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Wienhausen G, Moraru C, Bruns S, Tran DQ, Sultana S, Wilkes H, Dlugosch L, Azam F, Simon M. Ligand cross-feeding resolves bacterial vitamin B 12 auxotrophies. Nature 2024; 629:886-892. [PMID: 38720071 DOI: 10.1038/s41586-024-07396-y] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/03/2021] [Accepted: 04/08/2024] [Indexed: 05/24/2024]
Abstract
Cobalamin (vitamin B12, herein referred to as B12) is an essential cofactor for most marine prokaryotes and eukaryotes1,2. Synthesized by a limited number of prokaryotes, its scarcity affects microbial interactions and community dynamics2-4. Here we show that two bacterial B12 auxotrophs can salvage different B12 building blocks and cooperate to synthesize B12. A Colwellia sp. synthesizes and releases the activated lower ligand α-ribazole, which is used by another B12 auxotroph, a Roseovarius sp., to produce the corrin ring and synthesize B12. Release of B12 by Roseovarius sp. happens only in co-culture with Colwellia sp. and only coincidently with the induction of a prophage encoded in Roseovarius sp. Subsequent growth of Colwellia sp. in these conditions may be due to the provision of B12 by lysed cells of Roseovarius sp. Further evidence is required to support a causative role for prophage induction in the release of B12. These complex microbial interactions of ligand cross-feeding and joint B12 biosynthesis seem to be widespread in marine pelagic ecosystems. In the western and northern tropical Atlantic Ocean, bacteria predicted to be capable of salvaging cobinamide and synthesizing only the activated lower ligand outnumber B12 producers. These findings add new players to our understanding of B12 supply to auxotrophic microorganisms in the ocean and possibly in other ecosystems.
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Affiliation(s)
- Gerrit Wienhausen
- Institute for Chemistry and Biology of the Marine Environment (ICBM), School of Mathematics and Science, Carl von Ossietzky Universität Oldenburg, Oldenburg, Germany.
- Scripps Institution of Oceanography, Marine Biology Research Division, University of California San Diego, La Jolla, CA, USA.
| | - Cristina Moraru
- Institute for Chemistry and Biology of the Marine Environment (ICBM), School of Mathematics and Science, Carl von Ossietzky Universität Oldenburg, Oldenburg, Germany
- Environmental Metagenomics, Research Center One Health Ruhr of the University Alliance Ruhr, Faculty of Chemistry, University of Duisburg-Essen, Essen, Germany
| | - Stefan Bruns
- Institute for Chemistry and Biology of the Marine Environment (ICBM), School of Mathematics and Science, Carl von Ossietzky Universität Oldenburg, Oldenburg, Germany
| | - Den Quoc Tran
- Institute for Chemistry and Biology of the Marine Environment (ICBM), School of Mathematics and Science, Carl von Ossietzky Universität Oldenburg, Oldenburg, Germany
| | - Sabiha Sultana
- Institute for Chemistry and Biology of the Marine Environment (ICBM), School of Mathematics and Science, Carl von Ossietzky Universität Oldenburg, Oldenburg, Germany
| | - Heinz Wilkes
- Institute for Chemistry and Biology of the Marine Environment (ICBM), School of Mathematics and Science, Carl von Ossietzky Universität Oldenburg, Oldenburg, Germany
| | - Leon Dlugosch
- Institute for Chemistry and Biology of the Marine Environment (ICBM), School of Mathematics and Science, Carl von Ossietzky Universität Oldenburg, Oldenburg, Germany
| | - Farooq Azam
- Scripps Institution of Oceanography, Marine Biology Research Division, University of California San Diego, La Jolla, CA, USA
| | - Meinhard Simon
- Institute for Chemistry and Biology of the Marine Environment (ICBM), School of Mathematics and Science, Carl von Ossietzky Universität Oldenburg, Oldenburg, Germany.
- Helmholtz Institute for Functional Marine Biodiversity at the University of Oldenburg (HIFMB), Oldenburg, Germany.
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2
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Availability of vitamin B 12 and its lower ligand intermediate α-ribazole impact prokaryotic and protist communities in oceanic systems. THE ISME JOURNAL 2022; 16:2002-2014. [PMID: 35585186 PMCID: PMC9296465 DOI: 10.1038/s41396-022-01250-7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/12/2021] [Revised: 04/28/2022] [Accepted: 05/06/2022] [Indexed: 01/22/2023]
Abstract
Genome analyses predict that the cofactor cobalamin (vitamin B12, called B12 herein) is produced by only one-third of all prokaryotes but almost all encode at least one B12-dependent enzyme, in most cases methionine synthase. This implies that the majority of prokaryotes relies on exogenous B12 supply and interacts with producers. B12 consists of a corrin ring centred around a cobalt ion and the lower ligand 5’6-dimethylbenzimidazole (DMB). It has never been tested whether availability of this pivotal cofactor, DMB or its intermediate α-ribazole affect growth and composition of prokaryotic microbial communities. Here we show that in the subtropical, equatorial and polar frontal Pacific Ocean supply of B12 and α-ribazole enhances heterotrophic prokaryotic production and alters the composition of prokaryotic and heterotrophic protist communities. In the polar frontal Pacific, the SAR11 clade and Oceanospirillales increased their relative abundances upon B12 supply. In the subtropical Pacific, Oceanospirillales increased their relative abundance upon B12 supply as well but also downregulated the transcription of the btuB gene, encoding the outer membrane permease for B12. Surprisingly, Prochlorococcus, known to produce pseudo-B12 and not B12, exhibited significant upregulation of genes encoding key proteins of photosystem I + II, carbon fixation and nitrate reduction upon B12 supply in the subtropical Pacific. These findings show that availability of B12 and α-ribazole affect growth and composition of prokaryotic and protist communities in oceanic systems thus revealing far-reaching consequences of methionine biosynthesis and other B12-dependent enzymatic reactions on a community level.
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3
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Ali A, Muslim M, Kamaal S, Ahmed A, Ahmad M, Shahid M, Khan JA, Dege N, Javed S, Mashrai A. Crystal structure, Hirshfeld and electronic transition analysis of 2-[(1 H-benzimidazol-1-yl)meth-yl]benzoic acid. Acta Crystallogr E Crystallogr Commun 2021; 77:755-758. [PMID: 34513025 PMCID: PMC8382057 DOI: 10.1107/s2056989021006435] [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: 04/15/2021] [Accepted: 06/21/2021] [Indexed: 11/16/2022]
Abstract
In the title compound, C15H12N2O2, the benzimidazole ring system is inclined to the benzene ring by 78.04 (10)°. The crystal structure features O-H⋯N and C-H⋯O hydrogen bonding and C-H⋯π and π-π inter-actions, which were investigated using Hirshfeld surface analysis.
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Affiliation(s)
- Arif Ali
- Department of Applied Chemistry, Faculty of Engineering and Technology, ZHCET, Aligarh Muslim University, Aligarh 202002 (UP), India
| | - Mohd Muslim
- Department of Applied Chemistry, Faculty of Engineering and Technology, ZHCET, Aligarh Muslim University, Aligarh 202002 (UP), India
| | - Saima Kamaal
- Department of Applied Chemistry, Faculty of Engineering and Technology, ZHCET, Aligarh Muslim University, Aligarh 202002 (UP), India
| | - Adeeba Ahmed
- Department of Applied Chemistry, Faculty of Engineering and Technology, ZHCET, Aligarh Muslim University, Aligarh 202002 (UP), India
| | - Musheer Ahmad
- Department of Applied Chemistry, Faculty of Engineering and Technology, ZHCET, Aligarh Muslim University, Aligarh 202002 (UP), India
| | - M. Shahid
- Functional Inorganic Materials Lab (FIML), Department of Chemistry, Aligarh, Muslim University, Aligarh 202002, India
| | - Jamal A. Khan
- Department of Applied Chemistry, Faculty of Engineering and Technology, ZHCET, Aligarh Muslim University, Aligarh 202002 (UP), India
| | - Necmi Dege
- Ondokuz Mayis University, Faculty of Arts and Sciences, Department of, Physics,55139 Samsun, Turkey
| | - Saleem Javed
- Department of Chemistry, Institute of H. Science, Dr. Bhimrao Ambedkar, University, Agra 282002, U. P., India
| | - Ashraf Mashrai
- Department of Pharmacy, University of Science and Technology, Ibb branch, Yemen
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4
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Sokolovskaya OM, Shelton AN, Taga ME. Sharing vitamins: Cobamides unveil microbial interactions. Science 2020; 369:369/6499/eaba0165. [PMID: 32631870 DOI: 10.1126/science.aba0165] [Citation(s) in RCA: 100] [Impact Index Per Article: 25.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/13/2022]
Abstract
Microbial communities are essential to fundamental processes on Earth. Underlying the compositions and functions of these communities are nutritional interdependencies among individual species. One class of nutrients, cobamides (the family of enzyme cofactors that includes vitamin B12), is widely used for a variety of microbial metabolic functions, but these structurally diverse cofactors are synthesized by only a subset of bacteria and archaea. Advances at different scales of study-from individual isolates, to synthetic consortia, to complex communities-have led to an improved understanding of cobamide sharing. Here, we discuss how cobamides affect microbes at each of these three scales and how integrating different approaches leads to a more complete understanding of microbial interactions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Olga M Sokolovskaya
- Department of Plant & Microbial Biology, University of California, Berkeley, Berkeley, CA, USA
| | - Amanda N Shelton
- Department of Plant & Microbial Biology, University of California, Berkeley, Berkeley, CA, USA
| | - Michiko E Taga
- Department of Plant & Microbial Biology, University of California, Berkeley, Berkeley, CA, USA.
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5
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Flexible Cobamide Metabolism in Clostridioides ( Clostridium) difficile 630 Δ erm. J Bacteriol 2020; 202:JB.00584-19. [PMID: 31685533 DOI: 10.1128/jb.00584-19] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/13/2019] [Accepted: 10/26/2019] [Indexed: 01/05/2023] Open
Abstract
Clostridioides (Clostridium) difficile is an opportunistic pathogen known for its ability to colonize the human gut under conditions of dysbiosis. Several aspects of its carbon and amino acid metabolism have been investigated, but its cobamide (vitamin B12 and related cofactors) metabolism remains largely unexplored. C. difficile has seven predicted cobamide-dependent pathways encoded in its genome in addition to a nearly complete cobamide biosynthesis pathway and a cobamide uptake system. To address the importance of cobamides to C. difficile, we studied C. difficile 630 Δerm and mutant derivatives under cobamide-dependent conditions in vitro Our results show that C. difficile can use a surprisingly diverse array of cobamides for methionine and deoxyribonucleotide synthesis and can use alternative metabolites or enzymes, respectively, to bypass these cobamide-dependent processes. C. difficile 630 Δerm produces the cobamide pseudocobalamin when provided the early precursor 5-aminolevulinic acid or the late intermediate cobinamide (Cbi) and produces other cobamides if provided an alternative lower ligand. The ability of C. difficile 630 Δerm to take up cobamides and Cbi at micromolar or lower concentrations requires the transporter BtuFCD. Genomic analysis revealed genetic variations in the btuFCD loci of different C. difficile strains, which may result in differences in the ability to take up cobamides and Cbi. These results together demonstrate that, like other aspects of its physiology, cobamide metabolism in C. difficile is versatile.IMPORTANCE The ability of the opportunistic pathogen Clostridioides difficile to cause disease is closely linked to its propensity to adapt to conditions created by dysbiosis of the human gut microbiota. The cobamide (vitamin B12) metabolism of C. difficile has been underexplored, although it has seven metabolic pathways that are predicted to require cobamide-dependent enzymes. Here, we show that C. difficile cobamide metabolism is versatile, as it can use a surprisingly wide variety of cobamides and has alternative functions that can bypass some of its cobamide requirements. Furthermore, C. difficile does not synthesize cobamides de novo but produces them when given cobamide precursors. A better understanding of C. difficile cobamide metabolism may lead to new strategies to treat and prevent C. difficile-associated disease.
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6
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Ma AT, Tyrell B, Beld J. Specificity of cobamide remodeling, uptake and utilization in Vibrio cholerae. Mol Microbiol 2019; 113:89-102. [PMID: 31609521 DOI: 10.1111/mmi.14402] [Citation(s) in RCA: 18] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 10/11/2019] [Indexed: 12/11/2022]
Abstract
Cobamides are a group of compounds including vitamin B12 that can vary at the lower base position of the nucleotide loop. They are synthesized de novo by only a subset of prokaryotes, but some organisms encode partial biosynthesis pathways for converting one variant to another (remodeling) or completing biosynthesis from an intermediate (corrinoid salvaging). Here, we explore the cobamide specificity in Vibrio cholerae through examination of three natural variants representing major cobamide groups: commercially available cobalamin, and isolated pseudocobalamin and p-cresolylcobamide. We show that BtuB, the outer membrane corrinoid transporter, mediates the uptake of all three variants and the intermediate cobinamide. Our previous work suggested that V. cholerae could convert pseudocobalamin produced by cyanobacteria into cobalamin. In this work, cobamide specificity in V. cholerae is demonstrated by remodeling of pseudocobalamin and salvaging of cobinamide to produce cobalamin. Cobamide remodeling in V. cholerae is distinct from the canonical pathway requiring amidohydrolase CbiZ, and heterologous expression of V. cholerae CobS was sufficient for remodeling. Furthermore, function of V. cholerae cobamide-dependent methionine synthase MetH was robustly supported by cobalamin and p-cresolylcobamide, but not pseudocobalamin. Notably, the inability of V. cholerae to produce and utilize pseudocobalamin contrasts with enteric bacteria like Salmonella.
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Affiliation(s)
- Amy T Ma
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, Drexel University College of Medicine, Philadelphia, PA, 19102, USA
| | - Breanna Tyrell
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, Drexel University College of Medicine, Philadelphia, PA, 19102, USA
| | - Joris Beld
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, Drexel University College of Medicine, Philadelphia, PA, 19102, USA
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7
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Metagenomic and chemical characterization of soil cobalamin production. ISME JOURNAL 2019; 14:53-66. [PMID: 31492962 PMCID: PMC6908642 DOI: 10.1038/s41396-019-0502-0] [Citation(s) in RCA: 42] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/18/2019] [Revised: 07/15/2019] [Accepted: 07/31/2019] [Indexed: 01/01/2023]
Abstract
Cobalamin (vitamin B12) is an essential enzyme cofactor for most branches of life. Despite the potential importance of this cofactor for soil microbial communities, the producers and consumers of cobalamin in terrestrial environments are still unknown. Here we provide the first metagenome-based assessment of soil cobalamin-producing bacteria and archaea, quantifying and classifying genes encoding proteins for cobalamin biosynthesis, transport, remodeling, and dependency in 155 soil metagenomes with profile hidden Markov models. We also measured several forms of cobalamin (CN-, Me-, OH-, Ado-B12) and the cobalamin lower ligand (5,6-dimethylbenzimidazole; DMB) in 40 diverse soil samples. Metagenomic analysis revealed that less than 10% of soil bacteria and archaea encode the genetic potential for de novo synthesis of this important enzyme cofactor. Predominant soil cobalamin producers were associated with the Proteobacteria, Actinobacteria, Firmicutes, Nitrospirae, and Thaumarchaeota. In contrast, a much larger proportion of abundant soil genera lacked cobalamin synthesis genes and instead were associated with gene sequences encoding cobalamin transport and cobalamin-dependent enzymes. The enrichment of DMB and corresponding DMB synthesis genes, relative to corrin ring synthesis genes, suggests an important role for cobalamin remodelers in terrestrial habitats. Together, our results indicate that microbial cobalamin production and repair serve as keystone functions that are significantly correlated with microbial community size, diversity, and biogeochemistry of terrestrial ecosystems.
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8
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Schubert T, von Reuß SH, Kunze C, Paetz C, Kruse S, Brand‐Schön P, Nelly AM, Nüske J, Diekert G. Guided cobamide biosynthesis for heterologous production of reductive dehalogenases. Microb Biotechnol 2019; 12:346-359. [PMID: 30549216 PMCID: PMC6389850 DOI: 10.1111/1751-7915.13339] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/15/2018] [Revised: 10/23/2018] [Accepted: 10/30/2018] [Indexed: 12/01/2022] Open
Abstract
Cobamides (Cbas) are essential cofactors of reductive dehalogenases (RDases) in organohalide-respiring bacteria (OHRB). Changes in the Cba structure can influence RDase function. Here, we report on the cofactor versatility or selectivity of Desulfitobacterium RDases produced either in the native organism or heterologously. The susceptibility of Desulfitobacterium hafniense strain DCB-2 to guided Cba biosynthesis (i.e. incorporation of exogenous Cba lower ligand base precursors) was analysed. Exogenous benzimidazoles, azabenzimidazoles and 4,5-dimethylimidazole were incorporated by the organism into Cbas. When the type of Cba changed, no effect on the turnover rate of the 3-chloro-4-hydroxy-phenylacetate-converting enzyme RdhA6 and the 3,5-dichlorophenol-dehalogenating enzyme RdhA3 was observed. The impact of the amendment of Cba lower ligand precursors on RDase function was also investigated in Shimwellia blattae, the Cba producer used for the heterologous production of Desulfitobacterium RDases. The recombinant tetrachloroethene RDase (PceAY51 ) appeared to be non-selective towards different Cbas. However, the functional production of the 1,2-dichloroethane-dihaloeliminating enzyme (DcaA) of Desulfitobacterium dichloroeliminans was completely prevented in cells producing 5,6-dimethylbenzimidazolyl-Cba, but substantially enhanced in cells that incorporated 5-methoxybenzimidazole into the Cba cofactor. The results of the study indicate the utilization of a range of different Cbas by Desulfitobacterium RDases with selected representatives apparently preferring distinct Cbas.
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Affiliation(s)
- Torsten Schubert
- Department of Applied and Ecological MicrobiologyInstitute of MicrobiologyFriedrich Schiller UniversityPhilosophenweg 12D‐07743JenaGermany
| | - Stephan H. von Reuß
- Department of Bioorganic ChemistryMax Planck Institute for Chemical EcologyHans‐Knöll‐Straße 8D‐07745JenaGermany
- Present address:
Laboratory for Bioanalytical ChemistryInstitute of ChemistryUniversity of NeuchâtelAvenue de Bellevaux 512000NeuchâtelSwitzerland
| | - Cindy Kunze
- Department of Applied and Ecological MicrobiologyInstitute of MicrobiologyFriedrich Schiller UniversityPhilosophenweg 12D‐07743JenaGermany
- Present address:
DECHEMA‐ForschungsinstitutTheodor‐Heuss‐Allee 25D‐60486Frankfurt am MainGermany
| | - Christian Paetz
- Research Group Biosynthesis/NMRMax Planck Institute for Chemical EcologyHans‐Knöll‐Straße 8D‐07745JenaGermany
| | - Stefan Kruse
- Department of Applied and Ecological MicrobiologyInstitute of MicrobiologyFriedrich Schiller UniversityPhilosophenweg 12D‐07743JenaGermany
| | - Peggy Brand‐Schön
- Department of Applied and Ecological MicrobiologyInstitute of MicrobiologyFriedrich Schiller UniversityPhilosophenweg 12D‐07743JenaGermany
| | - Anita Mac Nelly
- Department of Applied and Ecological MicrobiologyInstitute of MicrobiologyFriedrich Schiller UniversityPhilosophenweg 12D‐07743JenaGermany
| | - Jörg Nüske
- Department of Applied and Ecological MicrobiologyInstitute of MicrobiologyFriedrich Schiller UniversityPhilosophenweg 12D‐07743JenaGermany
| | - Gabriele Diekert
- Department of Applied and Ecological MicrobiologyInstitute of MicrobiologyFriedrich Schiller UniversityPhilosophenweg 12D‐07743JenaGermany
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9
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Uneven distribution of cobamide biosynthesis and dependence in bacteria predicted by comparative genomics. ISME JOURNAL 2018; 13:789-804. [PMID: 30429574 PMCID: PMC6461909 DOI: 10.1038/s41396-018-0304-9] [Citation(s) in RCA: 130] [Impact Index Per Article: 21.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/07/2018] [Revised: 09/14/2018] [Accepted: 10/04/2018] [Indexed: 11/08/2022]
Abstract
The vitamin B12 family of cofactors known as cobamides are essential for a variety of microbial metabolisms. We used comparative genomics of 11,000 bacterial species to analyze the extent and distribution of cobamide production and use across bacteria. We find that 86% of bacteria in this data set have at least one of 15 cobamide-dependent enzyme families, but only 37% are predicted to synthesize cobamides de novo. The distribution of cobamide biosynthesis and use vary at the phylum level. While 57% of Actinobacteria are predicted to biosynthesize cobamides, only 0.6% of Bacteroidetes have the complete pathway, yet 96% of species in this phylum have cobamide-dependent enzymes. The form of cobamide produced by the bacteria could be predicted for 58% of cobamide-producing species, based on the presence of signature lower ligand biosynthesis and attachment genes. Our predictions also revealed that 17% of bacteria have partial biosynthetic pathways, yet have the potential to salvage cobamide precursors. Bacteria with a partial cobamide biosynthesis pathway include those in a newly defined, experimentally verified category of bacteria lacking the first step in the biosynthesis pathway. These predictions highlight the importance of cobamide and cobamide precursor salvaging as examples of nutritional dependencies in bacteria.
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10
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Hahnel SR, Zdraljevic S, Rodriguez BC, Zhao Y, McGrath PT, Andersen EC. Extreme allelic heterogeneity at a Caenorhabditis elegans beta-tubulin locus explains natural resistance to benzimidazoles. PLoS Pathog 2018; 14:e1007226. [PMID: 30372484 PMCID: PMC6224181 DOI: 10.1371/journal.ppat.1007226] [Citation(s) in RCA: 60] [Impact Index Per Article: 10.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/16/2018] [Revised: 11/08/2018] [Accepted: 10/01/2018] [Indexed: 12/22/2022] Open
Abstract
Benzimidazoles (BZ) are essential components of the limited chemotherapeutic arsenal available to control the global burden of parasitic nematodes. The emerging threat of BZ resistance among multiple nematode species necessitates the development of novel strategies to identify genetic and molecular mechanisms underlying this resistance. All detection of parasitic helminth resistance to BZ is focused on the genotyping of three variant sites in the orthologs of the β-tubulin gene found to confer resistance in the free-living nematode Caenorhabditis elegans. Because of the limitations of laboratory and field experiments in parasitic nematodes, it is difficult to look beyond these three sites to identify additional mechanisms that might contribute to BZ resistance in the field. Here, we took an unbiased genome-wide mapping approach in the free-living nematode species C. elegans to identify the genetic underpinnings of natural resistance to the commonly used BZ, albendazole (ABZ). We found a wide range of natural variation in ABZ resistance in natural C. elegans populations. In agreement with known mechanisms of BZ resistance in parasites, we found that a majority of the variation in ABZ resistance among wild C. elegans strains is caused by variation in the β-tubulin gene ben-1. This result shows empirically that resistance to ABZ naturally exists and segregates within the C. elegans population, suggesting that selection in natural niches could enrich for resistant alleles. We identified 25 distinct ben-1 alleles that are segregating at low frequencies within the C. elegans population, including many novel molecular variants. Population genetic analyses indicate that ben-1 variation arose multiple times during the evolutionary history of C. elegans and provide evidence that these alleles likely occurred recently because of local selective pressures. Additionally, we find purifying selection at all five β-tubulin genes, despite predicted loss-of-function variants in ben-1, indicating that BZ resistance in natural niches is a stronger selective pressure than loss of one β-tubulin gene. Furthermore, we used genome-editing to show that the most common parasitic nematode β-tubulin allele that confers BZ resistance, F200Y, confers resistance in C. elegans. Importantly, we identified a novel genomic region that is correlated with ABZ resistance in the C. elegans population but independent of ben-1 and the other β-tubulin loci, suggesting that there are multiple mechanisms underlying BZ resistance. Taken together, our results establish a population-level resource of nematode natural diversity as an important model for the study of mechanisms that give rise to BZ resistance.
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Affiliation(s)
- Steffen R. Hahnel
- Department of Molecular Biosciences, Northwestern University, Evanston, IL, United States of America
| | - Stefan Zdraljevic
- Department of Molecular Biosciences, Northwestern University, Evanston, IL, United States of America
- Interdisciplinary Biological Sciences Program, Northwestern University, Evanston, IL, United States of America
| | - Briana C. Rodriguez
- Department of Molecular Biosciences, Northwestern University, Evanston, IL, United States of America
| | - Yuehui Zhao
- School of Biology, Georgia Institute of Technology, Atlanta, Georgia, United States of America
| | - Patrick T. McGrath
- School of Biology, Georgia Institute of Technology, Atlanta, Georgia, United States of America
| | - Erik C. Andersen
- Department of Molecular Biosciences, Northwestern University, Evanston, IL, United States of America
- Interdisciplinary Biological Sciences Program, Northwestern University, Evanston, IL, United States of America
- Robert H. Lurie Comprehensive Cancer Center of Northwestern University, Chicago, IL, United States of America
- * E-mail:
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11
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Mattes TA, Escalante-Semerena JC. Facile isolation of α-ribazole from vitamin B 12 hydrolysates using boronate affinity chromatography. J Chromatogr B Analyt Technol Biomed Life Sci 2018; 1090:52-55. [PMID: 29783174 DOI: 10.1016/j.jchromb.2018.05.022] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/16/2018] [Revised: 04/12/2018] [Accepted: 05/15/2018] [Indexed: 12/27/2022]
Abstract
Alpha-ribazole (α-R) is a unique riboside found in the nucleotide loop of coenzyme B12 (CoB12). α-R is not an intermediate of the de novo biosynthetic pathway of coenzyme B12, but some bacteria of the phylum Firmicutes have evolved a two-protein system (transporter, kinase) that scavenges α-R from the environment and converts it to the pathway intermediate α-RP. Since α-R is not commercially available, one must either synthesize α-R, or isolate it from hydrolysates of vitamin B12 (cyano-B12, CNB12), so the function of the above-mentioned proteins can be studied. Here we report a facile protocol for the isolation of α-R from CNB12 hydrolysates. CNB12 dissolved in NaOH (5 M) was heated to 85 °C for 75 min, then cooled to 4 °C for 30 min. The solution was neutralized with HCl (5 M), and the hydrolysate was diluted with an equal volume of ammonium acetate (0.3 M, pH 8.8). Alkaline phosphatase was added and the mixture was incubated at 37 °C for 16 h. After incubation, the sample was loaded onto a boronate affinity resin column, washed with ammonium sulfate (0.3 M, pH 8.8), water (to remove residual corrinoids) and finally with formic acid (0.1 M) to release (α-R). Formic acid was removed by lyophilization, and the final yield of α-R was 85% from the theoretically recoverable amount. Methods for quantifying the concentration of α-R are reported.
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Affiliation(s)
- Theodoric A Mattes
- Department of Microbiology, University of Georgia, Athens, GA 30602, USA
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12
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Figueroa IA, Barnum TP, Somasekhar PY, Carlström CI, Engelbrektson AL, Coates JD. Metagenomics-guided analysis of microbial chemolithoautotrophic phosphite oxidation yields evidence of a seventh natural CO 2 fixation pathway. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A 2018; 115:E92-E101. [PMID: 29183985 PMCID: PMC5776814 DOI: 10.1073/pnas.1715549114] [Citation(s) in RCA: 74] [Impact Index Per Article: 12.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/18/2022] Open
Abstract
Dissimilatory phosphite oxidation (DPO), a microbial metabolism by which phosphite (HPO32-) is oxidized to phosphate (PO43-), is the most energetically favorable chemotrophic electron-donating process known. Only one DPO organism has been described to date, and little is known about the environmental relevance of this metabolism. In this study, we used 16S rRNA gene community analysis and genome-resolved metagenomics to characterize anaerobic wastewater treatment sludge enrichments performing DPO coupled to CO2 reduction. We identified an uncultivated DPO bacterium, Candidatus Phosphitivorax (Ca. P.) anaerolimi strain Phox-21, that belongs to candidate order GW-28 within the Deltaproteobacteria, which has no known cultured isolates. Genes for phosphite oxidation and for CO2 reduction to formate were found in the genome of Ca. P. anaerolimi, but it appears to lack any of the known natural carbon fixation pathways. These observations led us to propose a metabolic model for autotrophic growth by Ca. P. anaerolimi whereby DPO drives CO2 reduction to formate, which is then assimilated into biomass via the reductive glycine pathway.
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Affiliation(s)
- Israel A Figueroa
- Department of Plant and Microbial Biology, University of California, Berkeley, CA 94720
| | - Tyler P Barnum
- Department of Plant and Microbial Biology, University of California, Berkeley, CA 94720
| | - Pranav Y Somasekhar
- Department of Plant and Microbial Biology, University of California, Berkeley, CA 94720
| | - Charlotte I Carlström
- Department of Plant and Microbial Biology, University of California, Berkeley, CA 94720
| | - Anna L Engelbrektson
- Department of Plant and Microbial Biology, University of California, Berkeley, CA 94720
| | - John D Coates
- Department of Plant and Microbial Biology, University of California, Berkeley, CA 94720
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13
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Mattes TA, Escalante-Semerena JC. Salmonella enterica synthesizes 5,6-dimethylbenzimidazolyl-(DMB)-α-riboside. Why some Firmicutes do not require the canonical DMB activation system to synthesize adenosylcobalamin. Mol Microbiol 2016; 103:269-281. [PMID: 27748967 DOI: 10.1111/mmi.13555] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 10/09/2016] [Indexed: 01/01/2023]
Abstract
5,6-Dimethylbenzimidazolyl-(DMB)-α-ribotide [α-ribazole-5'-phosphate (α-RP)] is an intermediate in the biosynthesis of adenosylcobalamin (AdoCbl) in many prokaryotes. In such microbes, α-RP is synthesized by nicotinate mononucleotide (NaMN):DMB phosphoribosyltransferases (CobT in Salmonella enterica), in a reaction that is considered to be the canonical step for the activation of the base of the nucleotide present in adenosylcobamides. Some Firmicutes lack CobT-type enzymes but have a two-protein system comprised of a transporter (i.e., CblT) and a kinase (i.e., CblS) that can salvage exogenous α-ribazole (α-R) from the environment using CblT to take up α-R, followed by α-R phosphorylation by CblS. We report that Geobacillus kaustophilus CblT and CblS proteins restore α-RP synthesis in S. enterica lacking the CobT enzyme. We also show that a S. enterica cobT strain that synthesizes GkCblS ectopically makes only AdoCbl, even under growth conditions where the synthesis of pseudoCbl is favored. Our results indicate that S. enterica synthesizes α-R, a metabolite that had not been detected in this bacterium and that GkCblS has a strong preference for DMB-ribose over adenine-ribose as substrate. We propose that in some Firmicutes DMB is activated to α-RP via α-R using an as-yet-unknown route to convert DMB to α-R and CblS to convert α-R to α-RP.
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Affiliation(s)
- Theodoric A Mattes
- Department of Microbiology, University of Georgia, Athens, GA, 30602, USA
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14
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Abreu NA, Taga ME. Decoding molecular interactions in microbial communities. FEMS Microbiol Rev 2016; 40:648-63. [PMID: 27417261 DOI: 10.1093/femsre/fuw019] [Citation(s) in RCA: 48] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 06/06/2016] [Indexed: 12/21/2022] Open
Abstract
Microbial communities govern numerous fundamental processes on earth. Discovering and tracking molecular interactions among microbes is critical for understanding how single species and complex communities impact their associated host or natural environment. While recent technological developments in DNA sequencing and functional imaging have led to new and deeper levels of understanding, we are limited now by our inability to predict and interpret the intricate relationships and interspecies dependencies within these communities. In this review, we highlight the multifaceted approaches investigators have taken within their areas of research to decode interspecies molecular interactions that occur between microbes. Understanding these principles can give us greater insight into ecological interactions in natural environments and within synthetic consortia.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nicole A Abreu
- Department of Plant and Microbial Biology, University of California, Berkeley, CA 94720-3102, USA
| | - Michiko E Taga
- Department of Plant and Microbial Biology, University of California, Berkeley, CA 94720-3102, USA
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15
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Helliwell KE, Lawrence AD, Holzer A, Kudahl UJ, Sasso S, Kräutler B, Scanlan DJ, Warren MJ, Smith AG. Cyanobacteria and Eukaryotic Algae Use Different Chemical Variants of Vitamin B12. Curr Biol 2016; 26:999-1008. [PMID: 27040778 PMCID: PMC4850488 DOI: 10.1016/j.cub.2016.02.041] [Citation(s) in RCA: 136] [Impact Index Per Article: 17.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/04/2016] [Revised: 02/15/2016] [Accepted: 02/17/2016] [Indexed: 01/04/2023]
Abstract
Eukaryotic microalgae and prokaryotic cyanobacteria are the major components of the phytoplankton. Determining factors that govern growth of these primary producers, and how they interact, is therefore essential to understanding aquatic ecosystem productivity. Over half of microalgal species representing marine and freshwater habitats require for growth the corrinoid cofactor B12, which is synthesized de novo only by certain prokaryotes, including the majority of cyanobacteria. There are several chemical variants of B12, which are not necessarily functionally interchangeable. Cobalamin, the form bioavailable to humans, has as its lower axial ligand 5,6-dimethylbenzimidazole (DMB). Here, we show that the abundant marine cyanobacterium Synechococcus synthesizes only pseudocobalamin, in which the lower axial ligand is adenine. Moreover, bioinformatic searches of over 100 sequenced cyanobacterial genomes for B12 biosynthesis genes, including those involved in nucleotide loop assembly, suggest this is the form synthesized by cyanobacteria more broadly. We further demonstrate that pseudocobalamin is several orders of magnitude less bioavailable than cobalamin to several B12-dependent microalgae representing diverse lineages. This indicates that the two major phytoplankton groups use a different B12 currency. However, in an intriguing twist, some microalgal species can use pseudocobalamin if DMB is provided, suggesting that they are able to remodel the cofactor, whereas Synechococcus cannot. This species-specific attribute implicates algal remodelers as novel and keystone players of the B12 cycle, transforming our perception of the dynamics and complexity of the flux of this nutrient in aquatic ecosystems. Dominant marine cyanobacteria synthesize only pseudocobalamin Pseudocobalamin is orders of magnitude less bioavailable to eukaryotic algae Certain algae can remodel pseudocobalamin to a bioavailable form This implies a complex B12 cycle between microbes in the photic zone
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | - Andre Holzer
- Department of Plant Sciences, University of Cambridge, Cambridge CB2 3EA, UK; Institute of Pharmacy and Molecular Biotechnology, Ruprecht-Karls University Heidelberg, Im Neuenheimer Feld 364, 69120 Heidelberg, Germany
| | - Ulrich Johan Kudahl
- Department of Plant Sciences, University of Cambridge, Cambridge CB2 3EA, UK
| | - Severin Sasso
- Department of Plant Sciences, University of Cambridge, Cambridge CB2 3EA, UK
| | - Bernhard Kräutler
- Institute of Organic Chemistry and Centre of Molecular Biosciences, University of Innsbruck, Innrain 80/82, 6020 Innsbruck, Austria
| | | | | | - Alison Gail Smith
- Department of Plant Sciences, University of Cambridge, Cambridge CB2 3EA, UK.
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