1
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Demuysere M, Ducret A, Grangeasse C. Molecular dissection of the chromosome partitioning protein RocS and regulation by phosphorylation. J Bacteriol 2024:e0029124. [PMID: 39315781 DOI: 10.1128/jb.00291-24] [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: 07/25/2024] [Accepted: 09/10/2024] [Indexed: 09/25/2024] Open
Abstract
Chromosome segregation in bacteria is a critical process ensuring that each daughter cell receives an accurate copy of the genetic material during cell division. Active segregation factors, such as the ParABS system or SMC complexes, are usually essential for this process, but they are surprisingly dispensable in Streptococcus pneumoniae. Rather, chromosome segregation in S. pneumoniae relies on the protein Regulator of Chromosome Segregation (RocS), although the molecular mechanisms involved remain elusive. By combining genetics, in vivo imaging, and biochemical approaches, we dissected the molecular features of RocS involved in chromosome segregation. We investigated the respective functions of the three RocS domains, specifically the C-terminal amphipathic helix (AH), the N-terminal DNA-binding domain (DBD), and the coiled-coil domain (CCD) separating the AH and the DBD. Notably, we found that a single AH is not sufficient for membrane binding and that RocS requires prior oligomerization to interact with the membrane. We further demonstrated that this self-interaction was driven by the N-terminal part of the CCD. On the other hand, we revealed that the C-terminal part of the CCD corresponds to a domain of unknown function (DUF 536) and is defined by three conserved glutamines, which play a crucial role in RocS-mediated chromosome segregation. Finally, we showed that the DBD is phosphorylated by the unique serine-threonine kinase of S. pneumoniae StkP and that mimicking this phosphorylation abrogated RocS binding to DNA. Overall, this study offers new insights into chromosome segregation in Streptococci and paves the way for a deeper understanding of RocS-like proteins in other bacteria.IMPORTANCEBacteria have evolved a variety of mechanisms to properly segregate their genetic material during cell division. In this study, we performed a molecular dissection of the chromosome partitioning protein Regulator of Chromosome Segregation (RocS), a pillar element of chromosome segregation in S. pneumoniae that is also generally conserved in the Streptococcaceae family. Our systematic investigation sheds light on the molecular features required for successful pneumococcal chromosome segregation and the regulation of RocS by phosphorylation. In addition, our study also revealed that RocS shares functional domains with the Par protein, involved in an atypical plasmid segregation system. Therefore, we expect that our findings may serve to extend our understanding of RocS and RocS-like proteins while broadening the repertoire of partitioning systems used in bacteria.
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Affiliation(s)
- Margaux Demuysere
- Molecular Microbiology and Structural Biochemistry, Université de Lyon, CNRS, Lyon, France
| | - Adrien Ducret
- Molecular Microbiology and Structural Biochemistry, Université de Lyon, CNRS, Lyon, France
| | - Christophe Grangeasse
- Molecular Microbiology and Structural Biochemistry, Université de Lyon, CNRS, Lyon, France
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2
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Guo Y, Xia Y, Liang Z, Yang S, Guo S, Sun L, Huo YX. Plasmid-Stabilizing Strains for Antibiotic-Free Chemical Fermentation. ACS Synth Biol 2024; 13:2820-2832. [PMID: 39120497 DOI: 10.1021/acssynbio.4c00241] [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: 08/10/2024]
Abstract
Plasmid-mediated antibiotic-free fermentation holds significant industrial potential. However, the requirements for host elements and energy during plasmid inheritance often cause cell burden, leading to plasmid loss and reduced production. The stable maintenance of plasmids is primarily achieved through a complex mechanism, making it challenging to rationally design plasmid-stabilizing strains and characterize the associated genetic factors. In this study, we introduced a fluorescence-based high-throughput method and successfully screened plasmid-stabilizing strains from the genomic fragment-deletion strains of Escherichia coli MG1655 and Bacillus subtilis 168. The application of EcΔ50 in antibiotic-free fermentation increased the alanine titer 2.9 times. The enhanced plasmid stability in EcΔ50 was attributed to the coordinated deletion of genes involved in plasmid segregation and replication control, leading to improved plasmid maintenance and increased plasmid copy number. The increased plasmid stability of BsΔ44 was due to the deletion of the phage SPP1 surface receptor gene yueB, resulting in minimized sporulation, improved plasmid segregational stability and host adaptation. Antibiotic-free fermentation results showed that strain BsΔyueB exhibited a 61.99% higher acetoin titer compared to strain Bs168, reaching 3.96 g/L. When used for the fermentation of the downstream product, 2,3-butanediol, strain BsΔyueB achieved an 80.63% higher titer than Bs168, reaching 14.94 g/L using rich carbon and nitrogen feedstocks. Overall, our work provided a plasmid-stabilizing chassis for E. coli and B. subtilis, highlighting their potential for antibiotic-free fermentation of valuable products and metabolic engineering applications.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yingjie Guo
- Key Laboratory of Molecular Medicine and Biotherapy, School of Life Science, Beijing Institute of Technology, 100081 Beijing, China
| | - Yan Xia
- Key Laboratory of Molecular Medicine and Biotherapy, School of Life Science, Beijing Institute of Technology, 100081 Beijing, China
| | - Zeyu Liang
- Key Laboratory of Molecular Medicine and Biotherapy, School of Life Science, Beijing Institute of Technology, 100081 Beijing, China
| | - Shenyan Yang
- Key Laboratory of Molecular Medicine and Biotherapy, School of Life Science, Beijing Institute of Technology, 100081 Beijing, China
| | - Shuyuan Guo
- Key Laboratory of Molecular Medicine and Biotherapy, School of Life Science, Beijing Institute of Technology, 100081 Beijing, China
| | - Lichao Sun
- Key Laboratory of Molecular Medicine and Biotherapy, School of Life Science, Beijing Institute of Technology, 100081 Beijing, China
- Tangshan Research Institute, Beijing Institute of Technology, 063611 Hebei, China
| | - Yi-Xin Huo
- Key Laboratory of Molecular Medicine and Biotherapy, School of Life Science, Beijing Institute of Technology, 100081 Beijing, China
- Tangshan Research Institute, Beijing Institute of Technology, 063611 Hebei, China
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3
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Lin MG, Yen CY, Shen YY, Huang YS, Ng IW, Barillà D, Sun YJ, Hsiao CD. Unraveling the structure and function of a novel SegC protein interacting with the SegAB chromosome segregation complex in Archaea. Nucleic Acids Res 2024; 52:9966-9977. [PMID: 39077943 PMCID: PMC11381335 DOI: 10.1093/nar/gkae660] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/15/2023] [Revised: 07/10/2024] [Accepted: 07/18/2024] [Indexed: 07/31/2024] Open
Abstract
Genome segregation is a fundamental process that preserves the genetic integrity of all organisms, but the mechanisms driving genome segregation in archaea remain enigmatic. This study delved into the unknown function of SegC (SSO0033), a novel protein thought to be involved in chromosome segregation in archaea. Using fluorescence polarization DNA binding assays, we discovered the ability of SegC to bind DNA without any sequence preference. Furthermore, we determined the crystal structure of SegC at 2.8 Å resolution, revealing the multimeric configuration and forming a large positively charged surface that can bind DNA. SegC has a tertiary structure folding similar to those of the ThDP-binding fold superfamily, but SegC shares only 5-15% sequence identity with those proteins. Unexpectedly, we found that SegC has nucleotide triphosphatase (NTPase) activity. We also determined the SegC-ADP complex structure, identifying the NTP binding pocket and relative SegC residues involved in the interaction. Interestingly, images from negative-stain electron microscopy revealed that SegC forms filamentous structures in the presence of DNA and NTPs. Further, more uniform and larger SegC-filaments are observed, when SegA-ATP was added. Notably, the introduction of SegB disrupts these oligomers, with ATP being essential for regulating filament formation. These findings provide insights into the functional and structural role of SegC in archaeal chromosome segregation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Min-Guan Lin
- Institute of Molecular Biology, Academia Sinica, Taipei 115, Taiwan
| | - Cheng-Yi Yen
- Institute of Molecular Biology, Academia Sinica, Taipei 115, Taiwan
| | - Yo-You Shen
- Institute of Molecular Biology, Academia Sinica, Taipei 115, Taiwan
| | - Yu-Sung Huang
- Institute of Bioinformatics and Structural Biology, National Tsing Hua University, Hsinchu 300, Taiwan
| | - Irene W Ng
- Department of Biology, University of York, Wentworth Way, YorkYO10 5DD, UK
| | - Daniela Barillà
- Department of Biology, University of York, Wentworth Way, YorkYO10 5DD, UK
| | - Yuh-Ju Sun
- Institute of Bioinformatics and Structural Biology, National Tsing Hua University, Hsinchu 300, Taiwan
| | - Chwan-Deng Hsiao
- Institute of Molecular Biology, Academia Sinica, Taipei 115, Taiwan
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4
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Behrmann M, Perera H, Welikala M, Matthews J, Butterworth L, Trakselis M. Dysregulated DnaB unwinding induces replisome decoupling and daughter strand gaps that are countered by RecA polymerization. Nucleic Acids Res 2024; 52:6977-6993. [PMID: 38808668 PMCID: PMC11229327 DOI: 10.1093/nar/gkae435] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/19/2024] [Revised: 04/03/2024] [Accepted: 05/09/2024] [Indexed: 05/30/2024] Open
Abstract
The replicative helicase, DnaB, is a central component of the replisome and unwinds duplex DNA coupled with immediate template-dependent DNA synthesis by the polymerase, Pol III. The rate of helicase unwinding is dynamically regulated through structural transitions in the DnaB hexamer between dilated and constricted states. Site-specific mutations in DnaB enforce a faster more constricted conformation that dysregulates unwinding dynamics, causing replisome decoupling that generates excess ssDNA and induces severe cellular stress. This surplus ssDNA can stimulate RecA recruitment to initiate recombinational repair, restart, or activation of the transcriptional SOS response. To better understand the consequences of dysregulated unwinding, we combined targeted genomic dnaB mutations with an inducible RecA filament inhibition strategy to examine the dependencies on RecA in mitigating replisome decoupling phenotypes. Without RecA filamentation, dnaB:mut strains had reduced growth rates, decreased mutagenesis, but a greater burden from endogenous damage. Interestingly, disruption of RecA filamentation in these dnaB:mut strains also reduced cellular filamentation but increased markers of double strand breaks and ssDNA gaps as detected by in situ fluorescence microscopy and FACS assays, TUNEL and PLUG, respectively. Overall, RecA plays a critical role in strain survival by protecting and processing ssDNA gaps caused by dysregulated helicase activity in vivo.
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Affiliation(s)
- Megan S Behrmann
- Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, Baylor University, Waco, TX 76798-7348, USA
| | - Himasha M Perera
- Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, Baylor University, Waco, TX 76798-7348, USA
| | - Malisha U Welikala
- Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, Baylor University, Waco, TX 76798-7348, USA
| | - Jacquelynn E Matthews
- Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, Baylor University, Waco, TX 76798-7348, USA
| | - Lauren J Butterworth
- Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, Baylor University, Waco, TX 76798-7348, USA
| | - Michael A Trakselis
- Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, Baylor University, Waco, TX 76798-7348, USA
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5
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Zhao H, Peramuna T, Ajmal S, Wendt KL, Petrushenko ZM, Premachandra K, Cichewicz RH, Rybenkov VV. Inhibitor of Chromosome Segregation in Pseudomonas aeruginosa from Fungal Extracts. ACS Chem Biol 2024; 19:1387-1396. [PMID: 38843873 PMCID: PMC11197941 DOI: 10.1021/acschembio.4c00264] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/15/2024] [Revised: 05/10/2024] [Accepted: 05/15/2024] [Indexed: 06/22/2024]
Abstract
Chromosome segregation is an essential cellular process that has the potential to yield numerous targets for drug development. This pathway is presently underutilized partially due to the difficulties in the development of robust reporter assays suitable for high throughput screening. In bacteria, chromosome segregation is mediated by two partially redundant systems, condensins and ParABS. Based on the synthetic lethality of the two systems, we developed an assay suitable for screening and then screened a library of fungal extracts for potential inhibitors of the ParABS pathway, as judged by their enhanced activity on condensin-deficient cells. We found such activity in extracts of Humicola sp. Fractionation of the extract led to the discovery of four new analogues of sterigmatocystin, one of which, 4-hydroxy-sterigmatocystin (4HS), displayed antibacterial activity. 4HS induced the phenotype typical for parAB mutants including defects in chromosome segregation and cell division. Specifically, bacteria exposed to 4HS produced anucleate cells and were impaired in the assembly of the FtsZ ring. Moreover, 4HS binds to purified ParB in a ParS-modulated manner and inhibits its ParS-dependent CTPase activity. The data describe a small molecule inhibitor of ParB and expand the known spectrum of activities of sterigmatocystin to include bacterial chromosome segregation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hang Zhao
- Department
of Chemistry and Biochemistry, University
of Oklahoma, Norman, Oklahoma 73019, United States
| | - Thilini Peramuna
- Natural
Products Discovery Group, Institute for Natural Products Applications
and Research Technologies, Department of Chemistry & Biochemistry,
Stephenson Life Science Research Center, University of Oklahoma, Norman, Oklahoma 73019, United States
| | - Sidra Ajmal
- Department
of Chemistry and Biochemistry, University
of Oklahoma, Norman, Oklahoma 73019, United States
| | - Karen L. Wendt
- Natural
Products Discovery Group, Institute for Natural Products Applications
and Research Technologies, Department of Chemistry & Biochemistry,
Stephenson Life Science Research Center, University of Oklahoma, Norman, Oklahoma 73019, United States
| | - Zoya M. Petrushenko
- Department
of Chemistry and Biochemistry, University
of Oklahoma, Norman, Oklahoma 73019, United States
| | - Kaushika Premachandra
- Department
of Chemistry and Biochemistry, University
of Oklahoma, Norman, Oklahoma 73019, United States
| | - Robert H. Cichewicz
- Natural
Products Discovery Group, Institute for Natural Products Applications
and Research Technologies, Department of Chemistry & Biochemistry,
Stephenson Life Science Research Center, University of Oklahoma, Norman, Oklahoma 73019, United States
| | - Valentin V. Rybenkov
- Department
of Chemistry and Biochemistry, University
of Oklahoma, Norman, Oklahoma 73019, United States
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6
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Chang MH, Lavrentovich MO, Männik J. Differentiating the roles of proteins and polysomes in nucleoid size homeostasis in Escherichia coli. Biophys J 2024; 123:1435-1448. [PMID: 37974398 PMCID: PMC11163298 DOI: 10.1016/j.bpj.2023.11.010] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/16/2023] [Revised: 10/17/2023] [Accepted: 11/14/2023] [Indexed: 11/19/2023] Open
Abstract
A defining feature of the bacterial cytosolic interior is a distinct membrane-less organelle, the nucleoid, that contains the chromosomal DNA. Although increasing experimental evidence indicates that macromolecular crowding is the dominant mechanism for nucleoid formation, it has remained unclear which crowders control nucleoid volume. It is commonly assumed that polyribosomes play a dominant role, yet the volume fraction of soluble proteins in the cytosol is comparable with that of polyribosomes. Here, we develop a free energy-based model for the cytosolic interior of a bacterial cell to distinguish contributions arising from polyribosomes and cytosolic proteins in nucleoid volume control. The parameters of the model are determined from the existing experimental data. We show that, while the polysomes establish the existence of the nucleoid as a distinct phase, the proteins control the nucleoid volume in physiologically relevant conditions. Our model explains experimental findings in Escherichia coli that the nucleoid compaction curves in osmotic shock measurements do not depend on cell growth rate and that dissociation of polysomes in slow growth rates does not lead to significant nucleoid expansion, while the nucleoid phase disappears in fastest growth rates. Furthermore, the model predicts a cross-over in the exclusion of crowders by their linear dimensions from the nucleoid phase: below the cross-over of 30-50 nm, the concentration of crowders in the nucleoid phase decreases linearly as a function of the crowder diameter, while decreasing exponentially above the cross-over size. Our work points to the possibility that bacterial cells maintain nucleoid size and protein concentration homeostasis via feedback in which protein concentration controls nucleoid dimensions and the nucleoid dimensions control protein synthesis rate.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mu-Hung Chang
- Department of Physics and Astronomy, The University of Tennessee, Knoxville, Tennessee
| | - Maxim O Lavrentovich
- Department of Physics and Astronomy, The University of Tennessee, Knoxville, Tennessee; Department of Earth, Environment, and Physics, Worcester State University, Worcester, Massachusetts.
| | - Jaan Männik
- Department of Physics and Astronomy, The University of Tennessee, Knoxville, Tennessee.
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7
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Harju J, van Teeseling MCF, Broedersz CP. Loop-extruders alter bacterial chromosome topology to direct entropic forces for segregation. Nat Commun 2024; 15:4618. [PMID: 38816445 PMCID: PMC11139863 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-024-49039-w] [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: 11/28/2023] [Accepted: 05/21/2024] [Indexed: 06/01/2024] Open
Abstract
Entropic forces have been argued to drive bacterial chromosome segregation during replication. In many bacterial species, however, specifically evolved mechanisms, such as loop-extruding SMC complexes and the ParABS origin segregation system, contribute to or are even required for chromosome segregation, suggesting that entropic forces alone may be insufficient. The interplay between and the relative contributions of these segregation mechanisms remain unclear. Here, we develop a biophysical model showing that purely entropic forces actually inhibit bacterial chromosome segregation until late replication stages. By contrast, our model reveals that loop-extruders loaded at the origins of replication, as observed in many bacterial species, alter the effective topology of the chromosome, thereby redirecting and enhancing entropic forces to enable accurate chromosome segregation during replication. We confirm our model predictions with polymer simulations: purely entropic forces do not allow for concurrent replication and segregation, whereas entropic forces steered by specifically loaded loop-extruders lead to robust, global chromosome segregation during replication. Finally, we show how loop-extruders can complement locally acting origin separation mechanisms, such as the ParABS system. Together, our results illustrate how changes in the geometry and topology of the polymer, induced by DNA-replication and loop-extrusion, impact the organization and segregation of bacterial chromosomes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Janni Harju
- Department of Physics and Astronomy, Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam, Amsterdam, The Netherlands
| | - Muriel C F van Teeseling
- Junior research group Prokaryotic Cell Biology, Department for Microbial Interactions, Institute of Microbiology, Friedrich-Schiller-Universität, Jena, Germany
| | - Chase P Broedersz
- Department of Physics and Astronomy, Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam, Amsterdam, The Netherlands.
- Arnold Sommerfeld Center for Theoretical Physics and Center for NanoScience, Department of Physics, Ludwig-Maximilian-University Munich, Munich, Germany.
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8
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Woldringh CL. Compaction and Segregation of DNA in Escherichia coli. Life (Basel) 2024; 14:660. [PMID: 38929644 PMCID: PMC11205073 DOI: 10.3390/life14060660] [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: 03/26/2024] [Revised: 04/26/2024] [Accepted: 05/01/2024] [Indexed: 06/28/2024] Open
Abstract
Theoretical and experimental approaches have been applied to study the polymer physics underlying the compaction of DNA in the bacterial nucleoid. Knowledge of the compaction mechanism is necessary to obtain a mechanistic understanding of the segregation process of replicating chromosome arms (replichores) during the cell cycle. The first part of this review discusses light microscope observations demonstrating that the nucleoid has a lower refractive index and thus, a lower density than the cytoplasm. A polymer physics explanation for this phenomenon was given by a theory discussed at length in this review. By assuming a phase separation between the nucleoid and the cytoplasm and by imposing equal osmotic pressure and chemical potential between the two phases, a minimal energy situation is obtained, in which soluble proteins are depleted from the nucleoid, thus explaining its lower density. This theory is compared to recent views on DNA compaction that are based on the exclusion of polyribosomes from the nucleoid or on the transcriptional activity of the cell. These new views prompt the question of whether they can still explain the lower refractive index or density of the nucleoid. In the second part of this review, we discuss the question of how DNA segregation occurs in Escherichia coli in the absence of the so-called active ParABS system, which is present in the majority of bacteria. How is the entanglement of nascent chromosome arms generated at the origin in the parental DNA network of the E. coli nucleoid prevented? Microscopic observations of the position of fluorescently-labeled genetic loci have indicated that the four nascent chromosome arms synthesized in the initial replication bubble segregate to opposite halves of the sister nucleoids. This implies that extensive intermingling of daughter strands does not occur. Based on the hypothesis that leading and lagging replichores synthesized in the replication bubble fold into microdomains that do not intermingle, a passive four-excluding-arms model for segregation is proposed. This model suggests that the key for segregation already exists in the structure of the replication bubble at the very start of DNA replication; it explains the different patterns of chromosome arms as well as the segregation distances between replicated loci, as experimentally observed.
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Affiliation(s)
- Conrad L Woldringh
- Faculty of Science, Swammerdam Institute for Life Sciences (SILS), University of Amsterdam, 1098 XH Amsterdam, The Netherlands
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9
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Harju J, Broedersz CP. Physical models of bacterial chromosomes. Mol Microbiol 2024. [PMID: 38578226 DOI: 10.1111/mmi.15257] [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: 12/14/2023] [Revised: 03/12/2024] [Accepted: 03/18/2024] [Indexed: 04/06/2024]
Abstract
The interplay between bacterial chromosome organization and functions such as transcription and replication can be studied in increasing detail using novel experimental techniques. Interpreting the resulting quantitative data, however, can be theoretically challenging. In this minireview, we discuss how connecting experimental observations to biophysical theory and modeling can give rise to new insights on bacterial chromosome organization. We consider three flavors of models of increasing complexity: simple polymer models that explore how physical constraints, such as confinement or plectoneme branching, can affect bacterial chromosome organization; bottom-up mechanistic models that connect these constraints to their underlying causes, for instance, chromosome compaction to macromolecular crowding, or supercoiling to transcription; and finally, data-driven methods for inferring interpretable and quantitative models directly from complex experimental data. Using recent examples, we discuss how biophysical models can both deepen our understanding of how bacterial chromosomes are structured and give rise to novel predictions about bacterial chromosome organization.
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Affiliation(s)
- Janni Harju
- Department of Physics and Astronomy, Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam, Amsterdam, The Netherlands
| | - Chase P Broedersz
- Department of Physics and Astronomy, Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam, Amsterdam, The Netherlands
- Department of Physics, Arnold Sommerfeld Center for Theoretical Physics and Center for NanoScience, Ludwig-Maximilian-University Munich, Munich, Germany
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10
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Erkelens AM, van Erp B, Meijer WJJ, Dame RT. Rok from B. subtilis: Bridging genome structure and transcription regulation. Mol Microbiol 2024. [PMID: 38511404 DOI: 10.1111/mmi.15250] [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: 01/08/2024] [Revised: 03/02/2024] [Accepted: 03/07/2024] [Indexed: 03/22/2024]
Abstract
Bacterial genomes are folded and organized into compact yet dynamic structures, called nucleoids. Nucleoid orchestration involves many factors at multiple length scales, such as nucleoid-associated proteins and liquid-liquid phase separation, and has to be compatible with replication and transcription. Possibly, genome organization plays an intrinsic role in transcription regulation, in addition to classical transcription factors. In this review, we provide arguments supporting this view using the Gram-positive bacterium Bacillus subtilis as a model. Proteins BsSMC, HBsu and Rok all impact the structure of the B. subtilis chromosome. Particularly for Rok, there is compelling evidence that it combines its structural function with a role as global gene regulator. Many studies describe either function of Rok, but rarely both are addressed at the same time. Here, we review both sides of the coin and integrate them into one model. Rok forms unusually stable DNA-DNA bridges and this ability likely underlies its repressive effect on transcription by either preventing RNA polymerase from binding to DNA or trapping it inside DNA loops. Partner proteins are needed to change or relieve Rok-mediated gene repression. Lastly, we investigate which features characterize H-NS-like proteins, a family that, at present, lacks a clear definition.
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Affiliation(s)
- Amanda M Erkelens
- Leiden Institute of Chemistry, Leiden University, Leiden, the Netherlands
- Centre for Microbial Cell Biology, Leiden University, Leiden, the Netherlands
- Centre for Interdisciplinary Genome Research, Leiden University, Leiden, the Netherlands
| | - Bert van Erp
- Leiden Institute of Chemistry, Leiden University, Leiden, the Netherlands
- Centre for Microbial Cell Biology, Leiden University, Leiden, the Netherlands
- Centre for Interdisciplinary Genome Research, Leiden University, Leiden, the Netherlands
| | - Wilfried J J Meijer
- Centro de Biología Molecular Severo Ochoa (CSIC-UAM), C. Nicolás Cabrera 1, Universidad Autónoma, Madrid, Spain
| | - Remus T Dame
- Leiden Institute of Chemistry, Leiden University, Leiden, the Netherlands
- Centre for Microbial Cell Biology, Leiden University, Leiden, the Netherlands
- Centre for Interdisciplinary Genome Research, Leiden University, Leiden, the Netherlands
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11
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Monterroso B, Margolin W, Boersma AJ, Rivas G, Poolman B, Zorrilla S. Macromolecular Crowding, Phase Separation, and Homeostasis in the Orchestration of Bacterial Cellular Functions. Chem Rev 2024; 124:1899-1949. [PMID: 38331392 PMCID: PMC10906006 DOI: 10.1021/acs.chemrev.3c00622] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/31/2023] [Revised: 12/01/2023] [Accepted: 01/10/2024] [Indexed: 02/10/2024]
Abstract
Macromolecular crowding affects the activity of proteins and functional macromolecular complexes in all cells, including bacteria. Crowding, together with physicochemical parameters such as pH, ionic strength, and the energy status, influences the structure of the cytoplasm and thereby indirectly macromolecular function. Notably, crowding also promotes the formation of biomolecular condensates by phase separation, initially identified in eukaryotic cells but more recently discovered to play key functions in bacteria. Bacterial cells require a variety of mechanisms to maintain physicochemical homeostasis, in particular in environments with fluctuating conditions, and the formation of biomolecular condensates is emerging as one such mechanism. In this work, we connect physicochemical homeostasis and macromolecular crowding with the formation and function of biomolecular condensates in the bacterial cell and compare the supramolecular structures found in bacteria with those of eukaryotic cells. We focus on the effects of crowding and phase separation on the control of bacterial chromosome replication, segregation, and cell division, and we discuss the contribution of biomolecular condensates to bacterial cell fitness and adaptation to environmental stress.
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Affiliation(s)
- Begoña Monterroso
- Department
of Structural and Chemical Biology, Centro de Investigaciones Biológicas
Margarita Salas, Consejo Superior de Investigaciones
Científicas (CSIC), 28040 Madrid, Spain
| | - William Margolin
- Department
of Microbiology and Molecular Genetics, McGovern Medical School, UTHealth-Houston, Houston, Texas 77030, United States
| | - Arnold J. Boersma
- Cellular
Protein Chemistry, Bijvoet Centre for Biomolecular Research, Faculty
of Science, Utrecht University, Padualaan 8, 3584 CH Utrecht, The Netherlands
| | - Germán Rivas
- Department
of Structural and Chemical Biology, Centro de Investigaciones Biológicas
Margarita Salas, Consejo Superior de Investigaciones
Científicas (CSIC), 28040 Madrid, Spain
| | - Bert Poolman
- Department
of Biochemistry, University of Groningen, Nijenborgh 4, 9747 AG Groningen, The Netherlands
| | - Silvia Zorrilla
- Department
of Structural and Chemical Biology, Centro de Investigaciones Biológicas
Margarita Salas, Consejo Superior de Investigaciones
Científicas (CSIC), 28040 Madrid, Spain
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12
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Gilbert BR, Luthey-Schulten Z. Replicating Chromosomes in Whole-Cell Models of Bacteria. Methods Mol Biol 2024; 2819:625-653. [PMID: 39028527 DOI: 10.1007/978-1-0716-3930-6_29] [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: 07/20/2024]
Abstract
Computational models of cells cannot be considered complete unless they include the most fundamental process of life, the replication of genetic material. In a recent study, we presented a computational framework to model systems of replicating bacterial chromosomes as polymers at 10 bp resolution with Brownian dynamics. This approach was used to investigate changes in chromosome organization during replication and extend the applicability of an existing whole-cell model (WCM) for a genetically minimal bacterium, JCVI-syn3A, to the entire cell cycle. To achieve cell-scale chromosome structures that are realistic, we modeled the chromosome as a self-avoiding homopolymer with bending and torsional stiffnesses that capture the essential mechanical properties of dsDNA in Syn3A. Additionally, the polymer interacts with ribosomes distributed according to cryo-electron tomograms of Syn3A. The polymer model was further augmented by computational models of loop extrusion by structural maintenance of chromosomes (SMC) protein complexes and topoisomerase action, and the modeling and analysis of multi-fork replication states.
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Affiliation(s)
- Benjamin R Gilbert
- Department of Chemistry, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, Urbana, IL, USA
| | - Zaida Luthey-Schulten
- Department of Chemistry, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, Urbana, IL, USA.
- Department of Physics, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, Urbana, IL, USA.
- NIH Center for Macromolecular Modeling and Bioinformatics, Beckman Institute, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, Urbana, IL, USA.
- NSF Science and Technology Center for Quantitative Cell Biology, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, Urbana, IL, USA.
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13
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Badel C, Bell SD. Chromosome architecture in an archaeal species naturally lacking structural maintenance of chromosomes proteins. Nat Microbiol 2024; 9:263-273. [PMID: 38110698 PMCID: PMC10769869 DOI: 10.1038/s41564-023-01540-6] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/09/2023] [Accepted: 10/30/2023] [Indexed: 12/20/2023]
Abstract
Proteins in the structural maintenance of chromosomes (SMC) superfamily play key roles in chromosome organization and are ubiquitous across all domains of life. However, SMC proteins are notably absent in the Desulfurococcales of phylum Crenarchaeota. Intrigued by this observation, we performed chromosome conformation capture experiments in the model Desulfurococcales species Aeropyrum pernix. As in other archaea, we observe chromosomal interaction domains across the chromosome. The boundaries between chromosomal interaction domains show a dependence on transcription and translation for their definition. Importantly, however, we reveal an additional higher-order, bipartite organization of the chromosome-with a small high-gene-expression and self-interacting domain that is defined by transcriptional activity and loop structures. Viewing these data in the context of the distribution of SMC superfamily proteins in the Crenarchaeota, we suggest that the organization of the Aeropyrum genome represents an evolutionary antecedent of the compartmentalized architecture observed in the Sulfolobus lineage.
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Affiliation(s)
- Catherine Badel
- Molecular and Cellular Biochemistry Department, Indiana University, Bloomington, IN, USA.
- Génétique Moléculaire, Génomique, Microbiologie, UMR 7156 CNRS, Université de Strasbourg, Strasbourg, France.
| | - Stephen D Bell
- Molecular and Cellular Biochemistry Department, Indiana University, Bloomington, IN, USA.
- Biology Department, Indiana University, Bloomington, IN, USA.
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14
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Staufer O. Breaking the bottleneck of synthetic cells. NATURE NANOTECHNOLOGY 2024; 19:3-4. [PMID: 37828265 DOI: 10.1038/s41565-023-01509-w] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/14/2023]
Affiliation(s)
- Oskar Staufer
- INM - Leibniz Institute for New Materials, Campus D2 2, Saarbrücken, Germany.
- Helmholtz Institute for Pharmaceutical Research Saarland, Helmholtz Center for Infection Research, Campus E8 1, Saarbrücken, Germany.
- Center for Biophysics, Saarland University, Campus Saarland, Saarbrücken, Germany.
- Max Planck Bristol Centre for Minimal Biology, Bristol, UK.
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15
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Cornet F, Blanchais C, Dusfour-Castan R, Meunier A, Quebre V, Sekkouri Alaoui H, Boudsoq F, Campos M, Crozat E, Guynet C, Pasta F, Rousseau P, Ton Hoang B, Bouet JY. DNA Segregation in Enterobacteria. EcoSal Plus 2023; 11:eesp00382020. [PMID: 37220081 PMCID: PMC10729935 DOI: 10.1128/ecosalplus.esp-0038-2020] [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: 11/24/2022] [Accepted: 04/13/2023] [Indexed: 01/28/2024]
Abstract
DNA segregation ensures that cell offspring receive at least one copy of each DNA molecule, or replicon, after their replication. This important cellular process includes different phases leading to the physical separation of the replicons and their movement toward the future daughter cells. Here, we review these phases and processes in enterobacteria with emphasis on the molecular mechanisms at play and their controls.
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Affiliation(s)
- François Cornet
- Laboratoire de Microbiologie et Génétique Moléculaires (LMGM), Centre de Biologie Intégrative (CBI), CNRS, Université de Toulouse, Toulouse, France
| | - Corentin Blanchais
- Laboratoire de Microbiologie et Génétique Moléculaires (LMGM), Centre de Biologie Intégrative (CBI), CNRS, Université de Toulouse, Toulouse, France
| | - Romane Dusfour-Castan
- Laboratoire de Microbiologie et Génétique Moléculaires (LMGM), Centre de Biologie Intégrative (CBI), CNRS, Université de Toulouse, Toulouse, France
| | - Alix Meunier
- Laboratoire de Microbiologie et Génétique Moléculaires (LMGM), Centre de Biologie Intégrative (CBI), CNRS, Université de Toulouse, Toulouse, France
| | - Valentin Quebre
- Laboratoire de Microbiologie et Génétique Moléculaires (LMGM), Centre de Biologie Intégrative (CBI), CNRS, Université de Toulouse, Toulouse, France
| | - Hicham Sekkouri Alaoui
- Laboratoire de Microbiologie et Génétique Moléculaires (LMGM), Centre de Biologie Intégrative (CBI), CNRS, Université de Toulouse, Toulouse, France
| | - François Boudsoq
- Laboratoire de Microbiologie et Génétique Moléculaires (LMGM), Centre de Biologie Intégrative (CBI), CNRS, Université de Toulouse, Toulouse, France
| | - Manuel Campos
- Laboratoire de Microbiologie et Génétique Moléculaires (LMGM), Centre de Biologie Intégrative (CBI), CNRS, Université de Toulouse, Toulouse, France
| | - Estelle Crozat
- Laboratoire de Microbiologie et Génétique Moléculaires (LMGM), Centre de Biologie Intégrative (CBI), CNRS, Université de Toulouse, Toulouse, France
| | - Catherine Guynet
- Laboratoire de Microbiologie et Génétique Moléculaires (LMGM), Centre de Biologie Intégrative (CBI), CNRS, Université de Toulouse, Toulouse, France
| | - Franck Pasta
- Laboratoire de Microbiologie et Génétique Moléculaires (LMGM), Centre de Biologie Intégrative (CBI), CNRS, Université de Toulouse, Toulouse, France
| | - Philippe Rousseau
- Laboratoire de Microbiologie et Génétique Moléculaires (LMGM), Centre de Biologie Intégrative (CBI), CNRS, Université de Toulouse, Toulouse, France
| | - Bao Ton Hoang
- Laboratoire de Microbiologie et Génétique Moléculaires (LMGM), Centre de Biologie Intégrative (CBI), CNRS, Université de Toulouse, Toulouse, France
| | - Jean-Yves Bouet
- Laboratoire de Microbiologie et Génétique Moléculaires (LMGM), Centre de Biologie Intégrative (CBI), CNRS, Université de Toulouse, Toulouse, France
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16
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Gilbert BR, Thornburg ZR, Brier TA, Stevens JA, Grünewald F, Stone JE, Marrink SJ, Luthey-Schulten Z. Dynamics of chromosome organization in a minimal bacterial cell. Front Cell Dev Biol 2023; 11:1214962. [PMID: 37621774 PMCID: PMC10445541 DOI: 10.3389/fcell.2023.1214962] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/30/2023] [Accepted: 07/10/2023] [Indexed: 08/26/2023] Open
Abstract
Computational models of cells cannot be considered complete unless they include the most fundamental process of life, the replication and inheritance of genetic material. By creating a computational framework to model systems of replicating bacterial chromosomes as polymers at 10 bp resolution with Brownian dynamics, we investigate changes in chromosome organization during replication and extend the applicability of an existing whole-cell model (WCM) for a genetically minimal bacterium, JCVI-syn3A, to the entire cell-cycle. To achieve cell-scale chromosome structures that are realistic, we model the chromosome as a self-avoiding homopolymer with bending and torsional stiffnesses that capture the essential mechanical properties of dsDNA in Syn3A. In addition, the conformations of the circular DNA must avoid overlapping with ribosomes identitied in cryo-electron tomograms. While Syn3A lacks the complex regulatory systems known to orchestrate chromosome segregation in other bacteria, its minimized genome retains essential loop-extruding structural maintenance of chromosomes (SMC) protein complexes (SMC-scpAB) and topoisomerases. Through implementing the effects of these proteins in our simulations of replicating chromosomes, we find that they alone are sufficient for simultaneous chromosome segregation across all generations within nested theta structures. This supports previous studies suggesting loop-extrusion serves as a near-universal mechanism for chromosome organization within bacterial and eukaryotic cells. Furthermore, we analyze ribosome diffusion under the influence of the chromosome and calculate in silico chromosome contact maps that capture inter-daughter interactions. Finally, we present a methodology to map the polymer model of the chromosome to a Martini coarse-grained representation to prepare molecular dynamics models of entire Syn3A cells, which serves as an ultimate means of validation for cell states predicted by the WCM.
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Affiliation(s)
- Benjamin R. Gilbert
- Department of Chemistry, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, Urbana, IL, United States
| | - Zane R. Thornburg
- Department of Chemistry, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, Urbana, IL, United States
| | - Troy A. Brier
- Department of Chemistry, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, Urbana, IL, United States
| | - Jan A. Stevens
- Molecular Dynamics Group, Groningen Biomolecular Sciences and Biotechnology Institute, University of Groningen, Groningen, Netherlands
| | - Fabian Grünewald
- Molecular Dynamics Group, Groningen Biomolecular Sciences and Biotechnology Institute, University of Groningen, Groningen, Netherlands
| | - John E. Stone
- NVIDIA Corporation, Santa Clara, CA, United States
- NIH Center for Macromolecular Modeling and Bioinformatics, Beckman Institute, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, Urbana, IL, United States
| | - Siewert J. Marrink
- Molecular Dynamics Group, Groningen Biomolecular Sciences and Biotechnology Institute, University of Groningen, Groningen, Netherlands
| | - Zaida Luthey-Schulten
- Department of Chemistry, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, Urbana, IL, United States
- NIH Center for Macromolecular Modeling and Bioinformatics, Beckman Institute, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, Urbana, IL, United States
- NSF Center for the Physics of Living Cells, Department of Physics, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, Urbana, IL, United States
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17
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Woldringh CL. The Bacterial Nucleoid: From Electron Microscopy to Polymer Physics—A Personal Recollection. Life (Basel) 2023; 13:life13040895. [PMID: 37109423 PMCID: PMC10143432 DOI: 10.3390/life13040895] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/02/2023] [Revised: 03/22/2023] [Accepted: 03/24/2023] [Indexed: 03/30/2023] Open
Abstract
In the 1960s, electron microscopy did not provide a clear answer regarding the compact or dispersed organization of the bacterial nucleoid. This was due to the necessary preparation steps of fixation and dehydration (for embedding) and freezing (for freeze-fracturing). Nevertheless, it was possible to measure the lengths of nucleoids in thin sections of slow-growing Escherichia coli cells, showing their gradual increase along with cell elongation. Later, through application of the so-called agar filtration method for electron microscopy, we were able to perform accurate measurements of cell size and shape. The introduction of confocal and fluorescence light microscopy enabled measurements of size and position of the bacterial nucleoid in living cells, inducing the concepts of “nucleoid occlusion” for localizing cell division and of “transertion” for the final step of nucleoid segregation. The question of why the DNA does not spread throughout the cytoplasm was approached by applying polymer-physical concepts of interactions between DNA and proteins. This gave a mechanistic insight in the depletion of proteins from the nucleoid, in accordance with its low refractive index observed by phase-contrast microscopy. Although in most bacterial species, the widely conserved proteins of the ParABS-system play a role in directing the segregation of newly replicated DNA strands, the basis for the separation and opposing movement of the chromosome arms was proposed to lie in preventing intermingling of nascent daughter strands already in the early replication bubble. E. coli, lacking the ParABS system, may be suitable for investigating this basic mechanism of DNA strand separation and segregation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Conrad L Woldringh
- Bacterial Cell Biology, Swammerdam Institute for Life Sciences (SILS), University of Amsterdam, 1098 XH Amsterdam, The Netherlands
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18
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Kabirova E, Nurislamov A, Shadskiy A, Smirnov A, Popov A, Salnikov P, Battulin N, Fishman V. Function and Evolution of the Loop Extrusion Machinery in Animals. Int J Mol Sci 2023; 24:5017. [PMID: 36902449 PMCID: PMC10003631 DOI: 10.3390/ijms24055017] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/07/2023] [Revised: 02/25/2023] [Accepted: 03/02/2023] [Indexed: 03/08/2023] Open
Abstract
Structural maintenance of chromosomes (SMC) complexes are essential proteins found in genomes of all cellular organisms. Essential functions of these proteins, such as mitotic chromosome formation and sister chromatid cohesion, were discovered a long time ago. Recent advances in chromatin biology showed that SMC proteins are involved in many other genomic processes, acting as active motors extruding DNA, which leads to the formation of chromatin loops. Some loops formed by SMC proteins are highly cell type and developmental stage specific, such as SMC-mediated DNA loops required for VDJ recombination in B-cell progenitors, or dosage compensation in Caenorhabditis elegans and X-chromosome inactivation in mice. In this review, we focus on the extrusion-based mechanisms that are common for multiple cell types and species. We will first describe an anatomy of SMC complexes and their accessory proteins. Next, we provide biochemical details of the extrusion process. We follow this by the sections describing the role of SMC complexes in gene regulation, DNA repair, and chromatin topology.
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Affiliation(s)
- Evelyn Kabirova
- Institute of Cytology and Genetics SB RAS, 630090 Novosibirsk, Russia
- Department of Natural Sciences, Novosibirsk State University, 630090 Novosibirsk, Russia
| | - Artem Nurislamov
- Institute of Cytology and Genetics SB RAS, 630090 Novosibirsk, Russia
- Department of Natural Sciences, Novosibirsk State University, 630090 Novosibirsk, Russia
| | - Artem Shadskiy
- Institute of Cytology and Genetics SB RAS, 630090 Novosibirsk, Russia
- Department of Natural Sciences, Novosibirsk State University, 630090 Novosibirsk, Russia
| | - Alexander Smirnov
- Institute of Cytology and Genetics SB RAS, 630090 Novosibirsk, Russia
- Department of Natural Sciences, Novosibirsk State University, 630090 Novosibirsk, Russia
| | - Andrey Popov
- Institute of Cytology and Genetics SB RAS, 630090 Novosibirsk, Russia
- Department of Natural Sciences, Novosibirsk State University, 630090 Novosibirsk, Russia
| | - Pavel Salnikov
- Institute of Cytology and Genetics SB RAS, 630090 Novosibirsk, Russia
- Department of Natural Sciences, Novosibirsk State University, 630090 Novosibirsk, Russia
| | - Nariman Battulin
- Institute of Cytology and Genetics SB RAS, 630090 Novosibirsk, Russia
- Department of Natural Sciences, Novosibirsk State University, 630090 Novosibirsk, Russia
| | - Veniamin Fishman
- Institute of Cytology and Genetics SB RAS, 630090 Novosibirsk, Russia
- Department of Natural Sciences, Novosibirsk State University, 630090 Novosibirsk, Russia
- Artificial Intelligence Research Institute (AIRI), 121108 Moscow, Russia
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19
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Rehel DA, Polson JM. Equilibrium behaviour of two cavity-confined polymers: effects of polymer width and system asymmetries. SOFT MATTER 2023; 19:1092-1108. [PMID: 36625101 DOI: 10.1039/d2sm01413k] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/17/2023]
Abstract
Experiments using nanofluidic devices have proven effective in characterizing the physical properties of polymers confined to small cavities. Two recent studies using such methods examined the organization and dynamics of two DNA molecules in box-like cavities with strong confinement in one direction and with square and elliptical cross sections in the lateral plane. Motivated by these experiments, we employ Monte Carlo and Brownian dynamics simulations to study the physical behaviour of two polymers confined to small cavities with shapes comparable to those used in the experiments. We quantify the effects of varying the following polymer properties and confinement dimensions on the organization and dynamics of the polymers: the polymer width, the polymer contour length ratio, the cavity cross-sectional area, and the degree of cavity elongation for cavities with rectangular and elliptical cross sections. We find that the tendency for polymers to segregate is enhanced by increasing polymer width. For sufficiently small cavities, increasing cavity elongation promotes segregation and localization of identical polymers to opposite sides of the cavity along its long axis. A free-energy barrier controls the rate of polymers swapping positions, and the observed dynamics are roughly in accord with predictions of a simple theoretical model. Increasing the contour length difference between polymers significantly affects their organization in the cavity. In the case of a large linear polymer co-trapped with a small ring polymer in an elliptical cavity, the small polymer tends to lie near the lateral confining walls, and especially at the cavity poles for highly elongated ellipses.
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Affiliation(s)
- Desiree A Rehel
- Department of Physics, University of Prince Edward Island, 550 University Ave., Charlottetown, Prince Edward Island, C1A 4P3, Canada.
| | - James M Polson
- Department of Physics, University of Prince Edward Island, 550 University Ave., Charlottetown, Prince Edward Island, C1A 4P3, Canada.
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20
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Fosado YAG, Howard J, Weir S, Noy A, Leake MC, Michieletto D. Fluidification of Entanglements by a DNA Bending Protein. PHYSICAL REVIEW LETTERS 2023; 130:058203. [PMID: 36800460 DOI: 10.1103/physrevlett.130.058203] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/07/2022] [Accepted: 01/04/2023] [Indexed: 06/18/2023]
Abstract
In spite of the nanoscale and single-molecule insights into nucleoid associated proteins (NAPs), their role in modulating the mesoscale viscoelasticity of entangled DNA has been overlooked so far. By combining microrheology and molecular dynamics simulation, we find that the abundant NAP "integration host factor" (IHF) lowers the viscosity of entangled λDNA 20-fold at physiological concentrations and stoichiometries. Our results suggest that IHF may play a previously unappreciated role in resolving DNA entanglements and in turn may be acting as a "genomic fluidizer" for bacterial genomes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yair A G Fosado
- School of Physics and Astronomy, University of Edinburgh, Peter Guthrie Tait Road, Edinburgh EH9 3FD, United Kingdom
| | - Jamieson Howard
- School of Physics, Engineering and Technology, University of York, York, YO10 5DD, United Kingdom
| | - Simon Weir
- School of Physics and Astronomy, University of Edinburgh, Peter Guthrie Tait Road, Edinburgh EH9 3FD, United Kingdom
| | - Agnes Noy
- School of Physics, Engineering and Technology, University of York, York, YO10 5DD, United Kingdom
| | - Mark C Leake
- School of Physics, Engineering and Technology, University of York, York, YO10 5DD, United Kingdom
- Department of Biology, University of York, York, YO10 5DD, United Kingdom
| | - Davide Michieletto
- School of Physics and Astronomy, University of Edinburgh, Peter Guthrie Tait Road, Edinburgh EH9 3FD, United Kingdom
- MRC Human Genetics Unit, Institute of Genetics and Cancer, University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh EH4 2XU, United Kingdom
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21
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Barbuti MD, Myrbråten IS, Morales Angeles D, Kjos M. The cell cycle of Staphylococcus aureus: An updated review. Microbiologyopen 2023; 12:e1338. [PMID: 36825883 PMCID: PMC9733580 DOI: 10.1002/mbo3.1338] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/19/2022] [Revised: 11/29/2022] [Accepted: 11/29/2022] [Indexed: 12/13/2022] Open
Abstract
As bacteria proliferate, DNA replication, chromosome segregation, cell wall synthesis, and cytokinesis occur concomitantly and need to be tightly regulated and coordinated. Although these cell cycle processes have been studied for decades, several mechanisms remain elusive, specifically in coccus-shaped cells such as Staphylococcus aureus. In recent years, major progress has been made in our understanding of how staphylococci divide, including new, fundamental insights into the mechanisms of cell wall synthesis and division site selection. Furthermore, several novel proteins and mechanisms involved in the regulation of replication initiation or progression of the cell cycle have been identified and partially characterized. In this review, we will summarize our current understanding of the cell cycle processes in the spheroid model bacterium S. aureus, with a focus on recent advances in the understanding of how these processes are regulated.
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Affiliation(s)
- Maria D. Barbuti
- Faculty of Chemistry, Biotechnology and Food ScienceNorwegian University of Life Sciences (NMBU)ÅsNorway
| | - Ine S. Myrbråten
- Faculty of Chemistry, Biotechnology and Food ScienceNorwegian University of Life Sciences (NMBU)ÅsNorway
| | - Danae Morales Angeles
- Faculty of Chemistry, Biotechnology and Food ScienceNorwegian University of Life Sciences (NMBU)ÅsNorway
| | - Morten Kjos
- Faculty of Chemistry, Biotechnology and Food ScienceNorwegian University of Life Sciences (NMBU)ÅsNorway
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22
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Japaridze A, van Wee R, Gogou C, Kerssemakers JWJ, van den Berg DF, Dekker C. MukBEF-dependent chromosomal organization in widened Escherichia coli. Front Microbiol 2023; 14:1107093. [PMID: 36937278 PMCID: PMC10020239 DOI: 10.3389/fmicb.2023.1107093] [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: 11/24/2022] [Accepted: 02/03/2023] [Indexed: 03/06/2023] Open
Abstract
The bacterial chromosome is spatially organized through protein-mediated compaction, supercoiling, and cell-boundary confinement. Structural Maintenance of Chromosomes (SMC) complexes are a major class of chromosome-organizing proteins present throughout all domains of life. Here, we study the role of the Escherichia coli SMC complex MukBEF in chromosome architecture and segregation. Using quantitative live-cell imaging of shape-manipulated cells, we show that MukBEF is crucial to preserve the toroidal topology of the Escherichia coli chromosome and that it is non-uniformly distributed along the chromosome: it prefers locations toward the origin and away from the terminus of replication, and it is unevenly distributed over the origin of replication along the two chromosome arms. Using an ATP hydrolysis-deficient MukB mutant, we confirm that MukBEF translocation along the chromosome is ATP-dependent, in contrast to its loading onto DNA. MukBEF and MatP are furthermore found to be essential for sister chromosome decatenation. We propose a model that explains how MukBEF, MatP, and their interacting partners organize the chromosome and contribute to sister segregation. The combination of bacterial cell-shape modification and quantitative fluorescence microscopy paves way to investigating chromosome-organization factors in vivo.
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23
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Fatima NI, Fazili KM, Bhat NH. Proteolysis dependent cell cycle regulation in Caulobacter crescentus. Cell Div 2022; 17:3. [PMID: 35365160 PMCID: PMC8973945 DOI: 10.1186/s13008-022-00078-z] [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] [Received: 08/21/2021] [Accepted: 02/22/2022] [Indexed: 11/10/2022] Open
Abstract
Caulobacter crescentus, a Gram-negative alpha-proteobacterium, has surfaced as a powerful model system for unraveling molecular networks that control the bacterial cell cycle. A straightforward synchronization protocol and existence of many well-defined developmental markers has allowed the identification of various molecular circuits that control the underlying differentiation processes executed at the level of transcription, translation, protein localization and dynamic proteolysis. The oligomeric AAA+ protease ClpXP is a well-characterized example of an enzyme that exerts post-translational control over a number of pathways. Also, the proteolytic pathways of its candidate proteins are reported to play significant roles in regulating cell cycle and protein quality control. A detailed evaluation of the impact of its proteolysis on various regulatory networks of the cell has uncovered various significant cellular roles of this protease in C. crescentus. A deeper insight into the effects of regulatory proteolysis with emphasis on cell cycle progression could shed light on how cells respond to environmental cues and implement developmental switches. Perturbation of this network of molecular machines is also associated with diseases such as bacterial infections. Thus, research holds immense implications in clinical translation and health, representing a promising area for clinical advances in the diagnosis, therapeutics and prognosis.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nida I Fatima
- Department of Biotechnology, University of Kashmir, Hazratbal, Srinagar, Jammu and Kashmir, 190006, India
| | - Khalid Majid Fazili
- Department of Biotechnology, University of Kashmir, Hazratbal, Srinagar, Jammu and Kashmir, 190006, India
| | - Nowsheen Hamid Bhat
- Department of Biotechnology, Central University of Kashmir, Ganderbal, Jammu and Kashmir, 191201, India.
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24
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Frank C, Pfeiffer D, Aktas M, Jendrossek D. Migration of Polyphosphate Granules in Agrobacterium tumefaciens. Microb Physiol 2022; 32:71-82. [PMID: 35168233 DOI: 10.1159/000521970] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/19/2021] [Accepted: 01/12/2022] [Indexed: 01/29/2023]
Abstract
Agrobacterium tumefaciens has two polyphosphate (polyP) kinases, one of which (PPK1AT) is responsible for the formation of polyP granules, while the other (PPK2AT) is used for replenishing the NTP pools by using polyP as a phosphate donor to phosphorylate nucleoside diphosphates. Fusions of eYFP with PPK2AT or of the polyP granule-associated phosin PptA from Ralstonia eutropha always co-localized with polyP granules in A. tumefaciens and allowed the tracking of polyP granules in time-lapse microscopy experiments without the necessity to label the cells with the toxic dye DAPI. Fusions of PPK1AT with mCherry formed fluorescent signals often attached to, but not completely co-localizing with, polyP granules in wild-type cells. Time-lapse microscopy revealed that polyP granules in about one-third of a cell population migrated from the old pole to the new cell pole shortly before or during cell division. Many cells de novo formed a second (nonmigrating) polyP granule at the opposite cell pole before cell division was completed, resulting in two daughter cells each having a polyP granule at the old pole after septum formation. Migration of polyP granules was disordered in mitomycin C-treated or in PopZ-depleted cells, suggesting that polyP granules can associate with DNA or with other molecules that are segregated during the cell cycle.
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Affiliation(s)
- Celina Frank
- Institute of Microbiology, University of Stuttgart, Stuttgart, Germany
| | - Daniel Pfeiffer
- Department of Microbiology, University Bayreuth, Bayreuth, Germany
| | - Meriyem Aktas
- Microbial Biology, Ruhr University Bochum, Bochum, Germany
| | - Dieter Jendrossek
- Institute of Microbiology, University of Stuttgart, Stuttgart, Germany
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25
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Amici G, Caraglio M, Orlandini E, Micheletti C. Topological Friction and Relaxation Dynamics of Spatially Confined Catenated Polymers. ACS Macro Lett 2022; 11:1-6. [PMID: 35574798 PMCID: PMC8772382 DOI: 10.1021/acsmacrolett.1c00594] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/21/2021] [Accepted: 12/03/2021] [Indexed: 11/30/2022]
Abstract
We study catenated ring polymers confined inside channels and slits with Langevin dynamics simulations and address how the contour position and size of the interlocked or physically linked region evolve with time. We show that the catenation constraints generate a drag, or topological friction, that couples the contour motion of the interlocked regions. Notably, the coupling strength decreases as the interlocking is made tighter, but also shorter, by confinement. Though the coupling strength differs for channel and slit confinement, the data outline a single universal curve when plotted against the size of the linked region. Finally, we study how the relaxation kinetics changes after one of the rings is cut open and conclude that considering interlocked circular polymers is key for isolating the manifestations of topological friction. The results ought to be relevant for linked biomolecules in experimental or biological confining conditions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Giulia Amici
- Scuola
Internazionale Superiore di Studi Avanzati - SISSA, via Bonomea 265, 34136 Trieste, Italy
| | - Michele Caraglio
- Institut
für Theoretische Physik, Universität
Innsbruck, Technikerstraße 21A, A-6020 Innsbruck, Austria
| | - Enzo Orlandini
- Department
of Physics and Astronomy, University of
Padova, Via Marzolo 8, I-35100 Padova, Italy
| | - Cristian Micheletti
- Scuola
Internazionale Superiore di Studi Avanzati - SISSA, via Bonomea 265, 34136 Trieste, Italy
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