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Zhu Y, Ponath F, Cosi V, Vogel J. A global survey of small RNA interactors identifies KhpA and KhpB as major RNA-binding proteins in Fusobacterium nucleatum. Nucleic Acids Res 2024; 52:3950-3970. [PMID: 38281181 DOI: 10.1093/nar/gkae010] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/30/2023] [Revised: 12/21/2023] [Accepted: 01/09/2024] [Indexed: 01/30/2024] Open
Abstract
The common oral microbe Fusobacterium nucleatum has recently drawn attention after it was found to colonize tumors throughout the human body. Fusobacteria are also interesting study systems for bacterial RNA biology as these early-branching species encode many small noncoding RNAs (sRNAs) but lack homologs of the common RNA-binding proteins (RBPs) CsrA, Hfq and ProQ. To search for alternate sRNA-associated RBPs in F. nucleatum, we performed a systematic mass spectrometry analysis of proteins that co-purified with 19 different sRNAs. This approach revealed strong enrichment of the KH domain proteins KhpA and KhpB with nearly all tested sRNAs, including the σE-dependent sRNA FoxI, a regulator of several envelope proteins. KhpA/B act as a dimer to bind sRNAs with low micromolar affinity and influence the stability of several of their target transcripts. Transcriptome studies combined with biochemical and genetic analyses suggest that KhpA/B have several physiological functions, including being required for ethanolamine utilization. Our RBP search and the discovery of KhpA/B as major RBPs in F. nucleatum are important first steps in identifying key players of post-transcriptional control at the root of the bacterial phylogenetic tree.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yan Zhu
- Helmholtz Institute for RNA-based Infection Research (HIRI), Helmholtz Centre for Infection Research (HZI), Würzburg D-97080, Germany
| | - Falk Ponath
- Helmholtz Institute for RNA-based Infection Research (HIRI), Helmholtz Centre for Infection Research (HZI), Würzburg D-97080, Germany
| | - Valentina Cosi
- Helmholtz Institute for RNA-based Infection Research (HIRI), Helmholtz Centre for Infection Research (HZI), Würzburg D-97080, Germany
| | - Jörg Vogel
- Helmholtz Institute for RNA-based Infection Research (HIRI), Helmholtz Centre for Infection Research (HZI), Würzburg D-97080, Germany
- Institute for Molecular Infection Biology (IMIB), University of Würzburg, D-97080 Würzburg, Germany
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Ponath F, Zhu Y, Vogel J. Transcriptome fine-mapping in Fusobacterium nucleatum reveals FoxJ, a new σ E-dependent small RNA with unusual mRNA activation activity. mBio 2024; 15:e0353623. [PMID: 38436569 PMCID: PMC11005410 DOI: 10.1128/mbio.03536-23] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/19/2024] [Accepted: 01/23/2024] [Indexed: 03/05/2024] Open
Abstract
The oral commensal Fusobacterium nucleatum can spread to extra-oral sites, where it is associated with diverse pathologies, including pre-term birth and cancer. Due to the evolutionary distance of F. nucleatum to other model bacteria, we lack a deeper understanding of the RNA regulatory networks that allow this bacterium to adapt to its various niches. As a first step in that direction, we recently showed that F. nucleatum harbors a global stress response governed by the extracytoplasmic function sigma factor, σE, which displays a striking functional conservation with Proteobacteria and includes a noncoding arm in the form of a regulatory small RNA (sRNA), FoxI. To search for putative additional σE-dependent sRNAs, we comprehensively mapped the 5' and 3' ends of transcripts in the model strain ATCC 23726. This enabled the discovery of FoxJ, a ~156-nucleotide sRNA previously misannotated as the 5' untranslated region (UTR) of ylmH. FoxJ is tightly controlled by σE and activated by the same stress conditions as is FoxI. Both sRNAs act as mRNA repressors of the abundant porin FomA, but FoxJ also regulates genes that are distinct from the target suite of FoxI. Moreover, FoxJ differs from other σE-dependent sRNAs in that it also positively regulates genes at the post-transcriptional level. We provide preliminary evidence for a new mode of sRNA-mediated mRNA activation, which involves the targeting of intra-operonic terminators. Overall, our study provides an important resource through the comprehensive annotation of 5' and 3' UTRs in F. nucleatum and expands our understanding of the σE response in this evolutionarily distant bacterium.IMPORTANCEThe oral microbe Fusobacterium nucleatum can colonize secondary sites, including cancer tissue, and likely deploys complex regulatory systems to adapt to these new environments. These systems are largely unknown, partly due to the phylogenetic distance of F. nucleatum to other model organisms. Previously, we identified a global stress response mediated by σE that displays functional conservation with the envelope stress response in Proteobacteria, comprising a coding and noncoding regulatory arm. Through global identification of transcriptional start and stop sites, we uncovered the small RNA (sRNA) FoxJ as a novel component of the noncoding arm of the σE response in F. nucleatum. Together with its companion sRNA FoxI, FoxJ post-transcriptionally modulates the synthesis of envelope proteins, revealing a conserved function for σE-dependent sRNAs between Fusobacteriota and Proteobacteria. Moreover, FoxJ activates the gene expression for several targets, which is a mode of regulation previously unseen in the noncoding arm of the σE response.
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Affiliation(s)
- Falk Ponath
- Helmholtz Institute for RNA-based Infection Research (HIRI), Helmholtz Centre for Infection Research (HZI), Würzburg, Germany
| | - Yan Zhu
- Helmholtz Institute for RNA-based Infection Research (HIRI), Helmholtz Centre for Infection Research (HZI), Würzburg, Germany
| | - Jörg Vogel
- Helmholtz Institute for RNA-based Infection Research (HIRI), Helmholtz Centre for Infection Research (HZI), Würzburg, Germany
- RNA Biology Group, Institute for Molecular Infection Biology (IMIB), University of Würzburg, Würzburg, Germany
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Ponath F, Hör J, Vogel J. An overview of gene regulation in bacteria by small RNAs derived from mRNA 3' ends. FEMS Microbiol Rev 2022; 46:6564598. [PMID: 35388892 PMCID: PMC9438474 DOI: 10.1093/femsre/fuac017] [Citation(s) in RCA: 25] [Impact Index Per Article: 12.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/13/2021] [Revised: 03/30/2022] [Accepted: 04/05/2022] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Over the past two decades, small noncoding RNAs (sRNAs) that regulate mRNAs by short base pairing have gone from a curiosity to a major class of post-transcriptional regulators in bacteria. They are integral to many stress responses and regulatory circuits, affecting almost all aspects of bacterial life. Following pioneering sRNA searches in the early 2000s, the field quickly focused on conserved sRNA genes in the intergenic regions of bacterial chromosomes. Yet, it soon emerged that there might be another rich source of bacterial sRNAs—processed 3′ end fragments of mRNAs. Several such 3′ end-derived sRNAs have now been characterized, often revealing unexpected, conserved functions in diverse cellular processes. Here, we review our current knowledge of these 3′ end-derived sRNAs—their biogenesis through ribonucleases, their molecular mechanisms, their interactions with RNA-binding proteins such as Hfq or ProQ and their functional scope, which ranges from acting as specialized regulators of single metabolic genes to constituting entire noncoding arms in global stress responses. Recent global RNA interactome studies suggest that the importance of functional 3′ end-derived sRNAs has been vastly underestimated and that this type of cross-regulation between genes at the mRNA level is more pervasive in bacteria than currently appreciated.
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Affiliation(s)
- Falk Ponath
- Helmholtz Institute for RNA-based Infection Research (HIRI), Helmholtz Centre for Infection Research (HZI), D-97080 Würzburg, Germany
| | - Jens Hör
- Institute for Molecular Infection Biology, University of Würzburg, D-97080 Würzburg, Germany
| | - Jörg Vogel
- Helmholtz Institute for RNA-based Infection Research (HIRI), Helmholtz Centre for Infection Research (HZI), D-97080 Würzburg, Germany.,Institute for Molecular Infection Biology, University of Würzburg, D-97080 Würzburg, Germany
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El Mouali Y, Ponath F, Scharrer V, Wenner N, Hinton JCD, Vogel J. Scanning mutagenesis of RNA-binding protein ProQ reveals a quality control role for the Lon protease. RNA 2021; 27:1512-1527. [PMID: 34497069 PMCID: PMC8594473 DOI: 10.1261/rna.078954.121] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/17/2021] [Accepted: 08/24/2021] [Indexed: 05/25/2023]
Abstract
The FinO-domain protein ProQ belongs to a widespread family of RNA-binding proteins (RBPs) involved in gene regulation in bacterial chromosomes and mobile elements. While the cellular RNA targets of ProQ have been established in diverse bacteria, the functionally crucial ProQ residues remain to be identified under physiological conditions. Following our discovery that ProQ deficiency alleviates growth suppression of Salmonella with succinate as the sole carbon source, an experimental evolution approach was devised to exploit this phenotype. By coupling mutational scanning with loss-of-function selection, we identified multiple ProQ residues in both the amino-terminal FinO domain and the variable carboxy-terminal region that are required for ProQ activity. Two carboxy-terminal mutations abrogated ProQ function and mildly impaired binding of a model RNA target. In contrast, several mutations in the FinO domain rendered ProQ both functionally inactive and unable to interact with target RNA in vivo. Alteration of the FinO domain stimulated the rapid turnover of ProQ by Lon-mediated proteolysis, suggesting a quality control mechanism that prevents the accumulation of nonfunctional ProQ molecules. We extend this observation to Hfq, the other major sRNA chaperone of enteric bacteria. The Hfq Y55A mutant protein, defective in RNA-binding and oligomerization, proved to be labile and susceptible to degradation by Lon. Taken together, our findings connect the major AAA+ family protease Lon with RNA-dependent quality control of Hfq and ProQ, the two major sRNA chaperones of Gram-negative bacteria.
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Affiliation(s)
- Youssef El Mouali
- Institute of Molecular Infection Biology (IMIB), University of Würzburg, D-97080 Würzburg, Germany
- Helmholtz Institute for RNA-based Infection Research (HIRI), Helmholtz Centre for Infection Research (HZI), D-97080 Würzburg, Germany
| | - Falk Ponath
- Helmholtz Institute for RNA-based Infection Research (HIRI), Helmholtz Centre for Infection Research (HZI), D-97080 Würzburg, Germany
| | - Vinzent Scharrer
- Institute of Molecular Infection Biology (IMIB), University of Würzburg, D-97080 Würzburg, Germany
| | - Nicolas Wenner
- Institute of Infection, Veterinary and Ecological Sciences, University of Liverpool, L7 3EA Liverpool, United Kingdom
| | - Jay C D Hinton
- Institute of Infection, Veterinary and Ecological Sciences, University of Liverpool, L7 3EA Liverpool, United Kingdom
| | - Jörg Vogel
- Institute of Molecular Infection Biology (IMIB), University of Würzburg, D-97080 Würzburg, Germany
- Helmholtz Institute for RNA-based Infection Research (HIRI), Helmholtz Centre for Infection Research (HZI), D-97080 Würzburg, Germany
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Hoffmann T, Rahfeld JU, Schenk M, Ponath F, Makioka K, Hutter-Paier B, Lues I, Lemere CA, Schilling S. Combination of the Glutaminyl Cyclase Inhibitor PQ912 (Varoglutamstat) and the Murine Monoclonal Antibody PBD-C06 (m6) Shows Additive Effects on Brain Aβ Pathology in Transgenic Mice. Int J Mol Sci 2021; 22:ijms222111791. [PMID: 34769222 PMCID: PMC8584206 DOI: 10.3390/ijms222111791] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/06/2021] [Revised: 10/07/2021] [Accepted: 10/27/2021] [Indexed: 11/16/2022] Open
Abstract
Compelling evidence suggests that pyroglutamate-modified Aβ (pGlu3-Aβ; AβN3pG) peptides play a pivotal role in the development and progression of Alzheimer’s disease (AD). Approaches targeting pGlu3-Aβ by glutaminyl cyclase (QC) inhibition (Varoglutamstat) or monoclonal antibodies (Donanemab) are currently in clinical development. Here, we aimed at an assessment of combination therapy of Varoglutamstat (PQ912) and a pGlu3-Aβ-specific antibody (m6) in transgenic mice. Whereas the single treatments at subtherapeutic doses show moderate (16–41%) but statistically insignificant reduction of Aβ42 and pGlu-Aβ42 in mice brain, the combination of both treatments resulted in significant reductions of Aβ by 45–65%. Evaluation of these data using the Bliss independence model revealed a combination index of ≈1, which is indicative for an additive effect of the compounds. The data are interpreted in terms of different pathways, in which the two drugs act. While PQ912 prevents the formation of pGlu3-Aβ in different compartments, the antibody is able to clear existing pGlu3-Aβ deposits. The results suggest that combination of the small molecule Varoglutamstat and a pE3Aβ-directed monoclonal antibody may allow a reduction of the individual compound doses while maintaining the therapeutic effect.
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Affiliation(s)
- Torsten Hoffmann
- Vivoryon Therapeutics N.V., Weinbergweg 22, 06120 Halle, Germany;
- Correspondence: (T.H.); (S.S.)
| | - Jens-Ulrich Rahfeld
- Fraunhofer Institute for Cell Therapy and Immunology, Department of Drug Design and Target Validation, Weinbergweg 22, 06120 Halle, Germany; (J.-U.R.); (M.S.)
| | - Mathias Schenk
- Fraunhofer Institute for Cell Therapy and Immunology, Department of Drug Design and Target Validation, Weinbergweg 22, 06120 Halle, Germany; (J.-U.R.); (M.S.)
| | - Falk Ponath
- Department of Neurology, Brigham and Women’s Hospital, Harvard Medical School, 60 Fenwood Rd., Boston, MA 02115, USA; (F.P.); (K.M.); (C.A.L.)
| | - Koki Makioka
- Department of Neurology, Brigham and Women’s Hospital, Harvard Medical School, 60 Fenwood Rd., Boston, MA 02115, USA; (F.P.); (K.M.); (C.A.L.)
| | - Birgit Hutter-Paier
- QPS Austria GmbH, Department of Neuropharmacology, Parkring 12, A-8074 Grambach, Austria;
| | - Inge Lues
- Vivoryon Therapeutics N.V., Weinbergweg 22, 06120 Halle, Germany;
| | - Cynthia A. Lemere
- Department of Neurology, Brigham and Women’s Hospital, Harvard Medical School, 60 Fenwood Rd., Boston, MA 02115, USA; (F.P.); (K.M.); (C.A.L.)
| | - Stephan Schilling
- Fraunhofer Institute for Cell Therapy and Immunology, Department of Drug Design and Target Validation, Weinbergweg 22, 06120 Halle, Germany; (J.-U.R.); (M.S.)
- Anhalt University of Applied Sciences, Bernburger Straße 55, 06366 Köthen, Germany
- Correspondence: (T.H.); (S.S.)
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Ponath F, Tawk C, Zhu Y, Barquist L, Faber F, Vogel J. RNA landscape of the emerging cancer-associated microbe Fusobacterium nucleatum. Nat Microbiol 2021; 6:1007-1020. [PMID: 34239075 DOI: 10.1038/s41564-021-00927-7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/28/2020] [Accepted: 05/24/2021] [Indexed: 12/14/2022]
Abstract
Fusobacterium nucleatum, long known as a constituent of the oral microflora, has recently garnered renewed attention for its association with several different human cancers. The growing interest in this emerging cancer-associated bacterium contrasts with a paucity of knowledge about its basic gene expression features and physiological responses. As fusobacteria lack all established small RNA-associated proteins, post-transcriptional networks in these bacteria are also unknown. In the present study, using differential RNA-sequencing, we generate high-resolution global RNA maps for five clinically relevant fusobacterial strains-F. nucleatum subspecies nucleatum, animalis, polymorphum and vincentii, as well as F. periodonticum-for early, mid-exponential growth and early stationary phase. These data are made available in an online browser, and we use these to uncover fundamental aspects of fusobacterial gene expression architecture and a suite of non-coding RNAs. Developing a vector for functional analysis of fusobacterial genes, we discover a conserved fusobacterial oxygen-induced small RNA, FoxI, which serves as a post-transcriptional repressor of the major outer membrane porin FomA. Our findings provide a crucial step towards delineating the regulatory networks enabling F. nucleatum adaptation to different environments, which may elucidate how these bacteria colonize different compartments of the human body.
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Affiliation(s)
- Falk Ponath
- Helmholtz Institute for RNA-based Infection Research, Helmholtz Centre for Infection Research, Würzburg, Germany
| | - Caroline Tawk
- Institute for Molecular Infection Biology, University of Würzburg, Würzburg, Germany
| | - Yan Zhu
- Institute for Molecular Infection Biology, University of Würzburg, Würzburg, Germany
| | - Lars Barquist
- Helmholtz Institute for RNA-based Infection Research, Helmholtz Centre for Infection Research, Würzburg, Germany.,Faculty of Medicine, University of Würzburg, Würzburg, Germany
| | - Franziska Faber
- Institute for Molecular Infection Biology, University of Würzburg, Würzburg, Germany
| | - Jörg Vogel
- Helmholtz Institute for RNA-based Infection Research, Helmholtz Centre for Infection Research, Würzburg, Germany. .,Institute for Molecular Infection Biology, University of Würzburg, Würzburg, Germany. .,Faculty of Medicine, University of Würzburg, Würzburg, Germany.
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Wicke L, Ponath F, Coppens L, Gerovac M, Lavigne R, Vogel J. Introducing differential RNA-seq mapping to track the early infection phase for Pseudomonas phage ɸKZ. RNA Biol 2020; 18:1099-1110. [PMID: 33103565 PMCID: PMC8244752 DOI: 10.1080/15476286.2020.1827785] [Citation(s) in RCA: 18] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/06/2023] Open
Abstract
As part of the ongoing renaissance of phage biology, more phage genomes are becoming available through DNA sequencing. However, our understanding of the transcriptome architecture that allows these genomes to be expressed during host infection is generally poor. Transcription start sites (TSSs) and operons have been mapped for very few phages, and an annotated global RNA map of a phage – alone or together with its infected host – is not available at all. Here, we applied differential RNA-seq (dRNA-seq) to study the early, host takeover phase of infection by assessing the transcriptome structure of Pseudomonas aeruginosa jumbo phage ɸKZ, a model phage for viral genetics and structural research. This map substantially expands the number of early expressed viral genes, defining TSSs that are active ten minutes after ɸKZ infection. Simultaneously, we record gene expression changes in the host transcriptome during this critical metabolism conversion. In addition to previously reported upregulation of genes associated with amino acid metabolism, we observe strong activation of genes with functions in biofilm formation (cdrAB) and iron storage (bfrB), as well as an activation of the antitoxin ParD. Conversely, ɸKZ infection rapidly down-regulates complexes IV and V of oxidative phosphorylation (atpCDGHF and cyoABCDE). Taken together, our data provide new insights into the transcriptional organization and infection process of the giant bacteriophage ɸKZ and adds a framework for the genome-wide transcriptomic analysis of phage–host interactions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Laura Wicke
- Institute for Molecular Infection Biology (IMIB), Medical Faculty, University of Würzburg, Würzburg, Germany.,Department of Biosystems, Laboratory of Gene Technology, KU Leuven, Leuven, Belgium
| | - Falk Ponath
- Helmholtz Institute for RNA-based Infection Research (HIRI), Helmholtz Centre for Infection Research (HZI), Würzburg, Germany
| | - Lucas Coppens
- Department of Biosystems, Laboratory of Gene Technology, KU Leuven, Leuven, Belgium
| | - Milan Gerovac
- Institute for Molecular Infection Biology (IMIB), Medical Faculty, University of Würzburg, Würzburg, Germany
| | - Rob Lavigne
- Department of Biosystems, Laboratory of Gene Technology, KU Leuven, Leuven, Belgium
| | - Jörg Vogel
- Institute for Molecular Infection Biology (IMIB), Medical Faculty, University of Würzburg, Würzburg, Germany.,Helmholtz Institute for RNA-based Infection Research (HIRI), Helmholtz Centre for Infection Research (HZI), Würzburg, Germany
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