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Yang X, Yin ML, Huan ZL, Zhu YB, Zhao SP, Xi HL. Microecological characteristics of water bodies/sediments and microbial remediation strategies after 50 years of pollution exposure in ammunition destruction sites in China. ENVIRONMENTAL RESEARCH 2024; 251:118640. [PMID: 38479720 DOI: 10.1016/j.envres.2024.118640] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/07/2024] [Revised: 02/26/2024] [Accepted: 03/05/2024] [Indexed: 03/17/2024]
Abstract
The effects of long-term ammunition pollution on microecological characteristics were analyzed to formulate microbial remediation strategies. Specifically, the response of enzyme systems, N/O stable isotopes, ion networks, and microbial community structure/function levels were analyzed in long-term (50 years) ammunition-contaminated water/sediments from a contamination site, and a compound bacterial agent capable of efficiently degrading trinitrotoluene (TNT) while tolerating many heavy metals was selected to remediate the ammunition-contaminated soil. The basic physical and chemical properties of the water/sediment (pH (up: 0.57-0.64), nitrate (up: 1.31-4.28 times), nitrite (up: 1.51-5.03 times), and ammonium (up: 7.06-70.93 times)) were changed significantly, and the significant differences in stable isotope ratios of N and O (nitrate nitrogen) confirmed the degradability of TNT by indigenous microorganisms exposed to long-term pollution. Heavy metals, such as Pb, Zn, Cu, Cd, Cs, and Sb, have synergistic toxic effects in ammunition-contaminated sites, and significantly decreased the microbial diversity and richness in the core pollution area. However, long-term exposure in the edge pollution area induced microorganisms to use TNT as a carbon and nitrogen sources for life activities and growth and development. The Bacteroidales microbial group was significantly inhibited by ammunition contamination, whereas microorganisms such as Proteobacteria, Acidobacteriota, and Comamonadaceae gradually adapted to this environmental stress by regulating their development and stress responses. Ammunition pollution significantly affected DNA replication and gene regulation in the microecological genetic networks and increased the risk to human health. Mg and K were significantly involved in the internal mechanism of microbial transport, enrichment, and metabolism of TNT. Nine strains of TNT-utilizing microbes were screened for efficient TNT degradation and tolerance to typical heavy metals (copper, zinc and lead) found in contaminated sites, and a compound bacterial agent prepared for effective repair of ammunition-contaminated soil significantly improved the soil ecological environment.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xu Yang
- State Key Laboratory of NBC Protection for Civilian, Beijing, 102205, China
| | - Mao-Ling Yin
- State Key Laboratory of NBC Protection for Civilian, Beijing, 102205, China
| | - Zheng-Lai Huan
- State Key Laboratory of NBC Protection for Civilian, Beijing, 102205, China
| | - Yong-Bing Zhu
- State Key Laboratory of NBC Protection for Civilian, Beijing, 102205, China
| | - San-Ping Zhao
- State Key Laboratory of NBC Protection for Civilian, Beijing, 102205, China
| | - Hai-Ling Xi
- State Key Laboratory of NBC Protection for Civilian, Beijing, 102205, China.
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Mizgalska D, Rodríguez-Banqueri A, Veillard F, Książęk M, Goulas T, Guevara T, Eckhard U, Potempa J, Gomis-Rüth FX. Structural and functional insights into the C-terminal signal domain of the Bacteroidetes type-IX secretion system. Open Biol 2024; 14:230448. [PMID: 38862016 DOI: 10.1098/rsob.230448] [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: 12/12/2023] [Accepted: 02/20/2024] [Indexed: 06/13/2024] Open
Abstract
Gram-negative bacteria from the Bacteroidota phylum possess a type-IX secretion system (T9SS) for protein secretion, which requires cargoes to have a C-terminal domain (CTD). Structurally analysed CTDs are from Porphyromonas gingivalis proteins RgpB, HBP35, PorU and PorZ, which share a compact immunoglobulin-like antiparallel 3+4 β-sandwich (β1-β7). This architecture is essential as a P. gingivalis strain with a single-point mutant of RgpB disrupting the interaction of the CTD with its preceding domain prevented secretion of the protein. Next, we identified the C-terminus ('motif C-t.') and the loop connecting strands β3 and β4 ('motif Lβ3β4') as conserved. We generated two strains with insertion and replacement mutants of PorU, as well as three strains with ablation and point mutants of RgpB, which revealed both motifs to be relevant for T9SS function. Furthermore, we determined the crystal structure of the CTD of mirolase, a cargo of the Tannerella forsythia T9SS, which shares the same general topology as in Porphyromonas CTDs. However, motif Lβ3β4 was not conserved. Consistently, P. gingivalis could not properly secrete a chimaeric protein with the CTD of peptidylarginine deiminase replaced with this foreign CTD. Thus, the incompatibility of the CTDs between these species prevents potential interference between their T9SSs.
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Affiliation(s)
- Danuta Mizgalska
- Department of Microbiology, Faculty of Biochemistry, Biophysics and Biotechnology, Jagiellonian University, Kraków, Poland
| | - Arturo Rodríguez-Banqueri
- Proteolysis Laboratory, Department of Structural Biology, Molecular Biology Institute of Barcelona (CSIC), Barcelona, Catalonia 08028, Spain
| | - Florian Veillard
- Department of Microbiology, Faculty of Biochemistry, Biophysics and Biotechnology, Jagiellonian University, Kraków, Poland
| | - Mirosław Książęk
- Department of Microbiology, Faculty of Biochemistry, Biophysics and Biotechnology, Jagiellonian University, Kraków, Poland
| | - Theodoros Goulas
- Department of Food Science and Nutrition, School of Agricultural Sciences, University of Thessaly, Karditsa 43100, Greece
| | - Tibisay Guevara
- Proteolysis Laboratory, Department of Structural Biology, Molecular Biology Institute of Barcelona (CSIC), Barcelona, Catalonia 08028, Spain
| | - Ulrich Eckhard
- Synthetic Structural Biology Group, Department of Structural Biology, Molecular Biology Institute of Barcelona (CSIC), Barcelona, Catalonia 08028, Spain
| | - Jan Potempa
- Department of Microbiology, Faculty of Biochemistry, Biophysics and Biotechnology, Jagiellonian University, Kraków, Poland
- Department of Oral Immunology and Infectious Diseases, University of Louisville School of Dentistry, Louisville, KY 40202, USA
| | - F Xavier Gomis-Rüth
- Proteolysis Laboratory, Department of Structural Biology, Molecular Biology Institute of Barcelona (CSIC), Barcelona, Catalonia 08028, Spain
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Yang Y, Callaham MA, Wu X, Zhang Y, Wu D, Wang D. Gut microbial communities and their potential roles in cellulose digestion and thermal adaptation of earthworms. THE SCIENCE OF THE TOTAL ENVIRONMENT 2023; 903:166666. [PMID: 37657540 DOI: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2023.166666] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/16/2023] [Revised: 08/15/2023] [Accepted: 08/27/2023] [Indexed: 09/03/2023]
Abstract
Adaptations to temperature and food resources, which can be affected by gut microbiota, are two main adaptive strategies allowing soil fauna to survive in their habitats, especially for cold-blooded animals. Earthworms are often referred to as ecosystem engineers because they make up the biggest component of the animal biomass found in the soil. They are considered as an important indicator in the triangle of soil quality, health and functions. However, the roles of gut microbiota in the environmental adaptation of earthworms at a large scale remain obscure. We explored the gut bacterial communities and their functions in the environmental adaptation of two widespread earthworm species (Eisenia nordenskioldi Eisen and Drawida ghilarovi Gates) in Northeast China (1661 km). Based on our findings, the alpha diversity of gut bacterial communities decreased with the increase of latitude, and the gut bacterial community composition was shaped by both mean annual temperature (MAT) and cellulose. Actinobacteria, Proteobacteria, Firmicutes, and Planctomycetes, recognized as the predominant cellulose degraders, were keystone taxa driving gut bacterial interactions. Actinobacteria, Firmicutes, and Planctomycetes were influenced by MAT and cellulose, and had higher contributions to gut total cellulase activity. The optimal temperature for total cellulase in the gut of E. nordenskioldi (25-30 °C) was lower than that of D ghilarovi (40 °C). The gut microbiota-deleted earthworms had the lowest cellulose degradation rate (1.07 %). The cellulose was degraded faster by gut bacteria from the host they were derived, indicating the presence of home field advantage of cellulose decomposition. This study provides a foundation for understanding the biotic strategies adopted by earthworms when they enter a new habitat, with gut microbiota being central to food digestion and environmental adaptability.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yurong Yang
- Key Laboratory of Vegetation Ecology, Ministry of Education, Northeast Normal University, Changchun, 130024, China
| | - Mac A Callaham
- USDA, Forest Service, Southern Research Station, Center for Forest Disturbance Science, Athens, GA 30602, USA
| | - Xuefeng Wu
- Key Laboratory of Vegetation Ecology, Ministry of Education, Northeast Normal University, Changchun, 130024, China
| | - Yufeng Zhang
- Key Laboratory of Vegetation Ecology, Ministry of Education, Northeast Normal University, Changchun, 130024, China; Hebei Key Laboratory of Animal Diversity, Langfang Normal University, Langfang, 065000, China
| | - Donghui Wu
- Key Laboratory of Vegetation Ecology, Ministry of Education, Northeast Normal University, Changchun, 130024, China; Jilin Provincial Key Laboratory of Animal Resource Conservation and Utilization, Northeast Normal University, Changchun, 130117, China; Key Laboratory of Wetland Ecology and Environment, Northeast Institute of Geography and Agroecology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Changchun, 130102, China; Jilin Songnen Grassland Ecosystem National Observation and Research Station, Changchun, 130024, China.
| | - Deli Wang
- Key Laboratory of Vegetation Ecology, Ministry of Education, Northeast Normal University, Changchun, 130024, China; Jilin Songnen Grassland Ecosystem National Observation and Research Station, Changchun, 130024, China
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Gharechahi J, Vahidi MF, Sharifi G, Ariaeenejad S, Ding XZ, Han JL, Salekdeh GH. Lignocellulose degradation by rumen bacterial communities: New insights from metagenome analyses. ENVIRONMENTAL RESEARCH 2023; 229:115925. [PMID: 37086884 DOI: 10.1016/j.envres.2023.115925] [Citation(s) in RCA: 23] [Impact Index Per Article: 23.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/18/2023] [Revised: 03/26/2023] [Accepted: 04/15/2023] [Indexed: 05/03/2023]
Abstract
Ruminant animals house a dense and diverse community of microorganisms in their rumen, an enlarged compartment in their stomach, which provides a supportive environment for the storage and microbial fermentation of ingested feeds dominated by plant materials. The rumen microbiota has acquired diverse and functionally overlapped enzymes for the degradation of plant cell wall polysaccharides. In rumen Bacteroidetes, enzymes involved in degradation are clustered into polysaccharide utilization loci to facilitate coordinated expression when target polysaccharides are available. Firmicutes use free enzymes and cellulosomes to degrade the polysaccharides. Fibrobacters either aggregate lignocellulose-degrading enzymes on their cell surface or release them into the extracellular medium in membrane vesicles, a mechanism that has proven extremely effective in the breakdown of recalcitrant cellulose. Based on current metagenomic analyses, rumen Bacteroidetes and Firmicutes are categorized as generalist microbes that can degrade a wide range of polysaccharides, while other members adapted toward specific polysaccharides. Particularly, there is ample evidence that Verrucomicrobia and Spirochaetes have evolved enzyme systems for the breakdown of complex polysaccharides such as xyloglucans, peptidoglycans, and pectin. It is concluded that diversity in degradation mechanisms is required to ensure that every component in feeds is efficiently degraded, which is key to harvesting maximum energy by host animals.
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Affiliation(s)
- Javad Gharechahi
- Human Genetics Research Center, Baqiyatallah University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran
| | - Mohammad Farhad Vahidi
- Animal Science Research Department, Qom Agricultural and Natural Resources Research and Education Center, Agricultural Research, Education and Extension Organization (AREEO), Qom, Iran
| | - Golandam Sharifi
- Department of Basic Sciences, Encyclopedia Research Center, Institute for Humanities and Cultural Studies, Tehran, Iran
| | - Shohreh Ariaeenejad
- Department of Systems Biology, Agricultural Biotechnology Research Institute of Iran, Agricultural Research, Education, And Extension Organization, Karaj, Iran
| | - Xue-Zhi Ding
- Key Laboratory of Yak Breeding Engineering, Lanzhou Institute of Husbandry and Pharmaceutical Sciences, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences (CAAS), Lanzhou, 730050, China
| | - Jian-Lin Han
- Livestock Genetics Program, International Livestock Research, Institute (ILRI), 00100, Nairobi, Kenya; CAAS-ILRI Joint Laboratory on Livestock and Forage Genetic Resources, Institute of Animal Science, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences (CAAS), Beijing, 100193, China.
| | - Ghasem Hosseini Salekdeh
- Department of Systems Biology, Agricultural Biotechnology Research Institute of Iran, Agricultural Research, Education, And Extension Organization, Karaj, Iran; School of Natural Sciences, Macquarie University, North Ryde, NSW, Australia.
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Wang J, Zhuang Y, Song X, Lin X, Wang X, Yang F, Chen X. Differential transcriptome analysis of Sporocytophaga sp. CX11 and identification of candidate genes involved in lignocellulose degradation. BIORESOUR BIOPROCESS 2023; 10:8. [PMID: 38647554 PMCID: PMC10992098 DOI: 10.1186/s40643-023-00629-4] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/09/2022] [Accepted: 01/12/2023] [Indexed: 01/31/2023] Open
Abstract
Cellulose is the most abundant renewable bioresources on earth, and the biodegradation and utilization of cellulose would contribute to the sustainable development of global environment. Sporocytophaga species are common aerobic cellulose-degrading bacteria in soil, which can adhere to the surface of cellulose matrix and motile by gliding. In this study, a differential transcriptome analysis of Sporocytophaga sp. CX11 was performed and a total of 4,217 differentially expressed genes (DEGs) were identified. Gene Ontology enrichment results showed that there are three GO categories related to cellulose degradation function among the annotated DEGs. A total of 177 DEGs were identified as genes encoding carbohydrate-active enzymes (CAZymes), among which 54 significantly upregulated CAZymes were mainly cellulases, hemicellulases, pectinases, etc. 39 DEGs were screened to associate with gliding function. In order to explore unannotated genes potentially related to cellulose metabolism, cluster analysis was performed using the Short-Time Series Expression Miner algorithm (STEM). 281 unannotated genes were predicted to be associated with the initial-middle stage of cellulose degradation and 289 unannotated genes might function in the middle-last stage of cellulose degradation. Sporocytophaga sp. CX11 could produce extracellular endo-xylanase, endo-glucanase, FPase and β-glucosidase, respectively, according to different carbon source conditions. Altogether, this study provides valuable insights into the transcriptome information of Sporocytophaga sp. CX11, which would be useful to explore its application in biodegradation and utilization of cellulose resources.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jiwei Wang
- School of Biological Engineering, Dalian Polytechnic University, Ganjingziqu, Dalian, 116034, People's Republic of China
| | - Ying Zhuang
- School of Biological Engineering, Dalian Polytechnic University, Ganjingziqu, Dalian, 116034, People's Republic of China
| | - Xianghe Song
- School of Biological Engineering, Dalian Polytechnic University, Ganjingziqu, Dalian, 116034, People's Republic of China
| | - Xu Lin
- School of Biological Engineering, Dalian Polytechnic University, Ganjingziqu, Dalian, 116034, People's Republic of China
| | - Xiangyi Wang
- School of Biological Engineering, Dalian Polytechnic University, Ganjingziqu, Dalian, 116034, People's Republic of China
| | - Fan Yang
- School of Biological Engineering, Dalian Polytechnic University, Ganjingziqu, Dalian, 116034, People's Republic of China.
| | - Xiaoyi Chen
- School of Biological Engineering, Dalian Polytechnic University, Ganjingziqu, Dalian, 116034, People's Republic of China.
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Glycosyltransferase-Related Protein GtrA Is Essential for Localization of Type IX Secretion System Cargo Protein Cellulase Cel9A and Affects Cellulose Degradation in Cytophaga hutchinsonii. Appl Environ Microbiol 2022; 88:e0107622. [PMID: 36197104 PMCID: PMC9599414 DOI: 10.1128/aem.01076-22] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/20/2022] Open
Abstract
The Gram-negative bacterium Cytophaga hutchinsonii digests cellulose through a novel cellulose degradation mechanism. It possesses the lately characterized type IX secretion system (T9SS). We recently discovered that N-glycosylation of the C-terminal domain (CTD) of a hypothetical T9SS substrate protein in the periplasmic space of C. hutchinsonii affects protein secretion and localization. In this study, green fluorescent protein (GFP)-CTDCel9A recombinant protein was found with increased molecular weight in the periplasm of C. hutchinsonii. Site-directed mutagenesis studies on the CTD of cellulase Cel9A demonstrated that asparagine residue 900 in the D-X-N-X-S motif is important for the processing of the recombinant protein. We found that the glycosyltransferase-related protein GtrA (CHU_0012) located in the cytoplasm of C. hutchinsonii is essential for outer membrane localization of the recombinant protein. The deletion of gtrA decreased the abundance of the outer membrane proteins and affected cellulose degradation by C. hutchinsonii. This study provided a link between the glycosylation system and cellulose degradation in C. hutchinsonii. IMPORTANCE N-Glycosylation systems are generally limited to some pathogenic bacteria in prokaryotes. The disruption of the N-glycosylation pathway is related to adherence, invasion, colonization, and other phenotypic characteristics. We recently found that the cellulolytic bacterium Cytophaga hutchinsonii also has an N-glycosylation system. The cellulose degradation mechanism of C. hutchinsonii is novel and mysterious; cellulases and other proteins on the cell surface are involved in utilizing cellulose. In this study, we identified an asparagine residue in the C-terminal domain of cellulase Cel9A that is necessary for the processing of the T9SS cargo protein. Moreover, the glycosyltransferase-related protein GtrA is essential for the localization of the GFP-CTDCel9A recombinant protein. Deletion of gtrA affected cellulose degradation and the abundance of outer membrane proteins. This study enriched the understanding of the N-glycosylation system in C. hutchinsonii and provided a link between N-glycosylation and cellulose degradation, which also expanded the role of the N-glycosylation system in bacteria.
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Gladkov GV, Kimeklis AK, Afonin AM, Lisina TO, Orlova OV, Aksenova TS, Kichko AA, Pinaev AG, Andronov EE. The Structure of Stable Cellulolytic Consortia Isolated from Natural Lignocellulosic Substrates. Int J Mol Sci 2022; 23:ijms231810779. [PMID: 36142684 PMCID: PMC9501375 DOI: 10.3390/ijms231810779] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/17/2022] [Revised: 08/31/2022] [Accepted: 09/04/2022] [Indexed: 10/27/2022] Open
Abstract
Recycling plant matter is one of the challenges facing humanity today and depends on efficient lignocellulose degradation. Although many bacterial strains from natural substrates demonstrate cellulolytic activities, the CAZymes (Carbohydrate-Active enZYmes) responsible for these activities are very diverse and usually distributed among different bacteria in one habitat. Thus, using microbial consortia can be a solution to rapid and effective decomposition of plant biomass. Four cellulolytic consortia were isolated from enrichment cultures from composting natural lignocellulosic substrates—oat straw, pine sawdust, and birch leaf litter. Enrichment cultures facilitated growth of similar, but not identical cellulose-decomposing bacteria from different substrates. Major components in all consortia were from Proteobacteria, Actinobacteriota and Bacteroidota, but some were specific for different substrates—Verrucomicrobiota and Myxococcota from straw, Planctomycetota from sawdust and Firmicutes from leaf litter. While most members of the consortia were involved in the lignocellulose degradation, some demonstrated additional metabolic activities. Consortia did not differ in the composition of CAZymes genes, but rather in axillary functions, such as ABC-transporters and two-component systems, usually taxon-specific and associated with CAZymes. Our findings show that enrichment cultures can provide reproducible cellulolytic consortia from various lignocellulosic substrates, the stability of which is ensured by tight microbial relations between its components.
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Affiliation(s)
- Grigory V. Gladkov
- All-Russian Research Institute of Agricultural Microbiology, 196608 Saint Petersburg, Russia
- Correspondence: ; Tel.: +7-921-402-65-16
| | - Anastasiia K. Kimeklis
- All-Russian Research Institute of Agricultural Microbiology, 196608 Saint Petersburg, Russia
- Department of Applied Ecology, Saint-Petersburg State University, 199034 Saint Petersburg, Russia
| | - Alexey M. Afonin
- All-Russian Research Institute of Agricultural Microbiology, 196608 Saint Petersburg, Russia
| | - Tatiana O. Lisina
- All-Russian Research Institute of Agricultural Microbiology, 196608 Saint Petersburg, Russia
| | - Olga V. Orlova
- All-Russian Research Institute of Agricultural Microbiology, 196608 Saint Petersburg, Russia
| | - Tatiana S. Aksenova
- All-Russian Research Institute of Agricultural Microbiology, 196608 Saint Petersburg, Russia
| | - Arina A. Kichko
- All-Russian Research Institute of Agricultural Microbiology, 196608 Saint Petersburg, Russia
| | - Alexander G. Pinaev
- All-Russian Research Institute of Agricultural Microbiology, 196608 Saint Petersburg, Russia
| | - Evgeny E. Andronov
- All-Russian Research Institute of Agricultural Microbiology, 196608 Saint Petersburg, Russia
- Dokuchaev Soil Science Institute, 119017 Moscow, Russia
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Wang K, Gao P, Geng L, Liu C, Zhang J, Shu C. Lignocellulose degradation in Protaetia brevitarsis larvae digestive tract: refining on a tightly designed microbial fermentation production line. MICROBIOME 2022; 10:90. [PMID: 35698170 PMCID: PMC9195238 DOI: 10.1186/s40168-022-01291-2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/04/2021] [Accepted: 05/16/2022] [Indexed: 06/15/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND The Scarabaeidae insect Protaetia brevitarsis (PB) has recently gained increasing research interest as a resource insect because its larvae can effectively convert decaying organic matter to plant growth-promoting frass with a high humic acid content and produce healthy, nutritional insect protein sources. Lignocellulose is the main component of PB larvae (PBL) feed, but PB genome annotation shows that PBL carbohydrate-active enzymes are not able to complete the lignocellulose degradation process. Thus, the mechanism by which PBL efficiently degrade lignocellulose is worthy of further study. RESULTS Herein, we used combined host genomic and gut metagenomic datasets to investigate the lignocellulose degradation activity of PBL, and a comprehensive reference catalog of gut microbial genes and host gut transcriptomic genes was first established. We characterized a gene repertoire comprising highly abundant and diversified lignocellulose-degrading enzymes and demonstrated that there was unique teamwork between PBL and their gut bacterial microbiota for efficient lignocellulose degradation. PBL selectively enriched lignocellulose-degrading microbial species, mainly from Firmicutes and Bacteroidetes, which are capable of producing a broad array of cellulases and hemicellulases, thus playing a major role in lignocellulosic biomass degradation. In addition, most of the lignocellulose degradation-related module sequences in the PBL microbiome were novel. PBL provide organic functional complementarity for lignocellulose degradation via their evolved strong mouthparts, alkaline midgut, and mild stable hindgut microenvironment to facilitate lignocellulosic biomass grinding, dissolving, and symbiotic microbial fermentation, respectively. CONCLUSIONS This work shows that PBL are a promising model to study lignocellulose degradation, which can provide highly abundant novel enzymes and relevant lignocellulose-degrading bacterial strains for biotechnological biomass conversion industries. The unique teamwork between PBL and their gut symbiotic bacterial microbiota for efficient lignocellulose degradation will expand the knowledge of holobionts and open a new beginning in the theory of holobionts. Video Abstract.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kui Wang
- State Key Laboratory for Biology of Plant Diseases and Insect Pests, Institute of Plant Protection, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Beijing, 100193 China
| | - Peiwen Gao
- State Key Laboratory for Biology of Plant Diseases and Insect Pests, Institute of Plant Protection, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Beijing, 100193 China
| | - Lili Geng
- State Key Laboratory for Biology of Plant Diseases and Insect Pests, Institute of Plant Protection, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Beijing, 100193 China
| | - Chunqin Liu
- Hebei Key Laboratory of Soil Entomology, Cangzhou Academy of Agricultural and Forestry Sciences, Cangzhou, 061001 China
| | - Jie Zhang
- State Key Laboratory for Biology of Plant Diseases and Insect Pests, Institute of Plant Protection, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Beijing, 100193 China
| | - Changlong Shu
- State Key Laboratory for Biology of Plant Diseases and Insect Pests, Institute of Plant Protection, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Beijing, 100193 China
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Tan Y, Song W, Gao L, Zhang W, Lu X. Cytophaga hutchinsonii chu_2177, encoding the O-antigen ligase, is essential for cellulose degradation. J Microbiol 2022; 60:364-374. [DOI: 10.1007/s12275-022-1531-3] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/14/2021] [Revised: 12/06/2021] [Accepted: 12/07/2021] [Indexed: 11/24/2022]
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10
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La Rosa SL, Ostrowski MP, Vera-Ponce de León A, McKee LS, Larsbrink J, Eijsink VG, Lowe EC, Martens EC, Pope PB. Glycan processing in gut microbiomes. Curr Opin Microbiol 2022; 67:102143. [PMID: 35338908 DOI: 10.1016/j.mib.2022.102143] [Citation(s) in RCA: 28] [Impact Index Per Article: 14.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/17/2021] [Revised: 02/10/2022] [Accepted: 02/21/2022] [Indexed: 12/16/2022]
Abstract
Microbiomes and their enzymes process many of the nutrients accessible in the gastrointestinal tract of bilaterians and play an essential role in host health and nutrition. In this review, we describe recent insights into nutrient processing in microbiomes across three exemplary yet contrasting gastrointestinal ecosystems (humans, ruminants and insects), with focus on bacterial mechanisms for the utilization of common and atypical dietary glycans as well as host-derived mucus glycans. In parallel, we discuss findings from multi-omic studies that have provided new perspectives on understanding glycan-dependent interactions and the complex food-webs of microbial populations in their natural habitat. Using key examples, we emphasize how increasing understanding of glycan processing by gut microbiomes can provide critical insights to assist 'microbiome reprogramming', a growing field that seeks to leverage diet to improve animal growth and host health.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Matthew P Ostrowski
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, University of Michigan Medical School, Ann Arbor, 48109, MI, USA
| | - Arturo Vera-Ponce de León
- Faculty of Chemistry, Biotechnology and Food Science, Norwegian University of Life Sciences, Ås, 1433, Norway
| | - Lauren S McKee
- Division of Glycoscience, Department of Chemistry, KTH Royal Institute of Technology, AlbaNova University Centre, Stockholm, 106 91, Sweden
| | - Johan Larsbrink
- Division of Industrial Biotechnology, Department of Biology and Biological Engineering, Chalmers University of Technology, Gothenburg, 412 96, Sweden
| | - Vincent G Eijsink
- Faculty of Chemistry, Biotechnology and Food Science, Norwegian University of Life Sciences, Ås, 1433, Norway
| | | | - Eric C Martens
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, University of Michigan Medical School, Ann Arbor, 48109, MI, USA
| | - Phillip B Pope
- Faculty of Biosciences, Norwegian University of Life Sciences, Ås, 1433, Norway; Faculty of Chemistry, Biotechnology and Food Science, Norwegian University of Life Sciences, Ås, 1433, Norway
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Bioconversion of Lignocellulosic Biomass into Value Added Products under Anaerobic Conditions: Insight into Proteomic Studies. Int J Mol Sci 2021; 22:ijms222212249. [PMID: 34830131 PMCID: PMC8624197 DOI: 10.3390/ijms222212249] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/31/2021] [Revised: 11/07/2021] [Accepted: 11/09/2021] [Indexed: 01/14/2023] Open
Abstract
Production of biofuels and other value-added products from lignocellulose breakdown requires the coordinated metabolic activity of varied microorganisms. The increasing global demand for biofuels encourages the development and optimization of production strategies. Optimization in turn requires a thorough understanding of the microbial mechanisms and metabolic pathways behind the formation of each product of interest. Hydrolysis of lignocellulosic biomass is a bottleneck in its industrial use and often affects yield efficiency. The accessibility of the biomass to the microorganisms is the key to the release of sugars that are then taken up as substrates and subsequently transformed into the desired products. While the effects of different metabolic intermediates in the overall production of biofuel and other relevant products have been studied, the role of proteins and their activity under anaerobic conditions has not been widely explored. Shifts in enzyme production may inform the state of the microorganisms involved; thus, acquiring insights into the protein production and enzyme activity could be an effective resource to optimize production strategies. The application of proteomic analysis is currently a promising strategy in this area. This review deals on the aspects of enzymes and proteomics of bioprocesses of biofuels production using lignocellulosic biomass as substrate.
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Zhao D, Song W, Wang S, Zhang W, Zhao Y, Lu X. Identification of the Type IX Secretion System Component, PorV (CHU_3238), Involved in Secretion and Localization of Proteins in Cytophaga hutchinsonii. Front Microbiol 2021; 12:742673. [PMID: 34745042 PMCID: PMC8564354 DOI: 10.3389/fmicb.2021.742673] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/16/2021] [Accepted: 09/22/2021] [Indexed: 11/29/2022] Open
Abstract
Cytophaga hutchinsonii can efficiently degrade cellulose and rapidly glide over surfaces, but the underlying mechanisms remain unclear. The type IX secretion system (T9SS) is involved in protein secretion and gliding motility, which is unique to the phylum Bacteroidetes. In this study, we deleted a homologous gene of PorV (chu_3238), a shuttle protein in the T9SS. The Δ3238 mutant caused cellulolytic and gliding defects, while the porV deletion mutants in other Bacteroidetes could glide normally. Adding Ca2+ and K+ improved growth in the PY6 medium, suggesting a potential role of chu_3238 in ion uptake. A proteomic analysis showed an increase in the number of extracellular proteins in the Δ3238 mutant and a decrease in the outer membrane proteins compared to the wild type (WT). Endoglucanase activity in the Δ3238 intact cells was reduced by approximately 70% compared to that of the WT. These results indicate that the secreted proteins could not attach to the cell surface but were released into the extracellular space in the Δ3238 mutant. However, the cargo proteins accumulated in the periplasm of other reported porV deletion mutants. In addition, the homologs of the translocon SprA and a Plug protein were pulled down by co-immunoprecipitation in the 3238-FLAG strain, which are involved in protein transport in the T9SS of Flavobacterium johnsoniae. The integrity of the lipopolysaccharide (LPS) was also affected in the Δ3238 mutant, which may be the reason for the sensitivity of the cell to toxic reagents. The functional diversity of CHU_3238 suggests its important role in the T9SS of C. hutchinsonii and highlights the functional differences of PorV in the T9SS among the Bacteroidetes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Dong Zhao
- State Key Laboratory of Microbial Technology, Shandong University, Qingdao, China.,School of Medicine, Cheeloo College of Medicine, Shandong University, Jinan, China
| | - Wenxia Song
- State Key Laboratory of Microbial Technology, Shandong University, Qingdao, China
| | - Sen Wang
- State Key Laboratory of Microbial Technology, Shandong University, Qingdao, China.,Qingdao Institute of Bioenergy and Bioprocess Technology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Qingdao, China
| | - Weican Zhang
- State Key Laboratory of Microbial Technology, Shandong University, Qingdao, China
| | - Yue Zhao
- State Key Laboratory of Microbial Technology, Shandong University, Qingdao, China
| | - Xuemei Lu
- State Key Laboratory of Microbial Technology, Shandong University, Qingdao, China
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A T9SS Substrate Involved in Crystalline Cellulose Degradation by Affecting Crucial Cellulose Binding Proteins in Cytophaga hutchinsonii. Appl Environ Microbiol 2021; 88:e0183721. [PMID: 34731049 DOI: 10.1128/aem.01837-21] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/20/2022] Open
Abstract
Cytophaga hutchinsonii is an abundant soil cellulolytic bacterium that uses a unique cellulose degradation mechanism different from those that involve free cellulases or cellulosomes. Though several proteins were identified to be important for cellulose degradation, the mechanism used by C. hutchinsonii to digest crystalline cellulose remains a mystery. In this study, chu_0922 was identified by insertional mutation and gene deletion as an important gene locus indispensable for crystalline cellulose utilization. Deletion of chu_0922 resulted in defect in crystalline cellulose utilization. The Δ0922 mutant completely lost the ability to grow on crystalline cellulose even with extended incubation, and selectively utilized the amorphous region of cellulose leading to the increased crystallinity. As a protein secreted by the type Ⅸ secretion system (T9SS), CHU_0922 was found to be located on the outer membrane, and the outer membrane localization of CHU_0922 relied on the T9SS. Comparative analysis of the outer membrane proteins revealed that the abundance of several cellulose binding proteins, including CHU_1276, CHU_1277, and CHU_1279, was reduced in the Δ0922 mutant. Further study showed that CHU_0922 is crucial for the full expression of the gene cluster containing chu_1276, chu_1277, chu_1278, chu_1279, and chu_1280 (cel9C), which is essential for cellulose utilization. Moreover, CHU_0922 is required for the cell surface localization of CHU_3220, a cellulose binding protein that is essential for crystalline cellulose utilization. Our study provides insights into the complex system that C. hutchinsonii uses to degrade crystalline cellulose. IMPORTANCE The widespread aerobic cellulolytic bacterium Cytophaga hutchinsonii, belonging to the phylum Bacteroidetes, utilizes a novel mechanism to degrade crystalline cellulose. No genes encoding proteins specialized in loosening or disruption the crystalline structure of cellulose were identified in the genome of C. hutchinsonii, except for chu_3220 and chu_1557. The crystalline cellulose degradation mechanism remains enigmatic. This study identified a new gene locus, chu_0922, encoding a typical T9SS substrate that is essential for crystalline cellulose degradation. Notably, CHU_0922 is crucial for the normal transcription of chu_1276, chu_1277, chu_1278, chu_1279, and chu_1280 (cel9C), which play important roles in the degradation of cellulose. Moreover, CHU_0922 participates in the cell surface localization of CHU_3220. These results demonstrated that CHU_0922 plays a key role in the crystalline cellulose degradation network. Our study will promote the uncovering of the novel cellulose utilization mechanism of C. hutchinsonii.
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McKee LS, La Rosa SL, Westereng B, Eijsink VG, Pope PB, Larsbrink J. Polysaccharide degradation by the Bacteroidetes: mechanisms and nomenclature. ENVIRONMENTAL MICROBIOLOGY REPORTS 2021; 13:559-581. [PMID: 34036727 DOI: 10.1111/1758-2229.12980] [Citation(s) in RCA: 99] [Impact Index Per Article: 33.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/17/2020] [Revised: 05/22/2021] [Accepted: 05/23/2021] [Indexed: 06/12/2023]
Abstract
The Bacteroidetes phylum is renowned for its ability to degrade a wide range of complex carbohydrates, a trait that has enabled its dominance in many diverse environments. The best studied species inhabit the human gut microbiome and use polysaccharide utilization loci (PULs), discrete genetic structures that encode proteins involved in the sensing, binding, deconstruction, and import of target glycans. In many environmental species, polysaccharide degradation is tightly coupled to the phylum-exclusive type IX secretion system (T9SS), which is used for the secretion of certain enzymes and is linked to gliding motility. In addition, within specific species these two adaptive systems (PULs and T9SS) are intertwined, with PUL-encoded enzymes being secreted by the T9SS. Here, we discuss the most noteworthy PUL and non-PUL mechanisms that confer specific and rapid polysaccharide degradation capabilities to the Bacteroidetes in a range of environments. We also acknowledge that the literature showcasing examples of PULs is rapidly expanding and developing a set of assumptions that can be hard to track back to original findings. Therefore, we present a simple universal description of conserved PUL functions and how they are determined, while proposing a common nomenclature describing PULs and their components, to simplify discussion and understanding of PUL systems.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lauren S McKee
- Division of Glycoscience, Department of Chemistry, KTH Royal Institute of Technology, AlbaNova University Centre, Stockholm, 106 91, Sweden
- Wallenberg Wood Science Center, Stockholm, 100 44, Sweden
| | | | - Bjørge Westereng
- Faculty of Chemistry, Biotechnology and Food Science, Norwegian University of Life Sciences, Ås, Norway
| | - Vincent G Eijsink
- Faculty of Chemistry, Biotechnology and Food Science, Norwegian University of Life Sciences, Ås, Norway
| | - Phillip B Pope
- Faculty of Biosciences, Norwegian University of Life Sciences, Ås, Norway
- Faculty of Chemistry, Biotechnology and Food Science, Norwegian University of Life Sciences, Ås, Norway
| | - Johan Larsbrink
- Wallenberg Wood Science Center, Stockholm, 100 44, Sweden
- Division of Industrial Biotechnology, Department of Biology and Biological Engineering, Chalmers University of Technology, Gothenburg, 412 96, Sweden
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15
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Differences in Gut Microbiome Composition and Antibiotic Resistance Gene Distribution between Chinese and Pakistani University Students from a Common Peer Group. Microorganisms 2021; 9:microorganisms9061152. [PMID: 34072124 PMCID: PMC8229524 DOI: 10.3390/microorganisms9061152] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/31/2021] [Revised: 05/20/2021] [Accepted: 05/21/2021] [Indexed: 12/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Gut microbiomes play important functional roles in human health and are also affected by many factors. However, few studies concentrate on gut microbiomes under exercise intervention. Additionally, antibiotic resistance genes (ARGs) carried by gut microbiomes may constantly pose a threat to human health. Here, ARGs and microbiomes of Chinese and Pakistanis participants were investigated using 16S rRNA gene sequencing and high-throughput quantitative PCR techniques. The exercise had no impact on gut microbiomes in the 12 individuals investigated during the observation period, while the different distribution of gut microbiomes was found in distinct nationalities. Overall, the dominant microbial phyla in the participants’ gut were Bacteroidota, Firmicutes and Proteobacteria. Some genera such as Prevotella and Dialister were more abundant in Pakistani participants and some other genera such as Bacteroides and Faecalibacterium were more abundant in Chinese participants. The microbial diversity in Chinese was higher than that in Pakistanis. Furthermore, microbial community structures were also different between Chinese and Pakistanis. For ARGs, the distribution of all detected ARGs is not distinct at each time point. Among these ARGs, floR was distributed differently in Chinese and Pakistani participants, and some ARGs such as tetQ and sul2 are positively correlated with several dominant microbiomes, particularly Bacteroidota and Firmicutes bacteria that did not fluctuate over time.
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16
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Reichart NJ, Bowers RM, Woyke T, Hatzenpichler R. High Potential for Biomass-Degrading Enzymes Revealed by Hot Spring Metagenomics. Front Microbiol 2021; 12:668238. [PMID: 33968004 PMCID: PMC8098120 DOI: 10.3389/fmicb.2021.668238] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/15/2021] [Accepted: 03/29/2021] [Indexed: 12/24/2022] Open
Abstract
Enzyme stability and activity at elevated temperatures are important aspects in biotechnological industries, such as the conversion of plant biomass into biofuels. In order to reduce the costs and increase the efficiency of biomass conversion, better enzymatic processing must be developed. Hot springs represent a treasure trove of underexplored microbiological and protein chemistry diversity. Herein, we conduct an exploratory study into the diversity of hot spring biomass-degrading potential. We describe the taxonomic diversity and carbohydrate active enzyme (CAZyme) coding potential in 71 publicly available metagenomic datasets from 58 globally distributed terrestrial geothermal features. Through taxonomic profiling, we detected a wide diversity of microbes unique to varying temperature and pH ranges. Biomass-degrading enzyme potential included all five classes of CAZymes and we described the presence or absence of genes encoding 19 glycosyl hydrolases hypothesized to be involved with cellulose, hemicellulose, and oligosaccharide degradation. Our results highlight hot springs as a promising system for the further discovery and development of thermo-stable biomass-degrading enzymes that can be applied toward generation of renewable biofuels. This study lays a foundation for future research to further investigate the functional diversity of hot spring biomass-degrading enzymes and their potential utility in biotechnological processing.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nicholas J Reichart
- Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, Montana State University, Bozeman, MT, United States.,Thermal Biology Institute, Montana State University, Bozeman, MT, United States.,Center for Biofilm Engineering, Montana State University, Bozeman, MT, United States
| | - Robert M Bowers
- Department of Energy, Joint Genome Institute, Berkeley, CA, United States
| | - Tanja Woyke
- Department of Energy, Joint Genome Institute, Berkeley, CA, United States
| | - Roland Hatzenpichler
- Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, Montana State University, Bozeman, MT, United States.,Thermal Biology Institute, Montana State University, Bozeman, MT, United States.,Center for Biofilm Engineering, Montana State University, Bozeman, MT, United States
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17
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Gao L, Tan Y, Zhang W, Qi Q, Lu X. Cytophaga hutchinsonii SprA and SprT Are Essential Components of the Type IX Secretion System Required for Ca 2+ Acquisition, Cellulose Degradation, and Cell Motility. Front Microbiol 2021; 12:628555. [PMID: 33643255 PMCID: PMC7906972 DOI: 10.3389/fmicb.2021.628555] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/12/2020] [Accepted: 01/21/2021] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
The type IX secretion system (T9SS) is a novel protein secretion system, which is found in and confined to the phylum Bacteroidetes. T9SS is involved in the secretion of virulence factors, cell surface adhesins, and complex biopolymer degrading enzymes to the cell surface or extracellular medium. Cytophaga hutchinsonii is a widely distributed bacterium, which is able to efficiently digest cellulose and rapidly glide along the solid surfaces. C. hutchinsonii has a full set of orthologs of T9SS components. However, the functions of most homologous proteins have not been verified. In C. hutchinsonii, CHU_0029 and CHU_2709 are similar in sequence to Flavobacterium johnsoniae T9SS components SprA and SprT, respectively. In this study, the single deletion mutants of chu_0029 (sprA) and chu_2709 (sprT) were obtained using a complex medium with the addition of Ca2+ and Mg2+. Single deletion of sprA or sprT resulted in defects in cellulose utilization and gliding motility. Moreover, the ΔsprA and ΔsprT mutants showed growth defects in Ca2+- and Mg2+-deficient media. The results of ICP-MS test showed that both the whole cell and intracellular concentrations of Ca2+ were dramatically reduced in the ΔsprA and ΔsprT mutants, indicating that SprA and SprT are both important for the assimilation of trace amount of Ca2+. While the assimilation of Mg2+ was not obviously influenced in the ΔsprA and ΔsprT mutants. Through proteomics analysis of the cell surface proteins of the wild type and mutants, we found that the ΔsprA and ΔsprT mutants were defective in secretion of the majority of T9SS substrates. Together, these results indicate that SprA and SprT are both essential components of C. hutchinsonii T9SS, which is required for protein secretion, Ca2+ acquisition, cellulose degradation, and gliding motility in C. hutchinsonii. Our study shed more light on the functions of SprA and SprT in T9SS, and further proved the link between the T9SS and Ca2+ uptake system.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lijuan Gao
- State Key Laboratory of Microbial Technology, Shandong University, Qingdao, China
| | - Yahong Tan
- State Key Laboratory of Microbial Technology, Shandong University, Qingdao, China
| | - Weican Zhang
- State Key Laboratory of Microbial Technology, Shandong University, Qingdao, China
| | - Qingsheng Qi
- State Key Laboratory of Microbial Technology, Shandong University, Qingdao, China
| | - Xuemei Lu
- State Key Laboratory of Microbial Technology, Shandong University, Qingdao, China
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18
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Jiang N, Ma XD, Fu LH, Li CX, Feng JX, Duan CJ. Identification of a unique 1,4-β-D-glucan glucohydrolase of glycoside hydrolase family 9 from Cytophaga hutchinsonii. Appl Microbiol Biotechnol 2020; 104:7051-7066. [PMID: 32577801 DOI: 10.1007/s00253-020-10731-8] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/29/2019] [Revised: 05/25/2020] [Accepted: 06/07/2020] [Indexed: 10/24/2022]
Abstract
Cytophaga hutchinsonii is an aerobic cellulolytic soil bacterium that rapidly digests crystalline cellulose. The predicted mechanism by which C. hutchinsonii digests cellulose differs from that of other known cellulolytic bacteria and fungi. The genome of C. hutchinsonii contains 22 glycoside hydrolase (GH) genes, which may be involved in cellulose degradation. One predicted GH with uncertain specificity, CHU_0961, is a modular enzyme with several modules. In this study, phylogenetic tree of the catalytic modules of the GH9 enzymes showed that CHU_0961 and its homologues formed a new group (group C) of GH9 enzymes. The catalytic module of CHU_0961 (CHU_0961B) was identified as a 1,4-β-D-glucan glucohydrolase (EC 3.2.1.74) that has unique properties compared with known GH9 cellulases. CHU_0961B showed highest activity against barley glucan, but low activity against other polysaccharides. Interestingly, CHU_0961B showed similar activity against ρ-nitrophenyl β-D-cellobioside (ρ-NPC) and ρ-nitrophenyl β-D-glucopyranoside. CHU_0961B released glucose from the nonreducing end of cello-oligosaccharides, ρ-NPC, and barley glucan in a nonprocessive exo-type mode. CHU_0961B also showed same hydrolysis mode against deacetyl-chitooligosaccharides as against cello-oligosaccharides. The kcat/Km values for CHU_0961B against cello-oligosaccharides increased as the degree of polymerization increased, and its kcat/Km for cellohexose was 750 times higher than that for cellobiose. Site-directed mutagenesis showed that threonine 321 in CHU_0961 played a role in hydrolyzing cellobiose to glucose. CHU_0961 may act synergistically with other cellulases to convert cellulose to glucose on the bacterial cell surface. The end product, glucose, may initiate cellulose degradation to provide nutrients for bacterial proliferation in the early stage of C. hutchinsonii growth. KEY POINTS: • CHU_0961 and its homologues formed a novel group (group C) of GH9 enzymes. • CHU_0961 was identified as a 1,4-β-d-glucan glucohydrolase with unique properties. • CHU_0961 may play an important role in the early stage of C. hutchinsonii growth.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nan Jiang
- State Key Laboratory for Conservation and Utilization of Subtropical Agro-bioresources, College of Life Science and Technology, Guangxi University, 100 Daxue Road, Nanning, 530004, Guangxi, People's Republic of China
| | - Xiao-Dan Ma
- State Key Laboratory for Conservation and Utilization of Subtropical Agro-bioresources, College of Life Science and Technology, Guangxi University, 100 Daxue Road, Nanning, 530004, Guangxi, People's Republic of China
| | - Li-Hao Fu
- State Key Laboratory for Conservation and Utilization of Subtropical Agro-bioresources, College of Life Science and Technology, Guangxi University, 100 Daxue Road, Nanning, 530004, Guangxi, People's Republic of China
| | - Cheng-Xi Li
- State Key Laboratory for Conservation and Utilization of Subtropical Agro-bioresources, College of Life Science and Technology, Guangxi University, 100 Daxue Road, Nanning, 530004, Guangxi, People's Republic of China
| | - Jia-Xun Feng
- State Key Laboratory for Conservation and Utilization of Subtropical Agro-bioresources, College of Life Science and Technology, Guangxi University, 100 Daxue Road, Nanning, 530004, Guangxi, People's Republic of China
| | - Cheng-Jie Duan
- State Key Laboratory for Conservation and Utilization of Subtropical Agro-bioresources, College of Life Science and Technology, Guangxi University, 100 Daxue Road, Nanning, 530004, Guangxi, People's Republic of China.
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Cytophaga hutchinsonii gldN, Encoding a Core Component of the Type IX Secretion System, Is Essential for Ion Assimilation, Cellulose Degradation, and Cell Motility. Appl Environ Microbiol 2020; 86:AEM.00242-20. [PMID: 32245758 DOI: 10.1128/aem.00242-20] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/02/2020] [Accepted: 03/27/2020] [Indexed: 12/12/2022] Open
Abstract
The type IX secretion system (T9SS), which is involved in pathogenicity, motility, and utilization of complex biopolymers, is a novel protein secretion system confined to the phylum Bacteroidetes Cytophaga hutchinsonii, a common cellulolytic soil bacterium belonging to the phylum Bacteroidetes, can rapidly digest crystalline cellulose using a novel strategy. In this study, the deletion mutant of chu_0174 (gldN) was obtained using PY6 medium supplemented with Stanier salts. GldN was verified to be a core component of C. hutchinsonii T9SS, and is indispensable for cellulose degradation, motility, and secretion of C-terminal domain (CTD) proteins. Notably, the ΔgldN mutant showed significant growth defects in Ca2+- and Mg2+-deficient media. These growth defects could be relieved by the addition of Ca2+ or Mg2+ The intracellular concentrations of Ca2+ and Mg2+ were markedly reduced in ΔgldN These results demonstrated that GldN is essential for the acquisition of trace amounts of Ca2+ and Mg2+, especially for Ca2+ Moreover, an outer membrane efflux protein, CHU_2807, which was decreased in abundance on the outer membrane of ΔgldN, is essential for normal growth in PY6 medium. The reduced intracellular accumulation of Ca2+ and Mg2+ in the Δ2807 mutant indicated that CHU_2807 is involved in the uptake of trace amounts of Ca2+ and Mg2+ This study provides insights into the role of T9SS in metal ion assimilation in C. hutchinsonii IMPORTANCE The widespread Gram-negative bacterium Cytophaga hutchinsonii uses a novel but poorly understood strategy to utilize crystalline cellulose. Recent studies showed that a T9SS exists in C. hutchinsonii and is involved in cellulose degradation and motility. However, the main components of the C. hutchinsonii T9SS and their functions are still unclear. Our study characterized the function of GldN, which is a core component of the T9SS. GldN was proved to play vital roles in cellulose degradation and cell motility. Notably, GldN is essential for the acquisition of Ca2+ and Mg2+ ions under Ca2+- and Mg2+-deficient conditions, revealing a link between the T9SS and the metal ion transport system. The outer membrane abundance of CHU_2807, which is essential for Ca2+ and Mg2+ uptake in PY6 medium, was affected by the deletion of GldN. This study demonstrated that the C. hutchinsonii T9SS has extensive functions, including cellulose degradation, motility, and metal ion assimilation, and contributes to further understanding of the function of the T9SS in the phylum Bacteroidetes.
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A Disulfide Oxidoreductase (CHU_1165) Is Essential for Cellulose Degradation by Affecting Outer Membrane Proteins in Cytophaga hutchinsonii. Appl Environ Microbiol 2020; 86:AEM.02789-19. [PMID: 32033954 DOI: 10.1128/aem.02789-19] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/02/2019] [Accepted: 01/19/2020] [Indexed: 11/20/2022] Open
Abstract
Cytophaga hutchinsonii cells can bind to the surface of insoluble cellulose and degrade it by utilizing a novel cell contact-dependent mechanism, in which the outer membrane proteins may play important roles. In this study, the deletion of a gene locus, chu_1165, which encodes a hypothetical protein with 32% identity with TlpB, a disulfide oxidoreductase in Flavobacterium psychrophilum, caused a complete cellulolytic defect in C. hutchinsonii Further study showed that cells of the Δ1165 strain could not bind to cellulose, and the levels of many outer membrane proteins that can bind to cellulose were significantly decreased. The N-terminal region of CHU_1165 is anchored to the cytoplasmic membrane with five predicted transmembrane helices, and the C-terminal region is predicted to stretch to the periplasm and has a similar thioredoxin (Trx) fold containing a Cys-X-X-Cys motif that is conserved in disulfide oxidoreductases. Recombinant CHU_1165His containing the Cys-X-X-Cys motif was able to reduce the disulfide bonds of insulin in vitro Site-directed mutation showed that the cysteines in the Cys-X-X-Cys motif and at residues 106 and 108 were indispensable for the function of CHU_1165. Western blotting showed that CHU_1165 was in an oxidized state in vivo, suggesting that it may act as an oxidase to catalyze disulfide bond formation. However, many of the decreased outer membrane proteins that were essential for cellulose degradation contained no or one cysteine, and mutation of the cysteine in these proteins did not affect cellulose degradation, indicating that CHU_1165 may have an indirect or pleiotropic effect on the function of these outer membrane proteins.IMPORTANCE Cytophaga hutchinsonii can rapidly digest cellulose in a contact-dependent manner, in which the outer membrane proteins may play important roles. In this study, a hypothetical protein, CHU_1165, characterized as a disulfide oxidoreductase, is essential for cellulose degradation by affecting the cellulose binding ability of many outer membrane proteins in C. hutchinsonii Disulfide oxidoreductases are involved in disulfide bond formation. However, our studies show that many of the decreased outer membrane proteins that were essential for cellulose degradation contained no or one cysteine, and mutation of cysteine did not affect their function, indicating that CHU_1165 did not facilitate the formation of a disulfide bond in these proteins. It may have an indirect or pleiotropic effect on the function of these outer membrane proteins. Our study provides an orientation for exploring the proteins that assist in the appropriate conformation of many outer membrane proteins essential for cellulose degradation, which is important for exploring the novel mechanism of cellulose degradation in C. hutchinsonii.
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Abstract
Soil ecosystems harbor diverse microorganisms and yet remain only partially characterized as neither single-cell sequencing nor whole-community sequencing offers a complete picture of these complex communities. Thus, the genetic and metabolic potential of this "uncultivated majority" remains underexplored. To address these challenges, we applied a pooled-cell-sorting-based mini-metagenomics approach and compared the results to bulk metagenomics. Informatic binning of these data produced 200 mini-metagenome assembled genomes (sorted-MAGs) and 29 bulk metagenome assembled genomes (MAGs). The sorted and bulk MAGs increased the known phylogenetic diversity of soil taxa by 7.2% with respect to the Joint Genome Institute IMG/M database and showed clade-specific sequence recruitment patterns across diverse terrestrial soil metagenomes. Additionally, sorted-MAGs expanded the rare biosphere not captured through MAGs from bulk sequences, exemplified through phylogenetic and functional analyses of members of the phylum Bacteroidetes Analysis of 67 Bacteroidetes sorted-MAGs showed conserved patterns of carbon metabolism across four clades. These results indicate that mini-metagenomics enables genome-resolved investigation of predicted metabolism and demonstrates the utility of combining metagenomics methods to tap into the diversity of heterogeneous microbial assemblages.IMPORTANCE Microbial ecologists have historically used cultivation-based approaches as well as amplicon sequencing and shotgun metagenomics to characterize microbial diversity in soil. However, challenges persist in the study of microbial diversity, including the recalcitrance of the majority of microorganisms to laboratory cultivation and limited sequence assembly from highly complex samples. The uncultivated majority thus remains a reservoir of untapped genetic diversity. To address some of the challenges associated with bulk metagenomics as well as low throughput of single-cell genomics, we applied flow cytometry-enabled mini-metagenomics to capture expanded microbial diversity from forest soil and compare it to soil bulk metagenomics. Our resulting data from this pooled-cell sorting approach combined with bulk metagenomics revealed increased phylogenetic diversity through novel soil taxa and rare biosphere members. In-depth analysis of genomes within the highly represented Bacteroidetes phylum provided insights into conserved and clade-specific patterns of carbon metabolism.
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Larsbrink J, McKee LS. Bacteroidetes bacteria in the soil: Glycan acquisition, enzyme secretion, and gliding motility. ADVANCES IN APPLIED MICROBIOLOGY 2020; 110:63-98. [PMID: 32386606 DOI: 10.1016/bs.aambs.2019.11.001] [Citation(s) in RCA: 69] [Impact Index Per Article: 17.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/19/2022]
Abstract
The secretion of extracellular enzymes by soil microbes is rate-limiting in the recycling of biomass. Fungi and bacteria compete and collaborate for nutrients in the soil, with wide ranging ecological impacts. Within soil microbiota, the Bacteroidetes tend to be a dominant phylum, just like in human and animal intestines. The Bacteroidetes thrive because of their ability to secrete diverse arrays of carbohydrate-active enzymes (CAZymes) that target the highly varied glycans in the soil. Bacteroidetes use an energy-saving system of genomic organization, whereby most of their CAZymes are grouped into Polysaccharide Utilization Loci (PULs). These loci enable high level production of specific CAZymes only when their substrate glycans are abundant in the local environment. This gives the Bacteroidetes a clear advantage over other species in the competitive soil environment, further enhanced by the phylum-specific Type IX Secretion System (T9SS). The T9SS is highly effective at secreting CAZymes and/or tethering them to the cell surface, and is tightly coupled to the ability to rapidly glide over solid surfaces, a connection that promotes an active hunt for nutrition. Although the soil Bacteroidetes are less well studied than human gut symbionts, research is uncovering important biochemical and physiological phenomena. In this review, we summarize the state of the art on research into the CAZymes secreted by soil Bacteroidetes in the contexts of microbial soil ecology and the discovery of novel CAZymes for use in industrial biotechnology. We hope that this review will stimulate further investigations into the somewhat neglected enzymology of non-gut Bacteroidetes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Johan Larsbrink
- Wallenberg Wood Science Center, Gothenburg and Stockholm, Sweden; Division of Industrial Biotechnology, Department of Biology and Biological Engineering, Chalmers University of Technology, Gothenburg, Sweden
| | - Lauren Sara McKee
- Wallenberg Wood Science Center, Gothenburg and Stockholm, Sweden; Division of Glycoscience, Department of Chemistry, KTH Royal Institute of Technology, AlbaNova University Centre, Stockholm, Sweden.
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