1
|
Ciaco S, Aronne R, Fiabane M, Mori M. The Rise of Bacterial G-Quadruplexes in Current Antimicrobial Discovery. ACS OMEGA 2024; 9:24163-24180. [PMID: 38882119 PMCID: PMC11170735 DOI: 10.1021/acsomega.4c01731] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/22/2024] [Revised: 05/10/2024] [Accepted: 05/17/2024] [Indexed: 06/18/2024]
Abstract
Antimicrobial resistance (AMR) is a silent critical issue that poses several challenges to health systems. While the discovery of novel antibiotics is currently stalled and prevalently focused on chemical variations of the scaffolds of available drugs, novel targets and innovative strategies are urgently needed to face this global threat. In this context, bacterial G-quadruplexes (G4s) are emerging as timely and profitable targets for the design and development of antimicrobial agents. Indeed, they are expressed in regulatory regions of bacterial genomes, and their modulation has been observed to provide antimicrobial effects with translational perspectives in the context of AMR. In this work, we review the current knowledge of bacterial G4s as well as their modulation by small molecules, including tools and techniques suitable for these investigations. Finally, we critically analyze the needs and future directions in the field, with a focus on the development of small molecules as bacterial G4s modulators endowed with remarkable drug-likeness.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Stefano Ciaco
- Department of Biotechnology, Chemistry and Pharmacy, University of Siena, Via Aldo Moro 2, 53100 Siena, Italy
| | - Rossella Aronne
- Department of Biotechnology, Chemistry and Pharmacy, University of Siena, Via Aldo Moro 2, 53100 Siena, Italy
| | - Martina Fiabane
- Department of Biotechnology, Chemistry and Pharmacy, University of Siena, Via Aldo Moro 2, 53100 Siena, Italy
| | - Mattia Mori
- Department of Biotechnology, Chemistry and Pharmacy, University of Siena, Via Aldo Moro 2, 53100 Siena, Italy
| |
Collapse
|
2
|
Lieberman LA. Outer membrane vesicles: A bacterial-derived vaccination system. Front Microbiol 2022; 13:1029146. [PMID: 36620013 PMCID: PMC9811673 DOI: 10.3389/fmicb.2022.1029146] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/26/2022] [Accepted: 12/01/2022] [Indexed: 12/24/2022] Open
Abstract
Outer membrane vesicles (OMVs) are non-living spherical nanostructures that derive from the cell envelope of Gram-negative bacteria. OMVs are important in bacterial pathogenesis, cell-to-cell communication, horizontal gene transfer, quorum sensing, and in maintaining bacterial fitness. These structures can be modified to express antigens of interest using glycoengineering and genetic or chemical modification. The resulting OMVs can be used to immunize individuals against the expressed homo- or heterologous antigens. Additionally, cargo can be loaded into OMVs and they could be used as a drug delivery system. OMVs are inherently immunogenic due to proteins and glycans found on Gram negative bacterial outer membranes. This review focuses on OMV manipulation to increase vesiculation and decrease antigenicity, their utility as vaccines, and novel engineering approaches to extend their application.
Collapse
|
3
|
Cueny RR, McMillan SD, Keck JL. G-quadruplexes in bacteria: insights into the regulatory roles and interacting proteins of non-canonical nucleic acid structures. Crit Rev Biochem Mol Biol 2022; 57:539-561. [PMID: 36999585 PMCID: PMC10336854 DOI: 10.1080/10409238.2023.2181310] [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: 08/04/2022] [Revised: 12/13/2022] [Accepted: 02/13/2023] [Indexed: 04/01/2023]
Abstract
G-quadruplexes (G4s) are highly stable, non-canonical DNA or RNA structures that can form in guanine-rich stretches of nucleic acids. G4-forming sequences have been found in all domains of life, and proteins that bind and/or resolve G4s have been discovered in both bacterial and eukaryotic organisms. G4s regulate a variety of cellular processes through inhibitory or stimulatory roles that depend upon their positions within genomes or transcripts. These include potential roles as impediments to genome replication, transcription, and translation or, in other contexts, as activators of genome stability, transcription, and recombination. This duality suggests that G4 sequences can aid cellular processes but that their presence can also be problematic. Despite their documented importance in bacterial species, G4s remain understudied in bacteria relative to eukaryotes. In this review, we highlight the roles of bacterial G4s by discussing their prevalence in bacterial genomes, the proteins that bind and unwind G4s in bacteria, and the processes regulated by bacterial G4s. We identify limitations in our current understanding of the functions of G4s in bacteria and describe new avenues for studying these remarkable nucleic acid structures.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Rachel R. Cueny
- Department of Biomolecular Chemistry, University of Wisconsin-Madison, Madison, Wisconsin, 53706, USA
| | - Sarah D. McMillan
- Department of Biomolecular Chemistry, University of Wisconsin-Madison, Madison, Wisconsin, 53706, USA
| | - James L. Keck
- Department of Biomolecular Chemistry, University of Wisconsin-Madison, Madison, Wisconsin, 53706, USA
| |
Collapse
|
4
|
Savitskaya VY, Monakhova MV, Iakushkina IV, Borovikova II, Kubareva EA. Neisseria gonorrhoeae: DNA Repair Systems and Their Role in Pathogenesis. BIOCHEMISTRY. BIOKHIMIIA 2022; 87:965-982. [PMID: 36180987 DOI: 10.1134/s0006297922090097] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/19/2022] [Revised: 07/12/2022] [Accepted: 07/12/2022] [Indexed: 06/16/2023]
Abstract
Neisseria gonorrhoeae (a Gram-negative diplococcus) is a human pathogen and causative agent of gonorrhea, a sexually transmitted infection. The bacterium uses various approaches for adapting to environmental conditions and multiplying efficiently in the human body, such as regulation of expression of gene expression of surface proteins and lipooligosaccharides (e.g., expression of various forms of pilin). The systems of DNA repair play an important role in the bacterium ability to survive in the host body. This review describes DNA repair systems of N. gonorrhoeae and their role in the pathogenicity of this bacterium. A special attention is paid to the mismatch repair system (MMR) and functioning of the MutS and MutL proteins, as well as to the role of these proteins in regulation of the pilin antigenic variation of the N. gonorrhoeae pathogen.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
| | - Mayya V Monakhova
- Belozersky Institute of Physico-Chemical Biology, Lomonosov Moscow State University, Moscow, 119991, Russia
| | - Iuliia V Iakushkina
- Faculty of Chemistry, Lomonosov Moscow State University, Moscow, 119991, Russia
| | - Irina I Borovikova
- Faculty of Bioengineering and Bioinformatics, Lomonosov Moscow State University, Moscow, 119991, Russia
| | - Elena A Kubareva
- Belozersky Institute of Physico-Chemical Biology, Lomonosov Moscow State University, Moscow, 119991, Russia.
| |
Collapse
|
5
|
Linke R, Limmer M, Juranek SA, Heine A, Paeschke K. The Relevance of G-Quadruplexes for DNA Repair. Int J Mol Sci 2021; 22:12599. [PMID: 34830478 PMCID: PMC8620898 DOI: 10.3390/ijms222212599] [Citation(s) in RCA: 27] [Impact Index Per Article: 9.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/22/2021] [Revised: 11/16/2021] [Accepted: 11/17/2021] [Indexed: 01/28/2023] Open
Abstract
DNA molecules can adopt a variety of alternative structures. Among these structures are G-quadruplex DNA structures (G4s), which support cellular function by affecting transcription, translation, and telomere maintenance. These structures can also induce genome instability by stalling replication, increasing DNA damage, and recombination events. G-quadruplex-driven genome instability is connected to tumorigenesis and other genetic disorders. In recent years, the connection between genome stability, DNA repair and G4 formation was further underlined by the identification of multiple DNA repair proteins and ligands which bind and stabilize said G4 structures to block specific DNA repair pathways. The relevance of G4s for different DNA repair pathways is complex and depends on the repair pathway itself. G4 structures can induce DNA damage and block efficient DNA repair, but they can also support the activity and function of certain repair pathways. In this review, we highlight the roles and consequences of G4 DNA structures for DNA repair initiation, processing, and the efficiency of various DNA repair pathways.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Rebecca Linke
- Department of Oncology, Hematology, Rheumatology and Immune-Oncology, University Hospital Bonn, 53127 Bonn, Germany; (R.L.); (M.L.); (S.A.J.); (A.H.)
- Department of Biochemistry and Pharmacology, Bio21 Molecular Science and Biotechnology Institute, University of Melbourne, Parkville, VIC 3010, Australia
| | - Michaela Limmer
- Department of Oncology, Hematology, Rheumatology and Immune-Oncology, University Hospital Bonn, 53127 Bonn, Germany; (R.L.); (M.L.); (S.A.J.); (A.H.)
| | - Stefan A. Juranek
- Department of Oncology, Hematology, Rheumatology and Immune-Oncology, University Hospital Bonn, 53127 Bonn, Germany; (R.L.); (M.L.); (S.A.J.); (A.H.)
| | - Annkristin Heine
- Department of Oncology, Hematology, Rheumatology and Immune-Oncology, University Hospital Bonn, 53127 Bonn, Germany; (R.L.); (M.L.); (S.A.J.); (A.H.)
| | - Katrin Paeschke
- Department of Oncology, Hematology, Rheumatology and Immune-Oncology, University Hospital Bonn, 53127 Bonn, Germany; (R.L.); (M.L.); (S.A.J.); (A.H.)
| |
Collapse
|
6
|
Hashemi MM, Ram-Mohan N, Yang X, Andini N, Gessner NR, Carroll KC, Wang TH, Yang S. A Novel Platform Using RNA Signatures To Accelerate Antimicrobial Susceptibility Testing in Neisseria gonorrhoeae. J Clin Microbiol 2020; 58:e01152-20. [PMID: 32967905 PMCID: PMC7685871 DOI: 10.1128/jcm.01152-20] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/18/2020] [Accepted: 09/09/2020] [Indexed: 12/27/2022] Open
Abstract
The rise of antimicrobial-resistant pathogens can be attributed to the lack of a rapid pathogen identification (ID) or antimicrobial susceptibility testing (AST), resulting in delayed therapeutic decisions at the point of care. Gonorrhea is usually empirically treated, with no AST results available before treatment, thus contributing to the rapid rise in drug resistance. Here, we present a rapid AST platform using RNA signatures for Neisseria gonorrhoeae Transcriptome sequencing (RNA-seq) followed by bioinformatic tools was applied to explore potential markers in the transcriptome profile of N. gonorrhoeae upon minutes of azithromycin exposure. Validation of candidate markers using quantitative real-time PCR (qRT-PCR) showed that two markers (arsR [NGO1562] and rpsO) can deliver accurate AST results across 14 tested isolates. Further validation of our susceptibility threshold in comparison to MIC across 64 more isolates confirmed the reliability of our platform. Our RNA markers combined with emerging molecular point-of-care systems has the potential to greatly accelerate both ID and AST to inform treatment.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Marjan M Hashemi
- Department of Emergency Medicine, Stanford University, Stanford, California, USA
| | - Nikhil Ram-Mohan
- Department of Emergency Medicine, Stanford University, Stanford, California, USA
| | - Xi Yang
- Department of Emergency Medicine, Stanford University, Stanford, California, USA
| | - Nadya Andini
- Department of Emergency Medicine, Stanford University, Stanford, California, USA
| | - Nicholas R Gessner
- Department of Emergency Medicine, Stanford University, Stanford, California, USA
| | - Karen C Carroll
- Department of Pathology, Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, Maryland, USA
| | - Tza-Huei Wang
- Department of Mechanical Engineering, Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, Maryland, USA
| | - Samuel Yang
- Department of Emergency Medicine, Stanford University, Stanford, California, USA
| |
Collapse
|
7
|
Bartas M, Brázda V, Bohálová N, Cantara A, Volná A, Stachurová T, Malachová K, Jagelská EB, Porubiaková O, Červeň J, Pečinka P. In-Depth Bioinformatic Analyses of Nidovirales Including Human SARS-CoV-2, SARS-CoV, MERS-CoV Viruses Suggest Important Roles of Non-canonical Nucleic Acid Structures in Their Lifecycles. Front Microbiol 2020; 11:1583. [PMID: 32719673 PMCID: PMC7347907 DOI: 10.3389/fmicb.2020.01583] [Citation(s) in RCA: 49] [Impact Index Per Article: 12.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/13/2020] [Accepted: 06/17/2020] [Indexed: 12/15/2022] Open
Abstract
Non-canonical nucleic acid structures play important roles in the regulation of molecular processes. Considering the importance of the ongoing coronavirus crisis, we decided to evaluate genomes of all coronaviruses sequenced to date (stated more broadly, the order Nidovirales) to determine if they contain non-canonical nucleic acid structures. We discovered much evidence of putative G-quadruplex sites and even much more of inverted repeats (IRs) loci, which in fact are ubiquitous along the whole genomic sequence and indicate a possible mechanism for genomic RNA packaging. The most notable enrichment of IRs was found inside 5'UTR for IRs of size 12+ nucleotides, and the most notable enrichment of putative quadruplex sites (PQSs) was located before 3'UTR, inside 5'UTR, and before mRNA. This indicates crucial regulatory roles for both IRs and PQSs. Moreover, we found multiple G-quadruplex binding motifs in human proteins having potential for binding of SARS-CoV-2 RNA. Non-canonical nucleic acids structures in Nidovirales and in novel SARS-CoV-2 are therefore promising druggable structures that can be targeted and utilized in the future.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Martin Bartas
- Department of Biology and Ecology, Faculty of Science, University of Ostrava, Ostrava, Czechia
| | - Václav Brázda
- Department of Biophysical Chemistry and Molecular Oncology, Institute of Biophysics, Academy of Sciences of the Czech Republic, Brno, Czechia
- Faculty of Chemistry, Brno University of Technology, Brno, Czechia
| | - Natália Bohálová
- Department of Biophysical Chemistry and Molecular Oncology, Institute of Biophysics, Academy of Sciences of the Czech Republic, Brno, Czechia
- Department of Experimental Biology, Faculty of Science, Masaryk University, Brno, Czechia
| | - Alessio Cantara
- Department of Biophysical Chemistry and Molecular Oncology, Institute of Biophysics, Academy of Sciences of the Czech Republic, Brno, Czechia
- Department of Experimental Biology, Faculty of Science, Masaryk University, Brno, Czechia
| | - Adriana Volná
- Department of Physics, Faculty of Science, University of Ostrava, Ostrava, Czechia
| | - Tereza Stachurová
- Department of Biology and Ecology, Faculty of Science, University of Ostrava, Ostrava, Czechia
| | - Kateřina Malachová
- Department of Biology and Ecology, Faculty of Science, University of Ostrava, Ostrava, Czechia
| | - Eva B. Jagelská
- Department of Biophysical Chemistry and Molecular Oncology, Institute of Biophysics, Academy of Sciences of the Czech Republic, Brno, Czechia
| | - Otília Porubiaková
- Department of Biophysical Chemistry and Molecular Oncology, Institute of Biophysics, Academy of Sciences of the Czech Republic, Brno, Czechia
- Faculty of Chemistry, Brno University of Technology, Brno, Czechia
| | - Jiří Červeň
- Department of Biology and Ecology, Faculty of Science, University of Ostrava, Ostrava, Czechia
| | - Petr Pečinka
- Department of Biology and Ecology, Faculty of Science, University of Ostrava, Ostrava, Czechia
| |
Collapse
|
8
|
Lowran K, Campbell L, Popp P, Wu CG. Assembly of a G-Quadruplex Repair Complex by the FANCJ DNA Helicase and the REV1 Polymerase. Genes (Basel) 2019; 11:E5. [PMID: 31861576 PMCID: PMC7017153 DOI: 10.3390/genes11010005] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/29/2019] [Accepted: 12/17/2019] [Indexed: 12/14/2022] Open
Abstract
The FANCJ helicase unfolds G-quadruplexes (G4s) in human cells to support DNA replication. This action is coupled to the recruitment of REV1 polymerase to synthesize DNA across from a guanine template. The precise mechanisms of these reactions remain unclear. While FANCJ binds to G4s with an AKKQ motif, it is not known whether this site recognizes damaged G4 structures. FANCJ also has a PIP-like (PCNA Interacting Protein) region that may recruit REV1 to G4s either directly or through interactions mediated by PCNA protein. In this work, we measured the affinities of a FANCJ AKKQ peptide for G4s formed by (TTAGGG)4 and (GGGT)4 using fluorescence spectroscopy and biolayer interferometry (BLI). The effects of 8-oxoguanine (8oxoG) on these interactions were tested at different positions. BLI assays were then performed with a FANCJ PIP to examine its recruitment of REV1 and PCNA. FANCJ AKKQ bound tightly to a TTA loop and was sequestered away from the 8oxoG. Reducing the loop length between guanine tetrads increased the affinity of the peptide for 8oxoG4s. FANCJ PIP targeted both REV1 and PCNA but favored interactions with the REV1 polymerase. The impact of these results on the remodeling of damaged G4 DNA is discussed herein.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Kaitlin Lowran
- Department of Chemistry, Oakland University, Rochester, MI 48309, USA; (K.L.); (L.C.)
| | - Laura Campbell
- Department of Chemistry, Oakland University, Rochester, MI 48309, USA; (K.L.); (L.C.)
| | - Phillip Popp
- Case Western Reserve University, Cleveland, OH 44106, USA;
| | - Colin G. Wu
- Department of Chemistry, Oakland University, Rochester, MI 48309, USA; (K.L.); (L.C.)
| |
Collapse
|