1
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Patel L, Ailloud F, Suerbaum S, Josenhans C. Single-base resolution quantitative genome methylation analysis in the model bacterium Helicobacter pylori by enzymatic methyl sequencing (EM-Seq) reveals influence of strain, growth phase, and methyl homeostasis. BMC Biol 2024; 22:125. [PMID: 38807090 PMCID: PMC11134628 DOI: 10.1186/s12915-024-01921-1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/14/2024] [Accepted: 05/16/2024] [Indexed: 05/30/2024] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Bacterial epigenetics is a rapidly expanding research field. DNA methylation by diverse bacterial methyltransferases (MTases) contributes to genomic integrity and replication, and many recent studies extended MTase function also to global transcript regulation and phenotypic variation. Helicobacter pylori is currently one of those bacterial species which possess the highest number and the most variably expressed set of DNA MTases. Next-generation sequencing technologies can directly detect DNA base methylation. However, they still have limitations in their quantitative and qualitative performance, in particular for cytosine methylation. RESULTS As a complementing approach, we used enzymatic methyl sequencing (EM-Seq), a technology recently established that has not yet been fully evaluated for bacteria. Thereby, we assessed quantitatively, at single-base resolution, whole genome cytosine methylation for all methylated cytosine motifs in two different H. pylori strains and isogenic MTase mutants. EM-Seq reliably detected both m5C and m4C methylation. We demonstrated that three different active cytosine MTases in H. pylori provide considerably different levels of average genome-wide single-base methylation, in contrast to isogenic mutants which completely lost specific motif methylation. We found that strain identity and changed environmental conditions, such as growth phase and interference with methyl donor homeostasis, significantly influenced quantitative global and local genome-wide methylation in H. pylori at specific motifs. We also identified significantly hyper- or hypo-methylated cytosines, partially linked to overlapping MTase target motifs. Notably, we revealed differentially methylated cytosines in genome-wide coding regions under conditions of methionine depletion, which can be linked to transcript regulation. CONCLUSIONS This study offers new knowledge on H. pylori global and local genome-wide methylation and establishes EM-Seq for quantitative single-site resolution analyses of bacterial cytosine methylation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lubna Patel
- Max von Pettenkofer Institute, Chair for Medical Microbiology, Faculty of Medicine, LMU Munich, Pettenkoferstr. 9a, 80336, Munich, Germany
| | - Florent Ailloud
- Max von Pettenkofer Institute, Chair for Medical Microbiology, Faculty of Medicine, LMU Munich, Pettenkoferstr. 9a, 80336, Munich, Germany
| | - Sebastian Suerbaum
- Max von Pettenkofer Institute, Chair for Medical Microbiology, Faculty of Medicine, LMU Munich, Pettenkoferstr. 9a, 80336, Munich, Germany
| | - Christine Josenhans
- Max von Pettenkofer Institute, Chair for Medical Microbiology, Faculty of Medicine, LMU Munich, Pettenkoferstr. 9a, 80336, Munich, Germany.
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2
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Shi C, Wang L, Xu H, Zhao Y, Tian B, Hua Y. Characterization of a Novel N4-Methylcytosine Restriction-Modification System in Deinococcus radiodurans. Int J Mol Sci 2024; 25:1660. [PMID: 38338939 PMCID: PMC10855626 DOI: 10.3390/ijms25031660] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/21/2023] [Revised: 01/22/2024] [Accepted: 01/25/2024] [Indexed: 02/12/2024] Open
Abstract
Deinococcus radiodurans is an extremophilic microorganism that possesses a unique DNA damage repair system, conferring a strong resistance to radiation, desiccation, oxidative stress, and chemical damage. Recently, we discovered that D. radiodurans possesses an N4-methylation (m4C) methyltransferase called M.DraR1, which recognizes the 5'-CCGCGG-3' sequence and methylates the second cytosine. Here, we revealed its cognate restriction endonuclease R.DraR1 and recognized that it is the only endonuclease specially for non-4C-methylated 5'-CCGCGG-3' sequence so far. We designated the particular m4C R.DraR1-M.DraR1 as the DraI R-M system. Bioinformatics searches displayed the rarity of the DraI R-M homologous system. Meanwhile, recombination and transformation efficiency experiments demonstrated the important role of the DraI R-M system in response to oxidative stress. In addition, in vitro activity experiments showed that R.DraR1 could exceptionally cleave DNA substrates with a m5C-methlated 5'-CCGCGG-3' sequence instead of its routine activity, suggesting that this particular R-M component possesses a broader substrate choice. Furthermore, an imbalance of the DraI R-M system led to cell death through regulating genes involved in the maintenance of cell survival such as genome stability, transporter, and energy production. Thus, our research revealed a novel m4C R-M system that plays key roles in maintaining cell viability and defending foreign DNA in D. radiodurans.
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Affiliation(s)
- Chenxiang Shi
- MOE Key Laboratory of Biosystems Homeostasis and Protection, Institute of Biophysics, College of Life Sciences, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou 310058, China; (C.S.); (H.X.); (Y.Z.); (B.T.)
- Cancer Center, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou 310058, China
| | - Liangyan Wang
- MOE Key Laboratory of Biosystems Homeostasis and Protection, Institute of Biophysics, College of Life Sciences, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou 310058, China; (C.S.); (H.X.); (Y.Z.); (B.T.)
- Cancer Center, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou 310058, China
| | - Hong Xu
- MOE Key Laboratory of Biosystems Homeostasis and Protection, Institute of Biophysics, College of Life Sciences, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou 310058, China; (C.S.); (H.X.); (Y.Z.); (B.T.)
- Cancer Center, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou 310058, China
| | - Ye Zhao
- MOE Key Laboratory of Biosystems Homeostasis and Protection, Institute of Biophysics, College of Life Sciences, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou 310058, China; (C.S.); (H.X.); (Y.Z.); (B.T.)
- Cancer Center, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou 310058, China
| | - Bing Tian
- MOE Key Laboratory of Biosystems Homeostasis and Protection, Institute of Biophysics, College of Life Sciences, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou 310058, China; (C.S.); (H.X.); (Y.Z.); (B.T.)
- Cancer Center, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou 310058, China
| | - Yuejin Hua
- MOE Key Laboratory of Biosystems Homeostasis and Protection, Institute of Biophysics, College of Life Sciences, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou 310058, China; (C.S.); (H.X.); (Y.Z.); (B.T.)
- Cancer Center, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou 310058, China
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3
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Flores-Fernández CN, Lin D, Robins K, O'Callaghan CA. DNA methylases for site-selective inhibition of type IIS restriction enzyme activity. Appl Microbiol Biotechnol 2024; 108:174. [PMID: 38270650 PMCID: PMC10810934 DOI: 10.1007/s00253-024-13015-7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/08/2024] [Revised: 01/08/2024] [Accepted: 01/14/2024] [Indexed: 01/26/2024]
Abstract
DNA methylases of the restriction-modifications (R-M) systems are promising enzymes for the development of novel molecular and synthetic biology tools. Their use in vitro enables the deployment of independent and controlled catalytic reactions. This work aimed to produce recombinant DNA methylases belonging to the R-M systems, capable of in vitro inhibition of the type IIS restriction enzymes BsaI, BpiI, or LguI. Non-switchable methylases are those whose recognition sequences fully overlap the recognition sequences of their associated endonuclease. In switch methylases, the methylase and endonuclease recognition sequences only partially overlap, allowing sequence engineering to alter methylation without altering restriction. In this work, ten methylases from type I and II R-M systems were selected for cloning and expression in E. coli strains tolerant to methylation. Isopropyl β-D-1-thiogalactopyranoside (IPTG) concentrations and post-induction temperatures were tested to optimize the soluble methylases expression, which was achieved with 0.5 mM IPTG at 20 °C. The C-terminal His6-Tag versions showed better expression than the N-terminal tagged versions. DNA methylation was analyzed using purified methylases and custom test plasmids which, after the methylation reactions, were digested using the corresponding associated type IIS endonuclease. The non-switchable methylases M2.Eco31I, M2.BsaI, M2.HpyAII, and M1.MboII along with the switch methylases M.Osp807II and M2.NmeMC58II showed the best activity for site-selective inhibition of type IIS restriction enzyme activity. This work demonstrates that our recombinant methylases were able to block the activity of type IIS endonucleases in vitro, allowing them to be developed as valuable tools in synthetic biology and DNA assembly techniques. KEY POINTS: • Non-switchable methylases always inhibit the relevant type IIS endonuclease activity • Switch methylases inhibit the relevant type IIS endonuclease activity depending on the sequence engineering of their recognition site • Recombinant non-switchable and switch methylases were active in vitro and can be deployed as tools in synthetic biology and DNA assembly.
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Affiliation(s)
- Carol N Flores-Fernández
- Wellcome Trust Centre for Human Genetics, Nuffield Department of Medicine, University of Oxford, Roosevelt Drive, Oxford, OX3 7BN, UK
| | - Da Lin
- Wellcome Trust Centre for Human Genetics, Nuffield Department of Medicine, University of Oxford, Roosevelt Drive, Oxford, OX3 7BN, UK
- Current address: Triple Helix Biotechnology Ltd, Moneta Building (B280), Babraham Research Campus, Babraham, Cambridge, CB22 3AT, UK
| | - Katherine Robins
- Wellcome Trust Centre for Human Genetics, Nuffield Department of Medicine, University of Oxford, Roosevelt Drive, Oxford, OX3 7BN, UK
- Current address: Complete Regulatory, 19-20 King Edward Street, Macclesfield, SK10 1AQ, UK
| | - Chris A O'Callaghan
- Wellcome Trust Centre for Human Genetics, Nuffield Department of Medicine, University of Oxford, Roosevelt Drive, Oxford, OX3 7BN, UK.
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4
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Zimmerman EH, Ramsey EL, Hunter KE, Villadelgado SM, Phillips CM, Shipman RT, Forsyth MH. The Helicobacter pylori methylome is acid-responsive due to regulation by the two-component system ArsRS and the type I DNA methyltransferase HsdM1 (HP0463). J Bacteriol 2024; 206:e0030923. [PMID: 38179929 PMCID: PMC10810217 DOI: 10.1128/jb.00309-23] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/23/2023] [Accepted: 12/14/2023] [Indexed: 01/06/2024] Open
Abstract
In addition to its role in genome protection, DNA methylation can regulate gene expression. In this study, we characterized the impact of acidity, phase variation, and the ArsRS TCS on the expression of the Type I m6A DNA methyltransferase HsdM1 (HP0463) of Helicobacter pylori 26695 and their subsequent effects on the methylome. Transcription of hsdM1 increases at least fourfold in the absence of the sensory histidine kinase ArsS, the major acid-sensing protein of H. pylori. hsdM1 exists in the phase-variable operon hsdR1-hsdM1. Phase-locking hsdR1 (HP0464), the restriction endonuclease gene, has significant impacts on the transcription of hsdM1. To determine the impacts of methyltransferase transcription patterns on the methylome, we conducted methylome sequencing on samples cultured at pH 7 or pH 5. We found differentially methylated motifs between these growth conditions and that deletions of arsS and/or hsdM1 interfere with the epigenetic acid response. Deletion of arsS leads to altered activity of HsdM1 and multiple other methyltransferases under both pH conditions indicating that the ArsRS TCS, in addition to direct effects on regulon transcription during acid acclimation, may also indirectly impact gene expression via regulation of the methylome. We determined the target motif of HsdM1 (HP0463) to be the complementary bipartite sequence pair 5'-TCAm6AVN6TGY-3' and 3'-AGTN6GAm6ACA-5'. This complex regulation of DNA methyltransferases, and thus differential methylation patterns, may have implications for the decades-long persistent infection by H. pylori. IMPORTANCE This study expands the possibilities for complex, epigenomic regulation in Helicobacter pylori. We demonstrate that the H. pylori methylome is plastic and acid sensitive via the two-component system ArsRS and the DNA methyltransferase HsdM1. The control of a methyltransferase by ArsRS may allow for a layered response to changing acidity. Likely, an early response whereby ArsR~P affects regulon expression, including the methyltransferase hsdM1. Then, a somewhat later effect as the altered methylome, due to altered HsdM1 expression, subsequently alters the expression of other genes involved in acclimation. The intermediate methylation of certain motifs supports the hypothesis that methyltransferases play a regulatory role. Untangling this additional web of regulation could play a key role in understanding H. pylori colonization and persistence.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Erin L. Ramsey
- Department of Biology, William & Mary, Williamsburg, Virginia, USA
| | | | | | | | - Ryan T. Shipman
- Department of Biology, William & Mary, Williamsburg, Virginia, USA
| | - Mark H. Forsyth
- Department of Biology, William & Mary, Williamsburg, Virginia, USA
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5
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Zhang W, Lyu L, Xu Z, Ni J, Wang D, Lu J, Yao YF. Integrative DNA methylome and transcriptome analysis reveals DNA adenine methylation is involved in Salmonella enterica Typhimurium response to oxidative stress. Microbiol Spectr 2023; 11:e0247923. [PMID: 37882553 PMCID: PMC10715015 DOI: 10.1128/spectrum.02479-23] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/03/2023] [Accepted: 09/07/2023] [Indexed: 10/27/2023] Open
Abstract
IMPORTANCE The intracellular pathogen Salmonella enterica serovar Typhimurium (S. Typhimurium) comes across a wide variety of stresses from entry to dissemination, such as reactive oxygen species. To adapt itself to oxidative stress, Salmonella must adopt various and complex strategies. In this study, we revealed that DNA adenine methyltransferase was essential for S. Typhimurium to survive in hydrogen peroxide. We then screened out oxidative stress-responsive genes that were potentially regulated by DNA methylation in S. Typhimurium. Our results show that the DNA methylome is highly stable throughout the genome, and the coupled change of m6A GATC with gene expression is identified in only a few positions, which suggests the complexity of the DNA methylation and gene expression regulation networks. The results may shed light on our understanding of m6A-mediated gene expression regulation in bacteria.
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Affiliation(s)
- Wenting Zhang
- Laboratory of Bacterial Pathogenesis, Shanghai Institute of Immunology, Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine, Shanghai, China
| | - Lin Lyu
- Laboratory of Bacterial Pathogenesis, Shanghai Institute of Immunology, Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine, Shanghai, China
| | - Zhihiong Xu
- Laboratory of Bacterial Pathogenesis, Shanghai Institute of Immunology, Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine, Shanghai, China
| | - Jinjing Ni
- Laboratory of Bacterial Pathogenesis, Shanghai Institute of Immunology, Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine, Shanghai, China
| | - Danni Wang
- Laboratory of Bacterial Pathogenesis, Shanghai Institute of Immunology, Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine, Shanghai, China
| | - Jie Lu
- Department of Infectious Diseases, Ruijin Hospital, Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine, Shanghai, China
| | - Yu-Feng Yao
- Laboratory of Bacterial Pathogenesis, Shanghai Institute of Immunology, Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine, Shanghai, China
- Department of Infectious Diseases, Ruijin Hospital, Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine, Shanghai, China
- State Key Laboratory of Microbial Metabolism, School of Life Sciences and Biotechnology, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, Shanghai, China
- Shanghai Key Laboratory of Emergency Prevention, Diagnosis and Treatment of Respiratory Infectious Diseases, Shanghai, China
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6
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Sankar S, Preeti P, Ravikumar K, Kumar A, Prasad Y, Pal S, Rao DN, Savithri HS, Chandra N. Structural similarities between SAM and ATP recognition motifs and detection of ATP binding in a SAM binding DNA methyltransferase. Curr Res Struct Biol 2023; 6:100108. [PMID: 38106461 PMCID: PMC10724544 DOI: 10.1016/j.crstbi.2023.100108] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/08/2023] [Revised: 10/05/2023] [Accepted: 10/24/2023] [Indexed: 12/19/2023] Open
Abstract
S-adenosylmethionine (SAM) is a ubiquitous co-factor that serves as a donor for methylation reactions and additionally serves as a donor of other functional groups such as amino and ribosyl moieties in a variety of other biochemical reactions. Such versatility in function is enabled by the ability of SAM to be recognized by a wide variety of protein molecules that vary in their sequences and structural folds. To understand what gives rise to specific SAM binding in diverse proteins, we set out to study if there are any structural patterns at their binding sites. A comprehensive analysis of structures of the binding sites of SAM by all-pair comparison and clustering, indicated the presence of 4 different site-types, only one among them being well studied. For each site-type we decipher the common minimum principle involved in SAM recognition by diverse proteins and derive structural motifs that are characteristic of SAM binding. The presence of the structural motifs with precise three-dimensional arrangement of amino acids in SAM sites that appear to have evolved independently, indicates that these are winning arrangements of residues to bring about SAM recognition. Further, we find high similarity between one of the SAM site types and a well known ATP binding site type. We demonstrate using in vitro experiments that a known SAM binding protein, HpyAII.M1, a type 2 methyltransferase can bind and hydrolyse ATP. We find common structural motifs that explain this, further supported through site-directed mutagenesis. Observation of similar motifs for binding two of the most ubiquitous ligands in multiple protein families with diverse sequences and structural folds presents compelling evidence at the molecular level in favour of convergent evolution.
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Affiliation(s)
- Santhosh Sankar
- Department of Biochemistry, Indian Institute of Science, Bangalore, 560012, Karnataka, India
| | - Preeti Preeti
- Department of Biochemistry, Indian Institute of Science, Bangalore, 560012, Karnataka, India
| | - Kavya Ravikumar
- Department of Biochemistry, Indian Institute of Science, Bangalore, 560012, Karnataka, India
| | - Amrendra Kumar
- Department of Biochemistry, Indian Institute of Science, Bangalore, 560012, Karnataka, India
| | - Yedu Prasad
- Department of Biochemistry, Indian Institute of Science, Bangalore, 560012, Karnataka, India
| | - Sukriti Pal
- Department of Biochemistry, Indian Institute of Science, Bangalore, 560012, Karnataka, India
| | - Desirazu N. Rao
- Department of Biochemistry, Indian Institute of Science, Bangalore, 560012, Karnataka, India
| | - Handanahal S. Savithri
- Department of Biochemistry, Indian Institute of Science, Bangalore, 560012, Karnataka, India
| | - Nagasuma Chandra
- Department of Biochemistry, Indian Institute of Science, Bangalore, 560012, Karnataka, India
- Department of BioEngineering, Indian Institute of Science, Bangalore, 560012, Karnataka, India
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7
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Gomes AFF, de Almeida LG, Cônsoli FL. Comparative Genomics of Pesticide-Degrading Enterococcus Symbionts of Spodoptera frugiperda (Lepidoptera: Noctuidae) Leads to the Identification of Two New Species and the Reappraisal of Insect-Associated Enterococcus Species. MICROBIAL ECOLOGY 2023; 86:2583-2605. [PMID: 37433981 DOI: 10.1007/s00248-023-02264-0] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/19/2023] [Accepted: 07/05/2023] [Indexed: 07/13/2023]
Abstract
Enterococcus species have been described as core members of the microbial community of Spodoptera frugiperda (Lepidoptera: Noctuidae) and have been previously reported as insecticide degrading agents. This study aimed to investigate the molecular composition of these microbial symbionts of S. frugiperda to better understand their association with the host and their potential for insecticide metabolization. Through phenotypic assays and comparative genomic analyses of several pesticide-degrading Enterococcus isolated from the gut of S. frugiperda larvae, we identified two new species: Enterococcus entomosocium n. sp. and Enterococcus spodopteracolus n. sp. Their identities as new species were confirmed by whole genome alignment, utilizing cut-offs of 95-96% for the average nucleotide identity (ANI) and 70% for the digital DNA: DNA hybridization (dDDH) values. The systematic positioning of these new species within the genus Enterococcus was resolved using genome-based analysis, revealing Enterococcus casseliflavus as a sister group of E. entomosocium n. sp., and Enterococcus mundtii as a sister group of E. spodopteracolus n. sp. Comparative genomic analyses of several isolates of E. entomosocium n. sp. and E. spodopteracolus n. sp. provided a better assessment of the interactions established in the symbiotic association with S. frugiperda and led to the discovery of misidentified new species of Enterococcus associated with insects. Our analyses indicated that the potential of E. entomosocium n. sp. and E. spodopteracolus n. sp. to metabolize different pesticides arises from molecular mechanisms that result in rapid evolution of new phenotypes in response to environmental stressors, in this case, the pesticides their host insect is exposed to.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ana Flávia Freitas Gomes
- Luiz de Queiroz College of Agriculture, Department of Entomology and Acarology, Insect Interactions Laboratory, University of São Paulo, Piracicaba, São Paulo, Brazil
| | - Luís Gustavo de Almeida
- Luiz de Queiroz College of Agriculture, Department of Entomology and Acarology, Insect Interactions Laboratory, University of São Paulo, Piracicaba, São Paulo, Brazil
| | - Fernando Luis Cônsoli
- Luiz de Queiroz College of Agriculture, Department of Entomology and Acarology, Insect Interactions Laboratory, University of São Paulo, Piracicaba, São Paulo, Brazil.
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8
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Ailloud F, Gottschall W, Suerbaum S. Methylome evolution suggests lineage-dependent selection in the gastric pathogen Helicobacter pylori. Commun Biol 2023; 6:839. [PMID: 37573385 PMCID: PMC10423294 DOI: 10.1038/s42003-023-05218-x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/09/2023] [Accepted: 08/04/2023] [Indexed: 08/14/2023] Open
Abstract
The bacterial pathogen Helicobacter pylori, the leading cause of gastric cancer, is genetically highly diverse and harbours a large and variable portfolio of restriction-modification systems. Our understanding of the evolution and function of DNA methylation in bacteria is limited. Here, we performed a comprehensive analysis of the methylome diversity in H. pylori, using a dataset of 541 genomes that included all known phylogeographic populations. The frequency of 96 methyltransferases and the abundance of their cognate recognition sequences were strongly influenced by phylogeographic structure and were inter-correlated, positively or negatively, for 20% of type II methyltransferases. Low density motifs were more likely to be affected by natural selection, as reflected by higher genomic instability and compositional bias. Importantly, direct correlation implied that methylation patterns can be actively enriched by positive selection and suggests that specific sites have important functions in methylation-dependent phenotypes. Finally, we identified lineage-specific selective pressures modulating the contraction and expansion of the motif ACGT, revealing that the genetic load of methylation could be dependent on local ecological factors. Taken together, natural selection may shape both the abundance and distribution of methyltransferases and their specific recognition sequences, likely permitting a fine-tuning of genome-encoded functions not achievable by genetic variation alone.
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Affiliation(s)
- Florent Ailloud
- Medical Microbiology and Hospital Epidemiology, Max von Pettenkofer Institute, Faculty of Medicine, LMU Munich, Munich, Germany.
- German Center for Infection Research (DZIF), Partner Site Munich, Munich, Germany.
| | - Wilhelm Gottschall
- Medical Microbiology and Hospital Epidemiology, Max von Pettenkofer Institute, Faculty of Medicine, LMU Munich, Munich, Germany
| | - Sebastian Suerbaum
- Medical Microbiology and Hospital Epidemiology, Max von Pettenkofer Institute, Faculty of Medicine, LMU Munich, Munich, Germany.
- German Center for Infection Research (DZIF), Partner Site Munich, Munich, Germany.
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9
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Tisza MJ, Smith DDN, Clark AE, Youn JH, Khil PP, Dekker JP. Roving methyltransferases generate a mosaic epigenetic landscape and influence evolution in Bacteroides fragilis group. Nat Commun 2023; 14:4082. [PMID: 37429841 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-023-39892-6] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/24/2023] [Accepted: 06/29/2023] [Indexed: 07/12/2023] Open
Abstract
Three types of DNA methyl modifications have been detected in bacterial genomes, and mechanistic studies have demonstrated roles for DNA methylation in physiological functions ranging from phage defense to transcriptional control of virulence and host-pathogen interactions. Despite the ubiquity of methyltransferases and the immense variety of possible methylation patterns, epigenomic diversity remains unexplored for most bacterial species. Members of the Bacteroides fragilis group (BFG) reside in the human gastrointestinal tract as key players in symbiotic communities but also can establish anaerobic infections that are increasingly multi-drug resistant. In this work, we utilize long-read sequencing technologies to perform pangenomic (n = 383) and panepigenomic (n = 268) analysis of clinical BFG isolates cultured from infections seen at the NIH Clinical Center over four decades. Our analysis reveals that single BFG species harbor hundreds of DNA methylation motifs, with most individual motif combinations occurring uniquely in single isolates, implying immense unsampled methylation diversity within BFG epigenomes. Mining of BFG genomes identified more than 6000 methyltransferase genes, approximately 1000 of which were associated with intact prophages. Network analysis revealed substantial gene flow among disparate phage genomes, implying a role for genetic exchange between BFG phages as one of the ultimate sources driving BFG epigenome diversity.
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Affiliation(s)
- Michael J Tisza
- Bacterial Pathogenesis and Antimicrobial Resistance Unit, LCIM, NIAID, NIH, Bethesda, MD, USA
- The Alkek Center for Metagenomics and Microbiome Research, Department of Molecular Virology and Microbiol, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX, USA
| | - Derek D N Smith
- Bacterial Pathogenesis and Antimicrobial Resistance Unit, LCIM, NIAID, NIH, Bethesda, MD, USA
- Environment and Climate Change Canada, Ecotoxicology and Wildlife Health Division, Wildlife Toxicology Research Section, Ottawa, ON, Canada
| | - Andrew E Clark
- National Institutes of Health Clinical Center, NIH, Bethesda, MD, USA
- Department of Pathology, University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center, Dallas, TX, USA
| | - Jung-Ho Youn
- National Institutes of Health Clinical Center, NIH, Bethesda, MD, USA
| | - Pavel P Khil
- Bacterial Pathogenesis and Antimicrobial Resistance Unit, LCIM, NIAID, NIH, Bethesda, MD, USA
- National Institutes of Health Clinical Center, NIH, Bethesda, MD, USA
| | - John P Dekker
- Bacterial Pathogenesis and Antimicrobial Resistance Unit, LCIM, NIAID, NIH, Bethesda, MD, USA.
- National Institutes of Health Clinical Center, NIH, Bethesda, MD, USA.
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10
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Gao WL, Fang JL, Zhu CY, Xu WF, Lyu ZY, Chan XA, Zhao QW, Li YQ. Identification and Characterization of a New Regulator, TagR, for Environmental Stress Resistance Based on the DNA Methylome of Streptomyces roseosporus. Microbiol Spectr 2023; 11:e0038023. [PMID: 37154757 PMCID: PMC10269677 DOI: 10.1128/spectrum.00380-23] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/24/2023] [Accepted: 04/10/2023] [Indexed: 05/10/2023] Open
Abstract
DNA methylation is a defense that microorganisms use against extreme environmental stress, and improving resistance against environmental stress is essential for industrial actinomycetes. However, research on strain optimization utilizing DNA methylation for breakthroughs is rare. Based on DNA methylome analysis and KEGG pathway assignment in Streptomyces roseosporus, we discovered an environmental stress resistance regulator, TagR. A series of in vivo and in vitro experiments identified TagR as a negative regulator, and it is the first reported regulator of the wall teichoic acid (WTA) ABC transport system. Further study showed that TagR had a positive self-regulatory loop and m4C methylation in the promoter improved its expression. The ΔtagR mutant exhibited better hyperosmotic resistance and higher decanoic acid tolerance than the wild type, which led to a 100% increase in the yield of daptomycin. Moreover, enhancing the expression of the WTA transporter resulted in better osmotic stress resistance in Streptomyces lividans TK24, indicating the potential for wide application of the TagR-WTA transporter regulatory pathway. This research confirmed the feasibility and effectiveness of mining regulators of environmental stress resistance based on the DNA methylome, characterized the mechanism of TagR, and improved the resistance and daptomycin yield of strains. Furthermore, this research provides a new perspective on the optimization of industrial actinomycetes. IMPORTANCE This study established a novel strategy for screening regulators of environmental stress resistance based on the DNA methylome and discovered a new regulator, TagR. The TagR-WTA transporter regulatory pathway improved the resistance and antibiotic yield of strains and has the potential for wide application. Our research provides a new perspective on the optimization and reconstruction of industrial actinomycetes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Wen-Li Gao
- First Affiliated Hospital and Institute of Pharmaceutical Biotechnology, Zhejiang University School of Medicine, Hangzhou, China
- Zhejiang Provincial Key Laboratory for Microbial Biochemistry and Metabolic Engineering, Institute of Pharmaceutical Biotechnology, Hangzhou, China
| | - Jiao-Le Fang
- First Affiliated Hospital and Institute of Pharmaceutical Biotechnology, Zhejiang University School of Medicine, Hangzhou, China
- Zhejiang Provincial Key Laboratory for Microbial Biochemistry and Metabolic Engineering, Institute of Pharmaceutical Biotechnology, Hangzhou, China
| | - Chen-Yang Zhu
- First Affiliated Hospital and Institute of Pharmaceutical Biotechnology, Zhejiang University School of Medicine, Hangzhou, China
- Zhejiang Provincial Key Laboratory for Microbial Biochemistry and Metabolic Engineering, Institute of Pharmaceutical Biotechnology, Hangzhou, China
| | - Wei-Feng Xu
- First Affiliated Hospital and Institute of Pharmaceutical Biotechnology, Zhejiang University School of Medicine, Hangzhou, China
- Zhejiang Provincial Key Laboratory for Microbial Biochemistry and Metabolic Engineering, Institute of Pharmaceutical Biotechnology, Hangzhou, China
| | - Zhong-Yuan Lyu
- First Affiliated Hospital and Institute of Pharmaceutical Biotechnology, Zhejiang University School of Medicine, Hangzhou, China
- Zhejiang Provincial Key Laboratory for Microbial Biochemistry and Metabolic Engineering, Institute of Pharmaceutical Biotechnology, Hangzhou, China
| | - Xin-Ai Chan
- First Affiliated Hospital and Institute of Pharmaceutical Biotechnology, Zhejiang University School of Medicine, Hangzhou, China
- Zhejiang Provincial Key Laboratory for Microbial Biochemistry and Metabolic Engineering, Institute of Pharmaceutical Biotechnology, Hangzhou, China
| | - Qing-Wei Zhao
- First Affiliated Hospital and Institute of Pharmaceutical Biotechnology, Zhejiang University School of Medicine, Hangzhou, China
| | - Yong-Quan Li
- First Affiliated Hospital and Institute of Pharmaceutical Biotechnology, Zhejiang University School of Medicine, Hangzhou, China
- Zhejiang Provincial Key Laboratory for Microbial Biochemistry and Metabolic Engineering, Institute of Pharmaceutical Biotechnology, Hangzhou, China
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Wang X, Yu D, Chen L. Antimicrobial resistance and mechanisms of epigenetic regulation. Front Cell Infect Microbiol 2023; 13:1199646. [PMID: 37389209 PMCID: PMC10306973 DOI: 10.3389/fcimb.2023.1199646] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/03/2023] [Accepted: 05/26/2023] [Indexed: 07/01/2023] Open
Abstract
The rampant use of antibiotics in animal husbandry, farming and clinical disease treatment has led to a significant issue with pathogen resistance worldwide over the past decades. The classical mechanisms of resistance typically investigate antimicrobial resistance resulting from natural resistance, mutation, gene transfer and other processes. However, the emergence and development of bacterial resistance cannot be fully explained from a genetic and biochemical standpoint. Evolution necessitates phenotypic variation, selection, and inheritance. There are indications that epigenetic modifications also play a role in antimicrobial resistance. This review will specifically focus on the effects of DNA modification, histone modification, rRNA methylation and the regulation of non-coding RNAs expression on antimicrobial resistance. In particular, we highlight critical work that how DNA methyltransferases and non-coding RNAs act as transcriptional regulators that allow bacteria to rapidly adapt to environmental changes and control their gene expressions to resist antibiotic stress. Additionally, it will delve into how Nucleolar-associated proteins in bacteria perform histone functions akin to eukaryotes. Epigenetics, a non-classical regulatory mechanism of bacterial resistance, may offer new avenues for antibiotic target selection and the development of novel antibiotics.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xinrui Wang
- Medical Research Center, Fujian Maternity and Child Health Hospital, College of Clinical Medicine for Obstetrics and Gynecology and Pediatrics, Fujian Medical University, Fuzhou, Fujian, China
- National Health Commission Key Laboratory of Technical Evaluation of Fertility Regulation for Non-Human Primate, Fujian Maternity and Child Health Hospital, Fuzhou, Fujian, China
| | - Donghong Yu
- Medical Research Center, Fujian Maternity and Child Health Hospital, College of Clinical Medicine for Obstetrics and Gynecology and Pediatrics, Fujian Medical University, Fuzhou, Fujian, China
- National Health Commission Key Laboratory of Technical Evaluation of Fertility Regulation for Non-Human Primate, Fujian Maternity and Child Health Hospital, Fuzhou, Fujian, China
| | - Lu Chen
- Medical Research Center, Fujian Maternity and Child Health Hospital, College of Clinical Medicine for Obstetrics and Gynecology and Pediatrics, Fujian Medical University, Fuzhou, Fujian, China
- National Health Commission Key Laboratory of Technical Evaluation of Fertility Regulation for Non-Human Primate, Fujian Maternity and Child Health Hospital, Fuzhou, Fujian, China
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12
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Nguyen-Vo TH, Trinh QH, Nguyen L, Nguyen-Hoang PU, Rahardja S, Nguyen BP. i4mC-GRU: Identifying DNA N 4-Methylcytosine sites in mouse genomes using bidirectional gated recurrent unit and sequence-embedded features. Comput Struct Biotechnol J 2023; 21:3045-3053. [PMID: 37273848 PMCID: PMC10238585 DOI: 10.1016/j.csbj.2023.05.014] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/03/2022] [Revised: 05/12/2023] [Accepted: 05/12/2023] [Indexed: 06/06/2023] Open
Abstract
N4-methylcytosine (4mC) is one of the most common DNA methylation modifications found in both prokaryotic and eukaryotic genomes. Since the 4mC has various essential biological roles, determining its location helps reveal unexplored physiological and pathological pathways. In this study, we propose an effective computational method called i4mC-GRU using a gated recurrent unit and duplet sequence-embedded features to predict potential 4mC sites in mouse (Mus musculus) genomes. To fairly assess the performance of the model, we compared our method with several state-of-the-art methods using two different benchmark datasets. Our results showed that i4mC-GRU achieved area under the receiver operating characteristic curve values of 0.97 and 0.89 and area under the precision-recall curve values of 0.98 and 0.90 on the first and second benchmark datasets, respectively. Briefly, our method outperformed existing methods in predicting 4mC sites in mouse genomes. Also, we deployed i4mC-GRU as an online web server, supporting users in genomics studies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Thanh-Hoang Nguyen-Vo
- School of Mathematics and Statistics, Victoria University of Wellington, Wellington 6140, New Zealand
- School of Innovation, Design and Technology, Wellington Institute of Technology, Wellington 5012, New Zealand
| | - Quang H. Trinh
- School of Information and Communication Technology, Hanoi University of Science and Technology, Hanoi 100000, Vietnam
| | - Loc Nguyen
- School of Mathematics and Statistics, Victoria University of Wellington, Wellington 6140, New Zealand
| | - Phuong-Uyen Nguyen-Hoang
- Computational Biology Center, International University - VNU HCMC, Ho Chi Minh City 700000, Vietnam
| | - Susanto Rahardja
- School of Marine Science and Technology, Northwestern Polytechnical University, Xi’an 710072, China
- Infocomm Technology Cluster, Singapore Institute of Technology, Singapore 138683, Singapore
| | - Binh P. Nguyen
- School of Mathematics and Statistics, Victoria University of Wellington, Wellington 6140, New Zealand
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13
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Suerbaum S, Ailloud F. Genome and population dynamics during chronic infection with Helicobacter pylori. Curr Opin Immunol 2023; 82:102304. [PMID: 36958230 DOI: 10.1016/j.coi.2023.102304] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/18/2022] [Revised: 02/21/2023] [Accepted: 02/22/2023] [Indexed: 03/25/2023]
Abstract
Helicobacter pylori is responsible for one of the most prevalent bacterial infections worldwide. Chronic infection typically leads to chronic active gastritis. Clinical sequelae, including peptic ulcers, mucosa-associated lymphoid tissue lymphoma or, most importantly, gastric adenocarcinoma develop in 10-15% of cases. H. pylori is characterized by extensive inter-strain diversity which is the result of a high mutation rate, recombination, and a large repertoire of restriction-modification systems. This diversity is thought to be a major contributor to H. pylori's persistence and exceptional aptitude to adapt to the gastric environment and evade the immune system. This review covers efforts in the last decade to characterize and understand the multiple layers of H. pylori's diversity in different biological contexts.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sebastian Suerbaum
- Max von Pettenkofer Institute for Hygiene and Medical Microbiology, Medical Faculty, LMU Munich, Pettenkoferstr. 9a, 80336 Munich, Germany; DZIF German Centre for Infection Research, Munich Partner Site, Pettenkoferstr. 9a, 80336 Munich, Germany; German National Reference Centre for Helicobacter pylori, Pettenkoferstr. 9a, 80336 Munich, Germany.
| | - Florent Ailloud
- Max von Pettenkofer Institute for Hygiene and Medical Microbiology, Medical Faculty, LMU Munich, Pettenkoferstr. 9a, 80336 Munich, Germany; DZIF German Centre for Infection Research, Munich Partner Site, Pettenkoferstr. 9a, 80336 Munich, Germany
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14
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Sun L, Lu J, Li K, Zhang H, Zhao X, Li G, Li N. Diagnostic and prognostic value of STAP1 and AHNAK methylation in peripheral blood immune cells for HBV-related hepatopathy. Front Immunol 2023; 13:1091103. [PMID: 36713363 PMCID: PMC9880311 DOI: 10.3389/fimmu.2022.1091103] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/06/2022] [Accepted: 12/19/2022] [Indexed: 01/14/2023] Open
Abstract
Introduction Although we had identified that the methylation of AHNAK was a good diagnostic marker for hepatopathy, here we speculate that there was also another marker, STAP1, whose methylation also involved in the detection of hepatopathy. Methods We investigated the methylation levels of the AHNAK and STAP1 in peripheral blood mononuclear cells of chronic hepatitis B (CHB) patients, compensatory liver cirrhosis (CLC) patients, decompensated liver cirrhosis (DCLC) patients, hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) patients and healthy controls by methylation-specific PCR. We also evaluated the differences and changes of methylation and expression of AHNAK and STAP1 at different stages of liver disease using the TCGA and GEO public datasets. Results Methylation level of STAP1 in PBMC was positively correlated with the course of liver cancer. The combination of AHNAK and STAP1 methylation was able to predict differrent HBV related hepatopathy. The GEO datasets also supported that the methylation of AHNAK and STAP1 was associated with different types of hepatopathy. The TCGA data showed that the levels of methylation and expression of STAP1 were down-regulated in HCC. We also found the STAP1 methylation level in PBMC and T cells was associated with age, gender, alcohol drinking and anti-HBe. Hyper-methylation of STAP1 was correlated with the poor prognosis of patients but its expression had no association. Conclusion We concluded that combination of AHNAK and STAP1 methylation in peripheral blood immune cells can be used as a diagnostic marker for HBV related hepatopathy and STAP1 methylation may be a potential prognostic marker for HBV related HCC. Our clinical study registration number was ChiCTR2000039860.
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Affiliation(s)
- Libo Sun
- General Surgery Center, Beijing YouAn Hospital, Capital Medical University, Beijing, China
| | - Junfeng Lu
- Department of Liver Disease Center, Beijing YouAn Hospital, Capital Medical University, Beijing, China
| | - Kang Li
- Biomedical Information Center, Beijing YouAn Hospital, Capital Medical University, Beijing, China
| | - Haitao Zhang
- General Surgery Center, Beijing YouAn Hospital, Capital Medical University, Beijing, China
| | - Xiaofei Zhao
- General Surgery Center, Beijing YouAn Hospital, Capital Medical University, Beijing, China
| | - Guangming Li
- General Surgery Center, Beijing YouAn Hospital, Capital Medical University, Beijing, China,*Correspondence: Guangming Li, ; Ning Li,
| | - Ning Li
- General Surgery Center, Beijing YouAn Hospital, Capital Medical University, Beijing, China,*Correspondence: Guangming Li, ; Ning Li,
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15
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Gao Q, Lu S, Wang Y, He L, Wang M, Jia R, Chen S, Zhu D, Liu M, Zhao X, Yang Q, Wu Y, Zhang S, Huang J, Mao S, Ou X, Sun D, Tian B, Cheng A. Bacterial DNA methyltransferase: A key to the epigenetic world with lessons learned from proteobacteria. Front Microbiol 2023; 14:1129437. [PMID: 37032876 PMCID: PMC10073500 DOI: 10.3389/fmicb.2023.1129437] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/23/2022] [Accepted: 02/27/2023] [Indexed: 04/11/2023] Open
Abstract
Epigenetics modulates expression levels of various important genes in both prokaryotes and eukaryotes. These epigenetic traits are heritable without any change in genetic DNA sequences. DNA methylation is a universal mechanism of epigenetic regulation in all kingdoms of life. In bacteria, DNA methylation is the main form of epigenetic regulation and plays important roles in affecting clinically relevant phenotypes, such as virulence, host colonization, sporulation, biofilm formation et al. In this review, we survey bacterial epigenomic studies and focus on the recent developments in the structure, function, and mechanism of several highly conserved bacterial DNA methylases. These methyltransferases are relatively common in bacteria and participate in the regulation of gene expression and chromosomal DNA replication and repair control. Recent advances in sequencing techniques capable of detecting methylation signals have enabled the characterization of genome-wide epigenetic regulation. With their involvement in critical cellular processes, these highly conserved DNA methyltransferases may emerge as promising targets for developing novel epigenetic inhibitors for biomedical applications.
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Affiliation(s)
- Qun Gao
- Research Center of Avian Diseases, College of Veterinary Medicine, Sichuan Agricultural University, Chengdu, Sichuan, China
- Key Laboratory of Animal Disease and Human Health of Sichuan Province, Chengdu, Sichuan, China
| | - Shuwei Lu
- Research Center of Avian Diseases, College of Veterinary Medicine, Sichuan Agricultural University, Chengdu, Sichuan, China
- Institute of Preventive Veterinary Medicine, Sichuan Agricultural University, Chengdu, Sichuan, China
| | - Yuwei Wang
- Key Laboratory of Livestock and Poultry Provenance Disease Research in Mianyang, Sichuan, China
| | - Longgui He
- Research Center of Avian Diseases, College of Veterinary Medicine, Sichuan Agricultural University, Chengdu, Sichuan, China
- Institute of Preventive Veterinary Medicine, Sichuan Agricultural University, Chengdu, Sichuan, China
| | - Mingshu Wang
- Research Center of Avian Diseases, College of Veterinary Medicine, Sichuan Agricultural University, Chengdu, Sichuan, China
- Key Laboratory of Animal Disease and Human Health of Sichuan Province, Chengdu, Sichuan, China
- Institute of Preventive Veterinary Medicine, Sichuan Agricultural University, Chengdu, Sichuan, China
| | - Renyong Jia
- Research Center of Avian Diseases, College of Veterinary Medicine, Sichuan Agricultural University, Chengdu, Sichuan, China
- Key Laboratory of Animal Disease and Human Health of Sichuan Province, Chengdu, Sichuan, China
- Institute of Preventive Veterinary Medicine, Sichuan Agricultural University, Chengdu, Sichuan, China
| | - Shun Chen
- Research Center of Avian Diseases, College of Veterinary Medicine, Sichuan Agricultural University, Chengdu, Sichuan, China
- Key Laboratory of Animal Disease and Human Health of Sichuan Province, Chengdu, Sichuan, China
- Institute of Preventive Veterinary Medicine, Sichuan Agricultural University, Chengdu, Sichuan, China
| | - Dekang Zhu
- Research Center of Avian Diseases, College of Veterinary Medicine, Sichuan Agricultural University, Chengdu, Sichuan, China
- Key Laboratory of Animal Disease and Human Health of Sichuan Province, Chengdu, Sichuan, China
- Institute of Preventive Veterinary Medicine, Sichuan Agricultural University, Chengdu, Sichuan, China
| | - Mafeng Liu
- Research Center of Avian Diseases, College of Veterinary Medicine, Sichuan Agricultural University, Chengdu, Sichuan, China
- Key Laboratory of Animal Disease and Human Health of Sichuan Province, Chengdu, Sichuan, China
- Institute of Preventive Veterinary Medicine, Sichuan Agricultural University, Chengdu, Sichuan, China
| | - Xinxin Zhao
- Research Center of Avian Diseases, College of Veterinary Medicine, Sichuan Agricultural University, Chengdu, Sichuan, China
- Key Laboratory of Animal Disease and Human Health of Sichuan Province, Chengdu, Sichuan, China
- Institute of Preventive Veterinary Medicine, Sichuan Agricultural University, Chengdu, Sichuan, China
| | - Qiao Yang
- Research Center of Avian Diseases, College of Veterinary Medicine, Sichuan Agricultural University, Chengdu, Sichuan, China
- Key Laboratory of Animal Disease and Human Health of Sichuan Province, Chengdu, Sichuan, China
- Institute of Preventive Veterinary Medicine, Sichuan Agricultural University, Chengdu, Sichuan, China
| | - Ying Wu
- Research Center of Avian Diseases, College of Veterinary Medicine, Sichuan Agricultural University, Chengdu, Sichuan, China
- Key Laboratory of Animal Disease and Human Health of Sichuan Province, Chengdu, Sichuan, China
- Institute of Preventive Veterinary Medicine, Sichuan Agricultural University, Chengdu, Sichuan, China
| | - Shaqiu Zhang
- Research Center of Avian Diseases, College of Veterinary Medicine, Sichuan Agricultural University, Chengdu, Sichuan, China
- Key Laboratory of Animal Disease and Human Health of Sichuan Province, Chengdu, Sichuan, China
- Institute of Preventive Veterinary Medicine, Sichuan Agricultural University, Chengdu, Sichuan, China
| | - Juan Huang
- Research Center of Avian Diseases, College of Veterinary Medicine, Sichuan Agricultural University, Chengdu, Sichuan, China
- Key Laboratory of Animal Disease and Human Health of Sichuan Province, Chengdu, Sichuan, China
- Institute of Preventive Veterinary Medicine, Sichuan Agricultural University, Chengdu, Sichuan, China
| | - Sai Mao
- Research Center of Avian Diseases, College of Veterinary Medicine, Sichuan Agricultural University, Chengdu, Sichuan, China
- Key Laboratory of Animal Disease and Human Health of Sichuan Province, Chengdu, Sichuan, China
- Institute of Preventive Veterinary Medicine, Sichuan Agricultural University, Chengdu, Sichuan, China
| | - Xumin Ou
- Research Center of Avian Diseases, College of Veterinary Medicine, Sichuan Agricultural University, Chengdu, Sichuan, China
- Key Laboratory of Animal Disease and Human Health of Sichuan Province, Chengdu, Sichuan, China
- Institute of Preventive Veterinary Medicine, Sichuan Agricultural University, Chengdu, Sichuan, China
| | - Di Sun
- Research Center of Avian Diseases, College of Veterinary Medicine, Sichuan Agricultural University, Chengdu, Sichuan, China
- Key Laboratory of Animal Disease and Human Health of Sichuan Province, Chengdu, Sichuan, China
- Institute of Preventive Veterinary Medicine, Sichuan Agricultural University, Chengdu, Sichuan, China
| | - Bin Tian
- Research Center of Avian Diseases, College of Veterinary Medicine, Sichuan Agricultural University, Chengdu, Sichuan, China
- Key Laboratory of Animal Disease and Human Health of Sichuan Province, Chengdu, Sichuan, China
- Institute of Preventive Veterinary Medicine, Sichuan Agricultural University, Chengdu, Sichuan, China
| | - Anchun Cheng
- Research Center of Avian Diseases, College of Veterinary Medicine, Sichuan Agricultural University, Chengdu, Sichuan, China
- Key Laboratory of Animal Disease and Human Health of Sichuan Province, Chengdu, Sichuan, China
- Institute of Preventive Veterinary Medicine, Sichuan Agricultural University, Chengdu, Sichuan, China
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16
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Fang JL, Gao WL, Xu WF, Lyu ZY, Ma L, Luo S, Chen XA, Mao XM, Li YQ. m4C DNA methylation regulates biosynthesis of daptomycin in Streptomyces roseosporus L30. Synth Syst Biotechnol 2022; 7:1013-1023. [PMID: 35801092 PMCID: PMC9240718 DOI: 10.1016/j.synbio.2022.06.001] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/03/2022] [Revised: 06/09/2022] [Accepted: 06/09/2022] [Indexed: 11/18/2022] Open
Affiliation(s)
- Jiao-Le Fang
- Institute of Pharmaceutical Biotechnology, Zhejiang University School of Medicine, Hangzhou, 310058, PR China
- Zhejiang Provincial Key Laboratory for Microbial Biochemistry and Metabolic Engineering, 310058, Hangzhou, PR China
| | - Wen-Li Gao
- Institute of Pharmaceutical Biotechnology, Zhejiang University School of Medicine, Hangzhou, 310058, PR China
- Zhejiang Provincial Key Laboratory for Microbial Biochemistry and Metabolic Engineering, 310058, Hangzhou, PR China
| | - Wei-Feng Xu
- Institute of Pharmaceutical Biotechnology, Zhejiang University School of Medicine, Hangzhou, 310058, PR China
- Zhejiang Provincial Key Laboratory for Microbial Biochemistry and Metabolic Engineering, 310058, Hangzhou, PR China
| | - Zhong-Yuan Lyu
- Institute of Pharmaceutical Biotechnology, Zhejiang University School of Medicine, Hangzhou, 310058, PR China
- Zhejiang Provincial Key Laboratory for Microbial Biochemistry and Metabolic Engineering, 310058, Hangzhou, PR China
| | - Lie Ma
- Institute of Pharmaceutical Biotechnology, Zhejiang University School of Medicine, Hangzhou, 310058, PR China
- Zhejiang Provincial Key Laboratory for Microbial Biochemistry and Metabolic Engineering, 310058, Hangzhou, PR China
| | - Shuai Luo
- Zhejiang Provincial Key Laboratory for Microbial Biochemistry and Metabolic Engineering, 310058, Hangzhou, PR China
| | - Xin-Ai Chen
- Institute of Pharmaceutical Biotechnology, Zhejiang University School of Medicine, Hangzhou, 310058, PR China
- Zhejiang Provincial Key Laboratory for Microbial Biochemistry and Metabolic Engineering, 310058, Hangzhou, PR China
| | - Xu-Ming Mao
- Institute of Pharmaceutical Biotechnology, Zhejiang University School of Medicine, Hangzhou, 310058, PR China
| | - Yong-Quan Li
- Institute of Pharmaceutical Biotechnology, Zhejiang University School of Medicine, Hangzhou, 310058, PR China
- Zhejiang Provincial Key Laboratory for Microbial Biochemistry and Metabolic Engineering, 310058, Hangzhou, PR China
- Corresponding author. Institute of Pharmaceutical Biotechnology, Zhejiang University School of Medicine, Hangzhou, 310058, PR China.
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Li X, Guo S, Cui Y, Zhang Z, Luo X, Angelova MT, Landweber LF, Wang Y, Wu TP. NT-seq: a chemical-based sequencing method for genomic methylome profiling. Genome Biol 2022; 23:122. [PMID: 35637459 PMCID: PMC9150344 DOI: 10.1186/s13059-022-02689-9] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/15/2021] [Accepted: 05/16/2022] [Indexed: 12/15/2022] Open
Abstract
DNA methylation plays vital roles in both prokaryotes and eukaryotes. There are three forms of DNA methylation in prokaryotes: N6-methyladenine (6mA), N4-methylcytosine (4mC), and 5-methylcytosine (5mC). Although many sequencing methods have been developed to sequence specific types of methylation, few technologies can be used for efficiently mapping multiple types of methylation. Here, we present NT-seq for mapping all three types of methylation simultaneously. NT-seq reliably detects all known methylation motifs in two bacterial genomes and can be used for identifying de novo methylation motifs. NT-seq provides a simple and efficient solution for detecting multiple types of DNA methylation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xuwen Li
- Department of Molecular and Human Genetics, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX, USA
| | - Shiyuan Guo
- Genetics, Genomics, and Bioinformatics Graduate Program, University of California Riverside, Riverside, CA, USA
| | - Yan Cui
- Department of Molecular and Human Genetics, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX, USA
| | - Zijian Zhang
- Department of Molecular and Human Genetics, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX, USA
| | - Xinlong Luo
- Department of Molecular and Human Genetics, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX, USA
| | - Margarita T Angelova
- Departments of Biochemistry and Molecular Biophysics and Biological Sciences, Columbia University, New York, NY, USA
| | - Laura F Landweber
- Departments of Biochemistry and Molecular Biophysics and Biological Sciences, Columbia University, New York, NY, USA
| | - Yinsheng Wang
- Genetics, Genomics, and Bioinformatics Graduate Program, University of California Riverside, Riverside, CA, USA.,Department of Chemistry, University of California Riverside, Riverside, CA, USA
| | - Tao P Wu
- Department of Molecular and Human Genetics, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX, USA. .,Huffington Center on Aging, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX, USA. .,Dan L Duncan Comprehensive Cancer Center, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX, USA.
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18
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Capparelli R, Iannelli D. Epigenetics and Helicobacter pylori. Int J Mol Sci 2022; 23:ijms23031759. [PMID: 35163679 PMCID: PMC8836069 DOI: 10.3390/ijms23031759] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/17/2021] [Revised: 01/21/2022] [Accepted: 02/01/2022] [Indexed: 02/06/2023] Open
Abstract
Epigenetics regulates gene expression, cell type development during differentiation, and the cell response to environmental stimuli. To survive, bacteria need to evade the host immune response. Bacteria, including Helicobacter pylori (Hp), reach this target epigenetically, altering the chromatin of the host cells, in addition to several more approaches, such as DNA mutation and recombination. This review shows that Hp prevalently silences the genes of the human gastric mucosa by DNA methylation. Epigenetics includes different mechanisms. However, DNA methylation persists after DNA replication and therefore is frequently associated with the inheritance of repressed genes. Chromatin modification can be transmitted to daughter cells leading to heritable changes in gene expression. Aberrant epigenetic alteration of the gastric mucosa DNA remains the principal cause of gastric cancer. Numerous methylated genes have been found in cancer as well as in precancerous lesions of Hp-infected patients. These methylated genes inactivate tumor-suppressor genes. It is time for us to complain about our genetic and epigenetic makeups for our diseases.
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Hui W, Zhang W, Li J, Kwok LY, Zhang H, Kong J, Sun T. Functional analysis of the second methyltransferase in the bacteriophage exclusion system of Lactobacillus casei Zhang. J Dairy Sci 2022; 105:2049-2057. [PMID: 34998557 DOI: 10.3168/jds.2021-21000] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/13/2021] [Accepted: 10/13/2021] [Indexed: 01/21/2023]
Abstract
The antiphage ability is an important feature of fermentation strains in the dairy industry. Our previous work described the bacteriophage exclusion (BREX) system in the probiotic strain, Lactobacillus casei Zhang. The function of L. casei Zhang pglX gene in mediating 5'-ACRCm6AG-3' methylation was also confirmed. This study aimed to further dissect the function of the BREX system of L. casei Zhang by inactivating its second methyltransferase gene (LCAZH_2054). The methylome of the mutant, L. casei Zhang Δ2054, was profiled by single-molecule real-time sequencing. Then, the cell morphology, growth, plasmid transformation efficiency, and stability of the wildtype and mutant were compared. The mutant did not have an observable effect in microscopic and colony morphology, but it reached a higher cell density after entering the exponential phase without obvious increase in the cell viability. The mutant had fewer 5'-ACRCm6AG-3' methylation compared with the wildtype (1835 versus 1906). Interestingly, no significant difference was observed in the transformation efficiency between the 2 strains when plasmids without cognate recognition sequence (pSec:Leiss:Nuc and pG+host9) were transformed, contrasting to transforming cells with cognate recognition sequence-containing plasmids (pMSP3535 and pTRKH2). The efficiency of transforming pMSP3535 into the LCAZH_2054 mutant was significantly lower than the wildtype, whereas an opposite trend was seen in pTRKH2 transformation. Moreover, compared with the wildtype, the mutant strain had higher capacity in retaining pMSP3535 and lower capacity in retaining pTRKH2, suggesting an unequal tolerance level to different foreign DNA. In conclusion, LCAZH_2054 was not directly responsible for 5'-ACRCm6AG-3' methylation in L. casei Zhang, but it might help regulate the function and specificity of the BREX system.
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Affiliation(s)
- Wenyan Hui
- Key Laboratory of Dairy Biotechnology and Engineering, Ministry of Education, Inner Mongolia Agricultural University, Hohhot 010018, P. R. China; Key Laboratory of Dairy Products Processing, Ministry of Agriculture, Inner Mongolia Agricultural University, Hohhot 010018, P. R. China
| | - Wenyi Zhang
- Key Laboratory of Dairy Biotechnology and Engineering, Ministry of Education, Inner Mongolia Agricultural University, Hohhot 010018, P. R. China; Key Laboratory of Dairy Products Processing, Ministry of Agriculture, Inner Mongolia Agricultural University, Hohhot 010018, P. R. China
| | - Jing Li
- Key Laboratory of Dairy Biotechnology and Engineering, Ministry of Education, Inner Mongolia Agricultural University, Hohhot 010018, P. R. China; Key Laboratory of Dairy Products Processing, Ministry of Agriculture, Inner Mongolia Agricultural University, Hohhot 010018, P. R. China
| | - Lai-Yu Kwok
- Key Laboratory of Dairy Biotechnology and Engineering, Ministry of Education, Inner Mongolia Agricultural University, Hohhot 010018, P. R. China; Key Laboratory of Dairy Products Processing, Ministry of Agriculture, Inner Mongolia Agricultural University, Hohhot 010018, P. R. China
| | - Heping Zhang
- Key Laboratory of Dairy Biotechnology and Engineering, Ministry of Education, Inner Mongolia Agricultural University, Hohhot 010018, P. R. China; Key Laboratory of Dairy Products Processing, Ministry of Agriculture, Inner Mongolia Agricultural University, Hohhot 010018, P. R. China
| | - Jian Kong
- State Key Laboratory of Microbial Technology, Shandong University, Qingdao 266237, P. R. China.
| | - Tiansong Sun
- Key Laboratory of Dairy Biotechnology and Engineering, Ministry of Education, Inner Mongolia Agricultural University, Hohhot 010018, P. R. China; Key Laboratory of Dairy Products Processing, Ministry of Agriculture, Inner Mongolia Agricultural University, Hohhot 010018, P. R. China.
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20
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Tellgren-Roth C, Couturier M. Detecting DNA Methylations in the Hyperthermoacidophilic Crenarchaeon Sulfolobus acidocaldarius Using SMRT Sequencing. Methods Mol Biol 2022; 2516:39-50. [PMID: 35922620 DOI: 10.1007/978-1-0716-2413-5_3] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/15/2023]
Abstract
DNA methylations are one of the most well-known epigenetic modifications along with histone modifications and noncoding RNAs. They are found at specific sites along the DNA in all domains of life, with 5-mC and 6-mA/4-mC being well-characterized in eukaryotes and bacteria respectively, and they have not only been described as contributing to the structure of the double helix itself but also as regulators of DNA-based processes such as replication, transcription, and recombination. Different methods have been developed to accurately identify and/or map methylated motifs to decipher the involvement of DNA methylations in regulatory networks that affect the cellular state.Although DNA methylations have been detected along archaeal genomes, their involvement as regulators of DNA-based processes remains the least known. To highlight the importance of DNA methylations in the control of key cellular mechanisms and their dynamics in archaea cells, we have used single-molecule real-time (SMRT) sequencing. This sequencing technology allows the identification and direct mapping of the methylated motifs along the genome of an organism. In this chapter, we present a step-by-step protocol for detecting DNA methylations in the hyperthermophilic crenarchaeon Sulfolobus acidocaldarius using SMRT sequencing. This protocol can easily be adapted to other prokaryotes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Christian Tellgren-Roth
- Department of Immunology, Genetics and Pathology, National Genomics Infrastructure, Science for Life Laboratory, Uppsala University, Uppsala, Sweden
| | - Mohea Couturier
- Carl R. Woese Institute for Genomic Biology, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, Urbana, IL, USA.
- Research Group of Microbiology, Department of Bioengineering Sciences, Vrije Universiteit Brussel, Brussels, Belgium.
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21
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Birkholz N, Jackson SA, Fagerlund RD, Fineran P. OUP accepted manuscript. Nucleic Acids Res 2022; 50:3348-3361. [PMID: 35286398 PMCID: PMC8989522 DOI: 10.1093/nar/gkac147] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/08/2021] [Revised: 02/14/2022] [Accepted: 02/17/2022] [Indexed: 11/16/2022] Open
Abstract
Epigenetic DNA methylation plays an important role in bacteria by influencing gene expression and allowing discrimination between self-DNA and intruders such as phages and plasmids. Restriction–modification (RM) systems use a methyltransferase (MTase) to modify a specific sequence motif, thus protecting host DNA from cleavage by a cognate restriction endonuclease (REase) while leaving invading DNA vulnerable. Other REases occur solitarily and cleave methylated DNA. REases and RM systems are frequently mobile, influencing horizontal gene transfer by altering the compatibility of the host for foreign DNA uptake. However, whether mobile defence systems affect pre-existing host defences remains obscure. Here, we reveal an epigenetic conflict between an RM system (PcaRCI) and a methylation-dependent REase (PcaRCII) in the plant pathogen Pectobacterium carotovorum RC5297. The PcaRCI RM system provides potent protection against unmethylated plasmids and phages, but its methylation motif is targeted by the methylation-dependent PcaRCII. This potentially lethal co-existence is enabled through epigenetic silencing of the PcaRCII-encoding gene via promoter methylation by the PcaRCI MTase. Comparative genome analyses suggest that the PcaRCII-encoding gene was already present and was silenced upon establishment of the PcaRCI system. These findings provide a striking example for selfishness of RM systems and intracellular competition between different defences.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nils Birkholz
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, University of Otago, PO Box 56, Dunedin 9054, New Zealand
- Bioprotection Aotearoa, University of Otago, PO Box 56, Dunedin 9054, New Zealand
| | - Simon A Jackson
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, University of Otago, PO Box 56, Dunedin 9054, New Zealand
- Bioprotection Aotearoa, University of Otago, PO Box 56, Dunedin 9054, New Zealand
- Genetics Otago, University of Otago, PO Box 56, Dunedin 9054, New Zealand
| | - Robert D Fagerlund
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, University of Otago, PO Box 56, Dunedin 9054, New Zealand
- Bioprotection Aotearoa, University of Otago, PO Box 56, Dunedin 9054, New Zealand
- Genetics Otago, University of Otago, PO Box 56, Dunedin 9054, New Zealand
| | - Peter C Fineran
- To whom correspondence should be addressed: Tel: +64 3 479 7735;
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22
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DNA Methylation in Prokaryotes. ADVANCES IN EXPERIMENTAL MEDICINE AND BIOLOGY 2022; 1389:21-43. [DOI: 10.1007/978-3-031-11454-0_2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/10/2022]
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23
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Carvalho A, Mazel D, Baharoglu Z. Deficiency in cytosine DNA methylation leads to high chaperonin expression and tolerance to aminoglycosides in Vibrio cholerae. PLoS Genet 2021; 17:e1009748. [PMID: 34669693 PMCID: PMC8559950 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pgen.1009748] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/27/2021] [Revised: 11/01/2021] [Accepted: 10/04/2021] [Indexed: 12/11/2022] Open
Abstract
Antibiotic resistance has become a major global issue. Understanding the molecular mechanisms underlying microbial adaptation to antibiotics is of keen importance to fight Antimicrobial Resistance (AMR). Aminoglycosides are a class of antibiotics that target the small subunit of the bacterial ribosome, disrupting translational fidelity and increasing the levels of misfolded proteins in the cell. In this work, we investigated the role of VchM, a DNA methyltransferase, in the response of the human pathogen Vibrio cholerae to aminoglycosides. VchM is a V. cholerae specific orphan m5C DNA methyltransferase that generates cytosine methylation at 5'-RCCGGY-3' motifs. We show that deletion of vchM, although causing a growth defect in absence of stress, allows V. cholerae cells to cope with aminoglycoside stress at both sub-lethal and lethal concentrations of these antibiotics. Through transcriptomic and genetic approaches, we show that groESL-2 (a specific set of chaperonin-encoding genes located on the second chromosome of V. cholerae), are upregulated in cells lacking vchM and are needed for the tolerance of vchM mutant to lethal aminoglycoside treatment, likely by fighting aminoglycoside-induced misfolded proteins. Interestingly, preventing VchM methylation of the four RCCGGY sites located in groESL-2 region, leads to a higher expression of these genes in WT cells, showing that the expression of these chaperonins is modulated in V. cholerae by DNA methylation.
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Affiliation(s)
- André Carvalho
- Département Génomes et Génétique, Institut Pasteur, UMR3525, CNRS, Unité Plasticité du Génome Bactérien, Paris, France
- Sorbonne Université, Collège doctoral, F-75005 Paris, France
| | - Didier Mazel
- Département Génomes et Génétique, Institut Pasteur, UMR3525, CNRS, Unité Plasticité du Génome Bactérien, Paris, France
| | - Zeynep Baharoglu
- Département Génomes et Génétique, Institut Pasteur, UMR3525, CNRS, Unité Plasticité du Génome Bactérien, Paris, France
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24
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Ailloud F, Estibariz I, Suerbaum S. Evolved to vary: genome and epigenome variation in the human pathogen Helicobacter pylori. FEMS Microbiol Rev 2021; 45:5900976. [PMID: 32880636 DOI: 10.1093/femsre/fuaa042] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/10/2020] [Accepted: 08/31/2020] [Indexed: 12/24/2022] Open
Abstract
Helicobacter pylori is a Gram-negative, spiral shaped bacterium that selectively and chronically infects the gastric mucosa of humans. The clinical course of this infection can range from lifelong asymptomatic infection to severe disease, including peptic ulcers or gastric cancer. The high mutation rate and natural competence typical of this species are responsible for massive inter-strain genetic variation exceeding that observed in all other bacterial human pathogens. The adaptive value of such a plastic genome is thought to derive from a rapid exploration of the fitness landscape resulting in fast adaptation to the changing conditions of the gastric environment. Nevertheless, diversity is also lost through recurrent bottlenecks and H. pylori's lifestyle is thus a perpetual race to maintain an appropriate pool of standing genetic variation able to withstand selection events. Another aspect of H. pylori's diversity is a large and variable repertoire of restriction-modification systems. While not yet completely understood, methylome evolution could generate enough transcriptomic variation to provide another intricate layer of adaptive potential. This review provides an up to date synopsis of this rapidly emerging area of H. pylori research that has been enabled by the ever-increasing throughput of Omics technologies and a multitude of other technological advances.
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Affiliation(s)
- Florent Ailloud
- Max von Pettenkofer Institute, Faculty of Medicine, LMU München, Pettenkoferstr. 9a, 80336 München, Germany
| | - Iratxe Estibariz
- Max von Pettenkofer Institute, Faculty of Medicine, LMU München, Pettenkoferstr. 9a, 80336 München, Germany
| | - Sebastian Suerbaum
- Max von Pettenkofer Institute, Faculty of Medicine, LMU München, Pettenkoferstr. 9a, 80336 München, Germany.,DZIF Deutsches Zentrum für Infektionsforschung, Partner Site Munich, Pettenkoferstr. 9a, 80336 München, Germany.,National Reference Center for Helicobacter pylori, Pettenkoferstr. 9a, 80336 München, Germany
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25
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Tedersoo L, Albertsen M, Anslan S, Callahan B. Perspectives and Benefits of High-Throughput Long-Read Sequencing in Microbial Ecology. Appl Environ Microbiol 2021; 87:e0062621. [PMID: 34132589 PMCID: PMC8357291 DOI: 10.1128/aem.00626-21] [Citation(s) in RCA: 66] [Impact Index Per Article: 22.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/11/2022] Open
Abstract
Short-read, high-throughput sequencing (HTS) methods have yielded numerous important insights into microbial ecology and function. Yet, in many instances short-read HTS techniques are suboptimal, for example, by providing insufficient phylogenetic resolution or low integrity of assembled genomes. Single-molecule and synthetic long-read (SLR) HTS methods have successfully ameliorated these limitations. In addition, nanopore sequencing has generated a number of unique analysis opportunities, such as rapid molecular diagnostics and direct RNA sequencing, and both Pacific Biosciences (PacBio) and nanopore sequencing support detection of epigenetic modifications. Although initially suffering from relatively low sequence quality, recent advances have greatly improved the accuracy of long-read sequencing technologies. In spite of great technological progress in recent years, the long-read HTS methods (PacBio and nanopore sequencing) are still relatively costly, require large amounts of high-quality starting material, and commonly need specific solutions in various analysis steps. Despite these challenges, long-read sequencing technologies offer high-quality, cutting-edge alternatives for testing hypotheses about microbiome structure and functioning as well as assembly of eukaryote genomes from complex environmental DNA samples.
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Affiliation(s)
- Leho Tedersoo
- Mycology and Microbiology Center, University of Tartu, Tartu, Estonia
| | - Mads Albertsen
- Department of Chemistry and Bioscience, Aalborg University, Aalborg, Denmark
| | - Sten Anslan
- Mycology and Microbiology Center, University of Tartu, Tartu, Estonia
- Braunschweig University of Technology, Zoological Institute, Braunschweig, Germany
| | - Benjamin Callahan
- Department of Population Health and Pathobiology, College of Veterinary Medicine and Bioinformatics Research Center, North Carolina State University, Raleigh, North Carolina, USA
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26
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Mehershahi KS, Chen SL. DNA methylation by three Type I restriction modification systems of Escherichia coli does not influence gene regulation of the host bacterium. Nucleic Acids Res 2021; 49:7375-7388. [PMID: 34181709 PMCID: PMC8287963 DOI: 10.1093/nar/gkab530] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/17/2021] [Revised: 06/01/2021] [Accepted: 06/22/2021] [Indexed: 12/13/2022] Open
Abstract
DNA methylation is a common epigenetic mark that influences transcriptional regulation, and therefore cellular phenotype, across all domains of life. In particular, both orphan methyltransferases and those from phasevariable restriction modification systems (RMSs) have been co-opted to regulate virulence epigenetically in many bacteria. We now show that three distinct non-phasevariable Type I RMSs in Escherichia coli have no measurable impact on gene expression, in vivo virulence, or any of 1190 in vitro growth phenotypes. We demonstrated this using both Type I RMS knockout mutants as well as heterologous installation of Type I RMSs into two E. coli strains. These data provide three clear and currently rare examples of restriction modification systems that have no impact on their host organism’s gene regulation. This leads to the possibility that other such nonregulatory methylation systems may exist, broadening our view of the potential role that RMSs may play in bacterial evolution.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kurosh S Mehershahi
- NUHS Infectious Diseases Translational Research Programme, Department of Medicine, Division of Infectious Diseases, Yong Loo Lin School of Medicine, Singapore 119228
| | - Swaine L Chen
- NUHS Infectious Diseases Translational Research Programme, Department of Medicine, Division of Infectious Diseases, Yong Loo Lin School of Medicine, Singapore 119228.,Laboratory of Bacterial Genomics, Genome Institute of Singapore, Singapore 138672
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27
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Payelleville A, Brillard J. Novel Identification of Bacterial Epigenetic Regulations Would Benefit From a Better Exploitation of Methylomic Data. Front Microbiol 2021; 12:685670. [PMID: 34054792 PMCID: PMC8160106 DOI: 10.3389/fmicb.2021.685670] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/25/2021] [Accepted: 04/22/2021] [Indexed: 12/21/2022] Open
Abstract
DNA methylation can be part of epigenetic mechanisms, leading to cellular subpopulations with heterogeneous phenotypes. While prokaryotic phenotypic heterogeneity is of critical importance for a successful infection by several major pathogens, the exact mechanisms involved in this phenomenon remain unknown in many cases. Powerful sequencing tools have been developed to allow the detection of the DNA methylated bases at the genome level, and they have recently been extensively applied on numerous bacterial species. Some of these tools are increasingly used for metagenomics analysis but only a limited amount of the available methylomic data is currently being exploited. Because newly developed tools now allow the detection of subpopulations differing in their genome methylation patterns, it is time to emphasize future strategies based on a more extensive use of methylomic data. This will ultimately help to discover new epigenetic gene regulations involved in bacterial phenotypic heterogeneity, including during host-pathogen interactions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Amaury Payelleville
- DGIMI, INRAE, Univ. Montpellier, Montpellier, France.,Cellular and Molecular Microbiology, Faculté des Sciences, Université Libre de Bruxelles, Gosselies, Belgium
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28
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Spadar A, Perdigão J, Phelan J, Charleston J, Modesto A, Elias R, de Sessions PF, Hibberd ML, Campino S, Duarte A, Clark TG. Methylation analysis of Klebsiella pneumoniae from Portuguese hospitals. Sci Rep 2021; 11:6491. [PMID: 33753763 PMCID: PMC7985491 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-021-85724-2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/11/2020] [Accepted: 02/11/2021] [Indexed: 12/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Klebsiella pneumoniae is an important nosocomial infectious agent with a high antimicrobial resistance (AMR) burden. The application of long read sequencing technologies is providing insights into bacterial chromosomal and putative extra-chromosomal genetic elements (PEGEs) associated with AMR, but also epigenetic DNA methylation, which is thought to play a role in cleavage of foreign DNA and expression regulation. Here, we apply the PacBio sequencing platform to eight Portuguese hospital isolates, including one carbapenemase producing isolate, to identify methylation motifs. The resulting assembled chromosomes were between 5.2 and 5.5Mbp in length, and twenty-six PEGEs were found. Four of our eight samples carry blaCTX-M-15, a dominant Extended Spectrum Beta Lactamase in Europe. We identified methylation motifs that control Restriction-Modification systems, including GATC of the DNA adenine methylase (Dam), which methylates N6-methyladenine (m6A) across all our K. pneumoniae assemblies. There was a consistent lack of methylation by Dam of the GATC motif downstream of two genes: fosA, a locus associated with low level fosfomycin resistance, and tnpB transposase on IncFIB(K) plasmids. Overall, we have constructed eight high quality reference genomes of K. pneumoniae, with insights into horizontal gene transfer and methylation m6A motifs.
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Affiliation(s)
- Anton Spadar
- Faculty of Infectious and Tropical Diseases, London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine, London, UK
| | - João Perdigão
- Research Institute for Medicines (iMed.ULisboa), Faculdade de Farmácia, Universidade de Lisboa, Lisboa, Portugal
| | - Jody Phelan
- Faculty of Infectious and Tropical Diseases, London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine, London, UK
| | - James Charleston
- Faculty of Infectious and Tropical Diseases, London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine, London, UK
| | - Ana Modesto
- Research Institute for Medicines (iMed.ULisboa), Faculdade de Farmácia, Universidade de Lisboa, Lisboa, Portugal
| | - Rita Elias
- Research Institute for Medicines (iMed.ULisboa), Faculdade de Farmácia, Universidade de Lisboa, Lisboa, Portugal
| | | | - Martin L Hibberd
- Faculty of Infectious and Tropical Diseases, London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine, London, UK
| | - Susana Campino
- Faculty of Infectious and Tropical Diseases, London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine, London, UK
| | - Aida Duarte
- Faculdade de Farmácia, Universidade de Lisboa, Lisboa, Portugal
- Centro de Investigação Interdisciplinar Egas Moniz, Instituto Universitário Egas Moniz, Almada, Portugal
| | - Taane G Clark
- Faculty of Infectious and Tropical Diseases, London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine, London, UK.
- Faculty of Epidemiology and Population Health, London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine, London, UK.
- Department of Infection Biology, London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine, Keppel Street, London, WC1E 7HT, UK.
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29
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Vandenbussche I, Sass A, Van Nieuwerburgh F, Pinto-Carbó M, Mannweiler O, Eberl L, Coenye T. Detection of cytosine methylation in Burkholderia cenocepacia by single-molecule real-time sequencing and whole-genome bisulfite sequencing. MICROBIOLOGY-SGM 2021; 167. [PMID: 33565960 DOI: 10.1099/mic.0.001027] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/18/2022]
Abstract
Research on prokaryotic epigenetics, the study of heritable changes in gene expression independent of sequence changes, led to the identification of DNA methylation as a versatile regulator of diverse cellular processes. Methylation of adenine bases is often linked to regulation of gene expression in bacteria, but cytosine methylation is also frequently observed. In this study, we present a complete overview of the cytosine methylome in Burkholderia cenocepacia, an opportunistic respiratory pathogen in cystic fibrosis patients. Single-molecule real-time (SMRT) sequencing was used to map all 4mC-modified cytosines, as analysis of the predicted MTases in the B. cenocepacia genome revealed the presence of a 4mC-specific phage MTase, M.BceJII, targeting GGCC sequences. Methylation motif GCGGCCGC was identified, and out of 6850 motifs detected across the genome, 2051 (29.9 %) were methylated at the fifth position. Whole-genome bisulfite sequencing (WGBS) was performed to map 5mC methylation and 1635 5mC-modified cytosines were identified in CpG motifs. A comparison of the genomic positions of the modified bases called by each method revealed no overlap, which confirmed the authenticity of the detected 4mC and 5mC methylation by SMRT sequencing and WGBS, respectively. Large inter-strain variation of the 4mC-methylated cytosines was observed when B. cenocepacia strains J2315 and K56-2 were compared, which suggests that GGCC methylation patterns in B. cenocepacia are strain-specific. It seems likely that 4mC methylation of GGCC is not involved in regulation of gene expression but rather is a remnant of bacteriophage invasion, in which methylation of the phage genome was crucial for protection against restriction-modification systems of B. cenocepacia.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ian Vandenbussche
- Laboratory of Pharmaceutical Microbiology, Ghent University, Ghent, Belgium
| | - Andrea Sass
- Laboratory of Pharmaceutical Microbiology, Ghent University, Ghent, Belgium
| | | | - Marta Pinto-Carbó
- Department of Plant and Microbial Microbiology, University of Zurich, Zurich, Switzerland
| | - Olga Mannweiler
- Department of Plant and Microbial Microbiology, University of Zurich, Zurich, Switzerland
| | - Leo Eberl
- Department of Plant and Microbial Microbiology, University of Zurich, Zurich, Switzerland
| | - Tom Coenye
- Laboratory of Pharmaceutical Microbiology, Ghent University, Ghent, Belgium
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30
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Lv Z, Ding H, Wang L, Zou Q. A Convolutional Neural Network Using Dinucleotide One-hot Encoder for identifying DNA N6-Methyladenine Sites in the Rice Genome. Neurocomputing 2021. [DOI: 10.1016/j.neucom.2020.09.056] [Citation(s) in RCA: 24] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/13/2022]
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31
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Gaultney RA, Vincent AT, Lorioux C, Coppée JY, Sismeiro O, Varet H, Legendre R, Cockram CA, Veyrier FJ, Picardeau M. 4-Methylcytosine DNA modification is critical for global epigenetic regulation and virulence in the human pathogen Leptospira interrogans. Nucleic Acids Res 2020; 48:12102-12115. [PMID: 33301041 PMCID: PMC7708080 DOI: 10.1093/nar/gkaa966] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/21/2020] [Revised: 10/01/2020] [Accepted: 10/13/2020] [Indexed: 12/25/2022] Open
Abstract
In bacteria, DNA methylation can be facilitated by ‘orphan’ DNA methyltransferases lacking cognate restriction endonucleases, but whether and how these enzymes control key cellular processes are poorly understood. The effects of a specific modification, 4-methylcytosine (4mC), are even less clear, as this epigenetic marker is unique to bacteria and archaea, whereas the bulk of epigenetic research is currently performed on eukaryotes. Here, we characterize a 4mC methyltransferase from the understudied pathogen Leptospira spp. Inactivating this enzyme resulted in complete abrogation of CTAG motif methylation, leading to genome-wide dysregulation of gene expression. Mutants exhibited growth defects, decreased adhesion to host cells, higher susceptibility to LPS-targeting antibiotics, and, importantly, were no longer virulent in an acute infection model. Further investigation resulted in the discovery of at least one gene, that of an ECF sigma factor, whose transcription was altered in the methylase mutant and, subsequently, by mutation of the CTAG motifs in the promoter of the gene. The genes that comprise the regulon of this sigma factor were, accordingly, dysregulated in the methylase mutant and in a strain overexpressing the sigma factor. Our results highlight the importance of 4mC in Leptospira physiology, and suggest the same of other understudied species.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Antony T Vincent
- Bacterial Symbionts Evolution, INRS-Centre Armand-Frappier, Laval, Quebec, Canada
| | - Céline Lorioux
- Unité Biologie des Spirochètes, Institut Pasteur, Paris, France
| | - Jean-Yves Coppée
- Transcriptome and Epigenome Platform, Biomics, Center for Technological Resources and Research (C2RT), Institut Pasteur, Paris, France
| | - Odile Sismeiro
- Transcriptome and Epigenome Platform, Biomics, Center for Technological Resources and Research (C2RT), Institut Pasteur, Paris, France
| | - Hugo Varet
- Transcriptome and Epigenome Platform, Biomics, Center for Technological Resources and Research (C2RT), Institut Pasteur, Paris, France.,Bioinformatics and Biostatistics Hub, Department of Computational Biology, USR 3756 CNRS, Institut Pasteur, Paris, France
| | - Rachel Legendre
- Transcriptome and Epigenome Platform, Biomics, Center for Technological Resources and Research (C2RT), Institut Pasteur, Paris, France.,Bioinformatics and Biostatistics Hub, Department of Computational Biology, USR 3756 CNRS, Institut Pasteur, Paris, France
| | | | - Frédéric J Veyrier
- Bacterial Symbionts Evolution, INRS-Centre Armand-Frappier, Laval, Quebec, Canada
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32
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Yano H, Alam MZ, Rimbara E, Shibata TF, Fukuyo M, Furuta Y, Nishiyama T, Shigenobu S, Hasebe M, Toyoda A, Suzuki Y, Sugano S, Shibayama K, Kobayashi I. Networking and Specificity-Changing DNA Methyltransferases in Helicobacter pylori. Front Microbiol 2020; 11:1628. [PMID: 32765461 PMCID: PMC7379913 DOI: 10.3389/fmicb.2020.01628] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/30/2020] [Accepted: 06/22/2020] [Indexed: 12/12/2022] Open
Abstract
Epigenetic DNA base methylation plays important roles in gene expression regulation. We here describe a gene expression regulation network consisting of many DNA methyltransferases each frequently changing its target sequence-specificity. Our object Helicobacter pylori, a bacterium responsible for most incidence of stomach cancer, carries a large and variable repertoire of sequence-specific DNA methyltransferases. By creating a dozen of single-gene knockout strains for the methyltransferases, we revealed that they form a network controlling methylome, transcriptome and adaptive phenotype sets. The methyltransferases interact with each other in a hierarchical way, sometimes regulated positively by one methyltransferase but negatively with another. Motility, oxidative stress tolerance and DNA damage repair are likewise regulated by multiple methyltransferases. Their regulation sometimes involves translation start and stop codons suggesting coupling of methylation, transcription and translation. The methyltransferases frequently change their sequence-specificity through gene conversion of their target recognition domain and switch their target sets to remodel the network. The emerging picture of a metamorphosing gene regulation network, or firework, consisting of epigenetic systems ever-changing their specificity in search for adaptation, provides a new paradigm in understanding global gene regulation and adaptive evolution.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hirokazu Yano
- Department of Computational Biology and Medical Sciences, Graduate School of Frontier Sciences, The University of Tokyo, Tokyo, Japan.,Institute of Medical Science, The University of Tokyo, Tokyo, Japan
| | - Md Zobaidul Alam
- Department of Computational Biology and Medical Sciences, Graduate School of Frontier Sciences, The University of Tokyo, Tokyo, Japan
| | - Emiko Rimbara
- Department of Bacteriology II, National Institute of Infectious Diseases (NIID), Musashimurayama, Japan
| | | | | | - Yoshikazu Furuta
- Department of Computational Biology and Medical Sciences, Graduate School of Frontier Sciences, The University of Tokyo, Tokyo, Japan.,Institute of Medical Science, The University of Tokyo, Tokyo, Japan
| | - Tomoaki Nishiyama
- Advanced Science Research Center, Kanazawa University, Kanazawa, Japan
| | | | - Mitsuyasu Hasebe
- National Institute for Basic Biology (NIBB), Okazaki, Japan.,Department of Basic Biology, School of Life Sciences, SOKENDAI (The Graduate University for Advanced Studies), Okazaki, Japan
| | - Atsushi Toyoda
- Advanced Genomics Center, National Institute of Genetics, Mishima, Japan
| | - Yutaka Suzuki
- Department of Computational Biology and Medical Sciences, Graduate School of Frontier Sciences, The University of Tokyo, Tokyo, Japan
| | - Sumio Sugano
- Department of Computational Biology and Medical Sciences, Graduate School of Frontier Sciences, The University of Tokyo, Tokyo, Japan.,Institute of Medical Science, The University of Tokyo, Tokyo, Japan
| | - Keigo Shibayama
- Department of Bacteriology II, National Institute of Infectious Diseases (NIID), Musashimurayama, Japan
| | - Ichizo Kobayashi
- Department of Computational Biology and Medical Sciences, Graduate School of Frontier Sciences, The University of Tokyo, Tokyo, Japan.,Institute of Medical Science, The University of Tokyo, Tokyo, Japan.,Department of Infectious Diseases, School of Medicine, Kyorin University, Mitaka, Japan.,Institut de Biologie Intégrative de la Cellule (I2BC), Université Paris-Saclay, Gif-sur-Yvette, France.,Research Center for Micro-Nano Technology, Hosei University, Koganei, Japan
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Oliveira PH, Fang G. Conserved DNA Methyltransferases: A Window into Fundamental Mechanisms of Epigenetic Regulation in Bacteria. Trends Microbiol 2020; 29:28-40. [PMID: 32417228 DOI: 10.1016/j.tim.2020.04.007] [Citation(s) in RCA: 49] [Impact Index Per Article: 12.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/02/2020] [Revised: 03/19/2020] [Accepted: 04/10/2020] [Indexed: 12/14/2022]
Abstract
An increasing number of studies have reported that bacterial DNA methylation has important functions beyond the roles in restriction-modification systems, including the ability of affecting clinically relevant phenotypes such as virulence, host colonization, sporulation, biofilm formation, among others. Although insightful, such studies have a largely ad hoc nature and would benefit from a systematic strategy enabling a joint functional characterization of bacterial methylomes by the microbiology community. In this opinion article, we propose that highly conserved DNA methyltransferases (MTases) represent a unique opportunity for bacterial epigenomic studies. These MTases are rather common in bacteria, span various taxonomic scales, and are present in multiple human pathogens. Apart from well-characterized core DNA MTases, like those from Vibrio cholerae, Salmonella enterica, Clostridioides difficile, or Streptococcus pyogenes, multiple highly conserved DNA MTases are also found in numerous human pathogens, including those belonging to the genera Burkholderia and Acinetobacter. We discuss why and how these MTases can be prioritized to enable a community-wide, integrative approach for functional epigenomic studies. Ultimately, we discuss how some highly conserved DNA MTases may emerge as promising targets for the development of novel epigenetic inhibitors for biomedical applications.
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Affiliation(s)
- Pedro H Oliveira
- Department of Genetics and Genomic Sciences, Institute for Genomics and Multiscale Biology, Mount Sinai School of Medicine, New York, NY, USA.
| | - Gang Fang
- Department of Genetics and Genomic Sciences, Institute for Genomics and Multiscale Biology, Mount Sinai School of Medicine, New York, NY, USA.
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The complex phylogenetic relationships of a 4mC/6mA DNA methyltransferase in prokaryotes. Mol Phylogenet Evol 2020; 149:106837. [PMID: 32304827 DOI: 10.1016/j.ympev.2020.106837] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/11/2019] [Revised: 01/30/2020] [Accepted: 04/09/2020] [Indexed: 01/04/2023]
Abstract
DNA methyltransferases are proteins that modify DNA via attachment of methyl groups to nucleobases and are ubiquitous across the bacterial, archaeal, and eukaryotic domains of life. Here, we investigated the complex evolutionary history of the large and consequential 4mC/6mA DNA methyltransferase protein family using phylogenetic reconstruction of amino acid sequences. We present a well-supported phylogeny of this family based on systematic sampling of taxa across superphyla of bacteria and archaea. We compared the phylogeny to a current representation of the species tree of life and found that the 4mC/6mA methyltransferase family has a strikingly complex evolutionary history that likely began sometime after the last universal common ancestor of life diverged into the bacterial and archaeal lineages and probably involved many horizontal gene transfers within and between domains. Despite the complexity of its evolutionary history, we inferred that only one significant shift in molecular evolutionary rate characterizes the diversification of this protein family.
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Davey L, Valdivia RH. Bacterial genetics and molecular pathogenesis in the age of high throughput DNA sequencing. Curr Opin Microbiol 2020; 54:59-66. [PMID: 32044689 PMCID: PMC8765803 DOI: 10.1016/j.mib.2020.01.007] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/03/2019] [Accepted: 01/12/2020] [Indexed: 12/17/2022]
Abstract
When Stanley Falkow introduced Molecular Koch's Postulates (Falkow, 1988) as a conceptual framework to identify microbial factors that contributed to disease, he reaffirmed the prominent role that the basic principles of genetic analysis should play in defining genotype-phenotype associations in microbial pathogens. In classical bacterial genetics the nature of mutations is inferred through cis-trans complementation and by indirectly mapping their relative position and physical distance through recombination frequencies - all of which were made possible by the genetic tools of the day: natural transformations, conjugation and transduction. Unfortunately, many of these genetic tools are not always available to study pathogenic bacteria. The recombinant DNA revolution in the 1980s launched the field of molecular pathogenesis as genes could be treated as physical units that could be cut, spliced and transplanted from one microbe to another and thus not only 'prove' that an individual gene complemented a virulence defect in a mutant strain but also could impart pathogenic properties to otherwise benign microbes. The recombinant DNA revolution also enabled the generation of newer versions of genetic tools to generate mutations and engineer microbial genomes. The last decade has ushered in next generation sequencing technologies as a new powerful tool for bacterial genetics. The routine and inexpensive sequencing of microbial genomes has increased the number and phylogenetic scope of microbes that are amenable to functional characterization and experimentation. In this review, we highlight some salient advances in this rapidly evolving area.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lauren Davey
- Duke University School of Medicine, Molecular Genetics and Microbiology, 272 Jones Bldg DUMC 3580, Durham, NC 27710, United States
| | - Raphael H Valdivia
- Duke University School of Medicine, Molecular Genetics and Microbiology, 272 Jones Bldg DUMC 3580, Durham, NC 27710, United States.
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36
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Liu G, Jiang YM, Liu YC, Han LL, Feng H. A novel DNA methylation motif identified in Bacillus pumilus BA06 and possible roles in the regulation of gene expression. Appl Microbiol Biotechnol 2020; 104:3445-3457. [PMID: 32088759 DOI: 10.1007/s00253-020-10475-5] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/21/2019] [Revised: 01/21/2020] [Accepted: 02/14/2020] [Indexed: 01/26/2023]
Abstract
Single-molecule real-time (SMRT) sequencing can be used to identify a wide variety of chemical modifications of the genome, such as methylation. Here, we applied this approach to identify N6-methyl-adenine (m6A) and N4-methyl-cytosine (m4C) modification in the genome of Bacillus pumilus BA06. A typical methylation recognition motif of the type I restriction-modification system (R-M), 5'-TCm6AN8TTGG-3'/3'-AGTN8m6AACC-5', was identified. We confirmed that this motif was a new type I methylation site using REBASE analysis and that it was recognized by a type I R-M system, Bpu6ORFCP, according to methylation sensitivity assays in vivo and vitro. Furthermore, we found that deletion of the R-M system Bpu6ORFCP induced transcriptional changes in many genes and led to increased gene expression in pathways related to ABC transporters, sulfur metabolism, ribosomes, cysteine and methionine metabolism and starch and sucrose metabolism, suggesting that the R-M system in B. pumilus BA06 has other significant biological functions beyond protecting the B. pumilus BA06 genome from foreign DNA.
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Affiliation(s)
- Gang Liu
- Key Laboratory of Bio-resources and Eco-environment, Ministry of Education; Sichuan Key Laboratory of Molecular Biology and Biotechnology, College of Life Sciences, Sichuan University, Chengdu, 610064, Sichuan, People's Republic of China
| | - Yang-Mei Jiang
- Key Laboratory of Bio-resources and Eco-environment, Ministry of Education; Sichuan Key Laboratory of Molecular Biology and Biotechnology, College of Life Sciences, Sichuan University, Chengdu, 610064, Sichuan, People's Republic of China
| | - Yong-Cheng Liu
- Key Laboratory of Bio-resources and Eco-environment, Ministry of Education; Sichuan Key Laboratory of Molecular Biology and Biotechnology, College of Life Sciences, Sichuan University, Chengdu, 610064, Sichuan, People's Republic of China
| | - Lin-Li Han
- Key Laboratory of Bio-resources and Eco-environment, Ministry of Education; Sichuan Key Laboratory of Molecular Biology and Biotechnology, College of Life Sciences, Sichuan University, Chengdu, 610064, Sichuan, People's Republic of China
| | - Hong Feng
- Key Laboratory of Bio-resources and Eco-environment, Ministry of Education; Sichuan Key Laboratory of Molecular Biology and Biotechnology, College of Life Sciences, Sichuan University, Chengdu, 610064, Sichuan, People's Republic of China.
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Abstract
In all domains of life, genomes contain epigenetic information superimposed over the nucleotide sequence. Epigenetic signals control DNA-protein interactions and can cause phenotypic change in the absence of mutation. A nearly universal mechanism of epigenetic signalling is DNA methylation. In bacteria, DNA methylation has roles in genome defence, chromosome replication and segregation, nucleoid organization, cell cycle control, DNA repair and regulation of transcription. In many bacterial species, DNA methylation controls reversible switching (phase variation) of gene expression, a phenomenon that generates phenotypic cell variants. The formation of epigenetic lineages enables the adaptation of bacterial populations to harsh or changing environments and modulates the interaction of pathogens with their eukaryotic hosts.
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Payelleville A, Blackburn D, Lanois A, Pagès S, Cambon MC, Ginibre N, Clarke DJ, Givaudan A, Brillard J. Role of the Photorhabdus Dam methyltransferase during interactions with its invertebrate hosts. PLoS One 2019; 14:e0212655. [PMID: 31596856 PMCID: PMC6785176 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0212655] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/05/2019] [Accepted: 09/20/2019] [Indexed: 11/19/2022] Open
Abstract
Photorhabdus luminescens is an entomopathogenic bacterium found in symbiosis with the nematode Heterorhabditis. Dam DNA methylation is involved in the pathogenicity of many bacteria, including P. luminescens, whereas studies about the role of bacterial DNA methylation during symbiosis are scarce. The aim of this study was to determine the role of Dam DNA methylation in P. luminescens during the whole bacterial life cycle including during symbiosis with H. bacteriophora. We constructed a strain overexpressing dam by inserting an additional copy of the dam gene under the control of a constitutive promoter in the chromosome of P. luminescens and then achieved association between this recombinant strain and nematodes. The dam overexpressing strain was able to feed the nematode in vitro and in vivo similarly as a control strain, and to re-associate with Infective Juvenile (IJ) stages in the insect. No difference in the amount of emerging IJs from the cadaver was observed between the two strains. Compared to the nematode in symbiosis with the control strain, a significant increase in LT50 was observed during insect infestation with the nematode associated with the dam overexpressing strain. These results suggest that during the life cycle of P. luminescens, Dam is not involved the bacterial symbiosis with the nematode H. bacteriophora, but it contributes to the pathogenicity of the nemato-bacterial complex.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Dana Blackburn
- Department of Microbiology, University College Cork, Cork, Ireland
| | - Anne Lanois
- DGIMI, INRA, Univ. Montpellier, Montpellier, France
| | - Sylvie Pagès
- DGIMI, INRA, Univ. Montpellier, Montpellier, France
| | - Marine C. Cambon
- DGIMI, INRA, Univ. Montpellier, Montpellier, France
- Évolution et Diversité Biologique, CNRS, UPS Université Paul Sabatier, Toulouse, France
| | | | - David J. Clarke
- Department of Microbiology, University College Cork, Cork, Ireland
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A Novel Bacteriophage Exclusion (BREX) System Encoded by the pglX Gene in Lactobacillus casei Zhang. Appl Environ Microbiol 2019; 85:AEM.01001-19. [PMID: 31399407 DOI: 10.1128/aem.01001-19] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/09/2019] [Accepted: 08/05/2019] [Indexed: 01/21/2023] Open
Abstract
The bacteriophage exclusion (BREX) system is a novel prokaryotic defense system against bacteriophages. To our knowledge, no study has systematically characterized the function of the BREX system in lactic acid bacteria. Lactobacillus casei Zhang is a probiotic bacterium originating from koumiss. By using single-molecule real-time sequencing, we previously identified N6-methyladenine (m6A) signatures in the genome of L. casei Zhang and a putative methyltransferase (MTase), namely, pglX This work further analyzed the genomic locus near the pglX gene and identified it as a component of the BREX system. To decipher the biological role of pglX, an L. casei Zhang pglX mutant (ΔpglX) was constructed. Interestingly, m6A methylation of the 5'-ACRCAG-3' motif was eliminated in the ΔpglX mutant. The wild-type and mutant strains exhibited no significant difference in morphology or growth performance in de Man-Rogosa-Sharpe (MRS) medium. A significantly higher plasmid acquisition capacity was observed for the ΔpglX mutant than for the wild type if the transformed plasmids contained pglX recognition sites (i.e., 5'-ACRCAG-3'). In contrast, no significant difference was observed in plasmid transformation efficiency between the two strains when plasmids lacking pglX recognition sites were tested. Moreover, the ΔpglX mutant had a lower capacity to retain the plasmids than the wild type, suggesting a decrease in genetic stability. Since the Rebase database predicted that the L. casei PglX protein was bifunctional, as both an MTase and a restriction endonuclease, the PglX protein was heterologously expressed and purified but failed to show restriction endonuclease activity. Taken together, the results show that the L. casei Zhang pglX gene is a functional adenine MTase that belongs to the BREX system.IMPORTANCE Lactobacillus casei Zhang is a probiotic that confers beneficial effects on the host, and it is thus increasingly used in the dairy industry. The possession of an effective bacterial immune system that can defend against invasion of phages and exogenous DNA is a desirable feature for industrial bacterial strains. The bacteriophage exclusion (BREX) system is a recently described phage resistance system in prokaryotes. This work confirmed the function of the BREX system in L. casei and that the methyltransferase (pglX) is an indispensable part of the system. Overall, our study characterizes a BREX system component gene in lactic acid bacteria.
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Li S, Cai J, Lu H, Mao S, Dai S, Hu J, Wang L, Hua X, Xu H, Tian B, Zhao Y, Hua Y. N 4-Cytosine DNA Methylation Is Involved in the Maintenance of Genomic Stability in Deinococcus radiodurans. Front Microbiol 2019; 10:1905. [PMID: 31497001 PMCID: PMC6712171 DOI: 10.3389/fmicb.2019.01905] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/01/2019] [Accepted: 08/05/2019] [Indexed: 12/16/2022] Open
Abstract
DNA methylation serves as a vital component of restriction-modification (R-M) systems in bacteria, where it plays a crucial role in defense against foreign DNA. Recent studies revealed that DNA methylation has a global impact on gene expression. Deinococcus radiodurans, an ideal model organism for studying DNA repair and genomic stability, possesses unparalleled resistance to DNA-damaging agents such as irradiation and strong oxidation. However, details on the methylome of this bacterium remain unclear. Here, we demonstrate that N 4-cytosine is the major methylated form (4mC) in D. radiodurans. A novel methylated motif, "C4mCGCGG" was identified that was fully attributed to M.DraR1 methyltransferase. M.DraR1 can specifically bind and methylate the second cytosine at N 4 atom of "CCGCGG" motif, preventing its digestion by a cognate restriction endonuclease. Cells deficient in 4mC modification displayed higher spontaneous rifampin mutation frequency and enhanced DNA recombination and transformation efficiency. And genes involved in the maintenance of genomic stability were differentially expressed in conjunction with the loss of M.DraR1. This study provides evidence that N 4-cytosine DNA methylation contributes to genomic stability of D. radiodurans and lays the foundation for further research on the mechanisms of epigenetic regulation by R-M systems in bacteria.
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Affiliation(s)
- Shengjie Li
- The MOE Key Laboratory of Biosystems Homeostasis & Protection, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, China
| | - Jianling Cai
- The MOE Key Laboratory of Biosystems Homeostasis & Protection, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, China
| | - Huizhi Lu
- The MOE Key Laboratory of Biosystems Homeostasis & Protection, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, China
| | - Shuyu Mao
- The MOE Key Laboratory of Biosystems Homeostasis & Protection, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, China
| | - Shang Dai
- The MOE Key Laboratory of Biosystems Homeostasis & Protection, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, China
| | - Jing Hu
- The MOE Key Laboratory of Biosystems Homeostasis & Protection, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, China
| | - Liangyan Wang
- The MOE Key Laboratory of Biosystems Homeostasis & Protection, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, China
| | - Xiaoting Hua
- Department of Infectious Diseases, Sir Run Run Shaw Hospital, College of Medicine, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, China
| | - Hong Xu
- The MOE Key Laboratory of Biosystems Homeostasis & Protection, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, China
| | - Bing Tian
- The MOE Key Laboratory of Biosystems Homeostasis & Protection, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, China
| | - Ye Zhao
- The MOE Key Laboratory of Biosystems Homeostasis & Protection, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, China
| | - Yuejin Hua
- The MOE Key Laboratory of Biosystems Homeostasis & Protection, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, China
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Identification of DNA methylation-regulated differentially-expressed genes and related pathways using Illumina 450K BeadChip and bioinformatic analysis in gastric cancer. Pathol Res Pract 2019; 215:152570. [PMID: 31378454 DOI: 10.1016/j.prp.2019.152570] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/25/2019] [Revised: 07/16/2019] [Accepted: 07/26/2019] [Indexed: 01/11/2023]
Abstract
In the current research, we aimed to identify and analyze methylation-regulated differentially-expressed genes (MeDEGs) and related pathways using bioinformatic methods. We downloaded RNA-seq, Illumina Human Methylation 450 K BeadChip and clinical information of gastric cancer (GC) from The Cancer Genome Atlas (TCGA) project. Differentially-expressed genes (DEGs) were identified using the edgeR package. Then, we performed Spearman's correlation analysis between DEG expression levels and methylation levels. Gene ontology (GO) and Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes (KEGG) pathway enrichment analyses were performed in the DAVID database. We then conducted Kaplan-Meier survival analysis to explore the relationship between methylation, expression and prognosis. The protein-protein interaction networks were further analyzed using the STRING database. A total of 204 down-regulated DEGs and 164 up-regulated DEGs were identified as MeDEGs. GO and KEGG pathway analyses showed that MeDEGs were enriched in multiple cancer-related terms. Kaplan-Meier survival analysis showed that eight up-regulated MeDEGs (CAMKV, COMP, FGF3, FGF19, FOXL2, IGF2BP1, IGFBP1 and NPPB) and five down-regulated MeDEGs (ALDH3B2, CALML3, FLRT1, G6PC and HRASLS2) were associated with prognosis of GC patients. In addition, PPI networks and KEGG pathway analyses further confirmed the critical role of prognosis-related MeDEGs. In conclusion, methylation plays a critical role in GC progression. Multiple MeDEGs are related to prognosis, suggesting that they may be potential targets in tumor treatment.
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42
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Estibariz I, Overmann A, Ailloud F, Krebes J, Josenhans C, Suerbaum S. The core genome m5C methyltransferase JHP1050 (M.Hpy99III) plays an important role in orchestrating gene expression in Helicobacter pylori. Nucleic Acids Res 2019; 47:2336-2348. [PMID: 30624738 PMCID: PMC6412003 DOI: 10.1093/nar/gky1307] [Citation(s) in RCA: 42] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/15/2018] [Revised: 12/18/2018] [Accepted: 12/21/2018] [Indexed: 12/20/2022] Open
Abstract
Helicobacter pylori encodes a large number of restriction-modification (R-M) systems despite its small genome. R-M systems have been described as 'primitive immune systems' in bacteria, but the role of methylation in bacterial gene regulation and other processes is increasingly accepted. Every H. pylori strain harbours a unique set of R-M systems resulting in a highly diverse methylome. We identified a highly conserved GCGC-specific m5C MTase (JHP1050) that was predicted to be active in all of 459 H. pylori genome sequences analyzed. Transcriptome analysis of two H. pylori strains and their respective MTase mutants showed that inactivation of the MTase led to changes in the expression of 225 genes in strain J99, and 29 genes in strain BCM-300. Ten genes were differentially expressed in both mutated strains. Combining bioinformatic analysis and site-directed mutagenesis, we demonstrated that motifs overlapping the promoter influence the expression of genes directly, while methylation of other motifs might cause secondary effects. Thus, m5C methylation modifies the transcription of multiple genes, affecting important phenotypic traits that include adherence to host cells, natural competence for DNA uptake, bacterial cell shape, and susceptibility to copper.
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Affiliation(s)
- Iratxe Estibariz
- Medical Microbiology and Hospital Epidemiology, Max von Pettenkofer Institute, Faculty of Medicine, LMU Munich, München, Germany
- Institute of Medical Microbiology and Hospital Epidemiology, Hannover Medical School, Hannover, Germany
- German Center for Infection Research (DZIF), Munich Site, Munich, Germany
| | - Annemarie Overmann
- Medical Microbiology and Hospital Epidemiology, Max von Pettenkofer Institute, Faculty of Medicine, LMU Munich, München, Germany
| | - Florent Ailloud
- Medical Microbiology and Hospital Epidemiology, Max von Pettenkofer Institute, Faculty of Medicine, LMU Munich, München, Germany
- Institute of Medical Microbiology and Hospital Epidemiology, Hannover Medical School, Hannover, Germany
- German Center for Infection Research (DZIF), Munich Site, Munich, Germany
| | - Juliane Krebes
- Institute of Medical Microbiology and Hospital Epidemiology, Hannover Medical School, Hannover, Germany
| | - Christine Josenhans
- Medical Microbiology and Hospital Epidemiology, Max von Pettenkofer Institute, Faculty of Medicine, LMU Munich, München, Germany
- Institute of Medical Microbiology and Hospital Epidemiology, Hannover Medical School, Hannover, Germany
- German Center for Infection Research (DZIF), Munich Site, Munich, Germany
| | - Sebastian Suerbaum
- Medical Microbiology and Hospital Epidemiology, Max von Pettenkofer Institute, Faculty of Medicine, LMU Munich, München, Germany
- Institute of Medical Microbiology and Hospital Epidemiology, Hannover Medical School, Hannover, Germany
- German Center for Infection Research (DZIF), Munich Site, Munich, Germany
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43
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Beaulaurier J, Schadt EE, Fang G. Deciphering bacterial epigenomes using modern sequencing technologies. Nat Rev Genet 2019; 20:157-172. [PMID: 30546107 PMCID: PMC6555402 DOI: 10.1038/s41576-018-0081-3] [Citation(s) in RCA: 102] [Impact Index Per Article: 20.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/06/2023]
Abstract
Prokaryotic DNA contains three types of methylation: N6-methyladenine, N4-methylcytosine and 5-methylcytosine. The lack of tools to analyse the frequency and distribution of methylated residues in bacterial genomes has prevented a full understanding of their functions. Now, advances in DNA sequencing technology, including single-molecule, real-time sequencing and nanopore-based sequencing, have provided new opportunities for systematic detection of all three forms of methylated DNA at a genome-wide scale and offer unprecedented opportunities for achieving a more complete understanding of bacterial epigenomes. Indeed, as the number of mapped bacterial methylomes approaches 2,000, increasing evidence supports roles for methylation in regulation of gene expression, virulence and pathogen-host interactions.
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Affiliation(s)
- John Beaulaurier
- Department of Genetics and Genomic Sciences and Icahn Institute for Genomics and Multiscale Biology, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY, USA
| | - Eric E Schadt
- Department of Genetics and Genomic Sciences and Icahn Institute for Genomics and Multiscale Biology, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY, USA
| | - Gang Fang
- Department of Genetics and Genomic Sciences and Icahn Institute for Genomics and Multiscale Biology, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY, USA.
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44
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Park HJ, Jung B, Lee J, Han SW. Functional characterization of a putative DNA methyltransferase, EadM, in Xanthomonas axonopodis pv. glycines by proteomic and phenotypic analyses. Sci Rep 2019; 9:2446. [PMID: 30792399 PMCID: PMC6385262 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-019-38650-3] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/27/2018] [Accepted: 01/02/2019] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Xanthomonas axonopodis pv. glycines (Xag) is a phytopathogenic bacterium causing bacterial pustule disease in soybean. Functions of DNA methyltransferases have been characterized in animal pathogenic bacteria, but are poorly understood in plant pathogens. Here, we report that functions of a putative DNA methyltransferase, EadM, in Xag. An EadM-overexpressing strain, Xag(EadM), was less virulent than the wild-type carrying an empty vector, Xag(EV). Interestingly, the viable cell numbers of Xag(EadM) were much lower (10-fold) than those of Xag(EV) at the same optical density. Comparative proteomic analysis revealed that proteins involved in cell wall/membrane/envelope and iron-transport were more abundant. Based on proteomic analysis we carried out diverse phenotypic assays. Scanning electron microscopy revealed abnormal bacterial envelopes in Xag(EadM). Additionally, Xag(EadM) showed decreased stress tolerance against ciprofloxacin and sorbitol, but enhanced resistance to desiccation. Exopolysaccharide production in Xag(EadM) was also decreased. Production of siderophores, which are iron-chelators, was much higher in Xag(EadM). As in Xag, Escherichia coli expressing EadM showed significantly reduced (1000-fold) viable cell numbers at the same optical density. Thus, EadM is associated with virulence, envelope biogenesis, stress tolerance, exopolysaccharide production, and siderophore production. Our results provide valuable and fundamental information regarding DNA methyltransferase functions and their related cellular mechanisms in plant pathogenic bacteria.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hye-Jee Park
- Department of Integrative Plant Science, Chung-Ang University, Anseong, 17546, Republic of Korea
| | - Boknam Jung
- Department of Applied Biology, Dong-A University, Busan, 49315, Republic of Korea
| | - Jungkwan Lee
- Department of Applied Biology, Dong-A University, Busan, 49315, Republic of Korea
| | - Sang-Wook Han
- Department of Integrative Plant Science, Chung-Ang University, Anseong, 17546, Republic of Korea.
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Prasad Y, Kumar R, Chaudhary AK, Dhanaraju R, Majumdar S, Rao DN. Kinetic and catalytic properties of M.HpyAXVII, a phase-variable DNA methyltransferase from Helicobacter pylori. J Biol Chem 2018; 294:1019-1034. [PMID: 30478171 DOI: 10.1074/jbc.ra118.003769] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/01/2018] [Revised: 11/10/2018] [Indexed: 01/26/2023] Open
Abstract
The bacterium Helicobacter pylori is one of the most common infectious agents found in the human stomach. H. pylori has an unusually large number of DNA methyltransferases (MTases), prompting speculation that they may be involved in the cancerization of epithelial cells. The mod-4a/4b locus, consisting of the hp1369 and hp1370 ORFs, encodes for a truncated and inactive MTase in H. pylori strain 26695. However, slipped-strand synthesis within the phase-variable polyguanine tract in hp1369 results in expression of an active HP1369-1370 fusion N 6-adenine methyltransferase, designated M.HpyAXVII. Sequence analysis of the mod-4a/4b locus across 74 H. pylori strain genomes has provided insights into the regulation of M.HpyAXVII expression. To better understand the role of M.HpyAXVII in the H. pylori biology, here we cloned and overexpressed the hp1369-70 fusion construct in Escherichia coli BL21(DE3) cells. Results from size-exclusion chromatography and multi-angle light scattering (MALS) analyses suggested that M.HpyAXVII exists as a dimer in solution. Kinetic studies, including product and substrate inhibition analyses, initial velocity dependence between substrates, and isotope partitioning, suggested that M.HpyAXVII catalyzes DNA methylation in an ordered Bi Bi mechanism in which the AdoMet binding precedes DNA binding and AdoMet's methyl group is then transferred to an adenine within the DNA recognition sequence. Altering the highly conserved catalytic motif (DPP(Y/F)) as well as the AdoMet-binding motif (FXGXG) by site-directed mutagenesis abolished the catalytic activity of M.HpyAXVII. These results provide insights into the enzyme kinetic mechanism of M.HpyAXVII. We propose that AdoMet binding conformationally "primes" the enzyme for DNA binding.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yedu Prasad
- From the Department of Biochemistry, Indian Institute of Science, Bangalore-560012, Karnataka, India and
| | - Ritesh Kumar
- From the Department of Biochemistry, Indian Institute of Science, Bangalore-560012, Karnataka, India and
| | - Awanish Kumar Chaudhary
- From the Department of Biochemistry, Indian Institute of Science, Bangalore-560012, Karnataka, India and
| | - Rajkumar Dhanaraju
- From the Department of Biochemistry, Indian Institute of Science, Bangalore-560012, Karnataka, India and
| | - Soneya Majumdar
- Biological Sciences and Bioengineering, Indian Institute of Technology, Kanpur-208016, Uttar Pradesh, India
| | - Desirazu N Rao
- From the Department of Biochemistry, Indian Institute of Science, Bangalore-560012, Karnataka, India and
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46
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Hu L, Xiao P, Jiang Y, Dong M, Chen Z, Li H, Hu Z, Lei A, Wang J. Transgenerational Epigenetic Inheritance Under Environmental Stress by Genome-Wide DNA Methylation Profiling in Cyanobacterium. Front Microbiol 2018; 9:1479. [PMID: 30022974 PMCID: PMC6039552 DOI: 10.3389/fmicb.2018.01479] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/29/2018] [Accepted: 06/13/2018] [Indexed: 11/19/2022] Open
Abstract
Epigenetic modifications such as DNA methylation are well known as connected with many important biological processes. Rapid accumulating evidence shows environmental stress can generate particular defense epigenetic changes across generations in eukaryotes. This transgenerational epigenetic inheritance in animals and plants has gained interest over the last years. Cyanobacteria play very crucial role in the earth, and as the primary producer they can adapt to nearly all diverse environments. However, few knowledge about the genome wide epigenetic information such as methylome information in cyanobacteria, especially under any environment stress, was reported so far. In this study we profiled the genome-wide cytosine methylation from a model cyanobacterium Synechocystis sp. PCC 6803, and explored the possibility of transgenerational epigenetic process in this ancient single-celled prokaryote by comparing the DNA methylomes among normal nitrogen medium cultivation, nitrogen starvation for 72 h and nitrogen recovery for about 12 generations. Our results shows that DNA methylation patterns in nitrogen starvation and nitrogen recovery are much more similar with each other, significantly different from that of the normal nitrogen. This study reveals the difference in global DNA methylation pattern of cyanobacteria between normal and nutrient stress conditions and reports the evidence of transgenerational epigenetic process in cyanobacteria. The results of this study may contribute to a better understanding of epigenetic regulation in prokaryotic adaptation to and survive in the ever changing environment.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lang Hu
- Shenzhen Key Laboratory of Marine Bioresource and Eco-environmental Science, Shenzhen Engineering Laboratory for Marine Algal Biotechnology, Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory for Plant Epigenetics, College of Life Sciences and Oceanography, Shenzhen University, Shenzhen, China
- Nanshan District Key Lab for Biopolymers and Safety Evaluation, College of Materials Science and Engineering, Shenzhen University, Shenzhen, China
| | - Peng Xiao
- Shenzhen Key Laboratory of Marine Bioresource and Eco-environmental Science, Shenzhen Engineering Laboratory for Marine Algal Biotechnology, Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory for Plant Epigenetics, College of Life Sciences and Oceanography, Shenzhen University, Shenzhen, China
| | - Yongguang Jiang
- Shenzhen Key Laboratory of Marine Bioresource and Eco-environmental Science, Shenzhen Engineering Laboratory for Marine Algal Biotechnology, Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory for Plant Epigenetics, College of Life Sciences and Oceanography, Shenzhen University, Shenzhen, China
| | - Mingjie Dong
- Shenzhen Key Laboratory of Marine Bioresource and Eco-environmental Science, Shenzhen Engineering Laboratory for Marine Algal Biotechnology, Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory for Plant Epigenetics, College of Life Sciences and Oceanography, Shenzhen University, Shenzhen, China
| | - Zixi Chen
- Laboratory of Synthetic Microbiology, School of Chemical Engineering and Technology, Tianjin University, Tianjin, China
| | - Hui Li
- Shenzhen Key Laboratory of Marine Bioresource and Eco-environmental Science, Shenzhen Engineering Laboratory for Marine Algal Biotechnology, Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory for Plant Epigenetics, College of Life Sciences and Oceanography, Shenzhen University, Shenzhen, China
| | - Zhangli Hu
- Shenzhen Key Laboratory of Marine Bioresource and Eco-environmental Science, Shenzhen Engineering Laboratory for Marine Algal Biotechnology, Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory for Plant Epigenetics, College of Life Sciences and Oceanography, Shenzhen University, Shenzhen, China
| | - Anping Lei
- Shenzhen Key Laboratory of Marine Bioresource and Eco-environmental Science, Shenzhen Engineering Laboratory for Marine Algal Biotechnology, Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory for Plant Epigenetics, College of Life Sciences and Oceanography, Shenzhen University, Shenzhen, China
| | - Jiangxin Wang
- Shenzhen Key Laboratory of Marine Bioresource and Eco-environmental Science, Shenzhen Engineering Laboratory for Marine Algal Biotechnology, Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory for Plant Epigenetics, College of Life Sciences and Oceanography, Shenzhen University, Shenzhen, China
- Nanshan District Key Lab for Biopolymers and Safety Evaluation, College of Materials Science and Engineering, Shenzhen University, Shenzhen, China
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