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Xu M, Liu M, Liu T, Pan X, Ren Q, Han T, Gou L. HigA2 (Rv2021c) Is a Transcriptional Regulator with Multiple Regulatory Targets in Mycobacterium tuberculosis. Microorganisms 2024; 12:1244. [PMID: 38930627 PMCID: PMC11205783 DOI: 10.3390/microorganisms12061244] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/25/2024] [Revised: 06/17/2024] [Accepted: 06/18/2024] [Indexed: 06/28/2024] Open
Abstract
Toxin-antitoxin (TA) systems are the major mechanism for persister formation in Mycobacterium tuberculosis (Mtb). Previous studies found that HigBA2 (Rv2022c-Rv2021c), a predicted type II TA system of Mtb, could be activated for transcription in response to multiple stresses such as anti-tuberculosis drugs, nutrient starvation, endure hypoxia, acidic pH, etc. In this study, we determined the binding site of HigA2 (Rv2021c), which is located in the coding region of the upstream gene higB2 (Rv2022c), and the conserved recognition motif of HigA2 was characterized via oligonucleotide mutation. Eight binding sites of HigA2 were further found in the Mtb genome according to the conserved motif. RT-PCR showed that HigA2 can regulate the transcription level of all eight of these genes and three adjacent downstream genes. DNA pull-down experiments showed that twelve functional regulators sense external regulatory signals and may regulate the transcription of the HigBA2 system. Of these, Rv0903c, Rv0744c, Rv0474, Rv3124, Rv2603c, and Rv3583c may be involved in the regulation of external stress signals. In general, we identified the downstream target genes and possible upstream regulatory genes of HigA2, which paved the way for the illustration of the persistence establishment mechanism in Mtb.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mingyan Xu
- Hebei Province Key Laboratory of Occupational Health and Safety for Coal Industry, School of Public Health, North China University of Science and Technology, Tangshan 063210, China; (M.X.); (M.L.); (T.L.); (X.P.); (Q.R.)
| | - Meikun Liu
- Hebei Province Key Laboratory of Occupational Health and Safety for Coal Industry, School of Public Health, North China University of Science and Technology, Tangshan 063210, China; (M.X.); (M.L.); (T.L.); (X.P.); (Q.R.)
| | - Tong Liu
- Hebei Province Key Laboratory of Occupational Health and Safety for Coal Industry, School of Public Health, North China University of Science and Technology, Tangshan 063210, China; (M.X.); (M.L.); (T.L.); (X.P.); (Q.R.)
| | - Xuemei Pan
- Hebei Province Key Laboratory of Occupational Health and Safety for Coal Industry, School of Public Health, North China University of Science and Technology, Tangshan 063210, China; (M.X.); (M.L.); (T.L.); (X.P.); (Q.R.)
| | - Qi Ren
- Hebei Province Key Laboratory of Occupational Health and Safety for Coal Industry, School of Public Health, North China University of Science and Technology, Tangshan 063210, China; (M.X.); (M.L.); (T.L.); (X.P.); (Q.R.)
| | - Tiesheng Han
- Hebei Province Key Laboratory of Occupational Health and Safety for Coal Industry, School of Public Health, North China University of Science and Technology, Tangshan 063210, China; (M.X.); (M.L.); (T.L.); (X.P.); (Q.R.)
| | - Lixia Gou
- School of Life Science, North China University of Science and Technology, Tangshan 063210, China
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Hernández MA, Ledesma AE, Moncalián G, Alvarez HM. MLDSR, the transcriptional regulator of the major lipid droplets protein MLDS, is controlled by long-chain fatty acids and contributes to the lipid-accumulating phenotype in oleaginous Rhodococcus strains. FEBS J 2024; 291:1457-1482. [PMID: 38135896 DOI: 10.1111/febs.17043] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/31/2023] [Revised: 11/08/2023] [Accepted: 12/21/2023] [Indexed: 12/24/2023]
Abstract
Microorganism lipid droplet small regulator (MLDSR) is a transcriptional regulator of the major lipid droplet (LD)-associated protein MLDS in Rhodococcus jostii RHA1 and Rhodococcus opacus PD630. In this study, we investigated the role of MLDSR on lipid metabolism and triacylglycerol (TAG) accumulation in R. jostii RHA1 at physiological and molecular levels. MLDSR gene deletion promoted a significant decrease of TAG accumulation, whereas inhibition of de novo fatty acid biosynthesis by the addition of cerulenin significantly repressed the expression of the mldsr-mlds cluster under nitrogen-limiting conditions. In vitro and in vivo approaches revealed that MLDSR-DNA binding is inhibited by fatty acids and acyl-CoA residues through changes in the oligomeric or conformational state of the protein. RNAseq analysis indicated that MLDSR not only controls the expression of its own gene cluster but also of several genes involved in central, lipid, and redox metabolism, among others. We also identified putative MLDSR-binding sites on the upstream regions of genes coding for lipid catabolic enzymes and validated them by EMSA assays. Overexpression of mldsr gene under nitrogen-rich conditions promoted an increase of TAG accumulation, and further cell lysis with TAG release to the culture medium. Our results suggested that MLDSR is a fatty acid-responsive regulator that plays a dual role in cells by repression or activation of several metabolic genes in R. jostii RHA1. MLDSR seems to play an important role in the fine-tuning regulation of TAG accumulation, LD formation, and cellular lipid homeostasis, contributing to the oleaginous phenotype of R. jostii RHA1 and R. opacus PD630.
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Affiliation(s)
- Martín A Hernández
- INBIOP (Instituto de Biociencias de la Patagonia), Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas, Facultad de Ciencias Naturales, Universidad Nacional de la Patagonia San Juan Bosco, Comodoro Rivadavia, Argentina
| | - Ana E Ledesma
- CIBAAL (Centro de Investigación en Biofísica Aplicada y Alimentos), Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas, Universidad Nacional de Santiago del Estero, Argentina
| | - Gabriel Moncalián
- Departamento de Biología Molecular, Universidad de Cantabria and Instituto de Biomedicina y Biotecnología de Cantabria (IBBTEC), CSIC-Universidad de Cantabria, Santander, Spain
| | - Héctor M Alvarez
- INBIOP (Instituto de Biociencias de la Patagonia), Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas, Facultad de Ciencias Naturales, Universidad Nacional de la Patagonia San Juan Bosco, Comodoro Rivadavia, Argentina
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Wang S, Fang R, Wang H, Li X, Xing J, Li Z, Song N. The role of transcriptional regulators in metal ion homeostasis of Mycobacterium tuberculosis. Front Cell Infect Microbiol 2024; 14:1360880. [PMID: 38529472 PMCID: PMC10961391 DOI: 10.3389/fcimb.2024.1360880] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/24/2023] [Accepted: 02/27/2024] [Indexed: 03/27/2024] Open
Abstract
Metal ions are essential trace elements for all living organisms and play critical catalytic, structural, and allosteric roles in many enzymes and transcription factors. Mycobacterium tuberculosis (MTB), as an intracellular pathogen, is usually found in host macrophages, where the bacterium can survive and replicate. One of the reasons why Tuberculosis (TB) is so difficult to eradicate is the continuous adaptation of its pathogen. It is capable of adapting to a wide range of harsh environmental stresses, including metal ion toxicity in the host macrophages. Altering the concentration of metal ions is the common host strategy to limit MTB replication and persistence. This review mainly focuses on transcriptional regulatory proteins in MTB that are involved in the regulation of metal ions such as iron, copper and zinc. The aim is to offer novel insights and strategies for screening targets for TB treatment, as well as for the development and design of new therapeutic interventions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Shuxian Wang
- Key Laboratory of Respiratory Tract Pathogens and Drug Therapy, School of Life Science and Technology, Shandong Second Medical University, Weifang, China
| | - Ren Fang
- Key Laboratory of Respiratory Tract Pathogens and Drug Therapy, School of Life Science and Technology, Shandong Second Medical University, Weifang, China
| | - Hui Wang
- Key Laboratory of Respiratory Tract Pathogens and Drug Therapy, School of Life Science and Technology, Shandong Second Medical University, Weifang, China
| | - Xiaotian Li
- Key Laboratory of Respiratory Tract Pathogens and Drug Therapy, School of Life Science and Technology, Shandong Second Medical University, Weifang, China
| | - Jiayin Xing
- Key Laboratory of Respiratory Tract Pathogens and Drug Therapy, School of Life Science and Technology, Shandong Second Medical University, Weifang, China
| | - Zhaoli Li
- Drug Innovation Research Center, SAFE Pharmaceutical Technology Co. Ltd., Beijing, China
| | - Ningning Song
- Key Laboratory of Respiratory Tract Pathogens and Drug Therapy, School of Life Science and Technology, Shandong Second Medical University, Weifang, China
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Bedru E, Bhagwat A, Parish T. MSMEG_0918 is not Essential for the Growth of Mycobacteriumsmegmatis. MICROPUBLICATION BIOLOGY 2024; 2024:10.17912/micropub.biology.000891. [PMID: 38404920 PMCID: PMC10884836 DOI: 10.17912/micropub.biology.000891] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/08/2023] [Revised: 01/24/2024] [Accepted: 01/31/2024] [Indexed: 02/27/2024]
Abstract
Copper homeostasis plays a crucial role in mycobacteria. In Mycobacterium tuberculosis , Rv0474 is a copper-responsive regulator with a copper-binding motif but its homolog in Mycobacterium smegmatis , MSMEG_0918, lacks the copper-binding motif. We generated MSMEG_0918 knockdown strains of M. smegmatis using CRISPRi. We confirmed the strains had varying levels of MSMEG_0918 expression using RT-PCR. We demonstrated that MSMEG_0918 under-expression did not alter the growth of M. smegmatis in standard aerobic culture as compared to the wild-type. Our knockdown strains (CHROME1 and CHROME2) could be further used towards understanding the role of MSMEG_0918 in M. smegmatis .
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Affiliation(s)
- Eldana Bedru
- School of Medicine, University of Washington, Seattle, Washington, USA
| | - Amala Bhagwat
- Center for Global Infectious Disease Research, Seattle Children’s Research Institute, Seattle, Washington, USA
| | - Tanya Parish
- School of Medicine, University of Washington, Seattle, Washington, USA
- Center for Global Infectious Disease Research, Seattle Children’s Research Institute, Seattle, Washington, USA
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Lanfranconi MP, Arabolaza A, Gramajo H, Alvarez HM. Insights into the evolutionary history of the virulent factor HBHA of Mycobacterium tuberculosis. Arch Microbiol 2021; 203:2171-2182. [PMID: 33620522 DOI: 10.1007/s00203-021-02192-y] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/01/2020] [Revised: 12/23/2020] [Accepted: 02/04/2021] [Indexed: 12/20/2022]
Abstract
In Mycobacterium tuberculosis, heparin-binding hemagglutinin (HBHAMT) has a relevant role in infection. It is also present in non-virulent mycobacteria and ancient actinobacteria, such as Rhodococcus opacus. To have a better understanding of the underlying mechanisms that shaped the evolutionary divergence of these proteins, we performed a comprehensive phylogenetic analysis of the regulatory sequences that drive the expression of hbha in saprophytic and pathogenic mycobacterial species. The alignment of the hbha loci showed the appearance of intergenic sequences containing regulatory elements upstream the hbha gene; this sequence arrangement is present only in slow-growing pathogenic mycobacteria. The heterologous expression of HBHAMT in oleaginous R. opacus PD630 results in protein binding to lipid droplets, as it happens with HBHA proteins from saprophytic mycobacteria. We hypothesize that mycobacterial hbha gene cluster underwent functional divergence during the evolutionary differentiation of slow-growing pathogenic mycobacteria. We propose here an evolutionary scenario to explain the structural and functional divergence of HBHA in fast and slow-growing mycobacteria.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mariana P Lanfranconi
- Facultad de Ciencias Naturales y Ciencias de la Salud, INBIOP (Instituto de Biociencias de la Patagonia), Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas, Universidad Nacional de la Patagonia San Juan Bosco, Ruta Provincial N° 1, Km 4-Ciudad Universitaria, 9000, Comodoro Rivadavia, Chubut, Argentina
| | - Ana Arabolaza
- Facultad de Ciencias Bioquímicas y Farmacéuticas, IBR (Instituto de Biología Molecular y Celular de Rosario), Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas, Universidad Nacional de Rosario, Ocampo y Esmeralda, 2000, Rosario, Santa Fe, Argentina
| | - Hugo Gramajo
- Facultad de Ciencias Bioquímicas y Farmacéuticas, IBR (Instituto de Biología Molecular y Celular de Rosario), Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas, Universidad Nacional de Rosario, Ocampo y Esmeralda, 2000, Rosario, Santa Fe, Argentina
| | - Héctor M Alvarez
- Facultad de Ciencias Naturales y Ciencias de la Salud, INBIOP (Instituto de Biociencias de la Patagonia), Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas, Universidad Nacional de la Patagonia San Juan Bosco, Ruta Provincial N° 1, Km 4-Ciudad Universitaria, 9000, Comodoro Rivadavia, Chubut, Argentina.
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Raze D, Segers J, Mille C, Slupek S, Lecher S, Coutte L, Antoine R, Ducrocq L, Rouanet C, Appelmelk BJ, Locht C. Coordinate regulation of virulence and metabolic genes by the transcription factor HbhR in Mycobacterium marinum. Mol Microbiol 2019; 113:52-67. [PMID: 31587365 DOI: 10.1111/mmi.14400] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 10/01/2019] [Indexed: 12/17/2022]
Abstract
The heparin-binding hemagglutinin (HBHA) is a multifunctional protein involved in adherence of Mycobacterium tuberculosis to non-phagocytic cells and in the formation of intracytosolic lipid inclusions. We demonstrate that the expression of hbhA is regulated by a transcriptional repressor, named HbhR, in Mycobacterium marinum. The hbhR gene, located upstream of hbhA, was identified by screening a transposon insertion library and detailed analysis of a mutant overproducing HBHA. HbhR was found to repress both hbhA and hbhR transcription by binding to the promoter regions of both genes. Complementation restored production of HBHA. RNA-seq analyses comparing the mutant and parental strains uncovered 27 genes, including hbhA, that were repressed and 20 genes activated by HbhR. Among the former, the entire locus of genes coding for a type-VII secretion system, including esxA, esxB and pe-ppe paralogs, as well as the gene coding for PspA, present in intracellular lipid vesicles, was identified, as was katG, a gene involved in the sensitivity to isoniazid. The latter category contains genes that play a role in diverse functions, such as metabolism and resistance to oxidative conditions. Thus, HbhR appears to be a master regulator, linking the transcriptional regulation of virulence, metabolic and antibiotic sensitivity genes in M. marinum.
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Affiliation(s)
- Dominique Raze
- CIIL - Center for Infection and Immunity of Lille, Univ. Lille, CNRS, INSERM, Institut Pasteur de Lille, U1019 - UMR 8204, Lille, F-59000, France
| | - Jérôme Segers
- CIIL - Center for Infection and Immunity of Lille, Univ. Lille, CNRS, INSERM, Institut Pasteur de Lille, U1019 - UMR 8204, Lille, F-59000, France
| | - Céline Mille
- CIIL - Center for Infection and Immunity of Lille, Univ. Lille, CNRS, INSERM, Institut Pasteur de Lille, U1019 - UMR 8204, Lille, F-59000, France
| | - Stéphanie Slupek
- CIIL - Center for Infection and Immunity of Lille, Univ. Lille, CNRS, INSERM, Institut Pasteur de Lille, U1019 - UMR 8204, Lille, F-59000, France
| | - Sophie Lecher
- CIIL - Center for Infection and Immunity of Lille, Univ. Lille, CNRS, INSERM, Institut Pasteur de Lille, U1019 - UMR 8204, Lille, F-59000, France
| | - Loïc Coutte
- CIIL - Center for Infection and Immunity of Lille, Univ. Lille, CNRS, INSERM, Institut Pasteur de Lille, U1019 - UMR 8204, Lille, F-59000, France
| | - Rudy Antoine
- CIIL - Center for Infection and Immunity of Lille, Univ. Lille, CNRS, INSERM, Institut Pasteur de Lille, U1019 - UMR 8204, Lille, F-59000, France
| | - Lucie Ducrocq
- CIIL - Center for Infection and Immunity of Lille, Univ. Lille, CNRS, INSERM, Institut Pasteur de Lille, U1019 - UMR 8204, Lille, F-59000, France
| | - Carine Rouanet
- CIIL - Center for Infection and Immunity of Lille, Univ. Lille, CNRS, INSERM, Institut Pasteur de Lille, U1019 - UMR 8204, Lille, F-59000, France
| | - Ben J Appelmelk
- Molecular Microbiology/Medical Microbiology and Infection Control, Amsterdam University Medical Centers, Amsterdam, The Netherlands
| | - Camille Locht
- CIIL - Center for Infection and Immunity of Lille, Univ. Lille, CNRS, INSERM, Institut Pasteur de Lille, U1019 - UMR 8204, Lille, F-59000, France
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