Assays for transcription factor activity

Novel organisation and regulation of the pic promoter from enteroaggregative and uropathogenic Escherichia coli

The serine protease autotransporters of the Enterobacteriaceae (SPATEs) are a large family of virulence factors commonly found in enteric bacteria. These secreted virulence factors have diverse functions during bacterial infection, including adhesion, aggregation and cell toxicity. One such SPATE, the Pic mucinase (protein involved in colonisation) cleaves mucin, allowing enteric bacterial cells to utilise mucin as a carbon source and to penetrate the gut mucus lining, thereby increasing mucosal colonisation. The pic gene is widely distributed within the Enterobacteriaceae, being found in human pathogens, such as enteroaggregative Escherichia coli (EAEC), uropathogenic E. coli (UPEC) and Shigella flexneri 2a. As the pic promoter regions from EAEC strain 042 and UPEC strain CFT073 differ, we have investigated the regulation of each promoter. Here, using in vivo and in vitro techniques, we show that both promoters are activated by the global transcription factor, CRP (cyclic AMP receptor protein), but the architectures of the EAEC and the UPEC pic promoter differ. Expression from both pic promoters is repressed by the nucleoid-associated factor, Fis, and maximal promoter activity occurs when cells are grown in minimal medium. As CRP activates transcription in conditions of nutrient depletion, whilst Fis levels are maximal in nutrient-rich environments, the regulation of the EAEC and UPEC pic promoters is consistent with Pic’s nutritional role in scavenging mucin as a suitable carbon source during colonisation and infection.

RNA Based Approaches to Profile Oncogenic Pathways From Low Quantity Samples to Drive Precision Oncology Strategies

Precision treatment of cancer requires knowledge on active tumor driving signal transduction pathways to select the optimal effective targeted treatment. Currently only a subset of patients derive clinical benefit from mutation based targeted treatment, due to intrinsic and acquired drug resistance mechanisms. Phenotypic assays to identify the tumor driving pathway based on protein analysis are difficult to multiplex on routine pathology samples. In contrast, the transcriptome contains information on signaling pathway activity and can complement genomic analyses. Here we present the validation and clinical application of a new knowledge-based mRNA-based diagnostic assay platform (OncoSignal) for measuring activity of relevant signaling pathways simultaneously and quantitatively with high resolution in tissue samples and circulating tumor cells, specifically with very small specimen quantities. The approach uses mRNA levels of a pathway's direct target genes, selected based on literature for multiple proof points, and used as evidence that a pathway is functionally activated. Using these validated target genes, a Bayesian network model has been built and calibrated on mRNA measurements of samples with known pathway status, which is used next to calculate a pathway activity score on individual test samples. Translation to RT-qPCR assays enables broad clinical diagnostic applications, including small analytes. A large number of cancer samples have been analyzed across a variety of cancer histologies and benchmarked across normal controls. Assays have been used to characterize cell types in the cancer cell microenvironment, including immune cells in which activated and immunotolerant states can be distinguished. Results support the expectation that the assays provide information on cancer driving signaling pathways which is difficult to derive from next generation DNA sequencing analysis. Current clinical oncology applications have been complementary to genomic mutation analysis to improve precision medicine: (1) prediction of response and resistance to various therapies, especially targeted therapy and immunotherapy; (2) assessment and monitoring of therapy efficacy; (3) prediction of invasive cancer cell behavior and prognosis; (4) measurement of circulating tumor cells. Preclinical oncology applications lie in a better understanding of cancer behavior across cancer types, and in development of a pathophysiology-based cancer classification for development of novel therapies and precision medicine.

A cryptic promoter in the LEE1 regulatory region of enterohaemorrhagic Escherichia coli: promoter specificity in AT-rich gene regulatory regions

Transcription of the LEE1 operon in the locus of enterocyte effacement of enterohaemorrhagic Escherichia coli is due to the P1 promoter. Mutational and biochemical analyses reveal the existence of an overlapping promoter, designated P1A, which can drive transcript initiation 10 bp upstream of the P1 promoter transcript start point. Because of the overlap between P1 and P1A, P1A activity is unmasked only when the P1 promoter is inactivated by mutation. In the present paper, we report that mutation of the P1-10 element is less effective in unmasking P1A promoter activity than mutation of the P1-35 element. This suggests that the P1 promoter -35 element, which corresponds to the consensus, can sequester RNA polymerase even when P1 is inactive and thereby prevent RNA polymerase from serving the P1A promoter. We propose that such promoter elements may play a role in enforcing specificity in bacterial regulatory regions that contain alternative possible promoters.

Transcription of the plasmid-encoded toxin gene from enteroaggregative Escherichia coli is regulated by a novel co-activation mechanism involving CRP and Fis

Enteroaggregative Escherichia coli (EAEC) is a major cause of diarrhoea in developing countries. EAEC 042 is the prototypical strain. EAEC 042 secretes the functionally well-characterized Pet autotransporter toxin that contributes to virulence through its cytotoxic effects on intestinal epithelial cells. Following a global transposon mutagenesis screen of EAEC 042, the transcription factors, CRP and Fis, were identified as essential for transcription of the pet gene. Using both in vivo and in vitro techniques, we show that the pet promoter is co-dependent on CRP and Fis. We present a novel co-activation mechanism whereby CRP is placed at a non-optimal position for transcription initiation, creating dependence on Fis for full activation of pet. This study complements previous findings that establish Fis as a key virulence regulator in EAEC 042.

Activation of sigma 28-dependent transcription in Escherichia coli by the cyclic AMP receptor protein requires an unusual promoter organization

The Escherichia coli aer regulatory region contains a single promoter that is recognized by RNA polymerase containing the flagellar sigma factor, sigma(28). Expression from this promoter is dependent on direct activation by the cyclic AMP receptor protein, which binds to a target centred 49.5 base pairs upstream from the transcript start. Activator-dependent transcription from the aer promoter was reconstituted in vitro, and a tethered inorganic nuclease was used to find the position of the C-terminal domains of the RNA polymerase alpha subunits in transcriptionally competent open complexes. We report that the ternary activator--RNA polymerase--aer promoter open complex is organized differently from complexes at previously characterized promoters. Among other E. coli promoters recognized by RNA polymerase containing sigma(28), only the trg promoter is activated directly by the cyclic AMP receptor protein. The organization of the different promoter elements and the activator binding site at the trg promoter is the same as at the aer promoter, suggesting a common activation mechanism.