The Core and Holoenzyme Forms of RNA Polymerase from Mycobacterium smegmatis

Structural basis of the mycobacterial stress-response RNA polymerase auto-inhibition via oligomerization

Self-assembly of macromolecules into higher-order symmetric structures is fundamental for the regulation of biological processes. Higher-order symmetric structure self-assembly by the gene expression machinery, such as bacterial DNA-dependent RNA polymerase (RNAP), has never been reported before. Here, we show that the stress-response σ^B factor from the human pathogen, Mycobacterium tuberculosis, induces the RNAP holoenzyme oligomerization into a supramolecular complex composed of eight RNAP units. Cryo-electron microscopy revealed a pseudo-symmetric structure of the RNAP octamer in which RNAP protomers are captured in an auto-inhibited state and display an open-clamp conformation. The structure shows that σ^B is sequestered by the RNAP flap and clamp domains. The transcriptional activator RbpA prevented octamer formation by promoting the initiation-competent RNAP conformation. Our results reveal that a non-conserved region of σ is an allosteric controller of transcription initiation and demonstrate how basal transcription factors can regulate gene expression by modulating the RNAP holoenzyme assembly and hibernation.

Structural basis of Streptomyces transcription activation by zinc uptake regulator

Streptomyces coelicolor (Sc) is a model organism of actinobacteria to study morphological differentiation and production of bioactive metabolites. Sc zinc uptake regulator (Zur) affects both processes by controlling zinc homeostasis. It activates transcription by binding to palindromic Zur-box sequences upstream of −35 elements. Here we deciphered the molecular mechanism by which ScZur interacts with promoter DNA and Sc RNA polymerase (RNAP) by cryo-EM structures and biochemical assays. The ScZur-DNA structures reveal a sequential and cooperative binding of three ScZur dimers surrounding a Zur-box spaced 8 nt upstream from a −35 element. The ScRNAPσ^HrdB-Zur-DNA structures define protein-protein and protein-DNA interactions involved in the principal housekeeping σ^HrdB-dependent transcription initiation from a noncanonical promoter with a −10 element lacking the critical adenine residue at position −11 and a TTGCCC −35 element deviating from the canonical TTGACA motif. ScZur interacts with the C-terminal domain of ScRNAP α subunit (αCTD) in a complex structure trapped in an active conformation. Key ScZur-αCTD interfacial residues accounting for ScZur-dependent transcription activation were confirmed by mutational studies. Together, our structural and biochemical results provide a comprehensive model for transcription activation of Zur family regulators.

Expression, Purification, and In Silico Characterization of Mycobacterium smegmatis Alternative Sigma Factor SigB

Sigma factor B (SigB), an alternative sigma factor (ASF), is very similar to primary sigma factor SigA (σ ⁷⁰) but dispensable for growth in both Mycobacterium smegmatis (Msmeg) and Mycobacterium tuberculosis (Mtb). It is involved in general stress responses including heat, oxidative, surface, starvation stress, and macrophage infections. Despite having an extremely short half-life, SigB tends to operate downstream of at least three stress-responsive extra cytoplasmic function (ECF) sigma factors (SigH, SigE, SigL) and SigF involved in multiple signaling pathways. There is very little information available regarding the regulation of SigB sigma factor and its interacting protein partners. Hence, we cloned the SigB gene into pET28a vector and optimized its expression in three different strains of E. coli, viz., (BL21 (DE3), C41 (DE3), and CodonPlus (DE3)). We also optimized several other parameters for the expression of recombinant SigB including IPTG concentration, temperature, and time duration. We achieved the maximum expression of SigB at 25°C in the soluble fraction of the cell which was purified by affinity chromatography using Ni-NTA and further confirmed by Western blotting. Further, structural characterization demonstrates the instability of SigB in comparison to SigA that is carried out using homology modeling and structure function relationship. We have done protein-protein docking of RNA polymerase (RNAP) of Msmeg and SigB. This effort provides a platform for pulldown assay, structural, and other studies with the recombinant protein to deduce the SigB interacting proteins, which might pave the way to study its signaling networks along with its regulation.

Quasi-essentiality of RNase Y in Bacillus subtilis is caused by its critical role in the control of mRNA homeostasis

RNA turnover is essential in all domains of life. The endonuclease RNase Y (rny) is one of the key components involved in RNA metabolism of the model organism Bacillus subtilis. Essentiality of RNase Y has been a matter of discussion, since deletion of the rny gene is possible, but leads to severe phenotypic effects. In this work, we demonstrate that the rny mutant strain rapidly evolves suppressor mutations to at least partially alleviate these defects. All suppressor mutants had acquired a duplication of an about 60 kb long genomic region encompassing genes for all three core subunits of the RNA polymerase—α, β, β′. When the duplication of the RNA polymerase genes was prevented by relocation of the rpoA gene in the B. subtilis genome, all suppressor mutants carried distinct single point mutations in evolutionary conserved regions of genes coding either for the β or β’ subunits of the RNA polymerase that were not tolerated by wild type bacteria. In vitro transcription assays with the mutated polymerase variants showed a severe decrease in transcription efficiency. Altogether, our results suggest a tight cooperation between RNase Y and the RNA polymerase to establish an optimal RNA homeostasis in B. subtilis cells.

Recent Insights into the Structure and Function of Mycobacterial Membrane Proteins Facilitated by Cryo-EM

Mycobacterium tuberculosis (Mtb) is one of the deadliest pathogens encountered by humanity. Over the decades, its characteristic membrane organization and composition have been understood. However, there is still limited structural information and mechanistic understanding of the constituent membrane proteins critical for drug discovery pipelines. Recent advances in single-particle cryo-electron microscopy and cryo-electron tomography have provided the much-needed impetus towards structure determination of several vital Mtb membrane proteins whose structures were inaccessible via X-ray crystallography and NMR. Important insights into membrane composition and organization have been gained via a combination of electron tomography and biochemical and biophysical assays. In addition, till the time of writing this review, 75 new structures of various Mtb proteins have been reported via single-particle cryo-EM. The information obtained from these structures has improved our understanding of the mechanisms of action of these proteins and the physiological pathways they are associated with. These structures have opened avenues for structure-based drug design and vaccine discovery programs that might help achieve global-TB control. This review describes the structural features of selected membrane proteins (type VII secretion systems, Rv1819c, Arabinosyltransferase, Fatty Acid Synthase, F-type ATP synthase, respiratory supercomplex, ClpP1P2 protease, ClpB disaggregase and SAM riboswitch), their involvement in physiological pathways, and possible use as a drug target. Tuberculosis is a deadly disease caused by Mycobacterium tuberculosis. The Cryo-EM and tomography have simplified the understanding of the mycobacterial membrane organization. Some proteins are located in the plasma membrane; some span the entire envelope, while some, like MspA, are located in the mycomembrane. Cryo-EM has made the study of such membrane proteins feasible.

Role of bacterial RNA polymerase gate opening dynamics in DNA loading and antibiotics inhibition elucidated by quasi-Markov State Model

To initiate transcription, the holoenzyme (RNA polymerase [RNAP] in complex with σ factor) loads the promoter DNA via the flexible loading gate created by the clamp and β-lobe, yet their roles in DNA loading have not been characterized. We used a quasi-Markov State Model (qMSM) built from extensive molecular dynamics simulations to elucidate the dynamics of Thermus aquaticus holoenzyme's gate opening. We showed that during gate opening, β-lobe oscillates four orders of magnitude faster than the clamp, whose opening depends on the Switch 2's structure. Myxopyronin, an antibiotic that binds to Switch 2, was shown to undergo a conformational selection mechanism to inhibit clamp opening. Importantly, we reveal a critical but undiscovered role of β-lobe, whose opening is sufficient for DNA loading even when the clamp is partially closed. These findings open the opportunity for the development of antibiotics targeting β-lobe of RNAP. Finally, we have shown that our qMSMs, which encode non-Markovian dynamics based on the generalized master equation formalism, hold great potential to be widely applied to study biomolecular dynamics.

The δ subunit and NTPase HelD institute a two-pronged mechanism for RNA polymerase recycling

Cellular RNA polymerases (RNAPs) can become trapped on DNA or RNA, threatening genome stability and limiting free enzyme pools, but how RNAP recycling into active states is achieved remains elusive. In Bacillus subtilis, the RNAP δ subunit and NTPase HelD have been implicated in RNAP recycling. We structurally analyzed Bacillus subtilis RNAP-δ-HelD complexes. HelD has two long arms: a Gre cleavage factor-like coiled-coil inserts deep into the RNAP secondary channel, dismantling the active site and displacing RNA, while a unique helical protrusion inserts into the main channel, prying the β and β' subunits apart and, aided by δ, dislodging DNA. RNAP is recycled when, after releasing trapped nucleic acids, HelD dissociates from the enzyme in an ATP-dependent manner. HelD abundance during slow growth and a dimeric (RNAP-δ-HelD)2 structure that resembles hibernating eukaryotic RNAP I suggest that HelD might also modulate active enzyme pools in response to cellular cues.

Molecular basis for RNA polymerase-dependent transcription complex recycling by the helicase-like motor protein HelD

In bacteria, transcription complexes stalled on DNA represent a major source of roadblocks for the DNA replication machinery that must be removed in order to prevent damaging collisions. Gram-positive bacteria contain a transcription factor HelD that is able to remove and recycle stalled complexes, but it was not known how it performed this function. Here, using single particle cryo-electron microscopy, we have determined the structures of Bacillus subtilis RNA polymerase (RNAP) elongation and HelD complexes, enabling analysis of the conformational changes that occur in RNAP driven by HelD interaction. HelD has a 2-armed structure which penetrates deep into the primary and secondary channels of RNA polymerase. One arm removes nucleic acids from the active site, and the other induces a large conformational change in the primary channel leading to removal and recycling of the stalled polymerase, representing a novel mechanism for recycling transcription complexes in bacteria.

Mycobacterial HelD is a nucleic acids-clearing factor for RNA polymerase

RNA synthesis is central to life, and RNA polymerase (RNAP) depends on accessory factors for recovery from stalled states and adaptation to environmental changes. Here, we investigated the mechanism by which a helicase-like factor HelD recycles RNAP. We report a cryo-EM structure of a complex between the Mycobacterium smegmatis RNAP and HelD. The crescent-shaped HelD simultaneously penetrates deep into two RNAP channels that are responsible for nucleic acids binding and substrate delivery to the active site, thereby locking RNAP in an inactive state. We show that HelD prevents non-specific interactions between RNAP and DNA and dissociates stalled transcription elongation complexes. The liberated RNAP can either stay dormant, sequestered by HelD, or upon HelD release, restart transcription. Our results provide insights into the architecture and regulation of the highly medically-relevant mycobacterial transcription machinery and define HelD as a clearing factor that releases RNAP from nonfunctional complexes with nucleic acids.

A majority of Rhodobacter sphaeroides promoters lack a crucial RNA polymerase recognition feature, enabling coordinated transcription activation

Using an in vitro transcription system with purified RNA polymerase (RNAP) to investigate rRNA synthesis in the photoheterotrophic α-proteobacterium Rhodobacter sphaeroides, we identified a surprising feature of promoters recognized by the major holoenzyme. Transcription from R. sphaeroides rRNA promoters was unexpectedly weak, correlating with absence of -7T, the very highly conserved thymine found at the last position in -10 elements of promoters in most bacterial species. Thymine substitutions for adenine at position -7 in the three rRNA promoters strongly increased intrinsic promoter activity, indicating that R. sphaeroides RNAP can utilize -7T when present. rRNA promoters were activated by purified R. sphaeroides CarD, a transcription factor found in many bacterial species but not in β- and γ-proteobacteria. Overall, CarD increased the activity of 15 of 16 native R. sphaeroides promoters tested in vitro that lacked -7T, whereas it had no effect on three of the four native promoters that contained -7T. Genome-wide bioinformatic analysis of promoters from R. sphaeroides and two other α-proteobacterial species indicated that 30 to 43% contained -7T, whereas 90 to 99% of promoters from non-α-proteobacteria contained -7T. Thus, promoters lacking -7T appear to be widespread in α-proteobacteria and may have evolved away from consensus to enable their coordinated regulation by transcription factors like CarD. We observed a strong reduction in R. sphaeroides CarD levels when cells enter stationary phase, suggesting that reduced activation by CarD may contribute to inhibition of rRNA transcription when cells enter stationary phase, the stage of growth when bacterial ribosome synthesis declines.

The σ Subunit-Remodeling Factors: An Emerging Paradigms of Transcription Regulation

Transcription initiation is a key checkpoint and highly regulated step of gene expression. The sigma (σ) subunit of RNA polymerase (RNAP) controls all transcription initiation steps, from recognition of the -10/-35 promoter elements, upon formation of the closed promoter complex (RPc), to stabilization of the open promoter complex (RPo) and stimulation of the primary steps in RNA synthesis. The canonical mechanism to regulate σ activity upon transcription initiation relies on activators that recognize specific DNA motifs and recruit RNAP to promoters. This mini-review describes an emerging group of transcriptional regulators that form a complex with σ or/and RNAP prior to promoter binding, remodel the σ subunit conformation, and thus modify RNAP activity. Such strategy is widely used by bacteriophages to appropriate the host RNAP. Recent findings on RNAP-binding protein A (RbpA) from Mycobacterium tuberculosis and Crl from Escherichia coli suggest that activator-driven changes in σ conformation can be a widespread regulatory mechanism in bacteria.