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Hirschi S, Lemmin T, Ayoub N, Kalbermatter D, Pellegata D, Ucurum Z, Gertsch J, Fotiadis D. Structural insights into the mechanism and dynamics of proteorhodopsin biogenesis and retinal scavenging. Nat Commun 2024; 15:6950. [PMID: 39138159 PMCID: PMC11322631 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-024-50960-3] [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: 09/19/2023] [Accepted: 07/25/2024] [Indexed: 08/15/2024] Open
Abstract
Microbial ion-pumping rhodopsins (MRs) are extensively studied retinal-binding membrane proteins. However, their biogenesis, including oligomerisation and retinal incorporation, remains poorly understood. The bacterial green-light absorbing proton pump proteorhodopsin (GPR) has emerged as a model protein for MRs and is used here to address these open questions using cryo-electron microscopy (cryo-EM) and molecular dynamics (MD) simulations. Specifically, conflicting studies regarding GPR stoichiometry reported pentamer and hexamer mixtures without providing possible assembly mechanisms. We report the pentameric and hexameric cryo-EM structures of a GPR mutant, uncovering the role of the unprocessed N-terminal signal peptide in the assembly of hexameric GPR. Furthermore, certain proteorhodopsin-expressing bacteria lack retinal biosynthesis pathways, suggesting that they scavenge the cofactor from their environment. We shed light on this hypothesis by solving the cryo-EM structure of retinal-free proteoopsin, which together with mass spectrometry and MD simulations suggests that decanoate serves as a temporary placeholder for retinal in the chromophore binding pocket. Further MD simulations elucidate possible pathways for the exchange of decanoate and retinal, offering a mechanism for retinal scavenging. Collectively, our findings provide insights into the biogenesis of MRs, including their oligomeric assembly, variations in protomer stoichiometry and retinal incorporation through a potential cofactor scavenging mechanism.
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Affiliation(s)
- Stephan Hirschi
- Institute of Biochemistry and Molecular Medicine, University of Bern, 3012, Bern, Switzerland.
- Department of Biochemistry, University of Oxford, OX1 3QU, Oxford, UK.
| | - Thomas Lemmin
- Institute of Biochemistry and Molecular Medicine, University of Bern, 3012, Bern, Switzerland.
| | - Nooraldeen Ayoub
- Institute of Biochemistry and Molecular Medicine, University of Bern, 3012, Bern, Switzerland
| | - David Kalbermatter
- Institute of Biochemistry and Molecular Medicine, University of Bern, 3012, Bern, Switzerland
| | - Daniele Pellegata
- Institute of Biochemistry and Molecular Medicine, University of Bern, 3012, Bern, Switzerland
| | - Zöhre Ucurum
- Institute of Biochemistry and Molecular Medicine, University of Bern, 3012, Bern, Switzerland
| | - Jürg Gertsch
- Institute of Biochemistry and Molecular Medicine, University of Bern, 3012, Bern, Switzerland
| | - Dimitrios Fotiadis
- Institute of Biochemistry and Molecular Medicine, University of Bern, 3012, Bern, Switzerland.
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2
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Tu W, Thompson IP, Huang WE. Engineering bionanoreactor in bacteria for efficient hydrogen production. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A 2024; 121:e2404958121. [PMID: 38985767 PMCID: PMC11260135 DOI: 10.1073/pnas.2404958121] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/12/2024] [Accepted: 06/14/2024] [Indexed: 07/12/2024] Open
Abstract
Hydrogen production through water splitting is a vital strategy for renewable and sustainable clean energy. In this study, we developed an approach integrating nanomaterial engineering and synthetic biology to establish a bionanoreactor system for efficient hydrogen production. The periplasmic space (20 to 30 nm) of an electroactive bacterium, Shewanella oneidensis MR-1, was engineered to serve as a bionanoreactor to enhance the interaction between electrons and protons, catalyzed by hydrogenases for hydrogen generation. To optimize electron transfer, we used the microbially reduced graphene oxide (rGO) to coat the electrode, which improved the electron transfer from the electrode to the cells. Native MtrCAB protein complex on S. oneidensis and self-assembled iron sulfide (FeS) nanoparticles acted in tandem to facilitate electron transfer from an electrode to the periplasm. To enhance proton transport, S. oneidensis MR-1 was engineered to express Gloeobacter rhodopsin (GR) and the light-harvesting antenna canthaxanthin. This led to efficient proton pumping when exposed to light, resulting in a 35.6% increase in the rate of hydrogen production. The overexpression of native [FeFe]-hydrogenase further improved the hydrogen production rate by 56.8%. The bionanoreactor engineered in S. oneidensis MR-1 achieved a hydrogen yield of 80.4 μmol/mg protein/day with a Faraday efficiency of 80% at a potential of -0.75 V. This periplasmic bionanoreactor combines the strengths of both nanomaterial and biological components, providing an efficient approach for microbial electrosynthesis.
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Affiliation(s)
- Weiming Tu
- Department of Engineering Science, University of Oxford, OxfordOX1 3PJ, United Kingdom
| | - Ian P. Thompson
- Department of Engineering Science, University of Oxford, OxfordOX1 3PJ, United Kingdom
| | - Wei E. Huang
- Department of Engineering Science, University of Oxford, OxfordOX1 3PJ, United Kingdom
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3
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Tu W, Saeed H, Huang WE. Rhodopsin-based light-harvesting system for sustainable synthetic biology. Microb Biotechnol 2024; 17:e14521. [PMID: 38949508 PMCID: PMC11215838 DOI: 10.1111/1751-7915.14521] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/30/2024] [Accepted: 06/17/2024] [Indexed: 07/02/2024] Open
Abstract
Rhodopsins, a diverse class of light-sensitive proteins found in various life domains, have attracted considerable interest for their potential applications in sustainable synthetic biology. These proteins exhibit remarkable photochemical properties, undergoing conformational changes upon light absorption that drive a variety of biological processes. Exploiting rhodopsin's natural properties could pave the way for creating sustainable and energy-efficient technologies. Rhodopsin-based light-harvesting systems offer innovative solutions to a few key challenges in sustainable engineering, from bioproduction to renewable energy conversion. In this opinion article, we explore the recent advancements and future possibilities of employing rhodopsins for sustainable engineering, underscoring the transformative potential of these biomolecules.
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Affiliation(s)
- Weiming Tu
- Department of Engineering ScienceUniversity of OxfordOxfordUK
| | - Haris Saeed
- Department of Engineering ScienceUniversity of OxfordOxfordUK
| | - Wei E. Huang
- Department of Engineering ScienceUniversity of OxfordOxfordUK
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4
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Li S, Yin L, Duan L, Li J, Wang P, Gao S, Xian W, Li W. Diversity, abundance, and expression of proteorhodopsin genes in the northern South China Sea. ENVIRONMENTAL RESEARCH 2024; 259:119514. [PMID: 38950812 DOI: 10.1016/j.envres.2024.119514] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/02/2024] [Revised: 06/28/2024] [Accepted: 06/29/2024] [Indexed: 07/03/2024]
Abstract
Proteorhodopsins have been suggested as an important strategy among phototrophs to capture solar energy in marine environments. The goals of this study was to investigate the diversity of proteorhodopsin genes and to explore their abundance, distribution, and expression in the coastal surface waters of the northern South China Sea, one of the largest marginal seas of the western North Pacific Ocean. Using 21 metagenomes, we recovered proteorhodopsin genes from a wide range of prokaryotic taxa, and chlorophyll a contributed significantly to the community composition of proteorhodopsin-containing microbes. Most proteorhodopsin sequences were predicted to encode green light-absorbing proton pumps and green light-absorbing proteorhodopsin genes were more abundant than blue-absorbing ones. The variations in the conserved residues involved in ion pumping and several uncharacterized proteorhodopsins were observed. The gene abundance pattern of proteorhodopsin types were significantly influenced by the levels of total organic carbon and soluble reactive phosphorus. Gene expression analysis confirmed the importance of proteorhodopsin-based phototrophy and revealed different expressional patterns among major phyla. In tandem, we screened 2295 metagenome-assembled genomes to describe the taxonomic distribution of proteorhodopsins. Bacteroidota are the key lineages encoding proteorhodopsins, but proteorhodopsins were predicated from members of Proteobacteria, Marinisomatota, Myxococcota, Verrucomicrobiota and Thermoplasmatota. Our study expanded the diversity of proteorhodopsins and improve our understanding on the significance of proteorhodopsin-mediated phototrophy in the marine ecosystem.
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Affiliation(s)
- Shanhui Li
- State Key Laboratory of Biocontrol, Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Plant Resources and Southern Marine Science and Engineering Guangdong Laboratory (Zhuhai), School of Life Sciences & School of Ecology, Sun Yat-sen University, Guangzhou, 510275, China
| | - Lingzi Yin
- State Key Laboratory of Biocontrol, Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Plant Resources and Southern Marine Science and Engineering Guangdong Laboratory (Zhuhai), School of Life Sciences & School of Ecology, Sun Yat-sen University, Guangzhou, 510275, China
| | - Li Duan
- State Key Laboratory of Biocontrol, Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Plant Resources and Southern Marine Science and Engineering Guangdong Laboratory (Zhuhai), School of Life Sciences & School of Ecology, Sun Yat-sen University, Guangzhou, 510275, China
| | - Jialing Li
- State Key Laboratory of Biocontrol, Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Plant Resources and Southern Marine Science and Engineering Guangdong Laboratory (Zhuhai), School of Life Sciences & School of Ecology, Sun Yat-sen University, Guangzhou, 510275, China
| | - Pandeng Wang
- State Key Laboratory of Biocontrol, Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Plant Resources and Southern Marine Science and Engineering Guangdong Laboratory (Zhuhai), School of Life Sciences & School of Ecology, Sun Yat-sen University, Guangzhou, 510275, China
| | - Shaoming Gao
- State Key Laboratory of Biocontrol, Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Plant Resources and Southern Marine Science and Engineering Guangdong Laboratory (Zhuhai), School of Life Sciences & School of Ecology, Sun Yat-sen University, Guangzhou, 510275, China
| | - Wendong Xian
- State Key Laboratory of Biocontrol, Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Plant Resources and Southern Marine Science and Engineering Guangdong Laboratory (Zhuhai), School of Life Sciences & School of Ecology, Sun Yat-sen University, Guangzhou, 510275, China; Marine Science and Technology College, Zhejiang Ocean University, Zhoushan, 316000, China
| | - Wenjun Li
- State Key Laboratory of Biocontrol, Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Plant Resources and Southern Marine Science and Engineering Guangdong Laboratory (Zhuhai), School of Life Sciences & School of Ecology, Sun Yat-sen University, Guangzhou, 510275, China.
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5
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Piwosz K, Villena-Alemany C, Całkiewicz J, Mujakić I, Náhlík V, Dean J, Koblížek M. Response of aerobic anoxygenic phototrophic bacteria to limitation and availability of organic carbon. FEMS Microbiol Ecol 2024; 100:fiae090. [PMID: 38886127 PMCID: PMC11229431 DOI: 10.1093/femsec/fiae090] [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: 12/19/2023] [Revised: 05/10/2024] [Accepted: 06/14/2024] [Indexed: 06/20/2024] Open
Abstract
Aerobic anoxygenic phototrophic (AAP) bacteria are an important component of freshwater bacterioplankton. They can support their heterotrophic metabolism with energy from light, enhancing their growth efficiency. Based on results from cultures, it was hypothesized that photoheterotrophy provides an advantage under carbon limitation and facilitates access to recalcitrant or low-energy carbon sources. However, verification of these hypotheses for natural AAP communities has been lacking. Here, we conducted whole community manipulation experiments and compared the growth of AAP bacteria under carbon limited and with recalcitrant or low-energy carbon sources under dark and light (near-infrared light, λ > 800 nm) conditions to elucidate how they profit from photoheterotrophy. We found that AAP bacteria induce photoheterotrophic metabolism under carbon limitation, but they overcompete heterotrophic bacteria when carbon is available. This effect seems to be driven by physiological responses rather than changes at the community level. Interestingly, recalcitrant (lignin) or low-energy (acetate) carbon sources inhibited the growth of AAP bacteria, especially in light. This unexpected observation may have ecosystem-level consequences as lake browning continues. In general, our findings contribute to the understanding of the dynamics of AAP bacteria in pelagic environments.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kasia Piwosz
- Department of Fisheries Oceanography and Marine Ecology, National Marine Fisheries Research Institute, 81-332 Gdynia, Poland
| | - Cristian Villena-Alemany
- Laboratory of Anoxygenic Phototrophs, Institute of Microbiology of the Czech Academy of Sciences, 379 01 Třeboň, Czechia
| | - Joanna Całkiewicz
- Department of Fisheries Oceanography and Marine Ecology, National Marine Fisheries Research Institute, 81-332 Gdynia, Poland
| | - Izabela Mujakić
- Laboratory of Anoxygenic Phototrophs, Institute of Microbiology of the Czech Academy of Sciences, 379 01 Třeboň, Czechia
| | - Vít Náhlík
- Faculty of Fisheries and Protection of Waters, South Bohemian Research Center of Aquaculture and Biodiversity of Hydrocenoses, Institute of Aquaculture and Protection of Waters, University of South Bohemia, 389 25 České Budějovice, Czechia
| | - Jason Dean
- Laboratory of Anoxygenic Phototrophs, Institute of Microbiology of the Czech Academy of Sciences, 379 01 Třeboň, Czechia
| | - Michal Koblížek
- Laboratory of Anoxygenic Phototrophs, Institute of Microbiology of the Czech Academy of Sciences, 379 01 Třeboň, Czechia
- Department of Ecosystem Biology, Faculty of Science, University of South Bohemia, 370 05 České Budějovice, Czechia
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6
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Younker IT, Molnar N, Scorza K, Weed R, Light SH, Pfister CA. Bacteria on the foundational kelp in kelp forest ecosystems: Insights from culturing, whole genome sequencing and metabolic assays. ENVIRONMENTAL MICROBIOLOGY REPORTS 2024; 16:e13270. [PMID: 38778582 PMCID: PMC11112141 DOI: 10.1111/1758-2229.13270] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/21/2023] [Accepted: 04/06/2024] [Indexed: 05/25/2024]
Abstract
In coastal marine ecosystems, kelp forests serve as a vital habitat for numerous species and significantly influence local nutrient cycles. Bull kelp, or Nereocystis luetkeana, is a foundational species in the iconic kelp forests of the northeast Pacific Ocean and harbours a complex microbial community with potential implications for kelp health. Here, we report the isolation and functional characterisation of 16 Nereocystis-associated bacterial species, comprising 13 Gammaproteobacteria, 2 Flavobacteriia and 1 Actinomycetia. Genome analyses of these isolates highlight metabolisms potentially beneficial to the host, such as B vitamin synthesis and nitrogen retention. Assays revealed that kelp-associated bacteria thrive on amino acids found in high concentrations in the ocean and in the kelp (glutamine and asparagine), generating ammonium that may facilitate host nitrogen acquisition. Multiple isolates have genes indicative of interactions with key elemental cycles in the ocean, including carbon, nitrogen and sulphur. We thus report a collection of kelp-associated microbial isolates that provide functional insight for the future study of kelp-microbe interactions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Isaac T. Younker
- Committee on MicrobiologyThe University of ChicagoChicagoIllinoisUSA
| | - Nichos Molnar
- The CollegeThe University of ChicagoChicagoIllinoisUSA
| | - Kaylie Scorza
- The CollegeThe University of ChicagoChicagoIllinoisUSA
| | - Roo Weed
- The Graduate Program in Biophysical SciencesThe University of ChicagoChicagoIllinoisUSA
| | - Samuel H. Light
- Department of MicrobiologyThe University of ChicagoChicagoIllinoisUSA
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7
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Cho SG, Kim JH, Lee JE, Choi IJ, Song M, Chuon K, Shim JG, Kang KW, Jung KH. Heliorhodopsin-mediated light-modulation of ABC transporter. Nat Commun 2024; 15:4306. [PMID: 38773114 PMCID: PMC11109279 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-024-48650-1] [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: 09/19/2023] [Accepted: 05/08/2024] [Indexed: 05/23/2024] Open
Abstract
Heliorhodopsins (HeRs) have been hypothesized to have widespread functions. Recently, the functions for few HeRs have been revealed; however, the hypothetical functions remain largely unknown. Herein, we investigate light-modulation of heterodimeric multidrug resistance ATP-binding cassette transporters (OmrDE) mediated by Omithinimicrobium cerasi HeR. In this study, we classifiy genes flanking the HeR-encoding genes and identify highly conservative residues for protein-protein interactions. Our results reveal that the interaction between OcHeR and OmrDE shows positive cooperatively sequential binding through thermodynamic parameters. Moreover, light-induced OcHeR upregulates OmrDE drug transportation. Hence, the binding may be crucial to drug resistance in O. cerasi as it survives in a drug-containing habitat. Overall, we unveil a function of HeR as regulatory rhodopsin for multidrug resistance. Our findings suggest potential applications in optogenetic technology.
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Affiliation(s)
- Shin-Gyu Cho
- Department of Life Science, Sogang University, Seoul, South Korea
- Research Institute for Basic Science, Sogang University, Seoul, South Korea
| | - Ji-Hyun Kim
- Department of Life Science, Sogang University, Seoul, South Korea
| | - Ji-Eun Lee
- Department of Life Science, Sogang University, Seoul, South Korea
| | - In-Jung Choi
- Department of Life Science, Sogang University, Seoul, South Korea
| | - Myungchul Song
- Department of Life Science, Sogang University, Seoul, South Korea
| | - Kimleng Chuon
- Department of Life Science, Sogang University, Seoul, South Korea
| | - Jin-Gon Shim
- Department of Life Science, Sogang University, Seoul, South Korea
| | - Kun-Wook Kang
- Department of Life Science, Sogang University, Seoul, South Korea
| | - Kwang-Hwan Jung
- Department of Life Science, Sogang University, Seoul, South Korea.
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8
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Koblížek M, Ferrera I, Kolářová E, Duhamel S, Popendorf KJ, Gasol JM, Van Mooy BAS. Growth and mortality of aerobic anoxygenic phototrophs in the North Pacific Subtropical Gyre. Appl Environ Microbiol 2024; 90:e0003224. [PMID: 38551354 PMCID: PMC11022572 DOI: 10.1128/aem.00032-24] [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: 01/08/2024] [Accepted: 03/08/2024] [Indexed: 04/18/2024] Open
Abstract
Aerobic anoxygenic phototrophic (AAP) bacteria harvest light energy using bacteriochlorophyll-containing reaction centers to supplement their mostly heterotrophic metabolism. While their abundance and growth have been intensively studied in coastal environments, much less is known about their activity in oligotrophic open ocean regions. Therefore, we combined in situ sampling in the North Pacific Subtropical Gyre, north of O'ahu island, Hawaii, with two manipulation experiments. Infra-red epifluorescence microscopy documented that AAP bacteria represented approximately 2% of total bacteria in the euphotic zone with the maximum abundance in the upper 50 m. They conducted active photosynthetic electron transport with maximum rates up to 50 electrons per reaction center per second. The in situ decline of bacteriochlorophyll concentration over the daylight period, an estimate of loss rates due to predation, indicated that the AAP bacteria in the upper 50 m of the water column turned over at rates of 0.75-0.90 d-1. This corresponded well with the specific growth rate determined in dilution experiments where AAP bacteria grew at a rate 1.05 ± 0.09 d-1. An amendment of inorganic nitrogen to obtain N:P = 32 resulted in a more than 10 times increase in AAP abundance over 6 days. The presented data document that AAP bacteria are an active part of the bacterioplankton community in the oligotrophic North Pacific Subtropical Gyre and that their growth was mostly controlled by nitrogen availability and grazing pressure.IMPORTANCEMarine bacteria represent a complex assembly of species with different physiology, metabolism, and substrate preferences. We focus on a specific functional group of marine bacteria called aerobic anoxygenic phototrophs. These photoheterotrophic organisms require organic carbon substrates for growth, but they can also supplement their metabolic needs with light energy captured by bacteriochlorophyll. These bacteria have been intensively studied in coastal regions, but rather less is known about their distribution, growth, and mortality in the oligotrophic open ocean. Therefore, we conducted a suite of measurements in the North Pacific Subtropical Gyre to determine the distribution of these organisms in the water column and their growth and mortality rates. A nutrient amendment experiment showed that aerobic anoxygenic phototrophs were limited by inorganic nitrogen. Despite this, they grew more rapidly than average heterotrophic bacteria, but their growth was balanced by intense grazing pressure.
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Affiliation(s)
- Michal Koblížek
- Laboratory of Anoxygenic Phototrophs, Institute of Microbiology, Czech Academy of Science, Třeboň, Czechia
| | - Isabel Ferrera
- Centro Oceanográfico de Málaga, Instituto Español de Oceanografía (IEO-CSIC), Fuengirola, Málaga, Spain
| | - Eva Kolářová
- Laboratory of Anoxygenic Phototrophs, Institute of Microbiology, Czech Academy of Science, Třeboň, Czechia
| | - Solange Duhamel
- Department of Cellular and Molecular Biology, University of Arizona, Tucson, Arizona, USA
| | - Kimberly J. Popendorf
- Rosenstiel School of Marine, Atmospheric, and Earth Science, University of Miami, Coral Gables, Florida, USA
| | - Josep M. Gasol
- Institut de Ciències del Mar (ICM-CSIC), Barcelona, Catalonia, Spain
| | - Benjamin A. S. Van Mooy
- Department of Marine Chemistry and Geochemistry, Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution, Woods Hole, Massachusetts, USA
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9
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Palombo R, Barneschi L, Pedraza-González L, Yang X, Olivucci M. Picosecond quantum-classical dynamics reveals that the coexistence of light-induced microbial and animal chromophore rotary motion modulates the isomerization quantum yield of heliorhodopsin. Phys Chem Chem Phys 2024; 26:10343-10356. [PMID: 38501246 DOI: 10.1039/d4cp00193a] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 03/20/2024]
Abstract
Rhodopsins are light-responsive proteins forming two vast and evolutionary distinct superfamilies whose functions are invariably triggered by the photoisomerization of a single retinal chromophore. In 2018 a third widespread superfamily of rhodopsins called heliorhodopsins was discovered using functional metagenomics. Heliorhodopsins, with their markedly different structural features with respect to the animal and microbial superfamilies, offer an opportunity to study how evolution has manipulated the chromophore photoisomerization to achieve adaptation. One question is related to the mechanism of such a reaction and how it differs from that of animal and microbial rhodopsins. To address this question, we use hundreds of quantum-classical trajectories to simulate the spectroscopically documented picosecond light-induced dynamics of a heliorhodopsin from the archaea thermoplasmatales archaeon (TaHeR). We show that, consistently with the observations, the trajectories reveal two excited state decay channels. However, inconsistently with previous hypotheses, only one channel is associated with the -C13C14- rotation of microbial rhodopsins while the second channel is characterized by the -C11C12- rotation typical of animal rhodopsins. The fact that such -C11C12- rotation is aborted upon decay and ground state relaxation, explains why illumination of TaHeR only produces the 13-cis isomer with a low quantum efficiency. We argue that the documented lack of regioselectivity in double-bond excited state twisting motion is the result of an "adaptation" that could be completely lost via specific residue substitutions modulating the steric hindrance experienced along the isomerization motion.
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Affiliation(s)
- Riccardo Palombo
- Dipartimento di Biotecnologie, Chimica e Farmacia, Università di Siena, via A. Moro 2, I-53100 Siena, Siena, Italy.
- Department of Chemistry, Bowling Green State University, Bowling Green, Ohio 43403, USA.
| | - Leonardo Barneschi
- Dipartimento di Biotecnologie, Chimica e Farmacia, Università di Siena, via A. Moro 2, I-53100 Siena, Siena, Italy.
| | - Laura Pedraza-González
- Dipartimento di Chimica e Chimica Industriale, Università di Pisa, Via Giuseppe Moruzzi, 13, I-56124 Pisa, Italy
| | - Xuchun Yang
- Department of Chemistry, Bowling Green State University, Bowling Green, Ohio 43403, USA.
| | - Massimo Olivucci
- Dipartimento di Biotecnologie, Chimica e Farmacia, Università di Siena, via A. Moro 2, I-53100 Siena, Siena, Italy.
- Department of Chemistry, Bowling Green State University, Bowling Green, Ohio 43403, USA.
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10
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Peterson A, Baskett C, Ratcliff WC, Burnetti A. Transforming yeast into a facultative photoheterotroph via expression of vacuolar rhodopsin. Curr Biol 2024; 34:648-654.e3. [PMID: 38218181 DOI: 10.1016/j.cub.2023.12.044] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/20/2023] [Revised: 11/03/2023] [Accepted: 12/13/2023] [Indexed: 01/15/2024]
Abstract
Phototrophic metabolism, the capture of light for energy, was a pivotal biological innovation that greatly increased the total energy available to the biosphere. Chlorophyll-based photosynthesis is the most familiar phototrophic metabolism, but retinal-based microbial rhodopsins transduce nearly as much light energy as chlorophyll does,1 via a simpler mechanism, and are found in far more taxonomic groups. Although this system has apparently spread widely via horizontal gene transfer,2,3,4 little is known about how rhodopsin genes (with phylogenetic origins within prokaryotes5,6) are horizontally acquired by eukaryotic cells with complex internal membrane architectures or the conditions under which they provide a fitness advantage. To address this knowledge gap, we sought to determine whether Saccharomyces cerevisiae, a heterotrophic yeast with no known evolutionary history of phototrophy, can function as a facultative photoheterotroph after acquiring a single rhodopsin gene. We inserted a rhodopsin gene from Ustilago maydis,7 which encodes a proton pump localized to the vacuole, an organelle normally acidified via a V-type rotary ATPase, allowing the rhodopsin to supplement heterotrophic metabolism. Probes of the physiology of modified cells show that they can deacidify the cytoplasm using light energy, demonstrating the ability of rhodopsins to ameliorate the effects of starvation and quiescence. Further, we show that yeast-bearing rhodopsins gain a selective advantage when illuminated, proliferating more rapidly than their non-phototrophic ancestor or rhodopsin-bearing yeast cultured in the dark. These results underscore the ease with which rhodopsins may be horizontally transferred even in eukaryotes, providing novel biological function without first requiring evolutionary optimization.
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Affiliation(s)
- Autumn Peterson
- School of Biological Sciences, Georgia Institute of Technology, Atlanta, GA 30309, USA; Center for Microbial Dynamics and Infection, Georgia Institute of Technology, Atlanta, GA 30309, USA
| | - Carina Baskett
- School of Biological Sciences, Georgia Institute of Technology, Atlanta, GA 30309, USA; Center for Microbial Dynamics and Infection, Georgia Institute of Technology, Atlanta, GA 30309, USA
| | - William C Ratcliff
- School of Biological Sciences, Georgia Institute of Technology, Atlanta, GA 30309, USA; Center for Microbial Dynamics and Infection, Georgia Institute of Technology, Atlanta, GA 30309, USA.
| | - Anthony Burnetti
- School of Biological Sciences, Georgia Institute of Technology, Atlanta, GA 30309, USA; Center for Microbial Dynamics and Infection, Georgia Institute of Technology, Atlanta, GA 30309, USA.
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11
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Flamholz AI, Goyal A, Fischer WW, Newman DK, Phillips R. The proteome is a terminal electron acceptor. BIORXIV : THE PREPRINT SERVER FOR BIOLOGY 2024:2024.01.31.578293. [PMID: 38352589 PMCID: PMC10862836 DOI: 10.1101/2024.01.31.578293] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/25/2024]
Abstract
Microbial metabolism is impressively flexible, enabling growth even when available nutrients differ greatly from biomass in redox state. E. coli, for example, rearranges its physiology to grow on reduced and oxidized carbon sources through several forms of fermentation and respiration. To understand the limits on and evolutionary consequences of metabolic flexibility, we developed a mathematical model coupling redox chemistry with principles of cellular resource allocation. Our integrated model clarifies key phenomena, including demonstrating that autotrophs grow slower than heterotrophs because of constraints imposed by intracellular production of reduced carbon. Our model further indicates that growth is improved by adapting the redox state of biomass to nutrients, revealing an unexpected mode of evolution where proteins accumulate mutations benefiting organismal redox balance.
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Affiliation(s)
- Avi I. Flamholz
- Division of Biology and Biological Engineering, California Institute of Technology; Pasadena, CA 91125
| | - Akshit Goyal
- Physics of Living Systems, Department of Physics, Massachusetts Institute of Technology; Cambridge, MA 02139
- International Centre for Theoretical Sciences, Tata Institute of Fundamental Research; Bengaluru 560089
| | - Woodward W. Fischer
- Division of Geological & Planetary Sciences, California Institute of Technology; Pasadena, CA 91125
| | - Dianne K. Newman
- Division of Biology and Biological Engineering, California Institute of Technology; Pasadena, CA 91125
- Division of Geological & Planetary Sciences, California Institute of Technology; Pasadena, CA 91125
| | - Rob Phillips
- Division of Biology and Biological Engineering, California Institute of Technology; Pasadena, CA 91125
- Department of Physics, California Institute of Technology; Pasadena, CA 91125, USA
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12
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Fang J, Zhang Y, Zhu T, Li Y. Scramblase activity of proteorhodopsin confers physiological advantages to Escherichia coli in the absence of light. iScience 2023; 26:108551. [PMID: 38125024 PMCID: PMC10730872 DOI: 10.1016/j.isci.2023.108551] [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: 02/03/2023] [Revised: 05/11/2023] [Accepted: 11/20/2023] [Indexed: 12/23/2023] Open
Abstract
Microbial rhodopsins are widely distributed in the aqua-ecosystem due to their simple structure and multifaceted functions. Conventionally, microbial rhodopsins are considered to be exclusively light active. Here, we report the discovery of light-independent function of a proteorhodopsin from a psychrophile Psychroflexus torquis (ptqPR). ptqPR could improve the growth and viability of Escherichia coli cells under stressful conditions in the absence of light, and this was achieved by improving the energy maintenance, membrane potential, membrane fluidity, and membrane integrity. We further show that this non-canonical function of PR is related to its scramblase activity. PR mutants which lost scramblase activities also lost their ability to confer physiological advantages in E. coli. These findings shed light on why microbial rhodopsins are widely distributed in ecological systems where light is inaccessible.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jiayu Fang
- CAS Key Laboratory of Microbial Physiological and Metabolic Engineering, State Key Laboratory of Microbial Resources, Institute of Microbiology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100101, China
- University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100049, China
| | - Yanping Zhang
- CAS Key Laboratory of Microbial Physiological and Metabolic Engineering, State Key Laboratory of Microbial Resources, Institute of Microbiology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100101, China
| | - Taicheng Zhu
- CAS Key Laboratory of Microbial Physiological and Metabolic Engineering, State Key Laboratory of Microbial Resources, Institute of Microbiology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100101, China
| | - Yin Li
- CAS Key Laboratory of Microbial Physiological and Metabolic Engineering, State Key Laboratory of Microbial Resources, Institute of Microbiology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100101, China
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13
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Tu W, Xu J, Thompson IP, Huang WE. Engineering artificial photosynthesis based on rhodopsin for CO 2 fixation. Nat Commun 2023; 14:8012. [PMID: 38049399 PMCID: PMC10696030 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-023-43524-4] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/02/2023] [Accepted: 11/11/2023] [Indexed: 12/06/2023] Open
Abstract
Microbial rhodopsin, a significant contributor to sustaining life through light harvesting, holds untapped potential for carbon fixation. Here, we construct an artificial photosynthesis system which combines the proton-pumping ability of rhodopsin with an extracellular electron uptake mechanism, establishing a pathway to drive photoelectrosynthetic CO2 fixation by Ralstonia eutropha (also known as Cupriavidus necator) H16, a facultatively chemolithoautotrophic soil bacterium. R. eutropha is engineered to heterologously express an extracellular electron transfer pathway of Shewanella oneidensis MR-1 and Gloeobacter rhodopsin (GR). Employing GR and the outer-membrane conduit MtrCAB from S. oneidensis, extracellular electrons and GR-driven proton motive force are integrated into R. eutropha's native electron transport chain (ETC). Inspired by natural photosynthesis, the photoelectrochemical system splits water to supply electrons to R. eutropha via the Mtr outer-membrane route. The light-activated proton pump - GR, supported by canthaxanthin as an antenna, powers ATP synthesis and reverses the ETC to regenerate NADH/NADPH, facilitating R. eutropha's biomass synthesis from CO2. Overexpression of a carbonic anhydrase further enhances CO2 fixation. This artificial photosynthesis system has the potential to advance the development of efficient photosynthesis, redefining our understanding of the ecological role of microbial rhodopsins in nature.
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Affiliation(s)
- Weiming Tu
- Department of Engineering Science, University of Oxford, Oxford, OX1 3PJ, UK
| | - Jiabao Xu
- Department of Engineering Science, University of Oxford, Oxford, OX1 3PJ, UK
| | - Ian P Thompson
- Department of Engineering Science, University of Oxford, Oxford, OX1 3PJ, UK
| | - Wei E Huang
- Department of Engineering Science, University of Oxford, Oxford, OX1 3PJ, UK.
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14
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Béjà O, Inoue K. Iron-limitation light switch. Nat Microbiol 2023; 8:1942-1943. [PMID: 37857820 DOI: 10.1038/s41564-023-01491-y] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/21/2023]
Affiliation(s)
- Oded Béjà
- Faculty of Biology, Technion-Israel Institute of Technology, Haifa, Israel.
| | - Keiichi Inoue
- The Institute for Solid State Physics, The University of Tokyo, Kashiwa, Japan.
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15
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Strauss J, Deng L, Gao S, Toseland A, Bachy C, Zhang C, Kirkham A, Hopes A, Utting R, Joest EF, Tagliabue A, Löw C, Worden AZ, Nagel G, Mock T. Plastid-localized xanthorhodopsin increases diatom biomass and ecosystem productivity in iron-limited surface oceans. Nat Microbiol 2023; 8:2050-2066. [PMID: 37845316 PMCID: PMC10627834 DOI: 10.1038/s41564-023-01498-5] [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: 02/24/2023] [Accepted: 09/12/2023] [Indexed: 10/18/2023]
Abstract
Microbial rhodopsins are photoreceptor proteins that convert light into biological signals or energy. Proteins of the xanthorhodopsin family are common in eukaryotic photosynthetic plankton including diatoms. However, their biological role in these organisms remains elusive. Here we report on a xanthorhodopsin variant (FcR1) isolated from the polar diatom Fragilariopsis cylindrus. Applying a combination of biophysical, biochemical and reverse genetics approaches, we demonstrate that FcR1 is a plastid-localized proton pump which binds the chromophore retinal and is activated by green light. Enhanced growth of a Thalassiora pseudonana gain-of-function mutant expressing FcR1 under iron limitation shows that the xanthorhodopsin proton pump supports growth when chlorophyll-based photosynthesis is iron-limited. The abundance of xanthorhodopsin transcripts in natural diatom communities of the surface oceans is anticorrelated with the availability of dissolved iron. Thus, we propose that these proton pumps convey a fitness advantage in regions where phytoplankton growth is limited by the availability of dissolved iron.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jan Strauss
- School of Environmental Sciences, University of East Anglia, Norwich Research Park, Norwich, UK.
- Ocean EcoSystems Biology Unit, RD3, GEOMAR Helmholtz Centre for Ocean Research Kiel, Kiel, Germany.
- European Molecular Biology Laboratory (EMBL), Hamburg Unit c/o Deutsches Elektronen Synchrotron (DESY), Hamburg, Germany.
- Centre for Structural Systems Biology (CSSB), Hamburg, Germany.
- German Maritime Centre, Hamburg, Germany.
| | - Longji Deng
- School of Environmental Sciences, University of East Anglia, Norwich Research Park, Norwich, UK
| | - Shiqiang Gao
- Department of Neurophysiology, Institute of Physiology, University of Würzburg, Wuerzburg, Germany
| | - Andrew Toseland
- School of Environmental Sciences, University of East Anglia, Norwich Research Park, Norwich, UK
| | - Charles Bachy
- Ocean EcoSystems Biology Unit, RD3, GEOMAR Helmholtz Centre for Ocean Research Kiel, Kiel, Germany
- Sorbonne Université, CNRS, FR2424, Station biologique de Roscoff, Roscoff, France
| | - Chong Zhang
- Department of Neurophysiology, Institute of Physiology, University of Würzburg, Wuerzburg, Germany
| | - Amy Kirkham
- School of Environmental Sciences, University of East Anglia, Norwich Research Park, Norwich, UK
- School of Biological Sciences, University of East Anglia, Norwich Research Park, Norwich, UK
| | - Amanda Hopes
- School of Environmental Sciences, University of East Anglia, Norwich Research Park, Norwich, UK
| | - Robert Utting
- School of Environmental Sciences, University of East Anglia, Norwich Research Park, Norwich, UK
| | - Eike F Joest
- Department of Biology, Biocenter, University of Würzburg, Wuerzburg, Germany
| | | | - Christian Löw
- European Molecular Biology Laboratory (EMBL), Hamburg Unit c/o Deutsches Elektronen Synchrotron (DESY), Hamburg, Germany
- Centre for Structural Systems Biology (CSSB), Hamburg, Germany
| | - Alexandra Z Worden
- Ocean EcoSystems Biology Unit, RD3, GEOMAR Helmholtz Centre for Ocean Research Kiel, Kiel, Germany
- Max Planck Institute for Evolutionary Biology, Plön, Germany
- Marine Biological Laboratory, Woods Hole, MA, USA
| | - Georg Nagel
- Department of Neurophysiology, Institute of Physiology, University of Würzburg, Wuerzburg, Germany
| | - Thomas Mock
- School of Environmental Sciences, University of East Anglia, Norwich Research Park, Norwich, UK.
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16
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Petrovskaya LE, Siletsky SA, Mamedov MD, Lukashev EP, Balashov SP, Dolgikh DA, Kirpichnikov MP. Features of the Mechanism of Proton Transport in ESR, Retinal Protein from Exiguobacterium sibiricum. BIOCHEMISTRY. BIOKHIMIIA 2023; 88:1544-1554. [PMID: 38105023 DOI: 10.1134/s0006297923100103] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/06/2023] [Revised: 07/11/2023] [Accepted: 07/11/2023] [Indexed: 12/19/2023]
Abstract
Retinal-containing light-sensitive proteins - rhodopsins - are found in many microorganisms. Interest in them is largely explained by their role in light energy storage and photoregulation in microorganisms, as well as the prospects for their use in optogenetics to control neuronal activity, including treatment of various diseases. One of the representatives of microbial rhodopsins is ESR, the retinal protein of Exiguobacterium sibiricum. What distinguishes ESR from homologous proteins is the presence of a lysine residue (Lys96) as a proton donor for the Schiff base. This feature, along with the hydrogen bond of the proton acceptor Asp85 with the His57 residue, determines functional characteristics of ESR as a proton pump. This review examines the results of ESR studies conducted using various methods, including direct electrometry. Comparison of the obtained data with the results of structural studies and with other retinal proteins allows us to draw conclusions about the mechanisms of transport of hydrogen ions in ESR and similar retinal proteins.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lada E Petrovskaya
- Shemyakin and Ovchinnikov Institute of Bioorganic Chemistry, Russian Academy of Sciences, Moscow, 117997, Russia.
| | - Sergei A Siletsky
- Belozersky Institute of Physico-Chemical Biology, Lomonosov Moscow State University, Moscow, 119992, Russia
| | - Mahir D Mamedov
- Belozersky Institute of Physico-Chemical Biology, Lomonosov Moscow State University, Moscow, 119992, Russia
| | - Eugene P Lukashev
- Faculty of Biology, Lomonosov Moscow State University, Moscow, 119234, Russia
| | - Sergei P Balashov
- Department of Physiology and Biophysics, University of California, Irvine, CA 92697
| | - Dmitry A Dolgikh
- Shemyakin and Ovchinnikov Institute of Bioorganic Chemistry, Russian Academy of Sciences, Moscow, 117997, Russia
- Faculty of Biology, Lomonosov Moscow State University, Moscow, 119234, Russia
| | - Mikhail P Kirpichnikov
- Shemyakin and Ovchinnikov Institute of Bioorganic Chemistry, Russian Academy of Sciences, Moscow, 117997, Russia
- Faculty of Biology, Lomonosov Moscow State University, Moscow, 119234, Russia
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17
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Rokitskaya TI, Alekseev AA, Tsybrov FM, Bukhalovich SM, Antonenko YN, Gordeliy VI. Retinal-Based Anion Pump from the Cyanobacterium Tolypothrix campylonemoides. BIOCHEMISTRY. BIOKHIMIIA 2023; 88:1571-1579. [PMID: 38105025 DOI: 10.1134/s0006297923100127] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/30/2023] [Revised: 09/15/2023] [Accepted: 09/15/2023] [Indexed: 12/19/2023]
Abstract
In this work, TcaR rhodopsin from the cyanobacterium Tolypothrix campylonemoides was characterized. Analysis of the amino acid sequence of TcaR revealed that this protein possesses a TSD motif that differs by only one amino acid from the TSA motif of the known halorhodopsin chloride pump. The TcaR protein was expressed in E. coli, purified, and incorporated into proteoliposomes and nanodiscs. Functional activity was measured by electric current generation through the planar bilayer lipid membranes (BLMs) with proteoliposomes adsorbed on one side of the membrane surface, as well as by fluorescence using the voltage-dependent dye oxonol VI. We have shown that TcaR rhodopsin functions as a powerful anion pump. Our results show that the novel microbial anion transporter, TcaR, deserves deeper investigation and may be of interest both for fundamental studies of membrane proteins and as a tool for optogenetics.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tatyana I Rokitskaya
- Belozersky Institute of Physico-Chemical Biology, Lomonosov Moscow State University, Moscow, 119991, Russia.
| | - Aleksey A Alekseev
- Moscow Institute of Physics and Technology, Dolgoprudny, Moscow Region, 141701, Russia
| | - Fedor M Tsybrov
- Moscow Institute of Physics and Technology, Dolgoprudny, Moscow Region, 141701, Russia
| | - Sergej M Bukhalovich
- Moscow Institute of Physics and Technology, Dolgoprudny, Moscow Region, 141701, Russia
| | - Yuri N Antonenko
- Belozersky Institute of Physico-Chemical Biology, Lomonosov Moscow State University, Moscow, 119991, Russia.
| | - Valentin I Gordeliy
- Institut de Biologie Structurale (IBS), Université Grenoble Alpes, CEA, CNRS, Grenoble, France.
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18
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Andrew SM, Moreno CM, Plumb K, Hassanzadeh B, Gomez-Consarnau L, Smith SN, Schofield O, Yoshizawa S, Fujiwara T, Sunda WG, Hopkinson BM, Septer AN, Marchetti A. Widespread use of proton-pumping rhodopsin in Antarctic phytoplankton. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A 2023; 120:e2307638120. [PMID: 37722052 PMCID: PMC10523587 DOI: 10.1073/pnas.2307638120] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/06/2023] [Accepted: 08/13/2023] [Indexed: 09/20/2023] Open
Abstract
Photosynthetic carbon (C) fixation by phytoplankton in the Southern Ocean (SO) plays a critical role in regulating air-sea exchange of carbon dioxide and thus global climate. In the SO, photosynthesis (PS) is often constrained by low iron, low temperatures, and low but highly variable light intensities. Recently, proton-pumping rhodopsins (PPRs) were identified in marine phytoplankton, providing an alternate iron-free, light-driven source of cellular energy. These proteins pump protons across cellular membranes through light absorption by the chromophore retinal, and the resulting pH energy gradient can then be used for active membrane transport or for synthesis of adenosine triphosphate. Here, we show that PPR is pervasive in Antarctic phytoplankton, especially in iron-limited regions. In a model SO diatom, we found that it was localized to the vacuolar membrane, making the vacuole a putative alternative phototrophic organelle for light-driven production of cellular energy. Unlike photosynthetic C fixation, which decreases substantially at colder temperatures, the proton transport activity of PPR was unaffected by decreasing temperature. Cellular PPR levels in cultured SO diatoms increased with decreasing iron concentrations and energy production from PPR photochemistry could substantially augment that of PS, especially under high light intensities, where PS is often photoinhibited. PPR gene expression and high retinal concentrations in phytoplankton in SO waters support its widespread use in polar environments. PPRs are an important adaptation of SO phytoplankton to growth and survival in their cold, iron-limited, and variable light environment.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sarah M. Andrew
- Department of Earth, Marine, and Environmental Sciences, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, NC27599
| | - Carly M. Moreno
- Department of Earth, Marine, and Environmental Sciences, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, NC27599
| | - Kaylie Plumb
- Department of Marine Sciences, University of Georgia, Athens, GA30602
| | - Babak Hassanzadeh
- Department of Biological Sciences, University of Southern California, Log Angeles, CA90089
| | - Laura Gomez-Consarnau
- Department of Biological Sciences, University of Southern California, Log Angeles, CA90089
- Departamento de Oceanografía Biológica, Centro de Investigación Científca y de Educación Superior de Ensenada, Ensenada, Baja California22860, Mexico
| | - Stephanie N. Smith
- Department of Earth, Marine, and Environmental Sciences, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, NC27599
| | - Oscar Schofield
- Department of Marine and Coastal Sciences, Rutgers University, New Brunswick, NJ08901
| | - Susumu Yoshizawa
- Atmosphere and Ocean Research Institute, The University of Tokyo, Chiba277-8564, Japan
| | - Takayoshi Fujiwara
- Atmosphere and Ocean Research Institute, The University of Tokyo, Chiba277-8564, Japan
| | - William G. Sunda
- Department of Earth, Marine, and Environmental Sciences, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, NC27599
| | | | - Alecia N. Septer
- Department of Earth, Marine, and Environmental Sciences, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, NC27599
| | - Adrian Marchetti
- Department of Earth, Marine, and Environmental Sciences, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, NC27599
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19
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Wutkowska M, Vader A, Logares R, Pelletier E, Gabrielsen TM. Linking extreme seasonality and gene expression in Arctic marine protists. Sci Rep 2023; 13:14627. [PMID: 37669980 PMCID: PMC10480425 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-023-41204-3] [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: 02/27/2023] [Accepted: 08/23/2023] [Indexed: 09/07/2023] Open
Abstract
At high latitudes, strong seasonal differences in light availability affect marine organisms and regulate the timing of ecosystem processes. Marine protists are key players in Arctic aquatic ecosystems, yet little is known about their ecological roles over yearly cycles. This is especially true for the dark polar night period, which up until recently was assumed to be devoid of biological activity. A 12 million transcripts catalogue was built from 0.45 to 10 μm protist assemblages sampled over 13 months in a time series station in an Arctic fjord in Svalbard. Community gene expression was correlated with seasonality, with light as the main driving factor. Transcript diversity and evenness were higher during polar night compared to polar day. Light-dependent functions had higher relative expression during polar day, except phototransduction. 64% of the most expressed genes could not be functionally annotated, yet up to 78% were identified in Arctic samples from Tara Oceans, suggesting that Arctic marine assemblages are distinct from those from other oceans. Our study increases understanding of the links between extreme seasonality and biological processes in pico- and nanoplanktonic protists. Our results set the ground for future monitoring studies investigating the seasonal impact of climate change on the communities of microbial eukaryotes in the High Arctic.
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Affiliation(s)
- Magdalena Wutkowska
- Department of Arctic Biology, The University Centre in Svalbard, Longyearbyen, Norway.
- Department of Arctic and Marine Biology, UiT - The Arctic University of Norway, Tromsø, Norway.
- Institute of Soil Biology and Biogeochemistry, Biology Centre CAS, České Budějovice, Czechia.
| | - Anna Vader
- Department of Arctic Biology, The University Centre in Svalbard, Longyearbyen, Norway
| | - Ramiro Logares
- Institute of Marine Sciences (ICM), CSIC, Barcelona, Catalonia, Spain
| | - Eric Pelletier
- Génomique Métabolique, Genoscope, Institut François Jacob, CEA, CNRS, Univ Evry, Université Paris-Saclay, Evry, France
- CNRS Research Federation for the Study of Global Ocean Systems Ecology and Evolution, FR2022/Tara Oceans GOSEE, Paris, France
| | - Tove M Gabrielsen
- Department of Arctic Biology, The University Centre in Svalbard, Longyearbyen, Norway
- Department of Natural Sciences, University of Agder, Kristiansand, Norway
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20
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Ma M, Li H, Wang C, Li T, Wang J, Yuan H, Yu L, Wang J, Li L, Lin S. A comparative study reveals the relative importance of prokaryotic and eukaryotic proton pump rhodopsins in a subtropical marginal sea. ISME COMMUNICATIONS 2023; 3:79. [PMID: 37596487 PMCID: PMC10439184 DOI: 10.1038/s43705-023-00292-y] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/21/2023] [Revised: 08/02/2023] [Accepted: 08/04/2023] [Indexed: 08/20/2023]
Abstract
Proton-pump rhodopsin (PPR) in marine microbes can convert solar energy to bioavailable chemical energy. Whereas bacterial PPR has been extensively studied, counterparts in microeukaryotes are less explored, and the relative importance of the two groups is poorly understood. Here, we sequenced whole-assemblage metatranscriptomes and investigated the diversity and expression dynamics of PPR in microbial eukaryotes and prokaryotes at a continental shelf and a slope site in the northern South China Sea. Data showed the whole PPRs transcript pool was dominated by Proteorhodopsins and Xanthorhodopsins, followed by Bacteriorhodopsin-like proteins, dominantly contributed by prokaryotes both in the number and expression levels of PPR unigenes, although at the continental slope station, microeukaryotes and prokaryotes contributed similarly in transcript abundance. Furthermore, eukaryotic PPRs are mainly contributed by dinoflagellates and showed significant correlation with nutrient concentrations. Green light-absorbing PPRs were mainly distributed in >3 μm organisms (including microeukaryotes and their associated bacteria), especially at surface layer at the shelf station, whereas blue light-absorbing PPRs dominated the <3 μm (mainly bacterial) communities at both study sites, especially at deeper layers at the slope station. Our study portrays a comparative PPR genotype and expression landscape for prokaryotes and eukaryotes in a subtropical marginal sea, suggesting PPR's role in niche differentiation and adaptation among marine microbes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Minglei Ma
- State Key Laboratory of Marine Environmental Science, College of Ocean and Earth Science, Xiamen University, Xiamen, 361102, China
| | - Hongfei Li
- State Key Laboratory of Marine Environmental Science, College of Ocean and Earth Science, Xiamen University, Xiamen, 361102, China
- National Engineering Research Center for Marine Aquaculture, Zhejiang Ocean University, Zhoushan, 316022, China
| | - Cong Wang
- State Key Laboratory of Marine Environmental Science, College of Ocean and Earth Science, Xiamen University, Xiamen, 361102, China
| | - Tangcheng Li
- State Key Laboratory of Marine Environmental Science, College of Ocean and Earth Science, Xiamen University, Xiamen, 361102, China
- Biology Department and Institute of Marine Sciences, College of Science, Shantou University, Shantou, 515063, China
| | - Jierui Wang
- State Key Laboratory of Marine Environmental Science, College of Ocean and Earth Science, Xiamen University, Xiamen, 361102, China
| | - Huatao Yuan
- State Key Laboratory of Marine Environmental Science, College of Ocean and Earth Science, Xiamen University, Xiamen, 361102, China
| | - Liying Yu
- State Key Laboratory of Marine Environmental Science, College of Ocean and Earth Science, Xiamen University, Xiamen, 361102, China
- Central Laboratory, the Second Affiliated Hospital of Fujian Medical University, Quanzhou, 362000, China
| | - Jingtian Wang
- State Key Laboratory of Marine Environmental Science, College of Ocean and Earth Science, Xiamen University, Xiamen, 361102, China
| | - Ling Li
- State Key Laboratory of Marine Environmental Science, College of Ocean and Earth Science, Xiamen University, Xiamen, 361102, China
| | - Senjie Lin
- State Key Laboratory of Marine Environmental Science, College of Ocean and Earth Science, Xiamen University, Xiamen, 361102, China.
- Laboratory of Marine Biology and Biotechnology, Qingdao National Laboratory of Marine Science and Technology, Qingdao, 266237, China.
- Department of Marine Sciences, University of Connecticut, Groton, CT, 06340, USA.
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21
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Gorriti MF, Bamann C, Alonso-Reyes DG, Wood P, Bamberg E, Farías ME, Gärtner W, Albarracín VH. Functional characterization of xanthorhodopsin in Salinivibrio socompensis, a novel halophile isolated from modern stromatolites. Photochem Photobiol Sci 2023; 22:1809-1823. [PMID: 37036621 DOI: 10.1007/s43630-023-00412-6] [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: 12/22/2022] [Accepted: 03/21/2023] [Indexed: 04/11/2023]
Abstract
A putative xanthorhodopsin-encoding gene, XR34, was found in the genome of the moderately halophilic gammaproteobacterium Salinivibrio socompensis S34, isolated from modern stromatolites found on the shore of Laguna Socompa (3570 m), Argentina Puna. XR-encoding genes were clustered together with genes encoding X-carotene, retinal (vitamin-A aldehyde), and carotenoid biosynthesis enzymes while the carotene ketolase gene critical for the salinixanthin antenna compound was absent. To identify its functional behavior, we herein overexpressed and characterized this intriguing microbial rhodopsin. Recombinant XR34 showed all the salient features of canonical microbial rhodopsin and covalently bound retinal as a functional chromophore with λmax = 561 nm (εmax ca. 60,000 M-1 cm-1). Two canonical counterions with pK values of around 6 and 3 were identified by pH titration of the recombinant protein. With a recovery time of approximately half an hour in the dark, XR34 shows light-dark adaptation shifting the absorption maximum from 551 to 561 nm. Laser-flash induced photochemistry at pH 9 (deprotonated primary counterion) identified a photocycle starting with a K-like intermediate, followed by an M-state (λmax ca. 400 nm, deprotonated Schiff base), and a final long wavelength-absorbing N- or O-like intermediate before returning to the parental 561 nm-state. Initiating the photocycle at pH 5 (protonated counterion) yields only bathochromic intermediates, due to the lacking capacity of the counterion to accept the Schiff base proton. Illumination of the membrane-embedded protein yielded a capacitive transport current. The presence of the M-intermediate under these conditions was demonstrated by a blue light-induced shunt process.
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Affiliation(s)
- Marta F Gorriti
- Laboratorio de Investigaciones Microbiológicas de Lagunas Andinas (LIMLA), Planta Piloto de Procesos Industriales y Microbiológicos (PROIMI), CCT, CONICET, Av. Belgrano y Pje. Caseros, San Miguel de Tucumán, 4000, Tucumán, Argentina
| | - Christian Bamann
- Max-Planck-Institute for Biophysics, Max-von-Laue-Straße 3, Frankfurt am Main, 60438, Germany
| | - Daniel Gonzalo Alonso-Reyes
- Laboratorio de Microbiología Ultraestructural y Molecular, Centro Integral de Microscopía Electrónica (CIME, CONICET, UNT) CCT, CONICET, Facultad de Agronomía, Zootecnia y Veterinaria, Finca El Manantial, UNT, Camino de Sirga s/n (4107), Yerba Buena, Tucumán, Argentina
- Institute for Analytical Chemistry, University of Leipzig, Johannisallee 29, Leipzig, 04103, Germany
| | - Phillip Wood
- Max-Planck-Institute for Biophysics, Max-von-Laue-Straße 3, Frankfurt am Main, 60438, Germany
| | - Ernst Bamberg
- Max-Planck-Institute for Biophysics, Max-von-Laue-Straße 3, Frankfurt am Main, 60438, Germany
| | - María Eugenia Farías
- Laboratorio de Investigaciones Microbiológicas de Lagunas Andinas (LIMLA), Planta Piloto de Procesos Industriales y Microbiológicos (PROIMI), CCT, CONICET, Av. Belgrano y Pje. Caseros, San Miguel de Tucumán, 4000, Tucumán, Argentina
| | - Wolfgang Gärtner
- Institute for Analytical Chemistry, University of Leipzig, Johannisallee 29, Leipzig, 04103, Germany
| | - Virginia Helena Albarracín
- Laboratorio de Microbiología Ultraestructural y Molecular, Centro Integral de Microscopía Electrónica (CIME, CONICET, UNT) CCT, CONICET, Facultad de Agronomía, Zootecnia y Veterinaria, Finca El Manantial, UNT, Camino de Sirga s/n (4107), Yerba Buena, Tucumán, Argentina.
- Facultad de Ciencias Naturales e Instituto Miguel Lillo, Universidad Nacional de Tucumán, Miguel Lillo 205, San Miguel de Tucumán, 4000, Tucumán, Argentina.
- Facultad de Agronomía, Zootecnia y Veterinaria, Universidad Nacional de Tucumán, Centro Universitario Ing. R. Herrera (Ex Quinta Agronómica), Avda. Pte. N. Kirchner 1900., San Miguel de Tucumán, 4000, Tucumán, Argentina.
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22
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Meng X, Ganapathy S, van Roemburg L, Post M, Brinks D. Voltage Imaging with Engineered Proton-Pumping Rhodopsins: Insights from the Proton Transfer Pathway. ACS PHYSICAL CHEMISTRY AU 2023; 3:320-333. [PMID: 37520318 PMCID: PMC10375888 DOI: 10.1021/acsphyschemau.3c00003] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/20/2023] [Revised: 04/13/2023] [Accepted: 04/13/2023] [Indexed: 08/01/2023]
Abstract
Voltage imaging using genetically encoded voltage indicators (GEVIs) has taken the field of neuroscience by storm in the past decade. Its ability to create subcellular and network level readouts of electrical dynamics depends critically on the kinetics of the response to voltage of the indicator used. Engineered microbial rhodopsins form a GEVI subclass known for their high voltage sensitivity and fast response kinetics. Here we review the essential aspects of microbial rhodopsin photocycles that are critical to understanding the mechanisms of voltage sensitivity in these proteins and link them to insights from efforts to create faster, brighter and more sensitive microbial rhodopsin-based GEVIs.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xin Meng
- Department
of Imaging Physics, Delft University of
Technology, 2628 CJ Delft, The
Netherlands
| | - Srividya Ganapathy
- Department
of Imaging Physics, Delft University of
Technology, 2628 CJ Delft, The
Netherlands
- Department
of Pediatrics & Cellular and Molecular Medicine, UCSD School of Medicine, La Jolla, California 92093, United States
| | - Lars van Roemburg
- Department
of Imaging Physics, Delft University of
Technology, 2628 CJ Delft, The
Netherlands
| | - Marco Post
- Department
of Imaging Physics, Delft University of
Technology, 2628 CJ Delft, The
Netherlands
| | - Daan Brinks
- Department
of Imaging Physics, Delft University of
Technology, 2628 CJ Delft, The
Netherlands
- Department
of Molecular Genetics, Erasmus University
Medical Center, 3015 GD Rotterdam, The Netherlands
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23
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Wollmuth EM, Angert ER. Microbial circadian clocks: host-microbe interplay in diel cycles. BMC Microbiol 2023; 23:124. [PMID: 37161348 PMCID: PMC10173096 DOI: 10.1186/s12866-023-02839-4] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/24/2022] [Accepted: 03/28/2023] [Indexed: 05/11/2023] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Circadian rhythms, observed across all domains of life, enable organisms to anticipate and prepare for diel changes in environmental conditions. In bacteria, a circadian clock mechanism has only been characterized in cyanobacteria to date. These clocks regulate cyclical patterns of gene expression and metabolism which contribute to the success of cyanobacteria in their natural environments. The potential impact of self-generated circadian rhythms in other bacterial and microbial populations has motivated extensive research to identify novel circadian clocks. MAIN TEXT Daily oscillations in microbial community composition and function have been observed in ocean ecosystems and in symbioses. These oscillations are influenced by abiotic factors such as light and the availability of nutrients. In the ocean ecosystems and in some marine symbioses, oscillations are largely controlled by light-dark cycles. In gut systems, the influx of nutrients after host feeding drastically alters the composition and function of the gut microbiota. Conversely, the gut microbiota can influence the host circadian rhythm by a variety of mechanisms including through interacting with the host immune system. The intricate and complex relationship between the microbiota and their host makes it challenging to disentangle host behaviors from bacterial circadian rhythms and clock mechanisms that might govern the daily oscillations observed in these microbial populations. CONCLUSIONS While the ability to anticipate the cyclical behaviors of their host would likely be enhanced by a self-sustained circadian rhythm, more evidence and further studies are needed to confirm whether host-associated heterotrophic bacteria possess such systems. In addition, the mechanisms by which heterotrophic bacteria might respond to diel cycles in environmental conditions has yet to be uncovered.
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Affiliation(s)
- Emily M Wollmuth
- Department of Microbiology, Cornell University, 123 Wing Drive, Ithaca, NY, 14853, USA
| | - Esther R Angert
- Department of Microbiology, Cornell University, 123 Wing Drive, Ithaca, NY, 14853, USA.
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24
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Bar-Shalom R, Rozenberg A, Lahyani M, Hassanzadeh B, Sahoo G, Haber M, Burgsdorf I, Tang X, Squatrito V, Gomez-Consarnau L, Béjà O, Steindler L. Rhodopsin-mediated nutrient uptake by cultivated photoheterotrophic Verrucomicrobiota. THE ISME JOURNAL 2023:10.1038/s41396-023-01412-1. [PMID: 37120702 DOI: 10.1038/s41396-023-01412-1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/10/2022] [Revised: 03/31/2023] [Accepted: 04/05/2023] [Indexed: 05/01/2023]
Abstract
Rhodopsin photosystems convert light energy into electrochemical gradients used by the cell to produce ATP, or for other energy-demanding processes. While these photosystems are widespread in the ocean and have been identified in diverse microbial taxonomic groups, their physiological role in vivo has only been studied in few marine bacterial strains. Recent metagenomic studies revealed the presence of rhodopsin genes in the understudied Verrucomicrobiota phylum, yet their distribution within different Verrucomicrobiota lineages, their diversity, and function remain unknown. In this study, we show that more than 7% of Verrucomicrobiota genomes (n = 2916) harbor rhodopsins of different types. Furthermore, we describe the first two cultivated rhodopsin-containing strains, one harboring a proteorhodopsin gene and the other a xanthorhodopsin gene, allowing us to characterize their physiology under laboratory-controlled conditions. The strains were isolated in a previous study from the Eastern Mediterranean Sea and read mapping of 16S rRNA gene amplicons showed the highest abundances of these strains at the deep chlorophyll maximum (source of their inoculum) in winter and spring, with a substantial decrease in summer. Genomic analysis of the isolates suggests that motility and degradation of organic material, both energy demanding functions, may be supported by rhodopsin phototrophy in Verrucomicrobiota. Under culture conditions, we show that rhodopsin phototrophy occurs under carbon starvation, with light-mediated energy generation supporting sugar transport into the cells. Overall, this study suggests that photoheterotrophic Verrucomicrobiota may occupy an ecological niche where energy harvested from light enables bacterial motility toward organic matter and supports nutrient uptake.
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Affiliation(s)
- Rinat Bar-Shalom
- Department of Marine Biology, Leon H. Charney School of Marine Sciences, University of Haifa, Haifa, 3498838, Israel
| | - Andrey Rozenberg
- Faculty of Biology, Technion-Israel Institute of Technology, Haifa, 3200003, Israel
| | - Matan Lahyani
- Department of Marine Biology, Leon H. Charney School of Marine Sciences, University of Haifa, Haifa, 3498838, Israel
| | - Babak Hassanzadeh
- Department of Biological Sciences, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, CA, 90089, USA
| | - Gobardhan Sahoo
- Department of Marine Biology, Leon H. Charney School of Marine Sciences, University of Haifa, Haifa, 3498838, Israel
- Department of Ecology and Environmental Sciences, School of Life Sciences, Pondicherry University, Puducherry, 605014, India
| | - Markus Haber
- Department of Marine Biology, Leon H. Charney School of Marine Sciences, University of Haifa, Haifa, 3498838, Israel
- Institute of Hydrobiology, Biology Centre CAS, Na Sadkach 7, 37005, Ceske Budejovice, Czechia
| | - Ilia Burgsdorf
- Department of Marine Biology, Leon H. Charney School of Marine Sciences, University of Haifa, Haifa, 3498838, Israel
| | - Xinyu Tang
- Department of Marine Biology, Leon H. Charney School of Marine Sciences, University of Haifa, Haifa, 3498838, Israel
| | - Valeria Squatrito
- Department of Marine Biology, Leon H. Charney School of Marine Sciences, University of Haifa, Haifa, 3498838, Israel
| | - Laura Gomez-Consarnau
- Department of Biological Sciences, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, CA, 90089, USA
- Centro de Investigación Científica y de Educación Superior de Ensenada, Ensenada, BC, México
| | - Oded Béjà
- Faculty of Biology, Technion-Israel Institute of Technology, Haifa, 3200003, Israel
| | - Laura Steindler
- Department of Marine Biology, Leon H. Charney School of Marine Sciences, University of Haifa, Haifa, 3498838, Israel.
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25
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Chazan A, Das I, Fujiwara T, Murakoshi S, Rozenberg A, Molina-Márquez A, Sano FK, Tanaka T, Gómez-Villegas P, Larom S, Pushkarev A, Malakar P, Hasegawa M, Tsukamoto Y, Ishizuka T, Konno M, Nagata T, Mizuno Y, Katayama K, Abe-Yoshizumi R, Ruhman S, Inoue K, Kandori H, León R, Shihoya W, Yoshizawa S, Sheves M, Nureki O, Béjà O. Phototrophy by antenna-containing rhodopsin pumps in aquatic environments. Nature 2023; 615:535-540. [PMID: 36859551 DOI: 10.1038/s41586-023-05774-6] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 14.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/24/2022] [Accepted: 01/31/2023] [Indexed: 03/03/2023]
Abstract
Energy transfer from light-harvesting ketocarotenoids to the light-driven proton pump xanthorhodopsins has been previously demonstrated in two unique cases: an extreme halophilic bacterium1 and a terrestrial cyanobacterium2. Attempts to find carotenoids that bind and transfer energy to abundant rhodopsin proton pumps3 from marine photoheterotrophs have thus far failed4-6. Here we detected light energy transfer from the widespread hydroxylated carotenoids zeaxanthin and lutein to the retinal moiety of xanthorhodopsins and proteorhodopsins using functional metagenomics combined with chromophore extraction from the environment. The light-harvesting carotenoids transfer up to 42% of the harvested energy in the violet- or blue-light range to the green-light absorbing retinal chromophore. Our data suggest that these antennas may have a substantial effect on rhodopsin phototrophy in the world's lakes, seas and oceans. However, the functional implications of our findings are yet to be discovered.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ariel Chazan
- Faculty of Biology, Technion-Israel Institute of Technology, Haifa, Israel
| | - Ishita Das
- Department of Molecular Chemistry and Materials Science, Weizmann Institute of Science, Rehovot, Israel
| | - Takayoshi Fujiwara
- Atmosphere and Ocean Research Institute, The University of Tokyo, Chiba, Japan
| | - Shunya Murakoshi
- Department of Biological Sciences, Graduate School of Science, The University of Tokyo, Tokyo, Japan
| | - Andrey Rozenberg
- Faculty of Biology, Technion-Israel Institute of Technology, Haifa, Israel
| | - Ana Molina-Márquez
- Laboratory of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Faculty of Experimental Sciences, Marine International Campus of Excellence (CEIMAR), University of Huelva, Huelva, Spain
| | - Fumiya K Sano
- Department of Biological Sciences, Graduate School of Science, The University of Tokyo, Tokyo, Japan
| | - Tatsuki Tanaka
- Department of Biological Sciences, Graduate School of Science, The University of Tokyo, Tokyo, Japan
| | - Patricia Gómez-Villegas
- Laboratory of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Faculty of Experimental Sciences, Marine International Campus of Excellence (CEIMAR), University of Huelva, Huelva, Spain
| | - Shirley Larom
- Faculty of Biology, Technion-Israel Institute of Technology, Haifa, Israel
| | - Alina Pushkarev
- Faculty of Biology, Technion-Israel Institute of Technology, Haifa, Israel
- Institute for Biology, Experimental Biophysics, Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin, Berlin, Germany
| | - Partha Malakar
- Institute of Chemistry, The Hebrew University of Jerusalem, Jerusalem, Israel
| | - Masumi Hasegawa
- Atmosphere and Ocean Research Institute, The University of Tokyo, Chiba, Japan
- Institute for Extra-cutting-edge Science and Technology Avant-garde Research (X-star), Japan Agency for Marine-Earth Science and Technology (JAMSTEC), Kanagawa, Japan
| | - Yuya Tsukamoto
- Atmosphere and Ocean Research Institute, The University of Tokyo, Chiba, Japan
| | - Tomohiro Ishizuka
- The Institute for Solid State Physics, The University of Tokyo, Kashiwa, Japan
| | - Masae Konno
- The Institute for Solid State Physics, The University of Tokyo, Kashiwa, Japan
| | - Takashi Nagata
- The Institute for Solid State Physics, The University of Tokyo, Kashiwa, Japan
| | - Yosuke Mizuno
- Department of Life Science and Applied Chemistry, Nagoya Institute of Technology, Nagoya, Japan
| | - Kota Katayama
- Department of Life Science and Applied Chemistry, Nagoya Institute of Technology, Nagoya, Japan
- OptoBioTechnology Research Center, Nagoya Institute of Technology, Nagoya, Japan
| | - Rei Abe-Yoshizumi
- Department of Life Science and Applied Chemistry, Nagoya Institute of Technology, Nagoya, Japan
| | - Sanford Ruhman
- Institute of Chemistry, The Hebrew University of Jerusalem, Jerusalem, Israel
| | - Keiichi Inoue
- The Institute for Solid State Physics, The University of Tokyo, Kashiwa, Japan
| | - Hideki Kandori
- Department of Life Science and Applied Chemistry, Nagoya Institute of Technology, Nagoya, Japan
- OptoBioTechnology Research Center, Nagoya Institute of Technology, Nagoya, Japan
| | - Rosa León
- Laboratory of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Faculty of Experimental Sciences, Marine International Campus of Excellence (CEIMAR), University of Huelva, Huelva, Spain
| | - Wataru Shihoya
- Department of Biological Sciences, Graduate School of Science, The University of Tokyo, Tokyo, Japan.
| | - Susumu Yoshizawa
- Atmosphere and Ocean Research Institute, The University of Tokyo, Chiba, Japan.
| | - Mordechai Sheves
- Department of Molecular Chemistry and Materials Science, Weizmann Institute of Science, Rehovot, Israel.
| | - Osamu Nureki
- Department of Biological Sciences, Graduate School of Science, The University of Tokyo, Tokyo, Japan.
| | - Oded Béjà
- Faculty of Biology, Technion-Israel Institute of Technology, Haifa, Israel.
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26
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He S, Linz AM, Stevens SLR, Tran PQ, Moya-Flores F, Oyserman BO, Dwulit-Smith JR, Forest KT, McMahon KD. Diversity, distribution, and expression of opsin genes in freshwater lakes. Mol Ecol 2023; 32:2798-2817. [PMID: 36799010 DOI: 10.1111/mec.16891] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/03/2022] [Revised: 01/28/2023] [Accepted: 02/14/2023] [Indexed: 02/18/2023]
Abstract
Microbial rhodopsins are widely distributed in aquatic environments and may significantly contribute to phototrophy and energy budgets in global oceans. However, the study of freshwater rhodopsins has been largely limited. Here, we explored the diversity, ecological distribution, and expression of opsin genes that encode the apoproteins of type I rhodopsins in humic and clearwater lakes with contrasting physicochemical and optical characteristics. Using metagenomes and metagenome-assembled genomes, we recovered opsin genes from a wide range of taxa, mostly predicted to encode green light-absorbing proton pumps. Viral opsin and novel bacterial opsin clades were recovered. Opsin genes occurred more frequently in taxa from clearwater than from humic water, and opsins in some taxa have nontypical ion-pumping motifs that might be associated with physicochemical conditions of these two freshwater types. Analyses of the surface layer of 33 freshwater systems revealed an inverse correlation between opsin gene abundance and lake dissolved organic carbon (DOC). In humic water with high terrestrial DOC and light-absorbing humic substances, opsin gene abundance was low and dramatically declined within the first few meters, whereas the abundance remained relatively high along the bulk water column in clearwater lakes with low DOC, suggesting opsin gene distribution is influenced by lake optical properties and DOC. Gene expression analysis confirmed the significance of rhodopsin-based phototrophy in clearwater lakes and revealed different diel expressional patterns among major phyla. Overall, our analyses revealed freshwater opsin diversity, distribution and expression patterns, and suggested the significance of rhodopsin-based phototrophy in freshwater energy budgets, especially in clearwater lakes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Shaomei He
- Department of Bacteriology, University of Wisconsin-Madison, Madison, Wisconsin, USA.,Department of Geoscience, University of Wisconsin-Madison, Madison, Wisconsin, USA
| | - Alexandra M Linz
- Department of Bacteriology, University of Wisconsin-Madison, Madison, Wisconsin, USA
| | - Sarah L R Stevens
- Department of Bacteriology, University of Wisconsin-Madison, Madison, Wisconsin, USA
| | - Patricia Q Tran
- Department of Bacteriology, University of Wisconsin-Madison, Madison, Wisconsin, USA.,Department of Integrative Biology, University of Wisconsin-Madison, Madison, Wisconsin, USA
| | - Francisco Moya-Flores
- Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering, University of Wisconsin-Madison, Madison, Wisconsin, USA
| | - Ben O Oyserman
- Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering, University of Wisconsin-Madison, Madison, Wisconsin, USA
| | - Jeffrey R Dwulit-Smith
- Department of Bacteriology, University of Wisconsin-Madison, Madison, Wisconsin, USA.,Program in Biophysics, University of Wisconsin-Madison, Madison, Wisconsin, USA
| | - Katrina T Forest
- Department of Bacteriology, University of Wisconsin-Madison, Madison, Wisconsin, USA.,Program in Biophysics, University of Wisconsin-Madison, Madison, Wisconsin, USA
| | - Katherine D McMahon
- Department of Bacteriology, University of Wisconsin-Madison, Madison, Wisconsin, USA.,Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering, University of Wisconsin-Madison, Madison, Wisconsin, USA
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27
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Roda-Garcia JJ, Haro-Moreno JM, Rodriguez-Valera F, Almagro-Moreno S, López-Pérez M. Single-amplified genomes reveal most streamlined free-living marine bacteria. Environ Microbiol 2023. [PMID: 36755376 DOI: 10.1111/1462-2920.16348] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/06/2022] [Accepted: 02/04/2023] [Indexed: 02/10/2023]
Abstract
Evolutionary adaptations of prokaryotes to the environment sometimes result in genome reduction. Our knowledge of this phenomenon among free-living bacteria remains scarce. We address the dynamics and limits of genome reduction by examining one of the most abundant bacteria in the ocean, the SAR86 clade. Despite its abundance, comparative genomics has been limited by the absence of pure cultures and the poor representation in metagenome-assembled genomes. We co-assembled multiple previously available single-amplified genomes to obtain the first complete genomes from members of the four families. All families showed a convergent evolutionary trajectory with characteristic features of streamlined genomes, most pronounced in the TMED112 family. This family has a genome size of ca. 1 Mb and only 1 bp as median intergenic distance, exceeding values found in other abundant microbes such as SAR11, OM43 and Prochlorococcus. This genomic simplification led to a reduction in the biosynthesis of essential molecules, DNA repair-related genes, and the ability to sense and respond to environmental factors, which could suggest an evolutionary dependence on other co-occurring microbes for survival (Black Queen hypothesis). Therefore, these reconstructed genomes within the SAR86 clade provide new insights into the limits of genome reduction in free-living marine bacteria.
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Affiliation(s)
- Juan J Roda-Garcia
- Evolutionary Genomics Group, Departamento Producción Vegetal y Microbiología, Universidad Miguel Hernández, Alicante, Spain
| | - Jose M Haro-Moreno
- Evolutionary Genomics Group, Departamento Producción Vegetal y Microbiología, Universidad Miguel Hernández, Alicante, Spain
| | - Francisco Rodriguez-Valera
- Evolutionary Genomics Group, Departamento Producción Vegetal y Microbiología, Universidad Miguel Hernández, Alicante, Spain
| | - Salvador Almagro-Moreno
- Burnett School of Biomedical Sciences, University of Central Florida, Orlando, Florida, USA.,National Center for Integrated Coastal Research, University of Central Florida, Orlando, Florida, USA
| | - Mario López-Pérez
- Evolutionary Genomics Group, Departamento Producción Vegetal y Microbiología, Universidad Miguel Hernández, Alicante, Spain
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28
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Tu W, Huang WE. Rhodopsin driven microbial CO 2 fixation using synthetic biology design. Environ Microbiol 2023; 25:126-130. [PMID: 36221243 PMCID: PMC10092888 DOI: 10.1111/1462-2920.16243] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/05/2022] [Accepted: 10/09/2022] [Indexed: 01/21/2023]
Affiliation(s)
- Weiming Tu
- Department of Engineering Science, University of Oxford, Oxford, UK
| | - Wei E Huang
- Department of Engineering Science, University of Oxford, Oxford, UK
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29
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A bacterium from a mountain lake harvests light using both proton-pumping xanthorhodopsins and bacteriochlorophyll-based photosystems. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A 2022; 119:e2211018119. [PMID: 36469764 PMCID: PMC9897461 DOI: 10.1073/pnas.2211018119] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/12/2022] Open
Abstract
Photoheterotrophic bacteria harvest light energy using either proton-pumping rhodopsins or bacteriochlorophyll (BChl)-based photosystems. The bacterium Sphingomonas glacialis AAP5 isolated from the alpine lake Gossenköllesee contains genes for both systems. Here, we show that BChl is expressed between 4°C and 22°C in the dark, whereas xanthorhodopsin is expressed only at temperatures below 16°C and in the presence of light. Thus, cells grown at low temperatures under a natural light-dark cycle contain both BChl-based photosystems and xanthorhodopsins with a nostoxanthin antenna. Flash photolysis measurements proved that both systems are photochemically active. The captured light energy is used for ATP synthesis and stimulates growth. Thus, S. glacialis AAP5 represents a chlorophototrophic and a retinalophototrophic organism. Our analyses suggest that simple xanthorhodopsin may be preferred by the cells under higher light and low temperatures, whereas larger BChl-based photosystems may perform better at lower light intensities. This indicates that the use of two systems for light harvesting may represent an evolutionary adaptation to the specific environmental conditions found in alpine lakes and other analogous ecosystems, allowing bacteria to alternate their light-harvesting machinery in response to large seasonal changes of irradiance and temperature.
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30
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Munson-McGee JH, Lindsay MR, Sintes E, Brown JM, D'Angelo T, Brown J, Lubelczyk LC, Tomko P, Emerson D, Orcutt BN, Poulton NJ, Herndl GJ, Stepanauskas R. Decoupling of respiration rates and abundance in marine prokaryoplankton. Nature 2022; 612:764-770. [PMID: 36477536 PMCID: PMC9771814 DOI: 10.1038/s41586-022-05505-3] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/14/2022] [Accepted: 11/01/2022] [Indexed: 12/12/2022]
Abstract
The ocean-atmosphere exchange of CO2 largely depends on the balance between marine microbial photosynthesis and respiration. Despite vast taxonomic and metabolic diversity among marine planktonic bacteria and archaea (prokaryoplankton)1-3, their respiration usually is measured in bulk and treated as a 'black box' in global biogeochemical models4; this limits the mechanistic understanding of the global carbon cycle. Here, using a technology for integrated phenotype analyses and genomic sequencing of individual microbial cells, we show that cell-specific respiration rates differ by more than 1,000× among prokaryoplankton genera. The majority of respiration was found to be performed by minority members of prokaryoplankton (including the Roseobacter cluster), whereas cells of the most prevalent lineages (including Pelagibacter and SAR86) had extremely low respiration rates. The decoupling of respiration rates from abundance among lineages, elevated counts of proteorhodopsin transcripts in Pelagibacter and SAR86 cells and elevated respiration of SAR86 at night indicate that proteorhodopsin-based phototrophy3,5-7 probably constitutes an important source of energy to prokaryoplankton and may increase growth efficiency. These findings suggest that the dependence of prokaryoplankton on respiration and remineralization of phytoplankton-derived organic carbon into CO2 for its energy demands and growth may be lower than commonly assumed and variable among lineages.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | - Eva Sintes
- Department of Functional and Evolutionary Ecology, University of Vienna, Vienna, Austria
- Instituto Español de Oceanografía-CSIC, Centro Oceanográfico de Baleares, Palma, Spain
| | - Julia M Brown
- Bigelow Laboratory for Ocean Sciences, East Boothbay, ME, USA
| | | | - Joe Brown
- Bigelow Laboratory for Ocean Sciences, East Boothbay, ME, USA
| | | | | | - David Emerson
- Bigelow Laboratory for Ocean Sciences, East Boothbay, ME, USA
| | - Beth N Orcutt
- Bigelow Laboratory for Ocean Sciences, East Boothbay, ME, USA
| | | | - Gerhard J Herndl
- Department of Functional and Evolutionary Ecology, University of Vienna, Vienna, Austria
- Department of Marine Microbiology and Biogeochemistry, Royal Netherlands Institute for Sea Research (NIOZ), Utrecht University, Den Burg, The Netherlands
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31
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Davison PA, Tu W, Xu J, Della Valle S, Thompson IP, Hunter CN, Huang WE. Engineering a Rhodopsin-Based Photo-Electrosynthetic System in Bacteria for CO 2 Fixation. ACS Synth Biol 2022; 11:3805-3816. [PMID: 36264158 PMCID: PMC9680020 DOI: 10.1021/acssynbio.2c00397] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/27/2023]
Abstract
A key goal of synthetic biology is to engineer organisms that can use solar energy to convert CO2 to biomass, chemicals, and fuels. We engineered a light-dependent electron transfer chain by integrating rhodopsin and an electron donor to form a closed redox loop, which drives rhodopsin-dependent CO2 fixation. A light-driven proton pump comprising Gloeobacter rhodopsin (GR) and its cofactor retinal have been assembled in Ralstonia eutropha (Cupriavidus necator) H16. In the presence of light, this strain fixed inorganic carbon (or bicarbonate) leading to 20% growth enhancement, when formate was used as an electron donor. We found that an electrode from a solar panel can replace organic compounds to serve as the electron donor, mediated by the electron shuttle molecule riboflavin. In this new autotrophic and photo-electrosynthetic system, GR is augmented by an external photocell for reductive CO2 fixation. We demonstrated that this hybrid photo-electrosynthetic pathway can drive the engineered R. eutropha strain to grow using CO2 as the sole carbon source. In this system, a bioreactor with only two inputs, light and CO2, enables the R. eutropha strain to perform a rhodopsin-dependent autotrophic growth. Light energy alone, supplied by a solar panel, can drive the conversion of CO2 into biomass with a maximum electron transfer efficiency of 20%.
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Affiliation(s)
- Paul A. Davison
- Plants,
Photosynthesis and Soil, School of Biosciences, University of Sheffield, SheffieldS10 2TN, United Kingdom
| | - Weiming Tu
- Department
of Engineering Science, University of Oxford, OxfordOX1 3PJ, United Kingdom
| | - Jiabao Xu
- Department
of Engineering Science, University of Oxford, OxfordOX1 3PJ, United Kingdom
| | - Simona Della Valle
- Department
of Engineering Science, University of Oxford, OxfordOX1 3PJ, United Kingdom
| | - Ian P. Thompson
- Department
of Engineering Science, University of Oxford, OxfordOX1 3PJ, United Kingdom
| | - C. Neil Hunter
- Plants,
Photosynthesis and Soil, School of Biosciences, University of Sheffield, SheffieldS10 2TN, United Kingdom
| | - Wei E. Huang
- Department
of Engineering Science, University of Oxford, OxfordOX1 3PJ, United Kingdom,. Tel: +44 1865 283786
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32
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Jing X, Gong Y, Xu T, Davison PA, MacGregor-Chatwin C, Hunter CN, Xu L, Meng Y, Ji Y, Ma B, Xu J, Huang WE. Revealing CO 2-Fixing SAR11 Bacteria in the Ocean by Raman-Based Single-Cell Metabolic Profiling and Genomics. BIODESIGN RESEARCH 2022; 2022:9782712. [PMID: 37850122 PMCID: PMC10521720 DOI: 10.34133/2022/9782712] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/03/2022] [Accepted: 09/26/2022] [Indexed: 10/19/2023] Open
Abstract
The majority of marine microbes remain uncultured, which hinders the identification and mining of CO2-fixing genes, pathways, and chassis from the oceans. Here, we investigated CO2-fixing microbes in seawater from the euphotic zone of the Yellow Sea of China by detecting and tracking their 13C-bicarbonate (13C-HCO3-) intake via single-cell Raman spectra (SCRS) analysis. The target cells were then isolated by Raman-activated Gravity-driven Encapsulation (RAGE), and their genomes were amplified and sequenced at one-cell resolution. The single-cell metabolism, phenotype and genome are consistent. We identified a not-yet-cultured Pelagibacter spp., which actively assimilates 13C-HCO3-, and also possesses most of the genes encoding enzymes of the Calvin-Benson cycle for CO2 fixation, a complete gene set for a rhodopsin-based light-harvesting system, and the full genes necessary for carotenoid synthesis. The four proteorhodopsin (PR) genes identified in the Pelagibacter spp. were confirmed by heterologous expression in E. coli. These results suggest that hitherto uncultured Pelagibacter spp. uses light-powered metabolism to contribute to global carbon cycling.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xiaoyan Jing
- Single-Cell Center, CAS Key Laboratory of Biofuels, Shandong Key Laboratory of Energy Genetics and Shandong Institute of Energy Research, Qingdao Institute of Bioenergy and Bioprocess Technology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Qingdao, Shandong, China
- Laboratory for Marine Biology and Biotechnology, Qingdao National Laboratory for Marine Science and Technology, Qingdao, Shandong, China
- University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China
| | - Yanhai Gong
- Single-Cell Center, CAS Key Laboratory of Biofuels, Shandong Key Laboratory of Energy Genetics and Shandong Institute of Energy Research, Qingdao Institute of Bioenergy and Bioprocess Technology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Qingdao, Shandong, China
- University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China
| | - Teng Xu
- Single-Cell Center, CAS Key Laboratory of Biofuels, Shandong Key Laboratory of Energy Genetics and Shandong Institute of Energy Research, Qingdao Institute of Bioenergy and Bioprocess Technology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Qingdao, Shandong, China
- University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China
| | - Paul A. Davison
- Plants, Photosynthesis and Soil, School of Biosciences, University of Sheffield, Sheffield S10 2TN, UK
| | - Craig MacGregor-Chatwin
- Plants, Photosynthesis and Soil, School of Biosciences, University of Sheffield, Sheffield S10 2TN, UK
| | - C. Neil Hunter
- Plants, Photosynthesis and Soil, School of Biosciences, University of Sheffield, Sheffield S10 2TN, UK
| | - La Xu
- Disease and Fishery Drugs Research Center, Marine Biology Institute of Shandong Province, Qingdao, ShandongChina
| | - Yu Meng
- Single-Cell Center, CAS Key Laboratory of Biofuels, Shandong Key Laboratory of Energy Genetics and Shandong Institute of Energy Research, Qingdao Institute of Bioenergy and Bioprocess Technology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Qingdao, Shandong, China
- University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China
| | - Yuetong Ji
- Single-Cell Center, CAS Key Laboratory of Biofuels, Shandong Key Laboratory of Energy Genetics and Shandong Institute of Energy Research, Qingdao Institute of Bioenergy and Bioprocess Technology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Qingdao, Shandong, China
- University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China
- Single-Cell Biotechnology, Ltd, Qingdao, ShandongChina
| | - Bo Ma
- Single-Cell Center, CAS Key Laboratory of Biofuels, Shandong Key Laboratory of Energy Genetics and Shandong Institute of Energy Research, Qingdao Institute of Bioenergy and Bioprocess Technology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Qingdao, Shandong, China
- University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China
| | - Jian Xu
- Single-Cell Center, CAS Key Laboratory of Biofuels, Shandong Key Laboratory of Energy Genetics and Shandong Institute of Energy Research, Qingdao Institute of Bioenergy and Bioprocess Technology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Qingdao, Shandong, China
- Laboratory for Marine Biology and Biotechnology, Qingdao National Laboratory for Marine Science and Technology, Qingdao, Shandong, China
- University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China
| | - Wei E. Huang
- Department of Engineering Science, University of Oxford, Parks Road, OX1 3PJ Oxford, UK
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Alonso-Reyes DG, Galván FS, Irazoqui JM, Amadio A, Tschoeke D, Thompson F, Albarracín VH, Farias ME. Dissecting Light Sensing and Metabolic Pathways on the Millimeter Scale in High-Altitude Modern Stromatolites. MICROBIAL ECOLOGY 2022:10.1007/s00248-022-02112-7. [PMID: 36161499 DOI: 10.1007/s00248-022-02112-7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/08/2022] [Accepted: 09/13/2022] [Indexed: 06/16/2023]
Abstract
Modern non-lithifying stromatolites on the shore of the volcanic lake Socompa (SST) in the Puna are affected by several extreme conditions. The present study assesses for the first time light utilization and functional metabolic stratification of SST on a millimeter scale through shotgun metagenomics. In addition, a scanning-electron-microscopy approach was used to explore the community. The analysis on SST unveiled the profile of a photosynthetic mat, with cyanobacteria not directly exposed to light, but placed just below a high-UV-resistant community. Calvin-Benson and 3-hydroxypropinate cycles for carbon fixation were abundant in upper, oxic layers, while the Wood-Ljungdahl pathway was dominant in the deeper anoxic strata. The high abundance of genes for UV-screening and oxidant-quenching pigments and CPF (photoreactivation) in the UV-stressed layers could indicate that the zone itself works as a UV shield. There is a remarkable density of sequences associated with photoreceptors in the first two layers. Also, genetic evidence of photosynthesis split in eukaryotic (layer 1) and prokaryotic (layer 2). Photoheterotrophic bacteria, aerobic photoautotrophic bacteria, and anaerobic photoautotrophic bacteria coexist by selectively absorbing different parts of the light spectrum (blue, red, and IR respectively) at different positions of the mat. Genes for oxygen, nitrogen, and sulfur metabolism account for the microelectrode chemical data and pigment measurements performed in previous publications. We also provide here an explanation for the vertical microbial mobility within the SST described previously. Finally, our study points to SST as ideal modern analogues of ancient ST.
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Affiliation(s)
- Daniel Gonzalo Alonso-Reyes
- Laboratorio de Microbiología Ultraestructural Y Molecular, Centro Integral de Microscopía Electrónica (CIME,), CONICET-Universidad Nacional de Tucumán, Camino de Sirga s/n, Finca El Manantial, Yerba Buena (4107), San Miguel de Tucumán, Tucumán, Argentina
- Laboratorio de Investigaciones Microbiológicas de Lagunas Andinas (LIMLA), Planta Piloto de Procesos Industriales y Microbiológicos (PROIMI), CCT, CONICET, Tucumán, Argentina
| | - Fátima Silvina Galván
- Laboratorio de Microbiología Ultraestructural Y Molecular, Centro Integral de Microscopía Electrónica (CIME,), CONICET-Universidad Nacional de Tucumán, Camino de Sirga s/n, Finca El Manantial, Yerba Buena (4107), San Miguel de Tucumán, Tucumán, Argentina
| | - José Matías Irazoqui
- Instituto de Investigación de La Cadena Láctea (INTA-CONICET), Rafaela, Argentina
| | - Ariel Amadio
- Instituto de Investigación de La Cadena Láctea (INTA-CONICET), Rafaela, Argentina
| | - Diogo Tschoeke
- Institute of Biology and Coppe, Federal University of Rio de Janeiro, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
| | - Fabiano Thompson
- Institute of Biology and Coppe, Federal University of Rio de Janeiro, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
| | - Virginia Helena Albarracín
- Laboratorio de Microbiología Ultraestructural Y Molecular, Centro Integral de Microscopía Electrónica (CIME,), CONICET-Universidad Nacional de Tucumán, Camino de Sirga s/n, Finca El Manantial, Yerba Buena (4107), San Miguel de Tucumán, Tucumán, Argentina.
- Facultad de Ciencias Naturales e Instituto Miguel Lillo, Universidad Nacional de Tucumán, Tucumán, Argentina.
| | - María Eugenia Farias
- Laboratorio de Investigaciones Microbiológicas de Lagunas Andinas (LIMLA), Planta Piloto de Procesos Industriales y Microbiológicos (PROIMI), CCT, CONICET, Tucumán, Argentina
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de Grip WJ, Ganapathy S. Rhodopsins: An Excitingly Versatile Protein Species for Research, Development and Creative Engineering. Front Chem 2022; 10:879609. [PMID: 35815212 PMCID: PMC9257189 DOI: 10.3389/fchem.2022.879609] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/19/2022] [Accepted: 05/16/2022] [Indexed: 01/17/2023] Open
Abstract
The first member and eponym of the rhodopsin family was identified in the 1930s as the visual pigment of the rod photoreceptor cell in the animal retina. It was found to be a membrane protein, owing its photosensitivity to the presence of a covalently bound chromophoric group. This group, derived from vitamin A, was appropriately dubbed retinal. In the 1970s a microbial counterpart of this species was discovered in an archaeon, being a membrane protein also harbouring retinal as a chromophore, and named bacteriorhodopsin. Since their discovery a photogenic panorama unfolded, where up to date new members and subspecies with a variety of light-driven functionality have been added to this family. The animal branch, meanwhile categorized as type-2 rhodopsins, turned out to form a large subclass in the superfamily of G protein-coupled receptors and are essential to multiple elements of light-dependent animal sensory physiology. The microbial branch, the type-1 rhodopsins, largely function as light-driven ion pumps or channels, but also contain sensory-active and enzyme-sustaining subspecies. In this review we will follow the development of this exciting membrane protein panorama in a representative number of highlights and will present a prospect of their extraordinary future potential.
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Affiliation(s)
- Willem J. de Grip
- Leiden Institute of Chemistry, Department of Biophysical Organic Chemistry, Leiden University, Leiden, Netherlands
- Radboud Institute for Molecular Life Sciences, Radboud University Medical Center, Nijmegen, Netherlands
| | - Srividya Ganapathy
- Department of Imaging Physics, Delft University of Technology, Netherlands
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Carotenoid binding in Gloeobacteria rhodopsin provides insights into divergent evolution of xanthorhodopsin types. Commun Biol 2022; 5:512. [PMID: 35637261 PMCID: PMC9151804 DOI: 10.1038/s42003-022-03429-2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/16/2021] [Accepted: 04/29/2022] [Indexed: 11/08/2022] Open
Abstract
The position of carotenoid in xanthorhodopsin has been elucidated. However, a challenging expression of this opsin and a complex biosynthesis carotenoid in the laboratory hold back the insightful study of this rhodopsin. Here, we demonstrated co-expression of the xanthorhodopsin type isolated from Gloeobacter violaceus PCC 7421-Gloeobacter rhodopsin (GR) with a biosynthesized keto-carotenoid (canthaxanthin) targeting the carotenoid binding site. Direct mutation-induced changes in carotenoid-rhodopsin interaction revealed three crucial features: (1) carotenoid locked motif (CLM), (2) carotenoid aligned motif (CAM), and color tuning serines (CTS). Our single mutation results at 178 position (G178W) confirmed inhibition of carotenoid binding; however, the mutants showed better stability and proton pumping, which was also observed in the case of carotenoid binding characteristics. These effects demonstrated an adaptation of microbial rhodopsin that diverges from carotenoid harboring, along with expression in the dinoflagellate Pyrocystis lunula rhodopsin and the evolutionary substitution model. The study highlights a critical position of the carotenoid binding site, which significantly allows another protein engineering approach in the microbial rhodopsin family.
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Church JR, Amoyal GS, Borin VA, Adam S, Olsen JMH, Schapiro I. Deciphering the Spectral Tuning Mechanism in Proteorhodopsin: The Dominant Role of Electrostatics Instead of Chromophore Geometry. Chemistry 2022; 28:e202200139. [PMID: 35307890 PMCID: PMC9325082 DOI: 10.1002/chem.202200139] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/15/2022] [Indexed: 11/11/2022]
Abstract
Proteorhodopsin (PR) is a photoactive proton pump found in marine bacteria. There are two phenotypes of PR exhibiting an environmental adaptation to the ocean's depth which tunes their maximum absorption: blue‐absorbing proteorhodopsin (BPR) and green‐absorbing proteorhodopsin (GPR). This blue/green color‐shift is controlled by a glutamine to leucine substitution at position 105 which accounts for a 20 nm shift. Typically, spectral tuning in rhodopsins is rationalized by the external point charge model but the Q105L mutation is charge neutral. To study this tuning mechanism, we employed the hybrid QM/MM method with sampling from molecular dynamics. Our results reveal that the positive partial charge of glutamine near the C14−C15 bond of retinal shortens the effective conjugation length of the chromophore compared to the leucine residue. The derived mechanism can be applied to explain the color regulation in other retinal proteins and can serve as a guideline for rational design of spectral shifts.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jonathan R Church
- Fritz Haber Center for Molecular Dynamics Research, Institute of Chemistry, The Hebrew University of Jerusalem, Jerusalem, 9190401, Israel
| | - Gil S Amoyal
- Fritz Haber Center for Molecular Dynamics Research, Institute of Chemistry, The Hebrew University of Jerusalem, Jerusalem, 9190401, Israel
| | - Veniamin A Borin
- Fritz Haber Center for Molecular Dynamics Research, Institute of Chemistry, The Hebrew University of Jerusalem, Jerusalem, 9190401, Israel
| | - Suliman Adam
- Fritz Haber Center for Molecular Dynamics Research, Institute of Chemistry, The Hebrew University of Jerusalem, Jerusalem, 9190401, Israel
| | | | - Igor Schapiro
- Fritz Haber Center for Molecular Dynamics Research, Institute of Chemistry, The Hebrew University of Jerusalem, Jerusalem, 9190401, Israel
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Sephus CD, Fer E, Garcia AK, Adam ZR, Schwieterman EW, Kaçar B. Earliest photic zone niches probed by ancestral microbial rhodopsins. Mol Biol Evol 2022; 39:6582242. [PMID: 35524714 PMCID: PMC9117797 DOI: 10.1093/molbev/msac100] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/24/2022] Open
Abstract
For billions of years, life has continuously adapted to dynamic physical conditions near the Earth’s surface. Fossils and other preserved biosignatures in the paleontological record are the most direct evidence for reconstructing the broad historical contours of this adaptive interplay. However, biosignatures dating to Earth’s earliest history are exceedingly rare. Here, we combine phylogenetic inference of primordial rhodopsin proteins with modeled spectral features of the Precambrian Earth environment to reconstruct the paleobiological history of this essential family of photoactive transmembrane proteins. Our results suggest that ancestral microbial rhodopsins likely acted as light-driven proton pumps and were spectrally tuned toward the absorption of green light, which would have enabled their hosts to occupy depths in a water column or biofilm where UV wavelengths were attenuated. Subsequent diversification of rhodopsin functions and peak absorption frequencies was enabled by the expansion of surface ecological niches induced by the accumulation of atmospheric oxygen. Inferred ancestors retain distinct associations between extant functions and peak absorption frequencies. Our findings suggest that novel information encoded by biomolecules can be used as “paleosensors” for conditions of ancient, inhabited niches of host organisms not represented elsewhere in the paleontological record. The coupling of functional diversification and spectral tuning of this taxonomically diverse protein family underscores the utility of rhodopsins as universal testbeds for inferring remotely detectable biosignatures on inhabited planetary bodies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Cathryn D Sephus
- NASA Center for Early Life and Evolution, University of Wisconsin-Madison, Madison, WI, USA
| | - Evrim Fer
- NASA Center for Early Life and Evolution, University of Wisconsin-Madison, Madison, WI, USA.,Department of Bacteriology, University of Wisconsin-Madison, Madison, WI, USA.,Microbiology Doctoral Training Program, University of Wisconsin-Madison, Madison, WI, USA
| | - Amanda K Garcia
- Department of Bacteriology, University of Wisconsin-Madison, Madison, WI, USA
| | - Zachary R Adam
- Department of Geoscience, University of Wisconsin-Madison, Madison, WI, USA.,Blue Marble Space Institute of Science, Seattle, WA, USA
| | - Edward W Schwieterman
- Blue Marble Space Institute of Science, Seattle, WA, USA.,Department of Earth and Planetary Sciences, University of California, Riverside, CA, USA
| | - Betül Kaçar
- NASA Center for Early Life and Evolution, University of Wisconsin-Madison, Madison, WI, USA.,Department of Bacteriology, University of Wisconsin-Madison, Madison, WI, USA
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Chen H, Li DH, Jiang AJ, Li XG, Wu SJ, Chen JW, Qu MJ, Qi XQ, Dai J, Zhao R, Zhang WJ, Liu SS, Wu LF. Metagenomic analysis reveals wide distribution of phototrophic bacteria in hydrothermal vents on the ultraslow-spreading Southwest Indian Ridge. MARINE LIFE SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY 2022; 4:255-267. [PMID: 37073225 PMCID: PMC10077154 DOI: 10.1007/s42995-021-00121-y] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/27/2021] [Accepted: 08/31/2021] [Indexed: 05/03/2023]
Abstract
Deep-sea hydrothermal vents are known as chemosynthetic ecosystems. However, high temperature vents emit light that hypothetically can drive photosynthesis in this habitat. Metagenomic studies have sporadically reported the occurrence of phototrophic populations such as cyanobacteria in hydrothermal vents. To determine how geographically and taxonomically widespread phototrophs are in deep-sea hydrothermal vents, we collected samples from three niches in a hydrothermal vent on the Southwest Indian Ridge and carried out an integrated metagenomic analysis. We determined the typical community structures of microorganisms found in active venting fields and identified populations of known potential chlorophototrophs and retinalophototrophs. Complete chlorophyll biosynthetic pathways were identified in all samples. By contrast, proteorhodopsins were only found in active beehive smoker diffusers. Taxonomic groups possessing potential phototrophy dependent on semiconductors present in hydrothermal vents were also found in these samples. This systematic comparative metagenomic study reveals the widespread distribution of phototrophic bacteria in hydrothermal vent fields. Our results support the hypothesis that the ocean is a seed bank of diverse microorganisms. Geothermal vent light may provide energy and confer a competitive advantage on phototrophs to proliferate in hydrothermal vent ecosystems. Supplementary Information The online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1007/s42995-021-00121-y.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hong Chen
- Laboratory of Deep Sea Microbial Cell Biology, Institute of Deep Sea Science and Engineering, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Sanya, 572000 China
- University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 100864 China
- France-China Joint Laboratory for Evolution and Development of Magnetotactic Multicellular Organisms (LIA-MagMC), Marseille, France/Sanya, China
- Institution of Deep-Sea Life Sciences, IDSSE-BGI, IDSTI-CAS/Hainan Deep-Sea Technology Laboratory, Sanya/Shenzhen, China
| | - Deng Hui Li
- Institution of Deep-Sea Life Sciences, IDSSE-BGI, IDSTI-CAS/Hainan Deep-Sea Technology Laboratory, Sanya/Shenzhen, China
- BGI-Qingdao, BGI-Shenzhen, Qingdao, 266555 China
| | - Ai Jun Jiang
- Institution of Deep-Sea Life Sciences, IDSSE-BGI, IDSTI-CAS/Hainan Deep-Sea Technology Laboratory, Sanya/Shenzhen, China
- BGI-Qingdao, BGI-Shenzhen, Qingdao, 266555 China
| | - Xue Gong Li
- Laboratory of Deep Sea Microbial Cell Biology, Institute of Deep Sea Science and Engineering, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Sanya, 572000 China
- France-China Joint Laboratory for Evolution and Development of Magnetotactic Multicellular Organisms (LIA-MagMC), Marseille, France/Sanya, China
- Institution of Deep-Sea Life Sciences, IDSSE-BGI, IDSTI-CAS/Hainan Deep-Sea Technology Laboratory, Sanya/Shenzhen, China
| | - Shi Jun Wu
- Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, 310027 China
| | - Jian Wei Chen
- Institution of Deep-Sea Life Sciences, IDSSE-BGI, IDSTI-CAS/Hainan Deep-Sea Technology Laboratory, Sanya/Shenzhen, China
- BGI-Qingdao, BGI-Shenzhen, Qingdao, 266555 China
- BGI-Shenzhen, Shenzhen, 518083 China
- Qingdao-Europe Advanced Institute for Life Sciences, BGI-Shenzhen, Qingdao, 266555 China
| | | | - Xiao Qing Qi
- Laboratory of Deep Sea Microbial Cell Biology, Institute of Deep Sea Science and Engineering, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Sanya, 572000 China
- France-China Joint Laboratory for Evolution and Development of Magnetotactic Multicellular Organisms (LIA-MagMC), Marseille, France/Sanya, China
- Institution of Deep-Sea Life Sciences, IDSSE-BGI, IDSTI-CAS/Hainan Deep-Sea Technology Laboratory, Sanya/Shenzhen, China
| | - Jie Dai
- Laboratory of Deep Sea Microbial Cell Biology, Institute of Deep Sea Science and Engineering, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Sanya, 572000 China
- University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 100864 China
- France-China Joint Laboratory for Evolution and Development of Magnetotactic Multicellular Organisms (LIA-MagMC), Marseille, France/Sanya, China
- Institution of Deep-Sea Life Sciences, IDSSE-BGI, IDSTI-CAS/Hainan Deep-Sea Technology Laboratory, Sanya/Shenzhen, China
| | - Rui Zhao
- Laboratory of Deep Sea Microbial Cell Biology, Institute of Deep Sea Science and Engineering, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Sanya, 572000 China
- University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 100864 China
- France-China Joint Laboratory for Evolution and Development of Magnetotactic Multicellular Organisms (LIA-MagMC), Marseille, France/Sanya, China
- Institution of Deep-Sea Life Sciences, IDSSE-BGI, IDSTI-CAS/Hainan Deep-Sea Technology Laboratory, Sanya/Shenzhen, China
| | - Wei-Jia Zhang
- Laboratory of Deep Sea Microbial Cell Biology, Institute of Deep Sea Science and Engineering, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Sanya, 572000 China
- France-China Joint Laboratory for Evolution and Development of Magnetotactic Multicellular Organisms (LIA-MagMC), Marseille, France/Sanya, China
- Institution of Deep-Sea Life Sciences, IDSSE-BGI, IDSTI-CAS/Hainan Deep-Sea Technology Laboratory, Sanya/Shenzhen, China
| | - Shan Shan Liu
- Institution of Deep-Sea Life Sciences, IDSSE-BGI, IDSTI-CAS/Hainan Deep-Sea Technology Laboratory, Sanya/Shenzhen, China
- BGI-Qingdao, BGI-Shenzhen, Qingdao, 266555 China
- BGI-Shenzhen, Shenzhen, 518083 China
- Qingdao-Europe Advanced Institute for Life Sciences, BGI-Shenzhen, Qingdao, 266555 China
| | - Long-Fei Wu
- France-China Joint Laboratory for Evolution and Development of Magnetotactic Multicellular Organisms (LIA-MagMC), Marseille, France/Sanya, China
- Aix Marseille University, Centre national de la recherche scientifique, Laboratoire de Chimie Bactérienne, Institut de Microbiologie de la Méditerranée, L’ Institut Microbiologie, Bioénergies et Biotechnologie, 13402 Marseille, France
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Proteome Expression and Survival Strategies of a Proteorhodopsin-Containing Vibrio Strain under Carbon and Nitrogen Limitation. mSystems 2022; 7:e0126321. [PMID: 35384695 PMCID: PMC9040609 DOI: 10.1128/msystems.01263-21] [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: 11/23/2022] Open
Abstract
Photoheterotrophy is a widespread mode of microbial metabolism, notably in the oligotrophic surface ocean, where microbes experience chronic nutrient limitation. One especially widespread form of photoheterotrophy is based on proteorhodopsin (PR), which uses light to generate proton motive force that can drive ATP synthesis, flagellar movement, or nutrient uptake. To clarify the physiological benefits conferred by PR under nutrient stress conditions, we quantified protein-level gene expression of Vibrio campbellii CAIM 519 under both carbon and nitrogen limitation and under both light and dark conditions. Using a novel membrane proteomics strategy, we determined that PR expression is higher under C limitation than N limitation but is not light regulated. Despite expression of PR photosystems, V. campbellii does not exhibit any growth or survival advantages in the light and only a few proteins show significant expression differences between light and dark conditions. While protein-level proteorhodopsin expression in V. campbellii is clearly responsive to nutrient limitation, photoheterotrophy does not appear to play a central role in the survival physiology of this organism under these nutrient stress conditions. C limitation and N limitation, however, result in very different survival responses: under N-limited conditions, viability declines, cultivability is lost rapidly, central carbon flux through the Entner-Doudoroff pathway is increased, and ammonium is assimilated via the GS-GOGAT pathway. In contrast, C limitation drives cell dwarfing with maintenance of viability, as well as utilization of the glyoxylate shunt, glutamate dehydrogenase and anaplerotic C fixation, and a stringent response mediated by the Pho regulon. IMPORTANCE Understanding the nutrient stress responses of proteorhodopsin-bearing microbes like Vibrio campbellii yields insights into microbial contributions to nutrient cycling, lifestyles of emerging pathogens in aquatic environments, and protein-level adaptations implemented during times of nutrient limitation. In addition to its broad taxonomic and geographic prevalence, the physiological role of PR is diverse, so we developed a novel proteomics strategy to quantify its expression at the protein level. We found that proteorhodopsin expression levels in this wild-type photoheterotroph under these experimental conditions, while higher under C than under N limitation, do not afford measurable light-driven growth or survival advantages. Additionally, this work links differential protein expression patterns between C- and N-limited cultures to divergent stationary-phase survival phenotypes.
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Li Y, Sun XM, Dang YR, Liu NH, Qin QL, Zhang YQ, Zhang XY. Genomic analysis of Marinomonas profundi M1K-6T reveals its adaptation to deep-sea environment of the Mariana Trench. Mar Genomics 2022; 62:100935. [DOI: 10.1016/j.margen.2022.100935] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/12/2021] [Revised: 02/10/2022] [Accepted: 02/11/2022] [Indexed: 11/26/2022]
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Ataeian M, Liu Y, Kouris A, Hawley AK, Strous M. Ecological Interactions of Cyanobacteria and Heterotrophs Enhances the Robustness of Cyanobacterial Consortium for Carbon Sequestration. Front Microbiol 2022; 13:780346. [PMID: 35222325 PMCID: PMC8880816 DOI: 10.3389/fmicb.2022.780346] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/20/2021] [Accepted: 01/19/2022] [Indexed: 12/21/2022] Open
Abstract
Lack of robustness is a major barrier to foster a sustainable cyanobacterial biotechnology. Use of cyanobacterial consortium increases biodiversity, which provides functional redundancy and prevents invading species from disrupting the production ecosystem. Here we characterized a cyanobacterial consortium enriched from microbial mats of alkaline soda lakes in BC, Canada, at high pH and alkalinity. This consortium has been grown in open laboratory culture for 4 years without crashes. Using shotgun metagenomic sequencing, 29 heterotrophic metagenome-assembled-genomes (MAGs) were retrieved and were assigned to Bacteroidota, Alphaproteobacteria, Gammaproteobacteria, Verrucomicrobiota, Patescibacteria, Planctomycetota, and Archaea. In combination with metaproteomics, the overall stability of the consortium was determined under different cultivation conditions. Genome information from each heterotrophic population was investigated for six ecological niches created by cyanobacterial metabolism and one niche for phototrophy. Genome-resolved metaproteomics with stable isotope probing using 13C-bicarbonate (protein/SIP) showed tight coupling of carbon transfer from cyanobacteria to the heterotrophic populations, specially Wenzhouxiangella. The community structure was compared to a previously described consortium of a closely related cyanobacteria, which indicated that the results may be generalized. Productivity losses associated with heterotrophic metabolism were relatively small compared to other losses during photosynthesis.
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Affiliation(s)
- Maryam Ataeian
- Department of Geoscience, University of Calgary, Calgary, AB, Canada
| | - Yihua Liu
- Department Microbiome Science, Max Planck Institute for Developmental Biology, Tübingen, Germany
| | - Angela Kouris
- Department of Geoscience, University of Calgary, Calgary, AB, Canada
| | - Alyse K. Hawley
- School of Engineering, University of British Columbia Okanagan, Kelowna, BC, Canada
| | - Marc Strous
- Department of Geoscience, University of Calgary, Calgary, AB, Canada
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42
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Abstract
A small subset of marine microbial enzymes and surface transporters have a disproportionately important influence on the cycling of carbon and nutrients in the global ocean. As a result, they largely determine marine biological productivity and have been the focus of considerable research attention from microbial oceanographers. Like all biological catalysts, the activity of these keystone biomolecules is subject to control by temperature and pH, leaving the crucial ecosystem functions they support potentially vulnerable to anthropogenic environmental change. We summarize and discuss both consensus and conflicting evidence on the effects of sea surface warming and ocean acidification for five of these critical enzymes [carbonic anhydrase, ribulose-1,5-bisphosphate carboxylase/oxygenase (RuBisCO), nitrogenase, nitrate reductase, and ammonia monooxygenase] and one important transporter (proteorhodopsin). Finally, we forecast how the responses of these few but essential biocatalysts to ongoing global change processes may ultimately help to shape the microbial communities and biogeochemical cycles of the future greenhouse ocean.
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Affiliation(s)
- David A Hutchins
- Marine and Environmental Biology Section, Department of Biological Sciences, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, California 90089, USA;
| | - Sergio A Sañudo-Wilhelmy
- Marine and Environmental Biology Section, Department of Biological Sciences, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, California 90089, USA;
- Department of Earth Sciences, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, California 90089, USA;
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43
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Gordeliy V, Kovalev K, Bamberg E, Rodriguez-Valera F, Zinovev E, Zabelskii D, Alekseev A, Rosselli R, Gushchin I, Okhrimenko I. Microbial Rhodopsins. Methods Mol Biol 2022; 2501:1-52. [PMID: 35857221 DOI: 10.1007/978-1-0716-2329-9_1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/15/2023]
Abstract
The first microbial rhodopsin, a light-driven proton pump bacteriorhodopsin from Halobacterium salinarum (HsBR), was discovered in 1971. Since then, this seven-α-helical protein, comprising a retinal molecule as a cofactor, became a major driver of groundbreaking developments in membrane protein research. However, until 1999 only a few archaeal rhodopsins, acting as light-driven proton and chloride pumps and also photosensors, were known. A new microbial rhodopsin era started in 2000 when the first bacterial rhodopsin, a proton pump, was discovered. Later it became clear that there are unexpectedly many rhodopsins, and they are present in all the domains of life and even in viruses. It turned out that they execute such a diversity of functions while being "nearly the same." The incredible evolution of the research area of rhodopsins and the scientific and technological potential of the proteins is described in the review with a focus on their function-structure relationships.
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Affiliation(s)
- Valentin Gordeliy
- Institut de Biologie Structurale (IBS), Université Grenoble Alpes, CEA, CNRS, Grenoble, France.
| | - Kirill Kovalev
- Institut de Biologie Structurale (IBS), Université Grenoble Alpes, CEA, CNRS, Grenoble, France
- Institute of Biological Information Processing (IBI-7: Structural Biochemistry), Forschungszentrum Jülich GmbH, Jülich, Germany
- JuStruct: Jülich Center for Structural Biology, Forschungszentrum Jülich GmbH, Jülich, Germany
- Research Center for Molecular Mechanisms of Aging and Age-Related Diseases, Moscow Institute of Physics and Technology (National Research University), Dolgoprudny, Russia
- Institute of Crystallography, University of Aachen (RWTH), Aachen, Germany
| | - Ernst Bamberg
- Max Planck Institute of Biophysics, Frankfurt am Main, Germany
| | - Francisco Rodriguez-Valera
- Research Center for Molecular Mechanisms of Aging and Age-Related Diseases, Moscow Institute of Physics and Technology (National Research University), Dolgoprudny, Russia
- Evolutionary Genomics Group, Departamento de Producción Vegetal y Microbiología, Universidad Miguel Hernández, San Juan de Alicante, Alicante, Spain
| | - Egor Zinovev
- Research Center for Molecular Mechanisms of Aging and Age-Related Diseases, Moscow Institute of Physics and Technology (National Research University), Dolgoprudny, Russia
| | - Dmitrii Zabelskii
- Research Center for Molecular Mechanisms of Aging and Age-Related Diseases, Moscow Institute of Physics and Technology (National Research University), Dolgoprudny, Russia
| | - Alexey Alekseev
- Research Center for Molecular Mechanisms of Aging and Age-Related Diseases, Moscow Institute of Physics and Technology (National Research University), Dolgoprudny, Russia
| | - Riccardo Rosselli
- Departamento de Fisiología, Genetica y Microbiología. Facultad de Ciencias, Universidad de Alicante, Alicante, Spain
| | - Ivan Gushchin
- Research Center for Molecular Mechanisms of Aging and Age-Related Diseases, Moscow Institute of Physics and Technology (National Research University), Dolgoprudny, Russia
| | - Ivan Okhrimenko
- Research Center for Molecular Mechanisms of Aging and Age-Related Diseases, Moscow Institute of Physics and Technology (National Research University), Dolgoprudny, Russia
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44
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Abstract
Optogenetics has revolutionized not only neuroscience but also had an impact on muscle physiology and cell biology. Rhodopsin-based optogenetics started with the discovery of the light-gated cation channels, called channelrhodopsins. Together with the light-driven ion pumps, these channels allow light-mediated control of electrically excitable cells in culture tissue and living animals. They can be activated (depolarized) or silenced (hyperpolarized) by light with incomparably high spatiotemporal resolution. Optogenetics allows the light manipulation of cells under electrode-free conditions in a minimally invasive manner. Through modern genetic techniques, virus-induced transduction can be performed with extremely high cell specificity in tissue and living animals, allowing completely new approaches for analyzing neural networks, behavior studies, and investigations of neurodegenerative diseases. First clinical trials for the optogenetic recovery of vision are underway.This chapter provides a comprehensive description of the structure and function of the different light-gated channels and some new light-activated ion pumps. Some of them already play an essential role in optogenetics while others are supposed to become important tools for more specialized applications in the future.At the moment, a large number of publications are available concerning intrinsic mechanisms of microbial rhodopsins. Mostly they describe CrChR2 and its variants, as CrChR2 is still the most prominent optogenetic tool. Therefore, many biophysically and biochemically oriented groups contributed to the overwhelming mass of information on this unique ion channel's molecular mechanism. In this context, the function of new optogenetic tools is discussed, which is essential for rational optimization of the optogenetic approach for an eventual biomedical application. The comparison of the effectivity of ion pumps versus ion channels is discussed as well.Applications of rhodopsins-based optogenetic tools are also discussed in the chapter. Because of the enormous number of these applications in neuroscience, only exemplary studies on cell culture neural tissue, muscle physiology, and remote control of animal behavior are presented.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alexey Alekseev
- Research Center for Molecular Mechanisms of Aging and Age-Related Diseases, Moscow Institute of Physics and Technology (National Research University), Dolgoprudny, Russia
| | - Valentin Gordeliy
- Institut de Biologie Structurale (IBS), Université Grenoble Alpes, CEA, CNRS, Grenoble, France
| | - Ernst Bamberg
- Max Planck Institute of Biophysics, Frankfurt am Main, Germany.
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45
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Rodriguez-Valera F, Pushkarev A, Rosselli R, Béjà O. Searching Metagenomes for New Rhodopsins. Methods Mol Biol 2022; 2501:101-108. [PMID: 35857224 DOI: 10.1007/978-1-0716-2329-9_4] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/15/2023]
Abstract
Most microbial groups have not been cultivated yet, and the only way to approach the enormous diversity of rhodopsins that they contain in a sensible timeframe is through the analysis of their genomes. High-throughput sequencing technologies have allowed the release of community genomics (metagenomics) of many habitats in the photic zones of the ocean and lakes. Already the harvest is impressive and included from the first bacterial rhodopsin (proteorhodopsin) to the recent discovery of heliorhodopsin by functional metagenomics. However, the search continues using bioinformatic or biochemical routes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Francisco Rodriguez-Valera
- Evolutionary Genomics Group, Departamento de Producción Vegetal y Microbiología, Universidad Miguel Hernández, San Juan de Alicante, Alicante, Spain
- Research Center for Molecular Mechanisms of Aging and Age-Related Diseases, Moscow Institute of Physics and Technology (National Research University), Dolgoprudny, Russia
| | - Alina Pushkarev
- Faculty of Biology, Technion - Israel Institute of Technology, Haifa, Israel
| | - Riccardo Rosselli
- Departamento de Fisiología, Genética y Microbiología, Facultad de Ciencias, Universidad de Alicante, Alicante, Spain
| | - Oded Béjà
- Faculty of Biology, Technion - Israel Institute of Technology, Haifa, Israel.
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46
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Abstract
Microbial proton-pumping rhodopsins are considered the simplest strategy among phototrophs to conserve energy from light. Proteorhodopsins are the most studied rhodopsins thus far because of their ubiquitous presence in the ocean, except in Antarctica, where they remain understudied. We analyzed proteorhodopsin abundance and transcriptional activity in the Western Antarctic coastal seawaters. Combining quantitative PCR (qPCR) and metagenomics, the relative abundance of proteorhodopsin-bearing bacteria accounted on average for 17, 3.5, and 29.7% of the bacterial community in Chile Bay (South Shetland Islands) during 2014, 2016, and 2017 summer-autumn, respectively. The abundance of proteorhodopsin-bearing bacteria changed in relation to environmental conditions such as chlorophyll a and temperature. Alphaproteobacteria, Gammaproteobacteria, and Flavobacteriia were the main bacteria that transcribed the proteorhodopsin gene during day and night. Although green light-absorbing proteorhodopsin genes were more abundant than blue-absorbing ones, the latter were transcribed more intensely, resulting in >50% of the proteorhodopsin transcripts during the day and night. Flavobacteriia were the most abundant proteorhodopsin-bearing bacteria in the metagenomes; however, Alphaproteobacteria and Gammaproteobacteria were more represented in the metatranscriptomes, with qPCR quantification suggesting the dominance of the active SAR11 clade. Our results show that proteorhodopsin-bearing bacteria are prevalent in Antarctic coastal waters in late austral summer and early autumn, and their ecological relevance needs to be elucidated to better understand how sunlight energy is used in this marine ecosystem. IMPORTANCE Proteorhodopsin-bearing microorganisms in the Southern Ocean have been overlooked since their discovery in 2000. The present study identify taxonomy and quantify the relative abundance of proteorhodopsin-bearing bacteria and proteorhodopsin gene transcription in the West Antarctic Peninsula's coastal waters. This information is crucial to understand better how sunlight enters this marine environment through alternative ways unrelated to chlorophyll-based strategies. The relative abundance of proteorhodopsin-bearing bacteria seems to be related to environmental parameters (e.g., chlorophyll a, temperature) that change yearly at the coastal water of the West Antarctic Peninsula during the austral late summers and early autumns. Proteorhodopsin-bearing bacteria from Antarctic coastal waters are potentially able to exploit both the green and blue spectrum of sunlight and are a prevalent group during the summer in this polar environment.
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47
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Abstract
Microbial rhodopsins are diverse photoreceptive proteins containing a retinal chromophore and are found in all domains of cellular life and are even encoded in genomes of viruses. These rhodopsins make up two families: type 1 rhodopsins and the recently discovered heliorhodopsins. These families have seven transmembrane helices with similar structures but opposing membrane orientation. Microbial rhodopsins participate in a portfolio of light-driven energy and sensory transduction processes. In this review we present data collected over the last two decades about these rhodopsins and describe their diversity, functions, and biological and ecological roles. Expected final online publication date for the Annual Review of Microbiology, Volume 75 is October 2021. Please see http://www.annualreviews.org/page/journal/pubdates for revised estimates.
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Affiliation(s)
- Andrey Rozenberg
- Faculty of Biology, Technion-Israel Institute of Technology, Haifa 3200003, Israel; ,
| | - Keiichi Inoue
- The Institute for Solid State Physics, The University of Tokyo, Kashiwa 277-8581, Japan;
| | - Hideki Kandori
- Department of Life Science and Applied Chemistry, Nagoya Institute of Technology, Nagoya 466-8555, Japan;
| | - Oded Béjà
- Faculty of Biology, Technion-Israel Institute of Technology, Haifa 3200003, Israel; ,
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48
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Hirschi S, Kalbermatter D, Ucurum Z, Lemmin T, Fotiadis D. Cryo-EM structure and dynamics of the green-light absorbing proteorhodopsin. Nat Commun 2021; 12:4107. [PMID: 34226545 PMCID: PMC8257665 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-021-24429-6] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [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: 11/20/2020] [Accepted: 06/18/2021] [Indexed: 02/06/2023] Open
Abstract
The green-light absorbing proteorhodopsin (GPR) is the archetype of bacterial light-driven proton pumps. Here, we present the 2.9 Å cryo-EM structure of pentameric GPR, resolving important residues of the proton translocation pathway and the oligomerization interface. Superposition with the structure of a close GPR homolog and molecular dynamics simulations reveal conformational variations, which regulate the solvent access to the intra- and extracellular half channels harbouring the primary proton donor E109 and the proposed proton release group E143. We provide a mechanism for the structural rearrangements allowing hydration of the intracellular half channel, which are triggered by changing the protonation state of E109. Functional characterization of selected mutants demonstrates the importance of the molecular organization around E109 and E143 for GPR activity. Furthermore, we present evidence that helices involved in the stabilization of the protomer interfaces serve as scaffolds for facilitating the motion of the other helices. Combined with the more constrained dynamics of the pentamer compared to the monomer, these observations illustrate the previously demonstrated functional significance of GPR oligomerization. Overall, this work provides molecular insights into the structure, dynamics and function of the proteorhodopsin family that will benefit the large scientific community employing GPR as a model protein.
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Affiliation(s)
- Stephan Hirschi
- Institute of Biochemistry and Molecular Medicine, University of Bern, Bern, Switzerland
| | - David Kalbermatter
- Institute of Biochemistry and Molecular Medicine, University of Bern, Bern, Switzerland
| | - Zöhre Ucurum
- Institute of Biochemistry and Molecular Medicine, University of Bern, Bern, Switzerland
| | - Thomas Lemmin
- DS3Lab, System Group, Department of Computer Sciences, ETH Zurich, Zürich, Switzerland.
- Trkola Group, Institute of Medical Virology, University of Zurich, Zürich, Switzerland.
| | - Dimitrios Fotiadis
- Institute of Biochemistry and Molecular Medicine, University of Bern, Bern, Switzerland.
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49
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Complete genome of Nocardioides aquaticus KCTC 9944T isolated from meromictic and hypersaline Ekho Lake, Antarctica. Mar Genomics 2021; 62:100889. [DOI: 10.1016/j.margen.2021.100889] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/26/2021] [Revised: 06/28/2021] [Accepted: 07/06/2021] [Indexed: 11/23/2022]
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50
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Lingam M. Theoretical Constraints Imposed by Gradient Detection and Dispersal on Microbial Size in Astrobiological Environments. ASTROBIOLOGY 2021; 21:813-830. [PMID: 33902321 DOI: 10.1089/ast.2020.2392] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/12/2023]
Abstract
The capacity to sense gradients efficiently and acquire information about the ambient environment confers many advantages such as facilitating movement toward nutrient sources or away from toxic chemicals. The amplified dispersal evinced by organisms endowed with motility is possibly beneficial in related contexts. Hence, the connections between information acquisition, motility, and microbial size are explored from an explicitly astrobiological standpoint. By using prior theoretical models, the constraints on organism size imposed by gradient detection and motility are elucidated in the form of simple heuristic scaling relations. It is argued that environments such as alkaline hydrothermal vents, which are distinguished by the presence of steep gradients, might be conducive to the existence of "small" microbes (with radii of ≳0.1 μm) in principle, when only the above two factors are considered; other biological functions (e.g., metabolism and genetic exchange) could, however, regulate the lower bound on microbial size and elevate it. The derived expressions are potentially applicable to a diverse array of settings, including those entailing solvents other than water; for example, the lakes and seas of Titan. The article concludes with a brief exposition of how this formalism may be of practical and theoretical value to astrobiology.
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Affiliation(s)
- Manasvi Lingam
- Department of Aerospace, Physics and Space Science, Florida Institute of Technology, Melbourne, Florida, USA
- Institute for Theory and Computation, Harvard University, Cambridge, Massachusetts, USA
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