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Evans DCS, Khamas AB, Marcussen L, Rasmussen KS, Klitgaard JK, Kallipolitis BH, Nielsen J, Otzen DE, Leake MC, Meyer RL. GFP fusions of Sec-routed extracellular proteins in Staphylococcus aureus reveal surface-associated coagulase in biofilms. MICROBIAL CELL (GRAZ, AUSTRIA) 2023; 10:145-156. [PMID: 37395997 PMCID: PMC10311078 DOI: 10.15698/mic2023.07.800] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/22/2022] [Revised: 06/14/2023] [Accepted: 06/19/2023] [Indexed: 07/04/2023]
Abstract
Staphylococcus aureus is a major human pathogen that utilises many surface-associated and secreted proteins to form biofilms and cause disease. However, our understanding of these processes is limited by challenges of using fluorescent protein reporters in their native environment, because they must be exported and fold correctly to become fluorescent. Here, we demonstrate the feasibility of using the monomeric superfolder GFP (msfGFP) exported from S. aureus. By fusing msfGFP to signal peptides for the Secretory (Sec) and Twin Arginine Translocation (Tat) pathways, the two major secretion pathways in S. aureus, we quantified msfGFP fluorescence in bacterial cultures and cell-free supernatant from the cultures. When fused to a Tat signal peptide, we detected msfGFP fluorescence inside but not outside bacterial cells, indicating a failure to export msfGFP. However, when fused to a Sec signal peptide, msfGFP fluorescence was present outside cells, indicating successful export of the msfGFP in the unfolded state, followed by extracellular folding and maturation to the photoactive state. We applied this strategy to study coagulase (Coa), a secreted protein and a major contributor to the formation of a fibrin network in S. aureus biofilms that protects bacteria from the host immune system and increases attachment to host surfaces. We confirmed that a genomically integrated C-terminal fusion of Coa to msfGFP does not impair the activity of Coa or its localisation within the biofilm matrix. Our findings demonstrate that msfGFP is a good candidate fluorescent reporter to consider when studying proteins secreted by the Sec pathway in S. aureus.
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Affiliation(s)
- Dominique C. S. Evans
- Interdisciplinary Nanoscience Center, Aarhus University, Aarhus, Denmark
- Department of Physics, University of York, York, UK
| | - Amanda B. Khamas
- Interdisciplinary Nanoscience Center, Aarhus University, Aarhus, Denmark
| | - Lisbeth Marcussen
- Interdisciplinary Nanoscience Center, Aarhus University, Aarhus, Denmark
| | - Kristian S. Rasmussen
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, University of Southern Denmark, Odense, Denmark
| | - Janne K. Klitgaard
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, University of Southern Denmark, Odense, Denmark
| | - Birgitte H. Kallipolitis
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, University of Southern Denmark, Odense, Denmark
| | - Janni Nielsen
- Interdisciplinary Nanoscience Center, Aarhus University, Aarhus, Denmark
| | - Daniel E. Otzen
- Interdisciplinary Nanoscience Center, Aarhus University, Aarhus, Denmark
| | - Mark C. Leake
- Department of Physics, University of York, York, UK
- Department of Biology, University of York, York, UK
| | - Rikke L. Meyer
- Interdisciplinary Nanoscience Center, Aarhus University, Aarhus, Denmark
- Department of Biology, Aarhus University, Aarhus, Denmark
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Microbial protein cell factories fight back? Trends Biotechnol 2021; 40:576-590. [PMID: 34924209 DOI: 10.1016/j.tibtech.2021.10.003] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/12/2021] [Revised: 10/01/2021] [Accepted: 10/01/2021] [Indexed: 01/26/2023]
Abstract
The biopharmaceutical market is growing faster than ever, with two production systems competing for market dominance: mammalian cells and microorganisms. In recent years, based on the rise of antibody-based therapies, new biotherapeutic approvals have favored mammalian hosts. However, not only has extensive research elevated our understanding of microbes to new levels, but emerging therapeutic molecules also facilitate their use; thus, is it time for microbes to fight back? In this review, we answer this timely question by cross-comparing four microbial production hosts and examining the innovations made to both their secretion and post-translational modification (PTM) capabilities. Furthermore, we discuss the impact of tools, such as omics and systems biology, as well as alternative production systems and emerging biotherapeutics.
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Engineering Bacillus subtilis Cells as Factories: Enzyme Secretion and Value-added Chemical Production. BIOTECHNOL BIOPROC E 2020. [DOI: 10.1007/s12257-020-0104-8] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/01/2023]
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Prajapati B, Bernal-Cabas M, López-Álvarez M, Schaffer M, Bartel J, Rath H, Steil L, Becher D, Völker U, Mäder U, van Dijl JM. Double trouble: Bacillus depends on a functional Tat machinery to avoid severe oxidative stress and starvation upon entry into a NaCl-depleted environment. BIOCHIMICA ET BIOPHYSICA ACTA-MOLECULAR CELL RESEARCH 2020; 1868:118914. [PMID: 33245978 DOI: 10.1016/j.bbamcr.2020.118914] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/23/2020] [Revised: 11/08/2020] [Accepted: 11/20/2020] [Indexed: 11/17/2022]
Abstract
The widely conserved twin-arginine translocases (Tat) allow the transport of fully folded cofactor-containing proteins across biological membranes. In doing so, these translocases serve different biological functions ranging from energy conversion to cell division. In the Gram-positive soil bacterium Bacillus subtilis, the Tat machinery is essential for effective growth in media lacking iron or NaCl. It was previously shown that this phenomenon relates to the Tat-dependent export of the heme-containing peroxidase EfeB, which converts Fe2+ to Fe3+ at the expense of hydrogen peroxide. However, the reasons why the majority of tat mutant bacteria perish upon dilution in NaCl-deprived medium and how, after several hours, a sub-population adapts to this condition was unknown. Here we show that, upon growth in the absence of NaCl, the bacteria face two major problems, namely severe oxidative stress at the membrane and starvation leading to death. The tat mutant cells can overcome these challenges if they are fed with arginine, which implies that severe arginine depletion is a major cause of death and resumed arginine synthesis permits their survival. Altogether, our findings show that the Tat system of B. subtilis is needed to preclude severe oxidative stress and starvation upon sudden drops in the environmental Na+ concentration as caused by flooding or rain.
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Affiliation(s)
- Bimal Prajapati
- University of Groningen, University Medical Center Groningen, Department of Medical Microbiology, Groningen, the Netherlands
| | - Margarita Bernal-Cabas
- University of Groningen, University Medical Center Groningen, Department of Medical Microbiology, Groningen, the Netherlands
| | - Marina López-Álvarez
- University of Groningen, University Medical Center Groningen, Department of Medical Microbiology, Groningen, the Netherlands
| | - Marc Schaffer
- University Medicine Greifswald, Interfaculty Institute of Genetics and Functional Genomics, Department of Functional Genomics, Greifswald, Germany
| | - Jürgen Bartel
- University of Greifswald, Institute of Microbiology, Department of Microbial Proteomics, Greifswald, Germany
| | - Hermann Rath
- University Medicine Greifswald, Interfaculty Institute of Genetics and Functional Genomics, Department of Functional Genomics, Greifswald, Germany
| | - Leif Steil
- University Medicine Greifswald, Interfaculty Institute of Genetics and Functional Genomics, Department of Functional Genomics, Greifswald, Germany
| | - Dörte Becher
- University of Greifswald, Institute of Microbiology, Department of Microbial Proteomics, Greifswald, Germany
| | - Uwe Völker
- University Medicine Greifswald, Interfaculty Institute of Genetics and Functional Genomics, Department of Functional Genomics, Greifswald, Germany
| | - Ulrike Mäder
- University Medicine Greifswald, Interfaculty Institute of Genetics and Functional Genomics, Department of Functional Genomics, Greifswald, Germany.
| | - Jan Maarten van Dijl
- University of Groningen, University Medical Center Groningen, Department of Medical Microbiology, Groningen, the Netherlands.
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Triadó-Margarit X, Capitán JA, Menéndez-Serra M, Ortiz-Álvarez R, Ontiveros VJ, Casamayor EO, Alonso D. A Randomized Trait Community Clustering approach to unveil consistent environmental thresholds in community assembly. THE ISME JOURNAL 2019; 13:2681-2689. [PMID: 31243330 PMCID: PMC6794281 DOI: 10.1038/s41396-019-0454-4] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/12/2018] [Revised: 05/21/2019] [Accepted: 06/01/2019] [Indexed: 12/30/2022]
Abstract
Similarities and differences of phenotypes within local co-occurring species hold the key to inferring the contribution of stochastic or deterministic processes in community assembly. Developing both phylogenetic-based and trait-based quantitative methods to unravel these processes is a major aim in community ecology. We developed a trait-based approach that: (i) assesses if a community trait clustering pattern is related to increasing environmental constraints along a gradient; and (ii) determines quantitative thresholds for an environmental variable along a gradient to interpret changes in prevailing community assembly drivers. We used a regional set of natural shallow saline ponds covering a wide salinity gradient (0.1-40% w/v). We identify a consistent discrete salinity threshold (ca. 5%) for microbial community assembly drivers. Above 5% salinity a strong environmental filtering prevailed as an assembly force, whereas a combination of biotic and abiotic factors dominated at lower salinities. This method provides a conceptual approach to identify consistent environmental thresholds in community assembly and enables quantitative predictions for the ecological impact of environmental changes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xavier Triadó-Margarit
- Integrative Freshwater Ecology Group Centre for Advanced Studies of Blanes (CEAB-CSIC), Spanish Council for Scientific Research, Accés Cala St. Francesc 14, E-17300, Blanes, Spain
| | - José A Capitán
- Departamento de Matemática Aplicada, Universidad Politécnica de Madrid, Av. Juan de Herrera, 6, E-28040, Madrid, Spain
- Theoretical and Computational Ecology, Centre for Advanced Studies of Blanes (CEAB-CSIC), Spanish Council for Scientific Research, Accés Cala St. Francesc 14, E-17300, Blanes, Spain
| | - Mateu Menéndez-Serra
- Integrative Freshwater Ecology Group Centre for Advanced Studies of Blanes (CEAB-CSIC), Spanish Council for Scientific Research, Accés Cala St. Francesc 14, E-17300, Blanes, Spain
- Theoretical and Computational Ecology, Centre for Advanced Studies of Blanes (CEAB-CSIC), Spanish Council for Scientific Research, Accés Cala St. Francesc 14, E-17300, Blanes, Spain
| | - Rüdiger Ortiz-Álvarez
- Integrative Freshwater Ecology Group Centre for Advanced Studies of Blanes (CEAB-CSIC), Spanish Council for Scientific Research, Accés Cala St. Francesc 14, E-17300, Blanes, Spain
| | - Vicente J Ontiveros
- Theoretical and Computational Ecology, Centre for Advanced Studies of Blanes (CEAB-CSIC), Spanish Council for Scientific Research, Accés Cala St. Francesc 14, E-17300, Blanes, Spain
| | - Emilio O Casamayor
- Integrative Freshwater Ecology Group Centre for Advanced Studies of Blanes (CEAB-CSIC), Spanish Council for Scientific Research, Accés Cala St. Francesc 14, E-17300, Blanes, Spain.
| | - David Alonso
- Theoretical and Computational Ecology, Centre for Advanced Studies of Blanes (CEAB-CSIC), Spanish Council for Scientific Research, Accés Cala St. Francesc 14, E-17300, Blanes, Spain.
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Huang X, Cao L, Qin Z, Li S, Kong W, Liu Y. Tat-Independent Secretion of Polyethylene Terephthalate Hydrolase PETase in Bacillus subtilis 168 Mediated by Its Native Signal Peptide. JOURNAL OF AGRICULTURAL AND FOOD CHEMISTRY 2018; 66:13217-13227. [PMID: 30465427 DOI: 10.1021/acs.jafc.8b05038] [Citation(s) in RCA: 56] [Impact Index Per Article: 9.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/09/2023]
Abstract
Widespread utilization of polyethylene terephthalate (PET) has caused critical environmental pollution. The enzymatic degradation of PET is a promising solution to this problem. In this study, PETase, which exhibits much higher PET-hydrolytic activity than other enzymes, was successfully secreted into extracellular milieu from Bacillus subtilis 168 under the direction of its native signal peptide (named SPPETase). SPPETase is predicted to be a twin-arginine signal peptide. Intriguingly, inactivation of twin-arginine translocation (Tat) complexes improved the secretion amount by 3.8-fold, indicating that PETase was exported via Tat-independent pathway. To the best of our knowledge, this is the first report on the improvement of Tat-independent secretion by inactivating Tat components of B. subtilis 168 in LB medium. Furthermore, PET film degradation assay showed that the secreted PETase was fully active. This study paves the first step to construct an efficient engineered strain for PET degradation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xin Huang
- School of Life Sciences, Institute of Aquatic Economic Animals and Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory for Aquatic Economic Animals, National Engineering Center for Marine Biotechnology of South China Sea , Sun Yat-Sen University , Guangzhou 510275 , P. R. China
| | - Lichuang Cao
- School of Life Sciences, Institute of Aquatic Economic Animals and Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory for Aquatic Economic Animals, National Engineering Center for Marine Biotechnology of South China Sea , Sun Yat-Sen University , Guangzhou 510275 , P. R. China
| | - Zongmin Qin
- School of Life Sciences, Institute of Aquatic Economic Animals and Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory for Aquatic Economic Animals, National Engineering Center for Marine Biotechnology of South China Sea , Sun Yat-Sen University , Guangzhou 510275 , P. R. China
| | - Shuifeng Li
- School of Life Sciences, Institute of Aquatic Economic Animals and Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory for Aquatic Economic Animals, National Engineering Center for Marine Biotechnology of South China Sea , Sun Yat-Sen University , Guangzhou 510275 , P. R. China
| | - Wei Kong
- School of Life Sciences, Institute of Aquatic Economic Animals and Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory for Aquatic Economic Animals, National Engineering Center for Marine Biotechnology of South China Sea , Sun Yat-Sen University , Guangzhou 510275 , P. R. China
| | - Yuhuan Liu
- School of Life Sciences, Institute of Aquatic Economic Animals and Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory for Aquatic Economic Animals, National Engineering Center for Marine Biotechnology of South China Sea , Sun Yat-Sen University , Guangzhou 510275 , P. R. China
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Ren GH, Cao LC, Kong W, Wang ZJ, Liu YH. Efficient Secretion of the β-Galactosidase Bgal1-3 via both Tat-Dependent and Tat-Independent Pathways in Bacillus subtilis. JOURNAL OF AGRICULTURAL AND FOOD CHEMISTRY 2016; 64:5708-5716. [PMID: 27380825 DOI: 10.1021/acs.jafc.6b01735] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/06/2023]
Abstract
In this study, the twin-arginine (Tat) signal peptide PhoD was used to direct the secretion of the β-galactosidase Bgal1-3 into the growth medium of an engineered strain of Bacillus subtilis 168. After 24 h of cultivation, the extracellular activity reached 1.15 U/mL, representing 78% of the total activity. Bgal1-3 was exported via both Tat-dependent and Tat-independent pathways. To improve the secretion amounts, two more copies of the target gene were inserted into the designated loci on the chromosome, further improving the extracellular enzymatic activity to 2.15 U/mL. The engineered strain with three copies of bgal1-3 was genetically stable after 150 generations. To the best of our knowledge, this is the first report on the functional secretion of a heterologous protein via both Tat-dependent and Tat-independent pathways mediated by a Tat signal peptide in B. subtilis. Furthermore, this study provides us with a markerless engineered strain for the production of β-galactosidase.
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Affiliation(s)
- Guang-Hui Ren
- School of Life Sciences and South China Sea Bio-Resource Exploitation and Utilization Collaborative Innovation Center, Sun Yat-sen University , Guangzhou 510275, P. R. China
| | - Li-Chuang Cao
- School of Life Sciences and South China Sea Bio-Resource Exploitation and Utilization Collaborative Innovation Center, Sun Yat-sen University , Guangzhou 510275, P. R. China
| | - Wei Kong
- School of Life Sciences and South China Sea Bio-Resource Exploitation and Utilization Collaborative Innovation Center, Sun Yat-sen University , Guangzhou 510275, P. R. China
| | - Zhi-Jun Wang
- School of Life Sciences and South China Sea Bio-Resource Exploitation and Utilization Collaborative Innovation Center, Sun Yat-sen University , Guangzhou 510275, P. R. China
| | - Yu-Huan Liu
- School of Life Sciences and South China Sea Bio-Resource Exploitation and Utilization Collaborative Innovation Center, Sun Yat-sen University , Guangzhou 510275, P. R. China
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Chen J, Zhao L, Fu G, Zhou W, Sun Y, Zheng P, Sun J, Zhang D. A novel strategy for protein production using non-classical secretion pathway in Bacillus subtilis. Microb Cell Fact 2016; 15:69. [PMID: 27125780 PMCID: PMC4850722 DOI: 10.1186/s12934-016-0469-8] [Citation(s) in RCA: 49] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/23/2015] [Accepted: 04/21/2016] [Indexed: 01/19/2023] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND The Gram-positive bacterium Bacillus subtilis has been widely used as a cell factory for the production of proteins due to its generally regarded as safe (GRAS) nature and secretion capability. Of the known secretory pathways in B. subtilis, the majority of proteins are exported from the cytoplasm by Sec pathway, Tat pathway and ABC transporters, etc. However, the production of heterologous proteins by B. subtilis is unfortunately not that straight forward because of the bottlenecks in classical secretion pathways. The aim of this work is to explore a new method for protein production based on non-classical secretion pathway. RESULTS One D-psicose 3-epimerase (RDPE) which converts D-fructose into D-psicose from Ruminococcus sp. 5_1_39BFAA was successfully and substantially secreted into the extracellular milieu without the direction of signal peptide. Subsequently, we demonstrated that RDPE contained no native signal peptide, and the secretion of RDPE was not dependent on Sec or Tat pathway or due to cell lysis, which indicated that RDPE is a non-classically secreted protein. Then, we attempted to evaluate the possibility of using RDPE as a signal to export eighteen reporter proteins into the culture medium. Five of eleven homologous proteins, two of five heterologous proteins from other bacterium and two heterologous proteins of eukaryotic source were successfully secreted into the extracellular milieu at different secretion levels when they were fused to RDPE mediated by a flexible 21-bp linker to keep a distance between two single proteins. Furthermore, the secretion rates of two fusion proteins (RDPE-DnaK and RDPE-RFP) reached more than 50 %. In addition, most of the fusion proteins retained enzyme or biological activity of their corresponding target proteins, and all of the fusions still had the activity of RDPE. CONCLUSIONS We found and identified a heterologous non-classically secreted protein RDPE, and showed that RDPE could direct proteins of various types into the culture medium, and thus non-classical protein secretion pathway can be used as a novel secretion pathway for recombinant proteins. This novel strategy for recombinant protein production is helpful to make B. subtilis as a more ideal cell factory for protein production.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jingqi Chen
- />Tianjin Institute of Industrial Biotechnology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Tianjin, 300308 People’s Republic of China
- />Key Laboratory of Systems Microbial Biotechnology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Tianjin, 300308 People’s Republic of China
| | - Liuqun Zhao
- />Tianjin Institute of Industrial Biotechnology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Tianjin, 300308 People’s Republic of China
- />Key Laboratory of Systems Microbial Biotechnology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Tianjin, 300308 People’s Republic of China
| | - Gang Fu
- />Tianjin Institute of Industrial Biotechnology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Tianjin, 300308 People’s Republic of China
- />National Engineering Laboratory for Industrial Enzymes, Tianjin, 300308 People’s Republic of China
| | - Wenjuan Zhou
- />Tianjin Institute of Industrial Biotechnology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Tianjin, 300308 People’s Republic of China
- />Key Laboratory of Systems Microbial Biotechnology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Tianjin, 300308 People’s Republic of China
| | - Yuanxia Sun
- />Tianjin Institute of Industrial Biotechnology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Tianjin, 300308 People’s Republic of China
- />National Engineering Laboratory for Industrial Enzymes, Tianjin, 300308 People’s Republic of China
| | - Ping Zheng
- />Tianjin Institute of Industrial Biotechnology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Tianjin, 300308 People’s Republic of China
- />Key Laboratory of Systems Microbial Biotechnology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Tianjin, 300308 People’s Republic of China
| | - Jibin Sun
- />Tianjin Institute of Industrial Biotechnology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Tianjin, 300308 People’s Republic of China
- />Key Laboratory of Systems Microbial Biotechnology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Tianjin, 300308 People’s Republic of China
| | - Dawei Zhang
- />Tianjin Institute of Industrial Biotechnology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Tianjin, 300308 People’s Republic of China
- />Key Laboratory of Systems Microbial Biotechnology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Tianjin, 300308 People’s Republic of China
- />National Engineering Laboratory for Industrial Enzymes, Tianjin, 300308 People’s Republic of China
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9
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Ploss TN, Reilman E, Monteferrante CG, Denham EL, Piersma S, Lingner A, Vehmaanperä J, Lorenz P, van Dijl JM. Homogeneity and heterogeneity in amylase production by Bacillus subtilis under different growth conditions. Microb Cell Fact 2016; 15:57. [PMID: 27026185 PMCID: PMC4812647 DOI: 10.1186/s12934-016-0455-1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 29] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/05/2016] [Accepted: 03/22/2016] [Indexed: 12/22/2022] Open
Abstract
Background Bacillus subtilis is an important cell factory for the biotechnological industry due to its ability to secrete commercially relevant proteins in large amounts directly into the growth medium. However, hyper-secretion of proteins, such as α-amylases, leads to induction of the secretion stress-responsive CssR-CssS regulatory system, resulting in up-regulation of the HtrA and HtrB proteases. These proteases degrade misfolded proteins secreted via the Sec pathway, resulting in a loss of product. The aim of this study was to investigate the secretion stress response in B. subtilis 168 cells overproducing the industrially relevant α-amylase AmyM from Geobacillus stearothermophilus, which was expressed from the strong promoter P(amyQ)-M. Results Here we show that activity of the htrB promoter as induced by overproduction of AmyM was “noisy”, which is indicative for heterogeneous activation of the secretion stress pathway. Plasmids were constructed to allow real-time analysis of P(amyQ)-M promoter activity and AmyM production by, respectively, transcriptional and out-of-frame translationally coupled fusions with gfpmut3. Our results show the emergence of distinct sub-populations of high- and low-level AmyM-producing cells, reflecting heterogeneity in the activity of P(amyQ)-M. This most likely explains the heterogeneous secretion stress response. Importantly, more homogenous cell populations with regard to P(amyQ)-M activity were observed for the B. subtilis mutant strain 168degUhy32, and the wild-type strain 168 under optimized growth conditions. Conclusion Expression heterogeneity of secretory proteins in B. subtilis can be suppressed by degU mutation and optimized growth conditions. Further, the out-of-frame translational fusion of a gene for a secreted target protein and gfp represents a versatile tool for real-time monitoring of protein production and opens novel avenues for Bacillus production strain improvement.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tina N Ploss
- AB Enzymes GmbH, Feldbergstrasse 78, 64293, Darmstadt, Germany
| | - Ewoud Reilman
- Department of Medical Microbiology, University of Groningen, University Medical Center Groningen, Hanzeplein 1, 9700 RD, Groningen, The Netherlands
| | - Carmine G Monteferrante
- Department of Medical Microbiology, University of Groningen, University Medical Center Groningen, Hanzeplein 1, 9700 RD, Groningen, The Netherlands.,Department of Medical Microbiology and Infectious Diseases, Erasmus University Medical Center Rotterdam, Rotterdam, The Netherlands
| | - Emma L Denham
- Department of Medical Microbiology, University of Groningen, University Medical Center Groningen, Hanzeplein 1, 9700 RD, Groningen, The Netherlands.,Division of Biomedical Sciences, Warwick Medical School, University of Warwick, Coventry, CV4 7AL, UK
| | - Sjouke Piersma
- Department of Medical Microbiology, University of Groningen, University Medical Center Groningen, Hanzeplein 1, 9700 RD, Groningen, The Netherlands
| | - Anja Lingner
- AB Enzymes GmbH, Feldbergstrasse 78, 64293, Darmstadt, Germany.,c-LEcta GmbH, Perlickstraße 5, 04103, Leipzig, Germany
| | | | - Patrick Lorenz
- AB Enzymes GmbH, Feldbergstrasse 78, 64293, Darmstadt, Germany
| | - Jan Maarten van Dijl
- Department of Medical Microbiology, University of Groningen, University Medical Center Groningen, Hanzeplein 1, 9700 RD, Groningen, The Netherlands.
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10
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Abstract
Twin-arginine protein translocation systems (Tat) translocate fully folded and co-factor-containing proteins across biological membranes. In this review, we focus on the Tat pathway of Gram-positive bacteria. The minimal Tat pathway is composed of two components, namely a TatA and TatC pair, which are often complemented with additional TatA-like proteins. We provide overviews of our current understanding of Tat pathway composition and mechanistic aspects related to Tat-dependent cargo protein translocation. This includes Tat pathway flexibility, requirements for the correct folding and incorporation of co-factors in cargo proteins and the functions of known cargo proteins. Tat pathways of several Gram-positive bacteria are discussed in detail, with emphasis on the Tat pathway of Bacillus subtilis. We discuss both shared and unique features of the different Gram-positive bacterial Tat pathways. Lastly, we highlight topics for future research on Tat, including the development of this protein transport pathway for the biotechnological secretion of high-value proteins and its potential applicability as an antimicrobial drug target in pathogens.
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Affiliation(s)
- Vivianne J Goosens
- MRC Centre for Molecular Bacteriology and Infection, Section of Microbiology, Imperial College London, London, SW7 2AZ, UK
| | - Jan Maarten van Dijl
- Department of Medical Microbiology, University of Groningen, University Medical Center Groningen, Hanzeplein 1, P.O. Box 30001, 9700, RB, Groningen, The Netherlands.
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11
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A Tat ménage à trois — The role of Bacillus subtilis TatAc in twin-arginine protein translocation. BIOCHIMICA ET BIOPHYSICA ACTA-MOLECULAR CELL RESEARCH 2015; 1853:2745-53. [DOI: 10.1016/j.bbamcr.2015.07.022] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/18/2015] [Revised: 07/28/2015] [Accepted: 07/30/2015] [Indexed: 11/19/2022]
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Vikram A, Lipus D, Bibby K. Produced water exposure alters bacterial response to biocides. ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY 2014; 48:13001-13009. [PMID: 25279933 DOI: 10.1021/es5036915] [Citation(s) in RCA: 25] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/03/2023]
Abstract
Microbial activity during the holding and reuse of wastewater from hydraulic fracturing operations, termed produced water, may lead to issues with corrosion, sulfide release, and fouling. Biocides are applied to control biological activity, often with limited efficacy, which is typically attributed to chemical interactions with the produced water. However, it is unknown whether there is a biologically driven mechanism to biocide tolerance in produced water. Here, we demonstrate that produced water exposure results in an enhanced tolerance against the typically used biocide glutaraldehyde and increased susceptibility to the oxidative biocide hypochlorite in a native and a model bacteria and that this altered resistance is due to the salinity of the produced water. In addition, we elucidate the genetic response of the model organism Pseudomonas fluorescens to produced water exposure to provide a mechanistic interpretation of the altered biocide resistance. The RNA-seq data demonstrated the induction of genes involved in osmotic stress, energy production and conversion, membrane integrity, and protein transport following produced water exposure, which facilitates bacterial survival and alters biocide tolerance. Efforts to fundamentally understand biocide resistance mechanisms, which enable the optimization of biocide application, hold significant implications for greening of the fracturing process through encouraging produced water recycling. Specifically, these results suggest the necessity of optimizing biocide application at the level of individual shale plays, rather than historical experience, based upon produced water characteristics and salinity.
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Affiliation(s)
- Amit Vikram
- Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering, and §Department of Computational and Systems Biology, University of Pittsburgh , Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania 15261, United States
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The canonical twin-arginine translocase components are not required for secretion of folded green fluorescent protein from the ancestral strain of Bacillus subtilis. Appl Environ Microbiol 2014; 80:3219-32. [PMID: 24632256 DOI: 10.1128/aem.00335-14] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/20/2022] Open
Abstract
Cellular processes, such as the digestion of macromolecules, phosphate acquisition, and cell motility, require bacterial secretion systems. In Bacillus subtilis, the predominant protein export pathways are Sec (generalized secretory pathway) and Tat (twin-arginine translocase). Unlike Sec, which secretes unfolded proteins, the Tat machinery secretes fully folded proteins across the plasma membrane and into the medium. Proteins are directed for Tat-dependent export by N-terminal signal peptides that contain a conserved twin-arginine motif. Thus, utilizing the Tat secretion system by fusing a Tat signal peptide is an attractive strategy for the production and export of heterologous proteins. As a proof of concept, we expressed green fluorescent protein (GFP) fused to the PhoD Tat signal peptide in the laboratory and ancestral strains of B. subtilis. Secretion of the Tat-GFP construct, as well as secretion of proteins in general, was substantially increased in the ancestral strain. Furthermore, our results show that secreted, fluorescent GFP could be purified directly from the extracellular medium. Nonetheless, export was not dependent on the known Tat secretion components or the signal peptide twin-arginine motif. We propose that the ancestral strain contains additional Tat components and/or secretion regulators that were abrogated following domestication.
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Wiegand S, Voigt B, Albrecht D, Bongaerts J, Evers S, Hecker M, Daniel R, Liesegang H. Fermentation stage-dependent adaptations of Bacillus licheniformis during enzyme production. Microb Cell Fact 2013; 12:120. [PMID: 24313996 PMCID: PMC3878961 DOI: 10.1186/1475-2859-12-120] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/26/2013] [Accepted: 12/01/2013] [Indexed: 11/10/2022] Open
Abstract
Background Industrial fermentations can generally be described as dynamic biotransformation processes in which microorganisms convert energy rich substrates into a desired product. The knowledge of active physiological pathways, reflected by corresponding gene activities, allows the identification of beneficial or disadvantageous performances of the microbial host. Whole transcriptome RNA-Seq is a powerful tool to accomplish in-depth quantification of these gene activities, since the low background noise and the absence of an upper limit of quantification allow the detection of transcripts with high dynamic ranges. Such data enable the identification of potential bottlenecks and futile energetic cycles, which in turn can lead to targets for rational approaches to productivity improvement. Here we present an overview of the dynamics of gene activity during an industrial-oriented fermentation process with Bacillus licheniformis, an important industrial enzyme producer. Thereby, valuable insights which help to understand the complex interactions during such processes are provided. Results Whole transcriptome RNA-Seq has been performed to study the gene expression at five selected growth stages of an industrial-oriented protease production process employing a germination deficient derivative of B. licheniformis DSM13. Since a significant amount of genes in Bacillus strains are regulated posttranscriptionally, the generated data have been confirmed by 2D gel-based proteomics. Regulatory events affecting the coordinated activity of hundreds of genes have been analyzed. The data enabled the identification of genes involved in the adaptations to changing environmental conditions during the fermentation process. A special focus of the analyses was on genes contributing to central carbon metabolism, amino acid transport and metabolism, starvation and stress responses and protein secretion. Genes contributing to lantibiotics production and Tat-dependent protein secretion have been pointed out as potential optimization targets. Conclusions The presented data give unprecedented insights into the complex adaptations of bacterial production strains to the changing physiological demands during an industrial-oriented fermentation. These are, to our knowledge, the first publicly available data that document quantifiable transcriptional responses of the commonly employed production strain B. licheniformis to changing conditions over the course of a typical fermentation process in such extensive depth.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | | | | | | | | | | | - Heiko Liesegang
- Department of Genomic and Applied Microbiology & Göttingen Genomics Laboratory, Institut für Mikrobiologie und Genetik, Norddeutsches Zentrum für Mikrobielle Genomforschung, Georg-August-Universität Göttingen, Grisebachstr, 8, D-37077 Göttingen, Germany.
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Goosens VJ, Monteferrante CG, van Dijl JM. The Tat system of Gram-positive bacteria. BIOCHIMICA ET BIOPHYSICA ACTA-MOLECULAR CELL RESEARCH 2013; 1843:1698-706. [PMID: 24140208 DOI: 10.1016/j.bbamcr.2013.10.008] [Citation(s) in RCA: 60] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/07/2013] [Revised: 10/08/2013] [Accepted: 10/08/2013] [Indexed: 10/26/2022]
Abstract
The twin-arginine protein translocation (Tat) system has a unique ability to translocate folded and co-factor-containing proteins across lipid bilayers. The Tat pathway is present in bacteria, archaea and in the thylakoid membranes of chloroplasts and, depending on the organism and environmental conditions, it can be deemed important for cell survival, virulence or bioproduction. This review provides an overview of the current understanding of the Tat system with specific focus on Gram-positive bacteria. The 'universal minimal Tat system' is composed of a TatA and a TatC protein. However, this pathway is more commonly composed of two TatA-like proteins and one TatC protein. Often the TatA-like proteins have diverged to have two different functions and, in this case, the second TatA-like protein is usually referred to as TatB. The correct folding and/or incorporation of co-factors are requirements for translocation, and the known quality control mechanisms are examined in this review. A number of examples of crosstalk between the Tat system and other protein transport systems, such as the Sec-YidC translocon and signal peptidases or sheddases are also discussed. Further, an overview of specific Gram-positive bacterial Tat systems found in monoderm and diderm species is detailed. Altogether, this review highlights the unique features of Gram-positive bacterial Tat systems and pinpoints key questions that remain to be addressed in future research. This article is part of a Special Issue entitled: Protein trafficking and secretion in bacteria. Guest Editors: Anastassios Economou and Ross Dalbey.
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Affiliation(s)
- Vivianne J Goosens
- Department of Medical Microbiology, University of Groningen, University Medical Center Groningen, Hanzeplein 1, P.O. Box 30001, 9700 RB Groningen, The Netherlands
| | - Carmine G Monteferrante
- Department of Medical Microbiology, University of Groningen, University Medical Center Groningen, Hanzeplein 1, P.O. Box 30001, 9700 RB Groningen, The Netherlands
| | - Jan Maarten van Dijl
- Department of Medical Microbiology, University of Groningen, University Medical Center Groningen, Hanzeplein 1, P.O. Box 30001, 9700 RB Groningen, The Netherlands.
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New dye-decolorizing peroxidases from Bacillus subtilis and Pseudomonas putida MET94: towards biotechnological applications. Appl Microbiol Biotechnol 2013; 98:2053-65. [DOI: 10.1007/s00253-013-5041-4] [Citation(s) in RCA: 105] [Impact Index Per Article: 9.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/15/2013] [Revised: 06/04/2013] [Accepted: 06/07/2013] [Indexed: 11/27/2022]
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Kudva R, Denks K, Kuhn P, Vogt A, Müller M, Koch HG. Protein translocation across the inner membrane of Gram-negative bacteria: the Sec and Tat dependent protein transport pathways. Res Microbiol 2013; 164:505-34. [DOI: 10.1016/j.resmic.2013.03.016] [Citation(s) in RCA: 122] [Impact Index Per Article: 11.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/30/2012] [Accepted: 03/11/2013] [Indexed: 11/28/2022]
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Monteferrante CG, MacKichan C, Marchadier E, Prejean MV, Carballido-López R, van Dijl JM. Mapping the twin-arginine protein translocation network of Bacillus subtilis. Proteomics 2013. [PMID: 23180473 DOI: 10.1002/pmic.201200416] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/05/2022]
Abstract
Bacteria employ twin-arginine translocation (Tat) pathways for the transport of folded proteins to extracytoplasmic destinations. In recent years, most studies on bacterial Tat pathways addressed the membrane-bound TatA(B)C subunits of the Tat translocase, and the specific interactions between this translocase and its substrate proteins. In contrast, relatively few studies investigated possible coactors in the TatA(B)C-dependent protein translocation process. The present studies were aimed at identifying interaction partners of the Tat pathway of Bacillus subtilis, which is a paradigm for studies on protein secretion by Gram-positive bacteria. Specifically, 36 interaction partners of the TatA and TatC subunits were identified by rigorous application of the yeast two-hybrid (Y2H) approach. Our Y2H analyses revealed that the three TatA isoforms of B. subtilis can form homo- and heterodimers. Subsequently, the secretion of the Tat substrates YwbN and PhoD was tested in mutant strains lacking genes for the TatAC interaction partners identified in our genome-wide Y2H screens. Our results show that the cell wall-bound protease WprA is important for YwbN secretion, and that the HemAT and CsbC proteins are required for PhoD secretion under phosphate starvation conditions. Taken together, our findings imply that the Bacillus Tat pathway is embedded in an intricate protein-protein interaction network.
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Affiliation(s)
- Carmine G Monteferrante
- Department of Medical Microbiology, University of Groningen, University Medical Center Groningen, Groningen, the Netherlands
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van Dijl JM, Hecker M. Bacillus subtilis: from soil bacterium to super-secreting cell factory. Microb Cell Fact 2013; 12:3. [PMID: 23311580 PMCID: PMC3564730 DOI: 10.1186/1475-2859-12-3] [Citation(s) in RCA: 215] [Impact Index Per Article: 19.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/11/2013] [Accepted: 01/11/2013] [Indexed: 12/17/2022] Open
Abstract
The biotechnology industry has become a key element in modern societies. Within this industry, the production of recombinant enzymes and biopharmaceutical proteins is of major importance. The global markets for such recombinant proteins are growing rapidly and, accordingly, there is a continuous need for new production platforms that can deliver protein products in greater yields, with higher quality and at lower costs. This calls for the development of next-generation super-secreting cell factories. One of the microbial cell factories that can meet these challenges is the Gram-positive bacterium Bacillus subtilis, an inhabitant of the upper layers of the soil that has the capacity to secrete proteins in the gram per litre range. The engineering of B. subtilis into a next-generation super-secreting cell factory requires combined Systems and Synthetic Biology approaches. In this way, the bacterial protein secretion machinery can be optimized from the single molecule to the network level while, at the same time, taking into account the balanced use of cellular resources. Although highly ambitious, this is an achievable objective due to recent advances in functional genomics and Systems- and Synthetic Biological analyses of B. subtilis cells.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jan Maarten van Dijl
- Department of Medical Microbiology, University of Groningen, University Medical Center Groningen, Hanzeplein 1, P,O, box 30001, Groningen, 9700 RB, the Netherlands.
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