1
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Moy M, Kyany'a C, Maes M. Leave no transcripts behind. Nat Rev Microbiol 2024; 22:527. [PMID: 39048838 DOI: 10.1038/s41579-024-01074-6] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 07/27/2024]
Affiliation(s)
- Madelyn Moy
- Wellcome Sanger Institute, Wellcome Trust Genome Campus, Hinxton, UK.
- Cambridge Stem Cell Institute, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, UK.
| | - Cecilia Kyany'a
- Wellcome Sanger Institute, Wellcome Trust Genome Campus, Hinxton, UK.
| | - Mailis Maes
- Wellcome Sanger Institute, Wellcome Trust Genome Campus, Hinxton, UK.
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2
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Wu R, Veličković M, Burnum-Johnson KE. From single cell to spatial multi-omics: unveiling molecular mechanisms in dynamic and heterogeneous systems. Curr Opin Biotechnol 2024; 89:103174. [PMID: 39126877 DOI: 10.1016/j.copbio.2024.103174] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/03/2024] [Accepted: 07/02/2024] [Indexed: 08/12/2024]
Abstract
Single-cell multi-omics and spatial technology have been widely applied to biomedical studies and recently to environmental studies. The cell size detected by single-cell omics ranges from ∼2 µm (e.g., Bacillus subtilis) to ∼120 µm (e.g., human oocytes). Simultaneous detection of single-cell multi-omics is available to human and plant tissues while limited to microbial samples. Spatial technology enables mapping the detected biomolecules in situ. The recent advances in Matrix-Assisted Laser Desorption/Ionization-Mass Spectrometry Imaging and Micro/Nanodroplet Processing in One Pot for Trace Samples for the first time allow the application of spatial multi-omics in highly heterogeneous environmental samples composed of plants, fungi, and bacteria. We envision that these technologies will continue to advance our understanding of unique cell types, their developmental trajectory, and the intercellular signaling and interaction within biological samples.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ruonan Wu
- Earth and Biological Sciences Directorate, Pacific Northwest National Laboratory, Richland, WA, USA
| | - Marija Veličković
- Earth and Biological Sciences Directorate, Pacific Northwest National Laboratory, Richland, WA, USA
| | - Kristin E Burnum-Johnson
- Earth and Biological Sciences Directorate, Pacific Northwest National Laboratory, Richland, WA, USA.
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3
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Sato Y. Transcriptome analysis: a powerful tool to understand individual microbial behaviors and interactions in ecosystems. Biosci Biotechnol Biochem 2024; 88:850-856. [PMID: 38749545 DOI: 10.1093/bbb/zbae064] [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: 02/05/2024] [Accepted: 05/06/2024] [Indexed: 07/23/2024]
Abstract
Transcriptome analysis is a powerful tool for studying microbial ecology, especially individual microbial functions in an ecosystem and their interactions. With the development of high-throughput sequencing technology, great progress has been made in analytical methods for microbial communities in natural environments. 16S rRNA gene amplicon sequencing (ie microbial community structure analysis) and shotgun metagenome analysis have been widely used to determine the composition and potential metabolic capability of microorganisms in target environments without requiring culture. However, even if the types of microorganisms present and their genes are known, it is difficult to determine what they are doing in an ecosystem. Gene expression analysis (transcriptome analysis; RNA-seq) is a powerful tool to address these issues. The history and basic information of gene expression analysis, as well as examples of studies using this method to analyze microbial ecosystems, are presented.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yuya Sato
- Environmental Management Research Institute, National Institute of Advanced Industrial Science and Technology, Tsukuba, Ibaraki, Japan
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4
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Cyriaque V, Ibarra-Chávez R, Kuchina A, Seelig G, Nesme J, Madsen JS. Single-cell RNA sequencing reveals plasmid constrains bacterial population heterogeneity and identifies a non-conjugating subpopulation. Nat Commun 2024; 15:5853. [PMID: 38997267 PMCID: PMC11245611 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-024-49793-x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/13/2024] [Accepted: 06/18/2024] [Indexed: 07/14/2024] Open
Abstract
Transcriptional heterogeneity in isogenic bacterial populations can play various roles in bacterial evolution, but its detection remains technically challenging. Here, we use microbial split-pool ligation transcriptomics to study the relationship between bacterial subpopulation formation and plasmid-host interactions at the single-cell level. We find that single-cell transcript abundances are influenced by bacterial growth state and plasmid carriage. Moreover, plasmid carriage constrains the formation of bacterial subpopulations. Plasmid genes, including those with core functions such as replication and maintenance, exhibit transcriptional heterogeneity associated with cell activity. Notably, we identify a cell subpopulation that does not transcribe conjugal plasmid transfer genes, which may help reduce plasmid burden on a subset of cells. Our study advances the understanding of plasmid-mediated subpopulation dynamics and provides insights into the plasmid-bacteria interplay.
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Affiliation(s)
- Valentine Cyriaque
- Section of Microbiology, University of Copenhagen, Copenhagen, Denmark.
- Proteomics and Microbiology Laboratory, Research Institute for Biosciences, UMONS, Mons, Belgium.
| | | | - Anna Kuchina
- Institute for Systems Biology, Seattle, WA, USA
- Molecular Engineering and Sciences Institute, University of Washington, Seattle, WA, USA
- Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering, University of Washington, Seattle, WA, USA
| | - Georg Seelig
- Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering, University of Washington, Seattle, WA, USA
- Paul G. Allen School for Computer Science & Engineering, University of Washington, Seattle, WA, USA
| | - Joseph Nesme
- Section of Microbiology, University of Copenhagen, Copenhagen, Denmark
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5
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Serrano K, Tedeschi F, Andersen SU, Scheller HV. Unraveling plant-microbe symbioses using single-cell and spatial transcriptomics. TRENDS IN PLANT SCIENCE 2024:S1360-1385(24)00152-3. [PMID: 38991926 DOI: 10.1016/j.tplants.2024.06.008] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/26/2024] [Revised: 06/12/2024] [Accepted: 06/19/2024] [Indexed: 07/13/2024]
Abstract
Plant-microbe symbioses require intense interaction and genetic coordination to successfully establish in specific cell types of the host and symbiont. Traditional RNA-seq methodologies lack the cellular resolution to fully capture these complexities, but single-cell and spatial transcriptomics (ST) are now allowing scientists to probe symbiotic interactions at an unprecedented level of detail. Here, we discuss the advantages that novel spatial and single-cell transcriptomic technologies provide in studying plant-microbe endosymbioses and highlight key recent studies. Finally, we consider the remaining limitations of applying these approaches to symbiosis research, which are mainly related to the simultaneous capture of both plant and microbial transcripts within the same cells.
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Affiliation(s)
- Karen Serrano
- Department of Plant and Microbial Biology, University of California, Berkeley, Berkeley, CA 94720, USA; DOE Joint BioEnergy Institute, 5885 Hollis Street, Emeryville, CA 94608, USA; Environmental Genomics and Systems Biology Division, Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory, 1 Cyclotron Road, Berkeley, CA 94720, USA
| | - Francesca Tedeschi
- Department of Molecular Biology and Genetics, Aarhus University, Universitetsbyen 81, DK-8000 Aarhus C, Denmark
| | - Stig U Andersen
- Department of Molecular Biology and Genetics, Aarhus University, Universitetsbyen 81, DK-8000 Aarhus C, Denmark.
| | - Henrik V Scheller
- Department of Plant and Microbial Biology, University of California, Berkeley, Berkeley, CA 94720, USA; DOE Joint BioEnergy Institute, 5885 Hollis Street, Emeryville, CA 94608, USA; Environmental Genomics and Systems Biology Division, Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory, 1 Cyclotron Road, Berkeley, CA 94720, USA.
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6
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Jia M, Zhu S, Xue MY, Chen H, Xu J, Song M, Tang Y, Liu X, Tao Y, Zhang T, Liu JX, Wang Y, Sun HZ. Single-cell transcriptomics across 2,534 microbial species reveals functional heterogeneity in the rumen microbiome. Nat Microbiol 2024; 9:1884-1898. [PMID: 38866938 DOI: 10.1038/s41564-024-01723-9] [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: 10/08/2023] [Accepted: 05/07/2024] [Indexed: 06/14/2024]
Abstract
Deciphering the activity of individual microbes within complex communities and environments remains a challenge. Here we describe the development of microbiome single-cell transcriptomics using droplet-based single-cell RNA sequencing and pangenome-based computational analysis to characterize the functional heterogeneity of the rumen microbiome. We generated a microbial genome database (the Bovine Gastro Microbial Genome Map) as a functional reference map for the construction of a single-cell transcriptomic atlas of the rumen microbiome. The atlas includes 174,531 microbial cells and 2,534 species, of which 172 are core active species grouped into 12 functional clusters. We detected single-cell-level functional roles, including a key role for Basfia succiniciproducens in the carbohydrate metabolic niche of the rumen microbiome. Furthermore, we explored functional heterogeneity and reveal metabolic niche trajectories driven by biofilm formation pathway genes within B. succiniciproducens. Our results provide a resource for studying the rumen microbiome and illustrate the diverse functions of individual microbial cells that drive their ecological niche stability or adaptation within the ecosystem.
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Affiliation(s)
- Minghui Jia
- Institute of Dairy Science, College of Animal Sciences, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, China
- Key Laboratory of Molecular Animal Nutrition, Ministry of Education, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, China
- Key Laboratory of Dairy Cow Genetic Improvement and Milk Quality Research of Zhejiang Province, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, China
| | - Senlin Zhu
- Institute of Dairy Science, College of Animal Sciences, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, China
- Key Laboratory of Molecular Animal Nutrition, Ministry of Education, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, China
- Key Laboratory of Dairy Cow Genetic Improvement and Milk Quality Research of Zhejiang Province, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, China
| | - Ming-Yuan Xue
- Institute of Dairy Science, College of Animal Sciences, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, China
- Key Laboratory of Molecular Animal Nutrition, Ministry of Education, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, China
- Xianghu Laboratory, Hangzhou, China
| | - Hongyi Chen
- Institute of Dairy Science, College of Animal Sciences, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, China
- Key Laboratory of Molecular Animal Nutrition, Ministry of Education, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, China
| | - Jinghong Xu
- Institute of Dairy Science, College of Animal Sciences, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, China
- Key Laboratory of Molecular Animal Nutrition, Ministry of Education, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, China
| | - Mengdi Song
- Liangzhu Laboratory, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, China
- Department of Laboratory Medicine, the First Affiliated Hospital, Zhejiang University School of Medicine, Hangzhou, China
- M20 Genomics, Hangzhou, China
| | - Yifan Tang
- Institute of Dairy Science, College of Animal Sciences, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, China
- Key Laboratory of Molecular Animal Nutrition, Ministry of Education, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, China
| | - Xiaohan Liu
- Institute of Dairy Science, College of Animal Sciences, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, China
- Key Laboratory of Molecular Animal Nutrition, Ministry of Education, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, China
| | - Ye Tao
- Shanghai Biozeron Biotechnology Company, Shanghai, China
| | - Tianyu Zhang
- Liangzhu Laboratory, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, China
- Department of Laboratory Medicine, the First Affiliated Hospital, Zhejiang University School of Medicine, Hangzhou, China
- M20 Genomics, Hangzhou, China
| | - Jian-Xin Liu
- Institute of Dairy Science, College of Animal Sciences, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, China
- Key Laboratory of Molecular Animal Nutrition, Ministry of Education, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, China
| | - Yongcheng Wang
- Liangzhu Laboratory, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, China.
- Department of Laboratory Medicine, the First Affiliated Hospital, Zhejiang University School of Medicine, Hangzhou, China.
| | - Hui-Zeng Sun
- Institute of Dairy Science, College of Animal Sciences, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, China.
- Key Laboratory of Molecular Animal Nutrition, Ministry of Education, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, China.
- Key Laboratory of Dairy Cow Genetic Improvement and Milk Quality Research of Zhejiang Province, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, China.
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7
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Shine M, Gordon J, Schärfen L, Zigackova D, Herzel L, Neugebauer KM. Co-transcriptional gene regulation in eukaryotes and prokaryotes. Nat Rev Mol Cell Biol 2024; 25:534-554. [PMID: 38509203 PMCID: PMC11199108 DOI: 10.1038/s41580-024-00706-2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 01/19/2024] [Indexed: 03/22/2024]
Abstract
Many steps of RNA processing occur during transcription by RNA polymerases. Co-transcriptional activities are deemed commonplace in prokaryotes, in which the lack of membrane barriers allows mixing of all gene expression steps, from transcription to translation. In the past decade, an extraordinary level of coordination between transcription and RNA processing has emerged in eukaryotes. In this Review, we discuss recent developments in our understanding of co-transcriptional gene regulation in both eukaryotes and prokaryotes, comparing methodologies and mechanisms, and highlight striking parallels in how RNA polymerases interact with the machineries that act on nascent RNA. The development of RNA sequencing and imaging techniques that detect transient transcription and RNA processing intermediates has facilitated discoveries of transcription coordination with splicing, 3'-end cleavage and dynamic RNA folding and revealed physical contacts between processing machineries and RNA polymerases. Such studies indicate that intron retention in a given nascent transcript can prevent 3'-end cleavage and cause transcriptional readthrough, which is a hallmark of eukaryotic cellular stress responses. We also discuss how coordination between nascent RNA biogenesis and transcription drives fundamental aspects of gene expression in both prokaryotes and eukaryotes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Morgan Shine
- Department of Molecular Biophysics and Biochemistry, Yale University, New Haven, CT, USA
| | - Jackson Gordon
- Department of Molecular Biophysics and Biochemistry, Yale University, New Haven, CT, USA
| | - Leonard Schärfen
- Department of Molecular Biophysics and Biochemistry, Yale University, New Haven, CT, USA
| | - Dagmar Zigackova
- Department of Molecular Biophysics and Biochemistry, Yale University, New Haven, CT, USA
| | - Lydia Herzel
- Department of Biology, Chemistry, and Pharmacy, Freie Universität Berlin, Berlin, Germany.
| | - Karla M Neugebauer
- Department of Molecular Biophysics and Biochemistry, Yale University, New Haven, CT, USA.
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8
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Korshoj LE, Kielian T. Bacterial single-cell RNA sequencing captures biofilm transcriptional heterogeneity and differential responses to immune pressure. BIORXIV : THE PREPRINT SERVER FOR BIOLOGY 2024:2024.06.28.601229. [PMID: 38979200 PMCID: PMC11230364 DOI: 10.1101/2024.06.28.601229] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 07/10/2024]
Abstract
Biofilm formation is an important mechanism of survival and persistence for many bacterial pathogens. These multicellular communities contain subpopulations of cells that display vast metabolic and transcriptional diversity along with high recalcitrance to antibiotics and host immune defenses. Investigating the complex heterogeneity within biofilm has been hindered by the lack of a sensitive and high-throughput method to assess stochastic transcriptional activity and regulation between bacterial subpopulations, which requires single-cell resolution. We have developed an optimized bacterial single-cell RNA sequencing method, BaSSSh-seq, to study Staphylococcus aureus diversity during biofilm growth and transcriptional adaptations following immune cell exposure. We validated the ability of BaSSSh-seq to capture extensive transcriptional heterogeneity during biofilm compared to planktonic growth. Application of new computational tools revealed transcriptional regulatory networks across the heterogeneous biofilm subpopulations and identification of gene sets that were associated with a trajectory from planktonic to biofilm growth. BaSSSh-seq also detected alterations in biofilm metabolism, stress response, and virulence that were tailored to distinct immune cell populations. This work provides an innovative platform to explore biofilm dynamics at single-cell resolution, unlocking the potential for identifying biofilm adaptations to environmental signals and immune pressure.
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9
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Sarfatis A, Wang Y, Twumasi-Ankrah N, Moffitt JR. Highly Multiplexed Spatial Transcriptomics in Bacteria. BIORXIV : THE PREPRINT SERVER FOR BIOLOGY 2024:2024.06.27.601034. [PMID: 38979245 PMCID: PMC11230453 DOI: 10.1101/2024.06.27.601034] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 07/10/2024]
Abstract
Single-cell decisions made in complex environments underlie many bacterial phenomena. Image-based transcriptomics approaches offer an avenue to study such behaviors, yet these approaches have been hindered by the massive density of bacterial mRNA. To overcome this challenge, we combine 1000-fold volumetric expansion with multiplexed error robust fluorescence in situ hybridization (MERFISH) to create bacterial-MERFISH. This method enables high-throughput, spatially resolved profiling of thousands of operons within individual bacteria. Using bacterial-MERFISH, we dissect the response of E. coli to carbon starvation, systematically map subcellular RNA organization, and chart the adaptation of a gut commensal B. thetaiotaomicron to micron-scale niches in the mammalian colon. We envision bacterial-MERFISH will be broadly applicable to the study of bacterial single-cell heterogeneity in diverse, spatially structured, and native environments.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ari Sarfatis
- Program in Cellular and Molecular Medicine, Boston Children’s Hospital, Boston, MA 02115 USA
- Department of Microbiology, Blavatnik Institute, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA 02115 USA
| | - Yuanyou Wang
- Program in Cellular and Molecular Medicine, Boston Children’s Hospital, Boston, MA 02115 USA
- Department of Microbiology, Blavatnik Institute, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA 02115 USA
| | - Nana Twumasi-Ankrah
- Program in Cellular and Molecular Medicine, Boston Children’s Hospital, Boston, MA 02115 USA
- Department of Microbiology, Blavatnik Institute, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA 02115 USA
| | - Jeffrey R. Moffitt
- Program in Cellular and Molecular Medicine, Boston Children’s Hospital, Boston, MA 02115 USA
- Department of Microbiology, Blavatnik Institute, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA 02115 USA
- Broad Institute of Harvard and MIT, Cambridge, MA 02142 USA
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10
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Pinto Y, Bhatt AS. Sequencing-based analysis of microbiomes. Nat Rev Genet 2024:10.1038/s41576-024-00746-6. [PMID: 38918544 DOI: 10.1038/s41576-024-00746-6] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 05/15/2024] [Indexed: 06/27/2024]
Abstract
Microbiomes occupy a range of niches and, in addition to having diverse compositions, they have varied functional roles that have an impact on agriculture, environmental sciences, and human health and disease. The study of microbiomes has been facilitated by recent technological and analytical advances, such as cheaper and higher-throughput DNA and RNA sequencing, improved long-read sequencing and innovative computational analysis methods. These advances are providing a deeper understanding of microbiomes at the genomic, transcriptional and translational level, generating insights into their function and composition at resolutions beyond the species level.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yishay Pinto
- Department of Genetics, Stanford University, Stanford, CA, USA
- Department of Medicine, Divisions of Hematology and Blood & Marrow Transplantation, Stanford University, Stanford, CA, USA
| | - Ami S Bhatt
- Department of Genetics, Stanford University, Stanford, CA, USA.
- Department of Medicine, Divisions of Hematology and Blood & Marrow Transplantation, Stanford University, Stanford, CA, USA.
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11
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Gaisser KD, Skloss SN, Brettner LM, Paleologu L, Roco CM, Rosenberg AB, Hirano M, DePaolo RW, Seelig G, Kuchina A. High-throughput single-cell transcriptomics of bacteria using combinatorial barcoding. Nat Protoc 2024:10.1038/s41596-024-01007-w. [PMID: 38886529 DOI: 10.1038/s41596-024-01007-w] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/18/2023] [Accepted: 04/09/2024] [Indexed: 06/20/2024]
Abstract
Microbial split-pool ligation transcriptomics (microSPLiT) is a high-throughput single-cell RNA sequencing method for bacteria. With four combinatorial barcoding rounds, microSPLiT can profile transcriptional states in hundreds of thousands of Gram-negative and Gram-positive bacteria in a single experiment without specialized equipment. As bacterial samples are fixed and permeabilized before barcoding, they can be collected and stored ahead of time. During the first barcoding round, the fixed and permeabilized bacteria are distributed into a 96-well plate, where their transcripts are reverse transcribed into cDNA and labeled with the first well-specific barcode inside the cells. The cells are mixed and redistributed two more times into new 96-well plates, where the second and third barcodes are appended to the cDNA via in-cell ligation reactions. Finally, the cells are mixed and divided into aliquot sub-libraries, which can be stored until future use or prepared for sequencing with the addition of a fourth barcode. It takes 4 days to generate sequencing-ready libraries, including 1 day for collection and overnight fixation of samples. The standard plate setup enables single-cell transcriptional profiling of up to 1 million bacterial cells and up to 96 samples in a single barcoding experiment, with the possibility of expansion by adding barcoding rounds. The protocol requires experience in basic molecular biology techniques, handling of bacterial samples and preparation of DNA libraries for next-generation sequencing. It can be performed by experienced undergraduate or graduate students. Data analysis requires access to computing resources, familiarity with Unix command line and basic experience with Python or R.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | - Leandra M Brettner
- Biodesign Institute Center for Mechanisms of Evolution, Arizona State University, Tempe, AZ, USA
| | - Luana Paleologu
- Department of Genome Sciences, University of Washington, Seattle, WA, USA
| | | | | | - Matthew Hirano
- Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering, University of Washington, Seattle, WA, USA
| | - R William DePaolo
- Center for Microbiome Sciences and Therapeutics, School of Medicine, University of Washington, Seattle, WA, USA
- Department of Medicine, Division of Gastroenterology, School of Medicine, University of Washington, Seattle, WA, USA
| | - Georg Seelig
- Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering, University of Washington, Seattle, WA, USA
- Molecular Engineering and Sciences Institute, University of Washington, Seattle, WA, USA
- Paul G. Allen School of Computer Science and Engineering, University of Washington, Seattle, WA, USA
| | - Anna Kuchina
- Institute for Systems Biology, Seattle, WA, USA.
- Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering, University of Washington, Seattle, WA, USA.
- Molecular Engineering and Sciences Institute, University of Washington, Seattle, WA, USA.
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12
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Soni J, Pandey R. Single cell genomics based insights into the impact of cell-type specific microbial internalization on disease severity. Front Immunol 2024; 15:1401320. [PMID: 38835769 PMCID: PMC11148356 DOI: 10.3389/fimmu.2024.1401320] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/15/2024] [Accepted: 04/19/2024] [Indexed: 06/06/2024] Open
Abstract
Host-microbe interactions are complex and ever-changing, especially during infections, which can significantly impact human physiology in both health and disease by influencing metabolic and immune functions. Infections caused by pathogens such as bacteria, viruses, fungi, and parasites are the leading cause of global mortality. Microbes have evolved various immune evasion strategies to survive within their hosts, which presents a multifaceted challenge for detection. Intracellular microbes, in particular, target specific cell types for survival and replication and are influenced by factors such as functional roles, nutrient availability, immune evasion, and replication opportunities. Identifying intracellular microbes can be difficult because of the limitations of traditional culture-based methods. However, advancements in integrated host microbiome single-cell genomics and transcriptomics provide a promising basis for personalized treatment strategies. Understanding host-microbiota interactions at the cellular level may elucidate disease mechanisms and microbial pathogenesis, leading to targeted therapies. This article focuses on how intracellular microbes reside in specific cell types, modulating functions through persistence strategies to evade host immunity and prolong colonization. An improved understanding of the persistent intracellular microbe-induced differential disease outcomes can enhance diagnostics, therapeutics, and preventive measures.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jyoti Soni
- Division of Immunology and Infectious Disease Biology, INtegrative GENomics of HOst PathogEn (INGEN-HOPE) Laboratory, Council of Scientific & Industrial Research-Institute of Genomics and Integrative Biology (CSIR-IGIB), Delhi, India
- Academy of Scientific and Innovative Research (AcSIR), Ghaziabad, India
| | - Rajesh Pandey
- Division of Immunology and Infectious Disease Biology, INtegrative GENomics of HOst PathogEn (INGEN-HOPE) Laboratory, Council of Scientific & Industrial Research-Institute of Genomics and Integrative Biology (CSIR-IGIB), Delhi, India
- Academy of Scientific and Innovative Research (AcSIR), Ghaziabad, India
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13
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Samanta P, Cooke SF, McNulty R, Hormoz S, Rosenthal A. ProBac-seq, a bacterial single-cell RNA sequencing methodology using droplet microfluidics and large oligonucleotide probe sets. Nat Protoc 2024:10.1038/s41596-024-01002-1. [PMID: 38769144 DOI: 10.1038/s41596-024-01002-1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/22/2023] [Accepted: 03/12/2024] [Indexed: 05/22/2024]
Abstract
Methods that measure the transcriptomic state of thousands of individual cells have transformed our understanding of cellular heterogeneity in eukaryotic cells since their introduction in the past decade. While simple and accessible protocols and commercial products are now available for the processing of mammalian cells, these existing technologies are incompatible with use in bacterial samples for several fundamental reasons including the absence of polyadenylation on bacterial messenger RNA, the instability of bacterial transcripts and the incompatibility of bacterial cell morphology with existing methodologies. Recently, we developed ProBac sequencing (ProBac-seq), a method that overcomes these technical difficulties and provides high-quality single-cell gene expression data from thousands of bacterial cells by using messenger RNA-specific probes. Here we provide details for designing large oligonucleotide probe sets for an organism of choice, amplifying probe sets to produce sufficient quantities for repeated experiments, adding unique molecular indexes and poly-A tails to produce finalized probes, in situ probe hybridization and single-cell encapsulation and library preparation. This protocol, from the probe amplification to the library preparation, requires ~7 d to complete. ProBac-seq offers several advantages over other methods by capturing only the desired target sequences and avoiding nondesired transcripts, such as highly abundant ribosomal RNA, thus enriching for signal that better informs on cellular state. The use of multiple probes per gene can detect meaningful single-cell signals from cells expressing transcripts to a lesser degree or those grown in minimal media and other environmentally relevant conditions in which cells are less active. ProBac-seq is also compatible with other organisms that can be profiled by in situ hybridization techniques.
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Affiliation(s)
- Prosenjit Samanta
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill, NC, USA
| | - Samuel F Cooke
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill, NC, USA
| | - Ryan McNulty
- Lewis-Sigler Institute for Integrative Genomics, Princeton University, Princeton, NJ, USA
| | - Sahand Hormoz
- Department of Data Science, Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, Boston, MA, USA
- Department of Systems Biology, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA
- Broad Institute of MIT and Harvard, Cambridge, MA, USA
| | - Adam Rosenthal
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill, NC, USA.
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14
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Meng H, Zhang T, Wang Z, Zhu Y, Yu Y, Chen H, Chen J, Wang F, Yu Y, Hua X, Wang Y. High-Throughput Host-Microbe Single-Cell RNA Sequencing Reveals Ferroptosis-Associated Heterogeneity during Acinetobacter baumannii Infection. Angew Chem Int Ed Engl 2024; 63:e202400538. [PMID: 38419141 DOI: 10.1002/anie.202400538] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/08/2024] [Revised: 02/27/2024] [Accepted: 02/28/2024] [Indexed: 03/02/2024]
Abstract
Interactions between host and bacterial cells are integral to human physiology. The complexity of host-microbe interactions extends to different cell types, spatial aspects, and phenotypic heterogeneity, requiring high-resolution approaches to capture their full complexity. The latest breakthroughs in single-cell RNA sequencing (scRNA-seq) have opened up a new era of studies in host-pathogen interactions. Here, we first report a high-throughput cross-species dual scRNA-seq technology by using random primers to simultaneously capture both eukaryotic and bacterial RNAs (scRandom-seq). Using reference cells, scRandom-seq can detect individual eukaryotic and bacterial cells with high throughput and high specificity. Acinetobacter baumannii (A.b) is a highly opportunistic and nosocomial pathogen that displays resistance to many antibiotics, posing a significant threat to human health, calling for discoveries and treatment. In the A.b infection model, scRandom-seq witnessed polarization of THP-1 derived-macrophages and the intracellular A.b-induced ferroptosis-stress in host cells. The inhibition of ferroptosis by Ferrostatin-1 (Fer-1) resulted in the improvement of cell vitality and resistance to A.b infection, indicating the potential to resist related infections. scRandom-seq provides a high-throughput cross-species dual single-cell RNA profiling tool that will facilitate future discoveries in unraveling the complex interactions of host-microbe interactions in infection systems and tumor micro-environments.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hongen Meng
- Department of Laboratory Medicine of The First Affiliated Hospital & Liangzhu Laboratory, Zhejiang University School of Medicine, Hangzhou, 310030, China
| | - Tianyu Zhang
- Department of Laboratory Medicine of The First Affiliated Hospital & Liangzhu Laboratory, Zhejiang University School of Medicine, Hangzhou, 310030, China
| | - Zhang Wang
- Department of Infectious Diseases, Sir Run Run Shaw Hospital, Zhejiang University School of Medicine, Hangzhou, 310016, People's Republic of China
| | - Yuyi Zhu
- M20 Genomics, Hangzhou, 311121, China
| | - Yingying Yu
- The Second Affiliated Hospital, School of Public Health, Zhejiang University School of Medicine, Hangzhou, 310016, China
| | - Hangfei Chen
- Department of Infectious Diseases, Sir Run Run Shaw Hospital, Zhejiang University School of Medicine, Hangzhou, 310016, People's Republic of China
| | - Jiaye Chen
- Department of Laboratory Medicine of The First Affiliated Hospital & Liangzhu Laboratory, Zhejiang University School of Medicine, Hangzhou, 310030, China
| | - Fudi Wang
- The Second Affiliated Hospital, School of Public Health, Zhejiang University School of Medicine, Hangzhou, 310016, China
| | - Yunsong Yu
- Department of Infectious Diseases, Sir Run Run Shaw Hospital, Zhejiang University School of Medicine, Hangzhou, 310016, People's Republic of China
- Key Laboratory of Microbial Technology and Bioinformatics of Zhejiang Province, Hangzhou, 310016, China
- Regional Medical Center for National Institute of Respiratory Diseases, Sir Run Run Shaw Hospital, School of Medicine, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, 310016, China
| | - Xiaoting Hua
- Department of Infectious Diseases, Sir Run Run Shaw Hospital, Zhejiang University School of Medicine, Hangzhou, 310016, People's Republic of China
- Key Laboratory of Microbial Technology and Bioinformatics of Zhejiang Province, Hangzhou, 310016, China
- Regional Medical Center for National Institute of Respiratory Diseases, Sir Run Run Shaw Hospital, School of Medicine, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, 310016, China
| | - Yongcheng Wang
- Department of Laboratory Medicine of The First Affiliated Hospital & Liangzhu Laboratory, Zhejiang University School of Medicine, Hangzhou, 310030, China
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15
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Asnicar F, Thomas AM, Passerini A, Waldron L, Segata N. Machine learning for microbiologists. Nat Rev Microbiol 2024; 22:191-205. [PMID: 37968359 DOI: 10.1038/s41579-023-00984-1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 13.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 10/03/2023] [Indexed: 11/17/2023]
Abstract
Machine learning is increasingly important in microbiology where it is used for tasks such as predicting antibiotic resistance and associating human microbiome features with complex host diseases. The applications in microbiology are quickly expanding and the machine learning tools frequently used in basic and clinical research range from classification and regression to clustering and dimensionality reduction. In this Review, we examine the main machine learning concepts, tasks and applications that are relevant for experimental and clinical microbiologists. We provide the minimal toolbox for a microbiologist to be able to understand, interpret and use machine learning in their experimental and translational activities.
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Affiliation(s)
- Francesco Asnicar
- Department of Cellular, Computational and Integrative Biology, University of Trento, Trento, Italy
| | - Andrew Maltez Thomas
- Department of Cellular, Computational and Integrative Biology, University of Trento, Trento, Italy
| | - Andrea Passerini
- Department of Information Engineering and Computer Science, University of Trento, Trento, Italy
| | - Levi Waldron
- Department of Cellular, Computational and Integrative Biology, University of Trento, Trento, Italy.
- Department of Epidemiology and Biostatistics, City University of New York, New York, NY, USA.
| | - Nicola Segata
- Department of Cellular, Computational and Integrative Biology, University of Trento, Trento, Italy.
- Department of Experimental Oncology, European Institute of Oncology IRCCS, Milan, Italy.
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16
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Iturbe P, Martín AS, Hamamoto H, Marcet-Houben M, Galbaldón T, Solano C, Lasa I. Noncontiguous operon atlas for the Staphylococcus aureus genome. MICROLIFE 2024; 5:uqae007. [PMID: 38651166 PMCID: PMC11034616 DOI: 10.1093/femsml/uqae007] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/11/2023] [Revised: 03/20/2024] [Accepted: 04/08/2024] [Indexed: 04/25/2024]
Abstract
Bacteria synchronize the expression of genes with related functions by organizing genes into operons so that they are cotranscribed together in a single polycistronic messenger RNA. However, some cellular processes may benefit if the simultaneous production of the operon proteins coincides with the inhibition of the expression of an antagonist gene. To coordinate such situations, bacteria have evolved noncontiguous operons (NcOs), a subtype of operons that contain one or more genes that are transcribed in the opposite direction to the other operon genes. This structure results in overlapping transcripts whose expression is mutually repressed. The presence of NcOs cannot be predicted computationally and their identification requires a detailed knowledge of the bacterial transcriptome. In this study, we used direct RNA sequencing methodology to determine the NcOs map in the Staphylococcus aureus genome. We detected the presence of 18 NcOs in the genome of S. aureus and four in the genome of the lysogenic prophage 80α. The identified NcOs comprise genes involved in energy metabolism, metal acquisition and transport, toxin-antitoxin systems, and control of the phage life cycle. Using the menaquinone operon as a proof of concept, we show that disarrangement of the NcO architecture results in a reduction of bacterial fitness due to an increase in menaquinone levels and a decrease in the rate of oxygen consumption. Our study demonstrates the significance of NcO structures in bacterial physiology and emphasizes the importance of combining operon maps with transcriptomic data to uncover previously unnoticed functional relationships between neighbouring genes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Pablo Iturbe
- Laboratory of Microbial Pathogenesis, Navarrabiomed-Universidad Pública de Navarra (UPNA)-Hospital Universitario de Navarra (HUN), IdiSNA, Irunlarrea 3, Pamplona, 31008 Navarra, Spain
| | - Alvaro San Martín
- Laboratory of Microbial Pathogenesis, Navarrabiomed-Universidad Pública de Navarra (UPNA)-Hospital Universitario de Navarra (HUN), IdiSNA, Irunlarrea 3, Pamplona, 31008 Navarra, Spain
| | - Hiroshi Hamamoto
- Faculty of Medicine, Department of Infectious diseases, Yamagata University, 2-2-2 Lida-Nishi, 990-9585 Yamagata, Japan
| | - Marina Marcet-Houben
- Barcelona Supercomputing Centre (BSC-CNS). Plaça Eusebi Güell, 1-3, 08034 Barcelona, Spain
- Institute for Research in Biomedicine (IRB Barcelona), The Barcelona Institute of Science and Technology, Baldiri Reixac, 10, 08028 Barcelona, Spain
| | - Toni Galbaldón
- Barcelona Supercomputing Centre (BSC-CNS). Plaça Eusebi Güell, 1-3, 08034 Barcelona, Spain
- Institute for Research in Biomedicine (IRB Barcelona), The Barcelona Institute of Science and Technology, Baldiri Reixac, 10, 08028 Barcelona, Spain
- Catalan Institution for Research and Advanced Studies (ICREA), 08010 Barcelona, Spain
- CIBER de Enfermedades Infecciosas, Instituto de Salud Carlos III, 28029 Madrid, Spain
| | - Cristina Solano
- Laboratory of Microbial Pathogenesis, Navarrabiomed-Universidad Pública de Navarra (UPNA)-Hospital Universitario de Navarra (HUN), IdiSNA, Irunlarrea 3, Pamplona, 31008 Navarra, Spain
| | - Iñigo Lasa
- Laboratory of Microbial Pathogenesis, Navarrabiomed-Universidad Pública de Navarra (UPNA)-Hospital Universitario de Navarra (HUN), IdiSNA, Irunlarrea 3, Pamplona, 31008 Navarra, Spain
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17
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Li X, Xu L, Demaree B, Noecker C, Bisanz JE, Weisgerber DW, Modavi C, Turnbaugh PJ, Abate AR. Microbiome single cell atlases generated with a commercial instrument. BIORXIV : THE PREPRINT SERVER FOR BIOLOGY 2024:2023.08.08.551713. [PMID: 37609281 PMCID: PMC10441329 DOI: 10.1101/2023.08.08.551713] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 08/24/2023]
Abstract
Single cell sequencing is useful for resolving complex systems into their composite cell types and computationally mining them for unique features that are masked in pooled sequencing. However, while commercial instruments have made single cell analysis widespread for mammalian cells, analogous tools for microbes are limited. Here, we present EASi-seq (Easily Accessible Single microbe sequencing). By adapting the single cell workflow of the commercial Mission Bio Tapestri instrument, this method allows for efficient sequencing of individual microbes' genomes. EASi-seq allows thousands of microbes to be sequenced per run and, as we show, can generate detailed atlases of human and environmental microbiomes. The ability to capture large shotgun genome datasets from thousands of single microbes provides new opportunities in discovering and analyzing species subpopulations. To facilitate this, we develop a companion bioinformatic pipeline that clusters microbes by similarity, improving whole genome assembly, strain identification, taxonomic classification, and gene annotation. In addition, we demonstrate integration of metagenomic contigs with the EASi-seq datasets to reduce capture bias and increase coverage. Overall, EASi-seq enables high quality single cell genomic data for microbiome samples using an accessible workflow that can be run on a commercially available platform.
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18
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Otto RM, Turska-Nowak A, Brown PM, Reynolds KA. A continuous epistasis model for predicting growth rate given combinatorial variation in gene expression and environment. Cell Syst 2024; 15:134-148.e7. [PMID: 38340730 PMCID: PMC10885703 DOI: 10.1016/j.cels.2024.01.003] [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: 05/04/2023] [Revised: 10/13/2023] [Accepted: 01/18/2024] [Indexed: 02/12/2024]
Abstract
Quantifying and predicting growth rate phenotype given variation in gene expression and environment is complicated by epistatic interactions and the vast combinatorial space of possible perturbations. We developed an approach for mapping expression-growth rate landscapes that integrates sparsely sampled experimental measurements with an interpretable machine learning model. We used mismatch CRISPRi across pairs and triples of genes to create over 8,000 titrated changes in E. coli gene expression under varied environmental contexts, exploring epistasis in up to 22 distinct environments. Our results show that a pairwise model previously used to describe drug interactions well-described these data. The model yielded interpretable parameters related to pathway architecture and generalized to predict the combined effect of up to four perturbations when trained solely on pairwise perturbation data. We anticipate this approach will be broadly applicable in optimizing bacterial growth conditions, generating pharmacogenomic models, and understanding the fundamental constraints on bacterial gene expression. A record of this paper's transparent peer review process is included in the supplemental information.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ryan M Otto
- Green Center for Systems Biology - Lyda Hill Department of Bioinformatics, The University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center, Dallas, TX 75230, USA
| | - Agata Turska-Nowak
- Department of Biophysics, The University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center, Dallas, TX 75230, USA
| | - Philip M Brown
- Green Center for Systems Biology - Lyda Hill Department of Bioinformatics, The University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center, Dallas, TX 75230, USA
| | - Kimberly A Reynolds
- Green Center for Systems Biology - Lyda Hill Department of Bioinformatics, The University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center, Dallas, TX 75230, USA; Department of Biophysics, The University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center, Dallas, TX 75230, USA.
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19
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Gioacchino E, Vandelannoote K, Ruberto AA, Popovici J, Cantaert T. Unraveling the intricacies of host-pathogen interaction through single-cell genomics. Microbes Infect 2024:105313. [PMID: 38369008 DOI: 10.1016/j.micinf.2024.105313] [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: 05/31/2023] [Revised: 11/23/2023] [Accepted: 02/13/2024] [Indexed: 02/20/2024]
Abstract
Single-cell genomics provide researchers with tools to assess host-pathogen interactions at a resolution previously inaccessible. Transcriptome analysis, epigenome analysis, and immune profiling techniques allow for a better comprehension of the heterogeneity underlying both the host response and infectious agents. Here, we highlight technological advancements and data analysis workflows that increase our understanding of host-pathogen interactions at the single-cell level. We review various studies that have used these tools to better understand host-pathogen dynamics in a variety of infectious disease contexts, including viral, bacterial, and parasitic diseases. We conclude by discussing how single-cell genomics can advance our understanding of host-pathogen interactions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Emanuele Gioacchino
- Immunology Unit, Institut Pasteur du Cambodge, The Pasteur Network, Phnom Penh, Cambodia
| | - Koen Vandelannoote
- Bacterial Phylogenomics Group, Institut Pasteur du Cambodge, The Pasteur Network, Phnom Penh, Cambodia
| | - Anthony A Ruberto
- Center for Tropical and Emerging Global Diseases, University of Georgia, Athens, GA, USA; Institute of Bioinformatics, University of Georgia, Athens, GA, USA
| | - Jean Popovici
- Malaria Research Unit, Institut Pasteur du Cambodge, The Pasteur Network, Phnom Penh, Cambodia; Infectious Disease Epidemiology and Analytics, Institut Pasteur, Paris, France
| | - Tineke Cantaert
- Immunology Unit, Institut Pasteur du Cambodge, The Pasteur Network, Phnom Penh, Cambodia.
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20
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Fernández-García L, Gao X, Kirigo J, Song S, Battisti ME, Garcia-Contreras R, Tomas M, Guo Y, Wang X, Wood TK. Single-cell analysis reveals that cryptic prophage protease LfgB protects Escherichia coli during oxidative stress by cleaving antitoxin MqsA. Microbiol Spectr 2024; 12:e0347123. [PMID: 38206055 PMCID: PMC10846083 DOI: 10.1128/spectrum.03471-23] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/23/2023] [Accepted: 11/30/2023] [Indexed: 01/12/2024] Open
Abstract
Although toxin/antitoxin (TA) systems are ubiquitous, beyond phage inhibition and mobile element stabilization, their role in host metabolism is obscure. One of the best-characterized TA systems is MqsR/MqsA of Escherichia coli, which has been linked previously to protecting gastrointestinal species during the stress it encounters from the bile salt deoxycholate as it colonizes humans. However, some recent whole-population studies have challenged the role of toxins such as MqsR in bacterial physiology since the mqsRA locus is induced over a hundred-fold during stress, but a phenotype was not found upon its deletion. Here, we investigate further the role of MqsR/MqsA by utilizing single cells and demonstrate that upon oxidative stress, the TA system MqsR/MqsA has a heterogeneous effect on the transcriptome of single cells. Furthermore, we discovered that MqsR activation leads to induction of the poorly characterized yfjXY ypjJ yfjZF operon of cryptic prophage CP4-57. Moreover, deletion of yfjY makes the cells sensitive to H2O2, acid, and heat stress, and this phenotype was complemented. Hence, we recommend yfjY be renamed to lfgB (less fatality gene B). Critically, MqsA represses lfgB by binding the operon promoter, and LfgB is a protease that degrades MqsA to derepress rpoS and facilitate the stress response. Therefore, the MqsR/MqsA TA system facilitates the stress response through cryptic phage protease LfgB.IMPORTANCEThe roles of toxin/antitoxin systems in cell physiology are few and include phage inhibition and stabilization of genetic elements; yet, to date, there are no single-transcriptome studies for toxin/antitoxin systems and few insights for prokaryotes from this novel technique. Therefore, our results with this technique are important since we discover and characterize a cryptic prophage protease that is regulated by the MqsR/MqsA toxin/antitoxin system in order to regulate the host response to oxidative stress.
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Affiliation(s)
- Laura Fernández-García
- Department of Chemical Engineering, Pennsylvania State University, University Park, Pennsylvania, USA
- Microbiology Department, Hospital A Coruña (HUAC), A Coruña, Spain
- Microbiology Translational and Multidisciplinary (MicroTM)‐Research Institute Biomedical A Coruña (INIBIC) and Microbiology, University of A Coruña (UDC), A Coruña, Spain
| | - Xinyu Gao
- Key Laboratory of Tropical Marine Bio-resources and Ecology, Institute of Oceanology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Nansha, Guangzhou, China
- Guangdong Key Laboratory of Marine Materia Medica, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Nansha, Guangzhou, China
- Innovation Academy of South China Sea Ecology and Environmental Engineering, South China Sea, Chinese Academy of Sciences, China, Nansha,, Guangzhou, China
- University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China
| | - Joy Kirigo
- Department of Chemical Engineering, Pennsylvania State University, University Park, Pennsylvania, USA
| | - Sooyeon Song
- Department of Chemical Engineering, Pennsylvania State University, University Park, Pennsylvania, USA
- Department of Animal Science, Jeonbuk National University, Jeonju-Si, Jellabuk-Do, South Korea
- Department of Agricultural Convergence Technology, Jeonbuk National University, Jeonju-Si, Jellabuk-Do, South Korea
| | - Michael E. Battisti
- Department of Chemical Engineering, Pennsylvania State University, University Park, Pennsylvania, USA
| | - Rodolfo Garcia-Contreras
- Departamento de Microbiología y Parasitología, Facultad de Medicina, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México, Mexico, Mexico
| | - Maria Tomas
- Microbiology Department, Hospital A Coruña (HUAC), A Coruña, Spain
- Microbiology Translational and Multidisciplinary (MicroTM)‐Research Institute Biomedical A Coruña (INIBIC) and Microbiology, University of A Coruña (UDC), A Coruña, Spain
| | - Yunxue Guo
- Key Laboratory of Tropical Marine Bio-resources and Ecology, Institute of Oceanology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Nansha, Guangzhou, China
- Guangdong Key Laboratory of Marine Materia Medica, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Nansha, Guangzhou, China
- Innovation Academy of South China Sea Ecology and Environmental Engineering, South China Sea, Chinese Academy of Sciences, China, Nansha,, Guangzhou, China
- University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China
- Southern Marine Science and Engineering Guangdong Laboratory (Guangzhou), Nansha, Guangzhou, China
| | - Xiaoxue Wang
- Key Laboratory of Tropical Marine Bio-resources and Ecology, Institute of Oceanology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Nansha, Guangzhou, China
- University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China
- Southern Marine Science and Engineering Guangdong Laboratory (Guangzhou), Nansha, Guangzhou, China
| | - Thomas K. Wood
- Department of Chemical Engineering, Pennsylvania State University, University Park, Pennsylvania, USA
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21
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Liao Y. Emerging tools for uncovering genetic and transcriptomic heterogeneities in bacteria. Biophys Rev 2024; 16:109-124. [PMID: 38495445 PMCID: PMC10937887 DOI: 10.1007/s12551-023-01178-y] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/17/2023] [Accepted: 12/11/2023] [Indexed: 03/19/2024] Open
Abstract
Bacterial communities display an astonishing degree of heterogeneities among their constituent cells across both the genomic and transcriptomic levels, giving rise to diverse social interactions and stress-adaptation strategies indispensable for proliferating in the natural environment (Ackermann in Nat Rev Microbiol 13:497-508, 2015). Our knowledge about bacterial heterogeneities and their physiological ramifications critically depends on our ability to unambiguously resolve the genetic and phenotypic states of the individual cells that make up the population. In this short review, I highlight several recently developed methods for studying bacterial heterogeneities, primarily focusing on single-cell techniques based on advanced sequencing and microscopy technologies. I will discuss the working principle of each technique as well as the types of problems each technique is best positioned to address. With significant improvements in resolution and throughput, these emerging tools together offer unprecedented and complementary views of various types of heterogeneities found within bacterial populations, paving the way for mechanistic dissections and systematic interventions in laboratory and clinical settings.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yi Liao
- Division of Life Science, Hong Kong University of Science and Technology, Hong Kong SAR, China
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22
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Hosokawa M, Nishikawa Y. Tools for microbial single-cell genomics for obtaining uncultured microbial genomes. Biophys Rev 2024; 16:69-77. [PMID: 38495448 PMCID: PMC10937852 DOI: 10.1007/s12551-023-01124-y] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/14/2023] [Accepted: 08/23/2023] [Indexed: 03/19/2024] Open
Abstract
The advent of next-generation sequencing technologies has facilitated the acquisition of large amounts of DNA sequence data at a relatively low cost, leading to numerous breakthroughs in decoding microbial genomes. Among the various genome sequencing activities, metagenomic analysis, which entails the direct analysis of uncultured microbial DNA, has had a profound impact on microbiome research and has emerged as an indispensable technology in this field. Despite its valuable contributions, metagenomic analysis is a "bulk analysis" technique that analyzes samples containing a wide diversity of microbes, such as bacteria, yielding information that is averaged across the entire microbial population. In order to gain a deeper understanding of the heterogeneous nature of the microbial world, there is a growing need for single-cell analysis, similar to its use in human cell biology. With this paradigm shift in mind, comprehensive single-cell genomics technology has become a much-anticipated innovation that is now poised to revolutionize microbiome research. It has the potential to enable the discovery of differences at the strain level and to facilitate a more comprehensive examination of microbial ecosystems. In this review, we summarize the current state-of-the-art in microbial single-cell genomics, highlighting the potential impact of this technology on our understanding of the microbial world. The successful implementation of this technology is expected to have a profound impact in the field, leading to new discoveries and insights into the diversity and evolution of microbes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Masahito Hosokawa
- Department of Life Science and Medical Bioscience, Waseda University, 2-2 Wakamatsu-Cho, Shinjuku-Ku, Tokyo, 162-8480 Japan
- Computational Bio Big-Data Open Innovation Laboratory, National Institute of Advanced Industrial Science and Technology, 3-4-1 Okubo, Shinjuku-Ku, Tokyo, 169-8555 Japan
- Research Organization for Nano and Life Innovation, Waseda University, 513 Wasedatsurumaki-Cho, Shinjuku-Ku, Tokyo, 162-0041 Japan
- Institute for Advanced Research of Biosystem Dynamics, Waseda Research Institute for Science and Engineering, 3-4-1 Okubo, Shinjuku-Ku, Tokyo, 169-8555 Japan
- bitBiome, Inc., 513 Wasedatsurumaki-Cho, Shinjuku-Ku, Tokyo, 162-0041 Japan
| | - Yohei Nishikawa
- Computational Bio Big-Data Open Innovation Laboratory, National Institute of Advanced Industrial Science and Technology, 3-4-1 Okubo, Shinjuku-Ku, Tokyo, 169-8555 Japan
- Research Organization for Nano and Life Innovation, Waseda University, 513 Wasedatsurumaki-Cho, Shinjuku-Ku, Tokyo, 162-0041 Japan
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23
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Putzeys L, Wicke L, Brandão A, Boon M, Pires DP, Azeredo J, Vogel J, Lavigne R, Gerovac M. Exploring the transcriptional landscape of phage-host interactions using novel high-throughput approaches. Curr Opin Microbiol 2024; 77:102419. [PMID: 38271748 PMCID: PMC10884466 DOI: 10.1016/j.mib.2023.102419] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/14/2023] [Revised: 12/08/2023] [Accepted: 12/14/2023] [Indexed: 01/27/2024]
Abstract
In the last decade, powerful high-throughput sequencing approaches have emerged to analyse microbial transcriptomes at a global scale. However, to date, applications of these approaches to microbial viruses such as phages remain scarce. Tailoring these techniques to virus-infected bacteria promises to obtain a detailed picture of the underexplored RNA biology and molecular processes during infection. In addition, transcriptome study of stress and perturbations induced by phages in their infected bacterial hosts is likely to reveal new fundamental mechanisms of bacterial metabolism and gene regulation. Here, we provide references and blueprints to implement emerging transcriptomic approaches towards addressing transcriptome architecture, RNA-RNA and RNA-protein interactions, RNA modifications, structures and heterogeneity of transcription profiles in infected cells that will provide guides for future directions in phage-centric therapeutic applications and microbial synthetic biology.
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Affiliation(s)
- Leena Putzeys
- Department of Biosystems, Laboratory of Gene Technology, KU Leuven, Leuven, Belgium
| | - Laura Wicke
- Department of Biosystems, Laboratory of Gene Technology, KU Leuven, Leuven, Belgium; Institute for Molecular Infection Biology (IMIB), Medical Faculty, University of Würzburg, Würzburg, Germany
| | - Ana Brandão
- Centre of Biological Engineering, University of Minho, Braga, Portugal
| | - Maarten Boon
- Department of Biosystems, Laboratory of Gene Technology, KU Leuven, Leuven, Belgium
| | - Diana P Pires
- Centre of Biological Engineering, University of Minho, Braga, Portugal
| | - Joana Azeredo
- Centre of Biological Engineering, University of Minho, Braga, Portugal
| | - Jörg Vogel
- Institute for Molecular Infection Biology (IMIB), Medical Faculty, University of Würzburg, Würzburg, Germany; Helmholtz Institute for RNA-based Infection Research (HIRI), Helmholtz Centre for Infection Research (HZI), Würzburg, Germany
| | - Rob Lavigne
- Department of Biosystems, Laboratory of Gene Technology, KU Leuven, Leuven, Belgium
| | - Milan Gerovac
- Institute for Molecular Infection Biology (IMIB), Medical Faculty, University of Würzburg, Würzburg, Germany; Helmholtz Institute for RNA-based Infection Research (HIRI), Helmholtz Centre for Infection Research (HZI), Würzburg, Germany.
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24
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Walls AW, Rosenthal AZ. Bacterial phenotypic heterogeneity through the lens of single-cell RNA sequencing. Transcription 2024; 15:48-62. [PMID: 38532542 DOI: 10.1080/21541264.2024.2334110] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/17/2023] [Accepted: 03/19/2024] [Indexed: 03/28/2024] Open
Abstract
Bacterial transcription is not monolithic. Microbes exist in a wide variety of cell states that help them adapt to their environment, acquire and produce essential nutrients, and engage in both competition and cooperation with their neighbors. While we typically think of bacterial adaptation as a group behavior, where all cells respond in unison, there is often a mixture of phenotypic responses within a bacterial population, where distinct cell types arise. A primary phenomenon driving these distinct cell states is transcriptional heterogeneity. Given that bacterial mRNA transcripts are extremely short-lived compared to eukaryotes, their transcriptional state is closely associated with their physiology, and thus the transcriptome of a bacterial cell acts as a snapshot of the behavior of that bacterium. Therefore, the application of single-cell transcriptomics to microbial populations will provide novel insight into cellular differentiation and bacterial ecology. In this review, we provide an overview of transcriptional heterogeneity in microbial systems, discuss the findings already provided by single-cell approaches, and plot new avenues of inquiry in transcriptional regulation, cellular biology, and mechanisms of heterogeneity that are made possible when microbial communities are analyzed at single-cell resolution.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alex W Walls
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill, NC, USA
| | - Adam Z Rosenthal
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill, NC, USA
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25
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Pountain AW, Jiang P, Yao T, Homaee E, Guan Y, McDonald KJC, Podkowik M, Shopsin B, Torres VJ, Golding I, Yanai I. Transcription-replication interactions reveal bacterial genome regulation. Nature 2024; 626:661-669. [PMID: 38267581 PMCID: PMC10923101 DOI: 10.1038/s41586-023-06974-w] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/22/2023] [Accepted: 12/14/2023] [Indexed: 01/26/2024]
Abstract
Organisms determine the transcription rates of thousands of genes through a few modes of regulation that recur across the genome1. In bacteria, the relationship between the regulatory architecture of a gene and its expression is well understood for individual model gene circuits2,3. However, a broader perspective of these dynamics at the genome scale is lacking, in part because bacterial transcriptomics has hitherto captured only a static snapshot of expression averaged across millions of cells4. As a result, the full diversity of gene expression dynamics and their relation to regulatory architecture remains unknown. Here we present a novel genome-wide classification of regulatory modes based on the transcriptional response of each gene to its own replication, which we term the transcription-replication interaction profile (TRIP). Analysing single-bacterium RNA-sequencing data, we found that the response to the universal perturbation of chromosomal replication integrates biological regulatory factors with biophysical molecular events on the chromosome to reveal the local regulatory context of a gene. Whereas the TRIPs of many genes conform to a gene dosage-dependent pattern, others diverge in distinct ways, and this is shaped by factors such as intra-operon position and repression state. By revealing the underlying mechanistic drivers of gene expression heterogeneity, this work provides a quantitative, biophysical framework for modelling replication-dependent expression dynamics.
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Affiliation(s)
- Andrew W Pountain
- Institute for Systems Genetics, NYU Grossman School of Medicine, New York, NY, USA
| | - Peien Jiang
- Institute for Systems Genetics, NYU Grossman School of Medicine, New York, NY, USA
- Department of Biology, New York University, New York, NY, USA
| | - Tianyou Yao
- Department of Physics, University of Illinois at Urbana Champaign, Urbana, IL, USA
| | - Ehsan Homaee
- Department of Physics, University of Illinois at Urbana Champaign, Urbana, IL, USA
- Center for Biophysics and Computational Biology, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, Urbana, IL, USA
| | - Yichao Guan
- Department of Physics, University of Illinois at Urbana Champaign, Urbana, IL, USA
| | - Kevin J C McDonald
- Department of Physics, University of Illinois at Urbana Champaign, Urbana, IL, USA
| | - Magdalena Podkowik
- Department of Medicine, Division of Infectious Diseases, NYU Grossman School of Medicine, New York, NY, USA
| | - Bo Shopsin
- Department of Medicine, Division of Infectious Diseases, NYU Grossman School of Medicine, New York, NY, USA
- Department of Microbiology, NYU Grossman School of Medicine, New York, NY, USA
| | - Victor J Torres
- Department of Microbiology, NYU Grossman School of Medicine, New York, NY, USA
- Department of Host-Microbe Interactions, St. Jude Children's Research Hospital, Memphis, TN, USA
| | - Ido Golding
- Department of Physics, University of Illinois at Urbana Champaign, Urbana, IL, USA
- Department of Microbiology, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, Urbana, IL, USA
| | - Itai Yanai
- Institute for Systems Genetics, NYU Grossman School of Medicine, New York, NY, USA.
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Pharmacology, NYU Grossman School of Medicine, New York, NY, USA.
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26
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Lan F, Saba J, Ross TD, Zhou Z, Krauska K, Anantharaman K, Landick R, Venturelli OS. Massively parallel single-cell sequencing of diverse microbial populations. Nat Methods 2024; 21:228-235. [PMID: 38233503 PMCID: PMC11089590 DOI: 10.1038/s41592-023-02157-7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/24/2022] [Accepted: 12/17/2023] [Indexed: 01/19/2024]
Abstract
Single-cell genetic heterogeneity is ubiquitous in microbial populations and an important aspect of microbial biology; however, we lack a broadly applicable and accessible method to study this heterogeneity in microbial populations. Here, we show a simple, robust and generalizable method for high-throughput single-cell sequencing of target genetic loci in diverse microbes using simple droplet microfluidics devices (droplet targeted amplicon sequencing; DoTA-seq). DoTA-seq serves as a platform to perform diverse assays for single-cell genetic analysis of microbial populations. Using DoTA-seq, we demonstrate the ability to simultaneously track the prevalence and taxonomic associations of >10 antibiotic-resistance genes and plasmids within human and mouse gut microbial communities. This workflow is a powerful and accessible platform for high-throughput single-cell sequencing of diverse microbial populations.
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Affiliation(s)
- Freeman Lan
- Department of Biochemistry, University of Wisconsin-Madison, Madison, WI, USA.
| | - Jason Saba
- Department of Biochemistry, University of Wisconsin-Madison, Madison, WI, USA
- Microbiology Doctoral Training Program, University of Wisconsin-Madison, Madison, WI, USA
- Department of Bacteriology, University of Wisconsin-Madison, Madison, WI, USA
| | - Tyler D Ross
- Department of Biochemistry, University of Wisconsin-Madison, Madison, WI, USA
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, University of Wisconsin-Madison, Madison, WI, USA
| | - Zhichao Zhou
- Department of Bacteriology, University of Wisconsin-Madison, Madison, WI, USA
| | - Katie Krauska
- Department of Biochemistry, University of Wisconsin-Madison, Madison, WI, USA
| | | | - Robert Landick
- Department of Biochemistry, University of Wisconsin-Madison, Madison, WI, USA
- Department of Bacteriology, University of Wisconsin-Madison, Madison, WI, USA
| | - Ophelia S Venturelli
- Department of Biochemistry, University of Wisconsin-Madison, Madison, WI, USA.
- Department of Bacteriology, University of Wisconsin-Madison, Madison, WI, USA.
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, University of Wisconsin-Madison, Madison, WI, USA.
- Department of Chemical & Biological Engineering, University of Wisconsin-Madison, Madison, WI, USA.
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27
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Chen L, Wan Y, Yang T, Zhang Q, Zeng Y, Zheng S, Ling Z, Xiao Y, Wan Q, Liu R, Yang C, Huang G, Zeng Q. Bibliometric and visual analysis of single-cell sequencing from 2010 to 2022. Front Genet 2024; 14:1285599. [PMID: 38274109 PMCID: PMC10808606 DOI: 10.3389/fgene.2023.1285599] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/04/2023] [Accepted: 12/31/2023] [Indexed: 01/27/2024] Open
Abstract
Background: Single-cell sequencing (SCS) is a technique used to analyze the genome, transcriptome, epigenome, and other genetic data at the level of a single cell. The procedure is commonly utilized in multiple fields, including neurobiology, immunology, and microbiology, and has emerged as a key focus of life science research. However, a thorough and impartial analysis of the existing state and trends of SCS-related research is lacking. The current study aimed to map the development trends of studies on SCS during the years 2010-2022 through bibliometric software. Methods: Pertinent papers on SCS from 2010 to 2022 were obtained using the Web of Science Core Collection. Research categories, nations/institutions, authors/co-cited authors, journals/co-cited journals, co-cited references, and keywords were analyzed using VOSviewer, the R package "bibliometric", and CiteSpace. Results: The bibliometric analysis included 9,929 papers published between 2010 and 2022, and showed a consistent increase in the quantity of papers each year. The United States was the source of the highest quantity of articles and citations in this field. The majority of articles were published in the periodical Nature Communications. Butler A was the most frequently quoted author on this topic, and his article "Integrating single-cell transcriptome data across diverse conditions, technologies, and species" has received numerous citations to date. The literature and keyword analysis showed that studies involving single-cell RNA sequencing (scRNA-seq) were prominent in this discipline during the study period. Conclusion: This study utilized bibliometric techniques to visualize research in SCS-related domains, which facilitated the identification of emerging patterns and future directions in the field. Current hot topics in SCS research include COVID-19, tumor microenvironment, scRNA-seq, and neuroscience. Our results are significant for scholars seeking to identify key issues and generate new research ideas.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ling Chen
- Department of Rehabilitation Medicine, Zhujiang Hospital, Southern Medical University, Guangzhou, China
| | - Yantong Wan
- Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Proteomics, Department of Pathophysiology, School of BasicMedical Sciences, Southern Medical University, Guangzhou, China
| | - Tingting Yang
- School of Rehabilitation Medicine, Southern Medical University, Guangzhou, China
| | - Qi Zhang
- Department of Rehabilitation Medicine, Zhujiang Hospital, Southern Medical University, Guangzhou, China
- School of Rehabilitation Medicine, Southern Medical University, Guangzhou, China
| | - Yuting Zeng
- Department of Rehabilitation Medicine, Zhujiang Hospital, Southern Medical University, Guangzhou, China
| | - Shuqi Zheng
- Department of Rehabilitation Medicine, Zhujiang Hospital, Southern Medical University, Guangzhou, China
- School of Rehabilitation Medicine, Southern Medical University, Guangzhou, China
| | - Zhishan Ling
- Department of Rehabilitation Medicine, Zhujiang Hospital, Southern Medical University, Guangzhou, China
- School of Rehabilitation Medicine, Southern Medical University, Guangzhou, China
| | - Yupeng Xiao
- Department of Rehabilitation Medicine, Zhujiang Hospital, Southern Medical University, Guangzhou, China
- School of Rehabilitation Medicine, Southern Medical University, Guangzhou, China
| | - Qingyi Wan
- School of Rehabilitation Medicine, Southern Medical University, Guangzhou, China
| | - Ruili Liu
- School of Rehabilitation Medicine, Southern Medical University, Guangzhou, China
| | - Chun Yang
- Dongguan Key Laboratory of Stem Cell and Regenerative Tissue Engineering, Guangdong Medical University, Dongguan, China
| | - Guozhi Huang
- Department of Rehabilitation Medicine, Zhujiang Hospital, Southern Medical University, Guangzhou, China
- School of Rehabilitation Medicine, Southern Medical University, Guangzhou, China
| | - Qing Zeng
- Department of Rehabilitation Medicine, Zhujiang Hospital, Southern Medical University, Guangzhou, China
- School of Rehabilitation Medicine, Southern Medical University, Guangzhou, China
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28
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Budzinski L, von Goetze V, Chang HD. Single-cell phenotyping of bacteria combined with deep sequencing for improved contextualization of microbiome analyses. Eur J Immunol 2024; 54:e2250337. [PMID: 37863831 DOI: 10.1002/eji.202250337] [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: 04/28/2023] [Revised: 10/17/2023] [Accepted: 10/19/2023] [Indexed: 10/22/2023]
Abstract
Great effort was made to characterize the bacterial communities inhabiting the human body as a factor in disease, resulting in the realization that a wide spectrum of diseases is associated with an altered composition of the microbiome. However, the identification of disease-relevant bacteria has been hindered by the high cross-sectional diversity of individual microbiomes, and in most cases, it remains unclear whether the observed alterations are cause or consequence of disease. Hence, innovative analysis approaches are required that enable inquiries of the microbiome beyond mere taxonomic cataloging. This review highlights the utility of microbiota flow cytometry, a single-cell analysis platform to directly interrogate cellular interactions, cell conditions, and crosstalk with the host's immune system within the microbiome to take into consideration the role of microbes as critical interaction partners of the host and the spectrum of microbiome alterations, beyond compositional changes. In conjunction with advanced sequencing approaches it could reveal the genetic potential of target bacteria and advance our understanding of taxonomic diversity and gene usage in the context of the microenvironment. Single-cell bacterial phenotyping has the potential to change our perspective on the human microbiome and empower microbiome research for the development of microbiome-based therapy approaches and personalized medicine.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lisa Budzinski
- Schwiete Laboratory for Microbiota and Inflammation, German Rheumatism Research Centre Berlin - A Leibniz Institute, Berlin, Germany
| | - Victoria von Goetze
- Schwiete Laboratory for Microbiota and Inflammation, German Rheumatism Research Centre Berlin - A Leibniz Institute, Berlin, Germany
| | - Hyun-Dong Chang
- Schwiete Laboratory for Microbiota and Inflammation, German Rheumatism Research Centre Berlin - A Leibniz Institute, Berlin, Germany
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29
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Ferrara S, Bertoni G. Genome-Scale Analysis of the Structure and Function of RNA Pathways and Networks in Pseudomonas aeruginosa. Methods Mol Biol 2024; 2721:183-195. [PMID: 37819523 DOI: 10.1007/978-1-0716-3473-8_13] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/13/2023]
Abstract
In recent years, several genome-wide approaches based on RNA sequencing (RNA-seq) have been developed. These methods allow a comprehensive and dynamic view of the structure and function of the multi-layered RNA pathways and networks. Many of these approaches, including the promising one of single-cell transcriptome analysis, have been successfully applied to Pseudomonas aeruginosa. However, we are only at the beginning because only a few surrounding conditions have been considered. Here, we aim to illustrate the different types of approaches based on RNA-seq that will lead us in the future to a better understanding of the dynamics of RNA biology in P. aeruginosa.
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Affiliation(s)
- Silvia Ferrara
- Department of Biosciences, Università degli Studi di Milano, Milan, Milano, Italy
| | - Giovanni Bertoni
- Department of Biosciences, Università degli Studi di Milano, Milan, Milano, Italy.
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30
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Heom KA, Wangsanuwat C, Butkovich LV, Tam SC, Rowe AR, O'Malley MA, Dey SS. Targeted rRNA depletion enables efficient mRNA sequencing in diverse bacterial species and complex co-cultures. mSystems 2023; 8:e0028123. [PMID: 37855606 PMCID: PMC10734481 DOI: 10.1128/msystems.00281-23] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/23/2023] [Accepted: 09/12/2023] [Indexed: 10/20/2023] Open
Abstract
IMPORTANCE Microbes present one of the most diverse sources of biochemistry in nature, and mRNA sequencing provides a comprehensive view of this biological activity by quantitatively measuring microbial transcriptomes. However, efficient mRNA capture for sequencing presents significant challenges in prokaryotes as mRNAs are not poly-adenylated and typically make up less than 5% of total RNA compared with rRNAs that exceed 80%. Recently developed methods for sequencing bacterial mRNA typically rely on depleting rRNA by tiling large probe sets against rRNAs; however, such approaches are expensive, time-consuming, and challenging to scale to varied bacterial species and complex microbial communities. Therefore, we developed EMBR-seq+, a method that requires fewer than 10 short oligonucleotides per rRNA to achieve up to 99% rRNA depletion in diverse bacterial species. Finally, EMBR-seq+ resulted in a deeper view of the transcriptome, enabling systematic quantification of how microbial interactions result in altering the transcriptional state of bacteria within co-cultures.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kellie A. Heom
- Department of Chemical Engineering, University of California Santa Barbara, Santa Barbara, California, USA
- Biological Engineering Program, University of California Santa Barbara, Santa Barbara, California, USA
| | - Chatarin Wangsanuwat
- Department of Chemical Engineering, University of California Santa Barbara, Santa Barbara, California, USA
- Biological Engineering Program, University of California Santa Barbara, Santa Barbara, California, USA
| | - Lazarina V. Butkovich
- Department of Chemical Engineering, University of California Santa Barbara, Santa Barbara, California, USA
| | - Scott C. Tam
- Department of Chemical Engineering, University of California Santa Barbara, Santa Barbara, California, USA
| | - Annette R. Rowe
- Biological Sciences, University of Cincinnati, Cincinnati, Ohio, USA
| | - Michelle A. O'Malley
- Department of Chemical Engineering, University of California Santa Barbara, Santa Barbara, California, USA
- Biological Engineering Program, University of California Santa Barbara, Santa Barbara, California, USA
| | - Siddharth S. Dey
- Department of Chemical Engineering, University of California Santa Barbara, Santa Barbara, California, USA
- Biological Engineering Program, University of California Santa Barbara, Santa Barbara, California, USA
- Neuroscience Research Institute, University of California Santa Barbara, Santa Barbara, California, USA
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31
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Moon JH, Roh DH, Kwack KH, Lee JH. Bacterial single-cell transcriptomics: Recent technical advances and future applications in dentistry. JAPANESE DENTAL SCIENCE REVIEW 2023; 59:253-262. [PMID: 37674900 PMCID: PMC10477369 DOI: 10.1016/j.jdsr.2023.08.001] [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: 02/16/2023] [Revised: 06/17/2023] [Accepted: 08/09/2023] [Indexed: 09/08/2023] Open
Abstract
Metagenomics and metatranscriptomics have enhanced our understanding of the oral microbiome and its impact on oral health. However, these approaches have inherent limitations in exploring individual cells and the heterogeneity within mixed microbial communities, which restricts our current understanding to bulk cells and species-level information. Fortunately, recent technical advances have enabled the application of single-cell RNA sequencing (scRNA-seq) for studying bacteria, shedding light on cell-to-cell diversity and interactions between host-bacterial cells at the single-cell level. Here, we address the technical barriers in capturing RNA from single bacterial cells and highlight pioneering studies from the past decade. We also discuss recent achievements in host-bacterial dual transcriptional profiling at the single-cell level. Bacterial scRNA-seq provides advantages in various research fields, including the investigation of phenotypic heterogeneity within genetically identical bacteria, identification of rare cell types, detection of antibiotic-resistant or persistent cells, analysis of individual gene expression patterns and metabolic activities, and characterization of specific microbe-host interactions. Integrating single-cell techniques with bulk approaches is essential to gain a comprehensive understanding of oral diseases and develop targeted and personalized treatment in dentistry. The reviewed pioneering studies are expected to inspire future research on the oral microbiome at the single-cell level.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ji-Hoi Moon
- Department of Oral Microbiology, College of Dentistry, Kyung Hee University, Seoul, Republic of Korea
| | - Dae-Hyun Roh
- Department of Oral Physiology, College of Dentistry, Kyung Hee University, Seoul, Republic of Korea
| | - Kyu Hwan Kwack
- Department of Oral Microbiology, College of Dentistry, Kyung Hee University, Seoul, Republic of Korea
| | - Jae-Hyung Lee
- Department of Oral Microbiology, College of Dentistry, Kyung Hee University, Seoul, Republic of Korea
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32
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Madhu B, Miller BM, Levy M. Single-cell analysis and spatial resolution of the gut microbiome. Front Cell Infect Microbiol 2023; 13:1271092. [PMID: 37860069 PMCID: PMC10582963 DOI: 10.3389/fcimb.2023.1271092] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/01/2023] [Accepted: 09/11/2023] [Indexed: 10/21/2023] Open
Abstract
Over the past decade it has become clear that various aspects of host physiology, metabolism, and immunity are intimately associated with the microbiome and its interactions with the host. Specifically, the gut microbiome composition and function has been shown to play a critical role in the etiology of different intestinal and extra-intestinal diseases. While attempts to identify a common pattern of microbial dysbiosis linked with these diseases have failed, multiple studies show that bacterial communities in the gut are spatially organized and that disrupted spatial organization of the gut microbiome is often a common underlying feature of disease pathogenesis. As a result, focus over the last few years has shifted from analyzing the diversity of gut microbiome by sequencing of the entire microbial community, towards understanding the gut microbiome in spatial context. Defining the composition and spatial heterogeneity of the microbiome is critical to facilitate further understanding of the gut microbiome ecology. Development in single cell genomics approach has advanced our understanding of microbial community structure, however, limitations in approaches exist. Single cell genomics is a very powerful and rapidly growing field, primarily used to identify the genetic composition of microbes. A major challenge is to isolate single cells for genomic analyses. This review summarizes the different approaches to study microbial genomes at single-cell resolution. We will review new techniques for microbial single cell sequencing and summarize how these techniques can be applied broadly to answer many questions related to the microbiome composition and spatial heterogeneity. These methods can be used to fill the gaps in our understanding of microbial communities.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | - Maayan Levy
- Department of Microbiology, Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, United States
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33
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Wang B, Lin AE, Yuan J, Novak KE, Koch MD, Wingreen NS, Adamson B, Gitai Z. Single-cell massively-parallel multiplexed microbial sequencing (M3-seq) identifies rare bacterial populations and profiles phage infection. Nat Microbiol 2023; 8:1846-1862. [PMID: 37653008 PMCID: PMC10522482 DOI: 10.1038/s41564-023-01462-3] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/28/2022] [Accepted: 07/31/2023] [Indexed: 09/02/2023]
Abstract
Bacterial populations are highly adaptive. They can respond to stress and survive in shifting environments. How the behaviours of individual bacteria vary during stress, however, is poorly understood. To identify and characterize rare bacterial subpopulations, technologies for single-cell transcriptional profiling have been developed. Existing approaches show some degree of limitation, for example, in terms of number of cells or transcripts that can be profiled. Due in part to these limitations, few conditions have been studied with these tools. Here we develop massively-parallel, multiplexed, microbial sequencing (M3-seq)-a single-cell RNA-sequencing platform for bacteria that pairs combinatorial cell indexing with post hoc rRNA depletion. We show that M3-seq can profile bacterial cells from different species under a range of conditions in single experiments. We then apply M3-seq to hundreds of thousands of cells, revealing rare populations and insights into bet-hedging associated with stress responses and characterizing phage infection.
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Affiliation(s)
- Bruce Wang
- Lewis-Sigler Institute for Integrative Genomics, Princeton University, Princeton, NJ, USA
| | - Aaron E Lin
- Lewis-Sigler Institute for Integrative Genomics, Princeton University, Princeton, NJ, USA
- Department of Molecular Biology, Princeton University, Princeton, NJ, USA
| | - Jiayi Yuan
- Department of Molecular Biology, Princeton University, Princeton, NJ, USA
| | - Katherine E Novak
- Department of Molecular Biology, Princeton University, Princeton, NJ, USA
| | - Matthias D Koch
- Lewis-Sigler Institute for Integrative Genomics, Princeton University, Princeton, NJ, USA
- Department of Molecular Biology, Princeton University, Princeton, NJ, USA
| | - Ned S Wingreen
- Lewis-Sigler Institute for Integrative Genomics, Princeton University, Princeton, NJ, USA.
- Department of Molecular Biology, Princeton University, Princeton, NJ, USA.
| | - Britt Adamson
- Lewis-Sigler Institute for Integrative Genomics, Princeton University, Princeton, NJ, USA.
- Department of Molecular Biology, Princeton University, Princeton, NJ, USA.
| | - Zemer Gitai
- Department of Molecular Biology, Princeton University, Princeton, NJ, USA.
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34
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Baker JL. Illuminating the oral microbiome and its host interactions: recent advancements in omics and bioinformatics technologies in the context of oral microbiome research. FEMS Microbiol Rev 2023; 47:fuad051. [PMID: 37667515 PMCID: PMC10503653 DOI: 10.1093/femsre/fuad051] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/31/2023] [Revised: 08/02/2023] [Accepted: 09/01/2023] [Indexed: 09/06/2023] Open
Abstract
The oral microbiota has an enormous impact on human health, with oral dysbiosis now linked to many oral and systemic diseases. Recent advancements in sequencing, mass spectrometry, bioinformatics, computational biology, and machine learning are revolutionizing oral microbiome research, enabling analysis at an unprecedented scale and level of resolution using omics approaches. This review contains a comprehensive perspective of the current state-of-the-art tools available to perform genomics, metagenomics, phylogenomics, pangenomics, transcriptomics, proteomics, metabolomics, lipidomics, and multi-omics analysis on (all) microbiomes, and then provides examples of how the techniques have been applied to research of the oral microbiome, specifically. Key findings of these studies and remaining challenges for the field are highlighted. Although the methods discussed here are placed in the context of their contributions to oral microbiome research specifically, they are pertinent to the study of any microbiome, and the intended audience of this includes researchers would simply like to get an introduction to microbial omics and/or an update on the latest omics methods. Continued research of the oral microbiota using omics approaches is crucial and will lead to dramatic improvements in human health, longevity, and quality of life.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jonathon L Baker
- Department of Oral Rehabilitation & Biosciences, School of Dentistry, Oregon Health & Science University, 3181 Sam Jackson Park Road, Portland, OR 97202, United States
- Genomic Medicine Group, J. Craig Venter Institute, La Jolla, CA 92037, United States
- Department of Pediatrics, UC San Diego School of Medicine, La Jolla, CA 92093, United States
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35
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Broglia L, Le Rhun A, Charpentier E. Methodologies for bacterial ribonuclease characterization using RNA-seq. FEMS Microbiol Rev 2023; 47:fuad049. [PMID: 37656885 PMCID: PMC10503654 DOI: 10.1093/femsre/fuad049] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/23/2023] [Revised: 08/06/2023] [Accepted: 08/23/2023] [Indexed: 09/03/2023] Open
Abstract
Bacteria adjust gene expression at the post-transcriptional level through an intricate network of small regulatory RNAs and RNA-binding proteins, including ribonucleases (RNases). RNases play an essential role in RNA metabolism, regulating RNA stability, decay, and activation. These enzymes exhibit species-specific effects on gene expression, bacterial physiology, and different strategies of target recognition. Recent advances in high-throughput RNA sequencing (RNA-seq) approaches have provided a better understanding of the roles and modes of action of bacterial RNases. Global studies aiming to identify direct targets of RNases have highlighted the diversity of RNase activity and RNA-based mechanisms of gene expression regulation. Here, we review recent RNA-seq approaches used to study bacterial RNases, with a focus on the methods for identifying direct RNase targets.
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Affiliation(s)
- Laura Broglia
- Max Planck Unit for the Science of Pathogens, D-10117 Berlin, Germany
- Center for Human Technologies, Istituto Italiano di Tecnologia, 16152 Genova, Italy
| | - Anaïs Le Rhun
- Max Planck Unit for the Science of Pathogens, D-10117 Berlin, Germany
- Univ. Bordeaux, CNRS, INSERM, ARNA, UMR 5320, U1212, F-33000 Bordeaux, France
| | - Emmanuelle Charpentier
- Max Planck Unit for the Science of Pathogens, D-10117 Berlin, Germany
- Institute for Biology, Humboldt University, D-10115 Berlin, Germany
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36
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Xu Z, Wang Y, Sheng K, Rosenthal R, Liu N, Hua X, Zhang T, Chen J, Song M, Lv Y, Zhang S, Huang Y, Wang Z, Cao T, Shen Y, Jiang Y, Yu Y, Chen Y, Guo G, Yin P, Weitz DA, Wang Y. Droplet-based high-throughput single microbe RNA sequencing by smRandom-seq. Nat Commun 2023; 14:5130. [PMID: 37612289 PMCID: PMC10447461 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-023-40137-9] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/17/2022] [Accepted: 07/10/2023] [Indexed: 08/25/2023] Open
Abstract
Bacteria colonize almost all parts of the human body and can differ significantly. However, the population level transcriptomics measurements can only describe the average bacteria population behaviors, ignoring the heterogeneity among bacteria. Here, we report a droplet-based high-throughput single-microbe RNA-seq assay (smRandom-seq), using random primers for in situ cDNA generation, droplets for single-microbe barcoding, and CRISPR-based rRNA depletion for mRNA enrichment. smRandom-seq showed a high species specificity (99%), a minor doublet rate (1.6%), a reduced rRNA percentage (32%), and a sensitive gene detection (a median of ~1000 genes per single E. coli). Furthermore, smRandom-seq successfully captured transcriptome changes of thousands of individual E. coli and discovered a few antibiotic resistant subpopulations displaying distinct gene expression patterns of SOS response and metabolic pathways in E. coli population upon antibiotic stress. smRandom-seq provides a high-throughput single-microbe transcriptome profiling tool that will facilitate future discoveries in microbial resistance, persistence, microbe-host interaction, and microbiome research.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ziye Xu
- Department of Laboratory Medicine, the First Affiliated Hospital, Zhejiang University School of Medicine, Hangzhou, China
- Liangzhu Laboratory, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, China
| | - Yuting Wang
- Liangzhu Laboratory, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, China
- College of Biomedical Engineering and Instrument Science, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, China
| | - Kuanwei Sheng
- Wyss Institute for Biologically Inspired Engineering, Harvard University, Boston, USA.
- Department of Systems Biology, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA.
| | - Raoul Rosenthal
- John A. Paulson School of Engineering and Applied Sciences and Department of Physics, Harvard University, Cambridge, MA, USA
| | - Nan Liu
- Liangzhu Laboratory, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, China
| | - Xiaoting Hua
- Department of Infectious Diseases, Sir Run Run Shaw Hospital, Zhejiang University School of Medicine, Hangzhou, China
| | - Tianyu Zhang
- Liangzhu Laboratory, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, China
| | - Jiaye Chen
- Department of Biomedical Informatics, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Mengdi Song
- Liangzhu Laboratory, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, China
| | - Yuexiao Lv
- Liangzhu Laboratory, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, China
| | - Shunji Zhang
- College of Biomedical Engineering and Instrument Science, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, China
| | - Yingjuan Huang
- Liangzhu Laboratory, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, China
| | - Zhaolun Wang
- Liangzhu Laboratory, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, China
| | - Ting Cao
- Department of Laboratory Medicine, the First Affiliated Hospital, Zhejiang University School of Medicine, Hangzhou, China
- Wyss Institute for Biologically Inspired Engineering, Harvard University, Boston, USA
- John A. Paulson School of Engineering and Applied Sciences and Department of Physics, Harvard University, Cambridge, MA, USA
| | - Yifei Shen
- Department of Laboratory Medicine, the First Affiliated Hospital, Zhejiang University School of Medicine, Hangzhou, China
| | - Yan Jiang
- Department of Infectious Diseases, Sir Run Run Shaw Hospital, Zhejiang University School of Medicine, Hangzhou, China
| | - Yunsong Yu
- Department of Infectious Diseases, Sir Run Run Shaw Hospital, Zhejiang University School of Medicine, Hangzhou, China
| | - Yu Chen
- Department of Laboratory Medicine, the First Affiliated Hospital, Zhejiang University School of Medicine, Hangzhou, China
| | - Guoji Guo
- Liangzhu Laboratory, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, China
| | - Peng Yin
- Wyss Institute for Biologically Inspired Engineering, Harvard University, Boston, USA.
- Department of Systems Biology, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA.
| | - David A Weitz
- Wyss Institute for Biologically Inspired Engineering, Harvard University, Boston, USA.
- John A. Paulson School of Engineering and Applied Sciences and Department of Physics, Harvard University, Cambridge, MA, USA.
| | - Yongcheng Wang
- Department of Laboratory Medicine, the First Affiliated Hospital, Zhejiang University School of Medicine, Hangzhou, China.
- Liangzhu Laboratory, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, China.
- College of Biomedical Engineering and Instrument Science, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, China.
- Wyss Institute for Biologically Inspired Engineering, Harvard University, Boston, USA.
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Zhu J, Moreno-Pérez A, Coaker G. Understanding plant pathogen interactions using spatial and single-cell technologies. Commun Biol 2023; 6:814. [PMID: 37542114 PMCID: PMC10403533 DOI: 10.1038/s42003-023-05156-8] [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: 04/07/2023] [Accepted: 07/18/2023] [Indexed: 08/06/2023] Open
Abstract
Plants are in contact with diverse pathogens and microorganisms. Intense investigation over the last 30 years has resulted in the identification of multiple immune receptors in model and crop species as well as signaling overlap in surface-localized and intracellular immune receptors. However, scientists still have a limited understanding of how plants respond to diverse pathogens with spatial and cellular resolution. Recent advancements in single-cell, single-nucleus and spatial technologies can now be applied to plant-pathogen interactions. Here, we outline the current state of these technologies and highlight outstanding biological questions that can be addressed in the future.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jie Zhu
- Department of Plant Pathology, University of California, Davis, One Shields Avenue, Davis, CA, 95616, USA
| | - Alba Moreno-Pérez
- Department of Plant Pathology, University of California, Davis, One Shields Avenue, Davis, CA, 95616, USA
| | - Gitta Coaker
- Department of Plant Pathology, University of California, Davis, One Shields Avenue, Davis, CA, 95616, USA.
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Nishimura M, Takeyama H, Hosokawa M. Enhancing the sensitivity of bacterial single-cell RNA sequencing using RamDA-seq and Cas9-based rRNA depletion. J Biosci Bioeng 2023; 136:152-158. [PMID: 37311684 DOI: 10.1016/j.jbiosc.2023.05.010] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/03/2023] [Revised: 05/01/2023] [Accepted: 05/18/2023] [Indexed: 06/15/2023]
Abstract
Bacterial populations exhibit heterogeneity in gene expression, which facilitates their survival and adaptation to unstable and unpredictable environments through the bet-hedging strategy. However, unraveling the rare subpopulations and heterogeneity in gene expression using population-level gene expression analysis remains a challenging task. Single-cell RNA sequencing (scRNA-seq) has the potential to identify rare subpopulations and capture heterogeneity in bacterial populations, but standard methods for scRNA-seq in bacteria are still under development, mainly due to differences in mRNA abundance and structure between eukaryotic and prokaryotic organisms. In this study, we present a hybrid approach that combines random displacement amplification sequencing (RamDA-seq) with Cas9-based rRNA depletion for scRNA-seq in bacteria. This approach allows cDNA amplification and subsequent sequencing library preparation from low-abundance bacterial RNAs. We evaluated its sequenced read proportion, gene detection sensitivity, and gene expression patterns from the dilution series of total RNA or the sorted single Escherichia coli cells. Our results demonstrated the detection of more than 1000 genes, about 24% of the genes in the E. coli genome, from single cells with less sequencing effort compared to conventional methods. We observed gene expression clusters between different cellular proliferation states or heat shock treatment. The approach demonstrated high detection sensitivity in gene expression analysis compared to current bacterial scRNA-seq methods and proved to be an invaluable tool for understanding the ecology of bacterial populations and capturing the heterogeneity of bacterial gene expression.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mika Nishimura
- Department of Life Science and Medical Bioscience, Waseda University, 2-2 Wakamatsu-cho, Shinjuku-ku, Tokyo 162-8480, Japan
| | - Haruko Takeyama
- Department of Life Science and Medical Bioscience, Waseda University, 2-2 Wakamatsu-cho, Shinjuku-ku, Tokyo 162-8480, Japan; Research Organization for Nano and Life Innovation, Waseda University, 513 Wasedatsurumaki-cho, Shinjuku-ku, Tokyo 162-0041, Japan; Institute for Advanced Research of Biosystem Dynamics, Waseda Research Institute for Science and Engineering, 3-4-1 Okubo, Shinjuku-ku, Tokyo 169-8555, Japan; Computational Bio Big-Data Open Innovation Laboratory, National Institute of Advanced Industrial Science and Technology, 3-4-1 Okubo, Shinjuku-ku, Tokyo 169-8555, Japan
| | - Masahito Hosokawa
- Department of Life Science and Medical Bioscience, Waseda University, 2-2 Wakamatsu-cho, Shinjuku-ku, Tokyo 162-8480, Japan; Research Organization for Nano and Life Innovation, Waseda University, 513 Wasedatsurumaki-cho, Shinjuku-ku, Tokyo 162-0041, Japan; Institute for Advanced Research of Biosystem Dynamics, Waseda Research Institute for Science and Engineering, 3-4-1 Okubo, Shinjuku-ku, Tokyo 169-8555, Japan; Computational Bio Big-Data Open Innovation Laboratory, National Institute of Advanced Industrial Science and Technology, 3-4-1 Okubo, Shinjuku-ku, Tokyo 169-8555, Japan.
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Tsai HH, Wang J, Geldner N, Zhou F. Spatiotemporal control of root immune responses during microbial colonization. CURRENT OPINION IN PLANT BIOLOGY 2023; 74:102369. [PMID: 37141807 DOI: 10.1016/j.pbi.2023.102369] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/23/2022] [Revised: 03/23/2023] [Accepted: 03/29/2023] [Indexed: 05/06/2023]
Abstract
The entire evolutionary trajectory of plants towards large and complex multi-cellular organisms has been accompanied by incessant interactions with omnipresent unicellular microbes. This led to the evolution of highly complex microbial communities, whose members display the entire spectrum of pathogenic to mutualistic behaviors. Plant roots are dynamic, fractally growing organs and even small Arabidopsis roots harbor millions of individual microbes of diverse taxa. It is evident that microbes at different positions on a root surface could experience fundamentally different environments, which, moreover, rapidly change over time. Differences in spatial scales between microbes and roots compares to humans and the cities they inhabit. Such considerations make it evident that mechanisms of root-microbe interactions can only be understood if analyzed at relevant spatial and temporal scales. This review attempts to provide an overview of the rapid recent progress that has been made in mapping and manipulating plant damage and immune responses at cellular resolution, as well as in visualizing bacterial communities and their transcriptional activities. We further discuss the impact that such approaches will have for a more predictive understanding of root-microbe interactions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Huei-Hsuan Tsai
- Department of Plant Molecular Biology, Biophore, UNIL-Sorge, University of Lausanne, 1015 Lausanne, Switzerland
| | - Jiachang Wang
- National Key Laboratory of Plant Molecular Genetics, CAS Center for Excellence in Molecular Plant Sciences, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shanghai 200032, China
| | - Niko Geldner
- Department of Plant Molecular Biology, Biophore, UNIL-Sorge, University of Lausanne, 1015 Lausanne, Switzerland.
| | - Feng Zhou
- National Key Laboratory of Plant Molecular Genetics, CAS Center for Excellence in Molecular Plant Sciences, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shanghai 200032, China.
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40
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Münch JM, Sobol MS, Brors B, Kaster AK. Single-cell transcriptomics and data analyses for prokaryotes-Past, present and future concepts. ADVANCES IN APPLIED MICROBIOLOGY 2023; 123:1-39. [PMID: 37400172 DOI: 10.1016/bs.aambs.2023.04.002] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 07/05/2023]
Abstract
Transcriptomics, or more specifically mRNA sequencing, is a powerful tool to study gene expression at the single-cell level (scRNA-seq) which enables new insights into a plethora of biological processes. While methods for single-cell RNA-seq in eukaryotes are well established, application to prokaryotes is still challenging. Reasons for that are rigid and diverse cell wall structures hampering lysis, the lack of polyadenylated transcripts impeding mRNA enrichment, and minute amounts of RNA requiring amplification steps before sequencing. Despite those obstacles, several promising scRNA-seq approaches for bacteria have been published recently, albeit difficulties in the experimental workflow and data processing and analysis remain. In particular, bias is often introduced by amplification which makes it difficult to distinguish between technical noise and biological variation. Future optimization of experimental procedures and data analysis algorithms are needed for the improvement of scRNA-seq but also to aid in the emergence of prokaryotic single-cell multi-omics. to help address 21st century challenges in the biotechnology and health sector.
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Affiliation(s)
- Julia M Münch
- Institute for Biological Interfaces 5, Karlsruhe Institute of Technology, Eggenstein-Leopoldshafen, Germany; Division of Applied Bioinformatics, German Cancer Research Center (DKFZ), Heidelberg, Germany; Faculty of Biosciences, Heidelberg University, Heidelberg, Germany; HIDSS4Health - Helmholtz Information and Data Science School for Health, Karlsruhe/Heidelberg, Germany
| | - Morgan S Sobol
- Institute for Biological Interfaces 5, Karlsruhe Institute of Technology, Eggenstein-Leopoldshafen, Germany
| | - Benedikt Brors
- Division of Applied Bioinformatics, German Cancer Research Center (DKFZ), Heidelberg, Germany; HIDSS4Health - Helmholtz Information and Data Science School for Health, Karlsruhe/Heidelberg, Germany
| | - Anne-Kristin Kaster
- Institute for Biological Interfaces 5, Karlsruhe Institute of Technology, Eggenstein-Leopoldshafen, Germany; HIDSS4Health - Helmholtz Information and Data Science School for Health, Karlsruhe/Heidelberg, Germany.
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41
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McNulty R, Sritharan D, Pahng SH, Meisch JP, Liu S, Brennan MA, Saxer G, Hormoz S, Rosenthal AZ. Probe-based bacterial single-cell RNA sequencing predicts toxin regulation. Nat Microbiol 2023; 8:934-945. [PMID: 37012420 PMCID: PMC10159851 DOI: 10.1038/s41564-023-01348-4] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 12.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/09/2023] [Accepted: 02/25/2023] [Indexed: 04/05/2023]
Abstract
Clonal bacterial populations rely on transcriptional variation across individual cells to produce specialized states that increase fitness. Understanding all cell states requires studying isogenic bacterial populations at the single-cell level. Here we developed probe-based bacterial sequencing (ProBac-seq), a method that uses libraries of DNA probes and an existing commercial microfluidic platform to conduct bacterial single-cell RNA sequencing. We sequenced the transcriptome of thousands of individual bacterial cells per experiment, detecting several hundred transcripts per cell on average. Applied to Bacillus subtilis and Escherichia coli, ProBac-seq correctly identifies known cell states and uncovers previously unreported transcriptional heterogeneity. In the context of bacterial pathogenesis, application of the approach to Clostridium perfringens reveals heterogeneous expression of toxin by a subpopulation that can be controlled by acetate, a short-chain fatty acid highly prevalent in the gut. Overall, ProBac-seq can be used to uncover heterogeneity in isogenic microbial populations and identify perturbations that affect pathogenicity.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ryan McNulty
- IFF Health and Biosciences, Wilmington, DE, USA
- Lewis-Sigler Institute for Integrative Genomics, Princeton University, Princeton, NJ, USA
| | - Duluxan Sritharan
- Harvard Graduate Program in Biophysics, Harvard University, Cambridge, MA, USA
- Department of Data Science, Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Seong Ho Pahng
- Department of Data Science, Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, Boston, MA, USA
- Department of Chemistry and Chemical Biology, Harvard University, Cambridge, MA, USA
| | | | - Shichen Liu
- Department of Data Science, Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, Boston, MA, USA
| | | | - Gerda Saxer
- IFF Health and Biosciences, Wilmington, DE, USA
| | - Sahand Hormoz
- Department of Data Science, Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, Boston, MA, USA.
- Department of Systems Biology, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA.
- Broad Institute of MIT and Harvard, Cambridge, MA, USA.
| | - Adam Z Rosenthal
- IFF Health and Biosciences, Wilmington, DE, USA.
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill, NC, USA.
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Avraham R. Untangling Cellular Host-Pathogen Encounters at Infection Bottlenecks. Infect Immun 2023; 91:e0043822. [PMID: 36939328 PMCID: PMC10112260 DOI: 10.1128/iai.00438-22] [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] [Indexed: 03/21/2023] Open
Abstract
Bacterial pathogens can invade the tissue and establish a protected intracellular niche at the site of invasion that can spread locally (e.g., microcolonies) or to systemic sites (e.g., granulomas). Invasion of the tissue and establishment of intracellular infection are rare events that are difficult to study in the in vivo setting but have critical clinical consequences, such as long-term carriage, reinfections, and emergence of antibiotic resistance. Here, I discuss Salmonella interactions with its host macrophage during early stages of infection and their critical role in determining infection outcome. The dynamics of host-pathogen interactions entail highly heterogenous host immunity, bacterial virulence, and metabolic cross talk, requiring in vivo analysis at single-cell resolution. I discuss models and single-cell approaches that provide a global understanding of the establishment of a protected intracellular niche within the tissue and the host-pathogen landscape at infection bottlenecks during early stages of infection. Studying cellular host-pathogen interactions in vivo can improve our knowledge of the trajectory of infection between the initial inoculation with a dose of pathogens and the appearance of symptoms of disease.
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Affiliation(s)
- Roi Avraham
- Department of Immunology and Regenerative Biology, Weizmann Institute of Science, Rehovot, Israel
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43
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Cheng HS, Tan SP, Wong DMK, Koo WLY, Wong SH, Tan NS. The Blood Microbiome and Health: Current Evidence, Controversies, and Challenges. Int J Mol Sci 2023; 24:ijms24065633. [PMID: 36982702 PMCID: PMC10059777 DOI: 10.3390/ijms24065633] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 9.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/25/2023] [Revised: 03/14/2023] [Accepted: 03/14/2023] [Indexed: 03/18/2023] Open
Abstract
Blood is conventionally thought to be sterile. However, emerging evidence on the blood microbiome has started to challenge this notion. Recent reports have revealed the presence of genetic materials of microbes or pathogens in the blood circulation, leading to the conceptualization of a blood microbiome that is vital for physical wellbeing. Dysbiosis of the blood microbial profile has been implicated in a wide range of health conditions. Our review aims to consolidate recent findings about the blood microbiome in human health and to highlight the existing controversies, prospects, and challenges around this topic. Current evidence does not seem to support the presence of a core healthy blood microbiome. Common microbial taxa have been identified in some diseases, for instance, Legionella and Devosia in kidney impairment, Bacteroides in cirrhosis, Escherichia/Shigella and Staphylococcus in inflammatory diseases, and Janthinobacterium in mood disorders. While the presence of culturable blood microbes remains debatable, their genetic materials in the blood could potentially be exploited to improve precision medicine for cancers, pregnancy-related complications, and asthma by augmenting patient stratification. Key controversies in blood microbiome research are the susceptibility of low-biomass samples to exogenous contamination and undetermined microbial viability from NGS-based microbial profiling, however, ongoing initiatives are attempting to mitigate these issues. We also envisage future blood microbiome research to adopt more robust and standardized approaches, to delve into the origins of these multibiome genetic materials and to focus on host–microbe interactions through the elaboration of causative and mechanistic relationships with the aid of more accurate and powerful analytical tools.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hong Sheng Cheng
- Lee Kong Chian School of Medicine, Nanyang Technological University Singapore, Singapore 308232, Singapore; (S.H.W.); (N.S.T.)
- Correspondence: ; Tel.: +65-6904-1294; Fax: +65-6339-2889
| | - Sin Pei Tan
- Radiotherapy and Oncology Department, Hospital Sultan Ismail, Jalan Mutiara Emas Utama, Taman Mount Austin, Johor Bahru 81100, Malaysia
| | - David Meng Kit Wong
- School of Biological Sciences, Nanyang Technological University Singapore, Singapore 637551, Singapore
| | - Wei Ling Yolanda Koo
- School of Biological Sciences, Nanyang Technological University Singapore, Singapore 637551, Singapore
| | - Sunny Hei Wong
- Lee Kong Chian School of Medicine, Nanyang Technological University Singapore, Singapore 308232, Singapore; (S.H.W.); (N.S.T.)
| | - Nguan Soon Tan
- Lee Kong Chian School of Medicine, Nanyang Technological University Singapore, Singapore 308232, Singapore; (S.H.W.); (N.S.T.)
- School of Biological Sciences, Nanyang Technological University Singapore, Singapore 637551, Singapore
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44
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Improved Bacterial Single-Cell RNA-Seq through Automated MATQ-Seq and Cas9-Based Removal of rRNA Reads. mBio 2023; 14:e0355722. [PMID: 36880749 PMCID: PMC10127585 DOI: 10.1128/mbio.03557-22] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 12.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 03/08/2023] Open
Abstract
Bulk RNA sequencing technologies have provided invaluable insights into host and bacterial gene expression and associated regulatory networks. Nevertheless, the majority of these approaches report average expression across cell populations, hiding the true underlying expression patterns that are often heterogeneous in nature. Due to technical advances, single-cell transcriptomics in bacteria has recently become reality, allowing exploration of these heterogeneous populations, which are often the result of environmental changes and stressors. In this work, we have improved our previously published bacterial single-cell RNA sequencing (scRNA-seq) protocol that is based on multiple annealing and deoxycytidine (dC) tailing-based quantitative scRNA-seq (MATQ-seq), achieving a higher throughput through the integration of automation. We also selected a more efficient reverse transcriptase, which led to reduced cell loss and higher workflow robustness. Moreover, we successfully implemented a Cas9-based rRNA depletion protocol into the MATQ-seq workflow. Applying our improved protocol on a large set of single Salmonella cells sampled over different growth conditions revealed improved gene coverage and a higher gene detection limit compared to our original protocol and allowed us to detect the expression of small regulatory RNAs, such as GcvB or CsrB at a single-cell level. In addition, we confirmed previously described phenotypic heterogeneity in Salmonella in regard to expression of pathogenicity-associated genes. Overall, the low percentage of cell loss and high gene detection limit makes the improved MATQ-seq protocol particularly well suited for studies with limited input material, such as analysis of small bacterial populations in host niches or intracellular bacteria. IMPORTANCE Gene expression heterogeneity among isogenic bacteria is linked to clinically relevant scenarios, like biofilm formation and antibiotic tolerance. The recent development of bacterial single-cell RNA sequencing (scRNA-seq) enables the study of cell-to-cell variability in bacterial populations and the mechanisms underlying these phenomena. Here, we report a scRNA-seq workflow based on MATQ-seq with increased robustness, reduced cell loss, and improved transcript capture rate and gene coverage. Use of a more efficient reverse transcriptase and the integration of an rRNA depletion step, which can be adapted to other bacterial single-cell workflows, was instrumental for these improvements. Applying the protocol to the foodborne pathogen Salmonella, we confirmed transcriptional heterogeneity across and within different growth phases and demonstrated that our workflow captures small regulatory RNAs at a single-cell level. Due to low cell loss and high transcript capture rates, this protocol is uniquely suited for experimental settings in which the starting material is limited, such as infected tissues.
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45
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Ma P, Amemiya HM, He LL, Gandhi SJ, Nicol R, Bhattacharyya RP, Smillie CS, Hung DT. Bacterial droplet-based single-cell RNA-seq reveals antibiotic-associated heterogeneous cellular states. Cell 2023; 186:877-891.e14. [PMID: 36708705 PMCID: PMC10014032 DOI: 10.1016/j.cell.2023.01.002] [Citation(s) in RCA: 37] [Impact Index Per Article: 37.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/24/2022] [Revised: 11/15/2022] [Accepted: 01/03/2023] [Indexed: 01/28/2023]
Abstract
We introduce BacDrop, a highly scalable technology for bacterial single-cell RNA sequencing that has overcome many challenges hindering the development of scRNA-seq in bacteria. BacDrop can be applied to thousands to millions of cells from both gram-negative and gram-positive species. It features universal ribosomal RNA depletion and combinatorial barcodes that enable multiplexing and massively parallel sequencing. We applied BacDrop to study Klebsiella pneumoniae clinical isolates and to elucidate their heterogeneous responses to antibiotic stress. In an unperturbed population presumed to be homogeneous, we found within-population heterogeneity largely driven by the expression of mobile genetic elements that promote the evolution of antibiotic resistance. Under antibiotic perturbation, BacDrop revealed transcriptionally distinct subpopulations associated with different phenotypic outcomes including antibiotic persistence. BacDrop thus can capture cellular states that cannot be detected by bulk RNA-seq, which will unlock new microbiological insights into bacterial responses to perturbations and larger bacterial communities such as the microbiome.
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Affiliation(s)
- Peijun Ma
- The Broad Institute of MIT and Harvard, Cambridge, MA, USA; Department of Molecular Biology, Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston, MA, USA; Center for Computational and Integrative Biology, Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston, MA, USA; Department of Genetics, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Haley M Amemiya
- The Broad Institute of MIT and Harvard, Cambridge, MA, USA; Department of Molecular Biology, Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston, MA, USA; Center for Computational and Integrative Biology, Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston, MA, USA; Department of Genetics, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Lorrie L He
- The Broad Institute of MIT and Harvard, Cambridge, MA, USA
| | - Shivam J Gandhi
- The Broad Institute of MIT and Harvard, Cambridge, MA, USA; Center for Computational and Integrative Biology, Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston, MA, USA; Department of Medicine, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Robert Nicol
- The Broad Institute of MIT and Harvard, Cambridge, MA, USA
| | - Roby P Bhattacharyya
- The Broad Institute of MIT and Harvard, Cambridge, MA, USA; Division of Infectious Diseases, Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Christopher S Smillie
- The Broad Institute of MIT and Harvard, Cambridge, MA, USA; Center for Computational and Integrative Biology, Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston, MA, USA; Department of Medicine, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Deborah T Hung
- The Broad Institute of MIT and Harvard, Cambridge, MA, USA; Department of Molecular Biology, Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston, MA, USA; Center for Computational and Integrative Biology, Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston, MA, USA; Department of Genetics, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA.
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46
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Alnahhas RN, Dunlop MJ. Advances in linking single-cell bacterial stress response to population-level survival. Curr Opin Biotechnol 2023; 79:102885. [PMID: 36641904 PMCID: PMC9899315 DOI: 10.1016/j.copbio.2022.102885] [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: 11/04/2022] [Revised: 12/08/2022] [Accepted: 12/11/2022] [Indexed: 01/14/2023]
Abstract
Stress response mechanisms can allow bacteria to survive a myriad of challenges, including nutrient changes, antibiotic encounters, and antagonistic interactions with other microbes. Expression of these stress response pathways, in addition to other cell features such as growth rate and metabolic state, can be heterogeneous across cells and over time. Collectively, these single-cell-level phenotypes contribute to an overall population-level response to stress. These include diversifying actions, which can be used to enable bet-hedging, and coordinated actions, such as biofilm production, horizontal gene transfer, and cross-feeding. Here, we highlight recent results and emerging technologies focused on both single-cell and population-level responses to stressors, and we draw connections about the combined impact of these effects on survival of bacterial communities.
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Affiliation(s)
- Razan N Alnahhas
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, Boston University, Boston, MA 02215, United States; Biological Design Center, Boston University, Boston, MA 02215, United States
| | - Mary J Dunlop
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, Boston University, Boston, MA 02215, United States; Biological Design Center, Boston University, Boston, MA 02215, United States.
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47
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Busato S, Gordon M, Chaudhari M, Jensen I, Akyol T, Andersen S, Williams C. Compositionality, sparsity, spurious heterogeneity, and other data-driven challenges for machine learning algorithms within plant microbiome studies. CURRENT OPINION IN PLANT BIOLOGY 2023; 71:102326. [PMID: 36538837 PMCID: PMC9925409 DOI: 10.1016/j.pbi.2022.102326] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/31/2022] [Revised: 11/08/2022] [Accepted: 11/21/2022] [Indexed: 06/17/2023]
Abstract
The plant-associated microbiome is a key component of plant systems, contributing to their health, growth, and productivity. The application of machine learning (ML) in this field promises to help untangle the relationships involved. However, measurements of microbial communities by high-throughput sequencing pose challenges for ML. Noise from low sample sizes, soil heterogeneity, and technical factors can impact the performance of ML. Additionally, the compositional and sparse nature of these datasets can impact the predictive accuracy of ML. We review recent literature from plant studies to illustrate that these properties often go unmentioned. We expand our analysis to other fields to quantify the degree to which mitigation approaches improve the performance of ML and describe the mathematical basis for this. With the advent of accessible analytical packages for microbiome data including learning models, researchers must be familiar with the nature of their datasets.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sebastiano Busato
- Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering, North Carolina State University, Raleigh, USA; NC Plant Sciences Initiative, North Carolina State University, Raleigh, USA
| | - Max Gordon
- Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering, North Carolina State University, Raleigh, USA; NC Plant Sciences Initiative, North Carolina State University, Raleigh, USA
| | - Meenal Chaudhari
- Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering, North Carolina State University, Raleigh, USA; NC Plant Sciences Initiative, North Carolina State University, Raleigh, USA
| | - Ib Jensen
- Department of Molecular Biology and Genetics, Aarhus University, Aarhus, Denmark
| | - Turgut Akyol
- Department of Molecular Biology and Genetics, Aarhus University, Aarhus, Denmark
| | - Stig Andersen
- Department of Molecular Biology and Genetics, Aarhus University, Aarhus, Denmark
| | - Cranos Williams
- Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering, North Carolina State University, Raleigh, USA; NC Plant Sciences Initiative, North Carolina State University, Raleigh, USA; Department of Plant and Microbial Biology, North Carolina State University, Raleigh, USA.
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48
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Liang C, Wagstaff J, Aharony N, Schmit V, Manheim D. Managing the Transition to Widespread Metagenomic Monitoring: Policy Considerations for Future Biosurveillance. Health Secur 2023; 21:34-45. [PMID: 36629860 PMCID: PMC9940815 DOI: 10.1089/hs.2022.0029] [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: 01/12/2023] Open
Abstract
The technological possibilities and future public health importance of metagenomic sequencing have received extensive attention, but there has been little discussion about the policy and regulatory issues that need to be addressed if metagenomic sequencing is adopted as a key technology for biosurveillance. In this article, we introduce metagenomic monitoring as a possible path to eventually replacing current infectious disease monitoring models. Many key enablers are technological, whereas others are not. We therefore highlight key policy challenges and implementation questions that need to be addressed for "widespread metagenomic monitoring" to be possible. Policymakers must address pitfalls like fragmentation of the technological base, private capture of benefits, privacy concerns, the usefulness of the system during nonpandemic times, and how the future systems will enable better response. If these challenges are addressed, the technological and public health promise of metagenomic sequencing can be realized.
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Affiliation(s)
- Chelsea Liang
- Chelsea Liang is an Independent Researcher, University of New South Wales, School of Biotechnology and Biomolecular Sciences, Sydney, Australia
| | - James Wagstaff
- James Wagstaff, PhD, is a Research Fellow, Future of Humanity Institute, University of Oxford, Oxford, UK
| | - Noga Aharony
- Noga Aharony, MS, is a PhD Student, Department of Systems Biology, Columbia University, New York, NY
| | - Virginia Schmit
- Virginia Schmit, PhD, is Director of Research, 1DatSooner, DE, and a Policy Specialist, National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, Bethesda, MD
| | - David Manheim
- David Manheim, PhD, is Head of Policy and Research, ALTER, Rehovot, Israel; Lead Researcher, 1DaySooner, Claymont, DE,Visiting Researcher, Humanities and Arts Department, Technion – Israel Institute of Technology, Haifa, Israel.,Address correspondence to: David B. Manheim, 8734 First Avenue, Silver Spring, MD 20910
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Homberger C, Saliba AE, Vogel J. A MATQ-seq-Based Protocol for Single-Cell RNA-seq in Bacteria. Methods Mol Biol 2023; 2584:105-121. [PMID: 36495446 DOI: 10.1007/978-1-0716-2756-3_4] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/17/2023]
Abstract
Microbes exhibit an extraordinary capacity to adapt their physiology to different environments using phenotypic heterogeneity. However, the majority of gene regulation studies are conducted in bulk reflecting only averaged gene expression levels across millions of cells. Bacterial single-cell RNA-seq (scRNA-seq) can overcome this by enabling whole transcriptome and unbiased analysis of microbes at the single-cell level. Here, we describe a detailed workflow of single-cell RNA-seq based on the multiple annealing and dC-tailing-based quantitative single-cell RNA-seq (MATQ-seq) protocol. Following adjustments to the original eukaryotic protocol, the workflow was applied to two major human pathogens Salmonella enterica serovar Typhimurium (henceforth Salmonella) and Pseudomonas aeruginosa (henceforth Pseudomonas). The development of bacterial scRNA-seq protocols offers promising avenues to explore the molecular programs underlying phenotypic heterogeneity on the transcriptome level in different settings such as infection, persistence, ecology, and biofilms.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Antoine-Emmanuel Saliba
- Helmholtz Institute for RNA-based Infection Research, Helmholtz Centre for Infection Research, Würzburg, Germany
| | - Jörg Vogel
- University of Würzburg, Würzburg, Germany.
- Helmholtz Institute for RNA-based Infection Research, Helmholtz Centre for Infection Research, Würzburg, Germany.
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50
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Wang T, Shen P, Chai R, He Y, Liu J. Profiling of bacterial transcriptome from ultra-low input with MiniBac-seq. Environ Microbiol 2022; 24:5774-5787. [PMID: 36053758 DOI: 10.1111/1462-2920.16169] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/02/2022] [Accepted: 08/10/2022] [Indexed: 01/12/2023]
Abstract
There is a lack of appropriate methods for preparing bacterial RNA-seq library with ultra-low amount of RNA. To address this issue, we developed miniBac-seq, a strand-specific method for high-quality library construction from sub-nanogram of total RNA, which is 100-fold lower than the current benchmark kit and dramatically reduces preparation cost ($28 + $15 × samples). We further demonstrated the high sensitivity of miniBac-seq via detecting more than 500 genes from amount of total RNA equivalent to that of a single bacterial cell. Finally, we profiled the transcriptome of growth-arrested bacteria in isogenic culture of Escherichia coli. This subpopulation of bacteria is generally low in abundance but is a potent reservoir of antibiotic persistence, and their gene expression has been largely unknown due to technical limitations. Using miniBac-seq, we identified potential molecular driver towards arrested growth as well as antibiotic tolerance. Our method thus expands the capacity to quantify bacterial transcriptome in situ, which is useful to the understanding of bacterial physiology and regulation in their native contexts.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tianmin Wang
- Center for Infectious Disease Research, School of Medicine, Tsinghua University, Beijing, China.,Tsinghua-Peking Center for Life Sciences, Beijing, China
| | - Ping Shen
- Center for Infectious Disease Research, School of Medicine, Tsinghua University, Beijing, China
| | - Ruochen Chai
- Center for Infectious Disease Research, School of Medicine, Tsinghua University, Beijing, China
| | - Yihui He
- Center for Infectious Disease Research, School of Medicine, Tsinghua University, Beijing, China
| | - Jintao Liu
- Center for Infectious Disease Research, School of Medicine, Tsinghua University, Beijing, China.,Tsinghua-Peking Center for Life Sciences, Beijing, China
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