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Hu X, Zhang X, Sun W, Liu C, Deng P, Cao Y, Zhang C, Xu N, Zhang T, Zhang YE, Liu JJG, Wang H. Systematic discovery of DNA-binding tandem repeat proteins. Nucleic Acids Res 2024:gkae710. [PMID: 39189466 DOI: 10.1093/nar/gkae710] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/12/2024] [Revised: 07/30/2024] [Accepted: 08/07/2024] [Indexed: 08/28/2024] Open
Abstract
Tandem repeat proteins (TRPs) are widely distributed and bind to a wide variety of ligands. DNA-binding TRPs such as zinc finger (ZNF) and transcription activator-like effector (TALE) play important roles in biology and biotechnology. In this study, we first conducted an extensive analysis of TRPs in public databases, and found that the enormous diversity of TRPs is largely unexplored. We then focused our efforts on identifying novel TRPs possessing DNA-binding capabilities. We established a protein language model for DNA-binding protein prediction (PLM-DBPPred), and predicted a large number of DNA-binding TRPs. A subset was then selected for experimental screening, leading to the identification of 11 novel DNA-binding TRPs, with six showing sequence specificity. Notably, members of the STAR (Short TALE-like Repeat proteins) family can be programmed to target specific 9 bp DNA sequences with high affinity. Leveraging this property, we generated artificial transcription factors using reprogrammed STAR proteins and achieved targeted activation of endogenous gene sets. Furthermore, the members of novel families such as MOON (Marine Organism-Originated DNA binding protein) and pTERF (prokaryotic mTERF-like protein) exhibit unique features and distinct DNA-binding characteristics, revealing interesting biological clues. Our study expands the diversity of DNA-binding TRPs, and demonstrates that a systematic approach greatly enhances the discovery of new biological insights and tools.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xiaoxuan Hu
- Key Laboratory of Organ Regeneration and Reconstruction, State Key Laboratory of Stem Cell and Reproductive Biology, Institute of Zoology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100101, China
- University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100049, China
- Institute for Stem Cell and Regeneration, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100101, China
| | - Xuechun Zhang
- Key Laboratory of Organ Regeneration and Reconstruction, State Key Laboratory of Stem Cell and Reproductive Biology, Institute of Zoology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100101, China
- University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100049, China
- Institute for Stem Cell and Regeneration, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100101, China
| | - Wen Sun
- Key Laboratory of Organ Regeneration and Reconstruction, State Key Laboratory of Stem Cell and Reproductive Biology, Institute of Zoology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100101, China
- Institute for Stem Cell and Regeneration, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100101, China
- Beijing Institute for Stem Cell and Regenerative Medicine, Beijing 100101, China
| | - Chunhong Liu
- Key Laboratory of Organ Regeneration and Reconstruction, State Key Laboratory of Stem Cell and Reproductive Biology, Institute of Zoology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100101, China
- University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100049, China
- Institute for Stem Cell and Regeneration, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100101, China
| | - Pujuan Deng
- State Key Laboratory of Membrane Biology, Beijing Frontier Research Center for Biological Structure, School of Life Sciences, Tsinghua University, Beijing 100084, China
- Tsinghua-Peking Center for Life Sciences, Tsinghua University, Beijing 100084, China
| | - Yuanwei Cao
- Key Laboratory of Organ Regeneration and Reconstruction, State Key Laboratory of Stem Cell and Reproductive Biology, Institute of Zoology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100101, China
- University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100049, China
- Institute for Stem Cell and Regeneration, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100101, China
| | - Chenze Zhang
- National Key Laboratory of Efficacy and Mechanism on Chinese Medicine for Metabolic Diseases, Beijing University of Chinese Medicine, Beijing 100029, China
| | - Ning Xu
- Key Laboratory of Organ Regeneration and Reconstruction, State Key Laboratory of Stem Cell and Reproductive Biology, Institute of Zoology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100101, China
- University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100049, China
- Institute for Stem Cell and Regeneration, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100101, China
| | - Tongtong Zhang
- Key Laboratory of Organ Regeneration and Reconstruction, State Key Laboratory of Stem Cell and Reproductive Biology, Institute of Zoology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100101, China
- University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100049, China
- Institute for Stem Cell and Regeneration, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100101, China
| | - Yong E Zhang
- University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100049, China
- Key Laboratory of Zoological Systematics and Evolution, Institute of Zoology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100101, China
| | - Jun-Jie Gogo Liu
- State Key Laboratory of Membrane Biology, Beijing Frontier Research Center for Biological Structure, School of Life Sciences, Tsinghua University, Beijing 100084, China
- Tsinghua-Peking Center for Life Sciences, Tsinghua University, Beijing 100084, China
| | - Haoyi Wang
- Key Laboratory of Organ Regeneration and Reconstruction, State Key Laboratory of Stem Cell and Reproductive Biology, Institute of Zoology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100101, China
- University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100049, China
- Institute for Stem Cell and Regeneration, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100101, China
- Beijing Institute for Stem Cell and Regenerative Medicine, Beijing 100101, China
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Yin J, Liu Y, He D, Li P, Qiao M, Luo H, Qu X, Mei S, Wu Y, Sun Y, Gan F, Tang B, Tang XF. A TrmBL2-like transcription factor mediates the growth phase-dependent expression of halolysin SptA in a concentration-dependent manner in Natrinema gari J7-2. Appl Environ Microbiol 2024; 90:e0074124. [PMID: 38953660 PMCID: PMC11267917 DOI: 10.1128/aem.00741-24] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/16/2024] [Accepted: 06/08/2024] [Indexed: 07/04/2024] Open
Abstract
To cope with a high-salinity environment, haloarchaea generally employ the twin-arginine translocation (Tat) pathway to transport secretory proteins across the cytoplasm membrane in a folded state, including Tat-dependent extracellular subtilases (halolysins) capable of autocatalytic activation. Some halolysins, such as SptA of Natrinema gari J7-2, are produced at late-log phase to prevent premature enzyme activation and proteolytic damage of cellular proteins in haloarchaea; however, the regulation mechanism for growth phase-dependent expression of halolysins remains largely unknown. In this study, a DNA-protein pull-down assay was performed to identify the proteins binding to the 5'-flanking sequence of sptA encoding halolysin SptA in strain J7-2, revealing a TrmBL2-like transcription factor (NgTrmBL2). The ΔtrmBL2 mutant of strain J7-2 showed a sharp decrease in the production of SptA, suggesting that NgTrmBL2 positively regulates sptA expression. The purified recombinant NgTrmBL2 mainly existed as a dimer although monomeric and higher-order oligomeric forms were detected by native-PAGE analysis. The results of electrophoretic mobility shift assays (EMSAs) showed that NgTrmBL2 binds to the 5'-flanking sequence of sptA in a non-specific and concentration-dependent manner and exhibits an increased DNA-binding affinity with the increase in KCl concentration. Moreover, we found that a distal cis-regulatory element embedded in the neighboring upstream gene negatively regulates trmBL2 expression and thus participates in the growth phase-dependent biosynthesis of halolysin SptA. IMPORTANCE Extracellular proteases play important roles in nutrient metabolism, processing of functional proteins, and antagonism of haloarchaea, but no transcription factor involved in regulating the expression of haloaechaeal extracellular protease has been reported yet. Here we report that a TrmBL2-like transcription factor (NgTrmBL2) mediates the growth phase-dependent expression of an extracellular protease, halolysin SptA, of haloarchaeon Natrinema gari J7-2. In contrast to its hyperthermophilic archaeal homologs, which are generally considered to be global transcription repressors, NgTrmBL2 functions as a positive regulator for sptA expression. This study provides new clues about the transcriptional regulation mechanism of extracellular protease in haloarchaea and the functional diversity of archaeal TrmBL2.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jing Yin
- Hubei Key Laboratory of Cell Homeostasis, College of Life Sciences, Wuhan University, Wuhan, China
| | - Yang Liu
- Hubei Key Laboratory of Cell Homeostasis, College of Life Sciences, Wuhan University, Wuhan, China
| | - Dan He
- State Key Laboratory of Virology, College of Life Sciences, Wuhan University, Wuhan, China
| | - Ping Li
- Hubei Key Laboratory of Cell Homeostasis, College of Life Sciences, Wuhan University, Wuhan, China
| | - Mengting Qiao
- State Key Laboratory of Virology, College of Life Sciences, Wuhan University, Wuhan, China
| | - Hongyi Luo
- Hubei Key Laboratory of Cell Homeostasis, College of Life Sciences, Wuhan University, Wuhan, China
| | - Xiaoyi Qu
- Hubei Key Laboratory of Cell Homeostasis, College of Life Sciences, Wuhan University, Wuhan, China
| | - Sha Mei
- Hubei Key Laboratory of Cell Homeostasis, College of Life Sciences, Wuhan University, Wuhan, China
| | - Yi Wu
- State Key Laboratory of Virology, College of Life Sciences, Wuhan University, Wuhan, China
| | - Yiqi Sun
- Hubei Key Laboratory of Cell Homeostasis, College of Life Sciences, Wuhan University, Wuhan, China
| | - Fei Gan
- Hubei Key Laboratory of Cell Homeostasis, College of Life Sciences, Wuhan University, Wuhan, China
- Cooperative Innovation Center of Industrial Fermentation (Ministry of Education & Hubei Province), Wuhan, China
| | - Bing Tang
- State Key Laboratory of Virology, College of Life Sciences, Wuhan University, Wuhan, China
- Cooperative Innovation Center of Industrial Fermentation (Ministry of Education & Hubei Province), Wuhan, China
| | - Xiao-Feng Tang
- Hubei Key Laboratory of Cell Homeostasis, College of Life Sciences, Wuhan University, Wuhan, China
- Cooperative Innovation Center of Industrial Fermentation (Ministry of Education & Hubei Province), Wuhan, China
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3
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Sultana M, Tayyab M, Parveen S, Hussain M, Shafique L. Genetic characterization, structural analysis, and detection of positive selection in small heat shock proteins of Cypriniformes and Clupeiformes. FISH PHYSIOLOGY AND BIOCHEMISTRY 2024; 50:843-864. [PMID: 38587724 DOI: 10.1007/s10695-024-01337-2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/09/2023] [Accepted: 03/22/2024] [Indexed: 04/09/2024]
Abstract
In the current investigation, a total of 42 full-length, non-redundant small heat shock proteins (sHsp) were detected in Cyprinus carpio, Labeo rohita, Danio rerio, Salmo salar, Oncorhynchus mykiss, and Clupea harengus. The sHsp genes were classified into three groups based on phylogenetic analysis. All the sHsps were shown to have higher aliphatic index values, which is an indication that these proteins are more thermally stable. The hydrophilic nature of sHsps was deduced from the fact that all fish species had negative GRAVY scores. In all of the representative fish species, sHsp genes were assigned to distinct chromosomes in an inconsistent and unequal manner. Segmental duplications are the main events that have contributed to the expansion of the sHsp genes in all species. We were also able to determine the selective pressure that was placed on particular codons and discovered several significant coding sites within the coding region of sHsps. Eventually, diversifying positive selection was found to be connected with evolutionary changes in sHsp proteins, which showed that gene evolution controlled the fish adaption event in response to environmental conditions. Clarification of the links between sHsps and environmental stress in fish will be achieved through rigorous genomic comparison, which will also yield substantial new insights.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mehwish Sultana
- Department of Zoology, Government Sadiq College Women University, Bahawalpur, 63100, Punjab, Pakistan
| | - Muhammad Tayyab
- Department of Zoology, Wildlife & Fisheries, University of Agriculture, Faisalabad, 38000, Punjab, Pakistan
| | - Shakeela Parveen
- Department of Zoology, Government Sadiq College Women University, Bahawalpur, 63100, Punjab, Pakistan.
- Department of Zoology, Wildlife & Fisheries, University of Agriculture, Faisalabad, 38000, Punjab, Pakistan.
| | - Muhammad Hussain
- Department of Veterinary Science, University of Veterinary and Animal Sciences, Lahore, 54000, Punjab, Pakistan
| | - Laiba Shafique
- Guangxi Key Laboratory of Beibu Gulf Marine Biodiversity Conservation, Beibu Gulf University, Guangxi, 535011, People's Republic of China.
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Colombi E, Bertels F, Doulcier G, McConnell E, Pichugina T, Sohn KH, Straub C, McCann HC, Rainey PB. Rapid dissemination of host metabolism-manipulating genes via integrative and conjugative elements. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A 2024; 121:e2309263121. [PMID: 38457521 PMCID: PMC10945833 DOI: 10.1073/pnas.2309263121] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/01/2023] [Accepted: 01/08/2024] [Indexed: 03/10/2024] Open
Abstract
Integrative and conjugative elements (ICEs) are self-transmissible mobile elements that transfer functional genetic units across broad phylogenetic distances. Accessory genes shuttled by ICEs can make significant contributions to bacterial fitness. Most ICEs characterized to date encode readily observable phenotypes contributing to symbiosis, pathogenicity, and antimicrobial resistance, yet the majority of ICEs carry genes of unknown function. Recent observations of rapid acquisition of ICEs in a pandemic lineage of Pseudomonas syringae pv. actinidae led to investigation of the structural and functional diversity of these elements. Fifty-three unique ICE types were identified across the P. syringae species complex. Together they form a distinct family of ICEs (PsICEs) that share a distant relationship to ICEs found in Pseudomonas aeruginosa. PsICEs are defined by conserved backbone genes punctuated by an array of accessory cargo genes, are highly recombinogenic, and display distinct evolutionary histories compared to their bacterial hosts. The most common cargo is a recently disseminated 16-kb mobile genetic element designated Tn6212. Deletion of Tn6212 did not alter pathogen growth in planta, but mutants displayed fitness defects when grown on tricarboxylic acid (TCA) cycle intermediates. RNA-seq analysis of a set of nested deletion mutants showed that a Tn6212-encoded LysR regulator has global effects on chromosomal gene expression. We show that Tn6212 responds to preferred carbon sources and manipulates bacterial metabolism to maximize growth.
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Affiliation(s)
- Elena Colombi
- School of Agriculture, Food and Ecosystem Sciences, Faculty of Science, The University of Melbourne, Parkville, VIC 3010, Australia
| | - Frederic Bertels
- Department of Microbial Population Biology, Max Planck Institute for Evolutionary Biology, Plön 24306, Germany
| | - Guilhem Doulcier
- Laboratoire Biophysique et Évolution, Institut Chemie Biologie Innovation, École Supérieure de Physique et de Chemie Industrielles de la Ville de Paris, Université Paris Science et Lettres, Centre National de al Reserche Scientifique, Paris 75005, France
| | - Ellen McConnell
- Department of Microbial Population Biology, Max Planck Institute for Evolutionary Biology, Plön 24306, Germany
| | - Tatyana Pichugina
- Department of Microbial Population Biology, Max Planck Institute for Evolutionary Biology, Plön 24306, Germany
| | - Kee Hoon Sohn
- Plant Immunity Research Center, Seoul National University, Seoul 08826, Republic of Korea
- Department of Agricultural Biotechnology, Seoul National University, Seoul 08826, Republic of Korea
- Research Institute of Agriculture and Life Sciences, Seoul National University, Seoul 08826, Republic of Korea
- Plant Genomics and Breeding Institute, Seoul National University, Seoul 08826, Republic of Korea
| | - Christina Straub
- Health and Environment, Institute of Environmental Science and Research, Auckland 1025, New Zealand
- Division of Microbial Ecology, Center for Microbiology and Environmental Systems Science, University of Vienna, Vienna 1030, Austria
| | - Honour C McCann
- Plant Pathogen Evolution Research Group, Max Planck Institute for Biology, Tübingen 72076, Germany
| | - Paul B Rainey
- Department of Microbial Population Biology, Max Planck Institute for Evolutionary Biology, Plön 24306, Germany
- Laboratoire Biophysique et Évolution, Institut Chemie Biologie Innovation, École Supérieure de Physique et de Chemie Industrielles de la Ville de Paris, Université Paris Science et Lettres, Centre National de al Reserche Scientifique, Paris 75005, France
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5
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Cabrera MÁ, Márquez SL, Pérez-Donoso JM. New insights into xenobiotic tolerance of Antarctic bacteria: transcriptomic analysis of Pseudomonas sp. TNT3 during 2,4,6-trinitrotoluene biotransformation. ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCE AND POLLUTION RESEARCH INTERNATIONAL 2024; 31:17256-17274. [PMID: 38337121 DOI: 10.1007/s11356-024-32298-x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/05/2023] [Accepted: 01/28/2024] [Indexed: 02/12/2024]
Abstract
The xenobiotic 2,4,6-trinitrotoluene (TNT) is a highly persistent environmental contaminant, whose biotransformation by microorganisms has attracted renewed attention. In previous research, we reported the discovery of Pseudomonas sp. TNT3, the first described Antarctic bacterium with the ability to biotransform TNT. Furthermore, through genomic analysis, we identified distinctive features in this isolate associated with the biotransformation of TNT and other xenobiotics. However, the metabolic pathways and genes active during TNT exposure in this bacterium remained unexplored. In the present transcriptomic study, we used RNA-sequencing to investigate gene expression changes in Pseudomonas sp. TNT3 exposed to 100 mg/L of TNT. The results showed differential expression of 194 genes (54 upregulated and 140 downregulated), mostly encoding hypothetical proteins. The most highly upregulated gene (> 1000-fold) encoded an azoreductase enzyme not previously described. Other significantly upregulated genes were associated with (nitro)aromatics detoxification, oxidative, thiol-specific, and nitrosative stress responses, and (nitro)aromatic xenobiotic tolerance via efflux pumps. Most of the downregulated genes were involved in the electron transport chain, pyrroloquinoline quinone (PQQ)-related alcohol oxidation, and motility. These findings highlight a complex cellular response to TNT exposure, with the azoreductase enzyme likely playing a crucial role in TNT biotransformation. Our study provides new insights into the molecular mechanisms of TNT biotransformation and aids in developing effective TNT bioremediation strategies. To the best of our knowledge, this report is the first transcriptomic response analysis of an Antarctic bacterium during TNT biotransformation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ma Ángeles Cabrera
- Center for Bioinformatics and Integrative Biology (CBIB), Facultad de Ciencias de La Vida, Universidad Andrés Bello, Av. República 330, Santiago, Chile
| | - Sebastián L Márquez
- Center for Bioinformatics and Integrative Biology (CBIB), Facultad de Ciencias de La Vida, Universidad Andrés Bello, Av. República 330, Santiago, Chile
- Fundación Científica y Cultural Biociencia, José Domingo Cañas 2280, Ñuñoa, Santiago, Chile
| | - José M Pérez-Donoso
- Center for Bioinformatics and Integrative Biology (CBIB), Facultad de Ciencias de La Vida, Universidad Andrés Bello, Av. República 330, Santiago, Chile.
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Deery J, Carmody M, Flavin R, Tomanek M, O'Keeffe M, McGlacken GP, Reen FJ. Comparative genomics reveals distinct diversification patterns among LysR-type transcriptional regulators in the ESKAPE pathogen Pseudomonas aeruginosa. Microb Genom 2024; 10:001205. [PMID: 38421269 PMCID: PMC10926688 DOI: 10.1099/mgen.0.001205] [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: 10/05/2023] [Accepted: 02/06/2024] [Indexed: 03/02/2024] Open
Abstract
Pseudomonas aeruginosa, a harmful nosocomial pathogen associated with cystic fibrosis and burn wounds, encodes for a large number of LysR-type transcriptional regulator proteins. To understand how and why LTTR proteins evolved with such frequency and to establish whether any relationships exist within the distribution we set out to identify the patterns underpinning LTTR distribution in P. aeruginosa and to uncover cluster-based relationships within the pangenome. Comparative genomic studies revealed that in the JGI IMG database alone ~86 000 LTTRs are present across the sequenced genomes (n=699). They are widely distributed across the species, with core LTTRs present in >93 % of the genomes and accessory LTTRs present in <7 %. Analysis showed that subsets of core LTTRs can be classified as either variable (typically specific to P. aeruginosa) or conserved (and found to be distributed in other Pseudomonas species). Extending the analysis to the more extensive Pseudomonas database, PA14 rooted analysis confirmed the diversification patterns and revealed PqsR, the receptor for the Pseudomonas quinolone signal (PQS) and 2-heptyl-4-quinolone (HHQ) quorum-sensing signals, to be amongst the most variable in the dataset. Successful complementation of the PAO1 pqsR - mutant using representative variant pqsR sequences suggests a degree of structural promiscuity within the most variable of LTTRs, several of which play a prominent role in signalling and communication. These findings provide a new insight into the diversification of LTTR proteins within the P. aeruginosa species and suggests a functional significance to the cluster, conservation and distribution patterns identified.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jamie Deery
- School of Microbiology, University College Cork, Cork, Ireland
| | - Muireann Carmody
- School of Microbiology, University College Cork, Cork, Ireland
- School of Chemistry, University College Cork, Cork, Ireland
| | - Rhiannon Flavin
- School of Microbiology, University College Cork, Cork, Ireland
| | - Malwina Tomanek
- School of Microbiology, University College Cork, Cork, Ireland
| | - Maria O'Keeffe
- School of Microbiology, University College Cork, Cork, Ireland
| | - Gerard P. McGlacken
- School of Chemistry, University College Cork, Cork, Ireland
- Synthesis and Solid State Pharmaceutical Centre, University College Cork, Cork, Ireland
| | - F. Jerry Reen
- School of Microbiology, University College Cork, Cork, Ireland
- Synthesis and Solid State Pharmaceutical Centre, University College Cork, Cork, Ireland
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7
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Kozak M, Hu J. DNA Vaccines: Their Formulations, Engineering and Delivery. Vaccines (Basel) 2024; 12:71. [PMID: 38250884 PMCID: PMC10820593 DOI: 10.3390/vaccines12010071] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/13/2023] [Revised: 01/02/2024] [Accepted: 01/08/2024] [Indexed: 01/23/2024] Open
Abstract
The concept of DNA vaccination was introduced in the early 1990s. Since then, advancements in the augmentation of the immunogenicity of DNA vaccines have brought this technology to the market, especially in veterinary medicine, to prevent many diseases. Along with the successful COVID mRNA vaccines, the first DNA vaccine for human use, the Indian ZyCovD vaccine against SARS-CoV-2, was approved in 2021. In the current review, we first give an overview of the DNA vaccine focusing on the science, including adjuvants and delivery methods. We then cover some of the emerging science in the field of DNA vaccines, notably efforts to optimize delivery systems, better engineer delivery apparatuses, identify optimal delivery sites, personalize cancer immunotherapy through DNA vaccination, enhance adjuvant science through gene adjuvants, enhance off-target and heritable immunity through epigenetic modification, and predict epitopes with bioinformatic approaches. We also discuss the major limitations of DNA vaccines and we aim to address many theoretical concerns.
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Affiliation(s)
- Michael Kozak
- The Jake Gittlen Laboratories for Cancer Research, College of Medicine, Pennsylvania State University, Hershey, PA 17033, USA
- The Department of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine, College of Medicine, Pennsylvania State University, Hershey, PA 17033, USA
| | - Jiafen Hu
- The Jake Gittlen Laboratories for Cancer Research, College of Medicine, Pennsylvania State University, Hershey, PA 17033, USA
- The Department of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine, College of Medicine, Pennsylvania State University, Hershey, PA 17033, USA
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8
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Sepúlveda-Rebolledo P, González-Rosales C, Dopson M, Pérez-Rueda E, Holmes DS, Valdés JH. Comparative genomics sheds light on transcription factor-mediated regulation in the extreme acidophilic Acidithiobacillia representatives. Res Microbiol 2024; 175:104135. [PMID: 37678513 DOI: 10.1016/j.resmic.2023.104135] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/29/2023] [Revised: 08/28/2023] [Accepted: 08/30/2023] [Indexed: 09/09/2023]
Abstract
Extreme acidophiles thrive in acidic environments, confront a multitude of challenges, and demonstrate remarkable adaptability in their metabolism to cope with the ever-changing environmental fluctuations, which encompass variations in temperature, pH levels, and the availability of electron acceptors and donors. The survival and proliferation of members within the Acidithiobacillia class rely on the deployment of transcriptional regulatory systems linked to essential physiological traits. The study of these transcriptional regulatory systems provides valuable insights into critical processes, such as energy metabolism and nutrient assimilation, and how they integrate into major genetic-metabolic circuits. In this study, we examined the transcriptional regulatory repertoires and potential interactions of forty-three Acidithiobacillia complete and draft genomes, encompassing nine species. To investigate the function and diversity of Transcription Factors (TFs) and their DNA Binding Sites (DBSs), we conducted a genome-wide comparative analysis, which allowed us to identify these regulatory elements in representatives of Acidithiobacillia. We classified TFs into gene families and compared their occurrence among all representatives, revealing conservation patterns across the class. The results identified conserved regulators for several pathways, including iron and sulfur oxidation, the main pathways for energy acquisition, providing new evidence for viable regulatory interactions and branch-specific conservation in Acidithiobacillia. The identification of TFs and DBSs not only corroborates existing experimental information for selected species, but also introduces novel candidates for experimental validation. Moreover, these promising candidates have the potential for further extension to new representatives within the class.
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Affiliation(s)
- Pedro Sepúlveda-Rebolledo
- Centro de Genómica y Bioinformática and PhD. Program on Integrative Genomics, Facultad de Ciencias, Universidad Mayor, Santiago (8580745), Chile.
| | - Carolina González-Rosales
- Center for Bioinformatics and Genome Biology, Fundación Ciencia & Vida, Santiago (8580638), Chile; Centre for Ecology and Evolution in Microbial Model Systems, Linnaeus University, SE-391 82 Kalmar, Sweden.
| | - Mark Dopson
- Centre for Ecology and Evolution in Microbial Model Systems, Linnaeus University, SE-391 82 Kalmar, Sweden.
| | - Ernesto Pérez-Rueda
- Instituto de Investigaciones en Matemáticas Aplicadas y en Sistemas, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México, Unidad Académica del Estado de Yucatán, Mérida, Yucatán, Mexico.
| | - David S Holmes
- Center for Bioinformatics and Genome Biology, Fundación Ciencia & Vida, Santiago (8580638), Chile; Facultad de Medicina y Ciencia, Universidad San Sebastián, Santiago (7510156), Chile.
| | - Jorge H Valdés
- Center for Bioinformatics and Integrative Biology, Facultad de Ciencias de la Vida, Universidad Andrés Bello, Santiago (8370146), Chile.
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9
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Joiner JD, Steinchen W, Mozer N, Kronenberger T, Bange G, Poso A, Wagner S, Hartmann MD. HilE represses the activity of the Salmonella virulence regulator HilD via a mechanism distinct from that of intestinal long-chain fatty acids. J Biol Chem 2023; 299:105387. [PMID: 37890783 PMCID: PMC10696396 DOI: 10.1016/j.jbc.2023.105387] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/19/2023] [Revised: 10/11/2023] [Accepted: 10/16/2023] [Indexed: 10/29/2023] Open
Abstract
The expression of virulence factors essential for the invasion of host cells by Salmonella enterica is tightly controlled by a network of transcription regulators. The AraC/XylS transcription factor HilD is the main integration point of environmental signals into this regulatory network, with many factors affecting HilD activity. Long-chain fatty acids, which are highly abundant throughout the host intestine, directly bind to and repress HilD, acting as environmental cues to coordinate virulence gene expression. The regulatory protein HilE also negatively regulates HilD activity, through a protein-protein interaction. Both of these regulators inhibit HilD dimerization, preventing HilD from binding to target DNA. We investigated the structural basis of these mechanisms of HilD repression. Long-chain fatty acids bind to a conserved pocket in HilD, in a comparable manner to that reported for other AraC/XylS regulators, whereas HilE forms a stable heterodimer with HilD by binding to the HilD dimerization interface. Our results highlight two distinct, mutually exclusive mechanisms by which HilD activity is repressed, which could be exploited for the development of new antivirulence leads.
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Affiliation(s)
- Joe D Joiner
- Department of Protein Evolution, Max Planck Institute for Biology Tübingen, Tübingen, Germany
| | - Wieland Steinchen
- Center for Synthetic Microbiology, Philipps University of Marburg, Marburg, Germany; Department of Chemistry, Philipps University of Marburg, Marburg, Germany
| | - Nick Mozer
- Department of Protein Evolution, Max Planck Institute for Biology Tübingen, Tübingen, Germany
| | - Thales Kronenberger
- Department of Internal Medicine VIII, University Hospital Tübingen, Tübingen, Germany; Institute of Pharmacy, Pharmaceutical/Medicinal Chemistry and Tübingen Center for Academic Drug Discovery & Development (TüCAD2), Eberhard Karls University Tübingen, Tübingen, Germany; School of Pharmacy, Faculty of Health Sciences, University of Eastern Finland, Kuopio, Finland; Excellence Cluster "Controlling Microbes to Fight Infections" (CMFI), Tübingen, Germany
| | - Gert Bange
- Center for Synthetic Microbiology, Philipps University of Marburg, Marburg, Germany; Department of Chemistry, Philipps University of Marburg, Marburg, Germany
| | - Antti Poso
- Department of Internal Medicine VIII, University Hospital Tübingen, Tübingen, Germany; Institute of Pharmacy, Pharmaceutical/Medicinal Chemistry and Tübingen Center for Academic Drug Discovery & Development (TüCAD2), Eberhard Karls University Tübingen, Tübingen, Germany; School of Pharmacy, Faculty of Health Sciences, University of Eastern Finland, Kuopio, Finland
| | - Samuel Wagner
- Excellence Cluster "Controlling Microbes to Fight Infections" (CMFI), Tübingen, Germany; Interfaculty Institute of Microbiology and Infection Medicine (IMIT), University of Tübingen, Tübingen, Germany; Partner-site Tübingen, German Center for Infection Research (DZIF), Tübingen, Germany
| | - Marcus D Hartmann
- Department of Protein Evolution, Max Planck Institute for Biology Tübingen, Tübingen, Germany; Interfaculty Institute of Biochemistry, University of Tübingen, Tübingen, Germany.
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10
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Perez-Rueda E, Schellhorn HE, Kumar S. Editorial: Role of transcription factors and sigma factors in bacterial stress physiology. Front Microbiol 2023; 14:1291172. [PMID: 37869661 PMCID: PMC10588465 DOI: 10.3389/fmicb.2023.1291172] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/08/2023] [Accepted: 09/25/2023] [Indexed: 10/24/2023] Open
Affiliation(s)
- Ernesto Perez-Rueda
- Instituto de Investigaciones en Matemáticas Aplicadas y en Sistemas, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México, Unidad Académica del Estado de Yucatán, Mérida, Mexico
| | | | - Santosh Kumar
- Metabolic Engineering and Fermentation Science Group, Department of Food Science, University of Wisconsin-Madison, Madison, WI, United States
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11
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Beard S, Moya-Beltrán A, Silva-García D, Valenzuela C, Pérez-Acle T, Loyola A, Quatrini R. Pangenome-level analysis of nucleoid-associated proteins in the Acidithiobacillia class: insights into their functional roles in mobile genetic elements biology. Front Microbiol 2023; 14:1271138. [PMID: 37817747 PMCID: PMC10561277 DOI: 10.3389/fmicb.2023.1271138] [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] [Received: 08/01/2023] [Accepted: 09/01/2023] [Indexed: 10/12/2023] Open
Abstract
Mobile genetic elements (MGEs) are relevant agents in bacterial adaptation and evolutionary diversification. Stable appropriation of these DNA elements depends on host factors, among which are the nucleoid-associated proteins (NAPs). NAPs are highly abundant proteins that bind and bend DNA, altering its topology and folding, thus affecting all known cellular DNA processes from replication to expression. Even though NAP coding genes are found in most prokaryotic genomes, their functions in host chromosome biology and xenogeneic silencing are only known for a few NAP families. Less is known about the occurrence, abundance, and roles of MGE-encoded NAPs in foreign elements establishment and mobility. In this study, we used a combination of comparative genomics and phylogenetic strategies to gain insights into the diversity, distribution, and functional roles of NAPs within the class Acidithiobacillia with a special focus on their role in MGE biology. Acidithiobacillia class members are aerobic, chemolithoautotrophic, acidophilic sulfur-oxidizers, encompassing substantial genotypic diversity attributable to MGEs. Our search for NAP protein families (PFs) in more than 90 genomes of the different species that conform the class, revealed the presence of 1,197 proteins pertaining to 12 different NAP families, with differential occurrence and conservation across species. Pangenome-level analysis revealed 6 core NAP PFs that were highly conserved across the class, some of which also existed as variant forms of scattered occurrence, in addition to NAPs of taxa-restricted distribution. Core NAPs identified are reckoned as essential based on the conservation of genomic context and phylogenetic signals. In turn, various highly diversified NAPs pertaining to the flexible gene complement of the class, were found to be encoded in known plasmids or, larger integrated MGEs or, present in genomic loci associated with MGE-hallmark genes, pointing to their role in the stabilization/maintenance of these elements in strains and species with larger genomes. Both core and flexible NAPs identified proved valuable as markers, the former accurately recapitulating the phylogeny of the class, and the later, as seed in the bioinformatic identification of novel episomal and integrated mobile elements.
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Affiliation(s)
- Simón Beard
- Centro Científico y Tecnológico de Excelencia Ciencia & Vida, Fundación Ciencia & Vida, Santiago, Chile
- Facultad de Medicina y Ciencia, Universidad San Sebastián, Santiago, Chile
| | - Ana Moya-Beltrán
- Centro Científico y Tecnológico de Excelencia Ciencia & Vida, Fundación Ciencia & Vida, Santiago, Chile
- Facultad de Ingeniería, Arquitectura y Diseño, Universidad San Sebastián, Santiago, Chile
| | - Danitza Silva-García
- Centro Científico y Tecnológico de Excelencia Ciencia & Vida, Fundación Ciencia & Vida, Santiago, Chile
| | - Cesar Valenzuela
- Centro Científico y Tecnológico de Excelencia Ciencia & Vida, Fundación Ciencia & Vida, Santiago, Chile
| | - Tomás Pérez-Acle
- Centro Científico y Tecnológico de Excelencia Ciencia & Vida, Fundación Ciencia & Vida, Santiago, Chile
- Facultad de Medicina y Ciencia, Universidad San Sebastián, Santiago, Chile
- Facultad de Ingeniería, Arquitectura y Diseño, Universidad San Sebastián, Santiago, Chile
| | - Alejandra Loyola
- Centro Científico y Tecnológico de Excelencia Ciencia & Vida, Fundación Ciencia & Vida, Santiago, Chile
- Facultad de Medicina y Ciencia, Universidad San Sebastián, Santiago, Chile
| | - Raquel Quatrini
- Centro Científico y Tecnológico de Excelencia Ciencia & Vida, Fundación Ciencia & Vida, Santiago, Chile
- Facultad de Medicina y Ciencia, Universidad San Sebastián, Santiago, Chile
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12
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Baugh AC, Momany C, Neidle EL. Versatility and Complexity: Common and Uncommon Facets of LysR-Type Transcriptional Regulators. Annu Rev Microbiol 2023; 77:317-339. [PMID: 37285554 DOI: 10.1146/annurev-micro-050323-040543] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/09/2023]
Abstract
LysR-type transcriptional regulators (LTTRs) form one of the largest families of bacterial regulators. They are widely distributed and contribute to all aspects of metabolism and physiology. Most are homotetramers, with each subunit composed of an N-terminal DNA-binding domain followed by a long helix connecting to an effector-binding domain. LTTRs typically bind DNA in the presence or absence of a small-molecule ligand (effector). In response to cellular signals, conformational changes alter DNA interactions, contact with RNA polymerase, and sometimes contact with other proteins. Many are dual-function repressor-activators, although different modes of regulation may occur at multiple promoters. This review presents an update on the molecular basis of regulation, the complexity of regulatory schemes, and applications in biotechnology and medicine. The abundance of LTTRs reflects their versatility and importance. While a single regulatory model cannot describe all family members, a comparison of similarities and differences provides a framework for future study.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alyssa C Baugh
- Department of Microbiology, University of Georgia, Athens, Georgia, USA;
| | - Cory Momany
- Department of Pharmaceutical and Biomedical Sciences, University of Georgia, Athens, Georgia, USA
| | - Ellen L Neidle
- Department of Microbiology, University of Georgia, Athens, Georgia, USA;
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13
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Mayo-Pérez S, Gama-Martínez Y, Dávila S, Rivera N, Hernández-Lucas I. LysR-type transcriptional regulators: state of the art. Crit Rev Microbiol 2023:1-33. [PMID: 37635411 DOI: 10.1080/1040841x.2023.2247477] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/23/2023] [Revised: 08/03/2023] [Accepted: 08/08/2023] [Indexed: 08/29/2023]
Abstract
The LysR-type transcriptional regulators (LTTRs) are DNA-binding proteins present in bacteria, archaea, and in algae. Knowledge about their distribution, abundance, evolution, structural organization, transcriptional regulation, fundamental roles in free life, pathogenesis, and bacteria-plant interaction has been generated. This review focuses on these aspects and provides a current picture of LTTR biology.
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Affiliation(s)
- S Mayo-Pérez
- Departamento de Microbiología Molecular, Instituto de Biotecnología, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México, Cuernavaca, Mexico
| | - Y Gama-Martínez
- Departamento de Microbiología Molecular, Instituto de Biotecnología, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México, Cuernavaca, Mexico
| | - S Dávila
- Centro de Investigación en Dinámica Celular, Universidad Autónoma del Estado de Morelos, Cuernavaca, Mexico
| | - N Rivera
- IPN: CICATA, Unidad Morelos del Instituto Politécnico Nacional, Atlacholoaya, Mexico
| | - I Hernández-Lucas
- Departamento de Microbiología Molecular, Instituto de Biotecnología, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México, Cuernavaca, Mexico
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14
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Trirocco R, Pasqua M, Tramonti A, Grossi M, Colonna B, Paiardini A, Prosseda G. Fatty Acids Abolish Shigella Virulence by Inhibiting Its Master Regulator, VirF. Microbiol Spectr 2023; 11:e0077823. [PMID: 37140433 PMCID: PMC10269687 DOI: 10.1128/spectrum.00778-23] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/20/2023] [Accepted: 04/10/2023] [Indexed: 05/05/2023] Open
Abstract
The pathogenicity of Shigella, the intracellular pathogen responsible for human bacillary dysentery, depends on a coordinated and tightly regulated expression of its virulence determinants. This is the result of a cascade organization of its positive regulators, with VirF, a transcriptional activator belonging to the AraC-XylS family, in a pivotal position. VirF itself is submitted to several well-known regulations at the transcriptional level. In this work, we present evidence for a novel posttranslational regulatory mechanism of VirF mediated by the inhibitory interaction with specific fatty acids. By homology modeling and molecular docking analyses, we identify a jelly roll motif in the structure of ViF capable of interacting with medium-chain saturated and long-chain unsaturated fatty acids. In vitro and in vivo assays show that capric, lauric, myristoleic, palmitoleic, and sapienic acids interact effectively with the VirF protein, abolishing its transcription-promoting activity. This silences the virulence system of Shigella, leading to a drastic reduction in its ability to invade epithelial cells and proliferate in their cytoplasm. IMPORTANCE In the absence of a valid vaccine, the main therapeutic approach currently used to treat shigellosis is based on the use of antibiotics. The emergence of antibiotic resistance jeopardizes the future effectiveness of this approach. The importance of the present work resides both in the identification of a new level of posttranslational regulation of the Shigella virulence system and in the characterization of a mechanism offering new opportunities for the design of antivirulence compounds, which may change the treatment paradigm of Shigella infections by limiting the emergence of antibiotic-resistant bacteria.
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Affiliation(s)
- Rita Trirocco
- Institute Pasteur Italia, Department of Biology and Biotechnologies “Charles Darwin”, Sapienza University of Rome, Rome, Italy
| | - Martina Pasqua
- Institute Pasteur Italia, Department of Biology and Biotechnologies “Charles Darwin”, Sapienza University of Rome, Rome, Italy
| | - Angela Tramonti
- Institute of Molecular Biology and Pathology, National Research Council, Rome, Italy
| | - Milena Grossi
- Institute Pasteur Italia, Department of Biology and Biotechnologies “Charles Darwin”, Sapienza University of Rome, Rome, Italy
| | - Bianca Colonna
- Institute Pasteur Italia, Department of Biology and Biotechnologies “Charles Darwin”, Sapienza University of Rome, Rome, Italy
| | | | - Gianni Prosseda
- Institute Pasteur Italia, Department of Biology and Biotechnologies “Charles Darwin”, Sapienza University of Rome, Rome, Italy
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15
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Bernauw AJ, Crabbe V, Ryssegem F, Willaert R, Bervoets I, Peeters E. Molecular mechanisms of regulation by a β-alanine-responsive Lrp-type transcription factor from Acidianus hospitalis. Microbiologyopen 2023; 12:e1356. [PMID: 37379425 DOI: 10.1002/mbo3.1356] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/13/2023] [Revised: 04/22/2023] [Accepted: 04/30/2023] [Indexed: 06/30/2023] Open
Abstract
The leucine-responsive regulatory protein (Lrp) family of transcriptional regulators is widespread among prokaryotes and especially well-represented in archaea. It harbors members with diverse functional mechanisms and physiological roles, often linked to the regulation of amino acid metabolism. BarR is an Lrp-type regulator that is conserved in thermoacidophilic Thermoprotei belonging to the order Sulfolobales and is responsive to the non-proteinogenic amino acid β-alanine. In this work, we unravel molecular mechanisms of the Acidianus hospitalis BarR homolog, Ah-BarR. Using a heterologous reporter gene system in Escherichia coli, we demonstrate that Ah-BarR is a dual-function transcription regulator that is capable of repressing transcription of its own gene and activating transcription of an aminotransferase gene, which is divergently transcribed from a common intergenic region. Atomic force microscopy (AFM) visualization reveals a conformation in which the intergenic region appears wrapped around an octameric Ah-BarR protein. β-alanine causes small conformational changes without affecting the oligomeric state of the protein, resulting in a relief of regulation while the regulator remains bound to the DNA. This regulatory and ligand response is different from the orthologous regulators in Sulfolobus acidocaldarius and Sulfurisphaera tokodaii, which is possibly explained by a distinct binding site organization and/or by the presence of an additional C-terminal tail in Ah-BarR. By performing site-directed mutagenesis, this tail is shown to be involved in ligand-binding response.
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Affiliation(s)
- Amber J Bernauw
- Research Group of Microbiology, Department of Bioengineering Sciences, Vrije Universiteit Brussel, Brussels, Belgium
| | - Vincent Crabbe
- Research Group of Microbiology, Department of Bioengineering Sciences, Vrije Universiteit Brussel, Brussels, Belgium
| | - Fraukje Ryssegem
- Research Group of Microbiology, Department of Bioengineering Sciences, Vrije Universiteit Brussel, Brussels, Belgium
| | - Ronnie Willaert
- Research Group Structural Biology Brussels, Department of Bioengineering Sciences, Vrije Universiteit Brussel, Brussels, Belgium
- Alliance Research Group VUB-UGent NanoMicrobiology, International Joint Research Group VUB-EFPL NanoBiotechnology & NanoMedicine, Vrije Universiteit Brussel, Brussels, Belgium
| | - Indra Bervoets
- Research Group of Microbiology, Department of Bioengineering Sciences, Vrije Universiteit Brussel, Brussels, Belgium
| | - Eveline Peeters
- Research Group of Microbiology, Department of Bioengineering Sciences, Vrije Universiteit Brussel, Brussels, Belgium
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16
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Ferreira SS, Anderson CE, Antunes MS. A logical way to reprogram plants. Biochem Biophys Res Commun 2023; 654:80-86. [PMID: 36898227 DOI: 10.1016/j.bbrc.2023.02.080] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/24/2023] [Accepted: 02/27/2023] [Indexed: 03/06/2023]
Abstract
Living cells constantly monitor their external and internal environments for changing conditions, stresses or developmental cues. Networks of genetically encoded components sense and process these signals following pre-defined rules in such a way that specific combinations of the presence or absence of certain signals activate suitable responses. Many biological signal integration mechanisms approximate Boolean logic operations, whereby presence or absence of signals are computed as variables with values described as either true or false, respectively. Boolean logic gates are commonly used in algebra and in computer sciences, and have long been recognized as useful information processing devices in electronic circuits. In these circuits, logic gates integrate multiple input values and produce an output signal according to pre-defined Boolean logic operations. Recent implementation of these logic operations using genetic components to process information in living cells has allowed genetic circuits to enable novel traits with decision-making capabilities. Although several literature reports describe the design and use of these logic gates to introduce new functions in bacterial, yeast and mammalian cells, similar approaches in plants remain scarce, likely due to challenges posed by the complexity of plants and the lack of some technological advances, e.g., species-independent genetic transformation. In this mini review, we have surveyed recent reports describing synthetic genetic Boolean logic operators in plants and the different gate architectures used. We also briefly discuss the potential of deploying these genetic devices in plants to bring to fruition a new generation of resilient crops and improved biomanufacturing platforms.
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Affiliation(s)
- Savio S Ferreira
- Department of Biological Sciences, University of North Texas, Denton, TX, 76203, USA; BioDiscovery Institute, University of North Texas, Denton, TX, 76203, USA.
| | - Charles E Anderson
- Department of Biological Sciences, University of North Texas, Denton, TX, 76203, USA; BioDiscovery Institute, University of North Texas, Denton, TX, 76203, USA.
| | - Mauricio S Antunes
- Department of Biological Sciences, University of North Texas, Denton, TX, 76203, USA; BioDiscovery Institute, University of North Texas, Denton, TX, 76203, USA.
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17
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Blanco-Romero E, Durán D, Garrido-Sanz D, Redondo-Nieto M, Martín M, Rivilla R. Adaption of Pseudomonas ogarae F113 to the Rhizosphere Environment-The AmrZ-FleQ Hub. Microorganisms 2023; 11:microorganisms11041037. [PMID: 37110460 PMCID: PMC10146422 DOI: 10.3390/microorganisms11041037] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/20/2023] [Revised: 04/10/2023] [Accepted: 04/13/2023] [Indexed: 04/29/2023] Open
Abstract
Motility and biofilm formation are two crucial traits in the process of rhizosphere colonization by pseudomonads. The regulation of both traits requires a complex signaling network that is coordinated by the AmrZ-FleQ hub. In this review, we describe the role of this hub in the adaption to the rhizosphere. The study of the direct regulon of AmrZ and the phenotypic analyses of an amrZ mutant in Pseudomonas ogarae F113 has shown that this protein plays a crucial role in the regulation of several cellular functions, including motility, biofilm formation, iron homeostasis, and bis-(3'-5')-cyclic dimeric guanosine monophosphate (c-di-GMP) turnover, controlling the synthesis of extracellular matrix components. On the other hand, FleQ is the master regulator of flagellar synthesis in P. ogarae F113 and other pseudomonads, but its implication in the regulation of multiple traits related with environmental adaption has been shown. Genomic scale studies (ChIP-Seq and RNA-Seq) have shown that in P. ogarae F113, AmrZ and FleQ are general transcription factors that regulate multiple traits. It has also been shown that there is a common regulon shared by the two transcription factors. Moreover, these studies have shown that AmrZ and FleQ form a regulatory hub that inversely regulate traits such as motility, extracellular matrix component production, and iron homeostasis. The messenger molecule c-di-GMP plays an essential role in this hub since its production is regulated by AmrZ and it is sensed by FleQ and required for its regulatory role. This regulatory hub is functional both in culture and in the rhizosphere, indicating that the AmrZ-FleQ hub is a main player of P. ogarae F113 adaption to the rhizosphere environment.
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Affiliation(s)
- Esther Blanco-Romero
- Departamento de Biología, Facultad de Ciencias, Universidad Autónoma de Madrid, Darwin 2, 28049 Madrid, Spain
| | - David Durán
- Departamento de Biología, Facultad de Ciencias, Universidad Autónoma de Madrid, Darwin 2, 28049 Madrid, Spain
| | - Daniel Garrido-Sanz
- Departamento de Biología, Facultad de Ciencias, Universidad Autónoma de Madrid, Darwin 2, 28049 Madrid, Spain
- Department of Fundamental Microbiology, University of Lausanne, 1015 Lausanne, Switzerland
| | - Miguel Redondo-Nieto
- Departamento de Biología, Facultad de Ciencias, Universidad Autónoma de Madrid, Darwin 2, 28049 Madrid, Spain
| | - Marta Martín
- Departamento de Biología, Facultad de Ciencias, Universidad Autónoma de Madrid, Darwin 2, 28049 Madrid, Spain
| | - Rafael Rivilla
- Departamento de Biología, Facultad de Ciencias, Universidad Autónoma de Madrid, Darwin 2, 28049 Madrid, Spain
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18
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Emergence of an Auxin Sensing Domain in Plant-Associated Bacteria. mBio 2023; 14:e0336322. [PMID: 36602305 PMCID: PMC9973260 DOI: 10.1128/mbio.03363-22] [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: 01/06/2023] Open
Abstract
Bacteria have evolved a sophisticated array of signal transduction systems that allow them to adapt their physiology and metabolism to changing environmental conditions. Typically, these systems recognize signals through dedicated ligand binding domains (LBDs) to ultimately trigger a diversity of physiological responses. Nonetheless, an increasing number of reports reveal that signal transduction receptors also bind antagonists to inhibit responses mediated by agonists. The mechanisms by which antagonists block the downstream signaling cascade remain largely unknown. To advance our knowledge in this field, we used the LysR-type transcriptional regulator AdmX as a model. AdmX activates the expression of an antibiotic biosynthetic cluster in the rhizobacterium Serratia plymuthica. AdmX specifically recognizes the auxin phytohormone indole-3-acetic acid (IAA) and its biosynthetic intermediate indole-3-pyruvic acid (IPA) as signals. However, only IAA, but not IPA, was shown to regulate antibiotic production in S. plymuthica. Here, we report the high-resolution structures of the LBD of AdmX in complex with IAA and IPA. We found that IAA and IPA compete for binding to AdmX. Although IAA and IPA binding does not alter the oligomeric state of AdmX, IPA binding causes a higher degree of compactness in the protein structure. Molecular dynamics simulations revealed significant differences in the binding modes of IAA and IPA by AdmX, and the inspection of the three-dimensional structures evidenced differential agonist- and antagonist-mediated structural changes. Key residues for auxin binding were identified and an auxin recognition motif defined. Phylogenetic clustering supports the recent evolutionary emergence of this motif specifically in plant-associated enterobacteria. IMPORTANCE Although antagonists were found to bind different bacterial signal transduction receptors, we are still at the early stages of understanding the molecular details by which these molecules exert their inhibitory effects. Here, we provide insight into the structural changes resulting from the binding of an agonist and an antagonist to a sensor protein. Our data indicate that agonist and antagonist recognition is characterized by small conformational differences in the LBDs that can be efficiently transmitted to the output domain to modulate the final response. LBDs are subject to strong selective pressures and are rapidly evolving domains. An increasing number of reports support the idea that environmental factors drive the evolution of sensor domains. Given the recent evolutionary history of AdmX homologs, as well as their narrow phyletic distribution within plant-associated bacteria, our results are in accordance with a plant-mediated evolutionary process that resulted in the emergence of receptor proteins that specifically sense auxin phytohormones.
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19
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Chauhan NK, Anand A, Sharma A, Dhiman K, Gosain TP, Singh P, Singh P, Khan E, Chattopadhyay G, Kumar A, Sharma D, Ashish, Sharma TK, Singh R. Structural and Functional Characterization of Rv0792c from Mycobacterium tuberculosis: Identifying Small Molecule Inhibitor against HutC Protein. Microbiol Spectr 2023; 11:e0197322. [PMID: 36507689 PMCID: PMC9927256 DOI: 10.1128/spectrum.01973-22] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/14/2022] Open
Abstract
In order to adapt in host tissues, microbial pathogens regulate their gene expression through a variety of transcription factors. Here, we have functionally characterized Rv0792c, a HutC homolog from Mycobacterium tuberculosis. In comparison to the parental strain, a strain of M. tuberculosis with a Rv0792c mutant was compromised for survival upon exposure to oxidative stress and infection in guinea pigs. RNA sequencing analysis revealed that Rv0792c regulates the expression of genes involved in stress adaptation and virulence of M. tuberculosis. Solution small-angle X-ray scattering (SAXS) data-steered model building confirmed that the C-terminal region plays a pivotal role in dimer formation. Systematic evolution of ligands by exponential enrichment (SELEX) resulted in the identification of single-strand DNA (ssDNA) aptamers that can be used as a tool to identify small-molecule inhibitors targeting Rv0792c. Using SELEX and SAXS data-based modeling, we identified residues essential for Rv0792c's aptamer binding activity. In this study, we also identified I-OMe-Tyrphostin as an inhibitor of Rv0792c's aptamer and DNA binding activity. The identified small molecule reduced the growth of intracellular M. tuberculosis in macrophages. The present study thus provides a detailed shape-function characterization of a HutC family of transcription factor from M. tuberculosis. IMPORTANCE Prokaryotes encode a large number of GntR family transcription factors that are involved in various fundamental biological processes, including stress adaptation and pathogenesis. Here, we investigated the structural and functional role of Rv0792c, a HutC homolog from M. tuberculosis. We demonstrated that Rv0792c is essential for M. tuberculosis to adapt to oxidative stress and establish disease in guinea pigs. Using a systematic evolution of ligands by exponential enrichment (SELEX) approach, we identified ssDNA aptamers from a random ssDNA library that bound to Rv0792c protein. These aptamers were thoroughly characterized using biochemical and biophysical assays. Using SAXS, we determined the structural model of Rv0792c in both the presence and absence of the aptamers. Further, using a combination of SELEX and SAXS methodologies, we identified I-OMe-Tyrphostin as a potential inhibitor of Rv0792c. Here we provide a detailed functional characterization of a transcription factor belonging to the HutC family from M. tuberculosis.
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Affiliation(s)
- Neeraj Kumar Chauhan
- Translational Health Science and Technology Institutegrid.464764.3, Faridabad, Haryana, India
| | - Anjali Anand
- Translational Health Science and Technology Institutegrid.464764.3, Faridabad, Haryana, India
| | - Arun Sharma
- Translational Health Science and Technology Institutegrid.464764.3, Faridabad, Haryana, India
| | - Kanika Dhiman
- Institute of Microbial Technologygrid.417641.1, Council of Scientific and Industrial Research, Chandigarh, India
| | - Tannu Priya Gosain
- Translational Health Science and Technology Institutegrid.464764.3, Faridabad, Haryana, India
| | - Prashant Singh
- Institute of Microbial Technologygrid.417641.1, Council of Scientific and Industrial Research, Chandigarh, India
| | - Padam Singh
- Translational Health Science and Technology Institutegrid.464764.3, Faridabad, Haryana, India
| | - Eshan Khan
- Department of Biosciences and Biomedical Engineering, Indian Institute of Technology Indoregrid.450280.b, Indore, India
| | | | - Amit Kumar
- Department of Biosciences and Biomedical Engineering, Indian Institute of Technology Indoregrid.450280.b, Indore, India
| | - Deepak Sharma
- Institute of Microbial Technologygrid.417641.1, Council of Scientific and Industrial Research, Chandigarh, India
| | - Ashish
- Institute of Microbial Technologygrid.417641.1, Council of Scientific and Industrial Research, Chandigarh, India
| | - Tarun Kumar Sharma
- Translational Health Science and Technology Institutegrid.464764.3, Faridabad, Haryana, India
| | - Ramandeep Singh
- Translational Health Science and Technology Institutegrid.464764.3, Faridabad, Haryana, India
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20
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Matarredona L, Camacho M, Bautista V, Bonete MJ, Esclapez J. Lrp as a potential transcriptional regulator involved in stress response in Haloferax mediterranei. Biochimie 2023; 209:61-72. [PMID: 36708868 DOI: 10.1016/j.biochi.2023.01.012] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/15/2022] [Revised: 11/30/2022] [Accepted: 01/17/2023] [Indexed: 01/26/2023]
Abstract
The Archaea domain consists of a heterogeneous group of microorganisms with unique physiological properties that occupy a wide variety of niches in nature. Haloferax mediterranei is an extremely halophilic archaeon classified in the Phylum Euryarchaeota, which requires a high concentration of inorganic salts for optimal growth. In haloarchaea, transcription factors play a fundamental role in an adequate adaptation to environmental and nutritional changes, preserving the survival and integrity of the organism. To deepen knowledge of the Lrp/AsnC transcriptional regulator family, a lrp gene (HFX_RS01210) from this family has been studied. Site-directed mutagenesis has allowed us to identify the TATA-box and two potential sites of the transcriptional factor (TF) to its own promoter and autoregulate itself. Several approaches were carried out to elucidate whether this transcriptional regulator is involved in stresses due to heavy metals and limited nitrogen conditions. Characterization of the lrp deletion mutant and the Lrp overexpressed strain, suggests that the level of lrp expression depends on the nitrogen source and the presence of cobalt. The most striking results were obtained in the presence of nitrate as a nitrogen source due to the inability of the deletion mutant to grow. All these results confirm that Lrp is a powerful candidate for a regulatory role in the stress response, particularly under N-limiting conditions and the presence of cobalt.
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Affiliation(s)
- Laura Matarredona
- Biochemistry and Molecular Biology and Soil and Agricultural Chemistry Department, Biochemistry and Molecular Biology Area, Faculty of Science, University of Alicante, Ap 99, 03080, Alicante, Spain.
| | - Mónica Camacho
- Biochemistry and Molecular Biology and Soil and Agricultural Chemistry Department, Biochemistry and Molecular Biology Area, Faculty of Science, University of Alicante, Ap 99, 03080, Alicante, Spain.
| | - Vanesa Bautista
- Biochemistry and Molecular Biology and Soil and Agricultural Chemistry Department, Biochemistry and Molecular Biology Area, Faculty of Science, University of Alicante, Ap 99, 03080, Alicante, Spain.
| | - María-José Bonete
- Biochemistry and Molecular Biology and Soil and Agricultural Chemistry Department, Biochemistry and Molecular Biology Area, Faculty of Science, University of Alicante, Ap 99, 03080, Alicante, Spain.
| | - Julia Esclapez
- Biochemistry and Molecular Biology and Soil and Agricultural Chemistry Department, Biochemistry and Molecular Biology Area, Faculty of Science, University of Alicante, Ap 99, 03080, Alicante, Spain.
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21
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Genomic analysis of heavy metal-resistant Halobacterium salinarum isolated from Sfax solar saltern sediments. Extremophiles 2022; 26:25. [PMID: 35842547 PMCID: PMC9288257 DOI: 10.1007/s00792-022-01273-0] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/26/2022] [Accepted: 06/30/2022] [Indexed: 02/06/2023]
Abstract
The draft genome sequences of five archaeal strains, isolated from Sfax solar saltern sediments and affiliated with Halobacterium salinarum, were analyzed in order to reveal their adaptive strategies to live in hypersaline environments polluted with heavy metals. The genomes of the strains (named AS1, AS2, AS8, AS11, and AS19) are found to contain 2,060,688; 2,467,461; 2,236,624; 2,432,692; and 2,428,727 bp respectively, with a G + C content of 65.5, 66.0, 67.0, and 66.2%. The majority of these genes (43.69–55.65%) are annotated as hypothetical proteins. Growth under osmotic stress is possible by genes coding for potassium uptake, sodium efflux, and kinases, as well as stress proteins, DNA repair systems, and proteasomal components. These strains harbor many genes responsible for metal transport/resistance, such as: copper-translocating P-type ATPases, ABC transporter, and cobalt-zinc-cadmium resistance protein. In addition, detoxification enzymes and secondary metabolites are also identified. The results show strain AS1, as compared to the other strains, is more adapted to heavy metals and may be used in the bioremediation of multi-metal contaminated environments. This study highlights the presence of several commercially valuable bioproducts (carotenoids, retinal proteins, exopolysaccharide, stress proteins, squalene, and siderophores) and enzymes (protease, sulfatase, phosphatase, phosphoesterase, and chitinase) that can be used in many industrial applications.
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22
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Llorca MG, Martínez-Espinosa RM. Assessment of Haloferax mediterranei Genome in Search of Copper-Molecular Machinery With Potential Applications for Bioremediation. Front Microbiol 2022; 13:895296. [PMID: 35783429 PMCID: PMC9240420 DOI: 10.3389/fmicb.2022.895296] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/13/2022] [Accepted: 05/27/2022] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Heavy metals are essential micronutrients at low concentrations, serving as cofactors for relevant microbial enzymes (i.e., respiratory nitrate and nitrite reductases NADH dehydrogenase-2, amine oxidase, etc.), but they become harmful cellular intoxicants at significant low concentrations compared to other chemical compounds. The increasing need to incorporate bioremediation in the removal of heavy metals and other contaminants from wastewaters has led extremophiles to the spotlight of research. The haloarchaeon Haloferax mediterranei has promising physiological characteristics regarding bioremediation. However, little is known about how haloarchaea manage to resist high concentrations of heavy metals in the environment. The aim of this work is to develop bioinformatics research as the first step for further omics-based studies to shed light on copper metabolism in haloarchaea by analyzing H. mediterranei genome (strain ATCC 33500). To reach this aim, genome and protein databases have been consulted, and copper-related genes have been identified. BLAST analysis has been carried out to find similarities between copper resistance genes described from other microorganisms and H. mediterranei genes. Plausible copper importer genes, genes coding for siderophores, and copper exporters belonging to P1B-type ATPase group have been found apart from genes encoding copper chaperones, metal-responsive transcriptional regulators, and several proteins belonging to the cupredoxin superfamily: nitrite reductase, nitrous oxide reductases, cytochrome c oxidases, multicopper oxidases, and small blue copper proteins from the amicyanin/pseudoazurin families as halocyanins. As the presence of heavy metals causes oxidative stress, genes coding for proteins involved in antioxidant mechanisms have been also explored: thioredoxin, glutaredoxin, peroxiredoxin, catalase, and γ-glutamylcysteine as an analog of glutathione. Bioinformatic-based analysis of H. mediterranei genome has revealed a set of genes involved in copper metabolism that could be of interest for bioremediation purposes. The analysis of genes involved in antioxidative mechanisms against heavy metals makes it possible to infer the capability of H. mediterranei to synthesize inorganic polyphosphate granules against oxidative stress.
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Affiliation(s)
- Marina García Llorca
- Biochemistry and Molecular Biology Division, Department of Agrochemistry and Biochemistry, Faculty of Sciences, University of Alicante, Alicante, Spain
| | - Rosa María Martínez-Espinosa
- Biochemistry and Molecular Biology Division, Department of Agrochemistry and Biochemistry, Faculty of Sciences, University of Alicante, Alicante, Spain
- Multidisciplinary Institute for Environmental Studies “Ramón Margalef”, University of Alicante, Alicante, Spain
- *Correspondence: Rosa María Martínez-Espinosa,
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23
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Taylor TB, Shepherd MJ, Jackson RW, Silby MW. Natural selection on crosstalk between gene regulatory networks facilitates bacterial adaptation to novel environments. Curr Opin Microbiol 2022; 67:102140. [DOI: 10.1016/j.mib.2022.02.002] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/29/2021] [Revised: 02/01/2022] [Accepted: 02/02/2022] [Indexed: 02/04/2023]
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Comparative Genomic Analysis Reveals Potential Pathogenicity and Slow-Growth Characteristics of Genus Brevundimonas and Description of Brevundimonas pishanensis sp. nov. Microbiol Spectr 2022; 10:e0246821. [PMID: 35416704 PMCID: PMC9045160 DOI: 10.1128/spectrum.02468-21] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/20/2022] Open
Abstract
The genus Brevundimonas consists of Gram-negative bacteria widely distributed in environment and can cause human infections. However, the genomic characteristics and pathogenicity of Brevundimonas remain poorly studied. Here, the whole-genome features of 24 Brevundimonas type strains were described. Brevundimonas spp. had relatively small genomes (3.13 ± 0.29 Mb) within the family Caulobacteraceae but high G+C contents (67.01 ± 2.19 mol%). Two-dimensional hierarchical clustering divided those genomes into 5 major clades, in which clades II and V contained nine and five species, respectively. Interestingly, phylogenetic analysis showed a one-to-one match between core and accessory genomes, which suggested coevolution of species within the genus Brevundimonas. The unique genes were annotated to biological functions like catalytic activity, signaling and cellular processes, multisubstance metabolism, etc. The majority of Brevundimonas spp. harbored virulence-associated genes icl, tufA, kdsA, htpB, and acpXL, which encoded isocitrate lyase, elongation factor, 2-dehydro-3-deoxyphosphooctonate aldolase, heat shock protein, and acyl carrier protein, respectively. In addition, genomic islands (GIs) and phages/prophages were identified within the Brevundimonas genus. Importantly, a novel Brevundimonas species was identified from the feces of a patient (suffering from diarrhea) by the analyses of biochemical characteristics, phylogenetic tree of 16S rRNA gene, multilocus sequence analysis (MLSA) sequences, and genomic data. The name Brevundimonas pishanensis sp. nov. was proposed, with type strain CHPC 1.3453 (= GDMCC 1.2503T = KCTC 82824T). Brevundimonas spp. also showed obvious slow growth compared with that of Escherichia coli. Our study reveals insights into genomic characteristics and potential virulence-associated genes of Brevundimonas spp., and provides a basis for further intensive study of the pathogenicity of Brevundimonas. IMPORTANCEBrevundimonas spp., a group of bacteria from the family Caulobacteraceae, is associated with nosocomial infections, deserve widespread attention. Our study elucidated genes potentially associated with the pathogenicity of the Brevundimonas genus. We also described some new characteristics of Brevundimonas spp., such as small chromosome size, high G+C content, and slow-growth phenotypes, which made the Brevundimonas genus a good model organism for in-depth studies of growth rate traits. Apart from the comparative analysis of the genomic features of the Brevundimonas genus, we also reported a novel Brevundimonas species, Brevundimonas pishanensis, from the feces of a patient with diarrhea. Our study promotes the understanding of the pathogenicity characteristics of Brevundimonas species bacteria.
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Blanco-Romero E, Durán D, Garrido-Sanz D, Rivilla R, Martín M, Redondo-Nieto M. Transcriptomic analysis of Pseudomonas ogarae F113 reveals the antagonistic roles of AmrZ and FleQ during rhizosphere adaption. Microb Genom 2022; 8. [PMID: 35012704 PMCID: PMC8914362 DOI: 10.1099/mgen.0.000750] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/19/2022] Open
Abstract
Rhizosphere colonization by bacteria involves molecular and cellular mechanisms, such as motility and chemotaxis, biofilm formation, metabolic versatility, or biosynthesis of secondary metabolites, among others. Nonetheless, there is limited knowledge concerning the main regulatory factors that drive the rhizosphere colonization process. Here we show the importance of the AmrZ and FleQ transcription factors for adaption in the plant growth-promoting rhizobacterium (PGPR) and rhizosphere colonization model Pseudomonas ogarae F113. RNA-Seq analyses of P. ogarae F113 grown in liquid cultures either in exponential and stationary growth phase, and rhizosphere conditions, revealed that rhizosphere is a key driver of global changes in gene expression in this bacterium. Regarding the genetic background, this work has revealed that a mutation in fleQ causes considerably more alterations in the gene expression profile of this bacterium than a mutation in amrZ under rhizosphere conditions. The functional analysis has revealed that in P. ogarae F113, the transcription factors AmrZ and FleQ regulate genes involved in diverse bacterial functions. Notably, in the rhizosphere, these transcription factors antagonistically regulate genes related to motility, biofilm formation, nitrogen, sulfur, and amino acid metabolism, transport, signalling, and secretion, especially the type VI secretion systems. These results define the regulon of two important bifunctional transcriptional regulators in pseudomonads during the process of rhizosphere colonization.
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Affiliation(s)
- Esther Blanco-Romero
- Departamento de Biología, Facultad de Ciencias, Universidad Autónoma de Madrid, Darwin 2, 28049 Madrid, Spain
| | - David Durán
- Departamento de Biología, Facultad de Ciencias, Universidad Autónoma de Madrid, Darwin 2, 28049 Madrid, Spain
| | - Daniel Garrido-Sanz
- Departamento de Biología, Facultad de Ciencias, Universidad Autónoma de Madrid, Darwin 2, 28049 Madrid, Spain.,Department of Fundamental Microbiology, University of Lausanne, CH-1015 Lausanne, Switzerland
| | - Rafael Rivilla
- Departamento de Biología, Facultad de Ciencias, Universidad Autónoma de Madrid, Darwin 2, 28049 Madrid, Spain
| | - Marta Martín
- Departamento de Biología, Facultad de Ciencias, Universidad Autónoma de Madrid, Darwin 2, 28049 Madrid, Spain
| | - Miguel Redondo-Nieto
- Departamento de Biología, Facultad de Ciencias, Universidad Autónoma de Madrid, Darwin 2, 28049 Madrid, Spain
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26
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Ledesma L, Hernandez-Guerrero R, Perez-Rueda E. Prediction of DNA-Binding Transcription Factors in Bacteria and Archaea Genomes. Methods Mol Biol 2022; 2516:103-112. [PMID: 35922624 DOI: 10.1007/978-1-0716-2413-5_7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/15/2023]
Abstract
DNA-binding transcription factors (TFs) play a central role in the gene expression of all organisms, from viruses to humans, including bacteria and archaea. The role of these proteins is the fate of gene expression in the context of environmental challenges. Because thousands of genomes have been sequenced to date, predictions of the encoded proteins are validated through the use of bioinformatics tools to obtain the necessary experimental, posterior knowledge. In this chapter, we describe three approaches to identify TFs in protein sequences. The first approach integrates the results of sequence comparisons and PFAM assignments, using as reference a manually curated collection of TFs. The second approach considers the prediction of DNA-binding structures, such as the classical helix-turn-helix (HTH); and the third approach considers a deep learning model. We suggest that all approaches must be considered together to increase the possibility of identifying new TFs in bacterial and archaeal genomes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Leonardo Ledesma
- Posgrado en Ciencia e Ingeniería de la Computación, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México, Ciudad de México, Mexico
| | - Rafael Hernandez-Guerrero
- Instituto de Investigaciones en Matemáticas Aplicadas y en Sistemas, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México, Unidad Académica Yucatán, Mérida, Yucatán, Mexico
| | - Ernesto Perez-Rueda
- Instituto de Investigaciones en Matemáticas Aplicadas y en Sistemas, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México, Unidad Académica Yucatán, Mérida, Yucatán, Mexico.
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27
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Bernauw AJ, De Kock V, Bervoets I. In Vivo Screening Method for the Identification and Characterization of Prokaryotic, Metabolite-Responsive Transcription Factors. Methods Mol Biol 2022; 2516:113-141. [PMID: 35922625 DOI: 10.1007/978-1-0716-2413-5_8] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/15/2023]
Abstract
In prokaryotes, transcription factors (TFs) are of uttermost importance for the regulation of gene expression. However, the majority of TFs are not characterized today, which hampers both the understanding of fundamental processes and the development of TF-based applications, such as biosensors, used in metabolic engineering, synthetic biology, diagnostics, etc. One way of analyzing TFs is through in vivo screening, enabling the study of TF-promoter interactions, ligand inducibility, and ligand specificity in a high-throughput fashion. Here, an approach is described for the selection and cloning of TF-promoter pairs, the development of a reporter system, and the measurement and analysis of fluorescent reporter assays. Furthermore, the importance of a suitable inducible plasmid system is illustrated together with prospective adaptations to modify a reporter system's output signal. The given approach can be used for the investigation of native, heterologous, or even artificially created TFs in Escherichia coli, and can be extended toward use in other microorganisms.
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Affiliation(s)
- Amber Joka Bernauw
- Research Group of Microbiology, Department of Bioengineering Sciences, Vrije Universiteit Brussel, Brussels, Belgium
| | - Veerke De Kock
- Research Group of Microbiology, Department of Bioengineering Sciences, Vrije Universiteit Brussel, Brussels, Belgium
| | - Indra Bervoets
- Research Group of Microbiology, Department of Bioengineering Sciences, Vrije Universiteit Brussel, Brussels, Belgium.
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28
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Wood DM, Dobson RC, Horne CR. Using cryo-EM to uncover mechanisms of bacterial transcriptional regulation. Biochem Soc Trans 2021; 49:2711-2726. [PMID: 34854920 PMCID: PMC8786299 DOI: 10.1042/bst20210674] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/01/2021] [Revised: 11/10/2021] [Accepted: 11/15/2021] [Indexed: 11/17/2022]
Abstract
Transcription is the principal control point for bacterial gene expression, and it enables a global cellular response to an intracellular or environmental trigger. Transcriptional regulation is orchestrated by transcription factors, which activate or repress transcription of target genes by modulating the activity of RNA polymerase. Dissecting the nature and precise choreography of these interactions is essential for developing a molecular understanding of transcriptional regulation. While the contribution of X-ray crystallography has been invaluable, the 'resolution revolution' of cryo-electron microscopy has transformed our structural investigations, enabling large, dynamic and often transient transcription complexes to be resolved that in many cases had resisted crystallisation. In this review, we highlight the impact cryo-electron microscopy has had in gaining a deeper understanding of transcriptional regulation in bacteria. We also provide readers working within the field with an overview of the recent innovations available for cryo-electron microscopy sample preparation and image reconstruction of transcription complexes.
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Affiliation(s)
- David M. Wood
- Biomolecular Interaction Centre and School of Biological Sciences, University of Canterbury, Christchurch, New Zealand
| | - Renwick C.J. Dobson
- Biomolecular Interaction Centre and School of Biological Sciences, University of Canterbury, Christchurch, New Zealand
- Bio21 Molecular Science and Biotechnology Institute, Department of Biochemistry and Pharmacology, University of Melbourne, Parkville, VIC, Australia
| | - Christopher R. Horne
- Walter and Eliza Hall Institute of Medical Research, 1G Royal Parade, Parkville, VIC 3052, Australia
- Department of Medical Biology, University of Melbourne, Parkville, VIC 3052, Australia
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29
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Optimised Heterologous Expression and Functional Analysis of the Yersinia pestis F1-Capsular Antigen Regulator Caf1R. Int J Mol Sci 2021; 22:ijms22189805. [PMID: 34575967 PMCID: PMC8470410 DOI: 10.3390/ijms22189805] [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: 08/02/2021] [Revised: 09/02/2021] [Accepted: 09/06/2021] [Indexed: 12/14/2022] Open
Abstract
The bacterial pathogen, Yersinia pestis, has caused three historic pandemics and continues to cause small outbreaks worldwide. During infection, Y. pestis assembles a capsule-like protective coat of thin fibres of Caf1 subunits. This F1 capsular antigen has attracted much attention due to its clinical value in plague diagnostics and anti-plague vaccine development. Expression of F1 is tightly regulated by a transcriptional activator, Caf1R, of the AraC/XylS family, proteins notoriously prone to aggregation. Here, we have optimised the recombinant expression of soluble Caf1R. Expression from the native and synthetic codon-optimised caf1R cloned in three different expression plasmids was examined in a library of E. coli host strains. The functionality of His-tagged Caf1R was demonstrated in vivo, but insolubility was a problem with overproduction. High levels of soluble MBP-Caf1R were produced from codon optimised caf1R. Transcriptional-lacZ reporter fusions defined the PM promoter and Caf1R binding site responsible for transcription of the cafMA1 operon. Use of the identified Caf1R binding caf DNA sequence in an electrophoretic mobility shift assay (EMSA) confirmed correct folding and functionality of the Caf1R DNA-binding domain in recombinant MBP-Caf1R. Availability of functional recombinant Caf1R will be a valuable tool to elucidate control of expression of F1 and Caf1R-regulated pathophysiology of Y. pestis.
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30
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Huang W, Wang X, Wu F, Xu F. LncRNA LINC00520 aggravates cell proliferation and migration in lung adenocarcinoma via a positive feedback loop. BMC Pulm Med 2021; 21:287. [PMID: 34496829 PMCID: PMC8425021 DOI: 10.1186/s12890-021-01657-6] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/09/2021] [Accepted: 08/31/2021] [Indexed: 12/19/2022] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Lung adenocarcinoma (LUAD) is the most common histological subtype of primary lung cancer. To identify the biomarker of diagnosis for LUAD is of great significance. Long non-coding RNAs (lncRNAs) were previously revealed to exert vital effects in numerous cancers. LncRNA long intergenic non-protein coding RNA 520 (LINC00520) served as an oncogene in various cancers. Therefore, our study was specially designed to probe the role of LINC00520 in LUAD. RESULTS LINC00520 expression was detected by RT-qPCR. Next, function of LINC00520 in LUAD was verified by in vitro loss-of-function experiments. DNA pull down, ChIP, RIP, and luciferase reporter assays were conducted to reveal the regulatory mechanism of LINC00520. We found that LINC00520 was upregulated in LUAD. Additionally, LINC00520 upregulation is associated with the poor prognosis for patients with LUAD. Furthermore, LINC00520 downregulation suppressed LUAD cell proliferation and migration and induced cell apoptosis. Forkhead box P3 (FOXP3) is identified as the transcription factor to transcriptionally activate LINC00520. Moreover, LINC00520 positively upregulated FOXP3 expression via sponging miR-3611 in LUAD cells. Subsequently, rescue experiments delineated that miR-3611 downregulation or FOXP3 overexpression reversed the effects of silenced LINC00520 on proliferative and migratory capabilities in LUAD cells. CONCLUSION This study innovatively indicated that lncRNA LINC00520 facilitated cell proliferative and migratory abilities in LUAD through interacting with miR-3611 and targeting FOXP3, which may provide a potential novel insight for treatment of LUAD.
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Affiliation(s)
- Wen Huang
- Department of Oncology, The Fourth Affiliated Hospital of Nanjing Medical University, Nanjing, 210000, Jiangsu, China
| | - Xinxing Wang
- Department of Oncology, Sir Run Run Hospital of Nanjing Medical University, 109 Longmian Avenue, Jiangning District, Nanjing, China
| | - Fubing Wu
- Department of Oncology, Sir Run Run Hospital of Nanjing Medical University, 109 Longmian Avenue, Jiangning District, Nanjing, China.
| | - Fanggui Xu
- Department of Oncology, Sir Run Run Hospital of Nanjing Medical University, 109 Longmian Avenue, Jiangning District, Nanjing, China.
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31
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Matilla MA, Velando F, Martín-Mora D, Monteagudo-Cascales E, Krell T. A catalogue of signal molecules that interact with sensor kinases, chemoreceptors and transcriptional regulators. FEMS Microbiol Rev 2021; 46:6356564. [PMID: 34424339 DOI: 10.1093/femsre/fuab043] [Citation(s) in RCA: 57] [Impact Index Per Article: 19.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/22/2021] [Accepted: 08/10/2021] [Indexed: 12/12/2022] Open
Abstract
Bacteria have evolved many different signal transduction systems that sense signals and generate a variety of responses. Generally, most abundant are transcriptional regulators, sensor histidine kinases and chemoreceptors. Typically, these systems recognize their signal molecules with dedicated ligand-binding domains (LBDs), which, in turn, generate a molecular stimulus that modulates the activity of the output module. There are an enormous number of different LBDs that recognize a similarly diverse set of signals. To give a global perspective of the signals that interact with transcriptional regulators, sensor kinases and chemoreceptors, we manually retrieved information on the protein-ligand interaction from about 1,200 publications and 3D structures. The resulting 811 proteins were classified according to the Pfam family into 127 groups. These data permit a delineation of the signal profiles of individual LBD families as well as distinguishing between families that recognize signals in a promiscuous manner and those that possess a well-defined ligand range. A major bottleneck in the field is the fact that the signal input of many signaling systems is unknown. The signal repertoire reported here will help the scientific community design experimental strategies to identify the signaling molecules for uncharacterised sensor proteins.
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Affiliation(s)
- Miguel A Matilla
- Department of Environmental Protection, Estación Experimental del Zaidín, Consejo Superior de Investigaciones Científicas, Prof. Albareda 1, 18008 Granada, Spain
| | - Félix Velando
- Department of Environmental Protection, Estación Experimental del Zaidín, Consejo Superior de Investigaciones Científicas, Prof. Albareda 1, 18008 Granada, Spain
| | - David Martín-Mora
- Department of Environmental Protection, Estación Experimental del Zaidín, Consejo Superior de Investigaciones Científicas, Prof. Albareda 1, 18008 Granada, Spain
| | - Elizabet Monteagudo-Cascales
- Department of Environmental Protection, Estación Experimental del Zaidín, Consejo Superior de Investigaciones Científicas, Prof. Albareda 1, 18008 Granada, Spain
| | - Tino Krell
- Department of Environmental Protection, Estación Experimental del Zaidín, Consejo Superior de Investigaciones Científicas, Prof. Albareda 1, 18008 Granada, Spain
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32
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Lewis AM, Recalde A, Bräsen C, Counts JA, Nussbaum P, Bost J, Schocke L, Shen L, Willard DJ, Quax TEF, Peeters E, Siebers B, Albers SV, Kelly RM. The biology of thermoacidophilic archaea from the order Sulfolobales. FEMS Microbiol Rev 2021; 45:fuaa063. [PMID: 33476388 PMCID: PMC8557808 DOI: 10.1093/femsre/fuaa063] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/31/2020] [Accepted: 11/26/2020] [Indexed: 12/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Thermoacidophilic archaea belonging to the order Sulfolobales thrive in extreme biotopes, such as sulfuric hot springs and ore deposits. These microorganisms have been model systems for understanding life in extreme environments, as well as for probing the evolution of both molecular genetic processes and central metabolic pathways. Thermoacidophiles, such as the Sulfolobales, use typical microbial responses to persist in hot acid (e.g. motility, stress response, biofilm formation), albeit with some unusual twists. They also exhibit unique physiological features, including iron and sulfur chemolithoautotrophy, that differentiate them from much of the microbial world. Although first discovered >50 years ago, it was not until recently that genome sequence data and facile genetic tools have been developed for species in the Sulfolobales. These advances have not only opened up ways to further probe novel features of these microbes but also paved the way for their potential biotechnological applications. Discussed here are the nuances of the thermoacidophilic lifestyle of the Sulfolobales, including their evolutionary placement, cell biology, survival strategies, genetic tools, metabolic processes and physiological attributes together with how these characteristics make thermoacidophiles ideal platforms for specialized industrial processes.
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Affiliation(s)
- April M Lewis
- Department of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering, North Carolina State University. Raleigh, NC 27695, USA
| | - Alejandra Recalde
- Institute for Biology, Molecular Biology of Archaea, University of Freiburg, 79104 Freiburg, Germany
| | - Christopher Bräsen
- Department of Molecular Enzyme Technology and Biochemistry, Environmental Microbiology and Biotechnology, and Centre for Water and Environmental Research, University of Duisburg-Essen, 45117 Essen, Germany
| | - James A Counts
- Department of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering, North Carolina State University. Raleigh, NC 27695, USA
| | - Phillip Nussbaum
- Institute for Biology, Molecular Biology of Archaea, University of Freiburg, 79104 Freiburg, Germany
| | - Jan Bost
- Institute for Biology, Molecular Biology of Archaea, University of Freiburg, 79104 Freiburg, Germany
| | - Larissa Schocke
- Department of Molecular Enzyme Technology and Biochemistry, Environmental Microbiology and Biotechnology, and Centre for Water and Environmental Research, University of Duisburg-Essen, 45117 Essen, Germany
| | - Lu Shen
- Department of Molecular Enzyme Technology and Biochemistry, Environmental Microbiology and Biotechnology, and Centre for Water and Environmental Research, University of Duisburg-Essen, 45117 Essen, Germany
| | - Daniel J Willard
- Department of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering, North Carolina State University. Raleigh, NC 27695, USA
| | - Tessa E F Quax
- Archaeal Virus–Host Interactions, Faculty of Biology, University of Freiburg, 79104 Freiburg, Germany
| | - Eveline Peeters
- Research Group of Microbiology, Department of Bioengineering Sciences, Vrije Universiteit Brussel, 1050 Brussels, Belgium
| | - Bettina Siebers
- Department of Molecular Enzyme Technology and Biochemistry, Environmental Microbiology and Biotechnology, and Centre for Water and Environmental Research, University of Duisburg-Essen, 45117 Essen, Germany
| | - Sonja-Verena Albers
- Institute for Biology, Molecular Biology of Archaea, University of Freiburg, 79104 Freiburg, Germany
| | - Robert M Kelly
- Department of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering, North Carolina State University. Raleigh, NC 27695, USA
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Kotecka K, Kawalek A, Kobylecki K, Bartosik AA. The AraC-Type Transcriptional Regulator GliR (PA3027) Activates Genes of Glycerolipid Metabolism in Pseudomonas aeruginosa. Int J Mol Sci 2021; 22:5066. [PMID: 34064685 PMCID: PMC8151288 DOI: 10.3390/ijms22105066] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [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: 04/17/2021] [Revised: 05/04/2021] [Accepted: 05/06/2021] [Indexed: 12/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Pseudomonas aeruginosa encodes a large set of transcriptional regulators (TRs) that modulate and manage cellular metabolism to survive in variable environmental conditions including that of the human body. The AraC family regulators are an abundant group of TRs in bacteria, mostly acting as gene expression activators, controlling diverse cellular functions (e.g., carbon metabolism, stress response, and virulence). The PA3027 protein from P. aeruginosa has been classified in silico as a putative AraC-type TR. Transcriptional profiling of P. aeruginosa PAO1161 overexpressing PA3027 revealed a spectacular increase in the mRNA levels of PA3026-PA3024 (divergent to PA3027), PA3464, and PA3342 genes encoding proteins potentially involved in glycerolipid metabolism. Concomitantly, chromatin immunoprecipitation-sequencing (ChIP-seq) analysis revealed that at least 22 regions are bound by PA3027 in the PAO1161 genome. These encompass promoter regions of PA3026, PA3464, and PA3342, showing the major increase in expression in response to PA3027 excess. In Vitro DNA binding assay confirmed interactions of PA3027 with these regions. Furthermore, promoter-reporter assays in a heterologous host showed the PA3027-dependent activation of the promoter of the PA3026-PA3024 operon. Two motifs representing the preferred binding sites for PA3027, one localized upstream and one overlapping with the -35 promoter sequence, were identified in PA3026p and our data indicate that both motifs are required for full activation of this promoter by PA3027. Overall, the presented data show that PA3027 acts as a transcriptional regulator in P. aeruginosa, activating genes likely engaged in glycerolipid metabolism. The GliR name, from a glycerolipid metabolism regulator, is proposed for PA3027 of P. aeruginosa.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | | | - Aneta Agnieszka Bartosik
- Institute of Biochemistry and Biophysics, Polish Academy of Sciences, 02-106 Warsaw, Poland; (K.K.); (A.K.); (K.K.)
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Kotecka K, Kawalek A, Kobylecki K, Bartosik AA. The MarR-Type Regulator PA3458 Is Involved in Osmoadaptation Control in Pseudomonas aeruginosa. Int J Mol Sci 2021; 22:ijms22083982. [PMID: 33921535 PMCID: PMC8070244 DOI: 10.3390/ijms22083982] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/03/2021] [Revised: 04/08/2021] [Accepted: 04/09/2021] [Indexed: 12/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Pseudomonas aeruginosa is a facultative human pathogen, causing acute and chronic infections that are especially dangerous for immunocompromised patients. The eradication of P. aeruginosa is difficult due to its intrinsic antibiotic resistance mechanisms, high adaptability, and genetic plasticity. The bacterium possesses multilevel regulatory systems engaging a huge repertoire of transcriptional regulators (TRs). Among these, the MarR family encompasses a number of proteins, mainly acting as repressors, which are involved in response to various environmental signals. In this work, we aimed to decipher the role of PA3458, a putative MarR-type TR from P. aeruginosa. Transcriptional profiling of P. aeruginosa PAO1161 overexpressing PA3458 showed changes in the mRNA level of 133 genes; among them, 100 were down-regulated, suggesting the repressor function of PA3458. Concomitantly, ChIP-seq analysis identified more than 300 PA3458 binding sites in P. aeruginosa. The PA3458 regulon encompasses genes involved in stress response, including the PA3459–PA3461 operon, which is divergent to PA3458. This operon encodes an asparagine synthase, a GNAT-family acetyltransferase, and a glutamyl aminopeptidase engaged in the production of N-acetylglutaminylglutamine amide (NAGGN), which is a potent bacterial osmoprotectant. We showed that PA3458-mediated control of PA3459–PA3461 expression is required for the adaptation of P. aeruginosa growth in high osmolarity. Overall, our data indicate that PA3458 plays a role in osmoadaptation control in P. aeruginosa.
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Cortés-Avalos D, Martínez-Pérez N, Ortiz-Moncada MA, Juárez-González A, Baños-Vargas AA, Estrada-de Los Santos P, Pérez-Rueda E, Ibarra JA. An update of the unceasingly growing and diverse AraC/XylS family of transcriptional activators. FEMS Microbiol Rev 2021; 45:6219864. [PMID: 33837749 DOI: 10.1093/femsre/fuab020] [Citation(s) in RCA: 19] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/30/2020] [Accepted: 03/31/2021] [Indexed: 01/09/2023] Open
Abstract
Transcriptional factors play an important role in gene regulation in all organisms, especially in Bacteria. Here special emphasis is placed in the AraC/XylS family of transcriptional regulators. This is one of the most abundant as many predicted members have been identified and more members are added because more bacterial genomes are sequenced. Given the way more experimental evidence has mounded in the past decades, we decided to update the information about this captivating family of proteins. Using bioinformatics tools on all the data available for experimentally characterized members of this family, we found that many members that display a similar functional classification can be clustered together and in some cases they have a similar regulatory scheme. A proposal for grouping these proteins is also discussed. Additionally, an analysis of surveyed proteins in bacterial genomes is presented. Altogether, the current review presents a panoramic view into this family and we hope it helps to stimulate future research in the field.
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Affiliation(s)
- Daniel Cortés-Avalos
- Laboratorio de Genética Microbiana, Departamento de Microbiología, Escuela Nacional de Ciencias Biológicas, Instituto Politécnico Nacional, Ciudad de México, México
| | - Noemy Martínez-Pérez
- Instituto de Investigaciones en Matemáticas Aplicadas y en Sistemas, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México, Unidad Académica Yucatán, Mérida, Yucatán, México
| | - Mario A Ortiz-Moncada
- Laboratorio de Genética Microbiana, Departamento de Microbiología, Escuela Nacional de Ciencias Biológicas, Instituto Politécnico Nacional, Ciudad de México, México
| | - Aylin Juárez-González
- Laboratorio de Genética Microbiana, Departamento de Microbiología, Escuela Nacional de Ciencias Biológicas, Instituto Politécnico Nacional, Ciudad de México, México
| | - Arturo A Baños-Vargas
- Laboratorio de Genética Microbiana, Departamento de Microbiología, Escuela Nacional de Ciencias Biológicas, Instituto Politécnico Nacional, Ciudad de México, México
| | - Paulina Estrada-de Los Santos
- Laboratorio de Biotecnología Microbiana, Departamento de Microbiología, Escuela Nacional de Ciencias Biológicas, Instituto Politécnico Nacional, Ciudad de México, México
| | - Ernesto Pérez-Rueda
- Instituto de Investigaciones en Matemáticas Aplicadas y en Sistemas, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México, Unidad Académica Yucatán, Mérida, Yucatán, México.,Facultad de Ciencias, Centro de Genómica y Bioinformática, Universidad Mayor, Santiago, Chile
| | - J Antonio Ibarra
- Laboratorio de Genética Microbiana, Departamento de Microbiología, Escuela Nacional de Ciencias Biológicas, Instituto Politécnico Nacional, Ciudad de México, México
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Maucourt B, Vuilleumier S, Bringel F. Transcriptional regulation of organohalide pollutant utilisation in bacteria. FEMS Microbiol Rev 2020; 44:189-207. [PMID: 32011697 DOI: 10.1093/femsre/fuaa002] [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: 05/31/2019] [Accepted: 01/31/2020] [Indexed: 12/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Organohalides are organic molecules formed biotically and abiotically, both naturally and through industrial production. They are usually toxic and represent a health risk for living organisms, including humans. Bacteria capable of degrading organohalides for growth express dehalogenase genes encoding enzymes that cleave carbon-halogen bonds. Such bacteria are of potential high interest for bioremediation of contaminated sites. Dehalogenase genes are often part of gene clusters that may include regulators, accessory genes and genes for transporters and other enzymes of organohalide degradation pathways. Organohalides and their degradation products affect the activity of regulatory factors, and extensive genome-wide modulation of gene expression helps dehalogenating bacteria to cope with stresses associated with dehalogenation, such as intracellular increase of halides, dehalogenase-dependent acid production, organohalide toxicity and misrouting and bottlenecks in metabolic fluxes. This review focuses on transcriptional regulation of gene clusters for dehalogenation in bacteria, as studied in laboratory experiments and in situ. The diversity in gene content, organization and regulation of such gene clusters is highlighted for representative organohalide-degrading bacteria. Selected examples illustrate a key, overlooked role of regulatory processes, often strain-specific, for efficient dehalogenation and productive growth in presence of organohalides.
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Affiliation(s)
- Bruno Maucourt
- Université de Strasbourg, UMR 7156 CNRS, Génétique Moléculaire, Génomique, Microbiologie, Strasbourg, France
| | - Stéphane Vuilleumier
- Université de Strasbourg, UMR 7156 CNRS, Génétique Moléculaire, Génomique, Microbiologie, Strasbourg, France
| | - Françoise Bringel
- Université de Strasbourg, UMR 7156 CNRS, Génétique Moléculaire, Génomique, Microbiologie, Strasbourg, France
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Matarredona L, Camacho M, Zafrilla B, Bonete MJ, Esclapez J. The Role of Stress Proteins in Haloarchaea and Their Adaptive Response to Environmental Shifts. Biomolecules 2020; 10:biom10101390. [PMID: 33003558 PMCID: PMC7601130 DOI: 10.3390/biom10101390] [Citation(s) in RCA: 34] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/31/2020] [Revised: 09/18/2020] [Accepted: 09/24/2020] [Indexed: 12/26/2022] Open
Abstract
Over the years, in order to survive in their natural environment, microbial communities have acquired adaptations to nonoptimal growth conditions. These shifts are usually related to stress conditions such as low/high solar radiation, extreme temperatures, oxidative stress, pH variations, changes in salinity, or a high concentration of heavy metals. In addition, climate change is resulting in these stress conditions becoming more significant due to the frequency and intensity of extreme weather events. The most relevant damaging effect of these stressors is protein denaturation. To cope with this effect, organisms have developed different mechanisms, wherein the stress genes play an important role in deciding which of them survive. Each organism has different responses that involve the activation of many genes and molecules as well as downregulation of other genes and pathways. Focused on salinity stress, the archaeal domain encompasses the most significant extremophiles living in high-salinity environments. To have the capacity to withstand this high salinity without losing protein structure and function, the microorganisms have distinct adaptations. The haloarchaeal stress response protects cells against abiotic stressors through the synthesis of stress proteins. This includes other heat shock stress proteins (Hsp), thermoprotectants, survival proteins, universal stress proteins, and multicellular structures. Gene and family stress proteins are highly conserved among members of the halophilic archaea and their study should continue in order to develop means to improve for biotechnological purposes. In this review, all the mechanisms to cope with stress response by haloarchaea are discussed from a global perspective, specifically focusing on the role played by universal stress proteins.
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Ferrand A, Vergalli J, Pagès JM, Davin-Regli A. An Intertwined Network of Regulation Controls Membrane Permeability Including Drug Influx and Efflux in Enterobacteriaceae. Microorganisms 2020; 8:E833. [PMID: 32492979 PMCID: PMC7355843 DOI: 10.3390/microorganisms8060833] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/13/2020] [Revised: 05/29/2020] [Accepted: 05/31/2020] [Indexed: 12/19/2022] Open
Abstract
The transport of small molecules across membranes is a pivotal step for controlling the drug concentration into the bacterial cell and it efficiently contributes to the antibiotic susceptibility in Enterobacteriaceae. Two types of membrane transports, passive and active, usually represented by porins and efflux pumps, are involved in this process. Importantly, the expression of these transporters and channels are modulated by an armamentarium of tangled regulatory systems. Among them, Helix-turn-Helix (HTH) family regulators (including the AraC/XylS family) and the two-component systems (TCS) play a key role in bacterial adaptation to environmental stresses and can manage a decrease of porin expression associated with an increase of efflux transporters expression. In the present review, we highlight some recent genetic and functional studies that have substantially contributed to our better understanding of the sophisticated mechanisms controlling the transport of small solutes (antibiotics) across the membrane of Enterobacteriaceae. This information is discussed, taking into account the worrying context of clinical antibiotic resistance and fitness of bacterial pathogens. The localization and relevance of mutations identified in the respective regulation cascades in clinical resistant strains are discussed. The possible way to bypass the membrane/transport barriers is described in the perspective of developing new therapeutic targets to combat bacterial resistance.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | | | - Anne Davin-Regli
- UMR_MD1, U-1261, Aix-Marseille University, INSERM, SSA, IRBA, MCT, Faculté de Pharmacie, 27 Bd Jean Moulin, 13385 Marseille CEDEX 05, France; (A.F.); (J.V.); (J.-M.P.)
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39
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Li JW, Zhang XY, Wu H, Bai YP. Transcription Factor Engineering for High-Throughput Strain Evolution and Organic Acid Bioproduction: A Review. Front Bioeng Biotechnol 2020; 8:98. [PMID: 32140463 PMCID: PMC7042172 DOI: 10.3389/fbioe.2020.00098] [Citation(s) in RCA: 20] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/30/2019] [Accepted: 02/03/2020] [Indexed: 01/15/2023] Open
Abstract
Metabolic regulation of gene expression for the microbial production of fine chemicals, such as organic acids, is an important research topic in post-genomic metabolic engineering. In particular, the ability of transcription factors (TFs) to respond precisely in time and space to various small molecules, signals and stimuli from the internal and external environment is essential for metabolic pathway engineering and strain development. As a key component, TFs are used to construct many biosensors in vivo using synthetic biology methods, which can be used to monitor the concentration of intracellular metabolites in organic acid production that would otherwise remain “invisible” within the intracellular environment. TF-based biosensors also provide a high-throughput screening method for rapid strain evolution. Furthermore, TFs are important global regulators that control the expression levels of key enzymes in organic acid biosynthesis pathways, therefore determining the outcome of metabolic networks. Here we review recent advances in TF identification, engineering, and applications for metabolic engineering, with an emphasis on metabolite monitoring and high-throughput strain evolution for the organic acid bioproduction.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jia-Wei Li
- State Key Laboratory of Bioreactor Engineering, East China University of Science and Technology, Shanghai, China
| | - Xiao-Yan Zhang
- State Key Laboratory of Bioreactor Engineering, East China University of Science and Technology, Shanghai, China
| | - Hui Wu
- State Key Laboratory of Bioreactor Engineering, East China University of Science and Technology, Shanghai, China
| | - Yun-Peng Bai
- State Key Laboratory of Bioreactor Engineering, East China University of Science and Technology, Shanghai, China
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40
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Gelsinger DR, Uritskiy G, Reddy R, Munn A, Farney K, DiRuggiero J. Regulatory Noncoding Small RNAs Are Diverse and Abundant in an Extremophilic Microbial Community. mSystems 2020; 5:e00584-19. [PMID: 32019831 PMCID: PMC7002113 DOI: 10.1128/msystems.00584-19] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/11/2019] [Accepted: 01/07/2020] [Indexed: 02/08/2023] Open
Abstract
Regulatory small RNAs (sRNAs) play large-scale and essential roles in many cellular processes across all domains of life. Microbial sRNAs have been extensively studied in model organisms, but very little is known about the dynamics of sRNA synthesis and their roles in the natural environment. In this study, we discovered hundreds of intergenic (itsRNAs) and antisense (asRNAs) sRNAs expressed in an extremophilic microbial community inhabiting halite nodules (salt rocks) in the Atacama Desert. For this, we built SnapT, a new sRNA annotation pipeline that can be applied to any microbial community. We found asRNAs with expression levels negatively correlated with that of their overlapping putative target and itsRNAs that were conserved and significantly differentially expressed between 2 sampling time points. We demonstrated that we could perform target prediction and correlate expression levels between sRNAs and predicted target mRNAs at the community level. Functions of putative mRNA targets reflected the environmental challenges members of the halite communities were subjected to, including osmotic adjustments to a major rain event and competition for nutrients.IMPORTANCE Microorganisms in the natural world are found in communities, communicating and interacting with each other; therefore, it is essential that microbial regulatory mechanisms, such as gene regulation affected by small RNAs (sRNAs), be investigated at the community level. This work demonstrates that metatranscriptomic field experiments can link environmental variation with changes in RNA pools and have the potential to provide new insights into environmental sensing and responses in natural microbial communities through noncoding RNA-mediated gene regulation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Diego R Gelsinger
- Department of Biology, The Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, Maryland, USA
| | - Gherman Uritskiy
- Department of Biology, The Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, Maryland, USA
| | - Rahul Reddy
- Department of Biology, The Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, Maryland, USA
| | - Adam Munn
- Department of Biology, The Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, Maryland, USA
| | - Katie Farney
- Department of Biology, The Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, Maryland, USA
| | - Jocelyne DiRuggiero
- Department of Biology, The Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, Maryland, USA
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41
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Sanchez I, Hernandez-Guerrero R, Mendez-Monroy PE, Martinez-Nuñez MA, Ibarra JA, Pérez-Rueda E. Evaluation of the Abundance of DNA-Binding Transcription Factors in Prokaryotes. Genes (Basel) 2020; 11:genes11010052. [PMID: 31947717 PMCID: PMC7017128 DOI: 10.3390/genes11010052] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/11/2019] [Revised: 12/13/2019] [Accepted: 12/25/2019] [Indexed: 02/03/2023] Open
Abstract
The ability of bacteria and archaea to modulate metabolic process, defensive response, and pathogenic capabilities depend on their repertoire of genes and capacity to regulate the expression of them. Transcription factors (TFs) have fundamental roles in controlling these processes. TFs are proteins dedicated to favor and/or impede the activity of the RNA polymerase. In prokaryotes these proteins have been grouped into families that can be found in most of the different taxonomic divisions. In this work, the association between the expansion patterns of 111 protein regulatory families was systematically evaluated in 1351 non-redundant prokaryotic genomes. This analysis provides insights into the functional and evolutionary constraints imposed on different classes of regulatory factors in bacterial and archaeal organisms. Based on their distribution, we found a relationship between the contents of some TF families and genome size. For example, nine TF families that represent 43.7% of the complete collection of TFs are closely associated with genome size; i.e., in large genomes, members of these families are also abundant, but when a genome is small, such TF family sizes are decreased. In contrast, almost 102 families (56.3% of the collection) do not exhibit or show only a low correlation with the genome size, suggesting that a large proportion of duplication or gene loss events occur independently of the genome size and that various yet-unexplored questions about the evolution of these TF families remain. In addition, we identified a group of families that have a similar distribution pattern across Bacteria and Archaea, suggesting common functional and probable coevolution processes, and a group of families universally distributed among all the genomes. Finally, a specific association between the TF families and their additional domains was identified, suggesting that the families sense specific signals or make specific protein-protein contacts to achieve the regulatory roles.
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Affiliation(s)
- Israel Sanchez
- Instituto de Investigaciones en Matemáticas Aplicadas y en Sistemas, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México, Unidad Académica Yucatán, Mérida.C.P. 97302, Yucatán, Mexico; (I.S.); (R.H.-G.); (P.E.M.-M.)
| | - Rafael Hernandez-Guerrero
- Instituto de Investigaciones en Matemáticas Aplicadas y en Sistemas, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México, Unidad Académica Yucatán, Mérida.C.P. 97302, Yucatán, Mexico; (I.S.); (R.H.-G.); (P.E.M.-M.)
| | - Paul Erick Mendez-Monroy
- Instituto de Investigaciones en Matemáticas Aplicadas y en Sistemas, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México, Unidad Académica Yucatán, Mérida.C.P. 97302, Yucatán, Mexico; (I.S.); (R.H.-G.); (P.E.M.-M.)
| | - Mario Alberto Martinez-Nuñez
- Unidad Académica de Ciencias y Tecnología de Yucatán, UMDI-Sisal. Facultad de Ciencias, UNAM, Mérida C.P. 97302, Yucatán, Mexico;
| | - Jose Antonio Ibarra
- Laboratorio de Genética Microbiana, Departamento de Microbiología, Escuela Nacional de Ciencias Biológicas, Instituto Politécnico Nacional, Ciudad de México C.P. 11340, Mexico;
| | - Ernesto Pérez-Rueda
- Instituto de Investigaciones en Matemáticas Aplicadas y en Sistemas, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México, Unidad Académica Yucatán, Mérida.C.P. 97302, Yucatán, Mexico; (I.S.); (R.H.-G.); (P.E.M.-M.)
- Centro de Genómica y Bioinformática, Facultad de Ciencias, Universidad Mayor, Santiago C.P. 7500000, Chile
- Correspondence: ; Tel.: +52-9994060003 (ext. 7610)
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Hernandez-Guerrero R, Galán-Vásquez E, Pérez-Rueda E. The protein architecture in Bacteria and Archaea identifies a set of promiscuous and ancient domains. PLoS One 2019; 14:e0226604. [PMID: 31856202 PMCID: PMC6922389 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0226604] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/02/2019] [Accepted: 11/29/2019] [Indexed: 11/19/2022] Open
Abstract
In this work, we describe a systematic comparative genomic analysis of promiscuous domains in genomes of Bacteria and Archaea. A quantitative measure of domain promiscuity, the weighted domain architecture score (WDAS), was used and applied to 1317 domains in 1320 genomes of Bacteria and Archaea. A functional analysis associated with the WDAS per genome showed that 18 of 50 functional categories were identified as significantly enriched in the promiscuous domains; in particular, small-molecule binding domains, transferases domains, DNA binding domains (transcription factors), and signal transduction domains were identified as promiscuous. In contrast, non-promiscuous domains were identified as associated with 6 of 50 functional categories, and the category Function unknown was enriched. In addition, the WDASs of 52 domains correlated with genome size, i.e., WDAS values decreased as the genome size increased, suggesting that the number of combinations at larger domains increases, including domains in the superfamilies Winged helix-turn-helix and P-loop-containing nucleoside triphosphate hydrolases. Finally, based on classification of the domains according to their ancestry, we determined that the set of 52 promiscuous domains are also ancient and abundant among all the genomes, in contrast to the non-promiscuous domains. In summary, we consider that the association between these two classes of protein domains (promiscuous and non-promiscuous) provides bacterial and archaeal cells with the ability to respond to diverse environmental challenges.
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Affiliation(s)
- Rafael Hernandez-Guerrero
- Instituto de Investigaciones en Matemáticas Aplicadas y en Sistemas, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México, Unidad Académica Yucatán, Mérida, Yucatán, México
| | - Edgardo Galán-Vásquez
- Departamento de Ingeniería de Sistemas Computacionales y Automatización, Instituto de Investigaciones en Matemáticas Aplicadas y en Sistemas, Ciudad Universitaria, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México, Ciudad de México, México
| | - Ernesto Pérez-Rueda
- Instituto de Investigaciones en Matemáticas Aplicadas y en Sistemas, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México, Unidad Académica Yucatán, Mérida, Yucatán, México
- Centro de Genómica y Bioinformática, Facultad de Ciencias, Universidad Mayor, Santiago, Chile
- * E-mail:
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Galán-Vásquez E, Perez-Rueda E. Identification of Modules With Similar Gene Regulation and Metabolic Functions Based on Co-expression Data. Front Mol Biosci 2019; 6:139. [PMID: 31921888 PMCID: PMC6929668 DOI: 10.3389/fmolb.2019.00139] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/28/2019] [Accepted: 11/18/2019] [Indexed: 12/16/2022] Open
Abstract
Biological systems respond to environmental perturbations and to a large diversity of compounds through gene interactions, and these genetic factors comprise complex networks. In particular, a wide variety of gene co-expression networks have been constructed in recent years thanks to the dramatic increase of experimental information obtained with techniques, such as microarrays and RNA sequencing. These networks allow the identification of groups of co-expressed genes that can function in the same process and, in turn, these networks may be related to biological functions of industrial, medical and academic interest. In this study, gene co-expression networks for 17 bacterial organisms from the COLOMBOS database were analyzed via weighted gene co-expression network analysis and clustered into modules of genes with similar expression patterns for each species. These networks were analyzed to determine relevant modules through a hypergeometric approach based on a set of transcription factors and enzymes for each genome. The richest modules were characterized using PFAM families and KEGG metabolic maps. Additionally, we conducted a Gene Ontology analysis for enrichment of biological functions. Finally, we identified modules that shared similarity through all the studied organisms by using comparative genomics.
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Affiliation(s)
- Edgardo Galán-Vásquez
- Departamento de Ingeniería de Sistemas Computacionales y Automatización, Instituto de Investigaciones en Matemáticas Aplicadas y en Sistemas, Ciudad Universitaria, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México, Ciudad de México, Mexico
| | - Ernesto Perez-Rueda
- Instituto de Investigaciones en Matemáticas Aplicadas y en Sistemas, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México, Unidad Académica Yucatán, Mérida, Mexico.,Centro de Genómica y Bioinformática, Facultad de Ciencias, Universidad Mayor, Santiago, Chile
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Lemmens L, Tilleman L, De Koning E, Valegård K, Lindås AC, Van Nieuwerburgh F, Maes D, Peeters E. YtrA Sa, a GntR-Family Transcription Factor, Represses Two Genetic Loci Encoding Membrane Proteins in Sulfolobus acidocaldarius. Front Microbiol 2019; 10:2084. [PMID: 31552000 PMCID: PMC6746942 DOI: 10.3389/fmicb.2019.02084] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/19/2019] [Accepted: 08/23/2019] [Indexed: 11/25/2022] Open
Abstract
In bacteria, the GntR family is a widespread family of transcription factors responsible for the regulation of a myriad of biological processes. In contrast, despite their occurrence in archaea only a little information is available on the function of GntR-like transcription factors in this domain of life. The thermoacidophilic crenarchaeon Sulfolobus acidocaldarius harbors a GntR-like regulator belonging to the YtrA subfamily, encoded as the first gene in an operon with a second gene encoding a putative membrane protein. Here, we present a detailed characterization of this regulator, named YtrASa, with a focus on regulon determination and mechanistic analysis with regards to DNA binding. Genome-wide chromatin immunoprecipitation and transcriptome experiments, the latter employing a ytrASa overexpression strain, demonstrate that the regulator acts as a repressor on a very restricted regulon, consisting of only two targets including the operon encoding its own gene and a distinct genetic locus encoding another putative membrane protein. For both targets, a conserved 14-bp semi-palindromic binding motif was delineated that covers the transcriptional start site and that is surrounded by additional half-site motifs. The crystallographic structure of YtrASa was determined, revealing a compact dimeric structure in which the DNA-binding motifs are oriented ideally to enable a specific high-affinity interaction with the core binding motif. This study provides new insights into the functioning of a YtrA-like regulator in the archaeal domain of life.
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Affiliation(s)
- Liesbeth Lemmens
- Research Group of Microbiology, Department of Bioengineering Sciences, Vrije Universiteit Brussel, Brussels, Belgium
| | - Laurentijn Tilleman
- Laboratory for Pharmaceutical Biotechnology, Faculty of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Ghent University, Ghent, Belgium
| | - Ezra De Koning
- Research Group of Microbiology, Department of Bioengineering Sciences, Vrije Universiteit Brussel, Brussels, Belgium
| | - Karin Valegård
- Molecular Biophysics, Department of Cell and Molecular Biology, Uppsala University, Uppsala, Sweden
| | - Ann-Christin Lindås
- Department of Molecular Biosciences, The Wenner-Gren Institute, Stockholm University, Stockholm, Sweden
| | - Filip Van Nieuwerburgh
- Laboratory for Pharmaceutical Biotechnology, Faculty of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Ghent University, Ghent, Belgium
| | - Dominique Maes
- Structural Biology Brussels, Department of Bioengineering Sciences, Vrije Universiteit Brussel, Brussels, Belgium
| | - Eveline Peeters
- Research Group of Microbiology, Department of Bioengineering Sciences, Vrije Universiteit Brussel, Brussels, Belgium
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45
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Transcription Regulators in Archaea: Homologies and Differences with Bacterial Regulators. J Mol Biol 2019; 431:4132-4146. [DOI: 10.1016/j.jmb.2019.05.045] [Citation(s) in RCA: 29] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/15/2019] [Revised: 05/08/2019] [Accepted: 05/24/2019] [Indexed: 11/17/2022]
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46
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Bervoets I, Charlier D. Diversity, versatility and complexity of bacterial gene regulation mechanisms: opportunities and drawbacks for applications in synthetic biology. FEMS Microbiol Rev 2019; 43:304-339. [PMID: 30721976 PMCID: PMC6524683 DOI: 10.1093/femsre/fuz001] [Citation(s) in RCA: 87] [Impact Index Per Article: 17.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/27/2018] [Accepted: 01/21/2019] [Indexed: 12/15/2022] Open
Abstract
Gene expression occurs in two essential steps: transcription and translation. In bacteria, the two processes are tightly coupled in time and space, and highly regulated. Tight regulation of gene expression is crucial. It limits wasteful consumption of resources and energy, prevents accumulation of potentially growth inhibiting reaction intermediates, and sustains the fitness and potential virulence of the organism in a fluctuating, competitive and frequently stressful environment. Since the onset of studies on regulation of enzyme synthesis, numerous distinct regulatory mechanisms modulating transcription and/or translation have been discovered. Mostly, various regulatory mechanisms operating at different levels in the flow of genetic information are used in combination to control and modulate the expression of a single gene or operon. Here, we provide an extensive overview of the very diverse and versatile bacterial gene regulatory mechanisms with major emphasis on their combined occurrence, intricate intertwinement and versatility. Furthermore, we discuss the potential of well-characterized basal expression and regulatory elements in synthetic biology applications, where they may ensure orthogonal, predictable and tunable expression of (heterologous) target genes and pathways, aiming at a minimal burden for the host.
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Affiliation(s)
- Indra Bervoets
- Research Group of Microbiology, Department of Bioengineering Sciences, Vrije Universiteit Brussel, Pleinlaan 2, B-1050 Brussels, Belgium
| | - Daniel Charlier
- Research Group of Microbiology, Department of Bioengineering Sciences, Vrije Universiteit Brussel, Pleinlaan 2, B-1050 Brussels, Belgium
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Kribelbauer JF, Rastogi C, Bussemaker HJ, Mann RS. Low-Affinity Binding Sites and the Transcription Factor Specificity Paradox in Eukaryotes. Annu Rev Cell Dev Biol 2019; 35:357-379. [PMID: 31283382 DOI: 10.1146/annurev-cellbio-100617-062719] [Citation(s) in RCA: 110] [Impact Index Per Article: 22.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/20/2022]
Abstract
Eukaryotic transcription factors (TFs) from the same structural family tend to bind similar DNA sequences, despite the ability of these TFs to execute distinct functions in vivo. The cell partly resolves this specificity paradox through combinatorial strategies and the use of low-affinity binding sites, which are better able to distinguish between similar TFs. However, because these sites have low affinity, it is challenging to understand how TFs recognize them in vivo. Here, we summarize recent findings and technological advancements that allow for the quantification and mechanistic interpretation of TF recognition across a wide range of affinities. We propose a model that integrates insights from the fields of genetics and cell biology to provide further conceptual understanding of TF binding specificity. We argue that in eukaryotes, target specificity is driven by an inhomogeneous 3D nuclear distribution of TFs and by variation in DNA binding affinity such that locally elevated TF concentration allows low-affinity binding sites to be functional.
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Affiliation(s)
- Judith F Kribelbauer
- Department of Biological Sciences, Columbia University, New York, NY 10027, USA; .,Department of Systems Biology, Columbia University Irving Medical Center, New York, NY 10031, USA;
| | - Chaitanya Rastogi
- Department of Biological Sciences, Columbia University, New York, NY 10027, USA; .,Department of Systems Biology, Columbia University Irving Medical Center, New York, NY 10031, USA;
| | - Harmen J Bussemaker
- Department of Biological Sciences, Columbia University, New York, NY 10027, USA; .,Department of Systems Biology, Columbia University Irving Medical Center, New York, NY 10031, USA;
| | - Richard S Mann
- Department of Systems Biology, Columbia University Irving Medical Center, New York, NY 10031, USA; .,Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biophysics, Columbia University Irving Medical Center, New York, NY 10031, USA.,Mortimer B. Zuckerman Mind Brain Behavior Institute, Columbia University, New York, NY 10027, USA
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48
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Browning DF, Butala M, Busby SJW. Bacterial Transcription Factors: Regulation by Pick "N" Mix. J Mol Biol 2019; 431:4067-4077. [PMID: 30998934 DOI: 10.1016/j.jmb.2019.04.011] [Citation(s) in RCA: 43] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/05/2019] [Revised: 04/03/2019] [Accepted: 04/08/2019] [Indexed: 10/27/2022]
Abstract
Transcription in most bacteria is tightly regulated in order to facilitate bacterial adaptation to different environments, and transcription factors play a key role in this. Here we give a brief overview of the essential features of bacterial transcription factors and how they affect transcript initiation at target promoters. We focus on complex promoters that are regulated by combinations of activators and repressors, combinations of repressors only, or combinations of activators. At some promoters, transcript initiation is regulated by nucleoid-associated proteins, which often work together with transcription factors. We argue that the distinction between nucleoid-associated proteins and transcription factors is blurred and that they likely share common origins.
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Affiliation(s)
- Douglas F Browning
- Institute of Microbiology and Infection, School of Biosciences, University of Birmingham, Birmingham, B15 2TT, UK
| | - Matej Butala
- Department of Biology, Biotechnical Faculty, University of Ljubljana, Jamnikarjeva 101, 1000 Ljubljana, Slovenia
| | - Stephen J W Busby
- Institute of Microbiology and Infection, School of Biosciences, University of Birmingham, Birmingham, B15 2TT, UK.
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49
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Copp JN, Akiva E, Babbitt PC, Tokuriki N. Revealing Unexplored Sequence-Function Space Using Sequence Similarity Networks. Biochemistry 2018; 57:4651-4662. [PMID: 30052428 DOI: 10.1021/acs.biochem.8b00473] [Citation(s) in RCA: 40] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/28/2022]
Abstract
The rapidly expanding number of protein sequences found in public databases can improve our understanding of how protein functions evolve. However, our current knowledge of protein function likely represents a small fraction of the diverse repertoire that exists in nature. Integrative computational methods can facilitate the discovery of new protein functions and enzymatic reactions through the observation and investigation of the complex sequence-structure-function relationships within protein superfamilies. Here, we highlight the use of sequence similarity networks (SSNs) to identify previously unexplored sequence and function space. We exemplify this approach using the nitroreductase (NTR) superfamily. We demonstrate that SSN investigations can provide a rapid and effective means to classify groups of proteins, therefore exposing experimentally unexplored sequences that may exhibit novel functionality. Integration of such approaches with systematic experimental characterization will expand our understanding of the functional diversity of enzymes and their associated physiological roles.
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Affiliation(s)
- Janine N Copp
- Michael Smith Laboratories , University of British Columbia , 2185 East Mall , Vancouver , British Columbia V6T 1Z4 , Canada
| | - Eyal Akiva
- Department of Bioengineering and Therapeutic Sciences , University of California , San Francisco , California 94158 , United States.,Quantitative Biosciences Institute , University of California , San Francisco , California 94143 , United States
| | - Patricia C Babbitt
- Department of Bioengineering and Therapeutic Sciences , University of California , San Francisco , California 94158 , United States.,Quantitative Biosciences Institute , University of California , San Francisco , California 94143 , United States
| | - Nobuhiko Tokuriki
- Michael Smith Laboratories , University of British Columbia , 2185 East Mall , Vancouver , British Columbia V6T 1Z4 , Canada
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50
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Cogan DP, Baraquet C, Harwood CS, Nair SK. Structural basis of transcriptional regulation by CouR, a repressor of coumarate catabolism, in Rhodopseudomonas palustris. J Biol Chem 2018; 293:11727-11735. [PMID: 29794028 DOI: 10.1074/jbc.ra118.003561] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/19/2018] [Revised: 05/21/2018] [Indexed: 12/13/2022] Open
Abstract
The MarR family transcriptional regulator CouR, from the soil bacterium Rhodopseudomonas palustris CGA009, has recently been shown to negatively regulate a p-coumarate catabolic operon. Unlike most characterized MarR repressors that respond to small metabolites at concentrations in the millimolar range, repression by CouR is alleviated by the 800-Da ligand p-coumaroyl-CoA with high affinity and specificity. Here we report the crystal structures of ligand-free CouR as well as the complex with p-coumaroyl-CoA, each to 2.1-Å resolution, and the 2.85-Å resolution cocrystal structure of CouR bound to an oligonucleotide bearing the cognate DNA operator sequence. In combination with binding experiments that uncover specific residues important for ligand and DNA recognition, these structures provide glimpses of a MarR family repressor in all possible states, providing an understanding of the molecular basis of DNA binding and the conformation alterations that accompany ligand-induced dissociation for activation of the operon.
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Affiliation(s)
- Dillon P Cogan
- From the Department of Biochemistry.,Institute for Genomic Biology, and
| | - Claudine Baraquet
- the Department of Microbiology, University of Washington School of Medicine, Seattle, Washington 98195
| | - Caroline S Harwood
- the Department of Microbiology, University of Washington School of Medicine, Seattle, Washington 98195
| | - Satish K Nair
- From the Department of Biochemistry, .,Institute for Genomic Biology, and.,Center for Biophysics and Computational Biology, University of Illinois at Urbana Champaign, Urbana, Illinois 61801 and
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