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Royzenblat SK, Freddolino L. Spatio-temporal organization of the E. coli chromosome from base to cellular length scales. EcoSal Plus 2024:eesp00012022. [PMID: 38864557 DOI: 10.1128/ecosalplus.esp-0001-2022] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/19/2023] [Accepted: 04/17/2024] [Indexed: 06/13/2024]
Abstract
Escherichia coli has been a vital model organism for studying chromosomal structure, thanks, in part, to its small and circular genome (4.6 million base pairs) and well-characterized biochemical pathways. Over the last several decades, we have made considerable progress in understanding the intricacies of the structure and subsequent function of the E. coli nucleoid. At the smallest scale, DNA, with no physical constraints, takes on a shape reminiscent of a randomly twisted cable, forming mostly random coils but partly affected by its stiffness. This ball-of-spaghetti-like shape forms a structure several times too large to fit into the cell. Once the physiological constraints of the cell are added, the DNA takes on overtwisted (negatively supercoiled) structures, which are shaped by an intricate interplay of many proteins carrying out essential biological processes. At shorter length scales (up to about 1 kb), nucleoid-associated proteins organize and condense the chromosome by inducing loops, bends, and forming bridges. Zooming out further and including cellular processes, topological domains are formed, which are flanked by supercoiling barriers. At the megabase-scale both large, highly self-interacting regions (macrodomains) and strong contacts between distant but co-regulated genes have been observed. At the largest scale, the nucleoid forms a helical ellipsoid. In this review, we will explore the history and recent advances that pave the way for a better understanding of E. coli chromosome organization and structure, discussing the cellular processes that drive changes in DNA shape, and what contributes to compaction and formation of dynamic structures, and in turn how bacterial chromatin affects key processes such as transcription and replication.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sonya K Royzenblat
- Cellular and Molecular Biology Program, University of Michigan Medical School, Ann Arbor, Michigan, USA
| | - Lydia Freddolino
- Cellular and Molecular Biology Program, University of Michigan Medical School, Ann Arbor, Michigan, USA
- Department of Biological Chemistry, University of Michigan Medical School, Ann Arbor, Michigan, USA
- Department of Computational Medicine & Bioinformatics, University of Michigan Medical School, Ann Arbor, Michigan, USA
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2
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Fitzgerald DM, Stringer AM, Smith C, Lapierre P, Wade JT. Genome-Wide Mapping of the Escherichia coli PhoB Regulon Reveals Many Transcriptionally Inert, Intragenic Binding Sites. mBio 2023; 14:e0253522. [PMID: 37067422 PMCID: PMC10294691 DOI: 10.1128/mbio.02535-22] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/05/2022] [Accepted: 03/23/2023] [Indexed: 04/18/2023] Open
Abstract
Genome-scale analyses have revealed many transcription factor binding sites within, rather than upstream of, genes, raising questions as to the function of these binding sites. Here, we use complementary approaches to map the regulon of the Escherichia coli transcription factor PhoB, a response regulator that controls transcription of genes involved in phosphate homeostasis. Strikingly, the majority of PhoB binding sites are located within genes, but these intragenic sites are not associated with detectable transcription regulation and are not evolutionarily conserved. Many intragenic PhoB sites are located in regions bound by H-NS, likely due to shared sequence preferences of PhoB and H-NS. However, these PhoB binding sites are not associated with transcription regulation even in the absence of H-NS. We propose that for many transcription factors, including PhoB, binding sites not associated with promoter sequences are transcriptionally inert and hence are tolerated as genomic "noise." IMPORTANCE Recent studies have revealed large numbers of transcription factor binding sites within the genes of bacteria. The function, if any, of the vast majority of these binding sites has not been investigated. Here, we map the binding of the transcription factor PhoB across the Escherichia coli genome, revealing that the majority of PhoB binding sites are within genes. We show that PhoB binding sites within genes are not associated with regulation of the overlapping genes. Indeed, our data suggest that bacteria tolerate the presence of large numbers of nonregulatory, intragenic binding sites for transcription factors and that these binding sites are not under selective pressure.
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Affiliation(s)
- Devon M. Fitzgerald
- Wadsworth Center, New York State Department of Health, Albany, New York, USA
- Department of Biomedical Sciences, School of Public Health, University at Albany, Albany, New York, USA
| | - Anne M. Stringer
- Wadsworth Center, New York State Department of Health, Albany, New York, USA
| | - Carol Smith
- Wadsworth Center, New York State Department of Health, Albany, New York, USA
| | - Pascal Lapierre
- Wadsworth Center, New York State Department of Health, Albany, New York, USA
| | - Joseph T. Wade
- Wadsworth Center, New York State Department of Health, Albany, New York, USA
- Department of Biomedical Sciences, School of Public Health, University at Albany, Albany, New York, USA
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3
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Fitzgerald D, Stringer A, Smith C, Lapierre P, Wade JT. Genome-wide mapping of the Escherichia coli PhoB regulon reveals many transcriptionally inert, intragenic binding sites. BIORXIV : THE PREPRINT SERVER FOR BIOLOGY 2023:2023.02.07.527549. [PMID: 36798257 PMCID: PMC9934606 DOI: 10.1101/2023.02.07.527549] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/10/2023]
Abstract
Genome-scale analyses have revealed many transcription factor binding sites within, rather than upstream of genes, raising questions as to the function of these binding sites. Here, we use complementary approaches to map the regulon of the Escherichia coli transcription factor PhoB, a response regulator that controls transcription of genes involved in phosphate homeostasis. Strikingly, the majority of PhoB binding sites are located within genes, but these intragenic sites are not associated with detectable transcription regulation and are not evolutionarily conserved. Many intragenic PhoB sites are located in regions bound by H-NS, likely due to shared sequence preferences of PhoB and H-NS. However, these PhoB binding sites are not associated with transcription regulation even in the absence of H-NS. We propose that for many transcription factors, including PhoB, binding sites not associated with promoter sequences are transcriptionally inert, and hence are tolerated as genomic "noise". IMPORTANCE Recent studies have revealed large numbers of transcription factor binding sites within the genes of bacteria. The function, if any, of the vast majority of these binding sites has not been investigated. Here, we map the binding of the transcription factor PhoB across the Escherichia coli genome, revealing that the majority of PhoB binding sites are within genes. We show that PhoB binding sites within genes are not associated with regulation of the overlapping genes. Indeed, our data suggest that bacteria tolerate the presence of large numbers of non-regulatory, intragenic binding sites for transcription factors, and that these binding sites are not under selective pressure.
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Affiliation(s)
- Devon Fitzgerald
- Wadsworth Center, New York State Department of Health, Albany, New York, USA.,Department of Biomedical Sciences, School of Public Health, University at Albany, Albany, New York, USA
| | - Anne Stringer
- Wadsworth Center, New York State Department of Health, Albany, New York, USA
| | - Carol Smith
- Wadsworth Center, New York State Department of Health, Albany, New York, USA
| | - Pascal Lapierre
- Wadsworth Center, New York State Department of Health, Albany, New York, USA
| | - Joseph T. Wade
- Wadsworth Center, New York State Department of Health, Albany, New York, USA.,Department of Biomedical Sciences, School of Public Health, University at Albany, Albany, New York, USA.,Corresponding author:
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VpsR Directly Activates Transcription of Multiple Biofilm Genes in Vibrio cholerae. J Bacteriol 2020; 202:JB.00234-20. [PMID: 32661076 DOI: 10.1128/jb.00234-20] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/24/2020] [Accepted: 06/25/2020] [Indexed: 01/05/2023] Open
Abstract
Vibrio cholerae biofilm biogenesis, which is important for survival, dissemination, and persistence, requires multiple genes in the Vibrio polysaccharides (vps) operons I and II as well as the cluster of ribomatrix (rbm) genes. Transcriptional control of these genes is a complex process that requires several activators/repressors and the ubiquitous signaling molecule, cyclic di-GMP (c-di-GMP). Previously, we demonstrated that VpsR directly activates RNA polymerase containing σ70 (σ70-RNAP) at the vpsL promoter (P vpsL ), which precedes the vps-II operon, in a c-di-GMP-dependent manner by stimulating formation of the transcriptionally active, open complex. Using in vitro transcription, electrophoretic mobility shift assays, and DNase I footprinting, we show here that VpsR also directly activates σ70-RNAP transcription from other promoters within the biofilm formation cluster, including P vpsU , at the beginning of the vps-I operon, P rbmA , at the start of the rbm cluster, and P rbmF , which lies upstream of the divergent rbmF and rbmE genes. In this capacity, we find that VpsR is able to behave both as a class II activator, which functions immediately adjacent/overlapping the core promoter sequence (P vpsL and P vpsU ), and as a class I activator, which functions farther upstream (P rbmA and P rbmF ). Because these promoters vary in VpsR-DNA binding affinity in the absence and presence of c-di-GMP, we speculate that VpsR's mechanism of activation is dependent on both the concentration of VpsR and the level of c-di-GMP to increase transcription, resulting in finely tuned regulation.IMPORTANCE Vibrio cholerae, the bacterial pathogen that is responsible for the disease cholera, uses biofilms to aid in survival, dissemination, and persistence. VpsR, which directly senses the second messenger c-di-GMP, is a major regulator of this process. Together with c-di-GMP, VpsR directly activates transcription by RNA polymerase containing σ70 from the vpsL biofilm biogenesis promoter. Using biochemical methods, we demonstrate for the first time that VpsR/c-di-GMP directly activates σ70-RNA polymerase at the first genes of the vps and ribomatrix operons. In this regard, it functions as either a class I or class II activator. Our results broaden the mechanism of c-di-GMP-dependent transcription activation and the specific role of VpsR in biofilm formation.
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Jin X, Hapsari ND, Lee S, Jo K. DNA binding fluorescent proteins as single-molecule probes. Analyst 2020; 145:4079-4095. [DOI: 10.1039/d0an00218f] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/17/2022]
Abstract
DNA binding fluorescent proteins are useful probes for a broad range of biological applications.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xuelin Jin
- Department of Chemistry and Interdisciplinary Program of Integrated Biotechnology
- Sogang University
- Seoul
- Republic of Korea
| | - Natalia Diyah Hapsari
- Department of Chemistry and Interdisciplinary Program of Integrated Biotechnology
- Sogang University
- Seoul
- Republic of Korea
- Chemistry Education Program
| | - Seonghyun Lee
- Department of Chemistry and Interdisciplinary Program of Integrated Biotechnology
- Sogang University
- Seoul
- Republic of Korea
| | - Kyubong Jo
- Department of Chemistry and Interdisciplinary Program of Integrated Biotechnology
- Sogang University
- Seoul
- Republic of Korea
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Abstract
How genomes are organized within cells and how the 3D architecture of a genome influences cellular functions are significant questions in biology. A bacterial genomic DNA resides inside cells in a highly condensed and functionally organized form called nucleoid (nucleus-like structure without a nuclear membrane). The Escherichia coli chromosome or nucleoid is composed of the genomic DNA, RNA, and protein. The nucleoid forms by condensation and functional arrangement of a single chromosomal DNA with the help of chromosomal architectural proteins and RNA molecules as well as DNA supercoiling. Although a high-resolution structure of a bacterial nucleoid is yet to come, five decades of research has established the following salient features of the E. coli nucleoid elaborated below: 1) The chromosomal DNA is on the average a negatively supercoiled molecule that is folded as plectonemic loops, which are confined into many independent topological domains due to supercoiling diffusion barriers; 2) The loops spatially organize into megabase size regions called macrodomains, which are defined by more frequent physical interactions among DNA sites within the same macrodomain than between different macrodomains; 3) The condensed and spatially organized DNA takes the form of a helical ellipsoid radially confined in the cell; and 4) The DNA in the chromosome appears to have a condition-dependent 3-D structure that is linked to gene expression so that the nucleoid architecture and gene transcription are tightly interdependent, influencing each other reciprocally. Current advents of high-resolution microscopy, single-molecule analysis and molecular structure determination of the components are expected to reveal the total structure and function of the bacterial nucleoid.
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Affiliation(s)
- Subhash C. Verma
- Laboratory of Molecular Biology, Center for Cancer Research, National Cancer Institute, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, Maryland, United States of America
- * E-mail: (SCV); (SLA)
| | - Zhong Qian
- Laboratory of Molecular Biology, Center for Cancer Research, National Cancer Institute, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, Maryland, United States of America
| | - Sankar L. Adhya
- Laboratory of Molecular Biology, Center for Cancer Research, National Cancer Institute, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, Maryland, United States of America
- * E-mail: (SCV); (SLA)
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7
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Mechanisms of Interplay between Transcription Factors and the 3D Genome. Mol Cell 2019; 76:306-319. [PMID: 31521504 DOI: 10.1016/j.molcel.2019.08.010] [Citation(s) in RCA: 121] [Impact Index Per Article: 24.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/23/2019] [Revised: 07/20/2019] [Accepted: 08/09/2019] [Indexed: 12/31/2022]
Abstract
Transcription factors (TFs) bind DNA in a sequence-specific manner and thereby serve as the protein anchors and determinants of 3D genome organization. Conversely, chromatin conformation shapes TF activity, for example, by looping TF-bound enhancers to distally located target genes. Despite considerable effort, our understanding of the mechanistic relation between TFs and 3D genome organization remains limited, in large part due to this interdependency. In this review, we summarize the evidence for the diverse mechanisms by which TFs and their activity shape the 3D genome and vice versa. We further highlight outstanding questions and potential approaches for untangling the complex relation between TF activity and the 3D genome.
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Kramm K, Endesfelder U, Grohmann D. A Single-Molecule View of Archaeal Transcription. J Mol Biol 2019; 431:4116-4131. [PMID: 31207238 DOI: 10.1016/j.jmb.2019.06.009] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/11/2019] [Revised: 05/27/2019] [Accepted: 06/06/2019] [Indexed: 01/03/2023]
Abstract
The discovery of the archaeal domain of life is tightly connected to an in-depth analysis of the prokaryotic RNA world. In addition to Carl Woese's approach to use the sequence of the 16S rRNA gene as phylogenetic marker, the finding of Karl Stetter and Wolfram Zillig that archaeal RNA polymerases (RNAPs) were nothing like the bacterial RNAP but are more complex enzymes that resemble the eukaryotic RNAPII was one of the key findings supporting the idea that archaea constitute the third major branch on the tree of life. This breakthrough in transcriptional research 40years ago paved the way for in-depth studies of the transcription machinery in archaea. However, although the archaeal RNAP and the basal transcription factors that fine-tune the activity of the RNAP during the transcription cycle are long known, we still lack information concerning the architecture and dynamics of archaeal transcription complexes. In this context, single-molecule measurements were instrumental as they provided crucial insights into the process of transcription initiation, the architecture of the initiation complex and the dynamics of mobile elements of the RNAP. In this review, we discuss single-molecule approaches suitable to examine molecular mechanisms of transcription and highlight findings that shaped our understanding of the archaeal transcription apparatus. We furthermore explore the possibilities and challenges of next-generation single-molecule techniques, for example, super-resolution microscopy and single-molecule tracking, and ask whether these approaches will ultimately allow us to investigate archaeal transcription in vivo.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kevin Kramm
- Institute of Biochemistry, Genetics and Microbiology, University of Regensburg, Universitätsstraße 31, 93053 Regensburg, Germany
| | - Ulrike Endesfelder
- Department of Systems and Synthetic Microbiology, Max Planck Institute for Terrestrial Microbiology and LOEWE Center for Synthetic Microbiology (SYNMIKRO), Karl-von-Frisch-Str. 16, 35043 Marburg, Germany
| | - Dina Grohmann
- Institute of Biochemistry, Genetics and Microbiology, University of Regensburg, Universitätsstraße 31, 93053 Regensburg, Germany.
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9
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DNA-RNA interactions are critical for chromosome condensation in Escherichia coli. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A 2017; 114:12225-12230. [PMID: 29087325 DOI: 10.1073/pnas.1711285114] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/18/2022] Open
Abstract
Bacterial chromosome (nucleoid) conformation dictates faithful regulation of gene transcription. The conformation is condition-dependent and is guided by several nucleoid-associated proteins (NAPs) and at least one nucleoid-associated noncoding RNA, naRNA4. Here we investigated the molecular mechanism of how naRNA4 and the major NAP, HU, acting together organize the chromosome structure by establishing multiple DNA-DNA contacts (DNA condensation). We demonstrate that naRNA4 uniquely acts by forming complexes that may not involve long stretches of DNA-RNA hybrid. Also, uncommonly, HU, a chromosome-associated protein that is essential in the DNA-RNA interactions, is not present in the final complex. Thus, HU plays a catalytic (chaperone) role in the naRNA4-mediated DNA condensation process.
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10
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Sellars LE, Bryant JA, Sánchez-Romero MA, Sánchez-Morán E, Busby SJW, Lee DJ. Development of a new fluorescent reporter:operator system: location of AraC regulated genes in Escherichia coli K-12. BMC Microbiol 2017; 17:170. [PMID: 28774286 PMCID: PMC5543585 DOI: 10.1186/s12866-017-1079-2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/19/2017] [Accepted: 07/18/2017] [Indexed: 11/10/2022] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND In bacteria, many transcription activator and repressor proteins regulate multiple transcription units that are often distally distributed on the bacterial genome. To investigate the subcellular location of DNA bound proteins in the folded bacterial nucleoid, fluorescent reporters have been developed which can be targeted to specific DNA operator sites. Such Fluorescent Reporter-Operator System (FROS) probes consist of a fluorescent protein fused to a DNA binding protein, which binds to an array of DNA operator sites located within the genome. Here we have developed a new FROS probe using the Escherichia coli MalI transcription factor, fused to mCherry fluorescent protein. We have used this in combination with a LacI repressor::GFP protein based FROS probe to assess the cellular location of commonly regulated transcription units that are distal on the Escherichia coli genome. RESULTS We developed a new DNA binding fluorescent reporter, consisting of the Escherichia coli MalI protein fused to the mCherry fluorescent protein. This was used in combination with a Lac repressor:green fluorescent protein fusion to examine the spatial positioning and possible co-localisation of target genes, regulated by the Escherichia coli AraC protein. We report that induction of gene expression with arabinose does not result in co-localisation of AraC-regulated transcription units. However, measurable repositioning was observed when gene expression was induced at the AraC-regulated promoter controlling expression of the araFGH genes, located close to the DNA replication terminus on the chromosome. Moreover, in dividing cells, arabinose-induced expression at the araFGH locus enhanced chromosome segregation after replication. CONCLUSION Regions of the chromosome regulated by AraC do not colocalise, but transcription events can induce movement of chromosome loci in bacteria and our observations suggest a role for gene expression in chromosome segregation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Laura E. Sellars
- Institute of Microbiology and Infection, School of Biosciences, University of Birmingham, Edgbaston, Birmingham, B15 2TT UK
| | - Jack A. Bryant
- Institute of Microbiology and Infection, School of Biosciences, University of Birmingham, Edgbaston, Birmingham, B15 2TT UK
| | | | | | - Stephen J. W. Busby
- Institute of Microbiology and Infection, School of Biosciences, University of Birmingham, Edgbaston, Birmingham, B15 2TT UK
| | - David J. Lee
- Institute of Microbiology and Infection, School of Biosciences, University of Birmingham, Edgbaston, Birmingham, B15 2TT UK
- Department of Life Sciences, Birmingham City University, Edgbaston, Birmingham, B15 3TN UK
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11
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Qian Z, Trostel A, Lewis DEA, Lee SJ, He X, Stringer AM, Wade JT, Schneider TD, Durfee T, Adhya S. Genome-Wide Transcriptional Regulation and Chromosome Structural Arrangement by GalR in E. coli. Front Mol Biosci 2016; 3:74. [PMID: 27900321 PMCID: PMC5110547 DOI: 10.3389/fmolb.2016.00074] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/12/2016] [Accepted: 10/26/2016] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
The regulatory protein, GalR, is known for controlling transcription of genes related to D-galactose metabolism in Escherichia coli. Here, using a combination of experimental and bioinformatic approaches, we identify novel GalR binding sites upstream of several genes whose function is not directly related to D-galactose metabolism. Moreover, we do not observe regulation of these genes by GalR under standard growth conditions. Thus, our data indicate a broader regulatory role for GalR, and suggest that regulation by GalR is modulated by other factors. Surprisingly, we detect regulation of 158 transcripts by GalR, with few regulated genes being associated with a nearby GalR binding site. Based on our earlier observation of long-range interactions between distally bound GalR dimers, we propose that GalR indirectly regulates the transcription of many genes by inducing large-scale restructuring of the chromosome.
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Affiliation(s)
- Zhong Qian
- Laboratory of Molecular Biology, National Institutes of Health, National Cancer Institute Bethesda, MD, USA
| | - Andrei Trostel
- Laboratory of Molecular Biology, National Institutes of Health, National Cancer Institute Bethesda, MD, USA
| | - Dale E A Lewis
- Laboratory of Molecular Biology, National Institutes of Health, National Cancer Institute Bethesda, MD, USA
| | - Sang Jun Lee
- Microbiomics and Immunity Research Center, Korea Research Institute of Bioscience and Biotechnology Daejeon, Korea
| | - Ximiao He
- Laboratory of Metabolism, National Institutes of Health, National Cancer Institute Bethesda, MD, USA
| | - Anne M Stringer
- Wadsworth Center, New York State Department of Health Albany, NY, USA
| | - Joseph T Wade
- Wadsworth Center, New York State Department of HealthAlbany, NY, USA; Department of Biomedical Sciences, School of Public Health, University of AlbanyAlbany, NY, USA
| | - Thomas D Schneider
- Gene Regulation and Chromosome Biology Laboratory, National Institutes of Health, National Cancer Institute, Center for Cancer Research Frederick, MD, USA
| | | | - Sankar Adhya
- Laboratory of Molecular Biology, National Institutes of Health, National Cancer Institute Bethesda, MD, USA
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12
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Sousa FL, Parente DJ, Hessman JA, Chazelle A, Teichmann SA, Swint-Kruse L. Data on publications, structural analyses, and queries used to build and utilize the AlloRep database. Data Brief 2016; 8:948-57. [PMID: 27508249 PMCID: PMC4961497 DOI: 10.1016/j.dib.2016.07.006] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/03/2016] [Revised: 06/22/2016] [Accepted: 07/04/2016] [Indexed: 01/08/2023] Open
Abstract
The AlloRep database (www.AlloRep.org) (Sousa et al., 2016) [1] compiles extensive sequence, mutagenesis, and structural information for the LacI/GalR family of transcription regulators. Sequence alignments are presented for >3000 proteins in 45 paralog subfamilies and as a subsampled alignment of the whole family. Phenotypic and biochemical data on almost 6000 mutants have been compiled from an exhaustive search of the literature; citations for these data are included herein. These data include information about oligomerization state, stability, DNA binding and allosteric regulation. Protein structural data for 65 proteins are presented as easily-accessible, residue-contact networks. Finally, this article includes example queries to enable the use of the AlloRep database. See the related article, “AlloRep: a repository of sequence, structural and mutagenesis data for the LacI/GalR transcription regulators” (Sousa et al., 2016) [1].
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Affiliation(s)
- Filipa L Sousa
- Institute of Molecular Evolution, Heinrich-Heine Universität Düsseldorf, Universitätstrasse 1, 40225 Düsseldorf, Germany
| | - Daniel J Parente
- The Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, The University of Kansas Medical Center, Kansas City, KS 66160, USA
| | - Jacob A Hessman
- The Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, The University of Kansas Medical Center, Kansas City, KS 66160, USA
| | - Allen Chazelle
- The Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, The University of Kansas Medical Center, Kansas City, KS 66160, USA
| | - Sarah A Teichmann
- European Molecular Biology Laboratory, European Bioinformatics Institute, Wellcome Trust Genome Campus, Hinxton, Cambridge CB10 1SD, UK; Wellcome Trust Sanger Institute, Wellcome Trust Genome Campus, Hinxton, Cambridge CB10 1SA, UK
| | - Liskin Swint-Kruse
- The Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, The University of Kansas Medical Center, Kansas City, KS 66160, USA
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13
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The transcriptional regulator GalR self-assembles to form highly regular tubular structures. Sci Rep 2016; 6:27672. [PMID: 27279285 PMCID: PMC4899725 DOI: 10.1038/srep27672] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/09/2016] [Accepted: 05/23/2016] [Indexed: 11/09/2022] Open
Abstract
The Gal repressor regulates transport and metabolism of D-galactose in Escherichia coli and can mediate DNA loop formation by forming a bridge between adjacent or distant sites. GalR forms insoluble aggregates at lower salt concentrations in vitro, which can be solubilized at higher salt concentrations. Here, we investigate the assembly and disassembly of GalR aggregates. We find that a sharp transition from aggregates to soluble species occurs between 200 and 400 mM NaCl, incompatible with a simple salting-in effect. The aggregates are highly ordered rod-like structures, highlighting a remarkable ability for organized self-assembly. Mutant studies reveal that aggregation is dependent on two separate interfaces of GalR. The highly ordered structures dissociate to smaller aggregates in the presence of D-galactose. We propose that these self-assembled structures may constitute galactose-tolerant polymers for chromosome compaction in stationary phase cells, in effect linking self-assembly with regulatory function.
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Comparative Genomics of Interreplichore Translocations in Bacteria: A Measure of Chromosome Topology? G3-GENES GENOMES GENETICS 2016; 6:1597-606. [PMID: 27172194 PMCID: PMC4889656 DOI: 10.1534/g3.116.028274] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/23/2023]
Abstract
Genomes evolve not only in base sequence but also in terms of their architecture, defined by gene organization and chromosome topology. Whereas genome sequence data inform us about the changes in base sequences for a large variety of organisms, the study of chromosome topology is restricted to a few model organisms studied using microscopy and chromosome conformation capture techniques. Here, we exploit whole genome sequence data to study the link between gene organization and chromosome topology in bacteria. Using comparative genomics across ∼250 pairs of closely related bacteria we show that: (a) many organisms show a high degree of interreplichore translocations throughout the chromosome and not limited to the inversion-prone terminus (ter) or the origin of replication (oriC); (b) translocation maps may reflect chromosome topologies; and (c) symmetric interreplichore translocations do not disrupt the distance of a gene from oriC or affect gene expression states or strand biases in gene densities. In summary, we suggest that translocation maps might be a first line in defining a gross chromosome topology given a pair of closely related genome sequences.
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15
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Meyer AS, Grainger DC. The Escherichia coli Nucleoid in Stationary Phase. ADVANCES IN APPLIED MICROBIOLOGY 2016; 83:69-86. [PMID: 23651594 DOI: 10.1016/b978-0-12-407678-5.00002-7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 23] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/11/2022]
Abstract
Compaction of DNA is an essential phenomenon that affects all facets of cellular biology. Surprisingly, given the abundance and apparent simplicity of bacteria, our understanding of chromosome organization in these ancient organisms is inadequate. In this chapter we will focus on arguably the best understood aspect of DNA folding in the model bacterium Escherichia coli: the supercondensation of the chromosome that occurs during periods of starvation and stress.
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Affiliation(s)
- Anne S Meyer
- Kavli Institute of Nanoscience, Delft University of Technology, Delft, The Netherlands
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Bonocora RP, Smith C, Lapierre P, Wade JT. Genome-Scale Mapping of Escherichia coli σ54 Reveals Widespread, Conserved Intragenic Binding. PLoS Genet 2015; 11:e1005552. [PMID: 26425847 PMCID: PMC4591121 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pgen.1005552] [Citation(s) in RCA: 40] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/26/2015] [Accepted: 09/03/2015] [Indexed: 11/18/2022] Open
Abstract
Bacterial RNA polymerases must associate with a σ factor to bind promoter DNA and initiate transcription. There are two families of σ factor: the σ70 family and the σ54 family. Members of the σ54 family are distinct in their ability to bind promoter DNA sequences, in the context of RNA polymerase holoenzyme, in a transcriptionally inactive state. Here, we map the genome-wide association of Escherichia coli σ54, the archetypal member of the σ54 family. Thus, we vastly expand the list of known σ54 binding sites to 135. Moreover, we estimate that there are more than 250 σ54 sites in total. Strikingly, the majority of σ54 binding sites are located inside genes. The location and orientation of intragenic σ54 binding sites is non-random, and many intragenic σ54 binding sites are conserved. We conclude that many intragenic σ54 binding sites are likely to be functional. Consistent with this assertion, we identify three conserved, intragenic σ54 promoters that drive transcription of mRNAs with unusually long 5ʹ UTRs. Bacterial RNA polymerases must associate with a σ factor to bind to promoter DNA sequences upstream of genes and initiate transcription. There are two families of σ factor: σ70 and σ54. Members of the σ54 family are distinct from members of the σ70 family in their ability to bind promoter DNA sequences, in association with RNA polymerase, in a transcriptionally inactive state. We have determined positions in the Escherichia coli genome that are bound by σ54, the archetypal member of the σ54 family. Surprisingly, we identified 135 binding sites for σ54, a huge increase over the number of previously described sites. Our data suggest that there are more than 250 σ54 sites in total. Strikingly, most σ54 binding sites are located inside genes, whereas only one intragenic σ54 binding site has previously been described. The location and orientation of intragenic σ54 binding sites is non-random, and many intragenic σ54 binding sites are conserved in other bacterial species. We conclude that many intragenic σ54 binding sites are likely to be functional. Consistent with this notion, we identify three σ54 promoters in E. coli that are located inside genes but drive transcription of unusual mRNAs for the neighboring genes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Richard P. Bonocora
- Wadsworth Center, New York State Department of Health, Albany, New York, United States of America
| | - Carol Smith
- Wadsworth Center, New York State Department of Health, Albany, New York, United States of America
| | - Pascal Lapierre
- Wadsworth Center, New York State Department of Health, Albany, New York, United States of America
| | - Joseph T. Wade
- Wadsworth Center, New York State Department of Health, Albany, New York, United States of America
- Department of Biomedical Sciences, School of Public Health, University at Albany, Albany, New York, United States of America
- * E-mail:
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17
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Abstract
Repeated extragenic palindromes (REPs) in the enterobacterial genomes are usually composed of individual palindromic units separated by linker sequences. A total of 355 annotated REPs are distributed along the Escherichia coli genome. RNA sequence (RNAseq) analysis showed that almost 80% of the REPs in E. coli are transcribed. The DNA sequence of REP325 showed that it is a cluster of six repeats, each with two palindromic units capable of forming cruciform structures in supercoiled DNA. Here, we report that components of the REP325 element and at least one of its RNA products play a role in bacterial nucleoid DNA condensation. These RNA not only are present in the purified nucleoid but bind to the bacterial nucleoid-associated HU protein as revealed by RNA IP followed by microarray analysis (RIP-Chip) assays. Deletion of REP325 resulted in a dramatic increase of the nucleoid size as observed using transmission electron microscopy (TEM), and expression of one of the REP325 RNAs, nucleoid-associated noncoding RNA 4 (naRNA4), from a plasmid restored the wild-type condensed structure. Independently, chromosome conformation capture (3C) analysis demonstrated physical connections among various REP elements around the chromosome. These connections are dependent in some way upon the presence of HU and the REP325 element; deletion of HU genes and/or the REP325 element removed the connections. Finally, naRNA4 together with HU condensed DNA in vitro by connecting REP325 or other DNA sequences that contain cruciform structures in a pairwise manner as observed by atomic force microscopy (AFM). On the basis of our results, we propose molecular models to explain connections of remote cruciform structures mediated by HU and naRNA4. Nucleoid organization in bacteria is being studied extensively, and several models have been proposed. However, the molecular nature of the structural organization is not well understood. Here we characterized the role of a novel nucleoid-associated noncoding RNA, naRNA4, in nucleoid structures both in vivo and in vitro. We propose models to explain how naRNA4 together with nucleoid-associated protein HU connects remote DNA elements for nucleoid condensation. We present the first evidence of a noncoding RNA together with a nucleoid-associated protein directly condensing nucleoid DNA.
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18
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Foo YH, Gao Y, Zhang H, Kenney LJ. Cytoplasmic sensing by the inner membrane histidine kinase EnvZ. PROGRESS IN BIOPHYSICS AND MOLECULAR BIOLOGY 2015; 118:119-29. [PMID: 25937465 DOI: 10.1016/j.pbiomolbio.2015.04.005] [Citation(s) in RCA: 32] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/06/2015] [Revised: 04/21/2015] [Accepted: 04/22/2015] [Indexed: 12/22/2022]
Abstract
Two-component regulatory systems drive signal transduction in bacteria. The simplest of these employs a membrane sensor kinase and a cytoplasmic response regulator. Environmental sensing is typically coupled to gene regulation. The histidine kinase EnvZ and its cognate response regulator OmpR regulate expression of outer membrane proteins (porins) in response to osmotic stress. We used hydrogen:deuterium exchange mass spectrometry to identify conformational changes in the cytoplasmic domain of EnvZ (EnvZc) that were associated with osmosensing. The osmosensor localized to a seventeen amino acid region of the four-helix bundle of the cytoplasmic domain and flanked the His(243) autophosphorylation site. High osmolality increased autophosphorylation of His(243), suggesting that these two events were linked. The transmembrane domains were not required for osmosensing, but mutants in the transmembrane domains altered EnvZ activity. A photoactivatable fusion protein composed of EnvZc fused to the fluorophore mEos2 (EnvZc-mEos2) was as capable as EnvZc in supporting OmpR-dependent ompF and ompC transcription. Over-expression of EnvZc reduced activity, indicating that the EnvZ/OmpR system is not robust. Our results support a model in which osmolytes stabilize helix one in the four-helix bundle of EnvZ by increased hydrogen bonding of the peptide backbone, increasing autophosphorylation and downstream signaling. The likelihood that additional histidine kinases use similar cytoplasmic sensing mechanisms is discussed.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yong Hwee Foo
- Mechanobiology Institute, National University of Singapore, Singapore
| | - Yunfeng Gao
- Mechanobiology Institute, National University of Singapore, Singapore
| | - Hongfang Zhang
- Mechanobiology Institute, National University of Singapore, Singapore
| | - Linda J Kenney
- Mechanobiology Institute, National University of Singapore, Singapore; Jesse Brown Veterans Affairs Medical Center, Chicago, USA; University of Illinois-Chicago, USA.
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19
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Wade JT. Mapping Transcription Regulatory Networks with ChIP-seq and RNA-seq. ADVANCES IN EXPERIMENTAL MEDICINE AND BIOLOGY 2015; 883:119-34. [PMID: 26621465 DOI: 10.1007/978-3-319-23603-2_7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/23/2022]
Abstract
Bacterial genomes encode numerous transcription factors, DNA-binding proteins that regulate transcription initiation. Identifying the regulatory targets of transcription factors is a major challenge of systems biology. Here I describe the use of two genome-scale approaches, ChIP-seq and RNA-seq, that are used to map transcription factor regulons. ChIP-seq maps the association of transcription factors with DNA, and RNA-seq determines changes in RNA levels associated with transcription factor perturbation. I discuss the strengths and weaknesses of these and related approaches, and I describe how ChIP-seq and RNA-seq can be combined to map individual transcription factor regulons and entire regulatory networks.
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Affiliation(s)
- Joseph T Wade
- New York State Department of Health, Wadsworth Center, Albany, NY, 12208, USA.
- Department of Biomedical Sciences, University at Albany, Albany, NY, 12201, USA.
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20
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Kuwada NJ, Traxler B, Wiggins PA. Genome-scale quantitative characterization of bacterial protein localization dynamics throughout the cell cycle. Mol Microbiol 2014; 95:64-79. [PMID: 25353361 PMCID: PMC4309519 DOI: 10.1111/mmi.12841] [Citation(s) in RCA: 40] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 10/26/2014] [Indexed: 11/28/2022]
Abstract
Bacterial cells display both spatial and temporal organization, and this complex structure is known to play a central role in cellular function. Although nearly one-fifth of all proteins in Escherichia coli localize to specific subcellular locations, fundamental questions remain about how cellular-scale structure is encoded at the level of molecular-scale interactions. One significant limitation to our understanding is that the localization behavior of only a small subset of proteins has been characterized in detail. As an essential step toward a global model of protein localization in bacteria, we capture and quantitatively analyze spatial and temporal protein localization patterns throughout the cell cycle for nearly every protein in E. coli that exhibits nondiffuse localization. This genome-scale analysis reveals significant complexity in patterning, notably in the behavior of DNA-binding proteins. Complete cell-cycle imaging also facilitates analysis of protein partitioning to daughter cells at division, revealing a broad and robust assortment of asymmetric partitioning behaviors.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nathan J Kuwada
- Department of Physics, University of Washington, Seattle, WA, 98195, USA; Department of Bioengineering, University of Washington, Seattle, WA, 98195, USA
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21
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Weng X, Xiao J. Spatial organization of transcription in bacterial cells. Trends Genet 2014; 30:287-97. [PMID: 24862529 DOI: 10.1016/j.tig.2014.04.008] [Citation(s) in RCA: 32] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/21/2014] [Revised: 04/28/2014] [Accepted: 04/29/2014] [Indexed: 11/27/2022]
Abstract
Prokaryotic transcription has been extensively studied over the past half a century. However, there often exists a gap between the structural, mechanistic description of transcription obtained from in vitro biochemical studies, and the cellular, phenomenological observations from in vivo genetic studies. It is now accepted that a living bacterial cell is a complex entity; the heterogeneous cellular environment is drastically different from the homogenous, well-mixed situation in vitro. Where molecules are inside a cell may be important for their function; hence, the spatial organization of different molecular components may provide a new means of transcription regulation in vivo, possibly bridging this gap. In this review, we survey current evidence for the spatial organization of four major components of transcription [genes, transcription factors, RNA polymerase (RNAP) and RNAs] and critically analyze their biological significance.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xiaoli Weng
- Department of Biophysics and Biophysical Chemistry, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD, USA
| | - Jie Xiao
- Department of Biophysics and Biophysical Chemistry, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD, USA.
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22
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Göpel Y, Görke B. Lies and deception in bacterial gene regulation: the roles of nucleic acid decoys. Mol Microbiol 2014; 92:641-7. [PMID: 24707963 DOI: 10.1111/mmi.12604] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 04/03/2014] [Indexed: 12/24/2022]
Abstract
Bacteria use intricately interconnected mechanisms acting at the transcriptional and post-transcriptional level to adjust gene expression to their needs. An intriguing example found in the chitosugar utilization systems of Escherichia coli and Salmonella is uncovered in a study by Plumbridge and colleagues. Three transcription factors (TFs), a small regulatory RNA (sRNA) and a sRNA trap cooperate to set thresholds and dynamics in regulation of chitosugar utilization. Specifically, under inducing conditions a decoy site on the polycistronic chitobiose (chbBCARFG) mRNA sequesters sRNA ChiX, which represses synthesis of the separately encoded chitoporin ChiP. Base-pairing of ChiX with its decoy has no role for the chb genes themselves when the mRNA is in excess. In the absence of substrate, however, this base-pairing tightly represses chbC encoding a subunit of the chitosugar transporter. Thus, one and the same sRNA/mRNA interaction serves different regulatory functions under different environmental conditions. The employment of RNA decoys to control the activities of post-transcriptional regulators themselves is an increasingly recognized mechanism in gene regulation. Another observation in the current study highlights the possibility that decoy sites might even exist on the DNA controlling the availability of TFs for their target promoters.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yvonne Göpel
- Max F. Perutz Laboratories, Department of Microbiology, Immunobiology and Genetics, Center of Molecular Biology, University of Vienna, 1030, Vienna, Austria
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23
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Plumbridge J, Bossi L, Oberto J, Wade JT, Figueroa-Bossi N. Interplay of transcriptional and small RNA-dependent control mechanisms regulates chitosugar uptake inEscherichia coliandSalmonella. Mol Microbiol 2014; 92:648-58. [DOI: 10.1111/mmi.12573] [Citation(s) in RCA: 35] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 03/03/2014] [Indexed: 11/30/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Jacqueline Plumbridge
- UPR9073-CNRS (associated with Université Diderot, Sorbonne Paris Cité); Institut de Biologie Physico-Chimique; 13, Pierre et Marie Curie 75005 Paris France
| | - Lionello Bossi
- UPR3404-CNRS; Centre de Génétique Moléculaire; Gif-sur-Yvette 91198 (associated with Université Paris XI, 91405 Orsay) France
| | - Jacques Oberto
- UMR8621-CNRS Institut de Génétique et Microbiologie; Université Paris XI; 91405 Orsay France
| | - Joseph T. Wade
- Wadsworth Center; New York State Department of Health; Albany NY 12208 USA
- Department of Biomedical Sciences; School of Public Health; University of Albany; Albany NY 12201 USA
| | - Nara Figueroa-Bossi
- UPR3404-CNRS; Centre de Génétique Moléculaire; Gif-sur-Yvette 91198 (associated with Université Paris XI, 91405 Orsay) France
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24
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Priest DG, Cui L, Kumar S, Dunlap DD, Dodd IB, Shearwin KE. Quantitation of the DNA tethering effect in long-range DNA looping in vivo and in vitro using the Lac and λ repressors. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A 2014; 111:349-54. [PMID: 24344307 PMCID: PMC3890862 DOI: 10.1073/pnas.1317817111] [Citation(s) in RCA: 43] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/08/2023] Open
Abstract
Efficient and specific interactions between proteins bound to the same DNA molecule can be dependent on the length of the DNA tether that connects them. Measurement of the strength of this DNA tethering effect has been largely confined to short separations between sites, and it is not clear how it contributes to long-range DNA looping interactions, such as occur over separations of tens to hundreds of kilobase pairs in vivo. Here, gene regulation experiments using the LacI and λ CI repressors, combined with mathematical modeling, were used to quantitate DNA tethering inside Escherichia coli cells over the 250- to 10,000-bp range. Although LacI and CI loop DNA in distinct ways, measurements of the tethering effect were very similar for both proteins. Tethering strength decreased with increasing separation, but even at 5- to 10-kb distances, was able to increase contact probability 10- to 20-fold and drive efficient looping. Tethering in vitro with the Lac repressor was measured for the same 600-to 3,200-bp DNAs using tethered particle motion, a single molecule technique, and was 5- to 45-fold weaker than in vivo over this range. Thus, the enhancement of looping seen previously in vivo at separations below 500 bp extends to large separations, underlining the need to understand how in vivo factors aid DNA looping. Our analysis also suggests how efficient and specific looping could be achieved over very long DNA separations, such as what occurs between enhancers and promoters in eukaryotic cells.
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Affiliation(s)
- David G. Priest
- Discipline of Biochemistry, School of Molecular and Biomedical Science, University of Adelaide, Adelaide, SA 5005, Australia; and
| | - Lun Cui
- Discipline of Biochemistry, School of Molecular and Biomedical Science, University of Adelaide, Adelaide, SA 5005, Australia; and
| | - Sandip Kumar
- Department of Cell Biology, Emory University, Atlanta, GA 30322
| | - David D. Dunlap
- Department of Cell Biology, Emory University, Atlanta, GA 30322
| | - Ian B. Dodd
- Discipline of Biochemistry, School of Molecular and Biomedical Science, University of Adelaide, Adelaide, SA 5005, Australia; and
| | - Keith E. Shearwin
- Discipline of Biochemistry, School of Molecular and Biomedical Science, University of Adelaide, Adelaide, SA 5005, Australia; and
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25
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Parente DJ, Swint-Kruse L. Multiple co-evolutionary networks are supported by the common tertiary scaffold of the LacI/GalR proteins. PLoS One 2013; 8:e84398. [PMID: 24391951 PMCID: PMC3877293 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0084398] [Citation(s) in RCA: 19] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/19/2013] [Accepted: 11/15/2013] [Indexed: 11/18/2022] Open
Abstract
Protein families might evolve paralogous functions on their common tertiary scaffold in two ways. First, the locations of functionally-important sites might be "hard-wired" into the structure, with novel functions evolved by altering the amino acid (e.g. Ala vs Ser) at these positions. Alternatively, the tertiary scaffold might be adaptable, accommodating a unique set of functionally important sites for each paralogous function. To discriminate between these possibilities, we compared the set of functionally important sites in the six largest paralogous subfamilies of the LacI/GalR transcription repressor family. LacI/GalR paralogs share a common tertiary structure, but have low sequence identity (≤ 30%), and regulate a variety of metabolic processes. Functionally important positions were identified by conservation and co-evolutionary sequence analyses. Results showed that conserved positions use a mixture of the "hard-wired" and "accommodating" scaffold frameworks, but that the co-evolution networks were highly dissimilar between any pair of subfamilies. Therefore, the tertiary structure can accommodate multiple networks of functionally important positions. This possibility should be included when designing and interpreting sequence analyses of other protein families. Software implementing conservation and co-evolution analyses is available at https://sourceforge.net/projects/coevolutils/.
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Affiliation(s)
- Daniel J. Parente
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, The University of Kansas Medical Center, Kansas City, Kansas, United States of America
| | - Liskin Swint-Kruse
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, The University of Kansas Medical Center, Kansas City, Kansas, United States of America
- * E-mail:
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26
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Short-time movement of E. coli chromosomal loci depends on coordinate and subcellular localization. Nat Commun 2013; 4:3003. [DOI: 10.1038/ncomms3003] [Citation(s) in RCA: 91] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/21/2012] [Accepted: 05/09/2013] [Indexed: 11/08/2022] Open
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27
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Abstract
Transcriptional regulation is at the heart of biological functions such as adaptation to a changing environment or to new carbon sources. One of the mechanisms which has been found to modulate transcription, either positively (activation) or negatively (repression), involves the formation of DNA loops. A DNA loop occurs when a protein or a complex of proteins simultaneously binds to two different sites on DNA with looping out of the intervening DNA. This simple mechanism is central to the regulation of several operons in the genome of the bacterium Escherichia coli, like the lac operon, one of the paradigms of genetic regulation. The aim of this review is to gather and discuss concepts and ideas from experimental biology and theoretical physics concerning DNA looping in genetic regulation. We first describe experimental techniques designed to show the formation of a DNA loop. We then present the benefits that can or could be derived from a mechanism involving DNA looping. Some of these are already experimentally proven, but others are theoretical predictions and merit experimental investigation. Then, we try to identify other genetic systems that could be regulated by a DNA looping mechanism in the genome of Escherichia coli. We found many operons that, according to our set of criteria, have a good chance to be regulated with a DNA loop. Finally, we discuss the proposition recently made by both biologists and physicists that this mechanism could also act at the genomic scale and play a crucial role in the spatial organization of genomes.
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28
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Dame RT, Espéli O, Grainger DC, Wiggins PA. Multidisciplinary perspectives on bacterial genome organization and dynamics. Mol Microbiol 2012; 86:1023-30. [DOI: 10.1111/mmi.12055] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 09/25/2012] [Indexed: 11/30/2022]
Affiliation(s)
| | - Olivier Espéli
- CNRS; Centre de Génétique Moléculaire; Gif-sur-yvette Cedex; France
| | - David C. Grainger
- School of Biosciences; University of Birmingham; Edgbaston; Birmingham; B15 2TT; UK
| | - Paul A. Wiggins
- Department of Physics; University of Washington; Seattle; WA; USA
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