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Boss L, Kędzierska B. Bacterial Toxin-Antitoxin Systems' Cross-Interactions-Implications for Practical Use in Medicine and Biotechnology. Toxins (Basel) 2023; 15:380. [PMID: 37368681 DOI: 10.3390/toxins15060380] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/07/2023] [Revised: 05/30/2023] [Accepted: 06/02/2023] [Indexed: 06/29/2023] Open
Abstract
Toxin-antitoxin (TA) systems are widely present in bacterial genomes. They consist of stable toxins and unstable antitoxins that are classified into distinct groups based on their structure and biological activity. TA systems are mostly related to mobile genetic elements and can be easily acquired through horizontal gene transfer. The ubiquity of different homologous and non-homologous TA systems within a single bacterial genome raises questions about their potential cross-interactions. Unspecific cross-talk between toxins and antitoxins of non-cognate modules may unbalance the ratio of the interacting partners and cause an increase in the free toxin level, which can be deleterious to the cell. Moreover, TA systems can be involved in broadly understood molecular networks as transcriptional regulators of other genes' expression or modulators of cellular mRNA stability. In nature, multiple copies of highly similar or identical TA systems are rather infrequent and probably represent a transition stage during evolution to complete insulation or decay of one of them. Nevertheless, several types of cross-interactions have been described in the literature to date. This implies a question of the possibility and consequences of the TA system cross-interactions, especially in the context of the practical application of the TA-based biotechnological and medical strategies, in which such TAs will be used outside their natural context, will be artificially introduced and induced in the new hosts. Thus, in this review, we discuss the prospective challenges of system cross-talks in the safety and effectiveness of TA system usage.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lidia Boss
- Department of Bacterial Molecular Genetics, Faculty of Biology, University of Gdańsk, 80-309 Gdańsk, Poland
| | - Barbara Kędzierska
- Department of Bacterial Molecular Genetics, Faculty of Biology, University of Gdańsk, 80-309 Gdańsk, Poland
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Dong M, Yang S, Yang X, Xu M, Hu W, Wang B, Huang Y, Xu J, Lu H, Yang Y, Chen X, Huang H, Sun G. Water quality drives the distribution of freshwater cable bacteria. THE SCIENCE OF THE TOTAL ENVIRONMENT 2022; 841:156468. [PMID: 35660596 DOI: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2022.156468] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/28/2022] [Revised: 05/30/2022] [Accepted: 05/31/2022] [Indexed: 06/15/2023]
Abstract
Cable bacteria are a group of recently found filamentous sulfide-oxidizing Desulfobulbaceae that significantly impact biogeochemical cycling. However, the limited understanding of cable bacteria distribution patterns and the driving force hindered our abilities to evaluate and maximize their contribution to environmental health. We evaluated cable bacteria assemblages from ten river sediments in the Pearl River Delta, China. The results revealed a clear biogeographic distribution pattern of cable bacteria, and their communities were deterministically assembled through water quality-driven selection. Cable bacteria are diverse in the river sediments with a few generalists and many specialists, and the water quality IV and V environments are the "hot spot." We then provided evidence on their morphology, function, and genome to demonstrate how water quality might shape the cable bacteria assemblages. Reduced cell width, inhibited function, and water quality-related adaptive genomic traits were detected in sulfide-limited water quality III and contaminant-stressed water quality VI environments. Specifically, those genomic traits were contributed to carbon and sulfur metabolism in the water quality III environment and stress resistance in the water quality VI environment. Overall, these findings provided a helpful baseline in evaluating the contribution of cable bacteria in the freshwater ecosystem and suggested that their high diversity and flexibility in phylogeny, morphology, and genome allowed them to adapt and contribute to various environmental conditions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Meijun Dong
- Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Microbial Culture Collection and Application, State Key Laboratory of Applied Microbiology Southern China, Institute of Microbiology, Guangdong Academy of Sciences, Guangzhou 510070, China.
| | - Shan Yang
- Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Microbial Culture Collection and Application, State Key Laboratory of Applied Microbiology Southern China, Institute of Microbiology, Guangdong Academy of Sciences, Guangzhou 510070, China.
| | - Xunan Yang
- Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Microbial Culture Collection and Application, State Key Laboratory of Applied Microbiology Southern China, Institute of Microbiology, Guangdong Academy of Sciences, Guangzhou 510070, China.
| | - Meiying Xu
- Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Microbial Culture Collection and Application, State Key Laboratory of Applied Microbiology Southern China, Institute of Microbiology, Guangdong Academy of Sciences, Guangzhou 510070, China.
| | - Wenzhe Hu
- Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Microbial Culture Collection and Application, State Key Laboratory of Applied Microbiology Southern China, Institute of Microbiology, Guangdong Academy of Sciences, Guangzhou 510070, China.
| | - Bin Wang
- Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Microbial Culture Collection and Application, State Key Laboratory of Applied Microbiology Southern China, Institute of Microbiology, Guangdong Academy of Sciences, Guangzhou 510070, China.
| | - Youda Huang
- Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Microbial Culture Collection and Application, State Key Laboratory of Applied Microbiology Southern China, Institute of Microbiology, Guangdong Academy of Sciences, Guangzhou 510070, China.
| | - Jiarou Xu
- Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Microbial Culture Collection and Application, State Key Laboratory of Applied Microbiology Southern China, Institute of Microbiology, Guangdong Academy of Sciences, Guangzhou 510070, China.
| | - Huibin Lu
- Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Microbial Culture Collection and Application, State Key Laboratory of Applied Microbiology Southern China, Institute of Microbiology, Guangdong Academy of Sciences, Guangzhou 510070, China.
| | - Yonggang Yang
- Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Microbial Culture Collection and Application, State Key Laboratory of Applied Microbiology Southern China, Institute of Microbiology, Guangdong Academy of Sciences, Guangzhou 510070, China.
| | - Xingjuan Chen
- Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Microbial Culture Collection and Application, State Key Laboratory of Applied Microbiology Southern China, Institute of Microbiology, Guangdong Academy of Sciences, Guangzhou 510070, China.
| | - Haobin Huang
- Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Microbial Culture Collection and Application, State Key Laboratory of Applied Microbiology Southern China, Institute of Microbiology, Guangdong Academy of Sciences, Guangzhou 510070, China.
| | - Guoping Sun
- Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Microbial Culture Collection and Application, State Key Laboratory of Applied Microbiology Southern China, Institute of Microbiology, Guangdong Academy of Sciences, Guangzhou 510070, China.
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de Souza-Neto RR, Carvalho IGB, Martins PMM, Picchi SC, Tomaz JP, Caserta R, Takita MA, de Souza AA. MqsR toxin as a biotechnological tool for plant pathogen bacterial control. Sci Rep 2022; 12:2794. [PMID: 35181693 PMCID: PMC8857320 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-022-06690-x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/15/2021] [Accepted: 12/23/2021] [Indexed: 11/09/2022] Open
Abstract
Type II toxin-antitoxin (TA) systems are widespread in bacteria and are involved in important cell features, such as cell growth inhibition and antimicrobial tolerance, through the induction of persister cells. Overall, these characteristics are associated with bacterial survival under stress conditions and represent a significant genetic mechanism to be explored for antibacterial molecules. We verified that even though Xylella fastidiosa and Xanthomonas citri subsp. citri share closely related genomes, they have different Type II TA system contents. One important difference is the absence of mqsRA in X. citri. The toxin component of this TA system has been shown to inhibit the growth of X. fastidiosa. Thus, the absence of mqsRA in X. citri led us to explore the possibility of using the MqsR toxin to impair X. citri growth. We purified MqsR and confirmed that the toxin was able to inhibit X. citri. Subsequently, transgenic citrus plants producing MqsR showed a significant reduction in citrus canker and citrus variegated chlorosis symptoms caused, respectively, by X. citri and X. fastidiosa. This study demonstrates that the use of toxins from TA systems is a promising strategy to be explored aiming bacterial control.
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Affiliation(s)
- Reinaldo Rodrigues de Souza-Neto
- Citrus Research Center, Agronomic Institute - IAC, Cordeirópolis, SP, Brazil.,Department of Genetics, Evolution, Microbiology, and Immunology, Institute of Biology, University of Campinas - UNICAMP, Campinas, SP, Brazil
| | | | | | | | - Juarez Pires Tomaz
- Rural Development Institute of Parana - IAPAR-EMATER, Londrina, PR, Brazil
| | - Raquel Caserta
- Citrus Research Center, Agronomic Institute - IAC, Cordeirópolis, SP, Brazil
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Garcia-Rodriguez G, Charlier D, Wilmaerts D, Michiels J, Loris R. Alternative dimerization is required for activity and inhibition of the HEPN ribonuclease RnlA. Nucleic Acids Res 2021; 49:7164-7178. [PMID: 34139012 PMCID: PMC8266594 DOI: 10.1093/nar/gkab513] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/28/2021] [Revised: 05/09/2021] [Accepted: 06/03/2021] [Indexed: 11/14/2022] Open
Abstract
The rnlAB toxin-antitoxin operon from Escherichia coli functions as an anti-phage defense system. RnlA was identified as a member of the HEPN (Higher Eukaryotes and Prokaryotes Nucleotide-binding domain) superfamily of ribonucleases. The activity of the toxin RnlA requires tight regulation by the antitoxin RnlB, the mechanism of which remains unknown. Here we show that RnlA exists in an equilibrium between two different homodimer states: an inactive resting state and an active canonical HEPN dimer. Mutants interfering with the transition between states show that canonical HEPN dimerization via the highly conserved RX4-6H motif is required for activity. The antitoxin RnlB binds the canonical HEPN dimer conformation, inhibiting RnlA by blocking access to its active site. Single-alanine substitutions mutants of the highly conserved R255, E258, R318 and H323 show that these residues are involved in catalysis and substrate binding and locate the catalytic site near the dimer interface of the canonical HEPN dimer rather than in a groove located between the HEPN domain and the preceding TBP-like domain. Overall, these findings elucidate the structural basis of the activity and inhibition of RnlA and highlight the crucial role of conformational heterogeneity in protein function.
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Affiliation(s)
- Gabriela Garcia-Rodriguez
- Structural Biology Brussels, Department of Biotechnology, Vrije Universiteit Brussel, B-1050 Brussel, Belgium
- Molecular Recognition Unit, Structural Biology Research Center, Vlaams Instituut voor Biotechnologie, B-1050 Brussel, Belgium
| | - Daniel Charlier
- Research Group of Microbiology, Department of Bioengineering Sciences, Vrije Universiteit Brussel, Pleinlaan 2, B-1050 Brussel, Belgium
| | - Dorien Wilmaerts
- Center of Microbial and Plant Genetics, KU Leuven, Kasteelpark Arenberg 20, Box 2460, 3001 Leuven, Belgium
- Center for Microbiology, Vlaams Instituut voor Biotechnologie, Leuven, Belgium
| | - Jan Michiels
- Center of Microbial and Plant Genetics, KU Leuven, Kasteelpark Arenberg 20, Box 2460, 3001 Leuven, Belgium
- Center for Microbiology, Vlaams Instituut voor Biotechnologie, Leuven, Belgium
| | - Remy Loris
- Structural Biology Brussels, Department of Biotechnology, Vrije Universiteit Brussel, B-1050 Brussel, Belgium
- Molecular Recognition Unit, Structural Biology Research Center, Vlaams Instituut voor Biotechnologie, B-1050 Brussel, Belgium
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Qi X, Brothers KM, Ma D, Mandell JB, Donegan NP, Cheung AL, Richardson AR, Urish KL. The Staphylococcus aureus toxin-antitoxin system YefM-YoeB is associated with antibiotic tolerance and extracellular dependent biofilm formation. J Bone Jt Infect 2021; 6:241-253. [PMID: 34262845 PMCID: PMC8273624 DOI: 10.5194/jbji-6-241-2021] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/23/2020] [Accepted: 05/26/2021] [Indexed: 11/20/2022] Open
Abstract
The high antibiotic tolerance of Staphylococcus aureus biofilms is associated with challenges
for treating periprosthetic joint infection. The toxin–antitoxin system,
YefM–YoeB, is thought to be a regulator for antibiotic tolerance, but its
physiological role is unknown. The objective of this study was to determine
the biofilm and antibiotic susceptibility phenotypes associated with S. aureus yoeB
homologs. We hypothesized the toxin–antitoxin yoeB homologs contribute to
biofilm formation and antibiotic susceptibility. Disruption of yoeB1 and
yoeB2 resulted in decreased biofilm formation in comparison to Newman and JE2
wild-type (WT) S. aureus strains. In comparison to yoeB mutants, both Newman and JE2 WT
strains had higher polysaccharide intercellular adhesin (PIA) production.
Treatment with sodium metaperiodate increased biofilm formation in Newman
WT, indicating biofilm formation may be increased under conditions of
oxidative stress. DNase I treatment decreased biofilm formation in Newman
WT but not in the absence of yoeB1 or yoeB2. Additionally, WT strains had a higher
extracellular DNA (eDNA) content in comparison to yoeB mutants but no
differences in biofilm protein content. Moreover, loss of yoeB1 and yoeB2 decreased
biofilm survival in both Newman and JE2 strains. Finally, in a neutropenic
mouse abscess model, deletion of yoeB1 and yoeB2 resulted in reduced bacterial
burden. In conclusion, our data suggest that yoeB1 and yoeB2 are associated with
S. aureus planktonic growth, extracellular dependent biofilm formation, antibiotic
tolerance, and virulence.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xinyu Qi
- Arthritis and Arthroplasty Design Group (AAD Lab), Department of Orthopaedic Surgery, College of Medicine, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, USA.,Department of Orthopedic Surgery, the First Affiliated Hospital of Traditional Chinese Medicine of Guangzhou University, Guangzhou, Guangdong, China
| | - Kimberly M Brothers
- Arthritis and Arthroplasty Design Group (AAD Lab), Department of Orthopaedic Surgery, College of Medicine, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, USA
| | - Dongzhu Ma
- Arthritis and Arthroplasty Design Group (AAD Lab), Department of Orthopaedic Surgery, College of Medicine, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, USA
| | - Jonathan B Mandell
- Arthritis and Arthroplasty Design Group (AAD Lab), Department of Orthopaedic Surgery, College of Medicine, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, USA
| | - Niles P Donegan
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, Geisel School of Medicine at Dartmouth, Hanover, NH, New Hampshire, USA
| | - Ambrose L Cheung
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, Geisel School of Medicine at Dartmouth, Hanover, NH, New Hampshire, USA
| | - Anthony R Richardson
- Department of Microbiology and Molecular Genetics, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, USA
| | - Kenneth L Urish
- Arthritis and Arthroplasty Design Group (AAD Lab), Department of Orthopaedic Surgery, College of Medicine, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, USA
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Identification of Three Type II Toxin-Antitoxin Systems in Model Bacterial Plant Pathogen Dickeya dadantii 3937. Int J Mol Sci 2021; 22:ijms22115932. [PMID: 34073004 PMCID: PMC8198452 DOI: 10.3390/ijms22115932] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/14/2021] [Revised: 05/28/2021] [Accepted: 05/28/2021] [Indexed: 11/17/2022] Open
Abstract
Type II toxin-antitoxin (TA) systems are genetic elements usually encoding two proteins: a stable toxin and an antitoxin, which binds the toxin and neutralizes its toxic effect. The disturbance in the intracellular toxin and antitoxin ratio typically leads to inhibition of bacterial growth or bacterial cell death. Despite the fact that TA modules are widespread in bacteria and archaea, the biological role of these systems is ambiguous. Nevertheless, a number of studies suggests that the TA modules are engaged in such important processes as biofilm formation, stress response or virulence and maintenance of mobile genetic elements. The Dickeya dadantii 3937 strain serves as a model for pathogens causing the soft-rot disease in a wide range of angiosperm plants. Until now, several chromosome-encoded type II TA systems were identified in silico in the genome of this economically important bacterium, however so far only one of them was experimentally validated. In this study, we investigated three putative type II TA systems in D. dadantii 3937: ccdAB2Dda, phd-docDda and dhiTA, which represents a novel toxin/antitoxin superfamily. We provide an experimental proof for their functionality in vivo both in D. dadantii and Escherichia coli. Finally, we examined the prevalence of those systems across the Pectobacteriaceae family by a phylogenetic analysis.
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7
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Srivastava A, Pati S, Kaushik H, Singh S, Garg LC. Toxin-antitoxin systems and their medical applications: current status and future perspective. Appl Microbiol Biotechnol 2021; 105:1803-1821. [PMID: 33582835 DOI: 10.1007/s00253-021-11134-z] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/09/2020] [Revised: 01/13/2021] [Accepted: 01/20/2021] [Indexed: 12/11/2022]
Abstract
Almost all bacteria synthesize two types of toxins-one for its survival by regulating different cellular processes and another as a strategy to interact with host cells for pathogenesis. Usually, "bacterial toxins" are contemplated as virulence factors that harm the host organism. However, toxins produced by bacteria, as a survival strategy against the host, also hamper its cellular processes. To overcome this, the bacteria have evolved with the production of a molecule, referred to as antitoxin, to negate the deleterious effect of the toxin against itself. The toxin and antitoxins are encoded by a two-component toxin-antitoxin (TA) system. The antitoxin, a protein or RNA, sequesters the toxins of the TA system for neutralization within the bacterial cell. In this review, we have described different TA systems of bacteria and their potential medical and biotechnological applications. It is of interest to note that while bacterial toxin-antitoxin systems have been well studied, the TA system in unicellular eukaryotes, though predicted by the investigators, have never been paid the desired attention. In the present review, we have also touched upon the TA system of eukaryotes identified to date. KEY POINTS: Bacterial toxins harm the host and also affect the bacterial cellular processes. The antitoxin produced by bacteria protect it from the toxin's harmful effects. The toxin-antitoxin systems can be targeted for various medical applications.
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Affiliation(s)
- Akriti Srivastava
- Department of Life Sciences, Shiv Nadar University, Gautam Buddha Nagar, Greater Noida, Uttar Pradesh, 201314, India
| | - Soumya Pati
- Department of Life Sciences, Shiv Nadar University, Gautam Buddha Nagar, Greater Noida, Uttar Pradesh, 201314, India
| | - Himani Kaushik
- Gene Regulation Laboratory, National Institute of Immunology, New Delhi, 110067, India
| | - Shailja Singh
- Special Centre for Molecular Medicine, Jawaharlal Nehru University, New Delhi, 110067, India.
| | - Lalit C Garg
- Gene Regulation Laboratory, National Institute of Immunology, New Delhi, 110067, India.
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Denkovskienė E, Paškevičius Š, Stankevičiūtė J, Gleba Y, Ražanskienė A. Control of T-DNA Transfer from Agrobacterium tumefaciens to Plants Based on an Inducible Bacterial Toxin-Antitoxin System. MOLECULAR PLANT-MICROBE INTERACTIONS : MPMI 2020; 33:1142-1149. [PMID: 32720865 DOI: 10.1094/mpmi-03-20-0067-r] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/11/2023]
Abstract
High-value pharmaceutical products are already successfully produced in contained facilities using Agrobacterium-mediated transient transformation of plants. However, transfection methods suitable for open field applications are still desirable as a cheaper alternative. Biosafety concerns related to the use of recombinant agrobacteria in an industrial transfection process include possible transformation or transfection of unintended hosts or spread of the genetically modified agrobacteria in the environment. In this paper, we explored a novel biocontrol approach resulting in greater biosafety of the transient expression process in plants. Our proposed solution involves inducible expression of Agrobacterium tumefaciens toxin PemK and antitoxin PemI that provides for strictly regulated T-DNA transfer from agrobacteria to plants. We also identified several other toxins from putative Agrobacterium toxin-antitoxin modules and demonstrate their potential usefulness in the control of Agrobacterium tumefaciens as a DNA vector.
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Affiliation(s)
- Erna Denkovskienė
- Nomads UAB, Geležinio vilko 29A, LT-01112, Vilnius, Lithuania
- Vilnius University, Institute of Biotechnology, Saulėtekio al. 7, LT-10257 Vilnius, Lithuania
| | - Šarūnas Paškevičius
- Nomads UAB, Geležinio vilko 29A, LT-01112, Vilnius, Lithuania
- Vilnius University, Institute of Biotechnology, Saulėtekio al. 7, LT-10257 Vilnius, Lithuania
| | | | - Yuri Gleba
- Nomad Bioscience GmbH, Biozentrum Halle, Weinbergweg 22, D-06120 Halle (Saale), Germany
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Houri H, Ghalavand Z, Faghihloo E, Fallah F, Mohammadi-Yeganeh S. Exploiting yoeB-yefM toxin-antitoxin system of Streptococcus pneumoniae on the selective killing of miR-21 overexpressing breast cancer cell line (MCF-7). J Cell Physiol 2019; 235:2925-2936. [PMID: 31541457 DOI: 10.1002/jcp.29198] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/11/2019] [Accepted: 09/03/2019] [Indexed: 12/13/2022]
Abstract
Toxin-antitoxin (TA) systems are two-component genetic modules widespread in bacterial and archaeal genomes, in which the toxin module is rendered inactive under resting conditions by its antitoxin counterpart. Under stress conditions, however, the antitoxin is degraded, freeing the toxin to exert its lethal effects. Although not evolved to function in eukaryotes, some studies have established the lethal activity of these bacterial toxins by inducing apoptosis in mammalian cells, an effect that can be neutralized by its cognate antitoxin. Inspired by the way the toxin can become active in eukaryotes cells, we produced an engrained yoeB-yefM TA system to selectively kill human breast cancer cells expressing a high level of miR-21. Accordingly, we generated an engineered yefM antitoxin gene with eight miR-21 target sites placed in its 3'untranslated region. The resulting TA system acts autonomously in human cells, distinguishing those that overexpress miR-21, killed by YoeB, from those that do not, remaining protected by YefM. Thus, we indicated that microRNA-control of the antitoxin protein of bacterial TA systems constitutes a novel strategy to enhance the selective killing of human cancer cells by the toxin module. The present study provides significant insights for developing novel anticancer strategies avoiding off-target effects, a challenge that has been pursued by many investigators over the years.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hamidreza Houri
- Infectious Diseases and Tropical Medicine Research Center, Shahid Beheshti University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran.,Department of Microbiology, School of Medicine, Shahid Beheshti University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran
| | - Zohreh Ghalavand
- Department of Microbiology, School of Medicine, Shahid Beheshti University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran
| | - Ebrahim Faghihloo
- Department of Microbiology, School of Medicine, Shahid Beheshti University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran
| | - Fatemeh Fallah
- Infectious Diseases and Tropical Medicine Research Center, Shahid Beheshti University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran.,Department of Microbiology, School of Medicine, Shahid Beheshti University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran
| | - Samira Mohammadi-Yeganeh
- Cellular and Molecular Biology Research Center, Shahid Beheshti University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran.,Department of Biotechnology, School of Advanced Technologies in Medicine, Shahid Beheshti University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran
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10
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Guo Y, Fudali S, Gimeno J, DiGennaro P, Chang S, Williamson VM, Bird DM, Nielsen DM. Networks Underpinning Symbiosis Revealed Through Cross-Species eQTL Mapping. Genetics 2017; 206:2175-2184. [PMID: 28642272 PMCID: PMC5560814 DOI: 10.1534/genetics.117.202531] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/02/2017] [Accepted: 06/09/2017] [Indexed: 12/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Organisms engage in extensive cross-species molecular dialog, yet the underlying molecular actors are known for only a few interactions. Many techniques have been designed to uncover genes involved in signaling between organisms. Typically, these focus on only one of the partners. We developed an expression quantitative trait locus (eQTL) mapping-based approach to identify cause-and-effect relationships between genes from two partners engaged in an interspecific interaction. We demonstrated the approach by assaying expression of 98 isogenic plants (Medicago truncatula), each inoculated with a genetically distinct line of the diploid parasitic nematode Meloidogyne hapla With this design, systematic differences in gene expression across host plants could be mapped to genetic polymorphisms of their infecting parasites. The effects of parasite genotypes on plant gene expression were often substantial, with up to 90-fold (P = 3.2 × 10-52) changes in expression levels caused by individual parasite loci. Mapped loci included a number of pleiotropic sites, including one 87-kb parasite locus that modulated expression of >60 host genes. The 213 host genes identified were substantially enriched for transcription factors. We distilled higher-order connections between polymorphisms and genes from both species via network inference. To replicate our results and test whether effects were conserved across a broader host range, we performed a confirmatory experiment using M. hapla-infected tomato. This revealed that homologous genes were similarly affected. Finally, to validate the broader utility of cross-species eQTL mapping, we applied the strategy to data from a Salmonella infection study, successfully identifying polymorphisms in the human genome affecting bacterial expression.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yuelong Guo
- Bioinformatics Research Center, North Carolina State University, Raleigh, North Carolina 27695
| | - Sylwia Fudali
- Department of Plant Pathology, University of California, Davis, California 95616
| | - Jacinta Gimeno
- Department of Plant Pathology, University of California, Davis, California 95616
| | - Peter DiGennaro
- Department of Plant Pathology, North Carolina State University, Raleigh, North Carolina 27695
| | - Stella Chang
- Department of Plant Pathology, North Carolina State University, Raleigh, North Carolina 27695
| | - Valerie M Williamson
- Department of Plant Pathology, University of California, Davis, California 95616
| | - David McK Bird
- Department of Plant Pathology, North Carolina State University, Raleigh, North Carolina 27695
| | - Dahlia M Nielsen
- Bioinformatics Research Center, North Carolina State University, Raleigh, North Carolina 27695
- Department of Biological Sciences, North Carolina State University, Raleigh, North Carolina 27695
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11
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Heterologous expression of the Streptococcus pneumoniae yoeB and pezT toxin genes is lethal in Chlorella vulgaris. ALGAL RES 2016. [DOI: 10.1016/j.algal.2016.07.011] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/11/2023]
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12
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Baldacci-Cresp F, Houbaert A, Metuor Dabire A, Mol A, Monteyne D, El Jaziri M, Van Melderen L, Baucher M. Escherichia colimazEF Toxin-Antitoxin System as a Tool to Target Cell Ablation in Plants. J Mol Microbiol Biotechnol 2016; 26:277-83. [PMID: 27245477 DOI: 10.1159/000446112] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/23/2015] [Accepted: 03/08/2016] [Indexed: 11/19/2022] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND/AIMS The Escherichia coli MazF is an endoribonuclease that cleaves mRNA at ACA sequences, thereby triggering inhibition of protein synthesis. The aim of this study is to evaluate the efficiency of the mazEF toxin-antitoxin system in plants to develop biotechnological tools for targeted cell ablation. METHODS A double transformation strategy, combining expression of the mazE antitoxin gene under the control of the CaMV 35S promoter, reported to drive expression in all plant cells except within the tapetum, together with the expression of the mazF gene under the control of the TA29 tapetum-specific promoter in transgenic tobacco, was applied. RESULTS No transgenic TA29-mazF line could be regenerated, suggesting that the TA29 promoter is not strictly tapetum specific and that MazF is toxic for plant cells. The regenerated 35S-mazE/TA29-mazF double-transformed lines gave a unique phenotype where the tapetal cell layer was necrosed resulting in the absence of pollen. CONCLUSION These results show that the E. colimazEF system can be used to induce death of specific plant cell types and can provide a new tool to plant cell ablation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Fabien Baldacci-Cresp
- Laboratoire de Biotechnologie Vx00E9;gx00E9;tale, Universitx00E9; libre de Bruxelles (ULB), Gosselies, Belgium
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Abu Bakar F, Yeo CC, Harikrishna JA. Neutralization of Bacterial YoeBSpn Toxicity and Enhanced Plant Growth in Arabidopsis thaliana via Co-Expression of the Toxin-Antitoxin Genes. Int J Mol Sci 2016; 17:ijms17040321. [PMID: 27104531 PMCID: PMC4848878 DOI: 10.3390/ijms17040321] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/17/2015] [Revised: 02/24/2016] [Accepted: 02/25/2016] [Indexed: 12/02/2022] Open
Abstract
Bacterial toxin-antitoxin (TA) systems have various cellular functions, including as part of the general stress response. The genome of the Gram-positive human pathogen Streptococcus pneumoniae harbors several putative TA systems, including yefM-yoeBSpn, which is one of four systems that had been demonstrated to be biologically functional. Overexpression of the yoeBSpn toxin gene resulted in cell stasis and eventually cell death in its native host, as well as in Escherichia coli. Our previous work showed that induced expression of a yoeBSpn toxin-Green Fluorescent Protein (GFP) fusion gene apparently triggered apoptosis and was lethal in the model plant, Arabidopsis thaliana. In this study, we investigated the effects of co-expression of the yefMSpn antitoxin and yoeBSpn toxin-GFP fusion in transgenic A. thaliana. When co-expressed in Arabidopsis, the YefMSpn antitoxin was found to neutralize the toxicity of YoeBSpn-GFP. Interestingly, the inducible expression of both yefMSpn antitoxin and yoeBSpn toxin-GFP fusion in transgenic hybrid Arabidopsis resulted in larger rosette leaves and taller plants with a higher number of inflorescence stems and increased silique production. To our knowledge, this is the first demonstration of a prokaryotic antitoxin neutralizing its cognate toxin in plant cells.
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Affiliation(s)
- Fauziah Abu Bakar
- Centre for Research in Biotechnology for Agriculture (CEBAR) and Institute of Biological Sciences, Faculty of Science, University of Malaya, 50603 Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia.
| | - Chew Chieng Yeo
- Biomedical Research Centre, Faculty of Medicine, Universiti Sultan Zainal Abidin, Medical Campus, 21300 Kuala Terengganu, Malaysia.
| | - Jennifer Ann Harikrishna
- Centre for Research in Biotechnology for Agriculture (CEBAR) and Institute of Biological Sciences, Faculty of Science, University of Malaya, 50603 Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia.
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Heterologous Expression of Toxins from Bacterial Toxin-Antitoxin Systems in Eukaryotic Cells: Strategies and Applications. Toxins (Basel) 2016; 8:49. [PMID: 26907343 PMCID: PMC4773802 DOI: 10.3390/toxins8020049] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/17/2016] [Revised: 02/03/2016] [Accepted: 02/15/2016] [Indexed: 11/21/2022] Open
Abstract
Toxin-antitoxin (TA) systems are found in nearly all prokaryotic genomes and usually consist of a pair of co-transcribed genes, one of which encodes a stable toxin and the other, its cognate labile antitoxin. Certain environmental and physiological cues trigger the degradation of the antitoxin, causing activation of the toxin, leading either to the death or stasis of the host cell. TA systems have a variety of functions in the bacterial cell, including acting as mediators of programmed cell death, the induction of a dormant state known as persistence and the stable maintenance of plasmids and other mobile genetic elements. Some bacterial TA systems are functional when expressed in eukaryotic cells and this has led to several innovative applications, which are the subject of this review. Here, we look at how bacterial TA systems have been utilized for the genetic manipulation of yeasts and other eukaryotes, for the containment of genetically modified organisms, and for the engineering of high expression eukaryotic cell lines. We also examine how TA systems have been adopted as an important tool in developmental biology research for the ablation of specific cells and the potential for utility of TA systems in antiviral and anticancer gene therapies.
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Erratum to: expression of the Streptococcus pneumoniae yoeB Chromosomal toxin gene causes Cell Death in the model plant Arabidopsis thaliana. BMC Biotechnol 2015; 15:101. [PMID: 26514869 PMCID: PMC4625737 DOI: 10.1186/s12896-015-0220-2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/21/2015] [Accepted: 10/22/2015] [Indexed: 11/10/2022] Open
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