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Xu T, Mitra R, Tan D, Li Z, Zhou C, Chen T, Xie Z, Han J. Utilization of gene manipulation system for advancing the biotechnological potential of halophiles: A review. Biotechnol Adv 2024; 70:108302. [PMID: 38101552 DOI: 10.1016/j.biotechadv.2023.108302] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/09/2023] [Revised: 12/02/2023] [Accepted: 12/09/2023] [Indexed: 12/17/2023]
Abstract
Halophiles are salt-loving microorganisms known to have their natural resistance against media contamination even when cultivated in nonsterile and continuous bioprocess system, thus acting as promising cell factories for Next Generation of Industrial Biotechnology (NGIB). NGIB - a successor to the traditional industrial biotechnology, is a more sustainable and efficient bioprocess technology while saving energy and water in a more convenient way as well as reducing the investment cost and skilled workforce requirement. Numerous studies have achieved intriguing outcomes during synthesis of different metabolite using halophiles such as polyhydroxyalkanoates (PHA), ectoine, biosurfactants, and carotenoids. Present-day development in genetic maneuverings have shown optimistic effects on the industrial applications of halophiles. However, viable and competent genetic manipulation system and gene editing tools are critical to accelerate the process of halophile engineering. With the aid of such powerful gene manipulation systems, exclusive microbial chassis are being crafted with desirable features to breed another innovative area of research such as synthetic biology. This review provides an aerial perspective on how the expansion of adaptable gene manipulation toolkits in halophiles are contributing towards biotechnological advancement, and also focusses on their subsequent application for production improvement. This current methodical and comprehensive review will definitely help the scientific fraternity to bridge the gap between challenges and opportunities in halophile engineering.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tong Xu
- State Key Laboratory of Microbial Resources, Institute of Microbiology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100101, People's Republic of China
| | - Ruchira Mitra
- State Key Laboratory of Microbial Resources, Institute of Microbiology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100101, People's Republic of China; International College, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100049, People's Republic of China
| | - Dan Tan
- Key Laboratory of Biomedical Information Engineering of Ministry of Education, School of Life Science and Technology, Xi'an Jiaotong University, Xi'an 710049, People's Republic of China
| | - Zhengjun Li
- College of Life Science and Technology, Beijing University of Chemical Technology, Beijing 100029, People's Republic of China
| | - Cheng Zhou
- State Key Laboratory of Microbial Resources, Institute of Microbiology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100101, People's Republic of China; College of Biochemical Engineering, Beijing Union University, Beijing 100023, People's Republic of China
| | - Tao Chen
- Frontier Science Center for Synthetic Biology and Key Laboratory of Systems Bioengineering (MOE), School of Chemical Engineering and Technology, Tianjin University, Tianjin 300072, People's Republic of China
| | - Zhengwei Xie
- Peking University International Cancer Institute, Health Science Center, Peking University, Beijing 100191, People's Republic of China
| | - Jing Han
- State Key Laboratory of Microbial Resources, Institute of Microbiology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100101, People's Republic of China; College of Life Science, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100049, People's Republic of China.
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Payá G, Bautista V, Pastor-Soler S, Camacho M, Esclapez J, Bonete MJ. Analysis of Lsm Protein-Mediated Regulation in the Haloarchaeon Haloferax mediterranei. Int J Mol Sci 2024; 25:580. [PMID: 38203750 PMCID: PMC10779274 DOI: 10.3390/ijms25010580] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/05/2023] [Revised: 12/20/2023] [Accepted: 12/28/2023] [Indexed: 01/12/2024] Open
Abstract
The Sm protein superfamily includes Sm, like-Sm (Lsm), and Hfq found in the Eukarya, Archaea, and Bacteria domains. Archaeal Lsm proteins have been shown to bind sRNAs and are probably involved in various cellular processes, suggesting a similar function in regulating sRNAs by Hfq in bacteria. Moreover, archaeal Lsm proteins probably represent the ancestral Lsm domain from which eukaryotic Sm proteins have evolved. In this work, Haloferax mediterranei was used as a model organism because it has been widely used to investigate the nitrogen cycle and its regulation in Haloarchaea. Predicting this protein's secondary and tertiary structures has resulted in a three-dimensional model like the solved Lsm protein structure of Archaeoglobus fulgidus. To obtain information on the oligomerization state of the protein, homologous overexpression and purification by means of molecular exclusion chromatography have been performed. The results show that this protein can form hexameric complexes, which can aggregate into 6 or 12 hexameric rings depending on the NaCl concentration and without RNA. In addition, the study of transcriptional expression via microarrays has allowed us to obtain the target genes regulated by the Lsm protein under nutritional stress conditions: nitrogen or carbon starvation. Microarray analysis has shown the first universal stress proteins (USP) in this microorganism that mediate survival in situations of nitrogen deficiency.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | | | | | | | - María-José Bonete
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology and Soil Science and Agricultural Chemistry, Faculty of Science, University of Alicante, Ap 99, 03080 Alicante, Spain; (G.P.); (V.B.); (S.P.-S.); (M.C.); (J.E.)
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Marinov GK, Bagdatli ST, Wu T, He C, Kundaje A, Greenleaf WJ. The chromatin landscape of the euryarchaeon Haloferax volcanii. Genome Biol 2023; 24:253. [PMID: 37932847 PMCID: PMC10626798 DOI: 10.1186/s13059-023-03095-5] [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: 02/14/2023] [Accepted: 10/24/2023] [Indexed: 11/08/2023] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Archaea, together with Bacteria, represent the two main divisions of life on Earth, with many of the defining characteristics of the more complex eukaryotes tracing their origin to evolutionary innovations first made in their archaeal ancestors. One of the most notable such features is nucleosomal chromatin, although archaeal histones and chromatin differ significantly from those of eukaryotes, not all archaea possess histones and it is not clear if histones are a main packaging component for all that do. Despite increased interest in archaeal chromatin in recent years, its properties have been little studied using genomic tools. RESULTS Here, we adapt the ATAC-seq assay to archaea and use it to map the accessible landscape of the genome of the euryarchaeote Haloferax volcanii. We integrate the resulting datasets with genome-wide maps of active transcription and single-stranded DNA (ssDNA) and find that while H. volcanii promoters exist in a preferentially accessible state, unlike most eukaryotes, modulation of transcriptional activity is not associated with changes in promoter accessibility. Applying orthogonal single-molecule footprinting methods, we quantify the absolute levels of physical protection of H. volcanii and find that Haloferax chromatin is similarly or only slightly more accessible, in aggregate, than that of eukaryotes. We also evaluate the degree of coordination of transcription within archaeal operons and make the unexpected observation that some CRISPR arrays are associated with highly prevalent ssDNA structures. CONCLUSIONS Our results provide the first comprehensive maps of chromatin accessibility and active transcription in Haloferax across conditions and thus a foundation for future functional studies of archaeal chromatin.
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Affiliation(s)
- Georgi K Marinov
- Department of Genetics, Stanford University, Stanford, CA, 94305, USA.
| | - S Tansu Bagdatli
- Department of Genetics, Stanford University, Stanford, CA, 94305, USA
| | - Tong Wu
- Department of Chemistry and Institute for Biophysical Dynamics, The University of Chicago, Chicago, IL, 60637, USA
| | - Chuan He
- Department of Chemistry and Institute for Biophysical Dynamics, The University of Chicago, Chicago, IL, 60637, USA
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology and Institute for Biophysical Dynamics, The University of Chicago, Chicago, IL, 60637, USA
- Howard Hughes Medical Institute, The University of Chicago, Chicago, IL, 60637, USA
| | - Anshul Kundaje
- Department of Genetics, Stanford University, Stanford, CA, 94305, USA
- Department of Computer Science, Stanford University, Stanford, CA, 94305, USA
| | - William J Greenleaf
- Department of Genetics, Stanford University, Stanford, CA, 94305, USA
- Center for Personal Dynamic Regulomes, Stanford University, Stanford, CA, 94305, USA
- Department of Applied Physics, Stanford University, Stanford, CA, 94305, USA
- Chan Zuckerberg Biohub, San Francisco, CA, USA
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4
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Reichelt R, Rothmeier T, Grünberger F, Willkomm S, Bruckmann A, Hausner W, Grohmann D. The archaeal Lsm protein from Pyrococcus furiosus binds co-transcriptionally to poly(U)-rich target RNAs. Biol Chem 2023; 404:1085-1100. [PMID: 37709673 DOI: 10.1515/hsz-2023-0215] [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: 05/14/2023] [Accepted: 08/22/2023] [Indexed: 09/16/2023]
Abstract
Posttranscriptional processes in Bacteria include the association of small regulatory RNAs (sRNA) with a target mRNA. The sRNA/mRNA annealing process is often mediated by an RNA chaperone called Hfq. The functional role of bacterial and eukaryotic Lsm proteins is partially understood, whereas knowledge about archaeal Lsm proteins is scarce. Here, we used the genetically tractable archaeal hyperthermophile Pyrococcus furiosus to identify the protein interaction partners of the archaeal Sm-like proteins (PfuSmAP1) using mass spectrometry and performed a transcriptome-wide binding site analysis of PfuSmAP1. Most of the protein interaction partners we found are part of the RNA homoeostasis network in Archaea including ribosomal proteins, the exosome, RNA-modifying enzymes, but also RNA polymerase subunits, and transcription factors. We show that PfuSmAP1 preferentially binds messenger RNAs and antisense RNAs recognizing a gapped poly(U) sequence with high affinity. Furthermore, we found that SmAP1 co-transcriptionally associates with target RNAs. Our study reveals that in contrast to bacterial Hfq, PfuSmAP1 does not affect the transcriptional activity or the pausing behaviour of archaeal RNA polymerases. We propose that PfuSmAP1 recruits antisense RNAs to target mRNAs and thereby executes its putative regulatory function on the posttranscriptional level.
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Affiliation(s)
- Robert Reichelt
- Institute of Microbiology & Archaea Centre, Single-Molecule Biochemistry Lab, University of Regensburg, D-93053 Regensburg, Germany
| | - Tamara Rothmeier
- Institute of Microbiology & Archaea Centre, Single-Molecule Biochemistry Lab, University of Regensburg, D-93053 Regensburg, Germany
| | - Felix Grünberger
- Institute of Microbiology & Archaea Centre, Single-Molecule Biochemistry Lab, University of Regensburg, D-93053 Regensburg, Germany
| | - Sarah Willkomm
- Institute of Microbiology & Archaea Centre, Single-Molecule Biochemistry Lab, University of Regensburg, D-93053 Regensburg, Germany
| | - Astrid Bruckmann
- Institute of Biochemistry, Genetics and Microbiology (Biochemistry I), Protein Mass Spectrometry Laboratory, University of Regensburg, D-93053 Regensburg, Germany
| | - Winfried Hausner
- Institute of Microbiology & Archaea Centre, Single-Molecule Biochemistry Lab, University of Regensburg, D-93053 Regensburg, Germany
| | - Dina Grohmann
- Institute of Microbiology & Archaea Centre, Single-Molecule Biochemistry Lab, University of Regensburg, D-93053 Regensburg, Germany
- Regensburg Center of Biochemistry (RCB), University of Regensburg, D-93053 Regensburg, Germany
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5
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Lorenzetti APR, Kusebauch U, Zaramela LS, Wu WJ, de Almeida JPP, Turkarslan S, L. G. de Lomana A, Gomes-Filho JV, Vêncio RZN, Moritz RL, Koide T, Baliga NS. A Genome-Scale Atlas Reveals Complex Interplay of Transcription and Translation in an Archaeon. mSystems 2023; 8:e0081622. [PMID: 36912639 PMCID: PMC10134880 DOI: 10.1128/msystems.00816-22] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/06/2022] [Accepted: 02/10/2023] [Indexed: 03/14/2023] Open
Abstract
The scale of post-transcriptional regulation and the implications of its interplay with other forms of regulation in environmental acclimation are underexplored for organisms of the domain Archaea. Here, we have investigated the scale of post-transcriptional regulation in the extremely halophilic archaeon Halobacterium salinarum NRC-1 by integrating the transcriptome-wide locations of transcript processing sites (TPSs) and SmAP1 binding, the genome-wide locations of antisense RNAs (asRNAs), and the consequences of RNase_2099C knockout on the differential expression of all genes. This integrated analysis has discovered that 54% of all protein-coding genes in the genome of this haloarchaeon are likely targeted by multiple mechanisms for putative post-transcriptional processing and regulation, with about 20% of genes likely being regulated by combinatorial schemes involving SmAP1, asRNAs, and RNase_2099C. Comparative analysis of mRNA levels (transcriptome sequencing [RNA-Seq]) and protein levels (sequential window acquisition of all theoretical fragment ion spectra mass spectrometry [SWATH-MS]) for 2,579 genes over four phases of batch culture growth in complex medium generated additional evidence for the conditional post-transcriptional regulation of 7% of all protein-coding genes. We demonstrate that post-transcriptional regulation may act to fine-tune specialized and rapid acclimation to stressful environments, e.g., as a switch to turn on gas vesicle biogenesis to promote vertical relocation under anoxic conditions and modulate the frequency of transposition by insertion sequence (IS) elements of the IS200/IS605, IS4, and ISH3 families. Findings from this study are provided as an atlas in a public Web resource (https://halodata.systemsbiology.net). IMPORTANCE While the transcriptional regulation landscape of archaea has been extensively investigated, we currently have limited knowledge about post-transcriptional regulation and its driving mechanisms in this domain of life. In this study, we collected and integrated omics data from multiple sources and technologies to infer post-transcriptionally regulated genes and the putative mechanisms modulating their expression at the protein level in Halobacterium salinarum NRC-1. The results suggest that post-transcriptional regulation may drive environmental acclimation by regulating hallmark biological processes. To foster discoveries by other research groups interested in the topic, we extended our integrated data to the public in the form of an interactive atlas (https://halodata.systemsbiology.net).
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Affiliation(s)
- Alan P. R. Lorenzetti
- Department of Biochemistry and Immunology, Ribeirão Preto Medical School, University of São Paulo, Ribeirão Preto, Brazil
- Institute for Systems Biology, Seattle, Washington, USA
| | | | - Lívia S. Zaramela
- Department of Biochemistry and Immunology, Ribeirão Preto Medical School, University of São Paulo, Ribeirão Preto, Brazil
| | - Wei-Ju Wu
- Institute for Systems Biology, Seattle, Washington, USA
| | - João P. P. de Almeida
- Department of Biochemistry and Immunology, Ribeirão Preto Medical School, University of São Paulo, Ribeirão Preto, Brazil
| | | | | | - José V. Gomes-Filho
- Department of Biochemistry and Immunology, Ribeirão Preto Medical School, University of São Paulo, Ribeirão Preto, Brazil
| | - Ricardo Z. N. Vêncio
- Department of Computation and Mathematics, Faculty of Philosophy, Sciences and Letters at Ribeirão Preto, University of São Paulo, Ribeirão Preto, Brazil
| | | | - Tie Koide
- Department of Biochemistry and Immunology, Ribeirão Preto Medical School, University of São Paulo, Ribeirão Preto, Brazil
| | - Nitin S. Baliga
- Institute for Systems Biology, Seattle, Washington, USA
- Department of Biology, University of Washington, Seattle, Washington, USA
- Department of Microbiology, University of Washington, Seattle, Washington, USA
- Molecular and Cellular Biology Program, University of Washington, Seattle, Washington, USA
- Lawrence Berkeley National Lab, Berkeley, California, USA
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6
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Wang Y, Yue XJ, Yuan SF, Hong Y, Hu WF, Li YZ. Internal Promoters and Their Effects on the Transcription of Operon Genes for Epothilone Production in Myxococcus xanthus. Front Bioeng Biotechnol 2021; 9:758561. [PMID: 34778232 PMCID: PMC8579030 DOI: 10.3389/fbioe.2021.758561] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/14/2021] [Accepted: 09/20/2021] [Indexed: 12/20/2022] Open
Abstract
The biosynthetic genes for secondary metabolites are often clustered into giant operons with no transcription terminator before the end. The long transcripts are frangible and the transcription efficiency declines along with the process. Internal promoters might occur in operons to coordinate the transcription of individual genes, but their effects on the transcription of operon genes and the yield of metabolites have been less investigated. Epothilones are a kind of antitumor polyketides synthesized by seven multifunctional enzymes encoded by a 56-kb operon. In this study, we identified multiple internal promoters in the epothilone operon. We performed CRISPR-dCas9–mediated transcription activation of internal promoters, combined activation of different promoters, and activation in different epothilone-producing M. xanthus strains. We found that activation of internal promoters in the operon was able to promote the gene transcription, but the activation efficiency was distinct from the activation of separate promoters. The transcription of genes in the operon was influenced by not only the starting promoter but also internal promoters of the operon; internal promoters affected the transcription of the following and neighboring upstream/downstream genes. Multiple interferences between internal promoters thus changed the transcriptional profile of operon genes and the production of epothilones. Better activation efficiency for the gene transcription and the epothilone production was obtained in the low epothilone-producing strains. Our results highlight that interactions between promoters in the operon are critical for the gene transcription and the metabolite production efficiency.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ye Wang
- State Key Laboratory of Microbial Technology, Institute of Microbial Technology, Shandong University, Qingdao, China
| | - Xin-Jing Yue
- State Key Laboratory of Microbial Technology, Institute of Microbial Technology, Shandong University, Qingdao, China
| | - Shu-Fei Yuan
- State Key Laboratory of Microbial Technology, Institute of Microbial Technology, Shandong University, Qingdao, China
| | - Yu Hong
- State Key Laboratory of Microbial Technology, Institute of Microbial Technology, Shandong University, Qingdao, China
| | - Wei-Feng Hu
- State Key Laboratory of Microbial Technology, Institute of Microbial Technology, Shandong University, Qingdao, China
| | - Yue-Zhong Li
- State Key Laboratory of Microbial Technology, Institute of Microbial Technology, Shandong University, Qingdao, China
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Tishchenko SV, Mikhailina AO, Lekontseva NV, Stolboushkina EA, Nikonova EY, Nikonov OS, Nikulin AD. Structural Investigations of RNA–Protein Complexes in Post-Ribosomal Era. CRYSTALLOGR REP+ 2021. [DOI: 10.1134/s1063774521050217] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/23/2022]
Abstract
Abstract
Structural studies of RNA–protein complexes are important for understanding many molecular mechanisms occurring in cells (e.g., regulation of protein synthesis and RNA-chaperone activity of proteins). Various objects investigated at the Institute of Protein Research of the Russian Academy of Sciences are considered. Based on the analysis of the structures of the complexes of the ribosomal protein L1 with specific regions on both mRNA and rRNA, the principles of regulation of the translation of the mRNA of its own operon are presented. The studies of the heterotrimeric translation initiation factor IF2 of archaea and eukaryotes are described, and the data on the interaction of glycyl-tRNA-synthetase with viral IRES are reported. The results of studying the interaction of RNA molecules with one of functionally important sites of the Hfq protein are presented, and the differences in the RNA-binding properties of the Hfq and archaeal Lsm proteins are revealed.
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8
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Payá G, Bautista V, Camacho M, Bonete MJ, Esclapez J. Functional analysis of Lsm protein under multiple stress conditions in the extreme haloarchaeon Haloferax mediterranei. Biochimie 2021; 187:33-47. [PMID: 33992715 DOI: 10.1016/j.biochi.2021.05.002] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/21/2020] [Revised: 05/03/2021] [Accepted: 05/04/2021] [Indexed: 01/24/2023]
Abstract
The Sm, like-Sm, and Hfq proteins belonging to the Sm superfamily of proteins are represented in all domains of life. These proteins are involved in several RNA metabolism pathways. The functions of bacterial Hfq and eukaryotic Sm proteins have been described, but knowledge about the in vivo functions of archaeal Sm proteins remains limited. This study aims to improve the understanding of Lsm proteins and their role using the haloarchaeon Haloferax mediterranei as a model microorganism. The Haloferax mediterranei genome contains one lsm gene that overlaps with the rpl37e gene. To determine the expression of lsm and rpl37e genes and the co-transcription of both, reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) analyses were performed under different standard and stress conditions. The results suggest that the expression of lsm and rpl37e is constitutive. Co-transcription occurs at sub-optimal salt concentrations and temperatures, depending on the growth phase. The halophilic Lsm protein contains two Sm motifs, Sm1 and Sm2, and the sequence encoding the Sm2 motif also constitutes the promoter of the rpl37e gene. To investigate their biological functions, the lsm deletion mutant and the Sm1 motif deletion mutant, where the Sm2 motif remained intact, were generated and characterised. Comparison of the lsm deletion mutant, Sm1 deletion mutant, and the parental strain HM26 under standard and stress growth conditions revealed growth differences. Finally, swarming assays in complex and defined media showed greater swarming capacity in the deletion mutants.
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Affiliation(s)
- Gloria Payá
- Agrochemistry and Biochemistry Department, Biochemistry and Molecular Biology Area, Faculty of Science, University of Alicante, Ap 99, 03080, Alicante, Spain.
| | - Vanesa Bautista
- Agrochemistry and Biochemistry Department, Biochemistry and Molecular Biology Area, Faculty of Science, University of Alicante, Ap 99, 03080, Alicante, Spain.
| | - Mónica Camacho
- Agrochemistry and Biochemistry Department, Biochemistry and Molecular Biology Area, Faculty of Science, University of Alicante, Ap 99, 03080, Alicante, Spain.
| | - María-José Bonete
- Agrochemistry and Biochemistry Department, Biochemistry and Molecular Biology Area, Faculty of Science, University of Alicante, Ap 99, 03080, Alicante, Spain.
| | - Julia Esclapez
- Agrochemistry and Biochemistry Department, Biochemistry and Molecular Biology Area, Faculty of Science, University of Alicante, Ap 99, 03080, Alicante, Spain.
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9
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Zink IA, Fouqueau T, Tarrason Risa G, Werner F, Baum B, Bläsi U, Schleper C. Comparative CRISPR type III-based knockdown of essential genes in hyperthermophilic Sulfolobales and the evasion of lethal gene silencing. RNA Biol 2021; 18:421-434. [PMID: 32957821 PMCID: PMC7951960 DOI: 10.1080/15476286.2020.1813411] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/23/2020] [Revised: 07/22/2020] [Accepted: 08/16/2020] [Indexed: 02/07/2023] Open
Abstract
CRISPR type III systems, which are abundantly found in archaea, recognize and degrade RNA in their specific response to invading nucleic acids. Therefore, these systems can be harnessed for gene knockdown technologies even in hyperthermophilic archaea to study essential genes. We show here the broader usability of this posttranscriptional silencing technology by expanding the application to further essential genes and systematically analysing and comparing silencing thresholds and escape mutants. Synthetic guide RNAs expressed from miniCRISPR cassettes were used to silence genes involved in cell division (cdvA), transcription (rpo8), and RNA metabolism (smAP2) of the two crenarchaeal model organisms Saccharolobus solfataricus and Sulfolobus acidocaldarius. Results were systematically analysed together with those obtained from earlier experiments of cell wall biogenesis (slaB) and translation (aif5A). Comparison of over 100 individual transformants revealed gene-specific silencing maxima ranging between 40 and 75%, which induced specific knockdown phenotypes leading to growth retardation. Exceedance of this threshold by strong miniCRISPR constructs was not tolerated and led to specific mutation of the silencing miniCRISPR array and phenotypical reversion of cultures. In two thirds of sequenced reverted cultures, the targeting spacers were found to be precisely excised from the miniCRISPR array, indicating a still hypothetical, but highly active recombination system acting on the dynamics of CRISPR spacer arrays. Our results indicate that CRISPR type III - based silencing is a broadly applicable tool to study in vivo functions of essential genes in Sulfolobales which underlies a specific mechanism to avoid malignant silencing overdose.
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Affiliation(s)
- Isabelle Anna Zink
- Department of Functional and Evolutionary Ecology, University of Vienna, Vienna, Austria
| | - Thomas Fouqueau
- RNAP Lab, Institute of Structural and Molecular Biology, Division of Biosciences, University College London, London, UK
| | - Gabriel Tarrason Risa
- Medical Research Council Laboratory for Molecular Cell Biology, University College London, London, UK
| | - Finn Werner
- RNAP Lab, Institute of Structural and Molecular Biology, Division of Biosciences, University College London, London, UK
| | - Buzz Baum
- Medical Research Council Laboratory for Molecular Cell Biology, University College London, London, UK
| | - Udo Bläsi
- Max Perutz Laboratories, University of Vienna, Vienna, Austria
| | - Christa Schleper
- Department of Functional and Evolutionary Ecology, University of Vienna, Vienna, Austria
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10
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Collins M, Afolayan S, Igiraneza AB, Schiller H, Krespan E, Beiting DP, Dyall-Smith M, Pfeiffer F, Pohlschroder M. Mutations Affecting HVO_1357 or HVO_2248 Cause Hypermotility in Haloferax volcanii, Suggesting Roles in Motility Regulation. Genes (Basel) 2020; 12:58. [PMID: 33396553 PMCID: PMC7824242 DOI: 10.3390/genes12010058] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/21/2020] [Revised: 12/28/2020] [Accepted: 12/29/2020] [Indexed: 12/18/2022] Open
Abstract
Motility regulation plays a key role in prokaryotic responses to environmental stimuli. Here, we used a motility screen and selection to isolate hypermotile Haloferax volcanii mutants from a transposon insertion library. Whole genome sequencing revealed that hypermotile mutants were predominantly affected in two genes that encode HVO_1357 and HVO_2248. Alterations of these genes comprised not only transposon insertions but also secondary genome alterations. HVO_1357 contains a domain that was previously identified in the regulation of bacteriorhodopsin transcription, as well as other domains frequently found in two-component regulatory systems. The genes adjacent to hvo_1357 encode a sensor box histidine kinase and a response regulator, key players of a two-component regulatory system. None of the homologues of HVO_2248 have been characterized, nor does it contain any of the assigned InterPro domains. However, in a significant number of Haloferax species, the adjacent gene codes for a chemotaxis receptor/transducer. Our results provide a foundation for characterizing the root causes underlying Hfx. volcanii hypermotility.
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Affiliation(s)
- Michiyah Collins
- Department of Biology, School of Arts and Sciences, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA 19104, USA; (M.C.); (S.A.); (A.B.I.); (H.S.)
| | - Simisola Afolayan
- Department of Biology, School of Arts and Sciences, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA 19104, USA; (M.C.); (S.A.); (A.B.I.); (H.S.)
| | - Aime B. Igiraneza
- Department of Biology, School of Arts and Sciences, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA 19104, USA; (M.C.); (S.A.); (A.B.I.); (H.S.)
| | - Heather Schiller
- Department of Biology, School of Arts and Sciences, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA 19104, USA; (M.C.); (S.A.); (A.B.I.); (H.S.)
| | - Elise Krespan
- Department of Pathobiology, School of Veterinary Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA 19104, USA; (E.K.); (D.P.B.)
| | - Daniel P. Beiting
- Department of Pathobiology, School of Veterinary Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA 19104, USA; (E.K.); (D.P.B.)
| | - Mike Dyall-Smith
- Veterinary Biosciences, Faculty of Veterinary and Agricultural Sciences, University of Melbourne, Parkville 3010, Australia;
- Computational Biology Group, Max-Planck-Institute of Biochemistry, 82152 Martinsried, Germany;
| | - Friedhelm Pfeiffer
- Computational Biology Group, Max-Planck-Institute of Biochemistry, 82152 Martinsried, Germany;
| | - Mechthild Pohlschroder
- Department of Biology, School of Arts and Sciences, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA 19104, USA; (M.C.); (S.A.); (A.B.I.); (H.S.)
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11
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Niessen N, Soppa J. Regulated Iron Siderophore Production of the Halophilic Archaeon Haloferax volcanii. Biomolecules 2020; 10:biom10071072. [PMID: 32709147 PMCID: PMC7407949 DOI: 10.3390/biom10071072] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/14/2020] [Revised: 07/02/2020] [Accepted: 07/13/2020] [Indexed: 01/04/2023] Open
Abstract
Iron is part of many redox and other enzymes and, thus, it is essential for all living beings. Many oxic environments have extremely low concentrations of free iron. Therefore, many prokaryotic species evolved siderophores, i.e., small organic molecules that complex Fe3+ with very high affinity. Siderophores of bacteria are intensely studied, in contrast to those of archaea. The haloarchaeon Haloferax volcanii contains a gene cluster that putatively encodes siderophore biosynthesis genes, including four iron uptake chelate (iuc) genes. Underscoring this hypothesis, Northern blot analyses revealed that a hexacistronic transcript is generated that is highly induced under iron starvation. A quadruple iuc deletion mutant was generated, which had a growth defect solely at very low concentrations of Fe3+, not Fe2+. Two experimental approaches showed that the wild type produced and exported an Fe3+-specific siderophore under low iron concentrations, in contrast to the iuc deletion mutant. Bioinformatic analyses revealed that haloarchaea obtained the gene cluster by lateral transfer from bacteria and enabled the prediction of enzymatic functions of all six gene products. Notably, a biosynthetic pathway is proposed that starts with aspartic acid, uses several group donors and citrate, and leads to the hydroxamate siderophore Schizokinen.
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Affiliation(s)
- Natalie Niessen
- Institute for Molecular Biosciences, Goethe-University, Biocentre, Max-von-Laue-str. 9, D-60439 Frankfurt, Germany;
- Campus Callaghan, Faculty of Health and Medicine, School of Medicine and Public Health, Hunter Medical Research Institute, University of Newcastle, Newcastle, NSW 2308, Australia
| | - Jörg Soppa
- Institute for Molecular Biosciences, Goethe-University, Biocentre, Max-von-Laue-str. 9, D-60439 Frankfurt, Germany;
- Correspondence:
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12
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Lekontseva N, Mikhailina A, Fando M, Kravchenko O, Balobanov V, Tishchenko S, Nikulin A. Crystal structures and RNA-binding properties of Lsm proteins from archaea Sulfolobus acidocaldarius and Methanococcus vannielii: Similarity and difference of the U-binding mode. Biochimie 2020; 175:1-12. [PMID: 32422160 DOI: 10.1016/j.biochi.2020.05.001] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/11/2020] [Revised: 04/30/2020] [Accepted: 05/01/2020] [Indexed: 12/13/2022]
Abstract
Sm and Sm-like (Lsm) proteins are considered as an evolutionary conserved family involved in RNA metabolism in organisms from bacteria and archaea to human. Currently, the function of Sm-like archaeal proteins (SmAP) is not well understood. Here, we report the crystal structures of SmAP proteins from Sulfolobus acidocaldarius and Methanococcus vannielii and a comparative analysis of their RNA-binding sites. Our data show that these SmAPs have only a uridine-specific RNA-binding site, unlike their bacterial homolog Hfq, which has three different RNA-binding sites. Moreover, variations in the amino acid composition of the U-binding sites of the two SmAPs lead to a difference in protein affinity for oligo(U) RNA. Surface plasmon resonance data and nucleotide-binding analysis confirm the high affinity of SmAPs for uridine nucleotides and oligo(U) RNA and the reduced affinity for adenines, guanines, cytidines and corresponding oligo-RNAs. In addition, we demonstrate that MvaSmAP1 and SacSmAP2 are capable of melting an RNA hairpin and, apparently, promote its interaction with complementary RNA.
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Affiliation(s)
- N Lekontseva
- Institute of Protein Research Russian Academy of Sciences, Institutskaya 4, Moscow Region, Pushchino, 142290, Russia
| | - A Mikhailina
- Institute of Protein Research Russian Academy of Sciences, Institutskaya 4, Moscow Region, Pushchino, 142290, Russia
| | - M Fando
- Institute of Protein Research Russian Academy of Sciences, Institutskaya 4, Moscow Region, Pushchino, 142290, Russia
| | - O Kravchenko
- Institute of Protein Research Russian Academy of Sciences, Institutskaya 4, Moscow Region, Pushchino, 142290, Russia
| | - V Balobanov
- Institute of Protein Research Russian Academy of Sciences, Institutskaya 4, Moscow Region, Pushchino, 142290, Russia
| | - S Tishchenko
- Institute of Protein Research Russian Academy of Sciences, Institutskaya 4, Moscow Region, Pushchino, 142290, Russia
| | - A Nikulin
- Institute of Protein Research Russian Academy of Sciences, Institutskaya 4, Moscow Region, Pushchino, 142290, Russia.
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13
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Berkemer SJ, Maier LK, Amman F, Bernhart SH, Wörtz J, Märkle P, Pfeiffer F, Stadler PF, Marchfelder A. Identification of RNA 3´ ends and termination sites in Haloferax volcanii. RNA Biol 2020; 17:663-676. [PMID: 32041469 PMCID: PMC7237163 DOI: 10.1080/15476286.2020.1723328] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/22/2022] Open
Abstract
Archaeal genomes are densely packed; thus, correct transcription termination is an important factor for orchestrated gene expression. A systematic analysis of RNA 3´ termini, to identify transcription termination sites (TTS) using RNAseq data has hitherto only been performed in two archaea, Methanosarcina mazei and Sulfolobus acidocaldarius. In this study, only regions directly downstream of annotated genes were analysed, and thus, only part of the genome had been investigated. Here, we developed a novel algorithm (Internal Enrichment-Peak Calling) that allows an unbiased, genome-wide identification of RNA 3´ termini independent of annotation. In an RNA fraction enriched for primary transcripts by terminator exonuclease (TEX) treatment we identified 1,543 RNA 3´ termini. Approximately half of these were located in intergenic regions, and the remainder were found in coding regions. A strong sequence signature consistent with known termination events at intergenic loci indicates a clear enrichment for native TTS among them. Using these data we determined distinct putative termination motifs for intergenic (a T stretch) and coding regions (AGATC). In vivo reporter gene tests of selected TTS confirmed termination at these sites, which exemplify the different motifs. For several genes, more than one termination site was detected, resulting in transcripts with different lengths of the 3´ untranslated region (3´ UTR).
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Affiliation(s)
- Sarah J Berkemer
- Bioinformatics Group, Department of Computer Science - and Interdisciplinary Center for Bioinformatics, University of Leipzig, Leipzig, Germany.,Max Planck Institute for Mathematics in the Sciences, Leipzig, Germany
| | | | - Fabian Amman
- Institute for Theoretical Chemistry, University of Vienna, Vienna, Austria.,Division of Cell and Developmental Biology, Medical University Vienna, Vienna, Austria
| | - Stephan H Bernhart
- Bioinformatics Group, Department of Computer Science - and Interdisciplinary Center for Bioinformatics, University of Leipzig, Leipzig, Germany.,Transcriptome Bioinformatics, Interdisciplinary Center for Bioinformatics, Leipzig University, Leipzig, Germany
| | | | | | - Friedhelm Pfeiffer
- Computational Biology Group, Max Planck Institute of Biochemistry, Martinsried, Germany
| | - Peter F Stadler
- Bioinformatics Group, Department of Computer Science - and Interdisciplinary Center for Bioinformatics, University of Leipzig, Leipzig, Germany.,Max Planck Institute for Mathematics in the Sciences, Leipzig, Germany.,Institute for Theoretical Chemistry, University of Vienna, Vienna, Austria.,Facultad de Ciencias, Universidad Nacional de Colombia, Bogotá, Colombia.,Center for RNA in Technology and Health, University Copenhagen, Frederiksberg C, Denmark.,Santa Fe Institute, Santa Fe, NM, USA.,German Centre for Integrative Biodiversity Research (iDiv), Halle, Jena and Leipzig, Germany.,Competence Center for Scalable Data Services and Solutions, and Leipzig, Research Center for Civilization Diseases, University Leipzig, Leipzig, Germany
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14
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Wolters M, Borst A, Pfeiffer F, Soppa J. Bioinformatic and genetic characterization of three genes localized adjacent to the major replication origin of Haloferax volcanii. FEMS Microbiol Lett 2019; 366:5643889. [DOI: 10.1093/femsle/fnz238] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/01/2019] [Accepted: 11/25/2019] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
ABSTRACT
In haloarchaea, a cluster of three genes is localized directly adjacent to the major replication origin, and, hence, the encoded proteins were annotated as ‘origin-associated proteins’ (Oap). However, prior to this study, no experimental data were available for these conserved hypothetical proteins. Bioinformatic analyses were performed, which unraveled, 1) that the amino acid composition of all three proteins deviate from the average, 2) that OapA is a GTP-binding protein, 3) that OapC has an N-terminal zinc-finger motif, and 4) that the sequences of OapA and OapB are highly conserved while OapC conservation is restricted to short terminal regions. Surprisingly, transcript analyses revealed a complex expression pattern of the oap genes, despite their close proximity. Based on the high degree of conservation in haloarchaea it could be expected that one or more of the oap genes might be essential. However, in frame deletion mutants of all three genes could be readily generated, were viable, and had no growth phenotype. In addition, quantification of the chromsome copy numbers revealed no significant differences between the wild-type and the three mutants. In summary, experimental evidence is inconsistent with Oap proteins being essential for or involved in key steps of DNA replication.
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Affiliation(s)
- Maike Wolters
- Biocentre, Institute for Molecular Biosciences, Goethe-University, Max-von-Laue-Str. 9, Frankfurt D-60438, Germany
| | - Andreas Borst
- Biocentre, Institute for Molecular Biosciences, Goethe-University, Max-von-Laue-Str. 9, Frankfurt D-60438, Germany
| | - Friedhelm Pfeiffer
- Computational Biology Group, Max Planck Institute of Biochemistry, Martinsried, Germany
| | - Jörg Soppa
- Biocentre, Institute for Molecular Biosciences, Goethe-University, Max-von-Laue-Str. 9, Frankfurt D-60438, Germany
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15
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Orell A, Tripp V, Aliaga-Tobar V, Albers SV, Maracaja-Coutinho V, Randau L. A regulatory RNA is involved in RNA duplex formation and biofilm regulation in Sulfolobus acidocaldarius. Nucleic Acids Res 2019. [PMID: 29529252 PMCID: PMC5961385 DOI: 10.1093/nar/gky144] [Citation(s) in RCA: 23] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/30/2022] Open
Abstract
Non-coding RNAs (ncRNA) are involved in essential biological processes in all three domains of life. The regulatory potential of ncRNAs in Archaea is, however, not fully explored. In this study, RNA-seq analyses identified a set of 29 ncRNA transcripts in the hyperthermophilic archaeon Sulfolobus acidocaldarius that were differentially expressed in response to biofilm formation. The most abundant ncRNA of this set was found to be resistant to RNase R treatment (RNase R resistant RNA, RrrR(+)) due to duplex formation with a reverse complementary RNA (RrrR(−)). The deletion of the RrrR(+) gene resulted in significantly impaired biofilm formation, while its overproduction increased biofilm yield. RrrR(+) was found to act as an antisense RNA against the mRNA of a hypothetical membrane protein. The RrrR(+) transcript was shown to be stabilized by the presence of the RrrR(−) strand in S. acidocaldarius cell extracts. The accumulation of these RrrR duplexes correlates with an apparent absence of dsRNA degrading RNase III domains in archaeal proteins.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alvaro Orell
- Max Planck Institute for Terrestrial Microbiology, Karl-von-Frisch Strasse 10, Marburg 35043, Germany.,Centro de Genómica y Bioinformática, Facultad de Ciencias, UniversidadMayor, Santiago, Chile
| | - Vanessa Tripp
- Max Planck Institute for Terrestrial Microbiology, Karl-von-Frisch Strasse 10, Marburg 35043, Germany
| | - Victor Aliaga-Tobar
- 3Programa de Doctorado en Genómica Integrativa, Vicerrectoría de Investigación,Universidad Mayor, Santiago, Chile
| | - Sonja-Verena Albers
- Molecular Biology of Archaea, Institute of Biology II - Microbiology, University Freiburg, Germany
| | - Vinicius Maracaja-Coutinho
- Centro de Genómica y Bioinformática, Facultad de Ciencias, UniversidadMayor, Santiago, Chile.,Departamento de Bioquímica y Biología Molecular,Facultad de Ciencias Químicas y Farmacéuticas, Universidad de Chile, Santiago, Chile
| | - Lennart Randau
- Max Planck Institute for Terrestrial Microbiology, Karl-von-Frisch Strasse 10, Marburg 35043, Germany
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16
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Characterization of the transcriptome of Haloferax volcanii, grown under four different conditions, with mixed RNA-Seq. PLoS One 2019; 14:e0215986. [PMID: 31039177 PMCID: PMC6490895 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0215986] [Citation(s) in RCA: 19] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/07/2018] [Accepted: 04/11/2019] [Indexed: 12/21/2022] Open
Abstract
Haloferax volcanii is a well-established model species for haloarchaea. Small scale RNomics and bioinformatics predictions were used to identify small non-coding RNAs (sRNAs), and deletion mutants revealed that sRNAs have important regulatory functions. A recent dRNA-Seq study was used to characterize the primary transcriptome. Unexpectedly, it was revealed that, under optimal conditions, H. volcanii contains more non-coding sRNAs than protein-encoding mRNAs. However, the dRNA-Seq approach did not contain any length information. Therefore, a mixed RNA-Seq approach was used to determine transcript length and to identify additional transcripts, which are not present under optimal conditions. In total, 50 million paired end reads of 150 nt length were obtained. 1861 protein-coding RNAs (cdRNAs) were detected, which encoded 3092 proteins. This nearly doubled the coverage of cdRNAs, compared to the previous dRNA-Seq study. About 2/3 of the cdRNAs were monocistronic, and 1/3 covered more than one gene. In addition, 1635 non-coding sRNAs were identified. The highest fraction of non-coding RNAs were cis antisense RNAs (asRNAs). Analysis of the length distribution revealed that sRNAs have a median length of about 150 nt. Based on the RNA-Seq and dRNA-Seq results, genes were chosen to exemplify characteristics of the H. volcanii transcriptome by Northern blot analyses, e.g. 1) the transcript patterns of gene clusters can be straightforward, but also very complex, 2) many transcripts differ in expression level under the four analyzed conditions, 3) some genes are transcribed into RNA isoforms of different length, which can be differentially regulated, 4) transcripts with very long 5'-UTRs and with very long 3'-UTRs exist, and 5) about 30% of all cdRNAs have overlapping 3'-ends, which indicates, together with the asRNAs, that H. volcanii makes ample use of sense-antisense interactions. Taken together, this RNA-Seq study, together with a previous dRNA-Seq study, enabled an unprecedented view on the H. volcanii transcriptome.
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17
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Clouet-d'Orval B, Batista M, Bouvier M, Quentin Y, Fichant G, Marchfelder A, Maier LK. Insights into RNA-processing pathways and associated RNA-degrading enzymes in Archaea. FEMS Microbiol Rev 2018; 42:579-613. [PMID: 29684129 DOI: 10.1093/femsre/fuy016] [Citation(s) in RCA: 35] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/15/2018] [Accepted: 04/17/2018] [Indexed: 12/20/2022] Open
Abstract
RNA-processing pathways are at the centre of regulation of gene expression. All RNA transcripts undergo multiple maturation steps in addition to covalent chemical modifications to become functional in the cell. This includes destroying unnecessary or defective cellular RNAs. In Archaea, information on mechanisms by which RNA species reach their mature forms and associated RNA-modifying enzymes are still fragmentary. To date, most archaeal actors and pathways have been proposed in light of information gathered from Bacteria and Eukarya. In this context, this review provides a state of the art overview of archaeal endoribonucleases and exoribonucleases that cleave and trim RNA species and also of the key small archaeal proteins that bind RNAs. Furthermore, synthetic up-to-date views of processing and biogenesis pathways of archaeal transfer and ribosomal RNAs as well as of maturation of stable small non-coding RNAs such as CRISPR RNAs, small C/D and H/ACA box guide RNAs, and other emerging classes of small RNAs are described. Finally, prospective post-transcriptional mechanisms to control archaeal messenger RNA quality and quantity are discussed.
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Affiliation(s)
- Béatrice Clouet-d'Orval
- Laboratoire de Microbiologie et de Génétique Moléculaires (LMGM), Centre de Biologie Intégrative (CBI), Université de Toulouse, CNRS, 31062 Toulouse, France
| | - Manon Batista
- Laboratoire de Microbiologie et de Génétique Moléculaires (LMGM), Centre de Biologie Intégrative (CBI), Université de Toulouse, CNRS, 31062 Toulouse, France
| | - Marie Bouvier
- Laboratoire de Microbiologie et de Génétique Moléculaires (LMGM), Centre de Biologie Intégrative (CBI), Université de Toulouse, CNRS, 31062 Toulouse, France
| | - Yves Quentin
- Laboratoire de Microbiologie et de Génétique Moléculaires (LMGM), Centre de Biologie Intégrative (CBI), Université de Toulouse, CNRS, 31062 Toulouse, France
| | - Gwennaele Fichant
- Laboratoire de Microbiologie et de Génétique Moléculaires (LMGM), Centre de Biologie Intégrative (CBI), Université de Toulouse, CNRS, 31062 Toulouse, France
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18
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A journey through the evolutionary diversification of archaeal Lsm and Hfq proteins. Emerg Top Life Sci 2018; 2:647-657. [PMID: 33525833 DOI: 10.1042/etls20180034] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/20/2018] [Revised: 10/09/2018] [Accepted: 10/12/2018] [Indexed: 11/17/2022]
Abstract
Sm-like (Lsm) proteins are found in all three domains of life. They are crucially involved in the RNA metabolism of prokaryotic organisms. To exert their function, they assemble into hexa- or heptameric rings and bind RNA via a conserved binding pocket for uridine stretches in the inner pore of the ring. Despite the conserved secondary structure of Lsm proteins, there are several features that lead to a structural diversification of this protein family that mediates their participation in a variety of processes related to RNA metabolism. Until recently, the cellular function of archaeal Sm-like proteins was not well understood. In this review, we discuss structural features of Lsm proteins with a strong focus on archaeal variants, reflect on the evolutionary development of archaeal Lsm proteins and present recent insights into their biological function.
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19
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Abstract
Advances in genome-wide sequence technologies allow for detailed insights into the complexity of RNA landscapes of organisms from all three domains of life. Recent analyses of archaeal transcriptomes identified interaction and regulation networks of noncoding RNAs in this understudied domain. Here, we review current knowledge of small, noncoding RNAs with important functions for the archaeal lifestyle, which often requires adaptation to extreme environments. One focus is RNA metabolism at elevated temperatures in hyperthermophilic archaea, which reveals elevated amounts of RNA-guided RNA modification and virus defense strategies. Genome rearrangement events result in unique fragmentation patterns of noncoding RNA genes that require elaborate maturation pathways to yield functional transcripts. RNA-binding proteins, e.g., L7Ae and LSm, are important for many posttranscriptional control functions of RNA molecules in archaeal cells. We also discuss recent insights into the regulatory potential of their noncoding RNA partners.
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Affiliation(s)
- José Vicente Gomes-Filho
- Prokaryotic Small RNA Biology Group, Max Planck Institute for Terrestrial Microbiology, 35043 Marburg, Germany;, ,
| | - Michael Daume
- Prokaryotic Small RNA Biology Group, Max Planck Institute for Terrestrial Microbiology, 35043 Marburg, Germany;, ,
| | - Lennart Randau
- Prokaryotic Small RNA Biology Group, Max Planck Institute for Terrestrial Microbiology, 35043 Marburg, Germany;, ,
- LOEWE Center for Synthetic Microbiology (Synmikro), 35032 Marburg, Germany
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20
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Märtens B, Sharma K, Urlaub H, Bläsi U. The SmAP2 RNA binding motif in the 3'UTR affects mRNA stability in the crenarchaeum Sulfolobus solfataricus. Nucleic Acids Res 2017; 45:8957-8967. [PMID: 28911098 PMCID: PMC5587771 DOI: 10.1093/nar/gkx581] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/24/2017] [Accepted: 06/28/2017] [Indexed: 01/02/2023] Open
Abstract
Sm and Sm-like proteins represent an evolutionarily conserved family with key roles in RNA metabolism in Pro- and Eukaryotes. In this study, a collection of 53 mRNAs that co-purified with Sulfolobus solfataricus (Sso) SmAP2 were surveyed for a specific RNA binding motif (RBM). SmAP2 was shown to bind with high affinity to the deduced consensus RNA binding motif (SmAP2-cRBM) in vitro. Residues in SmAP2 interacting with the SmAP2-cRBM were mapped by UV-induced crosslinking in combination with mass-spectrometry, and verified by mutational analyses. The RNA-binding site on SmAP2 includes a modified uracil binding pocket containing a unique threonine (T40) located on the L3 face and a second residue, K25, located in the pore. To study the function of the SmAP2-RBM in vivo, three authentic RBMs were inserted in the 3′UTR of a lacS reporter gene. The presence of the SmAP2-RBM in the reporter-constructs resulted in decreased LacS activity and reduced steady state levels of lacS mRNA. Moreover, the presence of the SmAP2-cRBM in and the replacement of the lacS 3′UTR with that of Sso2194 encompassing a SmAP2-RBM apparently impacted on the stability of the chimeric transcripts. These results are discussed in light of the function(s) of eukaryotic Lsm proteins in RNA turnover.
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Affiliation(s)
- Birgit Märtens
- Department of Microbiology, Immunobiology and Genetics, Max F. Perutz Laboratories, Center of Molecular Biology, University of Vienna, Vienna Biocenter, Dr. Bohrgasse 9, 1030 Vienna, Austria
| | - Kundan Sharma
- Bioanalytics Group, Institute for Clinical Chemistry, University Medical Center Göttingen, Robert Koch Strasse 40, 37075 Göttingen, Germany.,Bioanalytical Mass Spectrometry, Max Planck Institute for Biophysical Chemistry, Am Fassberg 11, 37077 Göttingen, Germany
| | - Henning Urlaub
- Bioanalytics Group, Institute for Clinical Chemistry, University Medical Center Göttingen, Robert Koch Strasse 40, 37075 Göttingen, Germany.,Bioanalytical Mass Spectrometry, Max Planck Institute for Biophysical Chemistry, Am Fassberg 11, 37077 Göttingen, Germany
| | - Udo Bläsi
- Department of Microbiology, Immunobiology and Genetics, Max F. Perutz Laboratories, Center of Molecular Biology, University of Vienna, Vienna Biocenter, Dr. Bohrgasse 9, 1030 Vienna, Austria
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21
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Märtens B, Hou L, Amman F, Wolfinger MT, Evguenieva-Hackenberg E, Bläsi U. The SmAP1/2 proteins of the crenarchaeon Sulfolobus solfataricus interact with the exosome and stimulate A-rich tailing of transcripts. Nucleic Acids Res 2017; 45:7938-7949. [PMID: 28520934 PMCID: PMC5570065 DOI: 10.1093/nar/gkx437] [Citation(s) in RCA: 22] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/27/2016] [Accepted: 05/03/2017] [Indexed: 01/26/2023] Open
Abstract
The conserved Sm and Sm-like proteins are involved in different aspects of RNA metabolism. Here, we explored the interactome of SmAP1 and SmAP2 of the crenarchaeon Sulfolobus solfataricus (Sso) to shed light on their physiological function(s). Both, SmAP1 and SmAP2 co-purified with several proteins involved in RNA-processing/modification, translation and protein turnover as well as with components of the exosome involved in 3΄ to 5΄ degradation of RNA. In follow-up studies a direct interaction with the poly(A) binding and accessory exosomal subunit DnaG was demonstrated. Moreover, elevated levels of both SmAPs resulted in increased abundance of the soluble exosome fraction, suggesting that they affect the subcellular localization of the exosome in the cell. The increased solubility of the exosome was accompanied by augmented levels of RNAs with A-rich tails that were further characterized using RNASeq. Hence, the observation that the Sso SmAPs impact on the activity of the exosome revealed a hitherto unrecognized function of SmAPs in archaea.
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Affiliation(s)
- Birgit Märtens
- Department of Microbiology, Immunobiology and Genetics, Max F. Perutz Laboratories, Center of Molecular Biology, University of Vienna, Vienna Biocenter, Dr. Bohrgasse 9, 1030 Vienna, Austria
| | - Linlin Hou
- Institute of Microbiology and Molecular Biology, Justus Liebig University Gießen, Heinrich-Buff-Ring 26-32, 35392 Gießen, Germany
| | - Fabian Amman
- Institute for Theoretical Chemistry, University of Vienna, Währingerstraße 17/3, 1090 Vienna, Austria
| | - Michael T Wolfinger
- Institute for Theoretical Chemistry, University of Vienna, Währingerstraße 17/3, 1090 Vienna, Austria.,Center for Anatomy and Cell Biology, Medical University of Vienna, Währingerstraße 13, 1090 Vienna, Austria
| | - Elena Evguenieva-Hackenberg
- Institute of Microbiology and Molecular Biology, Justus Liebig University Gießen, Heinrich-Buff-Ring 26-32, 35392 Gießen, Germany
| | - Udo Bläsi
- Department of Microbiology, Immunobiology and Genetics, Max F. Perutz Laboratories, Center of Molecular Biology, University of Vienna, Vienna Biocenter, Dr. Bohrgasse 9, 1030 Vienna, Austria
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22
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Babski J, Haas KA, Näther-Schindler D, Pfeiffer F, Förstner KU, Hammelmann M, Hilker R, Becker A, Sharma CM, Marchfelder A, Soppa J. Genome-wide identification of transcriptional start sites in the haloarchaeon Haloferax volcanii based on differential RNA-Seq (dRNA-Seq). BMC Genomics 2016; 17:629. [PMID: 27519343 PMCID: PMC4983044 DOI: 10.1186/s12864-016-2920-y] [Citation(s) in RCA: 83] [Impact Index Per Article: 10.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/09/2016] [Accepted: 07/07/2016] [Indexed: 01/24/2023] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Differential RNA-Seq (dRNA-Seq) is a recently developed method of performing primary transcriptome analyses that allows for the genome-wide mapping of transcriptional start sites (TSSs) and the identification of novel transcripts. Although the transcriptomes of diverse bacterial species have been characterized by dRNA-Seq, the transcriptome analysis of archaeal species is still rather limited. Therefore, we used dRNA-Seq to characterize the primary transcriptome of the model archaeon Haloferax volcanii. RESULTS Three independent cultures of Hfx. volcanii grown under optimal conditions to the mid-exponential growth phase were used to determine the primary transcriptome and map the 5'-ends of the transcripts. In total, 4749 potential TSSs were detected. A position weight matrix (PWM) was derived for the promoter predictions, and the results showed that 64 % of the TSSs were preceded by stringent or relaxed basal promoters. Of the identified TSSs, 1851 belonged to protein-coding genes. Thus, fewer than half (46 %) of the 4040 protein-coding genes were expressed under optimal growth conditions. Seventy-two percent of all protein-coding transcripts were leaderless, which emphasized that this pathway is the major pathway for translation initiation in haloarchaea. A total of 2898 of the TSSs belonged to potential non-coding RNAs, which accounted for an unexpectedly high fraction (61 %) of all transcripts. Most of the non-coding TSSs had not been previously described (2792) and represented novel sequences (59 % of all TSSs). A large fraction of the potential novel non-coding transcripts were cis-antisense RNAs (1244 aTSSs). A strong negative correlation between the levels of antisense transcripts and cognate sense mRNAs was found, which suggested that the negative regulation of gene expression via antisense RNAs may play an important role in haloarchaea. The other types of novel non-coding transcripts corresponded to internal transcripts overlapping with mRNAs (1153 iTSSs) and intergenic small RNA (sRNA) candidates (395 TSSs). CONCLUSION This study provides a comprehensive map of the primary transcriptome of Hfx. volcanii grown under optimal conditions. Fewer than half of all protein-coding genes have been transcribed under these conditions. Unexpectedly, more than half of the detected TSSs belonged to several classes of non-coding RNAs. Thus, RNA-based regulation appears to play a more important role in haloarchaea than previously anticipated.
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Affiliation(s)
- Julia Babski
- Institute for Molecular Biosciences, Goethe University, Biocentre, Max-von-Laue-Str. 9, D-60439 Frankfurt, Germany
| | | | - Daniela Näther-Schindler
- Institute for Molecular Biosciences, Goethe University, Biocentre, Max-von-Laue-Str. 9, D-60439 Frankfurt, Germany
| | - Friedhelm Pfeiffer
- Computational Biology Group, MaxPlanckInstitute of Biochemistry, Am Klopferspitz 18, 82152 Martinsried, Germany
| | - Konrad U. Förstner
- Research Center for Infectious Diseases (ZINF), University of Würzburg, Josef-Schneider-Str. 2/D15, 97080 Würzburg, Germany
| | - Matthias Hammelmann
- Institute for Molecular Biosciences, Goethe University, Biocentre, Max-von-Laue-Str. 9, D-60439 Frankfurt, Germany
| | - Rolf Hilker
- Bioinformatik und Systembiologie, University of Gießen, Heinrich-Buff-Ring 58, 35392 Gießen, Germany
| | - Anke Becker
- LOEWE-Center for Synthetic Microbiology, Hans-Meerwein-Str., 35032 Marburg, Germany
| | - Cynthia M. Sharma
- Research Center for Infectious Diseases (ZINF), University of Würzburg, Josef-Schneider-Str. 2/D15, 97080 Würzburg, Germany
| | | | - Jörg Soppa
- Institute for Molecular Biosciences, Goethe University, Biocentre, Max-von-Laue-Str. 9, D-60439 Frankfurt, Germany
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Stachler AE, Marchfelder A. Gene Repression in Haloarchaea Using the CRISPR (Clustered Regularly Interspaced Short Palindromic Repeats)-Cas I-B System. J Biol Chem 2016; 291:15226-42. [PMID: 27226589 PMCID: PMC4946936 DOI: 10.1074/jbc.m116.724062] [Citation(s) in RCA: 52] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/25/2016] [Indexed: 12/20/2022] Open
Abstract
The clustered regularly interspaced short palindromic repeats (CRISPR)-Cas system is used by bacteria and archaea to fend off foreign genetic elements. Since its discovery it has been developed into numerous applications like genome editing and regulation of transcription in eukaryotes and bacteria. For archaea currently no tools for transcriptional repression exist. Because molecular biology analyses in archaea become more and more widespread such a tool is vital for investigating the biological function of essential genes in archaea. Here we use the model archaeon Haloferax volcanii to demonstrate that its endogenous CRISPR-Cas system I-B can be harnessed to repress gene expression in archaea. Deletion of cas3 and cas6b genes results in efficient repression of transcription. crRNAs targeting the promoter region reduced transcript levels down to 8%. crRNAs targeting the reading frame have only slight impact on transcription. crRNAs that target the coding strand repress expression only down to 88%, whereas crRNAs targeting the template strand repress expression down to 8%. Repression of an essential gene results in reduction of transcription levels down to 22%. Targeting efficiencies can be enhanced by expressing a catalytically inactive Cas3 mutant. Genes can be targeted on plasmids or on the chromosome, they can be monocistronic or part of a polycistronic operon.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Anita Marchfelder
- From the Department of Biology II, Ulm University, 89069 Ulm, Germany
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