Comparative genome analysis of three classical E. coli cloning strains designed for blue/white selection: JM83, JM109 and XL1-Blue

The development of the Escherichia coli K-12 laboratory strains JM83, JM109 and XL1-Blue was instrumental in early gene technology. We report the comprehensive genome sequence analysis of JM83 and XL1-Blue using Illumina and Oxford Nanopore technologies and a comparison with both the wild-type sequence (MG1655) and the genome of JM109 deposited at GenBank. Our investigation provides insight into the way how the genomic background that allows blue/white colony selection-by complementing a functionally inactive ω-fragment of β-galactosidase (LacZ) with its α-peptide encoded on the cloning vector-has been implemented independently in these three strains using classical bacterial genetics. In fact, their comparative analysis reveals recurrent motifs: (i) inactivation of the native enzyme via large deletions of chromosomal regions encompassing the lac locus, or a chemically induced frameshift deletion at the beginning of the lacZ cistron, and (ii) utilization of a defective prophage (ϕ80), or an F'-plasmid, to provide the lacZ∆M15 allele encoding its ω-fragment. While the genetic manipulations of the E. coli strains involved repeated use of mobile genetic elements as well as harsh chemical or physical mutagenesis, the individual modified traits appear remarkably stable as they can be found even in distantly related laboratory strains, beyond those investigated here. Our detailed characterization at the genome sequence level not only offers clues about the mechanisms of classical gene transduction and transposition but should also guide the future fine-tuning of E. coli strains for gene cloning and protein expression, including phage display techniques, utilizing advanced tools for site-specific genome engineering.

Development of conjugation-mediated versatile site-specific single-copy luciferase fusion system

There are a number of reporter systems that are useful for gene expression analysis in bacteria. However, at least in Salmonella, a versatile and simple luciferase reporter system that can be integrated precisely behind a promoter or gene of interest on a chromosome is not currently available. The luciferase operon luxCDABE from Photorhabdus luminescens has several advantages, including brightness, wide linear range, absence in most bacteria, stability at high temperature, and no substrate addition required for the assay. Here, a conjugation-mediated site-specific single-copy luciferase fusion system is developed. A reporter plasmid containing the conditional replication origin R6Kgγ, FRT-luxCDABE, and KmR marker was designed to be incorporated into the FRT site behind the promoter or gene of interest on the chromosome in cells expressing FLP. However, when this reporter plasmid was electroporated directly into such a S. enterica strain, no colonies appeared, likely due to the low transformation efficiency of this relatively large plasmid DNA. Meanwhile, the same reporter plasmid was successfully introduced and launched as an insert of an FRT-containing conjugative transfer plasmid from a mating E. coli strain to the same recipient S. enterica strain, as well as Citrobacter koseri. RcsB-dependent inducible luminescence from the constructed wzc-luxCDABE strains was confirmed. This system is feasible for detecting very low levels of transcription, even in Gram-negative bacterial species that are relatively difficult to genetically manipulate.

Development of a sensor for disulfide bond formation in diverse bacteria

In bacteria, disulfide bonds contribute to the folding and stability of proteins important for processes in the cellular envelope. In Escherichia coli, disulfide bond formation is catalyzed by DsbA and DsbB enzymes. DsbA is a periplasmic protein that catalyzes disulfide bond formation in substrate proteins, while DsbB is an inner membrane protein that transfers electrons from DsbA to quinones, thereby regenerating the DsbA active state. Actinobacteria including mycobacteria use an alternative enzyme named VKOR, which performs the same function as DsbB. Disulfide bond formation enzymes, DsbA and DsbB/VKOR, represent novel drug targets because their inhibition could simultaneously affect the folding of several cell envelope proteins including virulence factors, proteins involved in outer membrane biogenesis, cell division, and antibiotic resistance. We have previously developed a cell-based and target-based assay to identify molecules that inhibit the DsbB and VKOR in pathogenic bacteria, using E. coli cells expressing a periplasmic β-Galactosidase sensor (β-Galdbs), which is only active when disulfide bond formation is inhibited. Here, we report the construction of plasmids that allows fine-tuning of the expression of the β-Galdbs sensor and can be mobilized into other gram-negative organisms. As an example, when expressed in Pseudomonas aeruginosa UCBPP-PA14, which harbors two DsbB homologs, β-Galdbs behaves similarly as in E. coli, and the biosensor responds to the inhibition of the two DsbB proteins. Thus, these β-Galdbs reporter plasmids provide a basis to identify novel inhibitors of DsbA and DsbB/VKOR in multidrug-resistant gram-negative pathogens and to further study oxidative protein folding in diverse gram-negative bacteria.

IMPORTANCE

Disulfide bonds contribute to the folding and stability of proteins in the bacterial cell envelope. Disulfide bond-forming enzymes represent new drug targets against multidrug-resistant bacteria because inactivation of this process would simultaneously affect several proteins in the cell envelope, including virulence factors, toxins, proteins involved in outer membrane biogenesis, cell division, and antibiotic resistance. Identifying the enzymes involved in disulfide bond formation in gram-negative pathogens as well as their inhibitors can contribute to the much-needed antibacterial innovation. In this work, we developed sensors of disulfide bond formation for gram-negative bacteria. These tools will enable the study of disulfide bond formation and the identification of inhibitors for this crucial process in diverse gram-negative pathogens.

Construction of Single-Copy Fluorescent Protein Fusions by One-Step Recombineering

We describe a simple recombineering-based procedure for generating single-copy gene fusions to superfolder GFP (sfGFP) and monomeric Cherry (mCherry). The open reading frame (orf) for either protein is inserted at the targeted chromosomal location by λ Red recombination using an adjacent drug-resistance cassette (kan or cat) for selection. The drug-resistance gene is flanked by flippase (Flp) recognition target (FRT) sites in direct orientation, which allows removal of the cassette by Flp-mediated site-specific recombination once the construct is obtained, if desired. The method is specifically designed for the construction of translational fusions producing hybrid proteins with a fluorescent carboxyl-terminal domain. The fluorescent protein-encoding sequence can be placed at any codon position of the target gene's mRNA where the fusion produces a reliable reporter for gene expression. Internal and carboxyl-terminal fusions to sfGFP are suitable for studying protein localization in bacterial subcellular compartments.

Engineering of the Dsb (disulfide bond) proteins - contribution towards understanding their mechanism of action and their applications in biotechnology and medicine

The Dsb protein family in prokaryotes catalyzes the generation of disulfide bonds between thiol groups of cysteine residues in nascent proteins, ensuring their proper three-dimensional structure; these bonds are crucial for protein stability and function. The first Dsb protein, Escherichia coli DsbA, was described in 1991. Since then, many details of the bond-formation process have been described through microbiological, biochemical, biophysical and bioinformatics strategies. Research with the model microorganism E. coli and many other bacterial species revealed an enormous diversity of bond-formation mechanisms. Research using Dsb protein engineering has significantly helped to reveal details of the disulfide bond formation. The first part of this review presents the research that led to understanding the mechanism of action of DsbA proteins, which directly transfer their own disulfide into target proteins. The second part concentrates on the mechanism of electron transport through the cell cytoplasmic membrane. Third and lastly, the review discusses the contribution of this research towards new antibacterial agents.

Bacterial transmembrane signalling systems and their engineering for biosensing

Every living cell possesses numerous transmembrane signalling systems that receive chemical and physical stimuli from the environment and transduce this information into an intracellular signal that triggers some form of cellular response. As unicellular organisms, bacteria require these systems for survival in rapidly changing environments. The receptors themselves act as ‘sensory organs’, while subsequent signalling circuits can be regarded as forming a ‘neural network’ that is involved in decision making, adaptation and ultimately in ensuring survival. Bacteria serve as useful biosensors in industry and clinical diagnostics, in addition to producing drugs for therapeutic purposes. Therefore, there is a great demand for engineered bacterial strains that contain transmembrane signalling systems with high molecular specificity, sensitivity and dose dependency. In this review, we address the complexity of transmembrane signalling systems and discuss principles to rewire receptors and their signalling outputs.

Antibiotic Killing through Incomplete DNA Repair

Two recent studies show that incomplete repair of DNA damage due to oxidized nucleotides is crucial for reactive oxygen species (ROS)-related antimicrobial lethality. Using widely different experimental approaches they both reach the same conclusions on the role of downstream ROS production in cell killing upon exposure to bactericidal antimicrobials.

Lethality of MalE-LacZ hybrid protein shares mechanistic attributes with oxidative component of antibiotic lethality

Downstream metabolic events can contribute to the lethality of drugs or agents that interact with a primary cellular target. In bacteria, the production of reactive oxygen species (ROS) has been associated with the lethal effects of a variety of stresses including bactericidal antibiotics, but the relative contribution of this oxidative component to cell death depends on a variety of factors. Experimental evidence has suggested that unresolvable DNA problems caused by incorporation of oxidized nucleotides into nascent DNA followed by incomplete base excision repair contribute to the ROS-dependent component of antibiotic lethality. Expression of the chimeric periplasmic-cytoplasmic MalE-LacZ_72-47 protein is an historically important lethal stress originally identified during seminal genetic experiments that defined the SecY-dependent protein translocation system. Multiple, independent lines of evidence presented here indicate that the predominant mechanism for MalE-LacZ lethality shares attributes with the ROS-dependent component of antibiotic lethality. MalE-LacZ lethality requires molecular oxygen, and its expression induces ROS production. The increased susceptibility of mutants sensitive to oxidative stress to MalE-LacZ lethality indicates that ROS contribute causally to cell death rather than simply being produced by dying cells. Observations that support the proposed mechanism of cell death include MalE-LacZ expression being bacteriostatic rather than bactericidal in cells that overexpress MutT, a nucleotide sanitizer that hydrolyzes 8-oxo-dGTP to the monophosphate, or that lack MutM and MutY, DNA glycosylases that process base pairs involving 8-oxo-dGTP. Our studies suggest stress-induced physiological changes that favor this mode of ROS-dependent death.

Bacterial thiol oxidoreductases - from basic research to new antibacterial strategies

The recent, rapid increase in bacterial antimicrobial resistance has become a major public health concern. One approach to generate new classes of antibacterials is targeting virulence rather than the viability of bacteria. Proteins of the Dsb system, which play a key role in the virulence of many pathogenic microorganisms, represent potential new drug targets. The first part of the article presents current knowledge of how the Dsb system impacts function of various protein secretion systems that influence the virulence of many pathogenic bacteria. Next, the review describes methods used to study the structure, biochemistry, and microbiology of the Dsb proteins and shows how these experiments broaden our knowledge about their function. The lessons gained from basic research have led to a specific search for inhibitors blocking the Dsb networks.

Effector Overlap between the lac and mel Operons of Escherichia coli: Induction of the mel Operon with β-Galactosides

The lac (lactose) operon (which processes β-galactosides) and the mel (melibiose) operon (which processes α-galactosides) of Escherichia coli have a close historical connection. A number of shared substrates and effectors of the permeases and regulatory proteins have been reported over the years. Until now, β-thiogalactosides like TMG (methyl-β-d-thiogalactopyranoside) and IPTG (isopropyl-β-d-thiogalactopyranoside) have not generally been considered to be inducers of the mel operon. The same is true for β-galactosides such as lactose [β-d-galactopyranosyl-(1→4)-d-glucose], which is a substrate but is not itself an inducer of the lac operon. This report shows that all three sugars can induce the mel operon significantly when they are accumulated in the cell by Lac permease. Strong induction by β-thiogalactosides is observed in the presence of Lac permease, and strong induction by lactose (more than 200-fold) is observed in the absence of β-galactosidase. This finding calls for reevaluation of TMG uptake experiments as assays for Lac permease that were performed with mel⁺ strains.IMPORTANCE The typical textbook picture of bacterial operons is that of stand-alone units of genetic information that perform, in a regulated manner, well-defined cellular functions. Less attention is given to the extensive interactions that can be found between operons. Well-described examples of such interactions are the effector molecules shared by the lac and mel operons. Here, we show that this set has to be extended to include β-galactosides, which have been, until now, considered not to effect the expression of the mel operon. That they can be inducers of the mel operon as well as the lac operon has not been noted in decades of research because of the Escherichia coli genetic background used in previous studies.

Strolling Toward New Concepts

For more than four decades now, I have been studying how genetic information is transformed into protein-based cellular functions. This has included investigations into the mechanisms supporting cellular localization of proteins, disulfide bond formation, quality control of membranes, and translation. I tried to extract new principles and concepts that are universal among living organisms from our observations of Escherichia coli. While I wanted to distill complex phenomena into basic principles, I also tried not to overlook any serendipitous observations. In the first part of this article, I describe personal experiences during my studies of the Sec pathway, which have centered on the SecY translocon. In the second part, I summarize my views of the recent revival of translation studies, which has given rise to the concept that nonuniform polypeptide chain elongation is relevant for the subsequent fates of newly synthesized proteins. Our studies of a class of regulatory nascent polypeptides advance this concept by showing that the dynamic behaviors of the extraribosomal part of the nascent chain affect the ongoing translation process. Vibrant and regulated molecular interactions involving the ribosome, mRNA, and nascent polypeptidyl-tRNA are based, at least partly, on their autonomously interacting properties.

Screening of Immune-Active Lactic Acid Bacteria

The purpose of this study was to investigate the effect of lactic acid bacteria (LAB) cell wall extract on the proliferation and cytokine production of immune cells to select suitable probiotics for space food. Ten strains of LAB (Lactobacillus bulgaricus, L. paracasei, L. casei, L. acidophilus, L. plantarum, L. delbruekii, Lactococcus lactis, Streptococcus thermophilus, Bifidobacterium breve, and Pedicoccus pentosaceus) were sub-cultured and further cultured for 3 d to reach 7-10 Log colony-forming units (CFU)/mL prior to cell wall extractions. All LAB cell wall extracts failed to inhibit the proliferation of BALB/c mouse splenocytes or mesenteric lymphocytes. Most LAB cell wall extracts except those of L. plantarum and L. delbrueckii induced the proliferation of both immune cells at tested concentrations. In addition, the production of T_H1 cytokine (IFN-γ) rather than that of T_H2 cytokine (IL-4) was enhanced by LAB cell wall extracts. Of ten LAB extracts, four (from L. acidophilus, L. bulgaricus, L. casei, and S. thermophiles) promoted both cell proliferating and T_H1 cytokine production. These results suggested that these LAB could be used as probiotics to maintain immunity and homeostasis for astronauts in extreme space environment and for general people in normal life.

Folding LacZ in the periplasm of Escherichia coli

Targeted, translational LacZ fusions provided the initial support for the signal sequence hypothesis in prokaryotes and allowed for selection of the mutations that identified the Sec translocon. Many of these selections relied on the fact that expression of targeted, translational lacZ fusions like malE-lacZ and lamB-lacZ42-1 causes lethal toxicity as folded LacZ jams the translocation pore. However, there is another class of targeted LacZ fusions that do not jam the translocon. These targeted, nonjamming fusions also show toxic phenotypes that may be useful for selecting mutations in genes involved in posttranslocational protein folding and targeting; however, they have not been investigated to the same extent as their jamming counterparts. In fact, it is still unclear whether LacZ can be fully translocated in these fusions. It may be that they simply partition into the inner membrane where they can no longer participate in folding or assembly. In the present study, we systematically characterize the nonjamming fusions and determine their ultimate localization. We report that LacZ can be fully translocated into the periplasm, where it is toxic. We show that this toxicity is likely due to LacZ misfolding and that, in the absence of the periplasmic disulfide bond catalyst DsbA, LacZ folds in the periplasm. Using the novel phenotype of periplasmic β-galactosidase activity, we show that the periplasmic chaperone FkpA contributes to LacZ folding in this nonnative compartment. We propose that targeted, nonjamming LacZ fusions may be used to further study folding and targeting in the periplasm of Escherichia coli.