An acetylatable lysine controls CRP function in E. coli

The global regulation of c-di-GMP and cAMP in bacteria

Nucleotide second messengers are highly versatile signaling molecules that regulate a variety of key biological processes in bacteria. The best-studied examples are cyclic AMP (cAMP) and bis-(3'-5')-cyclic dimeric guanosine monophosphate (c-di-GMP), which both act as global regulators. Global regulatory frameworks of c-di-GMP and cAMP in bacteria show several parallels but also significant variances. In this review, we illustrate the global regulatory models of the two nucleotide second messengers, compare the different regulatory frameworks between c-di-GMP and cAMP, and discuss the mechanisms and physiological significance of cross-regulation between c-di-GMP and cAMP. c-di-GMP responds to numerous signals dependent on a great number of metabolic enzymes, and it regulates various signal transduction pathways through its huge number of effectors with varying activities. In contrast, due to the limited quantity, the cAMP metabolic enzymes and its major effector are regulated at different levels by diverse signals. cAMP performs its global regulatory function primarily by controlling the transcription of a large number of genes via cAMP receptor protein (CRP) in most bacteria. This review can help us understand how bacteria use the two typical nucleotide second messengers to effectively coordinate and integrate various physiological processes, providing theoretical guidelines for future research.

Bacteria employ lysine acetylation of transcriptional regulators to adapt gene expression to cellular metabolism

The Escherichia coli TetR-related transcriptional regulator RutR is involved in the coordination of pyrimidine and purine metabolism. Here we report that lysine acetylation modulates RutR function. Applying the genetic code expansion concept, we produced site-specifically lysine-acetylated RutR proteins. The crystal structure of lysine-acetylated RutR reveals how acetylation switches off RutR-DNA-binding. We apply the genetic code expansion concept in E. coli in vivo revealing the consequences of RutR acetylation on the transcriptional level. We propose a model in which RutR acetylation follows different kinetic profiles either reacting non-enzymatically with acetyl-phosphate or enzymatically catalysed by the lysine acetyltransferases PatZ/YfiQ and YiaC. The NAD+-dependent sirtuin deacetylase CobB reverses enzymatic and non-enzymatic acetylation of RutR playing a dual regulatory and detoxifying role. By detecting cellular acetyl-CoA, NAD+ and acetyl-phosphate, bacteria apply lysine acetylation of transcriptional regulators to sense the cellular metabolic state directly adjusting gene expression to changing environmental conditions.

Global Acetylomics of Campylobacter jejuni Shows Lysine Acetylation Regulates CadF Adhesin Processing and Human Fibronectin Binding

Lysine acetylation (KAc) is a reversible post-translational modification (PTM) that can alter protein structure and function; however, specific roles for KAc are largely undefined in bacteria. Acetyl-lysine immunoprecipitation and LC-MS/MS identified 5567 acetylated lysines on 1026 proteins from the gastrointestinal pathogen Campylobacter jejuni (∼63% of the predicted proteome). KAc was identified on proteins from all subcellular locations, including the outer membrane (OM) and extracellular proteins. Label-based LC-MS/MS identified proteins and KAc sites during growth in 0.1% sodium deoxycholate (DOC, a component of gut bile salts). 3410 acetylated peptides were quantified, and 784 (from 409 proteins) were differentially abundant in DOC growth. Changes in KAc involved multiple pathways, suggesting a dynamic role for this PTM in bile resistance. As observed elsewhere, we show KAc is primarily nonenzymatically mediated via acetyl-phosphate; however, the deacetylase CobB also contributes to a global elevation of this modification in DOC. We observed several multiply acetylated OM proteins and altered DOC abundance of acetylated peptides in the fibronectin (Fn)-binding adhesin CadF. We show KAc reduces CadF Fn binding and prevalence of lower mass variants. This study provides the first system-wide lysine acetylome of C. jejuni and contributes to our understanding of KAc as an emerging PTM in bacteria.

How Bacterial Pathogens Coordinate Appetite with Virulence

Cells adjust growth and metabolism to nutrient availability. Having access to a variety of carbon sources during infection of their animal hosts, facultative intracellular pathogens must efficiently prioritize carbon utilization. Here, we discuss how carbon source controls bacterial virulence, with an emphasis on Salmonella enterica serovar Typhimurium, which causes gastroenteritis in immunocompetent humans and a typhoid-like disease in mice, and propose that virulence factors can regulate carbon source prioritization by modifying cellular physiology. On the one hand, bacterial regulators of carbon metabolism control virulence programs, indicating that pathogenic traits appear in response to carbon source availability. On the other hand, signals controlling virulence regulators may impact carbon source utilization, suggesting that stimuli that bacterial pathogens experience within the host can directly impinge on carbon source prioritization. In addition, pathogen-triggered intestinal inflammation can disrupt the gut microbiota and thus the availability of carbon sources. By coordinating virulence factors with carbon utilization determinants, pathogens adopt metabolic pathways that may not be the most energy efficient because such pathways promote resistance to antimicrobial agents and also because host-imposed deprivation of specific nutrients may hinder the operation of certain pathways. We propose that metabolic prioritization by bacteria underlies the pathogenic outcome of an infection.

Evolution of cyclic di-GMP signalling on a short and long term time scale

Diversifying radiation of domain families within specific lineages of life indicates the importance of their functionality for the organisms. The foundation for the diversifying radiation of the cyclic di-GMP signalling network that occurred within the bacterial kingdom is most likely based in the outmost adaptability, flexibility and plasticity of the system. Integrative sensing of multiple diverse extra- and intracellular signals is made possible by the N-terminal sensory domains of the modular cyclic di-GMP turnover proteins, mutations in the protein scaffolds and subsequent signal reception by diverse receptors, which eventually rewires opposite host-associated as well as environmental life styles including parallel regulated target outputs. Natural, laboratory and microcosm derived microbial variants often with an altered multicellular biofilm behaviour as reading output demonstrated single amino acid substitutions to substantially alter catalytic activity including substrate specificity. Truncations and domain swapping of cyclic di-GMP signalling genes and horizontal gene transfer suggest rewiring of the network. Presence of cyclic di-GMP signalling genes on horizontally transferable elements in particular observed in extreme acidophilic bacteria indicates that cyclic di-GMP signalling and biofilm components are under selective pressure in these types of environments. On a short and long term evolutionary scale, within a species and in families within bacterial orders, respectively, the cyclic di-GMP signalling network can also rapidly disappear. To investigate variability of the cyclic di-GMP signalling system on various levels will give clues about evolutionary forces and discover novel physiological and metabolic pathways affected by this intriguing second messenger signalling system.

Structural and functional diversity of bacterial cyclic nucleotide perception by CRP proteins

Cyclic AMP (cAMP) is a ubiquitous second messenger synthesized by most living organisms. In bacteria, it plays highly diverse roles in metabolism, host colonization, motility, and many other processes important for optimal fitness. The main route of cAMP perception is through transcription factors from the diverse and versatile CRP-FNR protein superfamily. Since the discovery of the very first CRP protein CAP in Escherichia coli more than four decades ago, its homologs have been characterized in both closely related and distant bacterial species. The cAMP-mediated gene activation for carbon catabolism by a CRP protein in the absence of glucose seems to be restricted to E. coli and its close relatives. In other phyla, the regulatory targets are more diverse. In addition to cAMP, cGMP has recently been identified as a ligand of certain CRP proteins. In a CRP dimer, each of the two cyclic nucleotide molecules makes contacts with both protein subunits and effectuates a conformational change that favors DNA binding. Here, we summarize the current knowledge on structural and physiological aspects of E. coli CAP compared with other cAMP- and cGMP-activated transcription factors, and point to emerging trends in metabolic regulation related to lysine modification and membrane association of CRP proteins.

Acetylation of Cyclic AMP Receptor Protein by Acetyl Phosphate Modulates Mycobacterial Virulence

The success of Mycobacterium tuberculosis (Mtb) as a pathogen is partly attributed to its ability to sense and respond to dynamic host microenvironments. The cyclic AMP (cAMP) receptor protein (CRP) is closely related to the pathogenicity of Mtb and plays an important role in this process. However, the molecular mechanisms guiding the autoregulation and downstream target genes of CRP while Mtb responds to its environment are not fully understood. Here, it is demonstrated that the acetylation of conserved lysine 193 (K193) within the C-terminal DNA-binding domain of CRP reduces its DNA-binding ability and inhibits transcriptional activity. The reversible acetylation status of CRP K193 was shown to significantly affect mycobacterial growth phenotype, alter the stress response, and regulate the expression of biologically relevant genes using a CRP K193 site-specific mutation. Notably, the acetylation level of K193 decreases under CRP-activating conditions, including the presence of cAMP, low pH, high temperature, and oxidative stress, suggesting that microenvironmental signals can directly regulate CRP K193 acetylation. Both cell- and murine-based infection assays confirmed that CRP K193 is critical to the regulation of Mtb virulence. Furthermore, the acetylation of CRP K193 was shown to be dependent on the intracellular metabolic intermediate acetyl phosphate (AcP), and deacetylation was mediated by NAD⁺-dependent deacetylases. These findings indicate that AcP-mediated acetylation of CRP K193 decreases CRP activity and negatively regulates the pathogenicity of Mtb. We believe that the underlying mechanisms of cross talk between transcription, posttranslational modifications, and metabolites are a common regulatory mechanism for pathogenic bacteria. IMPORTANCE Mycobacterium tuberculosis (Mtb) is the causative agent of tuberculosis, and the ability of Mtb to survive harsh host conditions has been the subject of intensive research. As a result, we explored the molecular mechanisms guiding downstream target genes of CRP when Mtb responds to its environment. Our study makes a contribution to the literature because we describe the role of acetylated K193 in regulating its binding affinity to target DNA and influencing the virulence of mycobacteria. We discovered that mycobacteria can regulate their pathogenicity through the reversible acetylation of CRP K193 and that this reversible acetylation is mediated by AcP and a NAD⁺-dependent deacetylase. The regulation of CRP_Mtb by posttranslational modifications, at the transcriptional level, and by metabolic intermediates contribute to a better understanding of its role in the survival and pathogenicity of mycobacteria.

Polynucleotide Phosphorylase Mediates a New Mechanism of Persister Formation in Escherichia coli

Despite the identification of many genes and pathways involved in the persistence phenomenon in bacteria, the mechanisms of persistence are not well understood. Here, using Escherichia coli, we identified polynucleotide phosphorylase (PNPase) as a key regulator of persister formation. We constructed the pnp knockout strain (Δpnp) and its complemented strain and exposed them to antibiotics and stress conditions. The results showed that, compared with the wild-type strain W3110, the Δpnp strain had significant defects in persistence to antibiotics and stresses, and the persistence phenotype was restored upon complementation with the pnp gene. Transcriptome sequencing (RNA-seq) analysis revealed that 242 (166 upregulated and 76 downregulated) genes were differentially expressed in the Δpnp strain compared with the W3110 strain. KEGG analysis of the upregulated genes showed that these genes were mostly mapped to metabolism and virulence pathways, of which most are positively regulated by the global regulator cyclic AMP receptor protein (CRP). Correspondingly, the transcription level of the crp gene in the Δpnp strain increased 3.22-fold in the early stationary phase. We further explored the indicators of cellular metabolism of the Δpnp strain, the phenotype of the pnp and crp double-deletion mutant, and the transcriptional activity of the crp gene. Our results indicate that PNPase controls cellular metabolism by negatively regulating the crp operon via targeting the 5'-untranslated region of the crp transcript. This study reveals a persister mechanism and provides novel targets for the development of drugs against persisters for more effective treatment. IMPORTANCE Persisters pose significant challenges for a more effective treatment of persistent infections. An improved understanding of mechanisms of persistence will provide therapeutic targets important for the development of better treatments. Since recent studies with the key tuberculosis persister drug pyrazinamide have implicated polynucleotide phosphorylase (PNPase) as a drug target, in this study, we addressed the possibility that PNPase might be involved in persistence in Escherichia coli. Our study demonstrates PNPase indeed being involved in persistence, provides a mechanism by which PNPase controls persister formation, and suggests a new therapeutic target for treating persistent bacterial infections.

Non-enzymatic acetylation inhibits glycolytic enzymes in Escherichia coli

Advanced mass spectrometry methods have detected thousands of post-translational phosphorylation and acetylation sites in bacteria, but their functional role and the enzymes catalyzing these modifications remain largely unknown. In addition to enzymatic acetylation, lysine residues can also be chemically acetylated by the metabolite acetyl phosphate. In Escherichia coli, acetylation at over 3,000 sites has been linked to acetyl phosphate, but the functionality of this widespread non-enzymatic acetylation is even less clear than the enzyme-catalyzed one. Here, we investigate the role of acetyl-phosphate-mediated acetylation in E. coli central metabolism. Out of 19 enzymes investigated, only GapA and GpmA are acetylated at high stoichiometry, which inhibits their activity by interfering with substrate binding, effectively reducing glycolysis when flux to or from acetate is high. Extrapolating our results to the whole proteome, maximally 10% of the reported non-enzymatically acetylated proteins are expected to reach a stoichiometry that could inhibit their activity.

Exceptionally versatile take II: post-translational modifications of lysine and their impact on bacterial physiology

Among the 22 proteinogenic amino acids, lysine sticks out due to its unparalleled chemical diversity of post-translational modifications. This results in a wide range of possibilities to influence protein function and hence modulate cellular physiology. Concomitantly, lysine derivatives form a metabolic reservoir that can confer selective advantages to those organisms that can utilize it. In this review, we provide examples of selected lysine modifications and describe their role in bacterial physiology.

Post-translational Lysine Ac(et)ylation in Bacteria: A Biochemical, Structural, and Synthetic Biological Perspective

Ac(et)ylation is a post-translational modification present in all domains of life. First identified in mammals in histones to regulate RNA synthesis, today it is known that is regulates fundamental cellular processes also in bacteria: transcription, translation, metabolism, cell motility. Ac(et)ylation can occur at the ε-amino group of lysine side chains or at the α-amino group of a protein. Furthermore small molecules such as polyamines and antibiotics can be acetylated and deacetylated enzymatically at amino groups. While much research focused on N-(ε)-ac(et)ylation of lysine side chains, much less is known about the occurrence, the regulation and the physiological roles on N-(α)-ac(et)ylation of protein amino termini in bacteria. Lysine ac(et)ylation was shown to affect protein function by various mechanisms ranging from quenching of the positive charge, increasing the lysine side chains’ size affecting the protein surface complementarity, increasing the hydrophobicity and by interfering with other post-translational modifications. While N-(ε)-lysine ac(et)ylation was shown to be reversible, dynamically regulated by lysine acetyltransferases and lysine deacetylases, for N-(α)-ac(et)ylation only N-terminal acetyltransferases were identified and so far no deacetylases were discovered neither in bacteria nor in mammals. To this end, N-terminal ac(et)ylation is regarded as being irreversible. Besides enzymatic ac(et)ylation, recent data showed that ac(et)ylation of lysine side chains and of the proteins N-termini can also occur non-enzymatically by the high-energy molecules acetyl-coenzyme A and acetyl-phosphate. Acetyl-phosphate is supposed to be the key molecule that drives non-enzymatic ac(et)ylation in bacteria. Non-enzymatic ac(et)ylation can occur site-specifically with both, the protein primary sequence and the three dimensional structure affecting its efficiency. Ac(et)ylation is tightly controlled by the cellular metabolic state as acetyltransferases use ac(et)yl-CoA as donor molecule for the ac(et)ylation and sirtuin deacetylases use NAD⁺ as co-substrate for the deac(et)ylation. Moreover, the accumulation of ac(et)yl-CoA and acetyl-phosphate is dependent on the cellular metabolic state. This constitutes a feedback control mechanism as activities of many metabolic enzymes were shown to be regulated by lysine ac(et)ylation. Our knowledge on lysine ac(et)ylation significantly increased in the last decade predominantly due to the huge methodological advances that were made in fields such as mass-spectrometry, structural biology and synthetic biology. This also includes the identification of additional acylations occurring on lysine side chains with supposedly different regulatory potential. This review highlights recent advances in the research field. Our knowledge on enzymatic regulation of lysine ac(et)ylation will be summarized with a special focus on structural and mechanistic characterization of the enzymes, the mechanisms underlying non-enzymatic/chemical ac(et)ylation are explained, recent technological progress in the field are presented and selected examples highlighting the important physiological roles of lysine ac(et)ylation are summarized.

The secondary messenger ppGpp interferes with cAMP-CRP regulon by promoting CRP acetylation in Escherichia coli

The cAMP-CRP regulon coordinates transcription regulation of several energy-related genes, the lac operon among them. Lactose, or IPTG, induces the lac operon expression by binding to the LacI repressor, and releasing it from the promoter sequence. At the same time, the expression of the lac operon requires the presence of the CRP-cAMP complex, which promotes the binding of the RNA polymerase to the promoter region. The modified nucleotide cAMP accumulates in the absence of glucose and binds to the CRP protein, but its ability to bind to DNA can be impaired by lysine-acetylation of CRP. Here we add another layer of control, as acetylation of CRP seems to be modified by ppGpp. In cells grown in glycerol minimal media, ppGpp seems to repress the expression of lacZ, where ΔrelA mutants show higher expression of lacZ than in WT. These differences between the WT and ΔrelA strains seem to depend on the levels of acetylated CRP. During the growth in minimal media supplemented with glycerol, ppGpp promotes the acetylation of CRP by the Nε-lysine acetyltransferases YfiQ. Moreover, the expression of the different genes involved in the production and degradation of Acetyl-phosphate (ackA-pta) and the enzymatic acetylation of proteins (yfiQ) are stimulated by the presence of ppGpp, depending on the growth conditions.

The EcoCyc Database in 2021

The EcoCyc model-organism database collects and summarizes experimental data for Escherichia coli K-12. EcoCyc is regularly updated by the manual curation of individual database entries, such as genes, proteins, and metabolic pathways, and by the programmatic addition of results from select high-throughput analyses. Updates to the Pathway Tools software that supports EcoCyc and to the web interface that enables user access have continuously improved its usability and expanded its functionality. This article highlights recent improvements to the curated data in the areas of metabolism, transport, DNA repair, and regulation of gene expression. New and revised data analysis and visualization tools include an interactive metabolic network explorer, a circular genome viewer, and various improvements to the speed and usability of existing tools.

An ideal spacing is required for the control of Class II CRP-dependent promoters by the status of CRP K100

Transcription activation by the Escherichia coli CRP at Class II promoters is dependent on direct interactions between RNA polymerase and CRP, therefore the spatial proximity between both proteins plays a significant role in the ability of CRP to activate transcription. Using both in vivo and in vitro techniques, here we demonstrate that the CRP K100 positive charge, adjacent to AR2, is required for full promoter activity when CRP is optimally positioned. Accordingly, K100 mediated activation is very position-dependent and our data confirm that the largest impact of the K100 status on transcription activation occurs when the spacing between the CRP binding site and the A2 of the -10 element is 22 bp. From the results of this study and the progress in the understanding about open complex DNA scrunching, we propose that CRP-dependent promoters should now be numbered by the distance from the center of the DNA site for CRP and the most highly conserved base at position 2 of the -10 hexamer in bacterial promoters.

Lysine acetylation of the housekeeping sigma factor enhances the activity of the RNA polymerase holoenzyme

Protein lysine acetylation, one of the most abundant post-translational modifications in eukaryotes, occurs in prokaryotes as well. Despite the evidence of lysine acetylation in bacterial RNA polymerases (RNAPs), its function remains unknown. We found that the housekeeping sigma factor (HrdB) was acetylated throughout the growth of an actinobacterium, Streptomyces venezuelae, and the acetylated HrdB was enriched in the RNAP holoenzyme complex. The lysine (K259) located between 1.2 and 2 regions of the sigma factor, was determined to be the acetylated residue of HrdB in vivo by LC–MS/MS analyses. Specifically, the label-free quantitative analysis revealed that the K259 residues of all the HrdB subunits were acetylated in the RNAP holoenzyme. Using mutations that mimic or block acetylation (K259Q and K259R), we found that K259 acetylation enhances the interaction of HrdB with the RNAP core enzyme as well as the binding activity of the RNAP holoenzyme to target promoters in vivo. Taken together, these findings provide a novel insight into an additional layer of modulation of bacterial RNAP activity.

Post-translational Protein Acetylation: An Elegant Mechanism for Bacteria to Dynamically Regulate Metabolic Functions

Post-translational modifications (PTM) decorate proteins to provide functional heterogeneity to an existing proteome. The large number of known PTMs highlights the many ways that cells can modify their proteins to respond to diverse stimuli. Recently, PTMs have begun to receive increased interest because new sensitive proteomics workflows and structural methodologies now allow researchers to obtain large-scale, in-depth and unbiased information concerning PTM type and site localization. However, few PTMs have been extensively assessed for functional consequences, leaving a large knowledge gap concerning the inner workings of the cell. Here, we review understanding of N-𝜀-lysine acetylation in bacteria, a PTM that was largely ignored in bacteria until a decade ago. Acetylation is a modification that can dramatically change the function of a protein through alteration of its properties, including hydrophobicity, solubility, and surface properties, all of which may influence protein conformation and interactions with substrates, cofactors and other macromolecules. Most bacteria carry genes predicted to encode the lysine acetyltransferases and lysine deacetylases that add and remove acetylations, respectively. Many bacteria also exhibit acetylation activities that do not depend on an enzyme, but instead on direct transfer of acetyl groups from the central metabolites acetyl coenzyme A or acetyl phosphate. Regardless of mechanism, most central metabolic enzymes possess lysines that are acetylated in a regulated fashion and many of these regulated sites are conserved across the spectrum of bacterial phylogeny. The interconnectedness of acetylation and central metabolism suggests that acetylation may be a response to nutrient availability or the energy status of the cell. However, this and other hypotheses related to acetylation remain untested.

Metabolic intermediate acetyl phosphate modulates bacterial virulence via acetylation

Accumulating evidence indicates that bacterial metabolism plays an important role in virulence. Acetyl phosphate (AcP), the high-energy intermediate of the phosphotransacetylase-acetate kinase pathway, is the major acetyl donor in E. coli. PhoP is an essential transcription factor for bacterial virulence. Here, we show in Salmonella typhimurium that PhoP is non-enzymatically acetylated by AcP, which modifies its transcriptional activity, demonstrating that the acetylation of Lysine 102 (K102) is dependent on the intracellular AcP. The acetylation level of K102 decreases under PhoP-activating conditions including low magnesium, acid stress or following phagocytosis. Notably, in vitro assays show that K102 acetylation affects PhoP phosphorylation and inhibits its transcriptional activity. Both cell and mouse models show that K102 is critical to Salmonella virulence, and suggest acetylation is involved in regulating PhoP activity. Together, the current study highlights the importance of the metabolism in bacterial virulence, and shows AcP might be a key mediator.

Mechanisms, Detection, and Relevance of Protein Acetylation in Prokaryotes

Posttranslational modification of a protein, either alone or in combination with other modifications, can control properties of that protein, such as enzymatic activity, localization, stability, or interactions with other molecules. N-ε-Lysine acetylation is one such modification that has gained attention in recent years, with a prevalence and significance that rival those of phosphorylation. This review will discuss the current state of the field in bacteria and some of the work in archaea, focusing on both mechanisms of N-ε-lysine acetylation and methods to identify, quantify, and characterize specific acetyllysines. Bacterial N-ε-lysine acetylation depends on both enzymatic and nonenzymatic mechanisms of acetylation, and recent work has shed light into the regulation of both mechanisms. Technological advances in mass spectrometry have allowed researchers to gain insight with greater biological context by both (i) analyzing samples either with stable isotope labeling workflows or using label-free protocols and (ii) determining the true extent of acetylation on a protein population through stoichiometry measurements. Identification of acetylated lysines through these methods has led to studies that probe the biological significance of acetylation. General and diverse approaches used to determine the effect of acetylation on a specific lysine will be covered.

Contributions of SpoT Hydrolase, SpoT Synthetase, and RelA Synthetase to Carbon Source Diauxic Growth Transitions in Escherichia coli

During the diauxic shift, Escherichia coli exhausts glucose and adjusts its expression pattern to grow on a secondary carbon source. Transcriptional profiling studies of glucose–lactose diauxic transitions reveal a key role for ppGpp. The amount of ppGpp depends on RelA synthetase and the balance between a strong SpoT hydrolase and its weak synthetase. In this study, mutants are used to search for synthetase or hydrolase specific regulation. Diauxic shifts experiments were performed with strains containing SpoT hydrolase and either RelA or SpoT synthetase as the sole source of ppGpp. Here, the length of the diauxic lag times is determined by the presence of ppGpp, showing contributions of both ppGpp synthetases (RelA and SpoT) as well as its hydrolase (SpoT). A balanced ppGpp response is key for a proper adaptation during diauxic shift. The effects of one or the other ppGpp synthetase on diauxic shifts are abolished by addition of amino acids or succinate, although by different mechanisms. While amino acids control the RelA response, succinate blocks the uptake of the excreted acetate via SatP. Acetate is converted to Acetyl-CoA through the ackA-pta pathway, producing Ac-P as intermediate. Evidence of control of the ackA-pta operon as well as a correlation between ppGpp and Ac-P is shown. Finally, acetylation of proteins is shown to occur during a diauxic glucose–lactose shift.

Influence of Glucose Availability and CRP Acetylation on the Genome-Wide Transcriptional Response of Escherichia coli: Assessment by an Optimized Factorial Microarray Analysis

Background: While in eukaryotes acetylation/deacetylation regulation exerts multiple pleiotropic effects, in Escherichia coli it seems to be more limited and less known. Hence, we aimed to progress in the characterization of this regulation by dealing with three convergent aspects: the effector enzymes involved, the master regulator CRP, and the dependence on glucose availability.

Methods: The transcriptional response of E. coli BW25113 was analyzed across 14 relevant scenarios. These conditions arise when the wild type and four isogenic mutants (defective in deacetylase CobB, defective in N(ε)-lysine acetyl transferase PatZ, Q- and R-type mutants of protein CRP) are studied under three levels of glucose availability (glucose-limited chemostat and glucose-excess or glucose-exhausted in batch culture). The Q-type emulates a permanent stage of CRP^acetylated, whereas the R-type emulates a permanent stage of CRP^deacetylated. The data were analyzed by an optimized factorial microarray method (Q-GDEMAR).

Results: (a) By analyzing one mutant against the other, we were able to unravel the true genes that participate in the interaction between ΔcobB/ΔpatZ mutations and glucose availability; (b) Increasing stages of glucose limitation appear to be associated with the up-regulation of specific sets of target genes rather than with the loss of genes present when glucose is in excess; (c) Both CRP^deacetylated and CRP^acetylated produce extensive changes in specific subsets of genes, but their number and identity depend on the glucose availability; (d) In other sub-sets of genes, the transcriptional effect of CRP seems to be independent of its acetylation or deacetylation; (e) Some specific ontology functions can be associated with each of the different sets of genes detected herein.

Conclusions: CRP cannot be thought of only as an effector of catabolite repression, because it acts along all the glucose conditions tested (excess, limited, and exhausted), exerting both positive and negative effects through different sets of genes. Acetylation of CRP does not seem to be a binary form of regulation, as there is not a univocal relationship between its activation/inhibitory effect and its acetylation/deacetylation stage. All the combinatorial possibilities are observed. During the exponential growth phase, CRP also exerts a very significant transcriptional effect, mainly on flagellar assembly and chemotaxis (FDR = 7.2 × 10⁻⁴⁴).

Windowed Granger causal inference strategy improves discovery of gene regulatory networks

Accurate inference of regulatory networks from experimental data facilitates the rapid characterization and understanding of biological systems. High-throughput technologies can provide a wealth of time-series data to better interrogate the complex regulatory dynamics inherent to organisms, but many network inference strategies do not effectively use temporal information. We address this limitation by introducing Sliding Window Inference for Network Generation (SWING), a generalized framework that incorporates multivariate Granger causality to infer network structure from time-series data. SWING moves beyond existing Granger methods by generating windowed models that simultaneously evaluate multiple upstream regulators at several potential time delays. We demonstrate that SWING elucidates network structure with greater accuracy in both in silico and experimentally validated in vitro systems. We estimate the apparent time delays present in each system and demonstrate that SWING infers time-delayed, gene-gene interactions that are distinct from baseline methods. By providing a temporal framework to infer the underlying directed network topology, SWING generates testable hypotheses for gene-gene influences.