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Williamson G, Harris T, Bizior A, Hoskisson PA, Pritchard L, Javelle A. Biological ammonium transporters: evolution and diversification. FEBS J 2024. [PMID: 38265636 DOI: 10.1111/febs.17059] [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: 09/26/2023] [Revised: 12/14/2023] [Accepted: 01/09/2024] [Indexed: 01/25/2024]
Abstract
Although ammonium is the preferred nitrogen source for microbes and plants, in animal cells it is a toxic product of nitrogen metabolism that needs to be excreted. Thus, ammonium movement across biological membranes, whether for uptake or excretion, is a fundamental and ubiquitous biological process catalysed by the superfamily of the Amt/Mep/Rh transporters. A remarkable feature of the Amt/Mep/Rh family is that they are ubiquitous and, despite sharing low amino acid sequence identity, are highly structurally conserved. Despite sharing a common structure, these proteins have become involved in a diverse range of physiological process spanning all domains of life, with reports describing their involvement in diverse biological processes being published regularly. In this context, we exhaustively present their range of biological roles across the domains of life and after explore current hypotheses concerning their evolution to help to understand how and why the conserved structure fulfils diverse physiological functions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Gordon Williamson
- Strathclyde Institute of Pharmacy and Biomedical Sciences, University of Strathclyde, Glasgow, UK
| | - Thomas Harris
- Strathclyde Institute of Pharmacy and Biomedical Sciences, University of Strathclyde, Glasgow, UK
| | - Adriana Bizior
- Strathclyde Institute of Pharmacy and Biomedical Sciences, University of Strathclyde, Glasgow, UK
| | - Paul Alan Hoskisson
- Strathclyde Institute of Pharmacy and Biomedical Sciences, University of Strathclyde, Glasgow, UK
| | - Leighton Pritchard
- Strathclyde Institute of Pharmacy and Biomedical Sciences, University of Strathclyde, Glasgow, UK
| | - Arnaud Javelle
- Strathclyde Institute of Pharmacy and Biomedical Sciences, University of Strathclyde, Glasgow, UK
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2
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Habenicht T, Weidenbach K, Velazquez-Campoy A, Buey RM, Balsera M, Schmitz RA. Small protein mediates inhibition of ammonium transport in Methanosarcina mazei-an ancient mechanism? Microbiol Spectr 2023; 11:e0281123. [PMID: 37909787 PMCID: PMC10714827 DOI: 10.1128/spectrum.02811-23] [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: 07/10/2023] [Accepted: 09/29/2023] [Indexed: 11/03/2023] Open
Abstract
IMPORTANCE Small proteins containing fewer than 70 amino acids, which were previously disregarded due to computational prediction and biochemical detection challenges, have gained increased attention in the scientific community in recent years. However, the number of functionally characterized small proteins, especially in archaea, is still limited. Here, by using biochemical and genetic approaches, we demonstrate a crucial role of the small protein sP36 in the nitrogen metabolism of M. mazei, which modulates the ammonium transporter AmtB1 according to nitrogen availability. This modulation might represent an ancient archaeal mechanism of AmtB1 inhibition, in contrast to the well-studied uridylylation-dependent regulation in bacteria.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tim Habenicht
- Institut für allgemeine Mikrobiologie, Christian-Albrechts-Universität zu Kiel, Kiel, Germany
| | - Katrin Weidenbach
- Institut für allgemeine Mikrobiologie, Christian-Albrechts-Universität zu Kiel, Kiel, Germany
| | - Adrian Velazquez-Campoy
- Institute of Biocomputation and Physics of Complex Systems (BIFI), Universidad de Zaragoza, Zaragoza, Spain
- Departamento de Bioquímica y Biología Molecular y Celular, Universidad de Zaragoza, Zaragoza, Spain
- Instituto de Investigaciones Sanitarias de Aragón (IIS Aragón), Zaragoza, Spain
- Centro de Investigación Biomédica en Red de Enfermedades Hepáticas y Digestivas (CIBEREHD), Madrid, Spain
| | - Ruben M. Buey
- Departamento de Microbiología y Genética, Universidad de Salamanca, Salamanca, Spain
| | - Monica Balsera
- Instituto de Recursos Naturales y Agrobiología de Salamanca, Spanish National Research Council (IRNASA-CSIC), Salamanca, Spain
| | - Ruth A. Schmitz
- Institut für allgemeine Mikrobiologie, Christian-Albrechts-Universität zu Kiel, Kiel, Germany
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3
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Pérez-Alfaro JE, Villaseca A, Gaytán R, Martínez-Jardines MA, Buitrón G, Texier AC, Cuervo-López FM. Nitrification activity in the presence of 2-chlorophenol using whole nitrifying cells and cell-free extracts: batch and SBR assays. 3 Biotech 2023; 13:364. [PMID: 37840880 PMCID: PMC10575828 DOI: 10.1007/s13205-023-03764-z] [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: 02/09/2023] [Accepted: 08/29/2023] [Indexed: 10/17/2023] Open
Abstract
Kinetic assays with a nitrifying consortium with whole nitrifying cells amended with 5 mg 2-CP-C/L and 100, 200, 300, or 500 mg NH4+-N/L were carried out in batch and nitrifying sequencing batch reactor (SBR) cultures. No nitrification activity was observed in batch assays with 100 mg NH4+-N/L and 5 mg 2-CP-C/L. Nevertheless, increasing the ammonium concentration from 200 to 500 mg NH4+-N/L allowed simultaneous ammonium and nitrite oxidation even in the presence of 5 mg 2-CP-C/L plus the halogenated compound consumption. Under these conditions, the ammonium monooxygenase enzyme participated in 2-CP consumption. Complete nitrification and simultaneous elimination of 5 mg 2-CP-C/L were achieved in the SBR amended with 200-500 mg NH4+-N/L. The inhibitory effect of 2-CP on the nitrite oxidation process completely disappeared under these conditions. Assays with nitrifying cell-free extracts, ammonium (100 mg NH4+-N/L), and 2-CP (5 mg 2-CP-C/L) were also conducted. In the absence of 2-CP, the nitrifying cell-free extracts maintained up to 60% of the nitrifying activity compared to whole-cells. Contrary to whole-cell assays, cell-free extracts were capable of simultaneously oxidizing ammonium and consuming 2-CP. However, the inhibitory effect of 2-CP on nitrification was still present as lower specific rates of ammonium consumption and nitrate production were obtained. Thus, these assays indicate that the presence of 2-CP affects both, the ammonium transport mechanism and the activity of nitrifying enzymes. Supplementary Information The online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1007/s13205-023-03764-z.
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Affiliation(s)
- J. E. Pérez-Alfaro
- Department of Biotechnology, Universidad Autónoma Metropolitana-Iztapalapa, Iztapalapa, CP 09310 Mexico City, México
| | - A. Villaseca
- Department of Biotechnology, Universidad Autónoma Metropolitana-Iztapalapa, Iztapalapa, CP 09310 Mexico City, México
| | - Raúl Gaytán
- Department of Biotechnology, Universidad Autónoma Metropolitana-Iztapalapa, Iztapalapa, CP 09310 Mexico City, México
| | - M. A. Martínez-Jardines
- Department of Biotechnology, Universidad Autónoma Metropolitana-Iztapalapa, Iztapalapa, CP 09310 Mexico City, México
| | - G. Buitrón
- Unidad Académica del Instituto de Ingeniería, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México, 76230 Querétaro, Querétaro México
| | - A.-C. Texier
- Department of Biotechnology, Universidad Autónoma Metropolitana-Iztapalapa, Iztapalapa, CP 09310 Mexico City, México
| | - F. M. Cuervo-López
- Department of Biotechnology, Universidad Autónoma Metropolitana-Iztapalapa, Iztapalapa, CP 09310 Mexico City, México
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4
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Huang J, Zheng X, Tian M, Zhang K. Ammonia and Nematode Ascaroside Are Synergistic in Trap Formation in Arthrobotrys oligospora. Pathogens 2023; 12:1114. [PMID: 37764922 PMCID: PMC10536950 DOI: 10.3390/pathogens12091114] [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: 07/28/2023] [Revised: 08/28/2023] [Accepted: 08/30/2023] [Indexed: 09/29/2023] Open
Abstract
Nematode-trapping (NT) fungi are natural predators of the soil living nematodes. Diverse external signals mediate the generation of predatory devices of NT fungi. Among these, broad ascarosides and nitrogenous ammonia are highly efficient inducers for trap structure initiation. However, the overlay effect of ammonia and ascaroside on the trap morphogenesis remains unclear. This study demonstrated that the combination of nitrogenous substances with nematode-derived ascarosides led to higher trap production compared to the single inducing cues; notably, ammonia and Ascr#18 had the most synergistic effect on the trap in A. oligospora. Further, the deletion of ammonia transceptor Amt43 blocked trap formation against ammonia addition in A. oligospora but not for the ascaroside Ascr#18 induction. Moreover, ammonia addition could promote plasma endocytosis in the process of trap formation. In contrast, ascaroside addition would facilitate the stability of intracellular organization away from endocytosis. Therefore, there is a synergistic effect on trap induction from different nitrogenous and ascaroside signals.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jinrong Huang
- State Key Laboratory for Conservation and Utilization of Bio-Resources in Yunnan, Yunnan University, Kunming 650091, China; (J.H.); (X.Z.)
| | - Xi Zheng
- State Key Laboratory for Conservation and Utilization of Bio-Resources in Yunnan, Yunnan University, Kunming 650091, China; (J.H.); (X.Z.)
| | - Mengqing Tian
- Key Laboratory for Potato Biology of Yunnan Province, The CAAS-YNNU-YINMORE Joint Academy of Potato Science, Yunnan Normal University, Kunming 650091, China;
| | - Keqin Zhang
- State Key Laboratory for Conservation and Utilization of Bio-Resources in Yunnan, Yunnan University, Kunming 650091, China; (J.H.); (X.Z.)
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5
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Bizior A, Williamson G, Harris T, Hoskisson PA, Javelle A. Prokaryotic ammonium transporters: what has three decades of research revealed? MICROBIOLOGY (READING, ENGLAND) 2023; 169:001360. [PMID: 37450375 PMCID: PMC10433425 DOI: 10.1099/mic.0.001360] [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: 11/17/2021] [Accepted: 06/24/2023] [Indexed: 07/18/2023]
Abstract
The exchange of ammonium across cellular membranes is a fundamental process in all domains of life. In plants, bacteria and fungi, ammonium represents a vital source of nitrogen, which is scavenged from the external environment. In contrast, in animal cells ammonium is a cytotoxic metabolic waste product and must be excreted to prevent cell death. Transport of ammonium is facilitated by the ubiquitous Amt/Mep/Rh transporter superfamily. In addition to their function as transporters, Amt/Mep/Rh proteins play roles in a diverse array of biological processes and human physiopathology. Despite this clear physiological importance and medical relevance, the molecular mechanism of Amt/Mep/Rh proteins has remained elusive. Crystal structures of bacterial Amt/Rh proteins suggest electroneutral transport, whilst functional evidence supports an electrogenic mechanism. Here, focusing on bacterial members of the family, we summarize the structure of Amt/Rh proteins and what three decades of research tells us concerning the general mechanisms of ammonium translocation, in particular the possibility that the transport mechanism might differ in various members of the Amt/Mep/Rh superfamily.
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Affiliation(s)
- Adriana Bizior
- Strathclyde Institute of Pharmacy and Biomedical Sciences, University of Strathclyde, Glasgow, G4 0RE, UK
| | - Gordon Williamson
- Strathclyde Institute of Pharmacy and Biomedical Sciences, University of Strathclyde, Glasgow, G4 0RE, UK
| | - Thomas Harris
- Strathclyde Institute of Pharmacy and Biomedical Sciences, University of Strathclyde, Glasgow, G4 0RE, UK
| | - Paul A. Hoskisson
- Strathclyde Institute of Pharmacy and Biomedical Sciences, University of Strathclyde, Glasgow, G4 0RE, UK
| | - Arnaud Javelle
- Strathclyde Institute of Pharmacy and Biomedical Sciences, University of Strathclyde, Glasgow, G4 0RE, UK
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6
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Sebastiana M, Serrazina S, Monteiro F, Wipf D, Fromentin J, Teixeira R, Malhó R, Courty PE. Nitrogen Acquisition and Transport in the Ectomycorrhizal Symbiosis-Insights from the Interaction between an Oak Tree and Pisolithus tinctorius. PLANTS (BASEL, SWITZERLAND) 2022; 12:10. [PMID: 36616139 PMCID: PMC9823632 DOI: 10.3390/plants12010010] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/11/2022] [Revised: 12/04/2022] [Accepted: 12/16/2022] [Indexed: 06/17/2023]
Abstract
In temperate forests, the roots of various tree species are colonized by ectomycorrhizal fungi, which have a key role in the nitrogen nutrition of their hosts. However, not much is known about the molecular mechanisms related to nitrogen metabolism in ectomycorrhizal plants. This study aimed to evaluate the nitrogen metabolic response of oak plants when inoculated with the ectomycorrhizal fungus Pisolithus tinctorius. The expression of candidate genes encoding proteins involved in nitrogen uptake and assimilation was investigated in ectomycorrhizal roots. We found that three oak ammonium transporters were over-expressed in root tissues after inoculation, while the expression of amino acid transporters was not modified, suggesting that inorganic nitrogen is the main form of nitrogen transferred by the symbiotic fungus into the roots of the host plant. Analysis by heterologous complementation of a yeast mutant defective in ammonium uptake and GFP subcellular protein localization clearly confirmed that two of these genes encode functional ammonium transporters. Structural similarities between the proteins encoded by these ectomycorrhizal upregulated ammonium transporters, and a well-characterized ammonium transporter from E. coli, suggest a similar transport mechanism, involving deprotonation of NH4+, followed by diffusion of uncharged NH3 into the cytosol. This view is supported by the lack of induction of NH4+ detoxifying mechanisms, such as the GS/GOGAT pathway, in the oak mycorrhizal roots.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mónica Sebastiana
- BioISI—Instituto de Biosistemas e Ciências Integrativas, Faculdade de Ciências, Universidade de Lisboa, 1749-016 Lisboa, Portugal
| | - Susana Serrazina
- BioISI—Instituto de Biosistemas e Ciências Integrativas, Faculdade de Ciências, Universidade de Lisboa, 1749-016 Lisboa, Portugal
| | - Filipa Monteiro
- Linking Landscape, Environment, Agriculture and Food (LEAF), Associated Laboratory TERRA, Instituto Superior de Agronomia (ISA), Universidade de Lisboa, 1349-017 Lisbon, Portugal
- Centre for Ecology, Evolution and Environmental Changes (cE3c) & CHANGE—Global Change and Sustainability Institute, Faculdade de Ciências da Universidade de Lisboa, Campo Grande, 1749-016 Lisboa, Portugal
| | - Daniel Wipf
- Agroécologie, INRAE, Institut Agro, University Bourgogne Franche-Comté, F-21000 Dijon, France
| | - Jérome Fromentin
- Agroécologie, INRAE, Institut Agro, University Bourgogne Franche-Comté, F-21000 Dijon, France
| | - Rita Teixeira
- BioISI—Instituto de Biosistemas e Ciências Integrativas, Faculdade de Ciências, Universidade de Lisboa, 1749-016 Lisboa, Portugal
| | - Rui Malhó
- BioISI—Instituto de Biosistemas e Ciências Integrativas, Faculdade de Ciências, Universidade de Lisboa, 1749-016 Lisboa, Portugal
| | - Pierre-Emmanuel Courty
- Agroécologie, INRAE, Institut Agro, University Bourgogne Franche-Comté, F-21000 Dijon, France
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7
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LjAMT2;2 Promotes Ammonium Nitrogen Transport during Arbuscular Mycorrhizal Fungi Symbiosis in Lotus japonicus. Int J Mol Sci 2022; 23:ijms23179522. [PMID: 36076919 PMCID: PMC9455674 DOI: 10.3390/ijms23179522] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/30/2022] [Revised: 08/19/2022] [Accepted: 08/19/2022] [Indexed: 11/18/2022] Open
Abstract
Arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi (AMF) are important symbiotic microorganisms in soil that engage in symbiotic relationships with legumes, resulting in mycorrhizal symbiosis. Establishment of strong symbiotic relationships between AMF and legumes promotes the absorption of nitrogen by plants. Ammonium nitrogen can be directly utilised by plants following ammonium transport, but there are few reports on ammonium transporters (AMTs) promoting ammonium nitrogen transport during AM symbiosis. Lotus japonicus is a typical legume model plant that hosts AMF. In this study, we analysed the characteristics of the Lotus japonicus ammonium transporter LjAMT2;2, and found that it is a typical ammonium transporter with mycorrhizal-induced and ammonium nitrogen transport-related cis-acting elements in its promoter region. LjAMT2;2 facilitated ammonium transfer in yeast mutant supplement experiments. In the presence of different nitrogen concentrations, the LjAMT2;2 gene was significantly upregulated following inoculation with AMF, and induced by low nitrogen. Overexpression of LjAMT2;2 increased the absorption of ammonium nitrogen, resulting in doubling of nitrogen content in leaves and roots, thus alleviating nitrogen stress and promoting plant growth.
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8
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Krysenko S, Wohlleben W. Polyamine and Ethanolamine Metabolism in Bacteria as an Important Component of Nitrogen Assimilation for Survival and Pathogenicity. Med Sci (Basel) 2022; 10:40. [PMID: 35997332 PMCID: PMC9397018 DOI: 10.3390/medsci10030040] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/30/2022] [Revised: 07/23/2022] [Accepted: 07/25/2022] [Indexed: 11/16/2022] Open
Abstract
Nitrogen is an essential element required for bacterial growth. It serves as a building block for the biosynthesis of macromolecules and provides precursors for secondary metabolites. Bacteria have developed the ability to use various nitrogen sources and possess two enzyme systems for nitrogen assimilation involving glutamine synthetase/glutamate synthase and glutamate dehydrogenase. Microorganisms living in habitats with changeable availability of nutrients have developed strategies to survive under nitrogen limitation. One adaptation is the ability to acquire nitrogen from alternative sources including the polyamines putrescine, cadaverine, spermidine and spermine, as well as the monoamine ethanolamine. Bacterial polyamine and monoamine metabolism is not only important under low nitrogen availability, but it is also required to survive under high concentrations of these compounds. Such conditions can occur in diverse habitats such as soil, plant tissues and human cells. Strategies of pathogenic and non-pathogenic bacteria to survive in the presence of poly- and monoamines offer the possibility to combat pathogens by using their capability to metabolize polyamines as an antibiotic drug target. This work aims to summarize the knowledge on poly- and monoamine metabolism in bacteria and its role in nitrogen metabolism.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sergii Krysenko
- Interfaculty Institute of Microbiology and Infection Medicine Tübingen (IMIT), Department of Microbiology and Biotechnology, University of Tübingen, Auf der Morgenstelle 28, 72076 Tübingen, Germany;
- Cluster of Excellence ‘Controlling Microbes to Fight Infections’, University of Tübingen, 72076 Tübingen, Germany
| | - Wolfgang Wohlleben
- Interfaculty Institute of Microbiology and Infection Medicine Tübingen (IMIT), Department of Microbiology and Biotechnology, University of Tübingen, Auf der Morgenstelle 28, 72076 Tübingen, Germany;
- Cluster of Excellence ‘Controlling Microbes to Fight Infections’, University of Tübingen, 72076 Tübingen, Germany
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9
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Kellom M, Pagliara S, Richards TA, Santoro AE. Exaggerated trans-membrane charge of ammonium transporters in nutrient-poor marine environments. Open Biol 2022; 12:220041. [PMID: 35857930 PMCID: PMC9277239 DOI: 10.1098/rsob.220041] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/25/2022] Open
Abstract
Transporter proteins are a vital interface between cells and their environment. In nutrient-limited environments, microbes with transporters that are effective at bringing substrates into their cells will gain a competitive advantage over variants with reduced transport function. Microbial ammonium transporters (Amt) bring ammonium into the cytoplasm from the surrounding periplasm space, but diagnosing Amt adaptations to low nutrient environments solely from sequence data has been elusive. Here, we report altered Amt sequence amino acid distribution from deep marine samples compared to variants sampled from shallow water in two important microbial lineages of the marine water column community-Marine Group I Archaea (Thermoproteota) and the uncultivated gammaproteobacterial lineage SAR86. This pattern indicates an evolutionary pressure towards an increasing dipole in Amt for these clades in deep ocean environments and is predicted to generate stronger electric fields facilitating ammonium acquisition. This pattern of increasing dipole charge with depth was not observed in lineages capable of accessing alternative nitrogen sources, including the abundant alphaproteobacterial clade SAR11. We speculate that competition for ammonium in the deep ocean drives transporter sequence evolution. The low concentration of ammonium in the deep ocean is therefore likely due to rapid uptake by Amts concurrent with decreasing nutrient flux.
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Affiliation(s)
- Matthew Kellom
- Department of Ecology, Evolution, and Marine Biology, University of California, Santa Barbara, CA, USA
| | - Stefano Pagliara
- Living Systems Institute and Biosciences, University of Exeter, Exeter, Devon EX4 4QD, UK
| | - Thomas A. Richards
- Department of Zoology, University of Oxford, 11a Mansfield Road, Oxford OX1 3SZ, UK
| | - Alyson E. Santoro
- Department of Ecology, Evolution, and Marine Biology, University of California, Santa Barbara, CA, USA
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10
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Ye Z, Liu F, Ferguson ST, Baker A, Pitts RJ, Zwiebel LJ. Ammonium transporter AcAmt mutagenesis uncovers reproductive and physiological defects without impacting olfactory responses to ammonia in the malaria vector mosquito Anopheles coluzzii. INSECT BIOCHEMISTRY AND MOLECULAR BIOLOGY 2021; 134:103578. [PMID: 33933561 PMCID: PMC8187335 DOI: 10.1016/j.ibmb.2021.103578] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/04/2021] [Revised: 03/30/2021] [Accepted: 04/07/2021] [Indexed: 05/25/2023]
Abstract
Anopheline mosquitoes are the sole vectors of malaria and rely on olfactory cues for host seeking in which ammonia derived from human sweat plays an essential role. To investigate the function of the Anopheles coluzzii ammonium transporter (AcAmt) in the mosquito olfactory system, we generated an AcAmt null mutant line using CRISPR/Cas9. AcAmt-/- mutants displayed a series of novel phenotypes compared with wild-type mosquitoes including significantly lower insemination rates during mating and increased mortality during eclosion. Furthermore, AcAmt-/- males showed significantly lower sugar consumption while AcAmt-/- females and pupae displayed significantly higher ammonia levels than their wild-type counterparts. Surprisingly, in contrast to previous studies in Drosophila that revealed that the mutation of the ammonium transporter (DmAmt) induces a dramatic reduction of ammonia responses in antennal coeloconic sensilla, no significant differences were observed across a range of peripheral sensory neuron responses to ammonia and other odorants between wild-type and AcAmt-/- females. These data support the existence in mosquitoes of novel compensatory ammonia-sensing mechanisms that are likely to have evolved as a result of the importance of ammonia in host-seeking and other behaviors.
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Affiliation(s)
- Zi Ye
- Department of Biological Sciences, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, TN, 37235, USA
| | - Feng Liu
- Department of Biological Sciences, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, TN, 37235, USA
| | - Stephen T Ferguson
- Department of Biological Sciences, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, TN, 37235, USA
| | - Adam Baker
- Department of Biological Sciences, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, TN, 37235, USA
| | - R Jason Pitts
- Department of Biology, Baylor University, Waco, TX, 76706, USA
| | - Laurence J Zwiebel
- Department of Biological Sciences, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, TN, 37235, USA.
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11
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Krysenko S, Matthews A, Busche T, Bera A, Wohlleben W. Poly- and Monoamine Metabolism in Streptomyces coelicolor: The New Role of Glutamine Synthetase-Like Enzymes in the Survival under Environmental Stress. Microb Physiol 2021; 31:233-247. [PMID: 34044403 DOI: 10.1159/000516644] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/28/2020] [Accepted: 04/17/2021] [Indexed: 11/19/2022]
Abstract
Soil bacteria from the genus Streptomyces, phylum Actinobacteria, feature a complex metabolism and diverse adaptations to environmental stress. These characteristics are consequences of variable nutrition availability in the soil and allow survival under changing nitrogen conditions. Streptomyces coelicolor is a model organism for Actinobacteria and is able to use nitrogen from a variety of sources including unusual compounds originating from the decomposition of dead plant and animal material, such as polyamines or monoamines (like ethanolamine). Assimilation of nitrogen from these sources in S. coelicolor remains largely unstudied. Using microbiological, biochemical and in silico approaches, it was recently possible to postulate polyamine and monoamine (ethanolamine) utilization pathways in S. coelicolor. Glutamine synthetase-like enzymes (GS-like) play a central role in these pathways. Extensive studies have revealed that these enzymes are able to detoxify polyamines or monoamines and allow the survival of S. coelicolor in soil containing an excess of these compounds. On the other hand, at low concentrations, polyamines and monoamines can be utilized as nitrogen and carbon sources. It has been demonstrated that the first step in poly-/monoamine assimilation is catalyzed by GlnA3 (a γ-glutamylpolyamine synthetase) and GlnA4 (a γ-glutamylethanolamide synthetase), respectively. First insights into the regulation of polyamine and ethanolamine metabolism have revealed that the expression of the glnA3 and the glnA4 gene are controlled on the transcriptional level.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sergii Krysenko
- Department of Microbiology and Biotechnology, Interfaculty Institute of Microbiology and Infection Medicine Tübingen (IMIT), Cluster of Excellence 'Controlling Microbes to Fight Infections', University of Tübingen, Tübingen, Germany
| | - Arne Matthews
- Department of Microbiology and Biotechnology, Interfaculty Institute of Microbiology and Infection Medicine Tübingen (IMIT), Cluster of Excellence 'Controlling Microbes to Fight Infections', University of Tübingen, Tübingen, Germany
| | - Tobias Busche
- Center for Biotechnology (CeBiTec), Bielefeld University, Bielefeld, Germany
| | - Agnieszka Bera
- Department of Microbiology and Biotechnology, Interfaculty Institute of Microbiology and Infection Medicine Tübingen (IMIT), Cluster of Excellence 'Controlling Microbes to Fight Infections', University of Tübingen, Tübingen, Germany
| | - Wolfgang Wohlleben
- Department of Microbiology and Biotechnology, Interfaculty Institute of Microbiology and Infection Medicine Tübingen (IMIT), Cluster of Excellence 'Controlling Microbes to Fight Infections', University of Tübingen, Tübingen, Germany
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12
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Thomas GH. Microbial Musings - December 2020. MICROBIOLOGY (READING, ENGLAND) 2020; 166:1107-1109. [PMID: 33353584 PMCID: PMC7819357 DOI: 10.1099/mic.0.001019] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/21/2020] [Indexed: 11/18/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Gavin H. Thomas
- Department of Biology, University of York, York, YO10 5YW, UK
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13
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Smeulders MJ, Peeters SH, van Alen T, de Bruijckere D, Nuijten GHL, op den Camp HJM, Jetten MSM, van Niftrik L. Nutrient Limitation Causes Differential Expression of Transport- and Metabolism Genes in the Compartmentalized Anammox Bacterium Kuenenia stuttgartiensis. Front Microbiol 2020; 11:1959. [PMID: 32903544 PMCID: PMC7438415 DOI: 10.3389/fmicb.2020.01959] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/20/2020] [Accepted: 07/24/2020] [Indexed: 12/11/2022] Open
Abstract
Anaerobic ammonium-oxidizing (anammox) bacteria, members of the "Candidatus Brocadiaceae" family, play an important role in the nitrogen cycle and are estimated to be responsible for about half of the oceanic nitrogen loss to the atmosphere. Anammox bacteria combine ammonium with nitrite and produce dinitrogen gas via the intermediates nitric oxide and hydrazine (anammox reaction) while nitrate is formed as a by-product. These reactions take place in a specialized, membrane-enclosed compartment called the anammoxosome. Therefore, the substrates ammonium, nitrite and product nitrate have to cross the outer-, cytoplasmic-, and anammoxosome membranes to enter or exit the anammoxosome. The genomes of all anammox species harbor multiple copies of ammonium-, nitrite-, and nitrate transporter genes. Here we investigated how the distinct genes for ammonium-, nitrite-, and nitrate- transport were expressed during substrate limitation in membrane bioreactors. Transcriptome analysis of Kuenenia stuttgartiensis planktonic cells showed that four of the seven ammonium transporter homologs and two of the nine nitrite transporter homologs were significantly upregulated during ammonium-limited growth, while another ammonium transporter- and four nitrite transporter homologs were upregulated in nitrite limited growth conditions. The two nitrate transporters were expressed to similar levels in both conditions. In addition, genes encoding enzymes involved in the anammox reaction were differentially expressed, with those using nitrite as a substrate being upregulated under nitrite limited growth and those using ammonium as a substrate being upregulated during ammonium limitation. Taken together, these results give a first insight in the potential role of the multiple nutrient transporters in regulating transport of substrates and products in and out of the compartmentalized anammox cell.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | | | | | | | | | | | - Laura van Niftrik
- Department of Microbiology, Institute for Water and Wetland Research, Faculty of Science, Radboud University Nijmegen, Nijmegen, Netherlands
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14
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Williamson G, Tamburrino G, Bizior A, Boeckstaens M, Dias Mirandela G, Bage MG, Pisliakov A, Ives CM, Terras E, Hoskisson PA, Marini AM, Zachariae U, Javelle A. A two-lane mechanism for selective biological ammonium transport. eLife 2020; 9:57183. [PMID: 32662768 PMCID: PMC7447429 DOI: 10.7554/elife.57183] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/24/2020] [Accepted: 07/13/2020] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
The transport of charged molecules across biological membranes faces the dual problem of accommodating charges in a highly hydrophobic environment while maintaining selective substrate translocation. This has been the subject of a particular controversy for the exchange of ammonium across cellular membranes, an essential process in all domains of life. Ammonium transport is mediated by the ubiquitous Amt/Mep/Rh transporters that includes the human Rhesus factors. Here, using a combination of electrophysiology, yeast functional complementation and extended molecular dynamics simulations, we reveal a unique two-lane pathway for electrogenic NH4+ transport in two archetypal members of the family, the transporters AmtB from Escherichia coli and Rh50 from Nitrosomonas europaea. The pathway underpins a mechanism by which charged H+ and neutral NH3 are carried separately across the membrane after NH4+ deprotonation. This mechanism defines a new principle of achieving transport selectivity against competing ions in a biological transport process.
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Affiliation(s)
- Gordon Williamson
- Strathclyde Institute of Pharmacy and Biomedical Sciences, University of Strathclyde, Glasgow, United Kingdom
| | - Giulia Tamburrino
- Computational Biology, School of Life Sciences, University of Dundee, Dundee, United Kingdom.,Physics, School of Science and Engineering, University of Dundee, Dundee, United Kingdom
| | - Adriana Bizior
- Strathclyde Institute of Pharmacy and Biomedical Sciences, University of Strathclyde, Glasgow, United Kingdom
| | - Mélanie Boeckstaens
- Biology of Membrane Transport Laboratory, Department of Molecular Biology, Université Libre de Bruxelles, Gosselies, Belgium
| | - Gaëtan Dias Mirandela
- Strathclyde Institute of Pharmacy and Biomedical Sciences, University of Strathclyde, Glasgow, United Kingdom
| | - Marcus G Bage
- Computational Biology, School of Life Sciences, University of Dundee, Dundee, United Kingdom.,Physics, School of Science and Engineering, University of Dundee, Dundee, United Kingdom
| | - Andrei Pisliakov
- Computational Biology, School of Life Sciences, University of Dundee, Dundee, United Kingdom.,Physics, School of Science and Engineering, University of Dundee, Dundee, United Kingdom
| | - Callum M Ives
- Computational Biology, School of Life Sciences, University of Dundee, Dundee, United Kingdom
| | - Eilidh Terras
- Strathclyde Institute of Pharmacy and Biomedical Sciences, University of Strathclyde, Glasgow, United Kingdom
| | - Paul A Hoskisson
- Strathclyde Institute of Pharmacy and Biomedical Sciences, University of Strathclyde, Glasgow, United Kingdom
| | - Anna Maria Marini
- Biology of Membrane Transport Laboratory, Department of Molecular Biology, Université Libre de Bruxelles, Gosselies, Belgium
| | - Ulrich Zachariae
- Computational Biology, School of Life Sciences, University of Dundee, Dundee, United Kingdom.,Physics, School of Science and Engineering, University of Dundee, Dundee, United Kingdom
| | - Arnaud Javelle
- Strathclyde Institute of Pharmacy and Biomedical Sciences, University of Strathclyde, Glasgow, United Kingdom
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15
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López L, Calderón D, Cardenas P, Prado MB, Valle C, Trueba G. Evolutionary changes of an intestinal Lactobacillus reuteri during probiotic manufacture. Microbiologyopen 2019; 9:e972. [PMID: 31746150 PMCID: PMC7002098 DOI: 10.1002/mbo3.972] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/06/2019] [Revised: 10/30/2019] [Accepted: 10/31/2019] [Indexed: 01/26/2023] Open
Abstract
Probiotic bacteria are frequently used to treat intestinal diseases or to improve health; however, little is known about the evolutionary changes of these bacteria during probiotic manufacture and the bacterial ability to colonize the intestine. It has been observed that when bacteria adapt to a new environment, they lose some traits required to thrive in the original niche. In this study, a strain of Lactobacillus reuteri was isolated from mouse duodenum and subjected to 150 serial passes in milk to simulate the industrial propagation of probiotic bacteria. The strains adapted to milk outperformed their ancestor when grown in milk; we also showed evidence of reduced intestinal colonization of milk‐adapted strains. Whole‐genome sequencing showed that bacterial adaptation to milk selects mutants with altered metabolic functions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lázaro López
- Instituto de Microbiología, Colegio de Ciencias Biológicas y Ambientales, Universidad San Francisco de Quito, Quito, Ecuador
| | - Diana Calderón
- Instituto de Microbiología, Colegio de Ciencias Biológicas y Ambientales, Universidad San Francisco de Quito, Quito, Ecuador
| | - Paúl Cardenas
- Instituto de Microbiología, Colegio de Ciencias Biológicas y Ambientales, Universidad San Francisco de Quito, Quito, Ecuador
| | - María B Prado
- Instituto de Microbiología, Colegio de Ciencias Biológicas y Ambientales, Universidad San Francisco de Quito, Quito, Ecuador
| | - Carlos Valle
- Instituto de Microbiología, Colegio de Ciencias Biológicas y Ambientales, Universidad San Francisco de Quito, Quito, Ecuador
| | - Gabriel Trueba
- Instituto de Microbiología, Colegio de Ciencias Biológicas y Ambientales, Universidad San Francisco de Quito, Quito, Ecuador
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16
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Xu M, Li J, Shu Q, Tang M, Zhang X, Yang T, Xu Z, Rao Z. Enhancement of L-arginine production by increasing ammonium uptake in an AmtR-deficient Corynebacterium crenatum mutant. J Ind Microbiol Biotechnol 2019; 46:1155-1166. [PMID: 31203489 DOI: 10.1007/s10295-019-02204-3] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/09/2019] [Accepted: 06/07/2019] [Indexed: 12/13/2022]
Abstract
L-Arginine is an important amino acid with extensive application in the food and pharmaceutical industries. The efficiency of nitrogen uptake and assimilation by organisms is extremely important for L-arginine production. In this study, a strain engineering strategy focusing on upregulate intracellular nitrogen metabolism in Corynebacterium crenatum for L-arginine production was conducted. Firstly, the nitrogen metabolism global transcriptional regulator AmtR was deleted, which has demonstrated the beneficial effect on L-arginine production. Subsequently, this strain was engineered by overexpressing the ammonium transporter AmtB to increase the uptake of NH4+ and L-arginine production. To overcome the drawbacks of using a plasmid to express amtB, Ptac, a strong promoter with amtB gene fragment, was integrated into the amtR region on the chromosome in the Corynebacterium crenatum/ΔamtR. The final strain results in L-arginine production at a titer of 60.9 g/L, which was 35.14% higher than that produced by C. crenatum SYPA5-5.
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Affiliation(s)
- Meijuan Xu
- The Key Laboratory of Industrial Biotechnology, Ministry of Education, School of Biotechnology, Jiangnan University, Wuxi, 214122, Jiangsu, China. .,Jiangnan University (Rugao) Food Biotechnology Research Institute, Rugao, 226500, Jiangsu, China.
| | - Jing Li
- The Key Laboratory of Industrial Biotechnology, Ministry of Education, School of Biotechnology, Jiangnan University, Wuxi, 214122, Jiangsu, China
| | - Qunfeng Shu
- The Key Laboratory of Industrial Biotechnology, Ministry of Education, School of Biotechnology, Jiangnan University, Wuxi, 214122, Jiangsu, China
| | - Mi Tang
- The Key Laboratory of Industrial Biotechnology, Ministry of Education, School of Biotechnology, Jiangnan University, Wuxi, 214122, Jiangsu, China
| | - Xian Zhang
- The Key Laboratory of Industrial Biotechnology, Ministry of Education, School of Biotechnology, Jiangnan University, Wuxi, 214122, Jiangsu, China
| | - Taowei Yang
- The Key Laboratory of Industrial Biotechnology, Ministry of Education, School of Biotechnology, Jiangnan University, Wuxi, 214122, Jiangsu, China
| | - Zhenghong Xu
- The Key Laboratory of Industrial Biotechnology, Ministry of Education, School of Biotechnology, Jiangnan University, Wuxi, 214122, Jiangsu, China
| | - Zhiming Rao
- The Key Laboratory of Industrial Biotechnology, Ministry of Education, School of Biotechnology, Jiangnan University, Wuxi, 214122, Jiangsu, China.
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17
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Zhong Y, Yan M, Jiang J, Zhang Z, Huang J, Zhang L, Deng Y, Zhou X, He F. Mycophenolic Acid as a Promising Fungal Dimorphism Inhibitor to Control Sugar Cane Disease Caused by Sporisorium scitamineum. JOURNAL OF AGRICULTURAL AND FOOD CHEMISTRY 2019; 67:112-119. [PMID: 30543296 DOI: 10.1021/acs.jafc.8b04893] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/09/2023]
Abstract
The morphological changes from single-cell yeast to filamentous hypha form are critical in plant pathogenic smut fungi. This dimorphic switch is tightly regulated by complex gene pathways in pathogenic development. The phytopathogenic basidiomycetes Sporisorium scitamineum displays a morphological transition from budding growth of haploid cells to filamentous growth of the dikaryon, which enables fungi to forage for nutrients and evade the host plant immune system. In the search for compounds that affect dimorphic switch instead of killing the cell directly, a natural product, mycophenolic acid (MPA), was purified and exhibited significant dimorphism inhibitory activities with minimum effective concentrations of 0.3 μg/mL. RNA sequencing and real-time quantitative transcription-PCR analysis showed that treatment of 100 μg/mL MPA dramatically repressed the expression of the ammonium transporter gene Ssa2 . A further subcellular localization experiment, ammonium response assay, and Western blot assay confirmed that Ssa2 could be one of the most important molecular targets of MPA in regulating dimorphism of S. scitamineum. These observations suggest that Ssa2 serves as a molecular target of MPA and could be used in the treatment of sugar cane smut diseases caused by S. scitamineum.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yue Zhong
- Integrative Microbiology Research Centre, Guangdong Province Key Laboratory of Microbial Signals and Disease Control , South China Agricultural University , Guangzhou 510642 , China
| | - Meixin Yan
- Sugarcane Research Institute , Guangxi Academy of Agricultural Sciences , Guangxi , Nanning 530007 , China
| | - Jinyan Jiang
- Integrative Microbiology Research Centre, Guangdong Province Key Laboratory of Microbial Signals and Disease Control , South China Agricultural University , Guangzhou 510642 , China
| | - Zhihan Zhang
- Integrative Microbiology Research Centre, Guangdong Province Key Laboratory of Microbial Signals and Disease Control , South China Agricultural University , Guangzhou 510642 , China
| | - Junjun Huang
- Pharmaceutical Research Center, Department of Pharmacology , Guangzhou Medical University , Guangzhou 510182 , China
| | - Lianhui Zhang
- Integrative Microbiology Research Centre, Guangdong Province Key Laboratory of Microbial Signals and Disease Control , South China Agricultural University , Guangzhou 510642 , China
| | - Yinyue Deng
- Integrative Microbiology Research Centre, Guangdong Province Key Laboratory of Microbial Signals and Disease Control , South China Agricultural University , Guangzhou 510642 , China
| | - Xiaofan Zhou
- Integrative Microbiology Research Centre, Guangdong Province Key Laboratory of Microbial Signals and Disease Control , South China Agricultural University , Guangzhou 510642 , China
| | - Fei He
- Integrative Microbiology Research Centre, Guangdong Province Key Laboratory of Microbial Signals and Disease Control , South China Agricultural University , Guangzhou 510642 , China
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18
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Zhu Y, Hao Y, Liu H, Sun G, Chen R, Song S. Identification and characterization of two ammonium transporter genes in flowering Chinese cabbage ( Brassica campestris). PLANT BIOTECHNOLOGY (TOKYO, JAPAN) 2018; 35:59-70. [PMID: 31275038 PMCID: PMC6543737 DOI: 10.5511/plantbiotechnology.18.0202a] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/01/2017] [Accepted: 02/02/2018] [Indexed: 06/09/2023]
Abstract
Ammonium transporters (AMTs), which include AMT1 and AMT2 subfamilies, have been identified and partially characterized in many plants. In this study, two AMT2-type genes from Brassica campestris, namely BcAMT2 and BcAMT2like, were identified and characterized. BcAMT2 and BcAMT2like are 2666 bp and 2952 bp, encode proteins of 490 and 489 amino acids, respectively, and contain five exons and four introns. Transient expression of these proteins labelled with green fluorescence protein in onion epidermal cells indicated that both are located on the plasma membrane. When expressing BcAMT2 or BcAMT2like, the mutant yeast strain 31019b could grow on medium containing 2 mM ammonium as the only nitrogen source when expressing BcAMT2 or BcAMT2like, indicating that both are functional AMT genes. Quantitative PCR results showed that BcAMT2 and BcAMT2like were expressed in all tissues, but they displayed different expression patterns in the reproductive stages. BcAMT2s transcript levels in leaves were positively correlated with ammonium concentration and external pH. Moreover, the expression BcAMT2s responded to diurnal change. Furthermore, the uncharged form of ammonium, i.e., ammonia, might also be transported by BcAMT2s. These results provide new insights into the molecular mechanisms underlying ammonium absorption and transportation by the AMT2 subfamily in B. campestris.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yunna Zhu
- College of Horticulture, South China Agricultural University, 510642, Guangzhou, People’s Republic of China
| | - Yanwei Hao
- College of Horticulture, South China Agricultural University, 510642, Guangzhou, People’s Republic of China
| | - Houcheng Liu
- College of Horticulture, South China Agricultural University, 510642, Guangzhou, People’s Republic of China
| | - Guangwen Sun
- College of Horticulture, South China Agricultural University, 510642, Guangzhou, People’s Republic of China
| | - Riyuan Chen
- College of Horticulture, South China Agricultural University, 510642, Guangzhou, People’s Republic of China
| | - Shiwei Song
- College of Horticulture, South China Agricultural University, 510642, Guangzhou, People’s Republic of China
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19
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Allosteric modulation of protein-protein interactions by individual lipid binding events. Nat Commun 2017; 8:2203. [PMID: 29259178 PMCID: PMC5736629 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-017-02397-0] [Citation(s) in RCA: 54] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/23/2017] [Accepted: 11/22/2017] [Indexed: 11/29/2022] Open
Abstract
The diverse lipid environment of the biological membrane can modulate the structure and function of membrane proteins. However, little is known about the role that lipids play in modulating protein–protein interactions. Here we employed native mass spectrometry (MS) to determine how individual lipid-binding events to the ammonia channel (AmtB) modulate its interaction with the regulatory protein, GlnK. The thermodynamic signature of AmtB–GlnK in the absence of lipids indicates conformational dynamics. A small number of lipids bound to AmtB is sufficient to modulate the interaction with GlnK, and lipids with different headgroups display a range of allosteric modulation. We also find that lipid chain length and stereochemistry can affect the degree of allosteric modulation, indicating an unforeseen selectivity of membrane proteins toward the chemistry of lipid tails. These results demonstrate that individual lipid-binding events can allosterically modulate the interactions of integral membrane and soluble proteins. Native mass spectrometry (MS) is a technique that preserves non-covalent interactions in the mass spectrometer. Here the authors use native MS to study integral membrane proteins, and find that lipids with different headgroups and tails can allosterically modulate protein-protein interactions in different fashions.
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20
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Sproles AE, Kirk NL, Kitchen SA, Oakley CA, Grossman AR, Weis VM, Davy SK. Phylogenetic characterization of transporter proteins in the cnidarian-dinoflagellate symbiosis. Mol Phylogenet Evol 2017; 120:307-320. [PMID: 29233707 DOI: 10.1016/j.ympev.2017.12.007] [Citation(s) in RCA: 18] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/07/2016] [Revised: 10/22/2017] [Accepted: 12/05/2017] [Indexed: 12/11/2022]
Abstract
Metabolic exchange between cnidarians and their symbiotic dinoflagellates is central to maintaining their mutualistic relationship. Sugars are translocated to the host, while ammonium and nitrate are utilized by the dinoflagellates (Symbiodinium spp.). We investigated membrane protein sequences of each partner to identify potential transporter proteins that move sugars into cnidarian cells and nitrogen products into Symbiodinium cells. We examined the facilitated glucose transporters (GLUT), sodium/glucose cotransporters (SGLT), and aquaporin (AQP) channels in the cnidarian host as mechanisms for sugar uptake, and the ammonium and high-affinity nitrate transporters (AMT and NRT2, respectively) in the algal symbiont as mechanisms for nitrogen uptake. Homologous protein sequences were used for phylogenetic analysis and tertiary structure deductions. In cnidarians, we identified putative glucose transporters of the GLUT family and glycerol transporting AQP proteins, as well as sodium monocarboxylate transporters and sodium myo-inositol cotransporters homologous to SGLT proteins. We hypothesize that cnidarians use GLUT proteins as the primary mechanism for glucose uptake, while glycerol moves into cells by passive diffusion. We also identified putative AMT proteins in several Symbiodinium clades and putative NRT2 proteins only in a single clade. We further observed an upregulation of expressed putative AMT proteins in Symbiodinium, which may have emerged as an adaptation to conditions experienced inside the host cell. This study is the first to identify transporter sequences from a diversity of cnidarian species and Symbiodinium clades, which will be useful for future experimental analyses of the host-symbiont proteome and the nutritional exchange of Symbiodinium cells in hospite.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ashley E Sproles
- School of Biological Sciences, Victoria University of Wellington, Wellington 6012, New Zealand
| | - Nathan L Kirk
- Department of Integrative Biology, Oregon State University, Corvallis, OR 97331, USA
| | - Sheila A Kitchen
- Department of Integrative Biology, Oregon State University, Corvallis, OR 97331, USA
| | - Clinton A Oakley
- School of Biological Sciences, Victoria University of Wellington, Wellington 6012, New Zealand
| | - Arthur R Grossman
- Department of Plant Biology, The Carnegie Institution for Science, Stanford, CA 94305, USA
| | - Virginia M Weis
- Department of Integrative Biology, Oregon State University, Corvallis, OR 97331, USA
| | - Simon K Davy
- School of Biological Sciences, Victoria University of Wellington, Wellington 6012, New Zealand.
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21
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Koegel S, Mieulet D, Baday S, Chatagnier O, Lehmann MF, Wiemken A, Boller T, Wipf D, Bernèche S, Guiderdoni E, Courty PE. Phylogenetic, structural, and functional characterization of AMT3;1, an ammonium transporter induced by mycorrhization among model grasses. MYCORRHIZA 2017; 27:695-708. [PMID: 28667402 DOI: 10.1007/s00572-017-0786-8] [Citation(s) in RCA: 19] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/15/2017] [Accepted: 06/13/2017] [Indexed: 06/07/2023]
Abstract
In the arbuscular mycorrhizal (AM) symbiosis, plants satisfy part of their nitrogen (N) requirement through the AM pathway. In sorghum, the ammonium transporters (AMT) AMT3;1, and to a lesser extent AMT4, are induced in cells containing developing arbuscules. Here, we have characterized orthologs of AMT3;1 and AMT4 in four other grasses in addition to sorghum. AMT3;1 and AMT4 orthologous genes are induced in AM roots, suggesting that in the common ancestor of these five plant species, both AMT3;1 and AMT4 were already present and upregulated upon AM colonization. An artificial microRNA approach was successfully used to downregulate either AMT3;1 or AMT4 in rice. Mycorrhizal root colonization and hyphal length density of knockdown plants were not affected at that time, indicating that the manipulation did not modify the establishment of the AM symbiosis and the interaction between both partners. However, expression of the fungal phosphate transporter FmPT was significantly reduced in knockdown plants, indicating a reduction of the nutrient fluxes from the AM fungus to the plant. The AMT3;1 knockdown plants (but not the AMT4 knockdown plants) were significantly less stimulated in growth by AM fungal colonization, and uptake of both 15N and 33P from the AM fungal network was reduced. This confirms that N and phosphorus nutrition through the mycorrhizal pathway are closely linked. But most importantly, it indicates that AMT3;1 is the prime plant transporter involved in the mycorrhizal ammonium transfer and that its function during uptake of N cannot be performed by AMT4.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sally Koegel
- Department of Environmental Sciences, Botany, Zurich-Basel Plant Science Center, University of Basel, Hebelstrasse 1, 4056, Basel, Switzerland
| | | | - Sefer Baday
- SIB Swiss Institute of Bioinformatics and Biozentrum, University of Basel, Klingelbergstrasse 50/70, 4056, Basel, Switzerland
- Applied Informatics Department, Informatics Institute, Istanbul Technical University, 34469, Istanbul, Turkey
| | - Odile Chatagnier
- Agroécologie, AgroSupDijon, CNRS, INRA, Université de Bourgogne Franche-Comté, 21000, Dijon, France
| | - Moritz F Lehmann
- Department of Environmental Sciences, Aquatic and Stable Isotope Biogeochemistry, University of Basel, Basel, Switzerland
| | - Andres Wiemken
- Department of Environmental Sciences, Botany, Zurich-Basel Plant Science Center, University of Basel, Hebelstrasse 1, 4056, Basel, Switzerland
| | - Thomas Boller
- Department of Environmental Sciences, Botany, Zurich-Basel Plant Science Center, University of Basel, Hebelstrasse 1, 4056, Basel, Switzerland
| | - Daniel Wipf
- Agroécologie, AgroSupDijon, CNRS, INRA, Université de Bourgogne Franche-Comté, 21000, Dijon, France
| | - Simon Bernèche
- SIB Swiss Institute of Bioinformatics and Biozentrum, University of Basel, Klingelbergstrasse 50/70, 4056, Basel, Switzerland
| | | | - Pierre-Emmanuel Courty
- Department of Environmental Sciences, Botany, Zurich-Basel Plant Science Center, University of Basel, Hebelstrasse 1, 4056, Basel, Switzerland.
- Agroécologie, AgroSupDijon, CNRS, INRA, Université de Bourgogne Franche-Comté, 21000, Dijon, France.
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22
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Kakinuma M, Nakamoto C, Kishi K, Coury DA, Amano H. Isolation and functional characterization of an ammonium transporter gene, PyAMT1, related to nitrogen assimilation in the marine macroalga Pyropia yezoensis (Rhodophyta). MARINE ENVIRONMENTAL RESEARCH 2017; 128:76-87. [PMID: 27581686 DOI: 10.1016/j.marenvres.2016.08.007] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/11/2015] [Revised: 05/25/2016] [Accepted: 08/22/2016] [Indexed: 06/06/2023]
Abstract
Ammonium and nitrate are the primary nitrogen sources in natural environments, and are essential for growth and development in photosynthetic eukaryotes. In this study, we report on the isolation and characterization of an ammonium transporter gene (PyAMT1) which performs a key function in nitrogen (N) metabolism of Pyropia yezoensis thalli. The predicted length of PyAMT1 was 483 amino acids (AAs). The AA sequence included 11 putative transmembrane domains and showed approximately 33-44% identity to algal and plant AMT1 AA sequences. Functional complementation in an AMT-defective yeast mutant indicated that PyAMT1 mediated ammonium transport across the plasma membrane. Expression analysis showed that the PyAMT1 mRNA level was strongly induced by N-deficiency, and was more highly suppressed by resupply of inorganic-N than organic-N. These results suggest that PyAMT1 plays important roles in the ammonium transport system, and is highly regulated in response to external/internal N-status.
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Affiliation(s)
- Makoto Kakinuma
- Graduate School of Bioresources, Mie University, 1577 Kurima-machiya, Tsu, Mie 514-8507, Japan.
| | - Chika Nakamoto
- Graduate School of Bioresources, Mie University, 1577 Kurima-machiya, Tsu, Mie 514-8507, Japan
| | - Kazuki Kishi
- Graduate School of Bioresources, Mie University, 1577 Kurima-machiya, Tsu, Mie 514-8507, Japan
| | - Daniel A Coury
- Graduate School of Bioresources, Mie University, 1577 Kurima-machiya, Tsu, Mie 514-8507, Japan
| | - Hideomi Amano
- Graduate School of Bioresources, Mie University, 1577 Kurima-machiya, Tsu, Mie 514-8507, Japan
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23
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Castro-Rodríguez V, Assaf-Casals I, Pérez-Tienda J, Fan X, Avila C, Miller A, Cánovas FM. Deciphering the molecular basis of ammonium uptake and transport in maritime pine. PLANT, CELL & ENVIRONMENT 2016; 39:1669-1682. [PMID: 26662862 DOI: 10.1111/pce.12692] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/28/2015] [Revised: 11/06/2015] [Accepted: 11/09/2015] [Indexed: 06/05/2023]
Abstract
Ammonium is the predominant form of inorganic nitrogen in the soil of coniferous forests. Despite the ecological and economic importance of conifers, the molecular basis of ammonium uptake and transport in this group of gymnosperms is largely unknown. In this study, we describe the functional characterization of members of the AMT gene family in Pinus pinaster: PpAMT1.1, PpAMT1.2 and PpAMT1.3 (subfamily 1) and PpAMT2.1 and PpAMT2.3 (subfamily 2). Our phylogenetic analysis indicates that in conifers, all members of the AMT1 subfamily evolved from a common ancestor that is evolutionarily related to the ancient PpAMT1.2 gene. Individual AMT genes are developmentally and nutritionally regulated, and their transcripts are specifically distributed in different organs. PpAMT1.3 was predominantly expressed in the roots, particularly during N starvation and mycorrhizal interaction, whereas PpAMT2.3 was preferentially expressed in lateral roots. Immunolocalization studies of roots with varied nitrogen availability revealed that PpAMT1 and PpAMT2 proteins play complementary roles in the uptake of external ammonium. Heterologous expression in yeast and Xenopus oocytes revealed that the AMT genes encode functional transporters with different kinetics and with different capacities for ammonium transport. Our results provide new insights on how nitrogen is acquired and transported in conifers.
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Affiliation(s)
- Vanessa Castro-Rodríguez
- Departamento de Biología Molecular y Bioquímica, Instituto Andaluz de Biotecnología, Universidad de Málaga, 29071, Málaga, Spain
| | - Iman Assaf-Casals
- Departamento de Biología Molecular y Bioquímica, Instituto Andaluz de Biotecnología, Universidad de Málaga, 29071, Málaga, Spain
| | - Jacob Pérez-Tienda
- Departamento de Biología Molecular y Bioquímica, Instituto Andaluz de Biotecnología, Universidad de Málaga, 29071, Málaga, Spain
| | - Xiaorong Fan
- Department of Metabolic Biology, John Innes Centre, Norwich Research Park, Norwich, Norfolk, NR4 7UH, UK
| | - Concepción Avila
- Departamento de Biología Molecular y Bioquímica, Instituto Andaluz de Biotecnología, Universidad de Málaga, 29071, Málaga, Spain
| | - Anthony Miller
- Department of Metabolic Biology, John Innes Centre, Norwich Research Park, Norwich, Norfolk, NR4 7UH, UK
| | - Francisco M Cánovas
- Departamento de Biología Molecular y Bioquímica, Instituto Andaluz de Biotecnología, Universidad de Málaga, 29071, Málaga, Spain
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Li H, Han JL, Chang YH, Lin J, Yang QS. Gene characterization and transcription analysis of two new ammonium transporters in pear rootstock (Pyrus betulaefolia). JOURNAL OF PLANT RESEARCH 2016; 129:737-748. [PMID: 26943161 DOI: 10.1007/s10265-016-0799-y] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/22/2015] [Accepted: 10/29/2015] [Indexed: 05/07/2023]
Abstract
Ammonium is the primarily nitrogen source for plant growth, but the molecular basis of ammonium acquisition in fruit species remains poorly understood. In this study, we report on the characterization of two new ammonium transporters (AMT) in the perennial tree Pyrus betulaefolia. In silico analyses and yeast complementation assays revealed that both PbAMT1;3 and PbAMT1;5 can be classified in the AMT1 sub-family. The specific expression of PbAMT1;3 in roots and of PbAMT1;5 in leaves indicates that they have diverse functions in ammonium uptake or transport in P. betulaefolia. Their expression was strongly influenced by ammonium availability. In addition, the transcript level of PbAMT1;5 was significantly affected by the diurnal cycle and senescence hormones. They conferred the ability to uptake nitrogen to the yeast strain 31019b; however, the (15)NH4 (+) uptake kinetics of PbAMT1;3 were different from those of PbAMT1;5. Indeed, PbAMT1;3 had a higher affinity for (15)NH4 (+), and pH changes were associated with this substrates' transport in yeast. The present study provides basic gene features and transcriptional information for the two new members of the AMT1 sub-family in P. betulaefolia and will aid in decoding the precise roles of AMTs in P. betulaefolia physiology.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hui Li
- Institute of Horticulture, Jiangsu Academy of Agricultural Sciences/Jiangsu Key Laboratory for Horticultural Crop Genetic Improvement, No. 50 Zhongling Street, Nanjing, 210014, Jiangsu, China
| | - Jin-Long Han
- Institute of Horticulture, Jiangsu Academy of Agricultural Sciences/Jiangsu Key Laboratory for Horticultural Crop Genetic Improvement, No. 50 Zhongling Street, Nanjing, 210014, Jiangsu, China
| | - You-Hong Chang
- Institute of Horticulture, Jiangsu Academy of Agricultural Sciences/Jiangsu Key Laboratory for Horticultural Crop Genetic Improvement, No. 50 Zhongling Street, Nanjing, 210014, Jiangsu, China.
| | - Jing Lin
- Institute of Horticulture, Jiangsu Academy of Agricultural Sciences/Jiangsu Key Laboratory for Horticultural Crop Genetic Improvement, No. 50 Zhongling Street, Nanjing, 210014, Jiangsu, China
| | - Qing-Song Yang
- Institute of Horticulture, Jiangsu Academy of Agricultural Sciences/Jiangsu Key Laboratory for Horticultural Crop Genetic Improvement, No. 50 Zhongling Street, Nanjing, 210014, Jiangsu, China
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Bao A, Liang Z, Zhao Z, Cai H. Overexpressing of OsAMT1-3, a High Affinity Ammonium Transporter Gene, Modifies Rice Growth and Carbon-Nitrogen Metabolic Status. Int J Mol Sci 2015; 16:9037-63. [PMID: 25915023 PMCID: PMC4463577 DOI: 10.3390/ijms16059037] [Citation(s) in RCA: 64] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/15/2015] [Revised: 04/11/2015] [Accepted: 04/13/2015] [Indexed: 11/16/2022] Open
Abstract
AMT1-3 encodes the high affinity NH₄⁺ transporter in rice roots and is predominantly expressed under nitrogen starvation. In order to evaluate the effect of AMT1-3 gene on rice growth, nitrogen absorption and metabolism, we generated AMT1-3-overexpressing plants and analyzed the growth phenotype, yield, carbon and nitrogen metabolic status, and gene expression profiles. Although AMT1-3 mRNA accumulated in transgenic plants, these plants displayed significant decreases in growth when compared to the wild-type plants. The nitrogen uptake assay using a 15N tracer revealed poor nitrogen uptake ability in AMT1-3-overexpressing plants. We found significant decreases in AMT1-3-overexpressing plant leaf carbon and nitrogen content accompanied with a higher leaf C/N ratio. Significant changes in soluble proteins and carbohydrates were also observed in AMT1-3-overexpressing plants. In addition, metabolite profile analysis demonstrated significant changes in individual sugars, organic acids and free amino acids. Gene expression analysis revealed distinct expression patterns of genes that participate in carbon and nitrogen metabolism. Additionally, the correlation between the metabolites and gene expression patterns was consistent in AMT1-3-overexpressing plants under both low and high nitrogen growth conditions. Therefore, we hypothesized that the carbon and nitrogen metabolic imbalance caused by AMT1-3 overexpressing attributed to the poor growth and yield of transgenic plants.
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Affiliation(s)
- Aili Bao
- Key Laboratory of Arable Land Conservation (Middle and Lower Reaches of Yangtze River), Microelement Research Center, Ministry of Agriculture, Huazhong Agricultural University, Wuhan 430070, China.
| | - Zhijun Liang
- Key Laboratory of Arable Land Conservation (Middle and Lower Reaches of Yangtze River), Microelement Research Center, Ministry of Agriculture, Huazhong Agricultural University, Wuhan 430070, China.
| | - Zhuqing Zhao
- Key Laboratory of Arable Land Conservation (Middle and Lower Reaches of Yangtze River), Microelement Research Center, Ministry of Agriculture, Huazhong Agricultural University, Wuhan 430070, China.
| | - Hongmei Cai
- Key Laboratory of Arable Land Conservation (Middle and Lower Reaches of Yangtze River), Microelement Research Center, Ministry of Agriculture, Huazhong Agricultural University, Wuhan 430070, China.
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The lipid-modifying multiple peptide resistance factor is an oligomer consisting of distinct interacting synthase and flippase subunits. mBio 2015; 6:mBio.02340-14. [PMID: 25626904 PMCID: PMC4324311 DOI: 10.1128/mbio.02340-14] [Citation(s) in RCA: 54] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/19/2023] Open
Abstract
UNLABELLED Phospholipids are synthesized at the inner leaflet of the bacterial cytoplasmic membrane but have to be translocated to the outer leaflet to maintain membrane lipid bilayer composition and structure. Even though phospholipid flippases have been proposed to exist in bacteria, only one such protein, MprF, has been described. MprF is a large integral membrane protein found in several prokaryotic phyla, whose C terminus modifies phosphatidylglycerol (PG), the most common bacterial phospholipid, with lysine or alanine to modulate the membrane surface charge and, as a consequence, confer resistance to cationic antimicrobial agents such as daptomycin. In addition, MprF is a flippase for the resulting lipids, Lys-PG or Ala-PG. Here we demonstrate that the flippase activity resides in the N-terminal 6 to 8 transmembrane segments of the Staphylococcus aureus MprF and that several conserved, charged amino acids and a proline residue are crucial for flippase function. MprF protects S. aureus against the membrane-active antibiotic daptomycin only when both domains are present, but the two parts do not need to be covalently linked and can function in trans. The Lys-PG synthase and flippase domains were each found to homo-oligomerize and also to interact with each other, which illustrates how the two functional domains may act together. Moreover, full-length MprF proteins formed oligomers, indicating that MprF functions as a dimer or larger oligomer. Together our data reveal how bacterial phospholipid flippases may function in the context of lipid biosynthetic processes. IMPORTANCE Bacterial cytoplasmic membranes are crucial for maintaining and protecting cellular integrity. For instance, they have to cope with membrane-damaging agents such as cationic antimicrobial peptides (CAMPs) produced by competing bacteria (bacteriocins), secreted by eukaryotic host cells (defensins), or used as antimicrobial therapy (daptomycin). The MprF protein is found in many Gram-positive, Gram-negative, and even archaeal commensals or pathogens and confers resistance to CAMPs by modifying anionic phospholipids with amino acids, thereby compromising the membrane interaction of CAMPs. Here we describe how MprF does not only modify phospholipids but uses an additional, distinct domain for translocating the resulting lysinylated phospholipids to the outer leaflet of the membrane. We reveal critical details for the structure and function of MprF, the first dedicated prokaryotic phospholipid flippase, which may pave the way for targeting MprF with new antimicrobials that would not kill bacteria but sensitize them to antibiotics and innate host defense molecules.
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Offre P, Kerou M, Spang A, Schleper C. Variability of the transporter gene complement in ammonia-oxidizing archaea. Trends Microbiol 2014; 22:665-75. [PMID: 25169021 DOI: 10.1016/j.tim.2014.07.007] [Citation(s) in RCA: 43] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/11/2014] [Revised: 07/17/2014] [Accepted: 07/30/2014] [Indexed: 12/19/2022]
Abstract
Ammonia-oxidizing archaea (AOA) are a widespread and abundant component of microbial communities in many different ecosystems. The extent of physiological differences between individual AOA is, however, unknown. Here, we compare the transporter gene complements of six AOA, from four different environments and two major clades, to assess their potential for substrate uptake and efflux. Each of the corresponding AOA genomes encode a unique set of transporters and although the composition of AOA transporter complements follows a phylogenetic pattern, few transporter families are conserved in all investigated genomes. A comparison of ammonia transporters encoded by archaeal and bacterial ammonia oxidizers highlights the variance among AOA lineages as well as their distinction from the ammonia-oxidizing bacteria, and suggests differential ecological adaptations.
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Affiliation(s)
- Pierre Offre
- University of Vienna, Department of Ecogenomics and Systems Biology, Archaea Biology and Ecogenomics Division, Althanstrasse 14, A-1090 Wien, Austria.
| | - Melina Kerou
- University of Vienna, Department of Ecogenomics and Systems Biology, Archaea Biology and Ecogenomics Division, Althanstrasse 14, A-1090 Wien, Austria
| | - Anja Spang
- Uppsala University, Department of Cell and Molecular Biology, Science for Life Laboratory, Box 596, SE-75123, Uppsala, Sweden
| | - Christa Schleper
- University of Vienna, Department of Ecogenomics and Systems Biology, Archaea Biology and Ecogenomics Division, Althanstrasse 14, A-1090 Wien, Austria.
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Gorman-Lewis D, Martens-Habbena W, Stahl DA. Thermodynamic characterization of proton-ionizable functional groups on the cell surfaces of ammonia-oxidizing bacteria and archaea. GEOBIOLOGY 2014; 12:157-171. [PMID: 24589203 DOI: 10.1111/gbi.12075] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/31/2013] [Accepted: 12/16/2013] [Indexed: 06/03/2023]
Abstract
The ammonia-oxidizing archaeon Nitrosopumilus maritimus strain SCM1 (strain SCM1), a representative of the Thaumarchaeota archaeal phylum, can sustain high specific rates of ammonia oxidation at ammonia concentrations too low to sustain metabolism by ammonia-oxidizing bacteria (AOB). One structural and biochemical difference between N. maritimus and AOB that might be related to the oligotrophic adaptation of strain SCM1 is the cell surface. A proteinaceous surface layer (S-layer) comprises the outermost boundary of the strain SCM1 cell envelope, as opposed to the lipopolysaccharide coat of Gram-negative AOB. In this work, we compared the surface reactivities of two archaea having an S-layer (strain SCM1 and Sulfolobus acidocaldarius) with those of four representative AOB (Nitrosospira briensis, Nitrosomonas europaea, Nitrosolobus multiformis, and Nitrosococcus oceani) using potentiometric and calorimetric titrations to evaluate differences in proton-ionizable surface sites. Strain SCM1 and S. acidocaldarius have a wider range of proton buffering (approximately pH 10-3.5) than the AOB (approximately pH 10-4), under the conditions investigated. Thermodynamic parameters describing proton-ionizable sites (acidity constants, enthalpies, and entropies of protonation) are consistent with these archaea having proton-ionizable amino acid side chains containing carboxyl, imidazole, thiol, hydroxyl, and amine functional groups. Phosphorous-bearing acidic functional groups, which might also be present, could be masked by imidazole and thiol functional groups. Parameters for the AOB are consistent with surface structures containing anionic oxygen ligands (carboxyl- and phosphorous-bearing acidic functional groups), thiols, and amines. In addition, our results showed that strain SCM1 has more reactive surface sites than the AOB and a high concentration of sites consistent with aspartic and/or glutamic acid. Because these alternative boundary layers mediate interaction with the local external environment, these data provide the basis for further comparisons of the thermodynamic behavior of surface reactivity toward essential nutrients.
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Affiliation(s)
- D Gorman-Lewis
- University of Washington, Department of Earth and Space Sciences, Seattle, WA, USA
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von Wittgenstein NJJB, Le CH, Hawkins BJ, Ehlting J. Evolutionary classification of ammonium, nitrate, and peptide transporters in land plants. BMC Evol Biol 2014; 14:11. [PMID: 24438197 PMCID: PMC3922906 DOI: 10.1186/1471-2148-14-11] [Citation(s) in RCA: 85] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/06/2013] [Accepted: 12/30/2013] [Indexed: 01/15/2023] Open
Abstract
Background Nitrogen uptake, reallocation within the plant, and between subcellular compartments involves ammonium, nitrate and peptide transporters. Ammonium transporters are separated into two distinct families (AMT1 and AMT2), each comprised of five members on average in angiosperms. Nitrate transporters also form two discrete families (NRT1 and NRT2), with angiosperms having four NRT2s, on average. NRT1s share an evolutionary history with peptide transporters (PTRs). The NRT1/PTR family in land plants usually has more than 50 members and contains also members with distinct activities, such as glucosinolate and abscisic acid transport. Results Phylogenetic reconstructions of each family across 20 land plant species with available genome sequences were supplemented with subcellular localization and transmembrane topology predictions. This revealed that both AMT families diverged prior to the separation of bryophytes and vascular plants forming two distinct clans, designated as supergroups, each. Ten supergroups were identified for the NRT1/PTR family. It is apparent that nitrate and peptide transport within the NRT1/PTR family is polyphyletic, that is, nitrate and/or peptide transport likely evolved multiple times within land plants. The NRT2 family separated into two distinct clans early in vascular plant evolution. Subsequent duplications occurring prior to the eudicot/monocot separation led to the existence of two AMT1, six AMT2, 31 NRT1/PTR, and two NRT2 clans, designated as groups. Conclusion Phylogenetic separation of groups suggests functional divergence within the angiosperms for each family. Distinct groups within the NRT1/PTR family appear to separate peptide and nitrate transport activities as well as other activities contained within the family, for example nitrite transport. Conversely, distinct activities, such as abscisic acid and glucosinolate transport, appear to have recently evolved from nitrate transporters.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | | | - Jürgen Ehlting
- Centre for Forest Biology & Department of Biology, University of Victoria, PO Box 1700 STN CSC, Victoria, BC V8W 2Y2, Canada.
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van Heeswijk WC, Westerhoff HV, Boogerd FC. Nitrogen assimilation in Escherichia coli: putting molecular data into a systems perspective. Microbiol Mol Biol Rev 2013; 77:628-95. [PMID: 24296575 PMCID: PMC3973380 DOI: 10.1128/mmbr.00025-13] [Citation(s) in RCA: 159] [Impact Index Per Article: 14.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/22/2023] Open
Abstract
We present a comprehensive overview of the hierarchical network of intracellular processes revolving around central nitrogen metabolism in Escherichia coli. The hierarchy intertwines transport, metabolism, signaling leading to posttranslational modification, and transcription. The protein components of the network include an ammonium transporter (AmtB), a glutamine transporter (GlnHPQ), two ammonium assimilation pathways (glutamine synthetase [GS]-glutamate synthase [glutamine 2-oxoglutarate amidotransferase {GOGAT}] and glutamate dehydrogenase [GDH]), the two bifunctional enzymes adenylyl transferase/adenylyl-removing enzyme (ATase) and uridylyl transferase/uridylyl-removing enzyme (UTase), the two trimeric signal transduction proteins (GlnB and GlnK), the two-component regulatory system composed of the histidine protein kinase nitrogen regulator II (NRII) and the response nitrogen regulator I (NRI), three global transcriptional regulators called nitrogen assimilation control (Nac) protein, leucine-responsive regulatory protein (Lrp), and cyclic AMP (cAMP) receptor protein (Crp), the glutaminases, and the nitrogen-phosphotransferase system. First, the structural and molecular knowledge on these proteins is reviewed. Thereafter, the activities of the components as they engage together in transport, metabolism, signal transduction, and transcription and their regulation are discussed. Next, old and new molecular data and physiological data are put into a common perspective on integral cellular functioning, especially with the aim of resolving counterintuitive or paradoxical processes featured in nitrogen assimilation. Finally, we articulate what still remains to be discovered and what general lessons can be learned from the vast amounts of data that are available now.
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Koegel S, Ait Lahmidi N, Arnould C, Chatagnier O, Walder F, Ineichen K, Boller T, Wipf D, Wiemken A, Courty PE. The family of ammonium transporters (AMT) in Sorghum bicolor: two AMT members are induced locally, but not systemically in roots colonized by arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi. THE NEW PHYTOLOGIST 2013; 198:853-865. [PMID: 23461653 DOI: 10.1111/nph.12199] [Citation(s) in RCA: 84] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/12/2012] [Accepted: 01/20/2013] [Indexed: 05/19/2023]
Abstract
Arbuscular mycorrhizal (AM) fungi contribute to plant nitrogen (N) acquisition. Recent studies demonstrated the transport of N in the form of ammonium during AM symbiosis. Here, we hypothesize that induction of specific ammonium transporter (AMT) genes in Sorghum bicolor during AM colonization might play a key role in the functionality of the symbiosis. For the first time, combining a split-root experiment and microdissection technology, we were able to assess the precise expression pattern of two AM-inducible AMTs, SbAMT3;1 and SbAMT4. Immunolocalization was used to localize the protein of SbAMT3;1. The expression of SbAMT3;1 and SbAMT4 was greatly induced locally in root cells containing arbuscules and in adjacent cells. However, a split-root experiment revealed that this induction was not systemic. By contrast, a strictly AM-induced phosphate transporter (SbPt11) was expressed systemically in the split-root experiment. However, a gradient of expression was apparent. Immunolocalization analyses demonstrated that SbAMT3;1 was present only in cells containing developing arbuscules. Our results show that the SbAMT3;1 and SbAMT4 genes are expressed in root cortical cells, which makes them ready to accommodate arbuscules, a process of considerable importance in view of the short life span of arbuscules. Additionally, SbAMT3;1 might play an important role in N transfer during AM symbiosis.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sally Koegel
- Zurich-Basel Plant Science Center, Department of Environmental Sciences, Botany, University of Basel, Hebelstrasse 1, 4056, Basel, Switzerland
| | - Nassima Ait Lahmidi
- UMR INRA 1347/Agrosup/U Bourgogne Agroecology, ERL IPM 6300 CNRS, 17 Rue Sully, BP 86510, 21065, Dijon, France
| | - Christine Arnould
- UMR INRA 1347/Agrosup/U Bourgogne Agroecology, ERL IPM 6300 CNRS, 17 Rue Sully, BP 86510, 21065, Dijon, France
| | - Odile Chatagnier
- UMR INRA 1347/Agrosup/U Bourgogne Agroecology, ERL IPM 6300 CNRS, 17 Rue Sully, BP 86510, 21065, Dijon, France
| | - Florian Walder
- Zurich-Basel Plant Science Center, Department of Environmental Sciences, Botany, University of Basel, Hebelstrasse 1, 4056, Basel, Switzerland
| | - Kurt Ineichen
- Zurich-Basel Plant Science Center, Department of Environmental Sciences, Botany, University of Basel, Hebelstrasse 1, 4056, Basel, Switzerland
| | - Thomas Boller
- Zurich-Basel Plant Science Center, Department of Environmental Sciences, Botany, University of Basel, Hebelstrasse 1, 4056, Basel, Switzerland
| | - Daniel Wipf
- UMR INRA 1347/Agrosup/U Bourgogne Agroecology, ERL IPM 6300 CNRS, 17 Rue Sully, BP 86510, 21065, Dijon, France
| | - Andres Wiemken
- Zurich-Basel Plant Science Center, Department of Environmental Sciences, Botany, University of Basel, Hebelstrasse 1, 4056, Basel, Switzerland
| | - Pierre-Emmanuel Courty
- Zurich-Basel Plant Science Center, Department of Environmental Sciences, Botany, University of Basel, Hebelstrasse 1, 4056, Basel, Switzerland
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Pérez-Tienda J, Testillano PS, Balestrini R, Fiorilli V, Azcón-Aguilar C, Ferrol N. GintAMT2, a new member of the ammonium transporter family in the arbuscular mycorrhizal fungus Glomus intraradices. Fungal Genet Biol 2011; 48:1044-55. [DOI: 10.1016/j.fgb.2011.08.003] [Citation(s) in RCA: 113] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/18/2011] [Revised: 06/27/2011] [Accepted: 08/15/2011] [Indexed: 11/16/2022]
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Graff L, Obrdlik P, Yuan L, Loqué D, Frommer WB, von Wirén N. N-terminal cysteines affect oligomer stability of the allosterically regulated ammonium transporter LeAMT1;1. JOURNAL OF EXPERIMENTAL BOTANY 2011; 62:1361-73. [PMID: 21127027 DOI: 10.1093/jxb/erq379] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/11/2023]
Abstract
AMMONIUM TRANSPORTER (AMT) proteins are conserved in all domains of life and mediate the transport of ammonium or ammonia across cell membranes. AMTs form trimers and use intermolecular interaction between subunits to regulate activity. So far, binding forces that stabilize AMT protein complexes are not well characterized. High temperature or reducing agents released mono- and dimeric forms from trimeric complexes formed by AMT1;1 from Arabidopsis and tomato. However, in the paralogue LeAMT1;3, trimeric complexes were not detected. LeAMT1;3 differs from the other AMTs by an unusually short N-terminus, suggesting a role for the N-terminus in oligomer stability. Truncation of the N-terminus in LeAMT1;1 destabilized the trimer and led to loss of functionality when expressed in yeast. Swapping of the N-terminus between LeAMT1;1 and LeAMT1;3 showed that sequences in the N-terminus of LeAMT1;1 are necessary and sufficient for stabilization of the interaction among the subunits. Two N-terminal cysteine residues are highly conserved among AMT1 transporters in plants but are lacking in LeAMT1;3. C3S or C27S variants of LeAMT1;1 showed reduced complex stability, which coincided with lower transport capacity for the substrate analogue methylammonium. Both cysteine-substituted LeAMT1;1 variants showed weaker interactions with the wildtype as determined by a quantitative analysis of the complex stability using the mating-based split-ubiquitin assay. These data indicate that the binding affinity of AMT1 subunits is stabilized by cysteines in the N-terminus and suggest a role for disulphide bridge formation via apoplastic N-terminal cysteine residues.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lucile Graff
- Institute for Plant Nutrition, University of Hohenheim, D-70593 Stuttgart, Germany
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Boogerd FC, Ma H, Bruggeman FJ, van Heeswijk WC, García-Contreras R, Molenaar D, Krab K, Westerhoff HV. AmtB-mediated NH3
transport in prokaryotes must be active and as a consequence regulation of transport by GlnK is mandatory to limit futile cycling of NH4+/NH3. FEBS Lett 2010; 585:23-8. [DOI: 10.1016/j.febslet.2010.11.055] [Citation(s) in RCA: 37] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/27/2010] [Revised: 11/29/2010] [Accepted: 11/29/2010] [Indexed: 12/19/2022]
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Lamoureux G, Javelle A, Baday S, Wang S, Bernèche S. Transport mechanisms in the ammonium transporter family. Transfus Clin Biol 2010; 17:168-75. [DOI: 10.1016/j.tracli.2010.06.004] [Citation(s) in RCA: 26] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/09/2010] [Accepted: 06/14/2010] [Indexed: 02/09/2023]
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Severi E, Javelle A, Merrick M. The conserved carboxy-terminal region of the ammonia channel AmtB plays a critical role in channel function. Mol Membr Biol 2009; 24:161-71. [PMID: 17453422 DOI: 10.1080/09687860601129420] [Citation(s) in RCA: 18] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/23/2022]
Abstract
The ammonium transport (Amt) proteins are a highly conserved family of integral membrane proteins found in eubacteria, archaea, fungi and plants. Genetic, biochemical and bioinformatic analyses suggest that they have a common tertiary structure comprising eleven trans-membrane helices with an N-out, C-in topology. The cytoplasmic C-terminus is variable in length but includes a core region of some 22 residues with considerable sequence conservation. Previous studies have indicated that this C-terminus is not absolutely required for Amt activity but that mutations that alter C-terminal residues can have very marked effects. Using the Escherichia coli AmtB protein as a model system for Amt proteins, we have carried out an extensive site-directed mutagenesis study to investigate the possible role of this region of the protein. Our data indicate that nearly all mutations fall into two phenotypic classes that are best explained in terms of two distinct effects of the C-terminal region on AmtB activity. Residues within the C-terminus play a significant role in normal AmtB function and the C-terminal region might also mediate co-operativity between the three subunits of AmtB.
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Abstract
The water channel aquaporin 1 (AQP1) and certain Rh-family members are permeable to CO(2) and NH(3). Here, we use changes in surface pH (pH(S)) to assess relative CO(2) vs. NH(3) permeability of Xenopus oocytes expressing members of the AQP or Rh family. Exposed to CO(2) or NH(3), AQP1 oocytes exhibit a greater maximal magnitude of pH(S) change (DeltapH(S)) compared with day-matched controls injected with H(2)O or with RNA encoding SGLT1, NKCC2, or PepT1. With CO(2), AQP1 oocytes also have faster time constants for pH(S) relaxation (tau(pHs)). Thus, AQP1, but not the other proteins, conduct CO(2) and NH(3). Oocytes expressing rat AQP4, rat AQP5, human RhAG, or the bacterial Rh homolog AmtB also exhibit greater DeltapH(S)(CO(2)) and faster tau(pHs) compared with controls. Oocytes expressing AmtB and RhAG, but not AQP4 or AQP5, exhibit greater DeltapH(S)(NH(3)) values. Only AQPs exhibited significant osmotic water permeability (P(f)). We computed channel-dependent (*) DeltapH(S) or P(f) by subtracting values for H(2)O oocytes from those of channel-expressing oocytes. For the ratio DeltapH(S)(CO(2))*/P(f)*, the sequence was AQP5 > AQP1 congruent with AQP4. For DeltapH(S)(CO(2))*/DeltapH(S)(NH(3))*, the sequence was AQP4 congruent with AQP5 > AQP1 > AmtB > RhAG. Thus, each channel exhibits a characteristic ratio for indices of CO(2) vs. NH(3) permeability, demonstrating that, like ion channels, gas channels can exhibit selectivity.
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Campbell BJ, Smith JL, Hanson TE, Klotz MG, Stein LY, Lee CK, Wu D, Robinson JM, Khouri HM, Eisen JA, Cary SC. Adaptations to submarine hydrothermal environments exemplified by the genome of Nautilia profundicola. PLoS Genet 2009; 5:e1000362. [PMID: 19197347 PMCID: PMC2628731 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pgen.1000362] [Citation(s) in RCA: 81] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/14/2008] [Accepted: 12/31/2008] [Indexed: 11/19/2022] Open
Abstract
Submarine hydrothermal vents are model systems for the Archaean Earth environment, and some sites maintain conditions that may have favored the formation and evolution of cellular life. Vents are typified by rapid fluctuations in temperature and redox potential that impose a strong selective pressure on resident microbial communities. Nautilia profundicola strain Am-H is a moderately thermophilic, deeply-branching Epsilonproteobacterium found free-living at hydrothermal vents and is a member of the microbial mass on the dorsal surface of vent polychaete, Alvinella pompejana. Analysis of the 1.7-Mbp genome of N. profundicola uncovered adaptations to the vent environment--some unique and some shared with other Epsilonproteobacterial genomes. The major findings included: (1) a diverse suite of hydrogenases coupled to a relatively simple electron transport chain, (2) numerous stress response systems, (3) a novel predicted nitrate assimilation pathway with hydroxylamine as a key intermediate, and (4) a gene (rgy) encoding the hallmark protein for hyperthermophilic growth, reverse gyrase. Additional experiments indicated that expression of rgy in strain Am-H was induced over 100-fold with a 20 degrees C increase above the optimal growth temperature of this bacterium and that closely related rgy genes are present and expressed in bacterial communities residing in geographically distinct thermophilic environments. N. profundicola, therefore, is a model Epsilonproteobacterium that contains all the genes necessary for life in the extreme conditions widely believed to reflect those in the Archaean biosphere--anaerobic, sulfur, H2- and CO2-rich, with fluctuating redox potentials and temperatures. In addition, reverse gyrase appears to be an important and common adaptation for mesophiles and moderate thermophiles that inhabit ecological niches characterized by rapid and frequent temperature fluctuations and, as such, can no longer be considered a unique feature of hyperthermophiles.
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Mutational analysis of the Candida albicans ammonium permease Mep2p reveals residues required for ammonium transport and signaling. EUKARYOTIC CELL 2008; 8:147-60. [PMID: 19060183 DOI: 10.1128/ec.00229-08] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/21/2023]
Abstract
The ammonium permease Mep2p mediates ammonium uptake and also induces filamentous growth in the human-pathogenic yeast Candida albicans in response to nitrogen limitation. The C-terminal cytoplasmic tail of Mep2p contains a signaling domain that is not required for ammonium transport but is essential for Mep2p-dependent morphogenesis. Progressive C-terminal truncations showed Y433 to be the last amino acid that is essential for the induction of filamentous growth, thereby delimiting the Mep2p signaling domain. To understand in more detail how the signaling activity of Mep2p is regulated by ammonium availability and transport, we mutated conserved amino acid residues that have been implicated in ammonium binding or uptake. Mutation of D180, which has been proposed to mediate initial contact with extracellular ammonium, or the pore-lining residues H188 and H342 abolished Mep2p expression, indicating that these residues are important for protein stability. Mutation of F239, which together with F126 is thought to form an extracytosolic gate to the conductance channel, abolished both ammonium uptake and Mep2p-dependent filament formation, despite proper localization of the protein. On the other hand, mutation of W167, which is assumed to participate with Y122, F126, and S243 in the recruitment and coordination of the ammonium ion at the extracytosolic side of the cell membrane, also abolished filament formation without having a strong impact on ammonium transport, demonstrating that extracellular alterations in Mep2p can affect intracellular signaling. Mutation of Y122 reduced ammonium uptake much more strongly than mutation of W167 but still allowed efficient filament formation, indicating that the signaling activity of Mep2p is not directly correlated with its transport activity. These results provide important insights into ammonium transport and control of morphogenesis by Mep2p in C. albicans.
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Yoshihara C, Inoue K, Schichnes D, Ruzin S, Inwood W, Kustu S. An Rh1-GFP fusion protein is in the cytoplasmic membrane of a white mutant strain of Chlamydomonas reinhardtii. MOLECULAR PLANT 2008; 1:1007-20. [PMID: 19825599 PMCID: PMC2902906 DOI: 10.1093/mp/ssn074] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/18/2008] [Accepted: 10/14/2008] [Indexed: 05/21/2023]
Abstract
The major Rhesus (Rh) protein of the green alga Chlamydomonas reinhardtii, Rh1, is homologous to Rh proteins of humans. It is an integral membrane protein involved in transport of carbon dioxide. To localize a fusion of intact Rh1 to the green fluorescent protein (GFP), we used as host a white (lts1) mutant strain of C. reinhardtii, which is blocked at the first step of carotenoid biosynthesis. The lts1 mutant strain accumulated normal amounts of Rh1 heterotrophically in the dark and Rh1-GFP was at the periphery of the cell co-localized with the cytoplasmic membrane dye FM4-64. Although Rh1 carries a potential chloroplast targeting sequence at its N-terminus, Rh1-GFP was clearly not associated with the chloroplast envelope membrane. Moreover, the N-terminal half of the protein was not imported into chloroplasts in vitro and N-terminal regions of Rh1 did not direct import of the small subunit of ribulose bisphosphate carboxylase (SSU). Despite caveats to this interpretation, which we discuss, current evidence indicates that Rh1 is a cytoplasmic membrane protein and that Rh1-GFP is among the first cytoplasmic membrane protein fusions to be obtained in C. reinhardtii. Although lts1 (white) mutant strains cannot be used to localize proteins within sub-compartments of the chloroplast because they lack thylakoid membranes, they should nonetheless be valuable for localizing many GFP fusions in Chlamydomonas.
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Affiliation(s)
- Corinne Yoshihara
- Department of Plant and Microbial Biology, 111 Koshland Hall, University of California, Berkeley, CA 94720-3102, USA
| | - Kentaro Inoue
- Department of Plant Sciences, 131 Asmundson Hall, University of California, One Shields Avenue, Davis, CA 95616, USA
| | - Denise Schichnes
- CNR Biological Imaging Facility, 381 Koshland Hall, University of California, Berkeley, CA 94720-3102, USA
| | - Steven Ruzin
- CNR Biological Imaging Facility, 381 Koshland Hall, University of California, Berkeley, CA 94720-3102, USA
| | - William Inwood
- Department of Plant and Microbial Biology, 111 Koshland Hall, University of California, Berkeley, CA 94720-3102, USA
| | - Sydney Kustu
- Department of Plant and Microbial Biology, 111 Koshland Hall, University of California, Berkeley, CA 94720-3102, USA
- To whom correspondence should be addressed. E-mail , fax (510) 642-4995, tel. (510) 643-9308
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Impact of ammonium permeases mepA, mepB, and mepC on nitrogen-regulated secondary metabolism in Fusarium fujikuroi. EUKARYOTIC CELL 2007; 7:187-201. [PMID: 18083831 DOI: 10.1128/ec.00351-07] [Citation(s) in RCA: 39] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/20/2022]
Abstract
In Fusarium fujikuroi, the production of gibberellins and bikaverin is repressed by nitrogen sources such as glutamine or ammonium. Sensing and uptake of ammonium by specific permeases play key roles in nitrogen metabolism. Here, we describe the cloning of three ammonium permease genes, mepA, mepB, and mepC, and their participation in ammonium uptake and signal transduction in F. fujikuroi. The expression of all three genes is strictly regulated by the nitrogen regulator AreA. Severe growth defects of DeltamepB mutants on low-ammonium medium and methylamine uptake studies suggest that MepB functions as the main ammonium permease in F. fujikuroi. In DeltamepB mutants, nitrogen-regulated genes such as the gibberellin and bikaverin biosynthetic genes are derepressed in spite of high extracellular ammonium concentrations. mepA mepB and mepC mepB double mutants show a similar phenotype as DeltamepB mutants. All three F. fujikuroi mep genes fully complemented the Saccharomyces cerevisiae mep1 mep2 mep3 triple mutant to restore growth on low-ammonium medium, whereas only MepA and MepC restored pseudohyphal growth in the mep2/mep2 mutant. Overexpression of mepC in the DeltamepB mutants partially suppressed the growth defect but did not prevent derepression of AreA-regulated genes. These studies provide evidence that MepB functions as a regulatory element in a nitrogen sensing system in F. fujikuroi yet does not provide the sensor activity of Mep2 in yeast, indicating differences in the mechanisms by which nitrogen is sensed in S. cerevisiae and F. fujikuroi.
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Cherif-Zahar B, Durand A, Schmidt I, Hamdaoui N, Matic I, Merrick M, Matassi G. Evolution and functional characterization of the RH50 gene from the ammonia-oxidizing bacterium Nitrosomonas europaea. J Bacteriol 2007; 189:9090-100. [PMID: 17921289 PMCID: PMC2168606 DOI: 10.1128/jb.01089-07] [Citation(s) in RCA: 20] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/10/2007] [Accepted: 09/04/2007] [Indexed: 12/31/2022] Open
Abstract
The family of ammonia and ammonium channel proteins comprises the Amt proteins, which are present in all three domains of life with the notable exception of vertebrates, and the homologous Rh proteins (Rh50 and Rh30) that have been described thus far only in eukaryotes. The existence of an RH50 gene in bacteria was first revealed by the genome sequencing of the ammonia-oxidizing bacterium Nitrosomonas europaea. Here we have used a phylogenetic approach to study the evolution of the N. europaea RH50 gene, and we show that this gene, probably as a component of an integron cassette, has been transferred to the N. europaea genome by horizontal gene transfer. In addition, by functionally characterizing the Rh50(Ne) protein and the corresponding knockout mutant, we determined that NeRh50 can mediate ammonium uptake. The RH50(Ne) gene may thus have replaced functionally the AMT gene, which is missing in the genome of N. europaea and may be regarded as a case of nonorthologous gene displacement.
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Cao Z, Mo Y, Thiel W. Deprotonation Mechanism of NH4+ in theEscherichia coli Ammonium Transporter AmtB: Insight from QM and QM/MM Calculations. Angew Chem Int Ed Engl 2007; 46:6811-5. [PMID: 17668906 DOI: 10.1002/anie.200701348] [Citation(s) in RCA: 26] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/22/2023]
Affiliation(s)
- Zexing Cao
- Department of Chemistry and State Key Laboratory of Physical Chemistry of Solid Surfaces, Xiamen University, Xiamen 361005, China.
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Cao Z, Mo Y, Thiel W. Deprotonation Mechanism of NH4+ in theEscherichia coli Ammonium Transporter AmtB: Insight from QM and QM/MM Calculations. Angew Chem Int Ed Engl 2007. [DOI: 10.1002/ange.200701348] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/19/2022]
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Liu Y, Hu X. Molecular determinants for binding of ammonium ion in the ammonia transporter AmtB-A quantum chemical analysis. J Phys Chem A 2007; 110:1375-81. [PMID: 16435797 DOI: 10.1021/jp054261c] [Citation(s) in RCA: 27] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/29/2022]
Abstract
The transport of ammonium across the cell membrane represents an important biological process in all living organisms. The mechanisms for ammonium translocation were analyzed by computer simulations based on first principles. Intermolecular interaction energies between the differentially methylated ammonium and the ammonium channel protein AmtB were calculated by means of the supermolecular approach at the MP2/6-311+G* level based on the high-resolution crystal structures of ligand-bound protein complexes. Our analysis attributes the molecular determinants for protein-ligand recognition in ammonium transporter AmtB to the aromatic cage formed by three aromatic residues Phe103, Phe107, and Trp148, as well as Ser219. The former residues are involved in cation-pi interactions with the positively charged methylated ammoniums. The latter residue acts as a hydrogen bond acceptor to ammonium. Thus, this work provides directly the missing evidence for the hypothesized role played by the wider vestibule site of AmtB at the periplasmic side of the membrane in "recruiting" NH(4)(+) or methylammonium ions as proposed by Khademi et al. (Science 2004, 305, 1587). In addition, a hybrid quantum mechanics/molecular mechanics scheme was applied to optimize the structures of differentially methylated ammoniums in the AmtB protein, which generated structural and energetic data that provide a satisfactory explanation to the experimental observation that tetramethylammonium is not inhibitory to conducting ammonium and methylammonium in the ammonium transport channel.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yuemin Liu
- Department of Chemistry, University of Toledo, Toledo, Ohio 43606, USA
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Weidinger K, Neuhäuser B, Gilch S, Ludewig U, Meyer O, Schmidt I. Functional and physiological evidence for a rhesus-type ammonia transporter in Nitrosomonas europaea. FEMS Microbiol Lett 2007; 273:260-7. [PMID: 17608700 DOI: 10.1111/j.1574-6968.2007.00805.x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 39] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/30/2022] Open
Abstract
Ammonium transporters form a conserved family of transport proteins and are widely distributed among all domains of life. The genome of Nitrosomonas europaea codes for a single gene (rh1) that belongs to the family of the AMT/Rh ammonium transporters. For the first time, this study provides functional and physiological evidence for a rhesus-type ammonia transporter in bacteria (N. europaea). The methylammonium (MA) transport activity of N. europaea correlated with the Rh1 expression. The K(m) value for the MA uptake of N. europaea was 1.8+/-0.2 mM (pH 7.25), and the uptake was competitively inhibited by ammonium [K(i)(NH(4) (+)) 0.3+/-0.1 mM at pH 7.25]. The MA uptake rate was pH dependent, indicating that the uncharged form of MA is transported by Rh1. An effect of the glutamine synthetase on the MA uptake was not observed. When expressed in Saccharomyces cerevisiae, the function of Rh1 from N. europaea as an ammonia/MA transporter was confirmed. The results suggest that Rh1 equilibrates the uncharged substrate species. A low pH value in the periplasmic space during ammonia oxidation seems to be responsible for the ammonium accumulation functioning as an acid NH(4) (+) trap.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kerstin Weidinger
- Lehrstuhl für Mikrobiologie, Universität Bayreuth, Bayreuth, Germany
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47
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Conroy MJ, Durand A, Lupo D, Li XD, Bullough PA, Winkler FK, Merrick M. The crystal structure of the Escherichia coli AmtB-GlnK complex reveals how GlnK regulates the ammonia channel. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A 2007; 104:1213-8. [PMID: 17220269 PMCID: PMC1783118 DOI: 10.1073/pnas.0610348104] [Citation(s) in RCA: 154] [Impact Index Per Article: 9.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/10/2006] [Indexed: 11/18/2022] Open
Abstract
Amt proteins are ubiquitous channels for the conduction of ammonia in archaea, eubacteria, fungi, and plants. In Escherichia coli, previous studies have indicated that binding of the PII signal transduction protein GlnK to the ammonia channel AmtB regulates the channel thereby controlling ammonium influx in response to the intracellular nitrogen status. Here, we describe the crystal structure of the complex between AmtB and GlnK at a resolution of 2.5 A. This structure of PII in a complex with one of its targets reveals physiologically relevant conformations of both AmtB and GlnK. GlnK interacts with AmtB almost exclusively via a long surface loop containing Y51 (T-loop), the tip of which inserts deeply into the cytoplasmic pore exit, blocking ammonia conduction. Y51 of GlnK is also buried in the pore exit, explaining why uridylylation of this residue prevents complex formation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Matthew J. Conroy
- *Department of Molecular Biology and Biotechnology, University of Sheffield, Firth Court, Western Bank, Sheffield S10 2TN, United Kingdom
| | - Anne Durand
- Department of Molecular Microbiology, John Innes Centre, Norwich NR4 7UH, United Kingdom; and
| | - Domenico Lupo
- Biomolecular Research, Paul Scherrer Institut, CH-5232 Villigen, Switzerland
| | - Xiao-Dan Li
- Biomolecular Research, Paul Scherrer Institut, CH-5232 Villigen, Switzerland
| | - Per A. Bullough
- *Department of Molecular Biology and Biotechnology, University of Sheffield, Firth Court, Western Bank, Sheffield S10 2TN, United Kingdom
| | - Fritz K. Winkler
- Biomolecular Research, Paul Scherrer Institut, CH-5232 Villigen, Switzerland
| | - Mike Merrick
- Department of Molecular Microbiology, John Innes Centre, Norwich NR4 7UH, United Kingdom; and
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Ishikita H, Knapp EW. Protonation States of Ammonia/Ammonium in the Hydrophobic Pore of Ammonia Transporter Protein AmtB. J Am Chem Soc 2007; 129:1210-5. [PMID: 17263403 DOI: 10.1021/ja066208n] [Citation(s) in RCA: 40] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/28/2022]
Abstract
The crystal structure of the ammonia transport (Amt) protein AmtB at 1.4 Angstrom resolution revealed four ammonia/ammonium (NH(3)/NH(4)(+)) binding sites along the approximately 20 Angstrom narrow pore. It is an open question whether the bound NH(3)/NH(4)(+) are neutral (NH(3)) or cationic (NH(4)(+)). On the basis of the AmtB crystal structure, we calculated the pK(a) of these four NH(3)/NH(4)(+) by solving the Poisson-Boltzmann equation. Except for one NH(3)/NH(4)(+) binding site (Am1) at the entry point of the Amt pore, binding sites are occupied by NH(3) due to lack of energy contributions from solvation, eliminating an existence of charged form NH(4)(+) and, inevitably, its potential cation-pi interaction. The only two titratable residues in the pore, His168 and His318, are in the neutral charge state. The NH(4)(+) charge state at the Am1 site is stabilized by Ser219 functioning as an H-bond acceptor. However, when involving explicit crystal water nearby, the NH(3) charge state is stabilized by the reorientation of Ser219-OH group. This H-bond donor Ser219 significantly decreases the pK(a) of NH(3)/ NH(4)(+) at the Am1 site to approximately 1. The flip/flop H-bond of Ser219 may play a dual role first in binding and subsequently in deprotonating NH(4)(+), which is a prerequisite to conduct NH(3) through the Amt pore across the membrane.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hiroshi Ishikita
- Department of Chemistry, The Pennsylvania State University, 104 Chemistry Building, University Park, Pennsylvania 16802, USA.
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Couturier J, Montanini B, Martin F, Brun A, Blaudez D, Chalot M. The expanded family of ammonium transporters in the perennial poplar plant. THE NEW PHYTOLOGIST 2007; 174:137-150. [PMID: 17335504 DOI: 10.1111/j.1469-8137.2007.01992.x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 111] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/10/2023]
Abstract
* Ammonium and nitrate are the prevalent nitrogen sources for growth and development of higher plants. Here, we report on the characterization of the ammonium transporter (AMT) family in the perennial species Populus trichocarpa. * In silico analysis and expression analysis of AMT genes from poplar was performed. In addition, AMT1;2 and AMT1;6 function was studied in detail by heterologous expression in yeast. * The P. trichocarpa genome contains 14 putative AMTs, which is more than twice the number of AMTs in Arabidopsis. In roots, the high-affinity AMT1;2 strongly increased upon mycorrhiza formation and might be partly responsible for the high-affinity ammonium uptake component measured in poplar. Transcript level for the high-affinity AMT1;6 was strongly affected by the diurnal cycle. AMT3;1 was exclusively expressed in senescing poplar leaves. Remarkably AMT2;1 was highly expressed in leaves while AMT2;2 was mostly expressed in petioles. Specific expression of AMT1;5 in stamen and of AMT1;6 in female flower indicate that they have key functions in reproductive organ development in poplar. * The present study provides basic genomic and transcriptomic information for the poplar AMT family and will pave the way for deciphering the precise role of AMTs in poplar physiology.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jérémy Couturier
- Research Unit INRA/UHP 1136 'Tree-microbe Interactions', Nancy-University, BP 239, F-54506 Vandoeuvre-les-Nancy Cedex, France
| | - Barbara Montanini
- Research Unit INRA/UHP 1136 'Tree-microbe Interactions', Nancy-University, BP 239, F-54506 Vandoeuvre-les-Nancy Cedex, France
| | - Francis Martin
- Research Unit INRA/UHP 1136 'Tree-microbe Interactions', Nancy-University, BP 239, F-54506 Vandoeuvre-les-Nancy Cedex, France
| | - Annick Brun
- Research Unit INRA/UHP 1136 'Tree-microbe Interactions', Nancy-University, BP 239, F-54506 Vandoeuvre-les-Nancy Cedex, France
| | - Damien Blaudez
- Research Unit INRA/UHP 1136 'Tree-microbe Interactions', Nancy-University, BP 239, F-54506 Vandoeuvre-les-Nancy Cedex, France
| | - Michel Chalot
- Research Unit INRA/UHP 1136 'Tree-microbe Interactions', Nancy-University, BP 239, F-54506 Vandoeuvre-les-Nancy Cedex, France
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50
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Marino R, Melillo D, Di Filippo M, Yamada A, Pinto MR, De Santis R, Brown ER, Matassi G. Ammonium channel expression is essential for brain development and function in the larva ofCiona intestinalis. J Comp Neurol 2007; 503:135-47. [PMID: 17480017 DOI: 10.1002/cne.21370] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/06/2022]
Abstract
Ammonium uptake into the cell is known to be mediated by ammonium transport (Amt) proteins, which are present in all domains of life. The physiological role of Amt proteins remains elusive; indeed, loss-of-function experiments suggested that Amt proteins do not play an essential role in bacteria, yeast, and plants. Here we show that the reverse holds true in the tunicate Ciona intestinalis. The genome of C. intestinalis contains two AMT genes, Ci-AMT1a and Ci-AMT1b, which we show derive from an ascidian-specific gene duplication. We analyzed Ci-AMT expression during embryo development. Notably, Ci-AMT1a is expressed in the larval brain in a small number of cells defining a previously unseen V-shaped territory; these cells connect the brain cavity to the external environment. We show that the knockdown of Ci-AMT1a impairs the formation of the brain cavity and consequently the function of the otolith, the gravity-sensing organ contained in it. We speculate that the normal mechanical functioning (flotation and free movement) of the otolith may require a close regulation of ammonium salt(s) concentration in the brain cavity, because ammonium is known to affect both fluid density and viscosity; the cells forming the V territory may act as a conduit in achieving such a regulation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Rita Marino
- Stazione Zoologica A Dohrn, Villa Comunale, Napoli, Italy
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