To be or not to be: regulation of restriction-modification systems and other toxin-antitoxin systems

Engineering a non-oxidative glycolysis pathway in escherichia coli for high-level citramalate production

BACKGROUND

Methyl methacrylate (MMA) is a key precursor of polymethyl methacrylate, extensively used as a transparent thermoplastic in various industries. Conventional MMA production poses health and environmental risks; hence, citramalate serves as an alternative bacterial compound precursor for MMA production. The highest citramalate titer was previously achieved by Escherichia coli BW25113. However, studies on further improving citramalate production through metabolic engineering are limited, and phage contamination is a persistent problem in E. coli fermentation.

RESULTS

This study aimed to construct a phage-resistant E. coli BW25113 strain capable of producing high citramalate titers from glucose. First, promoters and heterologous cimA genes were screened, and an effective biosynthetic pathway for citramalate was established by overexpressing MjcimA3.7, a mutated cimA gene from Methanococcus jannaschii, regulated by the BBa_J23100 promoter in E. coli. Subsequently, a phage-resistant E. coli strain was engineered by integrating the Ssp defense system into the genome and mutating key components of the phage infection cycle. Then, the strain was engineered to include the non-oxidative glycolysis pathway while removing the acetate synthesis pathway to enhance the supply of acetyl-CoA. Furthermore, glucose utilization by the strain improved, thereby increasing citramalate production. Ultimately, 110.2 g/L of citramalate was obtained after 80 h fed-batch fermentation. The citramalate yield from glucose and productivity were 0.4 g/g glucose and 1.4 g/(L·h), respectively.

CONCLUSION

This is the highest reported citramalate titer and productivity in E. coli without the addition of expensive yeast extract and additional induction in fed-bath fermentation, emphasizing its potential for practical applications in producing citramalate and its derivatives.

Dependence of post-segregational killing mediated by Type II restriction-modification systems on the lifetime of restriction endonuclease effective activity

Plasmid-borne Type II restriction-modification (RM) systems mediate post-segregational killing (PSK). PSK is thought to be caused by the dilution of restriction and modification enzymes during cell division, resulting in accumulation of unmethylated DNA recognition sites and their cleavage by restriction endonucleases. PSK is the likely reason for stabilization of plasmids carrying RM systems in the absence of selection for plasmid maintenance. In this study, we developed a CRISPR interference-based method to eliminate RM-carrying plasmids and study PSK-related phenomena with minimal perturbation to the Escherichia coli host. Plasmids carrying the EcoRV, Eco29kI, and EcoRI RM systems were highly stable, and their loss resulted in SOS response and PSK. In contrast, plasmids carrying the Esp1396I system were poorly stabilized; their loss led to a temporary cessation of growth, followed by full recovery. We demonstrate that this unusual behavior is due to a limited lifetime of the Esp1396I restriction endonuclease activity, which, upon Esp1396I plasmid loss, disappears approximately after two cycles of cell division, i.e., before unmethylated sites appear in significant numbers. Our results indicate that whenever PSK induced by a loss of RM systems, and, possibly, other toxin-antitoxin systems, is considered, the lifetimes of individual system components and the growth rate of host cells shall be taken in account. Mathematical modeling shows, that unlike the situation with classical toxin-antitoxin systems, RM system-mediated PSK is possible when the lifetimes of restriction endonuclease and methyltransferase activities are similar, as long as the toxic restriction endonuclease activity persists for more than two chromosome replication cycles.IMPORTANCEIt is widely accepted that many Type II restriction-modification (RM) systems mediate post-segregational killing (PSK) if plasmids that encode them are lost. In this study, we harnessed an inducible CRISPR-Cas system to remove RM plasmids from Escherichia coli cells to study PSK while minimally perturbing cell physiology. We demonstrate that PSK depends on restriction endonuclease activity lifetime and is not observed when it is less than two replication cycles. We present a mathematical model that explains experimental data and shows that unlike the case of toxin-antitoxin-mediated PSK, the loss of an RM system induced PSK even when the RM enzymes have identical lifetimes.

Regulation of anti-phage defense mechanisms by using cinnamaldehyde as a quorum sensing inhibitor

Background

Multidrug-resistant bacteria and the shortage of new antibiotics constitute a serious health problem. This problem has led to increased interest in the use of bacteriophages, which have great potential as antimicrobial agents but also carry the risk of inducing resistance. The objective of the present study was to minimize the development of phage resistance in Klebsiella pneumoniae strains by inhibiting quorum sensing (QS) and thus demonstrate the role of QS in regulating defense mechanisms.

Results

Cinnamaldehyde (CAD) was added to K. pneumoniae cultures to inhibit QS and thus demonstrate the role of the signaling system in regulating the anti-phage defense mechanism. The QS inhibitory activity of CAD in K. pneumoniae was confirmed by a reduction in the quantitative expression of the lsrB gene (AI-2 pathway) and by proteomic analysis. The infection assays showed that the phage was able to infect a previously resistant K. pneumoniae strain in the cultures to which CAD was added. The results were confirmed using proteomic analysis. Thus, anti-phage defense-related proteins from different systems, such as cyclic oligonucleotide-based bacterial anti-phage signaling systems (CBASS), restriction-modification (R-M) systems, clustered regularly interspaced short palindromic repeat-Cas (CRISPR-Cas) system, and bacteriophage control infection (BCI), were present in the cultures with phage but not in the cultures with phage and CAD. When the QS and anti-phage defense systems were inhibited by the combined treatment, proteins related to phage infection and proliferation, such as the tail fiber protein, the cell division protein DamX, and the outer membrane channel protein TolC, were detected.

Conclusion

Inhibition of QS reduces phage resistance in K. pneumoniae, resulting in the infection of a previously resistant strain by phage, with a significant increase in phage proliferation and a significant reduction in bacterial growth. QS inhibitors could be considered for therapeutic application by including them in phage cocktails or in phage-antibiotic combinations to enhance synergistic effects and reduce the emergence of antimicrobial resistance.

RecA-dependent or independent recombination of plasmid DNA generates a conflict with the host EcoKI immunity by launching restriction alleviation

Bacterial defence systems are tightly regulated to avoid autoimmunity. In Type I restriction-modification (R-M) systems, a specific mechanism called restriction alleviation (RA) controls the activity of the restriction module. In the case of the Escherichia coli Type I R-M system EcoKI, RA proceeds through ClpXP-mediated proteolysis of restriction complexes bound to non-methylated sites that appear after replication or reparation of host DNA. Here, we show that RA is also induced in the presence of plasmids carrying EcoKI recognition sites, a phenomenon we refer to as plasmid-induced RA. Further, we show that the anti-restriction behavior of plasmid-borne non-conjugative transposons such as Tn5053, previously attributed to their ardD loci, is due to plasmid-induced RA. Plasmids carrying both EcoKI and Chi sites induce RA in RecA- and RecBCD-dependent manner. However, inactivation of both RecA and RecBCD restores RA, indicating that there exists an alternative, RecA-independent, homologous recombination pathway that is blocked in the presence of RecBCD. Indeed, plasmid-induced RA in a RecBCD-deficient background does not depend on the presence of Chi sites. We propose that processing of random dsDNA breaks in plasmid DNA via homologous recombination generates non-methylated EcoKI sites, which attract EcoKI restriction complexes channeling them for ClpXP-mediated proteolysis.

VIM-type metallo-β-lactamase (MBL)-encoding genomic islands in Pseudomonas spp. in Poland: predominance of clc-like integrative and conjugative elements (ICEs)

OBJECTIVES

To characterize VIM-type metallo-β-lactamase (MBL)-encoding genomic islands (GIs) in Pseudomonas aeruginosa and P. putida group isolates from Polish hospitals from 2001-2015/16.

METHODS

Twelve P. aeruginosa and 20 P. putida group isolates producing VIM-like MBLs were selected from a large collection of these based on epidemiological and typing data. The organisms represented all major epidemic genotypes of these species spread in Poland with chromosomally located blaVIM gene-carrying integrons. The previously determined short-read sequences were complemented by long-read sequencing in this study. The comparative structural analysis of the GIs used a variety of bioinformatic tools.

RESULTS

Thirty different GIs with blaVIM integrons were identified in the 32 isolates, of which 24 GIs from 26 isolates were integrative and conjugative elements (ICEs) of the clc family. These in turn were dominated by 21 variants of the GI2/ICE6441 subfamily with a total of 19 VIM integrons, each inserted in the same position within the ICE's Tn21-like transposon Tn4380. The three other ICEs formed a novel ICE6705 subfamily, lacking Tn4380 and having different VIM integrons located in another site of the elements. The remaining six non-ICE GIs represented miscellaneous structures. The presence of various integrons in the same ICE sublineage, and of the same integron in different GIs, indicated circulation and recombination of the integron-carrying genetic platforms across Pseudomonas species/genotypes.

CONCLUSIONS

Despite the general diversity of the blaVIM-carrying GIs in Pseudomonas spp. in Poland, a clear predominance of broadly spread and rapidly evolving clc-type ICEs was documented, confirming their significant role in antimicrobial resistance epidemiology.

Quasispecies productivity

The quasispecies theory is a helpful concept in the explanation of RNA virus evolution and behaviour, with a relevant impact on methods used to fight viral diseases. It has undergone some adaptations to integrate new empirical data, especially the non-deterministic nature of mutagenesis, and the variety of behavioural motifs in cooperation, competition, communication, innovation, integration, and exaptation. Also, the consortial structure of quasispecies with complementary roles of memory genomes of minority populations better fits the empirical data than did the original concept of a master sequence and its mutant spectra. The high productivity of quasispecies variants generates unique sequences that never existed before and will never exist again. In the present essay, we underline that such sequences represent really new ontological entities, not just error copies of previous ones. Their primary unique property, the incredible variant production, is suggested here as quasispecies productivity, which replaces the error-replication narrative to better fit into a new relationship between mankind and living nature in the twenty-first century.

Gene content, phage cycle regulation model and prophage inactivation disclosed by prophage genomics in the Helicobacter pylori Genome Project

Prophages can have major clinical implications through their ability to change pathogenic bacterial traits. There is limited understanding of the prophage role in ecological, evolutionary, adaptive processes and pathogenicity of Helicobacter pylori, a widespread bacterium causally associated with gastric cancer. Inferring the exact prophage genomic location and completeness requires complete genomes. The international Helicobacter pylori Genome Project (HpGP) dataset comprises 1011 H. pylori complete clinical genomes enriched with epigenetic data. We thoroughly evaluated the H. pylori prophage genomic content in the HpGP dataset. We investigated population evolutionary dynamics through phylogenetic and pangenome analyses. Additionally, we identified genome rearrangements and assessed the impact of prophage presence on bacterial gene disruption and methylome. We found that 29.5% (298) of the HpGP genomes contain prophages, of which only 32.2% (96) were complete, minimizing the burden of prophage carriage. The prevalence of H. pylori prophage sequences was variable by geography and ancestry, but not by disease status of the human host. Prophage insertion occasionally results in gene disruption that can change the global bacterial epigenome. Gene function prediction allowed the development of the first model for lysogenic-lytic cycle regulation in H. pylori. We have disclosed new prophage inactivation mechanisms that appear to occur by genome rearrangement, merger with other mobile elements, and pseudogene accumulation. Our analysis provides a comprehensive framework for H. pylori prophage biological and genomics, offering insights into lysogeny regulation and bacterial adaptation to prophages.

Expanding the genetic programmability of Lactiplantibacillus plantarum

Lactobacilli are ubiquitous in nature and symbiotically provide health benefits for countless organisms including humans, animals and plants. They are vital for the fermented food industry and are being extensively explored for healthcare applications. For all these reasons, there is considerable interest in enhancing and controlling their capabilities through the engineering of genetic modules and circuits. One of the most robust and reliable microbial chassis for these synthetic biology applications is the widely used Lactiplantibacillus plantarum species. However, the genetic toolkit needed to advance its applicability remains poorly equipped. This mini-review highlights the genetic parts that have been discovered to achieve food-grade recombinant protein production and speculates on lessons learned from these studies for L. plantarum engineering. Furthermore, strategies to identify, create and optimize genetic parts for real-time regulation of gene expression and enhancement of biosafety are also suggested.

A Plasmid-Borne Gene Cluster Flanked by Two Restriction-Modification Systems Enables an Arctic Strain of Psychrobacter sp. to Decompose SDS

The cold-adapted Psychrobacter sp. strain DAB_AL62B, isolated from ornithogenic deposits on the Arctic island of Spitsbergen, harbors a 34.5 kb plasmid, pP62BP1, which carries a genetic SLF module predicted to enable the host bacterium to metabolize alkyl sulfates including sodium dodecyl sulfate (SDS), a common anionic surfactant. In this work, we experimentally confirmed that the pP62BP1-harboring strain is capable of SDS degradation. The slfCHSL genes were shown to form an operon whose main promoter, PslfC, is negatively regulated by the product of the slfR gene in the absence of potential substrates. We showed that lauryl aldehyde acts as an inducer of the operon. The analysis of the draft genome sequence of the DAB_AL62B strain revealed that the crucial enzyme of the SDS degradation pathway-an alkyl sulfatase-is encoded only within the plasmid. The SLF module is flanked by two restriction-modification systems, which were shown to exhibit the same sequence specificity. We hypothesize that the maintenance of pP62BP1 may be dependent on this unique genetic organization.

Altering under-represented DNA sequences elevates bacterial transformation efficiency

IMPORTANCE

Manipulating the genomes of bacteria is critical to many fields. Such manipulations are made by genetic engineering, which often requires new pieces of DNA to be added to the genome. Bacteria have robust systems for identifying and degrading new DNA, some of which rely on restriction enzymes. These enzymes cut DNA at specific sequences. We identified a set of DNA sequences that are missing normally from a bacterium's genome, more than would be expected by chance. Eliminating these sequences from a new piece of DNA allowed it to be incorporated into the bacterial genome at a higher frequency than new DNA containing the sequences. Removing such sequences appears to allow the new DNA to fly under the bacterial radar in "stealth" mode. This transformation improvement approach is straightforward to apply and likely broadly applicable.

Systematic investigation of recipient cell genetic requirements reveals important surface receptors for conjugative transfer of IncI2 plasmids

Bacterial conjugation is a major horizontal gene transfer mechanism. While the functions encoded by many conjugative plasmids have been intensively studied, the contribution of recipient chromosome-encoded genes remains largely unknown. Here, we analyzed the genetic requirement of recipient cells for conjugation of IncI2 plasmid TP114, which was recently shown to transfer at high rates in the gut microbiota. We performed transfer assays with ~4,000 single-gene deletion mutants of Escherichia coli. When conjugation occurs on a solid medium, we observed that recipient genes impairing transfer rates were not associated with a specific cellular function. Conversely, transfer assays performed in broth were largely dependent on the lipopolysaccharide biosynthesis pathway. We further identified specific structures in lipopolysaccharides used as recipient cell surface receptors by PilV adhesins associated with the type IVb accessory pilus of TP114. Our strategy is applicable to study other mobile genetic elements and understand important host cell factors for their dissemination.

A systematic approach to classify and characterize genomic islands driven by conjugative mobility using protein signatures

Genomic islands (GIs) play a crucial role in the spread of antibiotic resistance, virulence factors and antiviral defense systems in a broad range of bacterial species. However, the characterization and classification of GIs are challenging due to their relatively small size and considerable genetic diversity. Predicting their intercellular mobility is of utmost importance in the context of the emerging crisis of multidrug resistance. Here, we propose a large-scale classification method to categorize GIs according to their mobility profile and, subsequently, analyze their gene cargo. We based our classification decision scheme on a collection of mobility protein motif definitions available in publicly accessible databases. Our results show that the size distribution of GI classes correlates with their respective structure and complexity. Self-transmissible GIs are usually the largest, except in Bacillota and Actinomycetota, accumulate antibiotic and phage resistance genes, and favour the use of a tyrosine recombinase to insert into a host's replicon. Non-mobilizable GIs tend to use a DDE transposase instead. Finally, although tRNA genes are more frequently targeted as insertion sites by GIs encoding a tyrosine recombinase, most GIs insert in a protein-encoding gene. This study is a stepping stone toward a better characterization of mobile GIs in bacterial genomes and their mechanism of mobility.

Molecular characterization of five novel plasmids from Enterococcus italicus SD1 isolated from fermented milk: An insight into understanding plasmid incompatibility

Enterococcal plasmids have attracted considerable interest because of their indispensable role in the pathogenesis and dissemination of multidrug-resistance. In this work, five novel plasmids pSRB2, pSRB3, pSRB4, pSRB5 and pSRB7 have been identified and characterised, coexisting in Eneterococcus italicus SD1 from fermented milk. The plasmids pSRB2, pSRB3 and pSRB5 were found to replicate via theta mode of replication while pSRB4 and pSRB7 were rolling-circle plasmids. Comparative analysis of SD1-plasmids dictated that the plasmids are mosaic with novel architecture. Plasmids pSRB2 and pSRB5 are comprised of a typical iteron-based class-A theta type origin of replication, whereas pSRB3 has a Class-D theta type replication origin like pAMβ1. The plasmids pSRB4 and pSRB7 shared similar ori as in pWV01. The SD1 class-A theta type plasmids shared significant homology between their replication proteins with differences in their DNA-binding domain and comprises of distinct iterons. The differences in their iterons and replication proteins restricts the "handcuff" formation for inhibition of plasmid replication, rendering to their compatibility to coexist. Similarly, for SD1 rolling circle plasmids the differences in the replication protein binding site in the origin and the replication protein supports their coexistence by inhibiting the crosstalk between the origins and replication proteins. The phylogenetic tree of their replication proteins revealed their distant kinship. The results indicate that the identified plasmids are unique to E. italicus SD1, providing further opportunities to study their utility in designing multiple gene expression systems for the simultaneous production of proteins in enterococci with the renewed concept of plasmid incompatibility.

Self-empowerment of life through RNA networks, cells and viruses

Our understanding of the key players in evolution and of the development of all organisms in all domains of life has been aided by current knowledge about RNA stem-loop groups, their proposed interaction motifs in an early RNA world and their regulative roles in all steps and substeps of nearly all cellular processes, such as replication, transcription, translation, repair, immunity and epigenetic marking. Cooperative evolution was enabled by promiscuous interactions between single-stranded regions in the loops of naturally forming stem-loop structures in RNAs. It was also shown that cooperative RNA stem-loops outcompete selfish ones and provide foundational self-constructive groups (ribosome, editosome, spliceosome, etc.). Self-empowerment from abiotic matter to biological behavior does not just occur at the beginning of biological evolution; it is also essential for all levels of socially interacting RNAs, cells and viruses.

Self-empowerment of life through RNA networks, cells and viruses

Our understanding of the key players in evolution and of the development of all organisms in all domains of life has been aided by current knowledge about RNA stem-loop groups, their proposed interaction motifs in an early RNA world and their regulative roles in all steps and substeps of nearly all cellular processes, such as replication, transcription, translation, repair, immunity and epigenetic marking. Cooperative evolution was enabled by promiscuous interactions between single-stranded regions in the loops of naturally forming stem-loop structures in RNAs. It was also shown that cooperative RNA stem-loops outcompete selfish ones and provide foundational self-constructive groups (ribosome, editosome, spliceosome, etc.). Self-empowerment from abiotic matter to biological behavior does not just occur at the beginning of biological evolution; it is also essential for all levels of socially interacting RNAs, cells and viruses.

The Evolutionary History of a DNA Methylase Reveals Frequent Horizontal Transfer and Within-Gene Recombination

Inteins, often referred to as protein introns, are highly mobile genetic elements that invade conserved genes throughout the tree of life. Inteins have been found to invade a wide variety of key genes within actinophages. While in the process of conducting a survey of these inteins in actinophages, we discovered that one protein family of methylases contained a putative intein, and two other unique insertion elements. These methylases are known to occur commonly in phages as orphan methylases (possibly as a form of resistance to restriction-modification systems). We found that the methylase family is not conserved within phage clusters and has a disparate distribution across divergent phage groups. We determined that two of the three insertion elements have a patchy distribution within the methylase protein family. Additionally, we found that the third insertion element is likely a second homing endonuclease, and that all three elements (the intein, the homing endonuclease, and what we refer to as the ShiLan domain) have different insertion sites that are conserved in the methylase gene family. Furthermore, we find strong evidence that both the intein and ShiLan domain are partaking in long-distance horizontal gene transfer events between divergent methylases in disparate phage hosts within the already dispersed methylase distribution. The reticulate evolutionary history of methylases and their insertion elements reveals high rates of gene transfer and within-gene recombination in actinophages.

Cells with stochastically increased methyltransferase to restriction endonuclease ratio provide an entry for bacteriophage into protected cell population

The action of Type II restriction-modification (RM) systems depends on restriction endonuclease (REase), which cleaves foreign DNA at specific sites, and methyltransferase (MTase), which protects host genome from restriction by methylating the same sites. We here show that protection from phage infection increases as the copy number of plasmids carrying the Type II RM Esp1396I system is increased. However, since increased plasmid copy number leads to both increased absolute intracellular RM enzyme levels and to a decreased MTase/REase ratio, it is impossible to determine which factor determines resistance/susceptibility to infection. By controlled expression of individual Esp1396I MTase or REase genes in cells carrying the Esp1396I system, we show that a shift in the MTase to REase ratio caused by overproduction of MTase or REase leads, respectively, to decreased or increased protection from infection. Consistently, due to stochastic variation of MTase and REase amount in individual cells, bacterial cells that are productively infected by bacteriophage have significantly higher MTase to REase ratios than cells that ward off the infection. Our results suggest that cells with transiently increased MTase to REase ratio at the time of infection serve as entry points for unmodified phage DNA into protected bacterial populations.

Molecular basis for lethal cross-talk between two unrelated bacterial transcription factors - the regulatory protein of a restriction-modification system and the repressor of a defective prophage

Bacterial gene expression depends on the efficient functioning of global transcriptional networks, however their interconnectivity and orchestration rely mainly on the action of individual DNA binding proteins called transcription factors (TFs). TFs interact not only with their specific target sites, but also with secondary (off-target) sites, and vary in their promiscuity. It is not clear yet what mechanisms govern the interactions with secondary sites, and how such rewiring affects the overall regulatory network, but this could clearly constrain horizontal gene transfer. Here, we show the molecular mechanism of one such off-target interaction between two unrelated TFs in Escherichia coli: the C regulatory protein of a Type II restriction-modification system, and the RacR repressor of a defective prophage. We reveal that the C protein interferes with RacR repressor expression, resulting in derepression of the toxic YdaT protein. These results also provide novel insights into regulation of the racR-ydaST operon. We mapped the C regulator interaction to a specific off-target site, and also visualized C protein dynamics, revealing intriguing differences in single molecule dynamics in different genetic contexts. Our results demonstrate an apparent example of horizontal gene transfer leading to adventitious TF cross-talk with negative effects on the recipient's viability. More broadly, this study represents an experimentally-accessible model of a regulatory constraint on horizontal gene transfer.

Emergence of Tn1999.7, a New Transposon in blaOXA-48-Harboring Plasmids Associated with Increased Plasmid Stability

OXA-48 is the most common carbapenemase in Enterobacterales in Germany and many other European countries. Depending on the genomic location of bla_OXA-48, OXA-48-producing isolates vary in phenotype and intra- and interspecies transferability of bla_OXA-48. In most bacterial isolates, bla_OXA-48 is located on one of seven variants of Tn1999 (Tn1999.1 to Tn1999.6 and invTn1999.2). Here, a novel Tn1999 variant, Tn1999.7, is described, which was identified in 11 clinical isolates from 2016 to 2020. Tn1999.7 differs from Tn1999.1 by the insertion of the 8,349-bp Tn3 family transposon Tn7442 between the lysR gene and bla_OXA-48 open reading frame. Tn7442 carries genes coding for a restriction endonuclease and a DNA methyltransferase as cargo, forming a type III restriction modification system. Tn1999.7 was carried on an ~71-kb IncL plasmid in 9/11 isolates. In one isolate, Tn1999.7 was situated on an ~76-kb plasmid, harboring an additional insertion sequence in the plasmid backbone. In one isolate, the plasmid size is only ~63 kb due to a deletion adjacent to Tn7442 that extends into the plasmid backbone. Mean conjugation rates of the Tn1999.7-harboring plasmids in J53 ranged from 4.47 × 10^-5 to 2.03 × 10^-2, similar to conjugation rates of other pOXA-48-type IncL plasmids. The stability of plasmids with Tn1999.7 was significantly higher than that of a Tn1999.2-harboring plasmid in vitro. This increase in stability could be related to the insertion of a restriction-modification system, which can promote postsegregational killing. The increased plasmid stability associated with Tn1999.7 could contribute to the further spread of OXA-48.

The red thread between methylation and mutation in bacterial antibiotic resistance: How third-generation sequencing can help to unravel this relationship

DNA methylation is an important mechanism involved in bacteria limiting foreign DNA acquisition, maintenance of mobile genetic elements, DNA mismatch repair, and gene expression. Changes in DNA methylation pattern are observed in bacteria under stress conditions, including exposure to antimicrobial compounds. These changes can result in transient and fast-appearing adaptive antibiotic resistance (AdR) phenotypes, e.g., strain overexpressing efflux pumps. DNA methylation can be related to DNA mutation rate, because it is involved in DNA mismatch repair systems and because methylated bases are well-known mutational hotspots. The AdR process can be the first important step in the selection of antibiotic-resistant strains, allowing the survival of the bacterial population until more efficient resistant mutants emerge. Epigenetic modifications can be investigated by third-generation sequencing platforms that allow us to simultaneously detect all the methylated bases along with the DNA sequencing. In this scenario, this sequencing technology enables the study of epigenetic modifications in link with antibiotic resistance and will help to investigate the relationship between methylation and mutation in the development of stable mechanisms of resistance.

Bacterial methyltransferases: from targeting bacterial genomes to host epigenetics

Methyltransferase (MTases) enzymes transfer methyl groups particularly on proteins and nucleotides, thereby participating in controlling the epigenetic information in both prokaryotes and eukaryotes. The concept of epigenetic regulation by DNA methylation has been extensively described for eukaryotes. However, recent studies have extended this concept to bacteria showing that DNA methylation can also exert epigenetic control on bacterial phenotypes. Indeed, the addition of epigenetic information to nucleotide sequences confers adaptive traits including virulence-related characteristics to bacterial cells. In eukaryotes, an additional layer of epigenetic regulation is obtained by post-translational modifications of histone proteins. Interestingly, in the last decades it was shown that bacterial MTases, besides playing an important role in epigenetic regulations at the microbe level by exerting an epigenetic control on their own gene expression, are also important players in host-microbe interactions. Indeed, secreted nucleomodulins, bacterial effectors that target the nucleus of infected cells, have been shown to directly modify the epigenetic landscape of the host. A subclass of nucleomodulins encodes MTase activities, targeting both host DNA and histone proteins, leading to important transcriptional changes in the host cell. In this review, we will focus on lysine and arginine MTases of bacteria and their hosts. The identification and characterization of these enzymes will help to fight bacterial pathogens as they may emerge as promising targets for the development of novel epigenetic inhibitors in both bacteria and the host cells they infect.

Systematic strategies for developing phage resistant Escherichia coli strains

Phages are regarded as powerful antagonists of bacteria, especially in industrial fermentation processes involving bacteria. While bacteria have developed various defense mechanisms, most of which are effective against a narrow range of phages and consequently exert limited protection from phage infection. Here, we report a strategy for developing phage-resistant Escherichia coli strains through the simultaneous genomic integration of a DNA phosphorothioation-based Ssp defense module and mutations of components essential for the phage life cycle. The engineered E. coli strains show strong resistance against diverse phages tested without affecting cell growth. Additionally, the resultant engineered phage-resistant strains maintain the capabilities of producing example recombinant proteins, D-amino acid oxidase and coronavirus-encoded nonstructural protein nsp8, even under high levels of phage cocktail challenge. The strategy reported here will be useful for developing engineered E. coli strains with improved phage resistance for various industrial fermentation processes for producing recombinant proteins and chemicals of interest.

Phage contamination is a persistent problem in industrial biotechnology processes employing bacterial strains. Here, the authors report the construction of E. coli host strains with broad antiphase activities via the genomic integration of the Ssp defense system and mutations of components essential for phage infection cycles.

The Association of the mazEF Toxin-antitoxin System and Vancomycin Resistance in Clinical Isolates of Vancomycin Resistant Enterococcus faecalis

Vancomycin resistant enterococci are challenging bacteria as they are difficult to be eradicated. Toxin-antitoxin (TA) systems are genetic elements located in most prokaryotic genomes. The mazEF TA system is harbored by a plasmid among Enterococcus faecalis (E. faecalis). To explore the relation between the existence of mazEF TA system and vancomycin resistance among clinical isolates of E. faecalis. Samples were collected from patients showing clinical picture of infection. Isolates of E. faecalis were identified by standard microbiological methods and their antimicrobial susceptibility patterns were detected by disk diffusion method. In addition, the E-test was used to confirm vancomycin resistant isolates. All the E. faecalis isolates were screened for the mazEF TA system by PCR. A total of 180 E. faecalis strains were identified with a vancomycin resistance rate of 30.6%. Vancomycin resistance was significantly associated with prolonged hospital stay (P= 0.04) and ICU setting (P= 0.001). The mazEF TA system was detected among 100% of vancomycin resistant isolates, while only 33.6% of the vancomycin sensitive isolates carried the system with a significant difference (P= 0.002). In addition, there was a significant association between the mazEF TA system-positive strains and the ICU setting (P= 0.02). A significant association was found between vancomycin resistance and the presence of the mazEF TA system among E. faecalis isolates. This association supports the current efforts to utilize the mazEF TA system as a possible target for novel antibacterial agents; however, further studies on a wider scale are necessary.

New Insights for Biosensing: Lessons from Microbial Defense Systems

Microorganisms have gained defense systems during the lengthy process of evolution over millions of years. Such defense systems can protect them from being attacked by invading species (e.g., CRISPR-Cas for establishing adaptive immune systems and nanopore-forming toxins as virulence factors) or enable them to adapt to different conditions (e.g., gas vesicles for achieving buoyancy control). These microorganism defense systems (MDS) have inspired the development of biosensors that have received much attention in a wide range of fields including life science research, food safety, and medical diagnosis. This Review comprehensively analyzes biosensing platforms originating from MDS for sensing and imaging biological analytes. We first describe a basic overview of MDS and MDS-inspired biosensing platforms (e.g., CRISPR-Cas systems, nanopore-forming proteins, and gas vesicles), followed by a critical discussion of their functions and properties. We then discuss several transduction mechanisms (optical, acoustic, magnetic, and electrical) involved in MDS-inspired biosensing. We further detail the applications of the MDS-inspired biosensors to detect a variety of analytes (nucleic acids, peptides, proteins, pathogens, cells, small molecules, and metal ions). In the end, we propose the key challenges and future perspectives in seeking new and improved MDS tools that can potentially lead to breakthrough discoveries in developing a new generation of biosensors with a combination of low cost; high sensitivity, accuracy, and precision; and fast detection. Overall, this Review gives a historical review of MDS, elucidates the principles of emulating MDS to develop biosensors, and analyzes the recent advancements, current challenges, and future trends in this field. It provides a unique critical analysis of emulating MDS to develop robust biosensors and discusses the design of such biosensors using elements found in MDS, showing that emulating MDS is a promising approach to conceptually advancing the design of biosensors.

Engineering selectivity of Cutibacterium acnes phages by epigenetic imprinting

Cutibacterium acnes (C. acnes) is a gram-positive bacterium and a member of the human skin microbiome. Despite being the most abundant skin commensal, certain members have been associated with common inflammatory disorders such as acne vulgaris. The availability of the complete genome sequences from various C. acnes clades have enabled the identification of putative methyltransferases, some of them potentially belonging to restriction-modification (R-M) systems which protect the host of invading DNA. However, little is known on whether these systems are functional in the different C. acnes strains. To investigate the activity of these putative R-M and their relevance in host protective mechanisms, we analyzed the methylome of six representative C. acnes strains by Oxford Nanopore Technologies (ONT) sequencing. We detected the presence of a 6-methyladenine modification at a defined DNA consensus sequence in strain KPA171202 and recombinant expression of this R-M system confirmed its methylation activity. Additionally, a R-M knockout mutant verified the loss of methylation properties of the strain. We studied the potential of one C. acnes bacteriophage (PAD20) in killing various C. acnes strains and linked an increase in its specificity to phage DNA methylation acquired upon infection of a methylation competent strain. We demonstrate a therapeutic application of this mechanism where phages propagated in R-M deficient strains selectively kill R-M deficient acne-prone clades while probiotic ones remain resistant to phage infection.

Diverse DNA modification in marine prokaryotic and viral communities

DNA chemical modifications, including methylation, are widespread and play important roles in prokaryotes and viruses. However, current knowledge of these modification systems is severely biased towards a limited number of culturable prokaryotes, despite the fact that a vast majority of microorganisms have not yet been cultured. Here, using single-molecule real-time sequencing, we conducted culture-independent 'metaepigenomic' analyses (an integrated analysis of metagenomics and epigenomics) of marine microbial communities. A total of 233 and 163 metagenomic-assembled genomes (MAGs) were constructed from diverse prokaryotes and viruses, respectively, and 220 modified motifs and 276 DNA methyltransferases (MTases) were identified. Most of the MTase genes were not genetically linked with the endonuclease genes predicted to be involved in defense mechanisms against extracellular DNA. The MTase-motif correspondence found in the MAGs revealed 10 novel pairs, 5 of which showed novel specificities and experimentally confirmed the catalytic specificities of the MTases. We revealed novel alternative specificities in MTases that are highly conserved in Alphaproteobacteria, which may enhance our understanding of the co-evolutionary history of the methylation systems and the genomes. Our findings highlight diverse unexplored DNA modifications that potentially affect the ecology and evolution of prokaryotes and viruses in nature.

Genome binning of viral entities from bulk metagenomics data

Despite the accelerating number of uncultivated virus sequences discovered in metagenomics and their apparent importance for health and disease, the human gut virome and its interactions with bacteria in the gastrointestinal tract are not well understood. This is partly due to a paucity of whole-virome datasets and limitations in current approaches for identifying viral sequences in metagenomics data. Here, combining a deep-learning based metagenomics binning algorithm with paired metagenome and metavirome datasets, we develop Phages from Metagenomics Binning (PHAMB), an approach that allows the binning of thousands of viral genomes directly from bulk metagenomics data, while simultaneously enabling clustering of viral genomes into accurate taxonomic viral populations. When applied on the Human Microbiome Project 2 (HMP2) dataset, PHAMB recovered 6,077 high-quality genomes from 1,024 viral populations, and identified viral-microbial host interactions. PHAMB can be advantageously applied to existing and future metagenomes to illuminate viral ecological dynamics with other microbiome constituents.

Quorum Sensing Controls the CRISPR and Type VI Secretion Systems in Aliivibrio wodanis 06/09/139

For bacteria to thrive in an environment with competitors, phages and environmental cues, they use different strategies, including Type VI Secretion Systems (T6SSs) and Clustered Regularly Interspaced Short Palindromic Repeats (CRISPR) to compete for space. Bacteria often use quorum sensing (QS), to coordinate their behavior as the cell density increases. Like other aliivibrios, Aliivibrio wodanis 06/09/139 harbors two QS systems, the main LuxS/LuxPQ system and an N-acyl homoserine lactone (AHL)-mediated AinS/AinR system and a master QS regulator, LitR. To explore the QS and survival strategies, we performed genome analysis and gene expression profiling on A. wodanis and two QS mutants (ΔainS and ΔlitR) at two cell densities (OD600 2.0 and 6.0) and temperatures (6 and 12°C). Genome analysis of A. wodanis revealed two CRISPR systems, one without a cas loci (CRISPR system 1) and a type I-F CRISPR system (CRISPR system 2). Our analysis also identified three main T6SS clusters (T6SS1, T6SS2, and T6SS3) and four auxiliary clusters, as well about 80 potential Type VI secretion effectors (T6SEs). When comparing the wildtype transcriptome data at different cell densities and temperatures, 13-18% of the genes were differentially expressed. The CRISPR system 2 was cell density and temperature-independent, whereas the CRISPR system 1 was temperature-dependent and cell density-independent. The primary and auxiliary clusters of T6SSs were both cell density and temperature-dependent. In the ΔlitR and ΔainS mutants, several CRISPR and T6SS related genes were differentially expressed. Deletion of litR resulted in decreased expression of CRISPR system 1 and increased expression of CRISPR system 2. The T6SS1 and T6SS2 gene clusters were less expressed while the T6SS3 cluster was highly expressed in ΔlitR. Moreover, in ΔlitR, the hcp1 gene was strongly activated at 6°C compared to 12°C. AinS positively affected the csy genes in the CRISPR system 2 but did not affect the CRISPR arrays. Although AinS did not significantly affect the expression of T6SSs, the hallmark genes of T6SS (hcp and vgrG) were AinS-dependent. The work demonstrates that T6SSs and CRISPR systems in A. wodanis are QS dependent and may play an essential role in survival in its natural environment.

Functional characterization of HigBA toxin-antitoxin system in an Arctic bacterium, Bosea sp. PAMC 26642

Toxin-antitoxin (TA) systems are growth-controlling genetic elements consisting of an intracellular toxin protein and its cognate antitoxin. TA systems have been spread among microbial genomes through horizontal gene transfer and are now prevalent in most bacterial and archaeal genomes. Under normal growth conditions, antitoxins tightly counteract the activity of the toxins. Upon stresses, antitoxins are inactivated, releasing activated toxins, which induce growth arrest or cell death. In this study, among nine functional TA modules in Bosea sp. PAMC 26642 living in Arctic lichen, we investigated the functionality of BoHigBA2. BohigBA2 is located close to a genomic island and adjacent to flagellar gene clusters. The expression of BohigB2 induced the inhibition of E. coli growth at 37°C, which was more manifest at 18°C, and this growth defect was reversed when BohigA2 was co-expressed, suggesting that this BoHigBA2 module might be an active TA module in Bosea sp. PAMC 26642. Live/dead staining and viable count analyses revealed that the BoHigB2 toxin had a bactericidal effect, causing cell death. Furthermore, we demonstrated that BoHigB2 possessed mRNA-specific ribonuclease activity on various mRNAs and cleaved only mRNAs being translated, which might impede overall translation and consequently lead to cell death. Our study provides the insight to understand the cold adaptation of Bosea sp. PAMC 26642 living in the Arctic.

Plasmid co-infection: linking biological mechanisms to ecological and evolutionary dynamics

As infectious agents of bacteria and vehicles of horizontal gene transfer, plasmids play a key role in bacterial ecology and evolution. Plasmid dynamics are shaped not only by plasmid-host interactions but also by ecological interactions between plasmid variants. These interactions are complex: plasmids can co-infect the same cell and the consequences for the co-resident plasmid can be either beneficial or detrimental. Many of the biological processes that govern plasmid co-infection-from systems that exclude infection by other plasmids to interactions in the regulation of plasmid copy number-are well characterized at a mechanistic level. Modelling plays a central role in translating such mechanistic insights into predictions about plasmid dynamics and the impact of these dynamics on bacterial evolution. Theoretical work in evolutionary epidemiology has shown that formulating models of co-infection is not trivial, as some modelling choices can introduce unintended ecological assumptions. Here, we review how the biological processes that govern co-infection can be represented in a mathematical model, discuss potential modelling pitfalls, and analyse this model to provide general insights into how co-infection impacts ecological and evolutionary outcomes. In particular, we demonstrate how beneficial and detrimental effects of co-infection give rise to frequency-dependent selection on plasmid variants. This article is part of the theme issue 'The secret lives of microbial mobile genetic elements'.

Genic Selection Within Prokaryotic Pangenomes

Understanding the evolutionary forces shaping prokaryotic pangenome structure is a major goal of microbial evolution research. Recent work has highlighted that a substantial proportion of accessory genes appear to confer niche-specific adaptations. This work has primarily focused on selection acting at the level of individual cells. Herein, we discuss a lower level of selection that also contributes to pangenome variation: genic selection. This refers to cases where genetic elements, rather than individual cells, are the entities under selection. The clearest examples of this form of selection are selfish mobile genetic elements, which are those that have either a neutral or a deleterious effect on host fitness. We review the major classes of these and other mobile elements and discuss the characteristic features of such elements that could be under genic selection. We also discuss how genetic elements that are beneficial to hosts can also be under genic selection, a scenario that may be more prevalent but not widely appreciated, because disentangling the effects of selection at different levels (i.e., organisms vs. genes) is challenging. Nonetheless, an appreciation for the potential action and implications of genic selection is important to better understand the evolution of prokaryotic pangenomes.

Microbial production of small peptide: pathway engineering and synthetic biology

Small peptides are a group of natural products with low molecular weights and complex structures. The diverse structures of small peptides endow them with broad bioactivities and suggest their potential therapeutic use in the medical field. The remaining challenge is methods to address the main limitations, namely (i) the low amount of available small peptides from natural sources, and (ii) complex processes required for traditional chemical synthesis. Therefore, harnessing microbial cells as workhorse appears to be a promising approach to synthesize these bioactive peptides. As an emerging engineering technology, synthetic biology aims to create standard, well-characterized and controllable synthetic systems for the biosynthesis of natural products. In this review, we describe the recent developments in the microbial production of small peptides. More importantly, synthetic biology approaches are considered for the production of small peptides, with an emphasis on chassis cells, the evolution of biosynthetic pathways, strain improvements and fermentation.

Identification and characterization of VapBC toxin-antitoxin system in Bosea sp. PAMC 26642 isolated from Arctic lichens

Toxin-antitoxin (TA) systems are genetic modules composed of a toxin interfering with cellular processes and its cognate antitoxin, which counteracts the activity of the toxin. TA modules are widespread in bacterial and archaeal genomes. It has been suggested that TA modules participate in the adaptation of prokaryotes to unfavorable conditions. The Bosea sp. PAMC 26642 used in this study was isolated from the Arctic lichen Stereocaulon sp. There are 12 putative type II TA loci in the genome of Bosea sp. PAMC 26642. Of these, nine functional TA systems have been shown to be toxic in Escherichia coli The toxin inhibits growth, but this inhibition is reversed when the cognate antitoxin genes are coexpressed, indicating that these putative TA loci were bona fide TA modules. Only the BoVapC1 (AXW83_01405) toxin, a homolog of VapC, showed growth inhibition specific to low temperatures, which was recovered by the coexpression of BoVapB1 (AXW83_01400). Microscopic observation and growth monitoring revealed that the BoVapC1 toxin had bacteriostatic effects on the growth of E. coli and induced morphological changes. Quantitative real time polymerase chain reaction and northern blotting analyses showed that the BoVapC1 toxin had a ribonuclease activity on the initiator tRNA^fMet, implying that degradation of tRNA^fMet might trigger growth arrest in E. coli Furthermore, the BoVapBC1 system was found to contribute to survival against prolonged exposure at 4°C. This is the first study to identify the function of TA systems in cold adaptation.

Bacteriophage manipulation of the microbiome associated with tumour microenvironments-can this improve cancer therapeutic response?

Some cancer treatment failures have been attributed to the tumour microbiota, with implications that microbiota manipulation may improve treatment efficacy. While antibiotics have been used to control bacterial growth, their dysbiotic effects on the microbiome, failure to penetrate biofilms and decreased efficacy due to increasing antimicrobial resistance by bacteria, suggest alternatives are needed. Bacteriophages may provide a precise means for targeting oncobacteria whose relative abundance is increased in tumour tissue microbiomes. Fusobacterium, Streptococcus, Peptostreptococcus, Prevotella, Parvimonas, and Treponema species are prevalent in tumour tissue microbiomes of some cancers. They may promote cancer growth by dampening immunity, stimulating release of proinflammatory cytokines, and directly interacting with cancer cells to stimulate proliferation. Lytic bacteriophages against some of these oncobacteria have been isolated and characterised. The search continues for others. The possibility exists for their testing as adjuncts to complement existing therapies. In this review, we highlight the role of oncobacteria, specifically those whose relative abundance in the intra-tumour microbiome is increased, and discuss the potential for bacteriophages against these micro-organisms to augment existing cancer therapies. The capacity for bacteriophages to modulate immunity and kill specific bacteria makes them suitable candidates to manipulate the tumour microbiome and negate the effects of these oncobacteria.

Bacterial Epigenomics: Coming of Age

Epigenetic DNA methylation in bacteria has been traditionally studied in the context of antiparasitic defense and as part of the innate immune discrimination between self and nonself DNA. However, sequencing advances that allow genome-wide analysis of DNA methylation at the single-base resolution are nowadays expanding and have propelled a modern epigenomic revolution in our understanding of the extent, evolution, and physiological relevance of methylation. Indeed, as the number of mapped bacterial methylomes recently surpassed 4,000, increasing evidence supports roles for methylation in gene expression regulation, virulence, and host colonization, among others. In this paper, I summarize lessons taken from high-dimensional methylome data analyses and recent efforts that we and others are developing to leverage such findings into meaningful biological insights and overarching frameworks. Ultimately, I highlight anticipated research avenues and technological developments likely to unfold in the coming years.

A Type I Restriction Modification System Influences Genomic Evolution Driven by Horizontal Gene Transfer in Paenibacillus polymyxa

Considered a “Generally Recognized As Safe” (GRAS) bacterium, the plant growth–promoting rhizobacterium Paenibacillus polymyxa has been widely applied in agriculture and animal husbandry. It also produces valuable compounds that are used in medicine and industry. Our previous work showed the presence of restriction modification (RM) system in P. polymyxa ATCC 842. Here, we further analyzed its genome and methylome by using SMRT sequencing, which revealed the presence of a larger number of genes, as well as a plasmid documented as a genomic region in a previous report. A number of mobile genetic elements (MGEs), including 78 insertion sequences, six genomic islands, and six prophages, were identified in the genome. A putative lysozyme-encoding gene from prophage P6 was shown to express lysin which caused cell lysis. Analysis of the methylome and genome uncovered a pair of reverse-complementary DNA methylation motifs which were widespread in the genome, as well as genes potentially encoding their cognate type I restriction-modification system PpoAI. Further genetic analysis confirmed the function of PpoAI as a RM system in modifying and restricting DNA. The average frequency of the DNA methylation motifs in MGEs was lower than that in the genome, implicating a role of PpoAI in restricting MGEs during genomic evolution of P. polymyxa. Finally, comparative analysis of R, M, and S subunits of PpoAI showed that homologs of the PpoAI system were widely distributed in species belonging to other classes of Firmicute, implicating a role of the ancestor of PpoAI in the genomic evolution of species beyond Paenibacillus.

Evolutionary Ecology and Interplay of Prokaryotic Innate and Adaptive Immune Systems

Like many organisms, bacteria and archaea have both innate and adaptive immune systems to defend against infection by viruses and other parasites. Innate immunity most commonly relies on the endonuclease-mediated cleavage of any incoming DNA that lacks a specific epigenetic modification, through a system known as restriction-modification. CRISPR-Cas-mediated adaptive immunity relies on the insertion of short DNA sequences from parasite genomes into CRISPR arrays on the host genome to provide sequence-specific protection. The discovery of each of these systems has revolutionised our ability to carry out genetic manipulations, and, as a consequence, the enzymes involved have been characterised in exquisite detail. In comparison, much less is known about the importance of these two arms of the defence for the ecology and evolution of prokaryotes and their parasites. Here, we review our current ecological and evolutionary understanding of these systems in isolation, and discuss the need to study how innate and adaptive immune responses are integrated when they coexist in the same cell.

Acinetobacter defence mechanisms against biological aggressors and their use as alternative therapeutic applications

Several Acinetobacter strains are important nosocomial pathogens, with Acinetobacter baumannii being the species of greatest worldwide concern due to its multi-drug resistance and the recent appearance of hyper-virulent strains in the clinical setting. Colonisation of this environment is associated with a multitude of bacterial factors, and the molecular features that promote environmental persistence in abiotic surfaces, including intrinsic desiccation resistance, biofilm formation and motility, have been previously addressed. On the contrary, mechanisms enabling Acinetobacter spp. survival when faced against other biological competitors are starting to be characterised. Among them, secretion systems (SS) of different types, such as the T5bSS (Contact-dependent inhibition systems) and the T6SS, confer adaptive advantages against bacterial aggressors. Regarding mechanisms of defence against bacteriophages, such as toxin-antitoxin, restriction-modification, Crispr-Cas and CBASS, among others, have been identified but remain poorly characterised. In view of this, we aimed to summarise the present knowledge on defence mechanisms that enable niche establishment in members of the Acinetobacter genus. Different proposals are also described for the use of some components of these systems as molecular tools to treat Acinetobacter infections.

A chimeric nuclease substitutes a phage CRISPR-Cas system to provide sequence-specific immunity against subviral parasites

Mobile genetic elements, elements that can move horizontally between genomes, have profound effects on their host's fitness. The phage-inducible chromosomal island-like element (PLE) is a mobile element that integrates into the chromosome of Vibrio cholerae and parasitizes the bacteriophage ICP1 to move between cells. This parasitism by PLE is such that it abolishes the production of ICP1 progeny and provides a defensive boon to the host cell population. In response to the severe parasitism imposed by PLE, ICP1 has acquired an adaptive CRISPR-Cas system that targets the PLE genome during infection. However, ICP1 isolates that naturally lack CRISPR-Cas are still able to overcome certain PLE variants, and the mechanism of this immunity against PLE has thus far remained unknown. Here, we show that ICP1 isolates that lack CRISPR-Cas encode an endonuclease in the same locus, and that the endonuclease provides ICP1 with immunity to a subset of PLEs. Further analysis shows that this endonuclease is of chimeric origin, incorporating a DNA-binding domain that is highly similar to some PLE replication origin-binding proteins. This similarity allows the endonuclease to bind and cleave PLE origins of replication. The endonuclease appears to exert considerable selective pressure on PLEs and may drive PLE replication module swapping and origin restructuring as mechanisms of escape. This work demonstrates that new genome defense systems can arise through domain shuffling and provides a greater understanding of the evolutionary forces driving genome modularity and temporal succession in mobile elements.

In Situ Delivery and Production System (iDPS) of Anti-Cancer Molecules with Gene-Engineered Bifidobacterium

To selectively and continuously produce anti-cancer molecules specifically in malignant tumors, we have established an in situ delivery and production system (iDPS) with Bifidobacterium as a micro-factory of various anti-cancer agents. By focusing on the characteristic hypoxia in cancer tissue for a tumor-specific target, we employed a gene-engineered obligate anaerobic and non-pathogenic bacterium, Bifidobacterium, as a tool for systemic drug administration. This review presents and discusses the anti-tumor effects and safety of the iDPS production of numerous anti-cancer molecules and addresses the problems to be improved by directing attention mainly to the hallmark vasculature and so-called enhanced permeability and retention effect of tumors.

Identification of Three Type II Toxin-Antitoxin Systems in Model Bacterial Plant Pathogen Dickeya dadantii 3937

Type II toxin-antitoxin (TA) systems are genetic elements usually encoding two proteins: a stable toxin and an antitoxin, which binds the toxin and neutralizes its toxic effect. The disturbance in the intracellular toxin and antitoxin ratio typically leads to inhibition of bacterial growth or bacterial cell death. Despite the fact that TA modules are widespread in bacteria and archaea, the biological role of these systems is ambiguous. Nevertheless, a number of studies suggests that the TA modules are engaged in such important processes as biofilm formation, stress response or virulence and maintenance of mobile genetic elements. The Dickeya dadantii 3937 strain serves as a model for pathogens causing the soft-rot disease in a wide range of angiosperm plants. Until now, several chromosome-encoded type II TA systems were identified in silico in the genome of this economically important bacterium, however so far only one of them was experimentally validated. In this study, we investigated three putative type II TA systems in D. dadantii 3937: ccdAB_2Dda, phd-doc_Dda and dhiTA, which represents a novel toxin/antitoxin superfamily. We provide an experimental proof for their functionality in vivo both in D. dadantii and Escherichia coli. Finally, we examined the prevalence of those systems across the Pectobacteriaceae family by a phylogenetic analysis.

Regulator-dependent temporal dynamics of a restriction-modification system's gene expression upon entering new host cells: single-cell and population studies

Restriction-modification (R-M) systems represent a first line of defense against invasive DNAs, such as bacteriophage DNAs, and are widespread among bacteria and archaea. By acquiring a Type II R-M system via horizontal gene transfer, the new hosts generally become more resistant to phage infection, through the action of a restriction endonuclease (REase), which cleaves DNA at or near specific sequences. A modification methyltransferase (MTase) serves to protect the host genome against its cognate REase activity. The production of R-M system components upon entering a new host cell must be finely tuned to confer protective methylation before the REase acts, to avoid host genome damage. Some type II R-M systems rely on a third component, the controller (C) protein, which is a transcription factor that regulates the production of REase and/or MTase. Previous studies have suggested C protein effects on the dynamics of expression of an R-M system during its establishment in a new host cell. Here, we directly examine these effects. By fluorescently labelling REase and MTase, we demonstrate that lack of a C protein reduces the delay of REase production, to the point of being simultaneous with, or even preceding, production of the MTase. Single molecule tracking suggests that a REase and a MTase employ different strategies for their target search within host cells, with the MTase spending much more time diffusing in proximity to the nucleoid than does the REase. This difference may partially ameliorate the toxic effects of premature REase expression.

Social Networking of Quasi-Species Consortia drive Virolution via Persistence

The emergence of cooperative quasi-species consortia (QS-C) thinking from the more accepted quasispecies equations of Manfred Eigen, provides a conceptual foundation from which concerted action of RNA agents can now be understood. As group membership becomes a basic criteria for the emergence of living systems, we also start to understand why the history and context of social RNA networks become crucial for survival and function. History and context of social RNA networks also lead to the emergence of a natural genetic code. Indeed, this QS-C thinking can also provide us with a transition point between the chemical world of RNA replicators and the living world of RNA agents that actively differentiate self from non-self and generate group identity with membership roles. Importantly the social force of a consortia to solve complex, multilevel problems also depend on using opposing and minority functions. The consortial action of social networks of RNA stem-loops subsequently lead to the evolution of cellular organisms representing a tree of life.

A functional bacteria-derived restriction modification system in the mitochondrion of a heterotrophic protist

The overarching trend in mitochondrial genome evolution is functional streamlining coupled with gene loss. Therefore, gene acquisition by mitochondria is considered to be exceedingly rare. Selfish elements in the form of self-splicing introns occur in many organellar genomes, but the wider diversity of selfish elements, and how they persist in the DNA of organelles, has not been explored. In the mitochondrial genome of a marine heterotrophic katablepharid protist, we identify a functional type II restriction modification (RM) system originating from a horizontal gene transfer (HGT) event involving bacteria related to flavobacteria. This RM system consists of an HpaII-like endonuclease and a cognate cytosine methyltransferase (CM). We demonstrate that these proteins are functional by heterologous expression in both bacterial and eukaryotic cells. These results suggest that a mitochondrion-encoded RM system can function as a toxin-antitoxin selfish element, and that such elements could be co-opted by eukaryotic genomes to drive biased organellar inheritance.

Low-level expression of the Type II restriction-modification system confers potent bacteriophage resistance in Escherichia coli

Restriction–modification systems (R–M) are one of the antiviral defense tools used by bacteria, and those of the Type II family are composed of a restriction endonuclease (REase) and a DNA methyltransferase (MTase). Most entering DNA molecules are usually cleaved by the REase before they can be methylated by MTase, although the observed level of fragmented DNA may vary significantly. Using a model EcoRI R–M system, we report that the balance between DNA methylation and cleavage may be severely affected by transcriptional signals coming from outside the R–M operon. By modulating the activity of the promoter, we obtained a broad range of restriction phenotypes for the EcoRI R–M system that differed by up to 4 orders of magnitude in our biological assays. Surprisingly, we found that high expression levels of the R–M proteins were associated with reduced restriction of invading bacteriophage DNA. Our results suggested that the regulatory balance of cleavage and methylation was highly sensitive to fluctuations in transcriptional signals both up- and downstream of the R–M operon. Our data provided further insights into Type II R–M system maintenance and the potential conflict within the host bacterium.

Toxin-antitoxin systems and their medical applications: current status and future perspective

Almost all bacteria synthesize two types of toxins-one for its survival by regulating different cellular processes and another as a strategy to interact with host cells for pathogenesis. Usually, "bacterial toxins" are contemplated as virulence factors that harm the host organism. However, toxins produced by bacteria, as a survival strategy against the host, also hamper its cellular processes. To overcome this, the bacteria have evolved with the production of a molecule, referred to as antitoxin, to negate the deleterious effect of the toxin against itself. The toxin and antitoxins are encoded by a two-component toxin-antitoxin (TA) system. The antitoxin, a protein or RNA, sequesters the toxins of the TA system for neutralization within the bacterial cell. In this review, we have described different TA systems of bacteria and their potential medical and biotechnological applications. It is of interest to note that while bacterial toxin-antitoxin systems have been well studied, the TA system in unicellular eukaryotes, though predicted by the investigators, have never been paid the desired attention. In the present review, we have also touched upon the TA system of eukaryotes identified to date. KEY POINTS: Bacterial toxins harm the host and also affect the bacterial cellular processes. The antitoxin produced by bacteria protect it from the toxin's harmful effects. The toxin-antitoxin systems can be targeted for various medical applications.

Novel Two-Component System-Like Elements Reveal Functional Domains Associated with Restriction-Modification Systems and paraMORC ATPases in Bacteria

Two-component systems (TCS) are important types of machinery allowing for efficient signal recognition and transmission in bacterial cells. The majority of TCSs utilized by bacteria is composed of a sensor histidine kinase (HK) and a cognate response regulator (RR). In the present study, we report two newly predicted protein domains—both to be included in the next release of the Pfam database: Response_reg_2 (PF19192) and HEF_HK (PF19191)—in bacteria which exhibit high structural similarity, respectively, with typical domains of RRs and HKs. Additionally, the genes encoding for the novel predicted domains exhibit a 91.6% linkage observed across 644 genomic regions recovered from 628 different bacterial strains. The remarkable adjacent colocalization between genes carrying Response_reg_2 and HEF_HK in addition to their conserved structural features, which are highly similar to those from well-known HKs and RRs, raises the possibility of Response_reg_2 and HEF_HK constituting a new TCS in bacteria. The genomic regions in which these predicted two-component systems-like are located additionally exhibit an overrepresented presence of restriction–modification (R–M) systems especially the type II R–M. Among these, there is a conspicuous presence of C-5 cytosine-specific DNA methylases which may indicate a functional association with the newly discovered domains. The solid presence of R–M systems and the presence of the GHKL family domain HATPase_c_3 across most of the HEF_HK-containing genes are also indicative that these genes are evolutionarily related to the paraMORC family of ATPases.

Characterization of a novel theta-type plasmid pSM409 of Enterococcus faecium RME isolated from raw milk

Enterococcal plasmids have generated renewed interest for their indispensable role in pathogenesis and dissemination of multidrug-resistance. Recently, a novel plasmid pSM409 (4303-bp, GC% = 33.6%), devoid of antibiotic-resistance and virulence genes, has been identified in Enterococcus faecium RME, isolated from raw milk by us. pSM409 contains six open reading frames encoding a replication initiator protein (RepB) and five accessory proteins: antitoxin epsilon, bacteriocin immunity protein, HsdS, and two hypothetical proteins. Comparative sequence analysis of pSM409 reveals a mosaic pattern of similarity with different loci obtained from different theta plasmids, which dictates the plasmid to be heterogeneous or mosaic, possibly due to recombination. The pSM409 comprised of a typical theta-type origin of replication with four and a half direct repeats (iterons) of 22 nucleotides. The pSM409-RepB shared 76-82% homology with the RepB of reported theta plasmids from different genera, with dissimilarities mostly in its DNA-binding and C-terminal domain. The RepB sequence-based phylogenetic tree revealed its distinct position relative to the reported ones. The RepB grouped in the same clade has identical DNA-binding domains and their cognate iterons, possibly due to their sequence-specific interaction to initiate plasmid replication. Comparative analysis of the pSM409-iteron reveals that the repeats markedly differed from their closest homologues. This clade-specific relationship provides a new concept of classifying theta plasmids. The theta-type replicon identified in pSM409 has been found to be unique to E. faecium RME, prompting us to further investigate its utility as a vector for genetic manipulation of enterococci for health and industry.

Toxin-Antidote Elements Across the Tree of Life

In life's constant battle for survival, it takes one to kill but two to conquer. Toxin-antitoxin or toxin-antidote (TA) elements are genetic dyads that cheat the laws of inheritance to guarantee their transmission to the next generation. This seemingly simple genetic arrangement—a toxin linked to its antidote—is capable of quickly spreading and persisting in natural populations. TA elements were first discovered in bacterial plasmids in the 1980s and have recently been characterized in fungi, plants, and animals, where they underlie genetic incompatibilities and sterility in crosses between wild isolates. In this review, we provide a unified view of TA elements in both prokaryotic and eukaryotic organisms and highlight their similarities and differences at the evolutionary, genetic, and molecular levels. Finally, we propose several scenarios that could explain the paradox of the evolutionary origin of TA elements and argue that these elements may be key evolutionary players and that the full scope of their roles is only beginning to be uncovered.