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Fernández-García L, Gao X, Kirigo J, Song S, Battisti ME, Garcia-Contreras R, Tomas M, Guo Y, Wang X, Wood TK. Single-cell analysis reveals that cryptic prophage protease LfgB protects Escherichia coli during oxidative stress by cleaving antitoxin MqsA. Microbiol Spectr 2024; 12:e0347123. [PMID: 38206055 PMCID: PMC10846083 DOI: 10.1128/spectrum.03471-23] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/23/2023] [Accepted: 11/30/2023] [Indexed: 01/12/2024] Open
Abstract
Although toxin/antitoxin (TA) systems are ubiquitous, beyond phage inhibition and mobile element stabilization, their role in host metabolism is obscure. One of the best-characterized TA systems is MqsR/MqsA of Escherichia coli, which has been linked previously to protecting gastrointestinal species during the stress it encounters from the bile salt deoxycholate as it colonizes humans. However, some recent whole-population studies have challenged the role of toxins such as MqsR in bacterial physiology since the mqsRA locus is induced over a hundred-fold during stress, but a phenotype was not found upon its deletion. Here, we investigate further the role of MqsR/MqsA by utilizing single cells and demonstrate that upon oxidative stress, the TA system MqsR/MqsA has a heterogeneous effect on the transcriptome of single cells. Furthermore, we discovered that MqsR activation leads to induction of the poorly characterized yfjXY ypjJ yfjZF operon of cryptic prophage CP4-57. Moreover, deletion of yfjY makes the cells sensitive to H2O2, acid, and heat stress, and this phenotype was complemented. Hence, we recommend yfjY be renamed to lfgB (less fatality gene B). Critically, MqsA represses lfgB by binding the operon promoter, and LfgB is a protease that degrades MqsA to derepress rpoS and facilitate the stress response. Therefore, the MqsR/MqsA TA system facilitates the stress response through cryptic phage protease LfgB.IMPORTANCEThe roles of toxin/antitoxin systems in cell physiology are few and include phage inhibition and stabilization of genetic elements; yet, to date, there are no single-transcriptome studies for toxin/antitoxin systems and few insights for prokaryotes from this novel technique. Therefore, our results with this technique are important since we discover and characterize a cryptic prophage protease that is regulated by the MqsR/MqsA toxin/antitoxin system in order to regulate the host response to oxidative stress.
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Affiliation(s)
- Laura Fernández-García
- Department of Chemical Engineering, Pennsylvania State University, University Park, Pennsylvania, USA
- Microbiology Department, Hospital A Coruña (HUAC), A Coruña, Spain
- Microbiology Translational and Multidisciplinary (MicroTM)‐Research Institute Biomedical A Coruña (INIBIC) and Microbiology, University of A Coruña (UDC), A Coruña, Spain
| | - Xinyu Gao
- Key Laboratory of Tropical Marine Bio-resources and Ecology, Institute of Oceanology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Nansha, Guangzhou, China
- Guangdong Key Laboratory of Marine Materia Medica, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Nansha, Guangzhou, China
- Innovation Academy of South China Sea Ecology and Environmental Engineering, South China Sea, Chinese Academy of Sciences, China, Nansha,, Guangzhou, China
- University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China
| | - Joy Kirigo
- Department of Chemical Engineering, Pennsylvania State University, University Park, Pennsylvania, USA
| | - Sooyeon Song
- Department of Chemical Engineering, Pennsylvania State University, University Park, Pennsylvania, USA
- Department of Animal Science, Jeonbuk National University, Jeonju-Si, Jellabuk-Do, South Korea
- Department of Agricultural Convergence Technology, Jeonbuk National University, Jeonju-Si, Jellabuk-Do, South Korea
| | - Michael E. Battisti
- Department of Chemical Engineering, Pennsylvania State University, University Park, Pennsylvania, USA
| | - Rodolfo Garcia-Contreras
- Departamento de Microbiología y Parasitología, Facultad de Medicina, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México, Mexico, Mexico
| | - Maria Tomas
- Microbiology Department, Hospital A Coruña (HUAC), A Coruña, Spain
- Microbiology Translational and Multidisciplinary (MicroTM)‐Research Institute Biomedical A Coruña (INIBIC) and Microbiology, University of A Coruña (UDC), A Coruña, Spain
| | - Yunxue Guo
- Key Laboratory of Tropical Marine Bio-resources and Ecology, Institute of Oceanology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Nansha, Guangzhou, China
- Guangdong Key Laboratory of Marine Materia Medica, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Nansha, Guangzhou, China
- Innovation Academy of South China Sea Ecology and Environmental Engineering, South China Sea, Chinese Academy of Sciences, China, Nansha,, Guangzhou, China
- University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China
- Southern Marine Science and Engineering Guangdong Laboratory (Guangzhou), Nansha, Guangzhou, China
| | - Xiaoxue Wang
- Key Laboratory of Tropical Marine Bio-resources and Ecology, Institute of Oceanology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Nansha, Guangzhou, China
- University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China
- Southern Marine Science and Engineering Guangdong Laboratory (Guangzhou), Nansha, Guangzhou, China
| | - Thomas K. Wood
- Department of Chemical Engineering, Pennsylvania State University, University Park, Pennsylvania, USA
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Dion MB, Shah SA, Deng L, Thorsen J, Stokholm J, Krogfelt KA, Schjørring S, Horvath P, Allard A, Nielsen DS, Petit MA, Moineau S. Escherichia coli CRISPR arrays from early life fecal samples preferentially target prophages. THE ISME JOURNAL 2024; 18:wrae005. [PMID: 38366192 PMCID: PMC10910852 DOI: 10.1093/ismejo/wrae005] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/26/2023] [Revised: 01/09/2024] [Accepted: 01/10/2024] [Indexed: 02/18/2024]
Abstract
CRISPR-Cas systems are defense mechanisms against phages and other nucleic acids that invade bacteria and archaea. In Escherichia coli, it is generally accepted that CRISPR-Cas systems are inactive in laboratory conditions due to a transcriptional repressor. In natural isolates, it has been shown that CRISPR arrays remain stable over the years and that most spacer targets (protospacers) remain unknown. Here, we re-examine CRISPR arrays in natural E. coli isolates and investigate viral and bacterial genomes for spacer targets using a bioinformatics approach coupled to a unique biological dataset. We first sequenced the CRISPR1 array of 1769 E. coli isolates from the fecal samples of 639 children obtained during their first year of life. We built a network with edges between isolates that reflect the number of shared spacers. The isolates grouped into 34 modules. A search for matching spacers in bacterial genomes showed that E. coli spacers almost exclusively target prophages. While we found instances of self-targeting spacers, those involving a prophage and a spacer within the same bacterial genome were rare. The extensive search for matching spacers also expanded the library of known E. coli protospacers to 60%. Altogether, these results favor the concept that E. coli's CRISPR-Cas is an antiprophage system and highlight the importance of reconsidering the criteria use to deem CRISPR-Cas systems active.
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Affiliation(s)
- Moïra B Dion
- Département de biochimie, de microbiologie, et de bio-informatique, Faculté des sciences et de génie, Université Laval, Québec, QC G1V 0A6, Canada
- Groupe de recherche en écologie buccale, Faculté de médecine dentaire, Université Laval, Québec, QC G1V 0A6, Canada
| | - Shiraz A Shah
- Copenhagen Prospective Studies on Asthma in Childhood, Herlev and Gentofte Hospital, University of Copenhagen, Ledreborg Alle 34, 2820 Gentofte, Denmark
| | - Ling Deng
- Food Science, University of Copenhagen, Rolighedsvej 26, 1958 Frederiksberg, Denmark
| | - Jonathan Thorsen
- Copenhagen Prospective Studies on Asthma in Childhood, Herlev and Gentofte Hospital, University of Copenhagen, Ledreborg Alle 34, 2820 Gentofte, Denmark
- Novo Nordisk Foundation Center for Basic Metabolic Research, Faculty of Health and Medical Sciences, University of Copenhagen, Blegdamsvej 3B, 2200 Copenhagen, Denmark
| | - Jakob Stokholm
- Copenhagen Prospective Studies on Asthma in Childhood, Herlev and Gentofte Hospital, University of Copenhagen, Ledreborg Alle 34, 2820 Gentofte, Denmark
- Food Science, University of Copenhagen, Rolighedsvej 26, 1958 Frederiksberg, Denmark
| | - Karen A Krogfelt
- Department of Bacteria, Parasites and Fungi, Statens Serum Institut, Artillerivej 5, 2300S Copenhagen, Denmark
- Department of Science and Environment, Roskilde University, Universitetsvej 1, 4000 Roskilde, Denmark
| | - Susanne Schjørring
- Department of Bacteria, Parasites and Fungi, Statens Serum Institut, Artillerivej 5, 2300S Copenhagen, Denmark
| | - Philippe Horvath
- IFF Danisco, Health & Biosciences, Dangé-Saint-Romain 86220, France
| | - Antoine Allard
- Département de physique, de génie physique et d’optique, Université Laval, Québec, QC G1V 0A6, Canada
- Centre interdisciplinaire en modélisation mathématique, Université Laval, Québec, QC G1V 0A6, Canada
| | - Dennis S Nielsen
- Food Science, University of Copenhagen, Rolighedsvej 26, 1958 Frederiksberg, Denmark
| | - Marie-Agnès Petit
- Université Paris-Saclay, INRAE, AgroParisTech, Institut Micalis, Jouy-en-Josas 78350, France
| | - Sylvain Moineau
- Département de biochimie, de microbiologie, et de bio-informatique, Faculté des sciences et de génie, Université Laval, Québec, QC G1V 0A6, Canada
- Groupe de recherche en écologie buccale, Faculté de médecine dentaire, Université Laval, Québec, QC G1V 0A6, Canada
- Félix d’Hérelle Reference Center for Bacterial Viruses, Faculté de médecine dentaire, Université Laval, Québec, QC G1V 0A6, Canada
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