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Bacon EE, Myers KS, Iruegas-López R, Banta AB, Place M, Ebersberger I, Peters JM. Physiological Roles of an Acinetobacter -specific σ Factor. BIORXIV : THE PREPRINT SERVER FOR BIOLOGY 2024:2024.07.08.602572. [PMID: 39026751 PMCID: PMC11257525 DOI: 10.1101/2024.07.08.602572] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 07/20/2024]
Abstract
The Gram-negative pathogen Acinetobacter baumannii is considered an "urgent threat" to human health due to its propensity to become antibiotic resistant. Understanding the distinct regulatory paradigms used by A. baumannii to mitigate cellular stresses may uncover new therapeutic targets. Many γ-proteobacteria use the extracytoplasmic function (ECF) σ factor, RpoE, to invoke envelope homeostasis networks in response to stress. Acinetobacter species contain the poorly characterized ECF "SigAb;" however, it is unclear if SigAb has the same physiological role as RpoE. Here, we show that SigAb is a metal stress-responsive ECF that appears unique to Acinetobacter species and distinct from RpoE. We combine promoter mutagenesis, motif scanning, and ChIP-seq to define the direct SigAb regulon, which consists of sigAb itself, the stringent response mediator, relA , and the uncharacterized small RNA, " sabS ." However, RNA-seq of strains overexpressing SigAb revealed a large, indirect regulon containing hundreds of genes. Metal resistance genes are key elements of the indirect regulon, as CRISPRi knockdown of sigAb or sabS resulted in increased copper sensitivity and excess copper induced SigAb-dependent transcription. Further, we found that two uncharacterized genes in the sigAb operon, " aabA " and " aabB ", have anti-SigAb activity. Finally, employing a targeted Tn-seq approach that uses CRISPR-associated transposons, we show that sigAb , aabA , and aabB are important for fitness even during optimal growth conditions. Our work reveals new physiological roles for SigAb and SabS, provides a novel approach for assessing gene fitness, and highlights the distinct regulatory architecture of A. baumannii . Importance Acinetobacter baumannii is a hospital-acquired pathogen, and many strains are resistant to multiple antibiotics. Understanding how A. baumannii senses and responds to stress may uncover novel routes to treat infections. Here, we examine how the Acinetobacter -specific transcription factor, SigAb, mitigates stress. We find that SigAb directly regulates only a small number of genes, but indirectly controls hundreds of genes that have substantial impacts on cell physiology. We show that SigAb is required for maximal growth, even during optimal conditions, and is acutely required during growth in the presence of elevated copper. Given that copper toxicity plays roles in pathogenesis and on copper-containing surfaces in hospitals, we speculate that SigAb function may be important in clinically-relevant contexts.
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Saecker RM, Mueller AU, Malone B, Chen J, Budell WC, Dandey VP, Maruthi K, Mendez JH, Molina N, Eng ET, Yen LY, Potter CS, Carragher B, Darst SA. Early intermediates in bacterial RNA polymerase promoter melting visualized by time-resolved cryo-electron microscopy. Nat Struct Mol Biol 2024:10.1038/s41594-024-01349-9. [PMID: 38951624 DOI: 10.1038/s41594-024-01349-9] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/08/2023] [Accepted: 06/06/2024] [Indexed: 07/03/2024]
Abstract
During formation of the transcription-competent open complex (RPo) by bacterial RNA polymerases (RNAPs), transient intermediates pile up before overcoming a rate-limiting step. Structural descriptions of these interconversions in real time are unavailable. To address this gap, here we use time-resolved cryogenic electron microscopy (cryo-EM) to capture four intermediates populated 120 ms or 500 ms after mixing Escherichia coli σ70-RNAP and the λPR promoter. Cryo-EM snapshots revealed that the upstream edge of the transcription bubble unpairs rapidly, followed by stepwise insertion of two conserved nontemplate strand (nt-strand) bases into RNAP pockets. As the nt-strand 'read-out' extends, the RNAP clamp closes, expelling an inhibitory σ70 domain from the active-site cleft. The template strand is fully unpaired by 120 ms but remains dynamic, indicating that yet unknown conformational changes complete RPo formation in subsequent steps. Given that these events likely describe DNA opening at many bacterial promoters, this study provides insights into how DNA sequence regulates steps of RPo formation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ruth M Saecker
- Laboratory of Molecular Biophysics, The Rockefeller University, New York, NY, USA
| | - Andreas U Mueller
- Laboratory of Molecular Biophysics, The Rockefeller University, New York, NY, USA
| | - Brandon Malone
- Laboratory of Molecular Biophysics, The Rockefeller University, New York, NY, USA
- Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, Sloan Kettering Institute, New York, NY, USA
| | - James Chen
- Laboratory of Molecular Biophysics, The Rockefeller University, New York, NY, USA
- Laboratory of Host-Pathogen Biology, The Rockefeller University, New York, NY, USA
| | - William C Budell
- The National Resource for Automated Molecular Microscopy, Simons Electron Microscopy Center, New York Structural Biology Center, New York, NY, USA
| | - Venkata P Dandey
- The National Resource for Automated Molecular Microscopy, Simons Electron Microscopy Center, New York Structural Biology Center, New York, NY, USA
- National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences, Durham, NC, USA
| | - Kashyap Maruthi
- The National Resource for Automated Molecular Microscopy, Simons Electron Microscopy Center, New York Structural Biology Center, New York, NY, USA
| | - Joshua H Mendez
- The National Resource for Automated Molecular Microscopy, Simons Electron Microscopy Center, New York Structural Biology Center, New York, NY, USA
| | - Nina Molina
- Laboratory of Molecular Biophysics, The Rockefeller University, New York, NY, USA
| | - Edward T Eng
- The National Resource for Automated Molecular Microscopy, Simons Electron Microscopy Center, New York Structural Biology Center, New York, NY, USA
| | - Laura Y Yen
- The National Resource for Automated Molecular Microscopy, Simons Electron Microscopy Center, New York Structural Biology Center, New York, NY, USA
| | - Clinton S Potter
- The National Resource for Automated Molecular Microscopy, Simons Electron Microscopy Center, New York Structural Biology Center, New York, NY, USA
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biophysics, Columbia University, New York, NY, USA
- Chan Zuckerberg Imaging Institute, San Francisco, CA, USA
| | - Bridget Carragher
- The National Resource for Automated Molecular Microscopy, Simons Electron Microscopy Center, New York Structural Biology Center, New York, NY, USA
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biophysics, Columbia University, New York, NY, USA
- Chan Zuckerberg Imaging Institute, San Francisco, CA, USA
| | - Seth A Darst
- Laboratory of Molecular Biophysics, The Rockefeller University, New York, NY, USA.
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Joron K, Zamel J, Kalisman N, Lerner E. Evidence for a compact σ 70 conformation in vitro and in vivo. iScience 2024; 27:110140. [PMID: 38957792 PMCID: PMC11217687 DOI: 10.1016/j.isci.2024.110140] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/05/2024] [Revised: 03/28/2024] [Accepted: 05/27/2024] [Indexed: 07/04/2024] Open
Abstract
The initiation of transcription in Escherichia coli (E. coli) is facilitated by promoter specificity factors, also known as σ factors, which may bind a promoter only as part of a complex with RNA polymerase (RNAP). By performing in vitro cross-linking mass spectrometry (CL-MS) of apo-σ70, we reveal structural features suggesting a compact conformation compared to the known RNAP-bound extended conformation. Then, we validate the existence of the compact conformation using in vivo CL-MS by identifying cross-links similar to those found in vitro, which deviate from the extended conformation only during the stationary phase of bacterial growth. Conclusively, we provide information in support of a compact conformation of apo-σ70 that exists in live cells, which might represent a transcriptionally inactive form that can be activated upon binding to RNAP.
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Affiliation(s)
- Khalil Joron
- Department of Biological Chemistry, Alexander Silberman Institute of Life Sciences, Faculty of Mathematics & Science, Edmond J. Safra Campus, Hebrew University of Jerusalem, Jerusalem 9190401, Israel
| | - Joanna Zamel
- Department of Biological Chemistry, Alexander Silberman Institute of Life Sciences, Faculty of Mathematics & Science, Edmond J. Safra Campus, Hebrew University of Jerusalem, Jerusalem 9190401, Israel
| | - Nir Kalisman
- Department of Biological Chemistry, Alexander Silberman Institute of Life Sciences, Faculty of Mathematics & Science, Edmond J. Safra Campus, Hebrew University of Jerusalem, Jerusalem 9190401, Israel
- Center for Nanoscience and Nanotechnology, Hebrew University of Jerusalem, Jerusalem 9190401, Israel
| | - Eitan Lerner
- Department of Biological Chemistry, Alexander Silberman Institute of Life Sciences, Faculty of Mathematics & Science, Edmond J. Safra Campus, Hebrew University of Jerusalem, Jerusalem 9190401, Israel
- Center for Nanoscience and Nanotechnology, Hebrew University of Jerusalem, Jerusalem 9190401, Israel
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4
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Schlüter L, Busche T, Bondzio L, Hütten A, Niehaus K, Schneiker-Bekel S, Pühler A, Kalinowski J. Sigma Factor Engineering in Actinoplanes sp. SE50/110: Expression of the Alternative Sigma Factor Gene ACSP50_0507 (σH As) Enhances Acarbose Yield and Alters Cell Morphology. Microorganisms 2024; 12:1241. [PMID: 38930623 PMCID: PMC11205660 DOI: 10.3390/microorganisms12061241] [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: 05/07/2024] [Revised: 06/11/2024] [Accepted: 06/17/2024] [Indexed: 06/28/2024] Open
Abstract
Sigma factors are transcriptional regulators that are part of complex regulatory networks for major cellular processes, as well as for growth phase-dependent regulation and stress response. Actinoplanes sp. SE50/110 is the natural producer of acarbose, an α-glucosidase inhibitor that is used in diabetes type 2 treatment. Acarbose biosynthesis is dependent on growth, making sigma factor engineering a promising tool for metabolic engineering. ACSP50_0507 is a homolog of the developmental and osmotic-stress-regulating Streptomyces coelicolor σHSc. Therefore, the protein encoded by ACSP50_0507 was named σHAs. Here, an Actinoplanes sp. SE50/110 expression strain for the alternative sigma factor gene ACSP50_0507 (sigHAs) achieved a two-fold increased acarbose yield with acarbose production extending into the stationary growth phase. Transcriptome sequencing revealed upregulation of acarbose biosynthesis genes during growth and at the late stationary growth phase. Genes that are transcriptionally activated by σHAs frequently code for secreted or membrane-associated proteins. This is also mirrored by the severely affected cell morphology, with hyperbranching, deformed and compartmentalized hyphae. The dehydrated cell morphology and upregulation of further genes point to a putative involvement in osmotic stress response, similar to its S. coelicolor homolog. The DNA-binding motif of σHAs was determined based on transcriptome sequencing data and shows high motif similarity to that of its homolog. The motif was confirmed by in vitro binding of recombinantly expressed σHAs to the upstream sequence of a strongly upregulated gene. Autoregulation of σHAs was observed, and binding to its own gene promoter region was also confirmed.
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Affiliation(s)
- Laura Schlüter
- Microbial Genomics and Biotechnology, Center for Biotechnology, Bielefeld University, 33594 Bielefeld, Germany; (L.S.); (S.S.-B.)
| | - Tobias Busche
- Technology Platform Genomics, Center for Biotechnology, Bielefeld University, 33594 Bielefeld, Germany;
- Medical School East Westphalia-Lippe, Bielefeld University, 33594 Bielefeld, Germany
| | - Laila Bondzio
- Faculty of Physics, Bielefeld University, 33594 Bielefeld, Germany; (L.B.); (A.H.)
| | - Andreas Hütten
- Faculty of Physics, Bielefeld University, 33594 Bielefeld, Germany; (L.B.); (A.H.)
| | - Karsten Niehaus
- Proteome and Metabolome Research, Faculty of Biology, Bielefeld University, 33594 Bielefeld, Germany;
| | - Susanne Schneiker-Bekel
- Microbial Genomics and Biotechnology, Center for Biotechnology, Bielefeld University, 33594 Bielefeld, Germany; (L.S.); (S.S.-B.)
- Genome Research of Industrial Microorganisms, Center for Biotechnology (CeBiTec), Bielefeld University, 33594 Bielefeld, Germany;
| | - Alfred Pühler
- Genome Research of Industrial Microorganisms, Center for Biotechnology (CeBiTec), Bielefeld University, 33594 Bielefeld, Germany;
| | - Jörn Kalinowski
- Microbial Genomics and Biotechnology, Center for Biotechnology, Bielefeld University, 33594 Bielefeld, Germany; (L.S.); (S.S.-B.)
- Technology Platform Genomics, Center for Biotechnology, Bielefeld University, 33594 Bielefeld, Germany;
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Salgado S, Hernández‐Herreros N, Prieto MA. Controlling the expression of heterologous genes in Bdellovibrio bacteriovorus using synthetic biology strategies. Microb Biotechnol 2024; 17:e14517. [PMID: 38934530 PMCID: PMC11209729 DOI: 10.1111/1751-7915.14517] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/23/2024] [Accepted: 06/14/2024] [Indexed: 06/28/2024] Open
Abstract
Bdellovibrio bacteriovorus HD100 is an obligate predatory bacterium that preys upon Gram-negative bacteria. It has been proposed to be applied as a "living antibiotic" in several fields such as agriculture or even medicine, since it is able to prey upon bacterial pathogens. Its interesting lifestyle makes this bacterium very attractive as a microbial chassis for co-culture systems including two partners. A limitation to this goal is the scarcity of suitable synthetic biology tools for predator domestication. To fill this gap, we have firstly adapted the hierarchical assembly cloning technique Golden Standard (GS) to make it compatible with B. bacteriovorus HD100. The chromosomal integration of the Tn7 transposon's mobile element, in conjunction with the application of the GS technique, has allowed the systematic characterization of a repertoire of constitutive and inducible promoters, facilitating the control of the expression of heterologous genes in this bacterium. PJExD/EliR proved to be an exceptional promoter/regulator system in B. bacteriovorus HD100 when precise regulation is essential, while the synthetic promoter PBG37 showed a constitutive high expression. These genetic tools represent a step forward in the conversion of B. bacteriovorus into an amenable strain for microbial biotechnology approaches.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sergio Salgado
- Interdisciplinary Platform for Sustainable Plastics towards a Circular Economy‐Spanish National Research Council (SusPlast‐CSIC)MadridSpain
- Department of Microbial and Plant BiotechnologyPolymer Biotechnology Group, Margarita Salas Center for Biological Research (CIB‐CSIC)MadridSpain
| | - Natalia Hernández‐Herreros
- Interdisciplinary Platform for Sustainable Plastics towards a Circular Economy‐Spanish National Research Council (SusPlast‐CSIC)MadridSpain
- Department of Microbial and Plant BiotechnologyPolymer Biotechnology Group, Margarita Salas Center for Biological Research (CIB‐CSIC)MadridSpain
| | - M. Auxiliadora Prieto
- Interdisciplinary Platform for Sustainable Plastics towards a Circular Economy‐Spanish National Research Council (SusPlast‐CSIC)MadridSpain
- Department of Microbial and Plant BiotechnologyPolymer Biotechnology Group, Margarita Salas Center for Biological Research (CIB‐CSIC)MadridSpain
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Gevin M, Latifi A, Talla E. The modular architecture of sigma factors in cyanobacteria: a framework to assess their diversity and understand their evolution. BMC Genomics 2024; 25:512. [PMID: 38783209 PMCID: PMC11119718 DOI: 10.1186/s12864-024-10415-x] [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: 03/15/2024] [Accepted: 05/15/2024] [Indexed: 05/25/2024] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Bacterial RNA polymerase holoenzyme requires sigma70 factors to start transcription by identifying promoter elements. Cyanobacteria possess multiple sigma70 factors to adapt to a wide variety of ecological niches. These factors are grouped into two categories: primary sigma factor initiates transcription of housekeeping genes during normal growth conditions, while alternative sigma factors initiate transcription of specific genes under particular conditions. However, the present classification does not consider the modular organization of their structural domains, introducing therefore multiple functional and structural biases. A comprehensive analysis of this protein family in cyanobacteria is needed to address these limitations. RESULTS We investigated the structure and evolution of sigma70 factors in cyanobacteria, analyzing their modular architecture and variation among unicellular, filamentous, and heterocyst-forming morphotypes. 4,193 sigma70 homologs were found with 59 distinct modular patterns, including six essential and 29 accessory domains, such as DUF6596. 90% of cyanobacteria typically have 5 to 17 sigma70 homologs and this number likely depends on the strain morphotype, the taxonomic order and the genome size. We classified sigma70 factors into 12 clans and 36 families. According to taxonomic orders and phenotypic traits, the number of homologs within the 14 main families was variable, with the A.1 family including the primary sigma factor since this family was found in all cyanobacterial species. The A.1, A.5, C.1, E.1, J.1, and K.1 families were found to be key sigma families that distinguish heterocyst-forming strains. To explain the diversification and evolution of sigma70, we propose an evolutionary scenario rooted in the diversification of a common ancestor of the A1 family. This scenario is characterized by evolutionary events including domain losses, gains, insertions, and modifications. The high occurrence of the DUF6596 domain in bacterial sigma70 proteins, and its association with the highest prevalence observed in Actinobacteria, suggests that this domain might be important for sigma70 function. It also implies that the domain could have emerged in Actinobacteria and been transferred through horizontal gene transfer. CONCLUSION Our analysis provides detailed insights into the modular domain architecture of sigma70, introducing a novel robust classification. It also proposes an evolutionary scenario explaining their diversity across different taxonomical orders.
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Affiliation(s)
- Marine Gevin
- Aix Marseille Univ, CNRS, Laboratoire de Chimie Bactérienne, LCB, IMM, Marseille, France
| | - Amel Latifi
- Aix Marseille Univ, CNRS, Laboratoire de Chimie Bactérienne, LCB, IMM, Marseille, France.
| | - Emmanuel Talla
- Aix Marseille Univ, CNRS, Laboratoire de Chimie Bactérienne, LCB, IMM, Marseille, France.
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7
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Kang S, Jang BR, Lee KH. Characterization of the transcriptionally active form of dephosphorylated DctD complexed with dephospho-IIA Glc. mBio 2024; 15:e0033024. [PMID: 38564689 PMCID: PMC11077940 DOI: 10.1128/mbio.00330-24] [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: 02/02/2024] [Accepted: 02/26/2024] [Indexed: 04/04/2024] Open
Abstract
Bacterial enhancer-binding proteins (bEBPs) acquire a transcriptionally active state via phosphorylation. However, transcriptional activation by the dephosphorylated form of bEBP has been observed in DctD, which belongs to Group I bEBP. The formation of a complex between dephosphorylated DctD (d-DctD) and dephosphorylated IIAGlc (d-IIAGlc) is a prerequisite for the transcriptional activity of d-DctD. In the present study, characteristics of the transcriptionally active complex composed of d-IIAGlc and phosphorylation-deficient DctD (DctDD57Q) of Vibrio vulnificus were investigated in its multimeric conformation and DNA-binding ability. DctDD57Q formed a homodimer that could not bind to the DNA. In contrast, when DctDD57Q formed a complex with d-IIAGlc in a 1:1 molar ratio, it produced two conformations: dimer and dodecamer of the complex. Only the dodecameric complex exhibited ATP-hydrolyzing activity and DNA-binding affinity. For successful DNA-binding and transcriptional activation by the dodecameric d-IIAGlc/DctDD57Q complex, extended upstream activator sequences were required, which encompass the nucleotide sequences homologous to the known DctD-binding site and additional nucleotides downstream. This is the first report to demonstrate the molecular characteristics of a dephosphorylated bEBP complexed with another protein to form a transcriptionally active dodecameric complex, which has an affinity for a specific DNA-binding sequence.IMPORTANCEResponse regulators belonging to the bacterial two-component regulatory system activate the transcription initiation of their regulons when they are phosphorylated by cognate sensor kinases and oligomerized to the appropriate multimeric states. Recently, it has been shown that a dephosphorylated response regulator, DctD, could activate transcription in a phosphorylation-independent manner in Vibrio vulnificus. The dephosphorylated DctD activated transcription as efficiently as phosphorylated DctD when it formed a complex with dephosphorylated form of IIAGlc, a component of the glucose-phosphotransferase system. Functional mimicry of this complex with the typical form of transcriptionally active phosphorylated DctD led us to study the molecular characteristics of this heterodimeric complex. Through systematic analyses, it was surprisingly determined that a multimer constituted with 12 complexes gained the ability to hydrolyze ATP and recognize specific upstream activator sequences containing a typical inverted-repeat sequence flanked by distinct nucleotides.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sebin Kang
- Department of Life Science, Sogang University, Seoul, South Korea
| | - Bo-Ram Jang
- Department of Life Science, Sogang University, Seoul, South Korea
| | - Kyu-Ho Lee
- Department of Life Science, Sogang University, Seoul, South Korea
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8
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Bolay P, Dodge N, Janssen K, Jensen PE, Lindberg P. Tailoring regulatory components for metabolic engineering in cyanobacteria. PHYSIOLOGIA PLANTARUM 2024; 176:e14316. [PMID: 38686633 DOI: 10.1111/ppl.14316] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/31/2024] [Revised: 03/26/2024] [Accepted: 04/03/2024] [Indexed: 05/02/2024]
Abstract
The looming climate crisis has prompted an ever-growing interest in cyanobacteria due to their potential as sustainable production platforms for the synthesis of energy carriers and value-added chemicals from CO2 and sunlight. Nonetheless, cyanobacteria are yet to compete with heterotrophic systems in terms of space-time yields and consequently production costs. One major drawback leading to the low production performance observed in cyanobacteria is the limited ability to utilize the full capacity of the photosynthetic apparatus and its associated systems, i.e. CO2 fixation and the directly connected metabolism. In this review, novel insights into various levels of metabolic regulation of cyanobacteria are discussed, including the potential of targeting these regulatory mechanisms to create a chassis with a phenotype favorable for photoautotrophic production. Compared to conventional metabolic engineering approaches, minor perturbations of regulatory mechanisms can have wide-ranging effects.
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Affiliation(s)
- Paul Bolay
- Microbial Chemistry, Department of Chemistry - Ångström, Uppsala University, Uppsala, SE, Sweden
| | - Nadia Dodge
- Plant Based Foods and Biochemistry, Food Analytics and Biotechnology, Department of Food Science, University of Copenhagen, Denmark
| | - Kim Janssen
- Microbial Chemistry, Department of Chemistry - Ångström, Uppsala University, Uppsala, SE, Sweden
| | - Poul Erik Jensen
- Plant Based Foods and Biochemistry, Food Analytics and Biotechnology, Department of Food Science, University of Copenhagen, Denmark
| | - Pia Lindberg
- Microbial Chemistry, Department of Chemistry - Ångström, Uppsala University, Uppsala, SE, Sweden
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Bashabsheh RH, AL-Fawares O, Natsheh I, Bdeir R, Al-Khreshieh RO, Bashabsheh HH. Staphylococcus aureus epidemiology, pathophysiology, clinical manifestations and application of nano-therapeutics as a promising approach to combat methicillin resistant Staphylococcus aureus. Pathog Glob Health 2024; 118:209-231. [PMID: 38006316 PMCID: PMC11221481 DOI: 10.1080/20477724.2023.2285187] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/27/2023] Open
Abstract
Staphylococcus aureus is a Gram-positive bacterium and one of the most prevalent infectious disease-related causes of morbidity and mortality in adults. This pathogen can trigger a broad spectrum of diseases, from sepsis and pneumonia to severe skin infections that can be fatal. In this review, we will provide an overview of S. aureus and discuss the extensive literature on epidemiology, transmission, genetic diversity, evolution and antibiotic resistance strains, particularly methicillin resistant S. aureus (MRSA). While many different virulence factors that S. aureus produces have been investigated as therapeutic targets, this review examines recent nanotechnology approaches, which employ materials with atomic or molecular dimensions and are being used to diagnose, treat, or eliminate the activity of S. aureus. Finally, having a deeper understanding and clearer grasp of the roles and contributions of S. aureus determinants, antibiotic resistance, and nanotechnology will aid us in developing anti-virulence strategies to combat the growing scarcity of effective antibiotics against S. aureus.
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Affiliation(s)
- Raghad H.F. Bashabsheh
- Department of Medical Laboratory Analysis, Faculty of Science, Al-Balqa Applied University, Al-salt, Jordan
| | - O’la AL-Fawares
- Department of Medical Laboratory Analysis, Faculty of Science, Al-Balqa Applied University, Al-salt, Jordan
| | - Iyad Natsheh
- Department of Allied Medical Sciences, Zarqa College, Al-Balqa Applied University, Zarqa, Jordan
| | - Roba Bdeir
- Department of Allied Health Sciences, Faculty of Nursing, Al-Balqa Applied University, Al-salt, Jordan
| | - Rozan O. Al-Khreshieh
- Department of Medical Laboratory Analysis, Faculty of Science, Al-Balqa Applied University, Al-salt, Jordan
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10
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Zhao Y, Wang S. Experimental and biophysical modeling of transcription and translation dynamics in bacterial- and mammalian-based cell-free expression systems. SLAS Technol 2024; 29:100036. [PMID: 35231628 DOI: 10.1016/j.slast.2022.02.001] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/11/2021] [Revised: 01/25/2022] [Accepted: 02/15/2022] [Indexed: 11/20/2022]
Abstract
Cell-free expression (CFE) systems have been used extensively in systems and synthetic biology as a promising platform for manufacturing proteins and chemicals. Currently, the most widely used CFE system is in vitro protein transcription and translation platform. As the rapidly increased applications and uses, it is crucial to have a standard biophysical model for quantitative studies of gene circuits, which will provide a fundamental understanding of basic working mechanisms of CFE systems. Current modeling approaches mainly focus on the characterization of E. coli-based CFE systems, a computational model that can be utilized for both bacterial- and mammalian-based CFE has not been investigated. Here, we developed a simple ODE (ordinary differential equation)-based biophysical model to simulate transcription and translation dynamics for both bacterial- and mammalian- based CFE systems. The key parameters were estimated and adjusted based on experimental results. We next tested four gene circuits to characterize kinetic dynamics of transcription and translation in E. coli- and HeLa-based CFE systems. The real-time transcription and translation were monitored using Broccoli aptamer, double stranded locked nucleic acid (dsLNA) probe and fluorescent protein. We demonstrated the difference of kinetic dynamics for transcription and translation in both systems, which will provide valuable information for quantitative genomic and proteomic studies. This simple biophysical model and the experimental data for both E. coli- and HeLa-based CFE will be useful for researchers that are interested in genetic engineering and CFE bio-manufacturing.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yuwen Zhao
- Department of Chemistry, Chemical and Biomedical Engineering, Tagliatela College of Engineering, University of New Haven, West Haven, CT, 06516, United States; Department of Biomedical Engineering, Lehigh University, Bethlehem, PA, 18015, United States
| | - Shue Wang
- Department of Chemistry, Chemical and Biomedical Engineering, Tagliatela College of Engineering, University of New Haven, West Haven, CT, 06516, United States.
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11
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Saecker RM, Mueller AU, Malone B, Chen J, Budell WC, Dandey VP, Maruthi K, Mendez JH, Molina N, Eng ET, Yen LY, Potter CS, Carragher B, Darst SA. Early intermediates in bacterial RNA polymerase promoter melting visualized by time-resolved cryo-electron microscopy. BIORXIV : THE PREPRINT SERVER FOR BIOLOGY 2024:2024.03.13.584744. [PMID: 38559232 PMCID: PMC10979975 DOI: 10.1101/2024.03.13.584744] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 04/04/2024]
Abstract
During formation of the transcription-competent open complex (RPo) by bacterial RNA polymerases (RNAP), transient intermediates pile up before overcoming a rate-limiting step. Structural descriptions of these interconversions in real time are unavailable. To address this gap, time-resolved cryo-electron microscopy (cryo-EM) was used to capture four intermediates populated 120 or 500 milliseconds (ms) after mixing Escherichia coli σ70-RNAP and the λPR promoter. Cryo-EM snapshots revealed the upstream edge of the transcription bubble unpairs rapidly, followed by stepwise insertion of two conserved nontemplate strand (nt-strand) bases into RNAP pockets. As nt-strand "read-out" extends, the RNAP clamp closes, expelling an inhibitory σ70 domain from the active-site cleft. The template strand is fully unpaired by 120 ms but remains dynamic, indicating yet unknown conformational changes load it in subsequent steps. Because these events likely describe DNA opening at many bacterial promoters, this study provides needed insights into how DNA sequence regulates steps of RPo formation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ruth M. Saecker
- Laboratory of Molecular Biophysics, The Rockefeller University, New York, NY 10065 USA
| | - Andreas U. Mueller
- Laboratory of Molecular Biophysics, The Rockefeller University, New York, NY 10065 USA
| | - Brandon Malone
- Laboratory of Molecular Biophysics, The Rockefeller University, New York, NY 10065 USA
| | - James Chen
- Laboratory of Molecular Biophysics, The Rockefeller University, New York, NY 10065 USA
| | - William C. Budell
- The National Resource for Automated Molecular Microscopy, Simons Electron Microscopy Center, New York Structural Biology Center, New York, NY USA
| | - Venkata P. Dandey
- The National Resource for Automated Molecular Microscopy, Simons Electron Microscopy Center, New York Structural Biology Center, New York, NY USA
| | - Kashyap Maruthi
- The National Resource for Automated Molecular Microscopy, Simons Electron Microscopy Center, New York Structural Biology Center, New York, NY USA
| | - Joshua H. Mendez
- The National Resource for Automated Molecular Microscopy, Simons Electron Microscopy Center, New York Structural Biology Center, New York, NY USA
| | - Nina Molina
- Laboratory of Molecular Biophysics, The Rockefeller University, New York, NY 10065 USA
| | - Edward T. Eng
- The National Resource for Automated Molecular Microscopy, Simons Electron Microscopy Center, New York Structural Biology Center, New York, NY USA
| | - Laura Y. Yen
- The National Resource for Automated Molecular Microscopy, Simons Electron Microscopy Center, New York Structural Biology Center, New York, NY USA
| | - Clinton S. Potter
- The National Resource for Automated Molecular Microscopy, Simons Electron Microscopy Center, New York Structural Biology Center, New York, NY USA
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biophysics, Columbia University, New York, NY USA
| | - Bridget Carragher
- The National Resource for Automated Molecular Microscopy, Simons Electron Microscopy Center, New York Structural Biology Center, New York, NY USA
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biophysics, Columbia University, New York, NY USA
| | - Seth A. Darst
- Laboratory of Molecular Biophysics, The Rockefeller University, New York, NY 10065 USA
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12
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Meier D, Rauch C, Wagner M, Klemm P, Blumenkamp P, Müller R, Ellenberger E, Karia KM, Vecchione S, Serrania J, Lechner M, Fritz G, Goesmann A, Becker A. A MoClo-Compatible Toolbox of ECF Sigma Factor-Based Regulatory Switches for Proteobacterial Chassis. BIODESIGN RESEARCH 2024; 6:0025. [PMID: 38384496 PMCID: PMC10880074 DOI: 10.34133/bdr.0025] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/16/2023] [Accepted: 12/04/2023] [Indexed: 02/23/2024] Open
Abstract
The construction of complex synthetic gene circuits with predetermined and reliable output depends on orthogonal regulatory parts that do not inadvertently interfere with the host machinery or with other circuit components. Previously, extracytoplasmic function sigma factors (ECFs), a diverse group of alternative sigma factors with distinct promoter specificities, were shown to have great potential as context-independent regulators, but so far, they have only been used in a few model species. Here, we show that the alphaproteobacterium Sinorhizobium meliloti, which has been proposed as a plant-associated bacterial chassis for synthetic biology, has a similar phylogenetic ECF acceptance range as the gammaproteobacterium Escherichia coli. A common set of orthogonal ECF-based regulators that can be used in both bacterial hosts was identified and used to create 2-step delay circuits. The genetic circuits were implemented in single copy in E. coli by chromosomal integration using an established method that utilizes bacteriophage integrases. In S. meliloti, we demonstrated the usability of single-copy pABC plasmids as equivalent carriers of the synthetic circuits. The circuits were either implemented on a single pABC or modularly distributed on 3 such plasmids. In addition, we provide a toolbox containing pABC plasmids compatible with the Golden Gate (MoClo) cloning standard and a library of basic parts that enable the construction of ECF-based circuits in S. meliloti and in E. coli. This work contributes to building a context-independent and species-overarching ECF-based toolbox for synthetic biology applications.
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Affiliation(s)
- Doreen Meier
- Center for Synthetic Microbiology (SYNMIKRO) and Department of Biology,
Philipps-Universität Marburg, Marburg, Germany
| | - Christian Rauch
- Center for Synthetic Microbiology (SYNMIKRO) and Department of Biology,
Philipps-Universität Marburg, Marburg, Germany
| | - Marcel Wagner
- Center for Synthetic Microbiology (SYNMIKRO) and Department of Biology,
Philipps-Universität Marburg, Marburg, Germany
| | - Paul Klemm
- Center for Synthetic Microbiology (SYNMIKRO) and Department of Biology,
Philipps-Universität Marburg, Marburg, Germany
| | - Patrick Blumenkamp
- Bioinformatics and Systems Biology,
Justus-Liebig-Universität Giessen, Giessen, Germany
| | - Raphael Müller
- Bioinformatics and Systems Biology,
Justus-Liebig-Universität Giessen, Giessen, Germany
| | - Eric Ellenberger
- Center for Synthetic Microbiology (SYNMIKRO) and Department of Biology,
Philipps-Universität Marburg, Marburg, Germany
| | - Kinnari M. Karia
- Center for Synthetic Microbiology (SYNMIKRO) and Department of Biology,
Philipps-Universität Marburg, Marburg, Germany
| | - Stefano Vecchione
- Center for Synthetic Microbiology (SYNMIKRO) and Department of Biology,
Philipps-Universität Marburg, Marburg, Germany
| | - Javier Serrania
- Center for Synthetic Microbiology (SYNMIKRO) and Department of Biology,
Philipps-Universität Marburg, Marburg, Germany
| | - Marcus Lechner
- Center for Synthetic Microbiology (SYNMIKRO) and Department of Biology,
Philipps-Universität Marburg, Marburg, Germany
| | - Georg Fritz
- The University of Western Australia, School of Molecular Sciences, Perth, Australia
| | - Alexander Goesmann
- Bioinformatics and Systems Biology,
Justus-Liebig-Universität Giessen, Giessen, Germany
| | - Anke Becker
- Center for Synthetic Microbiology (SYNMIKRO) and Department of Biology,
Philipps-Universität Marburg, Marburg, Germany
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13
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Ibrahim N, Nesbitt D, Guo Q(T, Lin J, Svircev A, Wang Q, Weadge JT, Anany H. Improved Viability of Spray-Dried Pantoea agglomerans for Phage-Carrier Mediated Control of Fire Blight. Viruses 2024; 16:257. [PMID: 38400033 PMCID: PMC10893313 DOI: 10.3390/v16020257] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/25/2023] [Revised: 01/26/2024] [Accepted: 01/30/2024] [Indexed: 02/25/2024] Open
Abstract
Fire blight, caused by Erwinia amylovora, is a devastating bacterial disease that threatens apple and pear production. It is mainly controlled by using antibiotics, such as streptomycin. Due to development of E. amylovora resistant strains and the excessive agricultural use of antibiotics, there is an increased awareness of the possibility of antibiotic resistance gene transfer to other microbes. Urgent development of biocontrol agents (BCAs) is needed that can be incorporated into integrated pest management programs as antibiotic alternatives. A novel phage-carrier system (PCS) that combines an antagonistic bacterium, Pantoea agglomerans, with its ability to act as a phage-carrier bacterium for Erwinia phages has been developed. The low viability of P. agglomerans cells following spray-drying (SD) has been a challenge for the industrial-scale production of this PCS. Here, an SD protocol was developed for P. agglomerans by modifying the growth medium and bacterial cell formulation using D(+)-trehalose and maltodextrin. The developed protocol is amenable to the industrial-scale production of the BCA/PCS. The P. agglomerans viability was greater than 90% after SD and had a shelf life at 4 °C of 4 months, and reconstituted cells showed a 3 log reduction in E. amylovora counts with a pear disc assay.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nassereldin Ibrahim
- Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada (AAFC), Guelph Research and Development Centre (GRDC), 93 Stone Rd W., Guelph, ON N1G 5C9, Canada; (N.I.); (Q.G.); (Q.W.)
- Department of Biology, Wilfrid Laurier University, Waterloo, ON N2L 3C5, Canada;
- Genetic Engineering and Biotechnology Research Institute, University of Sadat City, Sadat City 32897, Egypt
| | - Darlene Nesbitt
- Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada (AAFC), Vineland Station, ON L0R 2E0, Canada; (D.N.); (A.S.)
| | - Qian (Tracy) Guo
- Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada (AAFC), Guelph Research and Development Centre (GRDC), 93 Stone Rd W., Guelph, ON N1G 5C9, Canada; (N.I.); (Q.G.); (Q.W.)
| | - Janet Lin
- National Microbiology Laboratory, National Health Agency, 110 Stone Rd. W., Guelph, ON N1G 3W4, Canada;
| | - Antonet Svircev
- Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada (AAFC), Vineland Station, ON L0R 2E0, Canada; (D.N.); (A.S.)
| | - Qi Wang
- Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada (AAFC), Guelph Research and Development Centre (GRDC), 93 Stone Rd W., Guelph, ON N1G 5C9, Canada; (N.I.); (Q.G.); (Q.W.)
| | - Joel T. Weadge
- Department of Biology, Wilfrid Laurier University, Waterloo, ON N2L 3C5, Canada;
| | - Hany Anany
- Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada (AAFC), Guelph Research and Development Centre (GRDC), 93 Stone Rd W., Guelph, ON N1G 5C9, Canada; (N.I.); (Q.G.); (Q.W.)
- Food Science Department, University of Guelph, Guelph, ON N1G 2W1, Canada
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14
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Lee SM, Le HT, Taizhanova A, Nong LK, Park JY, Lee EJ, Palsson BO, Kim D. Experimental promoter identification of a foodborne pathogen Salmonella enterica subsp. enterica serovar Typhimurium with near single base-pair resolution. Front Microbiol 2024; 14:1271121. [PMID: 38239730 PMCID: PMC10794520 DOI: 10.3389/fmicb.2023.1271121] [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: 08/01/2023] [Accepted: 12/01/2023] [Indexed: 01/22/2024] Open
Abstract
Salmonella enterica serovar Typhimurium (S. Typhimurium) is a common foodborne pathogen which is frequently used as the reference strain for Salmonella. Investigating the sigma factor network and protomers is crucial to understand the genomic and transcriptomic properties of the bacterium. Its promoters were identified using various methods such as dRNA-seq, ChIP-chip, or ChIP-Seq. However, validation using ChIP-exo, which exhibits higher-resolution performance compared to conventional ChIP, has not been conducted to date. In this study, using the representative strain S. Typhimurium LT2 (LT2), the ChIP-exo experiment was conducted to accurately determine the binding sites of catalytic RNA polymerase subunit RpoB and major sigma factors (RpoD, RpoN, RpoS, and RpoE) during exponential phase. Integrated with the results of RNA-Seq, promoters and sigmulons for the sigma factors and their association with RpoB have been discovered. Notably, the overlapping regions among binding sites of each alternative sigma factor were found. Furthermore, comparative analysis with Escherichia coli str. K-12 substr. MG1655 (MG1655) revealed conserved binding sites of RpoD and RpoN across different species. In the case of small RNAs (sRNAs), 50 sRNAs observed their expression during the exponential growth of LT2. Collectively, the integration of ChIP-exo and RNA-Seq enables genome-scale promoter mapping with high resolution and facilitates the characterization of binding events of alternative sigma factors, enabling a comprehensive understanding of the bacterial sigma factor network and condition-specific active promoters.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sang-Mok Lee
- School of Energy and Chemical Engineering, Ulsan National Institute of Science and Technology (UNIST), Ulsan, Republic of Korea
| | - Hoa Thi Le
- School of Energy and Chemical Engineering, Ulsan National Institute of Science and Technology (UNIST), Ulsan, Republic of Korea
| | - Assiya Taizhanova
- Department of Genetic Engineering and Graduate School of Biotechnology, College of Life Sciences, Kyung Hee University, Yongin, Republic of Korea
| | - Linh Khanh Nong
- School of Energy and Chemical Engineering, Ulsan National Institute of Science and Technology (UNIST), Ulsan, Republic of Korea
| | - Joon Young Park
- School of Energy and Chemical Engineering, Ulsan National Institute of Science and Technology (UNIST), Ulsan, Republic of Korea
| | - Eun-Jin Lee
- Department of Life Sciences, College of Life Sciences and Biotechnology, Korea University, Seoul, Republic of Korea
| | - Bernhard O. Palsson
- Department of Bioengineering, University of California San Diego, La Jolla, CA, United States
| | - Donghyuk Kim
- School of Energy and Chemical Engineering, Ulsan National Institute of Science and Technology (UNIST), Ulsan, Republic of Korea
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15
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Shimada T, Ogasawara H, Kobayashi I, Ishihama A. Genomic SELEX Screening of Regulatory Targets of Transcription Factors. Methods Mol Biol 2024; 2819:77-102. [PMID: 39028503 DOI: 10.1007/978-1-0716-3930-6_5] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 07/20/2024]
Abstract
The genome of Escherichia coli K-12 is transcribed by a single species of RNA polymerase. The selectivity of transcriptional targets is determined via interaction with one of seven species of the sigma subunit and a total of approximately 300 species of transcription factor (TFs). For comprehensive identification of the regulatory targets of these two groups of regulatory proteins on the genome, we developed an in vitro approach, "Genomic SELEX" (gSELEX) screening. Here we describe a detailed protocol of the gSELEX screening system, which uses purified regulatory proteins and fragments of genomic DNA from E. coli. Moreover, we describe methods and examples of results using cell-free synthetic proteins.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tomohiro Shimada
- Meiji University, School of Agriculture, Kawasaki, Kanagawa, Japan.
| | - Hiroshi Ogasawara
- Research Center for Advanced Science and technology, Division of Gene Research, Shinshu University, Ueda, Nagano, Japan
| | - Ikki Kobayashi
- Meiji University, School of Agriculture, Kawasaki, Kanagawa, Japan
| | - Akira Ishihama
- Research Center for Micro-Nano Technology, Hosei University, Koganei, Tokyo, Japan
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16
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Yu G, Duan Q, Cui T, Jiang C, Li X, Li Y, Fu J, Zhang Y, Wang H, Luan J. Development of a bacterial gene transcription activating strategy based on transcriptional activator positive feedback. J Adv Res 2023:S2090-1232(23)00400-9. [PMID: 38123018 DOI: 10.1016/j.jare.2023.12.015] [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: 10/01/2023] [Revised: 11/26/2023] [Accepted: 12/16/2023] [Indexed: 12/23/2023] Open
Abstract
INTRODUCTION Transcription of biological nitrogen fixation (nif) genes is activated by the NifA protein which recognizes specific activating sequences upstream of σ54-dependent nif promoters. The large quantities of nitrogenase which can make up 20% of the total proteins in the cell indicates high transcription activating efficiency of NifA and high transcription level of nifHDK nitrogenase genes. OBJECTIVES Development of an efficient gene transcription activating strategy in bacteria based on positive transcription regulatory proteins and their regulating DNA sequences. METHODS We designed a highly efficient gene transcription activating strategy in which the nifA gene was placed directly downstream of its regulating sequences. The NifA protein binds its regulating sequences and stimulates transcription of itself and downstream genes. Overexpressed NifA causes transcription activation by positive reinforcement. RESULTS When this gene transcription activating strategy was used to overexpress NifA in Pseudomonas stutzeri DSM4166 containing the nif gene cluster, the nitrogenase activity was increased by 368 folds which was 16 times higher than that obtained by nifA driven by the strongest endogenous constitutive promoter. When this strategy was used to activate transcription of exogenous biosynthetic genes for the plant auxin indole-3-acetic acid and the antitumor alkaloid pigment prodigiosin in DSM4166, both of them resulted in better performance than the strongest endogenous constitutive promoter and the highest reported productions in heterologous hosts to date. Finally, we demonstrated the universality of this strategy using the positive transcriptional regulator of the psp operon, PspF, in E. coli and the pathway-specific positive transcription regulator of the polyene antibiotic salinomycin biosynthesis, SlnR, in Streptomyces albus. CONCLUSION Many positive transcription regulatory proteins and their regulating DNA sequences have been identified in bacteria. The gene transcription activating strategy developed in this study will have broad applications in molecular biology and biotechnology.
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Affiliation(s)
- Guangle Yu
- State Key Laboratory of Microbial Technology, Institute of Microbial Technology, Helmholtz International Lab for Anti-infectives, Shandong University-Helmholtz Institute of Biotechnology, Shandong University, Binhai Rd 72, 266237, Qingdao, Shandong, China
| | - Qiuyue Duan
- State Key Laboratory of Microbial Technology, Institute of Microbial Technology, Helmholtz International Lab for Anti-infectives, Shandong University-Helmholtz Institute of Biotechnology, Shandong University, Binhai Rd 72, 266237, Qingdao, Shandong, China
| | - Tianqi Cui
- State Key Laboratory of Microbial Technology, Institute of Microbial Technology, Helmholtz International Lab for Anti-infectives, Shandong University-Helmholtz Institute of Biotechnology, Shandong University, Binhai Rd 72, 266237, Qingdao, Shandong, China
| | - Chanjuan Jiang
- State Key Laboratory of Microbial Technology, Institute of Microbial Technology, Helmholtz International Lab for Anti-infectives, Shandong University-Helmholtz Institute of Biotechnology, Shandong University, Binhai Rd 72, 266237, Qingdao, Shandong, China
| | - Xiaochen Li
- State Key Laboratory of Microbial Technology, Institute of Microbial Technology, Helmholtz International Lab for Anti-infectives, Shandong University-Helmholtz Institute of Biotechnology, Shandong University, Binhai Rd 72, 266237, Qingdao, Shandong, China
| | - Yutong Li
- State Key Laboratory of Microbial Technology, Institute of Microbial Technology, Helmholtz International Lab for Anti-infectives, Shandong University-Helmholtz Institute of Biotechnology, Shandong University, Binhai Rd 72, 266237, Qingdao, Shandong, China
| | - Jun Fu
- State Key Laboratory of Microbial Technology, Institute of Microbial Technology, Helmholtz International Lab for Anti-infectives, Shandong University-Helmholtz Institute of Biotechnology, Shandong University, Binhai Rd 72, 266237, Qingdao, Shandong, China
| | - Youming Zhang
- State Key Laboratory of Microbial Technology, Institute of Microbial Technology, Helmholtz International Lab for Anti-infectives, Shandong University-Helmholtz Institute of Biotechnology, Shandong University, Binhai Rd 72, 266237, Qingdao, Shandong, China
| | - Hailong Wang
- State Key Laboratory of Microbial Technology, Institute of Microbial Technology, Helmholtz International Lab for Anti-infectives, Shandong University-Helmholtz Institute of Biotechnology, Shandong University, Binhai Rd 72, 266237, Qingdao, Shandong, China.
| | - Ji Luan
- State Key Laboratory of Microbial Technology, Institute of Microbial Technology, Helmholtz International Lab for Anti-infectives, Shandong University-Helmholtz Institute of Biotechnology, Shandong University, Binhai Rd 72, 266237, Qingdao, Shandong, China.
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17
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Leite JP, Lourenço F, Oliveira R, Sousa SF, Mendes MV, Gales L. Crystal structures of Streptomyces tsukubaensis sigma factor SigG1 and anti-sigma RsfG. J Struct Biol 2023; 215:108038. [PMID: 37858875 DOI: 10.1016/j.jsb.2023.108038] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/03/2023] [Revised: 09/25/2023] [Accepted: 10/16/2023] [Indexed: 10/21/2023]
Abstract
Transcription of specific genes in bacteria under environmental stress is frequently initiated by extracytoplasmic function (ECF) σ factors. ECFs σ factors harbour two conserved domains, σ2 and σ4, for transcription initiation by recognition of the promoter region and recruitment of RNA polymerase (RNAP). The crystal structure of Streptomyces tsukubaensis SigG1, an ECF56-family σ factor, was determined revealing σ2, σ4 and the additional carboxi-terminal domain SnoaL_2 tightly packed in a compact conformation. The structure of anti-sigma RsfG was also determined by X-ray crystallography and shows a rare β-barrel fold. Analysis of the metal binding motifs inside the protein barrel are consistent with Fe(III) binding, which is in agreement with previous findings that the Streptomyces tsukubaensis ECF56 SigG1-RsfG system is involved in metal-ion homeostasis.
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Affiliation(s)
- José P Leite
- i3S - Instituto de Investigação e Inovação em Saúde, Universidade do Porto, Rua Alfredo Allen 208, Porto, Porto 4200-135, Portugal; IBMC - Instituto de Biologia Molecular e Celular, Universidade do Porto, Rua Alfredo Allen 208, Porto, Porto 4200-135, Portugal; ICBAS - Instituto de Ciências Biomédicas Abel Salazar, Universidade do Porto, Rua Jorge de Viterbo Ferreira 228, Porto, Porto 4050-313, Portugal
| | - Frederico Lourenço
- i3S - Instituto de Investigação e Inovação em Saúde, Universidade do Porto, Rua Alfredo Allen 208, Porto, Porto 4200-135, Portugal; IBMC - Instituto de Biologia Molecular e Celular, Universidade do Porto, Rua Alfredo Allen 208, Porto, Porto 4200-135, Portugal
| | - Rute Oliveira
- i3S - Instituto de Investigação e Inovação em Saúde, Universidade do Porto, Rua Alfredo Allen 208, Porto, Porto 4200-135, Portugal; IBMC - Instituto de Biologia Molecular e Celular, Universidade do Porto, Rua Alfredo Allen 208, Porto, Porto 4200-135, Portugal; ICBAS - Instituto de Ciências Biomédicas Abel Salazar, Universidade do Porto, Rua Jorge de Viterbo Ferreira 228, Porto, Porto 4050-313, Portugal
| | - Sérgio F Sousa
- UCIBIO/REQUIMTE, BioSIM, Department of Biomedicine, Faculty of Medicine, University of Porto, Alameda Prof. Hernâni Monteiro, Porto 4200-319, Portugal
| | - Marta V Mendes
- i3S - Instituto de Investigação e Inovação em Saúde, Universidade do Porto, Rua Alfredo Allen 208, Porto, Porto 4200-135, Portugal; IBMC - Instituto de Biologia Molecular e Celular, Universidade do Porto, Rua Alfredo Allen 208, Porto, Porto 4200-135, Portugal
| | - Luís Gales
- i3S - Instituto de Investigação e Inovação em Saúde, Universidade do Porto, Rua Alfredo Allen 208, Porto, Porto 4200-135, Portugal; IBMC - Instituto de Biologia Molecular e Celular, Universidade do Porto, Rua Alfredo Allen 208, Porto, Porto 4200-135, Portugal; ICBAS - Instituto de Ciências Biomédicas Abel Salazar, Universidade do Porto, Rua Jorge de Viterbo Ferreira 228, Porto, Porto 4050-313, Portugal.
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18
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Sawicki R, Widelski J, Truszkiewicz W, Kawka S, Kai G, Sieniawska E. Sulphides from garlic essential oil dose-dependently change the distribution of glycerophospholipids and induce N6-tuberculosinyladenosine formation in mycobacterial cells. Sci Rep 2023; 13:20351. [PMID: 37990133 PMCID: PMC10663513 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-023-47750-0] [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: 04/12/2023] [Accepted: 11/17/2023] [Indexed: 11/23/2023] Open
Abstract
The antimicrobial properties of garlic are widely known, and numerous studies confirmed its ability to inhibit the growth of Mycobacterium tuberculosis. In this work, we explored the molecular mechanism of action of sulphides present in garlic essential oil against mycobacteria. The targeted transcriptomics and untargeted LC-MS metabolomics were applied to study dose- and time-dependent metabolic changes in bacterial cells under the influence of stressing agent. Expression profiles of genes coding stress-responsive sigma factors regulatory network and metabolic observations proved that sulphides from garlic essential oil are an efficient and specific agent affecting glycerophospholipids levels and their distribution within the cell envelope. Additionally, sulphides induced the Dimroth rearrangement of 1-Tuberculosinyladenosine to N6-tuberculosinyladenosine in mycobacterial cells as a possible neutralization mechanism protecting the cell from a basic nucleophilic environment. Sulphides affected cell envelope lipids and formation of N6-tuberculosinyladenosine in M. tuberculosis.
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Affiliation(s)
- Rafał Sawicki
- Chair and Department of Biochemistry and Biotechnology, Medical University of Lublin, Chodzki 1, 20-093, Lublin, Poland
| | - Jarosław Widelski
- Department of Pharmacognosy with Medicinal Plants Garden, Medical University of Lublin, Chodzki 1, 20-093, Lublin, Poland
| | - Wiesław Truszkiewicz
- Department of Pharmacognosy with Medicinal Plants Garden, Medical University of Lublin, Chodzki 1, 20-093, Lublin, Poland
| | - Sławomir Kawka
- Medicofarma Biotech S.A., Zamenhofa 29, 20-453, Lublin, Poland
| | - Guoyin Kai
- School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Academy of Chinese Medical Science, Zhejiang Chinese Medical University, Hangzhou, 310053, Zhejiang, China
| | - Elwira Sieniawska
- Department of Natural Products Chemistry, Medical University of Lublin, Chodzki 1, 20-093, Lublin, Poland.
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19
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Zhao X, Xu D, Xia W, Hu M, Peng X, Liu X, Ran T, Wang W. Multicopy expression of sigma factor RpoH reduces prodigiosin biosynthesis in Serratia marcescens FS14. Antonie Van Leeuwenhoek 2023; 116:1197-1208. [PMID: 37728826 DOI: 10.1007/s10482-023-01875-4] [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: 05/22/2022] [Accepted: 08/22/2023] [Indexed: 09/21/2023]
Abstract
Regulation of prodigiosin biosynthesis is received wide attention due to the antimicrobial, immunosuppressive and anticancer activities of prodigiosin. Here, we constructed a transposon mutant library in S. marcescens FS14 to identify genes involved in the regulation of prodigiosin biosynthesis. 62 strains with apparently different colors were obtained. Identification of the transposon insertion sites revealed that they are classified into three groups: the coding region of cyaA and two component system eepS/R and the promoter region of rpoH. Since the effect of cyaA and eepS/R genes on prodigiosin was extensively investigated in Serratia marcescens, we chose the mutant of rpoH for further investigation. Further deletion mutation of rpoH gene showed no effect on prodigiosin production suggesting that the effect on prodigiosin production caused by transposon insertion is not due to the deletion of RpoH. We further demonstrated that multicopy expression of RpoH reduced prodigiosin biosynthesis indicating that transposon insertion caused RpoH enhanced expression. Previous results indicate that RpoS is the sigma factor for transcription of pig gene cluster in FS14, to test whether the enhanced expression of RpoH prevents prodigiosin by competing with RpoS, we found that multicopy expression of RpoS could alleviate the prodigiosin production inhibition by enhanced RpoH. We proposed that multicopy expressed RpoH competes with RpoS for core RNA polymerase (RNAP) resulting in decreased transcription of pig gene cluster and prodigiosin production reduction. We also demonstrated that RpoH is not directly involved in prodigiosin biosynthesis. Our results suggest that manipulating the transcription level of sigma factors may be applied to regulate the production of secondary metabolites.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xuezheng Zhao
- Department of Microbiology, College of Life Sciences,, Nanjing Agricultural University, Nanjing, China
| | - Dongqing Xu
- Department of Microbiology, College of Life Sciences,, Nanjing Agricultural University, Nanjing, China
| | - Wenxiao Xia
- Department of Microbiology, College of Life Sciences,, Nanjing Agricultural University, Nanjing, China
| | - Menghua Hu
- Department of Microbiology, College of Life Sciences,, Nanjing Agricultural University, Nanjing, China
| | - Xuede Peng
- Department of Microbiology, College of Life Sciences,, Nanjing Agricultural University, Nanjing, China
| | - Xia Liu
- Department of Microbiology, College of Life Sciences,, Nanjing Agricultural University, Nanjing, China
| | - Tingting Ran
- Department of Microbiology, College of Life Sciences,, Nanjing Agricultural University, Nanjing, China.
| | - Weiwu Wang
- Department of Microbiology, College of Life Sciences,, Nanjing Agricultural University, Nanjing, China.
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20
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Li J, Zhang H, Li D, Liu YJ, Bayer EA, Cui Q, Feng Y, Zhu P. Structure of the transcription open complex of distinct σ I factors. Nat Commun 2023; 14:6455. [PMID: 37833284 PMCID: PMC10575876 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-023-41796-4] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/22/2023] [Accepted: 09/15/2023] [Indexed: 10/15/2023] Open
Abstract
Bacterial σI factors of the σ70-family are widespread in Bacilli and Clostridia and are involved in the heat shock response, iron metabolism, virulence, and carbohydrate sensing. A multiplicity of σI paralogues in some cellulolytic bacteria have been shown to be responsible for the regulation of the cellulosome, a multienzyme complex that mediates efficient cellulose degradation. Here, we report two structures at 3.0 Å and 3.3 Å of two transcription open complexes formed by two σI factors, SigI1 and SigI6, respectively, from the thermophilic, cellulolytic bacterium, Clostridium thermocellum. These structures reveal a unique, hitherto-unknown recognition mode of bacterial transcriptional promoters, both with respect to domain organization and binding to promoter DNA. The key characteristics that determine the specificities of the σI paralogues were further revealed by comparison of the two structures. Consequently, the σI factors represent a distinct set of the σ70-family σ factors, thus highlighting the diversity of bacterial transcription.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jie Li
- CAS Key Laboratory of Biofuels, Qingdao Institute of Bioenergy and Bioprocess Technology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, 266101, Qingdao, Shandong, China
- Shandong Provincial Key Laboratory of Synthetic Biology, Qingdao Institute of Bioenergy and Bioprocess Technology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, 266101, Qingdao, Shandong, China
- Shandong Engineering Laboratory of Single Cell Oil, Qingdao Institute of Bioenergy and Bioprocess Technology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, 266101, Qingdao, Shandong, China
- Shandong Energy Institute, 266101, Qingdao, Shandong, China
- Qingdao New Energy Shandong Laboratory, 266101, Qingdao, Shandong, China
- University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, 100049, Beijing, China
| | - Haonan Zhang
- University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, 100049, Beijing, China
- National Laboratory of Biomacromolecules, CAS Center for Excellence in Biomacromolecules, Institute of Biophysics, Chinese Academy of Sciences, 100101, Beijing, China
| | - Dongyu Li
- University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, 100049, Beijing, China
- National Laboratory of Biomacromolecules, CAS Center for Excellence in Biomacromolecules, Institute of Biophysics, Chinese Academy of Sciences, 100101, Beijing, China
| | - Ya-Jun Liu
- CAS Key Laboratory of Biofuels, Qingdao Institute of Bioenergy and Bioprocess Technology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, 266101, Qingdao, Shandong, China
- Shandong Provincial Key Laboratory of Synthetic Biology, Qingdao Institute of Bioenergy and Bioprocess Technology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, 266101, Qingdao, Shandong, China
- Shandong Engineering Laboratory of Single Cell Oil, Qingdao Institute of Bioenergy and Bioprocess Technology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, 266101, Qingdao, Shandong, China
- Shandong Energy Institute, 266101, Qingdao, Shandong, China
- Qingdao New Energy Shandong Laboratory, 266101, Qingdao, Shandong, China
- University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, 100049, Beijing, China
| | - Edward A Bayer
- Department of Biomolecular Sciences, The Weizmann Institute of Science, 7610001, Rehovot, Israel
- Department of Life Sciences and the National Institute for Biotechnology in the Negev, Ben-Gurion University of the Negev, 8499000, Beer-Sheva, Israel
| | - Qiu Cui
- CAS Key Laboratory of Biofuels, Qingdao Institute of Bioenergy and Bioprocess Technology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, 266101, Qingdao, Shandong, China
- Shandong Provincial Key Laboratory of Synthetic Biology, Qingdao Institute of Bioenergy and Bioprocess Technology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, 266101, Qingdao, Shandong, China
- Shandong Engineering Laboratory of Single Cell Oil, Qingdao Institute of Bioenergy and Bioprocess Technology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, 266101, Qingdao, Shandong, China
- Shandong Energy Institute, 266101, Qingdao, Shandong, China
- Qingdao New Energy Shandong Laboratory, 266101, Qingdao, Shandong, China
- University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, 100049, Beijing, China
| | - Yingang Feng
- CAS Key Laboratory of Biofuels, Qingdao Institute of Bioenergy and Bioprocess Technology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, 266101, Qingdao, Shandong, China.
- Shandong Provincial Key Laboratory of Synthetic Biology, Qingdao Institute of Bioenergy and Bioprocess Technology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, 266101, Qingdao, Shandong, China.
- Shandong Engineering Laboratory of Single Cell Oil, Qingdao Institute of Bioenergy and Bioprocess Technology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, 266101, Qingdao, Shandong, China.
- Shandong Energy Institute, 266101, Qingdao, Shandong, China.
- Qingdao New Energy Shandong Laboratory, 266101, Qingdao, Shandong, China.
- University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, 100049, Beijing, China.
| | - Ping Zhu
- University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, 100049, Beijing, China.
- National Laboratory of Biomacromolecules, CAS Center for Excellence in Biomacromolecules, Institute of Biophysics, Chinese Academy of Sciences, 100101, Beijing, China.
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21
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Mascher T. Past, Present, and Future of Extracytoplasmic Function σ Factors: Distribution and Regulatory Diversity of the Third Pillar of Bacterial Signal Transduction. Annu Rev Microbiol 2023; 77:625-644. [PMID: 37437215 DOI: 10.1146/annurev-micro-032221-024032] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 07/14/2023]
Abstract
Responding to environmental cues is a prerequisite for survival in the microbial world. Extracytoplasmic function σ factors (ECFs) represent the third most abundant and by far the most diverse type of bacterial signal transduction. While archetypal ECFs are controlled by cognate anti-σ factors, comprehensive comparative genomics efforts have revealed a much higher abundance and regulatory diversity of ECF regulation than previously appreciated. They have also uncovered a diverse range of anti-σ factor-independent modes of controlling ECF activity, including fused regulatory domains and phosphorylation-dependent mechanisms. While our understanding of ECF diversity is comprehensive for well-represented and heavily studied bacterial phyla-such as Proteobacteria, Firmicutes, and Actinobacteria (phylum Actinomycetota)-our current knowledge about ECF-dependent signaling in the vast majority of underrepresented phyla is still far from complete. In particular, the dramatic extension of bacterial diversity in the course of metagenomic studies represents both a new challenge and an opportunity in expanding the world of ECF-dependent signal transduction.
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Affiliation(s)
- Thorsten Mascher
- General Microbiology, Technische Universität Dresden, Dresden, Germany;
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22
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Loman TE, Locke JCW. The σB alternative sigma factor circuit modulates noise to generate different types of pulsing dynamics. PLoS Comput Biol 2023; 19:e1011265. [PMID: 37540712 PMCID: PMC10431680 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pcbi.1011265] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/10/2022] [Revised: 08/16/2023] [Accepted: 06/12/2023] [Indexed: 08/06/2023] Open
Abstract
Single-cell approaches are revealing a high degree of heterogeneity, or noise, in gene expression in isogenic bacteria. How gene circuits modulate this noise in gene expression to generate robust output dynamics is unclear. Here we use the Bacillus subtilis alternative sigma factor σB as a model system for understanding the role of noise in generating circuit output dynamics. σB controls the general stress response in B. subtilis and is activated by a range of energy and environmental stresses. Recent single-cell studies have revealed that the circuit can generate two distinct outputs, stochastic pulsing and a single pulse response, but the conditions under which each response is generated are under debate. We implement a stochastic mathematical model of the σB circuit to investigate this and find that the system's core circuit can generate both response types. This is despite one response (stochastic pulsing) being stochastic in nature, and the other (single response pulse) being deterministic. We demonstrate that the main determinant for whichever response is generated is the degree with which the input pathway activates the core circuit, although the noise properties of the input pathway also biases the system towards one or the other type of output. Thus, our work shows how stochastic modelling can reveal the mechanisms behind non-intuitive gene circuit output dynamics.
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Affiliation(s)
- Torkel E. Loman
- Sainsbury Laboratory, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, United Kingdom
| | - James C. W. Locke
- Sainsbury Laboratory, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, United Kingdom
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23
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Majdalani N, Chattopadhyay M, Keller C, Gottesman S. Lack of polyamines leads to cotranslational degradation of the general stress factor RpoS in Escherichia coli. J Biol Chem 2023; 299:104943. [PMID: 37343699 PMCID: PMC10372455 DOI: 10.1016/j.jbc.2023.104943] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/11/2023] [Revised: 06/02/2023] [Accepted: 06/05/2023] [Indexed: 06/23/2023] Open
Abstract
The specialized sigma factor RpoS mediates a general stress response in Escherichia coli and related bacteria, activating promoters that allow cells to survive stationary phase and many stresses. RpoS synthesis and stability are regulated at multiple levels. Translation of RpoS is positively regulated by multiple small RNAs in response to stress. Degradation of RpoS, dependent upon the adaptor protein RssB, is rapid during exponential growth and ceases upon starvation or other stresses, increasing accumulation of RpoS. E. coli carrying mutations that block the synthesis of polyamines were previously found to have low levels of RpoS, while levels increased rapidly when polyamines were added. We have used a series of reporters to examine the basis for the lack of RpoS in polyamine-deficient cells. The polyamine requirement was independent of small RNA-mediated positive regulation of RpoS translation. Mutations in rssB stabilize RpoS and significantly bypassed the polyamine deficit, suggesting that lack of polyamines might lead to rapid RpoS degradation. However, rates of degradation of mature RpoS were unaffected by polyamine availability. Codon optimization in rpoS partially relieved the polyamine dependence, suggesting a defect in RpoS translation in the absence of polyamines. Consistent with this, a hyperproofreading allele of ribosomal protein S12, encoded by rpsL, showed a decrease in RpoS levels, and this decrease was also suppressed by either codon optimization or blocking RpoS degradation. We suggest that rpoS codon usage leads it to be particularly sensitive to slowed translation, due to either lack of polyamines or hyperproofreading, leading to cotranslational degradation. We dedicate this study to Herb Tabor and his foundational work on polyamines, including the basis for this study.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nadim Majdalani
- Laboratory of Molecular Biology, Center for Cancer Research, NCI, Bethesda, Maryland, USA
| | - Manas Chattopadhyay
- Laboratory of Biochemistry and Genetics, NIDDK, NIH, Bethesda, Maryland, USA
| | - Christopher Keller
- Laboratory of Biochemistry and Genetics, NIDDK, NIH, Bethesda, Maryland, USA
| | - Susan Gottesman
- Laboratory of Molecular Biology, Center for Cancer Research, NCI, Bethesda, Maryland, USA.
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24
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Noell SE, Hellweger FL, Temperton B, Giovannoni SJ. A Reduction of Transcriptional Regulation in Aquatic Oligotrophic Microorganisms Enhances Fitness in Nutrient-Poor Environments. Microbiol Mol Biol Rev 2023; 87:e0012422. [PMID: 36995249 PMCID: PMC10304753 DOI: 10.1128/mmbr.00124-22] [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] [Indexed: 03/31/2023] Open
Abstract
In this review, we consider the regulatory strategies of aquatic oligotrophs, microbial cells that are adapted to thrive under low-nutrient concentrations in oceans, lakes, and other aquatic ecosystems. Many reports have concluded that oligotrophs use less transcriptional regulation than copiotrophic cells, which are adapted to high nutrient concentrations and are far more common subjects for laboratory investigations of regulation. It is theorized that oligotrophs have retained alternate mechanisms of regulation, such as riboswitches, that provide shorter response times and smaller amplitude responses and require fewer cellular resources. We examine the accumulated evidence for distinctive regulatory strategies in oligotrophs. We explore differences in the selective pressures copiotrophs and oligotrophs encounter and ask why, although evolutionary history gives copiotrophs and oligotrophs access to the same regulatory mechanisms, they might exhibit distinctly different patterns in how these mechanisms are used. We discuss the implications of these findings for understanding broad patterns in the evolution of microbial regulatory networks and their relationships to environmental niche and life history strategy. We ask whether these observations, which have emerged from a decade of increased investigation of the cell biology of oligotrophs, might be relevant to recent discoveries of many microbial cell lineages in nature that share with oligotrophs the property of reduced genome size.
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Affiliation(s)
- Stephen E. Noell
- Department of Microbiology, Oregon State University, Corvallis, Oregon, USA
| | | | - Ben Temperton
- School of Biosciences, University of Exeter, Exeter, United Kingdom
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25
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Ni CE, Doan DP, Chiu YJ, Huang YH. TSSUNet-MB - ab initio identification of σ 70 promoter transcription start sites in Escherichia coli using deep multitask learning. Comput Biol Chem 2023; 105:107904. [PMID: 37327560 DOI: 10.1016/j.compbiolchem.2023.107904] [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: 07/16/2022] [Revised: 03/22/2023] [Accepted: 06/09/2023] [Indexed: 06/18/2023]
Abstract
MOTIVATION Computational promoter prediction (CPP) tools designed to classify prokaryotic promoter regions usually assume that a transcription start site (TSS) is located at a predefined position within each promoter region. Such CPP tools are sensitive to any positional shifting of the TSS in a windowed region, and they are unsuitable for determining the boundaries of prokaryotic promoters. RESULTS TSSUNet-MB is a deep learning model developed to identify the TSSs of σ70 promoters. Mononucleotide and bendability were used to encode input sequences. TSSUNet-MB outperforms other CPP tools when assessed using the sequences obtained from the neighborhood of real promoters. TSSUNet-MB achieved a sensitivity of 0.839 and specificity of 0.768 on sliding sequences, while other CPP tool cannot maintain both sensitivities and specificities in a compatible range. Furthermore, TSSUNet-MB can precisely predict the TSS position of σ70 promoter-containing regions with a 10-base accuracy of 77.6%. By leveraging the sliding window scanning approach, we further computed the confidence score of each predicted TSS, which allows for more accurately identifying TSS locations. Our results suggest that TSSUNet-MB is a robust tool for finding σ70 promoters and identifying TSSs.
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Affiliation(s)
- Chung-En Ni
- Institute of Biomedical Informatics, National Yang Ming Chiao Tung University, Taipei, Taiwan
| | - Duy-Phuong Doan
- Institute of Biomedical Informatics, National Yang Ming Chiao Tung University, Taipei, Taiwan
| | - Yen-Jung Chiu
- Institute of Biomedical Informatics, National Yang Ming Chiao Tung University, Taipei, Taiwan
| | - Yen-Hua Huang
- Institute of Biomedical Informatics, National Yang Ming Chiao Tung University, Taipei, Taiwan; Center for Systems and Synthetic Biology, National Yang Ming Chiao Tung University, Taipei, Taiwan.
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26
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Lu Q, Chen T, Wang J, Wang F, Ye W, Ma L, Wu S. Structural Insight into the Mechanism of σ32-Mediated Transcription Initiation of Bacterial RNA Polymerase. Biomolecules 2023; 13:biom13050738. [PMID: 37238608 DOI: 10.3390/biom13050738] [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: 02/13/2023] [Revised: 04/20/2023] [Accepted: 04/21/2023] [Indexed: 05/28/2023] Open
Abstract
Bacterial RNA polymerases (RNAP) form distinct holoenzymes with different σ factors to initiate diverse gene expression programs. In this study, we report a cryo-EM structure at 2.49 Å of RNA polymerase transcription complex containing a temperature-sensitive bacterial σ factor, σ32 (σ32-RPo). The structure of σ32-RPo reveals key interactions essential for the assembly of E. coli σ32-RNAP holoenzyme and for promoter recognition and unwinding by σ32. Specifically, a weak interaction between σ32 and -35/-10 spacer is mediated by T128 and K130 in σ32. A histidine in σ32, rather than a tryptophan in σ70, acts as a wedge to separate the base pair at the upstream junction of the transcription bubble, highlighting the differential promoter-melting capability of different residue combinations. Structure superimposition revealed relatively different orientations between βFTH and σ4 from other σ-engaged RNAPs and biochemical data suggest that a biased σ4-βFTH configuration may be adopted to modulate binding affinity to promoter so as to orchestrate the recognition and regulation of different promoters. Collectively, these unique structural features advance our understanding of the mechanism of transcription initiation mediated by different σ factors.
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Affiliation(s)
- Qiang Lu
- State Key Laboratory of Biocatalysis and Enzyme Engineering, Hubei Collaborative Innovation Center for Green Transformation of Bio-Resources, Hubei Key Laboratory of Industrial Biotechnology, School of Life Sciences, Hubei University, Wuhan 430062, China
| | - Taiyu Chen
- State Key Laboratory of Biocatalysis and Enzyme Engineering, Hubei Collaborative Innovation Center for Green Transformation of Bio-Resources, Hubei Key Laboratory of Industrial Biotechnology, School of Life Sciences, Hubei University, Wuhan 430062, China
| | - Jiening Wang
- State Key Laboratory of Biocatalysis and Enzyme Engineering, Hubei Collaborative Innovation Center for Green Transformation of Bio-Resources, Hubei Key Laboratory of Industrial Biotechnology, School of Life Sciences, Hubei University, Wuhan 430062, China
| | - Feng Wang
- State Key Laboratory of Biocatalysis and Enzyme Engineering, Hubei Collaborative Innovation Center for Green Transformation of Bio-Resources, Hubei Key Laboratory of Industrial Biotechnology, School of Life Sciences, Hubei University, Wuhan 430062, China
| | - Wenlong Ye
- State Key Laboratory of Biocatalysis and Enzyme Engineering, Hubei Collaborative Innovation Center for Green Transformation of Bio-Resources, Hubei Key Laboratory of Industrial Biotechnology, School of Life Sciences, Hubei University, Wuhan 430062, China
| | - Lixin Ma
- State Key Laboratory of Biocatalysis and Enzyme Engineering, Hubei Collaborative Innovation Center for Green Transformation of Bio-Resources, Hubei Key Laboratory of Industrial Biotechnology, School of Life Sciences, Hubei University, Wuhan 430062, China
| | - Shan Wu
- State Key Laboratory of Biocatalysis and Enzyme Engineering, Hubei Collaborative Innovation Center for Green Transformation of Bio-Resources, Hubei Key Laboratory of Industrial Biotechnology, School of Life Sciences, Hubei University, Wuhan 430062, China
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27
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Zhang X, Li J, Chen C, Liu YJ, Cui Q, Hong W, Chen Z, Feng Y, Cui G. Molecular Basis of TcdR-Dependent Promoter Activity for Toxin Production by Clostridioides difficile Studied by a Heterologous Reporter System. Toxins (Basel) 2023; 15:toxins15050306. [PMID: 37235341 DOI: 10.3390/toxins15050306] [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: 02/22/2023] [Revised: 04/17/2023] [Accepted: 04/19/2023] [Indexed: 05/28/2023] Open
Abstract
The alternative σ factor TcdR controls the synthesis of two major enterotoxins: TcdA and TcdB in Clostridioides difficile. Four potential TcdR-dependent promoters in the pathogenicity locus of C. difficile showed different activities. In this study, we constructed a heterologous system in Bacillus subtilis to investigate the molecular basis of TcdR-dependent promoter activity. The promoters of the two major enterotoxins showed strong TcdR-dependent activity, while the two putative TcdR-dependent promoters in the upstream region of the tcdR gene did not show detectable activity, suggesting that the autoregulation of TcdR may need other unknown factors involved. Mutation analysis indicated that the divergent -10 region is the key determinant for different activities of the TcdR-dependent promoters. Analysis of the TcdR model predicted by AlphaFold2 suggested that TcdR should be classified into group 4, i.e., extracytoplasmic function, σ70 factors. The results of this study provide the molecular basis of the TcdR-dependent promoter recognition for toxin production. This study also suggests the feasibility of the heterologous system in analyzing σ factor functions and possibly in drug development targeting these factors.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xinyue Zhang
- Key Laboratory of Microbiology and Parasitology of Education Department of Guizhou & Key Laboratory of Medical Molecular Biology of Guizhou Province, Guizhou Medical University, Guiyang 550025, China
- CAS Key Laboratory of Biofuels, Shandong Provincial Key Laboratory of Synthetic Biology, Shandong Engineering Laboratory of Single Cell Oil, Qingdao Institute of Bioenergy and Bioprocess Technology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Qingdao 266101, China
- Joint Laboratory of Helicobacter Pylori and Intestinal Microecology of Affiliated Hospital of Guizhou Medical University, Guiyang 550025, China
- Shandong Energy Institute, Qingdao 266101, China
- Qingdao New Energy Shandong Laboratory, Qingdao 266101, China
| | - Jie Li
- CAS Key Laboratory of Biofuels, Shandong Provincial Key Laboratory of Synthetic Biology, Shandong Engineering Laboratory of Single Cell Oil, Qingdao Institute of Bioenergy and Bioprocess Technology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Qingdao 266101, China
- Shandong Energy Institute, Qingdao 266101, China
- Qingdao New Energy Shandong Laboratory, Qingdao 266101, China
- University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100049, China
| | - Chao Chen
- CAS Key Laboratory of Biofuels, Shandong Provincial Key Laboratory of Synthetic Biology, Shandong Engineering Laboratory of Single Cell Oil, Qingdao Institute of Bioenergy and Bioprocess Technology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Qingdao 266101, China
- Shandong Energy Institute, Qingdao 266101, China
- Qingdao New Energy Shandong Laboratory, Qingdao 266101, China
- University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100049, China
| | - Ya-Jun Liu
- CAS Key Laboratory of Biofuels, Shandong Provincial Key Laboratory of Synthetic Biology, Shandong Engineering Laboratory of Single Cell Oil, Qingdao Institute of Bioenergy and Bioprocess Technology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Qingdao 266101, China
- Shandong Energy Institute, Qingdao 266101, China
- Qingdao New Energy Shandong Laboratory, Qingdao 266101, China
- University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100049, China
| | - Qiu Cui
- CAS Key Laboratory of Biofuels, Shandong Provincial Key Laboratory of Synthetic Biology, Shandong Engineering Laboratory of Single Cell Oil, Qingdao Institute of Bioenergy and Bioprocess Technology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Qingdao 266101, China
- Shandong Energy Institute, Qingdao 266101, China
- Qingdao New Energy Shandong Laboratory, Qingdao 266101, China
- University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100049, China
| | - Wei Hong
- Key Laboratory of Microbiology and Parasitology of Education Department of Guizhou & Key Laboratory of Medical Molecular Biology of Guizhou Province, Guizhou Medical University, Guiyang 550025, China
| | - Zhenghong Chen
- Key Laboratory of Microbiology and Parasitology of Education Department of Guizhou & Key Laboratory of Medical Molecular Biology of Guizhou Province, Guizhou Medical University, Guiyang 550025, China
- Joint Laboratory of Helicobacter Pylori and Intestinal Microecology of Affiliated Hospital of Guizhou Medical University, Guiyang 550025, China
| | - Yingang Feng
- Key Laboratory of Microbiology and Parasitology of Education Department of Guizhou & Key Laboratory of Medical Molecular Biology of Guizhou Province, Guizhou Medical University, Guiyang 550025, China
- CAS Key Laboratory of Biofuels, Shandong Provincial Key Laboratory of Synthetic Biology, Shandong Engineering Laboratory of Single Cell Oil, Qingdao Institute of Bioenergy and Bioprocess Technology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Qingdao 266101, China
- Shandong Energy Institute, Qingdao 266101, China
- Qingdao New Energy Shandong Laboratory, Qingdao 266101, China
- University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100049, China
| | - Guzhen Cui
- Key Laboratory of Microbiology and Parasitology of Education Department of Guizhou & Key Laboratory of Medical Molecular Biology of Guizhou Province, Guizhou Medical University, Guiyang 550025, China
- Joint Laboratory of Helicobacter Pylori and Intestinal Microecology of Affiliated Hospital of Guizhou Medical University, Guiyang 550025, China
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28
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Rubio-Canalejas A, Pedraz L, Torrents E. ReViTA: A novel in vitro transcription system to study gene regulation. N Biotechnol 2023; 76:41-48. [PMID: 37080534 DOI: 10.1016/j.nbt.2023.04.005] [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: 12/11/2022] [Revised: 03/17/2023] [Accepted: 04/17/2023] [Indexed: 04/22/2023]
Abstract
ReViTA (Reverse in VitroTranscription Assay) is a novel in vitro transcription-based method to study gene expression under the regulation of specific transcription factors. The ReViTA system uses a plasmid with a control sequence, the promoter region of the studied gene, the transcription factor of interest, and an RNA polymerase saturated with σ70. The main objective of this study was to evaluate the method; thus, as a proof of concept, two different transcription factors were used, a transcriptional inducer, AlgR, and a repressor, LexA, from Pseudomonas aeruginosa. After the promoters were incubated with the transcription factors, the plasmid was transcribed into RNA and reverse transcribed to cDNA. Gene expression was measured using qRTPCR. Using the ReViTA plasmid, transcription induction of 55% was observed when AlgR protein was added and a 27% transcription reduction with the repressor LexA, compared with the samples without transcription factors. The results demonstrated the correct functioning of ReViTA as a novel method to study transcription factors and gene expression. Thus, ReViTA could be a rapid and accessible in vitro method to evaluate genes and regulators of various species.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alba Rubio-Canalejas
- Bacterial infections and antimicrobial therapies group, Institute for Bioengineering of Catalonia (IBEC), The Barcelona Institute of Science and Technology (BIST). Baldiri Reixac 15-21. 08028 Barcelona, Spain
| | - Lucas Pedraz
- Centre for Microbial Diseases and Immunity Research. University of British Columbia. Vancouver BC V6T1Z4, Canada
| | - Eduard Torrents
- Bacterial infections and antimicrobial therapies group, Institute for Bioengineering of Catalonia (IBEC), The Barcelona Institute of Science and Technology (BIST). Baldiri Reixac 15-21. 08028 Barcelona, Spain; Microbiology Section, Department of Genetics, Microbiology and Statistics, Faculty of Biology, University of Barcelona, 643 Diagonal Ave., 08028, Barcelona, Spain.
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29
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Moon S, Ham S, Jeong J, Ku H, Kim H, Lee C. Temperature Matters: Bacterial Response to Temperature Change. J Microbiol 2023; 61:343-357. [PMID: 37010795 DOI: 10.1007/s12275-023-00031-x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/09/2023] [Revised: 02/13/2023] [Accepted: 02/13/2023] [Indexed: 04/04/2023]
Abstract
Temperature is one of the most important factors in all living organisms for survival. Being a unicellular organism, bacterium requires sensitive sensing and defense mechanisms to tolerate changes in temperature. During a temperature shift, the structure and composition of various cellular molecules including nucleic acids, proteins, and membranes are affected. In addition, numerous genes are induced during heat or cold shocks to overcome the cellular stresses, which are known as heat- and cold-shock proteins. In this review, we describe the cellular phenomena that occur with temperature change and bacterial responses from a molecular perspective, mainly in Escherichia coli.
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Affiliation(s)
- Seongjoon Moon
- Department of Biological Sciences, Ajou University, Suwon, 16499, Republic of Korea
| | - Soojeong Ham
- Department of Biological Sciences, Ajou University, Suwon, 16499, Republic of Korea
| | - Juwon Jeong
- Department of Biological Sciences, Ajou University, Suwon, 16499, Republic of Korea
| | - Heechan Ku
- Department of Biological Sciences, Ajou University, Suwon, 16499, Republic of Korea
| | - Hyunhee Kim
- Department of Biological Sciences, Ajou University, Suwon, 16499, Republic of Korea.
| | - Changhan Lee
- Department of Biological Sciences, Ajou University, Suwon, 16499, Republic of Korea.
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30
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Deng S. The origin of genetic and metabolic systems: Evolutionary structuralinsights. Heliyon 2023; 9:e14466. [PMID: 36967965 PMCID: PMC10036676 DOI: 10.1016/j.heliyon.2023.e14466] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/22/2022] [Revised: 02/27/2023] [Accepted: 03/06/2023] [Indexed: 03/16/2023] Open
Abstract
DNA is derived from reverse transcription and its origin is related to reverse transcriptase, DNA polymerase and integrase. The gene structure originated from the evolution of the first RNA polymerase. Thus, an explanation of the origin of the genetic system must also explain the evolution of these enzymes. This paper proposes a polymer structure model, termed the stable complex evolution model, which explains the evolution of enzymes and functional molecules. Enzymes evolved their functions by forming locally tightly packed complexes with specific substrates. A metabolic reaction can therefore be considered to be the result of adaptive evolution in this way when a certain essential molecule is lacking in a cell. The evolution of the primitive genetic and metabolic systems was thus coordinated and synchronized. According to the stable complex model, almost all functional molecules establish binding affinity and specific recognition through complementary interactions, and functional molecules therefore have the nature of being auto-reactive. This is thermodynamically favorable and leads to functional duplication and self-organization. Therefore, it can be speculated that biological systems have a certain tendency to maintain functional stability or are influenced by an inherent selective power. The evolution of dormant bacteria may support this hypothesis, and inherent selectivity can be unified with natural selection at the molecular level.
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Neira JL, Palomino-Schätzlein M. Folding of the nascent polypeptide chain of a histidine phosphocarrier protein in vitro. Arch Biochem Biophys 2023; 736:109538. [PMID: 36738980 DOI: 10.1016/j.abb.2023.109538] [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: 12/19/2022] [Revised: 01/28/2023] [Accepted: 02/01/2023] [Indexed: 02/05/2023]
Abstract
The phosphotransferase system (PTS), a metabolic pathway formed by five proteins, modulates the use of sugars in bacteria. The second protein in the chain is the histidine phosphocarrier, HPr, with the binding site at His15. The HPr kinase/phosphorylase (HPrK/P), involved in the bacterial use of carbon sources, phosphorylates HPr at Ser46, and it binds at its binding site. The regulator of sigma D protein (Rsd) also binds to HPr at His15. We have designed fragments of HPr, growing from its N-terminus and containing the His15. In this work, we obtained three fragments, HPr38, HPr58 and HPr70, comprising the first thirty-eight, fifty-eight and seventy residues of HPr, respectively. All fragments were mainly disordered, with evidence of a weak native-like, helical population around the binding site, as shown by fluorescence, far-ultraviolet circular dichroism, size exclusion chromatography and nuclear magnetic resonance. Although HPr38, HPr58 and HPr70 were disordered, they could bind to: (i) the N-terminal domain of first protein of the PTS, EIN; (ii) Rsd; and, (iii) HPrK/P, as shown by fluorescence and biolayer interferometry (BLI). The association constants for each protein to any of the fragments were in the low micromolar range, within the same range than those measured in the binding of HPr to each protein. Then, although acquisition of stable, native-like secondary and tertiary structures occurred at the last residues of the polypeptide, the ability to bind protein partners happened much earlier in the growing chain. Binding was related to the presence of the native-like structure around His15.
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Affiliation(s)
- José L Neira
- IDIBE, Universidad Miguel Hernández, 03202, Elche, Alicante, Spain; Instituto de Biocomputación y Física de Sistemas Complejos (BIFI), Joint Units IQFR-CSIC-BIFI and GBsC-CSIC-BIFI, Universidad de Zaragoza, 50018, Zaragoza, Spain.
| | - Martina Palomino-Schätzlein
- ProtoQSAR SL, CEEI-Valencia, Parque Tecnológico de Valencia, Av. Benjamin Franklin 12 (Dep. 8), 46980, Paterna, Valencia, Spain
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Arroyo-Mendoza M, Proctor A, Correa-Medina A, Brand MW, Rosas V, Wannemuehler MJ, Phillips GJ, Hinton DM. The E. coli pathobiont LF82 encodes a unique variant of σ 70 that results in specific gene expression changes and altered phenotypes. BIORXIV : THE PREPRINT SERVER FOR BIOLOGY 2023:2023.02.08.523653. [PMID: 36798310 PMCID: PMC9934711 DOI: 10.1101/2023.02.08.523653] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/11/2023]
Abstract
LF82, an adherent invasive Escherichia coli pathobiont, is associated with ileal Crohn's disease, an inflammatory bowel disease of unknown etiology. Although LF82 contains no virulence genes, it carries several genetic differences, including single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs), that distinguish it from nonpathogenic E. coli. We have identified and investigated an extremely rare SNP that is within the highly conserved rpoD gene, encoding σ70, the primary sigma factor for RNA polymerase. We demonstrate that this single residue change (D445V) results in specific transcriptome and phenotypic changes that are consistent with multiple phenotypes observed in LF82, including increased antibiotic resistance and biofilm formation, modulation of motility, and increased capacity for methionine biosynthesis. Our work demonstrates that a single residue change within the bacterial primary sigma factor can lead to multiple alterations in gene expression and phenotypic changes, suggesting an underrecognized mechanism by which pathobionts and other strain variants with new phenotypes can emerge.
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Affiliation(s)
- Melissa Arroyo-Mendoza
- Gene Expression and Regulation Section, Laboratory of Biochemistry and Genetics, National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases, National Institutes of Health, 8 Center Dr., Bethesda, MD, United States, 20892
- Department of Veterinary Microbiology and Preventative Medicine, College of Veterinary Medicine, Iowa State University, Ames, IA, United States, 50011
| | - Alexandra Proctor
- Department of Veterinary Microbiology and Preventative Medicine, College of Veterinary Medicine, Iowa State University, Ames, IA, United States, 50011
| | - Abraham Correa-Medina
- Gene Expression and Regulation Section, Laboratory of Biochemistry and Genetics, National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases, National Institutes of Health, 8 Center Dr., Bethesda, MD, United States, 20892
| | - Meghan Wymore Brand
- Department of Veterinary Microbiology and Preventative Medicine, College of Veterinary Medicine, Iowa State University, Ames, IA, United States, 50011
| | - Virginia Rosas
- Gene Expression and Regulation Section, Laboratory of Biochemistry and Genetics, National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases, National Institutes of Health, 8 Center Dr., Bethesda, MD, United States, 20892
| | - Michael J Wannemuehler
- Department of Veterinary Microbiology and Preventative Medicine, College of Veterinary Medicine, Iowa State University, Ames, IA, United States, 50011
| | - Gregory J Phillips
- Department of Veterinary Microbiology and Preventative Medicine, College of Veterinary Medicine, Iowa State University, Ames, IA, United States, 50011
| | - Deborah M Hinton
- Gene Expression and Regulation Section, Laboratory of Biochemistry and Genetics, National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases, National Institutes of Health, 8 Center Dr., Bethesda, MD, United States, 20892
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Yang HW, Lee JH, Zhao Y. RpoN Regulon in Erwinia amylovora Revealed by Transcriptional Profiling and In Silico Binding Site Analysis. PHYTOPATHOLOGY 2023; 113:183-193. [PMID: 35994732 DOI: 10.1094/phyto-07-22-0255-r] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/15/2023]
Abstract
Erwinia amylovora causes a devastating fire blight disease in apples and pears. One of the main virulence determinants in E. amylovora is the hypersensitive response (HR) and pathogenicity (hrp)-type III secretion system (T3SS), which is activated by the RpoN-HrpL sigma factor cascade. However, the RpoN regulon in E. amylovora has not been investigated. In this study, we determined the RpoN regulon in E. amylovora by combining RNA-seq transcriptomic analysis with in silico binding site analysis. RNA-seq revealed that 262 genes, approximately 7.5% genes in the genome of E. amylovora, were differentially transcribed in the rpoN mutant as compared with the wild type. Specifically, genes associated with virulence, motility, nitrogen assimilation, the PspF system, stress response, and arginine biosynthesis are positively regulated by RpoN, whereas genes associated with biosynthesis of amino acids and sorbitol transport are negatively regulated by RpoN. In silico binding site analysis identified 46 potential target genes with a putative RpoN binding site, and the upstream sequences of six, three, and three genes also contain putative GlnG, PspF, and YfhA binding sites, respectively. Overall, RpoN directly regulates genes associated with virulence, nitrogen assimilation, the PspF system, motility and the YfhA/YfhK two-component regulatory system.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ho-Wen Yang
- Department of Crop Sciences, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, Urbana, IL 61801, U.S.A
| | - Jae-Hoon Lee
- Department of Crop Sciences, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, Urbana, IL 61801, U.S.A
| | - Youfu Zhao
- Department of Crop Sciences, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, Urbana, IL 61801, U.S.A
- Department of Plant Pathology, WSU-IAREC, Prosser, WA 99350, U.S.A
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Ye F, Gao F, Liu X, Buck M, Zhang X. Mechanisms of DNA opening revealed in AAA+ transcription complex structures. SCIENCE ADVANCES 2022; 8:eadd3479. [PMID: 36542713 PMCID: PMC9770992 DOI: 10.1126/sciadv.add3479] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/06/2022] [Accepted: 11/07/2022] [Indexed: 06/17/2023]
Abstract
Gene transcription is carried out by RNA polymerase (RNAP) and requires the conversion of the initial closed promoter complex, where DNA is double stranded, to a transcription-competent open promoter complex, where DNA is opened up. In bacteria, RNAP relies on σ factors for its promoter specificities. Using a special form of sigma factor (σ54), which forms a stable closed complex and requires its activator that belongs to the AAA+ ATPases (ATPases associated with diverse cellular activities), we obtained cryo-electron microscopy structures of transcription initiation complexes that reveal a previously unidentified process of DNA melting opening. The σ54 amino terminus threads through the locally opened up DNA and then becomes enclosed by the AAA+ hexameric ring in the activator-bound intermediate complex. Our structures suggest how ATP hydrolysis by the AAA+ activator could remove the σ54 inhibition while helping to open up DNA, using σ54 amino-terminal peptide as a pry bar.
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Affiliation(s)
- Fuzhou Ye
- Section of Structural and Synthetic Biology, Department of Infectious Disease, Faculty of Medicine, Imperial College London, South Kensington SW7 2AZ, UK
| | - Forson Gao
- Section of Structural and Synthetic Biology, Department of Infectious Disease, Faculty of Medicine, Imperial College London, South Kensington SW7 2AZ, UK
| | - Xiaojiao Liu
- Section of Structural and Synthetic Biology, Department of Infectious Disease, Faculty of Medicine, Imperial College London, South Kensington SW7 2AZ, UK
| | - Martin Buck
- Department of Life Sciences, Imperial College London, South Kensington SW7 2AZ, UK
| | - Xiaodong Zhang
- Section of Structural and Synthetic Biology, Department of Infectious Disease, Faculty of Medicine, Imperial College London, South Kensington SW7 2AZ, UK
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Balakrishnan R, Mori M, Segota I, Zhang Z, Aebersold R, Ludwig C, Hwa T. Principles of gene regulation quantitatively connect DNA to RNA and proteins in bacteria. Science 2022; 378:eabk2066. [PMID: 36480614 PMCID: PMC9804519 DOI: 10.1126/science.abk2066] [Citation(s) in RCA: 43] [Impact Index Per Article: 21.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/13/2022]
Abstract
Protein concentrations are set by a complex interplay between gene-specific regulatory processes and systemic factors, including cell volume and shared gene expression machineries. Elucidating this interplay is crucial for discerning and designing gene regulatory systems. We quantitatively characterized gene-specific and systemic factors that affect transcription and translation genome-wide for Escherichia coli across many conditions. The results revealed two design principles that make regulation of gene expression insulated from concentrations of shared machineries: RNA polymerase activity is fine-tuned to match translational output, and translational characteristics are similar across most messenger RNAs (mRNAs). Consequently, in bacteria, protein concentration is set primarily at the promoter level. A simple mathematical formula relates promoter activities and protein concentrations across growth conditions, enabling quantitative inference of gene regulation from omics data.
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Affiliation(s)
- Rohan Balakrishnan
- Department of Physics, University of California at San Diego, La Jolla, California 92093-0374
| | - Matteo Mori
- Department of Physics, University of California at San Diego, La Jolla, California 92093-0374
| | - Igor Segota
- Departments of Medicine and Pharmacology, University of California at San Diego, La Jolla, California 92093
| | - Zhongge Zhang
- Section of Molecular Biology, Division of Biological Sciences, University of California at San Diego, La Jolla, California 92093
| | - Ruedi Aebersold
- Faculty of Science, University of Zurich, Zurich, Switzerland
- Department of Biology, Institute of Molecular Systems Biology, ETH Zurich, Switzerland
| | - Christina Ludwig
- Bavarian Center for Biomolecular Mass Spectrometry (BayBioMS), Technical University of Munich (TUM), Freising, Germany
| | - Terence Hwa
- Department of Physics, University of California at San Diego, La Jolla, California 92093-0374
- Section of Molecular Biology, Division of Biological Sciences, University of California at San Diego, La Jolla, California 92093
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Bang I, Khanh Nong L, Young Park J, Thi Le H, Mok Lee S, Kim D. ChEAP: ChIP-exo analysis pipeline and the investigation of Escherichia coli RpoN protein-DNA interactions. Comput Struct Biotechnol J 2022; 21:99-104. [PMID: 36544470 PMCID: PMC9735260 DOI: 10.1016/j.csbj.2022.11.053] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/19/2022] [Revised: 11/25/2022] [Accepted: 11/25/2022] [Indexed: 12/03/2022] Open
Abstract
Genome-scale studies of the bacterial regulatory network have been leveraged by declining sequencing cost and advances in ChIP (chromatin immunoprecipitation) methods. Of which, ChIP-exo has proven competent with its near-single base-pair resolution. While several algorithms and programs have been developed for different analytical steps in ChIP-exo data processing, there is a lack of effort in incorporating them into a convenient bioinformatics pipeline that is intuitive and publicly available. In this paper, we developed ChIP-exo Analysis Pipeline (ChEAP) that executes the one-step process, starting from trimming and aligning raw sequencing reads to visualization of ChIP-exo results. The pipeline was implemented on the interactive web-based Python development environment - Jupyter Notebook, which is compatible with the Google Colab cloud platform to facilitate the sharing of codes and collaboration among researchers. Additionally, users could exploit the free GPU and CPU resources allocated by Colab to carry out computing tasks regardless of the performance of their local machines. The utility of ChEAP was demonstrated with the ChIP-exo datasets of RpoN sigma factor in E. coli K-12 MG1655. To analyze two raw data files, ChEAP runtime was 2 min and 25 s. Subsequent analyses identified 113 RpoN binding sites showing a conserved RpoN binding pattern in the motif search. ChEAP application in ChIP-exo data analysis is extensive and flexible for the parallel processing of data from various organisms.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ina Bang
- School of Energy and Chemical Engineering, Ulsan National Institute of Science and Technology (UNIST), Ulsan 44919, Republic of Korea
| | - Linh Khanh Nong
- School of Energy and Chemical Engineering, Ulsan National Institute of Science and Technology (UNIST), Ulsan 44919, Republic of Korea
| | - Joon Young Park
- School of Energy and Chemical Engineering, Ulsan National Institute of Science and Technology (UNIST), Ulsan 44919, Republic of Korea
| | - Hoa Thi Le
- School of Energy and Chemical Engineering, Ulsan National Institute of Science and Technology (UNIST), Ulsan 44919, Republic of Korea
| | - Sang- Mok Lee
- School of Energy and Chemical Engineering, Ulsan National Institute of Science and Technology (UNIST), Ulsan 44919, Republic of Korea
| | - Donghyuk Kim
- School of Energy and Chemical Engineering, Ulsan National Institute of Science and Technology (UNIST), Ulsan 44919, Republic of Korea,Schools of Life Sciences, Ulsan National Institute of Science and Technology (UNIST), Ulsan 44919, Republic of Korea,Corresponding author at: School of Energy and Chemical Engineering, Ulsan National Institute of Science and Technology (UNIST), Ulsan 44919, Republic of Korea.
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37
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Liu H, Knox CA, Jakkula LUMR, Wang Y, Peddireddi L, Ganta RR. Evaluating EcxR for Its Possible Role in Ehrlichia chaffeensis Gene Regulation. Int J Mol Sci 2022; 23:12719. [PMID: 36361509 PMCID: PMC9657007 DOI: 10.3390/ijms232112719] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/22/2022] [Revised: 10/17/2022] [Accepted: 10/19/2022] [Indexed: 04/14/2024] Open
Abstract
Ehrlichia chaffeensis, a tick-transmitted intraphagosomal bacterium, is the causative agent of human monocytic ehrlichiosis. The pathogen also infects several other vertebrate hosts. E. chaffeensis has a biphasic developmental cycle during its growth in vertebrate monocytes/macrophages and invertebrate tick cells. Host- and vector-specific differences in the gene expression from many genes of E. chaffeensis are well documented. It is unclear how the organism regulates gene expression during its developmental cycle and for its adaptation to vertebrate and tick host cell environments. We previously mapped promoters of several E. chaffeensis genes which are recognized by its only two sigma factors: σ32 and σ70. In the current study, we investigated in assessing five predicted E. chaffeensis transcription regulators; EcxR, CtrA, MerR, HU and Tr1 for their possible roles in regulating the pathogen gene expression. Promoter segments of three genes each transcribed with the RNA polymerase containing σ70 (HU, P28-Omp14 and P28-Omp19) and σ32 (ClpB, DnaK and GroES/L) were evaluated by employing multiple independent molecular methods. We report that EcxR binds to all six promoters tested. Promoter-specific binding of EcxR to several gene promoters results in varying levels of gene expression enhancement. This is the first detailed molecular characterization of transcription regulators where we identified EcxR as a gene regulator having multiple promoter-specific interactions.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | | | | | | | - Roman R. Ganta
- Center of Excellence for Vector-Borne Diseases (CEVBD), Department of Diagnostic Medicine/Pathobiology, College of Veterinary Medicine, Kansas State University, Manhattan, KS 66506, USA
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Jung J, Bugenyi AW, Lee MR, Choi YJ, Song KD, Lee HK, Son YO, Lee DS, Lee SC, Son YJ, Heo J. High-quality metagenome-assembled genomes from proximal colonic microbiomes of synbiotic-treated korean native black pigs reveal changes in functional capacity. Sci Rep 2022; 12:14595. [PMID: 36109557 PMCID: PMC9478101 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-022-18503-2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/18/2022] [Accepted: 08/12/2022] [Indexed: 11/22/2022] Open
Abstract
Synbiotics are feed supplements with the potential to promote health and productivity in pigs partly, through modulation of the intestinal microbiome. Our study used shotgun sequencing and 16S rRNA gene sequencing techniques to characterize the effect of a synbiotic containing three Lactobacillus species and a fructo-oligosaccharide on the proximal colonic microbiome of 4- to 7-month-old Korean native black gilts. With shotgun sequencing we constructed unique metagenome-assembled genomes of gut microbiota in Native Black Pig for the first time, which we then used for downstream analysis. Results showed that synbiotic treatment did not alter microbial diversity and evenness within the proximal colons, but altered composition of some members of the Lactobacillaceae, Enterococcaceae and Streptococcaceae families. Functional analysis of the shotgun sequence data revealed 8 clusters of orthologous groups (COGs) that were differentially represented in the proximal colonic microbiomes of synbiotic-treated Jeju black pigs relative to controls. In conclusion, our results show that administering this synbiotic causes changes in the functional capacity of the proximal colonic microbiome of the Korean native black pig. This study improves our understanding of the potential impact of synbiotics on the colonic microbiome of Korean native black pigs.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jaehoon Jung
- Research Institute of Agriculture and Life Sciences, Seoul National University, Seoul, 151-742, Republic of Korea
- eGnome, 26 Beobwon-ro, Songpa-gu, Seoul, 05836, Republic of Korea
| | - Andrew W Bugenyi
- Department of Agricultural Convergence Technology, Jeonbuk National University, Jeonju, 54896, Republic of Korea
- National Agricultural Research Organization, Mbarara, Uganda
| | - Ma-Ro Lee
- Department of Animal Biotechnology, Jeonbuk National University, Jeonju, 54896, Republic of Korea
| | - Yeon-Jae Choi
- International Agricultural Development and Cooperation Center, Jeonbuk National University, Jeonju, 54896, Korea
| | - Ki-Duk Song
- The Animal Molecular Genetics and Breeding Center, Jeonbuk National University, Jeonju, 54896, Republic of Korea
| | - Hak-Kyo Lee
- Department of Animal Biotechnology, Jeonbuk National University, Jeonju, 54896, Republic of Korea
- International Agricultural Development and Cooperation Center, Jeonbuk National University, Jeonju, 54896, Korea
- The Animal Molecular Genetics and Breeding Center, Jeonbuk National University, Jeonju, 54896, Republic of Korea
| | - Young-Ok Son
- Department of Animal Biotechnology, Faculty of Biotechnology, College of Applied Life Sciences and Interdisciplinary Graduate Program in Advanced Convergence Technology and Science, Jeju National University, Jeju, 63243, Republic of Korea
- Jeju Microbiome Research Center, Jeju National University, Jeju, Jeju Special Self-Governing Province, 63243, Republic of Korea
| | - Dong-Sun Lee
- Faculty of Biotechnology, College of Applied Life Sciences and Interdisciplinary Graduate Program in Advanced Convergence Technology and Science, Jeju National University, Jeju, 63243, Republic of Korea
- Jeju Microbiome Research Center, Jeju National University, Jeju, Jeju Special Self-Governing Province, 63243, Republic of Korea
| | | | | | - Jaeyoung Heo
- Department of Animal Biotechnology, Jeonbuk National University, Jeonju, 54896, Republic of Korea.
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Wang M, Li F, Wu H, Liu Q, Li S. PredPromoter-MF(2L): A Novel Approach of Promoter Prediction Based on Multi-source Feature Fusion and Deep Forest. Interdiscip Sci 2022; 14:697-711. [PMID: 35488998 DOI: 10.1007/s12539-022-00520-4] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/19/2021] [Revised: 04/05/2022] [Accepted: 04/05/2022] [Indexed: 12/12/2022]
Abstract
Promoters short DNA sequences play vital roles in initiating gene transcription. However, it remains a challenge to identify promoters using conventional experiment techniques in a high-throughput manner. To this end, several computational predictors based on machine learning models have been developed, while their performance is unsatisfactory. In this study, we proposed a novel two-layer predictor, called PredPromoter-MF(2L), based on multi-source feature fusion and ensemble learning. PredPromoter-MF(2L) was developed based on various deep features learned by a pre-trained deep learning network model and sequence-derived features. Feature selection based on XGBoost was applied to reduce fused features dimensions, and a cascade deep forest model was trained on the selected feature subset for promoter prediction. The results both fivefold cross-validation and independent test demonstrated that PredPromoter-MF(2L) outperformed state-of-the-art methods.
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Affiliation(s)
- Miao Wang
- College of Information Engineering, Northwest A&F University, Yangling, 712100, Shanxi, China
| | - Fuyi Li
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, The Peter Doherty Institute for Infection and Immunity, The University of Melbourne, 792 Elizabeth Street, Melbourne, VIC, 3000, Australia
| | - Hao Wu
- School of Software, Shandong University, Jinan, 250100, Shandong, China
| | - Quanzhong Liu
- College of Information Engineering, Northwest A&F University, Yangling, 712100, Shanxi, China.
| | - Shuqin Li
- College of Information Engineering, Northwest A&F University, Yangling, 712100, Shanxi, China.
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Berkvens A, Chauhan P, Bruggeman FJ. Integrative biology of persister cell formation: molecular circuitry, phenotypic diversification and fitness effects. JOURNAL OF THE ROYAL SOCIETY, INTERFACE 2022; 19:20220129. [PMID: 36099930 PMCID: PMC9470271 DOI: 10.1098/rsif.2022.0129] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/31/2022]
Abstract
Microbial populations often contain persister cells, which reduce the extinction risk upon sudden stresses. Persister cell formation is deeply intertwined with physiology. Due to this complexity, it cannot be satisfactorily understood by focusing only on mechanistic, physiological or evolutionary aspects. In this review, we take an integrative biology perspective to identify common principles of persister cell formation, which might be applicable across evolutionary-distinct microbes. Persister cells probably evolved to cope with a fundamental trade-off between cellular stress and growth tasks, as any biosynthetic resource investment in growth-supporting proteins is at the expense of stress tasks and vice versa. Natural selection probably favours persister cell subpopulation formation over a single-phenotype strategy, where each cell is prepared for growth and stress to a suboptimal extent, since persister cells can withstand harsher environments and their coexistence with growing cells leads to a higher fitness. The formation of coexisting phenotypes requires bistable molecular circuitry. Bistability probably emerges from growth-modulated, positive feedback loops in the cell's growth versus stress control network, involving interactions between sigma factors, guanosine pentaphosphate and toxin-antitoxin (TA) systems. We conclude that persister cell formation is most likely a response to a sudden reduction in growth rate, which can be achieved by antibiotic addition, nutrient starvation, sudden stresses, nutrient transitions or activation of a TA system.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alicia Berkvens
- Systems Biology Lab, AIMMS, VU University, De Boelelaan 1087, 1081 HV Amsterdam, The Netherlands
| | - Priyanka Chauhan
- Systems Biology Lab, AIMMS, VU University, De Boelelaan 1087, 1081 HV Amsterdam, The Netherlands
| | - Frank J Bruggeman
- Systems Biology Lab, AIMMS, VU University, De Boelelaan 1087, 1081 HV Amsterdam, The Netherlands
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Rom JS, Le Breton Y, Islam E, Belew AT, El-Sayed NM, McIver KS. Loss of rpoE Encoding the δ-Factor of RNA Polymerase Impacts Pathophysiology of the Streptococcus pyogenes M1T1 Strain 5448. Microorganisms 2022; 10:microorganisms10081686. [PMID: 36014103 PMCID: PMC9412562 DOI: 10.3390/microorganisms10081686] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/19/2022] [Revised: 08/08/2022] [Accepted: 08/19/2022] [Indexed: 12/01/2022] Open
Abstract
Streptococcus pyogenes, also known as the Group A Streptococcus (GAS), is a Gram-positive bacterial pathogen of major clinical significance. Despite remaining relatively susceptible to conventional antimicrobial therapeutics, GAS still causes millions of infections and hundreds of thousands of deaths each year worldwide. Thus, a need for prophylactic and therapeutic interventions for GAS is in great demand. In this study, we investigated the importance of the gene encoding the delta (δ) subunit of the GAS RNA polymerase, rpoE, for its impact on virulence during skin and soft-tissue infection. A defined 5448 mutant with an insertionally-inactivated rpoE gene was defective for survival in whole human blood and was attenuated for both disseminated lethality and lesion size upon mono-culture infection in mouse soft tissue. Furthermore, the mutant had reduced competitive fitness when co-infected with wild type (WT) 5448 in the mouse model. We were unable to attribute this attenuation to any observable growth defect, although colony size and the ability to grow at higher temperatures were both affected when grown with nutrient-rich THY media. RNA-seq of GAS grown in THY to late log phase found that mutation of rpoE significantly impacted (>2-fold) the expression of 429 total genes (205 upregulated, 224 downregulated), including multiple virulence and “housekeeping” genes. The arc operon encoding the arginine deiminase (ADI) pathway was the most upregulated in the rpoE mutant and this could be confirmed phenotypically. Taken together, these findings demonstrate that the delta (δ) subunit of RNA polymerase is vital in GAS gene expression and virulence.
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Activation of the SigE-SigB signaling pathway by inhibition of the respiratory electron transport chain and its effect on rifampicin resistance in Mycobacterium smegmatis. J Microbiol 2022; 60:935-947. [DOI: 10.1007/s12275-022-2202-0] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/09/2022] [Revised: 07/01/2022] [Accepted: 07/05/2022] [Indexed: 10/16/2022]
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Cai X, Li X, Qin J, Zhang Y, Yan B, Cai J. Gene rppA co-regulated by LRR, SigA, and CcpA mediates antibiotic resistance in Bacillus thuringiensis. Appl Microbiol Biotechnol 2022; 106:5687-5699. [PMID: 35906441 DOI: 10.1007/s00253-022-12090-y] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/25/2022] [Revised: 07/18/2022] [Accepted: 07/20/2022] [Indexed: 11/26/2022]
Abstract
Antibiotic resistance genes are usually tightly controlled by transcription factors and RNA regulatory elements including sRNAs, riboswitches, and attenuators, and their expression is activated to respond to antibiotic exposure. In previous work, we revealed that the rppA gene is regulated by attenuator LRR and two mistranslation products in Bacillus thuringiensis BMB171. However, its function and promoter regulation is still not precise. In this study, we demonstrated that the encoding product of the rppA gene acts as an ARE1 ABC-F protein and confers resistance to antibiotics virginiamycin M1 and lincomycin when overexpressed. Besides the reported attenuator LRR, the expression of the rppA gene is controlled by the sigma factor SigA and a global transcription factor CcpA. Consequently, its promoter activity is mainly maintained at the stationary phase of cell growth and inhibited in the presence of glucose. Our study revealed the function and regulation of the rppA gene in detail. KEY POINTS: • The RppA protein acts as an ARE1 ABC-F protein • The rppA gene confers resistance to antibiotics virginiamycin M1 and lincomycin when overexpressed • The expression of the rppA gene is regulated by the sigma factor SigA and the pleiotropic regulator CcpA.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xia Cai
- Department of Microbiology, College of Life Sciences, Nankai University, Tianjin, 300071, China
| | - Xuelian Li
- Department of Microbiology, College of Life Sciences, Nankai University, Tianjin, 300071, China
| | - Jiaxin Qin
- Department of Microbiology, College of Life Sciences, Nankai University, Tianjin, 300071, China
| | - Yizhuo Zhang
- Department of Microbiology, College of Life Sciences, Nankai University, Tianjin, 300071, China
| | - Bing Yan
- Department of Microbiology, College of Life Sciences, Nankai University, Tianjin, 300071, China
| | - Jun Cai
- Department of Microbiology, College of Life Sciences, Nankai University, Tianjin, 300071, China.
- Key Laboratory of Molecular Microbiology and Technology, Ministry of Education, Tianjin, 300071, China.
- Tianjin Key Laboratory of Microbial Functional Genomics, Tianjin, 300071, China.
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L.B. Almeida B, M. Bahrudeen MN, Chauhan V, Dash S, Kandavalli V, Häkkinen A, Lloyd-Price J, S.D. Cristina P, Baptista ISC, Gupta A, Kesseli J, Dufour E, Smolander OP, Nykter M, Auvinen P, Jacobs HT, M.D. Oliveira S, S. Ribeiro A. The transcription factor network of E. coli steers global responses to shifts in RNAP concentration. Nucleic Acids Res 2022; 50:6801-6819. [PMID: 35748858 PMCID: PMC9262627 DOI: 10.1093/nar/gkac540] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/07/2022] [Revised: 06/02/2022] [Accepted: 06/14/2022] [Indexed: 12/24/2022] Open
Abstract
The robustness and sensitivity of gene networks to environmental changes is critical for cell survival. How gene networks produce specific, chronologically ordered responses to genome-wide perturbations, while robustly maintaining homeostasis, remains an open question. We analysed if short- and mid-term genome-wide responses to shifts in RNA polymerase (RNAP) concentration are influenced by the known topology and logic of the transcription factor network (TFN) of Escherichia coli. We found that, at the gene cohort level, the magnitude of the single-gene, mid-term transcriptional responses to changes in RNAP concentration can be explained by the absolute difference between the gene's numbers of activating and repressing input transcription factors (TFs). Interestingly, this difference is strongly positively correlated with the number of input TFs of the gene. Meanwhile, short-term responses showed only weak influence from the TFN. Our results suggest that the global topological traits of the TFN of E. coli shape which gene cohorts respond to genome-wide stresses.
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Affiliation(s)
- Bilena L.B. Almeida
- Correspondence may also be addressed to Bilena L.B. Almeida. Tel: +358 2945211;
| | | | | | | | - Vinodh Kandavalli
- Department of Cell and Molecular Biology, Uppsala University, Uppsala, Sweden
| | - Antti Häkkinen
- Research Program in Systems Oncology, Research Programs Unit, Faculty of Medicine, University of Helsinki, FI-00014 Helsinki, Finland
| | | | - Palma S.D. Cristina
- Laboratory of Biosystem Dynamics, Faculty of Medicine and Health Technology, Tampere University, Tampere, Finland
| | - Ines S C Baptista
- Laboratory of Biosystem Dynamics, Faculty of Medicine and Health Technology, Tampere University, Tampere, Finland
| | - Abhishekh Gupta
- Center for Quantitative Medicine and Department of Cell Biology, University of Connecticut School of Medicine, 263 Farmington Av., Farmington, CT 06030-6033, USA
| | - Juha Kesseli
- Prostate Cancer Research Center, Faculty of Medicine and Health Technology, Tampere University, Tampere, Finland; Tays Cancer Center, Tampere University Hospital, Tampere, Finland
| | - Eric Dufour
- Mitochondrial bioenergetics and metabolism, BioMediTech, Faculty of Medicine and Health Technology, Tampere University, Tampere, Finland
| | - Olli-Pekka Smolander
- Department of Chemistry and Biotechnology, Tallinn University of Technology, Tallinn, Estonia
- Institute of Biotechnology, University of Helsinki, Viikinkaari 5D, 00790 Helsinki, Finland
| | - Matti Nykter
- Prostate Cancer Research Center, Faculty of Medicine and Health Technology, Tampere University, Tampere, Finland; Tays Cancer Center, Tampere University Hospital, Tampere, Finland
| | - Petri Auvinen
- Institute of Biotechnology, University of Helsinki, Viikinkaari 5D, 00790 Helsinki, Finland
| | - Howard T Jacobs
- Faculty of Medicine and Health Technology, FI-33014 Tampere University, Finland; Department of Environment and Genetics, La Trobe University, Melbourne, Victoria 3086, Australia
| | - Samuel M.D. Oliveira
- Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering, Boston University, Boston, MA, USA
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45
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Dong S, Liu X, Chen T, Zhou X, Li S, Fu S, Gong H. Mutation of rpoS is Beneficial for Suppressing Organic Acid Secretion During 1,3-Propandiol Biosynthesis in Klebsiella pneumoniae. Curr Microbiol 2022; 79:218. [PMID: 35704098 DOI: 10.1007/s00284-022-02901-w] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/01/2021] [Accepted: 05/09/2022] [Indexed: 11/25/2022]
Abstract
In this study, to reduce the formation of organic acid during 1,3-propanediol biosynthesis in Klebsiella pneumoniae, a method combining UV mutagenesis and high-throughput screening with pH color plates was employed to obtain K. pneumoniae mutants. When compared with the parent strain, the total organic acid formation by the mutant decreased, whereas 1,3-propanediol biosynthesis increased after 24 h anaerobic shake flask culture. Subsequently, genetic changes in the mutant were analyzed by whole-genome sequencing and verified by signal gene deletion. Mutation of the rpoS gene was confirmed to contribute to the regulation of organic acid synthesis in K. pneumoniae. Besides, rpoS deletion eliminated the formation of 2,3-butanediol, the main byproduct produced during 1,3-propanediol fermentation, indicating the role of rpoS in metabolic regulation in K. pneumoniae. Thus, a K. pneumoniae mutant was developed, which could produce lower organic acid during 1,3-propanediol fermentation due to an rpoS mutation in this study.
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Affiliation(s)
- Shufan Dong
- State Key Laboratory of Bioreactor Engineering, East China University of Science and Technology, 130 Meilong Road, Shanghai, 200237, People's Republic of China
| | - Xuxia Liu
- State Key Laboratory of Bioreactor Engineering, East China University of Science and Technology, 130 Meilong Road, Shanghai, 200237, People's Republic of China
| | - Tianyu Chen
- State Key Laboratory of Bioreactor Engineering, East China University of Science and Technology, 130 Meilong Road, Shanghai, 200237, People's Republic of China
| | - Xiaoqin Zhou
- State Key Laboratory of Bioreactor Engineering, East China University of Science and Technology, 130 Meilong Road, Shanghai, 200237, People's Republic of China
| | - Shengming Li
- State Key Laboratory of Bioreactor Engineering, East China University of Science and Technology, 130 Meilong Road, Shanghai, 200237, People's Republic of China
| | - Shuilin Fu
- State Key Laboratory of Bioreactor Engineering, East China University of Science and Technology, 130 Meilong Road, Shanghai, 200237, People's Republic of China
| | - Heng Gong
- State Key Laboratory of Bioreactor Engineering, East China University of Science and Technology, 130 Meilong Road, Shanghai, 200237, People's Republic of China.
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Expression, Purification, and In Silico Characterization of Mycobacterium smegmatis Alternative Sigma Factor SigB. DISEASE MARKERS 2022; 2022:7475704. [PMID: 35634445 PMCID: PMC9142298 DOI: 10.1155/2022/7475704] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/28/2022] [Accepted: 05/05/2022] [Indexed: 11/18/2022]
Abstract
Sigma factor B (SigB), an alternative sigma factor (ASF), is very similar to primary sigma factor SigA (σ 70) but dispensable for growth in both Mycobacterium smegmatis (Msmeg) and Mycobacterium tuberculosis (Mtb). It is involved in general stress responses including heat, oxidative, surface, starvation stress, and macrophage infections. Despite having an extremely short half-life, SigB tends to operate downstream of at least three stress-responsive extra cytoplasmic function (ECF) sigma factors (SigH, SigE, SigL) and SigF involved in multiple signaling pathways. There is very little information available regarding the regulation of SigB sigma factor and its interacting protein partners. Hence, we cloned the SigB gene into pET28a vector and optimized its expression in three different strains of E. coli, viz., (BL21 (DE3), C41 (DE3), and CodonPlus (DE3)). We also optimized several other parameters for the expression of recombinant SigB including IPTG concentration, temperature, and time duration. We achieved the maximum expression of SigB at 25°C in the soluble fraction of the cell which was purified by affinity chromatography using Ni-NTA and further confirmed by Western blotting. Further, structural characterization demonstrates the instability of SigB in comparison to SigA that is carried out using homology modeling and structure function relationship. We have done protein-protein docking of RNA polymerase (RNAP) of Msmeg and SigB. This effort provides a platform for pulldown assay, structural, and other studies with the recombinant protein to deduce the SigB interacting proteins, which might pave the way to study its signaling networks along with its regulation.
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Pathak E, Dubey AP, Singh VS, Mishra R, Tripathi AK. Deciphering the role of the two conserved motifs of the
ECF41
family σ factor in the autoregulation of its own promoter in
Azospirillum brasilense
Sp245. Proteins 2022; 90:1926-1943. [DOI: 10.1002/prot.26387] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/11/2021] [Revised: 04/14/2022] [Accepted: 05/10/2022] [Indexed: 11/06/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Ekta Pathak
- Department of Bioinformatics MMV, Institute of Science, Banaras Hindu University Varanasi India
| | | | - Vijay Shankar Singh
- School of Biotechnology, Institute of Science, Banaras Hindu University Varanasi India
| | - Rajeev Mishra
- Department of Bioinformatics MMV, Institute of Science, Banaras Hindu University Varanasi India
| | - Anil Kumar Tripathi
- School of Biotechnology, Institute of Science, Banaras Hindu University Varanasi India
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Regulatory Networks Controlling Neurotoxin Synthesis in Clostridium botulinum and Clostridium tetani. Toxins (Basel) 2022; 14:toxins14060364. [PMID: 35737025 PMCID: PMC9229411 DOI: 10.3390/toxins14060364] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/14/2022] [Revised: 05/16/2022] [Accepted: 05/21/2022] [Indexed: 12/30/2022] Open
Abstract
Clostridium botulinum and Clostridium tetani are Gram-positive, spore-forming, and anaerobic bacteria that produce the most potent neurotoxins, botulinum toxin (BoNT) and tetanus toxin (TeNT), responsible for flaccid and spastic paralysis, respectively. The main habitat of these toxigenic bacteria is the environment (soil, sediments, cadavers, decayed plants, intestinal content of healthy carrier animals). C. botulinum can grow and produce BoNT in food, leading to food-borne botulism, and in some circumstances, C. botulinum can colonize the intestinal tract and induce infant botulism or adult intestinal toxemia botulism. More rarely, C. botulinum colonizes wounds, whereas tetanus is always a result of wound contamination by C. tetani. The synthesis of neurotoxins is strictly regulated by complex regulatory networks. The highest levels of neurotoxins are produced at the end of the exponential growth and in the early stationary growth phase. Both microorganisms, except C. botulinum E, share an alternative sigma factor, BotR and TetR, respectively, the genes of which are located upstream of the neurotoxin genes. These factors are essential for neurotoxin gene expression. C. botulinum and C. tetani share also a two-component system (TCS) that negatively regulates neurotoxin synthesis, but each microorganism uses additional distinct sets of TCSs. Neurotoxin synthesis is interlocked with the general metabolism, and CodY, a master regulator of metabolism in Gram-positive bacteria, is involved in both clostridial species. The environmental and nutritional factors controlling neurotoxin synthesis are still poorly understood. The transition from amino acid to peptide metabolism seems to be an important factor. Moreover, a small non-coding RNA in C. tetani, and quorum-sensing systems in C. botulinum and possibly in C. tetani, also control toxin synthesis. However, both species use also distinct regulatory pathways; this reflects the adaptation of C. botulinum and C. tetani to different ecological niches.
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Meireles DA, da Silva Neto JF, Domingos RM, Alegria TGP, Santos LCM, Netto LES. Ohr - OhrR, a neglected and highly efficient antioxidant system: Structure, catalysis, phylogeny, regulation, and physiological roles. Free Radic Biol Med 2022; 185:6-24. [PMID: 35452809 DOI: 10.1016/j.freeradbiomed.2022.04.001] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/02/2022] [Revised: 03/09/2022] [Accepted: 04/02/2022] [Indexed: 12/24/2022]
Abstract
Ohrs (organic hydroperoxide resistance proteins) are antioxidant enzymes that play central roles in the response of microorganisms to organic peroxides. Here, we describe recent advances in the structure, catalysis, phylogeny, regulation, and physiological roles of Ohr proteins and of its transcriptional regulator, OhrR, highlighting their unique features. Ohr is extremely efficient in reducing fatty acid peroxides and peroxynitrite, two oxidants relevant in host-pathogen interactions. The highly reactive Cys residue of Ohr, named peroxidatic Cys (Cp), composes together with an arginine and a glutamate the catalytic triad. The catalytic cycle of Ohrs involves a condensation between a sulfenic acid (Cp-SOH) and the thiol of the second conserved Cys, leading to the formation of an intra-subunit disulfide bond, which is then reduced by dihydrolipoamide or lipoylated proteins. A structural switch takes place during catalysis, with the opening and closure of the active site by the so-called Arg-loop. Ohr is part of the Ohr/OsmC super-family that also comprises OsmC and Ohr-like proteins. Members of the Ohr, OsmC and Ohr-like subgroups present low sequence similarities among themselves, but share a high structural conservation, presenting two Cys residues in their active site. The pattern of gene expression is also distinct among members of the Ohr/OsmC subfamilies. The expression of ohr genes increases upon organic hydroperoxides treatment, whereas the signals for the upregulation of osmC are entry into the stationary phase and/or osmotic stress. For many ohr genes, the upregulation by organic hydroperoxides is mediated by OhrR, a Cys-based transcriptional regulator that only binds to its target DNAs in its reduced state. Since Ohrs and OhrRs are involved in virulence of some microorganisms and are absent in vertebrate and vascular plants, they may represent targets for novel therapeutic approaches based on the disruption of this key bacterial organic peroxide defense system.
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Affiliation(s)
- Diogo A Meireles
- Laboratório de Fisiologia e Bioquímica de Microrganismos (LFBM) da Universidade Estadual do Norte Fluminense Darcy Ribeiro, Brazil
| | - José F da Silva Neto
- Departamento de Biologia Celular e Molecular e Bioagentes Patogênicos da Faculdade de Medicina de Ribeirão Preto da Universidade de São Paulo (FMRP-USP), Brazil
| | | | - Thiago G P Alegria
- Departamento de Genética e Biologia Evolutiva, Instituto de Biociências, Universidade de São Paulo, Brazil
| | - Lene Clara M Santos
- Departamento de Genética e Biologia Evolutiva, Instituto de Biociências, Universidade de São Paulo, Brazil
| | - Luis Eduardo S Netto
- Departamento de Genética e Biologia Evolutiva, Instituto de Biociências, Universidade de São Paulo, Brazil.
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50
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Abstract
Bacterial small RNAs (sRNAs) contribute to a variety of regulatory mechanisms that modulate a wide range of pathways, including metabolism, virulence, and antibiotic resistance. We investigated the involvement of sRNAs in rifampicin resistance in the opportunistic pathogen Staphylococcus aureus. Using a competition assay with an sRNA mutant library, we identified 6S RNA as being required for protection against low concentrations of rifampicin, an RNA polymerase (RNAP) inhibitor. This effect applied to rifabutin and fidaxomicin, two other RNAP-targeting antibiotics. 6S RNA is highly conserved in bacteria, and its absence in two other major pathogens, Salmonella enterica and Clostridioides difficile, also impaired susceptibility to RNAP inhibitors. In S. aureus, 6S RNA is produced from an autonomous gene and accumulates in stationary phase. In contrast to what was reported for Escherichia coli, S. aureus 6S RNA does not appear to play a critical role in the transition from exponential to stationary phase but affects σB-regulated expression in prolonged stationary phase. Nevertheless, its protective effect against rifampicin is independent of alternative sigma factor σB activity. Our results suggest that 6S RNA helps maintain RNAP-σA integrity in S. aureus, which could in turn help bacteria withstand low concentrations of RNAP inhibitors.
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