1
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Kasal MR, Kotamarthi HC, Johnson MM, Stephens HM, Lang MJ, Sauer RT, Baker TA. Lon degrades stable substrates slowly but with enhanced processivity, redefining the attributes of a successful AAA+ protease. Cell Rep 2023; 42:113061. [PMID: 37660294 PMCID: PMC10695633 DOI: 10.1016/j.celrep.2023.113061] [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: 03/02/2023] [Revised: 07/15/2023] [Accepted: 08/16/2023] [Indexed: 09/05/2023] Open
Abstract
Lon is a widely distributed AAA+ (ATPases associated with diverse cellular activities) protease known for degrading poorly folded and damaged proteins and is often classified as a weak protein unfoldase. Here, using a Lon-degron pair from Mesoplasma florum (MfLon and MfssrA, respectively), we perform ensemble and single-molecule experiments to elucidate the molecular mechanisms underpinning MfLon function. Notably, we find that MfLon unfolds and degrades stably folded substrates and that translocation of these unfolded polypeptides occurs with a ∼6-amino-acid step size. Moreover, the time required to hydrolyze one ATP corresponds to the dwell time between steps, indicating that one step occurs per ATP-hydrolysis-fueled "power stroke." Comparison of MfLon to related AAA+ enzymes now provides strong evidence that HCLR-clade enzymes function using a shared power-stroke mechanism and, surprisingly, that MfLon is more processive than ClpXP and ClpAP. We propose that ample unfoldase strength and substantial processivity are features that contribute to the Lon family's evolutionary success.
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Affiliation(s)
- Meghann R Kasal
- Department of Biology, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA 02139, USA
| | | | - Madeline M Johnson
- Department of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, TN 37235, USA
| | - Hannah M Stephens
- Department of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, TN 37235, USA
| | - Matthew J Lang
- Department of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, TN 37235, USA
| | - Robert T Sauer
- Department of Biology, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA 02139, USA
| | - Tania A Baker
- Department of Biology, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA 02139, USA.
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2
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Zhou Q, Wu Y, Deng J, Liu Y, Li J, Du G, Lv X, Liu L. Combinatorial metabolic engineering enables high yield production of α-arbutin from sucrose by biocatalysis. Appl Microbiol Biotechnol 2023; 107:2897-2910. [PMID: 37000229 DOI: 10.1007/s00253-023-12496-2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/06/2023] [Revised: 03/18/2023] [Accepted: 03/22/2023] [Indexed: 04/01/2023]
Abstract
α-Arbutin has been widely used as a skin-whitening ingredient. Previously, we successfully produced α-arbutin via whole-cell biocatalysis and found that the conversion rate of sucrose to α-arbutin was low (~45%). To overcome this issue, herein, we knocked out the genes of enzymes related to the sucrose hydrolysis, including sacB, sacC, levB, and sacA. The sucrose consumption was reduced by 17.4% in 24 h, and the sucrose conversion rate was increased to 51.5%. Furthermore, we developed an inducible protein degradation system with Lon protease isolated from Mesoplasma florum (MfLon) and proteolytic tag to control the PfkA activity, so that more fructose-6-phosphate (F6P) can be converted into glucose-1-phosphate (Glc1P) for α-arbutin synthesis, which can reduce the addition of sucrose and increase the sucrose conversion efficiency. Finally, the pathway of F6P to Glc1P was enhanced by integrating another copy of glucose 6-phosphate isomerase (Pgi) and phosphoglucomutase (PgcA); a high α-arbutin titer (~120 g/L) was obtained. The sucrose conversion rate was increased to 60.4% (mol/mol). In this study, the substrate utilization rate was boosted due to the attenuation of its hydrolysis and the assistance of the intracellular enzymes that converted the side product back into the substrate for α-arbutin synthesis. This strategy provides a new idea for the whole-cell biocatalytic synthesis of other products using sucrose as substrate, especially valuable glycosides.Key points The genes of sucrose metabolic pathway were knocked out to reduce the sucrose consumption. The by-product fructose was reused to synthesize α-arbutin. The optimized whole-cell system improved sucrose conversion by 15.3%.
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Affiliation(s)
- Qi Zhou
- Key Laboratory of Carbohydrate Chemistry and Biotechnology, Ministry of Education, Jiangnan University, Wuxi, 214122, China
- Science Center for Future Foods, Ministry of Education, Jiangnan University, Wuxi, 214122, China
- Wuxi Food Safety Inspection and Test Center & Technology Innovation Center of Special Food for State Market Regulation, Wuxi, 214122, China
| | - Yaokang Wu
- Key Laboratory of Carbohydrate Chemistry and Biotechnology, Ministry of Education, Jiangnan University, Wuxi, 214122, China
- Science Center for Future Foods, Ministry of Education, Jiangnan University, Wuxi, 214122, China
| | - Jieying Deng
- School of Food and Biological Engineering, Hefei University of Technology, Hefei, 230009, China
| | - Yanfeng Liu
- Key Laboratory of Carbohydrate Chemistry and Biotechnology, Ministry of Education, Jiangnan University, Wuxi, 214122, China
- Science Center for Future Foods, Ministry of Education, Jiangnan University, Wuxi, 214122, China
| | - Jianghua Li
- Key Laboratory of Carbohydrate Chemistry and Biotechnology, Ministry of Education, Jiangnan University, Wuxi, 214122, China
- Science Center for Future Foods, Ministry of Education, Jiangnan University, Wuxi, 214122, China
| | - Guocheng Du
- Key Laboratory of Carbohydrate Chemistry and Biotechnology, Ministry of Education, Jiangnan University, Wuxi, 214122, China
- Science Center for Future Foods, Ministry of Education, Jiangnan University, Wuxi, 214122, China
| | - Xueqin Lv
- Key Laboratory of Carbohydrate Chemistry and Biotechnology, Ministry of Education, Jiangnan University, Wuxi, 214122, China.
- Science Center for Future Foods, Ministry of Education, Jiangnan University, Wuxi, 214122, China.
| | - Long Liu
- Key Laboratory of Carbohydrate Chemistry and Biotechnology, Ministry of Education, Jiangnan University, Wuxi, 214122, China
- Science Center for Future Foods, Ministry of Education, Jiangnan University, Wuxi, 214122, China
- Food Laboratory of Zhongyuan, Jiangnan University, Wuxi, 214122, China
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3
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Jadhav P, Chen Y, Butzin N, Buceta J, Urchueguía A. Bacterial degrons in synthetic circuits. Open Biol 2022; 12:220180. [PMID: 35975648 PMCID: PMC9382460 DOI: 10.1098/rsob.220180] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/18/2022] Open
Abstract
Bacterial proteases are a promising post-translational regulation strategy in synthetic circuits because they recognize specific amino acid degradation tags (degrons) that can be fine-tuned to modulate the degradation levels of tagged proteins. For this reason, recent efforts have been made in the search for new degrons. Here we review the up-to-date applications of degradation tags for circuit engineering in bacteria. In particular, we pay special attention to the effects of degradation bottlenecks in synthetic oscillators and introduce mathematical approaches to study queueing that enable the quantitative modelling of proteolytic queues.
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Affiliation(s)
- Prajakta Jadhav
- Department of Biology and Microbiology, South Dakota State University, Brookings, SD, USA
| | - Yanyan Chen
- Program for Computational and Systems Biology, Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, New York, NY, USA
| | - Nicholas Butzin
- Department of Biology and Microbiology, South Dakota State University, Brookings, SD, USA
| | - Javier Buceta
- Institute for Integrative Systems Biology (I2SysBio, CSIC-UV), Paterna, Valencia 46980, Spain
| | - Arantxa Urchueguía
- Department of Biology and Microbiology, South Dakota State University, Brookings, SD, USA.,Institute for Integrative Systems Biology (I2SysBio, CSIC-UV), Paterna, Valencia 46980, Spain
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4
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Szydlo K, Ignatova Z, Gorochowski TE. Improving the Robustness of Engineered Bacteria to Nutrient Stress Using Programmed Proteolysis. ACS Synth Biol 2022; 11:1049-1059. [PMID: 35174698 PMCID: PMC9097571 DOI: 10.1021/acssynbio.1c00490] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/30/2021] [Indexed: 11/30/2022]
Abstract
The use of short peptide tags in synthetic genetic circuits allows for the tuning of gene expression dynamics and release of amino acid resources through targeted protein degradation. Here, we use elements of the Escherichia coli and Mesoplasma florum transfer-mRNA (tmRNA) ribosome rescue systems to compare endogenous and foreign proteolysis systems in E. coli. We characterize the performance and burden of each and show that, while both greatly shorten the half-life of a tagged protein, the endogenous system is approximately 10 times more efficient. On the basis of these results we then demonstrate using mathematical modeling and experiments how proteolysis can improve cellular robustness through targeted degradation of a reporter protein in auxotrophic strains, providing a limited secondary source of essential amino acids that help partially restore growth when nutrients become scarce. These findings provide avenues for controlling the functional lifetime of engineered cells once deployed and increasing their tolerance to fluctuations in nutrient availability.
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Affiliation(s)
- Klara Szydlo
- Institute
of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, University
of Hamburg, 20146, Hamburg, Germany
| | - Zoya Ignatova
- Institute
of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, University
of Hamburg, 20146, Hamburg, Germany
| | - Thomas E. Gorochowski
- School
of Biological Sciences, University of Bristol, BS8 1TQ, Bristol, United Kingdom
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5
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Zübert C, Ilic AM, Duduk B, Kube M. The Genome Reduction Excludes the Ribosomal Rescue System in Acholeplasmataceae. Microb Physiol 2022; 32:45-56. [PMID: 35100600 DOI: 10.1159/000520450] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/16/2021] [Accepted: 10/24/2021] [Indexed: 11/19/2022]
Abstract
The trans-translation process is a ribosomal rescue system for stalled ribosomes processing truncated mRNA. The genes ssrA and smpB fulfil the key functions in most bacteria, but some species have either lost these genes or the function of the ribosomal rescue system is taken over by other genes. To date, the ribosomal rescue system has not been analysed in detail for the Acholeplasmataceae. This family, in the Mollicutes class, comprises the genus Acholeplasma and the provisional taxon "Candidatus Phytoplasma". Despite their monophyletic origin, the two clades can be separated by traits such as not representing primary pathogens for acholeplasmas versus being phytopathogenic for the majority of phytoplasmas. Both taxa share reduced genomes, but only phytoplasma genomes are characterised by a remarkable level of instability and reduction. Despite the general relevance of the ribosomal rescue system, information is lacking on coding, the genomic context and pseudogenisation of smpB and ssrA and their possible application as a phylogenetic marker. Herein, we provide a comprehensive analysis of the ribosomal rescue system in members of Acholeplasmataceae. The examined Acholeplasmataceae genomes encode a ribosomal rescue system, which depends on tmRNA encoded by ssrA acting in combination with its binding protein SmpB. Conserved gene synteny is evident for smpB, while ssrA shows a less conserved genomic context. Analysis of the tmRNA sequences highlights the variability of proteolysis tag sequences and short conserved sites at the 5'- and 3'-ends. Analyses of smpB provided no hints regarding the coding of pseudogenes, but they did suggest its application as a phylogenetic marker of Acholeplasmataceae - in accordance with 16S rDNA topology. Sequence variability of smpB provides sufficient information for species assignment and phylogenetic analysis.
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Affiliation(s)
- Christina Zübert
- Integrative Infection Biology Crops-Livestock, University of Hohenheim, Stuttgart, Germany
| | - Anna-Marie Ilic
- Integrative Infection Biology Crops-Livestock, University of Hohenheim, Stuttgart, Germany
| | - Bojan Duduk
- Institute of Pesticides and Environmental Protection, Belgrade, Serbia
| | - Michael Kube
- Integrative Infection Biology Crops-Livestock, University of Hohenheim, Stuttgart, Germany
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6
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Chen R, Zhao L, Gan R, Feng Z, Cui C, Xie X, Hao F, Zhang Z, Wang L, Ran T, Wang W, Zhang S, Li Y, Zhang W, Pang M, Xiong Q, Shao G. Evidence for the Rapid and Divergent Evolution of Mycoplasmas: Structural and Phylogenetic Analysis of Enolases. Front Mol Biosci 2022; 8:811106. [PMID: 35145997 PMCID: PMC8822174 DOI: 10.3389/fmolb.2021.811106] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/02/2021] [Accepted: 12/29/2021] [Indexed: 12/21/2022] Open
Abstract
Mycoplasmas are a group of prokaryotes without cell walls that have evolved through several rounds of degenerative evolution. With a low cell DNA G + C content and definitively long genetic lineages, mycoplasmas are thought to be in a state of rapid evolution. However, little associated evidence has been provided. Enolase is a key enzyme in glycolysis that is widely found in all species from the three domains, and it is evolutionarily conserved. In our previous studies, enolase acted as a virulence factor and participated in cell-surface adhesion in Mycoplasma hyopneumoniae. Furthermore, unique loop regions were first found in the crystal structure of Mhp Eno. Here, enolase structures from Mycoplasma pneumoniae and Mycoplasma bovis were determined. An extra helix 7 is specific and conservatively found in almost all mycoplasma enolases, as confirmed by crystal structures and sequence alignment. Particular motifs for helix 7, which is composed of F-K/G-K-L/F-K-X-A-I, have been proposed and could be regarded as molecular markers. To our surprise, the genetic distances between any two mycoplasma enolases were obviously longer than those between the two corresponding species themselves, indicating divergent evolution of mycoplasma enolases, whereas no horizontal gene transfer was detected in mycoplasma enolase genens. Furthermore, different evolutionary patterns were adopted by different loop regions of mycoplasma enolase. Enolases from different Mycoplasma species also showed different affinities for PLG and fibronectin. Our results indicate the rapid and divergent evolution of mycoplasma enolase and mycoplasmas. This study will also aid understanding the independent evolution of Mycoplasma species after separation from their common ancestor.
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Affiliation(s)
- Rong Chen
- College of Veterinary Medicine, Nanjing Agricultural University, Nanjing, China
- Institute of Veterinary Medicine, Jiangsu Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Nanjing, China
| | - Lin Zhao
- College of Veterinary Medicine, Nanjing Agricultural University, Nanjing, China
- Institute of Veterinary Medicine, Jiangsu Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Nanjing, China
| | - Rong Gan
- College of Veterinary Medicine, Nanjing Agricultural University, Nanjing, China
| | - Zhixin Feng
- Institute of Veterinary Medicine, Jiangsu Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Nanjing, China
| | - Chenxi Cui
- National Laboratory of Biomacromolecules, CAS Center for Excellence in Biomacromolecules, Institute of Biophysics, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China
| | - Xing Xie
- Institute of Veterinary Medicine, Jiangsu Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Nanjing, China
| | - Fei Hao
- Institute of Veterinary Medicine, Jiangsu Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Nanjing, China
| | - Zhenzhen Zhang
- Institute of Veterinary Medicine, Jiangsu Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Nanjing, China
| | - Li Wang
- Institute of Veterinary Medicine, Jiangsu Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Nanjing, China
| | - Tingting Ran
- Key Laboratory of Agricultural and Environmental Microbiology, College of Life Sciences, Ministry of Agriculture, Nanjing Agricultural University, Nanjing, China
| | - Weiwu Wang
- Key Laboratory of Agricultural and Environmental Microbiology, College of Life Sciences, Ministry of Agriculture, Nanjing Agricultural University, Nanjing, China
| | - Shuijun Zhang
- College of Life Sciences, Nanjing Agricultural University, Nanjing, China
| | - Yufeng Li
- College of Veterinary Medicine, Nanjing Agricultural University, Nanjing, China
| | - Wei Zhang
- Key Lab of Animal Bacteriology of Ministry of Agriculture, OIE Reference Lab for Swine Streptococcosis, College of Veterinary Medicine, Nanjing Agricultural University, Nanjing, China
- *Correspondence: Wei Zhang, ; Maoda Pang, ; Qiyan Xiong,
| | - Maoda Pang
- State Key Laboratory Cultivation Base of MOST, Institute of Food Safety and Nutrition, Jiangsu Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Nanjing, China
- *Correspondence: Wei Zhang, ; Maoda Pang, ; Qiyan Xiong,
| | - Qiyan Xiong
- College of Veterinary Medicine, Nanjing Agricultural University, Nanjing, China
- Institute of Veterinary Medicine, Jiangsu Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Nanjing, China
- *Correspondence: Wei Zhang, ; Maoda Pang, ; Qiyan Xiong,
| | - Guoqing Shao
- College of Veterinary Medicine, Nanjing Agricultural University, Nanjing, China
- Institute of Veterinary Medicine, Jiangsu Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Nanjing, China
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7
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Li S, Hsieh KY, Kuo CI, Lee SH, Pintilie GD, Zhang K, Chang CI. Complete three-dimensional structures of the Lon protease translocating a protein substrate. SCIENCE ADVANCES 2021; 7:eabj7835. [PMID: 34652947 PMCID: PMC8519571 DOI: 10.1126/sciadv.abj7835] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/05/2023]
Abstract
Lon is an evolutionarily conserved proteolytic machine carrying out a wide spectrum of biological activities by degrading misfolded damaged proteins and specific cellular substrates. Lon contains a large N-terminal domain and forms a hexameric core of fused adenosine triphosphatase and protease domains. Here, we report two complete structures of Lon engaging a substrate, determined by cryo–electron microscopy to 2.4-angstrom resolution. These structures show a multilayered architecture featuring a tensegrity triangle complex, uniquely constructed by six long N-terminal helices. The interlocked helix triangle is assembled on the top of the hexameric core to spread a web of six globular substrate-binding domains. It serves as a multipurpose platform that controls the access of substrates to the AAA+ ring, provides a ruler-based mechanism for substrate selection, and acts as a pulley device to facilitate unfolding of the translocated substrate. This work provides a complete framework for understanding the structural mechanisms of Lon.
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Affiliation(s)
- Shanshan Li
- MOE Key Laboratory for Membraneless Organelles and Cellular Dynamics, Hefei National Laboratory for Physical Sciences at the Microscale and Division of Life Sciences and Medicine, University of Science and Technology of China, Hefei 230027, China
- Department of Bioengineering and James H. Clark Center, Stanford University, Stanford, CA 94305, USA
| | - Kan-Yen Hsieh
- Institute of Biological Chemistry, Academia Sinica, Taipei 11529, Taiwan
| | - Chiao-I Kuo
- Institute of Biological Chemistry, Academia Sinica, Taipei 11529, Taiwan
| | - Szu-Hui Lee
- Institute of Biological Chemistry, Academia Sinica, Taipei 11529, Taiwan
| | - Grigore D. Pintilie
- Department of Bioengineering and James H. Clark Center, Stanford University, Stanford, CA 94305, USA
| | - Kaiming Zhang
- MOE Key Laboratory for Membraneless Organelles and Cellular Dynamics, Hefei National Laboratory for Physical Sciences at the Microscale and Division of Life Sciences and Medicine, University of Science and Technology of China, Hefei 230027, China
- Department of Bioengineering and James H. Clark Center, Stanford University, Stanford, CA 94305, USA
- Corresponding author. (K.Z.); (C.-I.C.)
| | - Chung-I Chang
- Institute of Biological Chemistry, Academia Sinica, Taipei 11529, Taiwan
- Institute of Biochemical Sciences, College of Life Science, National Taiwan University, Taipei 10617, Taiwan
- Corresponding author. (K.Z.); (C.-I.C.)
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8
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Burgos R, Weber M, Gallo C, Lluch-Senar M, Serrano L. Widespread ribosome stalling in a genome-reduced bacterium and the need for translational quality control. iScience 2021; 24:102985. [PMID: 34485867 PMCID: PMC8403727 DOI: 10.1016/j.isci.2021.102985] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/27/2021] [Revised: 07/22/2021] [Accepted: 08/11/2021] [Indexed: 11/21/2022] Open
Abstract
Trans-translation is a ubiquitous bacterial mechanism of ribosome rescue mediated by a transfer-messenger RNA (tmRNA) that adds a degradation tag to the truncated nascent polypeptide. Here, we characterize this quality control system in a genome-reduced bacterium, Mycoplasma pneumoniae (MPN), and perform a comparative analysis of protein quality control components in slow and fast-growing prokaryotes. We show in vivo that in MPN the sole quality control cytoplasmic protease (Lon) degrades efficiently tmRNA-tagged proteins. Analysis of tmRNA-mutants encoding a tag resistant to proteolysis reveals extensive tagging activity under normal growth. Unlike knockout strains, these mutants are viable demonstrating the requirement of tmRNA-mediated ribosome recycling. Chaperone and Lon steady-state levels maintain proteostasis in these mutants suggesting a model in which co-evolution of Lon and their substrates offer simple mechanisms of regulation without specialized degradation machineries. Finally, comparative analysis shows relative increase in Lon/Chaperone levels in slow-growing bacteria suggesting physiological adaptation to growth demand. Lon degrades efficiently tmRNA-tagged proteins in a genome-reduced bacterium tmRNA-tag mutants are viable and reveal extensive tagging activity in M. pneumoniae Co-evolution of Lon and their substrates offer simple mechanisms of regulation Chaperone and Lon relative levels correlate with bacterial growth rates
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Affiliation(s)
- Raul Burgos
- Centre for Genomic Regulation (CRG), the Barcelona Institute of Science and Technology, Dr. Aiguader 88, Barcelona 08003, Spain
- Corresponding author
| | - Marc Weber
- Centre for Genomic Regulation (CRG), the Barcelona Institute of Science and Technology, Dr. Aiguader 88, Barcelona 08003, Spain
| | - Carolina Gallo
- Centre for Genomic Regulation (CRG), the Barcelona Institute of Science and Technology, Dr. Aiguader 88, Barcelona 08003, Spain
| | - Maria Lluch-Senar
- Centre for Genomic Regulation (CRG), the Barcelona Institute of Science and Technology, Dr. Aiguader 88, Barcelona 08003, Spain
| | - Luis Serrano
- Centre for Genomic Regulation (CRG), the Barcelona Institute of Science and Technology, Dr. Aiguader 88, Barcelona 08003, Spain
- Universitat Pompeu Fabra (UPF), Barcelona, Spain
- ICREA, Pg. Lluis Companys 23, Barcelona 08010, Spain
- Corresponding author
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9
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Weber M, Burgos R, Yus E, Yang J, Lluch‐Senar M, Serrano L. Impact of C-terminal amino acid composition on protein expression in bacteria. Mol Syst Biol 2020; 16:e9208. [PMID: 32449593 PMCID: PMC7246954 DOI: 10.15252/msb.20199208] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/28/2019] [Revised: 04/07/2020] [Accepted: 04/09/2020] [Indexed: 11/30/2022] Open
Abstract
The C-terminal sequence of a protein is involved in processes such as efficiency of translation termination and protein degradation. However, the general relationship between features of this C-terminal sequence and levels of protein expression remains unknown. Here, we identified C-terminal amino acid biases that are ubiquitous across the bacterial taxonomy (1,582 genomes). We showed that the frequency is higher for positively charged amino acids (lysine, arginine), while hydrophobic amino acids and threonine are lower. We then studied the impact of C-terminal composition on protein levels in a library of Mycoplasma pneumoniae mutants, covering all possible combinations of the two last codons. We found that charged and polar residues, in particular lysine, led to higher expression, while hydrophobic and aromatic residues led to lower expression, with a difference in protein levels up to fourfold. We further showed that modulation of protein degradation rate could be one of the main mechanisms driving these differences. Our results demonstrate that the identity of the last amino acids has a strong influence on protein expression levels.
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Affiliation(s)
- Marc Weber
- Centre for Genomic Regulation (CRG)The Barcelona Institute of Science and TechnologyBarcelonaSpain
| | - Raul Burgos
- Centre for Genomic Regulation (CRG)The Barcelona Institute of Science and TechnologyBarcelonaSpain
| | - Eva Yus
- Centre for Genomic Regulation (CRG)The Barcelona Institute of Science and TechnologyBarcelonaSpain
| | - Jae‐Seong Yang
- Centre for Genomic Regulation (CRG)The Barcelona Institute of Science and TechnologyBarcelonaSpain
| | - Maria Lluch‐Senar
- Centre for Genomic Regulation (CRG)The Barcelona Institute of Science and TechnologyBarcelonaSpain
| | - Luis Serrano
- Centre for Genomic Regulation (CRG)The Barcelona Institute of Science and TechnologyBarcelonaSpain
- Universitat Pompeu Fabra (UPF)BarcelonaSpain
- ICREABarcelonaSpain
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10
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Breuer M, Earnest TM, Merryman C, Wise KS, Sun L, Lynott MR, Hutchison CA, Smith HO, Lapek JD, Gonzalez DJ, de Crécy-Lagard V, Haas D, Hanson AD, Labhsetwar P, Glass JI, Luthey-Schulten Z. Essential metabolism for a minimal cell. eLife 2019; 8:36842. [PMID: 30657448 PMCID: PMC6609329 DOI: 10.7554/elife.36842] [Citation(s) in RCA: 78] [Impact Index Per Article: 15.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/21/2018] [Accepted: 01/17/2019] [Indexed: 11/29/2022] Open
Abstract
JCVI-syn3A, a robust minimal cell with a 543 kbp genome and 493 genes, provides a versatile platform to study the basics of life. Using the vast amount of experimental information available on its precursor, Mycoplasma mycoides capri, we assembled a near-complete metabolic network with 98% of enzymatic reactions supported by annotation or experiment. The model agrees well with genome-scale in vivo transposon mutagenesis experiments, showing a Matthews correlation coefficient of 0.59. The genes in the reconstruction have a high in vivo essentiality or quasi-essentiality of 92% (68% essential), compared to 79% in silico essentiality. This coherent model of the minimal metabolism in JCVI-syn3A at the same time also points toward specific open questions regarding the minimal genome of JCVI-syn3A, which still contains many genes of generic or completely unclear function. In particular, the model, its comparison to in vivo essentiality and proteomics data yield specific hypotheses on gene functions and metabolic capabilities; and provide suggestions for several further gene removals. In this way, the model and its accompanying data guide future investigations of the minimal cell. Finally, the identification of 30 essential genes with unclear function will motivate the search for new biological mechanisms beyond metabolism. One way that researchers can test whether they understand a biological system is to see if they can accurately recreate it as a computer model. The more they learn about living things, the more the researchers can improve their models and the closer the models become to simulating the original. In this approach, it is best to start by trying to model a simple system. Biologists have previously succeeded in creating ‘minimal bacterial cells’. These synthetic cells contain fewer genes than almost all other living things and they are believed to be among the simplest possible forms of life that can grow on their own. The minimal cells can produce all the chemicals that they need to survive – in other words, they have a metabolism. Accurately recreating one of these cells in a computer is a key first step towards simulating a complete living system. Breuer et al. have developed a computer model to simulate the network of the biochemical reactions going on inside a minimal cell with just 493 genes. By altering the parameters of their model and comparing the results to experimental data, Breuer et al. explored the accuracy of their model. Overall, the model reproduces experimental results, but it is not yet perfect. The differences between the model and the experiments suggest new questions and tests that could advance our understanding of biology. In particular, Breuer et al. identified 30 genes that are essential for life in these cells but that currently have no known purpose. Continuing to develop and expand models like these to reproduce more complex living systems provides a tool to test current knowledge of biology. These models may become so advanced that they could predict how living things will respond to changing situations. This would allow scientists to test ideas sooner and make much faster progress in understanding life on Earth. Ultimately, these models could one day help to accelerate medical and industrial processes to save lives and enhance productivity.
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Affiliation(s)
- Marian Breuer
- Department of Chemistry, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, Urbana, United States
| | - Tyler M Earnest
- Department of Chemistry, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, Urbana, United States
| | | | - Kim S Wise
- J Craig Venter Institute, La Jolla, United States
| | - Lijie Sun
- J Craig Venter Institute, La Jolla, United States
| | | | | | | | - John D Lapek
- Department of Pharmacology and School of Pharmacy, University of California at San Diego, La Jolla, United States
| | - David J Gonzalez
- Department of Pharmacology and School of Pharmacy, University of California at San Diego, La Jolla, United States
| | - Valérie de Crécy-Lagard
- Department of Microbiology and Cell Science, University of Florida, Gainesville, United States
| | - Drago Haas
- Department of Microbiology and Cell Science, University of Florida, Gainesville, United States
| | - Andrew D Hanson
- Horticultural Sciences Department, University of Florida, Gainesville, United States
| | - Piyush Labhsetwar
- Department of Chemistry, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, Urbana, United States
| | - John I Glass
- J Craig Venter Institute, La Jolla, United States
| | - Zaida Luthey-Schulten
- Department of Chemistry, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, Urbana, United States
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11
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Puri N, Karzai AW. HspQ Functions as a Unique Specificity-Enhancing Factor for the AAA+ Lon Protease. Mol Cell 2017; 66:672-683.e4. [PMID: 28575662 DOI: 10.1016/j.molcel.2017.05.016] [Citation(s) in RCA: 28] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/21/2016] [Revised: 03/24/2017] [Accepted: 05/16/2017] [Indexed: 11/26/2022]
Abstract
The AAA+ Lon protease is conserved from bacteria to humans, performs crucial roles in protein homeostasis, and is implicated in bacterial pathogenesis and human disease. We investigated how Lon selectively degrades specific substrates among a diverse array of potential targets. We report the discovery of HspQ as a new Lon substrate, unique specificity-enhancing factor, and potent allosteric activator. Lon recognizes HspQ via a C-terminal degron, whose precise presentation, in synergy with multipartite contacts with the native core of HspQ, is required for allosteric Lon activation. Productive HspQ-Lon engagement enhances degradation of multiple new and known Lon substrates. Our studies reveal the existence and simultaneous utilization of two distinct substrate recognition sites on Lon, an HspQ binding site and an HspQ-modulated allosteric site. Our investigations unveil an unprecedented regulatory use of an evolutionarily conserved heat shock protein and present a distinctive mechanism for how Lon protease achieves temporally enhanced substrate selectivity.
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Affiliation(s)
- Neha Puri
- Department of Biochemistry and Cell Biology, Center for Infectious Diseases, Graduate Program in Molecular and Cellular Biology, Stony Brook University, Stony Brook, NY 11794, USA
| | - A Wali Karzai
- Department of Biochemistry and Cell Biology, Center for Infectious Diseases, Graduate Program in Molecular and Cellular Biology, Stony Brook University, Stony Brook, NY 11794, USA.
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12
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Shi H, Rampello AJ, Glynn SE. Engineered AAA+ proteases reveal principles of proteolysis at the mitochondrial inner membrane. Nat Commun 2016; 7:13301. [PMID: 27786171 PMCID: PMC5095350 DOI: 10.1038/ncomms13301] [Citation(s) in RCA: 36] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/12/2015] [Accepted: 09/20/2016] [Indexed: 12/17/2022] Open
Abstract
The human YME1L protease is a membrane-anchored AAA+ enzyme that controls proteostasis at the inner membrane and intermembrane space of mitochondria. Understanding how YME1L recognizes substrates and catalyses ATP-dependent degradation has been hampered by the presence of an insoluble transmembrane anchor that drives hexamerization of the catalytic domains to form the ATPase active sites. Here, we overcome this limitation by replacing the transmembrane domain with a soluble hexameric coiled coil to produce active YME1L hexamers that can be studied in vitro. We use these engineered proteases to reveal principles of substrate processing by YME1L. Degradation by YME1L requires substrates to present an accessible signal sequence and is not initiated simply by substrate unfolding. The protease is also capable of processively unfolding substrate proteins with substantial thermodynamic stabilities. Lastly, we show that YME1L discriminates between degradation signals by amino acid composition, implying the use of sequence-specific signals in mitochondrial proteostasis. Human YME1L is a membrane-anchored AAA+ protease that maintains proteostasis in the mitochondrial inner membrane and intermembrane space. Here the authors probe the substrate-binding and degradation activities of YME1L and suggest the existence of sequence-specific degradation signals in mitochondrial proteostasis.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hui Shi
- Department of Biochemistry and Cell Biology, Stony Brook University, Stony Brook, New York 11794-5215, USA
| | - Anthony J Rampello
- Department of Biochemistry and Cell Biology, Stony Brook University, Stony Brook, New York 11794-5215, USA
| | - Steven E Glynn
- Department of Biochemistry and Cell Biology, Stony Brook University, Stony Brook, New York 11794-5215, USA
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13
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Olivares AO, Baker TA, Sauer RT. Mechanistic insights into bacterial AAA+ proteases and protein-remodelling machines. Nat Rev Microbiol 2015; 14:33-44. [PMID: 26639779 DOI: 10.1038/nrmicro.2015.4] [Citation(s) in RCA: 203] [Impact Index Per Article: 22.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/30/2023]
Abstract
To maintain protein homeostasis, AAA+ proteolytic machines degrade damaged and unneeded proteins in bacteria, archaea and eukaryotes. This process involves the ATP-dependent unfolding of a target protein and its subsequent translocation into a self-compartmentalized proteolytic chamber. Related AAA+ enzymes also disaggregate and remodel proteins. Recent structural and biochemical studies, in combination with direct visualization of unfolding and translocation in single-molecule experiments, have illuminated the molecular mechanisms behind these processes and suggest how remodelling of macromolecular complexes by AAA+ enzymes could occur without global denaturation. In this Review, we discuss the structural and mechanistic features of AAA+ proteases and remodelling machines, focusing on the bacterial ClpXP and ClpX as paradigms. We also consider the potential of these enzymes as antibacterial targets and outline future challenges for the field.
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Affiliation(s)
- Adrian O Olivares
- Department of Biology, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, Massachusetts 02139, USA
| | - Tania A Baker
- Department of Biology, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, Massachusetts 02139, USA
| | - Robert T Sauer
- Department of Biology, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, Massachusetts 02139, USA
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14
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15
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Jarocki VM, Tacchi JL, Djordjevic SP. Non-proteolytic functions of microbial proteases increase pathological complexity. Proteomics 2015; 15:1075-88. [PMID: 25492846 PMCID: PMC7167786 DOI: 10.1002/pmic.201400386] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/11/2014] [Revised: 10/26/2014] [Accepted: 12/05/2014] [Indexed: 12/26/2022]
Abstract
Proteases are enzymes that catalyse hydrolysis of peptide bonds thereby controlling the shape, size, function, composition, turnover and degradation of other proteins. In microbes, proteases are often identified as important virulence factors and as such have been targets for novel drug design. It is emerging that some proteases possess additional non‐proteolytic functions that play important roles in host epithelia adhesion, tissue invasion and in modulating immune responses. These additional “moonlighting” functions have the potential to obfuscate data interpretation and have implications for therapeutic design. Moonlighting enzymes comprise a subcategory of multifunctional proteins that possess at least two distinct biological functions on a single polypeptide chain. Presently, identifying moonlighting proteins relies heavily on serendipitous empirical data with clues arising from proteins lacking signal peptides that are localised to the cell surface. Here, we describe examples of microbial proteases with additional non‐proteolytic functions, including streptococcal pyrogenic exotoxin B, PepO and C5a peptidases, mycoplasmal aminopeptidases, mycobacterial chaperones and viral papain‐like proteases. We explore how these non‐proteolytic functions contribute to host cell adhesion, modulate the coagulation pathway, assist in non‐covalent folding of proteins, participate in cell signalling, and increase substrate repertoire. We conclude by describing how proteomics has aided in moonlighting protein discovery, focusing attention on potential moonlighters in microbial exoproteomes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Veronica M. Jarocki
- The ithree instituteProteomics Core Facility, University of TechnologySydneyNSWAustralia
| | - Jessica L. Tacchi
- The ithree instituteProteomics Core Facility, University of TechnologySydneyNSWAustralia
| | - Steven P. Djordjevic
- The ithree instituteProteomics Core Facility, University of TechnologySydneyNSWAustralia
- Proteomics Core FacilityUniversity of TechnologySydneyNSWAustralia
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16
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Tao L, Biswas I. Degradation of SsrA-tagged proteins in streptococci. MICROBIOLOGY-SGM 2015; 161:884-94. [PMID: 25645948 DOI: 10.1099/mic.0.000048] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/15/2014] [Accepted: 01/28/2015] [Indexed: 12/20/2022]
Abstract
In prokaryotes, a conserved small RNA molecule, called tmRNA, rescues ribosomes from proteins that are abnormally truncated due to the presence of rare codons or degraded mRNA. During the rescue process, a peptide tag (SsrA) encoded by tmRNA is cotranslationally added to the truncated polypeptides, thereby targeting these proteins for proteolytic degradation. In Escherichia coli, ClpXP and ClpAP proteases primarily degrade SsrA-tagged proteins. Other proteases such as Lon and FtsH also participate in the degradation in E. coli. However, in Bacillus subtilis, ClpXP is the major protease that degrades the SsrA-tagged proteins. Degradation of SsrA-tagged protein in streptococci is not well understood except that ClpXP is responsible for the majority of the degradation. Here we show that in Streptococcus mutans, in addition to ClpXP, two other Clp complexes, ClpCP and ClpEP, are also involved in the degradation. We also found that ClpCP- and ClpEP-mediated proteolysis of SsrA-tagged substrates is induced by heat stress. As ClpCP and ClpEP proteins are highly conserved in streptococci, we predicted that ClpEP- and ClpCP-mediated degradation of SsrA-tagged proteins might be operational in other streptococci.
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Affiliation(s)
- Liang Tao
- Department of Microbiology, Molecular Genetics and Immunology, University of Kansas Medical Center, 3901 Rainbow Boulevard, Kansas City, KS 66160, USA
| | - Indranil Biswas
- Department of Microbiology, Molecular Genetics and Immunology, University of Kansas Medical Center, 3901 Rainbow Boulevard, Kansas City, KS 66160, USA
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17
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Abstract
Tunable control of protein degradation in bacteria would provide a powerful research tool. We use components of the Mesoplasma florum tmRNA system to create a synthetic degradation system that provides both independent control of the steady-state protein level and inducible degradation of targeted proteins in Escherichia coli. We demonstrate application of this system in synthetic circuit development and control of core bacterial processes and antibacterial targets, and transfer the system to Lactococcus lactis to establish its broad functionality in bacteria. We create a 238-member library of tagged essential proteins in E. coli that can serve as both a research tool to study essential gene function and an applied system for antibiotic discovery. Our synthetic protein degradation system is modular, does not require disruption of host systems, and can be transferred to diverse bacteria with minimal modification.
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18
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Venkataraman K, Zafar H, Karzai AW. Distinct tmRNA sequence elements facilitate RNase R engagement on rescued ribosomes for selective nonstop mRNA decay. Nucleic Acids Res 2014; 42:11192-202. [PMID: 25200086 PMCID: PMC4176180 DOI: 10.1093/nar/gku802] [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] [Indexed: 11/14/2022] Open
Abstract
trans-Translation, orchestrated by SmpB and tmRNA, is the principal eubacterial pathway for resolving stalled translation complexes. RNase R, the leading nonstop mRNA surveillance factor, is recruited to stalled ribosomes in a trans-translation dependent process. To elucidate the contributions of SmpB and tmRNA to RNase R recruitment, we evaluated Escherichia coli–Francisella tularensis chimeric variants of tmRNA and SmpB. This evaluation showed that while the hybrid tmRNA supported nascent polypeptide tagging and ribosome rescue, it suffered defects in facilitating RNase R recruitment to stalled ribosomes. To gain further insights, we used established tmRNA and SmpB variants that impact distinct stages of the trans-translation process. Analysis of select tmRNA variants revealed that the sequence composition and positioning of the ultimate and penultimate codons of the tmRNA ORF play a crucial role in recruiting RNase R to rescued ribosomes. Evaluation of defined SmpB C-terminal tail variants highlighted the importance of establishing the tmRNA reading frame, and provided valuable clues into the timing of RNase R recruitment to rescued ribosomes. Taken together, these studies demonstrate that productive RNase R-ribosomes engagement requires active trans-translation, and suggest that RNase R captures the emerging nonstop mRNA at an early stage after establishment of the tmRNA ORF as the surrogate mRNA template.
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Affiliation(s)
- Krithika Venkataraman
- Department of Biochemistry and Cell Biology, Center for Infectious Diseases, Stony Brook University, Stony Brook, New York, NY 11794, USA
| | - Hina Zafar
- Department of Biochemistry and Cell Biology, Center for Infectious Diseases, Stony Brook University, Stony Brook, New York, NY 11794, USA
| | - A Wali Karzai
- Department of Biochemistry and Cell Biology, Center for Infectious Diseases, Stony Brook University, Stony Brook, New York, NY 11794, USA
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19
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Himeno H, Kurita D, Muto A. tmRNA-mediated trans-translation as the major ribosome rescue system in a bacterial cell. Front Genet 2014; 5:66. [PMID: 24778639 PMCID: PMC3985003 DOI: 10.3389/fgene.2014.00066] [Citation(s) in RCA: 51] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/26/2014] [Accepted: 03/15/2014] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Transfer messenger RNA (tmRNA; also known as 10Sa RNA or SsrA RNA) is a small RNA molecule that is conserved among bacteria. It has structural and functional similarities to tRNA: it has an upper half of the tRNA-like structure, its 5’ end is processed by RNase P, it has typical tRNA-specific base modifications, it is aminoacylated with alanine, it binds to EF-Tu after aminoacylation and it enters the ribosome with EF-Tu and GTP. However, tmRNA lacks an anticodon, and instead it has a coding sequence for a short peptide called tag-peptide. An elaborate interplay of actions of tmRNA as both tRNA and mRNA with the help of a tmRNA-binding protein, SmpB, facilitates trans-translation, which produces a single polypeptide from two mRNA molecules. Initially alanyl-tmRNA in complex with EF-Tu and SmpB enters the vacant A-site of the stalled ribosome like aminoacyl-tRNA but without a codon–anticodon interaction, and subsequently truncated mRNA is replaced with the tag-encoding region of tmRNA. During these processes, not only tmRNA but also SmpB structurally and functionally mimics both tRNA and mRNA. Thus trans-translation rescues the stalled ribosome, thereby allowing recycling of the ribosome. Since the tag-peptide serves as a target of AAA+ proteases, the trans-translation products are preferentially degraded so that they do not accumulate in the cell. Although alternative rescue systems have recently been revealed, trans-translation is the only system that universally exists in bacteria. Furthermore, it is unique in that it employs a small RNA and that it prevents accumulation of non-functional proteins from truncated mRNA in the cell. It might play the major role in rescuing the stalled translation in the bacterial cell.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hyouta Himeno
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Faculty of Agriculture and Life Science, Hirosaki University Hirosaki, Japan
| | - Daisuke Kurita
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Faculty of Agriculture and Life Science, Hirosaki University Hirosaki, Japan
| | - Akira Muto
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Faculty of Agriculture and Life Science, Hirosaki University Hirosaki, Japan
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20
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Camenares D, Dulebohn DP, Svetlanov A, Karzai AW. Active and accurate trans-translation requires distinct determinants in the C-terminal tail of SmpB protein and the mRNA-like domain of transfer messenger RNA (tmRNA). J Biol Chem 2013; 288:30527-30542. [PMID: 23986442 DOI: 10.1074/jbc.m113.503896] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/06/2022] Open
Abstract
Unproductive ribosome stalling in eubacteria is resolved by the actions of SmpB protein and transfer messenger (tm) RNA. We examined the functional significance of conserved regions of SmpB and tmRNA to the trans-translation process. Our investigations reveal that the N-terminal 20 residues of SmpB, which are located near the ribosomal decoding center, are dispensable for all known SmpB activities. In contrast, a set of conserved residues that reside at the junction between the tmRNA-binding core and the C-terminal tail of SmpB play an important role in tmRNA accommodation. Our data suggest that the highly conserved glycine 132 acts as a flexible hinge that enables movement of the C-terminal tail, thus permitting proper positioning and establishment of the tmRNA open reading frame (ORF) as the surrogate template. To gain further insights into the function of the SmpB C-terminal tail, we examined the tagging activity of hybrid variants of tmRNA and the SmpB protein, in which the tmRNA ORF or the SmpB C-terminal tail was substituted with the equivalent but highly divergent sequences from Francisella tularensis. We observed that the hybrid tmRNA was active but resulted in less accurate selection of the resume codon. Cognate hybrid SmpB was necessary to restore activity. Furthermore, accurate tagging was observed when the identity of the resume codon was reverted from GGC to GCA. Taken together, these data suggest that the engagement of the tmRNA ORF and the selection of the correct translation resumption point are distinct activities that are influenced by independent tmRNA and SmpB determinants.
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Affiliation(s)
- Devin Camenares
- From the Department of Biochemistry and Cell Biology and; Center for Infectious Diseases, Stony Brook University, Stony Brook, New York 11794
| | | | - Anton Svetlanov
- From the Department of Biochemistry and Cell Biology and; Center for Infectious Diseases, Stony Brook University, Stony Brook, New York 11794
| | - A Wali Karzai
- From the Department of Biochemistry and Cell Biology and; Center for Infectious Diseases, Stony Brook University, Stony Brook, New York 11794.
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21
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Svetlanov A, Puri N, Mena P, Koller A, Karzai AW. Francisella tularensis tmRNA system mutants are vulnerable to stress, avirulent in mice, and provide effective immune protection. Mol Microbiol 2012; 85:122-41. [PMID: 22571636 PMCID: PMC3395464 DOI: 10.1111/j.1365-2958.2012.08093.x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 33] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/15/2023]
Abstract
Through targeted inactivation of the ssrA and smpB genes, we establish that the trans-translation process is necessary for normal growth, adaptation to cellular stress and virulence by the bacterial pathogen Francisella tularensis. The mutant bacteria grow slower, have reduced resistance to heat and cold shocks, and are more sensitive to oxidative stress and sublethal concentrations of antibiotics. Modifications of the tmRNA tag and use of higher-resolution mass spectrometry approaches enabled the identification of a large number of native tmRNA substrates. Of particular significance to understanding the mechanism of trans-translation, we report the discovery of an extended tmRNA tag and extensive ladder-like pattern of endogenous protein-tagging events in F. tularensis that are likely to be a universal feature of tmRNA activity in eubacteria. Furthermore, the structural integrity and the proteolytic function of the tmRNA tag are both crucial for normal growth and virulence of F. tularensis. Significantly, trans-translation mutants of F. tularensis are impaired in replication within macrophages and are avirulent in mouse models of tularemia. By exploiting these attenuated phenotypes, we find that the mutant strains provide effective immune protection in mice against lethal intradermal, intraperitoneal and intranasal challenges with the fully virulent parental strain.
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Affiliation(s)
- Anton Svetlanov
- Center for Infectious Diseases and Department of Biochemistry and Cell Biology, Stony Brook University, Stony Brook, New York, 11794
| | - Neha Puri
- Center for Infectious Diseases and Department of Biochemistry and Cell Biology, Stony Brook University, Stony Brook, New York, 11794
| | - Patricio Mena
- Center for Infectious Diseases and Department of Biochemistry and Cell Biology, Stony Brook University, Stony Brook, New York, 11794
| | - Antonius Koller
- The Proteomic Center, Stony Brook University, Stony Brook, New York, 11794
| | - A. Wali Karzai
- Center for Infectious Diseases and Department of Biochemistry and Cell Biology, Stony Brook University, Stony Brook, New York, 11794
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22
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Ribosome purification approaches for studying interactions of regulatory proteins and RNAs with the ribosome. Methods Mol Biol 2012; 905:273-89. [PMID: 22736011 PMCID: PMC4607317 DOI: 10.1007/978-1-61779-949-5_18] [Citation(s) in RCA: 23] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/19/2023]
Abstract
Ribosomes are large complexes of RNA and protein that perform the essential task of protein synthesis in the cell. Ribosomes also serve as the initiation point for several translation-associated functions. To perform these tasks efficiently, ribosomes interact with a myriad of nonribosomal proteins and RNAs. Given that most of these interactions are transient, purification of the interacting factors in complex with the ribosome can be a challenging undertaking. Here, we review methods commonly used to isolate ribosomes and study ribosome-associated factors. We also discuss crucial parameters for designing and executing ribosome association studies. Finally, we present a detailed protocol for reporter based enrichment assays that are employed to selectively isolate ribosomes translating a particular message of interest. These protocols can be used to study a wide range of ribosome-associated functions.
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23
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Janssen BD, Hayes CS. The tmRNA ribosome-rescue system. ADVANCES IN PROTEIN CHEMISTRY AND STRUCTURAL BIOLOGY 2012; 86:151-91. [PMID: 22243584 DOI: 10.1016/b978-0-12-386497-0.00005-0] [Citation(s) in RCA: 99] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/11/2022]
Abstract
The bacterial tmRNA quality control system monitors protein synthesis and recycles stalled translation complexes in a process termed "ribosome rescue." During rescue, tmRNA acts first as a transfer RNA to bind stalled ribosomes, then as a messenger RNA to add the ssrA peptide tag to the C-terminus of the nascent polypeptide chain. The ssrA peptide targets tagged peptides for proteolysis, ensuring rapid degradation of potentially deleterious truncated polypeptides. Ribosome rescue also facilitates turnover of the damaged messages responsible for translational arrest. Thus, tmRNA increases the fidelity of gene expression by promoting the synthesis of full-length proteins. In addition to serving as a global quality control system, tmRNA also plays important roles in bacterial development, pathogenesis, and environmental stress responses. This review focuses on the mechanism of tmRNA-mediated ribosome rescue and the role of tmRNA in bacterial physiology.
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Affiliation(s)
- Brian D Janssen
- Department of Molecular, Cellular and Developmental Biology, University of California, Santa Barbara, California, USA
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24
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Abstract
AAA+ family proteolytic machines (ClpXP, ClpAP, ClpCP, HslUV, Lon, FtsH, PAN/20S, and the 26S proteasome) perform protein quality control and are used in regulatory circuits in all cells. These machines contain a compartmental protease, with active sites sequestered in an interior chamber, and a hexameric ring of AAA+ ATPases. Substrate proteins are tethered to the ring, either directly or via adaptor proteins. An unstructured region of the substrate is engaged in the axial pore of the AAA+ ring, and cycles of ATP binding/hydrolysis drive conformational changes that create pulses of pulling that denature the substrate and translocate the unfolded polypeptide through the pore and into the degradation chamber. Here, we review our current understanding of the molecular mechanisms of substrate recognition, adaptor function, and ATP-fueled unfolding and translocation. The unfolding activities of these and related AAA+ machines can also be used to disassemble or remodel macromolecular complexes and to resolubilize aggregates.
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Affiliation(s)
- Robert T Sauer
- Department of Biology, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, Massachusetts 02139
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