Genomic changes arising in long-term stab cultures of Escherichia coli

RpoS and the bacterial general stress response

SUMMARYThe general stress response (GSR) is a widespread strategy developed by bacteria to adapt and respond to their changing environments. The GSR is induced by one or multiple simultaneous stresses, as well as during entry into stationary phase and leads to a global response that protects cells against multiple stresses. The alternative sigma factor RpoS is the central GSR regulator in E. coli and conserved in most γ-proteobacteria. In E. coli, RpoS is induced under conditions of nutrient deprivation and other stresses, primarily via the activation of RpoS translation and inhibition of RpoS proteolysis. This review includes recent advances in our understanding of how stresses lead to RpoS induction and a summary of the recent studies attempting to define RpoS-dependent genes and pathways.

A negative feedback loop is critical for recovery of RpoS after stress in Escherichia coli

RpoS is an alternative sigma factor needed for the induction of the general stress response in many gammaproteobacteria. Tight regulation of RpoS levels and activity is required for bacterial growth and survival under stress. In Escherichia coli, various stresses lead to higher levels of RpoS due to increased translation and decreased degradation. During non-stress conditions, RpoS is unstable, because the adaptor protein RssB delivers RpoS to the ClpXP protease. RpoS degradation is prevented during stress by the sequestration of RssB by anti-adaptors, each of which is induced in response to specific stresses. Here, we examined how the stabilization of RpoS is reversed during recovery of the cell from stress. We found that RpoS degradation quickly resumes after recovery from phosphate starvation, carbon starvation, and when transitioning from stationary phase back to exponential phase. This process is in part mediated by the anti-adaptor IraP, known to promote RpoS stabilization during phosphate starvation via the sequestration of adaptor RssB. The rapid recovery from phosphate starvation is dependent upon a feedback loop in which RpoS transcription of rssB, encoding the adaptor protein, plays a critical role. Crl, an activator of RpoS that specifically binds to and stabilizes the complex between the RNA polymerase and RpoS, is also required for the feedback loop to function efficiently, highlighting a critical role for Crl in restoring RpoS basal levels.

A negative feedback loop is critical for recovery of RpoS after stress in Escherichia coli

RpoS is an alternative sigma factor needed for the induction of the general stress response in many gammaproteobacteria. Tight regulation of RpoS levels and activity is required for bacterial growth and survival under stress. In Escherichia coli, various stresses lead to higher levels of RpoS due to increased translation and decreased degradation. During non-stress conditions, RpoS is unstable, because the adaptor protein RssB delivers RpoS to the ClpXP protease. RpoS degradation is prevented during stress by the sequestration of RssB by anti-adaptors, each of which is induced in response to specific stresses. Here, we examined how the stabilization of RpoS is reversed during recovery of the cell from stress. We found that RpoS degradation quickly resumes after recovery from phosphate starvation, carbon starvation, and when transitioning from stationary phase back to exponential phase. This process is in part mediated by the anti-adaptor IraP, known to promote RpoS stabilization during phosphate starvation via the sequestration of adaptor RssB. The rapid recovery from phosphate starvation is dependent upon a feedback loop in which RpoS transcription of rssB, encoding the adaptor protein, plays a critical role. Crl, an activator of RpoS that specifically binds to and stabilizes the complex between the RNA polymerase and RpoS, is also required for the feedback loop to function efficiently, highlighting a critical role for Crl in restoring RpoS basal levels.

Uncovering Key Metabolic Determinants of the Drug Interactions Between Trimethoprim and Erythromycin in Escherichia coli

Understanding interactions between antibiotics used in combination is an important theme in microbiology. Using the interactions between the antifolate drug trimethoprim and the ribosome-targeting antibiotic erythromycin in Escherichia coli as a model, we applied a transcriptomic approach for dissecting interactions between two antibiotics with different modes of action. When trimethoprim and erythromycin were combined, the transcriptional response of genes from the sulfate reduction pathway deviated from the dominant effect of trimethoprim on the transcriptome. We successfully altered the drug interaction from additivity to suppression by increasing the sulfate level in the growth environment and identified sulfate reduction as an important metabolic determinant that shapes the interaction between the two drugs. Our work highlights the potential of using prioritization of gene expression patterns as a tool for identifying key metabolic determinants that shape drug-drug interactions. We further demonstrated that the sigma factor-binding protein gene crl shapes the interactions between the two antibiotics, which provides a rare example of how naturally occurring variations between strains of the same bacterial species can sometimes generate very different drug interactions.

'Community evolution' - laboratory strains and pedigrees in the age of genomics

Molecular microbiologists depend heavily on laboratory strains of bacteria, which are ubiquitous across the community of research groups working on a common organism. However, this presumes that strains present in different laboratories are in fact identical. Work on a culture of Vibrio cholerae preserved from 1916 provoked us to consider recent studies, which have used both classical genetics and next-generation sequencing to study the heterogeneity of laboratory strains. Here, we review and discuss mutations and phenotypic variation in supposedlyisogenic reference strains of V. cholerae and Escherichia coli, and we propose that by virtue of the dissemination of laboratory strains across the world, a large ‘community evolution’ experiment is currently ongoing.

Effective Surveillance Using Multilocus Variable-Number Tandem-Repeat Analysis and Whole-Genome Sequencing for Enterohemorrhagic Escherichia coli O157

Due to the potential of enterohemorrhagic Escherichia coli (EHEC) serogroup O157 to cause large food borne outbreaks, national and international surveillance is necessary. For developing an effective method of molecular surveillance, a conventional method, multilocus variable-number tandem-repeat analysis (MLVA), and whole-genome sequencing (WGS) analysis were compared. WGS of 369 isolates of EHEC O157 belonging to 7 major MLVA types and their relatives were subjected to comprehensive in silico typing, core genome single nucleotide polymorphism (cgSNP), and core genome multilocus sequence typing (cgMLST) analyses. The typing resolution was the highest in cgSNP analysis. However, determination of the sequence of the mismatch repair protein gene mutS is necessary because spontaneous deletion of the gene could lead to a hypermutator phenotype. MLVA had sufficient typing resolution for a short-term outbreak investigation and had advantages in rapidity and high throughput. cgMLST showed less typing resolution than cgSNP, but it is less time-consuming and does not require as much computer power. Therefore, cgMLST is suitable for comparisons using large data sets (e.g., international comparison using public databases). In conclusion, screening using MLVA followed by cgMLST and cgSNP analyses would provide the highest typing resolution and improve the accuracy and cost-effectiveness of EHEC O157 surveillance.IMPORTANCE Intensive surveillance for enterohemorrhagic Escherichia coli (EHEC) serogroup O157 is important to detect outbreaks and to prevent the spread of the bacterium. Recent advances in sequencing technology made molecular surveillance using whole-genome sequence (WGS) realistic. To develop rapid, high-throughput, and cost-effective typing methods for real-time surveillance, typing resolution of WGS and a conventional typing method, multilocus variable-number tandem-repeat analysis (MLVA), was evaluated. Nation-level systematic comparison of MLVA, core genome single nucleotide polymorphism (cgSNP), and core genome multilocus sequence typing (cgMLST) indicated that a combination of WGS and MLVA is a realistic approach to improve EHEC O157 surveillance.

A network of regulators promotes dehydration tolerance in Escherichia coli

The ability to survive conditions of low water activity is critical for the survival of many bacteria in the environment and facilitates disease transmission through food and contaminated surfaces. However, the molecular mechanisms that enable bacteria to withstand this condition remain poorly understood. Here we describe a network of regulators in Escherichia coli that are important for this bacterium to survive dehydration. We found that the transcriptional regulator DksA and the general stress response regulator RpoS play a critical role. From a plasmid genomic library screen, we identified two additional regulators, Crl and ArcZ, that promote dehydration tolerance through modulation of RpoS. We also found that LexA, RecA and ArcA contribute to survival. Our results identify key regulators that enable E. coli to tolerate dehydration and suggest a hierarchical network is involved in protection against cellular damage associated with this stress.

The Odyssey of the Ancestral Escherich Strain through Culture Collections: an Example of Allopatric Diversification

More than a century ago, Theodor Escherich isolated the bacterium that was to become Escherichia coli, one of the most studied organisms. Not long after, the strain began an odyssey and landed in many laboratories across the world. As laboratory culture conditions could be responsible for major changes in bacterial strains, we conducted a genome analysis of isolates of this emblematic strain from different culture collections (England, France, the United States, Germany). Strikingly, many discrepancies between the isolates were observed, as revealed by multilocus sequence typing (MLST), the presence of virulence-associated genes, core genome MLST, and single nucleotide polymorphism/indel analyses. These differences are correlated with the phylogeographic history of the strain and were due to an unprecedented number of mutations in coding DNA repair functions such as mismatch repair (MutL) and oxidized guanine nucleotide pool cleaning (MutT), conferring a specific mutational spectrum and leading to a mutator phenotype. The mutator phenotype was probably acquired during subculturing and corresponded to second-order selection. Furthermore, all of the isolates exhibited hypersusceptibility to antibiotics due to mutations in efflux pump- and porin-encoding genes, as well as a specific mutation in the sigma factor-encoding gene rpoS. These defects reflect a self-preservation and nutritional competence tradeoff allowing survival under the starvation conditions imposed by storage. From a clinical point of view, dealing with such mutator strains can lead microbiologists to draw false conclusions about isolate relatedness and may impact therapeutic effectiveness. IMPORTANCE Mutator phenotypes have been described in laboratory-evolved bacteria, as well as in natural isolates. Several genes can be impacted, each of them being associated with a typical mutational spectrum. By studying one of the oldest strains available, the ancestral Escherich strain, we were able to identify its mutator status leading to tremendous genetic diversity among the isolates from various collections and allowing us to reconstruct the phylogeographic history of the strain. This mutator phenotype was probably acquired during the storage of the strain, promoting adaptation to a specific environment. Other mutations in rpoS and efflux pump- and porin-encoding genes highlight the acclimatization of the strain through self-preservation and nutritional competence regulation. This strain history can be viewed as unintentional experimental evolution in culture collections all over the word since 1885, mimicking the long-term experimental evolution of E. coli of Lenski et al. (O. Tenaillon, J. E. Barrick, N. Ribeck, D. E. Deatherage, J. L. Blanchard, A. Dasgupta, G. C. Wu, S. Wielgoss, S. Cruveiller, C. Médigue, D. Schneider, and R. E. Lenski, Nature 536:165-170, 2016, https://doi.org/10.1038/nature18959) that shares numerous molecular features.

A Geneticist's View of Prostate Cancer: Prostate Cancer Treatment Considerations

Prostate cancer remains a life-threatening disease of men. While early detection has been helpful to reduce the mortality rate, we currently do not have a desired therapy. In recent years, new strategies have been proposed to treat prostate cancers with poor prognosis by utilizing genetically modified bacteria, including Salmonella typhimurium that preferentially replicate within solid tumors (1000:1 and up to 10,000:1 compared to non-cancerous tissue) destroying cancer cells without causing septic shock that is typically associated with wild-type S. typhimurium infections. Furthermore, these bacteria have the potential to be utilized as drug delivery systems to more effectively target different subpopulations of prostate tumor cells. This chapter reviews progress in using genetically modified S. typhimurium for destruction of prostate tumors.

Recent advances in the characterization of Crl, the unconventional activator of the stress sigma factor σS/RpoS

The bacterial RNA polymerase (RNAP) holoenzyme is a multisubunit core enzyme associated with a σ factor that is required for promoter-specific transcription initiation. Besides a primary σ responsible for most of the gene expression during active growth, bacteria contain alternative σ factors that control adaptive responses. A recurring strategy in the control of σ factor activity is their sequestration by anti-sigma factors that occlude the RNAP binding determinants, reducing their activity. In contrast, the unconventional transcription factor Crl binds specifically to the alternative σ factor σS/RpoS, and favors its association with the core RNAP, thereby increasing its activity. σS is the master regulator of the general stress response that protects many Gram-negative bacteria from several harmful environmental conditions. It is also required for biofilm formation and virulence of Salmonella enterica serovar Typhimurium. In this report, we discuss current knowledge on the regulation and function of Crl in Salmonella and Escherichia coli, two bacterial species in which Crl has been studied. We review recent advances in the structural characterization of the Crl-σS interaction that have led to a better understanding of this unusual mechanism of σ regulation.

Evolutionary Consequence of a Trade-Off between Growth and Maintenance along with Ribosomal Damages

Microorganisms in nature are constantly subjected to a limited availability of resources and experience repeated starvation and nutrition. Therefore, microbial life may evolve for both growth fitness and sustainability. By contrast, experimental evolution, as a powerful approach to investigate microbial evolutionary strategies, often targets the increased growth fitness in controlled, steady-state conditions. Here, we address evolutionary changes balanced between growth and maintenance while taking nutritional fluctuations into account. We performed a 290-day-long evolution experiment with a histidine-requiring Escherichia coli strain that encountered repeated histidine-rich and histidine-starved conditions. The cells that experienced seven rounds of starvation and re-feed grew more sustainably under prolonged starvation but dramatically lost growth fitness under rich conditions. The improved sustainability arose from the evolved capability to use a trace amount of histidine for cell propagation. The reduced growth rate was attributed to mutations genetically disturbing the translation machinery, that is, the ribosome, ultimately slowing protein translation. This study provides the experimental demonstration of slow growth accompanied by an enhanced affinity to resources as an evolutionary adaptation to oscillated environments and verifies that it is possible to evolve for reduced growth fitness. Growth economics favored for population increase under extreme resource limitations is most likely a common survival strategy adopted by natural microbes.

Phenotypic Variation Is Almost Entirely Independent of the Host-Pathogen Relationship in Clinical Isolates of S. aureus

Background

A key feature of Staphylococcus aureus biology is its ability to switch from an apparently benign colonizer of ~30% of the population to a cutaneous pathogen, to a deadly invasive pathogen. Little is known about the mechanisms driving this transition or the propensity of different S. aureus strains to engender different types of host-pathogen interactions. At the same time, significant weight has been given to the role of specific in vitro phenotypes in S. aureus virulence. Biofilm formation, hemolysis and pigment formation have all been associated with virulence in mice.

Design

To determine if there is a correlation between in vitro phenotype and the three types of host-pathogen relationships commonly exhibited by S. aureus in the context of its natural human host, we assayed 300 clinical isolates for phenotypes implicated in virulence including hemolysis, sensitivity to autolysis, and biofilm formation. For comparative purposes, we also assayed phenotype in 9 domesticated S. aureus strains routinely used for analysis of virulence determinants in laboratory settings.

Results

Strikingly, the clinical strains exhibited significant phenotypic uniformity in each of the assays evaluated in this study. One exception was a small, but significant, correlation between an increased propensity for biofilm formation and isolation from skin and soft tissue infections (SSTIs). In contrast, we observed a high degree of phenotypic variation between common laboratory strains that exhibit virulence in mouse models. These data suggest the existence of significant evolutionary pressure on the S. aureus genome and highlight a role for host factors as a strong determinant of the host-pathogen relationship. In addition, the high degree of variation between laboratory strains emphasizes the need for caution when applying data obtained in one lab strain to the analysis of another.

The rpoS gene is predominantly inactivated during laboratory storage and undergoes source-sink evolution in Escherichia coli species

The rpoS gene codes for an alternative RNA polymerase sigma factor, which acts as a general regulator of the stress response. Inactivating alleles of rpoS in collections of natural Escherichia coli isolates have been observed at very variable frequencies, from less than 1% to more than 70% of strains. rpoS is easily inactivated in nutrient-deprived environments such as stab storage, which makes it difficult to determine the true frequency of rpoS inactivation in nature. We studied the evolutionary history of rpoS and compared it to the phylogenetic history of bacteria in two collections of 82 human commensal and extraintestinal E. coli strains. These strains were representative of the phylogenetic diversity of the species and differed only by their storage conditions. In both collections, the phylogenetic histories of rpoS and of the strains were congruent, indicating that horizontal gene transfer had not occurred at the rpoS locus, and rpoS was under strong purifying selection, with a ratio of the nonsynonymous mutation rate (Ka) to the synonymous substitution rate (Ks) substantially smaller than 1. Stab storage was associated with a high frequency of inactivating alleles, whereas almost no amino acid sequence variation was observed in RpoS in the collection studied directly after isolation of the strains from the host. Furthermore, the accumulation of variations in rpoS was typical of source-sink dynamics. In conclusion, rpoS is rarely inactivated in natural E. coli isolates within their mammalian hosts, probably because such strains rapidly become evolutionary dead ends. Our data should encourage bacteriologists to freeze isolates immediately and to avoid the use of stab storage.

Laboratory divergence of Methylobacterium extorquens AM1 through unintended domestication and past selection for antibiotic resistance

Background

A common assumption of microorganisms is that laboratory stocks will remain genetically and phenotypically constant over time, and across laboratories. It is becoming increasingly clear, however, that mutations can ruin strain integrity and drive the divergence or “domestication” of stocks. Since its discovery in 1960, a stock of Methylobacterium extorquens AM1 (“AM1”) has remained in the lab, propagated across numerous growth and storage conditions, researchers, and facilities. To explore the extent to which this lineage has diverged, we compared our own “Modern” stock of AM1 to a sample archived at a culture stock center shortly after the strain’s discovery. Stored as a lyophilized sample, we hypothesized that this Archival strain would better reflect the first-ever isolate of AM1 and reveal ways in which our Modern stock has changed through laboratory domestication or other means.

Results

Using whole-genome re-sequencing, we identified some 29 mutations – including single nucleotide polymorphisms, small indels, the insertion of mobile elements, and the loss of roughly 36 kb of DNA - that arose in the laboratory-maintained Modern lineage. Contrary to our expectations, Modern was both slower and less fit than Archival across a variety of growth substrates, and showed no improvement during long-term growth and storage. Modern did, however, outperform Archival during growth on nutrient broth, and in resistance to rifamycin, which was selected for by researchers in the 1980s. Recapitulating selection for rifamycin resistance in replicate Archival populations showed that mutations to RNA polymerase B (rpoB) substantially decrease growth in the absence of antibiotic, offering an explanation for slower growth in Modern stocks. Given the large number of genomic changes arising from domestication (28), it is somewhat surprising that the single other mutation attributed to purposeful laboratory selection accounts for much of the phenotypic divergence between strains.

Conclusions

These results highlight the surprising degree to which AM1 has diverged through a combination of unintended laboratory domestication and purposeful selection for rifamycin resistance. Instances of strain divergence are important, not only to ensure consistency of experimental results, but also to explore how microbes in the lab diverge from one another and from their wild counterparts.

The nature of laboratory domestication changes in freshly isolated Escherichia coli strains

Adaptation of environmental bacteria to laboratory conditions can lead to modification of important traits, what we term domestication. Little is known about the rapidity and reproducibility of domestication changes, the uniformity of these changes within a species or how diverse these are in a single culture. Here, we analysed phenotypic changes in nutrient-rich liquid media or on agar of four Escherichia coli strains newly isolated through minimal steps from different sources. The laboratory-cultured populations showed changes in metabolism, morphotype, fitness and in some phenotypes associated with the sigma factor RpoS. Domestication events and phenotypic diversity started to emerge within 2-3 days in replicate subcultures of the same ancestor. In some strains, increased amino acid usage and higher fitness under nutrient limitation resembled those in mutants with the GASP (growth advantage in stationary phase) phenotype. The domestication changes are not uniform across a species or even within a single domesticated population. However, some parallelism in adaptation within repeat cultures was observed. Differences in the laboratory environment also determine domestication effects, which differ between liquid and solid media or with extended stationary phase. Important lessons for the handling and storage of organisms can be based on these studies.

A case of adaptation through a mutation in a tandem duplication during experimental evolution in Escherichia coli

Background

DNA duplications constitute important precursors for genome variation. Here we analyzed an unequal duplication harboring a beneficial mutation that may provide alternative evolutionary outcomes.

Results

We characterized this evolutionary event during experimental evolution for only 100 generations of an Escherichia coli strain under glucose limitation within chemostats. By combining Insertion Sequence based Restriction Length Polymorphism experiments, pulsed field gel electrophoresis and two independent genome re-sequencing experiments, we identified an evolved lineage carrying a 180 kb duplication of the 46’ region of the E. coli chromosome. This evolved duplication revealed a heterozygous state, with one copy harboring a 2668 bp deletion that included part of the ogrK gene and both the yegR and yegS genes. By genetically manipulating ancestral and evolved strains, we showed that the single yegS inactivation was sufficient to confer a frequency dependent fitness increase under the chemostat selective conditions in both the ancestor and evolved genetic contexts, implying that the duplication itself was not a direct fitness contributor. Nonetheless, the heterozygous duplicated state was relatively stable in the conditions prevailing during evolution in chemostats, in striking contrast to non selective conditions in which the duplication resolved at high frequency into either its ancestral or deleted copy.

Conclusions

Our results suggest that the duplication state may constitute a second order selection process providing higher evolutionary potential. Moreover, its heterozygous nature may provide differential evolutionary opportunities in alternating environments. Our results also highlighted how careful analyses of whole genome data are needed to identify such complex rearrangements.

Newly identified genetic variations in common Escherichia coli MG1655 stock cultures

We have recently identified seven mutations in commonly used stocks of the sequenced Escherichia coli strain MG1655 which do not appear in the reference sequence. The mutations are likely to cause loss of function of the glpR and crl genes, which may have serious implications for physiological experiments using the affected strains.

The uncertain consequences of transferring bacterial strains between laboratories - rpoS instability as an example

Background

Microbiological studies frequently involve exchanges of strains between laboratories and/or stock centers. The integrity of exchanged strains is vital for archival reasons and to ensure reproducible experimental results. For at least 50 years, one of the most common means of shipping bacteria was by inoculating bacterial samples in agar stabs. Long-term cultures in stabs exhibit genetic instabilities and one common instability is in rpoS. The sigma factor RpoS accumulates in response to several stresses and in the stationary phase. One consequence of RpoS accumulation is the competition with the vegetative sigma factor σ⁷⁰. Under nutrient limiting conditions mutations in rpoS or in genes that regulate its expression tend to accumulate. Here, we investigate whether short-term storage and mailing of cultures in stabs results in genetic heterogeneity.

Results

We found that samples of the E. coli K-12 strain MC4100TF exchanged on three separate occasions by mail between our laboratories became heterogeneous. Reconstruction studies indicated that LB-stabs exhibited mutations previously found in GASP studies in stationary phase LB broth. At least 40% of reconstructed stocks and an equivalent proportion of actually mailed stock contained these mutations. Mutants with low RpoS levels emerged within 7 days of incubation in the stabs. Sequence analysis of ten of these segregants revealed that they harboured each of three different rpoS mutations. These mutants displayed the classical phenotypes of bacteria lacking rpoS. The genetic stability of MC4100TF was also tested in filter disks embedded in glycerol. Under these conditions, GASP mutants emerge only after a 3-week period. We also confirm that the intrinsic high RpoS level in MC4100TF is mainly due to the presence of an IS1 insertion in rssB.

Conclusions

Given that many E. coli strains contain high RpoS levels similar to MC4100TF, the integrity of such strains during transfers and storage is questionable. Variations in important collections may be due to storage-transfer related issues. These results raise important questions on the integrity of bacterial archives and transferred strains, explain variation like in the ECOR collection between laboratories and indicate a need for the development of better methods of strain transfer.

Bacterial stationary-state mutagenesis and Mammalian tumorigenesis as stress-induced cellular adaptations and the role of epigenetics

Mechanisms of cellular adaptation may have some commonalities across different organisms. Revealing these common mechanisms may provide insight in the organismal level of adaptation and suggest solutions to important problems related to the adaptation. An increased rate of mutations, referred as the mutator phenotype, and beneficial nature of these mutations are common features of the bacterial stationary-state mutagenesis and of the tumorigenic transformations in mammalian cells. We argue that these commonalities of mammalian and bacterial cells result from their stress-induced adaptation that may be described in terms of a common model. Specifically, in both organisms the mutator phenotype is activated in a subpopulation of proliferating stressed cells as a strategy to survival. This strategy is an alternative to other survival strategies, such as senescence and programmed cell death, which are also activated in the stressed cells by different subpopulations. Sustained stress-related proliferative signalling and epigenetic mechanisms play a decisive role in the choice of the mutator phenotype survival strategy in the cells. They reprogram cellular functions by epigenetic silencing of cell-cycle inhibitors, DNA repair, programmed cell death, and by activation of repetitive DNA elements. This reprogramming leads to the mutator phenotype that is implemented by error-prone cell divisions with the involvement of Y family polymerases. Studies supporting the proposed model of stress-induced cellular adaptation are discussed. Cellular mechanisms involved in the bacterial stress-induced adaptation are considered in more detail.

Genetic diversity among offspring from archived Salmonella enterica ssp. enterica serovar typhimurium (Demerec Collection): in search of survival strategies

Extensive phenotypic and genomic diversity was detected among offspring of Salmonella enterica ssp. enterica serovar Typhimurium LT2 (nonmutator) and LT7 (mutator, mutL) strains after decades of storage in sealed nutrient agar stabs. In addition to numerous losses in carbon and nitrogen metabolism, the acquired new metabolites indicated that alternate pathways were established. Particularly striking was the array of phage types when this phenotype was expected to be a stable feature. Evidence is presented regarding the role of mutator gene mutL(-) in the establishment of diversity as well as the ability of cells to return to mutL(+) genetic stabilization. Mutations included deletions, duplications, frameshifts, inversions and transpositions. In competition tests, survivors were more fit than were wild type. Because survival strategies continue to intrigue microbiologists, observations are compared with those of others who have addressed related questions. A brief genealogy of the archived strains is also recorded.

Competition among isolates of Salmonella enterica ssp. enterica serovar Typhimurium: role of prophage/phage in archived cultures

Previously, we reported extensive diversity among survivors of Salmonella enterica ssp. enterica serovar Typhimurium that were stored for four decades in sealed agar stabs. Thus raising the question: was there selection for greater fitness among eventual survivors? To address this, we cocultured archived LT2 survivors with nonarchived (parental) LT2 strains in competition experiments. Selected archived strains outgrew a nonarchived LT2 sequenced strain. Although we initially assumed this was the result of mutations empowering greater nutritional utilization, we found phage selection was also involved. Phage fels-1 and fels-2 in supernatants were identified by primer/PCR as a putative selective force following single plaque isolations on a prophage-free strain and testing on appropriate hosts. In confirmatory experiments, instead of coculture in Luria-Bertani requiring antibiotic marker insertions, competing strains without markers were inoculated at opposite edges of motility plates. Not only did the archived LT2 population overgrow the nonarchived LT2 population, but also clear zones appeared at edges of encounters from which phage fels-1 and fels-2 (but not gifsy-1 nor gifsy-2) were recovered. However, in competitions of an archived strain with S. Typhimurium ATCC 14028, phage emerged that had a DNA base sequence segment of prophage ST64B but the sequence differed from the reported homologous segment in ST64B.

Avirulence gene and insertion element-based RFLP as well as RAPD markers reveal high levels of genomic polymorphism in the rice pathogen Xanthomonas oryzae pv. oryzae

Genetic polymorphism within the genomes of bacterial pathogens determines their evolutionary potential during long-term interaction with their hosts. To investigate the level of genetic variation in Xanthomonas oryzae pv. oryzae (Xoo), the causative agent of rice bacterial blight disease, three DNA marker systems, including (i) restriction fragment length polymorphism (RFLP) of the avrBs3/PthA family genes (avrXa27), (ii) RFLP of insertion (IS) elements and (iii) random amplified polymorphic DNA (RAPD) markers, were used to detect polymorphism among 32 Xoo strains that differed in their virulence patterns. All these strains contained multiple avrXa27 homologs that were variable in copy number and genomic location. RFLP of six IS elements revealed that these mobile sequences were abundant in Xoo genomes, with 150 of the total of 165 discernable markers being variable. Thirty-eight decamer primers of RAPD amplified a total of 691 bands, with 100% of them being variable. In addition, analysis of molecular variance (AMOVA) of data from RFLP analysis of IS elements and from RAPD analysis showed that most of the genetic variation residues were within Xoo populations, rather than between populations. Although all three DNA marker systems supported that substantial variation was maintained in Xoo genomes, Mantel tests did not identify significant correlation between the similarity coefficients calculated from them. The results of the present study indicated that Xoo genomes contain a high level of genetic polymorphism, which greatly facilitates the evolution of this important pathogen during interaction with its host rice plant.

Stationary phase reorganisation of the Escherichia coli transcription machinery by Crl protein, a fine-tuner of sigmas activity and levels

Upon environmental changes, bacteria reschedule gene expression by directing alternative sigma factors to core RNA polymerase (RNAP). This sigma factor switch is achieved by regulating relative amounts of alternative sigmas and by decreasing the competitiveness of the dominant housekeeping sigma(70). Here we report that during stationary phase, the unorthodox Crl regulator supports a specific sigma factor, sigma(S) (RpoS), in its competition with sigma(70) for core RNAP by increasing the formation of sigma(S)-containing RNAP holoenzyme, Esigma(S). Consistently, Crl has a global regulatory effect in stationary phase gene expression exclusively through sigma(S), that is, on sigma(S)-dependent genes only. Not a specific promoter motif, but sigma(S) availability determines the ability of Crl to exert its function, rendering it of major importance at low sigma(S) levels. By promoting the formation of Esigma(S), Crl also affects partitioning of sigma(S) between RNAP core and the proteolytic sigma(S)-targeting factor RssB, thereby playing a dual role in fine-tuning sigma(S) proteolysis. In conclusion, Crl has a key role in reorganising the Escherichia coli transcriptional machinery and global gene expression during entry into stationary phase.

Physiological effects of Crl in Salmonella are modulated by sigmaS level and promoter specificity

The small regulatory protein Crl activates sigma(S) (RpoS), the stationary-phase and general stress response sigma factor. Crl has been reported to bind sigma(S) in vitro and to facilitate the formation of RNA polymerase holoenzyme. In Salmonella enterica serovar Typhimurium, Crl is required for the development of the rdar morphotype and transcription initiation of the sigma(S)-dependent genes csgD and adrA, involved in curli and cellulose production. Here, we examined the expression of other sigma(S)-dependent phenotypes and genes in a Deltacrl mutant of Salmonella. Gene fusion analyses and in vitro transcription assays indicate that the magnitude of Crl activation differs between promoters and is highly dependent on sigma(S) levels. We replaced the wild-type rpoS allele in S. enterica serovar Typhimurium strain ATCC 14028 with the rpoS(LT2) allele that shows reduced expression of sigma(S); the result was an increased Crl activation ratio and larger physiological effects of Crl on oxidative, thermal, and acid stress resistance levels during stationary phase. We also found that crl, rpoS, and crl rpoS strains grew better on succinate than did the wild type and expressed the succinate dehydrogenase sdhCDBA operon more strongly. The crl and rpoS(LT2) mutations also increased the competitive fitness of Salmonella in stationary phase. These results show that Crl contributes to negative regulation by sigma(S), a finding consistent with a role for Crl in sigma factor competition via the facilitation of sigma(S) binding to core RNA polymerase.

Recombinant protein production in an Escherichia coli reduced genome strain

Recently, efforts have been made to improve the properties of Escherichia coli as a recombinant host by 'genomic surgery'-deleting large segments of the E. coli K12 MG1655 genome without scars. These excised segments included K-islands, which contain a high proportion of transposons, insertion sequences, cryptic phage, damaged, and unknown-function genes. The resulting multiple-deletion strain, designated E. coli MDS40, has a 14% (about 700 genes) smaller genome than the parent strain, E. coli MG1655. The multiple-deletion and parent E. coli strains were cultured in fed-batch fermenters to high cell densities on minimal medium to simulate industrial conditions for evaluating growth and recombinant protein production characteristics. Recombinant protein production and by-product levels were quantified at different controlled growth rates. These results indicate that the multiple-deletion strain's growth behavior and recombinant protein productivity closely matched the parent stain. Thus, the multiple-deletion strain E. coli MDS40 provides a suitable foundation for further genomic reduction.

Loss of expression of cspC, a cold shock family gene, confers a gain of fitness in Escherichia coli K-12 strains

The CspA family of cold shock genes in Escherichia coli K-12 includes nine paralogs, cspA to cspI. Some of them have been implicated in cold stress adaptation. Screening for mutations among common laboratory E. coli strains showed a high degree of genetic diversity in cspC but not in cspA and cspE. This diversity in cspC was due to a wide spectrum of variations including insertions of IS elements, deletion, and point mutation. Northern analysis of these mutants showed loss of cspC expression in all but one case. Further analysis of the loss-of-function cspC mutants showed that they have a fitness advantage in broth culture after 24 h over their isogenic wild-type derivatives. Conversely, introduction of mutated cspC alleles conferred a competitive fitness advantage to AB1157, a commonly used laboratory strain. This provides the evidence that loss of cspC expression is both necessary and sufficient to confer a gain of fitness as seen in broth culture over 24 h. Together, these results ascribe a novel role in cellular growth at 37 degrees C for CspC, a member of the cold shock domain-containing protein family.

Imprecise excision of insertion element IS5 from the fliC gene contributes to flagellar diversity in Escherichia coli

Motile strains of Escherichia coli K12 carrying both a chromosomal fliC-H48 gene and a plasmid encoded fliC-H4 gene express both types of flagellins, which are coassembled into functional flagella. By using flagellar-H48-specific antiserum and a plasmid curing procedure, nonmotile mutants were found that carried an IS5 insertion in the chromosomal fliC-H48 gene. Motile revertants were isolated that showed deletions of the IS5 element together with sections of the fliC-H48 gene resulting in an altered flagellar serotype in these strains. As IS5 elements were found associated with 35 of 53 known H-types in wildtype E. coli strains, this insertion element might play a major role in serotype diversity.

Long-term survival during stationary phase: evolution and the GASP phenotype

The traditional view of the stationary phase of the bacterial life cycle, obtained using standard laboratory culture practices, although useful, might not always provide us with the complete picture. Here, the traditional three phases of the bacterial life cycle are expanded to include two additional phases: death phase and long-term stationary phase. In many natural environments, bacteria probably exist in conditions more akin to those of long-term stationary-phase cultures, in which the expression of a wide variety of stress-response genes and alternative metabolic pathways is essential for survival. Furthermore, stressful environments can result in selection for mutants that express the growth advantage in stationary phase (GASP) phenotype.

A hypervariable 130-kilobase genomic region of Magnetospirillum gryphiswaldense comprises a magnetosome island which undergoes frequent rearrangements during stationary growth

Genes involved in magnetite biomineralization are clustered in the genome of the magnetotactic bacterium Magnetospirillum gryphiswaldense. We analyzed a 482-kb genomic fragment, in which we identified an approximately 130-kb region representing a putative genomic "magnetosome island" (MAI). In addition to all known magnetosome genes, the MAI contains genes putatively involved in magnetosome biomineralization and numerous genes with unknown functions, as well as pseudogenes, and it is particularly rich in insertion elements. Substantial sequence polymorphism of clones from different subcultures indicated that this region undergoes frequent rearrangements during serial subcultivation in the laboratory. Spontaneous mutants affected in magnetosome formation arise at a frequency of up to 10(-2) after prolonged storage of cells at 4 degrees C or exposure to oxidative stress. All nonmagnetic mutants exhibited extended and multiple deletions in the MAI and had lost either parts of or the entire mms and mam gene clusters encoding magnetosome proteins. The mutations were polymorphic with respect to the sites and extents of deletions, but all mutations were found to be associated with the loss of various copies of insertion elements, as revealed by Southern hybridization and PCR analysis. Insertions and deletions in the MAI were also found in different magnetosome-producing clones, indicating that parts of this region are not essential for the magnetic phenotype. Our data suggest that the genomic MAI undergoes frequent transposition events, which lead to subsequent deletion by homologous recombination under physiological stress conditions. This can be interpreted in terms of adaptation to physiological stress and might contribute to the genetic plasticity and mobilization of the magnetosome island.

Combining inducible protein overexpression with NMR-grade triple isotope labeling in the cyanobacterium Anabaena sp. PCC 7120

The difficulty and expense of preparing protein samples highly enriched in stable isotopes is a bottleneck for structural studies by nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) spectroscopy. We have developed a new regulatable expression/labeling vector system in the cyanobacterium Anabaena sp. PCC 7120 using the endogenous promoter of the nitrate assimilation nir operon. Standard proteins were overexpressed upon induction with NaNO3, yielding up to 250 mg/L of culture. When the cyanobacteria were grown in the presence of inexpensive 15N-, 13C-labeled mineral salts and 2H2O, the expressed polypeptides were highly (>90%) enriched in stable isotopes. Furthermore, the tight repression of the nir promoter upon induction allowed the production of the toxic oncoprotein E6. In addition, under these conditions, the malE31 protein, while insoluble in Escherichia coli, was found to be soluble in Anabaena. Together, these properties render the described system especially suitable for the production and/or triple labeling of recombinant protein samples. It represents an interesting alternative to conventional protein expression systems used in structural genomics.