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Tanaka J, Abe S, Hayakawa T, Kojima M, Yamashita K, Hirata K, Ueno T. Crystal structure of the in-cell Cry1Aa purified from Bacillus thuringiensis. Biochem Biophys Res Commun 2023; 685:149144. [PMID: 37922785 DOI: 10.1016/j.bbrc.2023.149144] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/18/2023] [Accepted: 10/22/2023] [Indexed: 11/07/2023]
Abstract
In-cell protein crystals which spontaneously crystallize in living cells, have recently been analyzed in investigations of their structures and biological functions. The crystals have been challenging to analyze structurally because of their small size. Therefore, the number of in-cell protein crystals in which the native structure has been determined is limited because most of the structures of in-cell crystals have been determined by recrystallization after dissolution. Some proteins have been reported to form intermolecular disulfide bonds in natural protein crystals that stabilize the crystals. Here, we focus on Cry1Aa, a cysteine-rich protein that crystallizes in Bacillus thuringiensis (Bt) and forms disulfide bonds. Previously, the full-length structure of 135 kDa Cry1Ac, which is the same size as Cry1Aa, was determined by recrystallization of dissolved protein from crystals purified from Bt cells. However, the formation of disulfide bonds has not been investigated because it was necessary to replace cysteine residues to prevent aggregation of the soluble protein. In this work, we succeeded in direct X-ray crystallographic analysis using crystals purified from Bt cells and characterized the cross-linked network of disulfide bonds within Cry1Aa crystals.
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Affiliation(s)
- Junko Tanaka
- School of Life Science and Technology, Tokyo Institute of Technology, Nagatsuta-cho 4259, Midori-ku, Yokohama, 226-8501, Japan
| | - Satoshi Abe
- School of Life Science and Technology, Tokyo Institute of Technology, Nagatsuta-cho 4259, Midori-ku, Yokohama, 226-8501, Japan.
| | - Tohru Hayakawa
- Graduate School of Interdisciplinary Science and Engineering in Health Systems, Okayama University, 3-1-1 Tsushima-naka, Kita-ku, Okayama, 700-8530, Japan
| | - Mariko Kojima
- School of Life Science and Technology, Tokyo Institute of Technology, Nagatsuta-cho 4259, Midori-ku, Yokohama, 226-8501, Japan
| | - Keitaro Yamashita
- SR Life Science Instrumentation Unit, RIKEN/SPring-8 Center, 1-1-1, Kouto, Sayo-cho, Sayo-gun, Hyogo, 679-5148, Japan
| | - Kunio Hirata
- SR Life Science Instrumentation Unit, RIKEN/SPring-8 Center, 1-1-1, Kouto, Sayo-cho, Sayo-gun, Hyogo, 679-5148, Japan
| | - Takafumi Ueno
- School of Life Science and Technology, Tokyo Institute of Technology, Nagatsuta-cho 4259, Midori-ku, Yokohama, 226-8501, Japan; Living Systems Materialogy (LiSM) Research Group, International Research Frontiers Initiative (IRFI), Tokyo Institute of Technology, Yokohama, 226-8501, Japan.
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Williamson LJ, Galchenkova M, Best HL, Bean RJ, Munke A, Awel S, Pena G, Knoska J, Schubert R, Dörner K, Park HW, Bideshi DK, Henkel A, Kremling V, Klopprogge B, Lloyd-Evans E, Young MT, Valerio J, Kloos M, Sikorski M, Mills G, Bielecki J, Kirkwood H, Kim C, de Wijn R, Lorenzen K, Xavier PL, Rahmani Mashhour A, Gelisio L, Yefanov O, Mancuso AP, Federici BA, Chapman HN, Crickmore N, Rizkallah PJ, Berry C, Oberthür D. Structure of the Lysinibacillus sphaericus Tpp49Aa1 pesticidal protein elucidated from natural crystals using MHz-SFX. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A 2023; 120:e2203241120. [PMID: 38015839 PMCID: PMC10710082 DOI: 10.1073/pnas.2203241120] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/24/2022] [Accepted: 10/18/2023] [Indexed: 11/30/2023] Open
Abstract
The Lysinibacillus sphaericus proteins Tpp49Aa1 and Cry48Aa1 can together act as a toxin toward the mosquito Culex quinquefasciatus and have potential use in biocontrol. Given that proteins with sequence homology to the individual proteins can have activity alone against other insect species, the structure of Tpp49Aa1 was solved in order to understand this protein more fully and inform the design of improved biopesticides. Tpp49Aa1 is naturally expressed as a crystalline inclusion within the host bacterium, and MHz serial femtosecond crystallography using the novel nanofocus option at an X-ray free electron laser allowed rapid and high-quality data collection to determine the structure of Tpp49Aa1 at 1.62 Å resolution. This revealed the packing of Tpp49Aa1 within these natural nanocrystals as a homodimer with a large intermolecular interface. Complementary experiments conducted at varied pH also enabled investigation of the early structural events leading up to the dissolution of natural Tpp49Aa1 crystals-a crucial step in its mechanism of action. To better understand the cooperation between the two proteins, assays were performed on a range of different mosquito cell lines using both individual proteins and mixtures of the two. Finally, bioassays demonstrated Tpp49Aa1/Cry48Aa1 susceptibility of Anopheles stephensi, Aedes albopictus, and Culex tarsalis larvae-substantially increasing the potential use of this binary toxin in mosquito control.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Marina Galchenkova
- Center for Free Electron Laser Science, Deutsches Elektronen-Synchrotron, 22607Hamburg, Germany
| | - Hannah L. Best
- School of Biosciences, Cardiff University, CardiffCF10 3AX, United Kingdom
| | | | - Anna Munke
- Center for Free Electron Laser Science, Deutsches Elektronen-Synchrotron, 22607Hamburg, Germany
| | - Salah Awel
- Center for Free Electron Laser Science, Deutsches Elektronen-Synchrotron, 22607Hamburg, Germany
| | - Gisel Pena
- Center for Free Electron Laser Science, Deutsches Elektronen-Synchrotron, 22607Hamburg, Germany
| | - Juraj Knoska
- Center for Free Electron Laser Science, Deutsches Elektronen-Synchrotron, 22607Hamburg, Germany
| | | | | | - Hyun-Woo Park
- Department of Biological Sciences, California Baptist University, Riverside, CA92504
| | - Dennis K. Bideshi
- Department of Biological Sciences, California Baptist University, Riverside, CA92504
| | - Alessandra Henkel
- Center for Free Electron Laser Science, Deutsches Elektronen-Synchrotron, 22607Hamburg, Germany
| | - Viviane Kremling
- Center for Free Electron Laser Science, Deutsches Elektronen-Synchrotron, 22607Hamburg, Germany
| | - Bjarne Klopprogge
- Center for Free Electron Laser Science, Deutsches Elektronen-Synchrotron, 22607Hamburg, Germany
| | - Emyr Lloyd-Evans
- School of Biosciences, Cardiff University, CardiffCF10 3AX, United Kingdom
| | - Mark T. Young
- School of Biosciences, Cardiff University, CardiffCF10 3AX, United Kingdom
| | | | - Marco Kloos
- European XFEL GmbH, 22869Schenefeld, Germany
| | | | - Grant Mills
- European XFEL GmbH, 22869Schenefeld, Germany
| | | | | | - Chan Kim
- European XFEL GmbH, 22869Schenefeld, Germany
| | | | | | - Paul Lourdu Xavier
- Center for Free Electron Laser Science, Deutsches Elektronen-Synchrotron, 22607Hamburg, Germany
- Max-Planck Institute for the Structure and Dynamics of Matter, 22761Hamburg, Germany
| | - Aida Rahmani Mashhour
- Center for Free Electron Laser Science, Deutsches Elektronen-Synchrotron, 22607Hamburg, Germany
| | - Luca Gelisio
- Center for Free Electron Laser Science, Deutsches Elektronen-Synchrotron, 22607Hamburg, Germany
| | - Oleksandr Yefanov
- Center for Free Electron Laser Science, Deutsches Elektronen-Synchrotron, 22607Hamburg, Germany
| | - Adrian P. Mancuso
- European XFEL GmbH, 22869Schenefeld, Germany
- Department of Chemistry and Physics, La Trobe Institute for Molecular Science, La Trobe University, Melbourne, VIC3086, Australia
| | - Brian A. Federici
- Department of Entomology and Institute for Integrative Genome Biology, University of California, Riverside, CA92521
| | - Henry N. Chapman
- Center for Free Electron Laser Science, Deutsches Elektronen-Synchrotron, 22607Hamburg, Germany
- Centre for Ultrafast Imaging, Universität Hamburg, 22761Hamburg, Germany
- Department of Physics, Universität Hamburg, 22761Hamburg, Germany
| | - Neil Crickmore
- School of Life Sciences, University of Sussex, Falmer, BrightonBN1 9QG, United Kingdom
| | | | - Colin Berry
- School of Biosciences, Cardiff University, CardiffCF10 3AX, United Kingdom
| | - Dominik Oberthür
- Center for Free Electron Laser Science, Deutsches Elektronen-Synchrotron, 22607Hamburg, Germany
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Arsov A, Gerginova M, Paunova-Krasteva T, Petrov K, Petrova P. Multiple cry Genes in Bacillus thuringiensis Strain BTG Suggest a Broad-Spectrum Insecticidal Activity. Int J Mol Sci 2023; 24:11137. [PMID: 37446315 DOI: 10.3390/ijms241311137] [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: 06/05/2023] [Revised: 07/03/2023] [Accepted: 07/04/2023] [Indexed: 07/15/2023] Open
Abstract
The properties of Bacillus thuringiensis strains as a biopesticide with potent action against moths, beetles, and mosquitoes have been known for decades, with individual subspecies showing specific activity against a particular pest. The aim of the present work is to characterize strains that can be used for broad-spectrum pest control in agriculture. Twenty strains of B. thuringiensis were isolated from Bulgarian soil habitats. The strains were screened for genes encoding 12 different crystal (Cry) endotoxins by PCR with specific primer pairs. Seven of the isolates contained cry genes in their genomes. B. thuringiensis strains PL1, PL3, and PL20 contained at least three different cry genes, while B. thuringiensis serovar galleriae BTG contained at least four. Moreover, scanning electron microscopy (SEM) investigation revealed the production of bipyramidal (PL1, PL3, PL20), polygonal (PL1), cubic (BTG), and spherical crystals (BTG and PL20). Potentially containing the most cry genes, the BTG genome was sequenced and annotated. It comprises 6,275,416 base pairs, does not contain plasmids, has a GC content of 35.05%, and contained 7 genes encoding crystal toxins: cry1Ab35, cry1Db, cry1Fb, cry1Ib, cry2Ab, cry8Ea1, and cry9Ba. This unique combination would possibly enable the simultaneous pesticidal action against pest species from orders Lepidoptera, Coleoptera, Diptera, and Hemiptera, as well as class Gastropoda. Whole-genome sequencing provided accurate information about the presence, localization, and classification of Cry toxins in B. thuringiensis BTG, revealing the great potential of the strain for the development of new broad-spectrum bio-insecticides.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alexander Arsov
- Institute of Microbiology, Bulgarian Academy of Sciences, 1113 Sofia, Bulgaria
| | - Maria Gerginova
- Institute of Microbiology, Bulgarian Academy of Sciences, 1113 Sofia, Bulgaria
| | | | - Kaloyan Petrov
- Institute of Chemical Engineering, Bulgarian Academy of Sciences, 1113 Sofia, Bulgaria
| | - Penka Petrova
- Institute of Microbiology, Bulgarian Academy of Sciences, 1113 Sofia, Bulgaria
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Zhang R, Luo Y, Gang L, Xu Y, Zhang X, Peng Q, Slamti L, Lereclus D, Wang G, Song F. Key amino acids residues enhance the ability of CpcR to activate cry gene expression in Bacillus thuringiensis. Res Microbiol 2023; 174:104051. [PMID: 36907231 DOI: 10.1016/j.resmic.2023.104051] [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: 11/21/2022] [Revised: 02/11/2023] [Accepted: 03/02/2023] [Indexed: 03/13/2023]
Abstract
Typical Bacillus thuringiensis (Bt) produces one or more parasporal crystals composed of insecticidal Cry proteins during the sporulation, and the parasporal crystals and spores are produced from the same cell. Strain Bt LM1212 is different from typical Bt strains in that its crystals and spores are produced in different cells. Previous studies have found that the cell differentiation process of Bt LM1212 is related to the transcription factor CpcR which activates the cry-gene promoters. In addition, CpcR could activate the Bt LM1212 cry35-like gene promoter (P35) when introduced in the heterologous HD73- strain. It was shown that P35 was only activated in non-sporulating cells. In this study, the peptidic sequences of CpcR homologous proteins found in other strains of the Bacillus cereus group were used as references to identify two key amino acid sites for CpcR activity. The function of these amino acids was investigated by measuring P35 activation by CpcR in strain HD73-. These results will lay a foundation for the optimization of the insecticidal protein expression system in non-sporulating cells.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ruibin Zhang
- Shenzhen Branch, Guangdong Laboratory of Lingnan Modern Agriculture, Genome Analysis Laboratory of the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs, Agricultural Genomics Institute at Shenzhen, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Shenzhen, China; State Key Laboratory for Biology of Plant Diseases and Insect Pests, Institute of Plant Protection, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Beijing, China.
| | - Yang Luo
- State Key Laboratory for Biology of Plant Diseases and Insect Pests, Institute of Plant Protection, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Beijing, China.
| | - Lili Gang
- State Key Laboratory for Biology of Plant Diseases and Insect Pests, Institute of Plant Protection, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Beijing, China.
| | - Yanrong Xu
- State Key Laboratory for Biology of Plant Diseases and Insect Pests, Institute of Plant Protection, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Beijing, China.
| | - Xin Zhang
- State Key Laboratory for Biology of Plant Diseases and Insect Pests, Institute of Plant Protection, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Beijing, China.
| | - Qi Peng
- State Key Laboratory for Biology of Plant Diseases and Insect Pests, Institute of Plant Protection, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Beijing, China.
| | - Leyla Slamti
- Université Paris-Saclay, INRAE, AgroParisTech, Micalis Institute, Jouy-en-Josas, France.
| | - Didier Lereclus
- Université Paris-Saclay, INRAE, AgroParisTech, Micalis Institute, Jouy-en-Josas, France.
| | - Guirong Wang
- Shenzhen Branch, Guangdong Laboratory of Lingnan Modern Agriculture, Genome Analysis Laboratory of the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs, Agricultural Genomics Institute at Shenzhen, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Shenzhen, China; State Key Laboratory for Biology of Plant Diseases and Insect Pests, Institute of Plant Protection, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Beijing, China.
| | - Fuping Song
- State Key Laboratory for Biology of Plant Diseases and Insect Pests, Institute of Plant Protection, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Beijing, China.
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