1
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Sun Y, Wang Y, Tan ZJ, Zhang W. Regulation mechanism of lysC riboswitch in gram-positive bacterium Bacillus subtilis. J Biomol Struct Dyn 2020; 38:2784-2791. [DOI: 10.1080/07391102.2019.1639546] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/26/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Yuying Sun
- Department of Physics, Wuhan University, Wuhan, Hubei, P.R. China
| | - Yanli Wang
- Department of Physics, Wuhan University, Wuhan, Hubei, P.R. China
| | - Zhi-Jie Tan
- Department of Physics, Wuhan University, Wuhan, Hubei, P.R. China
| | - Wenbing Zhang
- Department of Physics, Wuhan University, Wuhan, Hubei, P.R. China
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2
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McCluskey K, Boudreault J, St-Pierre P, Perez-Gonzalez C, Chauvier A, Rizzi A, Beauregard PB, Lafontaine DA, Penedo JC. Unprecedented tunability of riboswitch structure and regulatory function by sub-millimolar variations in physiological Mg2. Nucleic Acids Res 2020; 47:6478-6487. [PMID: 31045204 PMCID: PMC6614840 DOI: 10.1093/nar/gkz316] [Citation(s) in RCA: 19] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/26/2019] [Revised: 04/16/2019] [Accepted: 04/18/2019] [Indexed: 02/06/2023] Open
Abstract
Riboswitches are cis-acting regulatory RNA biosensors that rival the efficiency of those found in proteins. At the heart of their regulatory function is the formation of a highly specific aptamer–ligand complex. Understanding how these RNAs recognize the ligand to regulate gene expression at physiological concentrations of Mg2+ ions and ligand is critical given their broad impact on bacterial gene expression and their potential as antibiotic targets. In this work, we used single-molecule FRET and biochemical techniques to demonstrate that Mg2+ ions act as fine-tuning elements of the amino acid-sensing lysC aptamer's ligand-free structure in the mesophile Bacillus subtilis. Mg2+ interactions with the aptamer produce encounter complexes with strikingly different sensitivities to the ligand in different, yet equally accessible, physiological ionic conditions. Our results demonstrate that the aptamer adapts its structure and folding landscape on a Mg2+-tunable scale to efficiently respond to changes in intracellular lysine of more than two orders of magnitude. The remarkable tunability of the lysC aptamer by sub-millimolar variations in the physiological concentration of Mg2+ ions suggests that some single-aptamer riboswitches have exploited the coupling of cellular levels of ligand and divalent metal ions to tightly control gene expression.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kaley McCluskey
- SUPA School of Physics and Astronomy, University of St. Andrews, Scotland KY16 9SS, UK
| | - Julien Boudreault
- Département de Biologie, Université de Sherbrooke, Québec, Canada J1K 2R1
| | - Patrick St-Pierre
- Département de Biologie, Université de Sherbrooke, Québec, Canada J1K 2R1
| | - Cibran Perez-Gonzalez
- SUPA School of Physics and Astronomy, University of St. Andrews, Scotland KY16 9SS, UK.,Centre SÈVE, Département de Biologie, Faculté des Sciences, Université de Sherbrooke, Sherbrooke, Canada
| | - Adrien Chauvier
- Département de Biologie, Université de Sherbrooke, Québec, Canada J1K 2R1
| | - Adrien Rizzi
- Département de Chimie, Faculté des Sciences, Université de Sherbrooke, Sherbrooke, Canada
| | - Pascale B Beauregard
- Centre SÈVE, Département de Biologie, Faculté des Sciences, Université de Sherbrooke, Sherbrooke, Canada
| | | | - J Carlos Penedo
- SUPA School of Physics and Astronomy, University of St. Andrews, Scotland KY16 9SS, UK.,Biomedical Sciences Research Complex, School of Biology, University of St. Andrews, Scotland KY16 9ST, UK
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3
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Sinumvayo JP, Zhao C, Tuyishime P. Recent advances and future trends of riboswitches: attractive regulatory tools. World J Microbiol Biotechnol 2018; 34:171. [PMID: 30413889 DOI: 10.1007/s11274-018-2554-0] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/29/2018] [Accepted: 11/02/2018] [Indexed: 01/06/2023]
Abstract
Bacterial genomes contain a huge amount of different genes. These genes are spatiotemporally expressed to accomplish some required functions within the organism. Inside the cell, any step of gene expression may be modulated at four possible places such as transcription initiation, translation regulation, mRNA stability and protein stability. To achieve this, there is a necessity of strong regulators either natural or synthetic which can fine-tune gene expression regarding the required function. In recent years, riboswitches as metabolite responsive control elements residing in the untranslated regions of certain messenger RNAs, have been known to control gene expression at transcription or translation level. Importantly, these control elements do not prescribe the involvement of protein factors for metabolite binding. However, they own their particular properties to sense intramolecular metabolites (ligands). Herein, we highlighted current important bacterial riboswitches, their applications to support genetic control, ligand-binding domain mechanisms and current progress in synthetic riboswitches.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jean Paul Sinumvayo
- CAS Key Laboratory of Microbial Physiological and Metabolic Engineering, Institute of Microbiology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China. .,University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China.
| | - Chunhua Zhao
- CAS Key Laboratory of Microbial Physiological and Metabolic Engineering, Institute of Microbiology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China.,University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China
| | - Philibert Tuyishime
- University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China.,Tianjin Institute of Industrial Biotechnology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Tianjin, China
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4
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Sherwood AV, Henkin TM. Riboswitch-Mediated Gene Regulation: Novel RNA Architectures Dictate Gene Expression Responses. Annu Rev Microbiol 2017; 70:361-74. [PMID: 27607554 DOI: 10.1146/annurev-micro-091014-104306] [Citation(s) in RCA: 141] [Impact Index Per Article: 20.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/09/2022]
Abstract
Riboswitches are RNA elements that act on the mRNA with which they are cotranscribed to modulate expression of that mRNA. These elements are widely found in bacteria, where they have a broad impact on gene expression. The defining feature of riboswitches is that they directly recognize a physiological signal, and the resulting shift in RNA structure affects gene regulation. The majority of riboswitches respond to cellular metabolites, often in a feedback loop to repress synthesis of the enzymes used to produce the metabolite. Related elements respond to the aminoacylation status of a specific tRNA or to a physical parameter, such as temperature or pH. Recent studies have identified new classes of riboswitches and have revealed new insights into the molecular mechanisms of signal recognition and gene regulation. Application of structural and biophysical approaches has complemented previous genetic and biochemical studies, yielding new information about how different riboswitches operate.
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Affiliation(s)
- Anna V Sherwood
- Department of Microbiology and Center for RNA Biology, The Ohio State University, Columbus, Ohio 43210; .,Molecular, Cellular and Developmental Graduate Program, The Ohio State University, Columbus, Ohio 43210
| | - Tina M Henkin
- Department of Microbiology and Center for RNA Biology, The Ohio State University, Columbus, Ohio 43210;
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5
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Jeßberger N, Rademacher C, Krey VM, Dietrich R, Mohr AK, Böhm ME, Scherer S, Ehling-Schulz M, Märtlbauer E. Simulating Intestinal Growth Conditions Enhances Toxin Production of Enteropathogenic Bacillus cereus. Front Microbiol 2017; 8:627. [PMID: 28446903 PMCID: PMC5388749 DOI: 10.3389/fmicb.2017.00627] [Citation(s) in RCA: 28] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/14/2016] [Accepted: 03/28/2017] [Indexed: 01/17/2023] Open
Abstract
Bacillus cereus is a ubiquitous bacterial pathogen increasingly reported to be the causative agent of foodborne infections and intoxications. Since the enterotoxins linked to the diarrheal form of food poising are foremost produced in the human intestine, the toxic potential of enteropathogenic B. cereus strains is difficult to predict from studies carried out under routine cultivation procedures. In this study, toxigenic properties of a panel of strains (n = 19) of diverse origin were compared using cell culture medium pre-incubated with CaCo-2 cells to mimic intestinal growth conditions. Shortly after contact of the bacteria with the simulated host environment, enterotoxin gene expression was activated and total protein secretion of all strains was accelerated. Although the signal stimulating enterotoxin production still needs to be elucidated, it could be shown that it originated from the CaCo-2 cells. Overall, our study demonstrates that the currently used methods in B. cereus diagnostics, based on standard culture medium, are not allowing a conclusive prediction of the potential health risk related to a certain strain. Thus, these methods should be complemented by cultivation procedures that are simulating intestinal host conditions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nadja Jeßberger
- Department of Veterinary Sciences, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Ludwig-Maximilians-Universität MünchenOberschleißheim, Germany
| | - Corinna Rademacher
- Functional Microbiology, Department of Pathobiology, Institute of Microbiology, University of Veterinary Medicine ViennaVienna, Austria
| | - Viktoria M Krey
- Lehrstuhl für Mikrobielle Ökologie, Zentralinstitut für Ernährungs- und Lebensmittelforschung, Wissenschaftszentrum Weihenstephan, Technische Universität MünchenFreising, Germany
| | - Richard Dietrich
- Department of Veterinary Sciences, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Ludwig-Maximilians-Universität MünchenOberschleißheim, Germany
| | - Ann-Katrin Mohr
- Department of Veterinary Sciences, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Ludwig-Maximilians-Universität MünchenOberschleißheim, Germany
| | - Maria-Elisabeth Böhm
- Lehrstuhl für Mikrobielle Ökologie, Zentralinstitut für Ernährungs- und Lebensmittelforschung, Wissenschaftszentrum Weihenstephan, Technische Universität MünchenFreising, Germany
| | - Siegfried Scherer
- Lehrstuhl für Mikrobielle Ökologie, Zentralinstitut für Ernährungs- und Lebensmittelforschung, Wissenschaftszentrum Weihenstephan, Technische Universität MünchenFreising, Germany
| | - Monika Ehling-Schulz
- Functional Microbiology, Department of Pathobiology, Institute of Microbiology, University of Veterinary Medicine ViennaVienna, Austria
| | - Erwin Märtlbauer
- Department of Veterinary Sciences, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Ludwig-Maximilians-Universität MünchenOberschleißheim, Germany
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6
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Smith-Peter E, Lamontagne AM, Lafontaine DA. Role of lysine binding residues in the global folding of the lysC riboswitch. RNA Biol 2016; 12:1372-82. [PMID: 26403229 DOI: 10.1080/15476286.2015.1094603] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/04/2023] Open
Abstract
Riboswitches regulate gene expression by rearranging their structure upon metabolite binding. The lysine-sensing lysC riboswitch is a rare example of an RNA aptamer organized around a 5-way helical junction in which ligand binding is performed exclusively through nucleotides located at the junction core. We have probed whether the nucleotides involved in ligand binding play any role in the global folding of the riboswitch. As predicted, our findings indicate that ligand-binding residues are critical for the lysine-dependent gene regulation mechanism. We also find that these residues are not important for the establishment of key magnesium-dependent tertiary interactions, suggesting that folding and ligand recognition are uncoupled in this riboswitch for the formation of specific interactions. However, FRET assays show that lysine binding results in an additional conformational change, indicating that lysine binding may also participate in a specific folding transition. Thus, in contrast to helical junctions being primary determinants in ribozymes and rRNA folding, we speculate that the helical junction of the lysine-sensing lysC riboswitch is not employed as structural a scaffold to direct global folding, but rather has a different role in establishing RNA-ligand interactions required for riboswitch regulation. Our work suggests that helical junctions may adopt different functions such as the coordination of global architecture or the formation of specific ligand binding site.
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Affiliation(s)
- Erich Smith-Peter
- a Department of Biology ; Faculty of Science, RNA Group, Université de Sherbrooke , Sherbrooke ; Quebec , Canada
| | - Anne-Marie Lamontagne
- a Department of Biology ; Faculty of Science, RNA Group, Université de Sherbrooke , Sherbrooke ; Quebec , Canada
| | - Daniel A Lafontaine
- a Department of Biology ; Faculty of Science, RNA Group, Université de Sherbrooke , Sherbrooke ; Quebec , Canada
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7
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Ma CW, Zhou LB, Zeng AP. Engineering Biomolecular Switches for Dynamic Metabolic Control. ADVANCES IN BIOCHEMICAL ENGINEERING/BIOTECHNOLOGY 2016; 162:45-76. [DOI: 10.1007/10_2016_9] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/15/2022]
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8
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Jeßberger N, Krey VM, Rademacher C, Böhm ME, Mohr AK, Ehling-Schulz M, Scherer S, Märtlbauer E. From genome to toxicity: a combinatory approach highlights the complexity of enterotoxin production in Bacillus cereus. Front Microbiol 2015; 6:560. [PMID: 26113843 PMCID: PMC4462024 DOI: 10.3389/fmicb.2015.00560] [Citation(s) in RCA: 48] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/07/2015] [Accepted: 05/21/2015] [Indexed: 01/30/2023] Open
Abstract
In recent years Bacillus cereus has gained increasing importance as a food poisoning pathogen. It is the eponymous member of the B. cereus sensu lato group that consists of eight closely related species showing impressive diversity of their pathogenicity. The high variability of cytotoxicity and the complex regulatory network of enterotoxin expression have complicated efforts to predict the toxic potential of new B. cereus isolates. In this study, comprehensive analyses of enterotoxin gene sequences, transcription, toxin secretion and cytotoxicity were performed. For the first time, these parameters were compared in a whole set of B. cereus strains representing isolates of different origin (food or food poisoning outbreaks) and of different toxic potential (enteropathogenic and apathogenic) to elucidate potential starting points of strain-specific differential toxicity. While toxin gene sequences were highly conserved and did not allow for differentiation between high and low toxicity strains, comparison of nheB and hblD enterotoxin gene transcription and Nhe and Hbl protein titers revealed not only strain-specific differences but also incongruence between toxin gene transcripts and toxin protein levels. With one exception all strains showed comparable capability of protein secretion and so far, no secretion patterns specific for high and low toxicity strains were identified. These results indicate that enterotoxin expression is more complex than expected, possibly involving the orchestrated interplay of different transcriptional regulator proteins, as well as posttranscriptional and posttranslational regulatory mechanisms plus additional influences of environmental conditions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nadja Jeßberger
- Department of Veterinary Sciences, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Ludwig-Maximilians-Universität München Oberschleißheim, Germany
| | - Viktoria M Krey
- Lehrstuhl für Mikrobielle Ökologie, Zentralinstitut für Ernährungs- und Lebensmittelforschung, Wissenschaftszentrum Weihenstephan, Technische Universität München Freising, Germany
| | - Corinna Rademacher
- Functional Microbiology, Department of Pathobiology, Institute of Microbiology, University of Veterinary Medicine Vienna Vienna, Austria
| | - Maria-Elisabeth Böhm
- Lehrstuhl für Mikrobielle Ökologie, Zentralinstitut für Ernährungs- und Lebensmittelforschung, Wissenschaftszentrum Weihenstephan, Technische Universität München Freising, Germany
| | - Ann-Katrin Mohr
- Department of Veterinary Sciences, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Ludwig-Maximilians-Universität München Oberschleißheim, Germany
| | - Monika Ehling-Schulz
- Functional Microbiology, Department of Pathobiology, Institute of Microbiology, University of Veterinary Medicine Vienna Vienna, Austria
| | - Siegfried Scherer
- Lehrstuhl für Mikrobielle Ökologie, Zentralinstitut für Ernährungs- und Lebensmittelforschung, Wissenschaftszentrum Weihenstephan, Technische Universität München Freising, Germany
| | - Erwin Märtlbauer
- Department of Veterinary Sciences, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Ludwig-Maximilians-Universität München Oberschleißheim, Germany
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9
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T box riboswitches in Actinobacteria: translational regulation via novel tRNA interactions. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A 2015; 112:1113-8. [PMID: 25583497 DOI: 10.1073/pnas.1424175112] [Citation(s) in RCA: 34] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/18/2022] Open
Abstract
The T box riboswitch regulates many amino acid-related genes in Gram-positive bacteria. T box riboswitch-mediated gene regulation was shown previously to occur at the level of transcription attenuation via structural rearrangements in the 5' untranslated (leader) region of the mRNA in response to binding of a specific uncharged tRNA. In this study, a novel group of isoleucyl-tRNA synthetase gene (ileS) T box leader sequences found in organisms of the phylum Actinobacteria was investigated. The Stem I domains of these RNAs lack several highly conserved elements that are essential for interaction with the tRNA ligand in other T box RNAs. Many of these RNAs were predicted to regulate gene expression at the level of translation initiation through tRNA-dependent stabilization of a helix that sequesters a sequence complementary to the Shine-Dalgarno (SD) sequence, thus freeing the SD sequence for ribosome binding and translation initiation. We demonstrated specific binding to the cognate tRNA(Ile) and tRNA(Ile)-dependent structural rearrangements consistent with regulation at the level of translation initiation, providing the first biochemical demonstration, to our knowledge, of translational regulation in a T box riboswitch.
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10
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St-Pierre P, McCluskey K, Shaw E, Penedo JC, Lafontaine DA. Fluorescence tools to investigate riboswitch structural dynamics. BIOCHIMICA ET BIOPHYSICA ACTA-GENE REGULATORY MECHANISMS 2014; 1839:1005-1019. [PMID: 24863161 DOI: 10.1016/j.bbagrm.2014.05.015] [Citation(s) in RCA: 25] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/05/2014] [Revised: 05/14/2014] [Accepted: 05/15/2014] [Indexed: 11/15/2022]
Abstract
Riboswitches are novel regulatory elements that respond to cellular metabolites to control gene expression. They are constituted of highly conserved domains that have evolved to recognize specific metabolites. Such domains, so-called aptamers, are folded into intricate structures to enable metabolite recognition. Over the years, the development of ensemble and single-molecule fluorescence techniques has allowed to probe most of the mechanistic aspects of aptamer folding and ligand binding. In this review, we summarize the current fluorescence toolkit available to study riboswitch structural dynamics. We fist describe those methods based on fluorescent nucleotide analogues, mostly 2-aminopurine (2AP), to investigate short-range conformational changes, including some key steady-state and time-resolved examples that exemplify the versatility of fluorescent analogues as structural probes. The study of long-range structural changes by Förster resonance energy transfer (FRET) is mostly discussed in the context of single-molecule studies, including some recent developments based on the combination of single-molecule FRET techniques with controlled chemical denaturation methods. This article is part of a Special Issue entitled: Riboswitches.
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Affiliation(s)
- Patrick St-Pierre
- RNA Group, Department of Biology, Faculty of Science, Université de Sherbrooke, Sherbrooke, QC, J1K 2R1, Canada
| | - Kaley McCluskey
- SUPA, School of Physics and Astronomy University of St Andrews, St Andrews, Fife KY16 9SS, United Kingdom
| | - Euan Shaw
- SUPA, School of Physics and Astronomy University of St Andrews, St Andrews, Fife KY16 9SS, United Kingdom
| | - J C Penedo
- SUPA, School of Physics and Astronomy University of St Andrews, St Andrews, Fife KY16 9SS, United Kingdom; Biomedical Sciences Research Complex, University of St Andrews, St Andrews, Fife KY16 9SS, United Kingdom.
| | - D A Lafontaine
- RNA Group, Department of Biology, Faculty of Science, Université de Sherbrooke, Sherbrooke, QC, J1K 2R1, Canada.
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11
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Trausch JJ, Batey RT. A disconnect between high-affinity binding and efficient regulation by antifolates and purines in the tetrahydrofolate riboswitch. ACTA ACUST UNITED AC 2014; 21:205-16. [PMID: 24388757 DOI: 10.1016/j.chembiol.2013.11.012] [Citation(s) in RCA: 34] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/11/2013] [Revised: 11/14/2013] [Accepted: 11/27/2013] [Indexed: 12/13/2022]
Abstract
The tetrahydrofolate (THF) riboswitch regulates folate transport and metabolism in a number of Firmicutes by cooperatively binding two molecules of THF. To further understand this riboswitch's specificity for THF, binding and regulatory activity of a series of THF analogs and antifolates were examined. Our data reveal that although binding is dominated by the RNA's interactions with the pterin moiety, the para-aminobenzoic acid (pABA) moiety plays a significant role in transcriptional regulation. Further, we find that adenine and several other analogs bind with high affinity by an alternative binding mechanism. Despite a similar affinity to THF, adenine is a poor regulator of transcriptional attenuation. These results demonstrate that binding alone does not determine a compound's effectiveness in regulating the activity of the riboswitch-a complication in current efforts to develop antimicrobials that target these RNAs.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jeremiah J Trausch
- Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, University of Colorado at Boulder, Campus Box 596, Boulder, CO 80309-0596, USA
| | - Robert T Batey
- Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, University of Colorado at Boulder, Campus Box 596, Boulder, CO 80309-0596, USA.
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12
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Budhathoki P, Bernal-Perez LF, Annunziata O, Ryu Y. Rationally-designed fluorescent lysine riboswitch probes. Org Biomol Chem 2013; 10:7872-4. [PMID: 22961337 DOI: 10.1039/c2ob26160j] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/02/2023]
Abstract
Two fluorescent lysine amide analogs, in which the carboxyl end of lysine was covalently attached to dansyl or NBD groups through an ethylene glycol-based linker, were rationally designed and synthesized. Both probes showed high binding affinity to the lysine riboswitch in vitro and their fluorescence intensities decreased by riboswitch binding.
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Affiliation(s)
- Pradeep Budhathoki
- Department of Chemistry, Texas Christian University, 2800 S. University Dr., Fort Worth, TX 76109, USA
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13
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Garst AD, Porter EB, Batey RT. Insights into the regulatory landscape of the lysine riboswitch. J Mol Biol 2012; 423:17-33. [PMID: 22771573 DOI: 10.1016/j.jmb.2012.06.038] [Citation(s) in RCA: 31] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/23/2012] [Revised: 06/21/2012] [Accepted: 06/26/2012] [Indexed: 12/11/2022]
Abstract
A prevalent means of regulating gene expression in bacteria is by riboswitches found within mRNA leader sequences. Like protein repressors, these RNA elements must bind an effector molecule with high specificity against a background of other cellular metabolites of similar chemical structure to elicit the appropriate regulatory response. Current crystal structures of the lysine riboswitch do not provide a complete understanding of selectivity as recognition is substantially mediated through main-chain atoms of the amino acid. Using a directed set of lysine analogs and other amino acids, we have determined the relative contributions of the polar functional groups to binding affinity and the regulatory response. Our results reveal that the lysine riboswitch has >1000-fold specificity for lysine over other amino acids. The aptamer is highly sensitive to the precise placement of the ε-amino group and relatively tolerant of alterations to the main-chain functional groups in order to achieve this specificity. At low nucleotide triphosphate (NTP) concentrations, we observe good agreement between the half-maximal regulatory activity (T(50)) and the affinity of the receptor for lysine (K(d)), as well as many of its analogs. However, above 400 μM [NTP], the concentration of lysine required to elicit transcription termination rises, moving into the riboswitch into a kinetic control regime. These data demonstrate that, under physiologically relevant conditions, riboswitches can integrate both effector and NTP concentrations to generate a regulatory response appropriate for global metabolic state of the cell.
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Affiliation(s)
- Andrew D Garst
- Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, University of Colorado at Boulder, 596 UCB, Boulder, CO 80309-0596, USA
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