1
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Helena-Bueno K, Chan LI, Melnikov SV. Rippling life on a dormant planet: hibernation of ribosomes, RNA polymerases, and other essential enzymes. Front Microbiol 2024; 15:1386179. [PMID: 38770025 PMCID: PMC11102965 DOI: 10.3389/fmicb.2024.1386179] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/14/2024] [Accepted: 03/21/2024] [Indexed: 05/22/2024] Open
Abstract
Throughout the tree of life, cells and organisms enter states of dormancy or hibernation as a key feature of their biology: from a bacterium arresting its growth in response to starvation, to a plant seed anticipating placement in fertile ground, to a human oocyte poised for fertilization to create a new life. Recent research shows that when cells hibernate, many of their essential enzymes hibernate too: they disengage from their substrates and associate with a specialized group of proteins known as hibernation factors. Here, we summarize how hibernation factors protect essential cellular enzymes from undesired activity or irreparable damage in hibernating cells. We show how molecular hibernation, once viewed as rare and exclusive to certain molecules like ribosomes, is in fact a widespread property of biological molecules that is required for the sustained persistence of life on Earth.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | - Sergey V. Melnikov
- Biosciences Institute, Newcastle University, Newcastle upon Tyne, United Kingdom
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2
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Parrella P, Elikan AB, Snow JW. Pathogen- and host-directed pharmacologic strategies for control of Vairimorpha (Nosema) spp. infection in honey bees. J Eukaryot Microbiol 2024:e13026. [PMID: 38572630 DOI: 10.1111/jeu.13026] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/14/2024] [Accepted: 03/07/2024] [Indexed: 04/05/2024]
Abstract
Microsporidia are obligate intracellular parasites of the Fungal Kingdom that cause widespread infections in nature, with important effects on invertebrates involved in food production systems. The two microsporidian species Vairimorpha (Nosema) ceranae (and the less common Vairimorpha (Nosema) apis) can cause individual disease in honey bees and contribute to colony collapse. The efficacy, safety, and availability of fumagillin, the only drug currently approved to treat microsporidia infection in bees, is uncertain. In this review, we will discuss some of the most promising alternative strategies for the mitigation of Vairimorpha spp. with an emphasis on infection by V. ceranae, now the dominant species infecting bees. We will focus on pharmacologic interventions where the mechanism of action is known and examine both pathogen-directed and host-directed approaches. As limiting toxicity to host cells has been especially emphasized in treating bees that are already facing numerous stressors, strategies that disrupt pathogen-specific targets may be especially advantageous. Therefore, efforts to increase the knowledge and tools for facilitating the discovery of such targets and pharmacologic agents directed against them should be prioritized.
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Affiliation(s)
- Parker Parrella
- Department of Biology, Barnard College, New York, New York, USA
| | | | - Jonathan W Snow
- Department of Biology, Barnard College, New York, New York, USA
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3
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Helena-Bueno K, Rybak MY, Ekemezie CL, Sullivan R, Brown CR, Dingwall C, Baslé A, Schneider C, Connolly JPR, Blaza JN, Csörgő B, Moynihan PJ, Gagnon MG, Hill CH, Melnikov SV. A new family of bacterial ribosome hibernation factors. Nature 2024; 626:1125-1132. [PMID: 38355796 PMCID: PMC10901736 DOI: 10.1038/s41586-024-07041-8] [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: 02/17/2023] [Accepted: 01/08/2024] [Indexed: 02/16/2024]
Abstract
To conserve energy during starvation and stress, many organisms use hibernation factor proteins to inhibit protein synthesis and protect their ribosomes from damage1,2. In bacteria, two families of hibernation factors have been described, but the low conservation of these proteins and the huge diversity of species, habitats and environmental stressors have confounded their discovery3-6. Here, by combining cryogenic electron microscopy, genetics and biochemistry, we identify Balon, a new hibernation factor in the cold-adapted bacterium Psychrobacter urativorans. We show that Balon is a distant homologue of the archaeo-eukaryotic translation factor aeRF1 and is found in 20% of representative bacteria. During cold shock or stationary phase, Balon occupies the ribosomal A site in both vacant and actively translating ribosomes in complex with EF-Tu, highlighting an unexpected role for EF-Tu in the cellular stress response. Unlike typical A-site substrates, Balon binds to ribosomes in an mRNA-independent manner, initiating a new mode of ribosome hibernation that can commence while ribosomes are still engaged in protein synthesis. Our work suggests that Balon-EF-Tu-regulated ribosome hibernation is a ubiquitous bacterial stress-response mechanism, and we demonstrate that putative Balon homologues in Mycobacteria bind to ribosomes in a similar fashion. This finding calls for a revision of the current model of ribosome hibernation inferred from common model organisms and holds numerous implications for how we understand and study ribosome hibernation.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Mariia Yu Rybak
- Department of Microbiology & Immunology, University of Texas Medical Branch, Galveston, TX, USA
| | | | - Rudi Sullivan
- School of Biosciences, University of Birmingham, Birmingham, UK
| | - Charlotte R Brown
- Biosciences Institute, Newcastle University, Newcastle upon Tyne, UK
| | | | - Arnaud Baslé
- Biosciences Institute, Newcastle University, Newcastle upon Tyne, UK
| | - Claudia Schneider
- Biosciences Institute, Newcastle University, Newcastle upon Tyne, UK
| | | | - James N Blaza
- Department of Chemistry, University of York, York, UK
- York Structural Biology Laboratory, University of York, York, UK
- York Biomedical Research Institute, University of York, York, UK
| | - Bálint Csörgő
- Synthetic and Systems Biology Unit, Institute of Biochemistry, HUN-REN Biological Research Centre, Szeged, Hungary
| | | | - Matthieu G Gagnon
- Department of Microbiology & Immunology, University of Texas Medical Branch, Galveston, TX, USA.
- Department of Biochemistry & Molecular Biology, University of Texas Medical Branch, Galveston, TX, USA.
- Sealy Center for Structural Biology & Molecular Biophysics, University of Texas Medical Branch, Galveston, TX, USA.
- Institute for Human Infections & Immunity, University of Texas Medical Branch, Galveston, TX, USA.
| | - Chris H Hill
- York Structural Biology Laboratory, University of York, York, UK.
- York Biomedical Research Institute, University of York, York, UK.
- Department of Biology, University of York, York, UK.
| | - Sergey V Melnikov
- Biosciences Institute, Newcastle University, Newcastle upon Tyne, UK.
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4
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Sharma H, Jespersen N, Ehrenbolger K, Carlson LA, Barandun J. Ultrastructural insights into the microsporidian infection apparatus reveal the kinetics and morphological transitions of polar tube and cargo during host cell invasion. PLoS Biol 2024; 22:e3002533. [PMID: 38422169 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pbio.3002533] [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: 10/15/2023] [Revised: 03/12/2024] [Accepted: 01/29/2024] [Indexed: 03/02/2024] Open
Abstract
During host cell invasion, microsporidian spores translocate their entire cytoplasmic content through a thin, hollow superstructure known as the polar tube. To achieve this, the polar tube transitions from a compact spring-like state inside the environmental spore to a long needle-like tube capable of long-range sporoplasm delivery. The unique mechanical properties of the building blocks of the polar tube allow for an explosive transition from compact to extended state and support the rapid cargo translocation process. The molecular and structural factors enabling this ultrafast process and the structural changes during cargo delivery are unknown. Here, we employ light microscopy and in situ cryo-electron tomography to visualize multiple ultrastructural states of the Vairimorpha necatrix polar tube, allowing us to evaluate the kinetics of its germination and characterize the underlying morphological transitions. We describe a cargo-filled state with a unique ordered arrangement of microsporidian ribosomes, which cluster along the thin tube wall, and an empty post-translocation state with a reduced diameter but a thicker wall. Together with a proteomic analysis of endogenously affinity-purified polar tubes, our work provides comprehensive data on the infection apparatus of microsporidia and uncovers new aspects of ribosome regulation and transport.
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Affiliation(s)
- Himanshu Sharma
- Department of Molecular Biology, The Laboratory for Molecular Infection Medicine Sweden (MIMS), Umeå Centre for Microbial Research (UCMR), Science for Life Laboratory, Umeå University, Umeå, Sweden
- Department of Medical Biochemistry and Biophysics, The Laboratory for Molecular Infection Medicine Sweden (MIMS), Wallenberg Centre for Molecular Medicine, Umeå Centre for Microbial Research (UCMR), Umeå University, Umeå, Sweden
| | - Nathan Jespersen
- Department of Molecular Biology, The Laboratory for Molecular Infection Medicine Sweden (MIMS), Umeå Centre for Microbial Research (UCMR), Science for Life Laboratory, Umeå University, Umeå, Sweden
| | - Kai Ehrenbolger
- Department of Molecular Biology, The Laboratory for Molecular Infection Medicine Sweden (MIMS), Umeå Centre for Microbial Research (UCMR), Science for Life Laboratory, Umeå University, Umeå, Sweden
- Department of Medical Biochemistry and Biophysics, The Laboratory for Molecular Infection Medicine Sweden (MIMS), Wallenberg Centre for Molecular Medicine, Umeå Centre for Microbial Research (UCMR), Umeå University, Umeå, Sweden
| | - Lars-Anders Carlson
- Department of Medical Biochemistry and Biophysics, The Laboratory for Molecular Infection Medicine Sweden (MIMS), Wallenberg Centre for Molecular Medicine, Umeå Centre for Microbial Research (UCMR), Umeå University, Umeå, Sweden
| | - Jonas Barandun
- Department of Molecular Biology, The Laboratory for Molecular Infection Medicine Sweden (MIMS), Umeå Centre for Microbial Research (UCMR), Science for Life Laboratory, Umeå University, Umeå, Sweden
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5
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Schierholz L, Brown CR, Helena-Bueno K, Uversky VN, Hirt RP, Barandun J, Melnikov SV. A Conserved Ribosomal Protein Has Entirely Dissimilar Structures in Different Organisms. Mol Biol Evol 2024; 41:msad254. [PMID: 37987564 PMCID: PMC10764239 DOI: 10.1093/molbev/msad254] [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: 08/07/2023] [Revised: 10/23/2023] [Accepted: 11/16/2023] [Indexed: 11/22/2023] Open
Abstract
Ribosomes from different species can markedly differ in their composition by including dozens of ribosomal proteins that are unique to specific lineages but absent in others. However, it remains unknown how ribosomes acquire new proteins throughout evolution. Here, to help answer this question, we describe the evolution of the ribosomal protein msL1/msL2 that was recently found in ribosomes from the parasitic microorganism clade, microsporidia. We show that this protein has a conserved location in the ribosome but entirely dissimilar structures in different organisms: in each of the analyzed species, msL1/msL2 exhibits an altered secondary structure, an inverted orientation of the N-termini and C-termini on the ribosomal binding surface, and a completely transformed 3D fold. We then show that this fold switching is likely caused by changes in the ribosomal msL1/msL2-binding site, specifically, by variations in rRNA. These observations allow us to infer an evolutionary scenario in which a small, positively charged, de novo-born unfolded protein was first captured by rRNA to become part of the ribosome and subsequently underwent complete fold switching to optimize its binding to its evolving ribosomal binding site. Overall, our work provides a striking example of how a protein can switch its fold in the context of a complex biological assembly, while retaining its specificity for its molecular partner. This finding will help us better understand the origin and evolution of new protein components of complex molecular assemblies-thereby enhancing our ability to engineer biological molecules, identify protein homologs, and peer into the history of life on Earth.
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Affiliation(s)
- Léon Schierholz
- Department of Molecular Biology, Laboratory for Molecular Infection Medicine Sweden, Umeå Centre for Microbial Research, Science for Life Laboratory, Umeå University, Umeå 901 87, Sweden
| | - Charlotte R Brown
- Biosciences Institute, Newcastle University School of Medicine, Newcastle upon Tyne NE2 4HH, UK
| | - Karla Helena-Bueno
- Biosciences Institute, Newcastle University School of Medicine, Newcastle upon Tyne NE2 4HH, UK
| | - Vladimir N Uversky
- Department of Molecular Medicine and USF Health Byrd Alzheimer's Research Institute, Morsani College of Medicine, University of South Florida, Tampa, FL 33612, USA
| | - Robert P Hirt
- Biosciences Institute, Newcastle University School of Medicine, Newcastle upon Tyne NE2 4HH, UK
| | - Jonas Barandun
- Department of Molecular Biology, Laboratory for Molecular Infection Medicine Sweden, Umeå Centre for Microbial Research, Science for Life Laboratory, Umeå University, Umeå 901 87, Sweden
| | - Sergey V Melnikov
- Biosciences Institute, Newcastle University School of Medicine, Newcastle upon Tyne NE2 4HH, UK
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6
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Svedberg D, Winiger RR, Berg A, Sharma H, Tellgren-Roth C, Debrunner-Vossbrinck BA, Vossbrinck CR, Barandun J. Functional annotation of a divergent genome using sequence and structure-based similarity. BMC Genomics 2024; 25:6. [PMID: 38166563 PMCID: PMC10759460 DOI: 10.1186/s12864-023-09924-y] [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: 08/27/2023] [Accepted: 12/18/2023] [Indexed: 01/04/2024] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Microsporidia are a large taxon of intracellular pathogens characterized by extraordinarily streamlined genomes with unusually high sequence divergence and many species-specific adaptations. These unique factors pose challenges for traditional genome annotation methods based on sequence similarity. As a result, many of the microsporidian genomes sequenced to date contain numerous genes of unknown function. Recent innovations in rapid and accurate structure prediction and comparison, together with the growing amount of data in structural databases, provide new opportunities to assist in the functional annotation of newly sequenced genomes. RESULTS In this study, we established a workflow that combines sequence and structure-based functional gene annotation approaches employing a ChimeraX plugin named ANNOTEX (Annotation Extension for ChimeraX), allowing for visual inspection and manual curation. We employed this workflow on a high-quality telomere-to-telomere sequenced tetraploid genome of Vairimorpha necatrix. First, the 3080 predicted protein-coding DNA sequences, of which 89% were confirmed with RNA sequencing data, were used as input. Next, ColabFold was used to create protein structure predictions, followed by a Foldseek search for structural matching to the PDB and AlphaFold databases. The subsequent manual curation, using sequence and structure-based hits, increased the accuracy and quality of the functional genome annotation compared to results using only traditional annotation tools. Our workflow resulted in a comprehensive description of the V. necatrix genome, along with a structural summary of the most prevalent protein groups, such as the ricin B lectin family. In addition, and to test our tool, we identified the functions of several previously uncharacterized Encephalitozoon cuniculi genes. CONCLUSION We provide a new functional annotation tool for divergent organisms and employ it on a newly sequenced, high-quality microsporidian genome to shed light on this uncharacterized intracellular pathogen of Lepidoptera. The addition of a structure-based annotation approach can serve as a valuable template for studying other microsporidian or similarly divergent species.
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Affiliation(s)
- Dennis Svedberg
- Department of Molecular Biology, The Laboratory for Molecular Infection Medicine Sweden (MIMS), Science for Life Laboratory, Umeå Centre for Microbial Research (UCMR), Umeå University, Umeå, 90187, Sweden
- Department of Medical Biochemistry and Biophysics, Umeå University, Umeå, 90736, Sweden
| | - Rahel R Winiger
- Department of Molecular Biology, The Laboratory for Molecular Infection Medicine Sweden (MIMS), Science for Life Laboratory, Umeå Centre for Microbial Research (UCMR), Umeå University, Umeå, 90187, Sweden
| | - Alexandra Berg
- Department of Molecular Biology, The Laboratory for Molecular Infection Medicine Sweden (MIMS), Science for Life Laboratory, Umeå Centre for Microbial Research (UCMR), Umeå University, Umeå, 90187, Sweden
- Department of Medical Biochemistry and Biophysics, Umeå University, Umeå, 90736, Sweden
| | - Himanshu Sharma
- Department of Molecular Biology, The Laboratory for Molecular Infection Medicine Sweden (MIMS), Science for Life Laboratory, Umeå Centre for Microbial Research (UCMR), Umeå University, Umeå, 90187, Sweden
- Department of Medical Biochemistry and Biophysics, Umeå University, Umeå, 90736, Sweden
| | - Christian Tellgren-Roth
- Science for Life Laboratory, Department of Immunology, Genetics and Pathology, Uppsala University, Uppsala, Sweden
| | | | - Charles R Vossbrinck
- Department of Environmental Science, Connecticut Agricultural Experiment Station, New Haven, CT, 06504, USA
| | - Jonas Barandun
- Department of Molecular Biology, The Laboratory for Molecular Infection Medicine Sweden (MIMS), Science for Life Laboratory, Umeå Centre for Microbial Research (UCMR), Umeå University, Umeå, 90187, Sweden.
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7
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Catalanotto C, Barbato C, Cogoni C, Benelli D. The RNA-Binding Function of Ribosomal Proteins and Ribosome Biogenesis Factors in Human Health and Disease. Biomedicines 2023; 11:2969. [PMID: 38001969 PMCID: PMC10669870 DOI: 10.3390/biomedicines11112969] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/10/2023] [Revised: 10/27/2023] [Accepted: 10/30/2023] [Indexed: 11/26/2023] Open
Abstract
The ribosome is a macromolecular complex composed of RNA and proteins that interact through an integrated and interconnected network to preserve its ancient core activities. In this review, we emphasize the pivotal role played by RNA-binding proteins as a driving force in the evolution of the current form of the ribosome, underscoring their importance in ensuring accurate protein synthesis. This category of proteins includes both ribosomal proteins and ribosome biogenesis factors. Impairment of their RNA-binding activity can also lead to ribosomopathies, which is a group of disorders characterized by defects in ribosome biogenesis that are detrimental to protein synthesis and cellular homeostasis. A comprehensive understanding of these intricate processes is essential for elucidating the mechanisms underlying the resulting diseases and advancing potential therapeutic interventions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Caterina Catalanotto
- Department of Molecular Medicine, Sapienza University of Rome, 00185 Rome, Italy; (C.C.); (C.C.)
| | - Christian Barbato
- National Research Council (CNR), Department of Sense Organs DOS, Institute of Biochemistry and Cell Biology (IBBC), Sapienza University of Rome, 00185 Rome, Italy;
| | - Carlo Cogoni
- Department of Molecular Medicine, Sapienza University of Rome, 00185 Rome, Italy; (C.C.); (C.C.)
| | - Dario Benelli
- Department of Molecular Medicine, Sapienza University of Rome, 00185 Rome, Italy; (C.C.); (C.C.)
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8
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Wang R, Chen Y, Xu S, Wei E, He P, Wang Q, Zhang Y, Tang X, Shen Z. Ssn6 Interacts with Polar Tube Protein 2 and Transcriptional Repressor for RNA Polymerase II: Insight into Its Involvement in the Biological Process of Microsporidium Nosema bombycis. J Fungi (Basel) 2023; 9:990. [PMID: 37888246 PMCID: PMC10608102 DOI: 10.3390/jof9100990] [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: 07/28/2023] [Revised: 10/02/2023] [Accepted: 10/03/2023] [Indexed: 10/28/2023] Open
Abstract
Nosema bombycis is a representative species of Microsporidia, and is the pathogen that causes pebrine disease in silkworms. In the process of infection, the polar tube of N. bombycis is injected into the host cells. During proliferation, N. bombycis recruits the mitochondria of host cells. The general transcriptional corepressor Ssn6 contains six tetratricopeptide repeats (TPR) and undertakes various important functions. In this study, we isolated and characterized Nbssn6 of the microsporidium N. bombycis. The Nbssn6 gene contains a complete ORF of 1182 bp in length that encodes a 393 amino acid polypeptide. Indirect immunofluorescence assay showed that the Ssn6 protein was mainly distributed in the cytoplasm and nucleus at the proliferative phase of N. bombycis. We revealed the interaction of Nbssn6 with polar tube protein 2 (Nbptp2) and the transcriptional repressor for RNA polymerase II (Nbtrrp2) by Co-IP and yeast two-hybrid assays. Results from RNA interference further confirmed that the transcriptional level of Nbptp2 and Nbtrrp2 was regulated by Nbssn6. These results suggest that Nbssn6 impacts the infection and proliferation of N. bombycis via interacting with the polar tube protein and transcriptional repressor for RNA polymerase II.
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Affiliation(s)
- Runpeng Wang
- College of Biotechnology, Jiangsu University of Science and Technology, Zhenjiang 212100, China; (R.W.); (Y.C.); (S.X.); (E.W.); (P.H.); (Q.W.); (Y.Z.); (X.T.)
| | - Yong Chen
- College of Biotechnology, Jiangsu University of Science and Technology, Zhenjiang 212100, China; (R.W.); (Y.C.); (S.X.); (E.W.); (P.H.); (Q.W.); (Y.Z.); (X.T.)
| | - Sheng Xu
- College of Biotechnology, Jiangsu University of Science and Technology, Zhenjiang 212100, China; (R.W.); (Y.C.); (S.X.); (E.W.); (P.H.); (Q.W.); (Y.Z.); (X.T.)
| | - Erjun Wei
- College of Biotechnology, Jiangsu University of Science and Technology, Zhenjiang 212100, China; (R.W.); (Y.C.); (S.X.); (E.W.); (P.H.); (Q.W.); (Y.Z.); (X.T.)
| | - Ping He
- College of Biotechnology, Jiangsu University of Science and Technology, Zhenjiang 212100, China; (R.W.); (Y.C.); (S.X.); (E.W.); (P.H.); (Q.W.); (Y.Z.); (X.T.)
| | - Qiang Wang
- College of Biotechnology, Jiangsu University of Science and Technology, Zhenjiang 212100, China; (R.W.); (Y.C.); (S.X.); (E.W.); (P.H.); (Q.W.); (Y.Z.); (X.T.)
- Sericulture Research Institute, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Zhenjiang 212100, China
| | - Yiling Zhang
- College of Biotechnology, Jiangsu University of Science and Technology, Zhenjiang 212100, China; (R.W.); (Y.C.); (S.X.); (E.W.); (P.H.); (Q.W.); (Y.Z.); (X.T.)
- Sericulture Research Institute, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Zhenjiang 212100, China
| | - Xudong Tang
- College of Biotechnology, Jiangsu University of Science and Technology, Zhenjiang 212100, China; (R.W.); (Y.C.); (S.X.); (E.W.); (P.H.); (Q.W.); (Y.Z.); (X.T.)
- Sericulture Research Institute, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Zhenjiang 212100, China
| | - Zhongyuan Shen
- College of Biotechnology, Jiangsu University of Science and Technology, Zhenjiang 212100, China; (R.W.); (Y.C.); (S.X.); (E.W.); (P.H.); (Q.W.); (Y.Z.); (X.T.)
- Sericulture Research Institute, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Zhenjiang 212100, China
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9
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McLaren M, Conners R, Isupov MN, Gil-Díez P, Gambelli L, Gold VAM, Walter A, Connell SR, Williams B, Daum B. CryoEM reveals that ribosomes in microsporidian spores are locked in a dimeric hibernating state. Nat Microbiol 2023; 8:1834-1845. [PMID: 37709902 PMCID: PMC10522483 DOI: 10.1038/s41564-023-01469-w] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/13/2022] [Accepted: 08/11/2023] [Indexed: 09/16/2023]
Abstract
Translational control is an essential process for the cell to adapt to varying physiological or environmental conditions. To survive adverse conditions such as low nutrient levels, translation can be shut down almost entirely by inhibiting ribosomal function. Here we investigated eukaryotic hibernating ribosomes from the microsporidian parasite Spraguea lophii in situ by a combination of electron cryo-tomography and single-particle electron cryo-microscopy. We show that microsporidian spores contain hibernating ribosomes that are locked in a dimeric (100S) state, which is formed by a unique dimerization mechanism involving the beak region. The ribosomes within the dimer are fully assembled, suggesting that they are ready to be activated once the host cell is invaded. This study provides structural evidence for dimerization acting as a mechanism for ribosomal hibernation in microsporidia, and therefore demonstrates that eukaryotes utilize this mechanism in translational control.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mathew McLaren
- Living Systems Institute, University of Exeter, Exeter, UK
- Department of Biosciences, Faculty of Health and Life Sciences, University of Exeter, Exeter, UK
| | - Rebecca Conners
- Living Systems Institute, University of Exeter, Exeter, UK
- Department of Biosciences, Faculty of Health and Life Sciences, University of Exeter, Exeter, UK
| | - Michail N Isupov
- Department of Biosciences, Faculty of Health and Life Sciences, University of Exeter, Exeter, UK
| | - Patricia Gil-Díez
- Living Systems Institute, University of Exeter, Exeter, UK
- Department of Biosciences, Faculty of Health and Life Sciences, University of Exeter, Exeter, UK
- Crop Science Centre, Cambridge University, Cambridge, UK
| | - Lavinia Gambelli
- Living Systems Institute, University of Exeter, Exeter, UK
- Department of Biosciences, Faculty of Health and Life Sciences, University of Exeter, Exeter, UK
- MRC Laboratory of Molecular Biology, Cambridge Biomedical Campus, Cambridge, UK
| | - Vicki A M Gold
- Living Systems Institute, University of Exeter, Exeter, UK
- Department of Biosciences, Faculty of Health and Life Sciences, University of Exeter, Exeter, UK
| | - Andreas Walter
- Center of Optical Technologies, Aalen University, Aalen, Germany
| | - Sean R Connell
- Structural Biology of Cellular Machines, IIS Biobizkaia, Barakaldo, Spain
| | - Bryony Williams
- Living Systems Institute, University of Exeter, Exeter, UK
- Department of Biosciences, Faculty of Health and Life Sciences, University of Exeter, Exeter, UK
| | - Bertram Daum
- Living Systems Institute, University of Exeter, Exeter, UK.
- Department of Biosciences, Faculty of Health and Life Sciences, University of Exeter, Exeter, UK.
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10
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Affiliation(s)
- Elizabeth Weyer
- Department of Pathology, Albert Einstein College of Medicine, New York, NY, USA
| | - Louis M Weiss
- Department of Pathology, Albert Einstein College of Medicine, New York, NY, USA.
- Department of Medicine, Albert Einstein College of Medicine, New York, NY, USA.
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11
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Whelan TA, Fast NM. Microsporidia. Curr Biol 2023; 33:R936-R938. [PMID: 37751700 DOI: 10.1016/j.cub.2023.06.076] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 09/28/2023]
Abstract
In this Quick guide, Thomas Whelan and Naomi Fast introduce the microsporidia: obligate intracellular parasites with the most extremely reduced genomes known in eukaryotes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Thomas A Whelan
- Biodiversity Research Centre, Department of Botany, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, BC V6T 1Z4, Canada
| | - Naomi M Fast
- Biodiversity Research Centre, Department of Botany, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, BC V6T 1Z4, Canada.
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12
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Wadi L, El Jarkass HT, Tran TD, Islah N, Luallen RJ, Reinke AW. Genomic and phenotypic evolution of nematode-infecting microsporidia. PLoS Pathog 2023; 19:e1011510. [PMID: 37471459 PMCID: PMC10393165 DOI: 10.1371/journal.ppat.1011510] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/05/2022] [Accepted: 06/24/2023] [Indexed: 07/22/2023] Open
Abstract
Microsporidia are a large phylum of intracellular parasites that can infect most types of animals. Species in the Nematocida genus can infect nematodes including Caenorhabditis elegans, which has become an important model to study mechanisms of microsporidia infection. To understand the genomic properties and evolution of nematode-infecting microsporidia, we sequenced the genomes of nine species of microsporidia, including two genera, Enteropsectra and Pancytospora, without any previously sequenced genomes. Core cellular processes, including metabolic pathways, are mostly conserved across genera of nematode-infecting microsporidia. Each species encodes unique proteins belonging to large gene families that are likely used to interact with host cells. Most strikingly, we observed one such family, NemLGF1, is present in both Nematocida and Pancytospora species, but not any other microsporidia. To understand how Nematocida phenotypic traits evolved, we measured the host range, tissue specificity, spore size, and polar tube length of several species in the genus. Our phylogenetic analysis shows that Nematocida is composed of two groups of species with distinct traits and that species with longer polar tubes infect multiple tissues. Together, our work details both genomic and trait evolution between related microsporidia species and provides a useful resource for further understanding microsporidia evolution and infection mechanisms.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lina Wadi
- Department of Molecular Genetics, University of Toronto, Toronto, Canada
| | | | - Tuan D Tran
- Department of Biology, San Diego State University, San Diego, California, United States of America
| | - Nizar Islah
- Department of Molecular Genetics, University of Toronto, Toronto, Canada
| | - Robert J Luallen
- Department of Biology, San Diego State University, San Diego, California, United States of America
| | - Aaron W Reinke
- Department of Molecular Genetics, University of Toronto, Toronto, Canada
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13
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Wu Y, Yu Y, Sun Q, Yu Y, Chen J, Li T, Meng X, Pan G, Zhou Z. A Putative TRAPα Protein of Microsporidia Nosema bombycis Exhibits Non-Canonical Alternative Polyadenylation in Transcripts. J Fungi (Basel) 2023; 9:jof9040407. [PMID: 37108862 PMCID: PMC10142623 DOI: 10.3390/jof9040407] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/28/2023] [Revised: 03/22/2023] [Accepted: 03/23/2023] [Indexed: 03/29/2023] Open
Abstract
Microsporidia are obligate intracellular eukaryotic parasites that have significantly reduced genomes and that have lost most of their introns. In the current study, we characterized a gene in microsporidia Nosema bombycis, annotated as TRAPα (HNbTRAPα). The homologous of TRAPα are a functional component of ER translocon and facilitates the initiation of protein translocation in a substrate-specific manner, which is conserved in animals but absent from most fungi. The coding sequence of HNbTRAPα consists of 2226 nucleotides, longer than the majority of homologs in microsporidia. A 3′ RACE analysis indicated that there were two mRNA isoforms resulting from non-canonical alternative polyadenylation (APA), and the polyadenylate tail was synthesized after the C951 or C1167 nucleotide, respectively. Indirect immunofluorescence analysis showed two different localization characteristics of HNbTRAPα, which are mainly located around the nuclear throughout the proliferation stage and co-localized with the nuclear in mature spores. This study demonstrated that the post-transcriptional regulation mechanism exists in Microsporidia and expands the mRNA isoform repertoire.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yujiao Wu
- State Key Laboratory of Resource Insects, Southwest University, Beibei, Chongqing 400715, China
- Chongqing Key Laboratory of Microsporidia Infection and Control, Southwest University, Beibei, Chongqing 400715, China
- Key Laboratory of Sericultural Biology and Genetic Breeding, Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs, Southwest University, Chongqing 400715, China
| | - Ying Yu
- State Key Laboratory of Resource Insects, Southwest University, Beibei, Chongqing 400715, China
- Chongqing Key Laboratory of Microsporidia Infection and Control, Southwest University, Beibei, Chongqing 400715, China
- Key Laboratory of Sericultural Biology and Genetic Breeding, Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs, Southwest University, Chongqing 400715, China
| | - Quan Sun
- State Key Laboratory of Resource Insects, Southwest University, Beibei, Chongqing 400715, China
- Chongqing Key Laboratory of Microsporidia Infection and Control, Southwest University, Beibei, Chongqing 400715, China
- Key Laboratory of Sericultural Biology and Genetic Breeding, Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs, Southwest University, Chongqing 400715, China
| | - Yixiang Yu
- State Key Laboratory of Resource Insects, Southwest University, Beibei, Chongqing 400715, China
- Chongqing Key Laboratory of Microsporidia Infection and Control, Southwest University, Beibei, Chongqing 400715, China
- Key Laboratory of Sericultural Biology and Genetic Breeding, Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs, Southwest University, Chongqing 400715, China
| | - Jie Chen
- State Key Laboratory of Resource Insects, Southwest University, Beibei, Chongqing 400715, China
- Chongqing Key Laboratory of Microsporidia Infection and Control, Southwest University, Beibei, Chongqing 400715, China
- Key Laboratory of Sericultural Biology and Genetic Breeding, Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs, Southwest University, Chongqing 400715, China
| | - Tian Li
- State Key Laboratory of Resource Insects, Southwest University, Beibei, Chongqing 400715, China
- Chongqing Key Laboratory of Microsporidia Infection and Control, Southwest University, Beibei, Chongqing 400715, China
- Key Laboratory of Sericultural Biology and Genetic Breeding, Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs, Southwest University, Chongqing 400715, China
| | - Xianzhi Meng
- State Key Laboratory of Resource Insects, Southwest University, Beibei, Chongqing 400715, China
- Chongqing Key Laboratory of Microsporidia Infection and Control, Southwest University, Beibei, Chongqing 400715, China
- Key Laboratory of Sericultural Biology and Genetic Breeding, Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs, Southwest University, Chongqing 400715, China
| | - Guoqing Pan
- State Key Laboratory of Resource Insects, Southwest University, Beibei, Chongqing 400715, China
- Chongqing Key Laboratory of Microsporidia Infection and Control, Southwest University, Beibei, Chongqing 400715, China
- Key Laboratory of Sericultural Biology and Genetic Breeding, Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs, Southwest University, Chongqing 400715, China
- Correspondence: (G.P.); (Z.Z.)
| | - Zeyang Zhou
- State Key Laboratory of Resource Insects, Southwest University, Beibei, Chongqing 400715, China
- Chongqing Key Laboratory of Microsporidia Infection and Control, Southwest University, Beibei, Chongqing 400715, China
- Key Laboratory of Sericultural Biology and Genetic Breeding, Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs, Southwest University, Chongqing 400715, China
- Key Laboratory of Conservation and Utilization of Pollinator Insect of the Upper Reaches of the Yangtze River (Co-Construction by Ministry and Province), Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs, Chongqing Normal University, Chongqing 400047, China
- Correspondence: (G.P.); (Z.Z.)
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14
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Hariharan N, Ghosh S, Palakodeti D. The story of rRNA expansion segments: Finding functionality amidst diversity. WILEY INTERDISCIPLINARY REVIEWS. RNA 2023; 14:e1732. [PMID: 35429135 DOI: 10.1002/wrna.1732] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/30/2021] [Revised: 02/24/2022] [Accepted: 03/19/2022] [Indexed: 01/31/2023]
Abstract
Expansion segments (ESs) are multinucleotide insertions present across phyla at specific conserved positions in eukaryotic rRNAs. ESs are generally absent in bacterial rRNAs with some exceptions, while the archaeal rRNAs have microexpansions at regions that coincide with those of eukaryotic ESs. Although there is an increasing prominence of ribosomes, especially the ribosomal proteins, in fine-tuning gene expression through translation regulation, the role of rRNA ESs is relatively underexplored. While rRNAs have been established as the major catalytic hub in ribosome function, the presence of ESs widens their scope as a species-specific regulatory hub of protein synthesis. In this comprehensive review, we have elaborately discussed the current understanding of the functional aspects of rRNA ESs of cytoplasmic eukaryotic ribosomes and discuss their past, present, and future. This article is categorized under: RNA Structure and Dynamics > Influence of RNA Structure in Biological Systems Translation > Ribosome Structure/Function Translation > Regulation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nivedita Hariharan
- Technologies for the Advancement of Science, Institute for Stem Cell Science and Regenerative Medicine (inStem), Bangalore, India.,The University of Trans-disciplinary Health Sciences and Technology, Bangalore, India
| | - Sumana Ghosh
- Manipal Academy of Higher Education, Manipal, India
| | - Dasaradhi Palakodeti
- Technologies for the Advancement of Science, Institute for Stem Cell Science and Regenerative Medicine (inStem), Bangalore, India
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15
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Leesch F, Lorenzo-Orts L, Pribitzer C, Grishkovskaya I, Roehsner J, Chugunova A, Matzinger M, Roitinger E, Belačić K, Kandolf S, Lin TY, Mechtler K, Meinhart A, Haselbach D, Pauli A. A molecular network of conserved factors keeps ribosomes dormant in the egg. Nature 2023; 613:712-720. [PMID: 36653451 PMCID: PMC7614339 DOI: 10.1038/s41586-022-05623-y] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/09/2021] [Accepted: 12/02/2022] [Indexed: 01/20/2023]
Abstract
Ribosomes are produced in large quantities during oogenesis and are stored in the egg. However, the egg and early embryo are translationally repressed1-4. Here, using mass spectrometry and cryo-electron microscopy analyses of ribosomes isolated from zebrafish (Danio rerio) and Xenopus laevis eggs and embryos, we provide molecular evidence that ribosomes transition from a dormant state to an active state during the first hours of embryogenesis. Dormant ribosomes are associated with four conserved factors that form two modules, consisting of Habp4-eEF2 and death associated protein 1b (Dap1b) or Dap in complex with eIF5a. Both modules occupy functionally important sites and act together to stabilize ribosomes and repress translation. Dap1b (also known as Dapl1 in mammals) is a newly discovered translational inhibitor that stably inserts into the polypeptide exit tunnel. Addition of recombinant zebrafish Dap1b protein is sufficient to block translation and reconstitute the dormant egg ribosome state in a mammalian translation extract in vitro. Thus, a developmentally programmed, conserved ribosome state has a key role in ribosome storage and translational repression in the egg.
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Affiliation(s)
- Friederike Leesch
- Research Institute of Molecular Pathology (IMP), Vienna BioCenter (VBC), Vienna, Austria
- Vienna BioCenter PhD Program, Doctoral School of the University of Vienna and Medical University of Vienna, Vienna, Austria
| | - Laura Lorenzo-Orts
- Research Institute of Molecular Pathology (IMP), Vienna BioCenter (VBC), Vienna, Austria.
| | - Carina Pribitzer
- Research Institute of Molecular Pathology (IMP), Vienna BioCenter (VBC), Vienna, Austria
| | - Irina Grishkovskaya
- Research Institute of Molecular Pathology (IMP), Vienna BioCenter (VBC), Vienna, Austria
| | - Josef Roehsner
- Research Institute of Molecular Pathology (IMP), Vienna BioCenter (VBC), Vienna, Austria
- Vienna BioCenter PhD Program, Doctoral School of the University of Vienna and Medical University of Vienna, Vienna, Austria
| | - Anastasia Chugunova
- Research Institute of Molecular Pathology (IMP), Vienna BioCenter (VBC), Vienna, Austria
| | - Manuel Matzinger
- Research Institute of Molecular Pathology (IMP), Vienna BioCenter (VBC), Vienna, Austria
| | - Elisabeth Roitinger
- Research Institute of Molecular Pathology (IMP), Vienna BioCenter (VBC), Vienna, Austria
| | - Katarina Belačić
- Research Institute of Molecular Pathology (IMP), Vienna BioCenter (VBC), Vienna, Austria
- Vienna BioCenter PhD Program, Doctoral School of the University of Vienna and Medical University of Vienna, Vienna, Austria
| | - Susanne Kandolf
- Research Institute of Molecular Pathology (IMP), Vienna BioCenter (VBC), Vienna, Austria
| | - Tzi-Yang Lin
- Research Institute of Molecular Pathology (IMP), Vienna BioCenter (VBC), Vienna, Austria
- Vienna BioCenter PhD Program, Doctoral School of the University of Vienna and Medical University of Vienna, Vienna, Austria
| | - Karl Mechtler
- Research Institute of Molecular Pathology (IMP), Vienna BioCenter (VBC), Vienna, Austria
| | - Anton Meinhart
- Research Institute of Molecular Pathology (IMP), Vienna BioCenter (VBC), Vienna, Austria
| | - David Haselbach
- Research Institute of Molecular Pathology (IMP), Vienna BioCenter (VBC), Vienna, Austria.
| | - Andrea Pauli
- Research Institute of Molecular Pathology (IMP), Vienna BioCenter (VBC), Vienna, Austria.
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16
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Hassan A, Byju S, Freitas F, Roc C, Pender N, Nguyen K, Kimbrough E, Mattingly J, Gonzalez Jr. R, de Oliveira R, Dunham C, Whitford P. Ratchet, swivel, tilt and roll: a complete description of subunit rotation in the ribosome. Nucleic Acids Res 2022; 51:919-934. [PMID: 36583339 PMCID: PMC9881166 DOI: 10.1093/nar/gkac1211] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/23/2022] [Revised: 12/01/2022] [Accepted: 12/06/2022] [Indexed: 12/31/2022] Open
Abstract
Protein synthesis by the ribosome requires large-scale rearrangements of the 'small' subunit (SSU; ∼1 MDa), including inter- and intra-subunit rotational motions. However, with nearly 2000 structures of ribosomes and ribosomal subunits now publicly available, it is exceedingly difficult to design experiments based on analysis of all known rotation states. To overcome this, we developed an approach where the orientation of each SSU head and body is described in terms of three angular coordinates (rotation, tilt and tilt direction) and a single translation. By considering the entire RCSB PDB database, we describe 1208 fully-assembled ribosome complexes and 334 isolated small subunits, which span >50 species. This reveals aspects of subunit rearrangements that are universal, and others that are organism/domain-specific. For example, we show that tilt-like rearrangements of the SSU body (i.e. 'rolling') are pervasive in both prokaryotic and eukaryotic (cytosolic and mitochondrial) ribosomes. As another example, domain orientations associated with frameshifting in bacteria are similar to those found in eukaryotic ribosomes. Together, this study establishes a common foundation with which structural, simulation, single-molecule and biochemical efforts can more precisely interrogate the dynamics of this prototypical molecular machine.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | | | - Claude Roc
- Department of Physics, Northeastern University, Dana Research Center 111, 360 Huntington Ave, Boston, MA 02115, USA
| | - Nisaa Pender
- Department of Physics, Northeastern University, Dana Research Center 111, 360 Huntington Ave, Boston, MA 02115, USA
| | - Kien Nguyen
- Theoretical Biology and Biophysics, Los Alamos National Laboratory, Los Alamos, NM 87545, USA
| | - Evelyn M Kimbrough
- Department of Biochemistry, Emory University, Rollins Research Center 4027, 1510 Clifton Rd NE, Atlanta, GA 30322, USA,Department of Chemistry, Emory University, 1515 Dickey Dr, Atlanta, GA 30322, USA
| | - Jacob M Mattingly
- Department of Biochemistry, Emory University, Rollins Research Center 4027, 1510 Clifton Rd NE, Atlanta, GA 30322, USA
| | | | - Ronaldo Junio de Oliveira
- Laboratório de Biofísica Teórica, Departamento de Física, Instituto de Ciências Exatas, Naturais e Educação, Universidade Federal do Triângulo Mineiro, Uberaba, MG 38064-200, Brazil
| | - Christine M Dunham
- Department of Biochemistry, Emory University, Rollins Research Center 4027, 1510 Clifton Rd NE, Atlanta, GA 30322, USA
| | - Paul C Whitford
- To whom correspondence should be addressed. Tel: +1 617 373 2952;
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17
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Hoffmann PC, Kreysing JP, Khusainov I, Tuijtel MW, Welsch S, Beck M. Structures of the eukaryotic ribosome and its translational states in situ. Nat Commun 2022; 13:7435. [PMID: 36460643 PMCID: PMC9718845 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-022-34997-w] [Citation(s) in RCA: 32] [Impact Index Per Article: 16.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/03/2022] [Accepted: 11/15/2022] [Indexed: 12/03/2022] Open
Abstract
Ribosomes translate genetic information into primary structure. During translation, various cofactors transiently bind to the ribosome that undergoes prominent conformational and structural changes. Different translational states of ribosomes have been well characterized in vitro. However, to which extent the known translational states are representative of the native situation inside cells has thus far only been addressed in prokaryotes. Here, we apply cryo-electron tomography to cryo-FIB milled Dictyostelium discoideum cells combined with subtomogram averaging and classification. We obtain an in situ structure that is locally resolved up to 3 Angstrom, the distribution of eukaryotic ribosome translational states, and unique arrangement of rRNA expansion segments. Our work demonstrates the use of in situ structural biology techniques for identifying distinct ribosome states within the cellular environment.
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Affiliation(s)
- Patrick C. Hoffmann
- grid.419494.50000 0001 1018 9466Department of Molecular Sociology, Max Planck Institute of Biophysics, Max-von-Laue-Straße 3, 60438 Frankfurt am Main, Germany
| | - Jan Philipp Kreysing
- grid.419494.50000 0001 1018 9466Department of Molecular Sociology, Max Planck Institute of Biophysics, Max-von-Laue-Straße 3, 60438 Frankfurt am Main, Germany ,Department of Molecular Sociology, IMPRS on Cellular Biophysics, Max-von-Laue-Straße 3, 60438 Frankfurt am Main, Germany
| | - Iskander Khusainov
- grid.419494.50000 0001 1018 9466Department of Molecular Sociology, Max Planck Institute of Biophysics, Max-von-Laue-Straße 3, 60438 Frankfurt am Main, Germany
| | - Maarten W. Tuijtel
- grid.419494.50000 0001 1018 9466Department of Molecular Sociology, Max Planck Institute of Biophysics, Max-von-Laue-Straße 3, 60438 Frankfurt am Main, Germany
| | - Sonja Welsch
- grid.419494.50000 0001 1018 9466Central Electron Microscopy Facility, Max Planck Institute of Biophysics, Max-von-Laue-Straße 3, 60438 Frankfurt am Main, Germany
| | - Martin Beck
- grid.419494.50000 0001 1018 9466Department of Molecular Sociology, Max Planck Institute of Biophysics, Max-von-Laue-Straße 3, 60438 Frankfurt am Main, Germany
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18
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Structure of the reduced microsporidian proteasome bound by PI31-like peptides in dormant spores. Nat Commun 2022; 13:6962. [PMID: 36379934 PMCID: PMC9666519 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-022-34691-x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/10/2022] [Accepted: 11/02/2022] [Indexed: 11/17/2022] Open
Abstract
Proteasomes play an essential role in the life cycle of intracellular pathogens with extracellular stages by ensuring proteostasis in environments with limited resources. In microsporidia, divergent parasites with extraordinarily streamlined genomes, the proteasome complexity and structure are unknown, which limits our understanding of how these unique pathogens adapt and compact essential eukaryotic complexes. We present cryo-electron microscopy structures of the microsporidian 20S and 26S proteasome isolated from dormant or germinated Vairimorpha necatrix spores. The discovery of PI31-like peptides, known to inhibit proteasome activity, bound simultaneously to all six active sites within the central cavity of the dormant spore proteasome, suggests reduced activity in the environmental stage. In contrast, the absence of the PI31-like peptides and the existence of 26S particles post-germination in the presence of ATP indicates that proteasomes are reactivated in nutrient-rich conditions. Structural and phylogenetic analyses reveal that microsporidian proteasomes have undergone extensive reductive evolution, lost at least two regulatory proteins, and compacted nearly every subunit. The highly derived structure of the microsporidian proteasome, and the minimized version of PI31 presented here, reinforce the feasibility of the development of specific inhibitors and provide insight into the unique evolution and biology of these medically and economically important pathogens.
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19
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Chen Y, Wei E, Chen Y, He P, Wang R, Wang Q, Tang X, Zhang Y, Zhu F, Shen Z. Identification and subcellular localization analysis of membrane protein Ycf 1 in the microsporidian Nosema bombycis. PeerJ 2022; 10:e13530. [PMID: 35833014 PMCID: PMC9272817 DOI: 10.7717/peerj.13530] [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: 01/24/2022] [Accepted: 05/11/2022] [Indexed: 01/22/2023] Open
Abstract
Microsporidia are obligate intracellular parasites that can infect a wide range of vertebrates and invertebrates including humans and insects, such as silkworm and bees. The microsporidium Nosema bombycis can cause pebrine in Bombyx mori, which is the most destructive disease in the sericulture industry. Although membrane proteins are involved in a wide range of cellular functions and part of many important metabolic pathways, there are rare reports about the membrane proteins of microsporidia up to now. We screened a putative membrane protein Ycf 1 from the midgut transcriptome of the N. bombycis-infected silkworm. Gene cloning and bioinformatics analysis showed that the Ycf 1 gene contains a complete open reading frame (ORF) of 969 bp in length encoding a 322 amino acid polypeptide that has one signal peptide and one transmembrane domain. Indirect immunofluorescence results showed that Ycf 1 protein is distributed on the plasma membrane. Expression pattern analysis showed that the Ycf 1 gene expressed in all developmental stages of N. bombycis. Knockdown of the Ycf 1 gene by RNAi effectively inhibited the proliferation of N. bombycis. These results indicated that Ycf 1 is a membrane protein and plays an important role in the life cycle of N. bombycis.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yong Chen
- School of Biotechnology, Jiangsu University of Science and Technology, Zhenjiang, Jiangsu, China
| | - Erjun Wei
- School of Biotechnology, Jiangsu University of Science and Technology, Zhenjiang, Jiangsu, China
| | - Ying Chen
- School of Biotechnology, Jiangsu University of Science and Technology, Zhenjiang, Jiangsu, China
| | - Ping He
- School of Biotechnology, Jiangsu University of Science and Technology, Zhenjiang, Jiangsu, China
| | - Runpeng Wang
- School of Biotechnology, Jiangsu University of Science and Technology, Zhenjiang, Jiangsu, China
| | - Qiang Wang
- School of Biotechnology, Jiangsu University of Science and Technology, Zhenjiang, Jiangsu, China,Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Institute of Sericulture, Zhenjiang, China
| | - Xudong Tang
- School of Biotechnology, Jiangsu University of Science and Technology, Zhenjiang, Jiangsu, China,Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Institute of Sericulture, Zhenjiang, China
| | - Yiling Zhang
- School of Biotechnology, Jiangsu University of Science and Technology, Zhenjiang, Jiangsu, China,Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Institute of Sericulture, Zhenjiang, China
| | - Feng Zhu
- Zaozhuang University, Zaozhuang, Shangdong, China
| | - Zhongyuan Shen
- School of Biotechnology, Jiangsu University of Science and Technology, Zhenjiang, Jiangsu, China,Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Institute of Sericulture, Zhenjiang, China
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20
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Seatamanoch N, Kongdachalert S, Sunantaraporn S, Siriyasatien P, Brownell N. Microsporidia, a Highly Adaptive Organism and Its Host Expansion to Humans. Front Cell Infect Microbiol 2022; 12:924007. [PMID: 35782144 PMCID: PMC9245026 DOI: 10.3389/fcimb.2022.924007] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/20/2022] [Accepted: 05/23/2022] [Indexed: 12/05/2022] Open
Abstract
Emerging infectious disease has become the center of attention since the outbreak of COVID-19. For the coronavirus, bats are suspected to be the origin of the pandemic. Consequently, the spotlight has fallen on zoonotic diseases, and the focus now expands to organisms other than viruses. Microsporidia is a single-cell organism that can infect a wide range of hosts such as insects, mammals, and humans. Its pathogenicity differs among species, and host immunological status plays an important role in infectivity and disease severity. Disseminated disease from microsporidiosis can be fatal, especially among patients with a defective immune system. Recently, there were two Trachipleistophora hominis, a microsporidia species which can survive in insects, case reports in Thailand, one patient had disseminated microsporidiosis. This review gathered data of disseminated microsporidiosis and T. hominis infections in humans covering the biological and clinical aspects. There was a total of 22 cases of disseminated microsporidiosis reports worldwide. Ten microsporidia species were identified. Maximum likelihood tree results showed some possible correlations with zoonotic transmissions. For T. hominis, there are currently eight case reports in humans, seven of which had Human Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV) infection. It is observed that risks are higher for the immunocompromised to acquire such infections, however, future studies should look into the entire life cycle, to identify the route of transmission and establish preventive measures, especially among the high-risk groups.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nirin Seatamanoch
- Department of Parasitology, Faculty of Medicine, Chulalongkorn University, Bangkok, Thailand
- Vector Biology and Vector Borne Disease Research Unit, Department of Parasitology, Faculty of Medicine, Chulalongkorn University, Bangkok, Thailand
| | - Switt Kongdachalert
- Department of Parasitology, Faculty of Medicine, Chulalongkorn University, Bangkok, Thailand
- Vector Biology and Vector Borne Disease Research Unit, Department of Parasitology, Faculty of Medicine, Chulalongkorn University, Bangkok, Thailand
| | - Sakone Sunantaraporn
- Vector Biology and Vector Borne Disease Research Unit, Department of Parasitology, Faculty of Medicine, Chulalongkorn University, Bangkok, Thailand
| | - Padet Siriyasatien
- Department of Parasitology, Faculty of Medicine, Chulalongkorn University, Bangkok, Thailand
- Vector Biology and Vector Borne Disease Research Unit, Department of Parasitology, Faculty of Medicine, Chulalongkorn University, Bangkok, Thailand
| | - Narisa Brownell
- Department of Parasitology, Faculty of Medicine, Chulalongkorn University, Bangkok, Thailand
- Vector Biology and Vector Borne Disease Research Unit, Department of Parasitology, Faculty of Medicine, Chulalongkorn University, Bangkok, Thailand
- *Correspondence: Narisa Brownell,
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21
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Paromomycin Reduces Vairimorpha (Nosema) ceranae Infection in Honey Bees but Perturbs Microbiome Levels and Midgut Cell Function. Microorganisms 2022; 10:microorganisms10061107. [PMID: 35744625 PMCID: PMC9231153 DOI: 10.3390/microorganisms10061107] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/16/2022] [Revised: 05/23/2022] [Accepted: 05/23/2022] [Indexed: 02/04/2023] Open
Abstract
Paromomycin is a naturally occurring aminoglycoside antibiotic that has effects on both prokaryotic and eukaryotic microbes. However, previous reports have indicated that it has little effect on microsporidia, including Vairimorpha (Nosema) ceranae, in cell culture models. V. ceranae is one of a number of microsporidia species that cause disease in honey bees and substantial efforts to find new treatment strategies for bees that are infected with these pathogens are ongoing. When testing compounds for potential activity against V. ceranae in whole organisms, we found that paromomycin reduces the infection intensity of this parasite. Critically, the necessary doses of paromomycin have high activity against the bacteria of the honey bee microbiome and cause evident stress in bees. Microsporidia have been shown to lack an essential binding site on the ribosome that is known to allow for maximal inhibition by paromomycin. Thus, it is possible that paromomycin impacts parasite levels through non-cell autonomous effects on microsporidia infection levels via effects on the microbiome or midgut cellular function. As paromomycin treatment could cause widespread honey bee health issues in agricultural settings, it does not represent an appropriate anti-microsporidia agent for use in the field.
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22
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Jüttner M, Ferreira-Cerca S. Looking through the lens of the ribosome biogenesis evolutionary history: possible implications for archaeal phylogeny and eukaryogenesis. Mol Biol Evol 2022; 39:6547259. [PMID: 35275997 PMCID: PMC8997704 DOI: 10.1093/molbev/msac054] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/26/2022] Open
Abstract
Our understanding of microbial diversity and its evolutionary relationships has increased substantially over the last decade. Such an understanding has been greatly fueled by culture-independent metagenomics analyses. However, the outcome of some of these studies and their biological and evolutionary implications, such as the origin of the eukaryotic lineage from the recently discovered archaeal Asgard superphylum, is debated. The sequences of the ribosomal constituents are amongst the most used phylogenetic markers. However, the functional consequences underlying the analysed sequence diversity and their putative evolutionary implications are essentially not taken into consideration. Here, we propose to exploit additional functional hallmarks of ribosome biogenesis to help disentangle competing evolutionary hypotheses. Using selected examples, such as the multiple origins of halophily in archaea or the evolutionary relationship between the Asgard archaea and Eukaryotes, we illustrate and discuss how function-aware phylogenetic framework can contribute to refining our understanding of archaeal phylogeny and the origin of eukaryotic cells.
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Affiliation(s)
- Michael Jüttner
- Regensburg Center for Biochemistry, Biochemistry III - Institute for Biochemistry, Genetics and Microbiology, University of Regensburg, Universitätsstraße 31, 93053 Regensburg, Germany
| | - Sébastien Ferreira-Cerca
- Regensburg Center for Biochemistry, Biochemistry III - Institute for Biochemistry, Genetics and Microbiology, University of Regensburg, Universitätsstraße 31, 93053 Regensburg, Germany
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23
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Smith PR, Pandit SC, Loerch S, Campbell ZT. The space between notes: emerging roles for translationally silent ribosomes. Trends Biochem Sci 2022; 47:477-491. [PMID: 35246374 DOI: 10.1016/j.tibs.2022.02.003] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/20/2021] [Revised: 01/31/2022] [Accepted: 02/04/2022] [Indexed: 01/02/2023]
Abstract
In addition to their central functions in translation, ribosomes can adopt inactive structures that are fully assembled yet devoid of mRNA. We describe how the abundance of idle eukaryotic ribosomes is influenced by a broad range of biological conditions spanning viral infection, nutrient deprivation, and developmental cues. Vacant ribosomes may provide a means to exclude ribosomes from translation while also shielding them from degradation, and the variable identity of factors that occlude ribosomes may impart distinct functionality. We propose that regulated changes in the balance of idle and active ribosomes provides a means to fine-tune translation. We provide an overview of idle ribosomes, describe what is known regarding their function, and highlight questions that may clarify their biological roles.
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Affiliation(s)
- Patrick R Smith
- The University of Texas at Dallas, Department of Biological Sciences, Richardson, TX, USA
| | - Sapna C Pandit
- University of California, Santa Cruz, Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, Santa Cruz, CA, USA
| | - Sarah Loerch
- University of California, Santa Cruz, Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, Santa Cruz, CA, USA
| | - Zachary T Campbell
- The University of Texas at Dallas, Department of Biological Sciences, Richardson, TX, USA; The Center for Advanced Pain Studies (CAPS), University of Texas at Dallas, Richardson, TX, USA.
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24
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Nicholson D, Salamina M, Panek J, Helena-Bueno K, Brown CR, Hirt RP, Ranson NA, Melnikov SV. Adaptation to genome decay in the structure of the smallest eukaryotic ribosome. Nat Commun 2022; 13:591. [PMID: 35105900 PMCID: PMC8807834 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-022-28281-0] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/20/2021] [Accepted: 01/14/2022] [Indexed: 12/18/2022] Open
Abstract
The evolution of microbial parasites involves the counterplay between natural selection forcing parasites to improve and genetic drifts forcing parasites to lose genes and accumulate deleterious mutations. Here, to understand how this counterplay occurs at the scale of individual macromolecules, we describe cryo-EM structure of ribosomes from Encephalitozoon cuniculi, a eukaryote with one of the smallest genomes in nature. The extreme rRNA reduction in E. cuniculi ribosomes is accompanied with unparalleled structural changes, such as the evolution of previously unknown molten rRNA linkers and bulgeless rRNA. Furthermore, E. cuniculi ribosomes withstand the loss of rRNA and protein segments by evolving an ability to use small molecules as structural mimics of degenerated rRNA and protein segments. Overall, we show that the molecular structures long viewed as reduced, degenerated, and suffering from debilitating mutations possess an array of compensatory mechanisms that allow them to remain active despite the extreme molecular reduction. Many parasitic organisms contain molecular structures that are drastically smaller than analogous structures in non-parasitic organisms. Here the authors describe a cryo-EM structure of the ribosome from E. cuniculi that reveals that it compensated rRNA truncations by evolving the ability to use small molecules as ribosomal building blocks.
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Affiliation(s)
- David Nicholson
- Astbury Centre for Structural Molecular Biology, School of Molecular & Cellular Biology, Faculty of Biological Sciences, University of Leeds, Leeds, LS2 9JT, UK
| | - Marco Salamina
- Biosciences Institute, Newcastle University, Newcastle upon Tyne, NE2 4HH, UK
| | - Johan Panek
- Biosciences Institute, Newcastle University, Newcastle upon Tyne, NE2 4HH, UK
| | - Karla Helena-Bueno
- Biosciences Institute, Newcastle University, Newcastle upon Tyne, NE2 4HH, UK
| | - Charlotte R Brown
- Biosciences Institute, Newcastle University, Newcastle upon Tyne, NE2 4HH, UK
| | - Robert P Hirt
- Biosciences Institute, Newcastle University, Newcastle upon Tyne, NE2 4HH, UK
| | - Neil A Ranson
- Astbury Centre for Structural Molecular Biology, School of Molecular & Cellular Biology, Faculty of Biological Sciences, University of Leeds, Leeds, LS2 9JT, UK.
| | - Sergey V Melnikov
- Biosciences Institute, Newcastle University, Newcastle upon Tyne, NE2 4HH, UK. .,Faculty of Medical Sciences, Newcastle University, Newcastle upon Tyne, NE2 4HH, UK.
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25
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Jüttner M, Ferreira-Cerca S. A Comparative Perspective on Ribosome Biogenesis: Unity and Diversity Across the Tree of Life. Methods Mol Biol 2022; 2533:3-22. [PMID: 35796979 PMCID: PMC9761495 DOI: 10.1007/978-1-0716-2501-9_1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 04/27/2023]
Abstract
Ribosomes are universally conserved ribonucleoprotein complexes involved in the decoding of the genetic information contained in messenger RNAs into proteins. Accordingly, ribosome biogenesis is a fundamental cellular process required for functional ribosome homeostasis and to preserve satisfactory gene expression capability.Although the ribosome is universally conserved, its biogenesis shows an intriguing degree of variability across the tree of life . These differences also raise yet unresolved questions. Among them are (a) what are, if existing, the remaining ancestral common principles of ribosome biogenesis ; (b) what are the molecular impacts of the evolution history and how did they contribute to (re)shape the ribosome biogenesis pathway across the tree of life ; (c) what is the extent of functional divergence and/or convergence (functional mimicry), and in the latter case (if existing) what is the molecular basis; (d) considering the universal ribosome conservation, what is the capability of functional plasticity and cellular adaptation of the ribosome biogenesis pathway?In this review, we provide a brief overview of ribosome biogenesis across the tree of life and try to illustrate some potential and/or emerging answers to these unresolved questions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Michael Jüttner
- Biochemistry III-Regensburg Center for Biochemistry-Institute for Biochemistry, Genetics and Microbiology, University of Regensburg, Regensburg, Germany
| | - Sébastien Ferreira-Cerca
- Biochemistry III-Regensburg Center for Biochemistry-Institute for Biochemistry, Genetics and Microbiology, University of Regensburg, Regensburg, Germany.
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26
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Ferreira-Cerca S. The dark side of the ribosome life cycle. RNA Biol 2022; 19:1045-1049. [PMID: 36082947 PMCID: PMC9467602 DOI: 10.1080/15476286.2022.2121421] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/25/2022] Open
Abstract
Thanks to genetics, biochemistry, and structural biology many features of the ribosome´s life cycles in models of bacteria, eukaryotes, and some organelles have been revealed to near-atomic details. Collectively, these studies have provided a very detailed understanding of what are now well-established prototypes for ribosome biogenesis and function as viewed from a 'classical' model organisms perspective. However, very important challenges remain ahead to explore the functional and structural diversity of both ribosome biogenesis and function across the biological diversity on earth. Particularly, the 'third domain of life', the archaea, and also many non-model bacterial and eukaryotic organisms have been comparatively neglected. Importantly, characterizing these additional biological systems will not only offer a yet untapped window to enlighten the evolution of ribosome biogenesis and function but will also help to unravel fundamental principles of molecular adaptation of these central cellular processes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sébastien Ferreira-Cerca
- Regensburg Center for Biochemistry, Biochemistry III - Institute for Biochemistry, Genetics and Microbiology, University of Regensburg, Regensburg, Germany
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27
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Jespersen N, Monrroy L, Barandun J. Impact of Genome Reduction in Microsporidia. EXPERIENTIA SUPPLEMENTUM (2012) 2022; 114:1-42. [PMID: 35543997 DOI: 10.1007/978-3-030-93306-7_1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/15/2023]
Abstract
Microsporidia represent an evolutionary outlier in the tree of life and occupy the extreme edge of the eukaryotic domain with some of their biological features. Many of these unicellular fungi-like organisms have reduced their genomic content to potentially the lowest limit. With some of the most compacted eukaryotic genomes, microsporidia are excellent model organisms to study reductive evolution and its functional consequences. While the growing number of sequenced microsporidian genomes have elucidated genome composition and organization, a recent increase in complementary post-genomic studies has started to shed light on the impacts of genome reduction in these unique pathogens. This chapter will discuss the biological framework enabling genome minimization and will use one of the most ancient and essential macromolecular complexes, the ribosome, to illustrate the effects of extreme genome reduction on a structural, molecular, and cellular level. We outline how reductive evolution in microsporidia has shaped DNA organization, the composition and function of the ribosome, and the complexity of the ribosome biogenesis process. Studying compacted mechanisms, processes, or macromolecular machines in microsporidia illuminates their unique lifestyle and provides valuable insights for comparative eukaryotic structural biology.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nathan Jespersen
- Department of Molecular Biology, The Laboratory for Molecular Infection Medicine Sweden (MIMS), Umeå Centre for Microbial Research (UCMR), Science for Life Laboratory, Umeå University, Umeå, Sweden.
| | - Leonardo Monrroy
- Department of Molecular Biology, The Laboratory for Molecular Infection Medicine Sweden (MIMS), Umeå Centre for Microbial Research (UCMR), Science for Life Laboratory, Umeå University, Umeå, Sweden
| | - Jonas Barandun
- Department of Molecular Biology, The Laboratory for Molecular Infection Medicine Sweden (MIMS), Umeå Centre for Microbial Research (UCMR), Science for Life Laboratory, Umeå University, Umeå, Sweden.
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28
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Williams BAP, Williams TA, Trew J. Comparative Genomics of Microsporidia. EXPERIENTIA SUPPLEMENTUM (2012) 2022; 114:43-69. [PMID: 35543998 DOI: 10.1007/978-3-030-93306-7_2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/15/2023]
Abstract
The microsporidia are a phylum of intracellular parasites that represent the eukaryotic cell in a state of extreme reduction, with genomes and metabolic capabilities embodying eukaryotic cells in arguably their most streamlined state. Over the past 20 years, microsporidian genomics has become a rapidly expanding field starting with sequencing of the genome of Encephalitozoon cuniculi, one of the first ever sequenced eukaryotes, to the current situation where we have access to the data from over 30 genomes across 20+ genera. Reaching back further in evolutionary history, to the point where microsporidia diverged from other eukaryotic lineages, we now also have genomic data for some of the closest known relatives of the microsporidia such as Rozella allomycis, Metchnikovella spp. and Amphiamblys sp. Data for these organisms allow us to better understand the genomic processes that shaped the emergence of the microsporidia as a group. These intensive genomic efforts have revealed some of the processes that have shaped microsporidian cells and genomes including patterns of genome expansions and contractions through gene gain and loss, whole genome duplication, differential patterns of invasion and purging of transposable elements. All these processes have been shown to occur across short and longer time scales to give rise to a phylum of parasites with dynamic genomes with a diversity of sizes and organisations.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Tom A Williams
- School of Biological Sciences, University of Bristol, Bristol, UK
| | - Jahcub Trew
- School of Biosciences, University of Exeter, Exeter, UK
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29
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Proteasome Inhibition Is an Effective Treatment Strategy for Microsporidia Infection in Honey Bees. Biomolecules 2021; 11:biom11111600. [PMID: 34827599 PMCID: PMC8615682 DOI: 10.3390/biom11111600] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/27/2021] [Revised: 10/26/2021] [Accepted: 10/26/2021] [Indexed: 12/26/2022] Open
Abstract
The microsporidia Nosema ceranae is an obligate intracellular parasite that causes honey bee mortality and contributes to colony collapse. Fumagillin is presently the only pharmacological control for N. ceranae infections in honey bees. Resistance is already emerging, and alternative controls are critically needed. Nosema spp. exhibit increased sensitivity to heat shock, a common proteotoxic stress. Thus, we hypothesized that targeting the Nosema proteasome, the major protease removing misfolded proteins, might be effective against N. ceranae infections in honey bees. Nosema genome analysis and molecular modeling revealed an unexpectedly compact proteasome apparently lacking multiple canonical subunits, but with highly conserved proteolytic active sites expected to be receptive to FDA-approved proteasome inhibitors. Indeed, N. ceranae were strikingly sensitive to pharmacological disruption of proteasome function at doses that were well tolerated by honey bees. Thus, proteasome inhibition is a novel candidate treatment strategy for microsporidia infection in honey bees.
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30
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Schäffer AA, McVeigh R, Robbertse B, Schoch CL, Johnston A, Underwood BA, Karsch-Mizrachi I, Nawrocki EP. Ribovore: ribosomal RNA sequence analysis for GenBank submissions and database curation. BMC Bioinformatics 2021; 22:400. [PMID: 34384346 PMCID: PMC8359073 DOI: 10.1186/s12859-021-04316-z] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/12/2021] [Accepted: 08/03/2021] [Indexed: 02/01/2023] Open
Abstract
Background The DNA sequences encoding ribosomal RNA genes (rRNAs) are commonly used as markers to identify species, including in metagenomics samples that may combine many organismal communities. The 16S small subunit ribosomal RNA (SSU rRNA) gene is typically used to identify bacterial and archaeal species. The nuclear 18S SSU rRNA gene, and 28S large subunit (LSU) rRNA gene have been used as DNA barcodes and for phylogenetic studies in different eukaryote taxonomic groups. Because of their popularity, the National Center for Biotechnology Information (NCBI) receives a disproportionate number of rRNA sequence submissions and BLAST queries. These sequences vary in quality, length, origin (nuclear, mitochondria, plastid), and organism source and can represent any region of the ribosomal cistron. Results To improve the timely verification of quality, origin and loci boundaries, we developed Ribovore, a software package for sequence analysis of rRNA sequences. The ribotyper and ribosensor programs are used to validate incoming sequences of bacterial and archaeal SSU rRNA. The ribodbmaker program is used to create high-quality datasets of rRNAs from different taxonomic groups. Key algorithmic steps include comparing candidate sequences against rRNA sequence profile hidden Markov models (HMMs) and covariance models of rRNA sequence and secondary-structure conservation, as well as other tests. Nine freely available blastn rRNA databases created and maintained with Ribovore are used for checking incoming GenBank submissions and used by the blastn browser interface at NCBI. Since 2018, Ribovore has been used to analyze more than 50 million prokaryotic SSU rRNA sequences submitted to GenBank, and to select at least 10,435 fungal rRNA RefSeq records from type material of 8350 taxa. Conclusion Ribovore combines single-sequence and profile-based methods to improve GenBank processing and analysis of rRNA sequences. It is a standalone, portable, and extensible software package for the alignment, classification and validation of rRNA sequences. Researchers planning on submitting SSU rRNA sequences to GenBank are encouraged to download and use Ribovore to analyze their sequences prior to submission to determine which sequences are likely to be automatically accepted into GenBank.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alejandro A Schäffer
- Cancer Data Science Laboratory, National Cancer Institute, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD, 20892, USA.,National Center for Biotechnology Information, National Library of Medicine, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD, 20894, USA
| | - Richard McVeigh
- National Center for Biotechnology Information, National Library of Medicine, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD, 20894, USA
| | - Barbara Robbertse
- National Center for Biotechnology Information, National Library of Medicine, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD, 20894, USA
| | - Conrad L Schoch
- National Center for Biotechnology Information, National Library of Medicine, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD, 20894, USA
| | - Anjanette Johnston
- National Center for Biotechnology Information, National Library of Medicine, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD, 20894, USA
| | - Beverly A Underwood
- National Center for Biotechnology Information, National Library of Medicine, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD, 20894, USA
| | - Ilene Karsch-Mizrachi
- National Center for Biotechnology Information, National Library of Medicine, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD, 20894, USA
| | - Eric P Nawrocki
- National Center for Biotechnology Information, National Library of Medicine, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD, 20894, USA.
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31
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Kumar N, Sharma S, Kaushal PS. Protein synthesis in Mycobacterium tuberculosis as a potential target for therapeutic interventions. Mol Aspects Med 2021; 81:101002. [PMID: 34344520 DOI: 10.1016/j.mam.2021.101002] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/13/2021] [Revised: 07/11/2021] [Accepted: 07/16/2021] [Indexed: 12/18/2022]
Abstract
Mycobacterium tuberculosis (Mtb) causes one of humankind's deadliest diseases, tuberculosis. Mtb protein synthesis machinery possesses several unique species-specific features, including its ribosome that carries two mycobacterial specific ribosomal proteins, bL37 and bS22, and ribosomal RNA segments. Since the protein synthesis is a vital cellular process that occurs on the ribosome, a detailed knowledge of the structure and function of mycobacterial ribosomes is essential to understand the cell's proteome by translation regulation. Like in many bacterial species such as Bacillus subtilis and Streptomyces coelicolor, two distinct populations of ribosomes have been identified in Mtb. Under low-zinc conditions, Mtb ribosomal proteins S14, S18, L28, and L33 are replaced with their non-zinc binding paralogues. Depending upon the nature of physiological stress, species-specific modulation of translation by stress factors and toxins that interact with the ribosome have been reported. In addition, about one-fourth of messenger RNAs in mycobacteria have been reported to be leaderless, i.e., without 5' UTR regions. However, the mechanism by which they are recruited to the Mtb ribosome is not understood. In this review, we highlight the mycobacteria-specific features of the translation apparatus and propose exploiting these features to improve the efficacy and specificity of existing antibiotics used to treat tuberculosis.
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Affiliation(s)
- Niraj Kumar
- Structural Biology & Translation Regulation Laboratory, Regional Centre for Biotechnology, NCR Biotech Science Cluster, Faridabad, 121 001, India
| | - Shivani Sharma
- Structural Biology & Translation Regulation Laboratory, Regional Centre for Biotechnology, NCR Biotech Science Cluster, Faridabad, 121 001, India
| | - Prem S Kaushal
- Structural Biology & Translation Regulation Laboratory, Regional Centre for Biotechnology, NCR Biotech Science Cluster, Faridabad, 121 001, India.
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32
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Gerovac M, Vogel J, Smirnov A. The World of Stable Ribonucleoproteins and Its Mapping With Grad-Seq and Related Approaches. Front Mol Biosci 2021; 8:661448. [PMID: 33898526 PMCID: PMC8058203 DOI: 10.3389/fmolb.2021.661448] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/30/2021] [Accepted: 03/04/2021] [Indexed: 12/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Macromolecular complexes of proteins and RNAs are essential building blocks of cells. These stable supramolecular particles can be viewed as minimal biochemical units whose structural organization, i.e., the way the RNA and the protein interact with each other, is directly linked to their biological function. Whether those are dynamic regulatory ribonucleoproteins (RNPs) or integrated molecular machines involved in gene expression, the comprehensive knowledge of these units is critical to our understanding of key molecular mechanisms and cell physiology phenomena. Such is the goal of diverse complexomic approaches and in particular of the recently developed gradient profiling by sequencing (Grad-seq). By separating cellular protein and RNA complexes on a density gradient and quantifying their distributions genome-wide by mass spectrometry and deep sequencing, Grad-seq charts global landscapes of native macromolecular assemblies. In this review, we propose a function-based ontology of stable RNPs and discuss how Grad-seq and related approaches transformed our perspective of bacterial and eukaryotic ribonucleoproteins by guiding the discovery of new RNA-binding proteins and unusual classes of noncoding RNAs. We highlight some methodological aspects and developments that permit to further boost the power of this technique and to look for exciting new biology in understudied and challenging biological models.
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Affiliation(s)
- Milan Gerovac
- Institute of Molecular Infection Biology (IMIB), University of Würzburg, Würzburg, Germany
| | - Jörg Vogel
- Institute of Molecular Infection Biology (IMIB), University of Würzburg, Würzburg, Germany
- Helmholtz Institute for RNA-based Infection Research (HIRI), Helmholtz Centre for Infection Research (HZI), Würzburg, Germany
| | - Alexandre Smirnov
- UMR 7156—Génétique Moléculaire, Génomique, Microbiologie (GMGM), University of Strasbourg, CNRS, Strasbourg, France
- University of Strasbourg Institute for Advanced Study (USIAS), Strasbourg, France
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33
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Ehrenbolger K, Jespersen N, Sharma H, Sokolova YY, Tokarev YS, Vossbrinck CR, Barandun J. Differences in structure and hibernation mechanism highlight diversification of the microsporidian ribosome. PLoS Biol 2020; 18:e3000958. [PMID: 33125369 PMCID: PMC7644102 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pbio.3000958] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/27/2020] [Revised: 11/05/2020] [Accepted: 10/22/2020] [Indexed: 12/17/2022] Open
Abstract
Assembling and powering ribosomes are energy-intensive processes requiring fine-tuned cellular control mechanisms. In organisms operating under strict nutrient limitations, such as pathogenic microsporidia, conservation of energy via ribosomal hibernation and recycling is critical. The mechanisms by which hibernation is achieved in microsporidia, however, remain poorly understood. Here, we present the cryo–electron microscopy structure of the ribosome from Paranosema locustae spores, bound by the conserved eukaryotic hibernation and recycling factor Lso2. The microsporidian Lso2 homolog adopts a V-shaped conformation to bridge the mRNA decoding site and the large subunit tRNA binding sites, providing a reversible ribosome inactivation mechanism. Although microsporidian ribosomes are highly compacted, the P. locustae ribosome retains several rRNA segments absent in other microsporidia, and represents an intermediate state of rRNA reduction. In one case, the near complete reduction of an expansion segment has resulted in a single bound nucleotide, which may act as an architectural co-factor to stabilize a protein–protein interface. The presented structure highlights the reductive evolution in these emerging pathogens and sheds light on a conserved mechanism for eukaryotic ribosome hibernation. Tiny pathogenic eukaryotes called microsporidia have evolved highly compact ribosomes, smaller than bacterial ribosomes, and employ diverse hibernation factors to facilitate ribosome inactivation and recovery from the latent spore stage, including the conserved eukaryotic hibernation and recycling factor Lso2.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kai Ehrenbolger
- Department of Molecular Biology, Laboratory for Molecular Infection Medicine Sweden, Umeå Centre for Microbial Research, Science for Life Laboratory, Umeå University, Umeå, Sweden
| | - Nathan Jespersen
- Department of Molecular Biology, Laboratory for Molecular Infection Medicine Sweden, Umeå Centre for Microbial Research, Science for Life Laboratory, Umeå University, Umeå, Sweden
| | - Himanshu Sharma
- Department of Molecular Biology, Laboratory for Molecular Infection Medicine Sweden, Umeå Centre for Microbial Research, Science for Life Laboratory, Umeå University, Umeå, Sweden
| | - Yuliya Y. Sokolova
- Department of Microbiology, Immunology, and Tropical Medicine, School of Medicine and Health Sciences, George Washington University, Washington, District of Columbia, United States of America
- Institute of Cytology, St. Petersburg, Russia
| | - Yuri S. Tokarev
- All-Russian Institute of Plant Protection, St. Petersburg, Russia
| | - Charles R. Vossbrinck
- Department of Environmental Science, Connecticut Agricultural Experiment Station, New Haven, Connecticut, United States of America
| | - Jonas Barandun
- Department of Molecular Biology, Laboratory for Molecular Infection Medicine Sweden, Umeå Centre for Microbial Research, Science for Life Laboratory, Umeå University, Umeå, Sweden
- * E-mail:
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34
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Poitevin F, Kushner A, Li X, Dao Duc K. Structural Heterogeneities of the Ribosome: New Frontiers and Opportunities for Cryo-EM. Molecules 2020; 25:E4262. [PMID: 32957592 PMCID: PMC7570653 DOI: 10.3390/molecules25184262] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/25/2020] [Revised: 09/11/2020] [Accepted: 09/15/2020] [Indexed: 12/18/2022] Open
Abstract
The extent of ribosomal heterogeneity has caught increasing interest over the past few years, as recent studies have highlighted the presence of structural variations of the ribosome. More precisely, the heterogeneity of the ribosome covers multiple scales, including the dynamical aspects of ribosomal motion at the single particle level, specialization at the cellular and subcellular scale, or evolutionary differences across species. Upon solving the ribosome atomic structure at medium to high resolution, cryogenic electron microscopy (cryo-EM) has enabled investigating all these forms of heterogeneity. In this review, we present some recent advances in quantifying ribosome heterogeneity, with a focus on the conformational and evolutionary variations of the ribosome and their functional implications. These efforts highlight the need for new computational methods and comparative tools, to comprehensively model the continuous conformational transition pathways of the ribosome, as well as its evolution. While developing these methods presents some important challenges, it also provides an opportunity to extend our interpretation and usage of cryo-EM data, which would more generally benefit the study of molecular dynamics and evolution of proteins and other complexes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Frédéric Poitevin
- Department of LCLS Data Analytics, Linac Coherent Light Source, SLAC National Accelerator Laboratory, Menlo Park, CA 94025, USA;
| | - Artem Kushner
- Department of Mathematics, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, BC V6T 1Z4, Canada; (A.K.); (X.L.)
- Department of Computer Science, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, BC V6T 1Z4, Canada
| | - Xinpei Li
- Department of Mathematics, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, BC V6T 1Z4, Canada; (A.K.); (X.L.)
- Department of Computer Science, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, BC V6T 1Z4, Canada
| | - Khanh Dao Duc
- Department of Mathematics, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, BC V6T 1Z4, Canada; (A.K.); (X.L.)
- Department of Computer Science, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, BC V6T 1Z4, Canada
- Department of Zoology, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, BC V6T 1Z4, Canada
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35
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Wang L, Lv Q, He Y, Gu R, Zhou B, Chen J, Fan X, Pan G, Long M, Zhou Z. Integrated qPCR and Staining Methods for Detection and Quantification of Enterocytozoon hepatopenaei in Shrimp Litopenaeus vannamei. Microorganisms 2020; 8:microorganisms8091366. [PMID: 32906623 PMCID: PMC7565997 DOI: 10.3390/microorganisms8091366] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/06/2020] [Revised: 09/02/2020] [Accepted: 09/04/2020] [Indexed: 12/18/2022] Open
Abstract
Enterocytozoon hepatopenaei (EHP) is an obligate, intracellular, spore-forming parasite, which mainly infects the gastrointestinal tract of shrimp. It significantly hinders the growth of shrimp, which causes substantial economic losses in farming. In this study, we established and optimized a SYBR Green I fluorescent quantitative PCR (qPCR) assay based on the polar tube protein 2 (PTP2) gene for the quantitative analysis of EHP-infected shrimp. The result showed that the optimum annealing temperature was 60 °C for the corresponding relation between the amplification quantitative (Cq) and the logarithmic of the initial template quantity (x), conformed to Cq = −3.2751x + 31.269 with a correlation coefficient R2 = 0.993. The amplification efficiency was 102%. This qPCR method also showed high sensitivity, specificity, and repeatability. Moreover, a microscopy method was developed to observe and count EHP spores in hepatopancreas tissue of EHP-infected shrimp using Fluorescent Brightener 28 staining. By comparing the PTP2-qPCR and microscopy method, the microscopic examination was easier to operate whereas PTP2-qPCR was more sensitive for analysis. And we found that there was a correspondence between the results of these two methods. In summary, the PTP2-qPCR method integrated microscopy could serve for EHP detection during the whole period of shrimp farming and satisfy different requirements for detecting EHP in shrimp farming.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lijun Wang
- State Key Laboratory of Silkworm Genome Biology, Southwest University, Chongqing 400715, China; (L.W.); (Q.L.); (Y.H.); (R.G.); (B.Z.); (J.C.); (G.P.); (Z.Z.)
- Chongqing Key Laboratory of Microsporidia Infection and Control, Southwest University, Chongqing 400715, China;
| | - Qing Lv
- State Key Laboratory of Silkworm Genome Biology, Southwest University, Chongqing 400715, China; (L.W.); (Q.L.); (Y.H.); (R.G.); (B.Z.); (J.C.); (G.P.); (Z.Z.)
- Chongqing Key Laboratory of Microsporidia Infection and Control, Southwest University, Chongqing 400715, China;
| | - Yantong He
- State Key Laboratory of Silkworm Genome Biology, Southwest University, Chongqing 400715, China; (L.W.); (Q.L.); (Y.H.); (R.G.); (B.Z.); (J.C.); (G.P.); (Z.Z.)
- Chongqing Key Laboratory of Microsporidia Infection and Control, Southwest University, Chongqing 400715, China;
| | - Ruocheng Gu
- State Key Laboratory of Silkworm Genome Biology, Southwest University, Chongqing 400715, China; (L.W.); (Q.L.); (Y.H.); (R.G.); (B.Z.); (J.C.); (G.P.); (Z.Z.)
- Chongqing Key Laboratory of Microsporidia Infection and Control, Southwest University, Chongqing 400715, China;
| | - Bingqian Zhou
- State Key Laboratory of Silkworm Genome Biology, Southwest University, Chongqing 400715, China; (L.W.); (Q.L.); (Y.H.); (R.G.); (B.Z.); (J.C.); (G.P.); (Z.Z.)
- Chongqing Key Laboratory of Microsporidia Infection and Control, Southwest University, Chongqing 400715, China;
| | - Jie Chen
- State Key Laboratory of Silkworm Genome Biology, Southwest University, Chongqing 400715, China; (L.W.); (Q.L.); (Y.H.); (R.G.); (B.Z.); (J.C.); (G.P.); (Z.Z.)
- Chongqing Key Laboratory of Microsporidia Infection and Control, Southwest University, Chongqing 400715, China;
| | - Xiaodong Fan
- Chongqing Key Laboratory of Microsporidia Infection and Control, Southwest University, Chongqing 400715, China;
- College of Life Sciences, Chongqing Normal University, Chongqing 401331, China
| | - Guoqing Pan
- State Key Laboratory of Silkworm Genome Biology, Southwest University, Chongqing 400715, China; (L.W.); (Q.L.); (Y.H.); (R.G.); (B.Z.); (J.C.); (G.P.); (Z.Z.)
- Chongqing Key Laboratory of Microsporidia Infection and Control, Southwest University, Chongqing 400715, China;
| | - Mengxian Long
- State Key Laboratory of Silkworm Genome Biology, Southwest University, Chongqing 400715, China; (L.W.); (Q.L.); (Y.H.); (R.G.); (B.Z.); (J.C.); (G.P.); (Z.Z.)
- Chongqing Key Laboratory of Microsporidia Infection and Control, Southwest University, Chongqing 400715, China;
- Correspondence:
| | - Zeyang Zhou
- State Key Laboratory of Silkworm Genome Biology, Southwest University, Chongqing 400715, China; (L.W.); (Q.L.); (Y.H.); (R.G.); (B.Z.); (J.C.); (G.P.); (Z.Z.)
- Chongqing Key Laboratory of Microsporidia Infection and Control, Southwest University, Chongqing 400715, China;
- College of Life Sciences, Chongqing Normal University, Chongqing 401331, China
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36
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Tamim El Jarkass H, Reinke AW. The ins and outs of host-microsporidia interactions during invasion, proliferation and exit. Cell Microbiol 2020; 22:e13247. [PMID: 32748538 DOI: 10.1111/cmi.13247] [Citation(s) in RCA: 19] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/01/2020] [Revised: 07/15/2020] [Accepted: 07/16/2020] [Indexed: 12/12/2022]
Abstract
Microsporidia are a large group of fungal-related obligate intracellular parasites. They are responsible for infections in humans as well as in agriculturally and environmentally important animals. Although microsporidia are abundant in nature, many of the molecular mechanisms employed during infection have remained enigmatic. In this review, we highlight recent work showing how microsporidia invade, proliferate and exit from host cells. During invasion, microsporidia use spore wall and polar tube proteins to interact with host receptors and adhere to the host cell surface. In turn, the host has multiple defence mechanisms to prevent and eliminate these infections. Microsporidia encode numerous transporters and steal host nutrients to facilitate proliferation within host cells. They also encode many secreted proteins which may modulate host metabolism and inhibit host cell defence mechanisms. Spores exit the host in a non-lytic manner that is dependent on host actin and endocytic recycling proteins. Together, this work provides a fuller picture of the mechanisms that these fascinating organisms use to infect their hosts.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Aaron W Reinke
- Department of Molecular Genetics, University of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
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Hew B, Tan QW, Goh W, Ng JWX, Mutwil M. LSTrAP-Crowd: prediction of novel components of bacterial ribosomes with crowd-sourced analysis of RNA sequencing data. BMC Biol 2020; 18:114. [PMID: 32883264 PMCID: PMC7470450 DOI: 10.1186/s12915-020-00846-9] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/21/2020] [Accepted: 08/12/2020] [Indexed: 12/12/2022] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Bacterial resistance to antibiotics is a growing health problem that is projected to cause more deaths than cancer by 2050. Consequently, novel antibiotics are urgently needed. Since more than half of the available antibiotics target the structurally conserved bacterial ribosomes, factors involved in protein synthesis are thus prime targets for the development of novel antibiotics. However, experimental identification of these potential antibiotic target proteins can be labor-intensive and challenging, as these proteins are likely to be poorly characterized and specific to few bacteria. Here, we use a bioinformatics approach to identify novel components of protein synthesis. RESULTS In order to identify these novel proteins, we established a Large-Scale Transcriptomic Analysis Pipeline in Crowd (LSTrAP-Crowd), where 285 individuals processed 26 terabytes of RNA-sequencing data of the 17 most notorious bacterial pathogens. In total, the crowd processed 26,269 RNA-seq experiments and used the data to construct gene co-expression networks, which were used to identify more than a hundred uncharacterized genes that were transcriptionally associated with protein synthesis. We provide the identity of these genes together with the processed gene expression data. CONCLUSIONS We identified genes related to protein synthesis in common bacterial pathogens and thus provide a resource of potential antibiotic development targets for experimental validation. The data can be used to explore additional vulnerabilities of bacteria, while our approach demonstrates how the processing of gene expression data can be easily crowd-sourced.
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Affiliation(s)
- Benedict Hew
- School of Biological Sciences, Nanyang Technological University, 60 Nanyang Drive, Singapore, 637551, Singapore
| | - Qiao Wen Tan
- School of Biological Sciences, Nanyang Technological University, 60 Nanyang Drive, Singapore, 637551, Singapore
| | - William Goh
- School of Biological Sciences, Nanyang Technological University, 60 Nanyang Drive, Singapore, 637551, Singapore
| | - Jonathan Wei Xiong Ng
- School of Biological Sciences, Nanyang Technological University, 60 Nanyang Drive, Singapore, 637551, Singapore
| | - Marek Mutwil
- School of Biological Sciences, Nanyang Technological University, 60 Nanyang Drive, Singapore, 637551, Singapore.
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Herrero del Valle A, Innis CA. Prospects for antimicrobial development in the cryo-EM era – a focus on the ribosome. FEMS Microbiol Rev 2020; 44:793-803. [DOI: 10.1093/femsre/fuaa032] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/03/2020] [Accepted: 07/25/2020] [Indexed: 12/12/2022] Open
Abstract
ABSTRACT
Resistance to antimicrobial drugs used to treat bacterial, viral, fungal and parasitic infections is a major health concern requiring a coordinated response across the globe. An important aspect in the fight against antimicrobial resistance is the development of novel drugs that are effective against resistant pathogens. Drug development is a complex trans-disciplinary endeavor, in which structural biology plays a major role by providing detailed functional and mechanistic information on an antimicrobial target and its interactions with small molecule inhibitors. Although X-ray crystallography and nuclear magnetic resonance have until now been the methods of choice to characterize microbial targets and drive structure-based drug development, cryo-electron microscopy is rapidly gaining ground in these areas. In this perspective, we will discuss how cryo-electron microscopy is changing our understanding of an established antimicrobial target, the ribosome, and how methodological developments could help this technique become an integral part of the antimicrobial drug discovery pipeline.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alba Herrero del Valle
- Institut Européen de Chimie et Biologie, Univ. Bordeaux, Institut National de la Santé et de la Recherche Médicale (U1212) and Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique (UMR 5320), 2 rue Robert Escarpit, 33607 Pessac, France
| | - C Axel Innis
- Institut Européen de Chimie et Biologie, Univ. Bordeaux, Institut National de la Santé et de la Recherche Médicale (U1212) and Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique (UMR 5320), 2 rue Robert Escarpit, 33607 Pessac, France
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39
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Bowman JC, Petrov AS, Frenkel-Pinter M, Penev PI, Williams LD. Root of the Tree: The Significance, Evolution, and Origins of the Ribosome. Chem Rev 2020; 120:4848-4878. [PMID: 32374986 DOI: 10.1021/acs.chemrev.9b00742] [Citation(s) in RCA: 76] [Impact Index Per Article: 19.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/21/2023]
Abstract
The ribosome is an ancient molecular fossil that provides a telescope to the origins of life. Made from RNA and protein, the ribosome translates mRNA to coded protein in all living systems. Universality, economy, centrality and antiquity are ingrained in translation. The translation machinery dominates the set of genes that are shared as orthologues across the tree of life. The lineage of the translation system defines the universal tree of life. The function of a ribosome is to build ribosomes; to accomplish this task, ribosomes make ribosomal proteins, polymerases, enzymes, and signaling proteins. Every coded protein ever produced by life on Earth has passed through the exit tunnel, which is the birth canal of biology. During the root phase of the tree of life, before the last common ancestor of life (LUCA), exit tunnel evolution is dominant and unremitting. Protein folding coevolved with evolution of the exit tunnel. The ribosome shows that protein folding initiated with intrinsic disorder, supported through a short, primitive exit tunnel. Folding progressed to thermodynamically stable β-structures and then to kinetically trapped α-structures. The latter were enabled by a long, mature exit tunnel that partially offset the general thermodynamic tendency of all polypeptides to form β-sheets. RNA chaperoned the evolution of protein folding from the very beginning. The universal common core of the ribosome, with a mass of nearly 2 million Daltons, was finalized by LUCA. The ribosome entered stasis after LUCA and remained in that state for billions of years. Bacterial ribosomes never left stasis. Archaeal ribosomes have remained near stasis, except for the superphylum Asgard, which has accreted rRNA post LUCA. Eukaryotic ribosomes in some lineages appear to be logarithmically accreting rRNA over the last billion years. Ribosomal expansion in Asgard and Eukarya has been incremental and iterative, without substantial remodeling of pre-existing basal structures. The ribosome preserves information on its history.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jessica C Bowman
- Center for the Origins of Life, School of Chemistry and Biochemistry, Georgia Institute of Technology, Atlanta, Georgia 30332, United States
| | - Anton S Petrov
- Center for the Origins of Life, School of Chemistry and Biochemistry, Georgia Institute of Technology, Atlanta, Georgia 30332, United States
| | - Moran Frenkel-Pinter
- Center for the Origins of Life, School of Chemistry and Biochemistry, Georgia Institute of Technology, Atlanta, Georgia 30332, United States
| | - Petar I Penev
- Center for the Origins of Life, School of Chemistry and Biochemistry, Georgia Institute of Technology, Atlanta, Georgia 30332, United States
| | - Loren Dean Williams
- Center for the Origins of Life, School of Chemistry and Biochemistry, Georgia Institute of Technology, Atlanta, Georgia 30332, United States
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40
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Waltz F, Corre N, Hashem Y, Giegé P. Specificities of the plant mitochondrial translation apparatus. Mitochondrion 2020; 53:30-37. [PMID: 32334144 DOI: 10.1016/j.mito.2020.04.008] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/28/2020] [Revised: 04/14/2020] [Accepted: 04/21/2020] [Indexed: 12/16/2022]
Abstract
Mitochondria are endosymbiotic organelles responsible for energy production in most eukaryotic cells. They host a genome and a fully functional gene expression machinery. In plants this machinery involves hundreds of pentatricopeptide repeat (PPR) proteins. Translation, the final step of mitochondrial gene expression is performed by mitochondrial ribosomes (mitoribosomes). The nature of these molecular machines remained elusive for a very long time. Because of their bacterial origin, it was expected that mitoribosomes would closely resemble bacterial ribosomes. However, recent advances in cryo-electron microscopy have revealed the extraordinary diversity of mitoribosome structure and composition. The plant mitoribosome was characterized for Arabidopsis. In plants, in contrast to other species such as mammals and kinetoplastids where rRNA has been largely reduced, the mitoribosome could be described as a protein/RNA-augmented bacterial ribosome. It has an oversized small subunit formed by expanded ribosomal RNAs and additional protein components when compared to bacterial ribosomes. The same holds true for the large subunit. The small subunit is characterized by a new elongated domain on the head. Among its additional proteins, several PPR proteins are core mitoribosome proteins. They mainly act at the structural level to stabilize and maintain the plant-specific ribosomal RNA expansions but could also be involved in translation initiation. Recent advances in plant mitoribosome composition and structure, its specialization for membrane protein synthesis, translation initiation, the regulation and dynamics of mitochondrial translation are reviewed here and put in perspective with the diversity of mitochondrial translation processes in the green lineage and in the wider context of eukaryote evolution.
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Affiliation(s)
- Florent Waltz
- Institut Européen de Chimie et Biologie, U1212 Inserm, Université de Bordeaux, 2 rue R. Escarpit, F 33600 Pessac, France
| | - Nicolas Corre
- Institut de biologie de moléculaire des plantes, CNRS, Université de Strasbourg, 12 rue du général Zimmer, F 67084 Strasbourg, France
| | - Yaser Hashem
- Institut Européen de Chimie et Biologie, U1212 Inserm, Université de Bordeaux, 2 rue R. Escarpit, F 33600 Pessac, France
| | - Philippe Giegé
- Institut de biologie de moléculaire des plantes, CNRS, Université de Strasbourg, 12 rue du général Zimmer, F 67084 Strasbourg, France.
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41
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Long M, Tan Y, Yu B, Pan G, Zhou Z. Expression of Nosema bombycis polar tube protein 1 in lepidopteran Sf9 cells and its effect on microsporidian proliferation. J Invertebr Pathol 2020; 172:107350. [PMID: 32194029 DOI: 10.1016/j.jip.2020.107350] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/15/2019] [Revised: 03/04/2020] [Accepted: 03/08/2020] [Indexed: 11/29/2022]
Abstract
Nosema bombycis, the first identified microsporidium, causes heavy losses to the sericulture industry in China. During infection, microsporidia discharge a long and hollow polar tube, which delivers the sporoplasm into host cells. Polar tube protein 1 was the major component on the polar tube. Previously, we expressed the polar tube protein 1 from Nosema bombycis (NbPTP1) intercellularly in Drosophila S2 cells. Here, the microsporidian protein was expressed in Lepidopteran Sf9 cells. During heterologous expression, NbPTP1 protein was secreted and glycosylated. Microsporidian proliferation decreased in NbPTP1-expressing Sf9 cells. This confirms that NbPTP1 protein can interact with the host cell membrane receptor protein to facilitate microsporidian invasion.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mengxian Long
- State Key Laboratory of Silkworm Genome Biology, Southwest University, Chongqing 400715, China; Chongqing Key Laboratory of Microsporidia Infection and Control, Southwest University, Chongqing 400715, China
| | - Yaoyao Tan
- State Key Laboratory of Silkworm Genome Biology, Southwest University, Chongqing 400715, China; Chongqing Key Laboratory of Microsporidia Infection and Control, Southwest University, Chongqing 400715, China
| | - Bin Yu
- State Key Laboratory of Silkworm Genome Biology, Southwest University, Chongqing 400715, China; Chongqing Key Laboratory of Microsporidia Infection and Control, Southwest University, Chongqing 400715, China
| | - Guoqing Pan
- State Key Laboratory of Silkworm Genome Biology, Southwest University, Chongqing 400715, China; Chongqing Key Laboratory of Microsporidia Infection and Control, Southwest University, Chongqing 400715, China
| | - Zeyang Zhou
- State Key Laboratory of Silkworm Genome Biology, Southwest University, Chongqing 400715, China; Chongqing Key Laboratory of Microsporidia Infection and Control, Southwest University, Chongqing 400715, China; College of Life Sciences, Chongqing Normal University, Chongqing 400047, China.
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42
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Wadi L, Reinke AW. Evolution of microsporidia: An extremely successful group of eukaryotic intracellular parasites. PLoS Pathog 2020; 16:e1008276. [PMID: 32053705 PMCID: PMC7017984 DOI: 10.1371/journal.ppat.1008276] [Citation(s) in RCA: 61] [Impact Index Per Article: 15.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/18/2022] Open
Affiliation(s)
- Lina Wadi
- Department of Molecular Genetics, University of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
| | - Aaron W. Reinke
- Department of Molecular Genetics, University of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
- * E-mail:
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43
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Kushwaha AK, Bhushan S. Unique structural features of the Mycobacterium ribosome. PROGRESS IN BIOPHYSICS AND MOLECULAR BIOLOGY 2019; 152:15-24. [PMID: 31858996 DOI: 10.1016/j.pbiomolbio.2019.12.001] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/26/2019] [Revised: 12/03/2019] [Accepted: 12/09/2019] [Indexed: 12/16/2022]
Abstract
Protein synthesis in all the living cells is mediated by a large protein-RNA complex called the ribosome. These macromolecular complexes can range from 2.5 (prokaryotes) to 4.2 MDa. (eukaryotes) in size and undergo various conformational transitions during protein synthesis to translate the genetic code into the nascent polypeptide chains. Recent advances in cryo-electron microscopy (cryo-EM) and image processing methods have provided numerous detailed structures of ribosomes from diverse sources and in different conformational states resolved to near-atomic resolutions. These structures have not only helped in better understanding of the translational mechanism but also revealed species-specific variations or adaptations in the ribosome structures. Structural investigations of the ribosomes from Mycobacterium smegmatis (Msm) and its closely related pathogenic Mycobacterium tuberculosis (Mtb) lead to the identification of two additional ribosomal proteins named as bS22 and bL37 and several unique extensions in ribosomal-protein and ribosomal-RNA. Hibernation Promoting Factor (HPF) bound structure of Msm ribosome, termed as the hibernating ribosome, possibly indicates a new mechanism of ribosome protection during dormancy. These studies enabled the identification of the mycobacteria-specific ribosomal features and provides an opportunity to understand their function and target them for further drug-discovery purposes. Here we review the unique structural features identified in Msm ribosome and their possible implications in comparison to a well-studied Escherichia coli (Ec) ribosome.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Shashi Bhushan
- School of Biological Sciences, Nanyang Technological University, Singapore; NTU Institute of Structural Biology, Nanyang Technological University, Singapore.
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44
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Sulima SO, Dinman JD. The Expanding Riboverse. Cells 2019; 8:cells8101205. [PMID: 31590378 PMCID: PMC6829380 DOI: 10.3390/cells8101205] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/03/2019] [Revised: 09/25/2019] [Accepted: 10/03/2019] [Indexed: 12/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Subverting the conventional concept of “the” ribosome, a wealth of information gleaned from recent studies is revealing a much more diverse and dynamic ribosomal reality than has traditionally been thought possible. A diverse array of researchers is collectively illuminating a universe of heterogeneous and adaptable ribosomes harboring differences in composition and regulatory capacity: These differences enable specialization. The expanding universe of ribosomes not only comprises an incredible richness in ribosomal specialization between species, but also within the same tissues and even cells. In this review, we discuss ribosomal heterogeneity and speculate how the emerging understanding of the ribosomal repertoire is impacting the biological sciences today. Targeting pathogen-specific and pathological “diseased” ribosomes promises to provide new treatment options for patients, and potential applications for “designer ribosomes” are within reach. Our deepening understanding of and ability to manipulate the ribosome are establishing both the technological and theoretical foundations for major advances for the 21st century and beyond.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sergey O Sulima
- Biopharmaceutical New Technologies (BioNTech) Corporation, 55131 Mainz, Germany.
| | - Jonathan D Dinman
- Department of Cell Biology and Molecular Genetics, University of Maryland, College Park, MD 20742, USA .
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