1
|
Turgeman-Grott I, Arsenault D, Yahav D, Feng Y, Miezner G, Naki D, Peri O, Papke RT, Gogarten JP, Gophna U. Neighboring inteins interfere with one another's homing capacity. PNAS NEXUS 2023; 2:pgad354. [PMID: 38024399 PMCID: PMC10643990 DOI: 10.1093/pnasnexus/pgad354] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/11/2023] [Revised: 10/16/2023] [Accepted: 10/25/2023] [Indexed: 12/01/2023]
Abstract
Inteins are mobile genetic elements that invade conserved genes across all domains of life and viruses. In some instances, a single gene will have several intein insertion sites. In Haloarchaea, the minichromosome maintenance (MCM) protein at the core of replicative DNA helicase contains four intein insertion sites within close proximity, where two of these sites (MCM-a and MCM-d) are more likely to be invaded. A haloarchaeon that harbors both MCM-a and MCM-d inteins, Haloferax mediterranei, was studied in vivo to determine intein invasion dynamics and the interactions between neighboring inteins. Additionally, invasion frequencies and the conservation of insertion site sequences in 129 Haloferacales mcm homologs were analyzed to assess intein distribution across the order. We show that the inteins at MCM-a and MCM-d recognize and cleave their respective target sites and, in the event that only one empty intein invasion site is present, readily initiate homing (i.e. single homing). However, when two inteins are present co-homing into an intein-free target sequence is much less effective. The two inteins are more effective when invading alleles that already contain an intein at one of the two sites. Our in vivo and computational studies also support that having a proline in place of a serine as the first C-terminal extein residue of the MCM-d insertion site prevents successful intein splicing, but does not stop recognition of the insertion site by the intein's homing endonuclease.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Israela Turgeman-Grott
- The Shmunis School of Biomedicine and Cancer Research, Faculty of Life Sciences, Tel Aviv University, P.O. Box 39040, 6997801 Tel Aviv, Israel
| | - Danielle Arsenault
- Department of Molecular and Cell Biology, University of Connecticut, 91 North Eagleville Road, Storrs, CT 06268-3125, USA
| | - Dekel Yahav
- The Shmunis School of Biomedicine and Cancer Research, Faculty of Life Sciences, Tel Aviv University, P.O. Box 39040, 6997801 Tel Aviv, Israel
| | - Yutian Feng
- Department of Molecular and Cell Biology, University of Connecticut, 91 North Eagleville Road, Storrs, CT 06268-3125, USA
| | - Guy Miezner
- The Shmunis School of Biomedicine and Cancer Research, Faculty of Life Sciences, Tel Aviv University, P.O. Box 39040, 6997801 Tel Aviv, Israel
| | - Doron Naki
- The Shmunis School of Biomedicine and Cancer Research, Faculty of Life Sciences, Tel Aviv University, P.O. Box 39040, 6997801 Tel Aviv, Israel
| | - Omri Peri
- The Shmunis School of Biomedicine and Cancer Research, Faculty of Life Sciences, Tel Aviv University, P.O. Box 39040, 6997801 Tel Aviv, Israel
| | - R Thane Papke
- Department of Molecular and Cell Biology, University of Connecticut, 91 North Eagleville Road, Storrs, CT 06268-3125, USA
| | - Johann Peter Gogarten
- Department of Molecular and Cell Biology, University of Connecticut, 91 North Eagleville Road, Storrs, CT 06268-3125, USA
- Institute for Systems Genomics, University of Connecticut, 67 North Eagleville Road, Storrs, CT 06268-3003, USA
| | - Uri Gophna
- The Shmunis School of Biomedicine and Cancer Research, Faculty of Life Sciences, Tel Aviv University, P.O. Box 39040, 6997801 Tel Aviv, Israel
| |
Collapse
|
2
|
hgtseq: A Standard Pipeline to Study Horizontal Gene Transfer. Int J Mol Sci 2022; 23:ijms232314512. [PMID: 36498841 PMCID: PMC9738810 DOI: 10.3390/ijms232314512] [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: 10/24/2022] [Revised: 11/14/2022] [Accepted: 11/18/2022] [Indexed: 11/23/2022] Open
Abstract
Horizontal gene transfer (HGT) is well described in prokaryotes: it plays a crucial role in evolution, and has functional consequences in insects and plants. However, less is known about HGT in humans. Studies have reported bacterial integrations in cancer patients, and microbial sequences have been detected in data from well-known human sequencing projects. Few of the existing tools for investigating HGT are highly automated. Thanks to the adoption of Nextflow for life sciences workflows, and to the standards and best practices curated by communities such as nf-core, fully automated, portable, and scalable pipelines can now be developed. Here we present nf-core/hgtseq to facilitate the analysis of HGT from sequencing data in different organisms. We showcase its performance by analysing six exome datasets from five mammals. Hgtseq can be run seamlessly in any computing environment and accepts data generated by existing exome and whole-genome sequencing projects; this will enable researchers to expand their analyses into this area. Fundamental questions are still open about the mechanisms and the extent or role of horizontal gene transfer: by releasing hgtseq we provide a standardised tool which will enable a systematic investigation of this phenomenon, thus paving the way for a better understanding of HGT.
Collapse
|
3
|
Sipiczki M. When barcoding fails: genome chimerisation (admixing) and reticulation obscure phylogenetic and taxonomic relationships. Mol Ecol Resour 2022; 22:1762-1785. [PMID: 35060340 PMCID: PMC9303175 DOI: 10.1111/1755-0998.13586] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/20/2021] [Revised: 01/06/2022] [Accepted: 01/10/2022] [Indexed: 11/29/2022]
Abstract
DNA barcoding is based on the premise that the barcode sequences can distinguish individuals (strains) of different species because their sequence variation between species exceeds that within species. The primary barcodes used in fungal and yeast taxonomy are the ITS segments and the LSU (large subunit) D1/D2 domain of the homogenized multicopy rDNA repeats. The secondary barcodes are conserved segments of protein‐encoding genes, which usually have single copies in haploid genomes. This study shows that the analysis of barcode sequences fails to reconstruct accurate species trees and differentiate species when the organisms have chimeric genomes composed of admixed mosaics of different origins. It is shown that the type strains of 10 species of the pulcherrima clade of the ascomycetous yeast genus Metschnikowia cannot be differentiated with standard barcodes because their intragenomic diversity is comparable to or even higher than the interstrain diversity. The analysis of a large group of genes of the sequenced genomes of the clade and the viability and segregation of the hybrids of ex‐type strains indicate that the high intragenomic barcode differences can be attributed to admixed genome structures. Because of the mosaic structures of the genomes, the rDNA repeats do not form continuous arrays and thus cannot be homogenized. Since the highly diverse ITS and D1/D2 sequences of the type strains form a continuous pool including pseudogenes, the evolution of their rDNA appears to involve reticulation. The secondary barcode sequences and the nonbarcode genes included in the analysis show incongruent phylogenetic relationships among the type strains, which can also be attributed to differences in the phylogenetic histories of the genes.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Matthias Sipiczki
- Department of Genetics and Applied Microbiology University of Debrecn H‐4032 Debrecen Hungary
| |
Collapse
|
4
|
Takenaka S, Kawashima T, Arita M. A sugar utilization phenotype contributes to the formation of genetic exchange communities in lactic acid bacteria. FEMS Microbiol Lett 2021; 368:6360976. [PMID: 34468734 PMCID: PMC8440127 DOI: 10.1093/femsle/fnab117] [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: 07/21/2021] [Accepted: 08/30/2021] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
In prokaryotes, a major contributor to genomic evolution is the exchange of genes via horizontal gene transfer (HGT). Areas with a high density of HGT networks are defined as genetic exchange communities (GECs). Although some phenotypes associated with specific ecological niches are linked to GECs, little is known about the phenotypic influences on HGT in bacterial groups within a taxonomic family. Thanks to the published genome sequences and phenotype data of lactic acid bacteria (LAB), it is now possible to obtain more detailed information about the phenotypes that affect GECs. Here, we have investigated the relationship between HGT and internal and external environmental factors for 178 strains from 24 genera in the Lactobacillaceae family. We found a significant correlation between strains with high utilization of sugars and HGT bias. The result suggests that the phenotype of the utilization of a variety of sugars is key to the construction of GECs in this family. This feature is consistent with the fact that the Lactobacillaceae family contributes to the production of a wide variety of fermented foods by sharing niches such as those in vegetables, dairy products and brewing-related environments. This result provides the first evidence that phenotypes associated with ecological niches contribute to form GECs in the LAB family.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Shinkuro Takenaka
- Department of Genetics, The Graduate University for Advanced Studies, SOKENDAI, Mishima, Shizuoka 411-8540, Japan
| | - Takeshi Kawashima
- Department of Genetics, The Graduate University for Advanced Studies, SOKENDAI, Mishima, Shizuoka 411-8540, Japan.,National Institute of Genetics, Mishima, Shizuoka 411-8540, Japan
| | - Masanori Arita
- Department of Genetics, The Graduate University for Advanced Studies, SOKENDAI, Mishima, Shizuoka 411-8540, Japan.,National Institute of Genetics, Mishima, Shizuoka 411-8540, Japan
| |
Collapse
|
5
|
Ward LM, Shih PM. Granick revisited: Synthesizing evolutionary and ecological evidence for the late origin of bacteriochlorophyll via ghost lineages and horizontal gene transfer. PLoS One 2021; 16:e0239248. [PMID: 33507911 PMCID: PMC7842958 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0239248] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/09/2020] [Accepted: 12/29/2020] [Indexed: 11/19/2022] Open
Abstract
Photosynthesis-both oxygenic and more ancient anoxygenic forms-has fueled the bulk of primary productivity on Earth since it first evolved more than 3.4 billion years ago. However, the early evolutionary history of photosynthesis has been challenging to interpret due to the sparse, scattered distribution of metabolic pathways associated with photosynthesis, long timescales of evolution, and poor sampling of the true environmental diversity of photosynthetic bacteria. Here, we reconsider longstanding hypotheses for the evolutionary history of phototrophy by leveraging recent advances in metagenomic sequencing and phylogenetics to analyze relationships among phototrophic organisms and components of their photosynthesis pathways, including reaction centers and individual proteins and complexes involved in the multi-step synthesis of (bacterio)-chlorophyll pigments. We demonstrate that components of the photosynthetic apparatus have undergone extensive, independent histories of horizontal gene transfer. This suggests an evolutionary mode by which modular components of phototrophy are exchanged between diverse taxa in a piecemeal process that has led to biochemical innovation. We hypothesize that the evolution of extant anoxygenic photosynthetic bacteria has been spurred by ecological competition and restricted niches following the evolution of oxygenic Cyanobacteria and the accumulation of O2 in the atmosphere, leading to the relatively late evolution of bacteriochlorophyll pigments and the radiation of diverse crown group anoxygenic phototrophs. This hypothesis expands on the classic "Granick hypothesis" for the stepwise evolution of biochemical pathways, synthesizing recent expansion in our understanding of the diversity of phototrophic organisms as well as their evolving ecological context through Earth history.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Lewis M. Ward
- Department of Earth and Planetary Sciences, Harvard University, Cambridge, Massachusetts, United States of America
| | - Patrick M. Shih
- Department of Plant Biology, University of California, Davis, California, United States of America
- Environmental Genomics and Systems Biology Division, Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory, Berkeley, California, United States of America
- Feedstocks Division, Joint BioEnergy Institute, Emeryville, California, United States of America
- Genome Center, University of California, Davis, California, United States of America
| |
Collapse
|
6
|
Wideman JG, Novick A, Muñoz-Gómez SA, Doolittle WF. Neutral evolution of cellular phenotypes. Curr Opin Genet Dev 2019; 58-59:87-94. [PMID: 31574422 DOI: 10.1016/j.gde.2019.09.004] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/10/2019] [Revised: 09/09/2019] [Accepted: 09/11/2019] [Indexed: 12/29/2022]
Abstract
Eukaryotes exhibit a great diversity of cellular and subcellular morphologies, but their basic underlying architecture is fairly constant. All have a nucleus, Golgi, cytoskeleton, plasma membrane, vesicles, ribosomes, and all known lineages but one have mitochondrion-related organelles. Moreover, most eukaryotes undergo processes such as mitosis, meiosis, DNA recombination, and often perform feats such as phagocytosis, and amoeboid and flagellar movement. With all of these commonalities, it is obvious that eukaryotes evolved from a common ancestor, but it is not obvious how eukaryotes came to have their diverse structural phenotypes. Are these phenotypes adaptations to particular niches, their evolution dominated by positive natural selection? Or is eukaryotic cellular diversity substantially the product of neutral evolutionary processes, with adaptation either illusory or a secondary consequence? In this paper, we outline how a hierarchical view of phenotype can be used to articulate a neutral theory of phenotypic evolution, involving processes such as gene loss, gene replacement by homologues or analogues, gene duplication followed by subfunctionalization, and constructive neutral evolution. We suggest that neutral iterations of these processes followed by entrenchment of their products can explain much of the diversity of cellular, developmental, and biochemical phenotypes of unicellular eukaryotes and should be explored in addition to adaptive explanations.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Jeremy G Wideman
- Centre for Mechanisms of Evolution, Arizona State University, Tempe, AZ, 85287, USA; Department of Biochemistry & Molecular Biology, Dalhousie University, Halifax, Nova Scotia, B3H 4R2, Canada.
| | - Aaron Novick
- Department of Biochemistry & Molecular Biology, Dalhousie University, Halifax, Nova Scotia, B3H 4R2, Canada; Department of Philosophy, Dalhousie University, Halifax, Nova Scotia, B3H 4R2, Canada; Department of Philosophy, Purdue University, West Lafayette, IN, 47907, USA
| | - Sergio A Muñoz-Gómez
- Department of Biochemistry & Molecular Biology, Dalhousie University, Halifax, Nova Scotia, B3H 4R2, Canada
| | - W Ford Doolittle
- Department of Biochemistry & Molecular Biology, Dalhousie University, Halifax, Nova Scotia, B3H 4R2, Canada
| |
Collapse
|
7
|
Iwaï H, Mikula KM, Oeemig JS, Zhou D, Li M, Wlodawer A. Structural Basis for the Persistence of Homing Endonucleases in Transcription Factor IIB Inteins. J Mol Biol 2017; 429:3942-3956. [PMID: 29055778 PMCID: PMC6309676 DOI: 10.1016/j.jmb.2017.10.016] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/19/2017] [Revised: 09/29/2017] [Accepted: 10/12/2017] [Indexed: 11/19/2022]
Abstract
Inteins are mobile genetic elements that are spliced out of proteins after translation. Some inteins contain a homing endonuclease (HEN) responsible for their propagation. Hedgehog/INTein (HINT) domains catalyzing protein splicing and their nested HEN domains are thought to be functionally independent because of the existence of functional mini-inteins without HEN domains. Despite the lack of obvious mutualism between HEN and HINT domains, HEN domains are persistently found at one specific site in inteins, indicating their potential functional role in protein splicing. Here we report crystal structures of inactive and active mini-inteins derived from inteins residing in the transcription factor IIB of Methanococcus jannaschii and Methanocaldococcus vulcanius, revealing a novel modified HINT fold that might provide new insights into the mutualism between the HEN and HINT domains. We propose an evolutionary model of inteins and a functional role of HEN domains in inteins.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Hideo Iwaï
- Research Program in Structural Biology and Biophysics, Institute of Biotechnology, University of Helsinki, P.O. Box 65, Helsinki FIN-00014, Finland.
| | - Kornelia M Mikula
- Research Program in Structural Biology and Biophysics, Institute of Biotechnology, University of Helsinki, P.O. Box 65, Helsinki FIN-00014, Finland
| | - Jesper S Oeemig
- Research Program in Structural Biology and Biophysics, Institute of Biotechnology, University of Helsinki, P.O. Box 65, Helsinki FIN-00014, Finland
| | - Dongwen Zhou
- Macromolecular Crystallography Laboratory, National Cancer Institute, Frederick, MD 21702, USA
| | - Mi Li
- Macromolecular Crystallography Laboratory, National Cancer Institute, Frederick, MD 21702, USA; Basic Science Program, Leidos Biomedical Research, Frederick National Laboratory for Cancer Research, Frederick, MD 21702, USA
| | - Alexander Wlodawer
- Macromolecular Crystallography Laboratory, National Cancer Institute, Frederick, MD 21702, USA.
| |
Collapse
|
8
|
Abstract
Many of the most important evolutionary variations that generated phenotypic adaptations and originated novel taxa resulted from complex cellular activities affecting genome content and expression. These activities included (i) the symbiogenetic cell merger that produced the mitochondrion-bearing ancestor of all extant eukaryotes, (ii) symbiogenetic cell mergers that produced chloroplast-bearing ancestors of photosynthetic eukaryotes, and (iii) interspecific hybridizations and genome doublings that generated new species and adaptive radiations of higher plants and animals. Adaptive variations also involved horizontal DNA transfers and natural genetic engineering by mobile DNA elements to rewire regulatory networks, such as those essential to viviparous reproduction in mammals. In the most highly evolved multicellular organisms, biological complexity scales with 'non-coding' DNA content rather than with protein-coding capacity in the genome. Coincidentally, 'non-coding' RNAs rich in repetitive mobile DNA sequences function as key regulators of complex adaptive phenotypes, such as stem cell pluripotency. The intersections of cell fusion activities, horizontal DNA transfers and natural genetic engineering of Read-Write genomes provide a rich molecular and biological foundation for understanding how ecological disruptions can stimulate productive, often abrupt, evolutionary transformations.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- James A Shapiro
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, University of Chicago, GCISW123B, 979 E. 57th Street, Chicago, IL 60637, USA
| |
Collapse
|
9
|
Gillings MR. Lateral gene transfer, bacterial genome evolution, and the Anthropocene. Ann N Y Acad Sci 2016; 1389:20-36. [DOI: 10.1111/nyas.13213] [Citation(s) in RCA: 82] [Impact Index Per Article: 10.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/12/2016] [Revised: 07/20/2016] [Accepted: 07/28/2016] [Indexed: 11/26/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Michael R. Gillings
- Genes to Geoscience Research Centre, Department of Biological Sciences Macquarie University Sydney New South Wales Australia
| |
Collapse
|
10
|
Abstract
Horizontal gene transfer (HGT) is the sharing of genetic material between organisms that are not in a parent-offspring relationship. HGT is a widely recognized mechanism for adaptation in bacteria and archaea. Microbial antibiotic resistance and pathogenicity are often associated with HGT, but the scope of HGT extends far beyond disease-causing organisms. In this Review, we describe how HGT has shaped the web of life using examples of HGT among prokaryotes, between prokaryotes and eukaryotes, and even between multicellular eukaryotes. We discuss replacement and additive HGT, the proposed mechanisms of HGT, selective forces that influence HGT, and the evolutionary impact of HGT on ancestral populations and existing populations such as the human microbiome.
Collapse
|
11
|
Fullmer MS, Soucy SM, Gogarten JP. The pan-genome as a shared genomic resource: mutual cheating, cooperation and the black queen hypothesis. Front Microbiol 2015; 6:728. [PMID: 26284032 PMCID: PMC4523029 DOI: 10.3389/fmicb.2015.00728] [Citation(s) in RCA: 38] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/27/2015] [Accepted: 07/03/2015] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Affiliation(s)
- Matthew S Fullmer
- Department of Molecular and Cell Biology, University of Connecticut Storrs, CT, USA
| | - Shannon M Soucy
- Department of Molecular and Cell Biology, University of Connecticut Storrs, CT, USA
| | - Johann Peter Gogarten
- Department of Molecular and Cell Biology, University of Connecticut Storrs, CT, USA ; Institute for Systems Genomics, University of Connecticut Storrs, CT, USA
| |
Collapse
|
12
|
Baquero F, Lanza VF, Cantón R, Coque TM. Public health evolutionary biology of antimicrobial resistance: priorities for intervention. Evol Appl 2014; 8:223-39. [PMID: 25861381 PMCID: PMC4380917 DOI: 10.1111/eva.12235] [Citation(s) in RCA: 42] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/10/2014] [Accepted: 10/12/2014] [Indexed: 12/19/2022] Open
Abstract
The three main processes shaping the evolutionary ecology of antibiotic resistance (AbR) involve the emergence, invasion and occupation by antibiotic-resistant genes of significant environments for human health. The process of emergence in complex bacterial populations is a high-frequency, continuous swarming of ephemeral combinatory genetic and epigenetic explorations inside cells and among cells, populations and communities, expanding in different environments (migration), creating the stochastic variation required for evolutionary progress. Invasion refers to the process by which AbR significantly increases in frequency in a given (invaded) environment, led by external invaders local multiplication and spread, or by endogenous conversion. Conversion occurs because of the spread of AbR genes from an exogenous resistant clone into an established (endogenous) bacterial clone(s) colonizing the environment; and/or because of dissemination of particular resistant genetic variants that emerged within an endogenous clonal population. Occupation of a given environment by a resistant variant means a permanent establishment of this organism in this environment, even in the absence of antibiotic selection. Specific interventions on emergence influence invasion, those acting on invasion also influence occupation and interventions on occupation determine emergence. Such interventions should be simultaneously applied, as they are not simple solutions to the complex problem of AbR.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Fernando Baquero
- Departamento de Microbiología, Hospital Universitario Ramón y Cajal, Instituto Ramón y Cajal de Investigación Sanitaria (IRYCIS) Madrid, Spain ; Unidad de Resistencia a Antibióticos y Virulencia Bacteriana asociada al Consejo Superior de Investigaciones Científicas (CSIC) Madrid, Spain ; CIBER Epidemiología y Salud Pública (CIBERESP) Madrid, Spain
| | - Val F Lanza
- Departamento de Microbiología, Hospital Universitario Ramón y Cajal, Instituto Ramón y Cajal de Investigación Sanitaria (IRYCIS) Madrid, Spain ; Unidad de Resistencia a Antibióticos y Virulencia Bacteriana asociada al Consejo Superior de Investigaciones Científicas (CSIC) Madrid, Spain ; CIBER Epidemiología y Salud Pública (CIBERESP) Madrid, Spain
| | - Rafael Cantón
- Departamento de Microbiología, Hospital Universitario Ramón y Cajal, Instituto Ramón y Cajal de Investigación Sanitaria (IRYCIS) Madrid, Spain ; Unidad de Resistencia a Antibióticos y Virulencia Bacteriana asociada al Consejo Superior de Investigaciones Científicas (CSIC) Madrid, Spain ; Spanish Network for the Research in Infectious Diseases (REIPI RD12/0015), Instituto de Salud Carlos III Madrid, Spain
| | - Teresa M Coque
- Departamento de Microbiología, Hospital Universitario Ramón y Cajal, Instituto Ramón y Cajal de Investigación Sanitaria (IRYCIS) Madrid, Spain ; Unidad de Resistencia a Antibióticos y Virulencia Bacteriana asociada al Consejo Superior de Investigaciones Científicas (CSIC) Madrid, Spain ; CIBER Epidemiología y Salud Pública (CIBERESP) Madrid, Spain
| |
Collapse
|
13
|
Novikova O, Topilina N, Belfort M. Enigmatic distribution, evolution, and function of inteins. J Biol Chem 2014; 289:14490-7. [PMID: 24695741 DOI: 10.1074/jbc.r114.548255] [Citation(s) in RCA: 78] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/06/2022] Open
Abstract
Inteins are mobile genetic elements capable of self-splicing post-translationally. They exist in all three domains of life including in viruses and bacteriophage, where they have a sporadic distribution even among very closely related species. In this review, we address this anomalous distribution from the point of view of the evolution of the host species as well as the intrinsic features of the inteins that contribute to their genetic mobility. We also discuss the incidence of inteins in functionally important sites of their host proteins. Finally, we describe instances of conditional protein splicing. These latter observations lead us to the hypothesis that some inteins have adapted to become sensors that play regulatory roles within their host protein, to the advantage of the organism in which they reside.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Olga Novikova
- From the Department of Biological Sciences and RNA Institute, University at Albany, The State University of New York, Albany, New York 12222
| | - Natalya Topilina
- From the Department of Biological Sciences and RNA Institute, University at Albany, The State University of New York, Albany, New York 12222
| | - Marlene Belfort
- From the Department of Biological Sciences and RNA Institute, University at Albany, The State University of New York, Albany, New York 12222
| |
Collapse
|