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Hattangady DS, Singh AK, Muthaiyan A, Jayaswal RK, Gustafson JE, Ulanov AV, Li Z, Wilkinson BJ, Pfeltz RF. Genomic, Transcriptomic and Metabolomic Studies of Two Well-Characterized, Laboratory-Derived Vancomycin-Intermediate Staphylococcus aureus Strains Derived from the Same Parent Strain. Antibiotics (Basel) 2015; 4:76-112. [PMID: 27025616 PMCID: PMC4790321 DOI: 10.3390/antibiotics4010076] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/28/2014] [Revised: 11/20/2014] [Accepted: 12/10/2014] [Indexed: 11/16/2022] Open
Abstract
Complete genome comparisons, transcriptomic and metabolomic studies were performed on two laboratory-selected, well-characterized vancomycin-intermediate Staphylococcus aureus (VISA) derived from the same parent MRSA that have changes in cell wall composition and decreased autolysis. A variety of mutations were found in the VISA, with more in strain 13136p(-)m⁺V20 (vancomycin MIC = 16 µg/mL) than strain 13136p(-)m⁺V5 (MIC = 8 µg/mL). Most of the mutations have not previously been associated with the VISA phenotype; some were associated with cell wall metabolism and many with stress responses, notably relating to DNA damage. The genomes and transcriptomes of the two VISA support the importance of gene expression regulation to the VISA phenotype. Similarities in overall transcriptomic and metabolomic data indicated that the VISA physiologic state includes elements of the stringent response, such as downregulation of protein and nucleotide synthesis, the pentose phosphate pathway and nutrient transport systems. Gene expression for secreted virulence determinants was generally downregulated, but was more variable for surface-associated virulence determinants, although capsule formation was clearly inhibited. The importance of activated stress response elements could be seen across all three analyses, as in the accumulation of osmoprotectant metabolites such as proline and glutamate. Concentrations of potential cell wall precursor amino acids and glucosamine were increased in the VISA strains. Polyamines were decreased in the VISA, which may facilitate the accrual of mutations. Overall, the studies confirm the wide variability in mutations and gene expression patterns that can lead to the VISA phenotype.
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Affiliation(s)
- Dipti S Hattangady
- School of Biological Sciences, Illinois State University, Normal, IL 61790, USA.
| | - Atul K Singh
- School of Biological Sciences, Illinois State University, Normal, IL 61790, USA.
| | - Arun Muthaiyan
- School of Biological Sciences, Illinois State University, Normal, IL 61790, USA.
| | | | - John E Gustafson
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Oklahoma State University, Stillwater, OK 74078, USA.
| | - Alexander V Ulanov
- Roy J. Carver Biotechnology Center, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, Urbana, IL 61807, USA.
| | - Zhong Li
- Roy J. Carver Biotechnology Center, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, Urbana, IL 61807, USA.
| | - Brian J Wilkinson
- School of Biological Sciences, Illinois State University, Normal, IL 61790, USA.
| | - Richard F Pfeltz
- BD Diagnostic Systems, Microbiology Research and Development, Sparks, MD 21152, USA.
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The Bacillus subtilis late competence operon comE is transcriptionally regulated by yutB and under post-transcription initiation control by comN (yrzD). J Bacteriol 2008; 191:949-58. [PMID: 19028902 DOI: 10.1128/jb.01429-08] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/19/2023] Open
Abstract
The Bacillus subtilis genome has been sequenced, and disruptants with disruptions in genes that were not characterized previously were systematically generated. We screened these gene disruptants for decreased transformation frequency and identified two genes, yrzD and yutB, whose disruption resulted in severely reduced transformation frequency and modestly reduced transformation frequency, respectively. In the regulation of competence development, various signals affect the expression of comK, which encodes a master regulator of genetic competence that drives late competence gene transcription. Epistatic analyses of both the yrzD and yutB genes revealed no significant differences in the expression of comK. Further analysis of the expression of late competence genes in the yrzD disruptant revealed that yrzD is specifically required for regulation of the comE operon, which is one of the late competence operons, and thus was renamed comN. An analysis of various comE-lacZ fusions revealed that the target cis element for comN action is in the large (approximately 1-kb) 5' untranslated region of comE, while the activity of the comE promoter was not affected by disruption of comN. These results suggested that there is post-transcription initiation control of comE by comN. A sequential deletion analysis of this region revealed the 35-bp region required for comN action. The yutB gene encodes a putative lipoic acid synthetase and yet is specifically required for transcription of comE, based on the results of lacZ fusion analyses. Therefore, yutB and comN regulate comE at the transcription and post-transcription initiation levels, respectively. These results demonstrate that a comE-specific regulatory mechanism is involved in development of genetic competence.
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Hayashi K, Ohsawa T, Kobayashi K, Ogasawara N, Ogura M. The H2O2 stress-responsive regulator PerR positively regulates srfA expression in Bacillus subtilis. J Bacteriol 2005; 187:6659-67. [PMID: 16166527 PMCID: PMC1251593 DOI: 10.1128/jb.187.19.6659-6667.2005] [Citation(s) in RCA: 57] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/20/2022] Open
Abstract
srfA is an operon required for the synthesis of surfactin and the development of genetic competence in Bacillus subtilis. We observed that the expression of srfA is downregulated upon treatment with H2O2. Thus, we examined the involvement of several oxidative stress-responsive transcription factors in srfA expression. Our DNA microarray analysis revealed that the H2O2 stress-responsive regulator PerR is required for srfA expression. This was confirmed by lacZ fusion analysis. A ComX feeding assay and epistatic analyses revealed that the role of PerR in srfA expression is independent of other known regulators of srfA expression, namely, comQXP, rapC, and spx. Gel mobility shift and footprint assays revealed that PerR binds directly to two tandemly arranged noncanonical PerR boxes located in the upstream promoter region of srfA. A transcriptional srfA-lacZ fusion lacking both PerR boxes showed diminished and PerR-independent expression, indicating that the PerR boxes we identified function as positive cis elements for srfA transcription.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kentaro Hayashi
- Department of Marine Science, School of Marine Science and Technology, Tokai University, 3-20-1 Orido, Shimizu, Shizuoka 424-8610, Japan
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Smits WK, Eschevins CC, Susanna KA, Bron S, Kuipers OP, Hamoen LW. Stripping Bacillus: ComK auto-stimulation is responsible for the bistable response in competence development. Mol Microbiol 2005; 56:604-14. [PMID: 15819618 DOI: 10.1111/j.1365-2958.2005.04488.x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 156] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/01/2022]
Abstract
In Bacillus subtilis competence for genetic transformation develops only in a subpopulation of cells in an isogenic culture. The molecular mechanisms underlying this phenotypic heterogeneity are unknown. In this study, we stepwise simplify the signal transduction cascade leading to competence, yielding a strain devoid of all regulatory inputs for this process that have been identified so far. We demonstrate that auto-stimulation of ComK, the master regulator for competence development, is essential and in itself can be sufficient to generate a bistable expression pattern. We argue that transcriptional regulation determines the threshold of ComK to initiate the auto-stimulatory response, and that the basal level of ComK (in a wild-type strain governed by MecA-mediated proteolytic control) determines the fraction of cells that reach this threshold, and thus develop competence.
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Affiliation(s)
- Wiep Klaas Smits
- Groningen Biomolecular Sciences and Biotechnology Institute, Department of Genetics, University of Groningen, Kerklaan 30, 9751 NN Haren, the Netherlands
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Hamoen LW, Smits WK, de Jong A, Holsappel S, Kuipers OP. Improving the predictive value of the competence transcription factor (ComK) binding site in Bacillus subtilis using a genomic approach. Nucleic Acids Res 2002; 30:5517-28. [PMID: 12490720 PMCID: PMC140081 DOI: 10.1093/nar/gkf698] [Citation(s) in RCA: 118] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/14/2022] Open
Abstract
Generally, the presence of a consensus sequence in the promoter of a gene is taken as indication for regulation by the transcription factor that binds to this sequence. In light of the recent developments in genome research, we were interested to what extent this supposition is valid. We examined the relationship between the presence of a binding site for ComK, the competence transcription factor of Bacillus subtilis, and actual transcriptional activation by ComK. Bacillus subtilis contains 1062 putative ComK-binding sites (K-boxes) in its genome. We employed DNA macroarrays to identify ComK-activated genes, and found that the presence of a K-box is an unreliable predictor for regulation. Only approximately 8% of the genes containing a K-box in the putative promoter region are regulated by ComK. The predictive value of a K-box could be improved by taking into consideration the degree of deviation from the K-box consensus sequence, the presence of extra ComK-binding motifs and the positions of RNA polymerase-binding sites. Finally, many of the ComK-activated genes show no apparent function related to the competence process. Based on our findings, we propose that the ComK-dependent activation of several genes might serve no biological purpose and can be considered 'evolutionary noise'.
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Affiliation(s)
- Leendert W Hamoen
- Department of Genetics, Groningen Biomolecular Sciences and Biotechnology Institute, University of Groningen, Kerklaan 30, 9751 NN Haren, The Netherlands
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Ogura M, Yamaguchi H, Kobayashi K, Ogasawara N, Fujita Y, Tanaka T. Whole-genome analysis of genes regulated by the Bacillus subtilis competence transcription factor ComK. J Bacteriol 2002; 184:2344-51. [PMID: 11948146 PMCID: PMC134994 DOI: 10.1128/jb.184.9.2344-2351.2002] [Citation(s) in RCA: 133] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/20/2022] Open
Abstract
The Bacillus subtilis competence transcription factor ComK is required for establishment of competence for genetic transformation. In an attempt to study the ComK factor further, we explored the genes regulated by ComK using the DNA microarray technique. In addition to the genes known to be dependent on ComK for expression, we found many genes or operons whose ComK dependence was not known previously. Among these genes, we confirmed the ComK dependence of 16 genes by using lacZ fusions, and three genes were partially dependent on ComK. Transformation efficiency was significantly reduced in an smf disruption mutant, although disruption of the other ComK-dependent genes did not result in significant decreases in transformation efficiency. Nucleotide sequences similar to that of the ComK box were found for most of the newly discovered genes regulated by ComK.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mitsuo Ogura
- School of Marine Science and Technology, Tokai University, 3-20-1 Orido, Shimizu, Shizuoka 424-8610, Japan
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Berka RM, Hahn J, Albano M, Draskovic I, Persuh M, Cui X, Sloma A, Widner W, Dubnau D. Microarray analysis of the Bacillus subtilis K-state: genome-wide expression changes dependent on ComK. Mol Microbiol 2002; 43:1331-45. [PMID: 11918817 DOI: 10.1046/j.1365-2958.2002.02833.x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 188] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/20/2022]
Abstract
In Bacillus subtilis, the competence transcription factor ComK activates its own transcription as well as the transcription of genes that encode DNA transport proteins. ComK is expressed in about 10% of the cells in a culture grown to competence. Using DNA microarrays representing approximately 95% of the protein-coding open reading frames in B. subtilis, we compared the expression profiles of wild-type and comK strains, as well as of a mecA mutant (which produces active ComK in all the cells of the population) and a comK mecA double mutant. In these comparisons, we identified at least 165 genes that are upregulated by ComK and relatively few that are downregulated. The use of reporter fusions has confirmed these results for several genes. Many of the ComK-regulated genes are organized in clusters or operons, and 23 of these clusters are preceded by apparent ComK-box promoter motifs. In addition to those required for DNA uptake, other genes that are upregulated in the presence of ComK are probably involved in DNA repair and in the uptake and utilization of nutritional sources. From this and previous work, we conclude that the ComK regulon defines a growth-arrested state, distinct from sporulation, of which competence for genetic transformation is but one notable feature. We suggest that this is a unique adaptation to stress and that it be termed the 'K-state'.
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Abstract
Bacillus subtilis is known to produce an abundance of small polypeptides. Several of these have antimicrobial activity and others are pheromones or extracellular factors that affect internal signal transduction systems. The completion of the B. subtilis genomic nucleotide sequence has revealed 345 small polypeptide open-reading frames (of 85 codons or less), 81% of which are of unknown function. A significant number of these reside in prophage genomes or phage-like elements where they can be organized into large operons. It is likely that many more exist in the genome of B. subtilis but are "hidden" entirely or partially within other reading frames, or possess non-conventional translation start signals and have escaped detection. The discovery of so many small polypeptide orfs (SPORFs) and the likelihood of many more pose a challenging problem for those undertaking the complete functional analysis of genes that constitute prokaryotic genomes. A survey of known and potential peptide-encoding reading frames is presented herein as an attempt to classify those that are found in the B. subtilis genome according to function inferred from homology searches and to conservation among products of other microbial genomes.
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Affiliation(s)
- P Zuber
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Oregon Graduate Institute of Science and Technology, 20000 NW Walker Rd, Beaverton, OR 97006, USA.
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