1
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Mittermeier M, Wang B, Said N, Gjorgjevikj D, Wahl MC, Artsimovitch I. A non-native C-terminal extension of the β' subunit compromises RNA polymerase and Rho functions. Mol Microbiol 2022; 117:871-885. [PMID: 35049093 PMCID: PMC9018486 DOI: 10.1111/mmi.14879] [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: 11/16/2021] [Revised: 01/10/2022] [Accepted: 01/11/2022] [Indexed: 11/30/2022]
Abstract
Escherichia coli RfaH abrogates Rho-mediated polarity in lipopolysaccharide core biosynthesis operons, and ΔrfaH cells are hypersensitive to antibiotics, bile salts, and detergents. Selection for rfaH suppressors that restore growth on SDS identified a temperature-sensitive mutant in which 46 C-terminal residues of the RNA polymerase (RNAP) β' subunit are replaced with 23 residues carrying a net positive charge. Based on similarity to rpoC397, which confers a temperature-sensitive phenotype and resistance to bacteriophages, we named this mutant rpoC397*. We show that SDS resistance depends on a single nonpolar residue within the C397* tail, whereas basic residues are dispensable. In line with its mimicry of RfaH, C397* RNAP is resistant to Rho but responds to pause signals, NusA, and NusG in vitro similarly to the wild-type enzyme and binds to Rho and Nus factors in vivo. Strikingly, the deletion of rpoZ, which encodes the ω "chaperone" subunit, restores rpoC397* growth at 42°C but has no effect on SDS sensitivity. Our results suggest that the C397* tail traps the ω subunit in an inhibitory state through direct contacts and hinders Rho-dependent termination through long-range interactions. We propose that the dynamic and hypervariable β'•ω module controls RNA synthesis in response to niche-specific signals.
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Affiliation(s)
- Maura Mittermeier
- Department of Microbiology and The Center for RNA Biology, The Ohio State University, Columbus, Ohio, USA
| | - Bing Wang
- Department of Microbiology and The Center for RNA Biology, The Ohio State University, Columbus, Ohio, USA
| | - Nelly Said
- Laboratory of Structural Biochemistry, Institute of Chemistry and Biochemistry, Freie Universität Berlin, Berlin, Germany
| | - Daniela Gjorgjevikj
- Laboratory of Structural Biochemistry, Institute of Chemistry and Biochemistry, Freie Universität Berlin, Berlin, Germany
| | - Markus C Wahl
- Laboratory of Structural Biochemistry, Institute of Chemistry and Biochemistry, Freie Universität Berlin, Berlin, Germany
| | - Irina Artsimovitch
- Department of Microbiology and The Center for RNA Biology, The Ohio State University, Columbus, Ohio, USA
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2
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Peña JM, Prezioso SM, McFarland KA, Kambara TK, Ramsey KM, Deighan P, Dove SL. Control of a programmed cell death pathway in Pseudomonas aeruginosa by an antiterminator. Nat Commun 2021; 12:1702. [PMID: 33731715 PMCID: PMC7969949 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-021-21941-7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/27/2020] [Accepted: 02/19/2021] [Indexed: 01/29/2023] Open
Abstract
In Pseudomonas aeruginosa the alp system encodes a programmed cell death pathway that is switched on in a subset of cells in response to DNA damage and is linked to the virulence of the organism. Here we show that the central regulator of this pathway, AlpA, exerts its effects by acting as an antiterminator rather than a transcription activator. In particular, we present evidence that AlpA positively regulates the alpBCDE cell lysis genes, as well as genes in a second newly identified target locus, by recognizing specific DNA sites within the promoter, then binding RNA polymerase directly and allowing it to bypass intrinsic terminators positioned downstream. AlpA thus functions in a mechanistically unusual manner to control the expression of virulence genes in this opportunistic pathogen.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jennifer M Peña
- Division of Infectious Diseases, Boston Children's Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Samantha M Prezioso
- Division of Infectious Diseases, Boston Children's Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Kirsty A McFarland
- Division of Infectious Diseases, Boston Children's Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Tracy K Kambara
- Division of Infectious Diseases, Boston Children's Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Kathryn M Ramsey
- Division of Infectious Diseases, Boston Children's Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA.,Departments of Cell and Molecular Biology and Biomedical and Pharmaceutical Sciences, University of Rhode Island, Kingston, RI, USA
| | | | - Simon L Dove
- Division of Infectious Diseases, Boston Children's Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA.
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3
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Boyle WK, Richards CL, Dulebohn DP, Zalud AK, Shaw JA, Lovas S, Gherardini FC, Bourret TJ. DksA-dependent regulation of RpoS contributes to Borrelia burgdorferi tick-borne transmission and mammalian infectivity. PLoS Pathog 2021; 17:e1009072. [PMID: 33600418 PMCID: PMC7924775 DOI: 10.1371/journal.ppat.1009072] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/19/2020] [Revised: 03/02/2021] [Accepted: 02/03/2021] [Indexed: 12/14/2022] Open
Abstract
Throughout its enzootic cycle, the Lyme disease spirochete Borreliella (Borrelia) burgdorferi, senses and responds to changes in its environment using a small repertoire of transcription factors that coordinate the expression of genes required for infection of Ixodes ticks and various mammalian hosts. Among these transcription factors, the DnaK suppressor protein (DksA) plays a pivotal role in regulating gene expression in B. burgdorferi during periods of nutrient limitation and is required for mammalian infectivity. In many pathogenic bacteria, the gene regulatory activity of DksA, along with the alarmone guanosine penta- and tetra-phosphate ((p)ppGpp), coordinate the stringent response to various environmental stresses, including nutrient limitation. In this study, we sought to characterize the role of DksA in regulating the transcriptional activity of RNA polymerase and its role in the regulation of RpoS-dependent gene expression required for B. burgdorferi infectivity. Using in vitro transcription assays, we observed recombinant DksA inhibits RpoD-dependent transcription by B. burgdorferi RNA polymerase independent of ppGpp. Additionally, we determined the pH-inducible expression of RpoS-dependent genes relies on DksA, but this relationship is independent of (p)ppGpp produced by Relbbu. Subsequent transcriptomic and western blot assays indicate DksA regulates the expression of BBD18, a protein previously implicated in the post-transcriptional regulation of RpoS. Moreover, we observed DksA was required for infection of mice following intraperitoneal inoculation or for transmission of B. burgdorferi by Ixodes scapularis nymphs. Together, these data suggest DksA plays a central role in coordinating transcriptional responses in B. burgdorferi required for infectivity through DksA’s interactions with RNA polymerase and post-transcriptional control of RpoS. Lyme disease, caused by the spirochete bacteria Borreliella (Borrelia) burgdorferi, is the most common vector-borne illness in North America. The ability of B. burgdorferi to establish infection is predicated by its ability to coordinate the expression of virulence factors in response to diverse environmental stimuli encountered within Ixodes ticks and mammalian hosts. Previous studies have shown an essential role for the alternative sigma factor RpoS in regulating the expression of genes required for the successful transmission of B. burgdorferi by Ixodes ticks and infection of mammalian hosts. The DnaK suppressor protein (DksA) is a global gene regulator in B. burgdorferi that contributes to the expression of RpoS-dependent genes. In this study, using in vitro transcription assays, we determined DksA exerts its gene regulatory function through direct interactions with the B. burgdorferi RNA polymerase and controls the expression of RpoS-dependent genes required for mammalian infection by post-transcriptionally regulating cellular levels of RpoS. Our results demonstrate the utility of in vitro transcription assays to determine how gene regulatory proteins like DksA control gene expression in B. burgdorferi and reveal a novel role for DksA in the infectious cycle of B. burgdorferi.
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Affiliation(s)
- William K. Boyle
- Department of Medical Microbiology and Immunology, Creighton University, Omaha, Nebraska, United States of America
| | - Crystal L. Richards
- Laboratory of Bacteriology, Gene Regulation Section, Division of Intramural Research, Rocky Mountain Laboratories, National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, National Institutes of Health, Hamilton, Montana, United States of America
| | - Daniel P. Dulebohn
- Laboratory of Bacteriology, Gene Regulation Section, Division of Intramural Research, Rocky Mountain Laboratories, National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, National Institutes of Health, Hamilton, Montana, United States of America
| | - Amanda K. Zalud
- Department of Medical Microbiology and Immunology, Creighton University, Omaha, Nebraska, United States of America
| | - Jeff A. Shaw
- Department of Medical Microbiology and Immunology, Creighton University, Omaha, Nebraska, United States of America
| | - Sándor Lovas
- Department of Biomedical Sciences, Creighton University, Omaha, Nebraska, United States of America
| | - Frank C. Gherardini
- Laboratory of Bacteriology, Gene Regulation Section, Division of Intramural Research, Rocky Mountain Laboratories, National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, National Institutes of Health, Hamilton, Montana, United States of America
| | - Travis J. Bourret
- Department of Medical Microbiology and Immunology, Creighton University, Omaha, Nebraska, United States of America
- * E-mail:
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4
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relA and spoT Gene Expression is Modulated in Salmonella Grown Under Static Magnetic Field. Curr Microbiol 2021; 78:887-893. [PMID: 33515321 DOI: 10.1007/s00284-021-02346-7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/17/2020] [Accepted: 01/10/2021] [Indexed: 10/22/2022]
Abstract
Virtually all bacterial species synthesize high levels of (p)ppGpp (guanosine penta- or tetraphosphate), a pleiotropic regulator of the stringent response and other stresses in bacteria. relA and spoT genes are, respectively, involved in synthesis and synthesis/biodegradation of (p)ppGpp. We aimed in this work to evaluate the impact of static magnetic field (SMF) 200 mT exposure on the expression of relA and spoT genes in Salmonella enterica Hadar. Bacteria were exposed to a SMF during 9 h, and RNA extraction was followed by reverse transcriptase polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR). The relative quantification of mRNA expression levels using the 16S rRNA reference gene did not change during the SMF exposure. However, results showed a significant increase in gene expression for relA after 3 h of exposure (P < 0.05) and after 6 h for spoT (P < 0.05). The differential gene expression of relA and spoT could be considered as a potential stress response to a SMF exposure in Salmonella related to the production/degradation of (p)ppGpp.
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Kurkela J, Fredman J, Salminen TA, Tyystjärvi T. Revealing secrets of the enigmatic omega subunit of bacterial RNA polymerase. Mol Microbiol 2021; 115:1-11. [PMID: 32920946 DOI: 10.1111/mmi.14603] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/03/2020] [Revised: 09/03/2020] [Accepted: 09/04/2020] [Indexed: 12/14/2022]
Abstract
The conserved omega (ω) subunit of RNA polymerase (RNAP) is the only nonessential subunit of bacterial RNAP core. The small ω subunit (7 kDa-11.5 kDa) contains three conserved α helices, and helices α2 and α3 contain five fully conserved amino acids of ω. Four conserved amino acids stabilize the correct folding of the ω subunit and one is located in the vicinity of the β' subunit of RNAP. Otherwise ω shows high variation between bacterial taxa, and although the main interaction partner of ω is always β', many interactions are taxon-specific. ω-less strains show pleiotropic phenotypes, and based on in vivo and in vitro results, a few roles for the ω subunits have been described. Interactions of the ω subunit with the β' subunit are important for the RNAP core assembly and integrity. In addition, the ω subunit plays a role in promoter selection, as ω-less RNAP cores recruit fewer primary σ factors and more alternative σ factors than intact RNAP cores in many species. Furthermore, the promoter selection of an ω-less RNAP holoenzyme bearing the primary σ factor seems to differ from that of an intact RNAP holoenzyme.
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Affiliation(s)
- Juha Kurkela
- Department of Biochemistry/Molecular Plant Biology, University of Turku, Turku, Finland
| | - Julia Fredman
- Faculty of Science and Engineering/Biochemistry/Structural Bioinformatics Laboratory, Åbo Akademi University, Turku, Finland
| | - Tiina A Salminen
- Faculty of Science and Engineering/Biochemistry/Structural Bioinformatics Laboratory, Åbo Akademi University, Turku, Finland
| | - Taina Tyystjärvi
- Department of Biochemistry/Molecular Plant Biology, University of Turku, Turku, Finland
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6
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Myers AR, Thistle DP, Ross W, Gourse RL. Guanosine Tetraphosphate Has a Similar Affinity for Each of Its Two Binding Sites on Escherichia coli RNA Polymerase. Front Microbiol 2020; 11:587098. [PMID: 33250875 PMCID: PMC7676912 DOI: 10.3389/fmicb.2020.587098] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/24/2020] [Accepted: 10/06/2020] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
During nutrient deprivation, the bacterial cell undergoes a stress response known as the stringent response. This response is characterized by induction of the nucleotide derivative guanosine tetraphosphate (ppGpp) that dramatically modulates the cell's transcriptome. In Escherichia coli, ppGpp regulates transcription of as many as 750 genes within 5 min of induction by binding directly to RNA polymerase (RNAP) at two sites ~60 Å apart. One proposal for the presence of two sites is that they have different affinities for ppGpp, expanding the dynamic range over which ppGpp acts. We show here, primarily using the Differential Radial Capillary Action of Ligand Assay (DRaCALA), that ppGpp has a similar affinity for each site, contradicting the proposal. Because the ppGpp binding sites are formed by interactions of the β' subunit of RNAP with two small protein factors, the ω subunit of RNAP which contributes to Site 1 and the transcription factor DksA which contributes to Site 2, variation in the concentrations of ω or DksA potentially could differentially regulate ppGpp occupancy of the two sites. It was shown previously that DksA varies little at different growth rates or growth phases, but little is known about variation of the ω concentration. Therefore, we raised an anti-ω antibody and performed Western blots at different times in growth and during a stringent response. We show here that ω, like DksA, changes little with growth conditions. Together, our data suggest that the two ppGpp binding sites fill in parallel, and occupancy with changing nutritional conditions is determined by variation in the ppGpp concentration, not by variation in ω or DksA.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | | | - Richard L. Gourse
- Department of Bacteriology, University of Wisconsin-Madison, Madison, WI, United States
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Rodriguez Ayala F, Bartolini M, Grau R. The Stress-Responsive Alternative Sigma Factor SigB of Bacillus subtilis and Its Relatives: An Old Friend With New Functions. Front Microbiol 2020; 11:1761. [PMID: 33042030 PMCID: PMC7522486 DOI: 10.3389/fmicb.2020.01761] [Citation(s) in RCA: 41] [Impact Index Per Article: 10.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/25/2020] [Accepted: 07/06/2020] [Indexed: 12/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Alternative sigma factors have led the core RNA polymerase (RNAP) to recognize different sets of promoters to those recognized by the housekeeping sigma A-directed RNAP. This change in RNAP promoter selectivity allows a rapid and flexible reformulation of the genetic program to face environmental and metabolic stimuli that could compromise bacterial fitness. The model bacterium Bacillus subtilis constitutes a matchless living system in the study of the role of alternative sigma factors in gene regulation and physiology. SigB from B. subtilis was the first alternative sigma factor described in bacteria. Studies of SigB during the last 40 years have shown that it controls a genetic universe of more than 150 genes playing crucial roles in stress response, adaption, and survival. Activation of SigB relies on three separate pathways that specifically respond to energy, environmental, and low temperature stresses. SigB homologs, present in other Gram-positive bacteria, also play important roles in virulence against mammals. Interestingly, during recent years, other unexpected B. subtilis responses were found to be controlled by SigB. In particular, SigB controls the efficiencies of spore and biofilm formation, two important features that play critical roles in adaptation and survival in planktonic and sessile B. subtilis communities. In B. subtilis, SigB induces the expression of the Spo0E aspartyl-phosphatase, which is responsible for the blockage of sporulation initiation. The upregulated activity of Spo0E connects the two predominant adaptive pathways (i.e., sporulation and stress response) present in B. subtilis. In addition, the RsbP serine-phosphatase, belonging to the energy stress arm of the SigB regulatory cascade, controls the expression of the key transcription factor SinR to decide whether cells residing in the biofilm remain in and maintain biofilm growth or scape to colonize new niches through biofilm dispersal. SigB also intervenes in the recognition of and response to surrounding microorganisms, a new SigB role that could have an agronomic impact. SigB is induced when B. subtilis is confronted with phytopathogenic fungi (e.g., Fusarium verticillioides) and halts fungal growth to the benefit of plant growth. In this article, we update and review literature on the different regulatory networks that control the activation of SigB and the new roles that have been described the recent years.
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Affiliation(s)
- Facundo Rodriguez Ayala
- Departamento de Micro y Nanotecnología, Instituto de Nanociencia y Nanotecnología - Comisión Nacional de Energía Atómica (CNEA), Buenos Aires, Argentina.,Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas (CONICET), Buenos Aires, Argentina
| | - Marco Bartolini
- Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas (CONICET), Buenos Aires, Argentina.,Departamento de Microbiología, Facultad de Ciencias Bioquímicas y Farmacéuticas, Universidad Nacional de Rosario, Rosario, Argentina
| | - Roberto Grau
- Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas (CONICET), Buenos Aires, Argentina.,Departamento de Microbiología, Facultad de Ciencias Bioquímicas y Farmacéuticas, Universidad Nacional de Rosario, Rosario, Argentina
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8
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Min KB, Yoon SS. Transcriptome analysis reveals that the RNA polymerase-binding protein DksA1 has pleiotropic functions in Pseudomonas aeruginosa. J Biol Chem 2020; 295:3851-3864. [PMID: 32047111 DOI: 10.1074/jbc.ra119.011692] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/30/2019] [Revised: 02/09/2020] [Indexed: 12/20/2022] Open
Abstract
The stringent response (SR) is a highly conserved stress response in bacteria. It is composed of two factors, (i) a nucleotide alarmone, guanosine tetra- and pentaphosphate ((p)ppGpp), and (ii) an RNA polymerase-binding protein, DksA, that regulates various phenotypes, including bacterial virulence. The clinically significant opportunistic bacterial pathogen Pseudomonas aeruginosa possesses two genes, dksA1 and dksA2, that encode DksA proteins. It remains elusive, however, which of these two genes plays a more important role in SR regulation. In this work, we compared genome-wide, RNA-Seq-based transcriptome profiles of ΔdksA1, ΔdksA2, and ΔdksA1ΔdksA2 mutants to globally assess the effects of these gene deletions on transcript levels coupled with phenotypic analyses. The ΔdksA1 mutant exhibited substantial defects in a wide range of phenotypes, including quorum sensing (QS), anaerobiosis, and motility, whereas the ΔdksA2 mutant exhibited no significant phenotypic changes, suggesting that the dksA2 gene may not have an essential function in P. aeruginosa under the conditions used here. Of note, the ΔdksA1 mutants displayed substantially increased transcription of genes involved in polyamine biosynthesis, and we also detected increased polyamine levels in these mutants. Because SAM is a shared precursor for the production of both QS autoinducers and polyamines, these findings suggest that DksA1 deficiency skews the flow of SAM toward polyamine production rather than to QS signaling. Together, our results indicate that DksA1, but not DksA2, controls many important phenotypes in P. aeruginosa We conclude that DksA1 may represent a potential target whose inhibition may help manage recalcitrant P. aeruginosa infections.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kyung Bae Min
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, Yonsei University College of Medicine, Seoul 03722, Korea.,Brain Korea 21 PLUS Project for Medical Sciences, Yonsei University College of Medicine, Seoul 03722, Korea
| | - Sang Sun Yoon
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, Yonsei University College of Medicine, Seoul 03722, Korea .,Brain Korea 21 PLUS Project for Medical Sciences, Yonsei University College of Medicine, Seoul 03722, Korea.,Institute for Immunology and Immunological Diseases, Yonsei University College of Medicine, Seoul 03722, Korea
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Bervoets I, Charlier D. Diversity, versatility and complexity of bacterial gene regulation mechanisms: opportunities and drawbacks for applications in synthetic biology. FEMS Microbiol Rev 2019; 43:304-339. [PMID: 30721976 PMCID: PMC6524683 DOI: 10.1093/femsre/fuz001] [Citation(s) in RCA: 87] [Impact Index Per Article: 17.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/27/2018] [Accepted: 01/21/2019] [Indexed: 12/15/2022] Open
Abstract
Gene expression occurs in two essential steps: transcription and translation. In bacteria, the two processes are tightly coupled in time and space, and highly regulated. Tight regulation of gene expression is crucial. It limits wasteful consumption of resources and energy, prevents accumulation of potentially growth inhibiting reaction intermediates, and sustains the fitness and potential virulence of the organism in a fluctuating, competitive and frequently stressful environment. Since the onset of studies on regulation of enzyme synthesis, numerous distinct regulatory mechanisms modulating transcription and/or translation have been discovered. Mostly, various regulatory mechanisms operating at different levels in the flow of genetic information are used in combination to control and modulate the expression of a single gene or operon. Here, we provide an extensive overview of the very diverse and versatile bacterial gene regulatory mechanisms with major emphasis on their combined occurrence, intricate intertwinement and versatility. Furthermore, we discuss the potential of well-characterized basal expression and regulatory elements in synthetic biology applications, where they may ensure orthogonal, predictable and tunable expression of (heterologous) target genes and pathways, aiming at a minimal burden for the host.
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Affiliation(s)
- Indra Bervoets
- Research Group of Microbiology, Department of Bioengineering Sciences, Vrije Universiteit Brussel, Pleinlaan 2, B-1050 Brussels, Belgium
| | - Daniel Charlier
- Research Group of Microbiology, Department of Bioengineering Sciences, Vrije Universiteit Brussel, Pleinlaan 2, B-1050 Brussels, Belgium
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10
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Abstract
The family Geobacteraceae, with its only valid genus Geobacter, comprises deltaproteobacteria ubiquitous in soil, sediments, and subsurface environments where metal reduction is an active process. Research for almost three decades has provided novel insights into environmental processes and biogeochemical reactions not previously known to be carried out by microorganisms. At the heart of the environmental roles played by Geobacter bacteria is their ability to integrate redox pathways and regulatory checkpoints that maximize growth efficiency with electron donors derived from the decomposition of organic matter while respiring metal oxides, particularly the often abundant oxides of ferric iron. This metabolic specialization is complemented by versatile metabolic reactions, respiratory chains, and sensory networks that allow specific members to adaptively respond to environmental cues to integrate organic and inorganic contaminants in their oxidative and reductive metabolism, respectively. Thus, Geobacteraceae are important members of the microbial communities that degrade hydrocarbon contaminants under iron-reducing conditions and that contribute, directly or indirectly, to the reduction of radionuclides, toxic metals, and oxidized species of nitrogen. Their ability to produce conductive pili as nanowires for discharging respiratory electrons to solid-phase electron acceptors and radionuclides, or for wiring cells in current-harvesting biofilms highlights the unique physiological traits that make these organisms attractive biological platforms for bioremediation, bioenergy, and bioelectronics application. Here we review some of the most notable physiological features described in Geobacter species since the first model representatives were recovered in pure culture. We provide a historical account of the environmental research that has set the foundation for numerous physiological studies and the laboratory tools that had provided novel insights into the role of Geobacter in the functioning of microbial communities from pristine and contaminated environments. We pay particular attention to latest research, both basic and applied, that has served to expand the field into new directions and to advance interdisciplinary knowledge. The electrifying physiology of Geobacter, it seems, is alive and well 30 years on.
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11
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Coordinated Hibernation of Transcriptional and Translational Apparatus during Growth Transition of Escherichia coli to Stationary Phase. mSystems 2018; 3:mSystems00057-18. [PMID: 30225374 PMCID: PMC6134199 DOI: 10.1128/msystems.00057-18] [Citation(s) in RCA: 26] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/18/2018] [Accepted: 08/06/2018] [Indexed: 12/14/2022] Open
Abstract
During the growth transition of E. coli from exponential phase to stationary, the genome expression pattern is altered markedly. For this alteration, the transcription apparatus is altered by binding of anti-sigma factor Rsd to the RpoD sigma factor for sigma factor replacement, while the translation machinery is modulated by binding of RMF to 70S ribosome to form inactive ribosome dimer. Using the PS-TF screening system, a number of TFs were found to bind to both the rsd and rmf promoters, of which the regulatory roles of 5 representative TFs (one repressor ArcA and the four activators McbR, RcdA, SdiA, and SlyA) were analyzed in detail. The results altogether indicated the involvement of a common set of TFs, each sensing a specific environmental condition, in coordinated hibernation of the transcriptional and translational apparatus for adaptation and survival under stress conditions. In the process of Escherichia coli K-12 growth from exponential phase to stationary, marked alteration takes place in the pattern of overall genome expression through modulation of both parts of the transcriptional and translational apparatus. In transcription, the sigma subunit with promoter recognition properties is replaced from the growth-related factor RpoD by the stationary-phase-specific factor RpoS. The unused RpoD is stored by binding with the anti-sigma factor Rsd. In translation, the functional 70S ribosome is converted to inactive 100S dimers through binding with the ribosome modulation factor (RMF). Up to the present time, the regulatory mechanisms of expression of these two critical proteins, Rsd and RMF, have remained totally unsolved. In this study, attempts were made to identify the whole set of transcription factors involved in transcription regulation of the rsd and rmf genes using the newly developed promoter-specific transcription factor (PS-TF) screening system. In the first screening, 74 candidate TFs with binding activity to both of the rsd and rmf promoters were selected from a total of 194 purified TFs. After 6 cycles of screening, we selected 5 stress response TFs, ArcA, McbR, RcdA, SdiA, and SlyA, for detailed analysis in vitro and in vivo of their regulatory roles. Results indicated that both rsd and rmf promoters are repressed by ArcA and activated by McbR, RcdA, SdiA, and SlyA. We propose the involvement of a number of TFs in simultaneous and coordinated regulation of the transcriptional and translational apparatus. By using genomic SELEX (gSELEX) screening, each of the five TFs was found to regulate not only the rsd and rmf genes but also a variety of genes for growth and survival. IMPORTANCE During the growth transition of E. coli from exponential phase to stationary, the genome expression pattern is altered markedly. For this alteration, the transcription apparatus is altered by binding of anti-sigma factor Rsd to the RpoD sigma factor for sigma factor replacement, while the translation machinery is modulated by binding of RMF to 70S ribosome to form inactive ribosome dimer. Using the PS-TF screening system, a number of TFs were found to bind to both the rsd and rmf promoters, of which the regulatory roles of 5 representative TFs (one repressor ArcA and the four activators McbR, RcdA, SdiA, and SlyA) were analyzed in detail. The results altogether indicated the involvement of a common set of TFs, each sensing a specific environmental condition, in coordinated hibernation of the transcriptional and translational apparatus for adaptation and survival under stress conditions.
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12
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Gourse RL, Chen AY, Gopalkrishnan S, Sanchez-Vazquez P, Myers A, Ross W. Transcriptional Responses to ppGpp and DksA. Annu Rev Microbiol 2018; 72:163-184. [PMID: 30200857 PMCID: PMC6586590 DOI: 10.1146/annurev-micro-090817-062444] [Citation(s) in RCA: 142] [Impact Index Per Article: 23.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/20/2022]
Abstract
The stringent response to nutrient deprivation is a stress response found throughout the bacterial domain of life. Although first described in proteobacteria for matching ribosome synthesis to the cell's translation status and for preventing formation of defective ribosomal particles, the response is actually much broader, regulating many hundreds of genes-some positively, some negatively. Utilization of the signaling molecules ppGpp and pppGpp for this purpose is ubiquitous in bacterial evolution, although the mechanisms employed vary. In proteobacteria, the signaling molecules typically bind to two sites on RNA polymerase, one at the interface of the β' and ω subunits and one at the interface of the β' secondary channel and the transcription factor DksA. The β' secondary channel is targeted by other transcription regulators as well. Although studies on the transcriptional outputs of the stringent response date back at least 50 years, the mechanisms responsible are only now coming into focus.
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Affiliation(s)
- Richard L Gourse
- Department of Bacteriology, University of Wisconsin-Madison, Madison, Wisconsin 53706, USA; , , , , ,
| | - Albert Y Chen
- Department of Bacteriology, University of Wisconsin-Madison, Madison, Wisconsin 53706, USA; , , , , ,
| | - Saumya Gopalkrishnan
- Department of Bacteriology, University of Wisconsin-Madison, Madison, Wisconsin 53706, USA; , , , , ,
| | - Patricia Sanchez-Vazquez
- Department of Bacteriology, University of Wisconsin-Madison, Madison, Wisconsin 53706, USA; , , , , ,
| | | | - Wilma Ross
- Department of Bacteriology, University of Wisconsin-Madison, Madison, Wisconsin 53706, USA; , , , , ,
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13
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Field B. Green magic: regulation of the chloroplast stress response by (p)ppGpp in plants and algae. JOURNAL OF EXPERIMENTAL BOTANY 2018; 69:2797-2807. [PMID: 29281108 DOI: 10.1093/jxb/erx485] [Citation(s) in RCA: 22] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/29/2017] [Accepted: 12/14/2017] [Indexed: 06/07/2023]
Abstract
The hyperphosphorylated nucleotides guanosine pentaphosphate and tetraphosphate [together referred to as (p)ppGpp, or 'magic spot'] orchestrate a signalling cascade in bacteria that controls growth under optimal conditions and in response to environmental stress. (p)ppGpp is also found in the chloroplasts of plants and algae where it has also been shown to accumulate in response to abiotic stress. Recent studies suggest that (p)ppGpp is a potent inhibitor of chloroplast gene expression in vivo, and is a significant regulator of chloroplast function that can influence both the growth and the development of plants. However, little is currently known about how (p)ppGpp is wired into eukaryotic signalling pathways, or how it may act to enhance fitness when plants or algae are exposed to environmental stress. This review discusses our current understanding of (p)ppGpp metabolism and its extent in plants and algae, and how (p)ppGpp signalling may be an important factor that is capable of influencing growth and stress acclimation in this major group of organisms.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ben Field
- Aix Marseille Univ, CEA, CNRS, France
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14
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Bhardwaj N, Syal K, Chatterji D. The role of ω-subunit of Escherichia coli RNA polymerase in stress response. Genes Cells 2018. [PMID: 29542212 DOI: 10.1111/gtc.12577] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/15/2022]
Abstract
ppGpp, an alarmone for stringent response, plays an important role in the reprogramming of the transcription complex at the time of stress. In Escherichia coli, ppGpp mediates its action by binding to at least two different sites on RNA polymerase (RNAP). One of the sites to which ppGpp binds to RNAP is at the β'-ω interface; however, the underlying molecular mechanism and the physiological relevance of ppGpp binding to this site remain unclear. In this study, we have performed UV cross-linking experiments using 32 P azido-labeled ppGpp to probe its association with RNAP in the absence and presence of ω, and observed weaker binding of ppGpp to the RNAP without ω. Furthermore, we followed the binding kinetics of ppGpp to RNAP with and without ω by isothermal titration calorimetry and found it to be concurrent with the cross-linking results. Native ω is intrinsically disordered, and we have used a previously characterized structured mutant of ω, which affects the plasticity of the active site of RNAP. Results show that the flexibility conferred by the unstructured ω is a prerequisite for ppGpp binding to RNAP. We have analyzed the stress-associated phenotypes in an E. coli strain devoid of ω (∆rpoZ). ppGpp levels in ∆rpoZ strain were found to be similar to that of the wild-type strain. Interestingly, when the ∆rpoZ strain of E. coli was transferred after nutritional stress to an enriched media, the recovery of growth was compromised. We have identified a new phenotype of ∆rpoZ strain corresponding to defect in biofilm formation in minimal media.
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Affiliation(s)
- Neerupma Bhardwaj
- Molecular Biophysics Unit, Indian Institute of Science, Bangalore, India
| | - Kirtimaan Syal
- Molecular Biophysics Unit, Indian Institute of Science, Bangalore, India
| | - Dipankar Chatterji
- Molecular Biophysics Unit, Indian Institute of Science, Bangalore, India
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15
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Molodtsov V, Sineva E, Zhang L, Huang X, Cashel M, Ades SE, Murakami KS. Allosteric Effector ppGpp Potentiates the Inhibition of Transcript Initiation by DksA. Mol Cell 2018; 69:828-839.e5. [PMID: 29478808 DOI: 10.1016/j.molcel.2018.01.035] [Citation(s) in RCA: 71] [Impact Index Per Article: 11.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/17/2017] [Revised: 12/05/2017] [Accepted: 01/25/2018] [Indexed: 02/07/2023]
Abstract
DksA and ppGpp are the central players in the stringent response and mediate a complete reprogramming of the transcriptome. A major component of the response is a reduction in ribosome synthesis, which is accomplished by the synergistic action of DksA and ppGpp bound to RNA polymerase (RNAP) inhibiting transcription of rRNAs. Here, we report the X-ray crystal structures of Escherichia coli RNAP in complex with DksA alone and with ppGpp. The structures show that DksA accesses the template strand at the active site and the downstream DNA binding site of RNAP simultaneously and reveal that binding of the allosteric effector ppGpp reshapes the RNAP-DksA complex. The structural data support a model for transcriptional inhibition in which ppGpp potentiates the destabilization of open complexes by DksA. This work establishes a structural basis for understanding the pleiotropic effects of DksA and ppGpp on transcriptional regulation in proteobacteria.
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Affiliation(s)
- Vadim Molodtsov
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, The Center for RNA Molecular Biology, The Pennsylvania State University, University Park, PA 16802, USA
| | - Elena Sineva
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, The Center for RNA Molecular Biology, The Pennsylvania State University, University Park, PA 16802, USA
| | - Lu Zhang
- State Key Laboratory of Structural Chemistry, Fujian Institute of Research on the Structure of Matter, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Fuzhou, Fujian 350002, China
| | - Xuhui Huang
- Department of Chemistry, The Hong Kong University of Science and Technology, Clear Water Bay, Kowloon, Hong Kong
| | - Michael Cashel
- Intramural Research Program, Eunice Kennedy Shriver, National Institute of Child Health and Human Development, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD 20892, USA
| | - Sarah E Ades
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, The Center for RNA Molecular Biology, The Pennsylvania State University, University Park, PA 16802, USA.
| | - Katsuhiko S Murakami
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, The Center for RNA Molecular Biology, The Pennsylvania State University, University Park, PA 16802, USA.
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16
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Yamamoto K, Yamanaka Y, Shimada T, Sarkar P, Yoshida M, Bhardwaj N, Watanabe H, Taira Y, Chatterji D, Ishihama A. Altered Distribution of RNA Polymerase Lacking the Omega Subunit within the Prophages along the Escherichia coli K-12 Genome. mSystems 2018; 3:e00172-17. [PMID: 29468196 PMCID: PMC5811629 DOI: 10.1128/msystems.00172-17] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/07/2017] [Accepted: 01/25/2018] [Indexed: 11/20/2022] Open
Abstract
The RNA polymerase (RNAP) of Escherichia coli K-12 is a complex enzyme consisting of the core enzyme with the subunit structure α2ββ'ω and one of the σ subunits with promoter recognition properties. The smallest subunit, omega (the rpoZ gene product), participates in subunit assembly by supporting the folding of the largest subunit, β', but its functional role remains unsolved except for its involvement in ppGpp binding and stringent response. As an initial approach for elucidation of its functional role, we performed in this study ChIP-chip (chromatin immunoprecipitation with microarray technology) analysis of wild-type and rpoZ-defective mutant strains. The altered distribution of RpoZ-defective RNAP was identified mostly within open reading frames, in particular, of the genes inside prophages. For the genes that exhibited increased or decreased distribution of RpoZ-defective RNAP, the level of transcripts increased or decreased, respectively, as detected by reverse transcription-quantitative PCR (qRT-PCR). In parallel, we analyzed, using genomic SELEX (systemic evolution of ligands by exponential enrichment), the distribution of constitutive promoters that are recognized by RNAP RpoD holoenzyme alone and of general silencer H-NS within prophages. Since all 10 prophages in E. coli K-12 carry only a small number of promoters, the altered occupancy of RpoZ-defective RNAP and of transcripts might represent transcription initiated from as-yet-unidentified host promoters. The genes that exhibited transcription enhanced by RpoZ-defective RNAP are located in the regions of low-level H-NS binding. By using phenotype microarray (PM) assay, alterations of some phenotypes were detected for the rpoZ-deleted mutant, indicating the involvement of RpoZ in regulation of some genes. Possible mechanisms of altered distribution of RNAP inside prophages are discussed. IMPORTANCE The 91-amino-acid-residue small-subunit omega (the rpoZ gene product) of Escherichia coli RNA polymerase plays a structural role in the formation of RNA polymerase (RNAP) as a chaperone in folding the largest subunit (β', of 1,407 residues in length), but except for binding of the stringent signal ppGpp, little is known of its role in the control of RNAP function. After analysis of genomewide distribution of wild-type and RpoZ-defective RNAP by the ChIP-chip method, we found alteration of the RpoZ-defective RNAP inside open reading frames, in particular, of the genes within prophages. For a set of the genes that exhibited altered occupancy of the RpoZ-defective RNAP, transcription was found to be altered as observed by qRT-PCR assay. All the observations here described indicate the involvement of RpoZ in recognition of some of the prophage genes. This study advances understanding of not only the regulatory role of omega subunit in the functions of RNAP but also the regulatory interplay between prophages and the host E. coli for adjustment of cellular physiology to a variety of environments in nature.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kaneyoshi Yamamoto
- Department of Frontier Bioscience, Hosei University, Tokyo, Japan
- Micro-Nano Technology Research Center, Hosei University, Tokyo, Japan
| | - Yuki Yamanaka
- Micro-Nano Technology Research Center, Hosei University, Tokyo, Japan
| | - Tomohiro Shimada
- Micro-Nano Technology Research Center, Hosei University, Tokyo, Japan
- Meiji University, School of Agriculture, Kawasaki, Kanagawa, Japan
| | - Paramita Sarkar
- Department of Frontier Bioscience, Hosei University, Tokyo, Japan
- Indian Institute of Science, Molecular Biophysics Unit, Bangalore, India
| | - Myu Yoshida
- Department of Frontier Bioscience, Hosei University, Tokyo, Japan
| | - Neerupma Bhardwaj
- Indian Institute of Science, Molecular Biophysics Unit, Bangalore, India
| | - Hiroki Watanabe
- Department of Frontier Bioscience, Hosei University, Tokyo, Japan
| | - Yuki Taira
- Department of Frontier Bioscience, Hosei University, Tokyo, Japan
| | - Dipankar Chatterji
- Indian Institute of Science, Molecular Biophysics Unit, Bangalore, India
| | - Akira Ishihama
- Micro-Nano Technology Research Center, Hosei University, Tokyo, Japan
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17
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Maffioli SI, Zhang Y, Degen D, Carzaniga T, Del Gatto G, Serina S, Monciardini P, Mazzetti C, Guglierame P, Candiani G, Chiriac AI, Facchetti G, Kaltofen P, Sahl HG, Dehò G, Donadio S, Ebright RH. Antibacterial Nucleoside-Analog Inhibitor of Bacterial RNA Polymerase. Cell 2017. [PMID: 28622509 DOI: 10.1016/j.cell.2017.05.042] [Citation(s) in RCA: 99] [Impact Index Per Article: 14.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/28/2022]
Abstract
Drug-resistant bacterial pathogens pose an urgent public-health crisis. Here, we report the discovery, from microbial-extract screening, of a nucleoside-analog inhibitor that inhibits bacterial RNA polymerase (RNAP) and exhibits antibacterial activity against drug-resistant bacterial pathogens: pseudouridimycin (PUM). PUM is a natural product comprising a formamidinylated, N-hydroxylated Gly-Gln dipeptide conjugated to 6'-amino-pseudouridine. PUM potently and selectively inhibits bacterial RNAP in vitro, inhibits bacterial growth in culture, and clears infection in a mouse model of Streptococcus pyogenes peritonitis. PUM inhibits RNAP through a binding site on RNAP (the NTP addition site) and mechanism (competition with UTP for occupancy of the NTP addition site) that differ from those of the RNAP inhibitor and current antibacterial drug rifampin (Rif). PUM exhibits additive antibacterial activity when co-administered with Rif, exhibits no cross-resistance with Rif, and exhibits a spontaneous resistance rate an order-of-magnitude lower than that of Rif. PUM is a highly promising lead for antibacterial therapy.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sonia I Maffioli
- NAICONS Srl, 20139 Milan, Italy; Vicuron Pharmaceuticals, 21040 Gerenzano, Italy
| | - Yu Zhang
- Waksman Institute and Department of Chemistry, Rutgers University, Piscataway, NJ 08854, USA
| | - David Degen
- Waksman Institute and Department of Chemistry, Rutgers University, Piscataway, NJ 08854, USA
| | - Thomas Carzaniga
- Department of Bioscience, University of Milan, 20122 Milan, Italy
| | | | - Stefania Serina
- NAICONS Srl, 20139 Milan, Italy; Vicuron Pharmaceuticals, 21040 Gerenzano, Italy
| | - Paolo Monciardini
- NAICONS Srl, 20139 Milan, Italy; Vicuron Pharmaceuticals, 21040 Gerenzano, Italy
| | | | | | | | - Alina Iulia Chiriac
- Institute of Medical Microbiology, Immunology, and Parasitology, University of Bonn, D-53012 Bonn, Germany
| | | | | | - Hans-Georg Sahl
- Institute of Medical Microbiology, Immunology, and Parasitology, University of Bonn, D-53012 Bonn, Germany
| | - Gianni Dehò
- Department of Bioscience, University of Milan, 20122 Milan, Italy
| | - Stefano Donadio
- NAICONS Srl, 20139 Milan, Italy; Vicuron Pharmaceuticals, 21040 Gerenzano, Italy.
| | - Richard H Ebright
- Waksman Institute and Department of Chemistry, Rutgers University, Piscataway, NJ 08854, USA.
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18
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Guo Y, Winkler J, Kao KC. Insights on Osmotic Tolerance Mechanisms in Escherichia coli Gained from an rpoC Mutation. Bioengineering (Basel) 2017; 4:bioengineering4030061. [PMID: 28952540 PMCID: PMC5615307 DOI: 10.3390/bioengineering4030061] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/24/2017] [Revised: 06/22/2017] [Accepted: 06/24/2017] [Indexed: 01/16/2023] Open
Abstract
An 84 bp in-frame duplication (K370_A396dup) within the rpoC subunit of RNA polymerase was found in two independent mutants selected during an adaptive laboratory evolution experiment under osmotic stress in Escherichia coli, suggesting that this mutation confers improved osmotic tolerance. To determine the role this mutation in rpoC plays in osmotic tolerance, we reconstructed the mutation in BW25113, and found it to confer improved tolerance to hyperosmotic stress. Metabolite analysis, exogenous supplementation assays, and cell membrane damage analysis suggest that the mechanism of improved osmotic tolerance by this rpoC mutation may be related to the higher production of acetic acid and amino acids such as proline, and increased membrane integrity in the presence of NaCl stress in exponential phase cells. Transcriptional analysis led to the findings that the overexpression of methionine related genes metK and mmuP improves osmotic tolerance in BW25113. Furthermore, deletion of a stress related gene bolA was found to confer enhanced osmotic tolerance in BW25113 and MG1655. These findings expand our current understanding of osmotic tolerance in E. coli, and have the potential to expand the utilization of high saline feedstocks and water sources in microbial fermentation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yuqi Guo
- Department of Chemical Engineering, Texas A&M University, College Station, TX 77843, USA.
| | - James Winkler
- Department of Chemical and Biological Engineering, University of Colorado-Boulder, Boulder, CO 80303, USA.
| | - Katy C Kao
- Department of Chemical Engineering, Texas A&M University, College Station, TX 77843, USA.
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19
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Walker SS, Degen D, Nickbarg E, Carr D, Soriano A, Mandal M, Painter RE, Sheth P, Xiao L, Sher X, Murgolo N, Su J, Olsen DB, Ebright RH, Young K. Affinity Selection-Mass Spectrometry Identifies a Novel Antibacterial RNA Polymerase Inhibitor. ACS Chem Biol 2017; 12:1346-1352. [PMID: 28323406 DOI: 10.1021/acschembio.6b01133] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/31/2022]
Abstract
The growing prevalence of drug resistant bacteria is a significant global threat to human health. The antibacterial drug rifampin, which functions by inhibiting bacterial RNA polymerase (RNAP), is an important part of the antibacterial armamentarium. Here, in order to identify novel inhibitors of bacterial RNAP, we used affinity-selection mass spectrometry to screen a chemical library for compounds that bind to Escherichia coli RNAP. We identified a novel small molecule, MRL-436, that binds to RNAP, inhibits RNAP, and exhibits antibacterial activity. MRL-436 binds to RNAP through a binding site that differs from the rifampin binding site, inhibits rifampin-resistant RNAP derivatives, and exhibits antibacterial activity against rifampin-resistant strains. Isolation of mutants resistant to the antibacterial activity of MRL-436 yields a missense mutation in codon 622 of the rpoC gene encoding the RNAP β' subunit or a null mutation in the rpoZ gene encoding the RNAP ω subunit, confirming that RNAP is the functional cellular target for the antibacterial activity of MRL-436, and indicating that RNAP β' subunit residue 622 and the RNAP ω subunit are required for the antibacterial activity of MRL-436. Similarity between the resistance determinant for MRL-436 and the resistance determinant for the cellular alarmone ppGpp suggests a possible similarity in binding site and/or induced conformational state for MRL-436 and ppGpp.
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Affiliation(s)
- Scott S. Walker
- Merck & Co., Inc., Kenilworth, New Jersey 07033, United States
| | - David Degen
- Department
of Chemistry and Waksman Institute, Rutgers University, Piscataway, New Jersey 08854, United States
| | | | - Donna Carr
- Merck & Co., Inc., Kenilworth, New Jersey 07033, United States
| | - Aileen Soriano
- Merck & Co., Inc., Kenilworth, New Jersey 07033, United States
| | - Mihir Mandal
- Merck & Co., Inc., Kenilworth, New Jersey 07033, United States
| | | | - Payal Sheth
- Merck & Co., Inc., Kenilworth, New Jersey 07033, United States
| | - Li Xiao
- Merck & Co., Inc., Kenilworth, New Jersey 07033, United States
| | - Xinwei Sher
- Merck & Co., Inc., Boston, Massachusetts 02115, United States
| | | | - Jing Su
- Merck & Co., Inc., Kenilworth, New Jersey 07033, United States
| | - David B. Olsen
- Merck & Co., Inc., Upper Gwynedd, Pennsylvania 19454, United States
| | - Richard H. Ebright
- Department
of Chemistry and Waksman Institute, Rutgers University, Piscataway, New Jersey 08854, United States
| | - Katherine Young
- Merck & Co., Inc., Kenilworth, New Jersey 07033, United States
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20
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Kurkela J, Hakkila K, Antal T, Tyystjärvi T. Acclimation to High CO 2 Requires the ω Subunit of the RNA Polymerase in Synechocystis. PLANT PHYSIOLOGY 2017; 174:172-184. [PMID: 28351910 PMCID: PMC5411146 DOI: 10.1104/pp.16.01953] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/23/2016] [Accepted: 03/23/2017] [Indexed: 06/06/2023]
Abstract
Inactivation of the nonessential ω-subunit of the RNA polymerase core in the ΔrpoZ strain of the model cyanobacterium Synechocystis sp. PCC 6803 leads to a unique high-CO2-sensitive phenotype. Supplementing air in the growth chamber with 30 mL L-1 (3%) CO2 accelerated the growth rate of the control strain (CS) 4-fold, whereas ΔrpoZ did not grow faster than under ambient air. The slow growth of ΔrpoZ during the first days in high CO2 was due to the inability of the mutant cells to adjust photosynthesis to high CO2 The light-saturated photosynthetic activity of ΔrpoZ in high CO2 was only half of that measured in CS, Rubisco content was one-third lower, and cells of ΔrpoZ were not able to increase light-harvesting phycobilisome antenna like CS upon high-CO2 treatment. In addition, altered structural and functional organization of photosystem I and photosystem II were detected in the ΔrpoZ strain compared with CS when cells were grown in high CO2 but not in ambient air. Moreover, respiration of ΔrpoZ did not acclimate to high CO2 Unlike the photosynthetic complexes, the RNA polymerase complex and ribosomes were produced in high CO2 similarly as in CS Our results indicate that the deletion of the ω-subunit specifically affects photosynthesis and respiration, but transcription and translation remain active. Thus, the specific effect of the ω-subunit on photosynthesis but not on all household processes suggests that the ω-subunit might have a regulatory function in cyanobacteria.
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Affiliation(s)
- Juha Kurkela
- Department of Biochemistry/Molecular Plant Biology, University of Turku, FI-20014 Turku, Finland (J.K., K.H., T.T.); and
- Biological Faculty, Moscow State University, Vorobyevi Gory 119992, Moscow, Russia (T.A.)
| | - Kaisa Hakkila
- Department of Biochemistry/Molecular Plant Biology, University of Turku, FI-20014 Turku, Finland (J.K., K.H., T.T.); and
- Biological Faculty, Moscow State University, Vorobyevi Gory 119992, Moscow, Russia (T.A.)
| | - Taras Antal
- Department of Biochemistry/Molecular Plant Biology, University of Turku, FI-20014 Turku, Finland (J.K., K.H., T.T.); and
- Biological Faculty, Moscow State University, Vorobyevi Gory 119992, Moscow, Russia (T.A.)
| | - Taina Tyystjärvi
- Department of Biochemistry/Molecular Plant Biology, University of Turku, FI-20014 Turku, Finland (J.K., K.H., T.T.); and
- Biological Faculty, Moscow State University, Vorobyevi Gory 119992, Moscow, Russia (T.A.)
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21
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Feng Y, Zhang Y, Ebright RH. Structural basis of transcription activation. Science 2016; 352:1330-3. [PMID: 27284196 DOI: 10.1126/science.aaf4417] [Citation(s) in RCA: 76] [Impact Index Per Article: 9.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/08/2016] [Accepted: 05/09/2016] [Indexed: 01/25/2023]
Abstract
Class II transcription activators function by binding to a DNA site overlapping a core promoter and stimulating isomerization of an initial RNA polymerase (RNAP)-promoter closed complex into a catalytically competent RNAP-promoter open complex. Here, we report a 4.4 angstrom crystal structure of an intact bacterial class II transcription activation complex. The structure comprises Thermus thermophilus transcription activator protein TTHB099 (TAP) [homolog of Escherichia coli catabolite activator protein (CAP)], T. thermophilus RNAP σ(A) holoenzyme, a class II TAP-dependent promoter, and a ribotetranucleotide primer. The structure reveals the interactions between RNAP holoenzyme and DNA responsible for transcription initiation and reveals the interactions between TAP and RNAP holoenzyme responsible for transcription activation. The structure indicates that TAP stimulates isomerization through simple, adhesive, stabilizing protein-protein interactions with RNAP holoenzyme.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yu Feng
- Waksman Institute and Department of Chemistry and Chemical Biology, Rutgers University, Piscataway, NJ 08854, USA
| | - Yu Zhang
- Waksman Institute and Department of Chemistry and Chemical Biology, Rutgers University, Piscataway, NJ 08854, USA
| | - Richard H Ebright
- Waksman Institute and Department of Chemistry and Chemical Biology, Rutgers University, Piscataway, NJ 08854, USA.
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22
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Steinchen W, Bange G. The magic dance of the alarmones (p)ppGpp. Mol Microbiol 2016; 101:531-44. [PMID: 27149325 DOI: 10.1111/mmi.13412] [Citation(s) in RCA: 129] [Impact Index Per Article: 16.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 05/02/2016] [Indexed: 11/26/2022]
Abstract
The alarmones (p)ppGpp are important second messengers that orchestrate pleiotropic adaptations of bacteria and plant chloroplasts in response to starvation and stress. Here, we review our structural and mechanistic knowledge on (p)ppGpp metabolism including their synthesis, degradation and interconversion by a highly diverse set of enzymes. Increasing structural information shows how (p)ppGpp interacts with an incredibly diverse set of different targets that are essential for replication, transcription, translation, ribosome assembly and metabolism. This raises the question how the chemically rather simple (p)ppGpp is able to interact with these different targets? Structural analysis shows that the diversity of (p)ppGpp interaction with cellular targets critically relies on the conformational flexibility of the 3' and 5' phosphate moieties allowing alarmones to efficiently modulate the activity of target structures in a broad concentration range. Current approaches in the design of (p)ppGpp-analogs as future antibiotics might be aided by the comprehension of conformational flexibility exhibited by the magic dancers (p)ppGpp.
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Affiliation(s)
- Wieland Steinchen
- Department of Chemistry, LOEWE Center for Synthetic Microbiology (Synmikro), Philipps University Marburg, Hans-Meerwein-Strasse, Marburg, 35043, Germany
| | - Gert Bange
- Department of Chemistry, LOEWE Center for Synthetic Microbiology (Synmikro), Philipps University Marburg, Hans-Meerwein-Strasse, Marburg, 35043, Germany
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23
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Ross W, Sanchez-Vazquez P, Chen AY, Lee JH, Burgos HL, Gourse RL. ppGpp Binding to a Site at the RNAP-DksA Interface Accounts for Its Dramatic Effects on Transcription Initiation during the Stringent Response. Mol Cell 2016; 62:811-823. [PMID: 27237053 DOI: 10.1016/j.molcel.2016.04.029] [Citation(s) in RCA: 180] [Impact Index Per Article: 22.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/29/2016] [Revised: 04/06/2016] [Accepted: 04/22/2016] [Indexed: 11/30/2022]
Abstract
Throughout the bacterial domain, the alarmone ppGpp dramatically reprograms transcription following nutrient limitation. This "stringent response" is critical for survival and antibiotic tolerance and is a model for transcriptional regulation by small ligands. We report that ppGpp binds to two distinct sites 60 Å apart on E. coli RNA polymerase (RNAP), one characterized previously (site 1) and a second identified here at an interface of RNAP and the transcription factor DksA (site 2). The location and unusual tripartite nature of site 2 account for the DksA-ppGpp synergism and suggest mechanisms for ppGpp enhancement of DksA's effects on RNAP. Site 2 binding results in the majority of ppGpp's effects on transcription initiation in vitro and in vivo, and strains lacking site 2 are severely impaired for growth following nutritional shifts. Filling of the two sites at different ppGpp concentrations would expand the dynamic range of cellular responses to changes in ppGpp levels.
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Affiliation(s)
- Wilma Ross
- Department of Bacteriology, University of Wisconsin-Madison, 1550 Linden Drive, Madison, WI 53706, USA
| | - Patricia Sanchez-Vazquez
- Department of Bacteriology, University of Wisconsin-Madison, 1550 Linden Drive, Madison, WI 53706, USA
| | - Albert Y Chen
- Department of Bacteriology, University of Wisconsin-Madison, 1550 Linden Drive, Madison, WI 53706, USA
| | - Jeong-Hyun Lee
- Department of Bacteriology, University of Wisconsin-Madison, 1550 Linden Drive, Madison, WI 53706, USA
| | - Hector L Burgos
- Department of Bacteriology, University of Wisconsin-Madison, 1550 Linden Drive, Madison, WI 53706, USA
| | - Richard L Gourse
- Department of Bacteriology, University of Wisconsin-Madison, 1550 Linden Drive, Madison, WI 53706, USA.
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24
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Abstract
The biosynthesis of histidine in Escherichia coli and Salmonella typhimurium has been an important model system for the study of relationships between the flow of intermediates through a biosynthetic pathway and the control of the genes encoding the enzymes that catalyze the steps in a pathway. This article provides a comprehensive review of the histidine biosynthetic pathway and enzymes, including regulation of the flow of intermediates through the pathway and mechanisms that regulate the amounts of the histidine biosynthetic enzymes. In addition, this article reviews the structure and regulation of the histidine (his) biosynthetic operon, including transcript processing, Rho-factor-dependent "classical" polarity, and the current model of his operon attenuation control. Emphasis is placed on areas of recent progress. Notably, most of the enzymes that catalyze histidine biosynthesis have recently been crystallized, and their structures have been determined. Many of the histidine biosynthetic intermediates are unstable, and the histidine biosynthetic enzymes catalyze some chemically unusual reactions. Therefore, these studies have led to considerable mechanistic insight into the pathway itself and have provided deep biochemical understanding of several fundamental processes, such as feedback control, allosteric interactions, and metabolite channeling. Considerable recent progress has also been made on aspects of his operon regulation, including the mechanism of pp(p)Gpp stimulation of his operon transcription, the molecular basis for transcriptional pausing by RNA polymerase, and pathway evolution. The progress in these areas will continue as sophisticated new genomic, metabolomic, proteomic, and structural approaches converge in studies of the histidine biosynthetic pathway and mechanisms of control of his biosynthetic genes in other bacterial species.
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Peters JM, Silvis MR, Zhao D, Hawkins JS, Gross CA, Qi LS. Bacterial CRISPR: accomplishments and prospects. Curr Opin Microbiol 2015; 27:121-6. [PMID: 26363124 DOI: 10.1016/j.mib.2015.08.007] [Citation(s) in RCA: 44] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/24/2015] [Revised: 08/13/2015] [Accepted: 08/24/2015] [Indexed: 12/21/2022]
Abstract
In this review we briefly describe the development of CRISPR tools for genome editing and control of transcription in bacteria. We focus on the Type II CRISPR/Cas9 system, provide specific examples for use of the system, and highlight the advantages and disadvantages of CRISPR versus other techniques. We suggest potential strategies for combining CRISPR tools with high-throughput approaches to elucidate gene function in bacteria.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jason M Peters
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, CA 94158, USA
| | - Melanie R Silvis
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, CA 94158, USA; Tetrad Graduate Program, University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, CA 94158, USA
| | - Dehua Zhao
- Department of Bioengineering, Stanford University, Stanford, CA 94305, USA; Department of Chemical and Systems Biology, Stanford University, Stanford, CA 94305, USA; Chemistry, Engineering & Medicine for Human Health (ChEM-H), Stanford University, Stanford, CA 94305, USA
| | - John S Hawkins
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, CA 94158, USA; Biophysics Graduate Program, University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, CA 94158, USA
| | - Carol A Gross
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, CA 94158, USA.
| | - Lei S Qi
- Department of Bioengineering, Stanford University, Stanford, CA 94305, USA; Department of Chemical and Systems Biology, Stanford University, Stanford, CA 94305, USA; Chemistry, Engineering & Medicine for Human Health (ChEM-H), Stanford University, Stanford, CA 94305, USA.
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26
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Abstract
Bacteria lack subcellular compartments and harbor a single RNA polymerase that synthesizes both structural and protein-coding RNAs, which are cotranscriptionally processed by distinct pathways. Nascent rRNAs fold into elaborate secondary structures and associate with ribosomal proteins, whereas nascent mRNAs are translated by ribosomes. During elongation, nucleic acid signals and regulatory proteins modulate concurrent RNA-processing events, instruct RNA polymerase where to pause and terminate transcription, or act as roadblocks to the moving enzyme. Communications among complexes that carry out transcription, translation, repair, and other cellular processes ensure timely execution of the gene expression program and survival under conditions of stress. This network is maintained by auxiliary proteins that act as bridges between RNA polymerase, ribosome, and repair enzymes, blurring boundaries between separate information-processing steps and making assignments of unique regulatory functions meaningless. Understanding the regulation of transcript elongation thus requires genome-wide approaches, which confirm known and reveal new regulatory connections.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Irina Artsimovitch
- Department of Microbiology and Center for RNA Biology, The Ohio State University, Columbus, Ohio 43210;
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Hauryliuk V, Atkinson GC, Murakami KS, Tenson T, Gerdes K. Recent functional insights into the role of (p)ppGpp in bacterial physiology. Nat Rev Microbiol 2015; 13:298-309. [PMID: 25853779 PMCID: PMC4659695 DOI: 10.1038/nrmicro3448] [Citation(s) in RCA: 554] [Impact Index Per Article: 61.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/19/2023]
Abstract
The alarmones guanosine tetraphosphate and guanosine pentaphosphate (collectively referred to as (p)ppGpp) are involved in regulating growth and several different stress responses in bacteria. In recent years, substantial progress has been made in our understanding of the molecular mechanisms of (p)ppGpp metabolism and (p)ppGpp-mediated regulation. In this Review, we summarize these recent insights, with a focus on the molecular mechanisms governing the activity of the RelA/SpoT homologue (RSH) proteins, which are key players that regulate the cellular levels of (p)ppGpp. We also discuss the structural basis of transcriptional regulation by (p)ppGpp and the role of (p)ppGpp in GTP metabolism and in the emergence of bacterial persisters.
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Affiliation(s)
- Vasili Hauryliuk
- Department of Molecular Biology, Umeå University, Building 6K, 6L University Hospital Area, SE-901 87 Umeå, Sweden
- Laboratory for Molecular Infection Medicine Sweden (MIMS), Umeå University, Building 6K and 6L, University Hospital Area, SE-901 87 Umeå, Sweden
- Institute of Technology, University of Tartu, Nooruse 1, Tartu 50411, Estonia
| | - Gemma C. Atkinson
- Department of Molecular Biology, Umeå University, Building 6K, 6L University Hospital Area, SE-901 87 Umeå, Sweden
- Laboratory for Molecular Infection Medicine Sweden (MIMS), Umeå University, Building 6K and 6L, University Hospital Area, SE-901 87 Umeå, Sweden
- Institute of Technology, University of Tartu, Nooruse 1, Tartu 50411, Estonia
| | - Katsuhiko S. Murakami
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, The Center for RNA Molecular Biology, The Pennsylvania State University, University Park, Pennsylvania 16802
| | - Tanel Tenson
- Institute of Technology, University of Tartu, Nooruse 1, Tartu 50411, Estonia
| | - Kenn Gerdes
- Department of Biology, Section for Molecular Microbiology, University of Copenhagen, Ole Maaløes Vej 5, DK-2200 Copenhagen N, Denmark
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Banerjee R, Rudra P, Saha A, Mukhopadhyay J. Recombinant reporter assay using transcriptional machinery of Mycobacterium tuberculosis. J Bacteriol 2015; 197:646-53. [PMID: 25448818 PMCID: PMC4285983 DOI: 10.1128/jb.02445-14] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/29/2014] [Accepted: 11/22/2014] [Indexed: 12/19/2022] Open
Abstract
Development of an in vivo gene reporter assay to assess interactions among the components of the transcription machinery in Mycobacterium tuberculosis remains a challenge to scientists due to the tediousness of generation of mutant strains of the extremely slow-growing bacterium. We have developed a recombinant mCherry reporter assay that enables us to monitor the interactions of Mycobacterium tuberculosis transcriptional regulators with its promoters in vivo in Escherichia coli. The assay involves a three-plasmid expression system in E. coli wherein two plasmids are responsible for M. tuberculosis RNA polymerase (RNAP) production and the third plasmid harbors the mCherry reporter gene expression cassette under the control of either a σ factor or a transcriptional regulator-dependent promoter. We observed that the endogenous E. coli RNAP and σ factor do not interfere with the assay. By using the reporter assay, we found that the functional interaction of M. tuberculosis cyclic AMP receptor protein (CRP) occurs with its own RNA polymerase, not with the E. coli polymerase. Performing the recombinant reporter assay in E. coli is much faster than if performed in M. tuberculosis and avoids the hazard of handling the pathogenic bacterium. The approach could be expanded to develop reporter assays for other pathogenic and slow-growing bacterial systems.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Paulami Rudra
- Department of Chemistry, Bose Institute, Kolkata, India
| | - Abinit Saha
- Department of Biochemistry, Bose Institute, Kolkata, India
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29
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Abstract
Bacterial RNA polymerase is the first point of gene expression and a validated target for antibiotics. Studied for several decades, the Escherichia coli transcriptional apparatus is by far the best characterized, with numerous RNA polymerase mutants and auxiliary factors isolated and analyzed in great detail. Since the E. coli enzyme was refractory to crystallization, structural studies have been focused on Thermus RNA polymerases, revealing atomic details of the catalytic center and RNA polymerase interactions with nucleic acids, antibiotics, and regulatory proteins. However, numerous differences between these enzymes, including resistance of Thermus RNA polymerases to some antibiotics, underscored the importance of the E. coli enzyme structures. Three groups published these long awaited structures in 2013, enabling functional and structural studies of the same model system. This progress was made possible, in large part, by the use of multicistronic vectors for expression of the E. coli enzyme in large quantities and in a highly active form. Here we describe the commonly used vectors and procedures for purification of the E. coli RNA polymerase.
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30
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Abstract
RNA polymerase in bacteria is a multisubunit protein complex that is essential for gene expression. We have identified a new subunit of RNA polymerase present in the high-A+T Firmicutes phylum of Gram-positive bacteria and have named it ε. Previously ε had been identified as a small protein (ω1) that copurified with RNA polymerase. We have solved the structure of ε by X-ray crystallography and show that it is not an ω subunit. Rather, ε bears remarkable similarity to the Gp2 family of phage proteins involved in the inhibition of host cell transcription following infection. Deletion of ε shows no phenotype and has no effect on the transcriptional profile of the cell. Determination of the location of ε within the assembly of RNA polymerase core by single-particle analysis suggests that it binds toward the downstream side of the DNA binding cleft. Due to the structural similarity of ε with Gp2 and the fact they bind similar regions of RNA polymerase, we hypothesize that ε may serve a role in protection from phage infection.
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31
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Degen D, Feng Y, Zhang Y, Ebright KY, Ebright YW, Gigliotti M, Vahedian-Movahed H, Mandal S, Talaue M, Connell N, Arnold E, Fenical W, Ebright RH. Transcription inhibition by the depsipeptide antibiotic salinamide A. eLife 2014; 3:e02451. [PMID: 24843001 PMCID: PMC4029172 DOI: 10.7554/elife.02451] [Citation(s) in RCA: 59] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/02/2014] [Accepted: 04/18/2014] [Indexed: 12/12/2022] Open
Abstract
We report that bacterial RNA polymerase (RNAP) is the functional cellular target of the depsipeptide antibiotic salinamide A (Sal), and we report that Sal inhibits RNAP through a novel binding site and mechanism. We show that Sal inhibits RNA synthesis in cells and that mutations that confer Sal-resistance map to RNAP genes. We show that Sal interacts with the RNAP active-center 'bridge-helix cap' comprising the 'bridge-helix N-terminal hinge', 'F-loop', and 'link region'. We show that Sal inhibits nucleotide addition in transcription initiation and elongation. We present a crystal structure that defines interactions between Sal and RNAP and effects of Sal on RNAP conformation. We propose that Sal functions by binding to the RNAP bridge-helix cap and preventing conformational changes of the bridge-helix N-terminal hinge necessary for nucleotide addition. The results provide a target for antibacterial drug discovery and a reagent to probe conformation and function of the bridge-helix N-terminal hinge.DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.7554/eLife.02451.001.
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Affiliation(s)
- David Degen
- Waksman Institute, Rutgers University, Piscataway, United States
| | - Yu Feng
- Waksman Institute, Rutgers University, Piscataway, United States
| | - Yu Zhang
- Waksman Institute, Rutgers University, Piscataway, United States
| | | | - Yon W Ebright
- Waksman Institute, Rutgers University, Piscataway, United States
| | | | | | - Sukhendu Mandal
- Waksman Institute, Rutgers University, Piscataway, United States
| | - Meliza Talaue
- Center for Biodefense, New Jersey Medical School, Rutgers University, Newark, United States
| | - Nancy Connell
- Center for Biodefense, New Jersey Medical School, Rutgers University, Newark, United States
| | - Eddy Arnold
- Center for Advanced Biotechnology and Medicine, Rutgers University, Piscataway, United States
| | - William Fenical
- Center for Marine Biotechnology and Biomedicine, Scripps Institution of Oceanography, University of California, San Diego, La Jolla, United States
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A Rhodobacter sphaeroides protein mechanistically similar to Escherichia coli DksA regulates photosynthetic growth. mBio 2014; 5:e01105-14. [PMID: 24781745 PMCID: PMC4010833 DOI: 10.1128/mbio.01105-14] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/13/2023] Open
Abstract
ABSTRACT DksA is a global regulatory protein that, together with the alarmone ppGpp, is required for the "stringent response" to nutrient starvation in the gammaproteobacterium Escherichia coli and for more moderate shifts between growth conditions. DksA modulates the expression of hundreds of genes, directly or indirectly. Mutants lacking a DksA homolog exhibit pleiotropic phenotypes in other gammaproteobacteria as well. Here we analyzed the DksA homolog RSP2654 in the more distantly related Rhodobacter sphaeroides, an alphaproteobacterium. RSP2654 is 42% identical and similar in length to E. coli DksA but lacks the Zn finger motif of the E. coli DksA globular domain. Deletion of the RSP2654 gene results in defects in photosynthetic growth, impaired utilization of amino acids, and an increase in fatty acid content. RSP2654 complements the growth and regulatory defects of an E. coli strain lacking the dksA gene and modulates transcription in vitro with E. coli RNA polymerase (RNAP) similarly to E. coli DksA. RSP2654 reduces RNAP-promoter complex stability in vitro with RNAPs from E. coli or R. sphaeroides, alone and synergistically with ppGpp, suggesting that even though it has limited sequence identity to E. coli DksA (DksAEc), it functions in a mechanistically similar manner. We therefore designate the RSP2654 protein DksARsp. Our work suggests that DksARsp has distinct and important physiological roles in alphaproteobacteria and will be useful for understanding structure-function relationships in DksA and the mechanism of synergy between DksA and ppGpp. IMPORTANCE The role of DksA has been analyzed primarily in the gammaproteobacteria, in which it is best understood for its role in control of the synthesis of the translation apparatus and amino acid biosynthesis. Our work suggests that DksA plays distinct and important physiological roles in alphaproteobacteria, including the control of photosynthesis in Rhodobacter sphaeroides. The study of DksARsp, should be useful for understanding structure-function relationships in the protein, including those that play a role in the little-understood synergy between DksA and ppGpp.
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33
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Optimization of recombinant Mycobacterium tuberculosis RNA polymerase expression and purification. Tuberculosis (Edinb) 2014; 94:397-404. [PMID: 24832563 DOI: 10.1016/j.tube.2014.03.008] [Citation(s) in RCA: 33] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/25/2013] [Revised: 03/13/2014] [Accepted: 03/30/2014] [Indexed: 11/23/2022]
Abstract
Mycobacterium tuberculosis, the human pathogen that causes tuberculosis, warrants enormous attention due to the emergence of multi drug resistant and extremely drug resistant strains. RNA polymerase (RNAP), the key enzyme in gene regulation, is an attractive target for anti-TB drugs. Understanding the structure-function relationship of M. tuberculosis RNAP and the mechanism of gene regulation by RNAP in conjunction with different σ factors and transcriptional regulators would provide significant information for anti-tuberculosis drug development targeting RNAP. Studies with M. tuberculosis RNAP remain tedious because of the extremely slow-growing nature of the bacteria and requirement of special laboratory facility. Here, we have developed and optimized recombinant methods to prepare M. tuberculosis RNAP core and RNAP holo enzymes assembled in vivo in Escherichia coli. These methods yield high amounts of transcriptionally active enzymes, free of E. coli RNAP contamination. The recombinant M. tuberculosis RNAP is used to develop a highly sensitive fluorescence based in vitro transcription assay that could be easily adopted in a high-throughput format to screen RNAP inhibitors. These recombinant methods would be useful to set a platform for M. tuberculosis RNAP targeted anti TB drug development, to analyse the structure/function of M. tuberculosis RNAP and to analyse the interactions among promoter DNA, RNAP, σ factors, and transcription regulators of M. tuberculosis in vitro, avoiding the hazard of handling of pathogenic bacteria.
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34
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Oh YT, Park Y, Yoon MY, Bari W, Go J, Min KB, Raskin DM, Lee KM, Yoon SS. Cholera toxin production during anaerobic trimethylamine N-oxide respiration is mediated by stringent response in Vibrio cholerae. J Biol Chem 2014; 289:13232-42. [PMID: 24648517 DOI: 10.1074/jbc.m113.540088] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/06/2022] Open
Abstract
As a facultative anaerobe, Vibrio cholerae can grow by anaerobic respiration. Production of cholera toxin (CT), a major virulence factor of V. cholerae, is highly promoted during anaerobic growth using trimethylamine N-oxide (TMAO) as an alternative electron acceptor. Here, we investigated the molecular mechanisms of TMAO-stimulated CT production and uncovered the crucial involvement of stringent response in this process. V. cholerae 7th pandemic strain N16961 produced a significantly elevated level of ppGpp, the bacterial stringent response alarmone, during anaerobic TMAO respiration. Bacterial viability was impaired, and DNA replication was also affected under the same growth condition, further suggesting that stringent response is induced. A ΔrelA ΔspoT ppGpp overproducer strain produced an enhanced level of CT, whereas anaerobic growth via TMAO respiration was severely inhibited. In contrast, a ppGpp-null strain (ΔrelA ΔspoT ΔrelV) grew substantially better, but produced no CT, suggesting that CT production and bacterial growth are inversely regulated in response to ppGpp accumulation. Bacterial capability to produce CT was completely lost when the dksA gene, which encodes a protein that works cooperatively with ppGpp, was deleted. In the ΔdksA mutant, stringent response growth inhibition was alleviated, further supporting the inverse regulation of CT production and anaerobic growth. In vivo virulence of ΔrelA ΔspoT ΔrelV or ΔdksA mutants was significantly attenuated. The ΔrelA ΔspoT mutant maintained virulence when infected with exogenous TMAO despite its defective growth. Together, our results reveal that stringent response is activated under TMAO-stimulated anaerobic growth, and it regulates CT production in a growth-dependent manner in V. cholerae.
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Affiliation(s)
- Young Taek Oh
- From the Department of Microbiology and Immunology, Brain Korea 21 PLUS Project for Medical Science and
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35
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Bates SR, Quake SR. Mapping of protein-protein interactions of E. coli RNA polymerase with microfluidic mechanical trapping. PLoS One 2014; 9:e91542. [PMID: 24643045 PMCID: PMC3958368 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0091542] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/12/2013] [Accepted: 02/13/2014] [Indexed: 11/18/2022] Open
Abstract
The biophysical details of how transcription factors and other proteins interact with RNA polymerase are of great interest as they represent the nexus of how structure and function interact to regulate gene expression in the cell. We used an in vitro microfluidic approach to map interactions between a set of ninety proteins, over a third of which are transcription factors, and each of the four subunits of E. coli RNA polymerase, and we compared our results to those of previous large-scale studies. We detected interactions between RNA polymerase and transcription factors that earlier high-throughput screens missed; our results suggest that such interactions can occur without DNA mediation more commonly than previously appreciated.
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Affiliation(s)
- Steven R. Bates
- Department of Applied Physics, Stanford University, Stanford, California, United States of America
| | - Stephen R. Quake
- Department of Applied Physics, Stanford University, Stanford, California, United States of America
- Department of Bioengineering and HHMI, Stanford University, Stanford, California, United States of America
- * E-mail:
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36
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Wang J, Mei H, Qian H, Tang Q, Liu X, Yu Z, He J. Expression profile and regulation of spore and parasporal crystal formation-associated genes in Bacillus thuringiensis. J Proteome Res 2013; 12:5487-501. [PMID: 24215520 DOI: 10.1021/pr4003728] [Citation(s) in RCA: 25] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/15/2022]
Abstract
Bacillus thuringiensis, a Gram-positive endospore-forming bacterium, is characterized by the formation of parasporal crystals consisting of insecticidal crystal proteins (ICPs) during sporulation. We reveal gene expression profiles and regulatory mechanisms associated with spore and parasporal crystal formation based on transcriptomics and proteomics data of B. thuringiensis strain CT-43. During sporulation, five ICP genes encoded by CT-43 were specifically transcribed; moreover, most of the spore structure-, assembly-, and maturation-associated genes were specifically expressed or significantly up-regulated, with significant characteristics of temporal regulation. These findings suggest that it is essential for the cell to maintain efficient operation of transcriptional and translational machinery during sporulation. Our results indicate that the RNA polymerase complex δ and ω subunits, cold shock proteins, sigma factors, and transcriptional factors as well as the E2 subunit of the pyruvate dehydrogenase complex could cooperatively participate in transcriptional regulation via different mechanisms. In particular, differences in processing and modification of ribosomal proteins, rRNA, and tRNA combined with derepression of translational inhibition could boost the rate of ribosome recycling and assembly as well as translation initiation, elongation, and termination efficiency, thereby compensating for the reduction in ribosomal levels. The efficient operation of translational machineries and powerful protein-quality controlling systems would thus ensure biosyntheses of a large quantity of proteins with normal biological functions during sporulation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jieping Wang
- State Key Laboratory of Agricultural Microbiology, College of Life Science and Technology, Huazhong Agricultural University , No. 1 Shizishan Street, Wuhan, Hubei 430070, China
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37
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Québatte M, Dick MS, Kaever V, Schmidt A, Dehio C. Dual input control: activation of theBartonella henselae VirB/D4 type IV secretion system by the stringent sigma factor RpoH1 and the BatR/BatS two-component system. Mol Microbiol 2013; 90:756-75. [DOI: 10.1111/mmi.12396] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 09/07/2013] [Indexed: 01/12/2023]
Affiliation(s)
- Maxime Québatte
- Focal Area Infection Biology, Biozentrum; University of Basel; Klingelbergstrasse 70 4056 Basel Switzerland
| | - Mathias S. Dick
- Focal Area Infection Biology, Biozentrum; University of Basel; Klingelbergstrasse 70 4056 Basel Switzerland
| | - Volkhard Kaever
- Research Core Unit for Mass Spectrometry - Metabolomics; Institute of Pharmacology; Hannover Medical School; Hannover Germany
| | - Alexander Schmidt
- Proteomics Core Facility, Biozentrum; University of Basel; Basel Switzerland
| | - Christoph Dehio
- Focal Area Infection Biology, Biozentrum; University of Basel; Klingelbergstrasse 70 4056 Basel Switzerland
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38
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Sarkar P, Sardesai AA, Murakami KS, Chatterji D. Inactivation of the bacterial RNA polymerase due to acquisition of secondary structure by the ω subunit. J Biol Chem 2013; 288:25076-25087. [PMID: 23843456 DOI: 10.1074/jbc.m113.468520] [Citation(s) in RCA: 19] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/05/2023] Open
Abstract
The widely conserved ω subunit encoded by rpoZ is the smallest subunit of Escherichia coli RNA polymerase (RNAP) but is dispensable for bacterial growth. Function of ω is known to be substituted by GroEL in ω-null strain, which thus does not exhibit a discernable phenotype. In this work, we report isolation of ω variants whose expression in vivo leads to a dominant lethal phenotype. Studies show that in contrast to ω, which is largely unstructured, ω mutants display substantial acquisition of secondary structure. By detailed study with one of the mutants, ω6 bearing N60D substitution, the mechanism of lethality has been deciphered. Biochemical analysis reveals that ω6 binds to β' subunit in vitro with greater affinity than that of ω. The reconstituted RNAP holoenzyme in the presence of ω6 in vitro is defective in transcription initiation. Formation of a faulty RNAP in the presence of mutant ω results in death of the cell. Furthermore, lethality of ω6 is relieved in cells expressing the rpoC2112 allele encoding β'2112, a variant β' bearing Y457S substitution, immediately adjacent to the β' catalytic center. Our results suggest that the enhanced ω6-β' interaction may perturb the plasticity of the RNAP active center, implicating a role for ω and its flexible state.
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Affiliation(s)
- Paramita Sarkar
- From the Molecular Biophysics Unit, Indian Institute of Science, Bangalore 560012, India
| | - Abhijit A Sardesai
- Laboratory of Bacterial Genetics, Centre for DNA Fingerprinting and Diagnostics, Hyderabad 500001, India, and
| | - Katsuhiko S Murakami
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, The Center for RNA Molecular Biology, The Pennsylvania State University, University Park, Pennsylvania 16802
| | - Dipankar Chatterji
- From the Molecular Biophysics Unit, Indian Institute of Science, Bangalore 560012, India,.
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39
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Ross W, Vrentas CE, Sanchez-Vazquez P, Gaal T, Gourse RL. The magic spot: a ppGpp binding site on E. coli RNA polymerase responsible for regulation of transcription initiation. Mol Cell 2013; 50:420-9. [PMID: 23623682 DOI: 10.1016/j.molcel.2013.03.021] [Citation(s) in RCA: 205] [Impact Index Per Article: 18.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/22/2012] [Revised: 02/17/2013] [Accepted: 03/19/2013] [Indexed: 10/26/2022]
Abstract
The global regulatory nucleotide ppGpp ("magic spot") regulates transcription from a large subset of Escherichia coli promoters, illustrating how small molecules can control gene expression promoter-specifically by interacting with RNA polymerase (RNAP) without binding to DNA. However, ppGpp's target site on RNAP, and therefore its mechanism of action, has remained unclear. We report here a binding site for ppGpp on E. coli RNAP, identified by crosslinking, protease mapping, and analysis of mutant RNAPs that fail to respond to ppGpp. A strain with a mutant ppGpp binding site displays properties characteristic of cells defective for ppGpp synthesis. The binding site is at an interface of two RNAP subunits, ω and β', and its position suggests an allosteric mechanism of action involving restriction of motion between two mobile RNAP modules. Identification of the binding site allows prediction of bacterial species in which ppGpp exerts its effects by targeting RNAP.
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Affiliation(s)
- Wilma Ross
- Department of Bacteriology, University of Wisconsin-Madison, 1550 Linden Drive, Madison, WI 53706, USA
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40
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Zuo Y, Wang Y, Steitz TA. The mechanism of E. coli RNA polymerase regulation by ppGpp is suggested by the structure of their complex. Mol Cell 2013; 50:430-6. [PMID: 23623685 DOI: 10.1016/j.molcel.2013.03.020] [Citation(s) in RCA: 139] [Impact Index Per Article: 12.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/19/2012] [Revised: 03/01/2013] [Accepted: 03/19/2013] [Indexed: 11/26/2022]
Abstract
Guanosine tetraphosphate (ppGpp) is an alarmone that enables bacteria to adapt to their environment. It has been known for years that ppGpp acts directly on RNA polymerase (RNAP) to alter the rate of transcription, but its exact target site is still under debate. Here we report a crystal structure of Escherichia coli RNAP holoenzyme in complex with ppGpp at 4.5 Å resolution. The structure reveals that ppGpp binds at an interface between the shelf and core modules on the outer surface of RNAP, away from the catalytic center and the nucleic acid binding path. Bound ppGpp connects these two pivotal modules that may restrain the opening of the RNAP cleft. A detailed mechanism of action of ppGpp is proposed in which ppGpp prevents the closure of the active center that is induced by the binding of NTP, which could slow down nucleotide addition cycles and destabilize the initial transcription complexes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yuhong Zuo
- Department of Molecular Biophysics and Biochemistry, Yale University, New Haven, CT 06520, USA
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Mechold U, Potrykus K, Murphy H, Murakami KS, Cashel M. Differential regulation by ppGpp versus pppGpp in Escherichia coli. Nucleic Acids Res 2013; 41:6175-89. [PMID: 23620295 PMCID: PMC3695517 DOI: 10.1093/nar/gkt302] [Citation(s) in RCA: 151] [Impact Index Per Article: 13.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/16/2022] Open
Abstract
Both ppGpp and pppGpp are thought to function collectively as second messengers for many complex cellular responses to nutritional stress throughout biology. There are few indications that their regulatory effects might be different; however, this question has been largely unexplored for lack of an ability to experimentally manipulate the relative abundance of ppGpp and pppGpp. Here, we achieve preferential accumulation of either ppGpp or pppGpp with Escherichia coli strains through induction of different Streptococcal (p)ppGpp synthetase fragments. In addition, expression of E. coli GppA, a pppGpp 5′-gamma phosphate hydrolase that converts pppGpp to ppGpp, is manipulated to fine tune differential accumulation of ppGpp and pppGpp. In vivo and in vitro experiments show that pppGpp is less potent than ppGpp with respect to regulation of growth rate, RNA/DNA ratios, ribosomal RNA P1 promoter transcription inhibition, threonine operon promoter activation and RpoS induction. To provide further insights into regulation by (p)ppGpp, we have also determined crystal structures of E. coli RNA polymerase-σ70 holoenzyme with ppGpp and pppGpp. We find that both nucleotides bind to a site at the interface between β′ and ω subunits.
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Affiliation(s)
- Undine Mechold
- Laboratory of Molecular Genetics, Eunice Kennedy Shriver National Institute of Child Health and Human Development, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD 20892, USA
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42
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Murakami KS. X-ray crystal structure of Escherichia coli RNA polymerase σ70 holoenzyme. J Biol Chem 2013; 288:9126-34. [PMID: 23389035 DOI: 10.1074/jbc.m112.430900] [Citation(s) in RCA: 148] [Impact Index Per Article: 13.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/06/2022] Open
Abstract
Escherichia coli RNA polymerase (RNAP) is the most studied bacterial RNAP and has been used as the model RNAP for screening and evaluating potential RNAP-targeting antibiotics. However, the x-ray crystal structure of E. coli RNAP has been limited to individual domains. Here, I report the x-ray structure of the E. coli RNAP σ(70) holoenzyme, which shows σ region 1.1 (σ1.1) and the α subunit C-terminal domain for the first time in the context of an intact RNAP. σ1.1 is positioned at the RNAP DNA-binding channel and completely blocks DNA entry to the RNAP active site. The structure reveals that σ1.1 contains a basic patch on its surface, which may play an important role in DNA interaction to facilitate open promoter complex formation. The α subunit C-terminal domain is positioned next to σ domain 4 with a fully stretched linker between the N- and C-terminal domains. E. coli RNAP crystals can be prepared from a convenient overexpression system, allowing further structural studies of bacterial RNAP mutants, including functionally deficient and antibiotic-resistant RNAPs.
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Affiliation(s)
- Katsuhiko S Murakami
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Center for RNA Molecular Biology, Pennsylvania State University, University Park, PA 16802, USA.
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43
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Lennon CW, Ross W, Martin-Tumasz S, Toulokhonov I, Vrentas CE, Rutherford ST, Lee JH, Butcher SE, Gourse RL. Direct interactions between the coiled-coil tip of DksA and the trigger loop of RNA polymerase mediate transcriptional regulation. Genes Dev 2013. [PMID: 23207918 DOI: 10.1101/gad.204693.112] [Citation(s) in RCA: 63] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/25/2022]
Abstract
Escherichia coli DksA is a transcription factor that binds to RNA polymerase (RNAP) without binding to DNA, destabilizing RNAP-promoter interactions, sensitizing RNAP to the global regulator ppGpp, and regulating transcription of several hundred target genes, including those encoding rRNA. Previously, we described promoter sequences and kinetic properties that account for DksA's promoter specificity, but how DksA exerts its effects on RNAP has remained unclear. To better understand DksA's mechanism of action, we incorporated benzoyl-phenylalanine at specific positions in DksA and mapped its cross-links to RNAP, constraining computational docking of the two proteins. The resulting evidence-based model of the DksA-RNAP complex as well as additional genetic and biochemical approaches confirmed that DksA binds to the RNAP secondary channel, defined the orientation of DksA in the channel, and predicted a network of DksA interactions with RNAP that includes the rim helices and the mobile trigger loop (TL) domain. Engineered cysteine substitutions in the TL and DksA coiled-coil tip generated a disulfide bond between them, and the interacting residues were absolutely required for DksA function. We suggest that DksA traps the TL in a conformation that destabilizes promoter complexes, an interaction explaining the requirement for the DksA tip and its effects on transcription.
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Affiliation(s)
- Christopher W Lennon
- Department of Bacteriology, University of Wisconsin at Madison, Madison, WI 53706, USA
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44
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Holátko J, Šilar R, Rabatinová A, Šanderová H, Halada P, Nešvera J, Krásný L, Pátek M. Construction of in vitro transcription system for Corynebacterium glutamicum and its use in the recognition of promoters of different classes. Appl Microbiol Biotechnol 2012; 96:521-9. [DOI: 10.1007/s00253-012-4336-1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/18/2012] [Revised: 07/19/2012] [Accepted: 07/21/2012] [Indexed: 11/24/2022]
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45
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Sakamoto A, Terui Y, Yamamoto T, Kasahara T, Nakamura M, Tomitori H, Yamamoto K, Ishihama A, Michael AJ, Igarashi K, Kashiwagi K. Enhanced biofilm formation and/or cell viability by polyamines through stimulation of response regulators UvrY and CpxR in the two-component signal transducing systems, and ribosome recycling factor. Int J Biochem Cell Biol 2012; 44:1877-86. [PMID: 22814172 DOI: 10.1016/j.biocel.2012.07.010] [Citation(s) in RCA: 36] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/25/2012] [Revised: 07/07/2012] [Accepted: 07/10/2012] [Indexed: 01/26/2023]
Abstract
We have reported that polyamines increase cell viability at the stationary phase of cell growth through translational stimulation of ribosome modulation factor, and SpoT and RpoZ proteins involved in the synthesis and function of ppGpp in Escherichia coli. Since biofilm formation is also involved in cell viability, we looked for proteins involved in biofilm formation and cell viability whose synthesis is stimulated by polyamines at the level of translation. It was found that the synthesis of response regulators UvrY and CpxR in the two-component signal transducing systems and ribosome recycling factor (RRF) was increased by polyamines at the level of translation. Polyamine stimulation of the synthesis of UvrY and RRF was dependent on the existence of the inefficient initiation codons UUG and GUG in uvrY and frr mRNA, respectively; and polyamine stimulation of CpxR synthesis was dependent on the existence of an unusual location of a Shine-Dalgarno (SD) sequence in cpxR mRNA. Biofilm formation and cell viability in the absence of polyamines was increased by transformation of modified uvrY and cpxR genes, and cell viability by modified frr gene whose translation occurs effectively without polyamines. The results indicate that polyamines are necessary for both biofilm formation and cell viability.
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Affiliation(s)
- Akihiko Sakamoto
- Faculty of Pharmacy, Chiba Institute of Science, 15-8 Shiomi-cho, Choshi, Chiba 288-0025, Japan
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Furman R, Sevostyanova A, Artsimovitch I. Transcription initiation factor DksA has diverse effects on RNA chain elongation. Nucleic Acids Res 2011; 40:3392-402. [PMID: 22210857 PMCID: PMC3333854 DOI: 10.1093/nar/gkr1273] [Citation(s) in RCA: 40] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/12/2022] Open
Abstract
Bacterial transcription factors DksA and GreB belong to a family of coiled-coil proteins that bind within the secondarychannel of RNA polymerase (RNAP). These proteins display structural homology but play different regulatory roles. DksA disrupts RNAP interactions with promoter DNA and inhibits formation of initiation complexes, sensitizing rRNA synthesis to changes in concentrations of ppGpp and NTPs. Gre proteins remodel the RNAP active site and facilitate cleavage of the nascent RNA in elongation complexes. However, DksA and GreB were shown to have overlapping effects during initiation, and in vivo studies suggested that DksA may also function at post-initiation steps. Here we show that DksA has many features of an elongation factor: it inhibits both RNA chain extension and RNA shortening by exonucleolytic cleavage or pyrophosphorolysis and increases intrinsic termination in vitro and in vivo. However, DksA has no effect on Rho- or Mfd-mediated RNA release or nascent RNA cleavage in backtracked complexes, the regulatory target of Gre factors. Our results reveal that DksA effects on elongating RNAP are very different from those of GreB, suggesting that these regulators recognize distinct states of the transcription complex.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ran Furman
- Department of Microbiology and The Center for RNA Biology, Ohio State University, Columbus, OH 43210, USA
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Terui Y, Akiyama M, Sakamoto A, Tomitori H, Yamamoto K, Ishihama A, Igarashi K, Kashiwagi K. Increase in cell viability by polyamines through stimulation of the synthesis of ppGpp regulatory protein and ω protein of RNA polymerase in Escherichia coli. Int J Biochem Cell Biol 2011; 44:412-22. [PMID: 22138225 DOI: 10.1016/j.biocel.2011.11.017] [Citation(s) in RCA: 18] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/04/2011] [Revised: 11/03/2011] [Accepted: 11/21/2011] [Indexed: 10/14/2022]
Abstract
It is known that polyamines increase cell growth through stimulation of the synthesis of several kinds of proteins encoded by the so-called "polyamine modulon". We recently reported that polyamines also increase cell viability at the stationary phase of cell growth through stimulation of the synthesis of ribosome modulation factor, a component of the polyamine modulon. Accordingly, we looked for other proteins involved in cell viability whose synthesis is stimulated by polyamines. It was found that the synthesis of ppGpp regulatory protein (SpoT) and ω protein of RNA polymerase (RpoZ) was stimulated by polyamines at the level of translation. Stimulation of the synthesis of SpoT and RpoZ by polyamines was due to an inefficient initiation codon UUG in spoT mRNA and an unusual location of a Shine-Dalgarno (SD) sequence in rpoZ mRNA. Accordingly, the spoT and rpoZ genes are components of the polyamine modulon involved in cell viability. Reduced cell viability caused by polyamine deficiency was prevented by modified spoT and rpoZ genes whose synthesis was not influenced by polyamines. Under these conditions, the level of ppGpp increased in parallel with increase of SpoT protein. The results indicate that polyamine stimulation of synthesis of SpoT and RpoZ plays important roles for cell viability through stimulation of ppGpp synthesis by SpoT and modulation of RNA synthesis by ppGpp-RpoZ complex.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yusuke Terui
- Faculty of Pharmacy, Chiba Institute of Science, 15-8 Shiomi-cho, Choshi, Chiba 288-0025, Japan
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Structural coupling between RNA polymerase composition and DNA supercoiling in coordinating transcription: a global role for the omega subunit? mBio 2011; 2:mBio.00034-11. [PMID: 21810966 PMCID: PMC3147163 DOI: 10.1128/mbio.00034-11] [Citation(s) in RCA: 32] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/20/2022] Open
Abstract
In growing bacterial cells, the global reorganization of transcription is associated with alterations of RNA polymerase composition and the superhelical density of the DNA. However, the existence of any regulatory device coordinating these changes remains elusive. Here we show that in an exponentially growing Escherichia coli rpoZ mutant lacking the polymerase ω subunit, the impact of the Eσ(38) holoenzyme on transcription is enhanced in parallel with overall DNA relaxation. Conversely, overproduction of σ(70) in an rpoZ mutant increases both overall DNA supercoiling and the transcription of genes utilizing high negative superhelicity. We further show that transcription driven by the Eσ(38) and Eσ(70) holoenzymes from cognate promoters induces distinct superhelical densities of plasmid DNA in vivo. We thus demonstrate a tight coupling between polymerase holoenzyme composition and the supercoiling regimen of genomic transcription. Accordingly, we identify functional clusters of genes with distinct σ factor and supercoiling preferences arranging alternative transcription programs sustaining bacterial exponential growth. We propose that structural coupling between DNA topology and holoenzyme composition provides a basic regulatory device for coordinating genome-wide transcription during bacterial growth and adaptation. IMPORTANCE Understanding the mechanisms of coordinated gene expression is pivotal for developing knowledge-based approaches to manipulating bacterial physiology, which is a problem of central importance for applications of biotechnology and medicine. This study explores the relationships between variations in the composition of the transcription machinery and chromosomal DNA topology and suggests a tight interdependence of these two variables as the major coordinating principle of gene regulation. The proposed structural coupling between the transcription machinery and DNA topology has evolutionary implications and suggests a new methodology for studying concerted alterations of gene expression during normal and pathogenic growth both in bacteria and in higher organisms.
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49
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Krol E, Becker A. ppGpp in Sinorhizobium meliloti: biosynthesis in response to sudden nutritional downshifts and modulation of the transcriptome. Mol Microbiol 2011; 81:1233-54. [PMID: 21696469 DOI: 10.1111/j.1365-2958.2011.07752.x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 45] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/29/2022]
Abstract
Sinorhizobium meliloti Rm2011 responds to sudden shifts to nitrogen or carbon starvation conditions by an accumulation of the stringent response alarmone ppGpp and remodelling of the transcriptome. The gene product of relA, Rel(Sm) , responsible for synthesis of ppGpp, shows functional similarities to E. coli SpoT. Using promoter-egfp gene fusions, we showed that in Rm2011 relA is expressed at a low rate, as a readthrough from the rpoZ promoter and from its own weak promoter. The low level of relA expression is physiologically relevant, since overexpression of Rel(Sm) inhibits ppGpp accumulation. The N-terminal portion of Rel(Sm) is required for ppGpp degradation in nutrient-sufficient cells and might be involved in regulation of the ppGpp synthase and hydrolase activities of the protein. Expression profiling of S. meliloti subjected to sudden nitrogen or carbon downshifts revealed that repression of 'house-keeping' genes is largely dependent on relA whereas activation of gene targets of the stress sigma factor RpoE2 occurred independently of relA. The regulatory genes nifA, ntrB, aniA and sinR, as well as genes related to modulation of protein biosynthesis and nucleotide catabolism, were induced in a relA-dependent manner. dksA was required for the majority of the relA-dependent regulations.
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Affiliation(s)
- Elizaveta Krol
- Faculty of Biology and Center for Systems Biology, University of Freiburg, Schänzlestr. 1, 79104 Freiburg, Germany
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50
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Doherty GP, Fogg MJ, Wilkinson AJ, Lewis PJ. Small subunits of RNA polymerase: localization, levels and implications for core enzyme composition. Microbiology (Reading) 2010; 156:3532-3543. [DOI: 10.1099/mic.0.041566-0] [Citation(s) in RCA: 32] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/18/2022] Open
Abstract
Bacterial RNA polymerases (RNAPs) contain several small auxiliary subunits known to co-purify with the core α, β and β′ subunits. The ω subunit is conserved between Gram-positive and Gram-negative bacteria, while the δ subunit is conserved within, but restricted to, Gram-positive bacteria. Although various functions have been assigned to these subunits via in vitro assays, very little is known about their in vivo roles. In this work we constructed a pair of vectors to investigate the subcellular localization of the δ and ω subunits in Bacillus subtilis with respect to the core RNAP. We found these subunits to be closely associated with RNAP involved in transcribing both mRNA and rRNA operons. Quantification of these subunits revealed δ to be present at equimolar levels with RNAP and ω to be present at around half the level of core RNAP. For comparison, the localization and quantification of RNAP β′ and ω subunits in Escherichia coli was also investigated. Similar to B. subtilis, β′ and ω closely associated with the nucleoid and formed subnucleoid regions of high green fluorescent protein intensity, but, unlike ω in B. subtilis, ω levels in E. coli were close to parity with those of β′. These results indicate that δ is likely to be an integral RNAP subunit in Gram-positives, whereas ω levels differ substantially between Gram-positives and -negatives. The ω subunit may be required for RNAP assembly and subsequently be turned over at different rates or it may play roles in Gram-negative bacteria that are performed by other factors in Gram-positives.
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Affiliation(s)
- Geoff P. Doherty
- School of Environmental and Life Sciences, University of Newcastle, Callaghan, NSW 2308, Australia
| | - Mark J. Fogg
- York Structural Biology Laboratory, Department of Chemistry, University of York, York YO10 5YW, UK
| | - Anthony J. Wilkinson
- York Structural Biology Laboratory, Department of Chemistry, University of York, York YO10 5YW, UK
| | - Peter J. Lewis
- School of Environmental and Life Sciences, University of Newcastle, Callaghan, NSW 2308, Australia
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