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Hassani II, Quadri I, Yadav A, Bouchard S, Raoult D, Hacène H, Desnues C. Assessment of diversity of archaeal communities in Algerian chott. Extremophiles 2023; 27:2. [PMID: 36469177 DOI: 10.1007/s00792-022-01287-8] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/05/2022] [Accepted: 11/23/2022] [Indexed: 12/12/2022]
Abstract
Halophilic archaea are the dominant type of microorganisms in hypersaline environments. The diversity of halophilic archaea in Zehrez-Chergui (Saharian chott) was analyzed and compared by both analysis of a library of PCR amplified 16S rRNA genes and by cultivation approach. This work, represents the first of its type in Algeria. A total cell count was estimated at 3.8 × 103 CFU/g. The morphological, biochemical, and physiological characterizations of 45 distinct strains, suggests that all of them might be members of the class Halobacteria. Among stains, 23 were characterized phylogenetically and are related to 6 genera of halophilic archaea.The dominance of the genus Halopiger, has not been reported yet in other hypersaline environments. The 100 clones obtained by the molecular approach, were sequenced, and analyzed. The ribosomal library of 61 OTUs showed that the archaeal diversity included uncultured haloarcheon, Halomicrobium, Natronomonas, Halomicroarcula, Halapricum, Haloarcula, Halosimplex, Haloterrigena, Halolamina, Halorubellus, Halorussus and Halonotius. The results of rarefaction analysis indicated that the analysis of an increasing number of clones would have revealed additional diversity. Surprisingly, no halophilic archaea were not shared between the two approaches. Combining both types of methods was considered the best approach to acquire better information on the characteristics of soil halophilic archaea.
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Affiliation(s)
- Imene Ikram Hassani
- Laboratoire de Biologie Cellulaire et Moléculaire, Faculté de Biologie, USTHB Université, Bab Ezzouar, Algeria.
| | - Inès Quadri
- Laboratoire de Biologie Cellulaire et Moléculaire, Faculté de Biologie, USTHB Université, Bab Ezzouar, Algeria
| | - Archana Yadav
- Department of Microbiology and Molecular Genetics, Oklahoma State University, Stillwater, Oklahoma, USA
| | - Sonia Bouchard
- Faculté de Médecine, Aix-Marseille Université, URMITE, UM63, CNRS7278, IRD 198, Inserm U1095, 27 Boulevard Jean Moulin, 13385, Marseille, France
| | - Didier Raoult
- Faculté de Médecine, Aix-Marseille Université, URMITE, UM63, CNRS7278, IRD 198, Inserm U1095, 27 Boulevard Jean Moulin, 13385, Marseille, France
| | - Hocine Hacène
- Laboratoire de Biologie Cellulaire et Moléculaire, Faculté de Biologie, USTHB Université, Bab Ezzouar, Algeria
| | - Christelle Desnues
- Faculté de Médecine, Aix-Marseille Université, URMITE, UM63, CNRS7278, IRD 198, Inserm U1095, 27 Boulevard Jean Moulin, 13385, Marseille, France
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2
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Najjari A, Boussetta A, Youssef N, Linares-Pastén JA, Mahjoubi M, Belloum R, Sghaier H, Cherif A, Ouzari HI. Physiological and genomic insights into abiotic stress of halophilic archaeon Natrinema altunense 4.1R isolated from a saline ecosystem of Tunisian desert. Genetica 2023; 151:133-152. [PMID: 36795306 PMCID: PMC9995536 DOI: 10.1007/s10709-023-00182-0] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/08/2022] [Accepted: 02/02/2023] [Indexed: 02/17/2023]
Abstract
Halophilic archaea are polyextremophiles with the ability to withstand fluctuations in salinity, high levels of ultraviolet radiation, and oxidative stress, allowing them to survive in a wide range of environments and making them an excellent model for astrobiological research. Natrinema altunense 4.1R is a halophilic archaeon isolated from the endorheic saline lake systems, Sebkhas, located in arid and semi-arid regions of Tunisia. It is an ecosystem characterized by periodic flooding from subsurface groundwater and fluctuating salinities. Here, we assess the physiological responses and genomic characterization of N. altunense 4.1R to UV-C radiation, as well as osmotic and oxidative stresses. Results showed that the 4.1R strain is able to survive up to 36% of salinity, up to 180 J/m2 to UV-C radiation, and at 50 mM of H2O2, a resistance profile similar to Halobacterium salinarum, a strain often used as UV-C resistant model. In order to understand the genetic determinants of N. altunense 4.1R survival strategy, we sequenced and analyzed its genome. Results showed multiple gene copies of osmotic stress, oxidative stress, and DNA repair response mechanisms supporting its survivability at extreme salinities and radiations. Indeed, the 3D molecular structures of seven proteins related to responses to UV-C radiation (excinucleases UvrA, UvrB, and UvrC, and photolyase), saline stress (trehalose-6-phosphate synthase OtsA and trehalose-phosphatase OtsB), and oxidative stress (superoxide dismutase SOD) were constructed by homology modeling. This study extends the abiotic stress range for the species N. altunense and adds to the repertoire of UV and oxidative stress resistance genes generally known from haloarchaeon.
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Affiliation(s)
- Afef Najjari
- Faculté des Sciences de Tunis, LR03ES03 Laboratoire de Microbiologie et Biomolécules Actives, Université Tunis El Manar, 2092, Tunis, Tunisie
| | - Ayoub Boussetta
- Faculté des Sciences de Tunis, LR03ES03 Laboratoire de Microbiologie et Biomolécules Actives, Université Tunis El Manar, 2092, Tunis, Tunisie
| | - Noha Youssef
- Department of Microbiology and Molecular Genetics, Oklahoma State University, Stillwater, OK, USA
| | - Javier A Linares-Pastén
- Department of Biotechnology, Faculty of Engineering, Lunds Tekniska Högskola (LTH), Lund University, P. O. Box 124, 22100, Lund, Sweden.
| | - Mouna Mahjoubi
- University of Manouba, ISBST, LR11-ES31 BVBGR, Biotechpole Sidi Thabet, 2020, Ariana, Tunisia
| | - Rahma Belloum
- Faculté des Sciences de Tunis, LR03ES03 Laboratoire de Microbiologie et Biomolécules Actives, Université Tunis El Manar, 2092, Tunis, Tunisie
| | - Haitham Sghaier
- Laboratory "Energy and Matter for Development of Nuclear Sciences" (LR16CNSTN02), National Center for Nuclear Sciences and Technology (CNSTN), Ariana, Tunisia
| | - Ameur Cherif
- University of Manouba, ISBST, LR11-ES31 BVBGR, Biotechpole Sidi Thabet, 2020, Ariana, Tunisia
| | - Hadda Imene Ouzari
- Faculté des Sciences de Tunis, LR03ES03 Laboratoire de Microbiologie et Biomolécules Actives, Université Tunis El Manar, 2092, Tunis, Tunisie
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Cooper HB, Krause KL, Gardner PP. Finding priority bacterial ribosomes for future structural and antimicrobial research based upon global RNA and protein sequence analysis. PeerJ 2023; 11:e14969. [PMID: 36974140 PMCID: PMC10039652 DOI: 10.7717/peerj.14969] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/11/2022] [Accepted: 02/07/2023] [Indexed: 03/29/2023] Open
Abstract
Ribosome-targeting antibiotics comprise over half of antibiotics used in medicine, but our fundamental knowledge of their binding sites is derived primarily from ribosome structures of non-pathogenic species. These include Thermus thermophilus, Deinococcus radiodurans and the archaean Haloarcula marismortui, as well as the commensal and sometimes pathogenic organism, Escherichia coli. Advancements in electron cryomicroscopy have allowed for the determination of more ribosome structures from pathogenic bacteria, with each study highlighting species-specific differences that had not been observed in the non-pathogenic structures. These observed differences suggest that more novel ribosome structures, particularly from pathogens, are required for a more accurate understanding of the level of diversity of the entire bacterial ribosome, with the potential of leading to innovative advancements in antibiotic research. In this study, high accuracy covariance and hidden Markov models were used to annotate ribosomal RNA and protein sequences respectively from genomic sequence, allowing us to determine the underlying ribosomal sequence diversity using phylogenetic methods. This analysis provided evidence that the current non-pathogenic ribosome structures are not sufficient representatives of some pathogenic bacteria, such as Campylobacter pylori, or of whole phyla such as Bacteroidota (Bacteroidetes).
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Affiliation(s)
- Helena B. Cooper
- Department of Biochemistry, University of Otago, Dunedin, New Zealand
- Department of Infectious Diseases, Central Clinical School, Monash University, Melbourne, Victoria, Australia
| | - Kurt L. Krause
- Department of Biochemistry, University of Otago, Dunedin, New Zealand
| | - Paul P. Gardner
- Department of Biochemistry, University of Otago, Dunedin, New Zealand
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Salwan R, Sharma V. Genomics of Prokaryotic Extremophiles to Unfold the Mystery of Survival in Extreme Environments. Microbiol Res 2022; 264:127156. [DOI: 10.1016/j.micres.2022.127156] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/26/2022] [Revised: 07/30/2022] [Accepted: 07/31/2022] [Indexed: 11/26/2022]
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Joo M, Yeom JH, Choi Y, Jun H, Song W, Kim HL, Lee K, Shin E. Specialised ribosomes as versatile regulators of gene expression. RNA Biol 2022; 19:1103-1114. [PMID: 36255182 PMCID: PMC9586635 DOI: 10.1080/15476286.2022.2135299] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/25/2022] Open
Abstract
The ribosome has long been thought to be a homogeneous cellular machine that constitutively and globally synthesises proteins from mRNA. However, recent studies have revealed that ribosomes are highly heterogeneous, dynamic macromolecular complexes with specialised roles in translational regulation in many organisms across the kingdoms. In this review, we summarise the current understanding of ribosome heterogeneity and the specialised functions of heterogeneous ribosomes. We also discuss specialised translation systems that utilise orthogonal ribosomes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Minju Joo
- Department of Life Science, Chung-Ang University, Seoul, Republic of Korea
| | - Ji-Hyun Yeom
- Department of Life Science, Chung-Ang University, Seoul, Republic of Korea
| | - Younkyung Choi
- Department of Life Science, Chung-Ang University, Seoul, Republic of Korea
| | - Hyeon Jun
- Department of Life Science, Chung-Ang University, Seoul, Republic of Korea
| | - Wooseok Song
- Department of Life Science, Chung-Ang University, Seoul, Republic of Korea
| | - Hyun-Lee Kim
- Department of Life Science, Chung-Ang University, Seoul, Republic of Korea
| | - Kangseok Lee
- Department of Life Science, Chung-Ang University, Seoul, Republic of Korea
| | - Eunkyoung Shin
- Department of Life Science, Chung-Ang University, Seoul, Republic of Korea
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6
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Obruča S, Dvořák P, Sedláček P, Koller M, Sedlář K, Pernicová I, Šafránek D. Polyhydroxyalkanoates synthesis by halophiles and thermophiles: towards sustainable production of microbial bioplastics. Biotechnol Adv 2022; 58:107906. [DOI: 10.1016/j.biotechadv.2022.107906] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/14/2021] [Revised: 12/15/2021] [Accepted: 01/07/2022] [Indexed: 01/10/2023]
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Zhou Y, Leung MHY, Tong X, Lee JYY, Lee PKH. City-Scale Meta-Analysis of Indoor Airborne Microbiota Reveals that Taxonomic and Functional Compositions Vary with Building Types. ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY 2021; 55:15051-15062. [PMID: 34738808 DOI: 10.1021/acs.est.1c03941] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/13/2023]
Abstract
Currently, there is a lack of understanding on the variations of the indoor airborne microbiotas of different building types within a city, and how operational taxonomic unit (OTU)- and amplicon sequence variant (ASV)-based analyses of the 16S rRNA gene sequences affect interpretation of the indoor airborne microbiota results. Therefore, in this study, the indoor airborne bacterial microbiotas between commercial buildings, residences, and subways within the same city were compared using both OTU- and ASV-based analytic methods. Our findings suggested that indoor airborne bacterial microbiota compositions were significantly different between building types regardless of the bioinformatics method used. The processes of ecological drift and random dispersal consistently played significant roles in the assembly of the indoor microbiota across building types. Abundant taxa tended to be more centralized in the correlation network of each building type, highlighting their importance. Taxonomic changes between the microbiotas of different building types were also linked to changes in their inferred metabolic function capabilities. Overall, the results imply that customized strategies are necessary to manage indoor airborne bacterial microbiotas for each building type or even within each specific building.
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Affiliation(s)
- You Zhou
- School of Energy and Environment, City University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong SAR, China
| | - Marcus H Y Leung
- School of Energy and Environment, City University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong SAR, China
| | - Xinzhao Tong
- School of Energy and Environment, City University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong SAR, China
| | - Justin Y Y Lee
- School of Energy and Environment, City University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong SAR, China
| | - Patrick K H Lee
- School of Energy and Environment and State Key Laboratory of Marine Pollution, City University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong SAR, China
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Perez MF, Saona LA, Farías ME, Poehlein A, Meinhardt F, Daniel R, Dib JR. Assessment of the plasmidome of an extremophilic microbial community from the Diamante Lake, Argentina. Sci Rep 2021; 11:21459. [PMID: 34728656 PMCID: PMC8563766 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-021-00753-1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/21/2021] [Accepted: 10/15/2021] [Indexed: 12/02/2022] Open
Abstract
Diamante Lake located at 4589 m.a.s.l. in the Andean Puna constitutes an extreme environment. It is exposed to multiple extreme conditions such as an unusually high concentration of arsenic (over 300 mg L-1) and low oxygen pressure. Microorganisms thriving in the lake display specific genotypes that facilitate survival, which include at least a multitude of plasmid-encoded resistance traits. Hence, the genetic information provided by the plasmids essentially contributes to understand adaptation to different stressors. Though plasmids from cultivable organisms have already been analyzed to the sequence level, the impact of the entire plasmid-borne genetic information on such microbial ecosystem is not known. This study aims at assessing the plasmidome from Diamante Lake, which facilitates the identification of potential hosts and prediction of gene functions as well as the ecological impact of mobile genetic elements. The deep-sequencing analysis revealed a large fraction of previously unknown DNA sequences of which the majority encoded putative proteins of unknown function. Remarkably, functions related to the oxidative stress response, DNA repair, as well as arsenic- and antibiotic resistances were annotated. Additionally, all necessary capacities related to plasmid replication, mobilization and maintenance were detected. Sequences characteristic for megaplasmids and other already known plasmid-associated genes were identified as well. The study highlights the potential of the deep-sequencing approach specifically targeting plasmid populations as it allows to evaluate the ecological impact of plasmids from (cultivable and non-cultivable) microorganisms, thereby contributing to the understanding of the distribution of resistance factors within an extremophilic microbial community.
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Affiliation(s)
- María Florencia Perez
- grid.423606.50000 0001 1945 2152Planta Piloto de Procesos Industriales Microbiológicos, Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas, San Miguel de Tucumán, Tucumán Argentina
| | - Luis Alberto Saona
- grid.423606.50000 0001 1945 2152Planta Piloto de Procesos Industriales Microbiológicos, Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas, San Miguel de Tucumán, Tucumán Argentina
| | - María Eugenia Farías
- grid.423606.50000 0001 1945 2152Planta Piloto de Procesos Industriales Microbiológicos, Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas, San Miguel de Tucumán, Tucumán Argentina
| | - Anja Poehlein
- grid.7450.60000 0001 2364 4210Genomic and Applied Microbiology and Göttingen Genomics Laboratory, Institute of Microbiology and Genetics, Georg-August University of Göttingen, Grisebachstr. 8, 37077 Göttingen, Germany
| | - Friedhelm Meinhardt
- grid.5949.10000 0001 2172 9288Institut für Molekulare Mikrobiologie und Biotechnologie, Westfälische Wilhelms Universität Münster, Münster, Germany
| | - Rolf Daniel
- grid.7450.60000 0001 2364 4210Genomic and Applied Microbiology and Göttingen Genomics Laboratory, Institute of Microbiology and Genetics, Georg-August University of Göttingen, Grisebachstr. 8, 37077 Göttingen, Germany
| | - Julián Rafael Dib
- grid.423606.50000 0001 1945 2152Planta Piloto de Procesos Industriales Microbiológicos, Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas, San Miguel de Tucumán, Tucumán Argentina ,grid.108162.c0000000121496664Instituto de Microbiología, Facultad de Bioquímica, Química y Farmacia, Universidad Nacional de Tucumán, San Miguel de Tucumán, Tucumán Argentina
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9
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Long Z, Zhao Y, Xue Y, Wang M, Li J, Su Z, Sun J, Liu Q, Liu H, Mao D, Wei T. A novel thermophilic β-carotene 15,15'-monooxygenase with broad substrate specificity from the marine bacterium Candidatus Pelagibacter sp. HTCC7211. Biotechnol Lett 2021; 43:2233-2241. [PMID: 34618272 DOI: 10.1007/s10529-021-03188-w] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/09/2021] [Accepted: 09/13/2021] [Indexed: 10/20/2022]
Abstract
To characterize a novel thermophilic β-carotene 15,15'-monooxygenase BCMO7211 isolated from the marine bacterium Candidatus Pelagibacter sp. HTCC7211. BCMO7211 was functionally overexpressed in Escherichia coli and purified to homogeneity by Ni-NTA affinity chromatography and Superdex-200 gel filtration chromatography. Labeling experiments with H218O demonstrated that the oxygen atom in the terminal aldehyde group of the produced retinal molecules was provided from both molecular oxygen and water, indicating that BCMO7211 is the first characterized bacterial β-carotene 15,15'-monooxygenase. BCMO7211 exhibited broad carotenoid substrate specificity toward α-carotene, β-cryptoxanthin, β-carotene, zeaxanthin, and lutein. The optimum temperature, pH, and concentrations of the substrate and enzyme for retinal production were 60 °C, 9.0, 500 mg β-carotene/L, and 2.5 U/ml, respectively. Under optimum conditions, 888.3 mg/L retinal was produced in 60 min with a conversion rate of 89.0% (w/w). BCMO7211 is a potential candidate for the enzymatic synthesis of retinal in biotechnological applications.
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Affiliation(s)
- Zhangde Long
- China Tobacco Guangxi Industrial Co., Ltd., Nanning, 530001, China.,School of Food and Biological Engineering, Zhengzhou University of Light Industry, 5 Dongfeng Rd, Zhengzhou, 450002, China
| | - Yuzhe Zhao
- School of Food and Biological Engineering, Zhengzhou University of Light Industry, 5 Dongfeng Rd, Zhengzhou, 450002, China
| | - Yun Xue
- China Tobacco Guangxi Industrial Co., Ltd., Nanning, 530001, China.,School of Food and Biological Engineering, Zhengzhou University of Light Industry, 5 Dongfeng Rd, Zhengzhou, 450002, China
| | - Min Wang
- School of Food and Biological Engineering, Zhengzhou University of Light Industry, 5 Dongfeng Rd, Zhengzhou, 450002, China
| | - Jigang Li
- China Tobacco Guangxi Industrial Co., Ltd., Nanning, 530001, China
| | - Zan Su
- China Tobacco Guangxi Industrial Co., Ltd., Nanning, 530001, China
| | - Jiansheng Sun
- China Tobacco Guangxi Industrial Co., Ltd., Nanning, 530001, China
| | - Qibin Liu
- China Tobacco Guangxi Industrial Co., Ltd., Nanning, 530001, China
| | - Hong Liu
- China Tobacco Guangxi Industrial Co., Ltd., Nanning, 530001, China
| | - Duobin Mao
- School of Food and Biological Engineering, Zhengzhou University of Light Industry, 5 Dongfeng Rd, Zhengzhou, 450002, China
| | - Tao Wei
- School of Food and Biological Engineering, Zhengzhou University of Light Industry, 5 Dongfeng Rd, Zhengzhou, 450002, China.
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Nitrate-responsive suppression of DMSO respiration in a facultative anaerobic haloarchaeon Haloferax volcanii. J Bacteriol 2021; 203:e0065520. [PMID: 33820797 DOI: 10.1128/jb.00655-20] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Haloferax volcanii is a facultative anaerobic haloarchaeon that can grow using nitrate or dimethyl sulfoxide (DMSO) as respiratory substrates in an anaerobic condition. Comparative transcriptome analysis of denitrifying and aerobic cells of H. volcanii indicated extensive changes in the gene expression involving activation of denitrification, suppression of DMSO respiration, and conversion of the heme biosynthetic pathway under denitrifying condition. Anaerobic growth of H. volcanii by DMSO respiration was inhibited at nitrate concentrations lower than 1 mM, whereas the nitrate-responsive growth inhibition was not observed in the ΔnarO mutant. A reporter assay experiment demonstrated that transcription of the dms operon was suppressed by nitrate. In contrast, anaerobic growth of the ΔdmsR mutant by denitrification was little affected by addition of DMSO. NarO has been identified as an activator of the denitrification-related genes in response to anaerobic conditions, and here we found that NarO is also involved in nitrate-responsive suppression of the dms operon. Nitrate-responsive suppression of DMSO respiration is known in several bacteria, such as Escherichia coli and photosynthetic Rhodobacter sp. This is the first report to show that a regulatory mechanism that suppresses DMSO respiration in response to nitrate exists not only in bacteria but also in the haloarchaea.IMPORTANCE Haloferax volcanii can grow anaerobically by denitrification (nitrate respiration) or DMSO respiration. In the facultative anaerobic bacteria that can grow by both nitrate respiration and DMSO respiration, nitrate respiration is preferentially induced when both nitrate and DMSO are available as respiratory substrates. The results of transcriptome analysis, growth phenotyping, and reporter assay indicated that DMSO respiration is suppressed in response to nitrate in H. volcanii The haloarchaea-specific regulator NarO, which activates denitrification under anaerobic conditions, is suggested to be involved in the nitrate-responsive suppression of DMSO respiration.
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Abou Khalil C, Prince VL, Prince RC, Greer CW, Lee K, Zhang B, Boufadel MC. Occurrence and biodegradation of hydrocarbons at high salinities. THE SCIENCE OF THE TOTAL ENVIRONMENT 2021; 762:143165. [PMID: 33131842 DOI: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2020.143165] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/11/2020] [Revised: 10/13/2020] [Accepted: 10/15/2020] [Indexed: 06/11/2023]
Abstract
Hypersaline environments are found around the world, above and below ground, and many are exposed to hydrocarbons on a continuous or a frequent basis. Some surface hypersaline environments are exposed to hydrocarbons because they have active petroleum seeps while others are exposed because of oil exploration and production, or nearby human activities. Many oil reservoirs overlie highly saline connate water, and some national oil reserves are stored in salt caverns. Surface hypersaline ecosystems contain consortia of halophilic and halotolerant microorganisms that decompose organic compounds including hydrocarbons, and subterranean ones are likely to contain the same. However, the rates and extents of hydrocarbon biodegradation are poorly understood in such ecosystems. Here we describe hypersaline environments potentially or likely to become contaminated with hydrocarbons, including perennial and transient environments above and below ground, and discuss what is known about the microbes degrading hydrocarbons and the extent of their activities. We also discuss what limits the microbial hydrocarbon degradation in hypersaline environments and whether there are opportunities for inhibiting (oil storage) or stimulating (oil spills) such biodegradation as the situation requires.
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Affiliation(s)
- Charbel Abou Khalil
- Center for Natural Resources, Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering, New Jersey Institute of Technology, Newark, NJ 07102, USA
| | | | | | - Charles W Greer
- National Research Council Canada, Energy, Mining and Environment Research Centre, Montreal, QC H4P 2R2, Canada
| | - Kenneth Lee
- Fisheries and Oceans Canada, Ecosystem Science, Ottawa, ON K1A 0E6, Canada
| | - Baiyu Zhang
- Northern Region Persistent Organic Pollution Control (NRPOP) Laboratory, Faculty of Engineering and Applied Science, Memorial University of Newfoundland, St. John's, NL A1B 3X5, Canada
| | - Michel C Boufadel
- Center for Natural Resources, Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering, New Jersey Institute of Technology, Newark, NJ 07102, USA.
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12
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Choi BH, Hwang HJ, Lee JE, Oh SH, Hwang JS, Lee BY, Lee PC. Microbial Production of Retinyl Palmitate and Its Application as a Cosmeceutical. Antioxidants (Basel) 2020; 9:antiox9111130. [PMID: 33202630 PMCID: PMC7698207 DOI: 10.3390/antiox9111130] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/06/2020] [Revised: 11/11/2020] [Accepted: 11/11/2020] [Indexed: 01/07/2023] Open
Abstract
Chemically synthesized retinyl palmitate has been widely used in the cosmetic and biotechnology industry. In this study, we aimed to demonstrate the microbial production of retinyl palmitate and the benefits of microbial retinyl palmitate in skin physiology. A heterologous retinyl palmitate biosynthesis pathway was reconstructed in metabolically engineered Escherichia coli using synthetic expression modules from Pantoea agglomerans, Salinibacter ruber, and Homo sapiens. High production of retinyl palmitate (69.96 ± 2.64 mg/L) was obtained using a fed-batch fermentation process. Moreover, application of purified microbial retinyl palmitate to human foreskin HS68 fibroblasts led to increased cellular retinoic acid-binding protein 2 (CRABP2) mRNA level [1.7-fold (p = 0.001) at 100 μg/mL], acceleration of cell proliferation, and enhancement of procollagen synthesis [111% (p < 0.05) at 100 μg/mL], strongly indicating an anti-ageing-related effect of this substance. These results would pave the way for large-scale production of retinyl palmitate in microbial systems and represent the first evidence for the application of microbial retinyl palmitate as a cosmeceutical.
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Affiliation(s)
- Bo Hyun Choi
- Department of Molecular Science and Technology, Ajou University, World cup-ro, Yeongtong-gu, Suwon-si, Gyeonggi-do 16499, Korea; (B.H.C.); (H.J.H.); (S.H.O.); (B.Y.L.)
| | - Hee Jin Hwang
- Department of Molecular Science and Technology, Ajou University, World cup-ro, Yeongtong-gu, Suwon-si, Gyeonggi-do 16499, Korea; (B.H.C.); (H.J.H.); (S.H.O.); (B.Y.L.)
| | - Ji Eun Lee
- Department of Genetic Engineering & Graduate School of Biotechnology, College of Life Sciences, Kyung Hee University, Yongin-si, Gyeonggi-do 17104, Korea; (J.E.L.); (J.S.H.)
| | - Soon Hwan Oh
- Department of Molecular Science and Technology, Ajou University, World cup-ro, Yeongtong-gu, Suwon-si, Gyeonggi-do 16499, Korea; (B.H.C.); (H.J.H.); (S.H.O.); (B.Y.L.)
| | - Jae Sung Hwang
- Department of Genetic Engineering & Graduate School of Biotechnology, College of Life Sciences, Kyung Hee University, Yongin-si, Gyeonggi-do 17104, Korea; (J.E.L.); (J.S.H.)
| | - Bun Yeoul Lee
- Department of Molecular Science and Technology, Ajou University, World cup-ro, Yeongtong-gu, Suwon-si, Gyeonggi-do 16499, Korea; (B.H.C.); (H.J.H.); (S.H.O.); (B.Y.L.)
| | - Pyung Cheon Lee
- Department of Molecular Science and Technology, Ajou University, World cup-ro, Yeongtong-gu, Suwon-si, Gyeonggi-do 16499, Korea; (B.H.C.); (H.J.H.); (S.H.O.); (B.Y.L.)
- Correspondence: ; Tel.: +82-31-219-2461
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Haque RU, Paradisi F, Allers T. Haloferax volcanii for biotechnology applications: challenges, current state and perspectives. Appl Microbiol Biotechnol 2019; 104:1371-1382. [PMID: 31863144 PMCID: PMC6985049 DOI: 10.1007/s00253-019-10314-2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 27] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/05/2019] [Revised: 12/05/2019] [Accepted: 12/10/2019] [Indexed: 01/08/2023]
Abstract
Haloferax volcanii is an obligate halophilic archaeon with its origin in the Dead Sea. Simple laboratory culture conditions and a wide range of genetic tools have made it a model organism for studying haloarchaeal cell biology. Halophilic enzymes of potential interest to biotechnology have opened up the application of this organism in biocatalysis, bioremediation, nanobiotechnology, bioplastics and the biofuel industry. Functionally active halophilic proteins can be easily expressed in a halophilic environment, and an extensive genetic toolkit with options for regulated protein overexpression has allowed the purification of biotechnologically important enzymes from different halophiles in H. volcanii. However, corrosion mediated damage caused to stainless-steel bioreactors by high salt concentrations and a tendency to form biofilms when cultured in high volume are some of the challenges of applying H. volcanii in biotechnology. The ability to employ expressed active proteins in immobilized cells within a porous biocompatible matrix offers new avenues for exploiting H. volcanii in biotechnology. This review critically evaluates the various application potentials, challenges and toolkits available for using this extreme halophilic organism in biotechnology.
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Affiliation(s)
- R U Haque
- School of Life Sciences, Queens Medical Centre, University of Nottingham, Nottingham, NG7 2UH, UK.,School of Chemistry, University Park, University of Nottingham, Nottingham, NG7 2RD, UK.,Warwick Integrative Synthetic Biology Centre, School of Life Sciences, Gibbet Hill Campus, University of Warwick, Coventry, CV4 7AL, UK
| | - F Paradisi
- School of Chemistry, University Park, University of Nottingham, Nottingham, NG7 2RD, UK.,Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, University of Bern, Freiestrasse 3, 3012, Bern, Switzerland
| | - T Allers
- School of Life Sciences, Queens Medical Centre, University of Nottingham, Nottingham, NG7 2UH, UK.
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14
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Rodrigues-Oliveira T, Souza AA, Kruger R, Schuster B, Maria de Freitas S, Kyaw CM. Environmental factors influence the Haloferax volcanii S-layer protein structure. PLoS One 2019; 14:e0216863. [PMID: 31075115 PMCID: PMC6607943 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0216863] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/18/2018] [Accepted: 04/30/2019] [Indexed: 11/18/2022] Open
Abstract
S-layers commonly cover archaeal cell envelopes and are composed of proteins that self-assemble into a paracrystalline surface structure. Despite their detection in almost all archaea, there are few reports investigating the structural properties of these proteins, with no reports exploring this topic for halophilic S-layers. The objective of the present study was to investigate the secondary and tertiary organization of the Haloferax volcanii S-layer protein. Such investigations were performed using circular dichroism, fluorescence spectroscopy, dynamic light scattering and transmission electron microscopy. The protein secondary structure is centered on β-sheets and is affected by environmental pH, with higher disorder in more alkaline conditions. The pH can also affect the protein's tertiary structure, with higher tryptophan side-chain exposure to the medium under the same conditions. The concentrations of Na, Mg and Ca ions in the environment also affect the protein structures, with small changes in α-helix and β-sheet content, as well as changes in tryptophan side chain exposure. These changes in turn influence the protein's functional properties, with cell envelope preparations revealing striking differences when in different salt conditions. Thermal denaturation assays revealed that the protein is stable. It has been reported that the S-layer protein N-glycosylation process is affected by external factors and the present study indicates for the first time changes in the protein structure.
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Affiliation(s)
- Thiago Rodrigues-Oliveira
- Department of Cell Biology, Institute of Biological Sciences, University
of Brasília, Brasília, Brazil
| | - Amanda Araújo Souza
- Department of Cell Biology, Institute of Biological Sciences, University
of Brasília, Brasília, Brazil
| | - Ricardo Kruger
- Department of Cell Biology, Institute of Biological Sciences, University
of Brasília, Brasília, Brazil
| | - Bernhard Schuster
- Department of NanoBiotechnology, Institute for Synthetic
Bioarchitectures, University of Natural Resources and Life Sciences, Vienna,
Austria
| | - Sonia Maria de Freitas
- Department of Cell Biology, Institute of Biological Sciences, University
of Brasília, Brasília, Brazil
| | - Cynthia Maria Kyaw
- Department of Cell Biology, Institute of Biological Sciences, University
of Brasília, Brasília, Brazil
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15
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Transposition of IS 4 Family Insertion Sequences IS Teha3, IS Teha4, and IS Teha5 into the arc Operon Disrupts Arginine Deiminase System in Tetragenococcus halophilus. Appl Environ Microbiol 2019; 85:AEM.00208-19. [PMID: 30877114 DOI: 10.1128/aem.00208-19] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/24/2019] [Accepted: 03/11/2019] [Indexed: 01/10/2023] Open
Abstract
Tetragenococcus halophilus, a halophilic lactic acid bacterium, is often used as a starter culture in the manufacturing of soy sauce. T. halophilus possesses an arginine deiminase system, which is responsible for the accumulation of citrulline, the main precursor of the potential carcinogen ethyl carbamate. In this study, we generated five derivatives lacking arginine deiminase activity from T. halophilus NBRC 12172 by UV irradiation. Using these derivatives as a fermentation starter prevented arginine deimination in soy sauce. DNA sequence analysis of the derivatives revealed that novel IS4 family insertion sequences, designated ISTeha3, ISTeha4, and ISTeha5, were transposed into the region around the arginine deiminase (arc) operon in the mutants. These insertion sequences contain a single open reading frame encoding a putative transposase and 13- to 15-bp inverted repeats at both termini, which are adjacent to 7- to 9-bp duplications of the target sequence. Investigation of wild strains isolated from soy sauce mash incapable of arginine deimination also indicated that insertion sequences are involved in the disruption of the arginine deiminase system in T. halophilus IMPORTANCE Insertion sequences play important roles in bacterial evolution and are frequently utilized in mutagenesis systems. However, the intrinsic insertion sequences of tetragenococci are not well characterized. Here, we identified three active insertion sequences of T. halophilus by transposition into the region around the arc operon. This report provides an example of insertion sequence-mediated generation and evolution of T. halophilus and primary information about their characteristics.
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Koller M. Polyhydroxyalkanoate Biosynthesis at the Edge of Water Activitiy-Haloarchaea as Biopolyester Factories. Bioengineering (Basel) 2019; 6:bioengineering6020034. [PMID: 30995811 PMCID: PMC6631277 DOI: 10.3390/bioengineering6020034] [Citation(s) in RCA: 57] [Impact Index Per Article: 11.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/20/2019] [Revised: 04/03/2019] [Accepted: 04/04/2019] [Indexed: 11/16/2022] Open
Abstract
Haloarchaea, the extremely halophilic branch of the Archaea domain, encompass a steadily increasing number of genera and associated species which accumulate polyhydroxyalkanoate biopolyesters in their cytoplasm. Such ancient organisms, which thrive in highly challenging, often hostile habitats characterized by salinities between 100 and 300 g/L NaCl, have the potential to outperform established polyhydroxyalkanoate production strains. As detailed in the review, this optimization presents due to multifarious reasons, including: cultivation setups at extreme salinities can be performed at minimized sterility precautions by excluding the growth of microbial contaminants; the high inner-osmotic pressure in haloarchaea cells facilitates the recovery of intracellular biopolyester granules by cell disintegration in hypo-osmotic media; many haloarchaea utilize carbon-rich waste streams as main substrates for growth and polyhydroxyalkanoate biosynthesis, which allows coupling polyhydroxyalkanoate production with bio-economic waste management; finally, in many cases, haloarchaea are reported to produce copolyesters from structurally unrelated inexpensive substrates, and polyhydroxyalkanoate biosynthesis often occurs in parallel to the production of additional marketable bio-products like pigments or polysaccharides. This review summarizes the current knowledge about polyhydroxyalkanoate production by diverse haloarchaea; this covers the detection of new haloarchaea producing polyhydroxyalkanoates, understanding the genetic and enzymatic particularities of such organisms, kinetic aspects, material characterization, upscaling and techno-economic and life cycle assessment.
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Affiliation(s)
- Martin Koller
- University of Graz, Office of Research Management and Service, c/o Institute of Chemistry, NAWI Graz, Heinrichstrasse 28/III, 8010 Graz, Austria.
- ARENA-Association for Resource Efficient and Sustainable Technologies, Inffeldgasse 21b, 8010 Graz, Austria.
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17
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Barreteau H, Vandervennet M, Guédon L, Point V, Canaan S, Rebuffat S, Peduzzi J, Carré-Mlouka A. Haloarcula sebkhae sp. nov., an extremely halophilic archaeon from Algerian hypersaline environment. Int J Syst Evol Microbiol 2019; 69:732-738. [DOI: 10.1099/ijsem.0.003211] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/18/2022] Open
Affiliation(s)
- Hélène Barreteau
- 1Laboratory Molecules of Communication and Adaptation of Microorganisms (MCAM) UMR 7245 CNRS-MNHN), Muséum national d’Histoire naturelle, Centre national de la Recherche scientifique (CNRS), CP 54, 57 rue Cuvier, 75005 Paris, France
- 2Institute for Integrative Biology of the Cell (I2BC), UMR 9198 CEA-CNRS-Université Paris-Sud, Université Paris-Saclay, 91198 Gif-sur-Yvette, France
| | - Manon Vandervennet
- 1Laboratory Molecules of Communication and Adaptation of Microorganisms (MCAM) UMR 7245 CNRS-MNHN), Muséum national d’Histoire naturelle, Centre national de la Recherche scientifique (CNRS), CP 54, 57 rue Cuvier, 75005 Paris, France
| | - Laura Guédon
- 1Laboratory Molecules of Communication and Adaptation of Microorganisms (MCAM) UMR 7245 CNRS-MNHN), Muséum national d’Histoire naturelle, Centre national de la Recherche scientifique (CNRS), CP 54, 57 rue Cuvier, 75005 Paris, France
| | - Vanessa Point
- 3Laboratory of Engineering of Macromolecular Systems (LISM), Aix Marseille University, UMR 7255 CNRS, 31 chemin Joseph Aiguier 13402 Marseille cedex 20, France
| | - Stéphane Canaan
- 3Laboratory of Engineering of Macromolecular Systems (LISM), Aix Marseille University, UMR 7255 CNRS, 31 chemin Joseph Aiguier 13402 Marseille cedex 20, France
| | - Sylvie Rebuffat
- 1Laboratory Molecules of Communication and Adaptation of Microorganisms (MCAM) UMR 7245 CNRS-MNHN), Muséum national d’Histoire naturelle, Centre national de la Recherche scientifique (CNRS), CP 54, 57 rue Cuvier, 75005 Paris, France
| | - Jean Peduzzi
- 1Laboratory Molecules of Communication and Adaptation of Microorganisms (MCAM) UMR 7245 CNRS-MNHN), Muséum national d’Histoire naturelle, Centre national de la Recherche scientifique (CNRS), CP 54, 57 rue Cuvier, 75005 Paris, France
| | - Alyssa Carré-Mlouka
- 4Laboratory of Tropical and Mediterranean Symbioses (LSTM), Campus International de Baillarguet, 34398 Montpellier cedex 5, France
- 1Laboratory Molecules of Communication and Adaptation of Microorganisms (MCAM) UMR 7245 CNRS-MNHN), Muséum national d’Histoire naturelle, Centre national de la Recherche scientifique (CNRS), CP 54, 57 rue Cuvier, 75005 Paris, France
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18
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Blesa A, Sánchez M, Sacristán-Horcajada E, González-de la Fuente S, Peiró R, Berenguer J. Into the Thermus Mobilome: Presence, Diversity and Recent Activities of Insertion Sequences Across Thermus spp. Microorganisms 2019; 7:microorganisms7010025. [PMID: 30669685 PMCID: PMC6352166 DOI: 10.3390/microorganisms7010025] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/27/2018] [Revised: 01/09/2019] [Accepted: 01/17/2019] [Indexed: 11/28/2022] Open
Abstract
A high level of transposon-mediated genome rearrangement is a common trait among microorganisms isolated from thermal environments, probably contributing to the extraordinary genomic plasticity and horizontal gene transfer (HGT) observed in these habitats. In this work, active and inactive insertion sequences (ISs) spanning the sequenced members of the genus Thermus were characterized, with special emphasis on three T. thermophilus strains: HB27, HB8, and NAR1. A large number of full ISs and fragments derived from different IS families were found, concentrating within megaplasmids present in most isolates. Potentially active ISs were identified through analysis of transposase integrity, and domestication-related transposition events of ISTth7 were identified in laboratory-adapted HB27 derivatives. Many partial copies of ISs appeared throughout the genome, which may serve as specific targets for homologous recombination contributing to genome rearrangement. Moreover, recruitment of IS1000 32 bp segments as spacers for CRISPR sequence was identified, pointing to the adaptability of these elements in the biology of these thermophiles. Further knowledge about the activity and functional diversity of ISs in this genus may contribute to the generation of engineered transposons as new genetic tools, and enrich our understanding of the outstanding plasticity shown by these thermophiles.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alba Blesa
- Department of Biotechnology, Faculty of Experimental Sciences, Universidad Francisco de Vitoria, Madrid 28223, Spain.
| | - Mercedes Sánchez
- Centro de Biología Molecular Severo Ochoa (CBMSO), Universidad Autónoma de Madrid-Consejo Superior de Investigaciones Científicas, Madrid 28049, Spain.
| | - Eva Sacristán-Horcajada
- Centro de Biología Molecular Severo Ochoa (CBMSO), Universidad Autónoma de Madrid-Consejo Superior de Investigaciones Científicas, Madrid 28049, Spain.
| | - Sandra González-de la Fuente
- Centro de Biología Molecular Severo Ochoa (CBMSO), Universidad Autónoma de Madrid-Consejo Superior de Investigaciones Científicas, Madrid 28049, Spain.
| | - Ramón Peiró
- Centro de Biología Molecular Severo Ochoa (CBMSO), Universidad Autónoma de Madrid-Consejo Superior de Investigaciones Científicas, Madrid 28049, Spain.
| | - José Berenguer
- Centro de Biología Molecular Severo Ochoa (CBMSO), Universidad Autónoma de Madrid-Consejo Superior de Investigaciones Científicas, Madrid 28049, Spain.
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19
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Srinivasan K, Buys EM. Insights into the role of bacteria in vitamin A biosynthesis: Future research opportunities. Crit Rev Food Sci Nutr 2019; 59:3211-3226. [PMID: 30638045 DOI: 10.1080/10408398.2018.1546670] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/29/2022]
Abstract
Significant efforts have been made to address the hidden hunger challenges due to iron, zinc, iodine, and vitamin A since the beginning of the 21st century. Prioritizing the vitamin A deficiency (VAD) disorders, many countries are looking for viable alternative strategies such as biofortification. One of the leading causes of VAD is the poor bioconversion of β-carotene into retinoids. This review is focused on the opportunities of bacterial biosynthesis of retinoids, in particular, through the gut microbiota. The proposed hypothesis starts with the premise that an animal can able to store and timely convert carotenoids into retinoids in the liver and intestinal tissues. This theory is experimental with many scientific insights. The syntrophic metabolism, potential crosstalk of bile acids, lipocalins and lipopolysaccharides of gut microbiota are reported to contribute significantly to the retinoid biosynthesis. The gut bacteria respond to these kinds of factors by genetic restructuring driven mainly by events like horizontal gene transfer. A phylogenetic analysis of β-carotene 15, 15'-mono (di) oxygenase enzymes among a selected group of prokaryotes and eukaryotes was carried out to validate the hypotheses. Shedding light on the probiotic strategies through non-genetically modified organism such as gut bacteria capable of synthesizing vitamin A would address the VAD disorders.
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Affiliation(s)
- K Srinivasan
- Department of Consumer and Food Sciences, University of Pretoria, Hatfield Campus, Pretoria, South Africa
| | - Elna M Buys
- Department of Consumer and Food Sciences, University of Pretoria, Hatfield Campus, Pretoria, South Africa
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20
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Species Widely Distributed in Halophilic Archaea Exhibit Opsin-Mediated Inhibition of Bacterioruberin Biosynthesis. J Bacteriol 2018; 201:JB.00576-18. [PMID: 30373756 DOI: 10.1128/jb.00576-18] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/17/2018] [Accepted: 10/24/2018] [Indexed: 11/20/2022] Open
Abstract
Halophilic Archaea are a distinctive pink color due to a carotenoid pigment called bacterioruberin. To sense or utilize light, many halophilic Archaea also produce rhodopsins, complexes of opsin proteins with a retinal prosthetic group. Both bacterioruberin and retinal are synthesized from isoprenoid precursors, with lycopene as the last shared intermediate. We previously described a regulatory mechanism by which Halobacterium salinarum bacterioopsin and Haloarcula vallismortis cruxopsin inhibit bacterioruberin synthesis catalyzed by lycopene elongase. In this work, we found that opsins in all three major Halobacteria clades inhibit bacterioruberin synthesis, suggesting that this regulatory mechanism existed in the common Halobacteria ancestor. Halophilic Archaea, which are generally heterotrophic and aerobic, likely evolved from an autotrophic, anaerobic methanogenic ancestor by acquiring many genes from Bacteria via lateral gene transfer. These bacterial "imports" include genes encoding opsins and lycopene elongases. To determine if opsins from Bacteria inhibit bacterioruberin synthesis, we tested bacterial opsins and found that an opsin from Curtobacterium, in the Actinobacteria phylum, inhibits bacterioruberin synthesis catalyzed by its own lycopene elongase, as well as that catalyzed by several archaeal enzymes. We also determined that the lycopene elongase from Halococcus salifodinae, a species from a family of Halobacteria lacking opsin homologs, retained the capacity to be inhibited by opsins. Together, our results indicate that opsin-mediated inhibition of bacterioruberin biosynthesis is a widely distributed mechanism found in both Archaea and Bacteria, possibly predating the divergence of the two domains. Further analysis may provide insight into the acquisition and evolution of the genes and their host species.IMPORTANCE All organisms use a variety of mechanisms to allocate limited resources to match their needs in their current environment. Here, we explore how halophilic microbes use a novel mechanism to allow efficient production of rhodopsin, a complex of an opsin protein and a retinal prosthetic group. We previously demonstrated that Halobacterium salinarum bacterioopsin directs available resources toward retinal by inhibiting synthesis of bacterioruberin, a molecule that shares precursors with retinal. In this work, we show that this mechanism can be carried out by proteins from halophilic Archaea that are not closely related to H. salinarum and those in at least one species of Bacteria Therefore, opsin-mediated inhibition of bacterioruberin synthesis may be a highly conserved, ancient regulatory mechanism.
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21
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The Biogeography of Great Salt Lake Halophilic Archaea: Testing the Hypothesis of Avian Mechanical Carriers. DIVERSITY 2018. [DOI: 10.3390/d10040124] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/31/2023]
Abstract
Halophilic archaea inhabit hypersaline ecosystems globally, and genetically similar strains have been found in locales that are geographically isolated from one another. We sought to test the hypothesis that small salt crystals harboring halophilic archaea could be carried on bird feathers and that bird migration is a driving force of these distributions. In this study, we discovered that the American White Pelicans (AWPE) at Great Salt Lake soak in the hypersaline brine and accumulate salt crystals (halite) on their feathers. We cultured halophilic archaea from AWPE feathers and halite crystals. The microorganisms isolated from the lakeshore crystals were restricted to two genera: Halorubrum and Haloarcula, however, archaea from the feathers were strictly Haloarcula. We compared partial DNA sequence of the 16S rRNA gene from our cultivars with that of similar strains in the GenBank database. To understand the biogeography of genetically similar halophilic archaea, we studied the geographical locations of the sampling sites of the closest-matched species. An analysis of the environmental factors of each site pointed to salinity as the most important factor for selection. The geography of the sites was consistent with the location of the sub-tropical jet stream where birds typically migrate, supporting the avian dispersal hypothesis.
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22
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Akmoussi-Toumi S, Khemili-Talbi S, Ferioune I, Kebbouche-Gana S. Purification and characterization of an organic solvent-tolerant and detergent-stable lipase from Haloferax mediterranei CNCMM 50101. Int J Biol Macromol 2018; 116:817-830. [DOI: 10.1016/j.ijbiomac.2018.05.087] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/14/2018] [Revised: 05/12/2018] [Accepted: 05/14/2018] [Indexed: 10/16/2022]
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Temperature-dependent expression of different guanine-plus-cytosine content 16S rRNA genes in Haloarcula strains of the class Halobacteria. Antonie van Leeuwenhoek 2018; 112:187-201. [PMID: 30128892 PMCID: PMC6373231 DOI: 10.1007/s10482-018-1144-3] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/13/2018] [Accepted: 08/13/2018] [Indexed: 11/11/2022]
Abstract
Haloarcula strains, which are halophilic archaea, harbour two to three copies of 16S rRNA genes (rrsA, rrsB and rrsC) in their genomes. While rrsB and rrsC (rrsBC) show almost identical sequences, rrsA shows 4–6% sequence difference and 1–3% guanine-plus-cytosine content (PGC) difference compared to rrsBC. Based on the strong correlation between the PGC of 16S rRNA genes and the growth temperatures of the prokaryotes, we hypothesised that high-PGCrrsA and low-PGCrrsBC are expressed at high and low temperatures, respectively. To verify the hypothesis, we performed sequence analyses and expression surveys of each 16S rRNA gene in eight Haloarcula strains. The secondary structure prediction of the 16S rRNA via computer simulation showed that the structural stability of 16S rRNAs transcribed from rrsA was higher than that of 16S rRNAs transcribed from rrsBC. We measured expression levels of rrsA and rrsBC under various temperature conditions by reverse-transcriptase quantitative PCR. The expression ratio of high-PGCrrsA to low-PGCrrsBC increased with cultivation temperatures in seven of eight Haloarcula strains. Our results suggest that the transcription of high-PGCrrsA and low-PGCrrsBC may be regulated in response to environmental temperature, and that 16S rRNAs transcribed from high-PGCrrsA function under high temperature conditions close to the maximum growth temperature.
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24
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Ausiannikava D, Mitchell L, Marriott H, Smith V, Hawkins M, Makarova KS, Koonin EV, Nieduszynski CA, Allers T. Evolution of Genome Architecture in Archaea: Spontaneous Generation of a New Chromosome in Haloferax volcanii. Mol Biol Evol 2018; 35:1855-1868. [PMID: 29668953 PMCID: PMC6063281 DOI: 10.1093/molbev/msy075] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/22/2023] Open
Abstract
The common ancestry of archaea and eukaryotes is evident in their genome architecture. All eukaryotic and several archaeal genomes consist of multiple chromosomes, each replicated from multiple origins. Three scenarios have been proposed for the evolution of this genome architecture: 1) mutational diversification of a multi-copy chromosome; 2) capture of a new chromosome by horizontal transfer; 3) acquisition of new origins and splitting into two replication-competent chromosomes. We report an example of the third scenario: the multi-origin chromosome of the archaeon Haloferax volcanii has split into two elements via homologous recombination. The newly generated elements are bona fide chromosomes, because each bears "chromosomal" replication origins, rRNA loci, and essential genes. The new chromosomes were stable during routine growth but additional genetic manipulation, which involves selective bottlenecks, provoked further rearrangements. To the best of our knowledge, rearrangement of a naturally evolved prokaryotic genome to generate two new chromosomes has not been described previously.
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Affiliation(s)
- Darya Ausiannikava
- School of Life Sciences, University of Nottingham, Queen’s Medical Centre, Nottingham, United Kingdom
| | - Laura Mitchell
- School of Life Sciences, University of Nottingham, Queen’s Medical Centre, Nottingham, United Kingdom
| | - Hannah Marriott
- School of Life Sciences, University of Nottingham, Queen’s Medical Centre, Nottingham, United Kingdom
| | - Victoria Smith
- School of Life Sciences, University of Nottingham, Queen’s Medical Centre, Nottingham, United Kingdom
| | - Michelle Hawkins
- School of Life Sciences, University of Nottingham, Queen’s Medical Centre, Nottingham, United Kingdom
| | - Kira S Makarova
- National Center for Biotechnology Information, National Library of Medicine, NIH, Bethesda, MD
| | - Eugene V Koonin
- National Center for Biotechnology Information, National Library of Medicine, NIH, Bethesda, MD
| | | | - Thorsten Allers
- School of Life Sciences, University of Nottingham, Queen’s Medical Centre, Nottingham, United Kingdom
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25
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Singh RV, Sharma H, Koul A, Babu V. Exploring a broad spectrum nitrilase from moderately halophilic bacterium Halomonas
sp. IIIMB2797 isolated from saline lake. J Basic Microbiol 2018; 58:867-874. [DOI: 10.1002/jobm.201800168] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/14/2018] [Revised: 06/13/2018] [Accepted: 07/05/2018] [Indexed: 11/09/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Rahul Vikram Singh
- Fermentation Technology Division; CSIR-Indian Institute of Integrative Medicine; Jammu India
- Academy of Scientific and Innovative Research; Fermentation Technology Division; CSIR-Indian Institute of Integrative Medicine; Jammu India
| | - Hitesh Sharma
- Fermentation Technology Division; CSIR-Indian Institute of Integrative Medicine; Jammu India
- Academy of Scientific and Innovative Research; Fermentation Technology Division; CSIR-Indian Institute of Integrative Medicine; Jammu India
| | - Anshela Koul
- Fermentation Technology Division; CSIR-Indian Institute of Integrative Medicine; Jammu India
| | - Vikash Babu
- Fermentation Technology Division; CSIR-Indian Institute of Integrative Medicine; Jammu India
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26
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Valdehuesa KNG, Ramos KRM, Nisola GM, Bañares AB, Cabulong RB, Lee WK, Liu H, Chung WJ. Everyone loves an underdog: metabolic engineering of the xylose oxidative pathway in recombinant microorganisms. Appl Microbiol Biotechnol 2018; 102:7703-7716. [PMID: 30003296 DOI: 10.1007/s00253-018-9186-z] [Citation(s) in RCA: 24] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/04/2018] [Revised: 06/19/2018] [Accepted: 06/20/2018] [Indexed: 11/25/2022]
Abstract
The D-xylose oxidative pathway (XOP) has recently been employed in several recombinant microorganisms for growth or for the production of several valuable compounds. The XOP is initiated by D-xylose oxidation to D-xylonolactone, which is then hydrolyzed into D-xylonic acid. D-Xylonic acid is then dehydrated to form 2-keto-3-deoxy-D-xylonic acid, which may be further dehydrated then oxidized into α-ketoglutarate or undergo aldol cleavage to form pyruvate and glycolaldehyde. This review introduces a brief discussion about XOP and its discovery in bacteria and archaea, such as Caulobacter crescentus and Haloferax volcanii. Furthermore, the current advances in the metabolic engineering of recombinant strains employing the XOP are discussed. This includes utilization of XOP for the production of diols, triols, and short-chain organic acids in Escherichia coli, Saccharomyces cerevisiae, and Corynebacterium glutamicum. Improving the D-xylose uptake, growth yields, and product titer through several metabolic engineering techniques bring some of these recombinant strains close to industrial viability. However, more developments are still needed to optimize the XOP pathway in the host strains, particularly in the minimization of by-product formation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kris Niño G Valdehuesa
- Department of Energy Science and Technology (DEST), Energy and Environment Fusion Technology Center (E2FTC), Myongji University, Myongji-ro 116, Cheoin-gu, Yongin, Gyeonggi-do, 17058, Republic of Korea
| | - Kristine Rose M Ramos
- Department of Energy Science and Technology (DEST), Energy and Environment Fusion Technology Center (E2FTC), Myongji University, Myongji-ro 116, Cheoin-gu, Yongin, Gyeonggi-do, 17058, Republic of Korea
| | - Grace M Nisola
- Department of Energy Science and Technology (DEST), Energy and Environment Fusion Technology Center (E2FTC), Myongji University, Myongji-ro 116, Cheoin-gu, Yongin, Gyeonggi-do, 17058, Republic of Korea
| | - Angelo B Bañares
- Department of Energy Science and Technology (DEST), Energy and Environment Fusion Technology Center (E2FTC), Myongji University, Myongji-ro 116, Cheoin-gu, Yongin, Gyeonggi-do, 17058, Republic of Korea
| | - Rhudith B Cabulong
- Department of Energy Science and Technology (DEST), Energy and Environment Fusion Technology Center (E2FTC), Myongji University, Myongji-ro 116, Cheoin-gu, Yongin, Gyeonggi-do, 17058, Republic of Korea
| | - Won-Keun Lee
- Division of Bioscience and Bioinformatics, Myongji University, Myongji-ro 116, Cheoin-gu, Yongin, Gyeonggi-do, 17058, Republic of Korea
| | - Huaiwei Liu
- State Key Laboratory of Microbial Technology, Shandong University, 72 Binhai Road, Qingdao, 266237, People's Republic of China.
| | - Wook-Jin Chung
- Department of Energy Science and Technology (DEST), Energy and Environment Fusion Technology Center (E2FTC), Myongji University, Myongji-ro 116, Cheoin-gu, Yongin, Gyeonggi-do, 17058, Republic of Korea.
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Alsafadi D, Khalili FI, Juwhari H, Lahlouh B. Purification and biochemical characterization of photo-active membrane protein bacteriorhodopsin from Haloarcula marismortui, an extreme halophile from the Dead Sea. Int J Biol Macromol 2018; 118:1942-1947. [PMID: 30017983 DOI: 10.1016/j.ijbiomac.2018.07.045] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/07/2018] [Revised: 07/11/2018] [Accepted: 07/11/2018] [Indexed: 11/25/2022]
Abstract
Bacteriorhodopsin (BR) is an exciting photo-active retinal protein with many potential industrial applications. In this study, BR from the extremely halophilic archaeon Haloarcula marismortui (HmBR) was purified successfully using aqueous two phase extraction method. Absorption spectroscopy analysis showed maximum absorption peak of HmBR retinal protein (λmax) at 415 nm. The purified HmBR was visualized by SDS-PAGE, with a subunit molecular mass of 27 kDa, and its identity was confirmed by resonance Raman spectroscopy, Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy and atomic force microscopy. The effect of pH and salt concentration on the absorption spectrum of HmBR was evaluated. Red-shifted in λmax of HmBR was recorded at acidic condition (pH 5) and HmBR showed remarkable optical activity under high salinity condition. The photoelectric activity of HmBR was evaluated by measuring the DC-voltage generated from HmBR coated on indium tin oxide (ITO) glass when light illumination was applied.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Fawwaz I Khalili
- Department of Chemistry, The University of Jordan, Amman 11942, Jordan
| | - Hassan Juwhari
- Department of Physics, The University of Jordan, Amman 11942, Jordan
| | - Bashar Lahlouh
- Department of Physics, The University of Jordan, Amman 11942, Jordan
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Shrestha N, Chilkoor G, Vemuri B, Rathinam N, Sani RK, Gadhamshetty V. Extremophiles for microbial-electrochemistry applications: A critical review. BIORESOURCE TECHNOLOGY 2018; 255:318-330. [PMID: 29433771 DOI: 10.1016/j.biortech.2018.01.151] [Citation(s) in RCA: 47] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/11/2017] [Revised: 01/30/2018] [Accepted: 01/31/2018] [Indexed: 06/08/2023]
Abstract
Extremophiles, notably archaea and bacteria, offer a good platform for treating industrial waste streams that were previously perceived as hostile to the model organisms in microbial electrochemical systems (MESs). Here we present a critical overview of the fundamental and applied biology aspects of halophiles and thermophiles in MESs. The current study suggests that extremophiles enable the MES operations under a seemingly harsh conditions imposed by the physical (pressure, radiation, and temperature) and geochemical extremes (oxygen levels, pH, and salinity). We highlight a need to identify the underpinning mechanisms that define the exceptional electrocatalytic performance of extremophiles in MESs.
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Affiliation(s)
- Namita Shrestha
- Civil and Environmental Engineering, South Dakota School of Mines and Technology, 501 E Saint Joseph Blvd, Rapid City, SD 57701, United States
| | - Govinda Chilkoor
- Civil and Environmental Engineering, South Dakota School of Mines and Technology, 501 E Saint Joseph Blvd, Rapid City, SD 57701, United States
| | - Bhuvan Vemuri
- Civil and Environmental Engineering, South Dakota School of Mines and Technology, 501 E Saint Joseph Blvd, Rapid City, SD 57701, United States
| | - Navanietha Rathinam
- Chemical and Biological Engineering, South Dakota School of Mines and Technology, 501 E Saint Joseph Blvd, Rapid City, SD 57701, United States
| | - Rajesh K Sani
- Chemical and Biological Engineering, South Dakota School of Mines and Technology, 501 E Saint Joseph Blvd, Rapid City, SD 57701, United States
| | - Venkataramana Gadhamshetty
- Civil and Environmental Engineering, South Dakota School of Mines and Technology, 501 E Saint Joseph Blvd, Rapid City, SD 57701, United States; Surface Engineering Research Center, South Dakota School of Mines and Technology, 501 E Saint Joseph Blvd, Rapid City, SD 57701, United States.
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29
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Phyletic Distribution and Lineage-Specific Domain Architectures of Archaeal Two-Component Signal Transduction Systems. J Bacteriol 2018; 200:JB.00681-17. [PMID: 29263101 PMCID: PMC5847659 DOI: 10.1128/jb.00681-17] [Citation(s) in RCA: 33] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/09/2017] [Accepted: 12/11/2017] [Indexed: 12/14/2022] Open
Abstract
The two-component signal transduction (TCS) machinery is a key mechanism of sensing environmental changes in the prokaryotic world. TCS systems have been characterized thoroughly in bacteria but to a much lesser extent in archaea. Here, we provide an updated census of more than 2,000 histidine kinases and response regulators encoded in 218 complete archaeal genomes, as well as unfinished genomes available from metagenomic data. We describe the domain architectures of the archaeal TCS components, including several novel output domains, and discuss the evolution of the archaeal TCS machinery. The distribution of TCS systems in archaea is strongly biased, with high levels of abundance in haloarchaea and thaumarchaea but none detected in the sequenced genomes from the phyla Crenarchaeota, Nanoarchaeota, and Korarchaeota The archaeal sensor histidine kinases are generally similar to their well-studied bacterial counterparts but are often located in the cytoplasm and carry multiple PAS and/or GAF domains. In contrast, archaeal response regulators differ dramatically from the bacterial ones. Most archaeal genomes do not encode any of the major classes of bacterial response regulators, such as the DNA-binding transcriptional regulators of the OmpR/PhoB, NarL/FixJ, NtrC, AgrA/LytR, and ActR/PrrA families and the response regulators with GGDEF and/or EAL output domains. Instead, archaea encode multiple copies of response regulators containing either the stand-alone receiver (REC) domain or combinations of REC with PAS and/or GAF domains. Therefore, the prevailing mechanism of archaeal TCS signaling appears to be via a variety of protein-protein interactions, rather than direct transcriptional regulation.IMPORTANCE Although the Archaea represent a separate domain of life, their signaling systems have been assumed to be closely similar to the bacterial ones. A study of the domain architectures of the archaeal two-component signal transduction (TCS) machinery revealed an overall similarity of archaeal and bacterial sensory modules but substantial differences in the signal output modules. The prevailing mechanism of archaeal TCS signaling appears to involve various protein-protein interactions rather than direct transcription regulation. The complete list of histidine kinases and response regulators encoded in the analyzed archaeal genomes is available online at http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/Complete_Genomes/TCSarchaea.html.
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Gunde-Cimerman N, Plemenitaš A, Oren A. Strategies of adaptation of microorganisms of the three domains of life to high salt concentrations. FEMS Microbiol Rev 2018. [DOI: 10.1093/femsre/fuy009] [Citation(s) in RCA: 193] [Impact Index Per Article: 32.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/15/2022] Open
Affiliation(s)
- Nina Gunde-Cimerman
- Department of Biology, Biotechnical Faculty, University of Ljubljana, Večna pot 111, SI-1000 Ljubljana, Slovenia
| | - Ana Plemenitaš
- Institute of Biochemistry, Medical Faculty, University of Ljubljana, Vrazov trg 1, SI-1000 Ljubljana, Slovenia
| | - Aharon Oren
- Department of Plant and Environmental Sciences, The Institute of Life Sciences, The Hebrew University of Jerusalem, Edmond J. Safra Campus, Jerusalem 9190401, Israel
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31
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Almeida-Dalmet S, Litchfield CD, Gillevet P, Baxter BK. Differential Gene Expression in Response to Salinity and Temperature in a Haloarcula Strain from Great Salt Lake, Utah. Genes (Basel) 2018; 9:genes9010052. [PMID: 29361787 PMCID: PMC5793203 DOI: 10.3390/genes9010052] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/19/2017] [Revised: 01/11/2018] [Accepted: 01/16/2018] [Indexed: 01/01/2023] Open
Abstract
Haloarchaea that inhabit Great Salt Lake (GSL), a thalassohaline terminal lake, must respond to the fluctuating climate conditions of the elevated desert of Utah. We investigated how shifting environmental factors, specifically salinity and temperature, affected gene expression in the GSL haloarchaea, NA6-27, which we isolated from the hypersaline north arm of the lake. Combined data from cultivation, microscopy, lipid analysis, antibiotic sensitivity, and 16S rRNA gene alignment, suggest that NA6-27 is a member of the Haloarcula genus. Our prior study demonstrated that archaea in the Haloarcula genus were stable in the GSL microbial community over seasons and years. In this study, RNA arbitrarily primed PCR (RAP-PCR) was used to determine the transcriptional responses of NA6-27 grown under suboptimal salinity and temperature conditions. We observed alteration of the expression of genes related to general stress responses, such as transcription, translation, replication, signal transduction, and energy metabolism. Of the ten genes that were expressed differentially under stress, eight of these genes responded in both conditions, highlighting this general response. We also noted gene regulation specific to salinity and temperature conditions, such as osmoregulation and transport. Taken together, these data indicate that the GSL Haloarcula strain, NA6-27, demonstrates both general and specific responses to salinity and/or temperature stress, and suggest a mechanistic model for homeostasis that may explain the stable presence of this genus in the community as environmental conditions shift.
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Affiliation(s)
- Swati Almeida-Dalmet
- Department of Environmental Science and Policy, George Mason University, 10900 University Blvd, Manassas, VA 20110, USA.
| | - Carol D Litchfield
- Department of Environmental Science and Policy, George Mason University, 10900 University Blvd, Manassas, VA 20110, USA.
| | - Patrick Gillevet
- Department of Biology, George Mason University, 10900 University Blvd, Manassas, VA 20110, USA.
| | - Bonnie K Baxter
- Great Salt Lake Institute, Westminster College, 1840 South 1300 East, Salt Lake City, UT 84105, USA.
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Sato Y, Fujiwara T, Kimura H. Expression and Function of Different Guanine-Plus-Cytosine Content 16S rRNA Genes in Haloarcula hispanica at Different Temperatures. Front Microbiol 2017; 8:482. [PMID: 28400752 PMCID: PMC5368182 DOI: 10.3389/fmicb.2017.00482] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/12/2016] [Accepted: 03/08/2017] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
The halophilic archaeon Haloarcula hispanica harbors three ribosomal RNA (rRNA) operons (rrnA, rrnB, and rrnC) that contain the 16S rRNA genes rrsA, rrsB, and rrsC, respectively. Although rrsB and rrsC (rrsBC) have almost identical sequences, the rrsA and rrsBC sequences differ by 5.4%, and they differ by 2.5% with respect to guanine-plus-cytosine content (PGC). The strong correlation between the typical growth temperatures of archaea and PGC of their 16S rRNA genes suggests that H. hispanica may harbor different 16S rRNA genes having different PGC to maintain rapid growth in a wide range of temperatures. We therefore performed reverse transcription-coupled quantitative PCR to assess expression levels of rrsA (PGC, 58.9%) and rrsBC (PGC, 56.4-56.5%) at various temperatures. The expression ratio of rrsA to rrsBC increased with culture temperature. Mutants with complete deletions of one or two of the three rRNA operons were constructed and their growth rates at different temperatures compared to that of the wild-type. The growth characteristics of the rRNA operon single-mutant strains were indistinguishable from the wild-type. The rRNA operon double-mutant strains maintained the same temperature range as wild-type but displayed reduced growth rates. In particular, the double-mutant strains grew much slower than wild-type at low temperature related to minimum growth temperature of the wild-type. On the other hand, at physiologically high temperatures the wild-type and the double-mutant strain which harbors only rrnA with high-PGCrrsA grew significantly faster than the double-mutant strain which harbors only rrnC with low-PGCrrsC. These findings suggest the importance of 16S rRNAs transcribed from rrsA with high-PGC in maintaining rapid growth of this halophilic archaeon at raised growth temperatures.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yu Sato
- Department of Environment and Energy Systems, Graduate School of Science and Technology, Shizuoka University Shizuoka, Japan
| | - Taketomo Fujiwara
- Department of Environment and Energy Systems, Graduate School of Science and Technology, Shizuoka UniversityShizuoka, Japan; Department of Biological Science, Faculty of Science, Shizuoka UniversityShizuoka, Japan
| | - Hiroyuki Kimura
- Department of Environment and Energy Systems, Graduate School of Science and Technology, Shizuoka UniversityShizuoka, Japan; Department of Geosciences, Faculty of Science, Shizuoka UniversityShizuoka, Japan; Research Institute of Green Science and Technology, Shizuoka UniversityShizuoka, Japan
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Moller AG, Liang C. Determining virus-host interactions and glycerol metabolism profiles in geographically diverse solar salterns with metagenomics. PeerJ 2017; 5:e2844. [PMID: 28097058 PMCID: PMC5228507 DOI: 10.7717/peerj.2844] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/05/2016] [Accepted: 11/29/2016] [Indexed: 01/12/2023] Open
Abstract
Solar salterns are excellent model ecosystems for studying virus-microbial interactions because of their low microbial diversity, environmental stability, and high viral density. By using the power of CRISPR spacers to link viruses to their prokaryotic hosts, we explored virus-host interactions in geographically diverse salterns. Using taxonomic profiling, we identified hosts such as archaeal Haloquadratum, Halorubrum, and Haloarcula and bacterial Salinibacter, and we found that community composition related to not only salinity but also local environmental dynamics. Characterizing glycerol metabolism genes in these metagenomes suggested Halorubrum and Haloquadratum possess most dihydroxyacetone kinase genes while Salinibacter possesses most glycerol-3-phosphate dehydrogenase genes. Using two different methods, we detected fewer CRISPR spacers in Haloquadratum-dominated compared with Halobacteriaceae-dominated saltern metagenomes. After CRISPR detection, spacers were aligned against haloviral genomes to map virus to host. While most alignments for each saltern metagenome linked viruses to Haloquadratum walsbyi, there were also alignments indicating interactions with the low abundance taxa Haloarcula and Haloferax. Further examination of the dinucleotide and trinucleotide usage differences between paired viruses and their hosts confirmed viruses and hosts had similar nucleotide usage signatures. Detection of cas genes in the salterns supported the possibility of CRISPR activity. Taken together, our studies suggest similar virus-host interactions exist in different solar salterns and that the glycerol metabolism gene dihydroxyacetone kinase is associated with Haloquadratum and Halorubrum.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Chun Liang
- Department of Biology, Miami University, Oxford, OH, United States
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34
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Elbehery AHA, Aziz RK, Siam R. Insertion sequences enrichment in extreme Red sea brine pool vent. Extremophiles 2016; 21:271-282. [PMID: 27915389 DOI: 10.1007/s00792-016-0900-4] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/09/2016] [Accepted: 11/27/2016] [Indexed: 01/24/2023]
Abstract
Mobile genetic elements are major agents of genome diversification and evolution. Limited studies addressed their characteristics, including abundance, and role in extreme habitats. One of the rare natural habitats exposed to multiple-extreme conditions, including high temperature, salinity and concentration of heavy metals, are the Red Sea brine pools. We assessed the abundance and distribution of different mobile genetic elements in four Red Sea brine pools including the world's largest known multiple-extreme deep-sea environment, the Red Sea Atlantis II Deep. We report a gradient in the abundance of mobile genetic elements, dramatically increasing in the harshest environment of the pool. Additionally, we identified a strong association between the abundance of insertion sequences and extreme conditions, being highest in the harshest and deepest layer of the Red Sea Atlantis II Deep. Our comparative analyses of mobile genetic elements in secluded, extreme and relatively non-extreme environments, suggest that insertion sequences predominantly contribute to polyextremophiles genome plasticity.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ali H A Elbehery
- Graduate Program of Biotechnology, School of Sciences and Engineering, The American University in Cairo, New Cairo, 11835, Cairo, Egypt
| | - Ramy K Aziz
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, Faculty of Pharmacy, Cairo University, Cairo, 11562, Egypt
| | - Rania Siam
- Graduate Program of Biotechnology, School of Sciences and Engineering, The American University in Cairo, New Cairo, 11835, Cairo, Egypt.
- Department of Biology, School of Sciences and Engineering, The American University in Cairo, SSE (Parcel 7), Second Floor, Office: Room 2194, AUC Avenue, New Cairo, 11835, Cairo, Egypt.
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35
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Abstract
The known diversity of metabolic strategies and physiological adaptations of archaeal species to extreme environments is extraordinary. Accurate and responsive mechanisms to ensure that gene expression patterns match the needs of the cell necessitate regulatory strategies that control the activities and output of the archaeal transcription apparatus. Archaea are reliant on a single RNA polymerase for all transcription, and many of the known regulatory mechanisms employed for archaeal transcription mimic strategies also employed for eukaryotic and bacterial species. Novel mechanisms of transcription regulation have become apparent by increasingly sophisticated in vivo and in vitro investigations of archaeal species. This review emphasizes recent progress in understanding archaeal transcription regulatory mechanisms and highlights insights gained from studies of the influence of archaeal chromatin on transcription.
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Halophiles: biology, adaptation, and their role in decontamination of hypersaline environments. World J Microbiol Biotechnol 2016; 32:135. [PMID: 27344438 DOI: 10.1007/s11274-016-2081-9] [Citation(s) in RCA: 70] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/21/2016] [Accepted: 05/07/2016] [Indexed: 10/21/2022]
Abstract
The unique cellular enzymatic machinery of halophilic microbes allows them to thrive in extreme saline environments. That these microorganisms can prosper in hypersaline environments has been correlated with the elevated acidic amino acid content in their proteins, which increase the negative protein surface potential. Because these microorganisms effectively use hydrocarbons as their sole carbon and energy sources, they may prove to be valuable bioremediation agents for the treatment of saline effluents and hypersaline waters contaminated with toxic compounds that are resistant to degradation. This review highlights the various strategies adopted by halophiles to compensate for their saline surroundings and includes descriptions of recent studies that have used these microorganisms for bioremediation of environments contaminated by petroleum hydrocarbons. The known halotolerant dehalogenase-producing microbes, their dehalogenation mechanisms, and how their proteins are stabilized is also reviewed. In view of their robustness in saline environments, efforts to document their full potential regarding remediation of contaminated hypersaline ecosystems merits further exploration.
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Becker EA, Yao AI, Seitzer PM, Kind T, Wang T, Eigenheer R, Shao KSY, Yarov-Yarovoy V, Facciotti MT. A Large and Phylogenetically Diverse Class of Type 1 Opsins Lacking a Canonical Retinal Binding Site. PLoS One 2016; 11:e0156543. [PMID: 27327432 PMCID: PMC4915679 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0156543] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/23/2016] [Accepted: 04/19/2016] [Indexed: 11/24/2022] Open
Abstract
Opsins are photosensitive proteins catalyzing light-dependent processes across the tree of life. For both microbial (type 1) and metazoan (type 2) opsins, photosensing depends upon covalent interaction between a retinal chromophore and a conserved lysine residue. Despite recent discoveries of potential opsin homologs lacking this residue, phylogenetic dispersal and functional significance of these abnormal sequences have not yet been investigated. We report discovery of a large group of putatively non-retinal binding opsins, present in a number of fungal and microbial genomes and comprising nearly 30% of opsins in the Halobacteriacea, a model clade for opsin photobiology. We report phylogenetic analyses, structural modeling, genomic context analysis and biochemistry, to describe the evolutionary relationship of these recently described proteins with other opsins, show that they are expressed and do not bind retinal in a canonical manner. Given these data, we propose a hypothesis that these abnormal opsin homologs may represent a novel family of sensory opsins which may be involved in taxis response to one or more non-light stimuli. If true, this finding would challenge our current understanding of microbial opsins as a light-specific sensory family, and provides a potential analogy with the highly diverse signaling capabilities of the eukaryotic G-protein coupled receptors (GPCRs), of which metazoan type 2 opsins are a light-specific sub-clade.
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Affiliation(s)
- Erin A. Becker
- Genome Center, One Shields Ave., University of California Davis, Davis, CA, 95616, United States of America
- Microbiology Graduate Group, One Shields Ave., University of California Davis, Davis, CA, 95616, United States of America
| | - Andrew I. Yao
- Genome Center, One Shields Ave., University of California Davis, Davis, CA, 95616, United States of America
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, One Shields Ave., University of California Davis, Davis, CA, 95616, United States of America
| | - Phillip M. Seitzer
- Genome Center, One Shields Ave., University of California Davis, Davis, CA, 95616, United States of America
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, One Shields Ave., University of California Davis, Davis, CA, 95616, United States of America
- Proteome Software, 1340 SW Bertha Blvd., Portland, Oregon, United States of America
| | - Tobias Kind
- Genome Center, One Shields Ave., University of California Davis, Davis, CA, 95616, United States of America
| | - Ting Wang
- Genome Center, One Shields Ave., University of California Davis, Davis, CA, 95616, United States of America
| | - Rich Eigenheer
- California Department of Food and Agriculture, 1220 N St., Sacramento, CA, 95814, United States of America
| | - Katie S. Y. Shao
- William’s College, 880 Main St., Williamstown, MA, 01267, United States of America
| | - Vladimir Yarov-Yarovoy
- Department of Physiology and Membrane Biology, One Shields Ave., University of California Davis, Davis, CA, 95616, United States of America
| | - Marc T. Facciotti
- Genome Center, One Shields Ave., University of California Davis, Davis, CA, 95616, United States of America
- Microbiology Graduate Group, One Shields Ave., University of California Davis, Davis, CA, 95616, United States of America
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, One Shields Ave., University of California Davis, Davis, CA, 95616, United States of America
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Biology and survival of extremely halophilic archaeon Haloarcula marismortui RR12 isolated from Mumbai salterns, India in response to salinity stress. Sci Rep 2016; 6:25642. [PMID: 27231230 PMCID: PMC4882750 DOI: 10.1038/srep25642] [Citation(s) in RCA: 45] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/16/2016] [Accepted: 04/20/2016] [Indexed: 01/20/2023] Open
Abstract
Haloarchaea are unique microorganism’s resistant to environmental and osmotic stresses and thrive in their habitats despite extreme fluctuating salinities. In the present study, haloarchaea were isolated from hypersaline thalossohaline salterns of Bhandup, Mumbai, India and were identified as Haloferax prahovense, Haloferax alexandrines, Haloferax lucentense, Haloarcula tradensis, Haloarcula marismortui and Haloarcula argentinensis. The mechanism of adaptation to contrasting salinities (1.5 M and 4.5 M) was investigated in the extreme haloarchaeon, Hal. marismortui RR12. Hal. marismortui RR12 increased the intracellular sequestration of K+ and Cl− ions in hypo salinity and hyper salinity respectively as detected by Energy-dispersive X-ray spectroscopy microanalysis (EDAX) and Inductively Coupled Plasma- atomic Emission Spectroscopy (ICP-AES) indicating the presence of ‘salt-in’ strategy of osmoadaptation. As a cellular response to salinity stress, it produced small heat shock like proteins (sHSP) identified using MALDI-TOF MS and increased the production of protective red carotenoid pigment. This is the first report on the study of the concomitant cellular, molecular and physiological mechanism adapted by Hal. marismortui RR12 when exposed to contrasting salinities in external environment.
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Gupta RS, Naushad S, Fabros R, Adeolu M. A phylogenomic reappraisal of family-level divisions within the class Halobacteria: proposal to divide the order Halobacteriales into the families Halobacteriaceae, Haloarculaceae fam. nov., and Halococcaceae fam. nov., and the order Haloferacales into the families, Haloferacaceae and Halorubraceae fam nov. Antonie van Leeuwenhoek 2016; 109:565-87. [PMID: 26837779 DOI: 10.1007/s10482-016-0660-2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 110] [Impact Index Per Article: 13.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/05/2015] [Accepted: 01/28/2016] [Indexed: 12/11/2022]
Abstract
The evolutionary interrelationships between the archaeal organisms which comprise the class Halobacteria have proven difficult to elucidate using traditional phylogenetic tools. The class currently contains three orders. However, little is known about the family level relationships within these orders. In this work, we have completed a comprehensive comparative analysis of 129 sequenced genomes from members of the class Halobacteria in order to identify shared molecular characteristics, in the forms of conserved signature insertions/deletions (CSIs) and conserved signature proteins (CSPs), which can provide reliable evidence, independent of phylogenetic trees, that the species from the groups in which they are found are specifically related to each other due to common ancestry. Here we present 20 CSIs and 31 CSPs which are unique characteristics of infra-order level groups of genera within the class Halobacteria. We also present 40 CSIs and 234 CSPs which are characteristic of Haloarcula, Halococcus, Haloferax, or Halorubrum. Importantly, the CSIs and CSPs identified here provide evidence that the order Haloferacales contains two main groups, one consisting of Haloferax and related genera supported by four CSIs and five CSPs and the other consisting of Halorubrum and related genera supported by four CSPs. We have also identified molecular characteristics that suggest that the polyphyletic order Halobacteriales contains at least two large monophyletic clusters of organisms in addition to the polyphyletic members of the order, one cluster consisting of Haloarcula and related genera supported by ten CSIs and nineteen CSPs and the other group consisting of the members of the genus Halococcus supported by nine CSIs and 23 CSPs. We have also produced a highly robust phylogenetic tree based on the concatenated sequences of 766 proteins which provide additional support for the relationships identified by the CSIs and CSPs. On the basis of the phylogenetic analyses and the identified conserved molecular characteristics presented here, we propose a division of the order Haloferacales into two families, an emended family Haloferacaceae and Halorubraceae fam. nov. and a division of the order Halobacteriales into three families, an emended family Halobacteriaceae, Haloarculaceae fam. nov., and Halococcaceae fam. nov.
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Affiliation(s)
- Radhey S Gupta
- Department of Biochemistry and Biomedical Sciences, McMaster University, Hamilton, ON, L8N 3Z5, Canada.
| | - Sohail Naushad
- Department of Biochemistry and Biomedical Sciences, McMaster University, Hamilton, ON, L8N 3Z5, Canada
| | - Reena Fabros
- Department of Biochemistry and Biomedical Sciences, McMaster University, Hamilton, ON, L8N 3Z5, Canada
| | - Mobolaji Adeolu
- Department of Biochemistry and Biomedical Sciences, McMaster University, Hamilton, ON, L8N 3Z5, Canada
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Anaerobic Growth of Haloarchaeon Haloferax volcanii by Denitrification Is Controlled by the Transcription Regulator NarO. J Bacteriol 2016; 198:1077-86. [PMID: 26787768 DOI: 10.1128/jb.00833-15] [Citation(s) in RCA: 21] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/09/2015] [Accepted: 01/14/2016] [Indexed: 11/20/2022] Open
Abstract
UNLABELLED The extremely halophilic archaeon Haloferax volcanii grows anaerobically by denitrification. A putative DNA-binding protein, NarO, is encoded upstream of the respiratory nitrate reductase gene of H. volcanii. Disruption of the narO gene resulted in a loss of denitrifying growth of H. volcanii, and the expression of the recombinant NarO recovered the denitrification capacity. A novel CXnCXCX7C motif showing no remarkable similarities with known sequences was conserved in the N terminus of the NarO homologous proteins found in the haloarchaea. Restoration of the denitrifying growth was not achieved by expression of any mutant NarO in which any one of the four conserved cysteines was individually replaced by serine. A promoter assay experiment indicated that the narO gene was usually transcribed, regardless of whether it was cultivated under aerobic or anaerobic conditions. Transcription of the genes encoding the denitrifying enzymes nitrate reductase and nitrite reductase was activated under anaerobic conditions. A putative cis element was identified in the promoter sequence of haloarchaeal denitrifying genes. These results demonstrated a significant effect of NarO, probably due to its oxygen-sensing function, on the transcriptional activation of haloarchaeal denitrifying genes. IMPORTANCE H. volcanii is an extremely halophilic archaeon capable of anaerobic growth by denitrification. The regulatory mechanism of denitrification has been well understood in bacteria but remains unknown in archaea. In this work, we show that the helix-turn-helix (HTH)-type regulator NarO activates transcription of the denitrifying genes of H. volcanii under anaerobic conditions. A novel cysteine-rich motif, which is critical for transcriptional regulation, is present in NarO. A putative cis element was also identified in the promoter sequence of the haloarchaeal denitrifying genes.
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Shih CJ, Chen SC, Weng CY, Lai MC, Yang YL. Rapid identification of haloarchaea and methanoarchaea using the matrix assisted laser desorption/ionization time-of-flight mass spectrometry. Sci Rep 2015; 5:16326. [PMID: 26541644 PMCID: PMC4635381 DOI: 10.1038/srep16326] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/23/2015] [Accepted: 10/13/2015] [Indexed: 12/23/2022] Open
Abstract
The aim of this study was to classify certain environmental haloarchaea and methanoarchaea using matrix assisted laser desorption/ionization time-of-flight mass spectrometry (MALDI-TOF MS), and to expand the archaeal mass spectral database. A total of 69 archaea were collected including type strains and samples isolated locally from different environments. For extraction of the haloarchaeal total cell peptides/proteins, a simple method of acetonitrile extraction was developed. Cluster analysis conducted with the MALDI-TOF MS data overcame the high divergence in intragenomic 16S rRNA sequences in haloarchaea and clearly distinguished Methanohalophilus mahii from M. portucalensis. Putative biomarkers that can distinguish several particular archaeal genera were also assigned. In conclusion, this study expands the mass spectral database of peptide/protein fingerprints from bacteria and fungi to the archaea domain and provides a rapid identification platform for environmental archaeal samples.
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Affiliation(s)
- Chao-Jen Shih
- Agricultural Biotechnology Research Center, Academia Sinica, Taipei, Taiwan
| | - Sheng-Chung Chen
- Department of Life Sciences, National Chung Hsing University, Taichung, Taiwan
| | - Chieh-Yin Weng
- Department of Life Sciences, National Chung Hsing University, Taichung, Taiwan
| | - Mei-Chin Lai
- Department of Life Sciences, National Chung Hsing University, Taichung, Taiwan;,Agricultural Biotechnology Center, National Chung Hsing University, Taichung, Taiwan.,Ph.D. Program in Microbial Genomics, National Chung Hsing University and Academia Sinica, Taiwan
| | - Yu-Liang Yang
- Agricultural Biotechnology Research Center, Academia Sinica, Taipei, Taiwan.,Ph.D. Program in Microbial Genomics, National Chung Hsing University and Academia Sinica, Taiwan
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Syutkin AS, Pyatibratov MG, Fedorov OV. Flagella of halophilic archaea: differences in supramolecular organization. BIOCHEMISTRY (MOSCOW) 2015; 79:1470-82. [PMID: 25749160 DOI: 10.1134/s0006297914130033] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/15/2023]
Abstract
Archaeal flagella are similar functionally to bacterial flagella, but structurally they are completely different. Helical archaeal flagellar filaments are formed of protein subunits called flagellins (archaellins). Notwithstanding progress in studies of archaeal flagella achieved in recent years, many problems in this area are still unsolved. In this review, we analyze the formation of these supramolecular structures by the example of flagellar filaments of halophilic archaea. Recent data on the structure of the flagellar filaments demonstrate that their supramolecular organization differs considerably in different haloarchaeal species.
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Affiliation(s)
- A S Syutkin
- Institute of Protein Research, Russian Academy of Sciences, Pushchino, Moscow Region, 142290, Russia.
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Borjian F, Han J, Hou J, Xiang H, Berg IA. The methylaspartate cycle in haloarchaea and its possible role in carbon metabolism. ISME JOURNAL 2015; 10:546-57. [PMID: 26241502 DOI: 10.1038/ismej.2015.132] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/22/2015] [Revised: 06/17/2015] [Accepted: 07/01/2015] [Indexed: 11/09/2022]
Abstract
Haloarchaea (class Halobacteria) live in extremely halophilic conditions and evolved many unique metabolic features, which help them to adapt to their environment. The methylaspartate cycle, an anaplerotic acetate assimilation pathway recently proposed for Haloarcula marismortui, is one of these special adaptations. In this cycle, acetyl-CoA is oxidized to glyoxylate via methylaspartate as a characteristic intermediate. The following glyoxylate condensation with another molecule of acetyl-CoA yields malate, a starting substrate for anabolism. The proposal of the functioning of the cycle was based mainly on in vitro data, leaving several open questions concerning the enzymology involved and the occurrence of the cycle in halophilic archaea. Using gene deletion mutants of H. hispanica, enzyme assays and metabolite analysis, we now close these gaps by unambiguous identification of the genes encoding all characteristic enzymes of the cycle. Based on these results, we were able to perform a solid study of the distribution of the methylaspartate cycle and the alternative acetate assimilation strategy, the glyoxylate cycle, among haloarchaea. We found that both of these cycles are evenly distributed in haloarchaea. Interestingly, 83% of the species using the methylaspartate cycle possess also the genes for polyhydroxyalkanoate biosynthesis, whereas only 34% of the species with the glyoxylate cycle are capable to synthesize this storage compound. This finding suggests that the methylaspartate cycle is shaped for polyhydroxyalkanoate utilization during carbon starvation, whereas the glyoxylate cycle is probably adapted for growth on substrates metabolized via acetyl-CoA.
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Affiliation(s)
- Farshad Borjian
- Mikrobiologie, Fakultät Biologie, Universität Freiburg, Freiburg, Germany
| | - Jing Han
- State Key Laboratory of Microbial Resources, Institute of Microbiology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China
| | - Jing Hou
- State Key Laboratory of Microbial Resources, Institute of Microbiology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China
| | - Hua Xiang
- State Key Laboratory of Microbial Resources, Institute of Microbiology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China
| | - Ivan A Berg
- Mikrobiologie, Fakultät Biologie, Universität Freiburg, Freiburg, Germany
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Abstract
SUMMARY Research on archaeal extrachromosomal genetic elements (ECEs) has progressed rapidly in the past decade. To date, over 60 archaeal viruses and 60 plasmids have been isolated. These archaeal viruses exhibit an exceptional diversity in morphology, with a wide array of shapes, such as spindles, rods, filaments, spheres, head-tails, bottles, and droplets, and some of these new viruses have been classified into one order, 10 families, and 16 genera. Investigation of model archaeal viruses has yielded important insights into mechanisms underlining various steps in the viral life cycle, including infection, DNA replication and transcription, and virion egression. Many of these mechanisms are unprecedented for any known bacterial or eukaryal viruses. Studies of plasmids isolated from different archaeal hosts have also revealed a striking diversity in gene content and innovation in replication strategies. Highly divergent replication proteins are identified in both viral and plasmid genomes. Genomic studies of archaeal ECEs have revealed a modular sequence structure in which modules of DNA sequence are exchangeable within, as well as among, plasmid families and probably also between viruses and plasmids. In particular, it has been suggested that ECE-host interactions have shaped the coevolution of ECEs and their archaeal hosts. Furthermore, archaeal hosts have developed defense systems, including the innate restriction-modification (R-M) system and the adaptive CRISPR (clustered regularly interspaced short palindromic repeats) system, to restrict invasive plasmids and viruses. Together, these interactions permit a delicate balance between ECEs and their hosts, which is vitally important for maintaining an innovative gene reservoir carried by ECEs. In conclusion, while research on archaeal ECEs has just started to unravel the molecular biology of these genetic entities and their interactions with archaeal hosts, it is expected to accelerate in the next decade.
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Pfeiffer F, Oesterhelt D. A manual curation strategy to improve genome annotation: application to a set of haloarchael genomes. Life (Basel) 2015; 5:1427-44. [PMID: 26042526 PMCID: PMC4500146 DOI: 10.3390/life5021427] [Citation(s) in RCA: 29] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/02/2015] [Revised: 05/22/2015] [Accepted: 05/25/2015] [Indexed: 12/31/2022] Open
Abstract
Genome annotation errors are a persistent problem that impede research in the biosciences. A manual curation effort is described that attempts to produce high-quality genome annotations for a set of haloarchaeal genomes (Halobacterium salinarum and Hbt. hubeiense, Haloferax volcanii and Hfx. mediterranei, Natronomonas pharaonis and Nmn. moolapensis, Haloquadratum walsbyi strains HBSQ001 and C23, Natrialba magadii, Haloarcula marismortui and Har. hispanica, and Halohasta litchfieldiae). Genomes are checked for missing genes, start codon misassignments, and disrupted genes. Assignments of a specific function are preferably based on experimentally characterized homologs (Gold Standard Proteins). To avoid overannotation, which is a major source of database errors, we restrict annotation to only general function assignments when support for a specific substrate assignment is insufficient. This strategy results in annotations that are resistant to the plethora of errors that compromise public databases. Annotation consistency is rigorously validated for ortholog pairs from the genomes surveyed. The annotation is regularly crosschecked against the UniProt database to further improve annotations and increase the level of standardization. Enhanced genome annotations are submitted to public databases (EMBL/GenBank, UniProt), to the benefit of the scientific community. The enhanced annotations are also publically available via HaloLex.
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Affiliation(s)
- Friedhelm Pfeiffer
- Department of Membrane Biochemistry, Max-Planck-Institute of Biochemisty, Am Klopferspitz 18, Martinsried 82152, Germany.
| | - Dieter Oesterhelt
- Department of Membrane Biochemistry, Max-Planck-Institute of Biochemisty, Am Klopferspitz 18, Martinsried 82152, Germany.
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Yun JH, Song HS, Roh SW, Jung MJ, Kim PS, Bae JW. Complete genome sequence of Haloarcula sp. CBA1115 isolated from non-purified solar salts. Mar Genomics 2015; 23:19-21. [PMID: 25847028 DOI: 10.1016/j.margen.2015.03.012] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/30/2015] [Revised: 03/25/2015] [Accepted: 03/25/2015] [Indexed: 12/22/2022]
Abstract
Haloarcula sp. CBA1115, isolated from non-purified solar salts from South Korea, is a halophilic archaeon belonging to the family Halobacteriaceae. Here, we present the complete genome sequence of the strain Haloarcula sp. CBA1115 (4,225,046bp, with a G+C content of 61.98%), which is distributed over one chromosome and five plasmids. A comparison of the genome sequence of Haloarcula sp. CBA1115 with those of members of its closely related taxa showed that the closest neighbor is Haloarcula hispanica Y27, a popular model organism for archaeal studies. The strain was found to possess a number of genes predicted to be involved in osmo-regulatory strategies and metal regulation, suggesting that it might be useful for bioremediation in extreme environments.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ji-Hyun Yun
- Department of Life and Nanopharmaceutical Sciences and Department of Biology, Kyung Hee University, Seoul, Republic of Korea
| | - Hye Seon Song
- Division of Life Science, Korea Basic Science Institute, Daejeon 305-806, Republic of Korea
| | - Seong Woon Roh
- Division of Life Science, Korea Basic Science Institute, Daejeon 305-806, Republic of Korea
| | - Mi-Ja Jung
- Department of Life and Nanopharmaceutical Sciences and Department of Biology, Kyung Hee University, Seoul, Republic of Korea
| | - Pil Soo Kim
- Department of Life and Nanopharmaceutical Sciences and Department of Biology, Kyung Hee University, Seoul, Republic of Korea
| | - Jin-Woo Bae
- Department of Life and Nanopharmaceutical Sciences and Department of Biology, Kyung Hee University, Seoul, Republic of Korea.
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Potassium stress growth characteristics and energetics in the haloarchaeon Haloarcula marismortui. Extremophiles 2014; 19:315-25. [PMID: 25503059 PMCID: PMC4339784 DOI: 10.1007/s00792-014-0716-z] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/31/2014] [Accepted: 11/21/2014] [Indexed: 10/25/2022]
Abstract
Growth characteristics surrounding halophilic archaeal organisms are extremely limited in the scientific literature, with studies tending toward observing changes in cellular generation times under growth conditions limited to changes in temperature and sodium chloride concentrations. Currently, knowledge of the ionic stress experienced by haloarchaeal species through an excess or depletion of other required ions is lacking at best. The halophilic archaeon, Haloarcula marismortui, was analyzed under extreme ionic stress conditions with a specific focus on induced potassium ion stress using growth curves and analysis of the intracellular ion concentrations. Generation times were determined under potassium chloride concentrations ranging from 8 to 720 mM, and also in the presence of the alternative monovalent cations of lithium, rubidium, and cesium under limiting potassium conditions. Intracellular ion concentrations, as determined by inductively coupled mass spectrometry (ICP-MS), indicate a minimum intracellular total ion requirement of 1.13 M while tolerating up to 2.43 M intracellular concentrations. The presence of intracellular rubidium and cesium indicates that monovalent ion transport is important for energy production. Comparison of eight archaeal genomes indicates an increased diversity of potassium transport complex subunits in the halophilic organisms. Analysis of the generation times, intracellular concentrations and genome survey shows Har. marismortui exhibits an ability to cope with monovalent cation concentration changes in its native environment and provides insight into the organisms ion transport capability and specificity.
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Wu Z, Yang H, Liu J, Wang L, Xiang H. Association between the dynamics of multiple replication origins and the evolution of multireplicon genome architecture in haloarchaea. Genome Biol Evol 2014; 6:2799-810. [PMID: 25281843 PMCID: PMC4441112 DOI: 10.1093/gbe/evu219] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/12/2022] Open
Abstract
Haloarchaeal genomes are generally composed of multiple replicons, and each replicon has a single or multiple replication origin(s). The comparative genomic analysis of replication origins from closely related species can be used to reveal the evolutionary mechanisms that account for the development of multiple origin systems. Multiple replication origins have been in silico and experimentally investigated in Haloarcula hispanica, which raise the possibility for comparisons of multiple replication origins in Haloarcula species. Thus, we performed a comparison of H. hispanica replication origins with those from five additional Haloarcula species. We demonstrated that the multiple replication origins in the chromosome were evolved independently multiple times from the oriC1-dependent ancestral chromosome. Particularly, the two origins oriC1 and oriC2 were conserved in location, and both of them were adjacent to an rRNA operon, suggestive of correlations in replication and expression of surrounding genes that may promote the conservation of these two origins. Some chromosomal variable regions were used as hotspots for origin evolution in which replication origins were continually being acquired, lost, and disrupted. Furthermore, we demonstrated that autonomously replicating sequence plasmids with H. hispanica minichromosomal replication origins were extremely unstable. Because both organization and replication origins of minichromosomes were not conserved, we proposed an association between the evolution of extrachromosomal replicons and origin variation. Taken together, we provided insights into the evolutionary history of multiple replication origins in Haloarcula species, and proposed a general model of association between the dynamics of multiple replication origins and the evolution of multireplicon genome architecture in haloarchaea.
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Affiliation(s)
- Zhenfang Wu
- State Key Laboratory of Microbial Resources, Institute of Microbiology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China
| | - Haibo Yang
- State Key Laboratory of Microbial Resources, Institute of Microbiology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China
| | - Jingfang Liu
- State Key Laboratory of Microbial Resources, Institute of Microbiology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China
| | - Lei Wang
- State Key Laboratory of Microbial Resources, Institute of Microbiology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China
| | - Hua Xiang
- State Key Laboratory of Microbial Resources, Institute of Microbiology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China
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Carbohydrate metabolism in Archaea: current insights into unusual enzymes and pathways and their regulation. Microbiol Mol Biol Rev 2014; 78:89-175. [PMID: 24600042 DOI: 10.1128/mmbr.00041-13] [Citation(s) in RCA: 200] [Impact Index Per Article: 20.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/02/2023] Open
Abstract
The metabolism of Archaea, the third domain of life, resembles in its complexity those of Bacteria and lower Eukarya. However, this metabolic complexity in Archaea is accompanied by the absence of many "classical" pathways, particularly in central carbohydrate metabolism. Instead, Archaea are characterized by the presence of unique, modified variants of classical pathways such as the Embden-Meyerhof-Parnas (EMP) pathway and the Entner-Doudoroff (ED) pathway. The pentose phosphate pathway is only partly present (if at all), and pentose degradation also significantly differs from that known for bacterial model organisms. These modifications are accompanied by the invention of "new," unusual enzymes which cause fundamental consequences for the underlying regulatory principles, and classical allosteric regulation sites well established in Bacteria and Eukarya are lost. The aim of this review is to present the current understanding of central carbohydrate metabolic pathways and their regulation in Archaea. In order to give an overview of their complexity, pathway modifications are discussed with respect to unusual archaeal biocatalysts, their structural and mechanistic characteristics, and their regulatory properties in comparison to their classic counterparts from Bacteria and Eukarya. Furthermore, an overview focusing on hexose metabolic, i.e., glycolytic as well as gluconeogenic, pathways identified in archaeal model organisms is given. Their energy gain is discussed, and new insights into different levels of regulation that have been observed so far, including the transcript and protein levels (e.g., gene regulation, known transcription regulators, and posttranslational modification via reversible protein phosphorylation), are presented.
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