Rates and consequences of recombination between rRNA operons

Evolution of Streptococcus pneumoniae and its close commensal relatives

Streptococcus pneumoniae is a member of the Mitis group of streptococci which, according to 16S rRNA-sequence based phylogenetic reconstruction, includes 12 species. While other species of this group are considered prototypes of commensal bacteria, S. pneumoniae is among the most frequent microbial killers worldwide. Population genetic analysis of 118 strains, supported by demonstration of a distinct cell wall carbohydrate structure and competence pheromone sequence signature, shows that S. pneumoniae is one of several hundred evolutionary lineages forming a cluster separate from Streptococcus oralis and Streptococcus infantis. The remaining lineages of this distinct cluster are commensals previously collectively referred to as Streptococcus mitis and each represent separate species by traditional taxonomic standard. Virulence genes including the operon for capsule polysaccharide synthesis and genes encoding IgA1 protease, pneumolysin, and autolysin were randomly distributed among S. mitis lineages. Estimates of the evolutionary age of the lineages, the identical location of remnants of virulence genes in the genomes of commensal strains, the pattern of genome reductions, and the proportion of unique genes and their origin support the model that the entire cluster of S. pneumoniae, S. pseudopneumoniae, and S. mitis lineages evolved from pneumococcus-like bacteria presumably pathogenic to the common immediate ancestor of hominoids. During their adaptation to a commensal life style, most of the lineages gradually lost the majority of genes determining virulence and became genetically distinct due to sexual isolation in their respective hosts.

Intragenomic variation and evolution of the internal transcribed spacer of the rRNA operon in bacteria

Variation in the internal transcribed spacer (ITS) of the rRNA (rrn) operon is increasingly used to infer population-level diversity in bacterial communities. However, intragenomic ITS variation may skew diversity estimates that do not correct for multiple rrn operons within a genome. This study characterizes variation in ITS length, tRNA composition, and intragenomic nucleotide divergence across 155 Bacteria genomes. On average, these genomes encode 4.8 rrn operons (range: 2-15) and contain 2.4 unique ITS length variants (range: 1-12) and 2.8 unique sequence variants (range: 1-12). ITS variation stems primarily from differences in tRNA gene composition, with ITS regions containing tRNA-Ala + tRNA-Ile (48% of sequences), tRNA-Ala or tRNA-Ile (10%), tRNA-Glu (11%), other tRNAs (3%), or no tRNA genes (27%). Intragenomic divergence among paralogous ITS sequences grouped by tRNA composition ranges from 0% to 12.11% (mean: 0.94%). Low divergence values indicate extensive homogenization among ITS copies. In 78% of alignments, divergence is <1%, with 54% showing zero variation and 81% containing at least two identical sequences. ITS homogenization occurs over relatively long sequence tracts, frequently spanning the entire ITS, and is largely independent of the distance (basepairs) between operons. This study underscores the potential contribution of interoperon ITS variation to bacterial microdiversity studies, as well as unequivocally demonstrates the pervasiveness of concerted evolution in the rrn gene family.

Mesorhizobium albiziae sp. nov., a novel bacterium that nodulates Albizia kalkora in a subtropical region of China

A novel Mesorhizobium group associated with Albizia kalkora [Wang et al. (2006), Syst Appl Microbiol 29, 502-517] was further characterized. The seven strains in this group showed similar protein patterns and were different from defined Mesorhizobium species in SDS-PAGE of whole-cell proteins. The representative strain CCBAU 61158(T) formed a novel Mesorhizobium lineage in phylogenetic analyses of 16S rRNA, atpD, glnII and nifH genes. However, its nodC gene sequence was more similar to that of Rhizobium gallicum R602sp(T) than to those of Mesorhizobium species. DNA-DNA relatedness between CCBAU 61158(T) and reference strains of defined Mesorhizobium species was lower than 34.1 %. These results indicated that this Mesorhizobium group was a unique genomic species. The subtropical distribution, host origin, PCR-RFLP patterns of 16S rRNA genes, fatty acid profile and a series of phenotypic characteristics could be used as distinctive features of this group. This group is therefore proposed as a novel species, Mesorhizobium albiziae sp. nov., with CCBAU 61158(T) (=LMG 23507(T)=USDA 4964(T)) as the type strain. Strain CCBAU 61158(T) could form effective nodules on Albizia julibrissin, Glycine max, Leucaena leucocephala and Phaseolus vulgaris.

Heterogeneity between 16S ribosomal RNA gene copies borne by oneDesulfitobacteriumstrain is caused by different 100-200 bp insertions in the 5´ region

Strains of Desulfitobacterium hafniense, such as strains PCP-1, DP7, TCE1, and TCP-A, have unusual long 16S ribosomal RNA (rRNA) genes due to an insertion of approximately 100 bp in the 5' region. In this report, we analyzed the 16S rRNA genes of different Desulfitobacterium strains to determine if such an insertion is a common feature of desulfitobacteria. We amplified this region by polymerase chain reaction (PCR) from eight Desulfitobacterium strains (D. hafniense strains PCP-1, DP7, TCP-A, TCE1, and DCB-2; D. dehalogenans; D. chlororespirans; and Desulfitobacterium sp. PCE1) and resolved each PCR product by denaturing gradient gel electrophoresis (DGGE). All strains had from two to seven DGGE- migrating bands, suggesting heterogeneity in their 16S rRNA gene copies. For each strain, the 5' region of the 16S rRNA genes was amplified and a clone library was derived. Clones corresponding to most PCR–DGGE migration bands were isolated. Sequencing of representative clones revealed that the heterogeneity was generated by insertions of 100–200 bp. An insertion was found in at least one copy of the 16S rRNA gene in all examined strains. In total, we found eight different types of insertions (INS1–INS8) that varied from 123 to 193 nt in length. Two-dimensional structural analyses of transcribed sequences predicted that all insertions would form an energetically stable loop. Reverse transcriptase – PCR experiments revealed that most of the observed insertions in the Desulfitobacterium strains were excised from the mature 16S rRNA transcripts. Insertions were not commonly found in bacterial 16S rRNA genes, and having a different insertion in several 16S rRNA gene copies borne by a single bacterial species was rarely observed. The function of these insertions is not known, but their occurrence can have an important impact in deriving 16S rRNA oligonucleotidic fluorescence in situ hybridization probes, as these insertions can be excised from 16S rRNA transcripts.Key words: Desulfitobacterium, 16S ribosomal RNA genes, heterogeneity, gene insertions, fluorescence in situ hybridization.

Comparative sequence analysis of the internal transcribed spacer 1 of Ochrobactrum species

The internal 16S/23S rDNA (rrs/rrl) internal spacer region 1 (ITS1) of 54 Ochrobactrum strains and close relatives was analysed. Separation of ITS1 containing PCR products by gel-electrophoresis, DGGE, cloning and sequencing revealed ITS1 length and sequence heterogeneity. We found up to 5 different allelic ITS1 stretches within a single strain (Ochrobactrum intermedium LMG 3301T), and 2-3 different ITS1 alleles in O. tritici. Within ITS1, ITS1c, being part of the conserved double-stranded rrn processing stem dsPS1, produced the most reliable segment tree. The overall ITS1, ITS1c and rrs phylogenetic tree topologies were generally consistent, but there was evidence for horizontal rrn (segment) transfer in O. tritici LMG 2134 (formerly O. anthropi). Good correlations were found between ITS1, ITS1c and rrs sequence similarity and DNA-DNA hybridization values indicating that phylogenetic analysis of ITS1 and ITS1c both can be used to preliminarily deduce the phylogenetic affiliation if HGT was excluded. Strains sharing > 96.19% ITS1c (> 95.11% ITS1) similarity fell within a species, and < or = 68.42% ITS1c (< or = 70.33% ITS1) similarity outside a genus. Both ITS1 and ITS1c analysis resolved microdiversity more profoundly than rrs analysis and revealed clades (genomovars) within O. anthropi that were also produced in rep cluster analysis. There was no evidence for habitat-specific ITS1 genomovars within Ochrobactrum species. Diversity of Ochrobactrum was higher in soil than at the rhizoplane below and at the species level. Isolates from soil contained only 1 rrn type whereas isolates from human clinical, animal and rhizoplane specimens could contain more.

Heterogeneous macrolide resistance and gene conversion in the pneumococcus

A macrolide-resistant clinical isolate of Streptococcus pneumoniae with 23S rRNA mutations showed a heterogeneous phenotype and genotype. The mutant 23S rRNA genes from this isolate transformed susceptible strain R6 to resistance. Culture of resistant strain R6 in the absence of antibiotic pressure showed gene conversion to occur between the four 23S rRNA alleles, resulting in reversion to susceptibility with the resistant phenotype showing a fitness cost. These data explain the disappearance on subculture of heterogeneous macrolide resistance in the pneumococcus.

Mutational analysis of 16S and 23S rRNA genes of Thermus thermophilus

Structural studies of the ribosome have benefited greatly from the use of organisms adapted to extreme environments. However, little is known about the mechanisms by which ribosomes or other ribonucleoprotein complexes have adapted to functioning under extreme conditions, and it is unclear to what degree mutant phenotypes of extremophiles will resemble those of their counterparts adapted to more moderate environments. It is conceivable that phenotypes of mutations affecting thermophilic ribosomes, for instance, will be influenced by structural adaptations specific to a thermophilic existence. This consideration is particularly important when using crystal structures of thermophilic ribosomes to interpret genetic results from nonextremophilic species. To address this issue, we have conducted a survey of spontaneously arising antibiotic-resistant mutants of the extremely thermophilic bacterium Thermus thermophilus, a species which has featured prominently in ribosome structural studies. We have accumulated over 20 single-base substitutions in T. thermophilus 16S and 23S rRNA, in the decoding site and in the peptidyltransferase active site of the ribosome. These mutations produce phenotypes that are largely identical to those of corresponding mutants of mesophilic organisms encompassing a broad phylogenetic range, suggesting that T. thermophilus may be an ideal model system for the study of ribosome structure and function.

Localization, mobility and fidelity of retrotransposed Group II introns in rRNA genes

We previously showed that the group II Lactococcus lactis Ll.LtrB intron could retrotranspose into ectopic locations on the genome of its native host. Two integration events, which had been mapped to unique sequences, were localized in the present study to separate copies of the six L.lactis 23S rRNA genes, within operon B or D. Although further movement within the bacterial chromosome was undetectable, the retrotransposed introns were able to re-integrate into their original homing site provided on a plasmid. This finding indicates not only that retrotransposed group II introns retain mobility properties, but also that movement occurs back into sequence that is heterologous to the sequence of the chromosomal location. Sequence analysis of the retrotransposed introns and the secondary mobility events back to the homing site showed that the introns retain sequence integrity. These results are illuminating, since the reverse transcriptase (RT) of the intron-encoded protein, LtrA, has no known proofreading function, yet the mobility events have a low error rate. Enzymatic digests were used to monitor sequence changes from the wild-type intron. The results indicate that retromobility events have approximately 10(-5) misincorporations per nucleotide inserted. In contrast to the high RT error rates for retroviruses that must escape host defenses, the infrequent mutations of group II introns would ensure intron spread through retention of sequences essential for mobility.

Frequency of spontaneous mutations that confer antibiotic resistance in Chlamydia spp

Mutations in rRNA genes (rrn) that confer resistance to ribosomal inhibitors are typically recessive or weakly codominant and have been mostly reported for clinical strains of pathogens possessing only one or two rrn operons, such as Helicobacter pylori and Mycobacterium spp. An analysis of the genome sequences of several members of the Chlamydiaceae revealed that these obligate intracellular bacteria harbor only one or two sets of rRNA genes. To study the contribution of rRNA mutations to the emergence of drug resistance in the Chlamydiaceae, we used the sensitivities of Chlamydia trachomatis L2 (two rrn operons) and Chlamydophila psittaci 6BC (one rrn operon) to the aminoglycoside spectinomycin as a model. Confluent cell monolayers were infected in a plaque assay with about 10(8) wild-type infectious particles and then treated with the antibiotic. After a 2-week incubation time, plaques formed by spontaneous spectinomycin-resistant (Spc(r)) mutants appeared with a frequency of 5 x 10(-5) for C. psittaci 6BC. No Spc(r) mutants were isolated for C. trachomatis L2, although the frequencies of rifampin resistance were in the same range for both strains (i.e., 10(-7)). The risk of emergence of Chlamydia strains resistant to tetracyclines and macrolides, the ribosomal drugs currently used to treat chlamydial infections, is discussed.

Acquisition of a stable mutation in metY allows efficient initiation from an amber codon in Escherichia coli

Escherichia colistrains harbouring elongator tRNAs that insert amino acids in response to a termination codon during elongation have been generated for various applications. Additionally, it was shown that expression of an initiator tRNA containing a CUA anticodon from a multicopy plasmid inE. coliresulted in initiation from an amber codon. Even though the initiation-based system remedies toxicity-related drawbacks, its usefulness has remained limited for want of a strain with a chromosomally encoded initiator tRNA ‘suppressor’.E. coliK strains possess four initiator tRNA genes: themetZ,metWandmetVgenes, located at a single locus, encode tRNA1fMet, and a distantly locatedmetYgene encodes a variant, tRNA2fMet. In this study, a stable strain ofE. coliK-12 that affords efficient initiation from an amber initiation codon was isolated. Genetic analysis revealed that themetYgene in this strain acquired mutations to encode tRNA2fMetwith a CUA anticodon (a U35A36 mutation). The acquisition of the mutations depended on the presence of a plasmid-borne copy of the mutantmetYandrecA+host background. The mutations were observed when the plasmid-borne gene encoded tRNA2fMet(U35A36) with additional changes in the acceptor stem (G72; G72G73) but not in the anticodon stem (U29C30A31/U35A36/ψ39G40A41). The usefulness of this strain, and a possible role for multiple tRNA1fMetgenes inE. coliin safeguarding their intactness, are discussed.

Role of mutS and mutL genes in hypermutability and recombination in Staphylococcus aureus

The mutator phenotype has been linked in several bacterial genera to a defect in the methyl-mismatch repair system, in which the major components are MutS and MutL. This system is involved both in mismatch repair and in prevention of recombination between homeologous fragments in Escherichia coli and has been shown to play an important role in the adaptation of bacterial populations in changing and stressful environments. In this report we describe the molecular analysis of the mutS and mutL genes of Staphylococcus aureus. A genetic analysis of the mutSL region was performed in S. aureus RN4220. Reverse transcriptase PCR experiments confirmed the operon structure already reported in other gram-positive organisms. Insertional inactivation of mutS and mutL genes and complementation showed the role of both genes in hypermutability in this species. We also designed an in vitro model to study the role of MutS and MutL in homeologous recombination in S. aureus. For this purpose, we constructed a bank of S. aureus RN4220 and mutS and mutL mutants containing the integrative thermosensitive vector pBT1 in which fragments with various levels of identity (74% to 100%) to the S. aureus sodA gene were cloned. MutS and MutL proteins seemed to have a limited effect on the control of homeologous recombination. Sequence of mutS and mutL genes was analyzed in 11 hypermutable S. aureus clinical isolates. In four of five isolates with mutated or deleted mutS or mutL genes, a relationship between alterations and mutator phenotypes could be established by negative complementation of the mutS or mutL mutants.

Life history implications of rRNA gene copy number in Escherichia coli

The role of the rRNA gene copy number as a central component of bacterial life histories was studied by using strains of Escherichia coli in which one or two of the seven rRNA operons (rrnA and/or rrnB) were deleted. The relative fitness of these strains was determined in competition experiments in both batch and chemostat cultures. In batch cultures, the decrease in relative fitness corresponded to the number of rRNA operons deleted, which could be accounted for completely by increased lag times and decreased growth rates. The magnitude of the deleterious effect varied with the environment in which fitness was measured: the negative consequences of rRNA operon deletions increased under culture conditions permitting more-rapid growth. The rRNA operon deletion strains were not more effective competitors under the regimen of constant, limited resources provided in chemostat cultures. Enhanced fitness in chemostat cultures would have suggested a simple tradeoff in which deletion strains grew faster (due to more efficient resource utilization) under resource limitation. The contributions of growth rate, lag time, Ks, and death rate to the fitness of each strain were verified through mathematical simulation of competition experiments. These data support the hypothesis that multiple rRNA operons are a component of bacterial life history and that they confer a selective advantage permitting microbes to respond quickly and grow rapidly in environments characterized by fluctuations in resource availability.

Horizontal transfer of segments of the 16S rRNA genes between species of the Streptococcus anginosus group

The nature in variation of the 16S rRNA gene of members of the Streptococcus anginosus group was investigated by hybridization and DNA sequencing. A collection of 708 strains was analyzed by reverse line blot hybridization. This revealed the presence of distinct reaction patterns representing 11 different hybridization groups. The 16S rRNA genes of two strains of each hybridization group were sequenced to near-completion, and the sequence data confirmed the reverse line blot hybridization results. Closer inspection of the sequences revealed mosaic-like structures, strongly suggesting horizontal transfer of segments of the 16S rRNA gene between different species belonging to the Streptococcus anginosus group. Southern blot hybridization further showed that within a single strain all copies of the 16S rRNA gene had the same composition, indicating that the apparent mosaic structures were not PCR-induced artifacts. These findings indicate that the highly conserved rRNA genes are also subject to recombination and that these events may be fixed in the population. Such recombination may lead to the construction of incorrect phylogenetic trees based on the 16S rRNA genes.

Atypical 16S rRNA gene copies in Ochrobactrum intermedium strains reveal a large genomic rearrangement by recombination between rrn copies

Ochrobactrum intermedium is an opportunistic human pathogen belonging to the alpha 2 subgroup of proteobacteria. The 16S rDNA sequences of nine O. intermedium isolates from a collection of clinical and environmental isolates exhibited a 46-bp insertion at position 187, which was present in only one sequence among the 82 complete or partial 16S rDNA sequences of Ochrobactrum spp. available in data banks. Reverse transcription-PCR experiments showed that the 46-bp insertion remained in the 16S rRNA. The inserted sequence folded into a stem-loop structure, which took place in and prolonged helix H184 of the 16S rRNA molecule. Helix H184 has been described as conserved in length among eubacteria, suggesting the idiosyncratic character of the 46-bp insertion. Pulsed-field gel electrophoresis experiments showed that seven of the clinical isolates carrying the 46-bp insertion belonged to the same clone. Insertion and rrn copy numbers were determined by hybridization and I-CeuI digestion. In the set of clonal isolates, the loss of two insertion copies revealed the deletion of a large genomic fragment of 150 kb, which included one rrn copy; deletion occurred during the in vivo evolution of the clone. Determination of the rrn skeleton suggested that the large genomic rearrangement occurred during events involving homologous recombination between rrn copies. The loss of insertion copies suggested a phenomenon of concerted evolution among heterogeneous rrn copies.