Orphan response regulator NnaR is critical for nitrate and nitrite assimilation in Mycobacterium abscessus

Mycobacterium abscessus (Mab) is an opportunistic pathogen afflicting individuals with underlying lung disease such as Cystic Fibrosis (CF) or immunodeficiencies. Current treatment strategies for Mab infections are limited by its inherent antibiotic resistance and limited drug access to Mab in its in vivo niches resulting in poor cure rates of 30-50%. Mab's ability to survive within macrophages, granulomas and the mucus laden airways of the CF lung requires adaptation via transcriptional remodeling to counteract stresses like hypoxia, increased levels of nitrate, nitrite, and reactive nitrogen intermediates. Mycobacterium tuberculosis (Mtb) is known to coordinate hypoxic adaptation via induction of respiratory nitrate assimilation through the nitrate reductase narGHJI. Mab, on the other hand, does not encode a respiratory nitrate reductase. In addition, our recent study of the transcriptional responses of Mab to hypoxia revealed marked down-regulation of a locus containing putative nitrate assimilation genes, including the orphan response regulator nnaR (nitrate/nitrite assimilation regulator). These putative nitrate assimilation genes, narK3 (nitrate/nitrite transporter), nirBD (nitrite reductase), nnaR, and sirB (ferrochelatase) are arranged contiguously while nasN (assimilatory nitrate reductase identified in this work) is encoded in a different locus. Absence of a respiratory nitrate reductase in Mab and down-regulation of nitrogen metabolism genes in hypoxia suggest interplay between hypoxia adaptation and nitrate assimilation are distinct from what was previously documented in Mtb. The mechanisms used by Mab to fine-tune the transcriptional regulation of nitrogen metabolism in the context of stresses e.g. hypoxia, particularly the role of NnaR, remain poorly understood. To evaluate the role of NnaR in nitrate metabolism we constructed a Mab nnaR knockout strain (MabΔnnaR ) and complement (MabΔnnaR+C ) to investigate transcriptional regulation and phenotypes. qRT-PCR revealed NnaR is necessary for regulating nitrate and nitrite reductases along with a putative nitrate transporter. Loss of NnaR compromised the ability of Mab to assimilate nitrate or nitrite as sole nitrogen sources highlighting its necessity. This work provides the first insights into the role of Mab NnaR setting a foundation for future work investigating NnaR's contribution to pathogenesis.

Effect of controlling nitrogen and phosphorus release from sediment using a biological aluminum-based P-inactivation agent (BA-PIA)

A biological aluminum-based P-inactivation agent (BA-PIA) has been developed and demonstrated to effectively remove nitrogen and phosphorus; however, whether it can control the release of nitrogen and phosphorus in sediment still needs study. This study aimed to examine the effect of BA-PIA on controlling sediment nitrogen and phosphorus release. BA-PIA was prepared by artificial aeration. The use of BA-PIA in controlling nitrogen and phosphorus release was studied using water and sediment from a landscape lake in static simulation experiments. The sediment microbial community was analyzed using high-throughput sequencing. Static simulation showed that the reduction rates of total nitrogen (TN) and total phosphorus (TP) by BA-PIA were 66.8 ± 1.46% and 96.0 ± 0.98%, respectively. In addition, capping of BA-PIA promotes the conversion of easily released nitrogen (free nitrogen) in the sediment to stable nitrogen (acid-hydrolyzable nitrogen). The content of weakly adsorbed phosphorus and iron-adsorbed phosphorus in the sediment was reduced. The relative abundance of nitrifying bacteria, denitrifying bacteria, and microorganisms carrying phosphatase genes (such as Actinobacteria) in the sediment increased by 109.78%. The capping of BA-PIA not only effectively removed the nitrogen and phosphorus in water but greatly reduced the risk of nitrogen and phosphorus release from sediment. BA-PIA was able to make up for the deficiency of the aluminum-based phosphorus-locking agent (Al-PIA) that only removes phosphorus, giving it improved application prospects.

Removal efficacy and mechanism of nitrogen and phosphorus by biological aluminum-based P-inactivation agent (BA-PIA)

In this study, aluminum-based P-inactivation agent (Al-PIA) was used as a high-efficiency microbial carrier, and the biological Al-PIA (BA-PIA) was prepared by artificial aeration. Laboratory static experiments were conducted to study the effect of BA-PIA on reducing nitrogen and phosphorus contents in water. Physicochemical characterization and isotope tracing method were applied to analyze the removal mechanism of nitrogen and phosphorus. High-throughput techniques were used to analyze the characteristic bacterial genus in the BA-PIA system. The nitrogen and phosphorus removal experiment was conducted for 30 days, and the removal rates of NH₄⁺-N, TN and TP by BA-PIA were 81.87%, 66.08% and 87.97%, respectively. The nitrogen removal pathways of BA-PIA were as follows: the nitrification reaction accounted for 59.0% (of which denitrification reaction accounted for 56.4%), microbial assimilation accounted for 18.1%, and the unreacted part accounted for 22.9%. The characteristic bacteria in the BA-PIA system were Streptomyces, Nocardioides, Saccharopolyspora, Nitrosomonas, and Marinobacter. The loading of microorganisms only changed the surface physical properties of Al-PIA (such as specific surface area, pore volume and pore size), without changing its surface chemical properties. The removal mechanism of nitrogen by BA-PIA is the conversion of NH₄⁺-N into NO₂^--N and NO₃^--N by nitrifying bacteria, which are then reduced to nitrogen-containing gas by aerobic denitrifying bacteria. The phosphorus removal mechanism is that metal compounds (such as Al) on the surface of BA-PIA fix phosphorus through chemisorption processes, such as ligand exchange. Therefore, BA-PIA overcomes the deficiency of Al-PIA with only phosphorus removal ability, and has better application prospects.

An overview on the two-component systems of Streptomyces coelicolor

The two-component system (TCS) found in various organisms is a regulatory system, which is involved in the response by the organism to stimuli, thereby regulating the internal behavior of the cell. It is commonly found in prokaryotes and is an important signaling system in bacteria. TCSs are involved in the regulation of physiological and morphological differentiation of the industrially important microbes from the genus Streptomyces, which produce a vast array of bioactive secondary metabolites (SMs). Genetic engineering of TCSs can substantially increase the yield of target SMs, which is valuable for industrial-scale production. Research on TCS has mainly been completed in the model strain Streptomyces coelicolor. In this review, we summarize the recent advances in the functional identification and elucidation of the regulatory mechanisms of various TCSs in S. coelicolor, with a focus on their roles in the biosynthesis of important SMs.

Two-Component Systems of Streptomyces coelicolor: An Intricate Network to Be Unraveled

Bacteria of the Streptomyces genus constitute an authentic biotech gold mine thanks to their ability to produce a myriad of compounds and enzymes of great interest at various clinical, agricultural, and industrial levels. Understanding the physiology of these organisms and revealing their regulatory mechanisms is essential for their manipulation and application. Two-component systems (TCSs) constitute the predominant signal transduction mechanism in prokaryotes, and can detect a multitude of external and internal stimuli and trigger the appropriate cellular responses for adapting to diverse environmental conditions. These global regulatory systems usually coordinate various biological processes for the maintenance of homeostasis and proper cell function. Here, we review the multiple TCSs described and characterized in Streptomyces coelicolor, one of the most studied and important model species within this bacterial group. TCSs are involved in all cellular processes; hence, unravelling the complex regulatory network they form is essential for their potential biotechnological application.

Comparative Proteomic Analysis of Transcriptional and Regulatory Proteins Abundances in S. lividans and S. coelicolor Suggests a Link between Various Stresses and Antibiotic Production

Streptomyces coelicolor and Streptomyces lividans constitute model strains to study the regulation of antibiotics biosynthesis in Streptomyces species since these closely related strains possess the same pathways directing the biosynthesis of various antibiotics but only S. coelicolor produces them. To get a better understanding of the origin of the contrasted abilities of these strains to produce bioactive specialized metabolites, these strains were grown in conditions of phosphate limitation or proficiency and a comparative analysis of their transcriptional/regulatory proteins was carried out. The abundance of the vast majority of the 355 proteins detected greatly differed between these two strains and responded differently to phosphate availability. This study confirmed, consistently with previous studies, that S. coelicolor suffers from nitrogen stress. This stress likely triggers the degradation of the nitrogen-rich peptidoglycan cell wall in order to recycle nitrogen present in its constituents, resulting in cell wall stress. When an altered cell wall is unable to fulfill its osmo-protective function, the bacteria also suffer from osmotic stress. This study thus revealed that these three stresses are intimately linked in S. coelicolor. The aggravation of these stresses leading to an increase of antibiotic biosynthesis, the connection between these stresses, and antibiotic production are discussed.

Regulation of Nir gene in Lactobacillus plantarum WU14 mediated by GlnR

Nitrogen (N) is an essential element in the biosynthesis of key cellular components, such as proteins and nucleic acids, in all living organisms. Nitrite, as a form of nitrogen utilization, is the main nutrient for microbial growth. However, nitrite is a potential carcinogen that combines with secondary amines, which are breakdown products of proteins, to produce N-nitroso compounds that are strongly carcinogenic. Nitrite reductase (Nir) produced by microorganisms can reduce nitrite. Binding of GlnR to the promoter of nitrogen metabolism gene can regulate the expression of Nir operon. In this study, nitrite-resistant Lactobacillus plantarum WU14 was isolated from Pickles and its protease Nir was analyzed. GlnR-mediated regulation of L. plantarum WU14 Nir gene was investigated in this study. New GlnR and Nir genes were obtained from L. plantarum WU14. The regulation effect of GlnR on Nir gene was examined by gel block test, yeast two-hybrid system, bacterial single hybrid system and qRT-RCR. Detailed analysis showed that GlnR ound to the Nir promoter region and interacted with Nir at low nitrite concentrations, positively regulating the expression of NIR. However, the transcription levels of GlnR and Nir decreased gradually with increasing nitrite concentration. The results of this study improve our understanding of the function of the Nir operon regulatory system and serve as the ground for further study of the signal transduction pathway in lactic acid bacteria.

Sorption behavior of Pb(II) onto polyvinyl chloride microplastics affects the formation and ecological functions of microbial biofilms

Microplastics (MPs) are regarded as transport media for heavy metals in aquatic systems, whereas the effects of the heavy metal-enriched MPs on microbial biofilms are still unclear. In this study, Pb(II) sorption onto polyvinyl chloride (PVC) MPs and its effects on the formation and ecological functions of microbial biofilms were investigated. The results showed that the interaction between Pb(II) and PVC MPs was dominated by physisorption. The maximum sorption amount reached 1.25 mg/g. Afterward, microbial biofilms were exposed to the Pb(II)-enriched PVC particles. It is suggested that Pb(II)-enriched PVC exposure reduced productivities of polysaccharides and proteins in extracellular polymeric substances, which restricted the formation of microbial biofilms. Meanwhile, microbial community structure was reassembled accompanying the decline of capacities for nitrate and phosphate removal. Therefore, this study examines the ecological risk associated with the heavy metal-enriched MPs that can adversely affect microbial biofilms.

Polyamine and Ethanolamine Metabolism in Bacteria as an Important Component of Nitrogen Assimilation for Survival and Pathogenicity

Nitrogen is an essential element required for bacterial growth. It serves as a building block for the biosynthesis of macromolecules and provides precursors for secondary metabolites. Bacteria have developed the ability to use various nitrogen sources and possess two enzyme systems for nitrogen assimilation involving glutamine synthetase/glutamate synthase and glutamate dehydrogenase. Microorganisms living in habitats with changeable availability of nutrients have developed strategies to survive under nitrogen limitation. One adaptation is the ability to acquire nitrogen from alternative sources including the polyamines putrescine, cadaverine, spermidine and spermine, as well as the monoamine ethanolamine. Bacterial polyamine and monoamine metabolism is not only important under low nitrogen availability, but it is also required to survive under high concentrations of these compounds. Such conditions can occur in diverse habitats such as soil, plant tissues and human cells. Strategies of pathogenic and non-pathogenic bacteria to survive in the presence of poly- and monoamines offer the possibility to combat pathogens by using their capability to metabolize polyamines as an antibiotic drug target. This work aims to summarize the knowledge on poly- and monoamine metabolism in bacteria and its role in nitrogen metabolism.

Curation, inference, and assessment of a globally reconstructed gene regulatory network for Streptomyces coelicolor

Streptomyces coelicolor A3(2) is a model microorganism for the study of Streptomycetes, antibiotic production, and secondary metabolism in general. Even though S. coelicolor has an outstanding variety of regulators among bacteria, little effort to globally study its transcription has been made. We manually curated 29 years of literature and databases to assemble a meta-curated experimentally-validated gene regulatory network (GRN) with 5386 genes and 9707 regulatory interactions (~ 41% of the total expected interactions). This provides the most extensive and up-to-date reconstruction available for the regulatory circuitry of this organism. Only ~ 6% (534/9707) are supported by experiments confirming the binding of the transcription factor to the upstream region of the target gene, the so-called “strong” evidence. While for the remaining interactions there is no confirmation of direct binding. To tackle network incompleteness, we performed network inference using several methods (including two proposed here) for motif identification in DNA sequences and GRN inference from transcriptomics. Further, we contrasted the structural properties and functional architecture of the networks to assess the reliability of the predictions, finding the inference from DNA sequence data to be the most trustworthy approach. Finally, we show two applications of the inferred and the curated networks. The inference allowed us to propose novel transcription factors for the key Streptomyces antibiotic regulatory proteins (SARPs). The curated network allowed us to study the conservation of the system-level components between S. coelicolor and Corynebacterium glutamicum. There we identified the basal machinery as the common signature between the two organisms. The curated networks were deposited in Abasy Atlas (https://abasy.ccg.unam.mx/) while the inferences are available as Supplementary Material.

Poly- and Monoamine Metabolism in Streptomyces coelicolor: The New Role of Glutamine Synthetase-Like Enzymes in the Survival under Environmental Stress

Soil bacteria from the genus Streptomyces, phylum Actinobacteria, feature a complex metabolism and diverse adaptations to environmental stress. These characteristics are consequences of variable nutrition availability in the soil and allow survival under changing nitrogen conditions. Streptomyces coelicolor is a model organism for Actinobacteria and is able to use nitrogen from a variety of sources including unusual compounds originating from the decomposition of dead plant and animal material, such as polyamines or monoamines (like ethanolamine). Assimilation of nitrogen from these sources in S. coelicolor remains largely unstudied. Using microbiological, biochemical and in silico approaches, it was recently possible to postulate polyamine and monoamine (ethanolamine) utilization pathways in S. coelicolor. Glutamine synthetase-like enzymes (GS-like) play a central role in these pathways. Extensive studies have revealed that these enzymes are able to detoxify polyamines or monoamines and allow the survival of S. coelicolor in soil containing an excess of these compounds. On the other hand, at low concentrations, polyamines and monoamines can be utilized as nitrogen and carbon sources. It has been demonstrated that the first step in poly-/monoamine assimilation is catalyzed by GlnA3 (a γ-glutamylpolyamine synthetase) and GlnA4 (a γ-glutamylethanolamide synthetase), respectively. First insights into the regulation of polyamine and ethanolamine metabolism have revealed that the expression of the glnA3 and the glnA4 gene are controlled on the transcriptional level.

Modulation of Gene Expression in Actinobacteria by Translational Modification of Transcriptional Factors and Secondary Metabolite Biosynthetic Enzymes

Different types of post-translational modifications are present in bacteria that play essential roles in bacterial metabolism modulation. Nevertheless, limited information is available on these types of modifications in actinobacteria, particularly on their effects on secondary metabolite biosynthesis. Recently, phosphorylation, acetylation, or phosphopantetheneylation of transcriptional factors and key enzymes involved in secondary metabolite biosynthesis have been reported. There are two types of phosphorylations involved in the control of transcriptional factors: (1) phosphorylation of sensor kinases and transfer of the phosphate group to the receiver domain of response regulators, which alters the expression of regulator target genes. (2) Phosphorylation systems involving promiscuous serine/threonine/tyrosine kinases that modify proteins at several amino acid residues, e.g., the phosphorylation of the global nitrogen regulator GlnR. Another post-translational modification is the acetylation at the epsilon amino group of lysine residues. The protein acetylation/deacetylation controls the activity of many short and long-chain acyl-CoA synthetases, transcriptional factors, key proteins of bacterial metabolism, and enzymes for the biosynthesis of non-ribosomal peptides, desferrioxamine, streptomycin, or phosphinic acid-derived antibiotics. Acetyltransferases catalyze acetylation reactions showing different specificity for the acyl-CoA donor. Although it functions as acetyltransferase, there are examples of malonylation, crotonylation, succinylation, or in a few cases acylation activities using bulky acyl-CoA derivatives. Substrates activation by nucleoside triphosphates is one of the central reactions inhibited by lysine acetyltransferases. Phosphorylation/dephosphorylation or acylation/deacylation reactions on global regulators like PhoP, GlnR, AfsR, and the carbon catabolite regulator glucokinase strongly affects the expression of genes controlled by these regulators. Finally, a different type of post-translational protein modification is the phosphopantetheinylation, catalized by phosphopantetheinyl transferases (PPTases). This reaction is essential to modify those enzymes requiring phosphopantetheine groups like non-ribosomal peptide synthetases, polyketide synthases, and fatty acid synthases. Up to five PPTases are present in S. tsukubaensis and S. avermitilis. Different PPTases modify substrate proteins in the PCP or ACP domains of tacrolimus biosynthetic enzymes. Directed mutations of genes encoding enzymes involved in the post-translational modification is a promising tool to enhance the production of bioactive metabolites.

Study of duplicated galU genes in Rhodococcus jostii and a putative new metabolic node for glucosamine-1P in rhodococci

BACKGOUND

Studying enzymes that determine glucose-1P fate in carbohydrate metabolism is important to better understand microorganisms as biotechnological tools. One example ripe for discovery is the UDP-glucose pyrophosphorylase enzyme from Rhodococcus spp. In the R. jostii genome, this gene is duplicated, whereas R. fascians contains only one copy.

METHODS

We report the molecular cloning of galU genes from R. jostii and R. fascians to produce recombinant proteins RjoGalU1, RjoGalU2, and RfaGalU. Substrate saturation curves were conducted, kinetic parameters were obtained and the catalytic efficiency (k_cat/K_m) was used to analyze enzyme promiscuity. We also investigated the response of R. jostii GlmU pyrophosphorylase activity with different sugar-1Ps, which may compete for substrates with RjoGalU2.

RESULTS

All enzymes were active as pyrophosphorylases and exhibited substrate promiscuity toward sugar-1Ps. Remarkably, RjoGalU2 exhibited one order of magnitude higher activity with glucosamine-1P than glucose-1P, the canonical substrate. Glucosamine-1P activity was also significant in RfaGalU. The efficient use of the phospho-amino-sugar suggests the feasibility of the reaction to occur in vivo. Also, RjoGalU2 and RfaGalU represent enzymatic tools for the production of (amino)glucosyl precursors for the putative synthesis of novel molecules.

CONCLUSIONS

Results support the hypothesis that partitioning of glucosamine-1P includes an uncharacterized metabolic node in Rhodococcus spp., which could be important for producing diverse alternatives for carbohydrate metabolism in biotechnological applications.

GENERAL SIGNIFICANCE

Results presented here provide a model to study evolutionary enzyme promiscuity, which could be used as a tool to expand an organism's metabolic repertoire by incorporating non-canonical substrates into novel metabolic pathways.

GlnR Negatively Regulates Glutamate-Dependent Acid Resistance in Lactobacillus brevis

Lactic acid bacteria often encounter a variety of multiple stresses in their natural and industrial fermentation environments. The glutamate decarboxylase (GAD) system is one of the most important acid resistance systems in lactic acid bacteria. In this study, we demonstrated that GlnR, a nitrogen regulator in Gram-positive bacteria, directly modulated γ-aminobutyric acid (GABA) conversion from glutamate and was involved in glutamate-dependent acid resistance in Lactobacillus brevis The glnR deletion strain (ΔglnR mutant) achieved a titer of 284.7 g/liter GABA, which is 9.8-fold higher than that of the wild-type strain. The cell survival of the glnR deletion strain was significantly higher than that of the wild-type strain under the condition of acid challenge and was positively correlated with initial glutamate concentration and GABA production. Quantitative reverse transcription-PCR assays demonstrated that GlnR inhibited the transcription of the glutamate decarboxylase-encoding gene (gadB), glutamate/GABA antiporter-encoding gene (gadC), glutamine synthetase-encoding gene (glnA), and specific transcriptional regulator-encoding gene (gadR) involved in gadCB operon regulation. Moreover, GABA production and glutamate-dependent acid resistance were absolutely abolished in the gadR glnR deletion strain. Electrophoretic mobility shift and DNase I footprinting assays revealed that GlnR directly bound to the 5'-untranslated regions of the gadR gene and gadCB operon, thus inhibiting their transcription. These results revealed a novel regulatory mechanism of GlnR on glutamate-dependent acid resistance in Lactobacillus IMPORTANCE Free-living lactic acid bacteria often encounter acid stresses because of their organic acid-producing features. Several acid resistance mechanisms, such as the glutamate decarboxylase system, F₁F_o-ATPase proton pump, and alkali production, are usually employed to relieve growth inhibition caused by acids. The glutamate decarboxylase system is vital for GAD-containing lactic acid bacteria to protect cells from DNA damage, enzyme inactivation, and product yield loss in acidic habitats. In this study, we found that a MerR-type regulator, GlnR, was involved in glutamate-dependent acid resistance by directly regulating the transcription of the gadR gene and gadCB operon, resulting in an inhibition of GABA conversion from glutamate in L. brevis This study represents a novel mechanism for GlnR's regulation of glutamate-dependent acid resistance and also provides a simple and novel strategy to engineer Lactobacillus strains to elevate their acid resistance as well as GABA conversion from glutamate.

The Balance Metabolism Safety Net: Integration of Stress Signals by Interacting Transcriptional Factors in Streptomyces and Related Actinobacteria

Soil dwelling Streptomyces species are faced with large variations in carbon or nitrogen sources, phosphate, oxygen, iron, sulfur, and other nutrients. These drastic changes in key nutrients result in an unbalanced metabolism that have undesirable consequences for growth, cell differentiation, reproduction, and secondary metabolites biosynthesis. In the last decades evidence has accumulated indicating that mechanisms to correct metabolic unbalances in Streptomyces species take place at the transcriptional level, mediated by different transcriptional factors. For example, the master regulator PhoP and the large SARP-type regulator AfsR bind to overlapping sequences in the afsS promoter and, therefore, compete in the integration of signals of phosphate starvation and S-adenosylmethionine (SAM) concentrations. The cross-talk between phosphate control of metabolism, mediated by the PhoR-PhoP system, and the pleiotropic orphan nitrogen regulator GlnR, is very interesting; PhoP represses GlnR and other nitrogen metabolism genes. The mechanisms of control by GlnR of several promoters of ATP binding cassettes (ABC) sugar transporters and carbon metabolism are highly elaborated. Another important cross-talk that governs nitrogen metabolism involves the competition between GlnR and the transcriptional factor MtrA. GlnR and MtrA exert opposite effects on expression of nitrogen metabolism genes. MtrA, under nitrogen rich conditions, represses expression of nitrogen assimilation and regulatory genes, including GlnR, and competes with GlnR for the GlnR binding sites. Strikingly, these sites also bind to PhoP. Novel examples of interacting transcriptional factors, discovered recently, are discussed to provide a broad view of this interactions. Altogether, these findings indicate that cross-talks between the major transcriptional factors protect the cell metabolic balance. A detailed analysis of the transcriptional factors binding sequences suggests that the transcriptional factors interact with specific regions, either by overlapping the recognition sequence of other factors or by binding to adjacent sites in those regions. Additional interactions on the regulatory backbone are provided by sigma factors, highly phosphorylated nucleotides, cyclic dinucleotides, and small ligands that interact with cognate receptor proteins and with TetR-type transcriptional regulators. We propose to define the signal integration DNA regions (so called integrator sites) that assemble responses to different stress, nutritional or environmental signals. These integrator sites constitute nodes recognized by two, three, or more transcriptional factors to compensate the unbalances produced by metabolic stresses. This interplay mechanism acts as a safety net to prevent major damage to the metabolism under extreme nutritional and environmental conditions.

Challenges and advances in genetic manipulation of filamentous actinomycetes - the remarkable producers of specialized metabolites

Covering: up to February 2019Actinomycetes are Gram positive bacteria of the phylum Actinobacteria. These organisms are one of the most important sources of structurally diverse, clinically used antibiotics and other valuable bioactive products, as well as biotechnologically relevant enzymes. Most strains were discovered by their ability to produce a given molecule and were often poorly characterized, physiologically and genetically. The development of genetic methods for Streptomyces and related filamentous actinomycetes has led to the successful manipulation of antibiotic biosynthesis to attain structural modification of microbial metabolites that would have been inaccessible by chemical means and improved production yields. Moreover, genome mining reveals that actinomycete genomes contain multiple biosynthetic gene clusters (BGCs), however only a few of them are expressed under standard laboratory conditions, leading to the production of the respective compound(s). Thus, to access and activate the so-called "silent" BGCs, to improve their biosynthetic potential and to discover novel natural products methodologies for genetic manipulation are required. Although different methods have been applied for many actinomycete strains, genetic engineering is still remaining very challenging for some "underexplored" and poorly characterized actinomycetes. This review summarizes the strategies developed to overcome the obstacles to genetic manipulation of actinomycetes and allowing thereby rational genetic engineering of this industrially relevant group of microorganisms. At the end of this review we give some tips to researchers with limited or no previous experience in genetic manipulation of actinomycetes. The article covers the most relevant literature published until February 2019.

Insights into the Metabolism of Oleaginous Rhodococcus spp

Some species belonging to the Rhodococcus genus, such as Rhodococcus opacus, R. jostii, and R. wratislaviensis, are known to be oleaginous microorganisms, since they are able to accumulate triacylglycerols (TAG) at more than 20% of their weight (dry weight). Oleaginous rhodococci are promising microbial cell factories for the production of lipids to be used as fuels and chemicals. Cells could be engineered to create strains capable of producing high quantities of oils from industrial wastes and a variety of high-value lipids. The comprehensive understanding of carbon metabolism and its regulation will contribute to the design of a reliable process for bacterial oil production. Bacterial oleagenicity requires an integral configuration of metabolism and regulatory processes rather than the sole existence of an efficient lipid biosynthesis pathway. In recent years, several studies have been focused on basic aspects of TAG biosynthesis and accumulation using R. opacus PD630 and R. jostii RHA1 strains as models of oleaginous bacteria. The combination of results obtained in these studies allows us to propose a metabolic landscape for oleaginous rhodococci. In this context, this article provides a comprehensive and integrative view of different metabolic and regulatory attributes and innovations that explain the extraordinary ability of these bacteria to synthesize and accumulate TAG. We hope that the accessibility to such information in an integrated way will help researchers to rationally select new targets for further studies in the field.

The NnaR orphan response regulator is essential for the utilization of nitrate and nitrite as sole nitrogen sources in mycobacteria

Nitrogen is an essential component of biological molecules and an indispensable microelement required for the growth of cells. Nitrogen metabolism of Mycobacterium smegmatis is regulated by a number of transcription factors, with the glnR gene product playing a major role. Under nitrogen-depletion conditions, GlnR controls the expression of many genes involved in nitrogen assimilation, including the msmeg_0432 gene encoding NnaR, the homologue of a nitrite/nitrate transport regulator from Streptomyces coelicolor. In the present study, the role of NnaR in the nitrogen metabolism of M. smegmatis was evaluated. The ∆glnR and ∆nnaR mutant strains were generated and cultured under nitrogen-depletion conditions. Total RNA profiling was used to investigate the potential role of NnaR in the GlnR regulon under nitrogen-depletion and in nitrogen-rich media. We found that disruption of MSMEG_0432 affected the expression of genes involved in nitrite/nitrate uptake, and its removal rendered mycobacteria unable to assimilate nitrogen from those sources, leading to cell death. RNA-Seq results were validated using quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction (qRT-PCR) and electrophoretic mobility shift assays (EMSAs). The ability of mutants to grow on various nitrogen sources was evaluated using the BIOLOG Phenotype screening platform and confirmed on minimal Sauton's medium containing various sources of nitrogen. The ∆glnR mutant was not able to convert nitrates to nitrites. Interestingly, NnaR required active GlnR to prevent nitrogen starvation, and both proteins cooperated in the regulation of gene expression associated with nitrate/nitrite assimilation. The ∆nnaR mutant was able to convert nitrates to nitrites, but it could not assimilate the products of this conversion. Importantly, NnaR was the key regulator of the expression of the truncated haemoglobin trHbN, which is required to improve the survival of bacteria under nitrosative stress.

ArgR of Streptomyces coelicolor Is a Pleiotropic Transcriptional Regulator: Effect on the Transcriptome, Antibiotic Production, and Differentiation in Liquid Cultures

ArgR is a well-characterized transcriptional repressor controlling the expression of arginine and pyrimidine biosynthetic genes in bacteria. In this work, the biological role of Streptomyces coelicolor ArgR was analyzed by comparing the transcriptomes of S. coelicolor ΔargR and its parental strain, S. coelicolor M145, at five different times over a 66-h period. The effect of S. coelicolor ArgR was more widespread than that of the orthologous protein of Escherichia coli, affecting the expression of 1544 genes along the microarray time series. This S. coelicolor regulator repressed the expression of arginine and pyrimidine biosynthetic genes, but it also modulated the expression of genes not previously described to be regulated by ArgR: genes involved in nitrogen metabolism and nitrate utilization; the act, red, and cpk genes for antibiotic production; genes for the synthesis of the osmotic stress protector ectoine; genes related to hydrophobic cover formation and sporulation (chaplins, rodlins, ramR, and whi genes); all the cwg genes encoding proteins for glycan cell wall biosynthesis; and genes involved in gas vesicle formation. Many of these genes contain ARG boxes for ArgR binding. ArgR binding to seven new ARG boxes, located upstream or near the ectA-ectB, afsS, afsR, glnR, and redH genes, was tested by DNA band-shift assays. These data and those of previously assayed fragments permitted the construction of an improved model of the ArgR binding site. Interestingly, the overexpression of sporulation genes observed in the ΔargR mutant in our culture conditions correlated with a sporulation-like process, an uncommon phenotype.

Carbon Allocation in Rhodococcus jostii RHA1 in Response to Disruption and Overexpression of nlpR Regulatory Gene, Based on 13C-labeling Analysis

Nitrogen lipid regulator (NlpR) is a pleiotropic regulator that positively controls genes associated with both nitrogen and lipid metabolism in the oleaginous bacterium Rhodococcus jostii RHA1. In this study, we investigated the effect of nlpR disruption and overexpression on the assimilation of ¹³C-labeled glucose as carbon source, during cultivation of cells under nitrogen-limiting and nitrogen-rich conditions, respectively. Label incorporation into the total lipid extract (TLE) fraction was about 30% lower in the mutant strain in comparison with the wild type strain under low-nitrogen conditions. Moreover, a higher ¹³C abundance (∼60%) into the extracellular polymeric substance fraction was observed in the mutant strain. nlpR disruption also promoted a decrease in the label incorporation into several TLE-derivative fractions including neutral lipids (NL), glycolipids (GL), phospholipids (PL), triacylglycerols (TAG), diacylglycerols (DAG), and free fatty acids (FFA), with the DAG being the most affected. In contrast, the nlpR overexpression in RHA1 cells under nitrogen-rich conditions produced an increase of the label incorporation into the TLE and its derivative NL and PL fractions, the last one being the highest ¹³C enriched. In addition, a higher ¹³C enrichment occurred in the TAG, DAG, and FFA fractions after nlpR induction, with the FFA fraction being the most affected within the TLE. Isotopic-labeling experiments demonstrated that NlpR regulator is contributing in oleaginous phenotype of R. jostii RHA1 to the allocation of carbon into the different lipid fractions in response to nitrogen levels, increasing the rate of carbon flux into lipid metabolism.

Assessment of the Potential Role of Streptomyces in Cave Moonmilk Formation

Moonmilk is a karstic speleothem mainly composed of fine calcium carbonate crystals (CaCO₃) with different textures ranging from pasty to hard, in which the contribution of biotic rock-building processes is presumed to involve indigenous microorganisms. The real microbial input in the genesis of moonmilk is difficult to assess leading to controversial hypotheses explaining the origins and the mechanisms (biotic vs. abiotic) involved. In this work, we undertook a comprehensive approach in order to assess the potential role of filamentous bacteria, particularly a collection of moonmilk-originating Streptomyces, in the genesis of this speleothem. Scanning electron microscopy (SEM) confirmed that indigenous filamentous bacteria could indeed participate in moonmilk development by serving as nucleation sites for CaCO₃ deposition. The metabolic activities involved in CaCO₃ transformation were furthermore assessed in vitro among the collection of moonmilk Streptomyces, which revealed that peptides/amino acids ammonification, and to a lesser extend ureolysis, could be privileged metabolic pathways participating in carbonate precipitation by increasing the pH of the bacterial environment. Additionally, in silico search for the genes involved in biomineralization processes including ureolysis, dissimilatory nitrate reduction to ammonia, active calcium ion transport, and reversible hydration of CO₂ allowed to identify genetic predispositions for carbonate precipitation in Streptomyces. Finally, their biomineralization abilities were confirmed by environmental SEM, which allowed to visualize the formation of abundant mineral deposits under laboratory conditions. Overall, our study provides novel evidences that filamentous Actinobacteria could be key protagonists in the genesis of moonmilk through a wide spectrum of biomineralization processes.

Post-translational Serine/Threonine Phosphorylation and Lysine Acetylation: A Novel Regulatory Aspect of the Global Nitrogen Response Regulator GlnR in S. coelicolor M145

Soil-dwelling Streptomyces bacteria such as S.coelicolor have to constantly adapt to the nitrogen (N) availability in their habitat. Thus, strict transcriptional and post-translational control of the N-assimilation is fundamental for survival of this species. GlnR is a global response regulator that controls transcription of the genes related to the N-assimilation in S. coelicolor and other members of the Actinomycetales. GlnR represents an atypical orphan response regulator that is not activated by the phosphorylation of the conserved aspartate residue (Asp 50). We have applied transcriptional analysis, LC-MS/MS analysis and electrophoretic mobility shift assays (EMSAs) to understand the regulation of GlnR in S. coelicolor M145. The expression of glnR and GlnR-target genes was revisited under four different N-defined conditions and a complex N-rich condition. Although, the expression of selected GlnR-target genes was strongly responsive to changing N-concentrations, the glnR expression itself was independent of the N-availability. Using LC-MS/MSanalysis we demonstrated that GlnR was post-translationally modified. The post-translational modifications of GlnR comprise phosphorylation of the serine/threonine residues and acetylation of lysine residues. In the complex N-rich medium GlnR was phosphorylated on six serine/threonine residues and acetylated on one lysine residue. Under defined N-excess conditions only two phosphorylated residues were detected whereas under defined N-limiting conditions no phosphorylation was observed. GlnR phosphorylation is thus clearly correlated with N-rich conditions. Furthermore, GlnR was acetylated on four lysine residues independently of the N-concentration in the defined media and on only one lysine residue in the complex N-rich medium. Using EMSAs we demonstrated that phosphorylation inhibited the binding of GlnR to its targets genes, whereas acetylation had little influence on the formation of GlnR-DNA complex. This study clearly demonstrated that GlnR DNA-binding affinity is modulated by post-translational modifications in response to changing N-conditions in order to elicit a proper transcriptional response to the latter.

The Pho regulon: a huge regulatory network in bacteria

One of the most important achievements of bacteria is its capability to adapt to the changing conditions of the environment. The competition for nutrients with other microorganisms, especially in the soil, where nutritional conditions are more variable, has led bacteria to evolve a plethora of mechanisms to rapidly fine-tune the requirements of the cell. One of the essential nutrients that are normally found in low concentrations in nature is inorganic phosphate (Pi). Bacteria, as well as other organisms, have developed several systems to cope for the scarcity of this nutrient. To date, the unique mechanism responding to Pi starvation known in detail is the Pho regulon, which is normally controlled by a two component system and constitutes one of the most sensible and efficient regulatory mechanisms in bacteria. Many new members of the Pho regulon have emerged in the last years in several bacteria; however, there are still many unknown questions regarding the activation and function of the whole system. This review describes the most important findings of the last three decades in relation to Pi regulation in bacteria, including: the PHO box, the Pi signaling pathway and the Pi starvation response. The role of the Pho regulon in nutritional regulation cross-talk, secondary metabolite production, and pathogenesis is discussed in detail.

Positive and negative regulation of GlnR in validamycin A biosynthesis by binding to different loci in promoter region

Validamycin A (VAL-A) is a C7N aminocyclitol antibiotic produced by Streptomyces hygroscopicus var. jinggangensis 5008, which has been widely used as antifungal agent against rice sheath blight disease. VAL-A biosynthesis has been proven to be affected by γ-butyrolactone and temperature. Herein, we showed that GlnR, a global regulator in nitrogen metabolism, is specifically associated with valK-valA intergenic promoter region by DNA-affinity chromatography and MS-based protein identification. Subsequent EMSA and DNase I footprinting assays revealed two GlnR binding sites in this promoter region. Targeted disruption of glnR in S. hygroscopicus 5008 led to a significant increase in the transcription of VAL-A structural genes, albeit the VAL-A production was reduced by 80 % and the sporulation of the mutant was impaired. Compared with the wild-type 5008, site-specific mutagenesis of GlnR binding site I enhanced VAL-A production by 2.5-fold, whereas the mutation of GlnR binding site II resulted in a 50 % reduction of VAL-A yield. Moreover, tandem mutation of site I in the site II mutant led to a 66 % increase of VAL-A production. The result suggested that GlnR not only serves as an inhibitor by binding site I but also as an activator by binding site II for VAL-A biosynthesis. Furthermore, overexpression of glnR in the site I mutant JG45 improved VAL-A production for 41 % compared with the control strain containing the vector. Therefore, the obtained data illustrate a novel regulatory feature of the global regulator GlnR. GlnR is firstly proved to act simultaneously as an activator and a repressor in validamycin biosynthesis by binding to different loci within a promoter region of the gene cluster.

Oxygen-dependent control of respiratory nitrate reduction in mycelium of Streptomyces coelicolor A3(2)

Several members of the obligately aerobic genus Streptomyces are able to reduce nitrate, catalyzed by Nar-type respiratory nitrate reductases. A unique feature of Streptomyces coelicolor A3(2) compared with other streptomycetes is that it synthesizes three nonredundant Nar enzymes. In this study, we show that Nar2 is the main Nar enzyme active in mycelium and could characterize the conditions governing its synthesis. Nar2 was present at low levels in aerobically cultivated mycelium, but synthesis was induced when cultures were grown under oxygen limitation. Growth in the presence of high oxygen concentrations prevented the induction of Nar2 synthesis. Equally, an abrupt shift from aerobiosis to anaerobiosis did not result in the immediate induction of Nar2 synthesis. This suggests that the synthesis of Nar2 is induced during a hypoxic downshift, probably to allow maintenance of a proton gradient during the transition to anaerobiosis. Although no Nar2 could be detected in freshly harvested mature spores, synthesis of the enzyme could be induced after long-term (several days) incubation of these resting spores under anaerobic conditions. Induction of Nar2 synthesis in spores was linked to transcriptional control. Nar2 activity in whole mycelium was strictly dependent on the presence of a putative nitrate transporter, NarK2. The oxygen-dependent inhibition of nitrate reduction by Nar2 was mediated by NarK2-dependent nitrate:nitrite antiport. This antiport mechanism likely prevents the accumulation of toxic nitrite in the cytoplasm. A deletion of the narK2 gene had no effect on Nar1-dependent nitrate reduction in resting spores. Together, our results indicate redox-dependent transcriptional and posttranslational control of nitrate reduction by Nar2.

GlnR-mediated regulation of nitrogen metabolism in the actinomycete Saccharopolyspora erythraea

Nitrogen source sensing, uptake, and assimilation are central for growth and development of microorganisms which requires the participation of a global control of nitrogen metabolism-associated genes at the transcriptional level. In soil-dwelling antibiotic-producing actinomycetes, this role is played by GlnR, an OmpR family regulator. In this work, we demonstrate that SACE_7101 is the ortholog of actinomycetes' GlnR global regulators in the erythromycin producer Saccharopolyspora erythraea. Indeed, the chromosomal deletion of SACE_7101 severely affects the viability of S. erythraea when inoculated in minimal media supplemented with NaNO3, NaNO2, NH4Cl, glutamine, or glutamate as sole nitrogen source. Combination of in silico prediction of cis-acting elements, subsequent in vitro (through gel shift assays) and in vivo (real-time reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction) validations of the predicted target genes revealed a very large GlnR regulon aimed at adapting the nitrogen metabolism of S. erythraea. Indeed, enzymes/proteins involved in (i) uptake and assimilation of ammonium, (ii) transport and utilization of urea, (iii) nitrite/nitrate, (iv) glutamate/glutamine, (v) arginine metabolism, (vi) nitric oxide biosynthesis, and (vii) signal transduction associated with the nitrogen source supplied have at least one paralog gene which expression is controlled by GlnR. Our work highlights a GlnR-binding site consensus sequence (t/gna/cAC-n6-GaAAc) which is similar although not identical to the consensus sequences proposed for other actinomycetes. Finally, we discuss the distinct and common features of the GlnR-mediated transcriptional control of nitrogen metabolism between S. erythraea and the model organism Streptomyces coelicolor.

Transcriptomic analysis of liquid non-sporulating Streptomyces coelicolor cultures demonstrates the existence of a complex differentiation comparable to that occurring in solid sporulating cultures

Streptomyces species produce many clinically relevant secondary metabolites and exhibit a complex development that includes hyphal differentiation and sporulation in solid cultures. Industrial fermentations are usually performed in liquid cultures, conditions in which Streptomyces strains generally do not sporulate, and it was traditionally assumed that no differentiation took place. The aim of this work was to compare the transcriptomes of S. coelicolor growing in liquid and solid cultures, deepening the knowledge of Streptomyces differentiation. Microarrays demonstrated that gene expression in liquid and solid cultures were comparable and data indicated that physiological differentiation was similar for both conditions. Eighty-six percent of all transcripts showed similar abundances in liquid and solid cultures, such as those involved in the biosynthesis of actinorhodin (actVA, actII-4) and undecylprodigiosin (redF); activation of secondary metabolism (absR1, ndsA); genes regulating hydrophobic cover formation (aerial mycelium) (bldB, bldC, bldM, bldN, sapA, chpC, chpD, chpE, chpH, ramA, ramC, ramS); and even some genes regulating early stages of sporulation (wblA, whiG, whiH, whiJ). The two most important differences between transcriptomes from liquid and solid cultures were: first, genes related to secondary metabolite biosynthesis (CDA, CPK, coelichelin, desferrioxamine clusters) were highly up-regulated in liquid but not in solid cultures; and second, genes involved in the final stages of hydrophobic cover/spore maturation (chpF, rdlA, whiE, sfr) were up-regulated in solid but not in liquid cultures. New information was also provided for several non-characterized genes differentially expressed in liquid and solid cultures which might be regulating, at least in part, the metabolic and developmental differences observed between liquid and solid cultures.

Genome wide analysis of the complete GlnR nitrogen-response regulon in Mycobacterium smegmatis

Background

Nitrogen is an essential element for bacterial growth and an important component of biological macromolecules. Consequently, responding to nitrogen limitation is critical for bacterial survival and involves the interplay of signalling pathways and transcriptional regulation of nitrogen assimilation and scavenging genes. In the soil dwelling saprophyte Mycobacterium smegmatis the OmpR-type response regulator GlnR is thought to mediate the transcriptomic response to nitrogen limitation. However, to date only ten genes have been shown to be in the GlnR regulon, a vastly reduced number compared to other organisms.

Results

We investigated the role of GlnR in the nitrogen limitation response and determined the entire GlnR regulon, by combining expression profiling of M. smegmatis wild type and glnR deletion mutant, with GlnR-specific chromatin immunoprecipitation and high throughput sequencing. We identify 53 GlnR binding sites during nitrogen limitation that control the expression of over 100 genes, demonstrating that GlnR is the regulator controlling the assimilation and utilisation of nitrogen. We also determine a consensus GlnR binding motif and identify key residues within the motif that are required for specific GlnR binding.

Conclusions

We have demonstrated that GlnR is the global nitrogen response regulator in M. smegmatis, directly regulating the expression of more than 100 genes. GlnR controls key nitrogen stress survival processes including primary nitrogen metabolism pathways, the ability to utilise nitrate and urea as alternative nitrogen sources, and the potential to use cellular components to provide a source of ammonium. These studies further our understanding of how mycobacteria survive nutrient limiting conditions.

Three of four GlnR binding sites are essential for GlnR-mediated activation of transcription of the Amycolatopsis mediterranei nas operon

In Amycolatopsis mediterranei U32, genes responsible for nitrate assimilation formed one operon, nasACKBDEF, whose transcription is induced by the addition of nitrate. Here, we characterized GlnR as a direct transcriptional activator for the nas operon. The GlnR-protected DNA sequences in the promoter region of the nas operon were characterized by DNase I footprinting assay, the previously deduced Streptomyces coelicolor double 22-bp GlnR binding consensus sequences comprising a1, b1, a2, and b2 sites were identified, and the sites were then mutated individually to test their roles in both the binding of GlnR in vitro and the GlnR-mediated transcriptional activation in vivo. The results clearly showed that only three GlnR binding sites (a1, b1, and b2 sites) were required by GlnR for its specific binding to the nas promoter region and efficient activation of the transcription of the nas operon in U32, while the a2 site seemed unnecessary.

Identification of two-component system AfsQ1/Q2 regulon and its cross-regulation with GlnR in Streptomyces coelicolor

The two-component system AfsQ1/Q2 of Streptomyces coelicolor was identified in our previous work as a pleiotropic regulator for antibiotic biosynthesis and morphological differentiation under the condition of a minimal medium supplemented with 75 mM glutamate. In this work, we report the dissection of the mechanism underlying the function of AfsQ1/Q2 on antibiotic production and also the identification of the AfsQ1/Q2 regulon. The results showed that AfsQ1/Q2 stimulated antibiotic ACT, RED and CDA production directly through the pathway-specific activator genes actII-ORF4, redZ and cdaR respectively. In addition, expression of sigQ that encodes a sigma factor and is divergently transcribed from afsQ1 was also subject to direct regulation by AfsQ1/Q2. The precise AfsQ1 binding sites in the upstream regions of these target genes were determined by DNase I footprinting assays coupled with site-directed DNA mutagenesis. By computational prediction and functional analysis, at least 17 new AfsQ1 targets were identified, including pstS gene encoding a high-affinity phosphate-binding protein and two developmental genes whiD, bldM. For the AfsQ1/Q2 regulon, an AfsQ1 binding motif comprising the sequence GTnAC-n(6) -GTnAC has been defined. Interestingly, we found from electrophoretic mobility shift assays and transcriptional analysis that AfsQ1/Q2 can also function as a repressor for nitrogen assimilation, and AfsQ1 can compete with GlnR for the promoter regions of glnA and nirB, suggesting the cross-regulation between AfsQ1/Q2 and GlnR in nitrogen metabolism. These findings suggested that AfsQ1/Q2 is important not only for antibiotic biosynthesis but also in maintaining the metabolic homeostasis of nutrient utilization under the stress of high concentration of glutamate in S. coelicolor.

The bifunctional role of aconitase in Streptomyces viridochromogenes Tü494

In many organisms, aconitases have dual functions; they serve as enzymes in the tricarboxylic acid cycle and as regulators of iron metabolism. In this study we defined the role of the aconitase AcnA in Streptomyces viridochromogenes Tü494, the producer of the herbicide phosphinothricyl-alanyl-alanine, also known as phosphinothricin tripeptide or bialaphos. A mutant in which the aconitase gene acnA was disrupted showed severe defects in morphology and physiology, as it was unable to form any aerial mycelium, spores nor phosphinothricin tripeptide. AcnA belongs to the iron regulatory proteins (IRPs). In addition to its catalytic function, AcnA plays a regulatory role by binding to iron responsive elements (IREs) located on the untranslated region of certain mRNAs. A mutation preventing the formation of the [4Fe-4S] cluster of AcnA eliminated its catalytic activity, but did not inhibit RNA-binding ability. In silico analysis of the S. viridochromogenes genome revealed several IRE-like structures. One structure is located upstream of recA, which is involved in the bacterial SOS response, and another one was identified upstream of ftsZ, which is required for the onset of sporulation in streptomycetes. The functionality of different IRE structures was proven with gel shift assays and specific IRE consensus sequences were defined. Furthermore, RecA was shown to be upregulated on post-transcriptional level under oxidative stress conditions in the wild-type strain but not in the acnA mutant, suggesting a regulatory role of AcnA in oxidative stress response.