1
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Zappa S, Berne C, Morton RI, De Stercke J, Brun YV. The HmrABCX pathway regulates the transition between motile and sessile lifestyles in Caulobacter crescentus by a HfiA-independent mechanism. BIORXIV : THE PREPRINT SERVER FOR BIOLOGY 2023:2023.12.13.571505. [PMID: 38168291 PMCID: PMC10760086 DOI: 10.1101/2023.12.13.571505] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/05/2024]
Abstract
Through its cell cycle, the bacterium Caulobacter crescentus switches from a motile, free-living state, to a sessile surface-attached cell. During this coordinated process, cells undergo irreversible morphological changes, such as shedding of their polar flagellum and synthesis of an adhesive holdfast at the same pole. In this work, we used genetic screens to identify genes involved in the regulation of the motile to sessile lifestyle transition. We identified a predicted hybrid histidine kinase that inhibits biofilm formation and activates the motile lifestyle: HmrA (Holdfast and motility regulator A). Genetic screens and genomic localization led to the identification of additional genes that regulate the proportion of cells harboring an active flagellum or a holdfast and that form a putative phosphorelay pathway with HmrA. Further genetic analysis indicates that the Hmr pathway is independent of the holdfast synthesis regulator HfiA and may impact c-di-GMP synthesis through the diguanylate cyclase DgcB pathway. Finally, we provide evidence that the Hmr pathway is involved in the regulation of sessile-to-motile lifestyle as a function of environmental stresses, namely excess copper and non-optimal temperatures.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sébastien Zappa
- Département de microbiologie, infectiologie et immunologie, Université de Montréal, Montréal, Québec, CANADA
| | - Cecile Berne
- Département de microbiologie, infectiologie et immunologie, Université de Montréal, Montréal, Québec, CANADA
| | - Robert I. Morton
- Department of Biology, Indiana University, Bloomington, IN, USA
- Present address: Boston Scientific, Yokneam, Northern, ISRAEL
| | - Jonathan De Stercke
- Département de microbiologie, infectiologie et immunologie, Université de Montréal, Montréal, Québec, CANADA
- Present address: Unité de Recherche en Biologie des Micro-organismes, Université de Namur, 61 rue de Bruxelles, B-5000 Namur, BELGIUM
| | - Yves V. Brun
- Département de microbiologie, infectiologie et immunologie, Université de Montréal, Montréal, Québec, CANADA
- Department of Biology, Indiana University, Bloomington, IN, USA
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2
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Kint N, Viollier PH. Extracellular transfer of a conserved polymerization factor for multi-flagellin filament assembly in Caulobacter. Cell Rep 2023; 42:112890. [PMID: 37515768 DOI: 10.1016/j.celrep.2023.112890] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/12/2022] [Revised: 06/15/2023] [Accepted: 07/12/2023] [Indexed: 07/31/2023] Open
Abstract
Unidirectional growth of filamentous protein assemblies including the bacterial flagellum relies on dedicated polymerization factors (PFs). The molecular determinants and structural transitions imposed by PFs on multi-subunit assembly are poorly understood. Here, we unveil FlaY from the polarized α-proteobacterium Caulobacter crescentus as a defining member of an alternative class of specialized flagellin PFs. Unlike the paradigmatic FliD capping protein, FlaY relies on a funnel-like β-propeller fold for flagellin polymerization. FlaY binds flagellin and is secreted by the flagellar secretion apparatus, yet it can also promote flagellin polymerization exogenously when donated from flagellin-deficient cells, serving as a transferable, extracellular public good. While the surge in FlaY abundance precedes bulk flagellin synthesis, FlaY-independent filament assembly is enhanced by mutation of a conserved region in multiple flagellin paralogs. We suggest that FlaYs are (multi-)flagellin PFs that evolved convergently to FliDs yet appropriated the versatile β-propeller fold implicated in human diseases for chaperone-assisted filament assembly.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nicolas Kint
- Department of Microbiology & Molecular Medicine and Geneva Center for Inflammation Research (GCIR), Faculty of Medicine, University of Geneva, Rue Michel Servet 1, 1211 Genève, Switzerland.
| | - Patrick H Viollier
- Department of Microbiology & Molecular Medicine and Geneva Center for Inflammation Research (GCIR), Faculty of Medicine, University of Geneva, Rue Michel Servet 1, 1211 Genève, Switzerland.
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3
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Yang J, Son Y, Kang M, Park W. AamA-mediated epigenetic control of genome-wide gene expression and phenotypic traits in Acinetobacter baumannii ATCC 17978. Microb Genom 2023; 9:mgen001093. [PMID: 37589545 PMCID: PMC10483419 DOI: 10.1099/mgen.0.001093] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/04/2022] [Accepted: 08/03/2023] [Indexed: 08/18/2023] Open
Abstract
Individual deletions of three genes encoding orphan DNA methyltransferases resulted in the occurrence of growth defect only in the aamA (encoding AcinetobacterAdenine Methylase A) mutant of A. baumannii strain ATCC 17978. Our single-molecule real-time sequencing-based methylome analysis revealed multiple AamA-mediated DNA methylation sites and proposed a potent census target motif (TTTRAATTYAAA). Loss of Dam led to modulation of genome-wide gene expression, and several Dam-target sites including the promoter region of the trmD operon (rpsP, rimM, trmD, and rplS) were identified through our methylome and transcriptome analyses. AamA methylation also appeared to control the expression of many genes linked to membrane functions (lolAB, lpxO), replication (dnaA) and protein synthesis (trmD operon) in the strain ATCC 17978. Interestingly, cellular resistance against several antibiotics and ethidium bromide through functions of efflux pumps diminished in the absence of the aamA gene, and the complementation of aamA gene restored the wild-type phenotypes. Other tested phenotypic traits such as outer-membrane vesicle production, biofilm formation and virulence were also affected in the aamA mutant. Collectively, our data indicated that epigenetic regulation through AamA-mediated DNA methylation of novel target sites mostly in the regulatory regions could contribute significantly to changes in multiple phenotypic traits in A. baumannii ATCC 17978.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jihye Yang
- Laboratory of Molecular Environmental Microbiology, Department of Environmental Science and Ecological Engineering, Korea University, Seoul, Republic of Korea
| | - Yongjun Son
- Laboratory of Molecular Environmental Microbiology, Department of Environmental Science and Ecological Engineering, Korea University, Seoul, Republic of Korea
| | - Mingyeong Kang
- Laboratory of Molecular Environmental Microbiology, Department of Environmental Science and Ecological Engineering, Korea University, Seoul, Republic of Korea
| | - Woojun Park
- Laboratory of Molecular Environmental Microbiology, Department of Environmental Science and Ecological Engineering, Korea University, Seoul, Republic of Korea
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4
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Wu X, Yu C, Mu W, Gu Z, Feng Y, Zhang Y. The structural mechanism for transcription activation by Caulobacter crescentus GcrA. Nucleic Acids Res 2023; 51:1960-1970. [PMID: 36715319 PMCID: PMC9976885 DOI: 10.1093/nar/gkad016] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/15/2022] [Revised: 12/28/2022] [Accepted: 01/05/2023] [Indexed: 01/31/2023] Open
Abstract
Canonical bacterial transcription activators bind to their cognate cis elements at the upstream of transcription start site (TSS) in a form of dimer. Caulobacter crescentus GcrA, a non-canonical transcription activator, can activate transcription from promoters harboring its cis element at the upstream or downstream of TSS in a form of monomer. We determined two cryo-EM structures of C. crescentus GcrA-bound transcription activation complexes, GcrA TACU and GcrA TACD, which comprise GcrA, RNAP, σ70 and promoter DNA with GcrA cis elements at either the upstream or downstream of TSS at 3.6 and 3.8 Å, respectively. In the GcrA-TACU structure, GcrA makes bipartite interactions with both σ70 domain 2 (σ702) and its cis element, while in the GcrA-TACD structure, GcrA retains interaction with σ702 but loses the interaction with its cis element. Our results suggest that GcrA likely forms a functionally specialized GcrA-RNAP-σA holoenzyme, in which GcrA first locates its cis element and then facilitates RNAP to load on core promoter at its proximal region. The sequence-specific interaction of GcrA and DNA is disrupted either at the stage of RPo formation or promoter escape depending on the location of GcrA cis elements relative to TSS.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xiaoxian Wu
- Key Laboratory of Synthetic Biology, Center for Excellence in Molecular Plant Sciences, Shanghai Institute of Plant Physiology and Ecology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shanghai 200032, China
| | - Chengzhi Yu
- Key Laboratory of Synthetic Biology, Center for Excellence in Molecular Plant Sciences, Shanghai Institute of Plant Physiology and Ecology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shanghai 200032, China.,University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100049, China
| | - Wenhui Mu
- Key Laboratory of Plant Stress Biology, State Key Laboratory of Cotton Biology, School of Life Sciences, Henan University, Kaifeng 475004, China
| | - Zhanxi Gu
- Key Laboratory of Synthetic Biology, Center for Excellence in Molecular Plant Sciences, Shanghai Institute of Plant Physiology and Ecology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shanghai 200032, China.,University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100049, China
| | - Yu Feng
- Department of Biophysics, and Department of Infectious Disease of Sir Run Run Shaw Hospital, Zhejiang University School of Medicine, Hangzhou, China
| | - Yu Zhang
- Key Laboratory of Synthetic Biology, Center for Excellence in Molecular Plant Sciences, Shanghai Institute of Plant Physiology and Ecology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shanghai 200032, China
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5
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Gao Q, Lu S, Wang Y, He L, Wang M, Jia R, Chen S, Zhu D, Liu M, Zhao X, Yang Q, Wu Y, Zhang S, Huang J, Mao S, Ou X, Sun D, Tian B, Cheng A. Bacterial DNA methyltransferase: A key to the epigenetic world with lessons learned from proteobacteria. Front Microbiol 2023; 14:1129437. [PMID: 37032876 PMCID: PMC10073500 DOI: 10.3389/fmicb.2023.1129437] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/23/2022] [Accepted: 02/27/2023] [Indexed: 04/11/2023] Open
Abstract
Epigenetics modulates expression levels of various important genes in both prokaryotes and eukaryotes. These epigenetic traits are heritable without any change in genetic DNA sequences. DNA methylation is a universal mechanism of epigenetic regulation in all kingdoms of life. In bacteria, DNA methylation is the main form of epigenetic regulation and plays important roles in affecting clinically relevant phenotypes, such as virulence, host colonization, sporulation, biofilm formation et al. In this review, we survey bacterial epigenomic studies and focus on the recent developments in the structure, function, and mechanism of several highly conserved bacterial DNA methylases. These methyltransferases are relatively common in bacteria and participate in the regulation of gene expression and chromosomal DNA replication and repair control. Recent advances in sequencing techniques capable of detecting methylation signals have enabled the characterization of genome-wide epigenetic regulation. With their involvement in critical cellular processes, these highly conserved DNA methyltransferases may emerge as promising targets for developing novel epigenetic inhibitors for biomedical applications.
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Affiliation(s)
- Qun Gao
- Research Center of Avian Diseases, College of Veterinary Medicine, Sichuan Agricultural University, Chengdu, Sichuan, China
- Key Laboratory of Animal Disease and Human Health of Sichuan Province, Chengdu, Sichuan, China
| | - Shuwei Lu
- Research Center of Avian Diseases, College of Veterinary Medicine, Sichuan Agricultural University, Chengdu, Sichuan, China
- Institute of Preventive Veterinary Medicine, Sichuan Agricultural University, Chengdu, Sichuan, China
| | - Yuwei Wang
- Key Laboratory of Livestock and Poultry Provenance Disease Research in Mianyang, Sichuan, China
| | - Longgui He
- Research Center of Avian Diseases, College of Veterinary Medicine, Sichuan Agricultural University, Chengdu, Sichuan, China
- Institute of Preventive Veterinary Medicine, Sichuan Agricultural University, Chengdu, Sichuan, China
| | - Mingshu Wang
- Research Center of Avian Diseases, College of Veterinary Medicine, Sichuan Agricultural University, Chengdu, Sichuan, China
- Key Laboratory of Animal Disease and Human Health of Sichuan Province, Chengdu, Sichuan, China
- Institute of Preventive Veterinary Medicine, Sichuan Agricultural University, Chengdu, Sichuan, China
| | - Renyong Jia
- Research Center of Avian Diseases, College of Veterinary Medicine, Sichuan Agricultural University, Chengdu, Sichuan, China
- Key Laboratory of Animal Disease and Human Health of Sichuan Province, Chengdu, Sichuan, China
- Institute of Preventive Veterinary Medicine, Sichuan Agricultural University, Chengdu, Sichuan, China
| | - Shun Chen
- Research Center of Avian Diseases, College of Veterinary Medicine, Sichuan Agricultural University, Chengdu, Sichuan, China
- Key Laboratory of Animal Disease and Human Health of Sichuan Province, Chengdu, Sichuan, China
- Institute of Preventive Veterinary Medicine, Sichuan Agricultural University, Chengdu, Sichuan, China
| | - Dekang Zhu
- Research Center of Avian Diseases, College of Veterinary Medicine, Sichuan Agricultural University, Chengdu, Sichuan, China
- Key Laboratory of Animal Disease and Human Health of Sichuan Province, Chengdu, Sichuan, China
- Institute of Preventive Veterinary Medicine, Sichuan Agricultural University, Chengdu, Sichuan, China
| | - Mafeng Liu
- Research Center of Avian Diseases, College of Veterinary Medicine, Sichuan Agricultural University, Chengdu, Sichuan, China
- Key Laboratory of Animal Disease and Human Health of Sichuan Province, Chengdu, Sichuan, China
- Institute of Preventive Veterinary Medicine, Sichuan Agricultural University, Chengdu, Sichuan, China
| | - Xinxin Zhao
- Research Center of Avian Diseases, College of Veterinary Medicine, Sichuan Agricultural University, Chengdu, Sichuan, China
- Key Laboratory of Animal Disease and Human Health of Sichuan Province, Chengdu, Sichuan, China
- Institute of Preventive Veterinary Medicine, Sichuan Agricultural University, Chengdu, Sichuan, China
| | - Qiao Yang
- Research Center of Avian Diseases, College of Veterinary Medicine, Sichuan Agricultural University, Chengdu, Sichuan, China
- Key Laboratory of Animal Disease and Human Health of Sichuan Province, Chengdu, Sichuan, China
- Institute of Preventive Veterinary Medicine, Sichuan Agricultural University, Chengdu, Sichuan, China
| | - Ying Wu
- Research Center of Avian Diseases, College of Veterinary Medicine, Sichuan Agricultural University, Chengdu, Sichuan, China
- Key Laboratory of Animal Disease and Human Health of Sichuan Province, Chengdu, Sichuan, China
- Institute of Preventive Veterinary Medicine, Sichuan Agricultural University, Chengdu, Sichuan, China
| | - Shaqiu Zhang
- Research Center of Avian Diseases, College of Veterinary Medicine, Sichuan Agricultural University, Chengdu, Sichuan, China
- Key Laboratory of Animal Disease and Human Health of Sichuan Province, Chengdu, Sichuan, China
- Institute of Preventive Veterinary Medicine, Sichuan Agricultural University, Chengdu, Sichuan, China
| | - Juan Huang
- Research Center of Avian Diseases, College of Veterinary Medicine, Sichuan Agricultural University, Chengdu, Sichuan, China
- Key Laboratory of Animal Disease and Human Health of Sichuan Province, Chengdu, Sichuan, China
- Institute of Preventive Veterinary Medicine, Sichuan Agricultural University, Chengdu, Sichuan, China
| | - Sai Mao
- Research Center of Avian Diseases, College of Veterinary Medicine, Sichuan Agricultural University, Chengdu, Sichuan, China
- Key Laboratory of Animal Disease and Human Health of Sichuan Province, Chengdu, Sichuan, China
- Institute of Preventive Veterinary Medicine, Sichuan Agricultural University, Chengdu, Sichuan, China
| | - Xumin Ou
- Research Center of Avian Diseases, College of Veterinary Medicine, Sichuan Agricultural University, Chengdu, Sichuan, China
- Key Laboratory of Animal Disease and Human Health of Sichuan Province, Chengdu, Sichuan, China
- Institute of Preventive Veterinary Medicine, Sichuan Agricultural University, Chengdu, Sichuan, China
| | - Di Sun
- Research Center of Avian Diseases, College of Veterinary Medicine, Sichuan Agricultural University, Chengdu, Sichuan, China
- Key Laboratory of Animal Disease and Human Health of Sichuan Province, Chengdu, Sichuan, China
- Institute of Preventive Veterinary Medicine, Sichuan Agricultural University, Chengdu, Sichuan, China
| | - Bin Tian
- Research Center of Avian Diseases, College of Veterinary Medicine, Sichuan Agricultural University, Chengdu, Sichuan, China
- Key Laboratory of Animal Disease and Human Health of Sichuan Province, Chengdu, Sichuan, China
- Institute of Preventive Veterinary Medicine, Sichuan Agricultural University, Chengdu, Sichuan, China
| | - Anchun Cheng
- Research Center of Avian Diseases, College of Veterinary Medicine, Sichuan Agricultural University, Chengdu, Sichuan, China
- Key Laboratory of Animal Disease and Human Health of Sichuan Province, Chengdu, Sichuan, China
- Institute of Preventive Veterinary Medicine, Sichuan Agricultural University, Chengdu, Sichuan, China
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6
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Riccardi C, Passeri I, Cangioli L, Fagorzi C, Fondi M, Mengoni A. Crossing Bacterial Genomic Features and Methylation Patterns with MeStudio: An Epigenomic Analysis Tool. Int J Mol Sci 2022; 24:ijms24010159. [PMID: 36613603 PMCID: PMC9820200 DOI: 10.3390/ijms24010159] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/13/2022] [Revised: 12/05/2022] [Accepted: 12/15/2022] [Indexed: 12/24/2022] Open
Abstract
DNA methylation is one of the most observed epigenetic modifications. It is present in eukaryotes and prokaryotes and is related to several biological phenomena, including gene flow and adaptation to environmental conditions. The widespread use of third-generation sequencing technologies allows direct and easy detection of genome-wide methylation profiles, offering increasing opportunities to understand and exploit the epigenomic landscape of individuals and populations. Here, we present a pipeline named MeStudio, with the aim of analyzing and combining genome-wide methylation profiles with genomic features. Outputs report the presence of DNA methylation in coding sequences (CDSs) and noncoding sequences, including both intergenic sequences and sequences upstream of the CDS. We apply this novel tool, showing the usage and performance of MeStudio, on a set of single-molecule real-time sequencing outputs from strains of the bacterial species Sinorhizobium meliloti.
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7
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Koppenhöfer S, Tomasch J, Lang AS. Shared properties of gene transfer agent and core genes revealed by comparative genomics of Alphaproteobacteria. Microb Genom 2022; 8:mgen000890. [PMID: 36350115 PMCID: PMC9836097 DOI: 10.1099/mgen.0.000890] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/11/2022] Open
Abstract
Gene transfer agents (GTAs) are phage-like particles that transfer pieces of cellular genomic DNA to other cells. Homologues of the Rhodobacter capsulatus GTA (RcGTA) structural genes are widely distributed in the Alphaproteobacteria and particularly well conserved in the order Rhodobacterales. Possible reasons for their widespread conservation are still being discussed. It has been suggested that these alphaproteobacterial elements originate from a prophage that was present in an ancestral bacterium and subsequently evolved into a GTA that is now widely maintained in extant descendant lineages. Here, we analysed genomic properties that might relate to the conservation of these alphaproteobacterial GTAs. This revealed that the chromosomal locations of the GTA gene clusters are biased. They primarily occur on the leading strand of DNA replication, at large distances from long repetitive elements, and thus are in regions of lower plasticity, and in areas of extreme GC skew, which also accumulate core genes. These extreme GC skew regions arise from the preferential use of codons with an excess of G over C, a distinct phenomenon from the elevated GC content that has previously been found to be associated with GTA genes. The observed properties, along with their high level of conservation, show that GTA genes share multiple features with core genes in the examined lineages of the Alphaproteobacteria.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sonja Koppenhöfer
- Department of Biology, Memorial University of Newfoundland, St John’s, Newfoundland and Labrador, Canada
| | - Jürgen Tomasch
- Laboratory of Anoxygenic Phototrophs, Institute of Microbiology of the Czech Academy of Science – Centre Algatech, Třeboň, Czech Republic
| | - Andrew S. Lang
- Department of Biology, Memorial University of Newfoundland, St John’s, Newfoundland and Labrador, Canada,*Correspondence: Andrew S. Lang,
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8
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Beroual W, Prévost K, Lalaouna D, Ben Zaina N, Valette O, Denis Y, Djendli M, Brasseur G, Brilli M, Robledo Garrido M, Jimenez-Zurdo JI, Massé E, Biondi EG. The noncoding RNA CcnA modulates the master cell cycle regulators CtrA and GcrA in Caulobacter crescentus. PLoS Biol 2022; 20:e3001528. [PMID: 35192605 PMCID: PMC8959179 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pbio.3001528] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/22/2020] [Revised: 03/28/2022] [Accepted: 01/05/2022] [Indexed: 12/01/2022] Open
Abstract
Bacteria are powerful models for understanding how cells divide and accomplish global regulatory programs. In Caulobacter crescentus, a cascade of essential master regulators supervises the correct and sequential activation of DNA replication, cell division, and development of different cell types. Among them, the response regulator CtrA plays a crucial role coordinating all those functions. Here, for the first time, we describe the role of a novel factor named CcnA (cell cycle noncoding RNA A), a cell cycle–regulated noncoding RNA (ncRNA) located at the origin of replication, presumably activated by CtrA, and responsible for the accumulation of CtrA itself. In addition, CcnA may be also involved in the inhibition of translation of the S-phase regulator, GcrA, by interacting with its 5′ untranslated region (5′ UTR). Performing in vitro experiments and mutagenesis, we propose a mechanism of action of CcnA based on liberation (ctrA) or sequestration (gcrA) of their ribosome-binding site (RBS). Finally, its role may be conserved in other alphaproteobacterial species, such as Sinorhizobium meliloti, representing indeed a potentially conserved process modulating cell cycle in Caulobacterales and Rhizobiales. During cell cycle progression in the bacterium Caulobacter crescentus, the master cell cycle regulator CtrA is controlled by CcnA, a cell cycle-regulated non-coding RNA transcribed from a gene located at the origin of replication.
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Affiliation(s)
- Wanassa Beroual
- Aix-Marseille Université, CNRS, LCB, IMM, Turing Center for Living Systems, Marseille, France
| | - Karine Prévost
- Département de biochimie et de génomique fonctionnelle, RNA Group, Université de Sherbrooke, Sherbrooke, Quebec, Canada
| | - David Lalaouna
- Département de biochimie et de génomique fonctionnelle, RNA Group, Université de Sherbrooke, Sherbrooke, Quebec, Canada
| | - Nadia Ben Zaina
- Aix-Marseille Université, CNRS, LCB, IMM, Turing Center for Living Systems, Marseille, France
| | - Odile Valette
- Aix-Marseille Université, CNRS, LCB, IMM, Turing Center for Living Systems, Marseille, France
| | - Yann Denis
- Aix-Marseille Univ, CNRS, Plate-forme Transcriptome, IMM, Marseille, France
| | - Meriem Djendli
- Aix-Marseille Université, CNRS, LCB, IMM, Turing Center for Living Systems, Marseille, France
| | - Gaël Brasseur
- Aix-Marseille Université, CNRS, LCB, IMM, Turing Center for Living Systems, Marseille, France
| | - Matteo Brilli
- Pediatric Clinical Research Center "Romeo ed Enrica Invernizzi", Department of Biosciences, University of Milan, Milan, Italy
| | - Marta Robledo Garrido
- Grupo de Ecología Genética de la Rizosfera, Estación Experimental del Zaidín, Consejo Superior de Investigaciones Científicas (CSIC), Granada, Spain
| | - Jose-Ignacio Jimenez-Zurdo
- Grupo de Ecología Genética de la Rizosfera, Estación Experimental del Zaidín, Consejo Superior de Investigaciones Científicas (CSIC), Granada, Spain
| | - Eric Massé
- Département de biochimie et de génomique fonctionnelle, RNA Group, Université de Sherbrooke, Sherbrooke, Quebec, Canada
| | - Emanuele G. Biondi
- Aix-Marseille Université, CNRS, LCB, IMM, Turing Center for Living Systems, Marseille, France
- * E-mail:
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9
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DNA Methylation in
Ensifer
Species during Free-Living Growth and during Nitrogen-Fixing Symbiosis with
Medicago
spp. mSystems 2022; 7:e0109221. [PMID: 35089065 PMCID: PMC8725594 DOI: 10.1128/msystems.01092-21] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/09/2023] Open
Abstract
Nitrogen fixation by rhizobia in symbiosis with legumes is economically and ecologically important. The symbiosis can involve a complex bacterial transformation—terminal differentiation—that includes major shifts in the transcriptome and cell cycle.
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10
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Ren J, Lee HM, Shen J, Na D. Advanced biotechnology using methyltransferase and its applications in bacteria: a mini review. Biotechnol Lett 2021; 44:33-44. [PMID: 34820721 DOI: 10.1007/s10529-021-03208-9] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/23/2021] [Accepted: 11/12/2021] [Indexed: 11/26/2022]
Abstract
Since prokaryotic restriction-modification (RM) systems protect the host by cleaving foreign DNA by restriction endonucleases, it is difficult to introduce engineered plasmid DNAs into newly isolated microorganisms whose RM system is not discovered. The prokaryotes also possess methyltransferases to protect their own DNA from the endonucleases. As those methyltransferases can be utilized to methylate engineered plasmid DNAs before transformation and to enhance the stability within the cells, the study on methyltransferases in newly isolated bacteria is essential for genetic engineering. Here, we introduce the mechanism of the RM system, specifically the methyltransferases and their biotechnological applications. These biotechnological strategies could facilitate plasmid DNA-based genetic engineering in bacteria strains that strongly defend against foreign DNA.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jun Ren
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, Chung-Ang University, Seoul, 06974, Republic of Korea
| | - Hyang-Mi Lee
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, Chung-Ang University, Seoul, 06974, Republic of Korea
| | - JunHao Shen
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, Chung-Ang University, Seoul, 06974, Republic of Korea
| | - Dokyun Na
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, Chung-Ang University, Seoul, 06974, Republic of Korea.
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11
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12
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Anton BP, Roberts RJ. Beyond Restriction Modification: Epigenomic Roles of DNA Methylation in Prokaryotes. Annu Rev Microbiol 2021; 75:129-149. [PMID: 34314594 DOI: 10.1146/annurev-micro-040521-035040] [Citation(s) in RCA: 33] [Impact Index Per Article: 11.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/09/2022]
Abstract
The amount of bacterial and archaeal genome sequence and methylome data has greatly increased over the last decade, enabling new insights into the functional roles of DNA methylation in these organisms. Methyltransferases (MTases), the enzymes responsible for DNA methylation, are exchanged between prokaryotes through horizontal gene transfer and can function either as part of restriction-modification systems or in apparent isolation as single (orphan) genes. The patterns of DNA methylation they confer on the host chromosome can have significant effects on gene expression, DNA replication, and other cellular processes. Some processes require very stable patterns of methylation, resulting in conservation of persistent MTases in a particular lineage. Other processes require patterns that are more dynamic yet more predictable than what is afforded by horizontal gene transfer and gene loss, resulting in phase-variable or recombination-driven MTase alleles. In this review, we discuss what is currently known about the functions of DNA methylation in prokaryotes in light of these evolutionary patterns. Expected final online publication date for the Annual Review of Microbiology, Volume 75 is October 2021. Please see http://www.annualreviews.org/page/journal/pubdates for revised estimates.
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Affiliation(s)
- Brian P Anton
- New England Biolabs, Ipswich, Massachusetts 01938, USA; ,
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13
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Tomasch J, Koppenhöfer S, Lang AS. Connection Between Chromosomal Location and Function of CtrA Phosphorelay Genes in Alphaproteobacteria. Front Microbiol 2021; 12:662907. [PMID: 33995326 PMCID: PMC8116508 DOI: 10.3389/fmicb.2021.662907] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/01/2021] [Accepted: 04/09/2021] [Indexed: 12/28/2022] Open
Abstract
Most bacterial chromosomes are circular, with replication starting at one origin (ori) and proceeding on both replichores toward the terminus (ter). Several studies have shown that the location of genes relative to ori and ter can have profound effects on regulatory networks and physiological processes. The CtrA phosphorelay is a gene regulatory system conserved in most alphaproteobacteria. It was first discovered in Caulobacter crescentus where it controls replication and division into a stalked and a motile cell in coordination with other factors. The locations of the ctrA gene and targets of this response regulator on the chromosome affect their expression through replication-induced DNA hemi-methylation and specific positioning along a CtrA activity gradient in the dividing cell, respectively. Here we asked to what extent the location of CtrA regulatory network genes might be conserved in the alphaproteobacteria. We determined the locations of the CtrA phosphorelay and associated genes in closed genomes with unambiguously identifiable ori from members of five alphaproteobacterial orders. The location of the phosphorelay genes was the least conserved in the Rhodospirillales followed by the Sphingomonadales. In the Rhizobiales a trend toward certain chromosomal positions could be observed. Compared to the other orders, the CtrA phosphorelay genes were conserved closer to ori in the Caulobacterales. In contrast, the genes were highly conserved closer to ter in the Rhodobacterales. Our data suggest selection pressure results in differential positioning of CtrA phosphorelay and associated genes in alphaproteobacteria, particularly in the orders Rhodobacterales, Caulobacterales and Rhizobiales that is worth deeper investigation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jürgen Tomasch
- Department of Molecular Bacteriology, Helmholtz-Center for Infection Research, Braunschweig, Germany
| | - Sonja Koppenhöfer
- Department of Biology, Memorial University of Newfoundland, St. John's, NL, Canada
| | - Andrew S Lang
- Department of Biology, Memorial University of Newfoundland, St. John's, NL, Canada
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14
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Adhikari S, Erill I, Curtis PD. Transcriptional rewiring of the GcrA/CcrM bacterial epigenetic regulatory system in closely related bacteria. PLoS Genet 2021; 17:e1009433. [PMID: 33705385 PMCID: PMC7987155 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pgen.1009433] [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: 05/26/2020] [Revised: 03/23/2021] [Accepted: 02/19/2021] [Indexed: 01/14/2023] Open
Abstract
Transcriptional rewiring is the regulation of different target genes by orthologous regulators in different organisms. While this phenomenon has been observed, it has not been extensively studied, particularly in core regulatory systems. Several global cell cycle regulators are conserved in the Alphaproteobacteria, providing an excellent model to study this phenomenon. First characterized in Caulobacter crescentus, GcrA and CcrM compose a DNA methylation-based regulatory system that helps coordinate the complex life cycle of this organism. These regulators are well-conserved across Alphaproteobacteria, but the extent to which their regulatory targets are conserved is not known. In this study, the regulatory targets of GcrA and CcrM were analyzed by SMRT-seq, RNA-seq, and ChIP-seq technologies in the Alphaproteobacterium Brevundimonas subvibrioides, and then compared to those of its close relative C. crescentus that inhabits the same environment. Although the regulators themselves are highly conserved, the genes they regulate are vastly different. GcrA directly regulates 204 genes in C. crescentus, and though B. subvibrioides has orthologs to 147 of those genes, only 48 genes retained GcrA binding in their promoter regions. Additionally, only 12 of those 48 genes demonstrated significant transcriptional change in a gcrA mutant, suggesting extensive transcriptional rewiring between these organisms. Similarly, out of hundreds of genes CcrM regulates in each of these organisms, only 2 genes were found in common. When multiple Alphaproteobacterial genomes were analyzed bioinformatically for potential GcrA regulatory targets, the regulation of genes involved in DNA replication and cell division was well conserved across the Caulobacterales but not outside this order. This work suggests that significant transcriptional rewiring can occur in cell cycle regulatory systems even over short evolutionary distances. The degree to which genetic or physiological systems evolve over evolutionary distance is often untested. One can assume that the same system in different organisms will change very little if 1) the evolutionary distance between the organisms is small, 2) the systems perform critical functions, and 3) the organisms have been under similar selective pressures (i.e. the organisms inhabited the same ecological niche). The Alphaproteobacteria offer an excellent opportunity to test this assertion as several critical global transcriptional regulators are conserved throughout this clade. In this study, the regulons of two such global regulators, GcrA and CcrM, in two closely related Alphaproteobacteria that inhabit the same ecological niche were compared and it was found that they regulate vastly different genes. In many cases, genes were present in both organisms, but targeted by a regulator in one organism and not in the other. These results suggest that significant transcriptional rewiring can occur even in a core regulatory system over small evolutionary distances and indicate that conservation of genes and genetic regulators may not be a complete indicator of their physiological function in an organism.
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Affiliation(s)
- Satish Adhikari
- Department of Biology, University of Mississippi, University, Mississippi, United States of America
| | - Ivan Erill
- Department of Biological Sciences, University of Maryland Baltimore County, Baltimore, Maryland, United States of America
| | - Patrick D. Curtis
- Department of Biology, University of Mississippi, University, Mississippi, United States of America
- * E-mail:
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15
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Fiévet A, Merrouch M, Brasseur G, Eve D, Biondi EG, Valette O, Pauleta SR, Dolla A, Dermoun Z, Burlat B, Aubert C. OrpR is a σ 54 -dependent activator using an iron-sulfur cluster for redox sensing in Desulfovibrio vulgaris Hildenborough. Mol Microbiol 2021; 116:231-244. [PMID: 33595838 PMCID: PMC8359166 DOI: 10.1111/mmi.14705] [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: 10/09/2020] [Revised: 02/15/2021] [Accepted: 02/15/2021] [Indexed: 01/15/2023]
Abstract
Enhancer binding proteins (EBPs) are key players of σ54 -regulation that control transcription in response to environmental signals. In the anaerobic microorganism Desulfovibrio vulgaris Hildenborough (DvH), orp operons have been previously shown to be coregulated by σ54 -RNA polymerase, the integration host factor IHF and a cognate EBP, OrpR. In this study, ChIP-seq experiments indicated that the OrpR regulon consists of only the two divergent orp operons. In vivo data revealed that (i) OrpR is absolutely required for orp operons transcription, (ii) under anaerobic conditions, OrpR binds on the two dedicated DNA binding sites and leads to high expression levels of the orp operons, (iii) increasing the redox potential of the medium leads to a drastic down-regulation of the orp operons expression. Moreover, combining functional and biophysical studies on the anaerobically purified OrpR leads us to propose that OrpR senses redox potential variations via a redox-sensitive [4Fe-4S]2+ cluster in the sensory PAS domain. Overall, the study herein presents the first characterization of a new Fe-S redox regulator belonging to the σ54 -dependent transcriptional regulator family probably advantageously selected by cells adapted to the anaerobic lifestyle to monitor redox stress conditions.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | | | - Danaé Eve
- Aix Marseille Univ, CNRS, LCB, Marseille, France
| | | | | | - Sofia R Pauleta
- Microbial Stress Lab, UCIBIO, REQUIMTE, Dept. Química, Faculdade de Ciências e Tecnologia, Universidade NOVA de Lisboa, Caparica, Portugal
| | - Alain Dolla
- Aix Marseille Univ, Toulon Univ, CNRS, IRD, MIO, Marseille, France
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16
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The DUF1013 protein TrcR tracks with RNA polymerase to control the bacterial cell cycle and protect against antibiotics. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A 2021; 118:2010357118. [PMID: 33602809 DOI: 10.1073/pnas.2010357118] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/18/2022] Open
Abstract
How DNA-dependent RNA polymerase (RNAP) acts on bacterial cell cycle progression during transcription elongation is poorly investigated. A forward genetic selection for Caulobacter crescentus cell cycle mutants unearthed the uncharacterized DUF1013 protein (TrcR, transcriptional cell cycle regulator). TrcR promotes the accumulation of the essential cell cycle transcriptional activator CtrA in late S-phase but also affects transcription at a global level to protect cells from the quinolone antibiotic nalidixic acid that induces a multidrug efflux pump and from the RNAP inhibitor rifampicin that blocks transcription elongation. We show that TrcR associates with promoters and coding sequences in vivo in a rifampicin-dependent manner and that it interacts physically and genetically with RNAP. We show that TrcR function and its RNAP-dependent chromatin recruitment are conserved in symbiotic Sinorhizobium sp. and pathogenic Brucella spp Thus, TrcR represents a hitherto unknown antibiotic target and the founding member of the DUF1013 family, an uncharacterized class of transcriptional regulators that track with RNAP during the elongation phase to promote transcription during the cell cycle.
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17
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Fajardo-Cavazos P, Nicholson WL. Mechanotransduction in Prokaryotes: A Possible Mechanism of Spaceflight Adaptation. Life (Basel) 2021; 11:33. [PMID: 33430182 PMCID: PMC7825584 DOI: 10.3390/life11010033] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/17/2020] [Revised: 12/29/2020] [Accepted: 01/04/2021] [Indexed: 02/08/2023] Open
Abstract
Our understanding of the mechanisms of microgravity perception and response in prokaryotes (Bacteria and Archaea) lag behind those which have been elucidated in eukaryotic organisms. In this hypothesis paper, we: (i) review how eukaryotic cells sense and respond to microgravity using various pathways responsive to unloading of mechanical stress; (ii) we observe that prokaryotic cells possess many structures analogous to mechanosensitive structures in eukaryotes; (iii) we review current evidence indicating that prokaryotes also possess active mechanosensing and mechanotransduction mechanisms; and (iv) we propose a complete mechanotransduction model including mechanisms by which mechanical signals may be transduced to the gene expression apparatus through alterations in bacterial nucleoid architecture, DNA supercoiling, and epigenetic pathways.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Wayne L. Nicholson
- Space Life Sciences Laboratory, Department of Microbiology and Cell Science, University of Florida, 505 Odyssey Way, Merritt Island, FL 32953, USA;
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18
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Generating asymmetry in a changing environment: cell cycle regulation in dimorphic alphaproteobacteria. Biol Chem 2020; 401:1349-1363. [DOI: 10.1515/hsz-2020-0235] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/30/2020] [Accepted: 08/28/2020] [Indexed: 12/15/2022]
Abstract
AbstractWhile many bacteria divide by symmetric binary fission, some alphaproteobacteria have strikingly asymmetric cell cycles, producing offspring that differs significantly in their morphology and reproductive state. To establish this asymmetry, these species employ a complex cell cycle regulatory pathway based on two-component signaling cascades. At the center of this network is the essential DNA-binding response regulator CtrA, which acts as a transcription factor controlling numerous genes with cell cycle-relevant functions as well as a regulator of chromosome replication. The DNA-binding activity of CtrA is controlled at the level of both protein phosphorylation and stability, dependent on an intricate network of regulatory proteins, whose function is tightly coordinated in time and space. CtrA is differentially activated in the two (developing) offspring, thereby establishing distinct transcriptional programs that ultimately determine their distinct cell fates. Phase-separated polar microdomains of changing composition sequester proteins involved in the (in-)activation and degradation of CtrA specifically at each pole. In this review, we summarize the current knowledge of the CtrA pathway and discuss how it has evolved to regulate the cell cycle of morphologically distinct alphaproteobacteria.
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19
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Ardissone S, Kint N, Viollier PH. Specificity in glycosylation of multiple flagellins by the modular and cell cycle regulated glycosyltransferase FlmG. eLife 2020; 9:e60488. [PMID: 33108275 PMCID: PMC7591256 DOI: 10.7554/elife.60488] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/27/2020] [Accepted: 09/24/2020] [Indexed: 12/12/2022] Open
Abstract
How specificity is programmed into post-translational modification of proteins by glycosylation is poorly understood, especially for O-linked glycosylation systems. Here we reconstitute and dissect the substrate specificity underpinning the cytoplasmic O-glycosylation pathway that modifies all six flagellins, five structural and one regulatory paralog, in Caulobacter crescentus, a monopolarly flagellated alpha-proteobacterium. We characterize the biosynthetic pathway for the sialic acid-like sugar pseudaminic acid and show its requirement for flagellation, flagellin modification and efficient export. The cognate NeuB enzyme that condenses phosphoenolpyruvate with a hexose into pseudaminic acid is functionally interchangeable with other pseudaminic acid synthases. The previously unknown and cell cycle-regulated FlmG protein, a defining member of a new class of cytoplasmic O-glycosyltransferases, is required and sufficient for flagellin modification. The substrate specificity of FlmG is conferred by its N-terminal flagellin-binding domain. FlmG accumulates before the FlaF secretion chaperone, potentially timing flagellin modification, export, and assembly during the cell division cycle.
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Affiliation(s)
- Silvia Ardissone
- Department of Microbiology & Molecular Medicine, Faculty of Medicine / CMU, University of GenevaGenèveSwitzerland
| | - Nicolas Kint
- Department of Microbiology & Molecular Medicine, Faculty of Medicine / CMU, University of GenevaGenèveSwitzerland
| | - Patrick H Viollier
- Department of Microbiology & Molecular Medicine, Faculty of Medicine / CMU, University of GenevaGenèveSwitzerland
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20
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Srivastava A, Murugaiyan J, Garcia JAL, De Corte D, Hoetzinger M, Eravci M, Weise C, Kumar Y, Roesler U, Hahn MW, Grossart HP. Combined Methylome, Transcriptome and Proteome Analyses Document Rapid Acclimatization of a Bacterium to Environmental Changes. Front Microbiol 2020; 11:544785. [PMID: 33042055 PMCID: PMC7522526 DOI: 10.3389/fmicb.2020.544785] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/22/2020] [Accepted: 08/18/2020] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Polynucleobacter asymbioticus strain QLW-P1DMWA-1T represents a group of highly successful heterotrophic ultramicrobacteria that is frequently very abundant (up to 70% of total bacterioplankton) in freshwater habitats across all seven continents. This strain was originally isolated from a shallow Alpine pond characterized by rapid changes in water temperature and elevated UV radiation due to its location at an altitude of 1300 m. To elucidate the strain’s adjustment to fluctuating environmental conditions, we recorded changes occurring in its transcriptomic and proteomic profiles under contrasting experimental conditions by simulating thermal conditions in winter and summer as well as high UV irradiation. To analyze the potential connection between gene expression and regulation via methyl group modification of the genome, we also analyzed its methylome. The methylation pattern differed between the three treatments, pointing to its potential role in differential gene expression. An adaptive process due to evolutionary pressure in the genus was deduced by calculating the ratios of non-synonymous to synonymous substitution rates for 20 Polynucleobacter spp. genomes obtained from geographically diverse isolates. The results indicate purifying selection.
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Affiliation(s)
- Abhishek Srivastava
- Leibniz-Institute of Freshwater Ecology and Inland Fisheries, Stechlin, Germany.,Department of Functional and Evolutionary Ecology, University of Vienna, Vienna, Austria
| | - Jayaseelan Murugaiyan
- Centre for Infectious Medicine, Institute for Animal Health and Environmental Hygiene, Freie Universität Berlin, Berlin, Germany.,Department of Biotechnology, SRM University-AP, Guntur, India
| | - Juan A L Garcia
- Department of Functional and Evolutionary Ecology, University of Vienna, Vienna, Austria
| | - Daniele De Corte
- Research and Development Center for Marine Biosciences, Japan Agency for Marine-Earth Science and Technology, Yokosuka, Japan
| | - Matthias Hoetzinger
- Department of Biology and Environmental Science, Linnaeus University, Kalmar, Sweden
| | - Murat Eravci
- Institute of Chemistry and Biochemistry, Freie Universität Berlin, Berlin, Germany
| | - Christoph Weise
- Institute of Chemistry and Biochemistry, Freie Universität Berlin, Berlin, Germany
| | - Yadhu Kumar
- Eurofins Genomics Europe Sequencing GmbH, Konstanz, Germany
| | - Uwe Roesler
- Centre for Infectious Medicine, Institute for Animal Health and Environmental Hygiene, Freie Universität Berlin, Berlin, Germany
| | - Martin W Hahn
- Research Department for Limnology, University of Innsbruck, Mondsee, Austria
| | - Hans-Peter Grossart
- Leibniz-Institute of Freshwater Ecology and Inland Fisheries, Stechlin, Germany.,Institute for Biochemistry and Biology, Potsdam University, Potsdam, Germany
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21
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Mohapatra SS, Fioravanti A, Vandame P, Spriet C, Pini F, Bompard C, Blossey R, Valette O, Biondi EG. Methylation-dependent transcriptional regulation of crescentin gene (creS) by GcrA in Caulobacter crescentus. Mol Microbiol 2020; 114:127-139. [PMID: 32187735 DOI: 10.1111/mmi.14500] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/04/2019] [Revised: 03/13/2020] [Indexed: 12/17/2022]
Abstract
In Caulobacter crescentus the combined action of chromosome replication and the expression of DNA methyl-transferase CcrM at the end of S-phase maintains a cyclic alternation between a full- to hemi-methylated chromosome. This transition of the chromosomal methylation pattern affects the DNA-binding properties of the transcription factor GcrA that controls the several key cell cycle functions. However, the molecular mechanism by which GcrA and methylation are linked to transcription is not fully elucidated yet. Using a combination of cell biology, genetics, and in vitro analysis, we deciphered how GcrA integrates the methylation pattern of several S-phase expressed genes to their transcriptional output. We demonstrated in vitro that transcription of ctrA from the P1 promoter in its hemi-methylated state is activated by GcrA, while in its fully methylated state GcrA had no effect. Further, GcrA and methylation together influence a peculiar distribution of creS transcripts, encoding for crescentin, the protein responsible for the characteristic shape of Caulobacter cells. This gene is duplicated at the onset of chromosome replication and the two hemi-methylated copies are spatially segregated. Our results indicated that GcrA transcribed only the copy where coding strand is methylated. In vitro transcription assay further substantiated this finding. As several of the cell cycle-regulated genes are also under the influence of methylation and GcrA-dependent transcriptional regulation, this could be a mechanism responsible for maintaining the gene transcription dosage during the S-phase.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | | | | | | | | | - Ralf Blossey
- University of Lille, CNRS, UMR 8576 UGSF, Lille, France
| | - Odile Valette
- Aix Marseille University, CNRS, LCB, Marseille, France
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22
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Antibiotic Resistance and Epigenetics: More to It than Meets the Eye. Antimicrob Agents Chemother 2020; 64:AAC.02225-19. [PMID: 31740560 DOI: 10.1128/aac.02225-19] [Citation(s) in RCA: 67] [Impact Index Per Article: 16.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/07/2023] Open
Abstract
The discovery of antibiotics in the last century is considered one of the most important achievements in the history of medicine. Antibiotic usage has significantly reduced morbidity and mortality associated with bacterial infections. However, inappropriate use of antibiotics has led to emergence of antibiotic resistance at an alarming rate. Antibiotic resistance is regarded as a major health care challenge of this century. Despite extensive research, well-documented biochemical mechanisms and genetic changes fail to fully explain mechanisms underlying antibiotic resistance. Several recent reports suggest a key role for epigenetics in the development of antibiotic resistance in bacteria. The intrinsic heterogeneity as well as transient nature of epigenetic inheritance provides a plausible backdrop for high-paced emergence of drug resistance in bacteria. The methylation of adenines and cytosines can influence mutation rates in bacterial genomes, thus modulating antibiotic susceptibility. In this review, we discuss a plethora of recently discovered epigenetic mechanisms and their emerging roles in antibiotic resistance. We also highlight specific epigenetic mechanisms that merit further investigation for their role in antibiotic resistance.
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23
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Xu J, Cui K, Shen L, Shi J, Li L, You L, Fang C, Zhao G, Feng Y, Yang B, Zhang Y. Crl activates transcription by stabilizing active conformation of the master stress transcription initiation factor. eLife 2019; 8:50928. [PMID: 31846423 PMCID: PMC6917491 DOI: 10.7554/elife.50928] [Citation(s) in RCA: 20] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/07/2019] [Accepted: 12/03/2019] [Indexed: 12/20/2022] Open
Abstract
σS is a master transcription initiation factor that protects bacterial cells from various harmful environmental stresses including antibiotic pressure. Although its mechanism remains unclear, it is known that full activation of σS-mediated transcription requires a σS-specific activator, Crl. In this study, we determined a 3.80 Å cryo-EM structure of an Escherichia coli transcription activation complex (E. coli Crl-TAC) comprising E. coli σS-RNA polymerase (σS-RNAP) holoenzyme, Crl, and a nucleic-acid scaffold. The structure reveals that Crl interacts with domain 2 of σS (σS2) and the RNAP core enzyme, but does not contact promoter DNA. Results from subsequent hydrogen-deuterium exchange mass spectrometry (HDX-MS) indicate that Crl stabilizes key structural motifs within σS2 to promote the assembly of the σS-RNAP holoenzyme and also to facilitate formation of an RNA polymerase–promoter DNA open complex (RPo). Our study demonstrates a unique DNA contact-independent mechanism of transcription activation, thereby defining a previously unrecognized mode of transcription activation in cells.
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Affiliation(s)
- Juncao Xu
- Key Laboratory of Synthetic Biology,CAS Center for Excellence in Molecular Plant Sciences, Shanghai Institute of Plant Physiology and Ecology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shanghai, China.,University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China
| | - Kaijie Cui
- University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China.,Shanghai Institute for Advanced Immunochemical Studies, ShanghaiTech University, Shanghai, China
| | - Liqiang Shen
- Key Laboratory of Synthetic Biology,CAS Center for Excellence in Molecular Plant Sciences, Shanghai Institute of Plant Physiology and Ecology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shanghai, China.,University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China
| | - Jing Shi
- Department of Biophysics, Zhejiang University School of Medicine, Hangzhou, China.,Department of Pathology of Sir Run Run Shaw Hospital, Zhejiang University School of Medicine, Hangzhou, China
| | - Lingting Li
- Key Laboratory of Synthetic Biology,CAS Center for Excellence in Molecular Plant Sciences, Shanghai Institute of Plant Physiology and Ecology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shanghai, China.,University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China
| | - Linlin You
- Key Laboratory of Synthetic Biology,CAS Center for Excellence in Molecular Plant Sciences, Shanghai Institute of Plant Physiology and Ecology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shanghai, China.,University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China
| | - Chengli Fang
- Key Laboratory of Synthetic Biology,CAS Center for Excellence in Molecular Plant Sciences, Shanghai Institute of Plant Physiology and Ecology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shanghai, China.,University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China
| | - Guoping Zhao
- Key Laboratory of Synthetic Biology,CAS Center for Excellence in Molecular Plant Sciences, Shanghai Institute of Plant Physiology and Ecology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shanghai, China.,Shanghai-MOST Key Laboratory of Health and Disease Genomics, Chinese National Human Genome Center at Shanghai, Shanghai, China.,Department of Microbiology, Li Ka Shing Institute of Health Sciences, The Chinese University of Hong Kong, Prince of Wales Hospital, Shatin, China.,State Key Laboratory of Genetic Engineering, Department of Microbiology, School of Life Sciences, Fudan University, Shanghai, China.,Institute of Biomedical Sciences, Fudan University, Shanghai, China
| | - Yu Feng
- Department of Biophysics, Zhejiang University School of Medicine, Hangzhou, China.,Department of Pathology of Sir Run Run Shaw Hospital, Zhejiang University School of Medicine, Hangzhou, China
| | - Bei Yang
- Shanghai Institute for Advanced Immunochemical Studies, ShanghaiTech University, Shanghai, China
| | - Yu Zhang
- Key Laboratory of Synthetic Biology,CAS Center for Excellence in Molecular Plant Sciences, Shanghai Institute of Plant Physiology and Ecology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shanghai, China
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24
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Abstract
In all domains of life, genomes contain epigenetic information superimposed over the nucleotide sequence. Epigenetic signals control DNA-protein interactions and can cause phenotypic change in the absence of mutation. A nearly universal mechanism of epigenetic signalling is DNA methylation. In bacteria, DNA methylation has roles in genome defence, chromosome replication and segregation, nucleoid organization, cell cycle control, DNA repair and regulation of transcription. In many bacterial species, DNA methylation controls reversible switching (phase variation) of gene expression, a phenomenon that generates phenotypic cell variants. The formation of epigenetic lineages enables the adaptation of bacterial populations to harsh or changing environments and modulates the interaction of pathogens with their eukaryotic hosts.
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25
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Poncin K, Roba A, Jimmidi R, Potemberg G, Fioravanti A, Francis N, Willemart K, Zeippen N, Machelart A, Biondi EG, Muraille E, Vincent SP, De Bolle X. Occurrence and repair of alkylating stress in the intracellular pathogen Brucella abortus. Nat Commun 2019; 10:4847. [PMID: 31649248 PMCID: PMC6813329 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-019-12516-8] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/22/2018] [Accepted: 09/10/2019] [Indexed: 01/08/2023] Open
Abstract
It is assumed that intracellular pathogenic bacteria have to cope with DNA alkylating stress within host cells. Here we use single-cell reporter systems to show that the pathogen Brucella abortus does encounter alkylating stress during the first hours of macrophage infection. Genes encoding direct repair and base-excision repair pathways are required by B. abortus to face this stress in vitro and in a mouse infection model. Among these genes, ogt is found to be under the control of the conserved cell-cycle transcription factor GcrA. Our results highlight that the control of DNA repair in B. abortus displays distinct features that are not present in model organisms such as Escherichia coli. It is assumed that intracellular pathogenic bacteria must cope with DNA alkylating stress within host cells. Here, Poncin et al. show that the pathogen Brucella abortus does encounter alkylating stress within macrophages, and shed light into the pathways required for DNA repair in this organism.
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Affiliation(s)
- Katy Poncin
- URBM, Narilis, University of Namur, Namur, Belgium.,Sir William Dunn School of Pathology, University of Oxford, South Parks Road, Oxford, OX1 3RE, UK
| | - Agnès Roba
- URBM, Narilis, University of Namur, Namur, Belgium
| | - Ravikumar Jimmidi
- Unité de Chimie Organique, University of Namur, 61 rue de Bruxelles, 5000, Namur, Belgium
| | | | - Antonella Fioravanti
- Unité de Glycobiologie Structurale et Fonctionnelle, UMR 8576 CNRS, Université de Lille, 50 Avenue Halley, Villeneuve d'Ascq, France.,VIB,Vrije Universiteit Brussel, Pleinlaan 2, 1050, Brussels, Belgium
| | | | | | | | - Arnaud Machelart
- URBM, Narilis, University of Namur, Namur, Belgium.,Université de Lille, CNRS, INSERM, CHU Lille, Institut Pasteur de Lille, U1019, UMR 8204, Center for Infection and Immunity of Lille, Lille, France
| | - Emanuele G Biondi
- Unité de Glycobiologie Structurale et Fonctionnelle, UMR 8576 CNRS, Université de Lille, 50 Avenue Halley, Villeneuve d'Ascq, France
| | - Eric Muraille
- IMM, 31 Chemin Joseph Aiguier, 13009 Marseille, Aix-Marseille Université, Marseille, France.,Laboratoire de Parasitologie, Faculté de Médecine, Université Libre de Bruxelles, Brussels, Belgium
| | - Stéphane P Vincent
- Sir William Dunn School of Pathology, University of Oxford, South Parks Road, Oxford, OX1 3RE, UK
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26
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Attai H, Brown PJB. Isolation and Characterization T4- and T7-Like Phages that Infect the Bacterial Plant Pathogen Agrobacterium tumefaciens. Viruses 2019; 11:v11060528. [PMID: 31181591 PMCID: PMC6630229 DOI: 10.3390/v11060528] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/06/2019] [Revised: 05/29/2019] [Accepted: 06/04/2019] [Indexed: 01/21/2023] Open
Abstract
In the rhizosphere, bacteria-phage interactions are likely to have important impacts on the ecology of microbial communities and microbe-plant interactions. To better understand the dynamics of Agrobacteria-phage interactions, we have isolated diverse bacteriophages which infect the bacterial plant pathogen, Agrobacterium tumefaciens. Here, we complete the genomic characterization of Agrobacterium tumefaciens phages Atu_ph04 and Atu_ph08. Atu_ph04-a T4-like phage belonging to the Myoviridae family-was isolated from waste water and has a 143,349 bp genome that encodes 223 predicted open reading frames (ORFs). Based on phylogenetic analysis and whole-genome alignments, Atu_ph04 is a member of a newly described T4 superfamily that contains other Rhizobiales-infecting phages. Atu_ph08, a member of the Podoviridae T7-like family, was isolated from waste water, has a 59,034 bp genome, and encodes 75 ORFs. Based on phylogenetic analysis and whole-genome alignments, Atu_ph08 may form a new T7 superfamily which includes Sinorhizobium phage PCB5 and Ochrobactrum phage POI1126. Atu_ph08 is predicted to have lysogenic activity, as we found evidence of an integrase and several transcriptional repressors with similarity to proteins in transducing phage P22. Together, this data suggests that Agrobacterium phages are diverse in morphology, genomic content, and lifestyle.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hedieh Attai
- Division of Biological Sciences, University of Missouri, Columbia, MO 65211, USA.
| | - Pamela J B Brown
- Division of Biological Sciences, University of Missouri, Columbia, MO 65211, USA.
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Gärtner K, Klähn S, Watanabe S, Mikkat S, Scholz I, Hess WR, Hagemann M. Cytosine N4-Methylation via M.Ssp6803II Is Involved in the Regulation of Transcription, Fine- Tuning of DNA Replication and DNA Repair in the Cyanobacterium Synechocystis sp. PCC 6803. Front Microbiol 2019; 10:1233. [PMID: 31231331 PMCID: PMC6560206 DOI: 10.3389/fmicb.2019.01233] [Citation(s) in RCA: 19] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/15/2019] [Accepted: 05/17/2019] [Indexed: 12/15/2022] Open
Abstract
DNA methylation plays a crucial role for gene regulation among eukaryotes, but its regulatory function is less documented in bacteria. In the cyanobacterium Synechocystis sp. PCC 6803 five DNA methyltransferases have been identified. Among them, M.Ssp6803II is responsible for the specific methylation of the first cytosine in the frequently occurring motif GGCC, leading to N4-methylcytosine (GGm4CC). The mutation of the corresponding gene sll0729 led to lowered chlorophyll/phycocyanin ratio and slower growth. Transcriptomics only showed altered expression of sll0470 and sll1526, two genes encoding hypothetical proteins. Moreover, prolonged cultivation revealed instability of the initially obtained phenotype. Colonies with normal pigmentation and wild-type-like growth regularly appeared on agar plates. These colonies represent suppressor mutants, because the sll0729 gene was still completely inactivated and the GGCC sites remained unmethylated. The suppressor strains showed smaller cell size, lowered DNA content per cell, and decreased tolerance against UV compared to wild type. Promoter assays revealed that the transcription of the sll0470 gene was still stimulated in the suppressor clones. Proteomics identified decreased levels of DNA topoisomerase 4 subunit A in suppressor cells. Collectively, these results indicate that GGm4CC methylation is involved in the regulation of gene expression, in the fine-tuning of DNA replication, and DNA repair mechanisms.
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Affiliation(s)
- Katrin Gärtner
- Department of Plant Physiology, University of Rostock, Rostock, Germany
| | - Stephan Klähn
- Faculty of Biology, Genetics & Experimental Bioinformatics, University of Freiburg, Freiburg im Breisgau, Germany
- Department of Solar Materials, Helmholtz-Centre for Environmental Research, Leipzig, Germany
| | - Satoru Watanabe
- Department of Bioscience, Tokyo University of Agriculture, Tokyo, Japan
| | - Stefan Mikkat
- Core Facility Proteome Analysis, University Medicine Rostock, Rostock, Germany
| | - Ingeborg Scholz
- Faculty of Biology, Genetics & Experimental Bioinformatics, University of Freiburg, Freiburg im Breisgau, Germany
| | - Wolfgang R. Hess
- Faculty of Biology, Genetics & Experimental Bioinformatics, University of Freiburg, Freiburg im Breisgau, Germany
- Freiburg Institute for Advanced Studies, University of Freiburg, Freiburg im Breisgau, Germany
| | - Martin Hagemann
- Department of Plant Physiology, University of Rostock, Rostock, Germany
- Department Life, Light and Matter, University of Rostock, Rostock, Germany
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28
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Absolute Measurements of mRNA Translation in Caulobacter crescentus Reveal Important Fitness Costs of Vitamin B 12 Scavenging. mSystems 2019; 4:4/4/e00170-19. [PMID: 31138672 PMCID: PMC6538847 DOI: 10.1128/msystems.00170-19] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/27/2022] Open
Abstract
Caulobacter crescentus is a model system of the bacterial cell cycle culminating in asymmetric cell division, with each daughter cell inheriting a distinct set of proteins. While a genetic network of master transcription factors coordinates the cell cycle timing of transcription for nearly 20% of Caulobacter genes, we lack knowledge of how many of each protein “part” encoded in the genome are synthesized. Therefore, to determine the absolute production rates across the genome, we performed ribosome profiling, providing, for the first time, a quantitative resource with measurements of each protein “part” needed to generate daughter cells. This resource furthers the goal of a systems-level understanding of the genetic network controlling asymmetric cell division. To highlight the utility of this data set, we probe the protein synthesis cost of a B12 utilization pathway and provide new insights into Caulobacter’s adaptation to its natural environments. Caulobacter crescentus is a model for the bacterial cell cycle which culminates in asymmetric cell division, yet little is known about the absolute levels of protein synthesis of the cellular parts needed to complete the cell cycle. Here we utilize ribosome profiling to provide absolute measurements of mRNA translation in C. crescentus, providing an important resource with quantitative genome-wide measurements of protein output across individual genes. Analysis of protein synthesis rates revealed ∼4.5% of cellular protein synthesis is for genes related to vitamin B12 import (btuB) and B12-independent methionine biosynthesis (metE) when grown in common growth media lacking B12. While its facultative B12 lifestyle provides a fitness advantage in the absence of B12, we find that it provides a fitness disadvantage of the cells in the presence of B12, potentially explaining why many Caulobacter species have lost the metE gene and become obligates for B12. IMPORTANCECaulobacter crescentus is a model system of the bacterial cell cycle culminating in asymmetric cell division, with each daughter cell inheriting a distinct set of proteins. While a genetic network of master transcription factors coordinates the cell cycle timing of transcription for nearly 20% of Caulobacter genes, we lack knowledge of how many of each protein “part” encoded in the genome are synthesized. Therefore, to determine the absolute production rates across the genome, we performed ribosome profiling, providing, for the first time, a quantitative resource with measurements of each protein “part” needed to generate daughter cells. This resource furthers the goal of a systems-level understanding of the genetic network controlling asymmetric cell division. To highlight the utility of this data set, we probe the protein synthesis cost of a B12 utilization pathway and provide new insights into Caulobacter’s adaptation to its natural environments. Author Video: An author video summary of this article is available.
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29
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Beh LY, Debelouchina GT, Clay DM, Thompson RE, Lindblad KA, Hutton ER, Bracht JR, Sebra RP, Muir TW, Landweber LF. Identification of a DNA N6-Adenine Methyltransferase Complex and Its Impact on Chromatin Organization. Cell 2019; 177:1781-1796.e25. [PMID: 31104845 DOI: 10.1016/j.cell.2019.04.028] [Citation(s) in RCA: 64] [Impact Index Per Article: 12.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/15/2018] [Revised: 01/31/2019] [Accepted: 04/12/2019] [Indexed: 11/27/2022]
Abstract
DNA N6-adenine methylation (6mA) has recently been described in diverse eukaryotes, spanning unicellular organisms to metazoa. Here, we report a DNA 6mA methyltransferase complex in ciliates, termed MTA1c. It consists of two MT-A70 proteins and two homeobox-like DNA-binding proteins and specifically methylates dsDNA. Disruption of the catalytic subunit, MTA1, in the ciliate Oxytricha leads to genome-wide loss of 6mA and abolishment of the consensus ApT dimethylated motif. Mutants fail to complete the sexual cycle, which normally coincides with peak MTA1 expression. We investigate the impact of 6mA on nucleosome occupancy in vitro by reconstructing complete, full-length Oxytricha chromosomes harboring 6mA in native or ectopic positions. We show that 6mA directly disfavors nucleosomes in vitro in a local, quantitative manner, independent of DNA sequence. Furthermore, the chromatin remodeler ACF can overcome this effect. Our study identifies a diverged DNA N6-adenine methyltransferase and defines the role of 6mA in chromatin organization.
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Affiliation(s)
- Leslie Y Beh
- Departments of Biochemistry & Molecular Biophysics and Biological Sciences, Columbia University, New York, NY 10032, USA; Department of Chemistry, Princeton University, Princeton, NJ 08544, USA; Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, Princeton University, Princeton, NJ 08544, USA
| | | | - Derek M Clay
- Departments of Biochemistry & Molecular Biophysics and Biological Sciences, Columbia University, New York, NY 10032, USA
| | - Robert E Thompson
- Department of Chemistry, Princeton University, Princeton, NJ 08544, USA
| | - Kelsi A Lindblad
- Departments of Biochemistry & Molecular Biophysics and Biological Sciences, Columbia University, New York, NY 10032, USA
| | - Elizabeth R Hutton
- Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, Princeton University, Princeton, NJ 08544, USA
| | - John R Bracht
- Department of Biology, American University, Washington, DC 20016, USA
| | - Robert P Sebra
- Icahn Institute and Department of Genetics and Genomic Sciences, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY 10029, USA
| | - Tom W Muir
- Department of Chemistry, Princeton University, Princeton, NJ 08544, USA.
| | - Laura F Landweber
- Departments of Biochemistry & Molecular Biophysics and Biological Sciences, Columbia University, New York, NY 10032, USA.
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Koppenhöfer S, Wang H, Scharfe M, Kaever V, Wagner-Döbler I, Tomasch J. Integrated Transcriptional Regulatory Network of Quorum Sensing, Replication Control, and SOS Response in Dinoroseobacter shibae. Front Microbiol 2019; 10:803. [PMID: 31031742 PMCID: PMC6473078 DOI: 10.3389/fmicb.2019.00803] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/26/2018] [Accepted: 03/28/2019] [Indexed: 12/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Quorum sensing (QS) coordinates population wide gene expression of bacterial species. Highly adaptive traits like gene transfer agents (GTA), morphological heterogeneity, type 4 secretion systems (T4SS), and flagella are QS controlled in Dinoroseobacter shibae, a Roseobacter model organism. Its QS regulatory network is integrated with the CtrA phosphorelay that controls cell division in alphaproteobacteria. To elucidate the network topology, we analyzed the transcriptional response of the QS-negative D. shibae strain ΔluxI1 toward externally added autoinducer (AI) over a time period of 3 h. The signaling cascade is initiated by the CtrA phosphorelay, followed by the QS genes and other target genes, including the second messenger c-di-GMP, competence, flagella and pili. Identification of transcription factor binding sites in promoters of QS induced genes revealed the integration of QS, CtrA phosphorelay and the SOS stress response mediated by LexA. The concentration of regulatory genes located close to the origin or terminus of replication suggests that gene regulation and replication are tightly coupled. Indeed, addition of AI first stimulates and then represses replication. The restart of replication comes along with increased c-di-GMP levels. We propose a model in which QS induces replication followed by differentiation into GTA producing and non-producing cells. CtrA-activity is controlled by the c-di-GMP level, allowing some of the daughter cells to replicate again. The size of the GTA producing subpopulation is tightly controlled by QS via the AI Synthase LuxI2. Finally, induction of the SOS response allows for integration of GTA DNA into the host chromosome.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sonja Koppenhöfer
- Group Microbial Communication, Technical University of Braunschweig, Braunschweig, Germany.,Institute for Chemistry and Biology of the Marine Environment, University of Oldenburg, Oldenburg, Germany
| | - Hui Wang
- Group Microbial Communication, Technical University of Braunschweig, Braunschweig, Germany
| | - Maren Scharfe
- Group Genomic Analytics, Helmholtz Centre for Infection Research, Helmholtz Association of German Research Centers, Braunschweig, Germany
| | - Volkhard Kaever
- Research Core Unit Metabolomics, Institute of Pharmacology, Hannover Medical School, Hanover, Germany
| | - Irene Wagner-Döbler
- Group Microbial Communication, Technical University of Braunschweig, Braunschweig, Germany
| | - Jürgen Tomasch
- Group Microbial Communication, Technical University of Braunschweig, Braunschweig, Germany
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31
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Multilayered control of chromosome replication in Caulobacter crescentus. Biochem Soc Trans 2019; 47:187-196. [PMID: 30626709 PMCID: PMC6393856 DOI: 10.1042/bst20180460] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/12/2018] [Revised: 12/11/2018] [Accepted: 12/12/2018] [Indexed: 12/24/2022]
Abstract
The environmental Alphaproteobacterium Caulobacter crescentus is a classical model to study the regulation of the bacterial cell cycle. It divides asymmetrically, giving a stalked cell that immediately enters S phase and a swarmer cell that stays in the G1 phase until it differentiates into a stalked cell. Its genome consists in a single circular chromosome whose replication is tightly regulated so that it happens only in stalked cells and only once per cell cycle. Imbalances in chromosomal copy numbers are the most often highly deleterious, if not lethal. This review highlights recent discoveries on pathways that control chromosome replication when Caulobacter is exposed to optimal or less optimal growth conditions. Most of these pathways target two proteins that bind directly onto the chromosomal origin: the highly conserved DnaA initiator of DNA replication and the CtrA response regulator that is found in most Alphaproteobacteria The concerted inactivation and proteolysis of CtrA during the swarmer-to-stalked cell transition license cells to enter S phase, while a replisome-associated Regulated Inactivation and proteolysis of DnaA (RIDA) process ensures that initiation starts only once per cell cycle. When Caulobacter is stressed, it turns on control systems that delay the G1-to-S phase transition or the elongation of DNA replication, most probably increasing its fitness and adaptation capacities.
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32
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Poncin K, Gillet S, De Bolle X. Learning from the master: targets and functions of the CtrA response regulator in Brucella abortus and other alpha-proteobacteria. FEMS Microbiol Rev 2018; 42:500-513. [PMID: 29733367 DOI: 10.1093/femsre/fuy019] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/06/2017] [Accepted: 05/02/2018] [Indexed: 12/27/2022] Open
Abstract
The α-proteobacteria are a fascinating group of free-living, symbiotic and pathogenic organisms, including the Brucella genus, which is responsible for a worldwide zoonosis. One common feature of α-proteobacteria is the presence of a conserved response regulator called CtrA, first described in the model bacterium Caulobacter crescentus, where it controls gene expression at different stages of the cell cycle. Here, we focus on Brucella abortus and other intracellular α-proteobacteria in order to better assess the potential role of CtrA in the infectious context. Comparative genomic analyses of the CtrA control pathway revealed the conservation of specific modules, as well as the acquisition of new factors during evolution. The comparison of CtrA regulons also suggests that specific clades of α-proteobacteria acquired distinct functions under its control, depending on the essentiality of the transcription factor. Other CtrA-controlled functions, for instance motility and DNA repair, are proposed to be more ancestral. Altogether, these analyses provide an interesting example of the plasticity of a regulation network, subject to the constraints of inherent imperatives such as cell division and the adaptations to diversified environmental niches.
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Affiliation(s)
- Katy Poncin
- URBM-Biology, Université de Namur, Unité de recherche en biologie moléculaire, Belgium
| | - Sébastien Gillet
- URBM-Biology, Université de Namur, Unité de recherche en biologie moléculaire, Belgium
| | - Xavier De Bolle
- URBM-Biology, Université de Namur, Unité de recherche en biologie moléculaire, Belgium
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33
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Mouammine A, Collier J. The impact of DNA methylation in Alphaproteobacteria. Mol Microbiol 2018; 110:1-10. [PMID: 29995343 DOI: 10.1111/mmi.14079] [Citation(s) in RCA: 28] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 07/07/2018] [Indexed: 02/02/2023]
Abstract
Alphaproteobacteria include bacteria with very different modes of life, from free-living to host-associated and pathogenic bacteria. Their genomes vary in size and organization from single circular chromosomes to multipartite genomes and are often methylated by one or more adenine or cytosine methyltransferases (MTases). These include MTases that are part of restriction/modification systems and so-called orphan MTases. The development of novel technologies accelerated the analysis of methylomes and revealed the existence of epigenetic patterns in several Alphaproteobacteria. This review describes the known functions of DNA methylation in Alphaproteobacteria and also discusses its potential drawbacks through the accidental deamination of methylated cytosines. Particular emphasis is given to the strong connection between the cell cycle-regulated orphan MTase CcrM and the complex network that controls gene expression and cell cycle progression in Alphaproteobacteria.
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Affiliation(s)
- Annabelle Mouammine
- Faculty of Biology and Medicine, Department of Fundamental Microbiology, University of Lausanne, Quartier UNIL/Sorge, Lausanne, CH 1015, Switzerland
| | - Justine Collier
- Faculty of Biology and Medicine, Department of Fundamental Microbiology, University of Lausanne, Quartier UNIL/Sorge, Lausanne, CH 1015, Switzerland
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34
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Fournes F, Val ME, Skovgaard O, Mazel D. Replicate Once Per Cell Cycle: Replication Control of Secondary Chromosomes. Front Microbiol 2018; 9:1833. [PMID: 30131796 PMCID: PMC6090056 DOI: 10.3389/fmicb.2018.01833] [Citation(s) in RCA: 25] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/30/2018] [Accepted: 07/23/2018] [Indexed: 12/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Faithful vertical transmission of genetic information, especially of essential core genes, is a prerequisite for bacterial survival. Hence, replication of all the replicons is tightly controlled to ensure that all daughter cells get the same genome copy as their mother cell. Essential core genes are very often carried by the main chromosome. However they can occasionally be found on secondary chromosomes, recently renamed chromids. Chromids have evolved from non-essential megaplasmids, and further acquired essential core genes and a genomic signature closed to that of the main chromosome. All chromids carry a plasmidic replication origin, belonging so far to either the iterons or repABC type. Based on these differences, two categories of chromids have been distinguished. In this review, we focus on the replication initiation controls of these two types of chromids. We show that the sophisticated mechanisms controlling their replication evolved from their plasmid counterparts to allow a timely controlled replication, occurring once per cell cycle.
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Affiliation(s)
- Florian Fournes
- Unité Plasticité du Génome Bactérien, Département Génomes et Génétique, Institut Pasteur, Paris, France.,UMR3525, Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique, Paris, France
| | - Marie-Eve Val
- Unité Plasticité du Génome Bactérien, Département Génomes et Génétique, Institut Pasteur, Paris, France.,UMR3525, Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique, Paris, France
| | - Ole Skovgaard
- Department of Science and Environment, Roskilde University, Roskilde, Denmark
| | - Didier Mazel
- Unité Plasticité du Génome Bactérien, Département Génomes et Génétique, Institut Pasteur, Paris, France.,UMR3525, Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique, Paris, France
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35
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Hagemann M, Gärtner K, Scharnagl M, Bolay P, Lott SC, Fuss J, Huettel B, Reinhardt R, Klähn S, Hess WR. Identification of the DNA methyltransferases establishing the methylome of the cyanobacterium Synechocystis sp. PCC 6803. DNA Res 2018; 25:343-352. [PMID: 29444255 PMCID: PMC6105098 DOI: 10.1093/dnares/dsy006] [Citation(s) in RCA: 21] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/22/2017] [Accepted: 01/24/2018] [Indexed: 11/12/2022] Open
Abstract
DNA methylation in bacteria is important for defense against foreign DNA, but is also involved in DNA repair, replication, chromosome partitioning, and regulatory processes. Thus, characterization of the underlying DNA methyltransferases in genetically tractable bacteria is of paramount importance. Here, we characterized the methylome and orphan methyltransferases in the model cyanobacterium Synechocystis sp. PCC 6803. Single molecule real-time (SMRT) sequencing revealed four DNA methylation recognition sequences in addition to the previously known motif m5CGATCG, which is recognized by M.Ssp6803I. For three of the new recognition sequences, we identified the responsible methyltransferases. M.Ssp6803II, encoded by the sll0729 gene, modifies GGm4CC, M.Ssp6803III, encoded by slr1803, represents the cyanobacterial dam-like methyltransferase modifying Gm6ATC, and M.Ssp6803V, encoded by slr6095 on plasmid pSYSX, transfers methyl groups to the bipartite motif GGm6AN7TTGG/CCAm6AN7TCC. The remaining methylation recognition sequence GAm6AGGC is probably recognized by methyltransferase M.Ssp6803IV encoded by slr6050. M.Ssp6803III and M.Ssp6803IV were essential for the viability of Synechocystis, while the strains lacking M.Ssp6803I and M.Ssp6803V showed growth similar to the wild type. In contrast, growth was strongly diminished of the Δsll0729 mutant lacking M.Ssp6803II. These data provide the basis for systematic studies on the molecular mechanisms impacted by these methyltransferases.
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Affiliation(s)
- Martin Hagemann
- Institute of Biosciences, Plant Physiology, University of Rostock, Rostock, Germany
| | - Katrin Gärtner
- Institute of Biosciences, Plant Physiology, University of Rostock, Rostock, Germany
| | - Matthias Scharnagl
- Institute of Biosciences, Plant Physiology, University of Rostock, Rostock, Germany
| | - Paul Bolay
- Faculty of Biology, University of Freiburg, Freiburg, Germany
| | - Steffen C Lott
- Faculty of Biology, University of Freiburg, Freiburg, Germany
| | - Janina Fuss
- Max Planck-Genome-Centre Cologne, Max Planck Institute for Plant Breeding Research, Köln, Germany
| | - Bruno Huettel
- Max Planck-Genome-Centre Cologne, Max Planck Institute for Plant Breeding Research, Köln, Germany
| | - Richard Reinhardt
- Max Planck-Genome-Centre Cologne, Max Planck Institute for Plant Breeding Research, Köln, Germany
| | - Stephan Klähn
- Faculty of Biology, University of Freiburg, Freiburg, Germany
| | - Wolfgang R Hess
- Faculty of Biology, University of Freiburg, Freiburg, Germany
- Freiburg Institute for Advanced Studies, University of Freiburg, Germany
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36
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Beroual W, Brilli M, Biondi EG. Non-coding RNAs Potentially Controlling Cell Cycle in the Model Caulobacter crescentus: A Bioinformatic Approach. Front Genet 2018; 9:164. [PMID: 29899753 PMCID: PMC5988900 DOI: 10.3389/fgene.2018.00164] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/12/2018] [Accepted: 04/23/2018] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Caulobacter crescentus represents a remarkable model system to investigate global regulatory programs in bacteria. In particular, several decades of intensive study have revealed that its cell cycle is controlled by a cascade of master regulators, such as DnaA, GcrA, CcrM, and CtrA, that are responsible for the activation of functions required to progress through DNA replication, cell division and morphogenesis of polar structures (flagellum and stalk). In order to accomplish this task, several post-translational (phosphorylation and proteolysis) and transcriptional mechanisms are involved. Surprisingly, the role of non-coding RNAs (ncRNAs) in regulating the cell cycle has not been investigated. Here we describe a bioinformatic analysis that revealed that ncRNAs may well play a crucial role regulating cell cycle in C. crescentus. We used available prediction tools to understand which target genes may be regulated by ncRNAs in this bacterium. Furthermore, we predicted whether ncRNAs with a cell cycle regulated expression profile may be directly regulated by DnaA, GcrA, and CtrA, at the onset, during or end of the S-phase/swarmer cell, or if any of them has CcrM methylation sites in the promoter region. Our analysis suggests the existence of a potentially very important network of ncRNAs regulated by or regulating well-known cell cycle genes in C. crescentus. Our hypothesis is that ncRNAs are intimately connected to the known regulatory network, playing a crucial modulatory role in cell cycle progression.
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Affiliation(s)
- Wanassa Beroual
- Laboratoire de Chimie Bactérienne, Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique, Aix Marseille University, Marseille, France
| | - Matteo Brilli
- Department of Biosciences, Pediatric Clinical Research Center "Romeo ed Enrica Invernizzi, " University of Milan, Milan, Italy
| | - Emanuele G Biondi
- Laboratoire de Chimie Bactérienne, Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique, Aix Marseille University, Marseille, France
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37
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Collier J. Cell division control in Caulobacter crescentus. BIOCHIMICA ET BIOPHYSICA ACTA-GENE REGULATORY MECHANISMS 2018; 1862:685-690. [PMID: 29715525 DOI: 10.1016/j.bbagrm.2018.04.005] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/14/2018] [Revised: 04/26/2018] [Accepted: 04/26/2018] [Indexed: 12/31/2022]
Abstract
Caulobacter crescentus is a free-living Alphaproteobacterium that thrives in oligotrophic environments. This review focuses on the regulatory network used by this bacterium to control the levels of cell division proteins, their organization inside the cell and their activity as a function of the cell cycle. Strikingly, C. crescentus makes frequent use of master transcriptional regulators and epigenetic signals, most likely to synchronize cell division with other events of the cell cycle. In addition, cellular metabolism and DNA damage sensors emerge as central players regulating cell division in response to changing environmental conditions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Justine Collier
- Department of Fundamental Microbiology, Faculty of Biology and Medicine, University of Lausanne, Quartier UNIL/Sorge, Lausanne, CH 1015, Switzerland.
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38
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Wu X, Haakonsen DL, Sanderlin AG, Liu YJ, Shen L, Zhuang N, Laub MT, Zhang Y. Structural insights into the unique mechanism of transcription activation by Caulobacter crescentus GcrA. Nucleic Acids Res 2018; 46:3245-3256. [PMID: 29514271 PMCID: PMC5887438 DOI: 10.1093/nar/gky161] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/09/2017] [Accepted: 02/21/2018] [Indexed: 01/07/2023] Open
Abstract
Canonical bacterial transcription activators bind to non-transcribed promoter elements to increase transcription of their target genes. Here we report crystal structures of binary complexes comprising domains of Caulobacter crescentus GcrA, a noncanonical bacterial transcription factor, that support a novel mechanism for transcription activation through the preferential binding of methylated cis-regulatory elements and the promotion of open complex formation through an interaction with region 2 of the principal σ factor, σ70. We present crystal structures of the C-terminal, σ factor-interacting domain (GcrA-SID) in complex with domain 2 of σ70 (σ702), and the N-terminal, DNA-binding domain (GcrA-DBD) in complex with methylated double-stranded DNA (dsDNA). The structures reveal interactions essential for transcription activation and DNA recognition by GcrA. These structures, along with mutational analyses, support a mechanism of transcription activation in which GcrA associates with RNA polymerase (RNAP) prior to promoter binding through GcrA-SID, arming RNAP with a flexible GcrA-DBD. The RNAP-GcrA complex then binds and activates target promoters harboring a methylated GcrA binding site either upstream or downstream of the transcription start site.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xiaoxian Wu
- Key Laboratory of Synthetic Biology, CAS Center for Excellence in Molecular Plant Sciences, Shanghai Institute of Plant Physiology and Ecology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shanghai 200032, China,University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100049, China
| | - Diane L Haakonsen
- Graduate Program in Microbiology, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA 02139, USA,Department of Biology, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA 02139, USA,Howard Hughes Medical Institute, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA 02139, USA
| | - Allen G Sanderlin
- Department of Biology, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA 02139, USA,Howard Hughes Medical Institute, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA 02139, USA
| | - Yue J Liu
- Department of Biology, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA 02139, USA,Howard Hughes Medical Institute, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA 02139, USA
| | - Liqiang Shen
- Key Laboratory of Synthetic Biology, CAS Center for Excellence in Molecular Plant Sciences, Shanghai Institute of Plant Physiology and Ecology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shanghai 200032, China,University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100049, China
| | - Ningning Zhuang
- Key Laboratory of Synthetic Biology, CAS Center for Excellence in Molecular Plant Sciences, Shanghai Institute of Plant Physiology and Ecology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shanghai 200032, China
| | - Michael T Laub
- Department of Biology, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA 02139, USA,Howard Hughes Medical Institute, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA 02139, USA,To whom correspondence should be addressed to Yu Zhang. Tel: +1 86 21 54924351; . Correspondence may also be addressed to Michael T. Laub. Tel: +1 617 324-0418;
| | - Yu Zhang
- Key Laboratory of Synthetic Biology, CAS Center for Excellence in Molecular Plant Sciences, Shanghai Institute of Plant Physiology and Ecology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shanghai 200032, China,To whom correspondence should be addressed to Yu Zhang. Tel: +1 86 21 54924351; . Correspondence may also be addressed to Michael T. Laub. Tel: +1 617 324-0418;
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39
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More than a Tad: spatiotemporal control of Caulobacter pili. Curr Opin Microbiol 2017; 42:79-86. [PMID: 29161615 DOI: 10.1016/j.mib.2017.10.017] [Citation(s) in RCA: 24] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/15/2017] [Revised: 10/20/2017] [Accepted: 10/22/2017] [Indexed: 01/09/2023]
Abstract
The Type IV pilus (T4P) is a powerful and sophisticated bacterial nanomachine involved in numerous cellular processes, including adhesion, DNA uptake and motility. Aside from the well-described subtype T4aP of the Gram-negative genera, including Myxococcus, Pseudomonas and Neisseria, the Tad (tight adherence) pilus secretion system re-shuffles homologous parts from other secretion systems along with uncharacterized components into a new type of protein translocation apparatus. A representative of the Tad apparatus, the Caulobacter crescentus pilus assembly (Cpa) machine is built exclusively at the newborn cell pole once per cell cycle. Recent comprehensive genetic analyses unearthed a myriad of spatiotemporal determinants acting on the Tad/Cpa system, many of which are conserved in other α-proteobacteria, including obligate intracellular pathogens and symbionts.
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40
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Moine A, Espinosa L, Martineau E, Yaikhomba M, Jazleena PJ, Byrne D, Biondi EG, Notomista E, Brilli M, Molle V, Gayathri P, Mignot T, Mauriello EMF. The nucleoid as a scaffold for the assembly of bacterial signaling complexes. PLoS Genet 2017; 13:e1007103. [PMID: 29161263 PMCID: PMC5716589 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pgen.1007103] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/24/2017] [Revised: 12/05/2017] [Accepted: 11/05/2017] [Indexed: 11/17/2022] Open
Abstract
The FrzCD chemoreceptor from the gliding bacterium Myxococcus xanthus forms cytoplasmic clusters that occupy a large central region of the cell body also occupied by the nucleoid. In this work, we show that FrzCD directly binds to the nucleoid with its N-terminal positively charged tail and recruits active signaling complexes at this location. The FrzCD binding to the nucleoid occur in a DNA-sequence independent manner and leads to the formation of multiple distributed clusters that explore constrained areas. This organization might be required for cooperative interactions between clustered receptors as observed in membrane-bound chemosensory arrays.
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Affiliation(s)
- Audrey Moine
- Laboratoire de Chimie Bactérienne, CNRS-Université Aix-Marseille, Marseille, France
| | - Leon Espinosa
- Laboratoire de Chimie Bactérienne, CNRS-Université Aix-Marseille, Marseille, France
| | - Eugenie Martineau
- Laboratoire de Chimie Bactérienne, CNRS-Université Aix-Marseille, Marseille, France
| | - Mutum Yaikhomba
- Biology Division, Indian Institute of Science Education and Research, Pune, India
| | - P. J. Jazleena
- Biology Division, Indian Institute of Science Education and Research, Pune, India
| | - Deborah Byrne
- Protein Purification Platform, Institut de Microbiologie de la Méditerranée, CNRS, Marseille, France
| | - Emanuele G. Biondi
- Laboratoire de Chimie Bactérienne, CNRS-Université Aix-Marseille, Marseille, France
| | - Eugenio Notomista
- Dipartimento di Biologia, Università degli Studi di Napoli “Federico II”, Naples, Italy
| | - Matteo Brilli
- DAFNAE, Department of Agronomy, Food, Natural Resources, Animals and Environment, University of Padova, Legnano, Italy
| | - Virginie Molle
- Laboratoire de Dynamique des Interactions Membranaires Normales et Pathologiques, CNRS-Universités de Montpellier II et I, Montpellier, France
| | - Pananghat Gayathri
- Biology Division, Indian Institute of Science Education and Research, Pune, India
| | - Tâm Mignot
- Laboratoire de Chimie Bactérienne, CNRS-Université Aix-Marseille, Marseille, France
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41
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Biochemical characterization of Arabidopsis thaliana starch branching enzyme 2.2 reveals an enzymatic positive cooperativity. Biochimie 2017; 140:146-158. [DOI: 10.1016/j.biochi.2017.07.013] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/19/2017] [Accepted: 07/25/2017] [Indexed: 12/29/2022]
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42
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Hallez R, Delaby M, Sanselicio S, Viollier PH. Hit the right spots: cell cycle control by phosphorylated guanosines in alphaproteobacteria. Nat Rev Microbiol 2017; 15:137-148. [PMID: 28138140 DOI: 10.1038/nrmicro.2016.183] [Citation(s) in RCA: 37] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/09/2022]
Abstract
The class Alphaproteobacteria includes Gram-negative free-living, symbiotic and obligate intracellular bacteria, as well as important plant, animal and human pathogens. Recent work has established the key antagonistic roles that phosphorylated guanosines, cyclic-di-GMP (c-di-GMP) and the alarmones guanosine tetraphosphate and guanosine pentaphosphate (collectively referred to as (p)ppGpp), have in the regulation of the cell cycle in these bacteria. In this Review, we discuss the insights that have been gained into the regulation of the initiation of DNA replication and cytokinesis by these second messengers, with a particular focus on the cell cycle of Caulobacter crescentus. We explore how the fluctuating levels of c-di-GMP and (p)ppGpp during the progression of the cell cycle and under conditions of stress control the synthesis and proteolysis of key regulators of the cell cycle. As these signals also promote bacterial interactions with host cells, the enzymes that control (p)ppGpp and c-di-GMP are attractive antibacterial targets.
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Affiliation(s)
- Régis Hallez
- Bacterial Cell cycle and Development (BCcD), Unité de recherche en biologie des micro-organismes (URBM), University of Namur, 61 Rue de Bruxelles, Namur 5000, Belgium
| | - Marie Delaby
- Department of Microbiology and Molecular Medicine, Institute of Genetics &Genomics in Geneva (iGE3), Faculty of Medicine, University of Geneva, CH-1211 Geneva, Switzerland
| | - Stefano Sanselicio
- Department of Microbiology and Molecular Medicine, Institute of Genetics &Genomics in Geneva (iGE3), Faculty of Medicine, University of Geneva, CH-1211 Geneva, Switzerland.,Present address: Molecular Genetics Group, Groningen Biomolecular Sciences and Biotechnology Institute, Centre for Synthetic Biology, University of Groningen, Nijenborgh 7, 9747 AG Groningen, The Netherlands
| | - Patrick H Viollier
- Department of Microbiology and Molecular Medicine, Institute of Genetics &Genomics in Geneva (iGE3), Faculty of Medicine, University of Geneva, CH-1211 Geneva, Switzerland
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Mignolet J, Holden S, Bergé M, Panis G, Eroglu E, Théraulaz L, Manley S, Viollier PH. Functional dichotomy and distinct nanoscale assemblies of a cell cycle-controlled bipolar zinc-finger regulator. eLife 2016; 5. [PMID: 28008851 PMCID: PMC5182063 DOI: 10.7554/elife.18647] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/09/2016] [Accepted: 11/01/2016] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Protein polarization underlies differentiation in metazoans and in bacteria. How symmetric polarization can instate functional asymmetry remains elusive. Here, we show by super-resolution photo-activated localization microscopy and edgetic mutations that the bitopic zinc-finger protein ZitP implements specialized developmental functions – pilus biogenesis and multifactorial swarming motility – while shaping distinct nanoscale (bi)polar architectures in the asymmetric model bacterium Caulobacter crescentus. Polar assemblage and accumulation of ZitP and its effector protein CpaM are orchestrated in time and space by conserved components of the cell cycle circuitry that coordinate polar morphogenesis with cell cycle progression, and also act on the master cell cycle regulator CtrA. Thus, this novel class of potentially widespread multifunctional polarity regulators is deeply embedded in the cell cycle circuitry. DOI:http://dx.doi.org/10.7554/eLife.18647.001 Living cells become asymmetric for many different reasons and how they do so has been a long-standing question in biology. In some cells, the asymmetry arises because a given protein accumulates at one side of the cell. In particular, this process happens before some cells divide to produce two non-identical daughter cells that then go on to develop in very different ways – which is vital for the development of almost all multicellular organisms. The single-celled bacterium Caulobacter crescentus also undergoes this type of asymmetric division. The polarized Caulobacter cell produces two very different offsprings – a stationary cell and a nomadic cell that swims using a propeller-like structure, called a flagellum, and has projections called pili on its surface. Before it divides asymmetrically, the Caulobacter cell must accumulate specific proteins at its extremities, or poles. Two such proteins are ZitP and CpaM, which appear to have multiple roles and are thought to interact with other factors that regulate cell division. However, little is known about how ZitP and CpaM become organized at the poles at the right time and how they interact with these regulators of cell division. Mignolet et al. explored how ZitP becomes polarized in Caulobacter crescentus using a combination of approaches including biochemical and genetic analyses and very high-resolution microscopy. This revealed that ZitP accumulated via different pathways at the two poles and that it formed distinct structures at each pole. These structures were associated with different roles for ZitP. While ZitP recruited proteins, including CpaM, required for assembly of pili to one of the poles, it acted differently at the opposite pole. By mutating regions of ZitP, Mignolet et al. went on to show that different regions of the protein carry out these roles. Further experiments demonstrated that regulators of the cell division cycle influenced how ZitP and CpaM accumulated and behaved in cells, ensuring that the proteins carry out their roles at the correct time during division. These findings provide more evidence that proteins can have different roles at distinct sites within a cell, in this case at opposite poles of a cell. Future studies will be needed to determine whether this is seen in cells other than Caulobacter including more complex, non-bacterial cells. DOI:http://dx.doi.org/10.7554/eLife.18647.002
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Affiliation(s)
- Johann Mignolet
- Microbiology and Molecular Medicine, Institute of Genetics and Genomics in Geneva (iGE3), Faculty of Medicine, University of Geneva, Geneva, Switzerland
| | - Seamus Holden
- Laboratory of Experimental Biophysics, École Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne, Lausanne, Switzerland.,Centre for Bacterial Cell Biology, Institute for Cell and Molecular Biosciences, Newcastle University, Newcastle, United Kingdom
| | - Matthieu Bergé
- Microbiology and Molecular Medicine, Institute of Genetics and Genomics in Geneva (iGE3), Faculty of Medicine, University of Geneva, Geneva, Switzerland
| | - Gaël Panis
- Microbiology and Molecular Medicine, Institute of Genetics and Genomics in Geneva (iGE3), Faculty of Medicine, University of Geneva, Geneva, Switzerland
| | - Ezgi Eroglu
- Microbiology and Molecular Medicine, Institute of Genetics and Genomics in Geneva (iGE3), Faculty of Medicine, University of Geneva, Geneva, Switzerland
| | - Laurence Théraulaz
- Microbiology and Molecular Medicine, Institute of Genetics and Genomics in Geneva (iGE3), Faculty of Medicine, University of Geneva, Geneva, Switzerland
| | - Suliana Manley
- Laboratory of Experimental Biophysics, École Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne, Lausanne, Switzerland
| | - Patrick H Viollier
- Microbiology and Molecular Medicine, Institute of Genetics and Genomics in Geneva (iGE3), Faculty of Medicine, University of Geneva, Geneva, Switzerland
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Cell Cycle Constraints and Environmental Control of Local DNA Hypomethylation in α-Proteobacteria. PLoS Genet 2016; 12:e1006499. [PMID: 27997543 PMCID: PMC5172544 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pgen.1006499] [Citation(s) in RCA: 20] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/12/2016] [Accepted: 11/22/2016] [Indexed: 11/19/2022] Open
Abstract
Heritable DNA methylation imprints are ubiquitous and underlie genetic variability from bacteria to humans. In microbial genomes, DNA methylation has been implicated in gene transcription, DNA replication and repair, nucleoid segregation, transposition and virulence of pathogenic strains. Despite the importance of local (hypo)methylation at specific loci, how and when these patterns are established during the cell cycle remains poorly characterized. Taking advantage of the small genomes and the synchronizability of α-proteobacteria, we discovered that conserved determinants of the cell cycle transcriptional circuitry establish specific hypomethylation patterns in the cell cycle model system Caulobacter crescentus. We used genome-wide methyl-N6-adenine (m6A-) analyses by restriction-enzyme-cleavage sequencing (REC-Seq) and single-molecule real-time (SMRT) sequencing to show that MucR, a transcriptional regulator that represses virulence and cell cycle genes in S-phase but no longer in G1-phase, occludes 5'-GANTC-3' sequence motifs that are methylated by the DNA adenine methyltransferase CcrM. Constitutive expression of CcrM or heterologous methylases in at least two different α-proteobacteria homogenizes m6A patterns even when MucR is present and affects promoter activity. Environmental stress (phosphate limitation) can override and reconfigure local hypomethylation patterns imposed by the cell cycle circuitry that dictate when and where local hypomethylation is instated.
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45
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Vass RH, Zeinert RD, Chien P. Protease regulation and capacity during Caulobacter growth. Curr Opin Microbiol 2016; 34:75-81. [PMID: 27543838 DOI: 10.1016/j.mib.2016.07.017] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/20/2016] [Accepted: 07/22/2016] [Indexed: 11/26/2022]
Abstract
Cell growth requires the removal of proteins that are unwanted or toxic. In bacteria, AAA+ proteases like the Clp family and Lon selectively destroy proteins defined by intrinsic specificity or adaptors. Caulobacter crescentus is a gram-negative bacterium that undergoes an obligate developmental transition every cell division cycle. Here we highlight recent work that reveals how a hierarchy of adaptors targets the degradation of key proteins at specific times during this cell cycle, integrating protein destruction with other cues. We describe recent insight into how Caulobacter manages DNA replication and repair through Lon and Clp proteases. Because proteases must manage a broad substrate repertoire there must be methods to compensate for protease saturation and we discuss these scenarios.
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Affiliation(s)
- Robert H Vass
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Molecular and Cellular Biology Graduate Program, University of Massachusetts Amherst, USA
| | - Rilee D Zeinert
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Molecular and Cellular Biology Graduate Program, University of Massachusetts Amherst, USA
| | - Peter Chien
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Molecular and Cellular Biology Graduate Program, University of Massachusetts Amherst, USA.
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46
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Adhikari S, Curtis PD. DNA methyltransferases and epigenetic regulation in bacteria. FEMS Microbiol Rev 2016; 40:575-91. [PMID: 27476077 DOI: 10.1093/femsre/fuw023] [Citation(s) in RCA: 118] [Impact Index Per Article: 14.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 06/30/2016] [Indexed: 12/21/2022] Open
Abstract
Epigenetics is a change in gene expression that is heritable without a change in DNA sequence itself. This phenomenon is well studied in eukaryotes, particularly in humans for its role in cellular differentiation, X chromosome inactivation and diseases like cancer. However, comparatively little is known about epigenetic regulation in bacteria. Bacterial epigenetics is mainly present in the form of DNA methylation where DNA methyltransferases add methyl groups to nucleotides. This review focuses on two methyltransferases well characterized for their roles in gene regulation: Dam and CcrM. Dam methyltransferase in Escherichia coli is important for expression of certain genes such as the pap operon, as well as other cellular processes like DNA replication initiation and DNA repair. In Caulobacter crescentus and other Alphaproteobacteria, the methyltransferase CcrM is cell cycle regulated and is involved in the cell-cycle-dependent regulation of several genes. The diversity of regulatory targets as well as regulatory mechanisms suggests that gene regulation by methylation could be a widespread and potent method of regulation in bacteria.
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Affiliation(s)
- Satish Adhikari
- Department of Biology, University of Mississippi, University, MS 38677, USA
| | - Patrick D Curtis
- Department of Biology, University of Mississippi, University, MS 38677, USA
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47
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Haakonsen DL, Yuan AH, Laub MT. The bacterial cell cycle regulator GcrA is a σ70 cofactor that drives gene expression from a subset of methylated promoters. Genes Dev 2016; 29:2272-86. [PMID: 26545812 PMCID: PMC4647560 DOI: 10.1101/gad.270660.115] [Citation(s) in RCA: 57] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/24/2022]
Abstract
Haakonsen et al. find that the essential cell cycle regulator GcrA in Caulobacter crescentus forms a stable complex with RNA polymerase and localizes to almost all active σ70-dependent promoters in vivo but activates transcription primarily at promoters harboring certain DNA methylation sites. GcrA could stabilize RNA polymerase binding and directly stimulate open complex formation to activate transcription. Cell cycle progression in most organisms requires tightly regulated programs of gene expression. The transcription factors involved typically stimulate gene expression by binding specific DNA sequences in promoters and recruiting RNA polymerase. Here, we found that the essential cell cycle regulator GcrA in Caulobacter crescentus activates the transcription of target genes in a fundamentally different manner. GcrA forms a stable complex with RNA polymerase and localizes to almost all active σ70-dependent promoters in vivo but activates transcription primarily at promoters harboring certain DNA methylation sites. Whereas most transcription factors that contact σ70 interact with domain 4, GcrA interfaces with domain 2, the region that binds the −10 element during strand separation. Using kinetic analyses and a reconstituted in vitro transcription assay, we demonstrated that GcrA can stabilize RNA polymerase binding and directly stimulate open complex formation to activate transcription. Guided by these studies, we identified a regulon of ∼200 genes, providing new insight into the essential functions of GcrA. Collectively, our work reveals a new mechanism for transcriptional regulation, and we discuss the potential benefits of activating transcription by promoting RNA polymerase isomerization rather than recruitment exclusively.
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Affiliation(s)
- Diane L Haakonsen
- Department of Biology, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, Massachusetts 02139, USA; Howard Hughes Medical Institute, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, Massachusetts 02139, USA; Graduate Program in Microbiology, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, Massachusetts 02139, USA
| | - Andy H Yuan
- Department of Biology, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, Massachusetts 02139, USA
| | - Michael T Laub
- Department of Biology, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, Massachusetts 02139, USA; Howard Hughes Medical Institute, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, Massachusetts 02139, USA
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48
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Cell cycle control in Alphaproteobacteria. Curr Opin Microbiol 2016; 30:107-113. [PMID: 26871482 DOI: 10.1016/j.mib.2016.01.010] [Citation(s) in RCA: 35] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/30/2015] [Revised: 01/19/2016] [Accepted: 01/21/2016] [Indexed: 11/22/2022]
Abstract
Alphaproteobacteria include many medically and environmentally important organisms. Despite the diversity of their niches and lifestyles, from free-living to host-associated, they usually rely on very similar mechanisms to control their cell cycles. Studies on Caulobacter crescentus still lay the foundation for understanding the molecular details of pathways regulating DNA replication and cell division and coordinating these two processes with other events of the cell cycle. This review highlights recent discoveries on the regulation and the mode of action of conserved global regulators and small molecules like c-di-GMP and (p)ppGpp, which play key roles in cell cycle control. It also describes several newly identified mechanisms that modulate cell cycle progression in response to stresses or environmental conditions.
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49
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Short-Stalked Prosthecomicrobium hirschii Cells Have a Caulobacter-Like Cell Cycle. J Bacteriol 2016; 198:1149-59. [PMID: 26833409 DOI: 10.1128/jb.00896-15] [Citation(s) in RCA: 27] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/03/2015] [Accepted: 01/24/2016] [Indexed: 11/20/2022] Open
Abstract
UNLABELLED The dimorphic alphaproteobacterium Prosthecomicrobium hirschii has both short-stalked and long-stalked morphotypes. Notably, these morphologies do not arise from transitions in a cell cycle. Instead, the maternal cell morphology is typically reproduced in daughter cells, which results in microcolonies of a single cell type. In this work, we further characterized the short-stalked cells and found that these cells have a Caulobacter-like life cycle in which cell division leads to the generation of two morphologically distinct daughter cells. Using a microfluidic device and total internal reflection fluorescence (TIRF) microscopy, we observed that motile short-stalked cells attach to a surface by means of a polar adhesin. Cells attached at their poles elongate and ultimately release motile daughter cells. Robust biofilm growth occurs in the microfluidic device, enabling the collection of synchronous motile cells and downstream analysis of cell growth and attachment. Analysis of a draft P. hirschii genome sequence indicates the presence of CtrA-dependent cell cycle regulation. This characterization of P. hirschii will enable future studies on the mechanisms underlying complex morphologies and polymorphic cell cycles. IMPORTANCE Bacterial cell shape plays a critical role in regulating important behaviors, such as attachment to surfaces, motility, predation, and cellular differentiation; however, most studies on these behaviors focus on bacteria with relatively simple morphologies, such as rods and spheres. Notably, complex morphologies abound throughout the bacteria, with striking examples, such as P. hirschii, found within the stalked Alphaproteobacteria. P. hirschii is an outstanding candidate for studies of complex morphology generation and polymorphic cell cycles. Here, the cell cycle and genome of P. hirschii are characterized. This work sets the stage for future studies of the impact of complex cell shapes on bacterial behaviors.
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50
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Casadesús J. Bacterial DNA Methylation and Methylomes. ADVANCES IN EXPERIMENTAL MEDICINE AND BIOLOGY 2016; 945:35-61. [PMID: 27826834 DOI: 10.1007/978-3-319-43624-1_3] [Citation(s) in RCA: 42] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/02/2022]
Abstract
Formation of C5-methylcytosine, N4-methylcytosine, and N6-methyladenine in bacterial genomes is postreplicative and involves transfer of a methyl group from S-adenosyl-methionine to a base embedded in a specific DNA sequence context. Most bacterial DNA methyltransferases belong to restriction-modification systems; in addition, "solitary" or "orphan" DNA methyltransferases are frequently found in the genomes of bacteria and phage. Base methylation can affect the interaction of DNA-binding proteins with their cognate sites, either by a direct effect (e.g., steric hindrance) or by changes in DNA topology. In both Alphaproteobacteria and Gammaproteobacteria, the roles of DNA base methylation are especially well known for N6-methyladenine, including control of chromosome replication, nucleoid segregation, postreplicative correction of DNA mismatches, cell cycle-coupled transcription, formation of bacterial cell lineages, and regulation of bacterial virulence. Technical procedures that permit genome-wide analysis of DNA methylation are nowadays expanding our knowledge of the extent, evolution, and physiological significance of bacterial DNA methylation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Josep Casadesús
- Departamento de Genética, Universidad de Sevilla, Apartado 1095, Seville, 41080, Spain.
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