1
|
Lewis K, Lee RE, Brötz-Oesterhelt H, Hiller S, Rodnina MV, Schneider T, Weingarth M, Wohlgemuth I. Sophisticated natural products as antibiotics. Nature 2024; 632:39-49. [PMID: 39085542 DOI: 10.1038/s41586-024-07530-w] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/28/2022] [Accepted: 05/07/2024] [Indexed: 08/02/2024]
Abstract
In this Review, we explore natural product antibiotics that do more than simply inhibit an active site of an essential enzyme. We review these compounds to provide inspiration for the design of much-needed new antibacterial agents, and examine the complex mechanisms that have evolved to effectively target bacteria, including covalent binders, inhibitors of resistance, compounds that utilize self-promoted entry, those that evade resistance, prodrugs, target corrupters, inhibitors of 'undruggable' targets, compounds that form supramolecular complexes, and selective membrane-acting agents. These are exemplified by β-lactams that bind covalently to inhibit transpeptidases and β-lactamases, siderophore chimeras that hijack import mechanisms to smuggle antibiotics into the cell, compounds that are activated by bacterial enzymes to produce reactive molecules, and antibiotics such as aminoglycosides that corrupt, rather than merely inhibit, their targets. Some of these mechanisms are highly sophisticated, such as the preformed β-strands of darobactins that target the undruggable β-barrel chaperone BamA, or teixobactin, which binds to a precursor of peptidoglycan and then forms a supramolecular structure that damages the membrane, impeding the emergence of resistance. Many of the compounds exhibit more than one notable feature, such as resistance evasion and target corruption. Understanding the surprising complexity of the best antimicrobial compounds provides a roadmap for developing novel compounds to address the antimicrobial resistance crisis by mining for new natural products and inspiring us to design similarly sophisticated antibiotics.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Kim Lewis
- Antimicrobial Discovery Center, Northeastern University, Boston, MA, USA.
| | - Richard E Lee
- Department of Chemical Biology and Therapeutics, St Jude Children's Research Hospital, Memphis, TN, USA.
| | - Heike Brötz-Oesterhelt
- Interfaculty Institute of Microbiology and Infection Medicine, Tubingen, Germany
- Controlling Microbes to Fight Infection-Cluster of Excellence, Tubingen, Germany
| | | | - Marina V Rodnina
- Max Planck Institute for Multidisciplinary Sciences, Goettingen, Germany
| | - Tanja Schneider
- Institute for Pharmaceutical Microbiology, University of Bonn, University Hospital Bonn, Bonn, Germany
- German Center for Infection Research (DZIF), Partner Site Cologne-Bonn, Bonn, Germany
| | - Markus Weingarth
- Chemistry Department, Utrecht University, Utrecht, the Netherlands
| | - Ingo Wohlgemuth
- Max Planck Institute for Multidisciplinary Sciences, Goettingen, Germany
| |
Collapse
|
2
|
Romano KP, Bagnall J, Warrier T, Sullivan J, Ferrara K, Orzechowski M, Nguyen P, Raines K, Livny J, Shoresh N, Hung D. Perturbation-Specific Transcriptional Mapping for unbiased target elucidation of antibiotics. BIORXIV : THE PREPRINT SERVER FOR BIOLOGY 2024:2024.04.25.590978. [PMID: 38712067 PMCID: PMC11071498 DOI: 10.1101/2024.04.25.590978] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/08/2024]
Abstract
The rising prevalence of antibiotic resistance threatens human health. While more sophisticated strategies for antibiotic discovery are being developed, target elucidation of new chemical entities remains challenging. In the post-genomic era, expression profiling can play an important role in mechanism-of-action (MOA) prediction by reporting on the cellular response to perturbation. However, the broad application of transcriptomics has yet to fulfill its promise of transforming target elucidation due to challenges in identifying the most relevant, direct responses to target inhibition. We developed an unbiased strategy for MOA prediction, called Perturbation-Specific Transcriptional Mapping (PerSpecTM), in which large-throughput expression profiling of wildtype or hypomorphic mutants, depleted for essential targets, enables a computational strategy to address this challenge. We applied PerSpecTM to perform reference-based MOA prediction based on the principle that similar perturbations, whether chemical or genetic, will elicit similar transcriptional responses. Using this approach, we elucidated the MOAs of three new molecules with activity against Pseudomonas aeruginosa by comparing their expression profiles to those of a reference set of antimicrobial compounds with known MOAs. We also show that transcriptional responses to small molecule inhibition resemble those resulting from genetic depletion of essential targets by CRISPRi by PerSpecTM, demonstrating proof-of-concept that correlations between expression profiles of small molecule and genetic perturbations can facilitate MOA prediction when no chemical entities exist to serve as a reference. Empowered by PerSpecTM, this work lays the foundation for an unbiased, readily scalable, systematic reference-based strategy for MOA elucidation that could transform antibiotic discovery efforts.
Collapse
|
3
|
Deng Z, Liu C, Wang F, Song N, Liu J, Li H, Liu S, Li T, Liu Z, Xiao F, Li W. A Versatile Thioesterase Involved in Dimerization during Cinnamoyl Lipid Biosynthesis. Angew Chem Int Ed Engl 2024; 63:e202402010. [PMID: 38462490 DOI: 10.1002/anie.202402010] [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: 01/28/2024] [Revised: 03/07/2024] [Accepted: 03/07/2024] [Indexed: 03/12/2024]
Abstract
The cinnamoyl lipid compound youssoufene A1 (1), featuring a unique dearomatic carbon-bridged dimeric skeleton, exhibits increased inhibition against multidrug resistant Enterococcus faecalis as compared to monomeric youssoufenes. However, the formation process of this intriguing dearomatization/dimerization remains unknown. In this study, an unusual "gene-within-gene" thioesterase (TE) gene ysfF was functionally characterized. The gene was found to naturally encodes two proteins, an entire YsfF with α/β-hydrolase and 4-hydroxybenzoyl-CoA thioesterase (4-HBT)-like enzyme domains, and a nested YsfFHBT (4-HBT-like enzyme). Using an intracellular tagged carrier-protein tracking (ITCT) strategy, in vitro reconstitution and in vivo experiments, we found that: i) both domains of YsfF displayed thioesterase activities; ii) YsfF/YsfFHBT could accomplish the 6π-electrocyclic ring closure for benzene ring formation; and iii) YsfF and cyclase YsfX together were responsible for the ACP-tethered dearomatization/dimerization process, possibly through an unprecedented Michael-type addition reaction. Moreover, site-directed mutagenesis experiments demonstrated that N301, E483 and H566 of YsfF are critical residues for both the 6π-electrocyclization and dimerization processes. This study enhances our understanding of the multifunctionality of the TE protein family.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Zirong Deng
- State Key Laboratory for Crop Stress Resistance and High-Efficiency Production, Shaanxi Key Laboratory of Natural Products & Chemical Biology, College of Chemistry & Pharmacy, Northwest A&F University, Yangling, Shannxi, 712100, China
- Key Laboratory of Marine Drugs, Ministry of Education, School of Medicine and Pharmacy, Ocean University of China, Qingdao, Shandong, 266003, China
| | - Chunni Liu
- State Key Laboratory for Crop Stress Resistance and High-Efficiency Production, Shaanxi Key Laboratory of Natural Products & Chemical Biology, College of Chemistry & Pharmacy, Northwest A&F University, Yangling, Shannxi, 712100, China
| | - Fang Wang
- Key Laboratory of Marine Drugs, Ministry of Education, School of Medicine and Pharmacy, Ocean University of China, Qingdao, Shandong, 266003, China
| | - Ni Song
- Key Laboratory of Marine Drugs, Ministry of Education, School of Medicine and Pharmacy, Ocean University of China, Qingdao, Shandong, 266003, China
| | - Jing Liu
- Key Laboratory of Marine Drugs, Ministry of Education, School of Medicine and Pharmacy, Ocean University of China, Qingdao, Shandong, 266003, China
| | - Huayue Li
- Key Laboratory of Marine Drugs, Ministry of Education, School of Medicine and Pharmacy, Ocean University of China, Qingdao, Shandong, 266003, China
- Laboratory for Marine Drugs and Bioproducts of Qingdao National Laboratory for Marine Science and Technology, Qingdao, Shandong, 266237, China
| | - Siyu Liu
- State Key Laboratory for Crop Stress Resistance and High-Efficiency Production, Shaanxi Key Laboratory of Natural Products & Chemical Biology, College of Chemistry & Pharmacy, Northwest A&F University, Yangling, Shannxi, 712100, China
| | - Tong Li
- Key Laboratory of Marine Drugs, Ministry of Education, School of Medicine and Pharmacy, Ocean University of China, Qingdao, Shandong, 266003, China
| | - Zengzhi Liu
- Key Laboratory of Marine Drugs, Ministry of Education, School of Medicine and Pharmacy, Ocean University of China, Qingdao, Shandong, 266003, China
| | - Fei Xiao
- Key Laboratory of Marine Drugs, Ministry of Education, School of Medicine and Pharmacy, Ocean University of China, Qingdao, Shandong, 266003, China
| | - Wenli Li
- State Key Laboratory for Crop Stress Resistance and High-Efficiency Production, Shaanxi Key Laboratory of Natural Products & Chemical Biology, College of Chemistry & Pharmacy, Northwest A&F University, Yangling, Shannxi, 712100, China
- Key Laboratory of Marine Drugs, Ministry of Education, School of Medicine and Pharmacy, Ocean University of China, Qingdao, Shandong, 266003, China
- Laboratory for Marine Drugs and Bioproducts of Qingdao National Laboratory for Marine Science and Technology, Qingdao, Shandong, 266237, China
| |
Collapse
|
4
|
Cook GD, Stasulli NM. Employing synthetic biology to expand antibiotic discovery. SLAS Technol 2024; 29:100120. [PMID: 38340893 DOI: 10.1016/j.slast.2024.100120] [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: 06/16/2023] [Revised: 01/04/2024] [Accepted: 02/07/2024] [Indexed: 02/12/2024]
Abstract
Antimicrobial-resistant (AMR) bacterial pathogens are a continually growing threat as our methods for combating these infections continue to be overcome by the evolution of resistance mechanisms. Recent therapeutic methods have not staved off the concern of AMR infections, so continued research focuses on new ways of identifying small molecules to treat AMR pathogens. While chemical modification of existing antibiotics is possible, there has been rapid development of resistance by pathogens that were initially susceptible to these compounds. Synthetic biology is becoming a key strategy in trying to predict and induce novel, natural antibiotics. Advances in cloning and mutagenesis techniques applied through a synthetic biology lens can help characterize the native regulation of antibiotic biosynthetic gene clusters (BGCs) to identify potential modifications leading to more potent antibiotic activity. Additionally, many cryptic antibiotic BGCs are derived from non-ribosomal peptide synthase (NRPS) and polyketide synthase (PKS) biosynthetic pathways; complex, clustered genetic sequences that give rise to amino acid-derived natural products. Synthetic biology can be applied to modify and metabolically engineer these enzyme-based systems to promote rapid and sustainable production of natural products and their variants. This review will focus on recent advances related to synthetic biology as applied to genetic pathway characterization and identification of antibiotics from naturally occurring BGCs. Specifically, we will summarize recent efforts to characterize BGCs via general genomic mutagenesis, endogenous gene expression, and heterologous gene expression.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Greta D Cook
- Department of Biology and Environmental Science, University of New Haven, 300 Boston Post Rd, Dodds Hall 316, West Haven 06516 USA
| | - Nikolas M Stasulli
- Department of Biology and Environmental Science, University of New Haven, 300 Boston Post Rd, Dodds Hall 316, West Haven 06516 USA.
| |
Collapse
|
5
|
Peng H, Schmiederer J, Chen X, Panagiotou G, Kries H. Controlling Substrate- and Stereospecificity of Condensation Domains in Nonribosomal Peptide Synthetases. ACS Chem Biol 2024; 19:599-606. [PMID: 38395426 PMCID: PMC10949931 DOI: 10.1021/acschembio.3c00678] [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: 11/09/2023] [Revised: 01/30/2024] [Accepted: 02/09/2024] [Indexed: 02/25/2024]
Abstract
Nonribosomal peptide synthetases (NRPSs) are sophisticated molecular machines that biosynthesize peptide drugs. In attempts to generate new bioactive compounds, some parts of NRPSs have been successfully manipulated, but especially the influence of condensation (C-)domains on substrate specificity remains enigmatic and poorly controlled. To understand the influence of C-domains on substrate preference, we extensively evaluated the peptide formation of C-domain mutants in a bimodular NRPS system. Thus, we identified three key mutations that govern the preference for stereoconfiguration and side-chain identity. These mutations show similar effects in three different C-domains (GrsB1, TycB1, and SrfAC) when di- or pentapeptides are synthesized in vitro or in vivo. Strikingly, mutation E386L allows the stereopreference to be switched from d- to l-configured donor substrates. Our findings provide valuable insights into how cryptic specificity filters in C-domains can be re-engineered to clear roadblocks for NRPS engineering and enable the production of novel bioactive compounds.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Huiyun Peng
- Junior
Research Group Biosynthetic Design of Natural Products, Leibniz Institute for Natural Product Research and
Infection Biology (HKI), Beutenbergstr. 11a, 07745 Jena, Germany
| | - Julian Schmiederer
- Junior
Research Group Biosynthetic Design of Natural Products, Leibniz Institute for Natural Product Research and
Infection Biology (HKI), Beutenbergstr. 11a, 07745 Jena, Germany
| | - Xiuqiang Chen
- Department
of Microbiome Dynamics, Leibniz Institute
for Natural Product Research and Infection Biology (HKI), Beutenbergstr. 11a, 07745 Jena, Germany
| | - Gianni Panagiotou
- Department
of Microbiome Dynamics, Leibniz Institute
for Natural Product Research and Infection Biology (HKI), Beutenbergstr. 11a, 07745 Jena, Germany
- Faculty
of Biological Sciences, Friedrich Schiller
University, 07745 Jena, Germany
- Department
of Medicine, The University of Hong Kong, 999999 Hong Kong
SAR, China
| | - Hajo Kries
- Junior
Research Group Biosynthetic Design of Natural Products, Leibniz Institute for Natural Product Research and
Infection Biology (HKI), Beutenbergstr. 11a, 07745 Jena, Germany
- Department
of Chemistry, University of Bayreuth, Universitätsstr. 30, 95440 Bayreuth, Germany
| |
Collapse
|
6
|
Tay DWP, Tan LL, Heng E, Zulkarnain N, Ching KC, Wibowo M, Chin EJ, Tan ZYQ, Leong CY, Ng VWP, Yang LK, Seow DCS, Lim YW, Koh W, Koduru L, Kanagasundaram Y, Ng SB, Lim YH, Wong FT. Exploring a general multi-pronged activation strategy for natural product discovery in Actinomycetes. Commun Biol 2024; 7:50. [PMID: 38184720 PMCID: PMC10771470 DOI: 10.1038/s42003-023-05648-7] [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: 08/16/2023] [Accepted: 11/29/2023] [Indexed: 01/08/2024] Open
Abstract
Natural products possess significant therapeutic potential but remain underutilized despite advances in genomics and bioinformatics. While there are approaches to activate and upregulate natural product biosynthesis in both native and heterologous microbial strains, a comprehensive strategy to elicit production of natural products as well as a generalizable and efficient method to interrogate diverse native strains collection, remains lacking. Here, we explore a flexible and robust integrase-mediated multi-pronged activation approach to reliably perturb and globally trigger antibiotics production in actinobacteria. Across 54 actinobacterial strains, our approach yielded 124 distinct activator-strain combinations which consistently outperform wild type. Our approach expands accessible metabolite space by nearly two-fold and increases selected metabolite yields by up to >200-fold, enabling discovery of Gram-negative bioactivity in tetramic acid analogs. We envision these findings as a gateway towards a more streamlined, accelerated, and scalable strategy to unlock the full potential of Nature's chemical repertoire.
Collapse
Grants
- NRF-CRP19-2017-05-00 National Research Foundation Singapore (National Research Foundation-Prime Minister's office, Republic of Singapore)
- NRF-CRP19-2017-05-00 National Research Foundation Singapore (National Research Foundation-Prime Minister's office, Republic of Singapore)
- NRF-CRP19-2017-05-00 National Research Foundation Singapore (National Research Foundation-Prime Minister's office, Republic of Singapore)
- NRF-CRP19-2017-05-00 National Research Foundation Singapore (National Research Foundation-Prime Minister's office, Republic of Singapore)
- NRF-CRP19-2017-05-00 National Research Foundation Singapore (National Research Foundation-Prime Minister's office, Republic of Singapore)
- NRF-CRP19-2017-05-00 National Research Foundation Singapore (National Research Foundation-Prime Minister's office, Republic of Singapore)
- NRF-CRP19-2017-05-00 National Research Foundation Singapore (National Research Foundation-Prime Minister's office, Republic of Singapore)
- NRF-CRP19-2017-05-00 National Research Foundation Singapore (National Research Foundation-Prime Minister's office, Republic of Singapore)
- C211917006 Agency for Science, Technology and Research (A*STAR)
- C233017006 Agency for Science, Technology and Research (A*STAR)
- C211917003 Agency for Science, Technology and Research (A*STAR)
- C211917006 Agency for Science, Technology and Research (A*STAR)
- C233017006 Agency for Science, Technology and Research (A*STAR)
- C211917006 Agency for Science, Technology and Research (A*STAR)
- National Research Foundation Singapore (National Research Foundation-Prime Minister’s office, Republic of Singapore)
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Dillon W P Tay
- Institute of Sustainability for Chemicals, Energy and Environment (ISCE2), Agency for Science, Technology and Research (A*STAR), 8 Biomedical Grove, #07-01 Neuros Building, Singapore, 138665, Republic of Singapore
| | - Lee Ling Tan
- Molecular Engineering Lab, Institute of Molecular and Cell Biology (IMCB), Agency for Science, Technology and Research (A*STAR), 61 Biopolis Drive, #07-06, Proteos, Singapore, 138673, Republic of Singapore
| | - Elena Heng
- Molecular Engineering Lab, Institute of Molecular and Cell Biology (IMCB), Agency for Science, Technology and Research (A*STAR), 61 Biopolis Drive, #07-06, Proteos, Singapore, 138673, Republic of Singapore
| | - Nadiah Zulkarnain
- Molecular Engineering Lab, Institute of Molecular and Cell Biology (IMCB), Agency for Science, Technology and Research (A*STAR), 61 Biopolis Drive, #07-06, Proteos, Singapore, 138673, Republic of Singapore
| | - Kuan Chieh Ching
- Singapore Institute of Food and Biotechnology Innovation (SIFBI), Agency for Science, Technology and Research (A*STAR), 31 Biopolis Way, #01-02, Nanos, Singapore, 138669, Republic of Singapore
| | - Mario Wibowo
- Singapore Institute of Food and Biotechnology Innovation (SIFBI), Agency for Science, Technology and Research (A*STAR), 31 Biopolis Way, #01-02, Nanos, Singapore, 138669, Republic of Singapore
| | - Elaine Jinfeng Chin
- Singapore Institute of Food and Biotechnology Innovation (SIFBI), Agency for Science, Technology and Research (A*STAR), 31 Biopolis Way, #01-02, Nanos, Singapore, 138669, Republic of Singapore
| | - Zann Yi Qi Tan
- Singapore Institute of Food and Biotechnology Innovation (SIFBI), Agency for Science, Technology and Research (A*STAR), 31 Biopolis Way, #01-02, Nanos, Singapore, 138669, Republic of Singapore
| | - Chung Yan Leong
- Singapore Institute of Food and Biotechnology Innovation (SIFBI), Agency for Science, Technology and Research (A*STAR), 31 Biopolis Way, #01-02, Nanos, Singapore, 138669, Republic of Singapore
| | - Veronica Wee Pin Ng
- Singapore Institute of Food and Biotechnology Innovation (SIFBI), Agency for Science, Technology and Research (A*STAR), 31 Biopolis Way, #01-02, Nanos, Singapore, 138669, Republic of Singapore
| | - Lay Kien Yang
- Singapore Institute of Food and Biotechnology Innovation (SIFBI), Agency for Science, Technology and Research (A*STAR), 31 Biopolis Way, #01-02, Nanos, Singapore, 138669, Republic of Singapore
| | - Deborah C S Seow
- Singapore Institute of Food and Biotechnology Innovation (SIFBI), Agency for Science, Technology and Research (A*STAR), 31 Biopolis Way, #01-02, Nanos, Singapore, 138669, Republic of Singapore
| | - Yi Wee Lim
- Institute of Sustainability for Chemicals, Energy and Environment (ISCE2), Agency for Science, Technology and Research (A*STAR), 8 Biomedical Grove, #07-01 Neuros Building, Singapore, 138665, Republic of Singapore
| | - Winston Koh
- Bioinformatics Institute (BII), Agency of Science, Technology and Research (A*STAR), 30 Biopolis Street, #07-01, Matrix, Singapore, 138671, Republic of Singapore
| | - Lokanand Koduru
- Molecular Engineering Lab, Institute of Molecular and Cell Biology (IMCB), Agency for Science, Technology and Research (A*STAR), 61 Biopolis Drive, #07-06, Proteos, Singapore, 138673, Republic of Singapore
| | - Yoganathan Kanagasundaram
- Singapore Institute of Food and Biotechnology Innovation (SIFBI), Agency for Science, Technology and Research (A*STAR), 31 Biopolis Way, #01-02, Nanos, Singapore, 138669, Republic of Singapore
| | - Siew Bee Ng
- Singapore Institute of Food and Biotechnology Innovation (SIFBI), Agency for Science, Technology and Research (A*STAR), 31 Biopolis Way, #01-02, Nanos, Singapore, 138669, Republic of Singapore
| | - Yee Hwee Lim
- Institute of Sustainability for Chemicals, Energy and Environment (ISCE2), Agency for Science, Technology and Research (A*STAR), 8 Biomedical Grove, #07-01 Neuros Building, Singapore, 138665, Republic of Singapore.
- Synthetic Biology Translational Research Program, Yong Loo Lin School of Medicine, National University of Singapore, 10 Medical Drive, Singapore, 117597, Republic of Singapore.
| | - Fong Tian Wong
- Institute of Sustainability for Chemicals, Energy and Environment (ISCE2), Agency for Science, Technology and Research (A*STAR), 8 Biomedical Grove, #07-01 Neuros Building, Singapore, 138665, Republic of Singapore.
- Molecular Engineering Lab, Institute of Molecular and Cell Biology (IMCB), Agency for Science, Technology and Research (A*STAR), 61 Biopolis Drive, #07-06, Proteos, Singapore, 138673, Republic of Singapore.
| |
Collapse
|
7
|
Bunyat-Zada AR, Ross AC. Highlights of bioinformatic tools and methods for validating bioinformatics derived hypotheses for microbial natural products research. Curr Opin Chem Biol 2023; 76:102367. [PMID: 37453164 DOI: 10.1016/j.cbpa.2023.102367] [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: 12/20/2022] [Revised: 06/14/2023] [Accepted: 06/16/2023] [Indexed: 07/18/2023]
Abstract
Historically, bacterial natural products have served as an excellent source of drug leads, however, in recent decades the rate of discovery has slowed due to multiple challenges. Rapid advances in genome sequencing science in recent years have revealed the vast untapped encoded potential of bacteria to make natural products. To access these molecules, researchers can employ the ever-growing array of bioinformatic tools at their disposal and leverage newly developed experimental approaches to validate these bioinformatic-driven hypotheses. When used together effectively, bioinformatic and experimental tools enable researchers to deeply examine the full diversity of bacterial natural products. This review briefly outlines recent bioinformatic tools that can facilitate natural product research in bacteria including the use of CRISPR, co-occurrence network analysis, and combinatorial generation of microbial natural products to test bioinformatic hypotheses in the lab.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Amir R Bunyat-Zada
- Department of Chemistry, Queen's University, Kingston, ON, K7L 3N6, Canada
| | - Avena C Ross
- Department of Chemistry, Queen's University, Kingston, ON, K7L 3N6, Canada.
| |
Collapse
|
8
|
Egas C, Galbán-Malagón C, Castro-Nallar E, Molina-Montenegro MA. Role of Microbes in the degradation of organic semivolatile compounds in polar ecosystems: A review. THE SCIENCE OF THE TOTAL ENVIRONMENT 2023; 879:163046. [PMID: 36965736 DOI: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2023.163046] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/21/2022] [Revised: 03/09/2023] [Accepted: 03/20/2023] [Indexed: 05/17/2023]
Abstract
The Arctic and the Antarctic Continent correspond to two eco-regions with extreme climatic conditions. These regions are exposed to the presence of contaminants resulting from human activity (local and global), which, in turn, represent a challenge for life forms in these environments. Anthropogenic pollution by semi-volatile organic compounds (SVOCs) in polar ecosystems has been documented since the 1960s. Currently, various studies have shown the presence of SVOCs and their bioaccumulation and biomagnification in the polar regions with negative effects on biodiversity and the ecosystem. Although the production and use of these compounds has been regulated, their persistence continues to threaten biodiversity and the ecosystem. Here, we summarize the current literature regarding microbes and SVOCs in polar regions and pose that bioremediation by native microorganisms is a feasible strategy to mitigate the presence of SVOCs. Our systematic review revealed that microbial communities in polar environments represent a wide reservoir of biodiversity adapted to extreme conditions, found both in terrestrial and aquatic environments, freely or in association with vegetation. Microorganisms adapted to these environments have the potential for biodegradation of SVOCs through a variety of genes encoding enzymes with the capacity to metabolize SVOCs. We suggest that a comprehensive approach at the molecular and ecological level is required to mitigate SVOCs presence in these regions. This is especially patent when considering that SVOCs degrade at slow rates and possess the ability to accumulate in polar ecosystems. The implications of SVOC degradation are relevant for the preservation of polar ecosystems with consequences at a global level.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Claudia Egas
- Centre for Integrative Ecology (CIE), Universidad de Talca, Campus Lircay, Talca, Chile; Instituto de Ciencias Biológicas (ICB), Universidad de Talca, Campus Lircay, Talca, Chile
| | - Cristóbal Galbán-Malagón
- Centro de Genómica, Ecología y Medio Ambiente (GEMA), Universidad Mayor, Campus Huechuraba, Santiago, Chile; Institute of Environment, Florida International University, University Park, Miami, FL 33199, USA
| | - Eduardo Castro-Nallar
- Centre for Integrative Ecology (CIE), Universidad de Talca, Campus Lircay, Talca, Chile; Departamento de Microbiología, Facultad de Ciencias de la Salud, Universidad de Talca, Campus Lircay, Talca, Chile
| | - Marco A Molina-Montenegro
- Centre for Integrative Ecology (CIE), Universidad de Talca, Campus Lircay, Talca, Chile; Instituto de Ciencias Biológicas (ICB), Universidad de Talca, Campus Lircay, Talca, Chile; Centro de Investigación en Estudios Avanzados del Maule (CIEAM), Universidad Católica del Maule, Talca, Chile.
| |
Collapse
|
9
|
Kadjo AE, Eustáquio AS. Bacterial natural product discovery by heterologous expression. J Ind Microbiol Biotechnol 2023; 50:kuad044. [PMID: 38052428 PMCID: PMC10727000 DOI: 10.1093/jimb/kuad044] [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: 09/05/2023] [Accepted: 12/04/2023] [Indexed: 12/07/2023]
Abstract
Natural products have found important applications in the pharmaceutical and agricultural sectors. In bacteria, the genes that encode the biosynthesis of natural products are often colocalized in the genome, forming biosynthetic gene clusters. It has been predicted that only 3% of natural products encoded in bacterial genomes have been discovered thus far, in part because gene clusters may be poorly expressed under laboratory conditions. Heterologous expression can help convert bioinformatics predictions into products. However, challenges remain, such as gene cluster prioritization, cloning of the complete gene cluster, high level expression, product identification, and isolation of products in practical yields. Here we reviewed the literature from the past 5 years (January 2018 to June 2023) to identify studies that discovered natural products by heterologous expression. From the 50 studies identified, we present analyses of the rationale for gene cluster prioritization, cloning methods, biosynthetic class, source taxa, and host choice. Combined, the 50 studies led to the discovery of 63 new families of natural products, supporting heterologous expression as a promising way to access novel chemistry. However, the success rate of natural product detection varied from 11% to 32% based on four large-scale studies that were part of the reviewed literature. The low success rate makes it apparent that much remains to be improved. The potential reasons for failure and points to be considered to improve the chances of success are discussed. ONE-SENTENCE SUMMARY At least 63 new families of bacterial natural products were discovered using heterologous expression in the last 5 years, supporting heterologous expression as a promising way to access novel chemistry; however, the success rate is low (11-32%) making it apparent that much remains to be improved-we discuss the potential reasons for failure and points to be considered to improve the chances of success. BioRender was used to generate the graphical abstract figure.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Adjo E Kadjo
- Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences, College of Pharmacy, University of Illinois at Chicago, Chicago, IL 60607, USA
- Center for Biomolecular Sciences, College of Pharmacy, University of Illinois at Chicago, Chicago, IL 60607, USA
| | - Alessandra S Eustáquio
- Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences, College of Pharmacy, University of Illinois at Chicago, Chicago, IL 60607, USA
- Center for Biomolecular Sciences, College of Pharmacy, University of Illinois at Chicago, Chicago, IL 60607, USA
| |
Collapse
|