F plasmid CcdB killer protein: ccdB gene mutants coding for non-cytotoxic proteins which retain their regulatory functions

Contribution of Toxin-Antitoxin Systems to Adherent-Invasive E. coli Pathogenesis

Pathobionts have been implicated in various chronic diseases, including Crohn's disease (CD), a multifactorial chronic inflammatory condition that primarily affects the gastrointestinal tract, causing inflammation and damage to the digestive system. While the exact cause of CD remains unclear, adherent-invasive Escherichia coli (AIEC) strains have emerged as key contributors to its pathogenesis. AIEC are characterized by their ability to adhere to and invade intestinal epithelial cells and survive and replicate inside macrophages. However, the mechanisms underlying the virulence and persistence of AIEC within their host remain the subject of intensive research. Toxin-antitoxin systems (TAs) play a potential role in AIEC pathogenesis and may be therapeutic targets. These systems generally consist of two components: a toxin harmful to the cell and an antitoxin that neutralizes the toxin's effects. They contribute to bacterial survival in adverse conditions and regulate bacterial growth and behavior, affecting various cellular processes in bacterial pathogens. This review focuses on the current information available to determine the roles of TAs in the pathogenicity of AIEC. Their contribution to the AIEC stress response, biofilm formation, phage inhibition, the maintenance of mobile genetic elements, and host lifestyles is discussed.

Single-cell evidence for plasmid addiction mediated by toxin-antitoxin systems

Toxin-antitoxin (TA) systems are small selfish genetic modules that increase vertical stability of their replicons. They have long been thought to stabilize plasmids by killing cells that fail to inherit a plasmid copy through a phenomenon called post-segregational killing (PSK) or addiction. While this model has been widely accepted, no direct observation of PSK was reported in the literature. Here, we devised a system that enables visualization of plasmid loss and PSK at the single-cell level using meganuclease-driven plasmid curing. Using the ccd system, we show that cells deprived of a ccd-encoding plasmid show hallmarks of DNA damage, i.e. filamentation and induction of the SOS response. Activation of ccd triggered cell death in most plasmid-free segregants, although some intoxicated cells were able to resume growth, showing that PSK-induced damage can be repaired in a SOS-dependent manner. Damage induced by ccd activates resident lambdoid prophages, which potentiate the killing effect of ccd. The loss of a model plasmid containing TA systems encoding toxins presenting various molecular mechanisms induced different morphological changes, growth arrest and loss of viability. Our experimental setup enables further studies of TA-induced phenotypes and suggests that PSK is a general mechanism for plasmid stabilization by TA systems.

A CcdB toxin-derived peptide acts as a broad-spectrum antibacterial therapeutic in infected mice

The bacterial toxin CcdB (Controller of Cell death or division B) targets DNA Gyrase, an essential bacterial topoisomerase, which is also the molecular target for fluoroquinolones. Here, we present a short cell-penetrating 24-mer peptide, CP1-WT, derived from the Gyrase-binding region of CcdB and examine its effect on growth of Escherichia coli, Salmonella Typhimurium, Staphylococcus aureus and a carbapenem- and tigecycline-resistant strain of Acinetobacter baumannii in both axenic cultures and mouse models of infection. The CP1-WT peptide shows significant improvement over ciprofloxacin in terms of its in vivo therapeutic efficacy in treating established infections of S. Typhimurium, S. aureus and A. baumannii. The molecular mechanism likely involves inhibition of Gyrase or Topoisomerase IV, depending on the strain used. The study validates the CcdB binding site on bacterial DNA Gyrase as a viable and alternative target to the fluoroquinolone binding site.

A ParDE toxin-antitoxin system is responsible for the maintenance of the Yersinia virulence plasmid but not for type III secretion-associated growth inhibition

Many Gram-negative pathogens utilize the type III secretion system (T3SS) to translocate virulence-promoting effector proteins into eukaryotic host cells. The activity of this system results in a severe reduction of bacterial growth and division, summarized as secretion-associated growth inhibition (SAGI). In Yersinia enterocolitica, the T3SS and related proteins are encoded on a virulence plasmid. We identified a ParDE-like toxin-antitoxin system on this virulence plasmid in genetic proximity to yopE, encoding a T3SS effector. Effectors are strongly upregulated upon activation of the T3SS, indicating a potential role of the ParDE system in the SAGI or maintenance of the virulence plasmid. Expression of the toxin ParE in trans resulted in reduced growth and elongated bacteria, highly reminiscent of the SAGI. Nevertheless, the activity of ParDE is not causal for the SAGI. T3SS activation did not influence ParDE activity; conversely, ParDE had no impact on T3SS assembly or activity itself. However, we found that ParDE ensures the presence of the T3SS across bacterial populations by reducing the loss of the virulence plasmid, especially under conditions relevant to infection. Despite this effect, a subset of bacteria lost the virulence plasmid and regained the ability to divide under secreting conditions, facilitating the possible emergence of T3SS-negative bacteria in late acute and persistent infections.

A novel gyrase inhibitor from toxin-antitoxin system expressed by Staphylococcus aureus

Toxin-antitoxin (TA) systems consist of a toxin inhibiting essential cellular functions (such as DNA, RNA and protein synthesis), and its cognate antitoxin neutralizing the toxicity. Recently, we identified a TA system termed TsbA/TsbT in the Staphylococcus aureus genome. The induction of the tsbT gene in Escherichia coli halted both DNA and RNA synthesis, reduced supercoiled plasmid and resulted in increasingly relaxed DNA. These results suggested that DNA gyrase was the target of TsbT. In addition, TsbT inhibited both E. coli and S. aureus DNA gyrase activity and induced linearization of plasmid DNA in vitro. Taken together, these results demonstrate that the TsbT toxin targets DNA gyrase in vivo. Site-directed mutagenesis experiments showed that the E27 and D37 residues in TsbT are critical for toxicity. Secondary structure prediction combining the analysis of vacuum-ultraviolet circular-dichroism spectroscopy and neural network method demonstrated that the 22nd-32nd residues of TsbT form an α-helix structure, and that the E27 residue is located around the centre of the α-helix segment. These findings give new insights not only into S. aureus TA systems, but also into bacterial toxins targeting DNA topoisomerases.

Two novel XRE-like transcriptional regulators control phenotypic heterogeneity in Photorhabdus luminescens cell populations

BACKGROUND

The insect pathogenic bacterium Photorhabdus luminescens exists in two phenotypically different forms, designated as primary (1°) and secondary (2°) cells. Upon yet unknown environmental stimuli up to 50% of the 1° cells convert to 2° cells. Among others, one important difference between the phenotypic forms is that 2° cells are unable to live in symbiosis with their partner nematodes, and therefore are not able to re-associate with them. As 100% switching of 1° to 2° cells of the population would lead to a break-down of the bacteria's life cycle the switching process must be tightly controlled. However, the regulation mechanism of phenotypic switching is still puzzling.

RESULTS

Here we describe two novel XRE family transcriptional regulators, XreR1 and XreR2, that play a major role in the phenotypic switching process of P. luminescens. Deletion of xreR1 in 1° or xreR2 in 2° cells as well as insertion of extra copies of xreR1 into 2° or xreR2 into 1° cells, respectively, induced the opposite phenotype in either 1° or 2° cells. Furthermore, both regulators specifically bind to different promoter regions putatively fulfilling a positive autoregulation. We found initial evidence that XreR1 and XreR2 constitute an epigenetic switch, whereby XreR1 represses xreR2 expression and XreR2 self-reinforces its own gene by binding to XreR1.

CONCLUSION

Regulation of gene expression by the two novel XRE-type regulators XreR1 and XreR2 as well as their interplay represents a major regulatory process in phenotypic switching of P. luminescens. A fine-tuning balance between both regulators might therefore define the fate of single cells to convert from the 1° to the 2° phenotype.

Going around in circles: virulence plasmids in enteric pathogens

Plasmids have a major role in the development of disease caused by enteric bacterial pathogens. Virulence plasmids are usually large (>40 kb) low copy elements and encode genes that promote host-pathogen interactions. Although virulence plasmids provide advantages to bacteria in specific conditions, they often impose fitness costs on their host. In this Review, we discuss virulence plasmids in Enterobacteriaceae that are important causes of diarrhoea in humans, Shigella spp., Salmonella spp., Yersinia spp and pathovars of Escherichia coli. We contrast these plasmids with those that are routinely used in the laboratory and outline the mechanisms by which virulence plasmids are maintained in bacterial populations. We highlight examples of virulence plasmids that encode multiple mechanisms for their maintenance (for example, toxin-antitoxin and partitioning systems) and speculate on how these might contribute to their propagation and success.

ZeBRα a universal, multi-fragment DNA-assembly-system with minimal hands-on time requirement

The recently evolved field of synthetic biology has revolutionized the way we think of biology as an "engineerable" discipline. The newly sprouted branch is constantly in need of simple, cost-effective and automatable DNA-assembly methods. We have developed a reliable DNA-assembly system, ZeBRα (Zero-Background Redα), for cloning multiple DNA-fragments seamlessly with very high efficiency. The hallmarks of ZeBRα are the greatly reduced hands-on time and costs and yet excellent efficiency and flexibility. ZeBRα combines a "zero-background vector" with a highly efficient in vitro recombination method. The suicide-gene in the vector acts as placeholder, and is replaced by the fragments-of-interest, ensuring the exclusive survival of the successful recombinants. Thereby the background from uncut or re-ligated vector is absent and screening for recombinant colonies is unnecessary. Multiple fragments-of-interest can be assembled into the empty vector by a recombinogenic E. coli-lysate (SLiCE) with a total time requirement of less than 48 h. We have significantly simplified the preparation of the high recombination-competent E. coli-lysate compared to the original protocol. ZeBRα is the least labor intensive among comparable state-of-the-art assembly/cloning methods without a trade-off in efficiency.

Stabilization of the Virulence Plasmid pSLT of Salmonella Typhimurium by Three Maintenance Systems and Its Evaluation by Using a New Stability Test

Certain Salmonella enterica serovars belonging to subspecies I carry low-copy-number virulence plasmids of variable size (50–90 kb). All of these plasmids share the spv operon, which is important for systemic infection. Virulence plasmids are present at low copy numbers. Few copies reduce metabolic burden but suppose a risk of plasmid loss during bacterial division. This drawback is counterbalanced by maintenance modules that ensure plasmid stability, including partition systems and toxin-antitoxin (TA) loci. The low-copy number virulence pSLT plasmid of Salmonella enterica serovar Typhimurium encodes three auxiliary maintenance systems: one partition system (parAB) and two TA systems (ccdAB_ST and vapBC2_ST). The TA module ccdAB_ST has previously been shown to contribute to pSLT plasmid stability and vapBC2_ST to bacterial virulence. Here we describe a novel assay to measure plasmid stability based on the selection of plasmid-free cells following elimination of plasmid-containing cells by ParE toxin, a DNA gyrase inhibitor. Using this new maintenance assay we confirmed a crucial role of parAB in pSLT maintenance. We also showed that vapBC2_ST, in addition to contribute to bacterial virulence, is important for plasmid stability. We have previously shown that ccdAB_ST encodes an inactive CcdB_ST toxin. Using our new stability assay we monitored the contribution to plasmid stability of a ccdAB_ST variant containing a single mutation (R99W) that restores the toxicity of CcdB_ST. The “activation” of CcdB_ST (R99W) did not increase pSLT stability by ccdAB_ST. In contrast, ccdAB_ST behaves as a canonical type II TA system in terms of transcriptional regulation. Of interest, ccdAB_ST was shown to control the expression of a polycistronic operon in the pSLT plasmid. Collectively, these results show that the contribution of the CcdB_ST toxin to pSLT plasmid stability may depend on its role as a co-repressor in coordination with CcdA_ST antitoxin more than on its toxic activity.

Diverse distribution of Toxin-Antitoxin II systems in Salmonella enterica serovars

Type II Toxin-Antitoxin systems (TAs), known for their presence in virulent and antibiotic resistant bacterial strains, were recently identified in Salmonella enterica isolates. However, the relationships between the presence of TAs (ccdAB and vapBC) and the epidemiological and genetic features of different non-typhoidal Salmonella serovars are largely unknown, reducing our understanding of the ecological success of different serovars. Salmonella enterica isolates from different sources, belonging to different serovars and epidemiologically unrelated according to ERIC profiles, were investigated for the presence of type II TAs, plasmid content, and antibiotic resistance. The results showed the ubiquitous presence of the vapBC gene in all the investigated Salmonella isolates, but a diverse distribution of ccdAB, which was detected in the most widespread Salmonella serovars, only. Analysis of the plasmid toxin ccdB translated sequence of four selected Salmonella isolates showed the presence of the amino acid substitution R99W, known to impede in vitro the lethal effect of CcdB toxin in the absence of its cognate antitoxin CcdA. These findings suggest a direct role of the TAs in promoting adaptability and persistence of the most prevalent Salmonella serovars, thus implying a wider eco-physiological role for these type II TAs.

Recent developments and clinical studies utilizing engineered zinc finger nuclease technology

Efficient methods for creating targeted genetic modifications have long been sought for the investigation of gene function and the development of therapeutic modalities for various diseases, including genetic disorders. Although such modifications are possible using homologous recombination, the efficiency is extremely low. Zinc finger nucleases (ZFNs) are custom-designed artificial nucleases that make double-strand breaks at specific sequences, enabling efficient targeted genetic modifications such as corrections, additions, gene knockouts and structural variations. ZFNs are composed of two domains: (i) a DNA-binding domain comprised of zinc finger modules and (ii) the FokI nuclease domain that cleaves the DNA strand. Over 17 years after ZFNs were initially developed, a number of improvements have been made. Here, we will review the developments and future perspectives of ZFN technology. For example, ZFN activity and specificity have been significantly enhanced by modifying the DNA-binding domain and FokI cleavage domain. Advances in culture methods, such as the application of a cold shock and the use of small molecules that affect ZFN stability, have also increased ZFN activity. Furthermore, ZFN-induced mutant cells can be enriched using episomal surrogate reporters. Additionally, we discuss several ongoing clinical studies that are based on ZFN-mediated genome editing in humans. These breakthroughs have substantially facilitated the use of ZFNs in research, medicine and biotechnology.

Distinct type I and type II toxin-antitoxin modules control Salmonella lifestyle inside eukaryotic cells

Toxin-antitoxin (TA) modules contribute to the generation of non-growing cells in response to stress. These modules abound in bacterial pathogens although the bases for this profusion remain largely unknown. Using the intracellular bacterial pathogen Salmonella enterica serovar Typhimurium as a model, here we show that a selected group of TA modules impact bacterial fitness inside eukaryotic cells. We characterized in this pathogen twenty-seven TA modules, including type I and type II TA modules encoding antisense RNA and proteinaceous antitoxins, respectively. Proteomic and gene expression analyses revealed that the pathogen produces numerous toxins of TA modules inside eukaryotic cells. Among these, the toxins Hok_ST, LdrA_ST, and TisB_ST, encoded by type I TA modules and T4_ST and VapC2_ST, encoded by type II TA modules, promote bacterial survival inside fibroblasts. In contrast, only VapC2_ST shows that positive effect in bacterial fitness when the pathogen infects epithelial cells. These results illustrate how S. Typhimurium uses distinct type I and type II TA modules to regulate its intracellular lifestyle in varied host cell types. This function specialization might explain why the number of TA modules increased in intracellular bacterial pathogens.

An autonomous in vivo dual selection protocol for boolean genetic circuits

Success in synthetic biology depends on the efficient construction of robust genetic circuitry. However, even the direct engineering of the simplest genetic elements (switches, logic gates) is a challenge and involves intense lab work. As the complexity of biological circuits grows, it becomes more complicated and less fruitful to rely on the rational design paradigm, because it demands many time-consuming trial-and-error cycles. One of the reasons is the context-dependent behavior of small assembly parts (like BioBricks), which in a complex environment often interact in an unpredictable way. Therefore, the idea of evolutionary engineering (artificial directed in vivo evolution) based on screening and selection of randomized combinatorial genetic circuit libraries became popular. In this article we build on the so-called dual selection technique. We propose a plasmid-based framework using toxin-antitoxin pairs together with the relaxase conjugative protein, enabling an efficient autonomous in vivo evolutionary selection of simple Boolean circuits in bacteria (E. coli was chosen for demonstration). Unlike previously reported protocols, both on and off selection steps can run simultaneously in various cells in the same environment without human intervention; and good circuits not only survive the selection process but are also horizontally transferred by conjugation to the neighbor cells to accelerate the convergence rate of the selection process. Our directed evolution strategy combines a new dual selection method with fluorescence-based screening to increase the robustness of the technique against mutations. As there are more orthogonal toxin-antitoxin pairs in E. coli, the approach is likely to be scalable to more complex functions. In silico experiments based on empirical data confirm the high search and selection capability of the protocol.

Light activation of Staphylococcus aureus toxin YoeBSa1 reveals guanosine-specific endoribonuclease activity

The Staphylococcus aureus chromosome harbors two homologues of the YefM-YoeB toxin-antitoxin (TA) system. The toxins YoeBSa1 and YoeBSa2 possess ribosome-dependent ribonuclease (RNase) activity in Escherichia coli. This activity is similar to that of the E. coli toxin YoeBEc, an enzyme that, in addition to ribosome-dependent RNase activity, possesses ribosome-independent RNase activity in vitro. To investigate whether YoeBSa1 is also a ribosome-independent RNase, we expressed YoeBSa1 using a novel strategy and characterized its in vitro RNase activity, sequence specificity, and kinetics. Y88 of YoeBSa1 was critical for in vitro activity and cell culture toxicity. This residue was mutated to o-nitrobenzyl tyrosine (ONBY) via unnatural amino acid mutagenesis. YoeBSa1-Y88ONBY could be expressed in the absence of the antitoxin YefMSa1 in E. coli. Photocaged YoeBSa1-Y88ONBY displayed UV light-dependent RNase activity toward free mRNA in vitro. The in vitro ribosome-independent RNase activity of YoeBSa1-Y88ONBY, YoeBSa1-Y88F, and YoeBSa1-Y88TAG was significantly reduced or abolished. In contrast to YoeBEc, which cleaves RNA at both adenosine and guanosine with a preference for adenosine, YoeBSa1 cleaved mRNA specifically at guanosine. Using this information, a fluorometric assay was developed and used to determine the kinetic parameters for ribosome-independent RNA cleavage by YoeBSa1.

Characterization of the phd-doc and ccd toxin-antitoxin cassettes from Vibrio superintegrons

Toxin-antitoxin (TA) systems have been reported in the genomes of most bacterial species, and their role when located on the chromosome is still debated. TA systems are particularly abundant in the massive cassette arrays associated with chromosomal superintegrons (SI). Here, we describe the characterization of two superintegron cassettes encoding putative TA systems. The first is the phd-doc(SI) system identified in Vibrio cholerae N16961. We determined its distribution in 36 V. cholerae strains and among five V. metschnikovii strains. We show that this cassette, which is in position 72 of the V. cholerae N16961 cassette array, is functional, carries its own promoter, and is expressed from this location. Interestingly, the phd-doc(SI) system is unable to control its own expression, most likely due to the absence of any DNA-binding domain on the antitoxin. In addition, this SI system is able to cross talk with the canonical P1 phage system. The second cassette that we characterized is the ccd(Vfi) cassette found in the V. fischeri superintegron. We demonstrate that CcdB(Vfi) targets DNA-gyrase, as the canonical CcB(F) toxin, and that ccd(Vfi) regulates its expression in a fashion similar to the ccd(F) operon of the conjugative plasmid F. We also establish that this cassette is functional and expressed in its chromosomal context in V. fischeri CIP 103206T. We tested its functional interactions with the ccdAB(F) system and found that CcdA(Vfi) is specific for its associated CcdB(Vfi) and cannot prevent CcdB(F) toxicity. Based on these results, we discuss the possible biological functions of these TA systems in superintegrons.

Additional role for the ccd operon of F-plasmid as a transmissible persistence factor

Toxin-antitoxin (TA) systems are found on both bacterial plasmids and chromosomes, but in most cases their functional role is unclear. Gene knockouts often yield limited insights into functions of individual TA systems because of their redundancy. The well-characterized F-plasmid-based CcdAB TA system is important for F-plasmid maintenance. We have isolated several point mutants of the toxin CcdB that fail to bind to its cellular target, DNA gyrase, but retain binding to the antitoxin, CcdA. Expression of such mutants is shown to result in release of the WT toxin from a functional preexisting TA complex as well as derepression of the TA operon. One such inactive, active-site mutant of CcdB was used to demonstrate the contribution of CcdB to antibiotic persistence. Transient activation of WT CcdB either by coexpression of the mutant or by antibiotic/heat stress was shown to enhance the generation of drug-tolerant persisters in a process dependent on Lon protease and RecA. An F-plasmid containing a ccd locus can, therefore, function as a transmissible persistence factor.

Large scale purification of linear plasmid DNA for efficient high throughput cloning

In this report we describe a rapid, simple, and efficient method for large-scale purification of linear plasmid DNA to answer demand from high-throughput gene cloning. The process is based on the separation of the linear vector from small DNA fragments by anion exchange chromatography. Gene cloning experiments by restriction/ligation or the In-Fusion technique confirmed the high quality of the linearized vector as 100% of the genes were successfully cloned.

Directed evolution of an enhanced and highly efficient FokI cleavage domain for zinc finger nucleases

Zinc finger nucleases (ZFNs) are powerful tools for gene therapy and genetic engineering. The high specificity and affinity of these chimeric enzymes are based on custom-designed zinc finger proteins (ZFPs). To improve the performance of existing ZFN technology, we developed an in vivo evolution-based approach to improve the efficacy of the FokI cleavage domain (FCD). After multiple rounds of cycling mutagenesis and DNA shuffling, a more efficient nuclease variant (Sharkey) was generated. In vivo analyses indicated that Sharkey is >15-fold more active than wild-type FCD on a diverse panel of cleavage sites. Further, a mammalian cell-based assay showed a three to sixfold improvement in targeted mutagenesis for ZFNs containing derivatives of the Sharkey cleavage domain. We also identified mutations that impart sequence specificity to the FCD that might be utilized in future studies to further refine ZFNs through cooperative specificity. In addition, Sharkey was observed to enhance the cleavage profiles of previously published and newly selected heterodimer ZFN architectures. This enhanced and highly efficient cleavage domain will aid in a variety of ZFN applications in medicine and biology.

Structural and thermodynamic characterization of Vibrio fischeri CcdB

CcdB(Vfi) from Vibrio fischeri is a member of the CcdB family of toxins that poison covalent gyrase-DNA complexes. In solution CcdB(Vfi) is a dimer that unfolds to the corresponding monomeric components in a two-state fashion. In the unfolded state, the monomer retains a partial secondary structure. This observation correlates well with the crystal and NMR structures of the protein, which show a dimer with a hydrophobic core crossing the dimer interface. In contrast to its F plasmid homologue, CcdB(Vfi) possesses a rigid dimer interface, and the apparent relative rotations of the two subunits are due to structural plasticity of the monomer. CcdB(Vfi) shows a number of non-conservative substitutions compared with the F plasmid protein in both the CcdA and the gyrase binding sites. Although variation in the CcdA interaction site likely determines toxin-antitoxin specificity, substitutions in the gyrase-interacting region may have more profound functional implications.

Efficient conditional and promoter-specific in vivo expression of cDNAs of choice by taking advantage of recombinase-mediated cassette exchange using FlEx gene traps

Recombinase-mediated cassette exchange (RMCE) exploits the possibility to unidirectionally exchange any genetic material flanked by heterotypic recombinase recognition sites (RRS) with target sites in the genome. Due to a limited number of available pre-fabricated target sites, RMCE in mouse embryonic stem (ES) cells has not been tapped to its full potential to date. Here, we introduce a universal system, which allows the targeted insertion of any given transcriptional unit into 85 742 previously annotated retroviral conditional gene trap insertions, representing 7013 independent genes in mouse ES cells, by RMCE. This system can be used to express any given cDNA under the control of endogenous trapped promoters in vivo, as well as for the generation of transposon ‘launch pads’ for chromosomal region-specific ‘Sleeping Beauty’ insertional mutagenesis. Moreover, transcription of the gene-of-interest is only activated upon Cre-recombinase activity, a feature that adds conditionality to this expression system, which is demonstrated in vivo. The use of the RMCE system presented in this work requires one single-cloning step followed by one overnight gateway clonase reaction and subsequent cassette exchange in ES cells with efficiencies of 40% in average.

The decay of the chromosomally encoded ccdO157 toxin-antitoxin system in the Escherichia coli species

The origin and the evolution of toxin-antitoxin (TA) systems remain to be uncovered. TA systems are abundant in bacterial chromosomes and are thought to be part of the flexible genome that originates from horizontal gene transfer. To gain insight into TA system evolution, we analyzed the distribution of the chromosomally encoded ccdO157 system in 395 natural isolates of Escherichia coli. It was discovered in the E. coli O157:H7 strain in which it constitutes a genomic islet between two core genes (folA and apaH). Our study revealed that the folA-apaH intergenic region is plastic and subject to insertion of foreign DNA. It could be composed (i) of a repetitive extragenic palindromic (REP) sequence, (ii) of the ccdO157 system or subtle variants of it, (iii) of a large DNA piece that contained a ccdAO157 antitoxin remnant in association with ORFs of unknown function, or (iv) of a variant of it containing an insertion sequence in the ccdAO157 remnant. Sequence analysis and functional tests of the ccdO157 variants revealed that 69% of the variants were composed of an active toxin and antitoxin, 29% were composed of an active antitoxin and an inactive toxin, and in 2% of the cases both ORFs were inactive. Molecular evolution analysis showed that ccdBO157 is under neutral evolution, suggesting that this system is devoid of any biological role in the E. coli species.

Stereochemical criteria for prediction of the effects of proline mutations on protein stability

When incorporated into a polypeptide chain, proline (Pro) differs from all other naturally occurring amino acid residues in two important respects. The φ dihedral angle of Pro is constrained to values close to −65° and Pro lacks an amide hydrogen. Consequently, mutations which result in introduction of Pro can significantly affect protein stability. In the present work, we describe a procedure to accurately predict the effect of Pro introduction on protein thermodynamic stability. Seventy-seven of the 97 non-Pro amino acid residues in the model protein, CcdB, were individually mutated to Pro, and the in vivo activity of each mutant was characterized. A decision tree to classify the mutation as perturbing or nonperturbing was created by correlating stereochemical properties of mutants to activity data. The stereochemical properties including main chain dihedral angle φ and main chain amide H-bonds (hydrogen bonds) were determined from 3D models of the mutant proteins built using MODELLER. We assessed the performance of the decision tree on a large dataset of 163 single-site Pro mutations of T4 lysozyme, 74 nsSNPs, and 52 other Pro substitutions from the literature. The overall accuracy of this algorithm was found to be 81% in the case of CcdB, 77% in the case of lysozyme, 76% in the case of nsSNPs, and 71% in the case of other Pro substitution data. The accuracy of Pro scanning mutagenesis for secondary structure assignment was also assessed and found to be at best 69%. Our prediction procedure will be useful in annotating uncharacterized nsSNPs of disease-associated proteins and for protein engineering and design.

Unlike other amino acids that constitute proteins, Proline is missing a vital hydrogen atom and also bestows local structural rigidity to the three-dimensional (3D) structure of proteins. In some locations, proline can be introduced with little or no detrimental effect to protein function, while at others it is destabilizing and can result in significant degradation or aggregation of the protein. To determine the features of protein 3D structure that tolerate the introduction of prolines, each of the 101 amino acid residues of the protein CcdB were replaced with Proline, and the functional consequence of the mutations were observed. On correlating these data to features of protein 3D structure, a decision tree was generated to predict the functional consequences of proline mutations in proteins of known (or accurately modeled) 3D structure. The performance of the tree was assessed on three different datasets that contained a total of 289 proline mutants in 37 different proteins. The average accuracy of prediction was 75%. The decision tree will be useful in predicting if known but uncharacterized proline mutations in disease-related proteins are likely to have adverse effects. It will also be useful in engineering and designing new proteins and peptides.

Purification and crystallization of Vibrio fischeri CcdB and its complexes with fragments of gyrase and CcdA

The ccd toxin-antitoxin module from the Escherichia coli F plasmid has a homologue on the Vibrio fischeri integron. The homologue of the toxin (CcdB(Vfi)) was crystallized in two different crystal forms. The first form belongs to space group I23 or I2(1)3, with unit-cell parameter a = 84.5 A, and diffracts to 1.5 A resolution. The second crystal form belongs to space group C2, with unit-cell parameters a = 58.5, b = 43.6, c = 37.5 A, beta = 110.0 degrees, and diffracts to 1.7 A resolution. The complex of CcdB(Vfi) with the GyrA14(Vfi) fragment of V. fischeri gyrase crystallizes in space group P2(1)2(1)2(1), with unit-cell parameters a = 53.5, b = 94.6, c = 58.1 A, and diffracts to 2.2 A resolution. The corresponding mixed complex with E. coli GyrA14(Ec) crystallizes in space group C2, with unit-cell parameters a = 130.1, b = 90.8, c = 58.1 A, beta = 102.6 degrees, and diffracts to 1.95 A. Finally, a complex between CcdB(Vfi) and part of the F-plasmid antitoxin CcdA(F) crystallizes in space group P2(1)2(1)2(1), with unit-cell parameters a = 46.9, b = 62.6, c = 82.0 A, and diffracts to 1.9 A resolution.

Functional interactions between coexisting toxin-antitoxin systems of the ccd family in Escherichia coli O157:H7

Toxin-antitoxin (TA) systems are widely represented on mobile genetic elements as well as in bacterial chromosomes. TA systems encode a toxin and an antitoxin neutralizing it. We have characterized a homolog of the ccd TA system of the F plasmid (ccd(F)) located in the chromosomal backbone of the pathogenic O157:H7 Escherichia coli strain (ccd(O157)). The ccd(F) and the ccd(O157) systems coexist in O157:H7 isolates, as these pathogenic strains contain an F-related virulence plasmid carrying the ccd(F) system. We have shown that the chromosomal ccd(O157) system encodes functional toxin and antitoxin proteins that share properties with their plasmidic homologs: the CcdB(O157) toxin targets the DNA gyrase, and the CcdA(O157) antitoxin is degraded by the Lon protease. The ccd(O157) chromosomal system is expressed in its natural context, although promoter activity analyses revealed that its expression is weaker than that of ccd(F). ccd(O157) is unable to mediate postsegregational killing when cloned in an unstable plasmid, supporting the idea that chromosomal TA systems play a role(s) other than stabilization in bacterial physiology. Our cross-interaction experiments revealed that the chromosomal toxin is neutralized by the plasmidic antitoxin while the plasmidic toxin is not neutralized by the chromosomal antitoxin, whether expressed ectopically or from its natural context. Moreover, the ccd(F) system is able to mediate postsegregational killing in an E. coli strain harboring the ccd(O157) system in its chromosome. This shows that the plasmidic ccd(F) system is functional in the presence of its chromosomal counterpart.

Bile-induced curing of the virulence plasmid in Salmonella enterica serovar Typhimurium

Exposure to bile induces curing of the virulence plasmid in Salmonella enterica serovar Typhimurium (pSLT). Disruption of the ccdB gene increases pSLT curing, both spontaneous and induced by bile, suggesting that the pSLT ccdAB genes may encode a homolog of the CcdAB addiction module previously described in the F sex factor. Unlike the F sex factor, synthesis of pSLT-encoded pili does not confer bile sensitivity. These observations may provide insights into the evolution of virulence plasmids in Salmonella subspecies I, as well as the causes of virulence plasmid loss in other Salmonella subspecies.

A strand-passage conformation of DNA gyrase is required to allow the bacterial toxin, CcdB, to access its binding site

DNA gyrase is the only topoisomerase able to introduce negative supercoils into DNA. Absent in humans, gyrase is a successful target for antibacterial drugs. However, increasing drug resistance is a serious problem and new agents are urgently needed. The naturally-produced Escherichia coli toxin CcdB has been shown to target gyrase by what is predicted to be a novel mechanism. CcdB has been previously shown to stabilize the gyrase ‘cleavage complex’, but it has not been shown to inhibit the catalytic reactions of gyrase. We present data showing that CcdB does indeed inhibit the catalytic reactions of gyrase by stabilization of the cleavage complex and that the GyrA C-terminal DNA-wrapping domain and the GyrB N-terminal ATPase domain are dispensable for CcdB's action. We further investigate the role of specific GyrA residues in the action of CcdB by site-directed mutagenesis; these data corroborate a model for CcdB action based on a recent crystal structure of a CcdB–GyrA fragment complex. From this work, we are now able to present a model for CcdB action that explains all previous observations relating to CcdB–gyrase interaction. CcdB action requires a conformation of gyrase that is only revealed when DNA strand passage is taking place.

Expression of the F plasmid ccd toxin-antitoxin system in Escherichia coli cells under nutritional stress

The ccd system of the F plasmid encodes CcdB, a protein toxic to DNA-gyrase, and CcdA, its antitoxin. The function attributed to this system is to contribute to plasmid stability by killing bacteria that lose the plasmid during cell division. However, the function of ccd in resting bacteria is not clear. Results presented show that ccd transcription increases as bacteria enter stationary phase and that the amount of the Ccd proteins is higher in bacteria under nutritional stress than in growing bacteria. Moreover, an increase in the frequency of Lac+ "adaptive" mutations was observed in stationary-phase bacteria that over-express the Ccd proteins.

A highly sensitive selection method for directed evolution of homing endonucleases

Homing endonucleases are enzymes that catalyze DNA sequence specific double-strand breaks and can significantly stimulate homologous recombination at these breaks. These enzymes have great potential for applications such as gene correction in gene therapy or gene alteration in systems biology and metabolic engineering. However, homing endonucleases have a limited natural repertoire of target sequences, which severely hamper their applications. Here we report the development of a highly sensitive selection method for the directed evolution of homing endonucleases that couples enzymatic DNA cleavage with the survival of host cells. Using I-SceI as a model homing endonuclease, we have demonstrated that cells with wild-type I-SceI showed a high cell survival rate of 80–100% in the presence of the original I-SceI recognition site, whereas cells without I-SceI showed a survival rate <0.003%. This system should also be readily applicable for directed evolution of other DNA cleavage enzymes.

Prokaryotic toxin–antitoxin stress response loci

Although toxin-antitoxin gene cassettes were first found in plasmids, recent database mining has shown that these loci are abundant in free-living prokaryotes, including many pathogenic bacteria. For example, Mycobacterium tuberculosis has 38 chromosomal toxin-antitoxin loci, including 3 relBE and 9 mazEF loci. RelE and MazF are toxins that cleave mRNA in response to nutritional stress. RelE cleaves mRNAs that are positioned at the ribosomal A-site, between the second and third nucleotides of the A-site codon. It has been proposed that toxin-antitoxin loci function in bacterial programmed cell death, but evidence now indicates that these loci provide a control mechanism that helps free-living prokaryotes cope with nutritional stress.

Accurate detection of protein:ligand binding sites using molecular dynamics simulations

Accurate prediction of location of cavities and surface grooves in proteins is important, as these are potential sites for ligand binding. Several currently available programs for cavity detection are unable to detect cavities near the surface or surface grooves. In the present study, an optimized molecular dynamics based procedure is described for detection and quantification of interior cavities as well as surface pockets. This is based on the observation that the mobility of water in such pockets is significantly lower than that of bulk water. The algorithm efficiently detects surface grooves that are sites of protein-ligand and protein-protein interaction. The algorithm was also used to substantially improve the performance of an automated docking procedure for docking monomers of nonobligate protein-protein complexes. In addition, it was applied to predict key residues involved in the binding of the E. coli toxin CcdB with its inhibitor. Predictions were subsequently validated by mutagenesis experiments.

Molecular basis of gyrase poisoning by the addiction toxin CcdB

Gyrase is an ubiquitous bacterial enzyme that is responsible for disentangling DNA during DNA replication and transcription. It is the target of the toxin CcdB, a paradigm for plasmid addiction systems and related bacterial toxin-antitoxin systems. The crystal structure of CcdB and the dimerization domain of the A subunit of gyrase (GyrA14) dictates an open conformation for the catalytic domain of gyrase when CcdB is bound. The action of CcdB is one of a wedge that stabilizes a dead-end covalent gyrase:DNA adduct. Although CcdB and GyrA14 form a globally symmetric complex where the two 2-fold axes of both dimers align, the complex is asymmetric in its details. At the centre of the interaction site, the Trp99 pair of CcdB stacks with the Arg462 pair of GyrA14, explaining why the Arg462Cys mutation in the A subunit of gyrase confers resistance to CcdB. Overexpression of GyrA14 protects Escherichia coli cells against CcdB, mimicking the action of the antidote CcdA.

Non-cytotoxic variants of the Kid protein that retain their auto-regulatory activity

Kid and Kis are, respectively, the toxin and antitoxin encoded by the parD operon of plasmid R1. The recently solved crystal structure of Kid has revealed that this protein closely resembles the CcdB toxin of plasmid F. In CcdB, the residues involved in toxicity are located at the carboxy-terminal end of the protein. However, an analogous information on the Kid toxin was not available. Here, we have characterized a collection of non-toxic mutants of the Kid protein and identified the residues that affected the toxicity but not the co-regulatory activity of Kid. These are located in two discrete regions of the protein, at the amino and carboxy-terminal ends. Particularly, residues E18 and R85, that are conserved in the Escherichia coli ChpAK and RelE toxins, are affected by amino-acid changes that alter neither the overall structure of the protein nor its state of association, as shown by CD and sedimentation equilibrium analyses. However, thermal denaturation and intrinsic tryptophan fluorescence emission data point to subtle local changes at the N-terminal end of the protein. The implications of these results in the current model on the structure and function of Kid-related bacterial toxins are discussed.

Crystal structure of the MazE/MazF complex: molecular bases of antidote-toxin recognition

A structure of the Escherichia coli chromosomal MazE/MazF addiction module has been determined at 1.7 A resolution. Addiction modules consist of stable toxin and unstable antidote proteins that govern bacterial cell death. MazE (antidote) and MazF (toxin) form a linear heterohexamer composed of alternating toxin and antidote homodimers (MazF(2)-MazE(2)-MazF(2)). The MazE homodimer contains a beta barrel from which two extended C termini project, making interactions with flanking MazF homodimers that resemble the plasmid-encoded toxins CcdB and Kid. The MazE/MazF heterohexamer structure documents that the mechanism of antidote-toxin recognition is common to both chromosomal and plasmid-borne addiction modules, and provides general molecular insights into toxin function, antidote degradation in the absence of toxin, and promoter DNA binding by antidote/toxin complexes.

Structural and functional analysis of the kid toxin protein from E. coli plasmid R1

We have determined the structure of Kid toxin protein from E. coli plasmid R1 involved in stable plasmid inheritance by postsegregational killing of plasmid-less daughter cells. Kid forms a two-component system with its antagonist, Kis antitoxin. Our 1.4 A crystal structure of Kid reveals a 2-fold symmetric dimer that closely resembles the DNA gyrase-inhibitory toxin protein CcdB from E. coli F plasmid despite the lack of any notable sequence similarity. Analysis of nontoxic mutants of Kid suggests a target interaction interface associated with toxicity that is in marked contrast to that proposed for CcdB. A possible region for interaction of Kid with the antitoxin is proposed that overlaps with the target binding site and may explain the mode of antitoxin action.

ParE toxin encoded by the broad-host-range plasmid RK2 is an inhibitor of Escherichia coli gyrase

Broad-host-range plasmid RK2 encodes a post-segregational killing system, parDE, which contributes to the stable maintenance of this plasmid in Escherichia coli and many distantly related bacteria. The ParE protein is a toxin that inhibits cell growth, causes cell filamentation and eventually cell death. The ParD protein is a specific ParE antitoxin. In this work, the in vitro activities of these two proteins were examined. The ParE protein was found to inhibit DNA synthesis using an E. coli oriC supercoiled template and a replication-proficient E. coli extract. Moreover, ParE inhibited the early stages of both chromosomal and plasmid DNA replication, as measured by the DnaB helicase- and gyrase-dependent formation of FI*, a highly unwound form of supercoiled DNA. The presence of ParD prevented these inhibitory activities of ParE. We also observed that the addition of ParE to supercoiled DNA plus gyrase alone resulted in the formation of a cleavable gyrase-DNA complex that was converted to a linear DNA form upon addition of sodium dodecyl sulphate (SDS). Adding ParD before or after the addition of ParE prevented the formation of this cleavable complex. These results demonstrate that the target of ParE toxin activity in vitro is E. coli gyrase.

Molecular interactions of the CcdB poison with its bacterial target, the DNA gyrase

The ccd poison/antidote system of the F plasmid encodes CcdB, a toxin targeting the essential DNA gyrase of E. coli, and CcdA, the unstable antidote that interacts with CcdB to neutralise its toxicity. Gyrase belongs to the topoisomerase II class of enzymes and is a well-validated target for efficient therapeutic drugs, i. e. the quinolones. CcdB acts on gyrase in a similar way as quinolones do, both compounds induce double-strand breaks in DNA. Interestingly, the CcdB-binding domain of gyrase is different than that of quinolones. Therefore, novel classes of therapeutic drugs could be derived from the analysis of the interaction between CcdB and gyrase.

Intricate interactions within the ccd plasmid addiction system

The ccd addiction system plays a crucial role in the stable maintenance of the Escherichia coli F plasmid. It codes for a stable toxin (CcdB) and a less stable antidote (CcdA). Both are expressed at low levels during normal cell growth. Upon plasmid loss, CcdB outlives CcdA and kills the cell by poisoning gyrase. The interactions between CcdB, CcdA, and its promoter DNA were analyzed. In solution, the CcdA-CcdB interaction is complex, leading to various complexes with different stoichiometry. CcdA has two binding sites for CcdB and vice versa, permitting soluble hexamer formation but also causing precipitation, especially at CcdA:CcdB ratios close to one. CcdA alone, but not CcdB, binds to promoter DNA with high on and off rates. The presence of CcdB enhances the affinity and the specificity of CcdA-DNA binding and results in a stable CcdA*CcdB*DNA complex with a CcdA:CcdB ratio of one. This (CcdA(2)CcdB(2))(n) complex has multiple DNA-binding sites and spirals around the 120-bp promoter region.

Addiction modules and programmed cell death and antideath in bacterial cultures

In bacteria, programmed cell death is mediated through "addiction modules" consisting of two genes. The product of the second gene is a stable toxin, whereas the product of the first is a labile antitoxin. Here we extensively review what is known about those modules that are borne by one of a number of Escherichia coli extrachromosomal elements and are responsible for the postsegregational killing effect. We focus on a recently discovered chromosomally borne regulatable addiction module in E. coli that responds to nutritional stress and also on an antideath gene of the E. coli bacteriophage lambda. We consider the relation of these two to programmed cell death and antideath in bacterial cultures. Finally, we discuss the similarities between basic features of programmed cell death and antideath in both prokaryotes and eukaryotes and the possibility that they share a common evolutionary origin.

Interactions of CcdB with DNA gyrase. Inactivation of Gyra, poisoning of the gyrase-DNA complex, and the antidote action of CcdA

The F plasmid-carried bacterial toxin, the CcdB protein, is known to act on DNA gyrase in two different ways. CcdB poisons the gyrase-DNA complex, blocking the passage of polymerases and leading to double-strand breakage of the DNA. Alternatively, in cells that overexpress CcdB, the A subunit of DNA gyrase (GyrA) has been found as an inactive complex with CcdB. We have reconstituted the inactive GyrA-CcdB complex by denaturation and renaturation of the purified GyrA dimer in the presence of CcdB. This inactivating interaction involves the N-terminal domain of GyrA, because similar inactive complexes were formed by denaturing and renaturing N-terminal fragments of the GyrA protein in the presence of CcdB. Single amino acid mutations, both in GyrA and in CcdB, that prevent CcdB-induced DNA cleavage also prevent formation of the inactive complexes, indicating that some essential interaction sites of GyrA and of CcdB are common to both the poisoning and the inactivation processes. Whereas the lethal effect of CcdB is most probably due to poisoning of the gyrase-DNA complex, the inactivation pathway may prevent cell death through formation of a toxin-antitoxin-like complex between CcdB and newly translated GyrA subunits. Both poisoning and inactivation can be prevented and reversed in the presence of the F plasmid-encoded antidote, the CcdA protein. The products of treating the inactive GyrA-CcdB complex with CcdA are free GyrA and a CcdB-CcdA complex of approximately 44 kDa, which may correspond to a (CcdB)2(CcdA)2 heterotetramer.

Crystal structure of CcdB, a topoisomerase poison from E. coli

The crystal structure of CcdB, a protein that poisons Escherichia coli gyrase, was determined in three crystal forms. The protein consists of a five-stranded antiparallel beta-pleated sheet followed by a C-terminal alpha-helix. In one of the loops of the sheet, a second small three-stranded antiparallel beta-sheet is inserted that sticks out of the molecule as a wing. This wing contains the LysC proteolytic cleavage site that is protected by CcdA and, therefore, forms a likely CcdA recognition site. A dimer is formed by sheet extension and by extensive hydrophobic contacts involving three of the five methionine residues and the C terminus of the alpha-helix. The surface of the dimer on the side of the alpha-helix is overall negatively charged, while the opposite side as well as the wing sheet is dominated by positive charges. We propose that the CcdB dimer binds into the central hole of the 59 kDa N-terminal fragment of GyrA, after disruption of the head dimer interface of GyrA.

Bacterial death by DNA gyrase poisoning

DNA gyrase is an essential topoisomerase that is found in all bacteria and is the target of potent antibiotics, such as the quinolones. By creating DNA lesions and inducing the bacterial SOS response, these drugs are not only highly cytotoxic but also mutagenic. Discovery and analysis of natural molecules with anti-gyrase activities, such as the CcdB or microcin B17 proteins, hold promise for understanding further topoisomerase reactions and for the design of new antibiotics.

A triggered-suicide system designed as a defense against bacteriophages

A novel bacteriophage protection system for Lactococcus lactis based on a genetic trap, in which a strictly phage-inducible promoter isolated from the lytic phage phi31 is used to activate a bacterial suicide system after infection, was developed. The lethal gene of the suicide system consists of the three-gene restriction cassette LlaIR+, which is lethal across a wide range of gram-positive bacteria. The phage-inducible trigger promoter (phi31P) and the LlaIR+ restriction cassette were cloned in Escherichia coli on a high-copy-number replicon to generate pTRK414H. Restriction activity was not apparent in E. coli or L. lactis prior to phage infection. In phage challenges of L. lactis(pTRK414H) with phi31, the efficiency of plaquing was lowered to 10(-4) and accompanied by a fourfold reduction in burst size. Center-of-infection assays revealed that only 15% of infected cells released progeny phage. In addition to phage phi31, the phi31P/LlaIR+ suicide cassette also inhibited four phi31-derived recombinant phages at levels at least 10-fold greater than that of phi31. The phi31P/LlaIR+-based suicide system is a genetically engineered form of abortive infection that traps and eliminates phages potentially evolving in fermentation environments by destroying the phage genome and killing the propagation host. This type of phage-triggered suicide system could be designed for any bacterium-phage combination, given a universal lethal gene and an inducible promoter which is triggered by the infecting bacteriophage.