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Li Z, Zhu Y, Zhang W, Mu W. Rcs signal transduction system in Escherichia coli: Composition, related functions, regulatory mechanism, and applications. Microbiol Res 2024; 285:127783. [PMID: 38795407 DOI: 10.1016/j.micres.2024.127783] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/19/2024] [Revised: 05/20/2024] [Accepted: 05/22/2024] [Indexed: 05/28/2024]
Abstract
The regulator of capsule synthesis (Rcs) system, an atypical two-component system prevalent in numerous gram-negative bacteria, serves as a sophisticated regulatory phosphorylation cascade mechanism. It plays a pivotal role in perceiving environmental stress and regulating the expression of downstream genes to ensure host survival. During the signaling transduction process, various proteins participate in phosphorylation to further modulate signal inputs and outputs. Although the structure of core proteins related to the Rcs system has been partially well-defined, and two models have been proposed to elucidate the intricate molecular mechanisms underlying signal sensing, a systematic characterization of the signal transduction process of the Rcs system remains challenging. Furthermore, exploring its corresponding regulator outputs is also unremitting. This review aimed to shed light on the regulation of bacterial virulence by the Rcs system. Moreover, with the assistance of the Rcs system, biosynthesis technology has developed high-value target production. Additionally, via this review, we propose designing chimeric Rcs biosensor systems to expand their application as synthesis tools. Finally, unsolved challenges are highlighted to provide the basic direction for future development of the Rcs system.
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Affiliation(s)
- Zeyu Li
- State Key Laboratory of Food Science and Resources, Jiangnan University, Wuxi, Jiangsu 214122, China
| | - Yingying Zhu
- State Key Laboratory of Food Science and Resources, Jiangnan University, Wuxi, Jiangsu 214122, China
| | - Wenli Zhang
- State Key Laboratory of Food Science and Resources, Jiangnan University, Wuxi, Jiangsu 214122, China
| | - Wanmeng Mu
- State Key Laboratory of Food Science and Resources, Jiangnan University, Wuxi, Jiangsu 214122, China.
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Cho SH, Dekoninck K, Collet JF. Envelope-Stress Sensing Mechanism of Rcs and Cpx Signaling Pathways in Gram-Negative Bacteria. J Microbiol 2023; 61:317-329. [PMID: 36892778 DOI: 10.1007/s12275-023-00030-y] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/09/2023] [Revised: 02/09/2023] [Accepted: 02/13/2023] [Indexed: 03/10/2023]
Abstract
The global public health burden of bacterial antimicrobial resistance (AMR) is intensified by Gram-negative bacteria, which have an additional membrane, the outer membrane (OM), outside of the peptidoglycan (PG) cell wall. Bacterial two-component systems (TCSs) aid in maintaining envelope integrity through a phosphorylation cascade by controlling gene expression through sensor kinases and response regulators. In Escherichia coli, the major TCSs defending cells from envelope stress and adaptation are Rcs and Cpx, which are aided by OM lipoproteins RcsF and NlpE as sensors, respectively. In this review, we focus on these two OM sensors. β-Barrel assembly machinery (BAM) inserts transmembrane OM proteins (OMPs) into the OM. BAM co-assembles RcsF, the Rcs sensor, with OMPs, forming the RcsF-OMP complex. Researchers have presented two models for stress sensing in the Rcs pathway. The first model suggests that LPS perturbation stress disassembles the RcsF-OMP complex, freeing RcsF to activate Rcs. The second model proposes that BAM cannot assemble RcsF into OMPs when the OM or PG is under specific stresses, and thus, the unassembled RcsF activates Rcs. These two models may not be mutually exclusive. Here, we evaluate these two models critically in order to elucidate the stress sensing mechanism. NlpE, the Cpx sensor, has an N-terminal (NTD) and a C-terminal domain (CTD). A defect in lipoprotein trafficking results in NlpE retention in the inner membrane, provoking the Cpx response. Signaling requires the NlpE NTD, but not the NlpE CTD; however, OM-anchored NlpE senses adherence to a hydrophobic surface, with the NlpE CTD playing a key role in this function.
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Affiliation(s)
- Seung-Hyun Cho
- WELBIO-Walloon Excellence in Life Sciences and Biotechnology, 1200, Brussels, Belgium. .,de Duve Institute, Université Catholique de Louvain, 1200, Brussels, Belgium.
| | - Kilian Dekoninck
- WELBIO-Walloon Excellence in Life Sciences and Biotechnology, 1200, Brussels, Belgium.,de Duve Institute, Université Catholique de Louvain, 1200, Brussels, Belgium.,University of California, Berkeley, CA, 94720, USA
| | - Jean-Francois Collet
- WELBIO-Walloon Excellence in Life Sciences and Biotechnology, 1200, Brussels, Belgium.,de Duve Institute, Université Catholique de Louvain, 1200, Brussels, Belgium
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Lach SR, Kumar S, Kim S, Im W, Konovalova A. Conformational rearrangements in the sensory RcsF/OMP complex mediate signal transduction across the bacterial cell envelope. PLoS Genet 2023; 19:e1010601. [PMID: 36706155 PMCID: PMC9907809 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pgen.1010601] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/28/2022] [Revised: 02/08/2023] [Accepted: 01/06/2023] [Indexed: 01/28/2023] Open
Abstract
Timely detection and repair of envelope damage are paramount for bacterial survival. The Regulator of Capsule Synthesis (Rcs) stress response can transduce the stress signals across the multilayered gram-negative cell envelope to regulate gene expression in the cytoplasm. Previous studies defined the overall pathway, which begins with the sensory lipoprotein RcsF interacting with several outer membrane proteins (OMPs). RcsF can also interact with the periplasmic domain of the negative regulator IgaA, derepressing the downstream RcsCDB phosphorelay. However, how the RcsF/IgaA interaction is regulated at the molecular level to activate the signaling in response to stress remains poorly understood. In this study, we used a site-saturated mutant library of rcsF to carry out several independent genetic screens to interrogate the mechanism of signal transduction from RcsF to IgaA. We analyzed several distinct classes of rcsF signaling mutants, and determined the region of RcsF that is critically important for signal transduction. This region is bifunctional as it is important for RcsF interaction with both IgaA and OMPs. The mutant analysis provides strong evidence for conformational changes in the RcsF/OMP complex mediating signal transduction to IgaA, and the first direct evidence that OMPs play an important regulatory role in Rcs signaling.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sarah R. Lach
- Department of Microbiology and Molecular Genetics, McGovern Medical School, The University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston (UTHealth), Houston, Texas, United States of America
- The University of Texas MD Anderson UTHealth Graduate School of Biomedical Sciences, Houston, Texas, United States of America
| | - Santosh Kumar
- Department of Microbiology and Molecular Genetics, McGovern Medical School, The University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston (UTHealth), Houston, Texas, United States of America
| | - Seonghoon Kim
- Departments of Biological Sciences, Chemistry, Bioengineering, and Computer Science and Engineering, Lehigh University, Bethlehem, Pennsylvania, United States of America
- School of Computational Sciences, Korea Institute for Advanced Study, Seoul, Republic of Korea
| | - Wonpil Im
- Departments of Biological Sciences, Chemistry, Bioengineering, and Computer Science and Engineering, Lehigh University, Bethlehem, Pennsylvania, United States of America
| | - Anna Konovalova
- Department of Microbiology and Molecular Genetics, McGovern Medical School, The University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston (UTHealth), Houston, Texas, United States of America
- The University of Texas MD Anderson UTHealth Graduate School of Biomedical Sciences, Houston, Texas, United States of America
- * E-mail:
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Meng J, Young G, Chen J. The Rcs System in Enterobacteriaceae: Envelope Stress Responses and Virulence Regulation. Front Microbiol 2021; 12:627104. [PMID: 33658986 PMCID: PMC7917084 DOI: 10.3389/fmicb.2021.627104] [Citation(s) in RCA: 26] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/08/2020] [Accepted: 01/18/2021] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
The bacterial cell envelope is a protective barrier at the frontline of bacterial interaction with the environment, and its integrity is regulated by various stress response systems. The Rcs (regulator of capsule synthesis) system, a non-orthodox two-component regulatory system (TCS) found in many members of the Enterobacteriaceae family, is one of the envelope stress response pathways. The Rcs system can sense envelope damage or defects and regulate the transcriptome to counteract stress, which is particularly important for the survival and virulence of pathogenic bacteria. In this review, we summarize the roles of the Rcs system in envelope stress responses (ESRs) and virulence regulation. We discuss the environmental and intrinsic sources of envelope stress that cause activation of the Rcs system with an emphasis on the role of RcsF in detection of envelope stress and signal transduction. Finally, the different regulation mechanisms governing the Rcs system's control of virulence in several common pathogens are introduced. This review highlights the important role of the Rcs system in the environmental adaptation of bacteria and provides a theoretical basis for the development of new strategies for control, prevention, and treatment of bacterial infections.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jiao Meng
- Beijing Laboratory for Food Quality and Safety, College of Food Science and Nutritional Engineering, China Agricultural University, Beijing, China
| | - Glenn Young
- Department of Food Science and Technology, University of California, Davis, Davis, CA, United States
| | - Jingyu Chen
- Beijing Laboratory for Food Quality and Safety, College of Food Science and Nutritional Engineering, China Agricultural University, Beijing, China
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Abstract
The Gram-negative envelope is a complex structure that consists of the inner membrane, the periplasm, peptidoglycan and the outer membrane, and protects the bacterial cell from the environment. Changing environmental conditions can cause damage, which triggers the envelope stress responses to maintain cellular homeostasis. In this Review, we explore the causes, both environmental and intrinsic, of envelope stress, as well as the cellular stress response pathways that counter these stresses. Furthermore, we discuss the damage to the cell that occurs when these pathways are aberrantly activated either in the absence of stress or to an excessive degree. Finally, we review the mechanisms whereby the σE response constantly acts to prevent cell death caused by highly toxic unfolded outer membrane proteins. Together, the recent work that we discuss has provided insights that emphasize the necessity for proper levels of stress response activation and the detrimental consequences that can occur in the absence of proper regulation.
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Abstract
RcsB, a response regulator of the FixJ/NarL family, is at the center of a complex network of regulatory inputs and outputs. Cell surface stress is sensed by an outer membrane lipoprotein, RcsF, which regulates interactions of the inner membrane protein IgaA, lifting negative regulation of a phosphorelay. In vivo evidence supports a pathway in which histidine kinase RcsC transfers phosphate to phosphotransfer protein RcsD, resulting in phosphorylation of RcsB. RcsB acts either alone or in combination with RcsA to positively regulate capsule synthesis and synthesis of small RNA (sRNA) RprA as well as other genes, and to negatively regulate motility. RcsB in combination with other FixJ/NarL auxiliary proteins regulates yet other functions, independent of RcsB phosphorylation. Proper expression of Rcs and its targets is critical for success of Escherichia coli commensal strains, for proper development of biofilm, and for virulence in some pathogens. New understanding of how the Rcs phosphorelay works provides insight into the flexibility of the two-component system paradigm.
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Affiliation(s)
- Erin Wall
- Laboratory of Molecular Biology, Center for Cancer Research, National Cancer Institute, Bethesda, Maryland 20892, USA; emails: , ,
| | - Nadim Majdalani
- Laboratory of Molecular Biology, Center for Cancer Research, National Cancer Institute, Bethesda, Maryland 20892, USA; emails: , ,
| | - Susan Gottesman
- Laboratory of Molecular Biology, Center for Cancer Research, National Cancer Institute, Bethesda, Maryland 20892, USA; emails: , ,
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Guo XP, Sun YC. New Insights into the Non-orthodox Two Component Rcs Phosphorelay System. Front Microbiol 2017; 8:2014. [PMID: 29089936 PMCID: PMC5651002 DOI: 10.3389/fmicb.2017.02014] [Citation(s) in RCA: 41] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/07/2017] [Accepted: 09/29/2017] [Indexed: 01/18/2023] Open
Abstract
The Rcs phosphorelay system, a non-orthodox two-component regulatory system, integrates environmental signals, regulates gene expression, and alters the physiological behavior of members of the Enterobacteriaceae family of Gram-negative bacteria. Recent studies of Rcs system focused on protein interactions, functions, and the evolution of Rcs system components and its auxiliary regulatory proteins. Herein we review the latest advances on the Rcs system proteins, and discuss the roles that the Rcs system plays in the environmental adaptation of various Enterobacteriaceae species.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xiao-Peng Guo
- MOH Key Laboratory of Systems Biology of Pathogens, Institute of Pathogen Biology, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences and Peking Union Medical College, Beijing, China
| | - Yi-Cheng Sun
- MOH Key Laboratory of Systems Biology of Pathogens, Institute of Pathogen Biology, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences and Peking Union Medical College, Beijing, China
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Sato T, Takano A, Hori N, Izawa T, Eda T, Sato K, Umekawa M, Miyagawa H, Matsumoto K, Muramatsu-Fujishiro A, Matsumoto K, Matsuoka S, Hara H. Role of the inner-membrane histidine kinase RcsC and outer-membrane lipoprotein RcsF in the activation of the Rcs phosphorelay signal transduction system in Escherichia coli. Microbiology (Reading) 2017; 163:1071-1080. [DOI: 10.1099/mic.0.000483] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/18/2022] Open
Affiliation(s)
- Takatsugu Sato
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Graduate School of Science and Engineering, Saitama University, 255 Shimo-ohkubo, Sakura-ku, Saitama-shi, Saitama-ken 338-8570, Japan
| | - Akira Takano
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Graduate School of Science and Engineering, Saitama University, 255 Shimo-ohkubo, Sakura-ku, Saitama-shi, Saitama-ken 338-8570, Japan
| | - Nanako Hori
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Graduate School of Science and Engineering, Saitama University, 255 Shimo-ohkubo, Sakura-ku, Saitama-shi, Saitama-ken 338-8570, Japan
| | - Tomoko Izawa
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Graduate School of Science and Engineering, Saitama University, 255 Shimo-ohkubo, Sakura-ku, Saitama-shi, Saitama-ken 338-8570, Japan
| | - Takayoshi Eda
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Graduate School of Science and Engineering, Saitama University, 255 Shimo-ohkubo, Sakura-ku, Saitama-shi, Saitama-ken 338-8570, Japan
- Present address: Department of Cancer Biology, Institute of Development, Aging and Cancer, Tohoku University, Japan
| | - Kota Sato
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Graduate School of Science and Engineering, Saitama University, 255 Shimo-ohkubo, Sakura-ku, Saitama-shi, Saitama-ken 338-8570, Japan
| | - Mitsuru Umekawa
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Graduate School of Science and Engineering, Saitama University, 255 Shimo-ohkubo, Sakura-ku, Saitama-shi, Saitama-ken 338-8570, Japan
| | - Hiroyoshi Miyagawa
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Graduate School of Science and Engineering, Saitama University, 255 Shimo-ohkubo, Sakura-ku, Saitama-shi, Saitama-ken 338-8570, Japan
| | - Kenji Matsumoto
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Graduate School of Science and Engineering, Saitama University, 255 Shimo-ohkubo, Sakura-ku, Saitama-shi, Saitama-ken 338-8570, Japan
| | - Ayako Muramatsu-Fujishiro
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Graduate School of Science and Engineering, Saitama University, 255 Shimo-ohkubo, Sakura-ku, Saitama-shi, Saitama-ken 338-8570, Japan
| | - Kouji Matsumoto
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Graduate School of Science and Engineering, Saitama University, 255 Shimo-ohkubo, Sakura-ku, Saitama-shi, Saitama-ken 338-8570, Japan
| | - Satoshi Matsuoka
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Graduate School of Science and Engineering, Saitama University, 255 Shimo-ohkubo, Sakura-ku, Saitama-shi, Saitama-ken 338-8570, Japan
| | - Hiroshi Hara
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Graduate School of Science and Engineering, Saitama University, 255 Shimo-ohkubo, Sakura-ku, Saitama-shi, Saitama-ken 338-8570, Japan
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Effects of Lipopolysaccharide Core Sugar Deficiency on Colanic Acid Biosynthesis in Escherichia coli. J Bacteriol 2016; 198:1576-1584. [PMID: 27002133 DOI: 10.1128/jb.00094-16] [Citation(s) in RCA: 51] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/26/2016] [Accepted: 03/12/2016] [Indexed: 11/20/2022] Open
Abstract
UNLABELLED When 10 Escherichia coli mutant strains with defects in lipopolysaccharide (LPS) core biosynthesis were grown on agar medium at 30°C, four of them, the ΔwaaF, ΔwaaG, ΔwaaP, and ΔwaaB strains, formed mucoid colonies, while the other six, the ΔwaaU, ΔwaaR, ΔwaaO, ΔwaaC, ΔwaaQ, and ΔwaaY strains, did not. Using light microscopy with tannin mordant staining, the presence of exopolysaccharide around the cells of the mutants that formed mucoid colonies could be discerned. The ΔwaaF mutant produced the largest amounts of exopolysaccharide, regardless of whether it was grown on agar or in liquid medium. The exopolysaccharide was isolated from the liquid growth medium of ΔwaaF cells, hydrolyzed, and analyzed by high-performance liquid chromatography with an ion-exchange column, and the results indicated that the exopolysaccharide was consistent with colanic acid. When the key genes related to the biosynthesis of colanic acid, i.e., wza, wzb, wzc, and wcaA, were deleted in the ΔwaaF background, the exopolysaccharide could not be produced any more, further confirming that it was colanic acid. Colanic acid could not be produced in strains in which rcsA, rcsB, rcsD, or rcsF was deleted in the ΔwaaF background, but a reduced level of colanic acid production was detected when the rcsC gene was deleted, suggesting that a change of lipopolysaccharide structure in ΔwaaF cells might be sensed by the RcsCDB phosphorelay system, leading to the production of colanic acid. The results demonstrate that E. coli cells can activate colanic acid production through the RcsCDB phosphorelay system in response to a structural deficiency of lipopolysaccharide. IMPORTANCE Lipopolysaccharide and colanic acid are important forms of exopolysaccharide for Escherichia coli cells. Their metabolism and biological significance have been investigated, but their interrelation with the cell stress response process is not understood. This study demonstrates, for the first time, that E. coli cells can activate colanic acid production through the RcsCDB phosphorelay system in response to a structural change of lipopolysaccharide, suggesting that bacterial cells can monitor the outer membrane integrity, which is essential for cell survival and damage repair.
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Morgan JK, Ortiz JA, Riordan JT. The role for TolA in enterohemorrhagic Escherichia coli pathogenesis and virulence gene transcription. Microb Pathog 2014; 77:42-52. [DOI: 10.1016/j.micpath.2014.10.010] [Citation(s) in RCA: 18] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/30/2014] [Revised: 10/14/2014] [Accepted: 10/21/2014] [Indexed: 01/16/2023]
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Konovalova A, Perlman DH, Cowles CE, Silhavy TJ. Transmembrane domain of surface-exposed outer membrane lipoprotein RcsF is threaded through the lumen of β-barrel proteins. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A 2014; 111:E4350-8. [PMID: 25267629 PMCID: PMC4205638 DOI: 10.1073/pnas.1417138111] [Citation(s) in RCA: 93] [Impact Index Per Article: 9.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/11/2022] Open
Abstract
RcsF (regulator of capsule synthesis) is an outer membrane (OM) lipoprotein that functions to sense defects such as changes in LPS. However, LPS is found in the outer leaflet, and RcsF was thought to be tethered to the inner leaflet by its lipidated N terminus, raising the question of how it monitors LPS. We show that RcsF has a transmembrane topology with the lipidated N terminus on the cell surface and the C-terminal signaling domain in the periplasm. Strikingly, the short, unstructured, charged transmembrane domain is threaded through the lumen of β-barrel OM proteins where it is protected from the hydrophobic membrane interior. We present evidence that these unusual complexes, which contain one protein inside another, are formed by the Bam complex that assembles all β-barrel proteins in the OM. The ability of the Bam complex to expose lipoproteins at the cell surface underscores the mechanistic versatility of the β-barrel assembly machine.
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Affiliation(s)
- Anna Konovalova
- Department of Molecular Biology, Lewis Thomas Laboratory, Princeton University, Princeton, NJ 08544
| | - David H Perlman
- Department of Molecular Biology, Lewis Thomas Laboratory, Princeton University, Princeton, NJ 08544
| | - Charles E Cowles
- Department of Molecular Biology, Lewis Thomas Laboratory, Princeton University, Princeton, NJ 08544
| | - Thomas J Silhavy
- Department of Molecular Biology, Lewis Thomas Laboratory, Princeton University, Princeton, NJ 08544
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