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Gao W, Chen X, He J, Sha A, Luo Y, Xiao W, Xiong Z, Li Q. Intraspecific and interspecific variations in the synonymous codon usage in mitochondrial genomes of 8 pleurotus strains. BMC Genomics 2024; 25:456. [PMID: 38730418 PMCID: PMC11084086 DOI: 10.1186/s12864-024-10374-3] [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: 06/12/2023] [Accepted: 05/03/2024] [Indexed: 05/12/2024] Open
Abstract
In this study, we investigated the codon bias of twelve mitochondrial core protein coding genes (PCGs) in eight Pleurotus strains, two of which are from the same species. The results revealed that the codons of all Pleurotus strains had a preference for ending in A/T. Furthermore, the correlation between codon base compositions and codon adaptation index (CAI), codon bias index (CBI) and frequency of optimal codons (FOP) indices was also detected, implying the influence of base composition on codon bias. The two P. ostreatus species were found to have differences in various base bias indicators. The average effective number of codons (ENC) of mitochondrial core PCGs of Pleurotus was found to be less than 35, indicating strong codon preference of mitochondrial core PCGs of Pleurotus. The neutrality plot analysis and PR2-Bias plot analysis further suggested that natural selection plays an important role in Pleurotus codon bias. Additionally, six to ten optimal codons (ΔRSCU > 0.08 and RSCU > 1) were identified in eight Pleurotus strains, with UGU and ACU being the most widely used optimal codons in Pleurotus. Finally, based on the combined mitochondrial sequence and RSCU value, the genetic relationship between different Pleurotus strains was deduced, showing large variations between them. This research has improved our understanding of synonymous codon usage characteristics and evolution of this important fungal group.
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Affiliation(s)
- Wei Gao
- Clinical Medical College & Affiliated Hospital of Chengdu University, Chengdu University, Chengdu, Sichuan, China
| | - Xiaodie Chen
- Key Laboratory of Coarse Cereal Processing, Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs, School of Food and Biological Engineering, Chengdu University, Chengdu, Sichuan, China
| | - Jing He
- Key Laboratory of Coarse Cereal Processing, Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs, School of Food and Biological Engineering, Chengdu University, Chengdu, Sichuan, China
| | - Ajia Sha
- Key Laboratory of Coarse Cereal Processing, Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs, School of Food and Biological Engineering, Chengdu University, Chengdu, Sichuan, China
| | - Yingyong Luo
- Key Laboratory of Coarse Cereal Processing, Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs, School of Food and Biological Engineering, Chengdu University, Chengdu, Sichuan, China
| | - Wenqi Xiao
- Key Laboratory of Coarse Cereal Processing, Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs, School of Food and Biological Engineering, Chengdu University, Chengdu, Sichuan, China
| | - Zhuang Xiong
- Key Laboratory of Coarse Cereal Processing, Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs, School of Food and Biological Engineering, Chengdu University, Chengdu, Sichuan, China
| | - Qiang Li
- Key Laboratory of Coarse Cereal Processing, Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs, School of Food and Biological Engineering, Chengdu University, Chengdu, Sichuan, China.
- School of Food and Biological Engineering, Chengdu University, 2025 # Chengluo Avenue, Longquanyi District, Chengdu, Sichuan, 610106, China.
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2
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Dineen RL, Bottacini F, O'Connell‐Motherway M, van Sinderen D. Transcriptional landscape of the pMP7017 megaplasmid and its impact on the Bifidobacterium breve UCC2003 transcriptome. Microb Biotechnol 2024; 17:e14405. [PMID: 38206097 PMCID: PMC10832533 DOI: 10.1111/1751-7915.14405] [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: 09/21/2023] [Revised: 12/02/2023] [Accepted: 12/23/2023] [Indexed: 01/12/2024] Open
Abstract
The 190 kb megaplasmid pMP7017 of Bifidobacterium breve JCM7017 represents the first conjugative and largest plasmid characterised within this genus to date. In the current study, we adopted an integrated approach combining transcriptomics, whole genome comparative analysis and metagenomic data mining to understand the biology of pMP7017 and related megaplasmids, and to assess the impact of plasmid-carriage on the host strain. The data generated revealed variations within basic features of promoter elements which correlate with a high level of transcription on the plasmid and highlight the transcriptional activity of genes encoding both offensive and defensive adaptations, including a Type IIL restriction-modification system, an anti-restriction system and four Type II toxin-antitoxin systems. Furthermore, a highly transcribed tmRNA, which likely provides translational support to the host strain, was identified, making pMP7017 the first plasmid of the Bifidobacterium genus and the smallest plasmid known to express a tmRNA. Analyses of synteny and variability among pMP7017 and related plasmids indicate substantial diversity in gene organisation and accessory gene cargo highlighting diverse (co-)evolution and potential host-specific rearrangements and adaptations. Systematic analysis of the codon usage profile of transcriptionally active pMP7017-encoded genes suggests that pMP7017 originated from (sub)species of Bifidobacterium longum. Furthermore, mining of metagenomic data suggests the presence of pMP7017-homologues in ~10% of microbiome samples, mostly infants and/or mothers from various geographical locations. Comparative transcriptome analysis of the B. breve UCC2003 chromosome in the presence or absence of pMP7017 revealed differential expression of genes representing 8% of the total gene pool. Genes involved in genetic information processing were exclusively upregulated, while altered expression of genes involved in biofilm production and polysaccharide biosynthesis was also observed.
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Affiliation(s)
- Rebecca L. Dineen
- APC Microbiome IrelandUniversity College CorkCorkIreland
- School of MicrobiologyUniversity College CorkCorkIreland
| | - Francesca Bottacini
- School of MicrobiologyUniversity College CorkCorkIreland
- Department of Biological SciencesMunster Technological UniversityCorkIreland
| | | | - Douwe van Sinderen
- APC Microbiome IrelandUniversity College CorkCorkIreland
- School of MicrobiologyUniversity College CorkCorkIreland
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3
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Densi A, Iyer RS, Bhat PJ. Synonymous and Nonsynonymous Substitutions in Dictyostelium discoideum Ammonium Transporter amtA Are Necessary for Functional Complementation in Saccharomyces cerevisiae. Microbiol Spectr 2023; 11:e0384722. [PMID: 36840598 PMCID: PMC10100761 DOI: 10.1128/spectrum.03847-22] [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: 09/21/2022] [Accepted: 01/24/2023] [Indexed: 02/24/2023] Open
Abstract
Ammonium transporters are present in all three domains of life. They have undergone extensive horizontal gene transfer (HGT), gene duplication, and functional diversification and therefore offer an excellent paradigm to study protein evolution. We attempted to complement a mep1Δmep2Δmep3Δ strain of Saccharomyces cerevisiae (triple-deletion strain), which otherwise cannot grow on ammonium as a sole nitrogen source at concentrations of <3 mM, with amtA of Dictyostelium discoideum, an orthologue of S. cerevisiae MEP2. We observed that amtA did not complement the triple-deletion strain of S. cerevisiae for growth on low-ammonium medium. We isolated two mutant derivatives of amtA (amtA M1 and amtA M2) from a PCR-generated mutant plasmid library that complemented the triple-deletion strain of S. cerevisiae. amtA M1 bears three nonsynonymous and two synonymous substitutions, which are necessary for its functionality. amtA M2 bears two nonsynonymous substitutions and one synonymous substitution, all of which are necessary for functionality. Interestingly, AmtA M1 transports ammonium but does not confer methylamine toxicity, while AmtA M2 transports ammonium and confers methylamine toxicity, demonstrating functional diversification. Preliminary biochemical analyses indicated that the mutants differ in their conformations as well as their mechanisms of ammonium transport. These intriguing results clearly point out that protein evolution cannot be fathomed by studying nonsynonymous and synonymous substitutions in isolation. The above-described observations have significant implications for various facets of biological processes and are discussed in detail. IMPORTANCE Functional diversification following gene duplication is one of the major driving forces of protein evolution. While the role of nonsynonymous substitutions in the functional diversification of proteins is well recognized, knowledge of the role of synonymous substitutions in protein evolution is in its infancy. Using functional complementation, we isolated two functional alleles of the D. discoideum ammonium transporter gene (amtA), which otherwise does not function in S. cerevisiae as an ammonium transporters. One of them is an ammonium transporter, while the other is an ammonium transporter that also confers methylammonium (ammonium analogue) toxicity, suggesting functional diversification. Surprisingly, both alleles require a combination of synonymous and nonsynonymous substitutions for their functionality. These results bring out a hitherto-unknown pathway of protein evolution and pave the way for not only understanding protein evolution but also interpreting single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs).
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Affiliation(s)
- Asha Densi
- Department of Biosciences and Bioengineering, Indian Institute of Technology Bombay, Mumbai, India
| | - Revathi S. Iyer
- Department of Biosciences and Bioengineering, Indian Institute of Technology Bombay, Mumbai, India
| | - Paike Jayadeva Bhat
- Department of Biosciences and Bioengineering, Indian Institute of Technology Bombay, Mumbai, India
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4
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Sonnenberg CB, Haugen P. Bipartite Genomes in Enterobacterales: Independent Origins of Chromids, Elevated Openness and Donors of Horizontally Transferred Genes. Int J Mol Sci 2023; 24:ijms24054292. [PMID: 36901726 PMCID: PMC10002438 DOI: 10.3390/ijms24054292] [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: 01/31/2023] [Revised: 02/14/2023] [Accepted: 02/18/2023] [Indexed: 02/25/2023] Open
Abstract
Multipartite bacteria have one chromosome and one or more chromid. Chromids are believed to have properties that enhance genomic flexibility, making them a favored integration site for new genes. However, the mechanism by which chromosomes and chromids jointly contribute to this flexibility is not clear. To shed light on this, we analyzed the openness of chromosomes and chromids of the two bacteria, Vibrio and Pseudoalteromonas, both which belong to the Enterobacterales order of Gammaproteobacteria, and compared the genomic openness with that of monopartite genomes in the same order. We applied pangenome analysis, codon usage analysis and the HGTector software to detect horizontally transferred genes. Our findings suggest that the chromids of Vibrio and Pseudoalteromonas originated from two separate plasmid acquisition events. Bipartite genomes were found to be more open compared to monopartite. We found that the shell and cloud pangene categories drive the openness of bipartite genomes in Vibrio and Pseudoalteromonas. Based on this and our two recent studies, we propose a hypothesis that explains how chromids and the chromosome terminus region contribute to the genomic plasticity of bipartite genomes.
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Hallee L, Khomtchouk BB. Machine learning classifiers predict key genomic and evolutionary traits across the kingdoms of life. Sci Rep 2023; 13:2088. [PMID: 36747072 PMCID: PMC9902438 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-023-28965-7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/14/2022] [Accepted: 01/27/2023] [Indexed: 02/08/2023] Open
Abstract
In this study, we investigate how an organism's codon usage bias can serve as a predictor and classifier of various genomic and evolutionary traits across the domains of life. We perform secondary analysis of existing genetic datasets to build several AI/machine learning models. When trained on codon usage patterns of nearly 13,000 organisms, our models accurately predict the organelle of origin and taxonomic identity of nucleotide samples. We extend our analysis to identify the most influential codons for phylogenetic prediction with a custom feature ranking ensemble. Our results suggest that the genetic code can be utilized to train accurate classifiers of taxonomic and phylogenetic features. We then apply this classification framework to open reading frame (ORF) detection. Our statistical model assesses all possible ORFs in a nucleotide sample and rejects or deems them plausible based on the codon usage distribution. Our dataset and analyses are made publicly available on GitHub and the UCI ML Repository to facilitate open-source reproducibility and community engagement.
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Affiliation(s)
- Logan Hallee
- Center for Bioinformatics and Computational Biology, University of Delaware, Newark, DE, 19713, USA
| | - Bohdan B Khomtchouk
- Department of BioHealth Informatics, Center for Computational Biology and Bioinformatics, Indiana University, Indianapolis, IN, 46202, USA.
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6
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De Miccolis Angelini RM, Landi L, Raguseo C, Pollastro S, Faretra F, Romanazzi G. Tracking of Diversity and Evolution in the Brown Rot Fungi Monilinia fructicola, Monilinia fructigena, and Monilinia laxa. Front Microbiol 2022; 13:854852. [PMID: 35356516 PMCID: PMC8959702 DOI: 10.3389/fmicb.2022.854852] [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: 01/14/2022] [Accepted: 02/15/2022] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Monilinia species are among the most devastating fungi worldwide as they cause brown rot and blossom blight on fruit trees. To understand the molecular bases of their pathogenic lifestyles, we compared the newly assembled genomes of single strains of Monilinia fructicola, M. fructigena and M. laxa, with those of Botrytis cinerea and Sclerotinia sclerotiorum, as the closest species within Sclerotiniaceae. Phylogenomic analysis of orthologous proteins and syntenic investigation suggest that M. laxa is closer to M. fructigena than M. fructicola, and is closest to the other investigated Sclerotiniaceae species. This indicates that M. laxa was the earliest result of the speciation process. Distinct evolutionary profiles were observed for transposable elements (TEs). M. fructicola and M. laxa showed older bursts of TE insertions, which were affected (mainly in M. fructicola) by repeat-induced point (RIP) mutation gene silencing mechanisms. These suggested frequent occurrence of the sexual process in M. fructicola. More recent TE expansion linked with low RIP action was observed in M. fructigena, with very little in S. sclerotiorum and B. cinerea. The detection of active non-syntenic TEs is indicative of horizontal gene transfer and has resulted in alterations in specific gene functions. Analysis of candidate effectors, biosynthetic gene clusters for secondary metabolites and carbohydrate-active enzymes, indicated that Monilinia genus has multiple virulence mechanisms to infect host plants, including toxins, cell-death elicitor, putative virulence factors and cell-wall-degrading enzymes. Some species-specific pathogenic factors might explain differences in terms of host plant and organ preferences between M. fructigena and the other two Monilinia species.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Lucia Landi
- Department of Agricultural, Food and Environmental Sciences, Marche Polytechnic University, Ancona, Italy
| | - Celeste Raguseo
- Department of Soil, Plant and Food Sciences, University of Bari Aldo Moro, Bari, Italy
| | - Stefania Pollastro
- Department of Soil, Plant and Food Sciences, University of Bari Aldo Moro, Bari, Italy
| | - Francesco Faretra
- Department of Soil, Plant and Food Sciences, University of Bari Aldo Moro, Bari, Italy
| | - Gianfranco Romanazzi
- Department of Agricultural, Food and Environmental Sciences, Marche Polytechnic University, Ancona, Italy
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7
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Rodríguez-Beltrán J, León-Sampedro R, Ramiro-Martínez P, de la Vega C, Baquero F, Levin BR, San Millán Á. Translational demand is not a major source of plasmid-associated fitness costs. Philos Trans R Soc Lond B Biol Sci 2022; 377:20200463. [PMID: 34839712 PMCID: PMC8628068 DOI: 10.1098/rstb.2020.0463] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/03/2021] [Accepted: 09/16/2021] [Indexed: 12/22/2022] Open
Abstract
Plasmids are key drivers of bacterial evolution because they are crucial agents for the horizontal transfer of adaptive traits, such as antibiotic resistance. Most plasmids entail a metabolic burden that reduces the fitness of their host if there is no selection for plasmid-encoded genes. It has been hypothesized that the translational demand imposed by plasmid-encoded genes is a major mechanism driving the fitness cost of plasmids. Plasmid-encoded genes typically present a different codon usage from host chromosomal genes. As a consequence, the translation of plasmid-encoded genes might sequestrate ribosomes on plasmid transcripts, overwhelming the translation machinery of the cell. However, the pervasiveness and origins of the translation-derived costs of plasmids are yet to be assessed. Here, we systematically altered translation efficiency in the host cell to disentangle the fitness effects produced by six natural antibiotic resistance plasmids. We show that limiting translation efficiency either by reducing the number of available ribosomes or their processivity does not increase plasmid costs. Overall, our results suggest that ribosomal paucity is not a major contributor to plasmid fitness costs. This article is part of the theme issue 'The secret lives of microbial mobile genetic elements'.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jerónimo Rodríguez-Beltrán
- Department of Microbiology, Ramón y Cajal Institute for Health Research (IRYCIS), Ramón y Cajal University Hospital, Madrid, Spain
| | - Ricardo León-Sampedro
- Department of Microbiology, Ramón y Cajal Institute for Health Research (IRYCIS), Ramón y Cajal University Hospital, Madrid, Spain
| | - Paula Ramiro-Martínez
- Department of Microbiology, Ramón y Cajal Institute for Health Research (IRYCIS), Ramón y Cajal University Hospital, Madrid, Spain
| | - Carmen de la Vega
- Department of Microbiology, Ramón y Cajal Institute for Health Research (IRYCIS), Ramón y Cajal University Hospital, Madrid, Spain
| | - Fernando Baquero
- Department of Microbiology, Ramón y Cajal Institute for Health Research (IRYCIS), Ramón y Cajal University Hospital, Madrid, Spain
- Centro de Investigación Biológica en Red, Epidemiología y Salud Pública (CIBERESP), Instituto de Salud Carlos III, Madrid, Spain
| | - Bruce R. Levin
- Department of Biology, Emory University, Atlanta, GA, USA
- Antibiotic Resistance Center, Emory University, Atlanta, GA, USA
| | - Álvaro San Millán
- Department of Microbiology, Ramón y Cajal Institute for Health Research (IRYCIS), Ramón y Cajal University Hospital, Madrid, Spain
- Centro de Investigación Biológica en Red, Epidemiología y Salud Pública (CIBERESP), Instituto de Salud Carlos III, Madrid, Spain
- Department of Microbial Biotechnology, Centro Nacional de Biotecnología–CSIC, 28049 Madrid, Spain
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8
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Andronis CE, Hane JK, Bringans S, Hardy GESJ, Jacques S, Lipscombe R, Tan KC. Gene Validation and Remodelling Using Proteogenomics of Phytophthora cinnamomi, the Causal Agent of Dieback. Front Microbiol 2021; 12:665396. [PMID: 34394023 PMCID: PMC8360494 DOI: 10.3389/fmicb.2021.665396] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/08/2021] [Accepted: 05/18/2021] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Phytophthora cinnamomi is a pathogenic oomycete that causes plant dieback disease across a range of natural ecosystems and in many agriculturally important crops on a global scale. An annotated draft genome sequence is publicly available (JGI Mycocosm) and suggests 26,131 gene models. In this study, soluble mycelial, extracellular (secretome), and zoospore proteins of P. cinnamomi were exploited to refine the genome by correcting gene annotations and discovering novel genes. By implementing the diverse set of sub-proteomes into a generated proteogenomics pipeline, we were able to improve the P. cinnamomi genome annotation. Liquid chromatography mass spectrometry was used to obtain high confidence peptides with spectral matching to both the annotated genome and a generated 6-frame translation. Two thousand seven hundred sixty-four annotations from the draft genome were confirmed by spectral matching. Using a proteogenomic pipeline, mass spectra were used to edit the P. cinnamomi genome and allowed identification of 23 new gene models and 60 edited gene features using high confidence peptides obtained by mass spectrometry, suggesting a rate of incorrect annotations of 3% of the detectable proteome. The novel features were further validated by total peptide support, alongside functional analysis including the use of Gene Ontology and functional domain identification. We demonstrated the use of spectral data in combination with our proteogenomics pipeline can be used to improve the genome annotation of important plant diseases and identify missed genes. This study presents the first use of spectral data to edit and manually annotate an oomycete pathogen.
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Affiliation(s)
- Christina E Andronis
- Centre for Crop and Disease Management, Curtin University, Bentley, WA, Australia.,Proteomics International, Nedlands, WA, Australia
| | - James K Hane
- Centre for Crop and Disease Management, Curtin University, Bentley, WA, Australia.,Faculty of Science and Engineering, Curtin Institute for Computation, Curtin University, Perth, WA, Australia
| | | | - Giles E S J Hardy
- Centre for Phytophthora Science and Management, Murdoch University, Murdoch, WA, Australia
| | - Silke Jacques
- Centre for Crop and Disease Management, Curtin University, Bentley, WA, Australia
| | | | - Kar-Chun Tan
- Centre for Crop and Disease Management, Curtin University, Bentley, WA, Australia
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9
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Callens M, Scornavacca C, Bedhomme S. Evolutionary responses to codon usage of horizontally transferred genes in Pseudomonas aeruginosa: gene retention, amelioration and compensatory evolution. Microb Genom 2021; 7:000587. [PMID: 34165421 PMCID: PMC8461475 DOI: 10.1099/mgen.0.000587] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/10/2020] [Accepted: 04/19/2021] [Indexed: 12/18/2022] Open
Abstract
Prokaryote genome evolution is characterized by the frequent gain of genes through horizontal gene transfer (HGT). For a gene, being horizontally transferred can represent a strong change in its genomic and physiological context. If the codon usage of a transferred gene deviates from that of the receiving organism, the fitness benefits it provides can be reduced due to a mismatch with the expression machinery. Consequently, transferred genes with a deviating codon usage can be selected against or elicit evolutionary responses that enhance their integration, such as gene amelioration and compensatory evolution. Within bacterial species, the extent and relative importance of these different mechanisms has never been considered altogether. In this study, a phylogeny-based method was used to investigate the occurrence of these different evolutionary responses in Pseudomonas aeruginosa. Selection on codon usage of genes acquired through HGT was observed over evolutionary time, with the overall codon usage converging towards that of the core genome. Gene amelioration, through the accumulation of synonymous mutations after HGT, did not seem to systematically affect transferred genes. This pattern therefore seemed to be mainly driven by selective retention of transferred genes with an initial codon usage similar to that of the core genes. Additionally, variation in the copy number of tRNA genes was often associated with the acquisition of genes for which the observed variation could enhance their expression. This provides evidence that compensatory evolution might be an important mechanism for the integration of horizontally transferred genes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Martijn Callens
- CEFE, Univ Montpellier, CNRS, EPHE, IRD, Univ Paul Valéry Montpellier 3, Montpellier, France
| | - Celine Scornavacca
- Institut des Sciences de l’Evolution, Université Montpellier, CNRS, IRD, EPHE, Montpellier, France
| | - Stéphanie Bedhomme
- CEFE, Univ Montpellier, CNRS, EPHE, IRD, Univ Paul Valéry Montpellier 3, Montpellier, France
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10
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Almeida OGGD, Furlan JPR, Stehling EG, De Martinis ECP. Comparative phylo-pangenomics reveals generalist lifestyles in representative Acinetobacter species and proposes candidate gene markers for species identification. Gene 2021; 791:145707. [PMID: 33979679 DOI: 10.1016/j.gene.2021.145707] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/10/2021] [Revised: 04/09/2021] [Accepted: 05/06/2021] [Indexed: 02/05/2023]
Abstract
Acinetobacter species have the potential to invade and colonize immunocompromised patients, therefore being well-known as opportunistic pathogens. Among these bacteria, the species of the Acinetobacter calcoaceticus-Acinetobacter baumannii "complex" (Acb members) emerge as the main often isolated bacteria in clinical specimens. The unequivocal taxonomy is crucial to correctly identify these species and associated with comparative genomic analyses aids to understand their life-styles as well. In this study, all publicly available Acinetobacter species at the date of this study preparation were analyzed. The results revealed that the Acb members are in fact a complex when phenotypic methods are confronted, while for comparative and phylogenomics analyses this term is misleading, since they composed a monophyletic group instead. Nine best gene markers (response regulator, recJ, recG, phosphomannomutase, pepSY, monovalent cation/H + antiporter subunit D, mnmE, glnE, and bamA) were selected for identification of Acinetobacter species. Moreover, representative strains of each species were split according their isolation sources in the categories: environmental, human, insect and non-human vertebrate. Neither niche-specific genome signature nor niche-associated functional and pathogenic potential were associated with their isolation source, meaning it is not the main force acting on Acinetobacter adaptation in a given niche and corroborating that their ubiquitous distribution is a reflex of their generalist life-styles.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | - Eliana Guedes Stehling
- Faculdade de Ciências Farmacêuticas de Ribeirão Preto, Universidade de São Paulo, Brazil
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11
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Phylogenomic Analyses of Non-Dikarya Fungi Supports Horizontal Gene Transfer Driving Diversification of Secondary Metabolism in the Amphibian Gastrointestinal Symbiont, Basidiobolus. G3-GENES GENOMES GENETICS 2020; 10:3417-3433. [PMID: 32727924 PMCID: PMC7466969 DOI: 10.1534/g3.120.401516] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/01/2023]
Abstract
Research into secondary metabolism (SM) production by fungi has resulted in the discovery of diverse, biologically active compounds with significant medicinal applications. The fungi rich in SM production are taxonomically concentrated in the subkingdom Dikarya, which comprises the phyla Ascomycota and Basidiomycota. Here, we explore the potential for SM production in Mucoromycota and Zoopagomycota, two phyla of nonflagellated fungi that are not members of Dikarya, by predicting and identifying core genes and gene clusters involved in SM. The majority of non-Dikarya have few genes and gene clusters involved in SM production except for the amphibian gut symbionts in the genus Basidiobolus. Basidiobolus genomes exhibit an enrichment of SM genes involved in siderophore, surfactin-like, and terpene cyclase production, all these with evidence of constitutive gene expression. Gene expression and chemical assays also confirm that Basidiobolus has significant siderophore activity. The expansion of SMs in Basidiobolus are partially due to horizontal gene transfer from bacteria, likely as a consequence of its ecology as an amphibian gut endosymbiont.
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12
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Goz E, Zafrir Z, Tuller T. Universal evolutionary selection for high dimensional silent patterns of information hidden in the redundancy of viral genetic code. Bioinformatics 2019; 34:3241-3248. [PMID: 29718236 PMCID: PMC7109696 DOI: 10.1093/bioinformatics/bty351] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/07/2017] [Accepted: 04/27/2018] [Indexed: 01/09/2023] Open
Abstract
Motivation Understanding how viruses co-evolve with their hosts and adapt various genomic level strategies in order to ensure their fitness may have essential implications in unveiling the secrets of viral evolution, and in developing new vaccines and therapeutic approaches. Here, based on a novel genomic analysis of 2625 different viruses and 439 corresponding host organisms, we provide evidence of universal evolutionary selection for high dimensional ‘silent’ patterns of information hidden in the redundancy of viral genetic code. Results Our model suggests that long substrings of nucleotides in the coding regions of viruses from all classes, often also repeat in the corresponding viral hosts from all domains of life. Selection for these substrings cannot be explained only by such phenomena as codon usage bias, horizontal gene transfer and the encoded proteins. Genes encoding structural proteins responsible for building the core of the viral particles were found to include more host-repeating substrings, and these substrings tend to appear in the middle parts of the viral coding regions. In addition, in human viruses these substrings tend to be enriched with motives related to transcription factors and RNA binding proteins. The host-repeating substrings are possibly related to the evolutionary pressure on the viruses to effectively interact with host's intracellular factors and to efficiently escape from the host's immune system. Supplementary information Supplementary data are available at Bioinformatics online.
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Affiliation(s)
- Eli Goz
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, Tel Aviv University, Tel Aviv, Israel.,SynVaccineLtd, Ramat Hachayal, Tel Aviv, Israel
| | - Zohar Zafrir
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, Tel Aviv University, Tel Aviv, Israel.,SynVaccineLtd, Ramat Hachayal, Tel Aviv, Israel
| | - Tamir Tuller
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, Tel Aviv University, Tel Aviv, Israel.,SynVaccineLtd, Ramat Hachayal, Tel Aviv, Israel.,Sagol School of Neuroscience, Tel Aviv University, Tel Aviv, Israel
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Yang R, Santos Garcia D, Pérez Montaño F, da Silva GM, Zhao M, Jiménez Guerrero I, Rosenberg T, Chen G, Plaschkes I, Morin S, Walcott R, Burdman S. Complete Assembly of the Genome of an Acidovorax citrulli Strain Reveals a Naturally Occurring Plasmid in This Species. Front Microbiol 2019; 10:1400. [PMID: 31281298 PMCID: PMC6595937 DOI: 10.3389/fmicb.2019.01400] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/30/2018] [Accepted: 06/04/2019] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Acidovorax citrulli is the causal agent of bacterial fruit blotch (BFB), a serious threat to cucurbit crop production worldwide. Based on genetic and phenotypic properties, A. citrulli strains are divided into two major groups: group I strains have been generally isolated from melon and other non-watermelon cucurbits, while group II strains are closely associated with watermelon. In a previous study, we reported the genome of the group I model strain, M6. At that time, the M6 genome was sequenced by MiSeq Illumina technology, with reads assembled into 139 contigs. Here, we report the assembly of the M6 genome following sequencing with PacBio technology. This approach not only allowed full assembly of the M6 genome, but it also revealed the occurrence of a ∼53 kb plasmid. The M6 plasmid, named pACM6, was further confirmed by plasmid extraction, Southern-blot analysis of restricted fragments and obtention of M6-derivative cured strains. pACM6 occurs at low copy numbers (average of ∼4.1 ± 1.3 chromosome equivalents) in A. citrulli M6 and contains 63 open reading frames (ORFs), most of which (55.6%) encoding hypothetical proteins. The plasmid contains several genes encoding type IV secretion components, and typical plasmid-borne genes involved in plasmid maintenance, replication and transfer. The plasmid also carries an operon encoding homologs of a Fic-VbhA toxin-antitoxin (TA) module. Transcriptome data from A. citrulli M6 revealed that, under the tested conditions, the genes encoding the components of this TA system are among the highest expressed genes in pACM6. Whether this TA module plays a role in pACM6 maintenance is still to be determined. Leaf infiltration and seed transmission assays revealed that, under tested conditions, the loss of pACM6 did not affect the virulence of A. citrulli M6. We also show that pACM6 or similar plasmids are present in several group I strains, but absent in all tested group II strains of A. citrulli.
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Affiliation(s)
- Rongzhi Yang
- Department of Plant Pathology and Microbiology, The Robert H. Smith Faculty of Agriculture, Food and Environment, The Hebrew University of Jerusalem, Rehovot, Israel
| | - Diego Santos Garcia
- Department of Entomology, The Robert H. Smith Faculty of Agriculture, Food and Environment, The Hebrew University of Jerusalem, Rehovot, Israel
| | - Francisco Pérez Montaño
- Department of Plant Pathology and Microbiology, The Robert H. Smith Faculty of Agriculture, Food and Environment, The Hebrew University of Jerusalem, Rehovot, Israel.,Department of Microbiology, University of Seville, Seville, Spain
| | - Gustavo Mateus da Silva
- Department of Plant Pathology and Microbiology, The Robert H. Smith Faculty of Agriculture, Food and Environment, The Hebrew University of Jerusalem, Rehovot, Israel
| | - Mei Zhao
- Department of Plant Pathology, University of Georgia, Athens, GA, United States
| | - Irene Jiménez Guerrero
- Department of Plant Pathology and Microbiology, The Robert H. Smith Faculty of Agriculture, Food and Environment, The Hebrew University of Jerusalem, Rehovot, Israel
| | - Tally Rosenberg
- Department of Plant Pathology and Microbiology, The Robert H. Smith Faculty of Agriculture, Food and Environment, The Hebrew University of Jerusalem, Rehovot, Israel
| | - Gong Chen
- Department of Plant Pathology, University of Georgia, Athens, GA, United States
| | - Inbar Plaschkes
- Bioinformatics Unit, The Robert H. Smith Faculty of Agriculture, Food and Environment, The Hebrew University of Jerusalem, Rehovot, Israel
| | - Shai Morin
- Department of Entomology, The Robert H. Smith Faculty of Agriculture, Food and Environment, The Hebrew University of Jerusalem, Rehovot, Israel
| | - Ron Walcott
- Department of Plant Pathology, University of Georgia, Athens, GA, United States
| | - Saul Burdman
- Department of Plant Pathology and Microbiology, The Robert H. Smith Faculty of Agriculture, Food and Environment, The Hebrew University of Jerusalem, Rehovot, Israel
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Natural tuning of restriction endonuclease synthesis by cluster of rare arginine codons. Sci Rep 2019; 9:5808. [PMID: 30967604 PMCID: PMC6456624 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-019-42311-w] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/09/2018] [Accepted: 03/28/2019] [Indexed: 01/21/2023] Open
Abstract
Restriction–modification (R-M) systems are highly widespread among bacteria and archaea, and they appear to play a pivotal role in modulating horizontal gene transfer, as well as in protecting the host organism against viruses and other invasive DNA particles. Type II R-M systems specify two independent enzymes: a restriction endonuclease (REase) and protective DNA methyltransferase (MTase). If the cell is to survive, the counteracting activities as toxin and antitoxin, must be finely balanced in vivo. The molecular basis of this regulatory process remains unclear and current searches for regulatory elements in R-M modules are focused mainly at the transcription step. In this report, we show new aspects of REase control that are linked to translation. We used the EcoVIII R-M system as a model. Both, the REase and MTase genes for this R-M system contain an unusually high number of rare arginine codons (AGA and AGG) when compared to the rest of the E. coli K-12 genome. Clusters of these codons near the N-terminus of the REase greatly affect the translational efficiency. Changing these to higher frequency codons for E. coli (CGC) improves the REase synthesis, making the R-M system more potent to defend its host against bacteriophages. However, this improved efficiency in synthesis reduces host fitness due to increased autorestriction. We hypothesize that expression of the endonuclease gene can be modulated depending on the host genetic context and we propose a novel post-transcriptional mode of R–M system regulation that alleviates the potential lethal action of the restriction enzyme.
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15
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Wu Y, Wu P, Wang B, Shao ZQ. Genome-Wide Analysis Reveals Ancestral Lack of Seventeen Different tRNAs and Clade-Specific Loss of tRNA-CNNs in Archaea. Front Microbiol 2018; 9:1245. [PMID: 29930548 PMCID: PMC6000648 DOI: 10.3389/fmicb.2018.01245] [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: 08/26/2017] [Accepted: 05/23/2018] [Indexed: 12/02/2022] Open
Abstract
Transfer RNA (tRNA) is a category of RNAs that specifically decode messenger RNAs (mRNAs) into proteins by recognizing a set of 61 codons commonly adopted by different life domains. The composition and abundance of tRNAs play critical roles in shaping codon usage and pairing bias, which subsequently modulate mRNA translation efficiency and accuracy. Over the past few decades, effort has been concentrated on evaluating the specificity and redundancy of different tRNA families. However, the mechanism and processes underlying tRNA evolution have only rarely been investigated. In this study, by surveying tRNA genes in 167 completely sequenced genomes, we systematically investigated the composition and evolution of tRNAs in Archaea from a phylogenetic perspective. Our data revealed that archaeal genomes are compact in both tRNA types and copy number. Generally, no more than 44 different types of tRNA are present in archaeal genomes to decode the 61 canonical codons, and most of them have only one gene copy per genome. Among them, tRNA-Met was significantly overrepresented, with an average of three copies per genome. In contrast, the tRNA-UAU and 16 tRNAs with A-starting anticodons (tRNA-ANNs) were rarely detected in all archaeal genomes. The conspicuous absence of these tRNAs across the archaeal phylogeny suggests they might have not been evolved in the common ancestor of Archaea, rather than have lost independently from different clades. Furthermore, widespread absence of tRNA-CNNs in the Methanococcales and Methanobacteriales genomes indicates convergent loss of these tRNAs in the two clades. This clade-specific tRNA loss may be attributing to the reductive evolution of their genomes. Our data suggest that the current tRNA profiles in Archaea are contributed not only by the ancestral tRNA composition, but also by differential maintenance and loss of redundant tRNAs.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yue Wu
- State Key Laboratory of Pharmaceutical Biotechnology, School of Life Sciences, Nanjing University, Nanjing, China.,Institute of Bioinformatics, University of Georgia, Athens, GA, United States
| | - Ping Wu
- State Key Laboratory of Pharmaceutical Biotechnology, School of Life Sciences, Nanjing University, Nanjing, China
| | - Bin Wang
- State Key Laboratory of Pharmaceutical Biotechnology, School of Life Sciences, Nanjing University, Nanjing, China
| | - Zhu-Qing Shao
- State Key Laboratory of Pharmaceutical Biotechnology, School of Life Sciences, Nanjing University, Nanjing, China
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16
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Shen W, Wang D, Ye B, Shi M, Ma L, Zhang Y, Zhao Z. GC3-biased gene domains in mammalian genomes. Bioinformatics 2015; 31:3081-4. [PMID: 26019240 PMCID: PMC4576692 DOI: 10.1093/bioinformatics/btv329] [Citation(s) in RCA: 27] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/02/2015] [Accepted: 05/19/2015] [Indexed: 01/17/2023] Open
Abstract
Motivation: Synonymous codon usage bias has been shown to be correlated with many genomic features among different organisms. However, the biological significance of codon bias with respect to gene function and genome organization remains unclear. Results: Guanine and cytosine content at the third codon position (GC3) could be used as a good indicator of codon bias. Here, we used relative GC3 bias values to compare the strength of GC3 bias of genes in human and mouse. We reported, for the first time, that GC3-rich and GC3-poor gene products might have distinct sub-cellular spatial distributions. Moreover, we extended the view of genomic gene domains and identified conserved GC3 biased gene domains along chromosomes. Our results indicated that similar GC3 biased genes might be co-translated in specific spatial regions to share local translational machineries, and that GC3 could be involved in the organization of genome architecture. Availability and implementation: Source code is available upon request from the authors. Contact:zhaozh@nic.bmi.ac.cn or zany1983@gmail.com Supplementary information:Supplementary data are available at Bioinformatics online.
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Affiliation(s)
- Wenlong Shen
- Beijing Institute of Biotechnology, Beijing 100071, China
| | - Dong Wang
- Beijing Institute of Biotechnology, Beijing 100071, China
| | - Bingyu Ye
- Beijing Institute of Biotechnology, Beijing 100071, China, College of Life Sciences, Capital Normal University, Beijing 100048, China and
| | - Minglei Shi
- Beijing Institute of Biotechnology, Beijing 100071, China
| | - Lei Ma
- College of Life Sciences, Shihezi University, Shihezi 832003, China
| | - Yan Zhang
- Beijing Institute of Biotechnology, Beijing 100071, China
| | - Zhihu Zhao
- Beijing Institute of Biotechnology, Beijing 100071, China
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17
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Hess AK, Saffert P, Liebeton K, Ignatova Z. Optimization of translation profiles enhances protein expression and solubility. PLoS One 2015; 10:e0127039. [PMID: 25965266 PMCID: PMC4428881 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0127039] [Citation(s) in RCA: 28] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/11/2014] [Accepted: 04/11/2015] [Indexed: 12/12/2022] Open
Abstract
mRNA is translated with a non-uniform speed that actively coordinates co-translational folding of protein domains. Using structure-based homology we identified the structural domains in epoxide hydrolases (EHs) and introduced slow-translating codons to delineate the translation of single domains. These changes in translation speed dramatically improved the solubility of two EHs of metagenomic origin in Escherichia coli. Conversely, the importance of transient attenuation for the folding, and consequently solubility, of EH was evidenced with a member of the EH family from Agrobacterium radiobacter, which partitions in the soluble fraction when expressed in E. coli. Synonymous substitutions of codons shaping the slow-transiting regions to fast-translating codons render this protein insoluble. Furthermore, we show that low protein yield can be enhanced by decreasing the free folding energy of the initial 5’-coding region, which can disrupt mRNA secondary structure and enhance ribosomal loading. This study provides direct experimental evidence that mRNA is not a mere messenger for translation of codons into amino acids but bears an additional layer of information for folding, solubility and expression level of the encoded protein. Furthermore, it provides a general frame on how to modulate and fine-tune gene expression of a target protein.
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Affiliation(s)
- Anne-Katrin Hess
- Institute of Biochemistry and Biology, University of Potsdam, Potsdam, Germany
| | - Paul Saffert
- Institute of Biochemistry and Biology, University of Potsdam, Potsdam, Germany
| | | | - Zoya Ignatova
- Institute of Biochemistry and Biology, University of Potsdam, Potsdam, Germany
- Biochemistry, Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, University of Hamburg, Hamburg, Germany
- * E-mail: (ZI); (KL)
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18
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Mignon C, Sodoyer R, Werle B. Antibiotic-free selection in biotherapeutics: now and forever. Pathogens 2015; 4:157-81. [PMID: 25854922 PMCID: PMC4493468 DOI: 10.3390/pathogens4020157] [Citation(s) in RCA: 56] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/09/2015] [Revised: 03/09/2015] [Accepted: 03/23/2015] [Indexed: 11/16/2022] Open
Abstract
The continuously improving sophistication of molecular engineering techniques gives access to novel classes of bio-therapeutics and new challenges for their production in full respect of the strengthening regulations. Among these biologic agents are DNA based vaccines or gene therapy products and to a lesser extent genetically engineered live vaccines or delivery vehicles. The use of antibiotic-based selection, frequently associated with genetic manipulation of microorganism is currently undergoing a profound metamorphosis with the implementation and diversification of alternative selection means. This short review will present examples of alternatives to antibiotic selection and their context of application to highlight their ineluctable invasion of the bio-therapeutic world.
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Affiliation(s)
- Charlotte Mignon
- Technology Research Institute Bioaster, 317 avenue Jean-Jaurés, 69007 Lyon, France.
| | - Régis Sodoyer
- Technology Research Institute Bioaster, 317 avenue Jean-Jaurés, 69007 Lyon, France.
| | - Bettina Werle
- Technology Research Institute Bioaster, 317 avenue Jean-Jaurés, 69007 Lyon, France.
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19
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Genetic determinants of reutericyclin biosynthesis in Lactobacillus reuteri. Appl Environ Microbiol 2015; 81:2032-41. [PMID: 25576609 DOI: 10.1128/aem.03691-14] [Citation(s) in RCA: 45] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/06/2023] Open
Abstract
Reutericyclin is a unique antimicrobial tetramic acid produced by some strains of Lactobacillus reuteri. This study aimed to identify the genetic determinants of reutericyclin biosynthesis. Comparisons of the genomes of reutericyclin-producing L. reuteri strains with those of non-reutericyclin-producing strains identified a genomic island of 14 open reading frames (ORFs) including genes coding for a nonribosomal peptide synthetase (NRPS), a polyketide synthase (PKS), homologues of PhlA, PhlB, and PhlC, and putative transport and regulatory proteins. The protein encoded by rtcN is composed of a condensation domain, an adenylation domain likely specific for d-leucine, and a thiolation domain. rtcK codes for a PKS that is composed of a ketosynthase domain, an acyl-carrier protein domain, and a thioesterase domain. The products of rtcA, rtcB, and rtcC are homologous to the diacetylphloroglucinol-biosynthetic proteins PhlABC and may acetylate the tetramic acid moiety produced by RtcN and RtcK, forming reutericyclin. Deletion of rtcN or rtcABC in L. reuteri TMW1.656 abrogated reutericyclin production but did not affect resistance to reutericyclin. Genes coding for transport and regulatory proteins could be deleted only in the reutericyclin-negative L. reuteri strain TMW1.656ΔrtcN, and these deletions eliminated reutericyclin resistance. The genomic analyses suggest that the reutericyclin genomic island was horizontally acquired from an unknown source during a unique event. The combination of PhlABC homologues with both an NRPS and a PKS has also been identified in the lactic acid bacteria Streptococcus mutans and Lactobacillus plantarum, suggesting that the genes in these organisms and those in L. reuteri share an evolutionary origin.
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20
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Alphaproteobacteria species as a source and target of lateral sequence transfers. Trends Microbiol 2014; 22:147-56. [DOI: 10.1016/j.tim.2013.12.006] [Citation(s) in RCA: 21] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/14/2013] [Revised: 12/05/2013] [Accepted: 12/17/2013] [Indexed: 11/22/2022]
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21
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Roller M, Lucić V, Nagy I, Perica T, Vlahovicek K. Environmental shaping of codon usage and functional adaptation across microbial communities. Nucleic Acids Res 2013; 41:8842-52. [PMID: 23921637 PMCID: PMC3799439 DOI: 10.1093/nar/gkt673] [Citation(s) in RCA: 34] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Microbial communities represent the largest portion of the Earth's biomass. Metagenomics projects use high-throughput sequencing to survey these communities and shed light on genetic capabilities that enable microbes to inhabit every corner of the biosphere. Metagenome studies are generally based on (i) classifying and ranking functions of identified genes; and (ii) estimating the phyletic distribution of constituent microbial species. To understand microbial communities at the systems level, it is necessary to extend these studies beyond the species' boundaries and capture higher levels of metabolic complexity. We evaluated 11 metagenome samples and demonstrated that microbes inhabiting the same ecological niche share common preferences for synonymous codons, regardless of their phylogeny. By exploring concepts of translational optimization through codon usage adaptation, we demonstrated that community-wide bias in codon usage can be used as a prediction tool for lifestyle-specific genes across the entire microbial community, effectively considering microbial communities as meta-genomes. These findings set up a 'functional metagenomics' platform for the identification of genes relevant for adaptations of entire microbial communities to environments. Our results provide valuable arguments in defining the concept of microbial species through the context of their interactions within the community.
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Affiliation(s)
- Masa Roller
- Bioinformatics Group, Department of Molecular Biology, Faculty of Science, University of Zagreb, Horvatovac 102a, 10000 Zagreb, Croatia, Institute of Biochemistry, Biological Research Centre of the Hungarian Academy of Sciences, Temesvári körút 62, H-6726 Szeged, Hungary, MRC Laboratory of Molecular Biology, Hills Road, Cambridge CB2 0QH, UK and Department of Informatics, University of Oslo, PO Box 1080 Blindern, NO-0316 Oslo, Norway
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22
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Tello M, Saavedra JM, Spencer E. Analysis of the use of codon pairs in the HE gene of the ISA virus shows a correlation between bias in HPR codon-pair use and mortality rates caused by the virus. Virol J 2013; 10:180. [PMID: 23742749 PMCID: PMC3684539 DOI: 10.1186/1743-422x-10-180] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/28/2013] [Accepted: 05/28/2013] [Indexed: 11/10/2022] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Segment 6 of the ISA virus codes for hemoagglutinin-esterase (HE). This segment is highly variable, with more than 26 variants identified. The major variation is observed in what is called the high polymorphism region (HPR). The role of the different HPR zones in the viral cycle or evolution remains unknown. However viruses that present the HPR0 are avirulent, while viruses with important deletions in this region have been responsible for outbreaks with high mortality rates. In this work, using bioinformatic tools, we examined the influence of different HPRs on the adaptation of HE genes to the host translational machinery and the relationship to observed virulence. METHODS Translational efficiency of HE genes and their HPR were estimated analyzing codon-pair bias (CPB), adaptation to host codon use (codon adaptation index-CAI) and the adaptation to available tRNAs (tAI). These values were correlated with reported mortality for the respective ISA virus and the ΔG of RNA folding. tRNA abundance was inferred from tRNA gene numbers identified in the Salmo salar genome using tRNAScan-SE. Statistical correlation between data was performed using a non-parametric test. RESULTS We found that HPR0 contains zones with codon pairs of low frequency and low availability of tRNA with respect to salmon codon-pair usage, suggesting that HPR modifies HE translational efficiency. Although calculating tAI was impossible because one third of tRNAs (~60.000) were tRNA-ala, translational efficiency measured by CPB shows that as HPR size increases, the CPB value of the HE gene decreases (P = 2x10⁻⁷, ρ = -0.675, n = 63) and that these values correlate positively with the mortality rates caused by the virus (ρ = 0.829, P = 2x10⁻⁷, n = 11). The mortality associated with different virus isolates or their corresponding HPR sizes were not related with the ΔG of HPR RNA folding, suggesting that the secondary structure of HPR RNA does not modify virulence. CONCLUSIONS Our results suggest that HPR size affects the efficiency of gene translation, which modulates the virulence of the virus by a mechanism similar to that observed in production of live attenuated vaccines through deoptimization of codon-pair usage.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mario Tello
- Centro de Biotecnología Acuícola, Facultad de Química y Biología, Universidad de Santiago de Chile, Alameda 3363, Santiago, Chile.
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23
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Diene SM, Merhej V, Henry M, El Filali A, Roux V, Robert C, Azza S, Gavory F, Barbe V, La Scola B, Raoult D, Rolain JM. The rhizome of the multidrug-resistant Enterobacter aerogenes genome reveals how new "killer bugs" are created because of a sympatric lifestyle. Mol Biol Evol 2012; 30:369-83. [PMID: 23071100 DOI: 10.1093/molbev/mss236] [Citation(s) in RCA: 93] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/07/2023] Open
Abstract
Here, we sequenced the 5,419,609 bp circular genome of an Enterobacter aerogenes clinical isolate that killed a patient and was resistant to almost all current antibiotics (except gentamicin) commonly used to treat Enterobacterial infections, including colistin. Genomic and phylogenetic analyses explain the discrepancies of this bacterium and show that its core genome originates from another genus, Klebsiella. Atypical characteristics of this bacterium (i.e., motility, presence of ornithine decarboxylase, and lack of urease activity) are attributed to genomic mosaicism, by acquisition of additional genes, such as the complete 60,582 bp flagellar assembly operon acquired "en bloc" from the genus Serratia. The genealogic tree of the 162,202 bp multidrug-resistant conjugative plasmid shows that it is a chimera of transposons and integrative conjugative elements from various bacterial origins, resembling a rhizome. Moreover, we demonstrate biologically that a G53S mutation in the pmrA gene results in colistin resistance. E. aerogenes has a large RNA population comprising 8 rRNA operons and 87 cognate tRNAs that have the ability to translate transferred genes that use different codons, as exemplified by the significantly different codon usage between genes from the core genome and the "mobilome." On the basis of our findings, the evolution of this bacterium to become a "killer bug" with new genomic repertoires was from three criteria that are "opportunity, power, and usage" to indicate a sympatric lifestyle: "opportunity" to meet other bacteria and exchange foreign sequences since this bacteria was similar to sympatric bacteria; "power" to integrate these foreign sequences such as the acquisition of several mobile genetic elements (plasmids, integrative conjugative element, prophages, transposons, flagellar assembly system, etc.) found in his genome; and "usage" to have the ability to translate these sequences including those from rare codons to serve as a translator of foreign languages.
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Affiliation(s)
- Seydina M Diene
- Unité de Recherche sur les Maladies Infectieuses et Tropicales Emergents (URMITE), UMR7278 CNRS-IRD-INSERM, IHU Méditerranée Infection, Aix-Marseille Université, Marseille, France
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