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Mthethwa-Hlongwa NP, Amoah ID, Gomez A, Davison S, Reddy P, Bux F, Kumari S. Profiling pathogenic protozoan and their functional pathways in wastewater using 18S rRNA and shotgun metagenomics. THE SCIENCE OF THE TOTAL ENVIRONMENT 2024; 912:169602. [PMID: 38154626 DOI: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2023.169602] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/20/2023] [Revised: 12/20/2023] [Accepted: 12/20/2023] [Indexed: 12/30/2023]
Abstract
Despite extensive research, little is known about the composition of eukaryotic protists in environmental samples. This is due to low parasite concentrations, the complexity of parasite diversity, and a lack of suitable reference databases and standardized protocols. To bridge this knowledge gap, this study used 18S rRNA short amplicon and shotgun metagenomic sequencing approaches to profile protozoan microbial communities as well as their functional pathways in treated and untreated wastewater samples collected from different regions of South Africa. Results demonstrated that protozoan diversity (Shannon index P-value = 0.03) and taxonomic composition (PERMANOVA, P-value = 0.02) was mainly driven by the type of wastewater samples (treated & untreated) and geographic location. However, these WWTPs were also found to contain a core community of protozoan parasites. The untreated wastewater samples revealed a predominant presence of free-living, parasitic, and potentially pathogenic protists typically found in humans and animals, ranging from Alveolata (27 %) phylum (Apicomplexa and Ciliophora) to Excavata (3.88 %) (Discoba and Parasalia) and Amoebozoa (2.84 %) (Entamoeba and Acanthamoeba). Shotgun metagenomics analyses in a subset of the untreated wastewater samples confirmed the presence of public health-importance protozoa, including Cryptosporidium species (3.48 %), Entamoeba hystolitica (6.58 %), Blastocystis hominis (2.91 %), Naegleria gruberi (2.37 %), Toxoplasma gondii (1.98 %), Cyclospora cayetanensis (1.30 %), and Giardia intestinalis (0.31 %). Virulent gene families linked to pathogenic protozoa, such as serine/threonine protein phosphatase and mucin-desulfating sulfatase were identified. Additionally, enriched pathways included thiamine diphosphate biosynthesis III, heme biosynthesis, Methylerythritol 4-Phosphate Pathway, methyl erythritol phosphate (MEP), and pentose phosphate pathways. These findings suggest that protozoan pathogens may possess metabolic and growth potential within WWTPs, posing a severe risk of transmission to humans and animals if inadequately disinfected before release. This study provides a baseline for the future investigation of diverse protozoal communities in wastewater, which are of public health importance.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nonsikelelo P Mthethwa-Hlongwa
- Institute for Water and Wastewater Technology, Durban University of Technology, Durban 4000, South Africa; Department Community Health Studies, Faculty of Health Sciences, Durban University of Technology, Durban 4000, South Africa
| | - Isaac D Amoah
- Institute for Water and Wastewater Technology, Durban University of Technology, Durban 4000, South Africa; Department of Environmental Science, The University of Arizona, Shantz Building Rm 4291177 E 4th St., Tucson, AZ 85721, USA
| | - Andres Gomez
- Department of Animal Science, University of Minnesota, St. Paul, MN, USA
| | - Sam Davison
- Department of Animal Science, University of Minnesota, St. Paul, MN, USA
| | - Poovendhree Reddy
- Department Community Health Studies, Faculty of Health Sciences, Durban University of Technology, Durban 4000, South Africa
| | - Faizal Bux
- Institute for Water and Wastewater Technology, Durban University of Technology, Durban 4000, South Africa
| | - Sheena Kumari
- Institute for Water and Wastewater Technology, Durban University of Technology, Durban 4000, South Africa.
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2
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Schaller D, Hartmann T, Lafond M, Stadler PF, Wieseke N, Hellmuth M. Relative timing information and orthology in evolutionary scenarios. Algorithms Mol Biol 2023; 18:16. [PMID: 37940998 PMCID: PMC10634191 DOI: 10.1186/s13015-023-00240-4] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/10/2023] [Accepted: 08/23/2023] [Indexed: 11/10/2023] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Evolutionary scenarios describing the evolution of a family of genes within a collection of species comprise the mapping of the vertices of a gene tree T to vertices and edges of a species tree S. The relative timing of the last common ancestors of two extant genes (leaves of T) and the last common ancestors of the two species (leaves of S) in which they reside is indicative of horizontal gene transfers (HGT) and ancient duplications. Orthologous gene pairs, on the other hand, require that their last common ancestors coincides with a corresponding speciation event. The relative timing information of gene and species divergences is captured by three colored graphs that have the extant genes as vertices and the species in which the genes are found as vertex colors: the equal-divergence-time (EDT) graph, the later-divergence-time (LDT) graph and the prior-divergence-time (PDT) graph, which together form an edge partition of the complete graph. RESULTS Here we give a complete characterization in terms of informative and forbidden triples that can be read off the three graphs and provide a polynomial time algorithm for constructing an evolutionary scenario that explains the graphs, provided such a scenario exists. While both LDT and PDT graphs are cographs, this is not true for the EDT graph in general. We show that every EDT graph is perfect. While the information about LDT and PDT graphs is necessary to recognize EDT graphs in polynomial-time for general scenarios, this extra information can be dropped in the HGT-free case. However, recognition of EDT graphs without knowledge of putative LDT and PDT graphs is NP-complete for general scenarios. In contrast, PDT graphs can be recognized in polynomial-time. We finally connect the EDT graph to the alternative definitions of orthology that have been proposed for scenarios with horizontal gene transfer. With one exception, the corresponding graphs are shown to be colored cographs.
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Affiliation(s)
- David Schaller
- Bioinformatics Group, Department of Computer Science, and Interdisciplinary Center for Bioinformatics, Universität Leipzig, Härtelstraße 16-18, Leipzig, 04107, Germany
| | - Tom Hartmann
- Bioinformatics Group, Department of Computer Science, and Interdisciplinary Center for Bioinformatics, Universität Leipzig, Härtelstraße 16-18, Leipzig, 04107, Germany
| | - Manuel Lafond
- Department of Computer Science, Université de Sherbrooke, 2500 boul. de l'Université, Sherbrooke, J1K 2R1, Canada
| | - Peter F Stadler
- Bioinformatics Group, Department of Computer Science, and Interdisciplinary Center for Bioinformatics, Universität Leipzig, Härtelstraße 16-18, Leipzig, 04107, Germany
- Competence Center for Scalable Data Services and Solutions Dresden/Leipzig, Interdisciplinary Center for Bioinformatics, German Centre for Integrative Biodiversity Research (iDiv), and Leipzig Research Center for Civilization Diseases, Universität Leipzig, Augustusplatz 12, Leipzig, 04107, Germany
- Max Planck Institute for Mathematics in the Sciences, Inselstraße 22, Leipzig, 04109, Germany
- Department of Theoretical Chemistry, University of Vienna, Währinger Straße 17, Vienna, 1090, Austria
- Facultad de Ciencias, Universidad National de Colombia, Sede Bogotá, Ciudad Universitaria, Bogotá, 111321, DC, Colombia
- Santa Fe Institute, 1399 Hyde Park Rd., Santa Fe, NM87501, USA
| | - Nicolas Wieseke
- Swarm Intelligence and Complex Systems Group, Faculty of Mathematics and Computer Science, Leipzig University, Augustusplatz 10, Leipzig, 04109, Germany
| | - Marc Hellmuth
- Department of Mathematics, Faculty of Science, Stockholm University, Stockholm, 10691, Sweden.
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3
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de Wijn R, Rollet K, Ernst FGM, Wellner K, Betat H, Mörl M, Sauter C. CCA-addition in the cold: Structural characterization of the psychrophilic CCA-adding enzyme from the permafrost bacterium Planococcus halocryophilus. Comput Struct Biotechnol J 2021; 19:5845-5855. [PMID: 34765099 PMCID: PMC8563995 DOI: 10.1016/j.csbj.2021.10.018] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/14/2021] [Revised: 10/12/2021] [Accepted: 10/12/2021] [Indexed: 11/25/2022] Open
Abstract
A high-resolution structure of a psychrophilic RNA polymerase contributes to our knowledge of cold adaptation. While catalytic core motifs are conserved, at least one shows cold adaptation. Loss of helix-capping increases structural flexibility in a catalytic core motif. Overall reduction of alpha-helical elements appears as a strategy for cold adaptation.
CCA-adding enzymes are highly specific RNA polymerases that add and maintain the sequence C-C-A at tRNA 3‘-ends. Recently, we could reveal that cold adaptation of such a polymerase is not only achieved at the expense of enzyme stability, but also at the cost of polymerization fidelity. Enzymes from psychrophilic organisms usually show an increased structural flexibility to enable catalysis at low temperatures. Here, polymerases face a dilemma, as there is a discrepancy between the need for a tightly controlled flexibility during polymerization and an increased flexibility as strategy for cold adaptation. Based on structural and biochemical analyses, we contribute to clarify the cold adaptation strategy of the psychrophilic CCA-adding enzyme from Planococcus halocryophilus, a gram-positive bacterium thriving in the arctic permafrost at low temperatures down to −15 °C. A comparison with the closely related enzyme from the thermophilic bacterium Geobacillus stearothermophilus reveals several features of cold adaptation - a significantly reduced amount of alpha-helical elements in the C-terminal tRNA-binding region and a structural adaptation in one of the highly conserved catalytic core motifs located in the N-terminal catalytic core of the enzyme.
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Affiliation(s)
- Raphaël de Wijn
- Architecture et Réactivité de l'ARN, Université de Strasbourg, CNRS, IBMC, 67084 Strasbourg, France
| | - Kévin Rollet
- Architecture et Réactivité de l'ARN, Université de Strasbourg, CNRS, IBMC, 67084 Strasbourg, France.,Institute for Biochemistry, Leipzig University, Brüderstr. 34, 04103 Leipzig, Germany
| | - Felix G M Ernst
- Institute for Biochemistry, Leipzig University, Brüderstr. 34, 04103 Leipzig, Germany
| | - Karolin Wellner
- Institute for Biochemistry, Leipzig University, Brüderstr. 34, 04103 Leipzig, Germany
| | - Heike Betat
- Institute for Biochemistry, Leipzig University, Brüderstr. 34, 04103 Leipzig, Germany
| | - Mario Mörl
- Institute for Biochemistry, Leipzig University, Brüderstr. 34, 04103 Leipzig, Germany
| | - Claude Sauter
- Architecture et Réactivité de l'ARN, Université de Strasbourg, CNRS, IBMC, 67084 Strasbourg, France
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4
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Erber L, Betat H, Mörl M. CCA-Addition Gone Wild: Unusual Occurrence and Phylogeny of Four Different tRNA Nucleotidyltransferases in Acanthamoeba castellanii. Mol Biol Evol 2021; 38:1006-1017. [PMID: 33095240 PMCID: PMC7947759 DOI: 10.1093/molbev/msaa270] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/22/2022] Open
Abstract
tRNAs are important players in the protein synthesis machinery, where they act as adapter molecules for translating the mRNA codons into the corresponding amino acid sequence. In a series of highly conserved maturation steps, the primary transcripts are converted into mature tRNAs. In the amoebozoan Acanthamoeba castellanii, a highly unusual evolution of some of these processing steps was identified that are based on unconventional RNA polymerase activities. In this context, we investigated the synthesis of the 3′-terminal CCA-end that is added posttranscriptionally by a specialized polymerase, the tRNA nucleotidyltransferase (CCA-adding enzyme). The majority of eukaryotic organisms carry only a single gene for a CCA-adding enzyme that acts on both the cytosolic and the mitochondrial tRNA pool. In a bioinformatic analysis of the genome of this organism, we identified a surprising multitude of genes for enzymes that contain the active site signature of eukaryotic/eubacterial tRNA nucleotidyltransferases. In vitro activity analyses of these enzymes revealed that two proteins represent bona fide CCA-adding enzymes, one of them carrying an N-terminal sequence corresponding to a putative mitochondrial target signal. The other enzymes have restricted activities and represent CC- and A-adding enzymes, respectively. The A-adding enzyme is of particular interest, as its sequence is closely related to corresponding enzymes from Proteobacteria, indicating a horizontal gene transfer. Interestingly, this unusual diversity of nucleotidyltransferase genes is not restricted to Acanthamoeba castellanii but is also present in other members of the Acanthamoeba genus, indicating an ancient evolutionary trait.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lieselotte Erber
- Institute for Biochemistry, Leipzig University, Leipzig, Germany
| | - Heike Betat
- Institute for Biochemistry, Leipzig University, Leipzig, Germany
| | - Mario Mörl
- Institute for Biochemistry, Leipzig University, Leipzig, Germany
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5
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Erber L, Hoffmann A, Fallmann J, Hagedorn M, Hammann C, Stadler PF, Betat H, Prohaska S, Mörl M. Unusual Occurrence of Two Bona-Fide CCA-Adding Enzymes in Dictyostelium discoideum. Int J Mol Sci 2020; 21:ijms21155210. [PMID: 32717856 PMCID: PMC7432833 DOI: 10.3390/ijms21155210] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/14/2020] [Revised: 07/20/2020] [Accepted: 07/22/2020] [Indexed: 01/12/2023] Open
Abstract
Dictyostelium discoideum, the model organism for the evolutionary supergroup of Amoebozoa, is a social amoeba that, upon starvation, undergoes transition from a unicellular to a multicellular organism. In its genome, we identified two genes encoding for tRNA nucleotidyltransferases. Such pairs of tRNA nucleotidyltransferases usually represent collaborating partial activities catalyzing CC- and A-addition to the tRNA 3'-end, respectively. In D. discoideum, however, both enzymes exhibit identical activities, representing bona-fide CCA-adding enzymes. Detailed characterization of the corresponding activities revealed that both enzymes seem to be essential and are regulated inversely during different developmental stages of D. discoideum. Intriguingly, this is the first description of two functionally equivalent CCA-adding enzymes using the same set of tRNAs and showing a similar distribution within the cell. This situation seems to be a common feature in Dictyostelia, as other members of this phylum carry similar pairs of tRNA nucleotidyltransferase genes in their genome.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lieselotte Erber
- Institute for Biochemistry, University of Leipzig, Brüderstraße 34, 04103 Leipzig, Germany; (L.E.); (H.B.)
| | - Anne Hoffmann
- Interdisciplinary Center for Bioinformatics, Leipzig University, Härtelstraße 16-18, 04107 Leipzig, Germany; (A.H.); (J.F.); (P.F.S.); (S.P.)
| | - Jörg Fallmann
- Interdisciplinary Center for Bioinformatics, Leipzig University, Härtelstraße 16-18, 04107 Leipzig, Germany; (A.H.); (J.F.); (P.F.S.); (S.P.)
| | - Monica Hagedorn
- Ribogenetics Biochemistry Lab, Department of Life Sciences and Chemistry, Jacobs University Bremen gGmbH, Campus Ring 1, 28759 Bremen, Germany; (M.H.); (C.H.)
| | - Christian Hammann
- Ribogenetics Biochemistry Lab, Department of Life Sciences and Chemistry, Jacobs University Bremen gGmbH, Campus Ring 1, 28759 Bremen, Germany; (M.H.); (C.H.)
| | - Peter F. Stadler
- Interdisciplinary Center for Bioinformatics, Leipzig University, Härtelstraße 16-18, 04107 Leipzig, Germany; (A.H.); (J.F.); (P.F.S.); (S.P.)
- German Centre for Integrative Biodiversity Research (iDiv) Halle-Jena-Leipzig, Competence Center for Scalable Data Services and Solutions, and Leipzig Research Center for Civilization Diseases, Leipzig University, 04103 Leipzig, Germany
- Max Planck Institute for Mathematics in the Sciences, 04103 Leipzig, Germany
- Facultad de Ciencias, Universidad National de Colombia, Sede Bogotá, Carrera 45 No. 26-85, Colombia
- Santa Fe Institute for Complex Systems, 1399 Hyde Park Road, Santa Fe, NM 87501, USA
- Department of Theoretical Chemistry of the University of Vienna, A-1090 Vienna, Austria
| | - Heike Betat
- Institute for Biochemistry, University of Leipzig, Brüderstraße 34, 04103 Leipzig, Germany; (L.E.); (H.B.)
| | - Sonja Prohaska
- Interdisciplinary Center for Bioinformatics, Leipzig University, Härtelstraße 16-18, 04107 Leipzig, Germany; (A.H.); (J.F.); (P.F.S.); (S.P.)
- Computational EvoDevo Group, Department of Computer Science, Leipzig University, Härtelstraße 16-18, 04107 Leipzig, Germany
| | - Mario Mörl
- Institute for Biochemistry, University of Leipzig, Brüderstraße 34, 04103 Leipzig, Germany; (L.E.); (H.B.)
- Correspondence: ; Tel.: +49-341-9736-911; Fax: +49-341-9736-919
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6
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Gray MW, Burger G, Derelle R, Klimeš V, Leger MM, Sarrasin M, Vlček Č, Roger AJ, Eliáš M, Lang BF. The draft nuclear genome sequence and predicted mitochondrial proteome of Andalucia godoyi, a protist with the most gene-rich and bacteria-like mitochondrial genome. BMC Biol 2020; 18:22. [PMID: 32122349 PMCID: PMC7050145 DOI: 10.1186/s12915-020-0741-6] [Citation(s) in RCA: 29] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/25/2019] [Accepted: 01/21/2020] [Indexed: 01/02/2023] Open
Abstract
Background Comparative analyses have indicated that the mitochondrion of the last eukaryotic common ancestor likely possessed all the key core structures and functions that are widely conserved throughout the domain Eucarya. To date, such studies have largely focused on animals, fungi, and land plants (primarily multicellular eukaryotes); relatively few mitochondrial proteomes from protists (primarily unicellular eukaryotic microbes) have been examined. To gauge the full extent of mitochondrial structural and functional complexity and to identify potential evolutionary trends in mitochondrial proteomes, more comprehensive explorations of phylogenetically diverse mitochondrial proteomes are required. In this regard, a key group is the jakobids, a clade of protists belonging to the eukaryotic supergroup Discoba, distinguished by having the most gene-rich and most bacteria-like mitochondrial genomes discovered to date. Results In this study, we assembled the draft nuclear genome sequence for the jakobid Andalucia godoyi and used a comprehensive in silico approach to infer the nucleus-encoded portion of the mitochondrial proteome of this protist, identifying 864 candidate mitochondrial proteins. The A. godoyi mitochondrial proteome has a complexity that parallels that of other eukaryotes, while exhibiting an unusually large number of ancestral features that have been lost particularly in opisthokont (animal and fungal) mitochondria. Notably, we find no evidence that the A. godoyi nuclear genome has or had a gene encoding a single-subunit, T3/T7 bacteriophage-like RNA polymerase, which functions as the mitochondrial transcriptase in all eukaryotes except the jakobids. Conclusions As genome and mitochondrial proteome data have become more widely available, a strikingly punctuate phylogenetic distribution of different mitochondrial components has been revealed, emphasizing that the pathways of mitochondrial proteome evolution are likely complex and lineage-specific. Unraveling this complexity will require comprehensive comparative analyses of mitochondrial proteomes from a phylogenetically broad range of eukaryotes, especially protists. The systematic in silico approach described here offers a valuable adjunct to direct proteomic analysis (e.g., via mass spectrometry), particularly in cases where the latter approach is constrained by sample limitation or other practical considerations.
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Affiliation(s)
- Michael W Gray
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology and Centre for Comparative Genomics and Evolutionary Bioinformatics, Sir Charles Tupper Medical Building, Dalhousie University, 5850 College Street, Halifax, Nova Scotia, B3H 4R2, Canada.
| | - Gertraud Burger
- Département de Biochimie and Robert-Cedergren Center for Bioinformatics and Genomics, Université de Montréal, Montréal, QC, Canada
| | - Romain Derelle
- School of Biosciences, University of Birmingham, Edgbaston, Birmingham, B15 2TT, UK
| | - Vladimír Klimeš
- Department of Biology and Ecology, Faculty of Science, University of Ostrava, Ostrava, Czech Republic
| | - Michelle M Leger
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology and Centre for Comparative Genomics and Evolutionary Bioinformatics, Sir Charles Tupper Medical Building, Dalhousie University, 5850 College Street, Halifax, Nova Scotia, B3H 4R2, Canada.,Institute of Evolutionary Biology (CSIC-UPF), Barcelona, Spain
| | - Matt Sarrasin
- Département de Biochimie and Robert-Cedergren Center for Bioinformatics and Genomics, Université de Montréal, Montréal, QC, Canada
| | - Čestmír Vlček
- Current address: Institute of Molecular Genetics, Academy of Sciences of the Czech Republic, Prague, Czech Republic
| | - Andrew J Roger
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology and Centre for Comparative Genomics and Evolutionary Bioinformatics, Sir Charles Tupper Medical Building, Dalhousie University, 5850 College Street, Halifax, Nova Scotia, B3H 4R2, Canada
| | - Marek Eliáš
- Department of Biology and Ecology, Faculty of Science, University of Ostrava, Ostrava, Czech Republic
| | - B Franz Lang
- Département de Biochimie and Robert-Cedergren Center for Bioinformatics and Genomics, Université de Montréal, Montréal, QC, Canada
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7
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Erber L, Franz P, Betat H, Prohaska S, Mörl M. Divergent Evolution of Eukaryotic CC- and A-Adding Enzymes. Int J Mol Sci 2020; 21:ijms21020462. [PMID: 31936900 PMCID: PMC7014341 DOI: 10.3390/ijms21020462] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/20/2019] [Revised: 01/06/2020] [Accepted: 01/09/2020] [Indexed: 12/04/2022] Open
Abstract
Synthesis of the CCA end of essential tRNAs is performed either by CCA-adding enzymes or as a collaboration between enzymes restricted to CC- and A-incorporation. While the occurrence of such tRNA nucleotidyltransferases with partial activities seemed to be restricted to Bacteria, the first example of such split CCA-adding activities was reported in Schizosaccharomyces pombe. Here, we demonstrate that the choanoflagellate Salpingoeca rosetta also carries CC- and A-adding enzymes. However, these enzymes have distinct evolutionary origins. Furthermore, the restricted activity of the eukaryotic CC-adding enzymes has evolved in a different way compared to their bacterial counterparts. Yet, the molecular basis is very similar, as highly conserved positions within a catalytically important flexible loop region are missing in the CC-adding enzymes. For both the CC-adding enzymes from S. rosetta as well as S. pombe, introduction of the loop elements from closely related enzymes with full activity was able to restore CCA-addition, corroborating the significance of this loop in the evolution of bacterial as well as eukaryotic tRNA nucleotidyltransferases. Our data demonstrate that partial CC- and A-adding activities in Bacteria and Eukaryotes are based on the same mechanistic principles but, surprisingly, originate from different evolutionary events.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lieselotte Erber
- Institute for Biochemistry, Leipzig University, Brüderstraße 34, 04103 Leipzig, Germany; (L.E.); (P.F.); (H.B.)
| | - Paul Franz
- Institute for Biochemistry, Leipzig University, Brüderstraße 34, 04103 Leipzig, Germany; (L.E.); (P.F.); (H.B.)
| | - Heike Betat
- Institute for Biochemistry, Leipzig University, Brüderstraße 34, 04103 Leipzig, Germany; (L.E.); (P.F.); (H.B.)
| | - Sonja Prohaska
- Computational EvoDevo Group, Department of Computer Science, Leipzig University, Härtelstraße 16-18, 04107 Leipzig, Germany;
- Interdisciplinary Center for Bioinformatics, Leipzig University, Härtelstraße 16-18, 04107 Leipzig, Germany
- Santa Fe Institute for Complex Systems, 1399 Hyde Park Road, Santa Fe, NM 87501, USA
| | - Mario Mörl
- Institute for Biochemistry, Leipzig University, Brüderstraße 34, 04103 Leipzig, Germany; (L.E.); (P.F.); (H.B.)
- Correspondence: ; Tel.: +49-341-9736-911; Fax: +49-341-9736-919
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8
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Igloi GL. Molecular evidence for the evolution of the eukaryotic mitochondrial arginyl-tRNA synthetase from the prokaryotic suborder Cystobacterineae. FEBS Lett 2019; 594:951-957. [PMID: 31705651 DOI: 10.1002/1873-3468.13665] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/26/2019] [Revised: 10/25/2019] [Accepted: 10/28/2019] [Indexed: 02/01/2023]
Abstract
The evolutionary origin of the family of eukaryotic aminoacyl-tRNA synthetases that are essential to all living organisms is a matter of debate. In order to shed molecular light on the ancient source of arginyl-tRNA synthetase, a total of 1347 eukaryotic arginyl-tRNA synthetase sequences were mined from databases and analyzed. Their multiple sequence alignment reveals a signature sequence that is characteristic of the nuclear-encoded enzyme, which is imported into mitochondria. Using this molecular beacon, the origins of this gene can be traced to modern prokaryotes. In this way, a previous phylogenetic analysis linking Myxococcus to the emergence of the eukaryotic mitochondrial arginyl-tRNA synthetase is supported by the unique existence of the molecular signature within the suborder Cystobacterineae that includes Myxococcus.
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Affiliation(s)
- Gabor L Igloi
- Institute of Biology, University of Freiburg, Germany
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9
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Phylogeny and Evolution of RNA 3'-Nucleotidyltransferases in Bacteria. J Mol Evol 2019; 87:254-270. [PMID: 31435688 DOI: 10.1007/s00239-019-09907-2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/07/2019] [Accepted: 08/07/2019] [Indexed: 10/26/2022]
Abstract
The tRNA nucleotidyltransferases and poly(A) polymerases belong to a superfamily of nucleotidyltransferases. The amino acid sequences of a number of bacterial tRNA nucleotidyltransferases and poly(A) polymerases have been used to construct a rooted, neighbor-joining phylogenetic tree. Using information gleaned from that analysis, along with data from the rRNA-based phylogenetic tree, structural data available on a number of members of the superfamily and other biochemical information on the superfamily, it is possible to suggest a scheme for the evolution of the bacterial tRNA nucleotidyltransferases and poly(A) polymerases from ancestral species. Elements of that scheme are discussed along with questions arising from the scheme which can be explored experimentally.
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10
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Reid NE, Ngou JS, Joyce PBM. Schizosaccharomyces pombe contains separate CC- and A-adding tRNA nucleotidyltransferases. Biochem Biophys Res Commun 2018; 508:785-790. [PMID: 30528393 DOI: 10.1016/j.bbrc.2018.11.131] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/03/2018] [Revised: 11/13/2018] [Accepted: 11/20/2018] [Indexed: 01/22/2023]
Abstract
A specific cytidine-cytidine-adenosine (CCA) sequence is required at the 3'-terminus of all functional tRNAs. This sequence is added during tRNA maturation or repair by tRNA nucleotidyltransferase enzymes. While most eukaryotes have a single enzyme responsible for CCA addition, some bacteria have separate CC- and A-adding activities. The fungus, Schizosaccharomyces pombe, has two genes (cca1 and cca2) that are thought, based on predicted amino acid sequences, to encode tRNA nucleotidyltransferases. Here, we show that both genes together are required to complement a Saccharomyces cerevisiae strain bearing a null mutation in the single gene encoding its tRNA nucleotidyltransferase. Using enzyme assays we show further that the purified S. pombe cca1 gene product specifically adds two cytidine residues to a tRNA substrate lacking this sequence while the cca2 gene product specifically adds the terminal adenosine residue thereby completing the CCA sequence. These data indicate that S. pombe represents the first eukaryote known to have separate CC- and A-adding activities for tRNA maturation and repair. In addition, we propose that a novel structural change in a tRNA nucleotidyltransferase is responsible for defining a CC-adding enzyme.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nathalie E Reid
- Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, Centre for Structural and Functional Genomics, Concordia University, 7141 Sherbrooke St. W, Montréal, Québec, H4B 1R6, Canada
| | - Judith S Ngou
- Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, Centre for Structural and Functional Genomics, Concordia University, 7141 Sherbrooke St. W, Montréal, Québec, H4B 1R6, Canada
| | - Paul B M Joyce
- Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, Centre for Structural and Functional Genomics, Concordia University, 7141 Sherbrooke St. W, Montréal, Québec, H4B 1R6, Canada.
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Franz P, Betat H, Mörl M. Genotyping bacterial and fungal pathogens using sequence variation in the gene for the CCA-adding enzyme. BMC Microbiol 2016; 16:47. [PMID: 26987313 PMCID: PMC4797355 DOI: 10.1186/s12866-016-0670-2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/22/2015] [Accepted: 03/09/2016] [Indexed: 11/10/2022] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND To allow an immediate treatment of an infection with suitable antibiotics and bactericides or fungicides, there is an urgent need for fast and precise identification of the causative human pathogens. Methods based on DNA sequence comparison like 16S rRNA analysis have become standard tools for pathogen verification. However, the distinction of closely related organisms remains a challenging task. To overcome such limitations, we identified a new genomic target sequence located in the single copy gene for tRNA nucleotidyltransferase fulfilling the requirements for a ubiquitous, yet highly specific DNA marker. In the present study, we demonstrate that this sequence marker has a higher discriminating potential than commonly used genotyping markers in pro- as well as eukaryotes, underscoring its applicability as an excellent diagnostic tool in infectology. RESULTS Based on phylogenetic analyses, a region within the gene for tRNA nucleotidyltransferase (CCA-adding enzyme) was identified as highly heterogeneous. As prominent examples for pro- and eukaryotic pathogens, several Vibrio and Aspergillus species were used for genotyping and identification in a multiplex PCR approach followed by gel electrophoresis and fluorescence-based product detection. Compared to rRNA analysis, the selected gene region of the tRNA nucleotidyltransferase revealed a seven to 30-fold higher distinction potential between closely related Vibrio or Aspergillus species, respectively. The obtained data exhibit a superb genome specificity in the diagnostic analysis. Even in the presence of a 1,000-fold excess of human genomic DNA, no unspecific amplicons were produced. CONCLUSIONS These results indicate that a relatively short segment of the coding region for tRNA nucleotidyltransferase has a higher discriminatory potential than most established diagnostic DNA markers. Besides identifying microbial pathogens in infections, further possible applications of this new marker are food hygiene controls or metagenome analyses.
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Affiliation(s)
- Paul Franz
- Institute for Biochemistry, Leipzig University, Brüderstr. 34, 04103, Leipzig, Germany
| | - Heike Betat
- Institute for Biochemistry, Leipzig University, Brüderstr. 34, 04103, Leipzig, Germany
| | - Mario Mörl
- Institute for Biochemistry, Leipzig University, Brüderstr. 34, 04103, Leipzig, Germany
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