spread activity was measured using a plaque forming assay. Lastly, virulence potential of the mutants was tested in the Galleria mellonella wax moth model. Our results demonstrated that the deletion mutant, ⊿LMOf2365_1875, displayed decreased invasion and cell-to-cell spread efficiency in comparison to the wild-type, LMOf2365, indicating that LMOf2365_1875 may be required for virulence. Furthermore, the reduced virulence of these mutants was confirmed using the Galleria mellonella wax moth model. In addition, the expression levels of 15 virulence and stress-related genes were analyzed by RT-PCR assays using stationary phase cells. Our results showed that virulence-related gene expression levels from the deletion mutants were elevated (15/15 genes from ⊿LMOf2365_1877 and 7/15 genes from ⊿LMOf2365_1875) compared to the wild type LMOf2365, suggesting that ABC transporters may negatively regulate virulence gene expression under specific conditions. The expression level of the stress-related gene, clpE, also was increased in both deletion mutants, indicating the involvement of ABC transporters in the stress response. Taken together, our findings suggest that ABC transporters may be used as potential targets to develop new therapeutic strategies to control L. monocytogenes.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Yanhong Liu
- Eastern Regional Research Center, Agricultural Research Service, U.S. Department of Agriculture, Wyndmoor, PA, United States of America
- * E-mail:
| | - Brian ByongKwon Yoo
- Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Atlanta, GA, United States of America
| | - Cheng-An Hwang
- Eastern Regional Research Center, Agricultural Research Service, U.S. Department of Agriculture, Wyndmoor, PA, United States of America
| | - Mira Rakic Martinez
- Center for Biologics Evaluation and Research, U.S. Food and Drug Administration, Silver Spring, MD, United States of America
| | - Atin R. Datta
- Center for Food Safety and Applied Nutrition, U.S. Food and Drug Administration, College Park, MD, United States of America
| | - Pina M. Fratamico
- Eastern Regional Research Center, Agricultural Research Service, U.S. Department of Agriculture, Wyndmoor, PA, United States of America
| |
Collapse
|
32
|
Wu D, Wang H, Ouyang Q. Robust network topologies for temperature-inducible bioswitches. J Biol Eng 2022; 16:12. [PMID: 35606858 PMCID: PMC9128120 DOI: 10.1186/s13036-022-00290-z] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/09/2022] [Accepted: 04/25/2022] [Indexed: 11/10/2022] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Thermoinducible bioswitches are unique in that the all-or-none switch response is triggered by temperature, which is a global factor that impacts all biochemical reaction processes. To date, temperature-inducible bioswitches rely exclusively on special thermal sensing biomolecules of DNA, RNA, proteins and lipids whose conformations are critically temperature dependent. METHOD This paper extends the traditional thermal switch by utilizing purposely designed network topologies of biomolecular interactions to achieve the switching function. By assuming the general Arrhenius law for biochemical reactions, we explore the full space of all three-node genetic interaction networks to screen topologies capable of thermal bioswitches. Three target bioswitches, i.e., thermal-inducible Off-On, cold-inducible On-Off, and hybrid Off-On-Off double switches, are considered separately. CONCLUSIONS We identify the minimal and core network skeletons that are basic and essential for building robust high-performance bioswitches: three Off-On motifs, three On-Off motifs, and an incoherent feedforward motif for an Off-On-Off double switch. Functional topologies are implicitly preferential in choosing parameter values to achieve the target functions. The scenario of the topology-based bioswitch we propose here is an extension of molecule-based bioswitches and would be valuable in aiding the rational design and synthesis of efficient high-performance thermal bioswitches.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Di Wu
- The State Key Laboratory for Artificial Microstructures and Mesoscopic Physics, School of Physics, Peking University, Beijing, 100871, China
| | - Hongli Wang
- The State Key Laboratory for Artificial Microstructures and Mesoscopic Physics, School of Physics, Peking University, Beijing, 100871, China. .,Center for Quantitative Biology, Peking University, Beijing, 100871, China.
| | - Qi Ouyang
- The State Key Laboratory for Artificial Microstructures and Mesoscopic Physics, School of Physics, Peking University, Beijing, 100871, China.,Center for Quantitative Biology, Peking University, Beijing, 100871, China.,Peking-Tsinghua Center for Life Sciences, Peking University, Beijing, 100871, China
| |
Collapse
|
33
|
Listeria monocytogenes TcyKLMN Cystine/Cysteine Transporter Facilitates Glutathione Synthesis and Virulence Gene Expression. mBio 2022; 13:e0044822. [PMID: 35435705 PMCID: PMC9239247 DOI: 10.1128/mbio.00448-22] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/20/2022] Open
Abstract
Bacterial pathogens sense the repertoire of metabolites in the mammalian niche and use this information to shift into the pathogenic state to accomplish a successful infection. Glutathione is a virulence-activating signal that is synthesized by
L. monocytogenes
during infection of mammalian cells.
Collapse
|
34
|
Azinheiro S, Ghimire D, Carvalho J, Prado M, Garrido-Maestu A. Next-day detection of viable Listeria monocytogenes by multiplex reverse transcriptase real-time PCR. Food Control 2022. [DOI: 10.1016/j.foodcont.2021.108593] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/04/2022]
|
35
|
Melian C, Bentencourt E, Castellano P, Ploper D, Vignolo G, Mendoza LM. Biofilm genes expression of Listeria monocytogenes exposed to Latilactobacillus curvatus bacteriocins at 10 °C. Int J Food Microbiol 2022; 370:109648. [DOI: 10.1016/j.ijfoodmicro.2022.109648] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/19/2021] [Revised: 03/10/2022] [Accepted: 03/24/2022] [Indexed: 10/18/2022]
|
36
|
Czerniak T, Saenz JP. Lipid membranes modulate the activity of RNA through sequence-dependent interactions. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A 2022; 119:e2119235119. [PMID: 35042820 PMCID: PMC8794826 DOI: 10.1073/pnas.2119235119] [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: 11/02/2021] [Accepted: 12/02/2021] [Indexed: 12/11/2022] Open
Abstract
RNA is a ubiquitous biomolecule that can serve as both catalyst and information carrier. Understanding how RNA bioactivity is controlled is crucial for elucidating its physiological roles and potential applications in synthetic biology. Here, we show that lipid membranes can act as RNA organization platforms, introducing a mechanism for riboregulation. The activity of R3C ribozyme can be modified by the presence of lipid membranes, with direct RNA-lipid interactions dependent on RNA nucleotide content, base pairing, and length. In particular, the presence of guanine in short RNAs is crucial for RNA-lipid interactions, and G-quadruplex formation further promotes lipid binding. Lastly, by artificially modifying the R3C substrate sequence to enhance membrane binding, we generated a lipid-sensitive ribozyme reaction with riboswitch-like behavior. These findings introduce RNA-lipid interactions as a tool for developing synthetic riboswitches and RNA-based lipid biosensors and bear significant implications for RNA world scenarios for the origin of life.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Tomasz Czerniak
- B CUBE Center for Molecular Bioengineering, Technische Universität Dresden, 01307 Dresden, Germany
| | - James P Saenz
- B CUBE Center for Molecular Bioengineering, Technische Universität Dresden, 01307 Dresden, Germany
| |
Collapse
|
37
|
Wang D, Ye R, Cai Z, Xue Y. Emerging roles of RNA-RNA interactions in transcriptional regulation. WILEY INTERDISCIPLINARY REVIEWS. RNA 2022; 13:e1712. [PMID: 35042277 DOI: 10.1002/wrna.1712] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/05/2021] [Revised: 12/07/2021] [Accepted: 12/16/2021] [Indexed: 12/26/2022]
Abstract
Pervasive transcription of the human genome generates a massive amount of noncoding RNAs (ncRNAs) that lack protein-coding potential but play crucial roles in development, differentiation, and tumorigenesis. To achieve these biological functions, ncRNAs must first fold into intricate structures via intramolecular RNA-RNA interactions (RRIs) and then interact with different RNA substrates via intermolecular RRIs. RRIs are usually facilitated, stabilized, or mediated by RNA-binding proteins. With this guiding principle, several protein-based high-throughput methods have been developed for unbiased mapping of defined or all RNA-binding protein-mediated RRIs in various species and cell lines. In addition, some chemical-based approaches are also powerful to detect RRIs globally based on the fact that RNA duplex can be cross-linked by psoralen or its derivative 4'-aminomethyltrioxsalen. These efforts have significantly expanded our understanding of RRIs in determining the specificity and variability of gene regulation. Here, we review the current knowledge of the regulatory roles of RRI, focusing on their emerging roles in transcriptional regulation and nuclear body formation. This article is categorized under: RNA Structure and Dynamics > Influence of RNA Structure in Biological Systems RNA Structure and Dynamics > RNA Structure, Dynamics and Chemistry.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Di Wang
- Key Laboratory of RNA Biology, Institute of Biophysics, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China.,University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China
| | - Rong Ye
- Key Laboratory of RNA Biology, Institute of Biophysics, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China.,University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China
| | - Zhaokui Cai
- Key Laboratory of RNA Biology, Institute of Biophysics, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China
| | - Yuanchao Xue
- Key Laboratory of RNA Biology, Institute of Biophysics, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China.,University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China
| |
Collapse
|
38
|
Sharma A, Alajangi HK, Pisignano G, Sood V, Singh G, Barnwal RP. RNA thermometers and other regulatory elements: Diversity and importance in bacterial pathogenesis. WILEY INTERDISCIPLINARY REVIEWS. RNA 2022; 13:e1711. [PMID: 35037405 DOI: 10.1002/wrna.1711] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/07/2021] [Revised: 11/09/2021] [Accepted: 12/16/2021] [Indexed: 01/11/2023]
Abstract
Survival of microorganisms depends to a large extent on environmental conditions and the occupied host. By adopting specific strategies, microorganisms can thrive in the surrounding environment and, at the same time, preserve their viability. Evading the host defenses requires several mechanisms compatible with the host survival which include the production of RNA thermometers to regulate the expression of genes responsible for heat or cold shock as well as of those involved in virulence. Microorganisms have developed a variety of molecules in response to the environmental changes in temperature and even more specifically to the host they invade. Among all, RNA-based regulatory mechanisms are the most common ones, highlighting the importance of such molecules in gene expression control and novel drug development by suitable structure-based alterations. This article is categorized under: RNA Structure and Dynamics > RNA Structure, Dynamics and Chemistry RNA in Disease and Development > RNA in Disease RNA Structure and Dynamics > Influence of RNA Structure in Biological Systems.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Akanksha Sharma
- Department of Biophysics, Panjab University, Chandigarh, India.,University Institute of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Panjab University, Chandigarh, India
| | - Hema Kumari Alajangi
- Department of Biophysics, Panjab University, Chandigarh, India.,University Institute of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Panjab University, Chandigarh, India
| | | | - Vikas Sood
- Department of Biochemistry, Jamia Hamdard, New Delhi, India
| | - Gurpal Singh
- University Institute of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Panjab University, Chandigarh, India
| | | |
Collapse
|
39
|
Tran TT, Mathmann CD, Gatica-Andrades M, Rollo RF, Oelker M, Ljungberg JK, Nguyen TTK, Zamoshnikova A, Kummari LK, Wyer OJK, Irvine KM, Melo-Bolívar J, Gross A, Brown D, Mak JYW, Fairlie DP, Hansford KA, Cooper MA, Giri R, Schreiber V, Joseph SR, Simpson F, Barnett TC, Johansson J, Dankers W, Harris J, Wells TJ, Kapetanovic R, Sweet MJ, Latomanski EA, Newton HJ, Guérillot RJR, Hachani A, Stinear TP, Ong SY, Chandran Y, Hartland EL, Kobe B, Stow JL, Sauer-Eriksson AE, Begun J, Kling JC, Blumenthal A. Inhibition of the master regulator of Listeria monocytogenes virulence enables bacterial clearance from spacious replication vacuoles in infected macrophages. PLoS Pathog 2022; 18:e1010166. [PMID: 35007292 PMCID: PMC8746789 DOI: 10.1371/journal.ppat.1010166] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/20/2021] [Accepted: 12/01/2021] [Indexed: 02/04/2023] Open
Abstract
A hallmark of Listeria (L.) monocytogenes pathogenesis is bacterial escape from maturing entry vacuoles, which is required for rapid bacterial replication in the host cell cytoplasm and cell-to-cell spread. The bacterial transcriptional activator PrfA controls expression of key virulence factors that enable exploitation of this intracellular niche. The transcriptional activity of PrfA within infected host cells is controlled by allosteric coactivation. Inhibitory occupation of the coactivator site has been shown to impair PrfA functions, but consequences of PrfA inhibition for L. monocytogenes infection and pathogenesis are unknown. Here we report the crystal structure of PrfA with a small molecule inhibitor occupying the coactivator site at 2.0 Å resolution. Using molecular imaging and infection studies in macrophages, we demonstrate that PrfA inhibition prevents the vacuolar escape of L. monocytogenes and enables extensive bacterial replication inside spacious vacuoles. In contrast to previously described spacious Listeria-containing vacuoles, which have been implicated in supporting chronic infection, PrfA inhibition facilitated progressive clearance of intracellular L. monocytogenes from spacious vacuoles through lysosomal degradation. Thus, inhibitory occupation of the PrfA coactivator site facilitates formation of a transient intravacuolar L. monocytogenes replication niche that licenses macrophages to effectively eliminate intracellular bacteria. Our findings encourage further exploration of PrfA as a potential target for antimicrobials and highlight that intra-vacuolar residence of L. monocytogenes in macrophages is not inevitably tied to bacterial persistence.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Thao Thanh Tran
- The University of Queensland Diamantina Institute, Brisbane, Australia
| | | | | | - Rachel F. Rollo
- The University of Queensland Diamantina Institute, Brisbane, Australia
| | | | | | - Tam T. K. Nguyen
- The University of Queensland Diamantina Institute, Brisbane, Australia
| | | | - Lalith K. Kummari
- The University of Queensland School of Chemistry and Molecular Biosciences and Australian Infectious Diseases Research Centre, Brisbane, Australia
- Institute for Molecular Bioscience, The University of Queensland, Brisbane, Australia
| | - Orry J. K. Wyer
- The University of Queensland Diamantina Institute, Brisbane, Australia
| | - Katharine M. Irvine
- ARC Centre of Excellence in Advanced Molecular Imaging, Institute for Molecular Bioscience, The University of Queensland, Brisbane, Australia
| | | | - Annette Gross
- The University of Queensland Diamantina Institute, Brisbane, Australia
| | - Darren Brown
- Institute for Molecular Bioscience, The University of Queensland, Brisbane, Australia
| | - Jeffrey Y. W. Mak
- Institute for Molecular Bioscience, The University of Queensland, Brisbane, Australia
- ARC Centre of Excellence in Advanced Molecular Imaging, Institute for Molecular Bioscience, The University of Queensland, Brisbane, Australia
| | - David P. Fairlie
- Institute for Molecular Bioscience, The University of Queensland, Brisbane, Australia
- ARC Centre of Excellence in Advanced Molecular Imaging, Institute for Molecular Bioscience, The University of Queensland, Brisbane, Australia
| | - Karl A. Hansford
- Institute for Molecular Bioscience, The University of Queensland, Brisbane, Australia
| | - Matthew A. Cooper
- Institute for Molecular Bioscience, The University of Queensland, Brisbane, Australia
| | - Rabina Giri
- Mater Research Institute – The University of Queensland, Brisbane, Australia
| | - Veronika Schreiber
- Mater Research Institute – The University of Queensland, Brisbane, Australia
| | - Shannon R. Joseph
- The University of Queensland Diamantina Institute, Brisbane, Australia
| | - Fiona Simpson
- The University of Queensland Diamantina Institute, Brisbane, Australia
| | - Timothy C. Barnett
- Wesfarmers Centre for Vaccines and Infectious Diseases, Telethon Kids Institute, University of Western Australia, Nedlands, Australia
| | | | - Wendy Dankers
- Department of Medicine, School of Clinical Sciences at Monash Health, Faculty of Medicine, Nursing & Health Sciences, Monash University, Clayton, Australia
| | - James Harris
- Department of Medicine, School of Clinical Sciences at Monash Health, Faculty of Medicine, Nursing & Health Sciences, Monash University, Clayton, Australia
| | - Timothy J. Wells
- The University of Queensland Diamantina Institute, Brisbane, Australia
| | - Ronan Kapetanovic
- Institute for Molecular Bioscience, The University of Queensland, Brisbane, Australia
| | - Matthew J. Sweet
- Institute for Molecular Bioscience, The University of Queensland, Brisbane, Australia
| | - Eleanor A. Latomanski
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, University of Melbourne at the Peter Doherty Institute for Infection and Immunity, Melbourne, Australia
| | - Hayley J. Newton
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, University of Melbourne at the Peter Doherty Institute for Infection and Immunity, Melbourne, Australia
| | - Romain J. R. Guérillot
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, University of Melbourne at the Peter Doherty Institute for Infection and Immunity, Melbourne, Australia
| | - Abderrahman Hachani
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, University of Melbourne at the Peter Doherty Institute for Infection and Immunity, Melbourne, Australia
| | - Timothy P. Stinear
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, University of Melbourne at the Peter Doherty Institute for Infection and Immunity, Melbourne, Australia
| | - Sze Ying Ong
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, University of Melbourne at the Peter Doherty Institute for Infection and Immunity, Melbourne, Australia
- Centre for Innate Immunity and Infectious Diseases, Hudson Institute of Medical Research and Department of Molecular and Translational Science, Monash University, Melbourne, Australia
| | - Yogeswari Chandran
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, University of Melbourne at the Peter Doherty Institute for Infection and Immunity, Melbourne, Australia
- Centre for Innate Immunity and Infectious Diseases, Hudson Institute of Medical Research and Department of Molecular and Translational Science, Monash University, Melbourne, Australia
| | - Elizabeth L. Hartland
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, University of Melbourne at the Peter Doherty Institute for Infection and Immunity, Melbourne, Australia
- Centre for Innate Immunity and Infectious Diseases, Hudson Institute of Medical Research and Department of Molecular and Translational Science, Monash University, Melbourne, Australia
| | - Bostjan Kobe
- The University of Queensland School of Chemistry and Molecular Biosciences and Australian Infectious Diseases Research Centre, Brisbane, Australia
- Institute for Molecular Bioscience, The University of Queensland, Brisbane, Australia
| | - Jennifer L. Stow
- Institute for Molecular Bioscience, The University of Queensland, Brisbane, Australia
| | | | - Jakob Begun
- Mater Research Institute – The University of Queensland, Brisbane, Australia
| | - Jessica C. Kling
- The University of Queensland Diamantina Institute, Brisbane, Australia
| | - Antje Blumenthal
- The University of Queensland Diamantina Institute, Brisbane, Australia
- * E-mail:
| |
Collapse
|
40
|
Jiang Y, Chen SJ. RLDOCK method for predicting RNA-small molecule binding modes. Methods 2022; 197:97-105. [PMID: 33549725 PMCID: PMC8333169 DOI: 10.1016/j.ymeth.2021.01.009] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/16/2020] [Revised: 01/24/2021] [Accepted: 01/27/2021] [Indexed: 01/03/2023] Open
Abstract
RNA molecules play critical roles in cellular functions at the level of gene expression and regulation. The intricate 3D structures and the functional roles of RNAs make RNA molecules ideal targets for therapeutic drugs. The rational design of RNA-targeted drug requires accurate modeling of RNA-ligand interactions. Recently a new computational tool, RLDOCK, was developed to predict ligand binding sites and binding poses. Using an iterative multiscale sampling and search algorithm and a energy-based evaluation of ligand poses, the method enables efficient and accurate predictions for RNA-ligand interactions. Here we present a detailed illustration of the computational procedure for the practical implementation of the RLDOCK method. Using Flavin mononucleotide (FMN) docking to F. nucleatum FMN riboswitch as an example, we illustrate the computational protocol for RLDOCK-based prediction of RNA- ligand interactions. The RLDOCK software is freely accessible at http://https://github.com/Vfold-RNA/RLDOCK.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Yangwei Jiang
- Department of Physics, MU Institute for Data Science and Informatics, Department of Biochemistry, University of Missouri, Columbia, MO 65211, USA
| | - Shi-Jie Chen
- Department of Physics, MU Institute for Data Science and Informatics, Department of Biochemistry, University of Missouri, Columbia, MO 65211, USA.
| |
Collapse
|
41
|
Halder S, Bansal M. The effect of mutation in the stem of the MicroROSE thermometer on its thermosensing ability: insights from molecular dynamics simulation studies. RSC Adv 2022; 12:11853-11865. [PMID: 35481095 PMCID: PMC9016746 DOI: 10.1039/d2ra00169a] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/10/2022] [Accepted: 04/05/2022] [Indexed: 01/17/2023] Open
Abstract
Mutation induced thermosensing ability of MicroROSE thermometer.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Swagata Halder
- Molecular Biophysics Unit, Indian Institute of Science, Bangalore-560012, India
| | - Manju Bansal
- Molecular Biophysics Unit, Indian Institute of Science, Bangalore-560012, India
| |
Collapse
|
42
|
Xue Y. Architecture of RNA-RNA interactions. Curr Opin Genet Dev 2021; 72:138-144. [PMID: 34954430 DOI: 10.1016/j.gde.2021.11.007] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/25/2021] [Revised: 11/04/2021] [Accepted: 11/23/2021] [Indexed: 11/30/2022]
Abstract
RNA molecules tend to form intricate tertiary structures via intramolecular RNA-RNA interactions (RRIs) to regulate transcription, RNA processing, and translation processes. In these biological processes, RNAs, especially noncoding RNAs, usually achieve their regulatory specificity through intermolecular RNA-RNA base pairing and execute their regulatory outcomes via associated RNA-binding proteins. Decoding intramolecular and intermolecular RRIs is a prerequisite for understanding the architecture of various RNA molecules and their regulatory roles in development, differentiation, and disease. Many sequencing-based methods have recently been invented and have revealed extraordinarily complicated RRIs in mammalian cells. Here, we discuss the technical advances and limitations of various methodologies developed for studying cellular RRIs, with a focus on the emerging architectural roles of RRIs in gene regulation.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Yuanchao Xue
- Key Laboratory of RNA Biology, Institute of Biophysics, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100101, China; University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100049, China.
| |
Collapse
|
43
|
Non-coding RNA regulates phage sensitivity in Listeria monocytogenes. PLoS One 2021; 16:e0260768. [PMID: 34928977 PMCID: PMC8687577 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0260768] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/12/2021] [Accepted: 11/16/2021] [Indexed: 01/21/2023] Open
Abstract
Non-coding RNAs (ncRNAs) have gained increasing attention as their diverse roles in virulence and environmental stress in Listeria monocytogenes have become clearer. The ncRNA rliB is an atypical member of the CRISPR family, conserved at the same genomic locus in all analyzed L. monocytogenes genomes and also in other Listeria species. In this study, rliB defective mutants (Lm3-22-ΔrliB) were constructed by homologous recombination. The growth cycle of Lm3-22-ΔrliB mutants was slower than that of wild-type Lm3-22. The sensitivity of Lm3-22-ΔrliB to the Listeria phage vB-LmoM-SH3-3 was significantly increased, and the efficiency of plaque formation was enhanced by 128 fold. Compared with wild type, the adhesion and invasion of Lm3-22-ΔrliB decreased significantly (9.3% and 1.33%, respectively). After 4 hours of infection, the proliferation of Lm3-22-ΔrliB in RAW264.7 cells also decreased significantly. Transcription level of invasion-related surface proteins showed that the internalin genes lmo0610 and lm0514, and the peptidoglycan binding protein gene lmo1799 in Lm3-22-ΔrliB were significantly increased. In addition, after interaction with phage, the transcription levels of inlA, lmo0610, lmo1799, lmo2085, and lmo0514 in Lm3-22-ΔrliB cells were significantly upregulated, while inlB was downregulated, compared with Lm3-22 control group with phage treatment. Therefore, rliB deletion effectively regulated the interaction between Listeria and phage, weaken its invasion ability, and provided a new theoretical basis for biocontrol of phage.
Collapse
|
44
|
Kammoun H, Kim M, Hafner L, Gaillard J, Disson O, Lecuit M. Listeriosis, a model infection to study host-pathogen interactions in vivo. Curr Opin Microbiol 2021; 66:11-20. [PMID: 34923331 DOI: 10.1016/j.mib.2021.11.015] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/08/2021] [Revised: 10/27/2021] [Accepted: 11/30/2021] [Indexed: 12/19/2022]
Abstract
Listeria monocytogenes (Lm) is a foodborne pathogen and the etiological agent of listeriosis. This facultative intracellular Gram-positive bacterium has the ability to colonize the intestinal lumen, cross the intestinal, blood-brain and placental barriers, leading to bacteremia, neurolisteriosis and maternal-fetal listeriosis. Lm is a model microorganism for the study of the interplay between a pathogenic microbe, host tissues and microbiota in vivo. Here we review how animal models permissive to Lm-host interactions allow deciphering some of the key steps of the infectious process, from the intestinal lumen to the crossing of host barriers and dissemination within the host. We also highlight recent investigations using tagged Lm and clinically relevant strains that have shed light on within-host dynamics and the purifying selection of Lm virulence factors. Studying Lm infection in vivo is a way forward to explore host biology and unveil the mechanisms that have selected its capacity to closely associate with its vertebrate hosts.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Hana Kammoun
- Institut Pasteur, Université de Paris, Inserm U1117, Biology of Infection Unit, 75015 Paris, France
| | - Minhee Kim
- Institut Pasteur, Université de Paris, Inserm U1117, Biology of Infection Unit, 75015 Paris, France
| | - Lukas Hafner
- Institut Pasteur, Université de Paris, Inserm U1117, Biology of Infection Unit, 75015 Paris, France
| | - Julien Gaillard
- Institut Pasteur, Université de Paris, Inserm U1117, Biology of Infection Unit, 75015 Paris, France
| | - Olivier Disson
- Institut Pasteur, Université de Paris, Inserm U1117, Biology of Infection Unit, 75015 Paris, France
| | - Marc Lecuit
- Institut Pasteur, Université de Paris, Inserm U1117, Biology of Infection Unit, 75015 Paris, France; Institut Pasteur, National Reference Centre and WHO Collaborating Centre Listeria, 75015 Paris, France; Necker-Enfants Malades University Hospital, Division of Infectious Diseases and Tropical Medicine, APHP, Institut Imagine, 75006 Paris, France.
| |
Collapse
|
45
|
Quereda JJ, Morón-García A, Palacios-Gorba C, Dessaux C, García-del Portillo F, Pucciarelli MG, Ortega AD. Pathogenicity and virulence of Listeria monocytogenes: A trip from environmental to medical microbiology. Virulence 2021; 12:2509-2545. [PMID: 34612177 PMCID: PMC8496543 DOI: 10.1080/21505594.2021.1975526] [Citation(s) in RCA: 64] [Impact Index Per Article: 21.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/04/2020] [Revised: 08/23/2021] [Accepted: 08/25/2021] [Indexed: 01/02/2023] Open
Abstract
Listeria monocytogenes is a saprophytic gram-positive bacterium, and an opportunistic foodborne pathogen that can produce listeriosis in humans and animals. It has evolved an exceptional ability to adapt to stress conditions encountered in different environments, resulting in a ubiquitous distribution. Because some food preservation methods and disinfection protocols in food-processing environments cannot efficiently prevent contaminations, L. monocytogenes constitutes a threat to human health and a challenge to food safety. In the host, Listeria colonizes the gastrointestinal tract, crosses the intestinal barrier, and disseminates through the blood to target organs. In immunocompromised individuals, the elderly, and pregnant women, the pathogen can cross the blood-brain and placental barriers, leading to neurolisteriosis and materno-fetal listeriosis. Molecular and cell biology studies of infection have proven L. monocytogenes to be a versatile pathogen that deploys unique strategies to invade different cell types, survive and move inside the eukaryotic host cell, and spread from cell to cell. Here, we present the multifaceted Listeria life cycle from a comprehensive perspective. We discuss genetic features of pathogenic Listeria species, analyze factors involved in food contamination, and review bacterial strategies to tolerate stresses encountered both during food processing and along the host's gastrointestinal tract. Then we dissect host-pathogen interactions underlying listerial pathogenesis in mammals from a cell biology and systemic point of view. Finally, we summarize the epidemiology, pathophysiology, and clinical features of listeriosis in humans and animals. This work aims to gather information from different fields crucial for a comprehensive understanding of the pathogenesis of L. monocytogenes.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Juan J. Quereda
- Departamento de Producción y Sanidad Animal, Salud Pública Veterinaria y Ciencia y Tecnología de los Alimentos, Facultad de Veterinaria, Universidad Cardenal Herrera-CEU, CEU Universities. Valencia, Spain
| | - Alvaro Morón-García
- Departamento de Biología Celular. Facultad de Ciencias Biológicas, Universidad Complutense de Madrid. Madrid, Spain
| | - Carla Palacios-Gorba
- Departamento de Producción y Sanidad Animal, Salud Pública Veterinaria y Ciencia y Tecnología de los Alimentos, Facultad de Veterinaria, Universidad Cardenal Herrera-CEU, CEU Universities. Valencia, Spain
| | - Charlotte Dessaux
- Departamento de Biotecnología Microbiana, Centro Nacional de Biotecnología (CNB)- Consejo Superior De Investigaciones Científicas (CSIC), Madrid, Spain
| | - Francisco García-del Portillo
- Departamento de Biotecnología Microbiana, Centro Nacional de Biotecnología (CNB)- Consejo Superior De Investigaciones Científicas (CSIC), Madrid, Spain
| | - M. Graciela Pucciarelli
- Departamento de Biotecnología Microbiana, Centro Nacional de Biotecnología (CNB)- Consejo Superior De Investigaciones Científicas (CSIC), Madrid, Spain
- Centro de Biología Molecular ‘Severo Ochoa’. Departamento de Biología Molecular, Facultad de Ciencias, Universidad Autónoma de Madrid. Madrid, Spain
| | - Alvaro D. Ortega
- Departamento de Biología Celular. Facultad de Ciencias Biológicas, Universidad Complutense de Madrid. Madrid, Spain
- Departamento de Biotecnología Microbiana, Centro Nacional de Biotecnología (CNB)- Consejo Superior De Investigaciones Científicas (CSIC), Madrid, Spain
| |
Collapse
|
46
|
Choi J, Salvail H, Groisman EA. RNA chaperone activates Salmonella virulence program during infection. Nucleic Acids Res 2021; 49:11614-11628. [PMID: 34751407 PMCID: PMC8599858 DOI: 10.1093/nar/gkab992] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/09/2021] [Revised: 10/04/2021] [Accepted: 10/18/2021] [Indexed: 11/17/2022] Open
Abstract
Organisms often harbor seemingly redundant proteins. In the bacterium Salmonella enterica serovar Typhimurium (S. Typhimurium), the RNA chaperones CspC and CspE appear to play redundant virulence roles because a mutant lacking both chaperones is attenuated, whereas mutants lacking only one exhibit wild-type virulence. We now report that CspC—but not CspE—is necessary to activate the master virulence regulator PhoP when S. Typhimurium experiences mildly acidic pH, such as inside macrophages. This CspC-dependent PhoP activation is specific to mildly acidic pH because a cspC mutant behaves like wild-type S. Typhimurium under other PhoP-activating conditions. Moreover, it is mediated by ugtL, a virulence gene required for PhoP activation inside macrophages. Purified CspC promotes ugtL translation by disrupting a secondary structure in the ugtL mRNA that occludes ugtL’s ribosome binding site. Our findings demonstrate that proteins that are seemingly redundant actually confer distinct and critical functions to the lifestyle of an organism.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Jeongjoon Choi
- Department of Microbial Pathogenesis, Yale School of Medicine, 295 Congress Avenue, New Haven, CT 06536, USA
| | - Hubert Salvail
- Department of Microbial Pathogenesis, Yale School of Medicine, 295 Congress Avenue, New Haven, CT 06536, USA
| | - Eduardo A Groisman
- Department of Microbial Pathogenesis, Yale School of Medicine, 295 Congress Avenue, New Haven, CT 06536, USA.,Yale Microbial Sciences Institute, P.O. Box 27389, West Haven, CT 06516, USA
| |
Collapse
|
47
|
Lacroix E, Pereira L, Yoo B, Coyle KM, Chandhok S, Zapf R, Marijan D, Morin RD, Vlachos S, Harden N, Audas TE. Evolutionary conservation of systemic and reversible amyloid aggregation. J Cell Sci 2021; 134:273507. [PMID: 34704593 DOI: 10.1242/jcs.258907] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/13/2021] [Accepted: 10/19/2021] [Indexed: 12/30/2022] Open
Abstract
In response to environmental stress, human cells have been shown to form reversible amyloid aggregates within the nucleus, termed amyloid bodies (A-bodies). These protective physiological structures share many of the biophysical characteristics associated with the pathological amyloids found in Alzheimer's and Parkinson's disease. Here, we show that A-bodies are evolutionarily conserved across the eukaryotic domain, with their detection in Drosophila melanogaster and Saccharomyces cerevisiae marking the first examples of these functional amyloids being induced outside of a cultured cell setting. The conditions triggering amyloidogenesis varied significantly among the species tested, with results indicating that A-body formation is a severe, but sublethal, stress response pathway that is tailored to the environmental norms of an organism. RNA-sequencing analyses demonstrate that the regulatory low-complexity long non-coding RNAs that drive A-body aggregation are both conserved and essential in human, mouse and chicken cells. Thus, the identification of these natural and reversible functional amyloids in a variety of evolutionarily diverse species highlights the physiological significance of this protein conformation, and will be informative in advancing our understanding of both functional and pathological amyloid aggregation events. This article has an associated First Person interview with the first author of the paper.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Emma Lacroix
- Department of Molecular Biology and Biochemistry, Simon Fraser University, 8888 University Drive, Burnaby, BC V5A 1S6, Canada.,Center for Cell Biology, Development, and Disease, Burnaby, BC V5A 1S6, Canada
| | - Lionel Pereira
- Department of Molecular Biology and Biochemistry, Simon Fraser University, 8888 University Drive, Burnaby, BC V5A 1S6, Canada.,Center for Cell Biology, Development, and Disease, Burnaby, BC V5A 1S6, Canada
| | - Byoungjoo Yoo
- Department of Molecular Biology and Biochemistry, Simon Fraser University, 8888 University Drive, Burnaby, BC V5A 1S6, Canada
| | - Krysta M Coyle
- Department of Molecular Biology and Biochemistry, Simon Fraser University, 8888 University Drive, Burnaby, BC V5A 1S6, Canada
| | - Sahil Chandhok
- Department of Molecular Biology and Biochemistry, Simon Fraser University, 8888 University Drive, Burnaby, BC V5A 1S6, Canada.,Center for Cell Biology, Development, and Disease, Burnaby, BC V5A 1S6, Canada
| | - Richard Zapf
- Department of Molecular Biology and Biochemistry, Simon Fraser University, 8888 University Drive, Burnaby, BC V5A 1S6, Canada.,Center for Cell Biology, Development, and Disease, Burnaby, BC V5A 1S6, Canada
| | - Dane Marijan
- Department of Molecular Biology and Biochemistry, Simon Fraser University, 8888 University Drive, Burnaby, BC V5A 1S6, Canada.,Center for Cell Biology, Development, and Disease, Burnaby, BC V5A 1S6, Canada
| | - Ryan D Morin
- Department of Molecular Biology and Biochemistry, Simon Fraser University, 8888 University Drive, Burnaby, BC V5A 1S6, Canada
| | - Stephanie Vlachos
- Department of Molecular Biology and Biochemistry, Simon Fraser University, 8888 University Drive, Burnaby, BC V5A 1S6, Canada
| | - Nicholas Harden
- Department of Molecular Biology and Biochemistry, Simon Fraser University, 8888 University Drive, Burnaby, BC V5A 1S6, Canada.,Center for Cell Biology, Development, and Disease, Burnaby, BC V5A 1S6, Canada
| | - Timothy E Audas
- Department of Molecular Biology and Biochemistry, Simon Fraser University, 8888 University Drive, Burnaby, BC V5A 1S6, Canada.,Center for Cell Biology, Development, and Disease, Burnaby, BC V5A 1S6, Canada
| |
Collapse
|
48
|
Evguenieva-Hackenberg E. Riboregulation in bacteria: From general principles to novel mechanisms of the trp attenuator and its sRNA and peptide products. WILEY INTERDISCIPLINARY REVIEWS-RNA 2021; 13:e1696. [PMID: 34651439 DOI: 10.1002/wrna.1696] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/14/2021] [Revised: 08/25/2021] [Accepted: 09/10/2021] [Indexed: 12/26/2022]
Abstract
Gene expression strategies ensuring bacterial survival and competitiveness rely on cis- and trans-acting RNA-regulators (riboregulators). Among the cis-acting riboregulators are transcriptional and translational attenuators, and antisense RNAs (asRNAs). The trans-acting riboregulators are small RNAs (sRNAs) that bind proteins or base pairs with other RNAs. This classification is artificial since some regulatory RNAs act both in cis and in trans, or function in addition as small mRNAs. A prominent example is the archetypical, ribosome-dependent attenuator of tryptophan (Trp) biosynthesis genes. It responds by transcription attenuation to two signals, Trp availability and inhibition of translation, and gives rise to two trans-acting products, the attenuator sRNA rnTrpL and the leader peptide peTrpL. In Escherichia coli, rnTrpL links Trp availability to initiation of chromosome replication and in Sinorhizobium meliloti, it coordinates regulation of split tryptophan biosynthesis operons. Furthermore, in S. meliloti, peTrpL is involved in mRNA destabilization in response to antibiotic exposure. It forms two types of asRNA-containing, antibiotic-dependent ribonucleoprotein complexes (ARNPs), one of them changing the target specificity of rnTrpL. The posttranscriptional role of peTrpL indicates two emerging paradigms: (1) sRNA reprograming by small molecules and (2) direct involvement of antibiotics in regulatory RNPs. They broaden our view on RNA-based mechanisms and may inspire new approaches for studying, detecting, and using antibacterial compounds. This article is categorized under: RNA Interactions with Proteins and Other Molecules > Small Molecule-RNA Interactions RNA Interactions with Proteins and Other Molecules > RNA-Protein Complexes Regulatory RNAs/RNAi/Riboswitches > Regulatory RNAs.
Collapse
|
49
|
Felden B, Augagneur Y. Diversity and Versatility in Small RNA-Mediated Regulation in Bacterial Pathogens. Front Microbiol 2021; 12:719977. [PMID: 34447363 PMCID: PMC8383071 DOI: 10.3389/fmicb.2021.719977] [Citation(s) in RCA: 24] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/03/2021] [Accepted: 07/20/2021] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Bacterial gene expression is under the control of a large set of molecules acting at multiple levels. In addition to the transcription factors (TFs) already known to be involved in global regulation of gene expression, small regulatory RNAs (sRNAs) are emerging as major players in gene regulatory networks, where they allow environmental adaptation and fitness. Developments in high-throughput screening have enabled their detection in the entire bacterial kingdom. These sRNAs influence a plethora of biological processes, including but not limited to outer membrane synthesis, metabolism, TF regulation, transcription termination, virulence, and antibiotic resistance and persistence. Almost always noncoding, they regulate target genes at the post-transcriptional level, usually through base-pair interactions with mRNAs, alone or with the help of dedicated chaperones. There is growing evidence that sRNA-mediated mechanisms of actions are far more diverse than initially thought, and that they go beyond the so-called cis- and trans-encoded classifications. These molecules can be derived and processed from 5' untranslated regions (UTRs), coding or non-coding sequences, and even from 3' UTRs. They usually act within the bacterial cytoplasm, but recent studies showed sRNAs in extracellular vesicles, where they influence host cell interactions. In this review, we highlight the various functions of sRNAs in bacterial pathogens, and focus on the increasing examples of widely diverse regulatory mechanisms that might compel us to reconsider what constitute the sRNA.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Brice Felden
- Inserm, Bacterial Regulatory RNAs and Medicine (BRM) - UMR_S 1230, Rennes, France
| | - Yoann Augagneur
- Inserm, Bacterial Regulatory RNAs and Medicine (BRM) - UMR_S 1230, Rennes, France
| |
Collapse
|
50
|
Pagni PP, Chaplin J, Wijaranakula M, Wesley JD, Granger J, Cracraft J, O'Brien C, Perdue N, Kumar V, Li S, Ratliff SS, Roach A, Misquith A, Chan CL, Coppieters K, von Herrath M. Multicomponent Plasmid Protects Mice From Spontaneous Autoimmune Diabetes. Diabetes 2021; 71:db210327. [PMID: 34389610 PMCID: PMC8763876 DOI: 10.2337/db21-0327] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/20/2021] [Accepted: 08/08/2021] [Indexed: 11/13/2022]
Abstract
Type 1 diabetes is an autoimmune disease in which insulin-secreting β-cells are destroyed, leading to a life-long dependency on exogenous insulin. There are no approved disease-modifying therapies available, and future immunotherapies would need to avoid generalized immune suppression. We developed a novel plasmid expressing preproinsulin2 and a combination of immune-modulatory cytokines (transforming growth factor-beta-1, interleukin [IL] 10 and IL-2) capable of near-complete prevention of autoimmune diabetes in non-obese diabetic mice. Efficacy depended on preproinsulin2, suggesting antigen-specific tolerization, and on the cytokine combination encoded. Diabetes suppression was achieved following either intramuscular or subcutaneous injections. Intramuscular plasmid treatment promoted increased peripheral levels of endogenous IL-10 and modulated myeloid cell types without inducing global immunosuppression. To prepare for first-in-human studies, the plasmid was modified to allow for selection without the use of antibiotic resistance; this modification had no impact on efficacy. This pre-clinical study demonstrates that this multi-component, plasmid-based antigen-specific immunotherapy holds potential for inducing self-tolerance in persons at risk of developing type 1 diabetes. Importantly, the study also informs on relevant cytokine and immune cell biomarkers that may facilitate clinical trials. This therapy is currently being tested for safety and tolerability in a phase 1 trial (ClinicalTrials.gov Identifier: NCT04279613).
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Philippe P Pagni
- Type 1 Diabetes & Kidney Disease, Global Drug Discovery, Novo Nordisk Research Center Seattle, Inc., Seattle, WA, U.S.A
| | - Jay Chaplin
- Type 1 Diabetes & Kidney Disease, Global Drug Discovery, Novo Nordisk Research Center Seattle, Inc., Seattle, WA, U.S.A
| | - Michael Wijaranakula
- Type 1 Diabetes & Kidney Disease, Global Drug Discovery, Novo Nordisk Research Center Seattle, Inc., Seattle, WA, U.S.A
| | - Johnna D Wesley
- Type 1 Diabetes & Kidney Disease, Global Drug Discovery, Novo Nordisk Research Center Seattle, Inc., Seattle, WA, U.S.A
| | - Jaimie Granger
- Type 1 Diabetes & Kidney Disease, Global Drug Discovery, Novo Nordisk Research Center Seattle, Inc., Seattle, WA, U.S.A
| | - Justen Cracraft
- Type 1 Diabetes & Kidney Disease, Global Drug Discovery, Novo Nordisk Research Center Seattle, Inc., Seattle, WA, U.S.A
| | - Conor O'Brien
- Type 1 Diabetes & Kidney Disease, Global Drug Discovery, Novo Nordisk Research Center Seattle, Inc., Seattle, WA, U.S.A
| | - Nikole Perdue
- Type 1 Diabetes & Kidney Disease, Global Drug Discovery, Novo Nordisk Research Center Seattle, Inc., Seattle, WA, U.S.A
| | - Vijetha Kumar
- Type 1 Diabetes & Kidney Disease, Global Drug Discovery, Novo Nordisk Research Center Seattle, Inc., Seattle, WA, U.S.A
| | - Shangjin Li
- Type 1 Diabetes & Kidney Disease, Global Drug Discovery, Novo Nordisk Research Center Seattle, Inc., Seattle, WA, U.S.A
| | | | - Allie Roach
- Type 1 Diabetes & Kidney Disease, Global Drug Discovery, Novo Nordisk Research Center Seattle, Inc., Seattle, WA, U.S.A
| | - Ayesha Misquith
- Discovery Biologics, Global Research Technologies, Novo Nordisk Research Center Seattle, Inc., Seattle, WA, U.S.A
| | - Chung-Leung Chan
- Discovery Biologics, Global Research Technologies, Novo Nordisk Research Center Seattle, Inc., Seattle, WA, U.S.A
| | - Ken Coppieters
- Project and Alliance Management, Global Drug Discovery, Novo Nordisk A/S, Måløv, Denmark
| | - Matthias von Herrath
- La Jolla Institute for Immunology, La Jolla, CA, USA
- Global Chief Medical Office, Novo Nordisk A/S, Søborg, Denmark
| |
Collapse
|