1
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Yoshida R, Motoyama K, Ito T, Hemmi H. Effects of producing high levels of hyperthermophile-specific C 25,C 25-archaeal membrane lipids in Escherichia coli. Biochem Biophys Res Commun 2024; 729:150349. [PMID: 38972140 DOI: 10.1016/j.bbrc.2024.150349] [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: 05/13/2024] [Revised: 06/28/2024] [Accepted: 07/03/2024] [Indexed: 07/09/2024]
Abstract
A hyperthermophilic archaeon, Aeropyrum pernix, synthesizes C25,C25-archaeal membrane lipids, or extended archaeal membrane lipids, which contain two C25 isoprenoid chains that are linked to glycerol-1-phosphate via ether bonds and are longer than the usual C20,C20-archaeal membrane lipids. The C25,C25-archaeal membrane lipids are believed to allow the archaeon to survive under harsh conditions, because they are able to form lipid membranes that are impermeable at temperatures approaching the boiling point. The effect that C25,C25-archaeal membrane lipids exert on living cells, however, remains unproven along with an explanation for why the hyperthermophilic archaeon synthesizes these specific lipids instead of the more common C20,C20-archaeal lipids or double-headed tetraether lipids. To shed light on the effects that these hyperthermophile-specific membrane lipids exert on living cells, we have constructed an E. coli strain that produces C25,C25-archaeal membrane lipids. However, a resultant low level of productivity would not allow us to assess the effects of their production in E. coli cells. Herein, we report an enhancement of the productivity of C25,C25-archaeal membrane lipids in engineered E. coli strains via the introduction of metabolic pathways such as an artificial isoprenol utilization pathway where the precursors of isoprenoids are synthesized via a two-step phosphorylation of prenol and isoprenol supplemented to a growth medium. In the strain with the highest titer, a major component of C25,C25-archaeal membrane lipids reached ∼11 % of total lipids of E. coli. It is noteworthy that the high production of the extended archaeal lipids did not significantly affect the growth of the bacterial cells. The permeability of the cell membrane of the strain became slightly lower in the presence of the exogenous membrane lipids with longer hydrocarbon chains, which demonstrated the possibility to enhance bacterial cell membranes by the hyperthermophile-specific lipids, along with the surprising robustness of the E. coli cell membrane.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ryo Yoshida
- Department of Applied Biosciences, Graduate School of Bioagricultural Sciences, Nagoya University, Furo-cho, Chikusa-ku, Nagoya, Aichi, 460-8601, Japan
| | - Kento Motoyama
- Department of Applied Biosciences, Graduate School of Bioagricultural Sciences, Nagoya University, Furo-cho, Chikusa-ku, Nagoya, Aichi, 460-8601, Japan
| | - Tomokazu Ito
- Department of Applied Biosciences, Graduate School of Bioagricultural Sciences, Nagoya University, Furo-cho, Chikusa-ku, Nagoya, Aichi, 460-8601, Japan
| | - Hisashi Hemmi
- Department of Applied Biosciences, Graduate School of Bioagricultural Sciences, Nagoya University, Furo-cho, Chikusa-ku, Nagoya, Aichi, 460-8601, Japan.
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2
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Bhattacharya A, Falk ID, Moss FR, Weiss TM, Tran KN, Burns NZ, Boxer SG. Structure-function relationships in pure archaeal bipolar tetraether lipids. Chem Sci 2024:d4sc03788j. [PMID: 39149219 PMCID: PMC11320390 DOI: 10.1039/d4sc03788j] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/10/2024] [Accepted: 08/05/2024] [Indexed: 08/17/2024] Open
Abstract
Archaeal bipolar tetraether lipids (BTLs) are among the most unusual lipids occurring in nature because of their presumed ability to span the entire membrane to form a monolayer structure. It is believed that because of their unique structural organization and chemical stability, BTLs offer extraordinary adaptation to archaea to thrive in the most extreme milieus. BTLs have also received considerable attention for development of novel membrane-based materials. Despite their fundamental biological significance and biotechnological interests, prior studies on pure BTLs are limited because of the difficulty to extract them in pure form from natural sources or to synthesize them chemically. Here we have utilized chemical synthesis to enable in-depth biophysical investigations on a series of chemically pure glycerol dialkyl glycerol tetraether (GDGT) lipids. The lipids self-assemble to form membrane-bound vesicles encapsulating polar molecules in aqueous media, and reconstitute a functional integral membrane protein. Structural properties of the membranes were characterized via small-angle X-ray scattering (SAXS) and cryogenic electron microscopy (cryo-EM). SAXS studies on bulk aqueous dispersions of GDGT lipids over 10-90 °C revealed lamellar and non-lamellar phases and their transitions. Next we asked whether vesicles overwhelmingly composed of a single GDGT species can undergo fusion as it is difficult to conceptualize such behavior with the assumption that such membranes have a monolayer structure. Interestingly, we observed that GDGT vesicles undergo fusion with influenza virus with lipid mixing kinetics comparable to that with vesicles composed of monopolar phospholipids. Our results suggest that GDGT membranes may consist of regions with a bilayer structure or form bilayer structures transiently which facilitate fusion and thus offer insight into how archaea may perform important physiological functions that require dynamical membrane behavior.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ahanjit Bhattacharya
- Department of Chemistry, Stanford University Stanford CA 94305 USA
- Stanford Center for Innovation in Global Health, Stanford University Stanford CA 94305 USA
| | - Isaac D Falk
- Department of Chemistry, Stanford University Stanford CA 94305 USA
| | - Frank R Moss
- Linac Coherent Light Source, SLAC National Accelerator Laboratory Menlo Park CA 94025 USA
| | - Thomas M Weiss
- Stanford Synchrotron Radiation Lightsource, SLAC National Accelerator Laboratory Menlo Park CA 94025 USA
| | - Khoi N Tran
- Department of Chemistry, Stanford University Stanford CA 94305 USA
| | - Noah Z Burns
- Department of Chemistry, Stanford University Stanford CA 94305 USA
| | - Steven G Boxer
- Department of Chemistry, Stanford University Stanford CA 94305 USA
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3
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Kissman EN, Sosa MB, Millar DC, Koleski EJ, Thevasundaram K, Chang MCY. Expanding chemistry through in vitro and in vivo biocatalysis. Nature 2024; 631:37-48. [PMID: 38961155 DOI: 10.1038/s41586-024-07506-w] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/22/2021] [Accepted: 05/01/2024] [Indexed: 07/05/2024]
Abstract
Living systems contain a vast network of metabolic reactions, providing a wealth of enzymes and cells as potential biocatalysts for chemical processes. The properties of protein and cell biocatalysts-high selectivity, the ability to control reaction sequence and operation in environmentally benign conditions-offer approaches to produce molecules at high efficiency while lowering the cost and environmental impact of industrial chemistry. Furthermore, biocatalysis offers the opportunity to generate chemical structures and functions that may be inaccessible to chemical synthesis. Here we consider developments in enzymes, biosynthetic pathways and cellular engineering that enable their use in catalysis for new chemistry and beyond.
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Affiliation(s)
- Elijah N Kissman
- Department of Chemistry, University of California Berkeley, Berkeley, CA, USA
| | - Max B Sosa
- Department of Chemistry, University of California Berkeley, Berkeley, CA, USA
| | - Douglas C Millar
- Department of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering, University of California Berkeley, Berkeley, CA, USA
| | - Edward J Koleski
- Department of Chemistry, University of California Berkeley, Berkeley, CA, USA
| | | | - Michelle C Y Chang
- Department of Chemistry, University of California Berkeley, Berkeley, CA, USA.
- Department of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering, University of California Berkeley, Berkeley, CA, USA.
- Department of Molecular and Cell Biology, University of California Berkeley, Berkeley, CA, USA.
- Department of Chemistry, Princeton University, Princeton, NJ, USA.
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4
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Garcia AA, Chadwick GL, Liu XL, Welander PV. Identification of two archaeal GDGT lipid-modifying proteins reveals diverse microbes capable of GMGT biosynthesis and modification. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A 2024; 121:e2318761121. [PMID: 38885389 PMCID: PMC11214058 DOI: 10.1073/pnas.2318761121] [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: 10/26/2023] [Accepted: 05/15/2024] [Indexed: 06/20/2024] Open
Abstract
Archaea produce unique membrane-spanning lipids (MSLs), termed glycerol dialkyl glycerol tetraethers (GDGTs), which aid in adaptive responses to various environmental challenges. GDGTs can be modified through cyclization, cross-linking, methylation, hydroxylation, and desaturation, resulting in structurally distinct GDGT lipids. Here, we report the identification of radical SAM proteins responsible for two of these modifications-a glycerol monoalkyl glycerol tetraether (GMGT) synthase (Gms), responsible for covalently cross-linking the two hydrocarbon tails of a GDGT to produce GMGTs, and a GMGT methylase (Gmm), capable of methylating the core hydrocarbon tail. Heterologous expression of Gms proteins from various archaea in Thermococcus kodakarensis results in the production of GMGTs in two isomeric forms. Further, coexpression of Gms and Gmm produces mono- and dimethylated GMGTs and minor amounts of trimethylated GMGTs with only trace GDGT methylation. Phylogenetic analyses reveal the presence of Gms homologs in diverse archaeal genomes spanning all four archaeal superphyla and in multiple bacterial phyla with the genetic potential to synthesize fatty acid-based MSLs, demonstrating that GMGT production may be more widespread than previously appreciated. We demonstrate GMGT production in three Gms-encoding archaea, identifying an increase in GMGTs in response to elevated temperature in two Archaeoglobus species and the production of GMGTs with up to six rings in Vulcanisaeta distributa. The occurrence of such highly cyclized GMGTs has been limited to environmental samples and their detection in culture demonstrates the utility of combining genetic, bioinformatic, and lipid analyses to identify producers of distinct archaeal membrane lipids.
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Affiliation(s)
- Andy A. Garcia
- Department of Earth System Science, Stanford University, Stanford, CA94305
| | - Grayson L. Chadwick
- Department of Molecular and Cell Biology, University of California, Berkeley, CA94720
| | - Xiao-Lei Liu
- Department of Geology and Geophysics, University of Oklahoma, Norman, OK73019
| | - Paula V. Welander
- Department of Earth System Science, Stanford University, Stanford, CA94305
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5
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Li Y, Yu T, Feng X, Zhao B, Chen H, Yang H, Chen X, Zhang XH, Anderson HR, Burns NZ, Zeng F, Tao L, Zeng Z. Biosynthesis of GMGT lipids by a radical SAM enzyme associated with anaerobic archaea and oxygen-deficient environments. Nat Commun 2024; 15:5256. [PMID: 38898040 PMCID: PMC11186832 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-024-49650-x] [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: 01/18/2024] [Accepted: 06/11/2024] [Indexed: 06/21/2024] Open
Abstract
Archaea possess characteristic membrane-spanning lipids that are thought to contribute to the adaptation to extreme environments. However, the biosynthesis of these lipids is poorly understood. Here, we identify a radical S-adenosyl-L-methionine (SAM) enzyme that synthesizes glycerol monoalkyl glycerol tetraethers (GMGTs). The enzyme, which we name GMGT synthase (Gms), catalyzes the formation of a C(sp3)-C(sp3) linkage between the two isoprenoid chains of glycerol dialkyl glycerol tetraethers (GDGTs). This conclusion is supported by heterologous expression of gene gms from a GMGT-producing species in a methanogen, as well as demonstration of in vitro activity using purified Gms enzyme. Additionally, we show that genes encoding putative Gms homologs are present in obligate anaerobic archaea and in metagenomes obtained from oxygen-deficient environments, and appear to be absent in metagenomes from oxic settings.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yanan Li
- Department of Ocean Science and Engineering, Southern University of Science and Technology, Shenzhen, China
- Department of Chemistry, Southern University of Science and Technology, Shenzhen, China
| | - Ting Yu
- Department of Systems Biology and Institute for Biological Electron Microscopy, Southern University of Science and Technology, Shenzhen, China
| | - Xi Feng
- Department of Ocean Science and Engineering, Southern University of Science and Technology, Shenzhen, China
| | - Bo Zhao
- Department of Ocean Science and Engineering, Southern University of Science and Technology, Shenzhen, China
| | - Huahui Chen
- Department of Ocean Science and Engineering, Southern University of Science and Technology, Shenzhen, China
| | - Huan Yang
- State Key Laboratory of Biogeology and Environmental Geology, China University of Geosciences, Wuhan, China
| | - Xing Chen
- Frontiers Science Center for Deep Ocean Multispheres and Earth System, College of Marine Life Sciences, Ocean University of China, Qingdao, China
| | - Xiao-Hua Zhang
- Frontiers Science Center for Deep Ocean Multispheres and Earth System, College of Marine Life Sciences, Ocean University of China, Qingdao, China
| | | | - Noah Z Burns
- Department of Chemistry, Stanford University, Stanford, USA
| | - Fuxing Zeng
- Department of Systems Biology and Institute for Biological Electron Microscopy, Southern University of Science and Technology, Shenzhen, China.
| | - Lizhi Tao
- Department of Chemistry, Southern University of Science and Technology, Shenzhen, China.
| | - Zhirui Zeng
- Department of Ocean Science and Engineering, Southern University of Science and Technology, Shenzhen, China.
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6
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Cheek LE, Zhu W. Structural features and substrate engagement in peptide-modifying radical SAM enzymes. Arch Biochem Biophys 2024; 756:110012. [PMID: 38663796 DOI: 10.1016/j.abb.2024.110012] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/18/2024] [Revised: 04/16/2024] [Accepted: 04/17/2024] [Indexed: 05/04/2024]
Abstract
In recent years, the biological significance of ribosomally synthesized, post-translationally modified peptides (RiPPs) and the intriguing chemistry catalyzed by their tailoring enzymes has garnered significant attention. A subgroup of bacterial radical S-adenosylmethionine (rSAM) enzymes can activate C-H bonds in peptides, which leads to the production of a diverse range of RiPPs. The remarkable ability of these enzymes to facilitate various chemical processes, to generate and harbor high-energy radical species, and to accommodate large substrates with a high degree of flexibility is truly intriguing. The wide substrate scope and diversity of the chemistry performed by rSAM enzymes raise one question: how does the protein environment facilitate these distinct chemical conversions while sharing a similar structural fold? In this review, we discuss recent advances in the field of RiPP-rSAM enzymes, with a particular emphasis on domain architectures and substrate engagements identified by biophysical and structural characterizations. We provide readers with a comparative analysis of six examples of RiPP-rSAM enzymes with experimentally characterized structures. Linking the structural elements and the nature of rSAM-catalyzed RiPP production will provide insight into the functional engineering of enzyme activity to harness their catalytic power in broader applications.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lilly E Cheek
- Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, Florida State University, Tallahassee, FL, 32306, USA
| | - Wen Zhu
- Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, Florida State University, Tallahassee, FL, 32306, USA.
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7
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Wang W, Xi H, Fu D, Ma D, Gong W, Zhao Y, Li X, Wu L, Guo Y, Zhao G, Wang H. Growth Process of Fe-O Nanoclusters with Different Sizes Biosynthesized by Protein Nanocages. J Am Chem Soc 2024; 146:11657-11668. [PMID: 38641862 DOI: 10.1021/jacs.3c13830] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 04/21/2024]
Abstract
All protein-directed syntheses of metal nanoclusters (NCs) and nanoparticles (NPs) have attracted considerable attention because protein scaffolds provide a unique metal coordination environment and can adjust the shape and morphology of NCs and NPs. However, the detailed formation mechanisms of NCs or NPs directed by protein templates remain unclear. In this study, by taking advantage of the ferritin nanocage as a biotemplate to monitor the growth of Fe-O NCs as a function of time, we synthesized a series of iron NCs with different sizes and shapes and subsequently solved their corresponding three-dimensional atomic-scale structures by X-ray protein crystallography and cryo-electron microscopy. The time-dependent structure analyses revealed the growth process of these Fe-O NCs with the 4-fold channel of ferritin as nucleation sites. To our knowledge, the newly biosynthesized Fe35O23Glu12 represents the largest Fe-O NCs with a definite atomic structure. This study contributes to our understanding of the formation mechanism of iron NCs and provides an effective method for metal NC synthesis.
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Affiliation(s)
- Wenming Wang
- Key Laboratory of Chemical Biology and Molecular Engineering of the Education Ministry, Institute of Molecular Science, Shanxi University, Taiyuan 030006, China
| | - Hongfang Xi
- Key Laboratory of Chemical Biology and Molecular Engineering of the Education Ministry, Institute of Molecular Science, Shanxi University, Taiyuan 030006, China
| | - Dan Fu
- State Key Laboratory of Medicinal Chemical Biology and College of Pharmacy, Nankai University, Tianjin 300071, China
| | - Danyang Ma
- Key Laboratory of Chemical Biology and Molecular Engineering of the Education Ministry, Institute of Molecular Science, Shanxi University, Taiyuan 030006, China
| | - Wenjun Gong
- Key Laboratory of Chemical Biology and Molecular Engineering of the Education Ministry, Institute of Molecular Science, Shanxi University, Taiyuan 030006, China
| | - Yaqin Zhao
- Key Laboratory of Chemical Biology and Molecular Engineering of the Education Ministry, Institute of Molecular Science, Shanxi University, Taiyuan 030006, China
| | - Xiaomei Li
- Shanxi Provincial Key Laboratory of Protein Structure Determination, Shanxi Academy of Advanced Research and Innovation, Taiyuan 030012, China
| | - Lijie Wu
- IHuman Institute, ShanghaiTech University, Shanghai 201210, China
| | - Yu Guo
- State Key Laboratory of Medicinal Chemical Biology and College of Pharmacy, Nankai University, Tianjin 300071, China
| | - Guanghua Zhao
- College of Food Science & Nutritional Engineering, China Agricultural University, Beijing 100083, China
| | - Hongfei Wang
- Key Laboratory of Chemical Biology and Molecular Engineering of the Education Ministry, Institute of Molecular Science, Shanxi University, Taiyuan 030006, China
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8
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Lien Y, Lachowicz JC, Mendauletova A, Zizola C, Ngendahimana T, Kostenko A, Eaton SS, Latham JA, Grove TL. Structural, Biochemical, and Bioinformatic Basis for Identifying Radical SAM Cyclopropyl Synthases. ACS Chem Biol 2024; 19:370-379. [PMID: 38295270 PMCID: PMC10878394 DOI: 10.1021/acschembio.3c00583] [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: 09/20/2023] [Revised: 11/29/2023] [Accepted: 01/02/2024] [Indexed: 02/02/2024]
Abstract
The importance of radical S-adenosyl-l-methionine (RS) enzymes in the maturation of ribosomally synthesized and post-translationally modified peptides (RiPPs) continues to expand, specifically for the RS-SPASM subfamily. We recently discovered an RS-SPASM enzyme that installs a carbon-carbon bond between the geminal methyls of valine residues, resulting in the formation of cyclopropylglycine (CPG). Here, we sought to define the family of cyclopropyl (CP) synthases because of the importance of cyclopropane scaffolds in pharmaceutical development. Using RadicalSAM.org, we bioinformatically expanded the family of CP synthases and assigned unique peptide sequences to each subclade. We identified a unique RiPP biosynthetic pathway that encodes a precursor peptide, TigB, with a repeating TIGSVS motif. Using LCMS and NMR techniques, we show that the RS enzyme associated with the pathway, TigE, catalyzes the formation of a methyl-CPG from the conserved isoleucine residing in the repeating motif of TigB. Furthermore, we obtained a crystal structure of TigE, which reveals an unusual tyrosyl ligation to the auxiliary I [4Fe-4S] cluster, provided by a glycine-tyrosine-tryptophan motif unique to all CP synthases. Further, we show that this unique tyrosyl ligation is absolutely required for TigE activity. Together, our results provide insight into how CP synthases perform this unique reaction.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yi Lien
- Department
of Chemistry and Biochemistry, University
of Denver, Denver, Colorado 80210, United States
| | - Jake C. Lachowicz
- Department
of Biochemistry, Albert Einstein College
of Medicine, Bronx, New York 10461, United States
| | - Aigera Mendauletova
- Department
of Chemistry and Biochemistry, University
of Denver, Denver, Colorado 80210, United States
| | - Cynthia Zizola
- Department
of Biochemistry, Albert Einstein College
of Medicine, Bronx, New York 10461, United States
| | - Thacien Ngendahimana
- Department
of Chemistry and Biochemistry, University
of Denver, Denver, Colorado 80210, United States
| | - Anastasiia Kostenko
- Department
of Chemistry and Biochemistry, University
of Denver, Denver, Colorado 80210, United States
| | - Sandra S. Eaton
- Department
of Chemistry and Biochemistry, University
of Denver, Denver, Colorado 80210, United States
| | - John A. Latham
- Department
of Chemistry and Biochemistry, University
of Denver, Denver, Colorado 80210, United States
| | - Tyler L. Grove
- Department
of Biochemistry, Albert Einstein College
of Medicine, Bronx, New York 10461, United States
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9
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Rao A, Driessen AJM. Unraveling the multiplicity of geranylgeranyl reductases in Archaea: potential roles in saturation of terpenoids. Extremophiles 2024; 28:14. [PMID: 38280122 PMCID: PMC10821996 DOI: 10.1007/s00792-023-01330-2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/17/2023] [Accepted: 12/15/2023] [Indexed: 01/29/2024]
Abstract
The enzymology of the key steps in the archaeal phospholipid biosynthetic pathway has been elucidated in recent years. In contrast, the complete biosynthetic pathways for proposed membrane regulators consisting of polyterpenes, such as carotenoids, respiratory quinones, and polyprenols remain unknown. Notably, the multiplicity of geranylgeranyl reductases (GGRs) in archaeal genomes has been correlated with the saturation of polyterpenes. Although GGRs, which are responsible for saturation of the isoprene chains of phospholipids, have been identified and studied in detail, there is little information regarding the structure and function of the paralogs. Here, we discuss the diversity of archaeal membrane-associated polyterpenes which is correlated with the genomic loci, structural and sequence-based analyses of GGR paralogs.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alka Rao
- Department of Molecular Microbiology, Groningen Biomolecular Science and Biotechnology Institute, University of Groningen, 9747 AG, Groningen, The Netherlands
| | - Arnold J M Driessen
- Department of Molecular Microbiology, Groningen Biomolecular Science and Biotechnology Institute, University of Groningen, 9747 AG, Groningen, The Netherlands.
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10
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Chen C, Deng Y, Liu Q, Lai H, Zhang C. Effects of microplastics on cold seep sediment prokaryotic communities. ENVIRONMENTAL POLLUTION (BARKING, ESSEX : 1987) 2024; 341:123008. [PMID: 38006990 DOI: 10.1016/j.envpol.2023.123008] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/18/2023] [Revised: 11/17/2023] [Accepted: 11/18/2023] [Indexed: 11/27/2023]
Abstract
Cold seep sediments are an important reservoir of microplastics (MPs) whose impact on the structure and function of prokaryotic community is not well understood. In this study, the impact of 0.2% and 1% (w/w) polyethylene (PE), polystyrene (PS), and polypropylene (PP) MPs on the cold seep sediment prokaryotic community was investigated in a 120-day laboratory incubation experiment. The results revealed that exposure to MPs altered sedimentary chemical properties in a type- and concentration-dependent manner. Furthermore, MPs significantly altered the structure of bacterial community, with some MPs degradation-associated bacterial phyla significantly increasing (p < 0.05). However, in the case of archaea, the changes in the structure of microbial community were less pronounced (p > 0.05). Co-occurrence network analysis revealed that the addition of MPs reduced the network complexity, while PICRUSt2 and FAPROTAX analyses suggested that 0.2% PP and 1% PS MPs had the most significant effects on the nitrogen and carbon cycles (p < 0.05). Overall, this study provides new insights into the effects of MPs on the structure and function of microbial communities in cold seep sediments.
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Affiliation(s)
- Chunlei Chen
- Institute of Marine Biology and pharmacology, Ocean College, Zhejiang University, Zhoushan, 316021, Zhejiang, China
| | - Yinan Deng
- Guangzhou Marine Geological Survey, Guangzhou, 510075, Guangdong, China
| | - Qing Liu
- College of Environmental Science and Engineering, Guilin University of Technology, Guilin, 541000, Guangxi, China
| | - Hongfei Lai
- Guangzhou Marine Geological Survey, Guangzhou, 510075, Guangdong, China
| | - Chunfang Zhang
- Institute of Marine Biology and pharmacology, Ocean College, Zhejiang University, Zhoushan, 316021, Zhejiang, China.
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11
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Yan M, Hu Z, Duan Z, Sun Y, Dong T, Sun X, Zhen F, Li Y. Microbiome re-assembly boosts anaerobic digestion under volatile fatty acid inhibition: focusing on reactive oxygen species metabolism. WATER RESEARCH 2023; 246:120711. [PMID: 37844339 DOI: 10.1016/j.watres.2023.120711] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/22/2023] [Revised: 10/02/2023] [Accepted: 10/07/2023] [Indexed: 10/18/2023]
Abstract
The accumulation of volatile fatty acids (VFAs) in anaerobic digestion (AD) systems resulting from food waste overload poses a risk of system collapse. However, limited understanding exists regarding the inhibitory mechanisms and effective strategies to address VFAs-induced stress. This study found that accumulated VFAs exert reactive oxygen species (ROS) stress on indigenous microbiota, particularly impacting methanogens due to their lower antioxidant capability compared to bacteria, which is supposed to be the primary reason for methanogenesis failure. To enhance the VFAs-stressed AD process, microbiome re-assembly using customized propionate-degrading consortia and bioaugmentation with concentrated digestate were implemented. Microbiome re-assembly demonstrated superior efficiency, yielding an average methane yield of 563.6±159.8 mL/L·d and reducing VFAs to undetectable levels for a minimum of 80 days. This strategy improved the abundance of Syntrophomonas, Syntrophobacter and Methanothrix, alleviating ROS stress. Conversely, microbial community in reactor with other strategy experienced an escalating intracellular damage, as indicated by the increase of ROS generation-related genes. This study fills knowledge gaps in stress-related metabolic mechanisms of anaerobic microbiomes exposed to VFAs and microbiome re-assembly to boost methanogenesis process.
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Affiliation(s)
- Miao Yan
- Laboratory of Biomass Bio-Chemical Conversion, Guangzhou Institute of Energy Conversion, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Guangzhou 510640, PR China; Shandong Minhe Biotechnology Co., Ltd
| | - Zhiyuan Hu
- Laboratory of Biomass Bio-Chemical Conversion, Guangzhou Institute of Energy Conversion, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Guangzhou 510640, PR China
| | - Zhenhan Duan
- South China Institute of Environmental Science, Ministry of Ecology and Environment, Guangdong 510655 , PR China
| | - Yongming Sun
- Laboratory of Biomass Bio-Chemical Conversion, Guangzhou Institute of Energy Conversion, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Guangzhou 510640, PR China
| | | | | | - Feng Zhen
- Laboratory of Biomass Bio-Chemical Conversion, Guangzhou Institute of Energy Conversion, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Guangzhou 510640, PR China
| | - Ying Li
- Laboratory of Biomass Bio-Chemical Conversion, Guangzhou Institute of Energy Conversion, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Guangzhou 510640, PR China.
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12
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Eastman KAS, Jochimsen AS, Bandarian V. Intermolecular electron transfer in radical SAM enzymes as a new paradigm for reductive activation. J Biol Chem 2023; 299:105058. [PMID: 37460016 PMCID: PMC10470005 DOI: 10.1016/j.jbc.2023.105058] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/03/2023] [Revised: 07/10/2023] [Accepted: 07/13/2023] [Indexed: 08/26/2023] Open
Abstract
Radical S-adenosyl-L-methionine (rSAM) enzymes bind one or more Fe-S clusters and catalyze transformations that produce complex and structurally diverse natural products. One of the clusters, a 4Fe-4S cluster, binds and reductively cleaves SAM to generate the 5'-deoxyadenosyl radical, which initiates the catalytic cycle by H-atom transfer from the substrate. The role(s) of the additional auxiliary Fe-S clusters (ACs) remains largely enigmatic. The rSAM enzyme PapB catalyzes the formation of thioether cross-links between the β-carbon of an Asp and a Cys thiolate found in the PapA peptide. One of the two ACs in the protein binds to the substrate thiol where, upon formation of a thioether bond, one reducing equivalent is returned to the protein. However, for the next catalytic cycle to occur, the protein must undergo an electronic state isomerization, returning the electron to the SAM-binding cluster. Using a series of iron-sulfur cluster deletion mutants, our data support a model whereby the isomerization is an obligatorily intermolecular electron transfer event that can be mediated by redox active proteins or small molecules, likely via the second AC in PapB. Surprisingly, a mixture of FMN and NADPH is sufficient to support both the reductive and the isomerization steps. These findings lead to a new paradigm involving intermolecular electron transfer steps in the activation of rSAM enzymes that require multiple iron-sulfur clusters for turnover. The implications of these results for the biological activation of rSAM enzymes are discussed.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | - Vahe Bandarian
- University of Utah, Department of Chemistry, Salt Lake City, Utah, USA.
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13
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Chiu BK, Waldbauer J, Elling FJ, Mete ÖZ, Zhang L, Pearson A, Eggleston EM, Leavitt WD. Membrane lipid and expression responses of Saccharolobus islandicus REY15A to acid and cold stress. Front Microbiol 2023; 14:1219779. [PMID: 37649629 PMCID: PMC10465181 DOI: 10.3389/fmicb.2023.1219779] [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: 05/09/2023] [Accepted: 07/24/2023] [Indexed: 09/01/2023] Open
Abstract
Archaea adjust the number of cyclopentane rings in their glycerol dibiphytanyl glycerol tetraether (GDGT) membrane lipids as a homeostatic response to environmental stressors such as temperature, pH, and energy availability shifts. However, archaeal expression patterns that correspond with changes in GDGT composition are less understood. Here we characterize the acid and cold stress responses of the thermoacidophilic crenarchaeon Saccharolobus islandicus REY15A using growth rates, core GDGT lipid profiles, transcriptomics and proteomics. We show that both stressors result in impaired growth, lower average GDGT cyclization, and differences in gene and protein expression. Transcription data revealed differential expression of the GDGT ring synthase grsB in response to both acid stress and cold stress. Although the GDGT ring synthase encoded by grsB forms highly cyclized GDGTs with ≥5 ring moieties, S. islandicus grsB upregulation under acidic pH conditions did not correspond with increased abundances of highly cyclized GDGTs. Our observations highlight the inability to predict GDGT changes from transcription data alone. Broader analysis of transcriptomic data revealed that S. islandicus differentially expresses many of the same transcripts in response to both acid and cold stress. These included upregulation of several biosynthetic pathways and downregulation of oxidative phosphorylation and motility. Transcript responses specific to either of the two stressors tested here included upregulation of genes related to proton pumping and molecular turnover in acid stress conditions and upregulation of transposases in cold stress conditions. Overall, our study provides a comprehensive understanding of the GDGT modifications and differential expression characteristic of the acid stress and cold stress responses in S. islandicus.
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Affiliation(s)
- Beverly K. Chiu
- Department of Earth Sciences, Dartmouth College, Hanover, NH, United States
| | - Jacob Waldbauer
- Department of the Geophysical Sciences, The University of Chicago, Chicago, IL, United States
| | - Felix J. Elling
- Department of Earth and Planetary Sciences, Harvard University, Cambridge, MA, United States
- Leibniz-Laboratory for Radiometric Dating and Isotope Research, Kiel University, Kiel, Germany
| | - Öykü Z. Mete
- Department of Earth Sciences, Dartmouth College, Hanover, NH, United States
- Department of Earth and Planetary Sciences, Harvard University, Cambridge, MA, United States
| | - Lichun Zhang
- Department of the Geophysical Sciences, The University of Chicago, Chicago, IL, United States
| | - Ann Pearson
- Department of Earth and Planetary Sciences, Harvard University, Cambridge, MA, United States
| | - Erin M. Eggleston
- Department of Biology, Middlebury College, Middlebury, VT, United States
| | - William D. Leavitt
- Department of Earth Sciences, Dartmouth College, Hanover, NH, United States
- Department of Chemistry, Dartmouth College, Hanover, NH, United States
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14
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Namkoong G, Suess DLM. Cluster-selective 57Fe labeling of a Twitch-domain-containing radical SAM enzyme. Chem Sci 2023; 14:7492-7499. [PMID: 37449070 PMCID: PMC10337720 DOI: 10.1039/d3sc02016a] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/19/2023] [Accepted: 06/02/2023] [Indexed: 07/18/2023] Open
Abstract
57Fe-specific techniques such as Mössbauer spectroscopy are invaluable tools in mechanistic studies of Fe-S proteins. However, they remain underutilized for proteins that bind multiple Fe-S clusters because such proteins are typically uniformly enriched with 57Fe. As a result, it can be unclear which spectroscopic responses derive from which cluster, and this in turn obscures the chemistry that takes place at each cluster. Herein, we report a facile method for cluster-selective 57Fe enrichment based on exchange between the protein's Fe-S clusters and exogenous Fe ions. Through a combination of inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometric and 57Fe Mössbauer spectroscopic analysis, we show that, of the two [Fe4S4] clusters in BtrN (a Twitch-domain-containing radical S-adenosyl-l-methionine (SAM) enzyme), the Fe ions in the SAM-binding cluster undergo faster exchange with exogenous Fe2+; the auxiliary cluster is essentially inert under the reaction conditions. Exploiting this rate difference allows for either of the two [Fe4S4] clusters to be selectively labeled: the SAM-binding cluster can be labeled by exchanging unlabeled BtrN with 57Fe2+, or the auxiliary cluster can be labeled by exchanging fully labeled BtrN with natural abundance Fe2+. The labeling selectivity likely originates primarily from differences in the clusters' accessibility to small molecules, with secondary contributions from the different redox properties of the clusters. This method for cluster-selective isotopic labeling could in principle be applied to any protein that binds multiple Fe-S clusters so long as the clusters undergo exchange with exogenous Fe ions at sufficiently different rates.
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Affiliation(s)
- Gil Namkoong
- Department of Chemistry, Massachusetts Institute of Technology Cambridge MA 02139 USA
| | - Daniel L M Suess
- Department of Chemistry, Massachusetts Institute of Technology Cambridge MA 02139 USA
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15
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Řezanka T, Kyselová L, Murphy DJ. Archaeal lipids. Prog Lipid Res 2023; 91:101237. [PMID: 37236370 DOI: 10.1016/j.plipres.2023.101237] [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: 01/06/2023] [Revised: 04/25/2023] [Accepted: 05/19/2023] [Indexed: 05/28/2023]
Abstract
The major archaeal membrane glycerolipids are distinguished from those of bacteria and eukaryotes by the contrasting stereochemistry of their glycerol backbones, and by the use of ether-linked isoprenoid-based alkyl chains rather than ester-linked fatty acyl chains for their hydrophobic moieties. These fascinating compounds play important roles in the extremophile lifestyles of many species, but are also present in the growing numbers of recently discovered mesophilic archaea. The past decade has witnessed significant advances in our understanding of archaea in general and their lipids in particular. Much of the new information has come from the ability to screen large microbial populations via environmental metagenomics, which has revolutionised our understanding of the extent of archaeal biodiversity that is coupled with a strict conservation of their membrane lipid compositions. Significant additional progress has come from new culturing and analytical techniques that are gradually enabling archaeal physiology and biochemistry to be studied in real time. These studies are beginning to shed light on the much-discussed and still-controversial process of eukaryogenesis, which probably involved both bacterial and archaeal progenitors. Puzzlingly, although eukaryotes retain many attributes of their putative archaeal ancestors, their lipid compositions only reflect their bacterial progenitors. Finally, elucidation of archaeal lipids and their metabolic pathways have revealed potentially interesting applications that have opened up new frontiers for biotechnological exploitation of these organisms. This review is concerned with the analysis, structure, function, evolution and biotechnology of archaeal lipids and their associated metabolic pathways.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tomáš Řezanka
- Institute of Microbiology, Czech Academy of Sciences, Vídeňská 1083, 142 00 Prague, Czech Republic
| | - Lucie Kyselová
- Research Institute of Brewing and Malting, Lípová 511, 120 44 Prague, Czech Republic
| | - Denis J Murphy
- School of Applied Sciences, University of South Wales, Pontypridd, CF37 1DL, United Kingdom.
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16
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Wilkens D, Simon J. Biosynthesis and function of microbial methylmenaquinones. Adv Microb Physiol 2023; 83:1-58. [PMID: 37507157 DOI: 10.1016/bs.ampbs.2023.05.002] [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: 07/30/2023]
Abstract
The membranous quinone/quinol pool is essential for the majority of life forms and its composition has been widely used as a biomarker in microbial taxonomy. The most abundant quinone is menaquinone (MK), which serves as an essential redox mediator in various electron transport chains of aerobic and anaerobic respiration. Several methylated derivatives of MK, designated methylmenaquinones (MMKs), have been reported to be present in members of various microbial phyla possessing either the classical MK biosynthesis pathway (Men) or the futalosine pathway (Mqn). Due to their low redox midpoint potentials, MMKs have been proposed to be specifically involved in appropriate electron transport chains of anaerobic respiration. The class C radical SAM methyltransferases MqnK, MenK and MenK2 have recently been shown to catalyse specific MK methylation reactions at position C-8 (MqnK/MenK) or C-7 (MenK2) to synthesise 8-MMK, 7-MMK and 7,8-dimethylmenaquinone (DMMK). MqnK, MenK and MenK2 from organisms such as Wolinella succinogenes, Adlercreutzia equolifaciens, Collinsella tanakaei, Ferrimonas marina and Syntrophus aciditrophicus have been functionally produced in Escherichia coli, enabling extensive quinone/quinol pool engineering of the native MK and 2-demethylmenaquinone (DMK). Cluster and phylogenetic analyses of available MK and MMK methyltransferase sequences revealed signature motifs that allowed the discrimination of MenK/MqnK/MenK2 family enzymes from other radical SAM enzymes and the identification of C-7-specific menaquinone methyltransferases of the MenK2 subfamily. It is envisaged that this knowledge will help to predict the methylation status of the menaquinone/menaquinol pool of any microbial species (or even a microbial community) from its (meta)genome.
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Affiliation(s)
- Dennis Wilkens
- Microbial Energy Conversion and Biotechnology, Department of Biology, Technical University of Darmstadt, Schnittspahnstraße 10, Darmstadt, Germany
| | - Jörg Simon
- Microbial Energy Conversion and Biotechnology, Department of Biology, Technical University of Darmstadt, Schnittspahnstraße 10, Darmstadt, Germany; Centre for Synthetic Biology, Technical University of Darmstadt, Darmstadt, Germany.
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17
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Moody JD, Hill S, Lundahl MN, Saxton AJ, Galambas A, Broderick WE, Lawrence CM, Broderick JB. Computational engineering of previously crystallized pyruvate formate-lyase activating enzyme reveals insights into SAM binding and reductive cleavage. J Biol Chem 2023; 299:104791. [PMID: 37156396 PMCID: PMC10267522 DOI: 10.1016/j.jbc.2023.104791] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/03/2023] [Revised: 04/21/2023] [Accepted: 04/23/2023] [Indexed: 05/10/2023] Open
Abstract
Radical S-adenosyl-l-methionine (SAM) enzymes are ubiquitous in nature and carry out a broad variety of difficult chemical transformations initiated by hydrogen atom abstraction. Although numerous radical SAM (RS) enzymes have been structurally characterized, many prove recalcitrant to crystallization needed for atomic-level structure determination using X-ray crystallography, and even those that have been crystallized for an initial study can be difficult to recrystallize for further structural work. We present here a method for computationally engineering previously observed crystallographic contacts and employ it to obtain more reproducible crystallization of the RS enzyme pyruvate formate-lyase activating enzyme (PFL-AE). We show that the computationally engineered variant binds a typical RS [4Fe-4S]2+/+ cluster that binds SAM, with electron paramagnetic resonance properties indistinguishable from the native PFL-AE. The variant also retains the typical PFL-AE catalytic activity, as evidenced by the characteristic glycyl radical electron paramagnetic resonance signal observed upon incubation of the PFL-AE variant with reducing agent, SAM, and PFL. The PFL-AE variant was also crystallized in the [4Fe-4S]2+ state with SAM bound, providing a new high-resolution structure of the SAM complex in the absence of substrate. Finally, by incubating such a crystal in a solution of sodium dithionite, the reductive cleavage of SAM is triggered, providing us with a structure in which the SAM cleavage products 5'-deoxyadenosine and methionine are bound in the active site. We propose that the methods described herein may be useful in the structural characterization of other difficult-to-resolve proteins.
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Affiliation(s)
- James D Moody
- Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, Brigham Young University, Provo, Utah, USA; Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, Montana State University, Bozeman, Montana, USA
| | - Sarah Hill
- Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, Montana State University, Bozeman, Montana, USA
| | - Maike N Lundahl
- Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, Montana State University, Bozeman, Montana, USA
| | - Aubrianna J Saxton
- Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, Brigham Young University, Provo, Utah, USA
| | - Amanda Galambas
- Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, Montana State University, Bozeman, Montana, USA
| | - William E Broderick
- Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, Montana State University, Bozeman, Montana, USA
| | - C Martin Lawrence
- Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, Montana State University, Bozeman, Montana, USA
| | - Joan B Broderick
- Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, Montana State University, Bozeman, Montana, USA.
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18
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Rao A, de Kok NAW, Driessen AJM. Membrane Adaptations and Cellular Responses of Sulfolobus acidocaldarius to the Allylamine Terbinafine. Int J Mol Sci 2023; 24:ijms24087328. [PMID: 37108491 PMCID: PMC10138448 DOI: 10.3390/ijms24087328] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/28/2023] [Revised: 04/11/2023] [Accepted: 04/13/2023] [Indexed: 04/29/2023] Open
Abstract
Cellular membranes are essential for compartmentalization, maintenance of permeability, and fluidity in all three domains of life. Archaea belong to the third domain of life and have a distinct phospholipid composition. Membrane lipids of archaea are ether-linked molecules, specifically bilayer-forming dialkyl glycerol diethers (DGDs) and monolayer-forming glycerol dialkyl glycerol tetraethers (GDGTs). The antifungal allylamine terbinafine has been proposed as an inhibitor of GDGT biosynthesis in archaea based on radiolabel incorporation studies. The exact target(s) and mechanism of action of terbinafine in archaea remain elusive. Sulfolobus acidocaldarius is a strictly aerobic crenarchaeon thriving in a thermoacidophilic environment, and its membrane is dominated by GDGTs. Here, we comprehensively analyzed the lipidome and transcriptome of S. acidocaldarius in the presence of terbinafine. Depletion of GDGTs and the accompanying accumulation of DGDs upon treatment with terbinafine were growth phase-dependent. Additionally, a major shift in the saturation of caldariellaquinones was observed, which resulted in the accumulation of unsaturated molecules. Transcriptomic data indicated that terbinafine has a multitude of effects, including significant differential expression of genes in the respiratory complex, motility, cell envelope, fatty acid metabolism, and GDGT cyclization. Combined, these findings suggest that the response of S. acidocaldarius to terbinafine inhibition involves respiratory stress and the differential expression of genes involved in isoprenoid biosynthesis and saturation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alka Rao
- Department of Molecular Microbiology, Groningen Biomolecular Science and Biotechnology Institute, University of Groningen, 9747 AG Groningen, The Netherlands
| | - Niels A W de Kok
- Department of Chemical and Pharmaceutical Biology, Groningen Research Institute of Pharmacy, University of Groningen, Antonius Deusinglaan 1, 9713 AV Groningen, The Netherlands
| | - Arnold J M Driessen
- Department of Molecular Microbiology, Groningen Biomolecular Science and Biotechnology Institute, University of Groningen, 9747 AG Groningen, The Netherlands
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19
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Sinninghe Damsté JS, Rijpstra WIC, Huber KJ, Albuquerque L, Egas C, Bale NJ. Dominance of mixed ether/ester, intact polar membrane lipids in five species of the order Rubrobacterales: Another group of bacteria not obeying the "lipid divide". Syst Appl Microbiol 2023; 46:126404. [PMID: 36868099 DOI: 10.1016/j.syapm.2023.126404] [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: 12/12/2022] [Revised: 01/26/2023] [Accepted: 02/20/2023] [Indexed: 02/26/2023]
Abstract
The composition of the core lipids and intact polar lipids (IPLs) of five Rubrobacter species was examined. Methylated (ω-4) fatty acids (FAs) characterized the core lipids of Rubrobacter radiotolerans, R. xylanophilus and R. bracarensis. In contrast, R. calidifluminis and R. naiadicus lacked ω-4 methyl FAs but instead contained abundant (i.e., 34-41 % of the core lipids) ω-cyclohexyl FAs not reported before in the order Rubrobacterales. Their genomes contained an almost complete operon encoding proteins enabling production of cyclohexane carboxylic acid CoA thioester, which acts as a building block for ω-cyclohexyl FAs in other bacteria. Hence, the most plausible explanation for the biosynthesis of these cyclic FAs in R. calidifluminis and R. naiadicus is a recent acquisition of this operon. All strains contained 1-O-alkyl glycerol ether lipids in abundance (up to 46 % of the core lipids), in line with the dominance (>90 %) of mixed ether/ester IPLs with a variety of polar headgroups. The IPL head group distribution of R. calidifluminis and R. naiadicus differed, e.g. they lacked a novel IPL tentatively assigned as phosphothreoninol. The genomes of all five Rubrobacter species contained a putative operon encoding the synthesis of the 1-O-alkyl glycerol phosphate, the presumed building block of mixed ether/ester IPLs, which shows some resemblance with an operon enabling ether lipid production in various other aerobic bacteria but requires more study. The uncommon dominance of mixed ether/ester IPLs in Rubrobacter species exemplifies our recent growing awareness that the lipid divide between archaea and bacteria/eukaryotes is not as clear cut as previously thought.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jaap S Sinninghe Damsté
- NIOZ Royal Netherlands Institute for Sea Research, Department of Marine Microbiology and Biogeochemistry, Texel, the Netherlands; Department of Earth Sciences, Faculty of Geosciences, Utrecht University, Utrecht, the Netherlands.
| | - W Irene C Rijpstra
- NIOZ Royal Netherlands Institute for Sea Research, Department of Marine Microbiology and Biogeochemistry, Texel, the Netherlands
| | - Katharina J Huber
- Department of Microorganisms, Leibniz-Institute DSMZ - Deutsche Sammlung von Mikroorganismen und Zellkulturen, D-38124 Braunschweig, Germany
| | - Luciana Albuquerque
- CNC - Center for Neuroscience and Cell Biology, UC-Biotech, Biocant Park, 3060-197, Cantanhede, Portugal
| | - Conceição Egas
- CNC - Center for Neuroscience and Cell Biology, UC-Biotech, Biocant Park, 3060-197, Cantanhede, Portugal; BIOCANT - Transfer Technology Association, Biocant Park, 3060-197 Cantanhede, Portugal
| | - Nicole J Bale
- NIOZ Royal Netherlands Institute for Sea Research, Department of Marine Microbiology and Biogeochemistry, Texel, the Netherlands
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20
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Knox HL, Allen KN. Expanding the viewpoint: Leveraging sequence information in enzymology. Curr Opin Chem Biol 2023; 72:102246. [PMID: 36599282 PMCID: PMC10251232 DOI: 10.1016/j.cbpa.2022.102246] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/14/2022] [Revised: 10/31/2022] [Accepted: 11/21/2022] [Indexed: 01/04/2023]
Abstract
The use of protein sequence to inform enzymology in terms of structure, mechanism, and function has burgeoned over the past two decades. Referred to as genomic enzymology, the utilization of bioinformatic tools such as sequence similarity networks and phylogenetic analyses has allowed the identification of new substrates and metabolites, novel pathways, and unexpected reaction mechanisms. The holistic examination of superfamilies can yield insight into the origins and paths of evolution of enzymes and the range of their substrates and mechanisms. Herein, we highlight advances in the use of genomic enzymology to address problems which the in-depth analyses of a single enzyme alone could not enable.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hayley L Knox
- Department of Chemistry, Boston University, 590 Commonwealth Avenue, Boston, MA, 02215-2521, USA
| | - Karen N Allen
- Department of Chemistry, Boston University, 590 Commonwealth Avenue, Boston, MA, 02215-2521, USA.
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21
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Yang W, Chen H, Chen Y, Chen A, Feng X, Zhao B, Zheng F, Fang H, Zhang C, Zeng Z. Thermophilic archaeon orchestrates temporal expression of GDGT ring synthases in response to temperature and acidity stress. Environ Microbiol 2023; 25:575-587. [PMID: 36495168 DOI: 10.1111/1462-2920.16301] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/05/2022] [Accepted: 12/04/2022] [Indexed: 12/14/2022]
Abstract
Glycerol dibiphytanyl glycerol tetraethers (GDGTs) are unique archaeal membrane-spanning lipids with 0-8 cyclopentane rings on the biphytanyl chains. The cyclization pattern of GDGTs is affected by many environmental factors, such as temperature and pH, but the underlying molecular mechanism remains elusive. Here, we find that the expression regulation of GDGT ring synthase genes grsA and grsB in thermophilic archaeon Sulfolobus acidocaldarius is temperature- and pH-dependent. Moreover, the presence of functional GrsA protein, or more likely its products cyclic GDGTs rather than the accumulation of GrsA protein itself, is required to induce grsB expression, resulting in temporal regulation of grsA and grsB expression. Our findings establish a molecular model of GDGT cyclization regulated by environment factors in a thermophilic ecosystem, which could be also relevant to that in mesophilic marine archaea. Our study will help better understand the biological basis for GDGT-based paleoclimate proxies. Archaea inhabit a wide range of terrestrial and marine environments. In response to environment fluctuations, archaea modulate their unique membrane GDGTs lipid composition with different strategies, in particular GDGTs cyclization significantly alters membrane permeability. However, the regulation details of archaeal GDGTs cyclization in response to different environmental factor changes remain unknown. We demonstrated, for the first time, thermophilic archaea orchestrate the temporal expression of GDGT ring synthases, leading to delicate control of GDGTs cyclization to respond environmental temperature and acidity stress. Our study provides insight into the regulation of archaea membrane plasticity, and the survival strategy of archaea in fluctuating environments.
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Affiliation(s)
- Wei Yang
- Department of Ocean Science and Engineering, Southern University of Science and Technology, Shenzhen, China
| | - Huahui Chen
- Department of Ocean Science and Engineering, Southern University of Science and Technology, Shenzhen, China
| | - Yufei Chen
- Department of Ocean Science and Engineering, Southern University of Science and Technology, Shenzhen, China
| | - Aiping Chen
- Department of Ocean Science and Engineering, Southern University of Science and Technology, Shenzhen, China
- Southern Marine Science and Engineering Guangdong Laboratory (Guangzhou), Guangzhou, China
| | - Xi Feng
- Department of Ocean Science and Engineering, Southern University of Science and Technology, Shenzhen, China
| | - Bo Zhao
- Department of Ocean Science and Engineering, Southern University of Science and Technology, Shenzhen, China
| | - Fengfeng Zheng
- Department of Ocean Science and Engineering, Southern University of Science and Technology, Shenzhen, China
| | - Hongwei Fang
- Department of Ocean Science and Engineering, Southern University of Science and Technology, Shenzhen, China
| | - Changyi Zhang
- Carl R. Woese Institute for Genomic Biology, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, Urbana, Illinois, USA
| | - Zhirui Zeng
- Department of Ocean Science and Engineering, Southern University of Science and Technology, Shenzhen, China
- Southern Marine Science and Engineering Guangdong Laboratory (Guangzhou), Guangzhou, China
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22
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Sahonero-Canavesi DX, Siliakus MF, Abdala Asbun A, Koenen M, von Meijenfeldt FAB, Boeren S, Bale NJ, Engelman JC, Fiege K, Strack van Schijndel L, Sinninghe Damsté JS, Villanueva L. Disentangling the lipid divide: Identification of key enzymes for the biosynthesis of membrane-spanning and ether lipids in Bacteria. SCIENCE ADVANCES 2022; 8:eabq8652. [PMID: 36525503 DOI: 10.1126/sciadv.abq8652] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/17/2023]
Abstract
Bacterial membranes are composed of fatty acids (FAs) ester-linked to glycerol-3-phosphate, while archaea have membranes made of isoprenoid chains ether-linked to glycerol-1-phosphate. Many archaeal species organize their membrane as a monolayer of membrane-spanning lipids (MSLs). Exceptions to this "lipid divide" are the production by some bacterial species of (ether-bound) MSLs, formed by tail-to-tail condensation of FAs resulting in the formation of (iso) diabolic acids (DAs), which are the likely precursors of paleoclimatological relevant branched glycerol dialkyl glycerol tetraether molecules. However, the enzymes responsible for their production are unknown. Here, we report the discovery of bacterial enzymes responsible for the condensation reaction of FAs and for ether bond formation and confirm that the building blocks of iso-DA are branched iso-FAs. Phylogenomic analyses of the key biosynthetic genes reveal a much wider diversity of potential MSL (ether)-producing bacteria than previously thought, with importantt implications for our understanding of the evolution of lipid membranes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Diana X Sahonero-Canavesi
- Department of Marine Microbiology and Biogeochemistry (MMB), NIOZ Royal Netherlands Institute for Sea Research, PO Box 59, Den Burg 1790 AB, Netherlands
| | - Melvin F Siliakus
- Department of Marine Microbiology and Biogeochemistry (MMB), NIOZ Royal Netherlands Institute for Sea Research, PO Box 59, Den Burg 1790 AB, Netherlands
| | - Alejandro Abdala Asbun
- Department of Marine Microbiology and Biogeochemistry (MMB), NIOZ Royal Netherlands Institute for Sea Research, PO Box 59, Den Burg 1790 AB, Netherlands
| | - Michel Koenen
- Department of Marine Microbiology and Biogeochemistry (MMB), NIOZ Royal Netherlands Institute for Sea Research, PO Box 59, Den Burg 1790 AB, Netherlands
| | - F A Bastiaan von Meijenfeldt
- Department of Marine Microbiology and Biogeochemistry (MMB), NIOZ Royal Netherlands Institute for Sea Research, PO Box 59, Den Burg 1790 AB, Netherlands
| | - Sjef Boeren
- Laboratory of Biochemistry, Wageningen University and Research, Stippeneng 4, Wageningen 6708 WE, Netherlands
| | - Nicole J Bale
- Department of Marine Microbiology and Biogeochemistry (MMB), NIOZ Royal Netherlands Institute for Sea Research, PO Box 59, Den Burg 1790 AB, Netherlands
| | - Julia C Engelman
- Department of Marine Microbiology and Biogeochemistry (MMB), NIOZ Royal Netherlands Institute for Sea Research, PO Box 59, Den Burg 1790 AB, Netherlands
| | - Kerstin Fiege
- Department of Marine Microbiology and Biogeochemistry (MMB), NIOZ Royal Netherlands Institute for Sea Research, PO Box 59, Den Burg 1790 AB, Netherlands
| | - Lora Strack van Schijndel
- Department of Marine Microbiology and Biogeochemistry (MMB), NIOZ Royal Netherlands Institute for Sea Research, PO Box 59, Den Burg 1790 AB, Netherlands
| | - Jaap S Sinninghe Damsté
- Department of Marine Microbiology and Biogeochemistry (MMB), NIOZ Royal Netherlands Institute for Sea Research, PO Box 59, Den Burg 1790 AB, Netherlands
- Utrecht University, Faculty of Geosciences, Department of Earth Sciences, PO Box 80.021, Utrecht 3508 TA, Netherlands
| | - Laura Villanueva
- Department of Marine Microbiology and Biogeochemistry (MMB), NIOZ Royal Netherlands Institute for Sea Research, PO Box 59, Den Burg 1790 AB, Netherlands
- Utrecht University, Faculty of Geosciences, Department of Earth Sciences, PO Box 80.021, Utrecht 3508 TA, Netherlands
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23
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Booker SJ, Lloyd CT. Twenty Years of Radical SAM! The Genesis of the Superfamily. ACS BIO & MED CHEM AU 2022; 2:538-547. [PMID: 37101427 PMCID: PMC10114671 DOI: 10.1021/acsbiomedchemau.2c00078] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/21/2022] [Indexed: 12/10/2022]
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24
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Nguyen TQ, Nicolet Y. Structure and Catalytic Mechanism of Radical SAM Methylases. Life (Basel) 2022; 12:1732. [PMID: 36362886 PMCID: PMC9692996 DOI: 10.3390/life12111732] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/23/2022] [Revised: 10/25/2022] [Accepted: 10/26/2022] [Indexed: 08/14/2023] Open
Abstract
Methyl transfer is essential in myriad biological pathways found across all domains of life. Unlike conventional methyltransferases that catalyze this reaction through nucleophilic substitution, many members of the radical S-adenosyl-L-methionine (SAM) enzyme superfamily use radical-based chemistry to methylate unreactive carbon centers. These radical SAM methylases reductively cleave SAM to generate a highly reactive 5'-deoxyadenosyl radical, which initiates a broad range of transformations. Recently, crystal structures of several radical SAM methylases have been determined, shedding light on the unprecedented catalytic mechanisms used by these enzymes to overcome the substantial activation energy barrier of weakly nucleophilic substrates. Here, we review some of the discoveries on this topic over the last decade, focusing on enzymes for which three-dimensional structures are available to identify the key players in the mechanisms, highlighting the dual function of SAM as a methyl donor and a 5'-deoxyadenosyl radical or deprotonating base source. We also describe the role of the protein matrix in orchestrating the reaction through different strategies to catalyze such challenging methylations.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Yvain Nicolet
- Metalloproteins Unit, Univ. Grenoble Alpes, CEA, CNRS, IBS, F-38000 Grenoble, France
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