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Jespersen MG, Hayes AJ, Tong SYC, Davies MR. Pangenome evaluation of gene essentiality in Streptococcus pyogenes. Microbiol Spectr 2024:e0324023. [PMID: 39012116 DOI: 10.1128/spectrum.03240-23] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/31/2023] [Accepted: 06/23/2024] [Indexed: 07/17/2024] Open
Abstract
Bacterial species often consist of strains with variable gene content, collectively referred to as the pangenome. Variations in the genetic makeup of strains can alter bacterial physiology and fitness. To define biologically relevant genes of a genome, genome-wide transposon mutant libraries have been used to identify genes essential for survival or virulence in a given strain. Such phenotypic studies have been conducted in four different genotypes of the human pathogen Streptococcus pyogenes, yet challenges exist in comparing results across studies conducted in different genetic backgrounds and conditions. To advance genotype to phenotype inferences across different S. pyogenes strains, we built a pangenome database of 249 S. pyogenes reference genomes. We systematically re-analyzed publicly available transposon sequencing datasets from S. pyogenes using a transposon sequencing-specific analysis pipeline, Transit. Across four genetic backgrounds and nine phenotypic conditions, 355 genes were essential for survival, corresponding to ~24% of the core genome. Clusters of Orthologous Genes (COG) categories related to coenzyme and lipid transport and growth functions were overrepresented as essential. Finally, essential operons across S. pyogenes genotypes were defined, with an increased number of essential operons detected under in vivo conditions. This study provides an extendible database to which new studies can be added, and a searchable html-based resource to direct future investigations into S. pyogenes biology.IMPORTANCEStreptococcus pyogenes is a human-adapted pathogen occupying restricted ecological niches. Understanding the essentiality of genes across different strains and experimental conditions is important to direct research questions and efforts to prevent the large burden of disease caused by S. pyogenes. To this end we systematically reanalyzed transposon sequencing studies in S. pyogenes using transposon sequencing-specific methods, integrating them into an extendible meta-analysis framework. This provides a repository of gene essentiality in S. pyogenes which was used to highlight specific genes of interest and for the community to guide future phenotypic studies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Magnus G Jespersen
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, The University of Melbourne, at the Peter Doherty Institute for Infection and Immunity, Melbourne, Australia
| | - Andrew J Hayes
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, The University of Melbourne, at the Peter Doherty Institute for Infection and Immunity, Melbourne, Australia
| | - Steven Y C Tong
- Department of Infectious Diseases, The University of Melbourne, at the Peter Doherty Institute for Infection and Immunity, Melbourne, Australia
- Victorian Infectious Diseases Service, The Royal Melbourne Hospital, at the Peter Doherty Institute for Infection and Immunity, Melbourne, Australia
| | - Mark R Davies
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, The University of Melbourne, at the Peter Doherty Institute for Infection and Immunity, Melbourne, Australia
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Alejaldre L, Anhel AM, Goñi-Moreno Á. pBLAM1-x: standardized transposon tools for high-throughput screening. Synth Biol (Oxf) 2023; 8:ysad012. [PMID: 37388964 PMCID: PMC10306358 DOI: 10.1093/synbio/ysad012] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/23/2023] [Revised: 06/15/2023] [Accepted: 06/20/2023] [Indexed: 07/01/2023] Open
Abstract
The engineering of pre-defined functions in living cells requires increasingly accurate tools as synthetic biology efforts become more ambitious. Moreover, the characterization of the phenotypic performance of genetic constructs demands meticulous measurements and extensive data acquisition for the sake of feeding mathematical models and matching predictions along the design-build-test lifecycle. Here, we developed a genetic tool that eases high-throughput transposon insertion sequencing (TnSeq): the pBLAM1-x plasmid vectors carrying the Himar1 Mariner transposase system. These plasmids were derived from the mini-Tn5 transposon vector pBAMD1-2 and built following modular criteria of the Standard European Vector Architecture (SEVA) format. To showcase their function, we analyzed sequencing results of 60 clones of the soil bacterium Pseudomonas putida KT2440. The new pBLAM1-x tool has already been included in the latest SEVA database release, and here we describe its performance using laboratory automation workflows. Graphical Abstract.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lorea Alejaldre
- Centro de Biotecnología y Genómica de Plantas, Universidad Politécnica de Madrid (UPM)—Instituto Nacional de Investigación y Tecnología Agraria y Alimentaria (INIA/CSIC), Madrid, Spain
| | - Ana-Mariya Anhel
- Centro de Biotecnología y Genómica de Plantas, Universidad Politécnica de Madrid (UPM)—Instituto Nacional de Investigación y Tecnología Agraria y Alimentaria (INIA/CSIC), Madrid, Spain
| | - Ángel Goñi-Moreno
- Centro de Biotecnología y Genómica de Plantas, Universidad Politécnica de Madrid (UPM)—Instituto Nacional de Investigación y Tecnología Agraria y Alimentaria (INIA/CSIC), Madrid, Spain
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Recent advances in genetic tools for engineering probiotic lactic acid bacteria. Biosci Rep 2023; 43:232386. [PMID: 36597861 PMCID: PMC9842951 DOI: 10.1042/bsr20211299] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/08/2022] [Revised: 12/19/2022] [Accepted: 01/03/2023] [Indexed: 01/05/2023] Open
Abstract
Synthetic biology has grown exponentially in the last few years, with a variety of biological applications. One of the emerging applications of synthetic biology is to exploit the link between microorganisms, biologics, and human health. To exploit this link, it is critical to select effective synthetic biology tools for use in appropriate microorganisms that would address unmet needs in human health through the development of new game-changing applications and by complementing existing technological capabilities. Lactic acid bacteria (LAB) are considered appropriate chassis organisms that can be genetically engineered for therapeutic and industrial applications. Here, we have reviewed comprehensively various synthetic biology techniques for engineering probiotic LAB strains, such as clustered regularly interspaced short palindromic repeats (CRISPR)/Cas9 mediated genome editing, homologous recombination, and recombineering. In addition, we also discussed heterologous protein expression systems used in engineering probiotic LAB. By combining computational biology with genetic engineering, there is a lot of potential to develop next-generation synthetic LAB with capabilities to address bottlenecks in industrial scale-up and complex biologics production. Recently, we started working on Lactochassis project where we aim to develop next generation synthetic LAB for biomedical application.
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Martínez-García E, Fraile S, Algar E, Aparicio T, Velázquez E, Calles B, Tas H, Blázquez B, Martín B, Prieto C, Sánchez-Sampedro L, Nørholm MH, Volke D, Wirth N, Dvořák P, Alejaldre L, Grozinger L, Crowther M, Goñi-Moreno A, Nikel P, Nogales J, de Lorenzo V. SEVA 4.0: an update of the Standard European Vector Architecture database for advanced analysis and programming of bacterial phenotypes. Nucleic Acids Res 2023; 51:D1558-D1567. [PMID: 36420904 PMCID: PMC9825617 DOI: 10.1093/nar/gkac1059] [Citation(s) in RCA: 20] [Impact Index Per Article: 20.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/23/2022] [Revised: 10/22/2022] [Accepted: 10/24/2022] [Indexed: 11/27/2022] Open
Abstract
The SEVA platform (https://seva-plasmids.com) was launched one decade ago, both as a database (DB) and as a physical repository of plasmid vectors for genetic analysis and engineering of Gram-negative bacteria with a structure and nomenclature that follows a strict, fixed architecture of functional DNA segments. While the current update keeps the basic features of earlier versions, the platform has been upgraded not only with many more ready-to-use plasmids but also with features that expand the range of target species, harmonize DNA assembly methods and enable new applications. In particular, SEVA 4.0 includes (i) a sub-collection of plasmids for easing the composition of multiple DNA segments with MoClo/Golden Gate technology, (ii) vectors for Gram-positive bacteria and yeast and [iii] off-the-shelf constructs with built-in functionalities. A growing collection of plasmids that capture part of the standard-but not its entirety-has been compiled also into the DB and repository as a separate corpus (SEVAsib) because of its value as a resource for constructing and deploying phenotypes of interest. Maintenance and curation of the DB were accompanied by dedicated diffusion and communication channels that make the SEVA platform a popular resource for genetic analyses, genome editing and bioengineering of a large number of microorganisms.
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Affiliation(s)
- Esteban Martínez-García
- Systems Biology Department, Centro Nacional de Biotecnología (CNB-CSIC), 28049 Cantoblanco-Madrid, Spain
| | - Sofía Fraile
- Systems Biology Department, Centro Nacional de Biotecnología (CNB-CSIC), 28049 Cantoblanco-Madrid, Spain
| | - Elena Algar
- Systems Biology Department, Centro Nacional de Biotecnología (CNB-CSIC), 28049 Cantoblanco-Madrid, Spain
| | - Tomás Aparicio
- Systems Biology Department, Centro Nacional de Biotecnología (CNB-CSIC), 28049 Cantoblanco-Madrid, Spain
| | - Elena Velázquez
- Systems Biology Department, Centro Nacional de Biotecnología (CNB-CSIC), 28049 Cantoblanco-Madrid, Spain
| | - Belén Calles
- Systems Biology Department, Centro Nacional de Biotecnología (CNB-CSIC), 28049 Cantoblanco-Madrid, Spain
| | - Huseyin Tas
- Systems Biology Department, Centro Nacional de Biotecnología (CNB-CSIC), 28049 Cantoblanco-Madrid, Spain
| | - Blas Blázquez
- Systems Biology Department, Centro Nacional de Biotecnología (CNB-CSIC), 28049 Cantoblanco-Madrid, Spain
| | | | | | | | - Morten H H Nørholm
- The Novo Nordisk Foundation Center for Biosustainability, Technical University of Denmark, 2800 Kongens Lyngby, Denmark
| | - Daniel C Volke
- The Novo Nordisk Foundation Center for Biosustainability, Technical University of Denmark, 2800 Kongens Lyngby, Denmark
| | - Nicolas T Wirth
- The Novo Nordisk Foundation Center for Biosustainability, Technical University of Denmark, 2800 Kongens Lyngby, Denmark
| | - Pavel Dvořák
- Department of Experimental Biology, Faculty of Science, Masaryk University, Brno 62500 Czech Republic
| | - Lorea Alejaldre
- Centro de Biotecnología y Genómica de Plantas, Universidad Politécnica de Madrid (INIA-CSIC), Pozuelo de Alarcón 28223, Spain
| | - Lewis Grozinger
- Centro de Biotecnología y Genómica de Plantas, Universidad Politécnica de Madrid (INIA-CSIC), Pozuelo de Alarcón 28223, Spain
- School of Computing, Newcastle University, NE4 5TG, UK
| | - Matthew Crowther
- Centro de Biotecnología y Genómica de Plantas, Universidad Politécnica de Madrid (INIA-CSIC), Pozuelo de Alarcón 28223, Spain
- School of Computing, Newcastle University, NE4 5TG, UK
| | - Angel Goñi-Moreno
- Centro de Biotecnología y Genómica de Plantas, Universidad Politécnica de Madrid (INIA-CSIC), Pozuelo de Alarcón 28223, Spain
| | - Pablo I Nikel
- The Novo Nordisk Foundation Center for Biosustainability, Technical University of Denmark, 2800 Kongens Lyngby, Denmark
| | - Juan Nogales
- Systems Biology Department, Centro Nacional de Biotecnología (CNB-CSIC), 28049 Cantoblanco-Madrid, Spain
| | - Víctor de Lorenzo
- Systems Biology Department, Centro Nacional de Biotecnología (CNB-CSIC), 28049 Cantoblanco-Madrid, Spain
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Akusobi C, Benghomari BS, Zhu J, Wolf ID, Singhvi S, Dulberger CL, Ioerger TR, Rubin EJ. Transposon mutagenesis in Mycobacterium abscessus identifies an essential penicillin-binding protein involved in septal peptidoglycan synthesis and antibiotic sensitivity. eLife 2022; 11:71947. [PMID: 35659317 PMCID: PMC9170245 DOI: 10.7554/elife.71947] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/06/2021] [Accepted: 05/24/2022] [Indexed: 02/06/2023] Open
Abstract
Mycobacterium abscessus (Mab) is a rapidly growing non-tuberculous mycobacterium (NTM) that causes a wide range of infections. Treatment of Mab infections is difficult because the bacterium is intrinsically resistant to many classes of antibiotics. Developing new and effective treatments against Mab requires a better understanding of the unique vulnerabilities that can be targeted for future drug development. To achieve this, we identified essential genes in Mab by conducting transposon sequencing (TnSeq) on the reference Mab strain ATCC 19977. We generated ~51,000 unique transposon mutants and used this high-density library to identify 362 essential genes for in vitro growth. To investigate species-specific vulnerabilities in Mab, we further characterized MAB_3167c, a predicted penicillin-binding protein and hypothetical lipoprotein (PBP-lipo) that is essential in Mab and non-essential in Mycobacterium tuberculosis (Mtb). We found that PBP-lipo primarily localizes to the subpolar region and later to the septum as cells prepare to divide. Depletion of Mab PBP-lipo causes cells to elongate, develop ectopic branches, and form multiple septa. Knockdown of PBP-lipo along with PbpB, DacB1, and a carboxypeptidase, MAB_0519 lead to synergistic growth arrest. In contrast, these genetic interactions were absent in the Mtb model organism, Mycobacterium smegmatis, indicating that the PBP-lipo homologs in the two species exist in distinct genetic networks. Finally, repressing PBP-lipo sensitized the reference strain and 11 Mab clinical isolates to several classes of antibiotics, including the β-lactams, ampicillin, and amoxicillin by greater than 128-fold. Altogether, this study presents PBP-lipo as a key enzyme to study Mab-specific processes in cell wall synthesis and importantly positions PBP-lipo as an attractive drug target to treat Mab infections.
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Affiliation(s)
- Chidiebere Akusobi
- Department of Immunology and Infectious Diseases, Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health, Boston, United States
| | | | - Junhao Zhu
- Department of Immunology and Infectious Diseases, Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health, Boston, United States
| | - Ian D Wolf
- Department of Immunology and Infectious Diseases, Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health, Boston, United States
| | - Shreya Singhvi
- Department of Molecular and Cell Biology, University of California, Berkeley, Berkeley, United States
| | - Charles L Dulberger
- Department of Immunology and Infectious Diseases, Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health, Boston, United States
| | - Thomas R Ioerger
- Department of Computer Science and Engineering, Texas A&M University, College Station, United States
| | - Eric J Rubin
- Department of Immunology and Infectious Diseases, Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health, Boston, United States
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