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Szafran K, Rafalski D, Skowronek K, Wojciechowski M, Kazrani A, Gilski M, Xu SY, Bochtler M. Structural analysis of the BisI family of modification dependent restriction endonucleases. Nucleic Acids Res 2024; 52:9103-9118. [PMID: 39041409 PMCID: PMC11347163 DOI: 10.1093/nar/gkae634] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/18/2024] [Revised: 06/22/2024] [Accepted: 07/10/2024] [Indexed: 07/24/2024] Open
Abstract
The BisI family of restriction endonucleases is unique in requiring multiple methylated or hydroxymethylated cytosine residues within a short recognition sequence (GCNGC), and in cleaving directly within this sequence, rather than at a distance. Here, we report that the number of modified cytosines that are required for cleavage can be tuned by the salt concentration. We present crystal structures of two members of the BisI family, NhoI and Eco15I_Ntd (N-terminal domain of Eco15I), in the absence of DNA and in specific complexes with tetra-methylated GCNGC target DNA. The structures show that NhoI and Eco15I_Ntd sense modified cytosine bases in the context of double-stranded DNA (dsDNA) without base flipping. In the co-crystal structures of NhoI and Eco15I_Ntd with DNA, the internal methyl groups (G5mCNGC) interact with the side chains of an (H/R)(V/I/T/M) di-amino acid motif near the C-terminus of the distal enzyme subunit and arginine residue from the proximal subunit. The external methyl groups (GCNG5mC) interact with the proximal enzyme subunit, mostly through main chain contacts. Surface plasmon resonance analysis for Eco15I_Ntd shows that the internal and external methyl binding pockets contribute about equally to sensing of cytosine methyl groups.
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Affiliation(s)
- Katarzyna Szafran
- International Institute of Molecular and Cell Biology, Warsaw, Poland
| | - Dominik Rafalski
- International Institute of Molecular and Cell Biology, Warsaw, Poland
- Institute of Biochemistry and Biophysics, Polish Academy of Sciences, Warsaw, Poland
| | | | | | | | - Mirosław Gilski
- Faculty of Chemistry, Adam Mickiewicz University, Poznan
- Institute of Bioorganic Chemistry, Polish Academy of Sciences, Poznan, Poland
| | | | - Matthias Bochtler
- International Institute of Molecular and Cell Biology, Warsaw, Poland
- Institute of Biochemistry and Biophysics, Polish Academy of Sciences, Warsaw, Poland
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2
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Wang Y, Ge F, Liu J, Hu W, Liu G, Deng Z, He X. The binding affinity-dependent inhibition of cell growth and viability by DNA sulfur-binding domains. Mol Microbiol 2024; 121:971-983. [PMID: 38480679 DOI: 10.1111/mmi.15249] [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: 01/31/2024] [Revised: 03/01/2024] [Accepted: 03/02/2024] [Indexed: 05/16/2024]
Abstract
Increasing evidence suggests that DNA phosphorothioate (PT) modification serves several purposes in the bacterial host, and some restriction enzymes specifically target PT-DNA. PT-dependent restriction enzymes (PDREs) bind PT-DNA through their DNA sulfur binding domain (SBD) with dissociation constants (KD) of 5 nM~1 μM. Here, we report that SprMcrA, a PDRE, failed to dissociate from PT-DNA after cleavage due to high binding affinity, resulting in low DNA cleavage efficiency. Expression of SBDs in Escherichia coli cells with PT modification induced a drastic loss of cell viability at 25°C when both DNA strands of a PT site were bound, with one SBD on each DNA strand. However, at this temperature, SBD binding to only one PT DNA strand elicited a severe growth lag rather than lethality. This cell growth inhibition phenotype was alleviated by raising the growth temperature. An in vitro assay mimicking DNA replication and RNA transcription demonstrated that the bound SBD hindered the synthesis of new DNA and RNA when using PT-DNA as the template. Our findings suggest that DNA modification-targeting proteins might regulate cellular processes involved in DNA metabolism in addition to being components of restriction-modification systems and epigenetic readers.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yuli Wang
- State Key Laboratory of Microbial Metabolism, Joint International Research Laboratory of Metabolic & Developmental Sciences, School of Life Sciences & Biotechnology, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, Shanghai, People's Republic of China
| | - Fulin Ge
- State Key Laboratory of Microbial Metabolism, Joint International Research Laboratory of Metabolic & Developmental Sciences, School of Life Sciences & Biotechnology, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, Shanghai, People's Republic of China
| | - Jinling Liu
- State Key Laboratory of Microbial Metabolism, Joint International Research Laboratory of Metabolic & Developmental Sciences, School of Life Sciences & Biotechnology, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, Shanghai, People's Republic of China
| | - Wenyue Hu
- State Key Laboratory of Microbial Metabolism, Joint International Research Laboratory of Metabolic & Developmental Sciences, School of Life Sciences & Biotechnology, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, Shanghai, People's Republic of China
| | - Guang Liu
- State Key Laboratory of Microbial Metabolism, Joint International Research Laboratory of Metabolic & Developmental Sciences, School of Life Sciences & Biotechnology, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, Shanghai, People's Republic of China
| | - Zixin Deng
- State Key Laboratory of Microbial Metabolism, Joint International Research Laboratory of Metabolic & Developmental Sciences, School of Life Sciences & Biotechnology, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, Shanghai, People's Republic of China
| | - Xinyi He
- State Key Laboratory of Microbial Metabolism, Joint International Research Laboratory of Metabolic & Developmental Sciences, School of Life Sciences & Biotechnology, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, Shanghai, People's Republic of China
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3
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Helbrecht I, Heiter D, Yang W, Vincze T, Hanneman A, Lutz T, Ettwiller L, Bochtler M, Xu SY. Characterization of winged helix domain fusion endonucleases as N6-methyladenine-dependent type IV restriction systems. Front Microbiol 2024; 15:1286822. [PMID: 38655080 PMCID: PMC11037411 DOI: 10.3389/fmicb.2024.1286822] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/31/2023] [Accepted: 02/08/2024] [Indexed: 04/26/2024] Open
Abstract
Winged helix (wH) domains, also termed winged helix-turn-helix (wHTH) domains, are widespread in all kingdoms of life and have diverse roles. In the context of DNA binding and DNA modification sensing, some eukaryotic wH domains are known as sensors of non-methylated CpG. In contrast, the prokaryotic wH domains in DpnI and HhiV4I act as sensors of adenine methylation in the 6mApT (N6-methyladenine, 6mA, or N6mA) context. DNA-binding modes and interactions with the probed dinucleotide are vastly different in the two cases. Here, we show that the role of the wH domain as a sensor of adenine methylation is widespread in prokaryotes. We present previously uncharacterized examples of PD-(D/E)XK-wH (FcyTI, Psp4BI), PUA-wH-HNH (HtuIII), wH-GIY-YIG (Ahi29725I, Apa233I), and PLD-wH (Aba4572I, CbaI) fusion endonucleases that sense adenine methylation in the Dam+ Gm6ATC sequence contexts. Representatives of the wH domain endonuclease fusion families with the exception of the PLD-wH family could be purified, and an in vitro preference for adenine methylation in the Dam context could be demonstrated. Like most other modification-dependent restriction endonucleases (MDREs, also called type IV restriction systems), the new fusion endonucleases except those in the PD-(D/E)XK-wH family cleave close to but outside the recognition sequence. Taken together, our data illustrate the widespread combinatorial use of prokaryotic wH domains as adenine methylation readers. Other potential 6mA sensors in modified DNA are also discussed.
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Affiliation(s)
- Igor Helbrecht
- New England Biolabs, Inc., Ipswich, MA, United States
- Institute of Biochemistry and Biophysics, Polish Academy of Sciences, Warsaw, Poland
- International Institute of Molecular and Cell Biology, Warsaw, Poland
| | - Daniel Heiter
- New England Biolabs, Inc., Ipswich, MA, United States
| | - Weiwei Yang
- New England Biolabs, Inc., Ipswich, MA, United States
| | - Tamas Vincze
- New England Biolabs, Inc., Ipswich, MA, United States
| | | | - Thomas Lutz
- New England Biolabs, Inc., Ipswich, MA, United States
| | | | - Matthias Bochtler
- Institute of Biochemistry and Biophysics, Polish Academy of Sciences, Warsaw, Poland
- International Institute of Molecular and Cell Biology, Warsaw, Poland
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4
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Wang S, Sun E, Liu Y, Yin B, Zhang X, Li M, Huang Q, Tan C, Qian P, Rao VB, Tao P. Landscape of New Nuclease-Containing Antiphage Systems in Escherichia coli and the Counterdefense Roles of Bacteriophage T4 Genome Modifications. J Virol 2023; 97:e0059923. [PMID: 37306585 PMCID: PMC10308915 DOI: 10.1128/jvi.00599-23] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/22/2023] [Accepted: 05/19/2023] [Indexed: 06/13/2023] Open
Abstract
Many phages, such as T4, protect their genomes against the nucleases of bacterial restriction-modification (R-M) and CRISPR-Cas systems through covalent modification of their genomes. Recent studies have revealed many novel nuclease-containing antiphage systems, raising the question of the role of phage genome modifications in countering these systems. Here, by focusing on phage T4 and its host Escherichia coli, we depicted the landscape of the new nuclease-containing systems in E. coli and demonstrated the roles of T4 genome modifications in countering these systems. Our analysis identified at least 17 nuclease-containing defense systems in E. coli, with type III Druantia being the most abundant system, followed by Zorya, Septu, Gabija, AVAST type 4, and qatABCD. Of these, 8 nuclease-containing systems were found to be active against phage T4 infection. During T4 replication in E. coli, 5-hydroxymethyl dCTP is incorporated into the newly synthesized DNA instead of dCTP. The 5-hydroxymethylcytosines (hmCs) are further modified by glycosylation to form glucosyl-5-hydroxymethylcytosine (ghmC). Our data showed that the ghmC modification of the T4 genome abolished the defense activities of Gabija, Shedu, Restriction-like, type III Druantia, and qatABCD systems. The anti-phage T4 activities of the last two systems can also be counteracted by hmC modification. Interestingly, the Restriction-like system specifically restricts phage T4 containing an hmC-modified genome. The ghmC modification cannot abolish the anti-phage T4 activities of Septu, SspBCDE, and mzaABCDE, although it reduces their efficiency. Our study reveals the multidimensional defense strategies of E. coli nuclease-containing systems and the complex roles of T4 genomic modification in countering these defense systems. IMPORTANCE Cleavage of foreign DNA is a well-known mechanism used by bacteria to protect themselves from phage infections. Two well-known bacterial defense systems, R-M and CRISPR-Cas, both contain nucleases that cleave the phage genomes through specific mechanisms. However, phages have evolved different strategies to modify their genomes to prevent cleavage. Recent studies have revealed many novel nuclease-containing antiphage systems from various bacteria and archaea. However, no studies have systematically investigated the nuclease-containing antiphage systems of a specific bacterial species. In addition, the role of phage genome modifications in countering these systems remains unknown. Here, by focusing on phage T4 and its host Escherichia coli, we depicted the landscape of the new nuclease-containing systems in E. coli using all 2,289 genomes available in NCBI. Our studies reveal the multidimensional defense strategies of E. coli nuclease-containing systems and the complex roles of genomic modification of phage T4 in countering these defense systems.
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Affiliation(s)
- Shuangshuang Wang
- State Key Laboratory of Agricultural Microbiology, Huazhong Agricultural University, Wuhan, Hubei, China
- Cooperative Innovation Center for Sustainable Pig Production, Huazhong Agricultural University, Wuhan, Hubei, China
- Hubei Hongshan Lab, Wuhan, Hubei, China
| | - Erchao Sun
- State Key Laboratory of Agricultural Microbiology, Huazhong Agricultural University, Wuhan, Hubei, China
- Cooperative Innovation Center for Sustainable Pig Production, Huazhong Agricultural University, Wuhan, Hubei, China
- Hubei Hongshan Lab, Wuhan, Hubei, China
| | - Yuepeng Liu
- State Key Laboratory of Agricultural Microbiology, Huazhong Agricultural University, Wuhan, Hubei, China
- Cooperative Innovation Center for Sustainable Pig Production, Huazhong Agricultural University, Wuhan, Hubei, China
- Hubei Hongshan Lab, Wuhan, Hubei, China
| | - Baoqi Yin
- State Key Laboratory of Agricultural Microbiology, Huazhong Agricultural University, Wuhan, Hubei, China
- Cooperative Innovation Center for Sustainable Pig Production, Huazhong Agricultural University, Wuhan, Hubei, China
- Hubei Hongshan Lab, Wuhan, Hubei, China
| | - Xueqi Zhang
- State Key Laboratory of Agricultural Microbiology, Huazhong Agricultural University, Wuhan, Hubei, China
- Cooperative Innovation Center for Sustainable Pig Production, Huazhong Agricultural University, Wuhan, Hubei, China
- Hubei Hongshan Lab, Wuhan, Hubei, China
| | - Mengling Li
- State Key Laboratory of Agricultural Microbiology, Huazhong Agricultural University, Wuhan, Hubei, China
- Cooperative Innovation Center for Sustainable Pig Production, Huazhong Agricultural University, Wuhan, Hubei, China
- Hubei Hongshan Lab, Wuhan, Hubei, China
| | - Qi Huang
- State Key Laboratory of Agricultural Microbiology, Huazhong Agricultural University, Wuhan, Hubei, China
- Cooperative Innovation Center for Sustainable Pig Production, Huazhong Agricultural University, Wuhan, Hubei, China
| | - Chen Tan
- State Key Laboratory of Agricultural Microbiology, Huazhong Agricultural University, Wuhan, Hubei, China
- Cooperative Innovation Center for Sustainable Pig Production, Huazhong Agricultural University, Wuhan, Hubei, China
- Hubei Hongshan Lab, Wuhan, Hubei, China
| | - Ping Qian
- State Key Laboratory of Agricultural Microbiology, Huazhong Agricultural University, Wuhan, Hubei, China
- Cooperative Innovation Center for Sustainable Pig Production, Huazhong Agricultural University, Wuhan, Hubei, China
| | - Venigalla B. Rao
- Bacteriophage Medical Research Center, Department of Biology, The Catholic University of America, Washington, DC, USA
| | - Pan Tao
- State Key Laboratory of Agricultural Microbiology, Huazhong Agricultural University, Wuhan, Hubei, China
- Cooperative Innovation Center for Sustainable Pig Production, Huazhong Agricultural University, Wuhan, Hubei, China
- Hubei Hongshan Lab, Wuhan, Hubei, China
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5
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Szpotkowski K, Wójcik K, Kurzyńska-Kokorniak A. Structural studies of protein-nucleic acid complexes: A brief overview of the selected techniques. Comput Struct Biotechnol J 2023; 21:2858-2872. [PMID: 37216015 PMCID: PMC10195699 DOI: 10.1016/j.csbj.2023.04.028] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/30/2022] [Revised: 04/28/2023] [Accepted: 04/28/2023] [Indexed: 05/24/2023] Open
Abstract
Protein-nucleic acid complexes are involved in all vital processes, including replication, transcription, translation, regulation of gene expression and cell metabolism. Knowledge of the biological functions and molecular mechanisms beyond the activity of the macromolecular complexes can be determined from their tertiary structures. Undoubtably, performing structural studies of protein-nucleic acid complexes is challenging, mainly because these types of complexes are often unstable. In addition, their individual components may display extremely different surface charges, causing the complexes to precipitate at higher concentrations used in many structural studies. Due to the variety of protein-nucleic acid complexes and their different biophysical properties, no simple and universal guideline exists that helps scientists chose a method to successfully determine the structure of a specific protein-nucleic acid complex. In this review, we provide a summary of the following experimental methods, which can be applied to study the structures of protein-nucleic acid complexes: X-ray and neutron crystallography, nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) spectroscopy, cryogenic electron microscopy (cryo-EM), atomic force microscopy (AFM), small angle scattering (SAS) methods, circular dichroism (CD) and infrared (IR) spectroscopy. Each method is discussed regarding its historical context, advancements over the past decades and recent years, and weaknesses and strengths. When a single method does not provide satisfactory data on the selected protein-nucleic acid complex, a combination of several methods should be considered as a hybrid approach; thus, specific structural problems can be solved when studying protein-nucleic acid complexes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kamil Szpotkowski
- Department of Ribonucleoprotein Biochemistry, Institute of Bioorganic Chemistry Polish Academy of Sciences, 61-704 Poznan, Poland
| | - Klaudia Wójcik
- Department of Ribonucleoprotein Biochemistry, Institute of Bioorganic Chemistry Polish Academy of Sciences, 61-704 Poznan, Poland
| | - Anna Kurzyńska-Kokorniak
- Department of Ribonucleoprotein Biochemistry, Institute of Bioorganic Chemistry Polish Academy of Sciences, 61-704 Poznan, Poland
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Cheng Y, Jiang Y, Ren Z, Fu Y, Xu C. Development of an in vivo methylation system for transformation of Ruminiclostridium cellulolyticum. J Appl Microbiol 2021; 132:1926-1935. [PMID: 34787948 DOI: 10.1111/jam.15367] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/23/2021] [Revised: 09/06/2021] [Accepted: 10/04/2021] [Indexed: 11/30/2022]
Abstract
AIMS Ruminiclostridium cellulolyticum, an anaerobic cellulolytic bacterium producing an efficient cellulolytic extracellular complex named cellulosome, is a promising host for biofuel production from lignocellulose. This study aims to develop a rapid transformation method for R. cellulolyticum avoiding its restriction system. METHODS AND RESULTS The CceI restriction system is a major barrier to introduction of foreign DNA into R. cellulolyticum cells. To improve the transformation efficiency of R. cellulolyticum, the gene encoding CceI methyltransferase (M.CceI) of R. cellulolyticum H10 was functionally expressed in Escherichia coli, resulting in an in vivo methylation system for transformation of R. cellulolyticum. The electrotransformation experiments of R. cellulolyticum H10 with the E. coli-Clostridium shuttle plasmid pMTC6 showed that the transformation efficiency reached up to 2.6 × 103 ±0.23 × 103 CFU per μg plasmid DNA. The results demonstrated that the system is able to confer the M.CceI-specific DNA methylation pattern to its resident plasmid, which makes the plasmid resistant to the CceI restriction and efficiently transferred into R. cellulolyticum. CONCLUSIONS In this study, we generated an in vivo methylation system of R. cellulolyticum, allowing interspecies DNA transfer and improving transformation efficiency. SIGNIFICANCE AND IMPACT OF THE STUDY This research result will greatly facilitate the metabolic engineering of R. cellulolyticum for biofuel production directly from cellulose.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ying Cheng
- Key Laboratory of Chemical Biology and Molecular Engineering of Ministry of Education, Institute of Biotechnology, Shanxi University, Taiyuan, Shanxi Province, China
| | - Yuanyuan Jiang
- Key Laboratory of Chemical Biology and Molecular Engineering of Ministry of Education, Institute of Biotechnology, Shanxi University, Taiyuan, Shanxi Province, China
| | - Zhenxing Ren
- Institute of Applied Chemistry, Shanxi University, Taiyuan, Shanxi Province, China
| | - Yuejun Fu
- Key Laboratory of Chemical Biology and Molecular Engineering of Ministry of Education, Institute of Biotechnology, Shanxi University, Taiyuan, Shanxi Province, China
| | - Chenggang Xu
- Key Laboratory of Chemical Biology and Molecular Engineering of Ministry of Education, Institute of Biotechnology, Shanxi University, Taiyuan, Shanxi Province, China
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Xu SY, Zemlyanskaya EV, Gonchar DA, Sun Z, Weigele P, Fomenkov A, Degtyarev SK, Roberts RJ. Characterization of BisI Homologs. Front Microbiol 2021; 12:689929. [PMID: 34276622 PMCID: PMC8281217 DOI: 10.3389/fmicb.2021.689929] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/01/2021] [Accepted: 06/10/2021] [Indexed: 11/26/2022] Open
Abstract
BisI is a sequence-specific and 5-methylcytosine (m5C)-dependent restriction endonuclease (REase), that cleaves the modified DNA sequence Gm5CNGC (G indicates that the cytosine opposite to G is modified). We expressed and purified a number of BisI homologs from sequenced bacterial genomes and used Illumina sequencing to determine the Pam7902I (Esp638I-like) cleavage sites in phage Xp12 DNA. One BisI homolog KpnW2I is EcoBLMcrX-like, cleaving GCNGC/RCNGY/RCNRC sites with m5C. We also cloned and expressed three BisI homologs from metagenome sequences derived from thermophilic sources. One enzyme EsaTMI is active at 37 to 65°C. EsaHLI cleaves GCNGC sites with three to four m5C and is active up to 50°C. In addition, we determined the number and position of m5C in BisI sites for efficient cleavage. BisI cleavage efficiency of GCNGC site is as following: Gm5CNGC (two internal m5C) > Gm5CNGC (one internal m5C) > GCNGm5C (one external m5C) > > GCNGC (unmodified). Three or four m5C in GCNGC site also supports BisI cleavage although partial inhibition was observed on duplex oligos with four m5C. BisI can be used to partially cleave a desired GCNGC site targeted with a complementary oligonucleotide (hemi-methylated). The m5C-dependent BisI variants will be useful for epigenetic research.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | | | - Zhiyi Sun
- New England Biolabs, Inc., Ipswich, MA, United States
| | - Peter Weigele
- New England Biolabs, Inc., Ipswich, MA, United States
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Isaev AB, Musharova OS, Severinov KV. Microbial Arsenal of Antiviral Defenses - Part I. BIOCHEMISTRY (MOSCOW) 2021; 86:319-337. [PMID: 33838632 DOI: 10.1134/s0006297921030081] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/29/2022]
Abstract
Bacteriophages or phages are viruses that infect bacterial cells (for the scope of this review we will also consider viruses that infect Archaea). Constant threat of phage infection is a major force that shapes evolution of the microbial genomes. To withstand infection, bacteria had evolved numerous strategies to avoid recognition by phages or to directly interfere with phage propagation inside the cell. Classical molecular biology and genetic engineering have been deeply intertwined with the study of phages and host defenses. Nowadays, owing to the rise of phage therapy, broad application of CRISPR-Cas technologies, and development of bioinformatics approaches that facilitate discovery of new systems, phage biology experiences a revival. This review describes variety of strategies employed by microbes to counter phage infection, with a focus on novel systems discovered in recent years. First chapter covers defense associated with cell surface, role of small molecules, and innate immunity systems relying on DNA modification.
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Affiliation(s)
- Artem B Isaev
- Skolkovo Institute of Science and Technology, Moscow, 143028, Russia.
| | - Olga S Musharova
- Skolkovo Institute of Science and Technology, Moscow, 143028, Russia. .,Institute of Molecular Genetics, Moscow, 119334, Russia
| | - Konstantin V Severinov
- Skolkovo Institute of Science and Technology, Moscow, 143028, Russia. .,Waksman Institute of Microbiology, Piscataway, NJ 08854, USA
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9
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Pastor M, Czapinska H, Helbrecht I, Krakowska K, Lutz T, Xu SY, Bochtler M. Crystal structures of the EVE-HNH endonuclease VcaM4I in the presence and absence of DNA. Nucleic Acids Res 2021; 49:1708-1723. [PMID: 33450012 PMCID: PMC7897488 DOI: 10.1093/nar/gkaa1218] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/10/2020] [Revised: 11/30/2020] [Accepted: 12/03/2020] [Indexed: 11/28/2022] Open
Abstract
Many modification-dependent restriction endonucleases (MDREs) are fusions of a PUA superfamily modification sensor domain and a nuclease catalytic domain. EVE domains belong to the PUA superfamily, and are present in MDREs in combination with HNH nuclease domains. Here, we present a biochemical characterization of the EVE-HNH endonuclease VcaM4I and crystal structures of the protein alone, with EVE domain bound to either 5mC modified dsDNA or to 5mC/5hmC containing ssDNA. The EVE domain is moderately specific for 5mC/5hmC containing DNA according to EMSA experiments. It flips the modified nucleotide, to accommodate it in a hydrophobic pocket of the enzyme, primarily formed by P24, W82 and Y130 residues. In the crystallized conformation, the EVE domain and linker helix between the two domains block DNA binding to the catalytic domain. Removal of the EVE domain and inter-domain linker, but not of the EVE domain alone converts VcaM4I into a non-specific toxic nuclease. The role of the key residues in the EVE and HNH domains of VcaM4I is confirmed by digestion and restriction assays with the enzyme variants that differ from the wild-type by changes to the base binding pocket or to the catalytic residues.
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Affiliation(s)
- Michal Pastor
- International Institute of Molecular and Cell Biology, Trojdena 4, 02-109 Warsaw, Poland.,Institute of Biochemistry and Biophysics, Polish Academy of Sciences, Pawinskiego 5a, 02-106 Warsaw, Poland
| | - Honorata Czapinska
- International Institute of Molecular and Cell Biology, Trojdena 4, 02-109 Warsaw, Poland
| | - Igor Helbrecht
- International Institute of Molecular and Cell Biology, Trojdena 4, 02-109 Warsaw, Poland.,Institute of Biochemistry and Biophysics, Polish Academy of Sciences, Pawinskiego 5a, 02-106 Warsaw, Poland
| | - Katarzyna Krakowska
- International Institute of Molecular and Cell Biology, Trojdena 4, 02-109 Warsaw, Poland
| | - Thomas Lutz
- New England Biolabs, Inc. 240 County Road, Ipswich, MA 01938, USA
| | - Shuang-Yong Xu
- New England Biolabs, Inc. 240 County Road, Ipswich, MA 01938, USA
| | - Matthias Bochtler
- International Institute of Molecular and Cell Biology, Trojdena 4, 02-109 Warsaw, Poland.,Institute of Biochemistry and Biophysics, Polish Academy of Sciences, Pawinskiego 5a, 02-106 Warsaw, Poland
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10
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Yu H, Li J, Liu G, Zhao G, Wang Y, Hu W, Deng Z, Wu G, Gan J, Zhao YL, He X. DNA backbone interactions impact the sequence specificity of DNA sulfur-binding domains: revelations from structural analyses. Nucleic Acids Res 2020; 48:8755-8766. [PMID: 32621606 PMCID: PMC7470945 DOI: 10.1093/nar/gkaa574] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/12/2019] [Revised: 06/23/2020] [Accepted: 06/25/2020] [Indexed: 12/04/2022] Open
Abstract
The sulfur atom of phosphorothioated DNA (PT-DNA) is coordinated by a surface cavity in the conserved sulfur-binding domain (SBD) of type IV restriction enzymes. However, some SBDs cannot recognize the sulfur atom in some sequence contexts. To illustrate the structural determinants for sequence specificity, we resolved the structure of SBDSpr, from endonuclease SprMcrA, in complex with DNA of GPSGCC, GPSATC and GPSAAC contexts. Structural and computational analyses explained why it binds the above PT-DNAs with an affinity in a decreasing order. The structural analysis of SBDSpr–GPSGCC and SBDSco–GPSGCC, the latter only recognizes DNA of GPSGCC, revealed that a positively charged loop above the sulfur-coordination cavity electrostatically interacts with the neighboring DNA phosphate linkage. The structural analysis indicated that the DNA–protein hydrogen bonding pattern and weak non-bonded interaction played important roles in sequence specificity of SBD protein. Exchanges of the positively-charged amino acid residues with the negatively-charged residues in the loop would enable SBDSco to extend recognization for more PT-DNA sequences, implying that type IV endonucleases can be engineered to recognize PT-DNA in novel target sequences.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hao Yu
- State Key Laboratory of Microbial Metabolism, Joint International Research Laboratory of Metabolic & Developmental Sciences, School of Life Sciences & Biotechnology, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, 800 Dongchuan Road, Shanghai 200240, People's Republic of China
| | - Jiayi Li
- State Key Laboratory of Microbial Metabolism, Joint International Research Laboratory of Metabolic & Developmental Sciences, School of Life Sciences & Biotechnology, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, 800 Dongchuan Road, Shanghai 200240, People's Republic of China
| | - Guang Liu
- State Key Laboratory of Bioreactor Engineering, East China University of Science and Technology, Shanghai 200237, People's Republic of China
| | - Gong Zhao
- State Key Laboratory of Microbial Metabolism, Joint International Research Laboratory of Metabolic & Developmental Sciences, School of Life Sciences & Biotechnology, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, 800 Dongchuan Road, Shanghai 200240, People's Republic of China
| | - Yuli Wang
- State Key Laboratory of Microbial Metabolism, Joint International Research Laboratory of Metabolic & Developmental Sciences, School of Life Sciences & Biotechnology, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, 800 Dongchuan Road, Shanghai 200240, People's Republic of China
| | - Wenyue Hu
- State Key Laboratory of Microbial Metabolism, Joint International Research Laboratory of Metabolic & Developmental Sciences, School of Life Sciences & Biotechnology, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, 800 Dongchuan Road, Shanghai 200240, People's Republic of China
| | - Zixin Deng
- State Key Laboratory of Microbial Metabolism, Joint International Research Laboratory of Metabolic & Developmental Sciences, School of Life Sciences & Biotechnology, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, 800 Dongchuan Road, Shanghai 200240, People's Republic of China
| | - Geng Wu
- State Key Laboratory of Microbial Metabolism, Joint International Research Laboratory of Metabolic & Developmental Sciences, School of Life Sciences & Biotechnology, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, 800 Dongchuan Road, Shanghai 200240, People's Republic of China
| | - Jianhua Gan
- Shanghai Public Health Clinical Center, State Key Laboratory of Genetic Engineering, Collaborative Innovation Center of Genetics and Development, Department of Physiology and Biophysics, School of Life Sciences, Fudan University, Shanghai 200433, People's Republic of China
| | - Yi-Lei Zhao
- State Key Laboratory of Microbial Metabolism, Joint International Research Laboratory of Metabolic & Developmental Sciences, School of Life Sciences & Biotechnology, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, 800 Dongchuan Road, Shanghai 200240, People's Republic of China
| | - Xinyi He
- State Key Laboratory of Microbial Metabolism, Joint International Research Laboratory of Metabolic & Developmental Sciences, School of Life Sciences & Biotechnology, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, 800 Dongchuan Road, Shanghai 200240, People's Republic of China
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11
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Slyvka A, Zagorskaitė E, Czapinska H, Sasnauskas G, Bochtler M. Crystal structure of the EcoKMcrA N-terminal domain (NEco): recognition of modified cytosine bases without flipping. Nucleic Acids Res 2020; 47:11943-11955. [PMID: 31724709 PMCID: PMC7145662 DOI: 10.1093/nar/gkz1017] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/03/2019] [Revised: 10/15/2019] [Accepted: 10/21/2019] [Indexed: 01/19/2023] Open
Abstract
EcoKMcrA from Escherichia coli restricts CpG methylated or hydroxymethylated DNA, and may act as a barrier against host DNA. The enzyme consists of a novel N-terminal specificity domain that we term NEco, and a C-terminal catalytic HNH domain. Here, we report that NEco and full-length EcoKMcrA specificities are consistent. NEco affinity to DNA increases more from hemi- to full-methylation than from non- to hemi-methylation, indicating cooperative binding of the methyl groups. We determined the crystal structures of NEco in complex with fully modified DNA containing three variants of the Y5mCGR EcoKMcrA target sequence: C5mCGG, T5mCGA and T5hmCGA. The structures explain the specificity for the two central base pairs and one of the flanking pairs. As predicted based on earlier biochemical experiments, NEco does not flip any DNA bases. The proximal and distal methyl groups are accommodated in separate pockets. Changes to either pocket reduce DNA binding by NEco and restriction by EcoKMcrA, confirming the relevance of the crystallographically observed binding mode in solution.
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Affiliation(s)
- Anton Slyvka
- International Institute of Molecular and Cell Biology, Trojdena 4, 02-109 Warsaw, Poland
| | - Evelina Zagorskaitė
- Institute of Biotechnology, Vilnius University, Saulėtekio av. 7, 10257 Vilnius, Lithuania
| | - Honorata Czapinska
- International Institute of Molecular and Cell Biology, Trojdena 4, 02-109 Warsaw, Poland
| | - Giedrius Sasnauskas
- Institute of Biotechnology, Vilnius University, Saulėtekio av. 7, 10257 Vilnius, Lithuania
| | - Matthias Bochtler
- International Institute of Molecular and Cell Biology, Trojdena 4, 02-109 Warsaw, Poland.,Institute of Biochemistry and Biophysics PAS, Pawinskiego 5a, 02-106 Warsaw, Poland
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12
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HK97 gp74 Possesses an α-Helical Insertion in the ββα Fold That Affects Its Metal Binding, cos Site Digestion, and In Vivo Activities. J Bacteriol 2020; 202:JB.00644-19. [PMID: 31988081 DOI: 10.1128/jb.00644-19] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/09/2019] [Accepted: 01/17/2020] [Indexed: 11/20/2022] Open
Abstract
The last gene in the genome of the bacteriophage HK97 encodes gp74, an HNH endonuclease. HNH motifs contain two conserved His residues and an invariant Asn residue, and they adopt a ββα structure. gp74 is essential for phage head morphogenesis, likely because gp74 enhances the specific endonuclease activity of the HK97 terminase complex. Notably, the ability of gp74 to enhance the terminase-mediated cleavage of the phage cos site requires an intact HNH motif in gp74. Mutation of H82, the conserved metal-binding His residue in the HNH motif, to Ala abrogates gp74-mediated stimulation of terminase activity. Here, we present nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) studies demonstrating that gp74 contains an α-helical insertion in the Ω-loop, which connects the two β-strands of the ββα fold, and a disordered C-terminal tail. NMR data indicate that the Ω-loop insert makes contacts to the ββα fold and influences the ability of gp74 to bind divalent metal ions. Further, the Ω-loop insert and C-terminal tail contribute to gp74-mediated DNA digestion and to gp74 activity in phage morphogenesis. The data presented here enrich our molecular-level understanding of how HNH endonucleases enhance terminase-mediated digestion of the cos site and contribute to the phage replication cycle.IMPORTANCE This study demonstrates that residues outside the canonical ββα fold, namely, the Ω-loop α-helical insert and a disordered C-terminal tail, regulate the activity of the HNH endonuclease gp74. The increased divalent metal ion binding when the Ω-loop insert is removed compared to reduced cos site digestion and phage formation indicates that the Ω-loop insert plays multiple regulatory roles. The data presented here provide insights into the molecular basis of the involvement of HNH proteins in phage DNA packing.
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13
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Lutz T, Flodman K, Copelas A, Czapinska H, Mabuchi M, Fomenkov A, He X, Bochtler M, Xu SY. A protein architecture guided screen for modification dependent restriction endonucleases. Nucleic Acids Res 2019; 47:9761-9776. [PMID: 31504772 PMCID: PMC6765204 DOI: 10.1093/nar/gkz755] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/12/2019] [Revised: 08/18/2019] [Accepted: 08/31/2019] [Indexed: 11/15/2022] Open
Abstract
Modification dependent restriction endonucleases (MDREs) often have separate catalytic and modification dependent domains. We systematically looked for previously uncharacterized fusion proteins featuring a PUA or DUF3427 domain and HNH or PD-(D/E)XK catalytic domain. The enzymes were clustered by similarity of their putative modification sensing domains into several groups. The TspA15I (VcaM4I, CmeDI), ScoA3IV (MsiJI, VcaCI) and YenY4I groups, all featuring a PUA superfamily domain, preferentially cleaved DNA containing 5-methylcytosine or 5-hydroxymethylcytosine. ScoA3V, also featuring a PUA superfamily domain, but of a different clade, exhibited 6-methyladenine stimulated nicking activity. With few exceptions, ORFs for PUA-superfamily domain containing endonucleases were not close to DNA methyltransferase ORFs, strongly supporting modification dependent activity of the endonucleases. DUF3427 domain containing fusion proteins had very little or no endonuclease activity, despite the presence of a putative PD-(D/E)XK catalytic domain. However, their expression potently restricted phage T4gt in Escherichia coli cells. In contrast to the ORFs for PUA domain containing endonucleases, the ORFs for DUF3427 fusion proteins were frequently found in defense islands, often also featuring DNA methyltransferases.
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Affiliation(s)
- Thomas Lutz
- New England Biolabs, Inc. 240 County Road, Ipswich, MA 01938, USA
| | - Kiersten Flodman
- New England Biolabs, Inc. 240 County Road, Ipswich, MA 01938, USA
| | - Alyssa Copelas
- New England Biolabs, Inc. 240 County Road, Ipswich, MA 01938, USA
| | - Honorata Czapinska
- International Institute of Molecular and Cell Biology, Trojdena 4, 02-109 Warsaw, Poland
| | - Megumu Mabuchi
- New England Biolabs, Inc. 240 County Road, Ipswich, MA 01938, USA
| | - Alexey Fomenkov
- New England Biolabs, Inc. 240 County Road, Ipswich, MA 01938, USA
| | - Xinyi He
- State Key Laboratory of Microbial Metabolism, School of Life Sciences & Biotechnology, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, 200240 Shanghai, China
| | - Matthias Bochtler
- International Institute of Molecular and Cell Biology, Trojdena 4, 02-109 Warsaw, Poland.,Institute of Biochemistry and Biophysics PAS, Pawinskiego 5a, 02-106 Warsaw, Poland
| | - Shuang-Yong Xu
- New England Biolabs, Inc. 240 County Road, Ipswich, MA 01938, USA
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14
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Kisiala M, Copelas A, Czapinska H, Xu SY, Bochtler M. Crystal structure of the modification-dependent SRA-HNH endonuclease TagI. Nucleic Acids Res 2019; 46:10489-10503. [PMID: 30202937 PMCID: PMC6212794 DOI: 10.1093/nar/gky781] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/23/2018] [Accepted: 08/17/2018] [Indexed: 12/14/2022] Open
Abstract
TagI belongs to the recently characterized SRA-HNH family of modification-dependent restriction endonucleases (REases) that also includes ScoA3IV (Sco5333) and TbiR51I (Tbis1). Here, we present a crystal structure of dimeric TagI, which exhibits a DNA binding site formed jointly by the nuclease domains, and separate binding sites for modified DNA bases in the two protomers. The nuclease domains have characteristic features of HNH/ββα-Me REases, and catalyze nicks or double strand breaks, with preference for /RY and RYN/RY sites, respectively. The SRA domains have the canonical fold. Their pockets for the flipped bases are spacious enough to accommodate 5-methylcytosine (5mC) or 5-hydroxymethylcytosine (5hmC), but not glucosyl-5-hydroxymethylcytosine (g5hmC). Such preference is in agreement with the biochemical determination of the TagI modification dependence and the results of phage restriction assays. The ability of TagI to digest plasmids methylated by Dcm (C5mCWGG), M.Fnu4HI (G5mCNGC) or M.HpyCH4IV (A5mCGT) suggests that the SRA domains of the enzyme are tolerant to different sequence contexts of the modified base.
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Affiliation(s)
- Marlena Kisiala
- International Institute of Molecular and Cell Biology, Trojdena 4, 02-109 Warsaw, Poland.,Institute of Biochemistry and Biophysics PAS, Pawinskiego 5a, 02-106 Warsaw, Poland.,Biological and Chemical Research Centre, University of Warsaw, Zwirki i Wigury 101, 02-089 Warsaw, Poland
| | - Alyssa Copelas
- New England Biolabs, Inc. 240 County Road, Ipswich, MA 01938, USA
| | - Honorata Czapinska
- International Institute of Molecular and Cell Biology, Trojdena 4, 02-109 Warsaw, Poland
| | - Shuang-Yong Xu
- New England Biolabs, Inc. 240 County Road, Ipswich, MA 01938, USA
| | - Matthias Bochtler
- International Institute of Molecular and Cell Biology, Trojdena 4, 02-109 Warsaw, Poland.,Institute of Biochemistry and Biophysics PAS, Pawinskiego 5a, 02-106 Warsaw, Poland
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15
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Flodman K, Tsai R, Xu MY, Corrêa IR, Copelas A, Lee YJ, Xu MQ, Weigele P, Xu SY. Type II Restriction of Bacteriophage DNA With 5hmdU-Derived Base Modifications. Front Microbiol 2019; 10:584. [PMID: 30984133 PMCID: PMC6449724 DOI: 10.3389/fmicb.2019.00584] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/27/2019] [Accepted: 03/07/2019] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
To counteract bacterial defense systems, bacteriophages (phages) make extensive base modifications (substitutions) to block endonuclease restriction. Here we evaluated Type II restriction of three thymidine (T or 5-methyldeoxyuridine, 5mdU) modified phage genomes: Pseudomonas phage M6 with 5-(2-aminoethyl)deoxyuridine (5-NedU), Salmonella phage ViI (Vi1) with 5-(2-aminoethoxy)methyldeoxyuridine (5-NeOmdU) and Delftia phage phi W-14 (a.k.a. ΦW-14) with α-putrescinylthymidine (putT). Among >200 commercially available restriction endonucleases (REases) tested, phage M6, ViI, and phi W-14 genomic DNAs (gDNA) show resistance against 48.4, 71.0, and 68.8% of Type II restrictions, respectively. Inspection of the resistant sites indicates the presence of conserved dinucleotide TG or TC (TS, S=C, or G), implicating the specificity of TS sequence as the target that is converted to modified base in the genomes. We also tested a number of DNA methyltransferases (MTases) on these phage DNAs and found some MTases can fully or partially modify the DNA to confer more resistance to cleavage by REases. Phage M6 restriction fragments can be efficiently ligated by T4 DNA ligase. Phi W-14 restriction fragments show apparent reduced rate in E. coli exonuclease III degradation. This work extends previous studies that hypermodified T derived from 5hmdU provides additional resistance to host-encoded restrictions, in parallel to modified cytosines, guanine, and adenine in phage genomes. The results reported here provide a general guidance to use REases to map and clone phage DNA with hypermodified thymidine.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Rebecca Tsai
- New England Biolabs, Inc., Ipswich, MA, United States
| | - Michael Y Xu
- New England Biolabs, Inc., Ipswich, MA, United States
| | - Ivan R Corrêa
- New England Biolabs, Inc., Ipswich, MA, United States
| | | | - Yan-Jiun Lee
- New England Biolabs, Inc., Ipswich, MA, United States
| | - Ming-Qun Xu
- New England Biolabs, Inc., Ipswich, MA, United States
| | - Peter Weigele
- New England Biolabs, Inc., Ipswich, MA, United States
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16
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The Patchy Distribution of Restriction⁻Modification System Genes and the Conservation of Orphan Methyltransferases in Halobacteria. Genes (Basel) 2019; 10:genes10030233. [PMID: 30893937 PMCID: PMC6471742 DOI: 10.3390/genes10030233] [Citation(s) in RCA: 24] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/15/2019] [Revised: 03/13/2019] [Accepted: 03/14/2019] [Indexed: 12/26/2022] Open
Abstract
Restriction⁻modification (RM) systems in bacteria are implicated in multiple biological roles ranging from defense against parasitic genetic elements, to selfish addiction cassettes, and barriers to gene transfer and lineage homogenization. In bacteria, DNA-methylation without cognate restriction also plays important roles in DNA replication, mismatch repair, protein expression, and in biasing DNA uptake. Little is known about archaeal RM systems and DNA methylation. To elucidate further understanding for the role of RM systems and DNA methylation in Archaea, we undertook a survey of the presence of RM system genes and related genes, including orphan DNA methylases, in the halophilic archaeal class Halobacteria. Our results reveal that some orphan DNA methyltransferase genes were highly conserved among lineages indicating an important functional constraint, whereas RM systems demonstrated patchy patterns of presence and absence. This irregular distribution is due to frequent horizontal gene transfer and gene loss, a finding suggesting that the evolution and life cycle of RM systems may be best described as that of a selfish genetic element. A putative target motif (CTAG) of one of the orphan methylases was underrepresented in all of the analyzed genomes, whereas another motif (GATC) was overrepresented in most of the haloarchaeal genomes, particularly in those that encoded the cognate orphan methylase.
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