1
|
Chakraborty T, Trujillo JT, Kendall T, Mosher RA. Charophytic Green Algae Encode Ancestral Polymerase IV/Polymerase V Subunits and a CLSY/DRD1 Homolog. Genome Biol Evol 2024; 16:evae119. [PMID: 38874416 PMCID: PMC11194755 DOI: 10.1093/gbe/evae119] [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: 06/26/2023] [Revised: 05/30/2024] [Accepted: 06/03/2024] [Indexed: 06/15/2024] Open
Abstract
In flowering plants, euchromatic transposons are transcriptionally silenced by RNA-directed DNA Methylation, a small RNA-guided de novo methylation pathway. RNA-directed DNA Methylation requires the activity of the RNA Polymerases IV and V, which produce small RNA precursors and noncoding targets of small RNAs, respectively. These polymerases are distinguished from Polymerase II by multiple plant-specific paralogous subunits. Most RNA-directed DNA Methylation components are present in all land plants, and some have been found in the charophytic green algae, a paraphyletic group that is sister to land plants. However, the evolutionary origin of key RNA-directed DNA Methylation components, including the two largest subunits of Polymerase IV and Polymerase V, remains unclear. Here, we show that multiple lineages of charophytic green algae encode a single-copy precursor of the largest subunits of Polymerase IV and Polymerase V, resolving the two presumed duplications in this gene family. We further demonstrate the presence of a Polymerase V-like C-terminal domain, suggesting that the earliest form of RNA-directed DNA Methylation utilized a single Polymerase V-like polymerase. Finally, we reveal that charophytic green algae encode a single CLSY/DRD1-type chromatin remodeling protein, further supporting the presence of a single specialized polymerase in charophytic green algae.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
| | - Joshua T Trujillo
- Department of Molecular and Cellular Biology, University of Arizona, Tucson, USA
- Department of Biochemistry, Purdue University, West Lafayette, USA
| | - Timmy Kendall
- The School of Plant Sciences, University of Arizona, Tucson, USA
| | - Rebecca A Mosher
- The School of Plant Sciences, University of Arizona, Tucson, USA
| |
Collapse
|
2
|
Choudhury A, Gachet B, Dixit Z, Faure R, Gill RT, Tenaillon O. Deep mutational scanning reveals the molecular determinants of RNA polymerase-mediated adaptation and tradeoffs. Nat Commun 2023; 14:6319. [PMID: 37813857 PMCID: PMC10562459 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-023-41882-7] [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: 02/23/2023] [Accepted: 09/21/2023] [Indexed: 10/11/2023] Open
Abstract
RNA polymerase (RNAP) is emblematic of complex biological systems that control multiple traits involving trade-offs such as growth versus maintenance. Laboratory evolution has revealed that mutations in RNAP subunits, including RpoB, are frequently selected. However, we lack a systems view of how mutations alter the RNAP molecular functions to promote adaptation. We, therefore, measured the fitness of thousands of mutations within a region of rpoB under multiple conditions and genetic backgrounds, to find that adaptive mutations cluster in two modules. Mutations in one module favor growth over maintenance through a partial loss of an interaction associated with faster elongation. Mutations in the other favor maintenance over growth through a destabilized RNAP-DNA complex. The two molecular handles capture the versatile RNAP-mediated adaptations. Combining both interaction losses simultaneously improved maintenance and growth, challenging the idea that growth-maintenance tradeoff resorts only from limited resources, and revealing how compensatory evolution operates within RNAP.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Alaksh Choudhury
- Université de Paris Cité, INSERM, IAME, UMR 1137, 75018, Paris, France.
- Laboratoire Biophysique et Évolution (LBE), UMR Chimie Biologie Innovation 8231, ESPCI Paris, Université PSL, CNRS, 75005, Paris, France.
| | - Benoit Gachet
- Université de Paris Cité, INSERM, IAME, UMR 1137, 75018, Paris, France
| | - Zoya Dixit
- Université de Paris Cité, INSERM, IAME, UMR 1137, 75018, Paris, France
- Université de Paris Cité, INSERM, CNRS, Institut Cochin, UMR 1016, 75014, Paris, France
| | - Roland Faure
- Université de Paris Cité, INSERM, IAME, UMR 1137, 75018, Paris, France
- Université de Rennes, INRIA RBA, CNRS UMR 6074, Rennes, France
- Service Evolution Biologique et Ecologie, Université libre de Bruxelles (ULB), 1050, Brussels, Belgium
| | - Ryan T Gill
- Renewable and Sustainable Energy Institute (RASEI), University of Colorado-Boulder, Boulder, CO, 80309-0027, USA
- Novo Nordisk Foundation, Denmark Technical University, 2800 Kgs, Lyngby, Denmark
| | - Olivier Tenaillon
- Université de Paris Cité, INSERM, IAME, UMR 1137, 75018, Paris, France.
- Université de Paris Cité, INSERM, CNRS, Institut Cochin, UMR 1016, 75014, Paris, France.
| |
Collapse
|
3
|
Molina JA, Galaz-Davison P, Komives EA, Artsimovitch I, Ramírez-Sarmiento CA. Allosteric couplings upon binding of RfaH to transcription elongation complexes. Nucleic Acids Res 2022; 50:6384-6397. [PMID: 35670666 PMCID: PMC9226497 DOI: 10.1093/nar/gkac453] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/19/2021] [Revised: 05/07/2022] [Accepted: 05/18/2022] [Indexed: 12/03/2022] Open
Abstract
In every domain of life, NusG-like proteins bind to the elongating RNA polymerase (RNAP) to support processive RNA synthesis and to couple transcription to ongoing cellular processes. Structures of factor-bound transcription elongation complexes (TECs) reveal similar contacts to RNAP, consistent with a shared mechanism of action. However, NusG homologs differ in their regulatory roles, modes of recruitment, and effects on RNA synthesis. Some of these differences could be due to conformational changes in RNAP and NusG-like proteins, which cannot be captured in static structures. Here, we employed hydrogen-deuterium exchange mass spectrometry to investigate changes in local and non-local structural dynamics of Escherichia coli NusG and its paralog RfaH, which have opposite effects on expression of xenogenes, upon binding to TEC. We found that NusG and RfaH regions that bind RNAP became solvent-protected in factor-bound TECs, whereas RNAP regions that interact with both factors showed opposite deuterium uptake changes when bound to NusG or RfaH. Additional changes far from the factor-binding site were observed only with RfaH. Our results provide insights into differences in structural dynamics exerted by NusG and RfaH during binding to TEC, which may explain their different functional outcomes and allosteric regulation of transcriptional pausing by RfaH.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- José Alejandro Molina
- Institute for Biological and Medical Engineering, Schools of Engineering, Medicine and Biological Sciences, Pontificia Universidad Católica de Chile, Santiago, Chile.,ANID - Millennium Science Initiative Program - Millennium Institute for Integrative Biology (iBio), Santiago, Chile
| | - Pablo Galaz-Davison
- Institute for Biological and Medical Engineering, Schools of Engineering, Medicine and Biological Sciences, Pontificia Universidad Católica de Chile, Santiago, Chile.,ANID - Millennium Science Initiative Program - Millennium Institute for Integrative Biology (iBio), Santiago, Chile
| | - Elizabeth A Komives
- Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, University of California, San Diego, La Jolla, CA 92093, USA
| | - Irina Artsimovitch
- Department of Microbiology and The Center for RNA Biology, The Ohio State University, Columbus, OH 43210, USA
| | - César A Ramírez-Sarmiento
- Institute for Biological and Medical Engineering, Schools of Engineering, Medicine and Biological Sciences, Pontificia Universidad Católica de Chile, Santiago, Chile.,ANID - Millennium Science Initiative Program - Millennium Institute for Integrative Biology (iBio), Santiago, Chile
| |
Collapse
|
4
|
Kirsch SH, Haeckl FPJ, Müller R. Beyond the approved: target sites and inhibitors of bacterial RNA polymerase from bacteria and fungi. Nat Prod Rep 2022; 39:1226-1263. [PMID: 35507039 DOI: 10.1039/d1np00067e] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/15/2022]
Abstract
Covering: 2016 to 2022RNA polymerase (RNAP) is the central enzyme in bacterial gene expression representing an attractive and validated target for antibiotics. Two well-known and clinically approved classes of natural product RNAP inhibitors are the rifamycins and the fidaxomycins. Rifampicin (Rif), a semi-synthetic derivative of rifamycin, plays a crucial role as a first line antibiotic in the treatment of tuberculosis and a broad range of bacterial infections. However, more and more pathogens such as Mycobacterium tuberculosis develop resistance, not only against Rif and other RNAP inhibitors. To overcome this problem, novel RNAP inhibitors exhibiting different target sites are urgently needed. This review includes recent developments published between 2016 and today. Particular focus is placed on novel findings concerning already known bacterial RNAP inhibitors, the characterization and development of new compounds isolated from bacteria and fungi, and providing brief insights into promising new synthetic compounds.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Susanne H Kirsch
- Helmholtz Institute for Pharmaceutical Research Saarland (HIPS), Helmholtz Centre for Infection Research (HZI), Saarland University Campus, 66123 Saarbrücken, Germany. .,German Centre for Infection Research (DZIF), Partner Site Hannover-Braunschweig, 38124 Braunschweig, Germany
| | - F P Jake Haeckl
- Helmholtz Institute for Pharmaceutical Research Saarland (HIPS), Helmholtz Centre for Infection Research (HZI), Saarland University Campus, 66123 Saarbrücken, Germany. .,German Centre for Infection Research (DZIF), Partner Site Hannover-Braunschweig, 38124 Braunschweig, Germany
| | - Rolf Müller
- Helmholtz Institute for Pharmaceutical Research Saarland (HIPS), Helmholtz Centre for Infection Research (HZI), Saarland University Campus, 66123 Saarbrücken, Germany. .,German Centre for Infection Research (DZIF), Partner Site Hannover-Braunschweig, 38124 Braunschweig, Germany.,Department of Pharmacy, Saarland University, 66123 Saarbrücken, Germany
| |
Collapse
|
5
|
Génin NEJ, Weinzierl ROJ. Nucleotide Loading Modes of Human RNA Polymerase II as Deciphered by Molecular Simulations. Biomolecules 2020; 10:biom10091289. [PMID: 32906795 PMCID: PMC7565877 DOI: 10.3390/biom10091289] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/07/2020] [Revised: 08/31/2020] [Accepted: 09/03/2020] [Indexed: 01/01/2023] Open
Abstract
Mapping the route of nucleoside triphosphate (NTP) entry into the sequestered active site of RNA polymerase (RNAP) has major implications for elucidating the complete nucleotide addition cycle. Constituting a dichotomy that remains to be resolved, two alternatives, direct NTP delivery via the secondary channel (CH2) or selection to downstream sites in the main channel (CH1) prior to catalysis, have been proposed. In this study, accelerated molecular dynamics simulations of freely diffusing NTPs about RNAPII were applied to refine the CH2 model and uncover atomic details on the CH1 model that previously lacked a persuasive structural framework to illustrate its mechanism of action. Diffusion and binding of NTPs to downstream DNA, and the transfer of a preselected NTP to the active site, are simulated for the first time. All-atom simulations further support that CH1 loading is transcription factor IIF (TFIIF) dependent and impacts catalytic isomerization. Altogether, the alternative nucleotide loading systems may allow distinct transcriptional landscapes to be expressed.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Nicolas E. J. Génin
- Institut de Chimie Organique et Analytique, Université d’Orléans, 45100 Orléans, France;
| | | |
Collapse
|
6
|
Shi J, Feng Y. [New inhibitors targeting bacterial RNA polymerase]. Zhejiang Da Xue Xue Bao Yi Xue Ban 2019; 48:44-49. [PMID: 31102357 PMCID: PMC8800650 DOI: 10.3785/j.issn.1008-9292.2019.02.08] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/25/2018] [Accepted: 09/05/2018] [Indexed: 06/09/2023]
Abstract
Rifamycins, a group of bacterial RNA polymerase inhibitors, are the firstline antimicrobial drugs to treat tuberculosis. In light of the emergence of rifamycinresistant bacteria, development of new RNA polymerase inhibitors that kill rifamycinresistant bacteria with high bioavailability is urgent. Structural analysis of bacterial RNA polymerase in complex with inhibitors by crystallography and cryo-EM indicates that RNA polymerase inhibitors function through five distinct molecular mechanisms:inhibition of the extension of short RNA; competition with substrates; inhibition of the conformational change of the'bridge helix'; inhibition of clamp opening;inhibition of clamp closure. This article reviews the research progress of these five groups of RNA polymerase inhibitors to provide references for the modification of existing RNA polymerase inhibitors and the discovery of new RNA polymerase inhibitors.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Jing Shi
- Department of Biophysics, Zhejiang University School of Medicine, Hangzhou 310058, China
| | - Yu Feng
- Department of Biophysics, Zhejiang University School of Medicine, Hangzhou 310058, China
- Department of Pathology, Sir Run Run Shaw Hospital, Zhejiang University School of Medicine, Hangzhou 310016, China
| |
Collapse
|
7
|
Choquet K, Forget D, Meloche E, Dicaire MJ, Bernard G, Vanderver A, Schiffmann R, Fabian MR, Teichmann M, Coulombe B, Brais B, Kleinman CL. Leukodystrophy-associated POLR3A mutations down-regulate the RNA polymerase III transcript and important regulatory RNA BC200. J Biol Chem 2019; 294:7445-7459. [PMID: 30898877 PMCID: PMC6509492 DOI: 10.1074/jbc.ra118.006271] [Citation(s) in RCA: 34] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/14/2018] [Revised: 03/07/2019] [Indexed: 12/12/2022] Open
Abstract
RNA polymerase III (Pol III) is an essential enzyme responsible for the synthesis of several small noncoding RNAs, a number of which are involved in mRNA translation. Recessive mutations in POLR3A, encoding the largest subunit of Pol III, cause POLR3-related hypomyelinating leukodystrophy (POLR3–HLD), characterized by deficient central nervous system myelination. Identification of the downstream effectors of pathogenic POLR3A mutations has so far been elusive. Here, we used CRISPR-Cas9 to introduce the POLR3A mutation c.2554A→G (p.M852V) into human cell lines and assessed its impact on Pol III biogenesis, nuclear import, DNA occupancy, transcription, and protein levels. Transcriptomic profiling uncovered a subset of transcripts vulnerable to Pol III hypofunction, including a global reduction in tRNA levels. The brain cytoplasmic BC200 RNA (BCYRN1), involved in translation regulation, was consistently affected in all our cellular models, including patient-derived fibroblasts. Genomic BC200 deletion in an oligodendroglial cell line led to major transcriptomic and proteomic changes, having a larger impact than those of POLR3A mutations. Upon differentiation, mRNA levels of the MBP gene, encoding myelin basic protein, were significantly decreased in POLR3A-mutant cells. Our findings provide the first evidence for impaired Pol III transcription in cellular models of POLR3–HLD and identify several candidate effectors, including BC200 RNA, having a potential role in oligodendrocyte biology and involvement in the disease.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Karine Choquet
- From the Department of Human Genetics, McGill University, Montréal, Québec H3A 0C7, Canada.,the Lady Davis Institute for Medical Research, Jewish General Hospital, Montréal, Québec H3T 1E2, Canada.,the Montréal Neurological Institute, McGill University, Montréal, Québec H3A 2B4, Canada
| | - Diane Forget
- the Translational Proteomics Laboratory, Institut de Recherches Cliniques de Montréal (IRCM), Montréal, Québec H2W 1R7, Canada
| | - Elisabeth Meloche
- the Montréal Neurological Institute, McGill University, Montréal, Québec H3A 2B4, Canada
| | - Marie-Josée Dicaire
- the Montréal Neurological Institute, McGill University, Montréal, Québec H3A 2B4, Canada
| | - Geneviève Bernard
- From the Department of Human Genetics, McGill University, Montréal, Québec H3A 0C7, Canada.,Pediatrics, McGill University, Montréal, Québec H3A 0G4, Canada.,the Department of Internal Medicine, Division of Medical Genetics, Montréal Children's Hospital, McGill University Health Center, Montréal, Québec H4A 3J1, Canada.,the Child Health and Human Development Program, and.,MyeliNeuroGene Laboratory, Research Institute, McGill University Health Center, Montréal, Québec H4A 3J1, Canada.,the Departments of Neurology and Neurosurgery and
| | - Adeline Vanderver
- the Division of Neurology, Children's Hospital of Philadelphia (CHOP), Philadelphia, Pennsylvania 19104
| | - Raphael Schiffmann
- the Institute of Metabolic Disease, Baylor Research Institute, Dallas, Texas 75204
| | - Marc R Fabian
- the Lady Davis Institute for Medical Research, Jewish General Hospital, Montréal, Québec H3T 1E2, Canada
| | - Martin Teichmann
- INSERM U1212-CNRS UMR5320, Université de Bordeaux, Bordeaux, France, and
| | - Benoit Coulombe
- the Translational Proteomics Laboratory, Institut de Recherches Cliniques de Montréal (IRCM), Montréal, Québec H2W 1R7, Canada.,the Département de Biochimie et Médecine Moléculaire, Université de Montréal, Montréal, Québec H3T 1J4, Canada
| | - Bernard Brais
- From the Department of Human Genetics, McGill University, Montréal, Québec H3A 0C7, Canada.,the Montréal Neurological Institute, McGill University, Montréal, Québec H3A 2B4, Canada.,the Departments of Neurology and Neurosurgery and
| | - Claudia L Kleinman
- From the Department of Human Genetics, McGill University, Montréal, Québec H3A 0C7, Canada, .,the Lady Davis Institute for Medical Research, Jewish General Hospital, Montréal, Québec H3T 1E2, Canada
| |
Collapse
|
8
|
Mechanisms of antibiotics inhibiting bacterial RNA polymerase. Biochem Soc Trans 2019; 47:339-350. [PMID: 30647141 DOI: 10.1042/bst20180499] [Citation(s) in RCA: 19] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/29/2018] [Revised: 12/18/2018] [Accepted: 12/20/2018] [Indexed: 12/21/2022]
Abstract
Transcription, the first phase of gene expression, is performed by the multi-subunit RNA polymerase (RNAP). Bacterial RNAP is a validated target for clinical antibiotics. Many natural and synthetic compounds are now known to target RNAP, inhibiting various stages of the transcription cycle. However, very few RNAP inhibitors are used clinically. A detailed knowledge of inhibitors and their mechanisms of action (MOA) is vital for the future development of efficacious antibiotics. Moreover, inhibitors of RNAP are often useful tools with which to dissect RNAP function. Here, we review the MOA of antimicrobial transcription inhibitors.
Collapse
|
9
|
Turtola M, Mäkinen JJ, Belogurov GA. Active site closure stabilizes the backtracked state of RNA polymerase. Nucleic Acids Res 2018; 46:10870-10887. [PMID: 30256972 PMCID: PMC6237748 DOI: 10.1093/nar/gky883] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/19/2018] [Revised: 08/30/2018] [Accepted: 09/19/2018] [Indexed: 01/02/2023] Open
Abstract
All cellular RNA polymerases (RNAP) occasionally backtrack along the template DNA as part of transcriptional proofreading and regulation. Here, we studied the mechanism of RNAP backtracking by one nucleotide using two complementary approaches that allowed us to precisely measure the occupancy and lifetime of the backtracked state. Our data show that the stability of the backtracked state is critically dependent on the closure of the RNAP active site by a mobile domain, the trigger loop (TL). The lifetime and occupancy of the backtracked state measurably decreased by substitutions of the TL residues that interact with the nucleoside triphosphate (NTP) substrate, whereas amino acid substitutions that stabilized the closed active site increased the lifetime and occupancy. These results suggest that the same conformer of the TL closes the active site during catalysis of nucleotide incorporation into the nascent RNA and backtracking by one nucleotide. In support of this hypothesis, we construct a model of the 1-nt backtracked complex with the closed active site and the backtracked nucleotide in the entry pore area known as the E-site. We further propose that 1-nt backtracking mimics the reversal of the NTP substrate loading into the RNAP active site during on-pathway elongation.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Matti Turtola
- University of Turku, Department of Biochemistry, FIN-20014 Turku, Finland
| | - Janne J Mäkinen
- University of Turku, Department of Biochemistry, FIN-20014 Turku, Finland
| | | |
Collapse
|
10
|
Maffioli SI, Zhang Y, Degen D, Carzaniga T, Del Gatto G, Serina S, Monciardini P, Mazzetti C, Guglierame P, Candiani G, Chiriac AI, Facchetti G, Kaltofen P, Sahl HG, Dehò G, Donadio S, Ebright RH. Antibacterial Nucleoside-Analog Inhibitor of Bacterial RNA Polymerase. Cell 2017. [PMID: 28622509 DOI: 10.1016/j.cell.2017.05.042] [Citation(s) in RCA: 99] [Impact Index Per Article: 14.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/28/2022]
Abstract
Drug-resistant bacterial pathogens pose an urgent public-health crisis. Here, we report the discovery, from microbial-extract screening, of a nucleoside-analog inhibitor that inhibits bacterial RNA polymerase (RNAP) and exhibits antibacterial activity against drug-resistant bacterial pathogens: pseudouridimycin (PUM). PUM is a natural product comprising a formamidinylated, N-hydroxylated Gly-Gln dipeptide conjugated to 6'-amino-pseudouridine. PUM potently and selectively inhibits bacterial RNAP in vitro, inhibits bacterial growth in culture, and clears infection in a mouse model of Streptococcus pyogenes peritonitis. PUM inhibits RNAP through a binding site on RNAP (the NTP addition site) and mechanism (competition with UTP for occupancy of the NTP addition site) that differ from those of the RNAP inhibitor and current antibacterial drug rifampin (Rif). PUM exhibits additive antibacterial activity when co-administered with Rif, exhibits no cross-resistance with Rif, and exhibits a spontaneous resistance rate an order-of-magnitude lower than that of Rif. PUM is a highly promising lead for antibacterial therapy.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Sonia I Maffioli
- NAICONS Srl, 20139 Milan, Italy; Vicuron Pharmaceuticals, 21040 Gerenzano, Italy
| | - Yu Zhang
- Waksman Institute and Department of Chemistry, Rutgers University, Piscataway, NJ 08854, USA
| | - David Degen
- Waksman Institute and Department of Chemistry, Rutgers University, Piscataway, NJ 08854, USA
| | - Thomas Carzaniga
- Department of Bioscience, University of Milan, 20122 Milan, Italy
| | | | - Stefania Serina
- NAICONS Srl, 20139 Milan, Italy; Vicuron Pharmaceuticals, 21040 Gerenzano, Italy
| | - Paolo Monciardini
- NAICONS Srl, 20139 Milan, Italy; Vicuron Pharmaceuticals, 21040 Gerenzano, Italy
| | | | | | | | - Alina Iulia Chiriac
- Institute of Medical Microbiology, Immunology, and Parasitology, University of Bonn, D-53012 Bonn, Germany
| | | | | | - Hans-Georg Sahl
- Institute of Medical Microbiology, Immunology, and Parasitology, University of Bonn, D-53012 Bonn, Germany
| | - Gianni Dehò
- Department of Bioscience, University of Milan, 20122 Milan, Italy
| | - Stefano Donadio
- NAICONS Srl, 20139 Milan, Italy; Vicuron Pharmaceuticals, 21040 Gerenzano, Italy.
| | - Richard H Ebright
- Waksman Institute and Department of Chemistry, Rutgers University, Piscataway, NJ 08854, USA.
| |
Collapse
|
11
|
Lin W, Mandal S, Degen D, Liu Y, Ebright YW, Li S, Feng Y, Zhang Y, Mandal S, Jiang Y, Liu S, Gigliotti M, Talaue M, Connell N, Das K, Arnold E, Ebright RH. Structural Basis of Mycobacterium tuberculosis Transcription and Transcription Inhibition. Mol Cell 2017; 66:169-179.e8. [PMID: 28392175 DOI: 10.1016/j.molcel.2017.03.001] [Citation(s) in RCA: 106] [Impact Index Per Article: 15.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/02/2017] [Revised: 02/15/2017] [Accepted: 02/28/2017] [Indexed: 01/22/2023]
Abstract
Mycobacterium tuberculosis (Mtb) is the causative agent of tuberculosis, which kills 1.8 million annually. Mtb RNA polymerase (RNAP) is the target of the first-line antituberculosis drug rifampin (Rif). We report crystal structures of Mtb RNAP, alone and in complex with Rif, at 3.8-4.4 Å resolution. The results identify an Mtb-specific structural module of Mtb RNAP and establish that Rif functions by a steric-occlusion mechanism that prevents extension of RNA. We also report non-Rif-related compounds-Nα-aroyl-N-aryl-phenylalaninamides (AAPs)-that potently and selectively inhibit Mtb RNAP and Mtb growth, and we report crystal structures of Mtb RNAP in complex with AAPs. AAPs bind to a different site on Mtb RNAP than Rif, exhibit no cross-resistance with Rif, function additively when co-administered with Rif, and suppress resistance emergence when co-administered with Rif.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Wei Lin
- Waksman Institute and Department of Chemistry and Chemical Biology, Rutgers University, Piscataway, NJ 08854, USA
| | - Soma Mandal
- Waksman Institute and Department of Chemistry and Chemical Biology, Rutgers University, Piscataway, NJ 08854, USA
| | - David Degen
- Waksman Institute and Department of Chemistry and Chemical Biology, Rutgers University, Piscataway, NJ 08854, USA
| | - Yu Liu
- Waksman Institute and Department of Chemistry and Chemical Biology, Rutgers University, Piscataway, NJ 08854, USA
| | - Yon W Ebright
- Waksman Institute and Department of Chemistry and Chemical Biology, Rutgers University, Piscataway, NJ 08854, USA
| | - Shengjian Li
- Waksman Institute and Department of Chemistry and Chemical Biology, Rutgers University, Piscataway, NJ 08854, USA
| | - Yu Feng
- Waksman Institute and Department of Chemistry and Chemical Biology, Rutgers University, Piscataway, NJ 08854, USA
| | - Yu Zhang
- Waksman Institute and Department of Chemistry and Chemical Biology, Rutgers University, Piscataway, NJ 08854, USA
| | - Sukhendu Mandal
- Waksman Institute and Department of Chemistry and Chemical Biology, Rutgers University, Piscataway, NJ 08854, USA
| | - Yi Jiang
- Waksman Institute and Department of Chemistry and Chemical Biology, Rutgers University, Piscataway, NJ 08854, USA
| | - Shuang Liu
- Waksman Institute and Department of Chemistry and Chemical Biology, Rutgers University, Piscataway, NJ 08854, USA
| | - Matthew Gigliotti
- Waksman Institute and Department of Chemistry and Chemical Biology, Rutgers University, Piscataway, NJ 08854, USA
| | - Meliza Talaue
- Center for Biodefense and Department of Medicine, New Jersey Medical School, Rutgers University, Newark, NJ 07101, USA
| | - Nancy Connell
- Center for Biodefense and Department of Medicine, New Jersey Medical School, Rutgers University, Newark, NJ 07101, USA
| | - Kalyan Das
- Center for Advanced Biotechnology and Medicine and Department of Chemistry and Chemical Biology, Rutgers University, Piscataway, NJ 08854, USA
| | - Eddy Arnold
- Center for Advanced Biotechnology and Medicine and Department of Chemistry and Chemical Biology, Rutgers University, Piscataway, NJ 08854, USA
| | - Richard H Ebright
- Waksman Institute and Department of Chemistry and Chemical Biology, Rutgers University, Piscataway, NJ 08854, USA.
| |
Collapse
|
12
|
Meftahi N, Namouchi A, Mhenni B, Brandis G, Hughes D, Mardassi H. Evidence for the critical role of a secondary site rpoB mutation in the compensatory evolution and successful transmission of an MDR tuberculosis outbreak strain. J Antimicrob Chemother 2015; 71:324-32. [PMID: 26538504 DOI: 10.1093/jac/dkv345] [Citation(s) in RCA: 27] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/23/2015] [Accepted: 09/24/2015] [Indexed: 01/24/2023] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND MDR Mycobacterium tuberculosis clinical strains that cause large outbreaks, particularly among HIV-negative patients, are likely to have undergone the most successful compensatory evolution. Hence, mutations secondary to the acquisition of drug resistance are worthy of consideration in these highly transmissible strains. Here, we assessed the role of a mutation within rpoB, rpoB V615M, secondary to the rifampicin resistance-conferring mutation rpoB S531L, which is associated with a major MDR tuberculosis outbreak strain that evolved in an HIV-negative context in northern Tunisia. METHODS Using BCG as a model organism, we engineered strains harbouring either the rpoB S531L mutation alone or the double mutation rpoB S531L, V615M. Individual and competitive in vitro growth assays were performed in order to assess the relative fitness of each BCG mutant. RESULTS The rpoB V615M mutation was found to be invariably associated with rpoB S531L. Structural analysis mapped rpoB V615M to the same bridge helix region as rpoB compensatory mutations previously described in Salmonella. Compared with the rpoB single-mutant BCG, the double mutant displayed improved growth characteristics and fitness rates equivalent to WT BCG. Strikingly, the rpoB double mutation conferred high-level resistance to rifampicin. CONCLUSIONS Here, we demonstrated the fitness compensatory role of a mutation within rpoB, secondary to the rifampicin resistance mutation rpoB S531L, which is characteristic of an MDR M. tuberculosis major outbreak strain. The finding that this secondary mutation concomitantly increased the resistance level to rifampicin argues for its significant contribution to the successful transmission of the MDR-TB strain.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Nedra Meftahi
- Unit of Typing & Genetics of Mycobacteria, Laboratory of Molecular Microbiology, Vaccinology, and Biotechnology Development, Institut Pasteur de Tunis, Université de Tunis El Manar, Tunis, Tunisia
| | - Amine Namouchi
- Unit of Typing & Genetics of Mycobacteria, Laboratory of Molecular Microbiology, Vaccinology, and Biotechnology Development, Institut Pasteur de Tunis, Université de Tunis El Manar, Tunis, Tunisia
| | - Besma Mhenni
- Unit of Typing & Genetics of Mycobacteria, Laboratory of Molecular Microbiology, Vaccinology, and Biotechnology Development, Institut Pasteur de Tunis, Université de Tunis El Manar, Tunis, Tunisia
| | - Gerrit Brandis
- Department of Medical Biochemistry and Microbiology, Box 582 Biomedical Center, Uppsala University, Uppsala, Sweden
| | - Diarmaid Hughes
- Department of Medical Biochemistry and Microbiology, Box 582 Biomedical Center, Uppsala University, Uppsala, Sweden
| | - Helmi Mardassi
- Unit of Typing & Genetics of Mycobacteria, Laboratory of Molecular Microbiology, Vaccinology, and Biotechnology Development, Institut Pasteur de Tunis, Université de Tunis El Manar, Tunis, Tunisia
| |
Collapse
|
13
|
CBR antimicrobials inhibit RNA polymerase via at least two bridge-helix cap-mediated effects on nucleotide addition. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A 2015; 112:E4178-87. [PMID: 26195788 PMCID: PMC4534225 DOI: 10.1073/pnas.1502368112] [Citation(s) in RCA: 30] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/07/2023] Open
Abstract
RNA polymerase inhibitors like the CBR class that target the enzyme's complex catalytic center are attractive leads for new antimicrobials. Catalysis by RNA polymerase involves multiple rearrangements of bridge helix, trigger loop, and active-center side chains that isomerize the triphosphate of bound NTP and two Mg(2+) ions from a preinsertion state to a reactive configuration. CBR inhibitors target a crevice between the N-terminal portion of the bridge helix and a surrounding cap region within which the bridge helix is thought to rearrange during the nucleotide addition cycle. We report crystal structures of CBR inhibitor/Escherichia coli RNA polymerase complexes as well as biochemical tests that establish two distinct effects of the inhibitors on the RNA polymerase catalytic site. One effect involves inhibition of trigger-loop folding via the F loop in the cap, which affects both nucleotide addition and hydrolysis of 3'-terminal dinucleotides in certain backtracked complexes. The second effect is trigger-loop independent, affects only nucleotide addition and pyrophosphorolysis, and may involve inhibition of bridge-helix movements that facilitate reactive triphosphate alignment.
Collapse
|
14
|
Feng Y, Degen D, Wang X, Gigliotti M, Liu S, Zhang Y, Das D, Michalchuk T, Ebright YW, Talaue M, Connell N, Ebright RH. Structural Basis of Transcription Inhibition by CBR Hydroxamidines and CBR Pyrazoles. Structure 2015; 23:1470-1481. [PMID: 26190576 DOI: 10.1016/j.str.2015.06.009] [Citation(s) in RCA: 22] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/25/2015] [Revised: 06/12/2015] [Accepted: 06/15/2015] [Indexed: 11/30/2022]
Abstract
CBR hydroxamidines are small-molecule inhibitors of bacterial RNA polymerase (RNAP) discovered through high-throughput screening of synthetic-compound libraries. CBR pyrazoles are structurally related RNAP inhibitors discovered through scaffold hopping from CBR hydroxamidines. CBR hydroxamidines and pyrazoles selectively inhibit Gram-negative bacterial RNAP and exhibit selective antibacterial activity against Gram-negative bacteria. Here, we report crystal structures of the prototype CBR hydroxamidine, CBR703, and a CBR pyrazole in complex with E. coli RNAP holoenzyme. In addition, we define the full resistance determinant for CBR703, show that the binding site and resistance determinant for CBR703 do not overlap the binding sites and resistance determinants of other characterized RNAP inhibitors, show that CBR703 exhibits no or minimal cross-resistance with other characterized RNAP inhibitors, and show that co-administration of CBR703 with other RNAP inhibitors results in additive antibacterial activities. The results set the stage for structure-based optimization of CBR inhibitors as antibacterial drugs.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Yu Feng
- Waksman Institute and Department of Chemistry and Chemical Biology, Rutgers University, Piscataway, NJ 08854, USA
| | - David Degen
- Waksman Institute and Department of Chemistry and Chemical Biology, Rutgers University, Piscataway, NJ 08854, USA
| | - Xinyue Wang
- Waksman Institute and Department of Chemistry and Chemical Biology, Rutgers University, Piscataway, NJ 08854, USA
| | - Matthew Gigliotti
- Waksman Institute and Department of Chemistry and Chemical Biology, Rutgers University, Piscataway, NJ 08854, USA
| | - Shuang Liu
- Waksman Institute and Department of Chemistry and Chemical Biology, Rutgers University, Piscataway, NJ 08854, USA
| | - Yu Zhang
- Waksman Institute and Department of Chemistry and Chemical Biology, Rutgers University, Piscataway, NJ 08854, USA
| | - Deepankar Das
- Waksman Institute and Department of Chemistry and Chemical Biology, Rutgers University, Piscataway, NJ 08854, USA
| | - Trevor Michalchuk
- Waksman Institute and Department of Chemistry and Chemical Biology, Rutgers University, Piscataway, NJ 08854, USA
| | - Yon W Ebright
- Waksman Institute and Department of Chemistry and Chemical Biology, Rutgers University, Piscataway, NJ 08854, USA
| | - Meliza Talaue
- Center for Biodefense, New Jersey Medical School, Rutgers University, Newark, NJ 07101, USA
| | - Nancy Connell
- Center for Biodefense, New Jersey Medical School, Rutgers University, Newark, NJ 07101, USA
| | - Richard H Ebright
- Waksman Institute and Department of Chemistry and Chemical Biology, Rutgers University, Piscataway, NJ 08854, USA.
| |
Collapse
|
15
|
Abstract
Bacteria lack subcellular compartments and harbor a single RNA polymerase that synthesizes both structural and protein-coding RNAs, which are cotranscriptionally processed by distinct pathways. Nascent rRNAs fold into elaborate secondary structures and associate with ribosomal proteins, whereas nascent mRNAs are translated by ribosomes. During elongation, nucleic acid signals and regulatory proteins modulate concurrent RNA-processing events, instruct RNA polymerase where to pause and terminate transcription, or act as roadblocks to the moving enzyme. Communications among complexes that carry out transcription, translation, repair, and other cellular processes ensure timely execution of the gene expression program and survival under conditions of stress. This network is maintained by auxiliary proteins that act as bridges between RNA polymerase, ribosome, and repair enzymes, blurring boundaries between separate information-processing steps and making assignments of unique regulatory functions meaningless. Understanding the regulation of transcript elongation thus requires genome-wide approaches, which confirm known and reveal new regulatory connections.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
| | - Irina Artsimovitch
- Department of Microbiology and Center for RNA Biology, The Ohio State University, Columbus, Ohio 43210;
| |
Collapse
|
16
|
Yu J, Da LT, Huang X. Constructing kinetic models to elucidate structural dynamics of a complete RNA polymerase II elongation cycle. Phys Biol 2014; 12:016004. [DOI: 10.1088/1478-3975/12/1/016004] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/04/2023]
|
17
|
Degen D, Feng Y, Zhang Y, Ebright KY, Ebright YW, Gigliotti M, Vahedian-Movahed H, Mandal S, Talaue M, Connell N, Arnold E, Fenical W, Ebright RH. Transcription inhibition by the depsipeptide antibiotic salinamide A. eLife 2014; 3:e02451. [PMID: 24843001 PMCID: PMC4029172 DOI: 10.7554/elife.02451] [Citation(s) in RCA: 59] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/12/2022] Open
Abstract
We report that bacterial RNA polymerase (RNAP) is the functional cellular target of the depsipeptide antibiotic salinamide A (Sal), and we report that Sal inhibits RNAP through a novel binding site and mechanism. We show that Sal inhibits RNA synthesis in cells and that mutations that confer Sal-resistance map to RNAP genes. We show that Sal interacts with the RNAP active-center ‘bridge-helix cap’ comprising the ‘bridge-helix N-terminal hinge’, ‘F-loop’, and ‘link region’. We show that Sal inhibits nucleotide addition in transcription initiation and elongation. We present a crystal structure that defines interactions between Sal and RNAP and effects of Sal on RNAP conformation. We propose that Sal functions by binding to the RNAP bridge-helix cap and preventing conformational changes of the bridge-helix N-terminal hinge necessary for nucleotide addition. The results provide a target for antibacterial drug discovery and a reagent to probe conformation and function of the bridge-helix N-terminal hinge. DOI:http://dx.doi.org/10.7554/eLife.02451.001 The need for new antibiotics is becoming increasingly critical, as more and more bacteria become resistant to existing drugs. To develop new treatments, researchers need to understand how antibiotics work. One way antibiotics can kill bacteria is by targeting an enzyme called bacterial RNA polymerase. This enzyme builds chains of RNA that bacteria need to survive. Sal is an antibiotic produced by a marine bacterium found on the surface of a species of jellyfish. Degen, Feng et al. show that Sal kills bacteria by inhibiting bacterial RNA polymerase and explain how Sal inhibits RNA polymerase. Sal binds to a rod-like structural element within RNA polymerase known as the ‘bridge helix’. The bridge helix has been proposed by others to contain two ‘hinges’ that open and close—allowing the bridge helix to bend and unbend—at specific steps in the cycle through which RNA polymerase builds an RNA chain. Degen, Feng et al. show that Sal binds directly to one of the two hinges and show that Sal binds to the hinge in the unbent state. Therefore, Degen, Feng et al. propose that Sal inhibits the enzyme by preventing the hinge from bending. The binding site on RNA polymerase for Sal is different from, and does not overlap, the binding sites of current antibacterial drugs. As a result, Sal is able to kill bacteria that are resistant to current antibacterial drugs. When Degen, Feng et al. administered Sal in combination with a current antibacterial drug that targets RNA polymerase, bacteria did not detectably develop resistance to either Sal or the current antibacterial drug. The structure of the complex between Sal and RNA polymerase suggests several ways that Sal could be modified to improve its ability to interact with RNA polymerase, thereby potentially increasing Sal's antibacterial activity. Future research could develop a range of new drugs based on Sal that could kill bacteria more effectively. DOI:http://dx.doi.org/10.7554/eLife.02451.002
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- David Degen
- Waksman Institute, Rutgers University, Piscataway, United States
| | - Yu Feng
- Waksman Institute, Rutgers University, Piscataway, United States
| | - Yu Zhang
- Waksman Institute, Rutgers University, Piscataway, United States
| | | | - Yon W Ebright
- Waksman Institute, Rutgers University, Piscataway, United States
| | | | | | - Sukhendu Mandal
- Waksman Institute, Rutgers University, Piscataway, United States
| | - Meliza Talaue
- Center for Biodefense, New Jersey Medical School, Rutgers University, Newark, United States
| | - Nancy Connell
- Center for Biodefense, New Jersey Medical School, Rutgers University, Newark, United States
| | - Eddy Arnold
- Center for Advanced Biotechnology and Medicine, Rutgers University, Piscataway, United States
| | - William Fenical
- Center for Marine Biotechnology and Biomedicine, Scripps Institution of Oceanography, University of California, San Diego, La Jolla, United States
| | | |
Collapse
|
18
|
Malinen AM, NandyMazumdar M, Turtola M, Malmi H, Grocholski T, Artsimovitch I, Belogurov GA. CBR antimicrobials alter coupling between the bridge helix and the β subunit in RNA polymerase. Nat Commun 2014; 5:3408. [PMID: 24598909 PMCID: PMC3959191 DOI: 10.1038/ncomms4408] [Citation(s) in RCA: 32] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/08/2013] [Accepted: 02/06/2014] [Indexed: 01/17/2023] Open
Abstract
Bacterial RNA polymerase (RNAP) is a validated target for antibacterial drugs. CBR703 series antimicrobials allosterically inhibit transcription by binding to a conserved α helix (β' bridge helix, BH) that interconnects the two largest RNAP subunits. Here we show that disruption of the BH-β subunit contacts by amino-acid substitutions invariably results in accelerated catalysis, slowed-down forward translocation and insensitivity to regulatory pauses. CBR703 partially reverses these effects in CBR-resistant RNAPs while inhibiting catalysis and promoting pausing in CBR-sensitive RNAPs. The differential response of variant RNAPs to CBR703 suggests that the inhibitor binds in a cavity walled by the BH, the β' F-loop and the β fork loop. Collectively, our data are consistent with a model in which the β subunit fine tunes RNAP elongation activities by altering the BH conformation, whereas CBRs deregulate transcription by increasing coupling between the BH and the β subunit.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Anssi M. Malinen
- Department of Biochemistry, University of Turku, Turku 20014, Finland
| | - Monali NandyMazumdar
- Department of Microbiology, The Ohio State University, Columbus, Ohio 43210, USA
| | - Matti Turtola
- Department of Biochemistry, University of Turku, Turku 20014, Finland
| | - Henri Malmi
- Department of Biochemistry, University of Turku, Turku 20014, Finland
| | - Thadee Grocholski
- Department of Biochemistry, University of Turku, Turku 20014, Finland
| | - Irina Artsimovitch
- Department of Microbiology, The Ohio State University, Columbus, Ohio 43210, USA
| | | |
Collapse
|
19
|
Affiliation(s)
- Robert O J Weinzierl
- Department of Life Sciences, Division of Biomolecular Sciences, Imperial College London , Sir Alexander Fleming Building, Exhibition Road, London SW7 2AZ, United Kingdom
| |
Collapse
|
20
|
Basic mechanism of transcription by RNA polymerase II. BIOCHIMICA ET BIOPHYSICA ACTA-GENE REGULATORY MECHANISMS 2012; 1829:20-8. [PMID: 22982365 DOI: 10.1016/j.bbagrm.2012.08.009] [Citation(s) in RCA: 45] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/02/2012] [Revised: 07/23/2012] [Accepted: 08/29/2012] [Indexed: 11/21/2022]
Abstract
RNA polymerase II-like enzymes carry out transcription of genomes in Eukaryota, Archaea, and some viruses. They also exhibit fundamental similarity to RNA polymerases from bacteria, chloroplasts, and mitochondria. In this review we take an inventory of recent studies illuminating different steps of basic transcription mechanism, likely common for most multi-subunit RNA polymerases. Through the amalgamation of structural and computational chemistry data we attempt to highlight the most feasible reaction pathway for the two-metal nucleotidyl transfer mechanism, and to evaluate the way catalysis can be linked to translocation in the mechano-chemical cycle catalyzed by RNA polymerase II. This article is part of a Special Issue entitled: RNA polymerase II Transcript Elongation.
Collapse
|
21
|
Brandis G, Wrande M, Liljas L, Hughes D. Fitness-compensatory mutations in rifampicin-resistant RNA polymerase. Mol Microbiol 2012; 85:142-51. [PMID: 22646234 DOI: 10.1111/j.1365-2958.2012.08099.x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 116] [Impact Index Per Article: 9.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/25/2022]
Abstract
Mutations in rpoB (RNA polymerase β-subunit) can cause high-level resistance to rifampicin, an important first-line drug against tuberculosis. Most rifampicin-resistant (Rif(R)) mutants selected in vitro have reduced fitness, and resistant clinical isolates of M. tuberculosis frequently carry multiple mutations in RNA polymerase genes. This supports a role for compensatory evolution in global epidemics of drug-resistant tuberculosis but the significance of secondary mutations outside rpoB has not been demonstrated or quantified. Using Salmonella as a model organism, and a previously characterized Rif(R) mutation (rpoB R529C) as a starting point, independent lineages were evolved with selection for improved growth in the presence and absence of rifampicin. Compensatory mutations were identified in every lineage and were distributed between rpoA, rpoB and rpoC. Resistance was maintained in all strains showing that increased fitness by compensatory mutation was more likely than reversion. Genetic reconstructions demonstrated that the secondary mutations were responsible for increasing growth rate. Many of the compensatory mutations in rpoA and rpoC individually caused small but significant reductions in susceptibility to rifampicin, and some compensatory mutations in rpoB individually caused high-level resistance. These findings show that mutations in different components of RNA polymerase are responsible for fitness compensation of a Rif(R) mutant.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Gerrit Brandis
- Department of Medical Biochemistry and Microbiology, Uppsala University, Biomedical Center, Uppsala, Sweden
| | | | | | | |
Collapse
|
22
|
The Bridge Helix of RNA polymerase acts as a central nanomechanical switchboard for coordinating catalysis and substrate movement. ARCHAEA-AN INTERNATIONAL MICROBIOLOGICAL JOURNAL 2012; 2011:608385. [PMID: 22312317 PMCID: PMC3270539 DOI: 10.1155/2011/608385] [Citation(s) in RCA: 22] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/01/2011] [Accepted: 10/25/2011] [Indexed: 11/17/2022]
Abstract
The availability of in vitro assembly systems to produce recombinant archaeal RNA polymerases (RNAPs) offers one of the most powerful experimental tools for investigating the still relatively poorly understood molecular mechanisms underlying RNAP function. Over the last few years, we pioneered new robot-based high-throughput mutagenesis approaches to study structure/function relationships within various domains surrounding the catalytic center. The Bridge Helix domain, which appears in numerous X-ray structures as a 35-amino-acid-long alpha helix, coordinates the concerted movement of several other domains during catalysis through kinking of two discrete molecular hinges. Mutations affecting these kinking mechanisms have a direct effect on the specific catalytic activity of RNAP and can in some instances more than double it. Molecular dynamics simulations have established themselves as exceptionally useful for providing additional insights and detailed models to explain the underlying structural motions.
Collapse
|
23
|
Sevostyanova A, Belogurov GA, Mooney RA, Landick R, Artsimovitch I. The β subunit gate loop is required for RNA polymerase modification by RfaH and NusG. Mol Cell 2012; 43:253-62. [PMID: 21777814 DOI: 10.1016/j.molcel.2011.05.026] [Citation(s) in RCA: 76] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/02/2010] [Revised: 02/25/2011] [Accepted: 05/16/2011] [Indexed: 10/18/2022]
Abstract
In all organisms, RNA polymerase (RNAP) relies on accessory factors to complete synthesis of long RNAs. These factors increase RNAP processivity by reducing pausing and termination, but their molecular mechanisms remain incompletely understood. We identify the β gate loop as an RNAP element required for antipausing activity of a bacterial virulence factor RfaH, a member of the universally conserved NusG family. Interactions with the gate loop are necessary for suppression of pausing and termination by RfaH, but are dispensable for RfaH binding to RNAP mediated by the β' clamp helices. We hypothesize that upon binding to the clamp helices and the gate loop RfaH bridges the gap across the DNA channel, stabilizing RNAP contacts with nucleic acid and disfavoring isomerization into a paused state. We show that contacts with the gate loop are also required for antipausing by NusG and propose that most NusG homologs use similar mechanisms to increase RNAP processivity.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Anastasia Sevostyanova
- Department of Microbiology and the RNA Group, Ohio State University, Columbus, OH 43210, USA
| | | | | | | | | |
Collapse
|
24
|
Jovanovic M, Burrows PC, Bose D, Cámara B, Wiesler S, Zhang X, Wigneshweraraj S, Weinzierl ROJ, Buck M. Activity map of the Escherichia coli RNA polymerase bridge helix. J Biol Chem 2011; 286:14469-79. [PMID: 21357417 PMCID: PMC3077646 DOI: 10.1074/jbc.m110.212902] [Citation(s) in RCA: 21] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/15/2022] Open
Abstract
Transcription, the synthesis of RNA from a DNA template, is performed by multisubunit RNA polymerases (RNAPs) in all cellular organisms. The bridge helix (BH) is a distinct feature of all multisubunit RNAPs and makes direct interactions with several active site-associated mobile features implicated in the nucleotide addition cycle and RNA and DNA binding. Because the BH has been captured in both kinked and straight conformations in different crystals structures of RNAP, recently supported by molecular dynamics studies, it has been proposed that cycling between these conformations is an integral part of the nucleotide addition cycle. To further evaluate the role of the BH, we conducted systematic alanine scanning mutagenesis of the Escherichia coli RNAP BH to determine its contributions to activities required for transcription. Combining our data with an atomic model of E. coli RNAP, we suggest that alterations in the interactions between the BH and (i) the trigger loop, (ii) fork loop 2, and (iii) switch 2 can help explain the observed changes in RNAP functionality associated with some of the BH variants. Additionally, we show that extensive defects in E. coli RNAP functionality depend upon a single previously not studied lysine residue (Lys-781) that is strictly conserved in all bacteria. It appears that direct interactions made by the BH with other conserved features of RNAP are lost in some of the E. coli alanine substitution variants, which we infer results in conformational changes in RNAP that modify RNAP functionality.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Milija Jovanovic
- Division of Biology, Faculty of Medicine and Centre for Molecular Microbiology and Infection, Imperial College London, London SW7 2AZ, United Kindgom
| | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |
Collapse
|