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Li S, He H, Zhang Y, Ning X, Ding Z, Zhang L, Li Y, Shi G. Identification of a Novel Lactose-Specific PTS Operon in Bacillus licheniformis and Development of Derivative Artificial Operon Modules. JOURNAL OF AGRICULTURAL AND FOOD CHEMISTRY 2023. [PMID: 37927088 DOI: 10.1021/acs.jafc.3c05307] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/07/2023]
Abstract
Bacillus licheniformis plays a crucial role as a microbial host in the food industry and shows promising potential as a probiotic for human intestinal regulation. It exhibits a remarkable ability to utilize lactose as its sole carbon source. Despite its significance, the lactose-related metabolic pathway in this strain remains unclear. In this study, we identified a novel lactose-specific operon (lacDCAB) in B. licheniformis, consisting of the lacD gene that encodes a unique 6-phospho-β-galactosidase belonging to the GH4 family, and the lacCAB genes encoding a lactose-specific PTS1 system. Notably, we constructed and assessed an array library of transport and catabolic modules specifically for lactose utilization. Among these modules, PDS-lacD-P2-pts1 demonstrated the highest specific lactose consumption rate of 0.64 g/(L·h·OD), which was 8 times higher than that of the control strain. Furthermore, we developed a dual carbon source transport model based on the PDS-lacD-P2-pts1 assembly module, which highlighted efficient coutilization of glucose/sucrose, lactose/sucrose, lactose/galactose, and lactose/2,3-butanediol. This study provides insight into the lactose-specific metabolic pathway of B. licheniformis and presents a promising strategy for enhancing lactose utilization efficiency and mixed carbon source coutilization.
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Affiliation(s)
- Siyu Li
- Key Laboratory of Industrial Biotechnology, Ministry of Education, School of Biotechnology, Jiangnan University, Wuxi 214122, People's Republic of China
- National Engineering Research Center for Cereal Fermentation and Food Biomanufacturing, Jiangnan University, 1800 Lihu Avenue, Wuxi, Jiangsu Province 214122, People's Republic of China
- Jiangsu Provincial Research Center for Bioactive Product Processing Technology, Jiangnan University, Wuxi 214122, People's Republic of China
| | - Hehe He
- Key Laboratory of Industrial Biotechnology, Ministry of Education, School of Biotechnology, Jiangnan University, Wuxi 214122, People's Republic of China
- National Engineering Research Center for Cereal Fermentation and Food Biomanufacturing, Jiangnan University, 1800 Lihu Avenue, Wuxi, Jiangsu Province 214122, People's Republic of China
- Jiangsu Provincial Research Center for Bioactive Product Processing Technology, Jiangnan University, Wuxi 214122, People's Republic of China
| | - Yupeng Zhang
- Key Laboratory of Industrial Biotechnology, Ministry of Education, School of Biotechnology, Jiangnan University, Wuxi 214122, People's Republic of China
- National Engineering Research Center for Cereal Fermentation and Food Biomanufacturing, Jiangnan University, 1800 Lihu Avenue, Wuxi, Jiangsu Province 214122, People's Republic of China
- Jiangsu Provincial Research Center for Bioactive Product Processing Technology, Jiangnan University, Wuxi 214122, People's Republic of China
| | - Xuewei Ning
- Key Laboratory of Industrial Biotechnology, Ministry of Education, School of Biotechnology, Jiangnan University, Wuxi 214122, People's Republic of China
- National Engineering Research Center for Cereal Fermentation and Food Biomanufacturing, Jiangnan University, 1800 Lihu Avenue, Wuxi, Jiangsu Province 214122, People's Republic of China
- Jiangsu Provincial Research Center for Bioactive Product Processing Technology, Jiangnan University, Wuxi 214122, People's Republic of China
| | - Zhongyang Ding
- Key Laboratory of Industrial Biotechnology, Ministry of Education, School of Biotechnology, Jiangnan University, Wuxi 214122, People's Republic of China
- National Engineering Research Center for Cereal Fermentation and Food Biomanufacturing, Jiangnan University, 1800 Lihu Avenue, Wuxi, Jiangsu Province 214122, People's Republic of China
- Jiangsu Provincial Research Center for Bioactive Product Processing Technology, Jiangnan University, Wuxi 214122, People's Republic of China
| | - Liang Zhang
- Key Laboratory of Industrial Biotechnology, Ministry of Education, School of Biotechnology, Jiangnan University, Wuxi 214122, People's Republic of China
- National Engineering Research Center for Cereal Fermentation and Food Biomanufacturing, Jiangnan University, 1800 Lihu Avenue, Wuxi, Jiangsu Province 214122, People's Republic of China
- Jiangsu Provincial Research Center for Bioactive Product Processing Technology, Jiangnan University, Wuxi 214122, People's Republic of China
| | - Youran Li
- Key Laboratory of Industrial Biotechnology, Ministry of Education, School of Biotechnology, Jiangnan University, Wuxi 214122, People's Republic of China
- National Engineering Research Center for Cereal Fermentation and Food Biomanufacturing, Jiangnan University, 1800 Lihu Avenue, Wuxi, Jiangsu Province 214122, People's Republic of China
- Jiangsu Provincial Research Center for Bioactive Product Processing Technology, Jiangnan University, Wuxi 214122, People's Republic of China
| | - Guiyang Shi
- Key Laboratory of Industrial Biotechnology, Ministry of Education, School of Biotechnology, Jiangnan University, Wuxi 214122, People's Republic of China
- National Engineering Research Center for Cereal Fermentation and Food Biomanufacturing, Jiangnan University, 1800 Lihu Avenue, Wuxi, Jiangsu Province 214122, People's Republic of China
- Jiangsu Provincial Research Center for Bioactive Product Processing Technology, Jiangnan University, Wuxi 214122, People's Republic of China
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CRISPR-Cas-Guided Mutagenesis of Chromosome and Virulence Plasmid in Shigella flexneri by Cytosine Base Editing. mSystems 2023; 8:e0104522. [PMID: 36541764 PMCID: PMC9948704 DOI: 10.1128/msystems.01045-22] [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: 12/24/2022] Open
Abstract
Shigella is a Gram-negative bacterium that invades the human gut epithelium. The resulting infection, shigellosis, is the deadliest bacterial diarrheal disease. Much of the information about the genes dictating the pathophysiology of Shigella, both on the chromosome and the virulence plasmid, was obtained by classical reverse genetics. However, technical limitations of the prevalent mutagenesis techniques restrict the generation of mutants in a single reaction to a small number, preventing large-scale targeted mutagenesis of Shigella and the subsequent assessment of phenotype. We adopted a CRISPR-Cas-dependent approach, where a nickase Cas9 and cytidine deaminase fusion is guided by single guide RNA (sgRNA) to introduce targeted C→T transitions, resulting in internal stop codons and premature termination of translation. In proof-of-principle experiments using an mCherry fluorescent reporter, we were able to generate loss-of-function mutants in both Escherichia coli and Shigella flexneri with up to 100% efficacy. Using a modified fluctuation assay, we determined that under optimized conditions, the frequency of untargeted mutations introduced by the Cas9-deaminase fusion was in the same range as spontaneous mutations, making our method a safe choice for bacterial mutagenesis. Furthermore, we programmed the method to mutate well-characterized chromosomal and plasmid-borne Shigella flexneri genes and found the mutant phenotype to be similar to those of the reported gene deletion mutants, with no apparent polar effects at the phenotype level. This method can be used in a 96-well-plate format to increase the throughput and generate an array of targeted loss-of-function mutants in a few days. IMPORTANCE Loss-of-function mutagenesis is critical in understanding the physiological role of genes. Therefore, high-throughput techniques to generate such mutants are important for facilitating the assessment of gene function at a pace that matches systems biology approaches. However, to our knowledge, no such method was available for generating an array of single gene mutants in an important enteropathogen-Shigella. This pathogen causes high morbidity and mortality in children, and antibiotic-resistant strains are quickly emerging. Therefore, determination of the function of unknown Shigella genes is of the utmost importance to develop effective strategies to control infections. Our present work will bridge this gap by providing a rapid method for generating loss-of-function mutants. The highly effective and specific method has the potential to be programmed to generate multiple mutants in a single, massively parallel reaction. By virtue of plasmid compatibility, this method can be extended to other members of Enterobacteriaceae.
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Cheah HL, Ahmed SA, Tang TH. Transcription start site mapping and small RNA profiling of Leptospira biflexa serovar Patoc. World J Microbiol Biotechnol 2023; 39:104. [PMID: 36808011 DOI: 10.1007/s11274-023-03540-4] [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: 11/01/2022] [Accepted: 02/03/2023] [Indexed: 02/23/2023]
Abstract
Leptospirosis is an emerging zoonotic disease caused by bacterial species of the genus Leptospira. However, the regulatory mechanisms and pathways underlying the adaptation of pathogenic and non-pathogenic Leptospira spp. in different environmental conditions remain elusive. Leptospira biflexa is a non-pathogenic species of Leptospira that lives exclusively in a natural environment. It is an ideal model not only for exploring molecular mechanisms underlying the environmental survival of Leptospira species but also for identifying virulence factors unique to Leptospira's pathogenic species. In this study, we aim to establish the transcription start site (TSS) landscape and the small RNA (sRNA) profile of L. biflexa serovar Patoc grown to exponential and stationary phases via differential RNA-seq (dRNA-seq) and small RNA-seq (sRNA-seq) analyses, respectively. Our dRNA-seq analysis uncovered a total of 2726 TSSs, which are also used to identify other elements, e.g., promoter and untranslated regions (UTRs). Besides, our sRNA-seq analysis revealed a total of 603 sRNA candidates, comprising 16 promoter-associated sRNAs, 184 5'UTR-derived sRNAs, 230 true intergenic sRNAs, 136 5'UTR-antisense sRNAs, and 130 open reading frame (ORF)-antisense sRNAs. In summary, these findings reflect the transcriptional complexity of L. biflexa serovar Patoc under different growth conditions and help to facilitate our understanding of regulatory networks in L. biflexa. To the best of our knowledge, this is the first study reporting the TSS landscape of L. biflexa. The TSS and sRNA landscapes of L. biflexa can also be compared with its pathogenic counterparts, e.g., L. borgpetersenii and L. interrogans, to identify features contributing to their environmental survival and virulence.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hong-Leong Cheah
- Advanced Medical & Dental Institute (AMDI), Universiti Sains Malaysia, Bertam, 13200, Kepala Batas, Penang, Malaysia
| | - Siti Aminah Ahmed
- Advanced Medical & Dental Institute (AMDI), Universiti Sains Malaysia, Bertam, 13200, Kepala Batas, Penang, Malaysia
| | - Thean-Hock Tang
- Advanced Medical & Dental Institute (AMDI), Universiti Sains Malaysia, Bertam, 13200, Kepala Batas, Penang, Malaysia.
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Ramos AL, Aquino M, García G, Gaspar M, de la Cruz C, Saavedra-Flores A, Brom S, Cervantes-Rivera R, Galindo-Sánchez CE, Hernandez R, Puhar A, Lupas AN, Sepulveda E. RpuS/R Is a Novel Two-Component Signal Transduction System That Regulates the Expression of the Pyruvate Symporter MctP in Sinorhizobium fredii NGR234. Front Microbiol 2022; 13:871077. [PMID: 35572670 PMCID: PMC9100948 DOI: 10.3389/fmicb.2022.871077] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/07/2022] [Accepted: 04/11/2022] [Indexed: 11/16/2022] Open
Abstract
The SLC5/STAC histidine kinases comprise a recently identified family of sensor proteins in two-component signal transduction systems (TCSTS), in which the signaling domain is fused to an SLC5 solute symporter domain through a STAC domain. Only two members of this family have been characterized experimentally, the CrbS/R system that regulates acetate utilization in Vibrio and Pseudomonas, and the CbrA/B system that regulates the utilization of histidine in Pseudomonas and glucose in Azotobacter. In an attempt to expand the characterized members of this family beyond the Gammaproteobacteria, we identified two putative TCSTS in the Alphaproteobacterium Sinorhizobium fredii NGR234 whose sensor histidine kinases belong to the SLC5/STAC family. Using reverse genetics, we were able to identify the first TCSTS as a CrbS/R homolog that is also needed for growth on acetate, while the second TCSTS, RpuS/R, is a novel system required for optimal growth on pyruvate. Using RNAseq and transcriptional fusions, we determined that in S. fredii the RpuS/R system upregulates the expression of an operon coding for the pyruvate symporter MctP when pyruvate is the sole carbon source. In addition, we identified a conserved DNA sequence motif in the putative promoter region of the mctP operon that is essential for the RpuR-mediated transcriptional activation of genes under pyruvate-utilizing conditions. Finally, we show that S. fredii mutants lacking these TCSTS are affected in nodulation, producing fewer nodules than the parent strain and at a slower rate.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Maria Aquino
- Facultad de Ciencias, Universidad Autónoma de Baja California, Ensenada, Mexico
| | - Gema García
- Facultad de Biología, Universidad Autónoma de Sinaloa, Culiacan, Mexico
| | - Miriam Gaspar
- Facultad de Ciencias, Universidad Autónoma de Baja California, Ensenada, Mexico
| | - Cristina de la Cruz
- Programa de Ingeniería Genómica, Centro de Ciencias Genómicas, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México, Cuernavaca, Mexico
| | - Anaid Saavedra-Flores
- Departamento de Biotecnología Marina, Centro de Investigación Científica y de Educación Superior de Ensenada (CICESE), Ensenada, Mexico
| | - Susana Brom
- Programa de Ingeniería Genómica, Centro de Ciencias Genómicas, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México, Cuernavaca, Mexico
| | - Ramón Cervantes-Rivera
- The Laboratory for Molecular Infection Medicine Sweden (MIMS), Umeå University, Umeå, Sweden
- Umeå Centre for Microbial Research (UCMR), Umeå University, Umeå, Sweden
- Department of Molecular Biology, Umeå University, Umeå, Sweden
| | - Clara Elizabeth Galindo-Sánchez
- Departamento de Biotecnología Marina, Centro de Investigación Científica y de Educación Superior de Ensenada (CICESE), Ensenada, Mexico
| | - Rufina Hernandez
- Departamento de Microbiología, Centro de Investigación Científica y de Educación Superior de Ensenada (CICESE), Ensenada, Mexico
| | - Andrea Puhar
- The Laboratory for Molecular Infection Medicine Sweden (MIMS), Umeå University, Umeå, Sweden
- Umeå Centre for Microbial Research (UCMR), Umeå University, Umeå, Sweden
- Department of Molecular Biology, Umeå University, Umeå, Sweden
| | - Andrei N. Lupas
- Department of Protein Evolution, Max Planck Institute for Biology, Tübingen, Germany
| | - Edgardo Sepulveda
- CONACYT-Departamento de Microbiología, Centro de Investigación Científica y de Educación Superior de Ensenada (CICESE), Ensenada, Mexico
- *Correspondence: Edgardo Sepulveda,
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