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Jordan B, Weidenbach K, Schmitz RA. The power of the small: the underestimated role of small proteins in bacterial and archaeal physiology. Curr Opin Microbiol 2023; 76:102384. [PMID: 37776678 DOI: 10.1016/j.mib.2023.102384] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/04/2023] [Revised: 09/04/2023] [Accepted: 09/04/2023] [Indexed: 10/02/2023]
Abstract
Small proteins encoded by small open-reading frames (sORFs) (≤70 aa) were overlooked for decades due to methodological reasons and are thus often missing in genome annotations. Novel detection methods such as ribosome profiling (Ribo-Seq) and mass spectrometry optimized for small proteins (peptidomics) have opened up a new field of interest and several catalogs of small proteins in bacteria and archaea have been recently reported. Many translated sORFs have been discovered in genomic locations previously thought to be noncoding, such as 5' or 3' untranslated regions or well-studied regulatory small RNAs (sRNAs). Even within longer ORFs, additional functional sORFs have been detected. Today, only a small proportion is characterized, but those small proteins indicate important and diverse functions in cellular physiology. Here, we summarize recently characterized small proteins involved in microbial metabolism.
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Affiliation(s)
- Britta Jordan
- Institute for General Microbiology, Christian-Albrechts-University, 24118 Kiel, Germany
| | - Katrin Weidenbach
- Institute for General Microbiology, Christian-Albrechts-University, 24118 Kiel, Germany
| | - Ruth A Schmitz
- Institute for General Microbiology, Christian-Albrechts-University, 24118 Kiel, Germany.
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2
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Fan SM, Li ZQ, Zhang SZ, Chen LY, Wei XY, Liang J, Zhao XQ, Su C. Multi-integrated approach for unraveling small open reading frames potentially associated with secondary metabolism in Streptomyces. mSystems 2023; 8:e0024523. [PMID: 37712700 PMCID: PMC10654065 DOI: 10.1128/msystems.00245-23] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/27/2023] [Accepted: 07/20/2023] [Indexed: 09/16/2023] Open
Abstract
IMPORTANCE Due to their small size and special chemical features, small open reading frame (smORF)-encoding peptides (SEPs) are often neglected. However, they may play critical roles in regulating gene expression, enzyme activity, and metabolite production. Studies on bacterial microproteins have mainly focused on pathogenic bacteria, which are importance to systematically investigate SEPs in streptomycetes and are rich sources of bioactive secondary metabolites. Our study is the first to perform a global identification of smORFs in streptomycetes. We established a peptidogenomic workflow for non-model microbial strains and identified multiple novel smORFs that are potentially linked to secondary metabolism in streptomycetes. Our multi-integrated approach in this study is meaningful to improve the quality and quantity of the detected smORFs. Ultimately, the workflow we established could be extended to other organisms and would benefit the genome mining of microproteins with critical functions for regulation and engineering useful microorganisms.
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Affiliation(s)
- Si-Min Fan
- National Engineering Laboratory for Resource Developing of Endangered Chinese Crude Drugs in Northwest China, College of Life Sciences, Shaanxi Normal University, Shaanxi, China
| | - Ze-Qi Li
- National Engineering Laboratory for Resource Developing of Endangered Chinese Crude Drugs in Northwest China, College of Life Sciences, Shaanxi Normal University, Shaanxi, China
| | - Shi-Zhe Zhang
- National Engineering Laboratory for Resource Developing of Endangered Chinese Crude Drugs in Northwest China, College of Life Sciences, Shaanxi Normal University, Shaanxi, China
| | - Liang-Yu Chen
- ProteinT (Tianjin) biotechnology Co. Ltd., Tianjin, China
| | - Xi-Ying Wei
- National Engineering Laboratory for Resource Developing of Endangered Chinese Crude Drugs in Northwest China, College of Life Sciences, Shaanxi Normal University, Shaanxi, China
| | - Jian Liang
- National Engineering Laboratory for Resource Developing of Endangered Chinese Crude Drugs in Northwest China, College of Life Sciences, Shaanxi Normal University, Shaanxi, China
- College of Biology and Geography, Yili Normal University, Yining, China
| | - Xin-Qing Zhao
- State Key Laboratory of Microbial Metabolism, School of Life Sciences and Biotechnology, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, Shanghai Jiao, China
| | - Chun Su
- National Engineering Laboratory for Resource Developing of Endangered Chinese Crude Drugs in Northwest China, College of Life Sciences, Shaanxi Normal University, Shaanxi, China
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3
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Lambertz J, Meier-Credo J, Kucher S, Bordignon E, Langer JD, Nowaczyk MM. Isolation of a novel heterodimeric PSII complex via strep-tagged PsbO. BIOCHIMICA ET BIOPHYSICA ACTA. BIOENERGETICS 2023; 1864:148953. [PMID: 36572329 DOI: 10.1016/j.bbabio.2022.148953] [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: 06/15/2022] [Revised: 11/28/2022] [Accepted: 12/14/2022] [Indexed: 12/24/2022]
Abstract
The multi-subunit membrane protein complex photosystem II (PSII) catalyzes the light-driven oxidation of water and with this the initial step of photosynthetic electron transport in plants, algae, and cyanobacteria. Its biogenesis is coordinated by a network of auxiliary proteins that facilitate the stepwise assembly of individual subunits and cofactors, forming various intermediate complexes until fully functional mature PSII is present at the end of the process. In the current study, we purified PSII complexes from a mutant line of the thermophilic cyanobacterium Thermosynechococcus vestitus BP-1 in which the extrinsic subunit PsbO, characteristic for active PSII, was fused with an N-terminal Twin-Strep-tag. Three distinct PSII complexes were separated by ion-exchange chromatography after the initial affinity purification. Two complexes differ in their oligomeric state (monomeric and dimeric) but share the typical subunit composition of mature PSII. They are characterized by the very high oxygen evolving activity of approx. 6000 μmol O2·(mg Chl·h)-1. Analysis of the third (heterodimeric) PSII complex revealed lower oxygen evolving activity of approx. 3000 μmol O2·(mg Chl·h)-1 and a manganese content of 2.7 (±0.2) per reaction center compared to 3.7 (±0.2) of fully active PSII. Mass spectrometry and time-resolved fluorescence spectroscopy further indicated that PsbO is partially replaced by Psb27 in this PSII fraction, thus implying a role of this complex in PSII repair.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jan Lambertz
- Plant Biochemistry, Faculty of Biology and Biotechnology, Ruhr University Bochum, Universitätsstraße 150, 44801 Bochum, Germany
| | - Jakob Meier-Credo
- Proteomics, Max Planck Institute of Biophysics, Max-von-Laue-Str. 3, 60438 Frankfurt am Main, Germany
| | - Svetlana Kucher
- Faculty of Chemistry and Biochemistry, Ruhr University Bochum, Universitätsstraße 150, 44801 Bochum, Germany
| | - Enrica Bordignon
- Faculty of Chemistry and Biochemistry, Ruhr University Bochum, Universitätsstraße 150, 44801 Bochum, Germany; Department of Physical Chemistry, University of Geneva, Quai Ernest Ansermet 30, 1211 Geneva, Switzerland(1)
| | - Julian D Langer
- Proteomics, Max Planck Institute of Biophysics, Max-von-Laue-Str. 3, 60438 Frankfurt am Main, Germany; Proteomics, Max Planck Institute for Brain Research, Max-von-Laue-Str. 4, 60438 Frankfurt am Main, Germany
| | - Marc M Nowaczyk
- Plant Biochemistry, Faculty of Biology and Biotechnology, Ruhr University Bochum, Universitätsstraße 150, 44801 Bochum, Germany; Department of Biochemistry, University of Rostock, Albert-Einstein-Str. 3, 18059 Rostock, Germany(1).
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4
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Lv P, Wan J, Zhang C, Hina A, Al Amin GM, Begum N, Zhao T. Unraveling the Diverse Roles of Neglected Genes Containing Domains of Unknown Function (DUFs): Progress and Perspective. Int J Mol Sci 2023; 24:ijms24044187. [PMID: 36835600 PMCID: PMC9966272 DOI: 10.3390/ijms24044187] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/29/2022] [Revised: 02/06/2023] [Accepted: 02/08/2023] [Indexed: 02/22/2023] Open
Abstract
Domain of unknown function (DUF) is a general term for many uncharacterized domains with two distinct features: relatively conservative amino acid sequence and unknown function of the domain. In the Pfam 35.0 database, 4795 (24%) gene families belong to the DUF type, yet, their functions remain to be explored. This review summarizes the characteristics of the DUF protein families and their functions in regulating plant growth and development, generating responses to biotic and abiotic stress, and other regulatory roles in plant life. Though very limited information is available about these proteins yet, by taking advantage of emerging omics and bioinformatic tools, functional studies of DUF proteins could be utilized in future molecular studies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Peiyun Lv
- National Center for Soybean Improvement, Key Laboratory of Biology and Genetics and Breeding for Soybean, Ministry of Agriculture, State Key Laboratory of Crop Genetics and Germplasm Enhancement, Nanjing Agricultural University, Nanjing 210095, China
| | - Jinlu Wan
- National Center for Soybean Improvement, Key Laboratory of Biology and Genetics and Breeding for Soybean, Ministry of Agriculture, State Key Laboratory of Crop Genetics and Germplasm Enhancement, Nanjing Agricultural University, Nanjing 210095, China
| | - Chunting Zhang
- National Center for Soybean Improvement, Key Laboratory of Biology and Genetics and Breeding for Soybean, Ministry of Agriculture, State Key Laboratory of Crop Genetics and Germplasm Enhancement, Nanjing Agricultural University, Nanjing 210095, China
| | - Aiman Hina
- National Center for Soybean Improvement, Key Laboratory of Biology and Genetics and Breeding for Soybean, Ministry of Agriculture, State Key Laboratory of Crop Genetics and Germplasm Enhancement, Nanjing Agricultural University, Nanjing 210095, China
| | - G M Al Amin
- Department of Botany, Jagannath University, Dhaka 1100, Bangladesh
| | - Naheeda Begum
- National Center for Soybean Improvement, Key Laboratory of Biology and Genetics and Breeding for Soybean, Ministry of Agriculture, State Key Laboratory of Crop Genetics and Germplasm Enhancement, Nanjing Agricultural University, Nanjing 210095, China
- Correspondence: (N.B.); (T.Z.)
| | - Tuanjie Zhao
- National Center for Soybean Improvement, Key Laboratory of Biology and Genetics and Breeding for Soybean, Ministry of Agriculture, State Key Laboratory of Crop Genetics and Germplasm Enhancement, Nanjing Agricultural University, Nanjing 210095, China
- Correspondence: (N.B.); (T.Z.)
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5
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Thousands of small, novel genes predicted in global phage genomes. Cell Rep 2022; 39:110984. [PMID: 35732113 DOI: 10.1016/j.celrep.2022.110984] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/15/2021] [Revised: 02/14/2022] [Accepted: 05/27/2022] [Indexed: 11/22/2022] Open
Abstract
Small genes (<150 nucleotides) have been systematically overlooked in phage genomes. We employ a large-scale comparative genomics approach to predict >40,000 small-gene families in ∼2.3 million phage genome contigs. We find that small genes in phage genomes are approximately 3-fold more prevalent than in host prokaryotic genomes. Our approach enriches for small genes that are translated in microbiomes, suggesting the small genes identified are coding. More than 9,000 families encode potentially secreted or transmembrane proteins, more than 5,000 families encode predicted anti-CRISPR proteins, and more than 500 families encode predicted antimicrobial proteins. By combining homology and genomic-neighborhood analyses, we reveal substantial novelty and diversity within phage biology, including small phage genes found in multiple host phyla, small genes encoding proteins that play essential roles in host infection, and small genes that share genomic neighborhoods and whose encoded proteins may share related functions.
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A Straightforward Approach to Synthesize 7-Aminocephalosporanic Acid In Vivo in the Cephalosporin C Producer Acremonium chrysogenum. J Fungi (Basel) 2022; 8:jof8050450. [PMID: 35628706 PMCID: PMC9144927 DOI: 10.3390/jof8050450] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/16/2022] [Revised: 04/22/2022] [Accepted: 04/23/2022] [Indexed: 12/04/2022] Open
Abstract
The pharmaceutical industry has developed various highly effective semi-synthetic cephalosporins, which are generated by modifying the side chains of the core molecule 7-aminocephalosporanic acid (7-ACA). In industrial productions, the 7-ACA nucleus is obtained in vitro from cephalosporin C (CPC) by chemical or enzymatic processes, which are waste intensive and associated with high production costs. Here, we used a transgenic in vivo approach to express bacterial genes for cephalosporin C acylase (CCA) in the CPC producer Acremonium chrysogenum. Western blot and mass spectrometry analyses verified that the heterologous enzymes are processed into α- and β-subunits in the fungal cell. Extensive HPLC analysis detected substrates and products of CCAs in both fungal mycelia and culture supernatants, with the highest amount of 7-ACA found in the latter. Using different incubation times, temperatures, and pH values, we explored the optimal conditions for the active bacterial acylase to convert CPC into 7-ACA in the culture supernatant. We calculated that the best transgenic fungal strains exhibit a one-step conversion rate of the bacterial acylase of 30%. Our findings can be considered a remarkable contribution to supporting future pharmaceutical manufacturing processes with reduced production costs.
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McIntosh M, Köchling T, Latz A, Kretz J, Heinen S, Konzer A, Klug G. A major checkpoint for protein expression in Rhodobacter sphaeroides during heat stress response occurs at the level of translation. Environ Microbiol 2021; 23:6483-6502. [PMID: 34668288 DOI: 10.1111/1462-2920.15818] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/28/2021] [Accepted: 10/05/2021] [Indexed: 12/24/2022]
Abstract
Temperature above the physiological optimum is a stress condition frequently faced by bacteria in their natural environments. Here, we were interested in the correlation between levels of RNA and protein under heat stress. Changes in RNA and protein levels were documented in cultures of Rhodobacter sphaeroides using RNA sequencing, quantitative mass spectrometry, western blot analysis, in vivo [35 S] methionine-labelling and plasmid-borne reporter fusions. Changes in the transcriptome were extensive. Strikingly, the proteome remained unchanged except for very few proteins. Examples include a heat shock protein, a DUF1127 protein of unknown function and sigma factor proteins from leaderless transcripts. Insight from this study indicates that R. sphaeroides responds to heat stress by producing a broad range of transcripts while simultaneously preventing translation from nearly all of them, and that this selective production of protein depends on the untranslated region of the transcript. We conclude that measurements of transcript abundance are insufficient to understand gene regulation. Rather, translation can be an important checkpoint for protein expression under certain environmental conditions. Furthermore, during heat shock, regulation at the level of transcription might represent preparation for survival in an unpredictable environment while regulation at translation ensures production of only a few proteins.
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Affiliation(s)
- Matthew McIntosh
- Institute of Microbiology und Molecular Biology, IFZ, Justus-Liebig-Universität, 35292, Giessen, Germany
| | - Thorsten Köchling
- Institute of Microbiology und Molecular Biology, IFZ, Justus-Liebig-Universität, 35292, Giessen, Germany
| | - Anna Latz
- Institute of Microbiology und Molecular Biology, IFZ, Justus-Liebig-Universität, 35292, Giessen, Germany
| | - Jonas Kretz
- Institute of Microbiology und Molecular Biology, IFZ, Justus-Liebig-Universität, 35292, Giessen, Germany
| | - Sandra Heinen
- Institute of Microbiology und Molecular Biology, IFZ, Justus-Liebig-Universität, 35292, Giessen, Germany
| | - Anne Konzer
- Biomolecular Mass Spectrometry, Max-Planck-Institute for Heart and Lung Research, Bad Nauheim, Germany
| | - Gabriele Klug
- Institute of Microbiology und Molecular Biology, IFZ, Justus-Liebig-Universität, 35292, Giessen, Germany
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8
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Grützner J, Billenkamp F, Spanka DT, Rick T, Monzon V, Förstner KU, Klug G. The small DUF1127 protein CcaF1 from Rhodobacter sphaeroides is an RNA-binding protein involved in sRNA maturation and RNA turnover. Nucleic Acids Res 2021; 49:3003-3019. [PMID: 33706375 PMCID: PMC8034643 DOI: 10.1093/nar/gkab146] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/17/2020] [Revised: 02/10/2021] [Accepted: 02/26/2021] [Indexed: 12/16/2022] Open
Abstract
Many different protein domains are conserved among numerous species, but their function remains obscure. Proteins with DUF1127 domains number >17 000 in current databases, but a biological function has not yet been assigned to any of them. They are mostly found in alpha- and gammaproteobacteria, some of them plant and animal pathogens, symbionts or species used in industrial applications. Bioinformatic analyses revealed similarity of the DUF1127 domain of bacterial proteins to the RNA binding domain of eukaryotic Smaug proteins that are involved in RNA turnover and have a role in development from Drosophila to mammals. This study demonstrates that the 71 amino acid DUF1127 protein CcaF1 from the alphaproteobacterium Rhodobacter sphaeroides participates in maturation of the CcsR sRNAs that are processed from the 3' UTR of the ccaF mRNA and have a role in the oxidative stress defense. CcaF1 binds to many cellular RNAs of different type, several mRNAs with a function in cysteine / methionine / sulfur metabolism. It affects the stability of the CcsR RNAs and other non-coding RNAs and mRNAs. Thus, the widely distributed DUF1127 domain can mediate RNA-binding, affect stability of its binding partners and consequently modulate the bacterial transcriptome, thereby influencing different physiological processes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Julian Grützner
- Institute of Microbiology and Molecular Biology, Justus Liebig University Giessen, IFZ, Heinrich-Buff-Ring 26–32, D-35292 Giessen, Germany
| | - Fabian Billenkamp
- Institute of Microbiology and Molecular Biology, Justus Liebig University Giessen, IFZ, Heinrich-Buff-Ring 26–32, D-35292 Giessen, Germany
- Institute of Animal Nutrition, Friedrich Loeffler Institute, Bundesalle 37, D-38116 Braunschweig, Germany
| | - Daniel-Timon Spanka
- Institute of Microbiology and Molecular Biology, Justus Liebig University Giessen, IFZ, Heinrich-Buff-Ring 26–32, D-35292 Giessen, Germany
| | - Tim Rick
- Institute of Microbiology and Molecular Biology, Justus Liebig University Giessen, IFZ, Heinrich-Buff-Ring 26–32, D-35292 Giessen, Germany
| | | | - Konrad U Förstner
- ZB MED-Information Center of Life Science, Germany
- Institute of Information Science, TH Köln, University of Applied Science, Gustav-Heinemann-Ufer 54, D-50968 Köln, Cologne, Germany
| | - Gabriele Klug
- Institute of Microbiology and Molecular Biology, Justus Liebig University Giessen, IFZ, Heinrich-Buff-Ring 26–32, D-35292 Giessen, Germany
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Steinberg R, Koch HG. The largely unexplored biology of small proteins in pro- and eukaryotes. FEBS J 2021; 288:7002-7024. [PMID: 33780127 DOI: 10.1111/febs.15845] [Citation(s) in RCA: 26] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/27/2021] [Revised: 03/11/2021] [Accepted: 03/26/2021] [Indexed: 12/29/2022]
Abstract
The large abundance of small open reading frames (smORFs) in prokaryotic and eukaryotic genomes and the plethora of smORF-encoded small proteins became only apparent with the constant advancements in bioinformatic, genomic, proteomic, and biochemical tools. Small proteins are typically defined as proteins of < 50 amino acids in prokaryotes and of less than 100 amino acids in eukaryotes, and their importance for cell physiology and cellular adaptation is only beginning to emerge. In contrast to antimicrobial peptides, which are secreted by prokaryotic and eukaryotic cells for combatting pathogens and competitors, small proteins act within the producing cell mainly by stabilizing protein assemblies and by modifying the activity of larger proteins. Production of small proteins is frequently linked to stress conditions or environmental changes, and therefore, cells seem to use small proteins as intracellular modifiers for adjusting cell metabolism to different intra- and extracellular cues. However, the size of small proteins imposes a major challenge for the cellular machinery required for protein folding and intracellular trafficking and recent data indicate that small proteins can engage distinct trafficking pathways. In the current review, we describe the diversity of small proteins in prokaryotes and eukaryotes, highlight distinct and common features, and illustrate how they are handled by the protein trafficking machineries in prokaryotic and eukaryotic cells. Finally, we also discuss future topics of research on this fascinating but largely unexplored group of proteins.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ruth Steinberg
- Institute for Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Zentrum für Biochemie und Molekulare Medizin (ZMBZ), Faculty of Medicine, Albert-Ludwigs-Universität Freiburg, Germany
| | - Hans-Georg Koch
- Institute for Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Zentrum für Biochemie und Molekulare Medizin (ZMBZ), Faculty of Medicine, Albert-Ludwigs-Universität Freiburg, Germany
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Eisfeld J, Kraus A, Ronge C, Jagst M, Brandenburg VB, Narberhaus F. A LysR-type transcriptional regulator controls the expression of numerous small RNAs in Agrobacterium tumefaciens. Mol Microbiol 2021; 116:126-139. [PMID: 33560537 DOI: 10.1111/mmi.14695] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/13/2020] [Revised: 02/03/2021] [Accepted: 02/04/2021] [Indexed: 01/08/2023]
Abstract
Small RNAs (sRNAs) are universal posttranscriptional regulators of gene expression and hundreds of sRNAs are frequently found in each and every bacterium. In order to coordinate cellular processes in response to ambient conditions, many sRNAs are differentially expressed. Here, we asked how these small regulators are regulated using Agrobacterium tumefaciens as a model system. Among the best-studied sRNAs in this plant pathogen are AbcR1 regulating numerous ABC transporters and PmaR, a regulator of peptidoglycan biosynthesis, motility, and ampicillin resistance. We report that the LysR-type regulator VtlR (also known as LsrB) controls expression of AbcR1 and PmaR. A vtlR/lsrB deletion strain showed growth defects, was sensitive to antibiotics and severely compromised in plant tumor formation. Transcriptome profiling by RNA-sequencing revealed more than 1,200 genes with altered expression in the mutant. Consistent with the function of VtlR/LsrB as regulator of AbcR1, many ABC transporter genes were affected. Interestingly, the transcription factor did not only control the expression of AbcR1 and PmaR. In the mutant, 102 sRNA genes were significantly up- or downregulated. Thus, our study uncovered VtlR/LsrB as the master regulator of numerous sRNAs. Thereby, the transcriptional regulator harnesses the regulatory power of sRNAs to orchestrate the expression of distinct sub-regulons.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jessica Eisfeld
- Microbial Biology, Ruhr University Bochum, Bochum, Germany.,Medical Microbiology, Ruhr University Bochum, Bochum, Germany
| | | | | | - Michelle Jagst
- Microbial Biology, Ruhr University Bochum, Bochum, Germany
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Short, Rich, and Powerful: a New Family of Arginine-Rich Small Proteins Have Outsized Impact in Agrobacterium tumefaciens. J Bacteriol 2020; 202:JB.00450-20. [PMID: 32839178 DOI: 10.1128/jb.00450-20] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/20/2022] Open
Abstract
Due to minute size and limited sequence complexity, small proteins can be challenging to identify but are emerging as important regulators of diverse processes in bacteria. In this issue of the Journal of Bacteriology, Kraus and coworkers (A. Kraus, M. Weskamp, J. Zierles, M. Balzer, et al., J Bacteriol 202:e00309-20, 2020, https://doi.org/10.1128/JB.00309-20) report a comprehensive analysis of a fascinating subfamily of arginine-rich small proteins in Agrobacterium tumefaciens, conserved among Alphaproteobacteria Their findings reveal that these small proteins are under complex regulation and have a disproportionately large impact on metabolism and behavior.
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