Structural basis for sulfur relay to RNA mediated by heterohexameric TusBCD complex

Disruption of sulfur transferase complex increases bacterial intramacrophage persistence

Bacterial persisters contribute significantly to clinical treatment failure and relapse. These cells could resist antibiotic treatment via transient phenotypic and gene expression alterations. We conducted a high-throughput screening of Salmonella Typhimurium transposon mutants to identify key genes for intramacrophage antibiotic persistence. The results show that a sulfur transferase complex encoded by yheM, yheL, yheN, trmU and yhhP are involved in bacterial intramacrophage antibiotic persistence. Salmonella could persist in macrophages by downregulating the expression of the sulfur transferase complex during exposure to high concentrations of antibiotics, and even in a persistent infection mouse model. Mechanistically, deletion of yheM increases reactive nitrogen species (RNS) in the exponential phase, which inhibits bacterial respiration and ATP generation. In contrast, absence of yheM promotes persister formation by elevating (p)ppGpp levels in the stationary phase. Taken together, our data demonstrate that bacteria use the sulfur transferase to coordinate intramacrophage replication and persistence for adaptation to various environmental stresses. These findings reveal the role of the sulfur transferase complex in bacterial intramacrophage persistence and provide a promising target for antibacterial infection therapy.

2-Thiouridine formation in Escherichia coli: a critical review

Modifications of transfer RNA (tRNA) have been shown to play critical roles in the biogenesis, metabolism, structural stability, and function of RNA molecules, and the specific modifications of nucleobases with sulfur atoms in tRNA are present in prokaryotes and eukaryotes. The s2 group of s2U34 stabilizes anticodon structure, confers ribosome-binding ability to tRNA, and improves reading frame maintenance. In particular, specific enzymes catalyze the biosynthesis of sulfur-containing nucleosides of s2U34, such as the L-cysteine desulfurase IscS and the tRNA thiouridylase MnmA in Escherichia coli. Until recently, the mechanism of sulfur transfer in E. coli was considered to involve persulfide chemistry; however, a newly proposed mechanism suggests the involvement of a [4Fe-4S] cluster bound to MnmA. This review provides a critical appraisal of recent evidence for [4Fe-4S]-dependent or [4Fe-4S]-independent tRNA thiolation in 2-thiouridine formation.

Protein interactions in human pathogens revealed through deep learning

Identification of bacterial protein-protein interactions and predicting the structures of these complexes could aid in the understanding of pathogenicity mechanisms and developing treatments for infectious diseases. Here we developed RoseTTAFold2-Lite, a rapid deep learning model that leverages residue-residue coevolution and protein structure prediction to systematically identify and structurally characterize protein-protein interactions at the proteome-wide scale. Using this pipeline, we searched through 78 million pairs of proteins across 19 human bacterial pathogens and identified 1,923 confidently predicted complexes involving essential genes and 256 involving virulence factors. Many of these complexes were not previously known; we experimentally tested 12 such predictions, and half of them were validated. The predicted interactions span core metabolic and virulence pathways ranging from post-transcriptional modification to acid neutralization to outer-membrane machinery and should contribute to our understanding of the biology of these important pathogens and the design of drugs to combat them.

[4Fe-4S]-dependent enzymes in non-redox tRNA thiolation

Post-transcriptional modification of nucleosides in transfer RNAs (tRNAs) is an important process for accurate and efficient translation of the genetic information during protein synthesis in all domains of life. In particular, specific enzymes catalyze the biosynthesis of sulfur-containing nucleosides, such as the derivatives of 2-thiouridine (s2U), 4-thiouridine (s4U), 2-thiocytidine (s2C), and 2-methylthioadenosine (ms2A), within tRNAs. Whereas the mechanism that has prevailed for decades involved persulfide chemistry, more and more tRNA thiolation enzymes have now been shown to contain a [4Fe-4S] cluster. This review summarizes the information over the last ten years concerning the biochemical, spectroscopic and structural characterization of [4Fe-4S]-dependent non-redox tRNA thiolation enzymes.

TusDCB, a sulfur transferase complex involved in tRNA modification, contributes to UPEC pathogenicity

tRNA modifications play a crucial role in ensuring accurate codon recognition and optimizing translation levels. While the significance of these modifications in eukaryotic cells for maintaining cellular homeostasis and physiological functions is well-established, their physiological roles in bacterial cells, particularly in pathogenesis, remain relatively unexplored. The TusDCB protein complex, conserved in γ-proteobacteria like Escherichia coli, is involved in sulfur modification of specific tRNAs. This study focused on the role of TusDCB in the virulence of uropathogenic E. coli (UPEC), a bacterium causing urinary tract infections. The findings indicate that TusDCB is essential for optimal production of UPEC's virulence factors, including type 1 fimbriae and flagellum, impacting the bacterium's ability to aggregate in bladder epithelial cells. Deletion of tusDCB resulted in decreased virulence against urinary tract infection mice. Moreover, mutant TusDCB lacking sulfur transfer activity and tusE- and mnmA mutants revealed the indispensability of TusDCB's sulfur transfer activity for UPEC pathogenicity. The study extends its relevance to highly pathogenic, multidrug-resistant strains, where tusDCB deletion reduced virulence-associated bacterial aggregation. These insights not only deepen our understanding of the interplay between tRNA sulfur modification and bacterial pathogenesis but also highlight TusDCB as a potential therapeutic target against UPEC strains resistant to conventional antimicrobial agents.

Essential and virulence-related protein interactions of pathogens revealed through deep learning

Identification of bacterial protein-protein interactions and predicting the structures of the complexes could aid in the understanding of pathogenicity mechanisms and developing treatments for infectious diseases. Here, we developed a deep learning-based pipeline that leverages residue-residue coevolution and protein structure prediction to systematically identify and structurally characterize protein-protein interactions at the proteome-wide scale. Using this pipeline, we searched through 78 million pairs of proteins across 19 human bacterial pathogens and identified 1923 confidently predicted complexes involving essential genes and 256 involving virulence factors. Many of these complexes were not previously known; we experimentally tested 12 such predictions, and half of them were validated. The predicted interactions span core metabolic and virulence pathways ranging from post-transcriptional modification to acid neutralization to outer membrane machinery and should contribute to our understanding of the biology of these important pathogens and the design of drugs to combat them.

HMS-S-S: a tool for the identification of sulfur metabolism-related genes and analysis of operon structures in genome and metagenome assemblies

Sulfur compounds are used in a variety of biological processes including respiration and photosynthesis. Sulfide and sulfur compounds of intermediary oxidation state can serve as electron donors for lithotrophic growth while sulfate, thiosulfate and sulfur are used as electron acceptors in anaerobic respiration. The biochemistry underlying the manifold transformations of inorganic sulfur compounds occurring in sulfur metabolizing prokaryotes is astonishingly complex and knowledge about it has immensely increased over the last years. The advent of next-generation sequencing approaches as well as the significant increase of data availability in public databases has driven focus of environmental microbiology to probing the metabolic capacity of microbial communities by analysis of this sequence data. To facilitate these analyses, we created HMS-S-S, a comprehensive equivalogous hidden Markov model (HMM)-supported tool. Protein sequences related to sulfur compound oxidation, reduction, transport and intracellular transfer are efficiently detected and related enzymes involved in dissimilatory sulfur oxidation as opposed to sulfur compound reduction can be confidently distinguished. HMM search results are coupled to corresponding genes, which allows analysis of co-occurrence, synteny and genomic neighborhood. The HMMs were validated on an annotated test dataset and by cross-validation. We also proved its performance by exploring meta-assembled genomes isolated from samples from environments with active sulfur cycling, including members of the cable bacteria, novel Acidobacteria and assemblies from a sulfur-rich glacier, and were able to replicate and extend previous reports.

Yersinia pseudotuberculosis doxycycline tolerance strategies include modulating expression of genes involved in cell permeability and tRNA modifications

Antibiotic tolerance is typically associated with a phenotypic change within a bacterial population, resulting in a transient decrease in antibiotic susceptibility that can contribute to treatment failure and recurrent infections. Although tolerant cells may emerge prior to treatment, the stress of prolonged antibiotic exposure can also promote tolerance. Here, we sought to determine how Yersinia pseudotuberculosis responds to doxycycline exposure, to then verify if these gene expression changes could promote doxycycline tolerance in culture and in our mouse model of infection. Only four genes were differentially regulated in response to a physiologically-relevant dose of doxycycline: osmB and ompF were upregulated, tusB and cnfy were downregulated; differential expression also occurred during doxycycline treatment in the mouse. ompF, tusB and cnfy were also differentially regulated in response to chloramphenicol, indicating these could be general responses to ribosomal inhibition. cnfy has previously been associated with persistence and was not a major focus here. We found deletion of the OmpF porin resulted in increased antibiotic accumulation, suggesting expression may promote diffusion of doxycycline out of the cell, while OsmB lipoprotein had a minor impact on antibiotic permeability. Overexpression of tusB significantly impaired bacterial survival in culture and in the mouse, suggesting that tRNA modification by tusB, and the resulting impacts on translational machinery, promotes survival during treatment with an antibiotic classically viewed as bacteriostatic. We believe this may be the first observation of bactericidal activity of doxycycline under physiological conditions, which was revealed by reversing tusB downregulation.

Sulfur modification in natural RNA and therapeutic oligonucleotides

Sulfur modifications have been discovered on both DNA and RNA. Sulfur substitution of oxygen atoms at nucleobase or backbone locations in the nucleic acid framework led to a wide variety of sulfur-modified nucleosides and nucleotides. While the discovery, regulation and functions of DNA phosphorothioate (PS) modification, where one of the non-bridging oxygen atoms is replaced by sulfur on the DNA backbone, are important topics, this review focuses on the sulfur modification in natural cellular RNAs and therapeutic nucleic acids. The sulfur modifications on RNAs exhibit diversity in terms of modification location and cellular function, but the various sulfur modifications share common biosynthetic strategies across RNA species, cell types and domains of life. The first section reviews the post-transcriptional sulfur modifications on nucleobases with an emphasis on thiouridine on tRNA and phosphorothioate modification on RNA backbones, as well as the functions of the sulfur modifications on different species of cellular RNAs. The second section reviews the biosynthesis of different types of sulfur modifications and summarizes the general strategy for the biosynthesis of sulfur-containing RNA residues. One of the main goals of investigating sulfur modifications is to aid the genomic drug development pipeline and enhance our understandings of the rapidly growing nucleic acid-based gene therapies. The last section of the review focuses on the current drug development strategies employing sulfur substitution of oxygen atoms in therapeutic RNAs.

DiSCo: a sequence-based type-specific predictor of Dsr-dependent dissimilatory sulphur metabolism in microbial data

Current methods in comparative genomic analyses for metabolic potential prediction of proteins involved in, or associated with the Dsr (dissimilatory sulphite reductase)-dependent dissimilatory sulphur metabolism are both time-intensive and computationally challenging, especially when considering metagenomic data. We developed DiSCo, a Dsr-dependent dissimilatory sulphur metabolism classification tool, which automatically identifies and classifies the protein type from sequence data. It takes user-supplied protein sequences and lists the identified proteins and their classification in terms of protein family and predicted type. It can also extract the sequence data from user-input to serve as basis for additional downstream analyses. DiSCo provides the metabolic functional prediction of proteins involved in Dsr-dependent dissimilatory sulphur metabolism with high levels of accuracy in a fast manner. We ran DiSCo against a dataset composed of over 190 thousand (meta)genomic records and efficiently mapped Dsr-dependent dissimilatory sulphur proteins in 1798 lineages across both prokaryotic domains. This allowed the identification of new micro-organisms belonging to Thaumarchaeota and Spirochaetes lineages with the metabolic potential to use the Dsr-pathway for energy conservation. DiSCo is implemented in Perl 5 and freely available under the GNU GPLv3 at https://github.com/Genome-Evolution-and-Ecology-Group-GEEG/DiSCo.

Molecular Physiology of Anaerobic Phototrophic Purple and Green Sulfur Bacteria

There are two main types of bacterial photosynthesis: oxygenic (cyanobacteria) and anoxygenic (sulfur and non-sulfur phototrophs). Molecular mechanisms of photosynthesis in the phototrophic microorganisms can differ and depend on their location and pigments in the cells. This paper describes bacteria capable of molecular oxidizing hydrogen sulfide, specifically the families Chromatiaceae and Chlorobiaceae, also known as purple and green sulfur bacteria in the process of anoxygenic photosynthesis. Further, it analyzes certain important physiological processes, especially those which are characteristic for these bacterial families. Primarily, the molecular metabolism of sulfur, which oxidizes hydrogen sulfide to elementary molecular sulfur, as well as photosynthetic processes taking place inside of cells are presented. Particular attention is paid to the description of the molecular structure of the photosynthetic apparatus in these two families of phototrophs. Moreover, some of their molecular biotechnological perspectives are discussed.

Reconstructing the Evolutionary History of a Highly Conserved Operon Cluster in Gammaproteobacteria and Bacilli

The evolution of gene order rearrangements within bacterial chromosomes is a fast process. Closely related species can have almost no conservation in long-range gene order. A prominent exception to this rule is a >40 kb long cluster of five core operons (secE-rpoBC-str-S10-spc-alpha) and three variable adjacent operons (cysS, tufB, and ecf) that together contain 57 genes of the transcriptional and translational machinery. Previous studies have indicated that at least part of this operon cluster might have been present in the last common ancestor of bacteria and archaea. Using 204 whole genome sequences, ∼2 Gy of evolution of the operon cluster were reconstructed back to the last common ancestors of the Gammaproteobacteria and of the Bacilli. A total of 163 independent evolutionary events were identified in which the operon cluster was altered. Further examination showed that the process of disconnecting two operons generally follows the same pattern. Initially, a small number of genes is inserted between the operons breaking the concatenation followed by a second event that fully disconnects the operons. While there is a general trend for loss of gene synteny over time, there are examples of increased alteration rates at specific branch points or within specific bacterial orders. This indicates the recurrence of relaxed selection on the gene order within bacterial chromosomes. The analysis of the alternation events indicates that segmental genome duplications and/or transposon-directed recombination play a crucial role in rearrangements of the operon cluster.

Triclosan-Selected Host-Associated Microbiota Perform Xenobiotic Biotransformations in Larval Zebrafish

Microbiota regulate important physiologic processes during early host development. They also biotransform xenobiotics and serve as key intermediaries for chemical exposure. Antimicrobial agents in the environment may disrupt these complex interactions and alter key metabolic functions provided by host-associated microbiota. To examine the role of microbiota in xenobiotic metabolism, we exposed zebrafish larvae to the antimicrobial agent triclosan. Conventionally colonized (CC), microbe-free axenic (AX), or axenic colonized on day 1 (AC1) zebrafish were exposed to 0.16-0.30 µM triclosan or vehicle on days 1, 6, 7, 8, and 9 days post fertilization (dpf). After 6 and 10 dpf, host-associated microbial community structure and putative function were assessed by 16S rRNA gene sequencing. At 10 dpf, triclosan exposure selected for bacterial taxa, including Rheinheimera. Triclosan-selected microbes were predicted to be enriched in pathways related to mechanisms of antibiotic resistance, sulfonation, oxidative stress, and drug metabolism. Furthermore, at 10 dpf, colonized zebrafish contained 2.5-3 times more triclosan relative to AX larvae. Nontargeted chemical analysis revealed that, relative to AX larvae, both cohorts of colonized larvae showed elevations in 23 chemical features, including parent triclosan and putative triclosan sulfate. Taken together, these data suggest that triclosan exposure selects for microbes that harbor the capacity to biotransform triclosan into chemical metabolites with unknown toxicity profiles. More broadly, these data support the concept that microbiota modify the toxicokinetics of xenobiotic exposure.

Biosynthesis and Chemical Applications of Thioamides

Thioamidation as a posttranslational modification is exceptionally rare, with only a few reported natural products and exactly one known protein example (methyl-coenzyme M reductase from methane-metabolizing archaea). Recently, there has been significant progress in elucidating the biosynthesis and function of several thioamide-containing natural compounds. Separate developments in the chemical installation of thioamides into peptides and proteins have enabled cell biology and biophysical studies to advance the current understanding of natural thioamides. This review highlights the various strategies used by Nature to install thioamides in peptidic scaffolds and the potential functions of this rare but important modification. We also discuss synthetic methods used for the site-selective incorporation of thioamides into polypeptides with a brief discussion of the physicochemical implications. This account will serve as a foundation for the further study of thioamides in natural products and their various applications.

The functional diversity of the prokaryotic sulfur carrier protein TusA

Persulfide groups participate in a wide array of biochemical pathways and are chemically very versatile. The TusA protein has been identified as a central element supplying and transferring sulfur as persulfide to a number of important biosynthetic pathways, like molybdenum cofactor biosynthesis or thiomodifications in nucleosides of tRNAs. In recent years, it has furthermore become obvious that this protein is indispensable for the oxidation of sulfur compounds in the cytoplasm. Phylogenetic analyses revealed that different TusA protein variants exists in certain organisms, that have evolved to pursue specific roles in cellular pathways. The specific TusA-like proteins thereby cannot replace each other in their specific roles and are rather specific to one sulfur transfer pathway or shared between two pathways. While certain bacteria like Escherichia coli contain several copies of TusA-like proteins, in other bacteria like Allochromatium vinosum a single copy of TusA is present with an essential role for this organism. Here, we give an overview on the multiple roles of the various TusA-like proteins in sulfur transfer pathways in different organisms to shed light on the remaining mysteries of this versatile protein.

Diverse Mechanisms of Sulfur Decoration in Bacterial tRNA and Their Cellular Functions

Sulfur-containing transfer ribonucleic acids (tRNAs) are ubiquitous biomolecules found in all organisms that possess a variety of functions. For decades, their roles in processes such as translation, structural stability, and cellular protection have been elucidated and appreciated. These thionucleosides are found in all types of bacteria; however, their biosynthetic pathways are distinct among different groups of bacteria. Considering that many of the thio-tRNA biosynthetic enzymes are absent in Gram-positive bacteria, recent studies have addressed how sulfur trafficking is regulated in these prokaryotic species. Interestingly, a novel proposal has been given for interplay among thionucleosides and the biosynthesis of other thiocofactors, through participation of shared-enzyme intermediates, the functions of which are impacted by the availability of substrate as well as metabolic demand of thiocofactors. This review describes the occurrence of thio-modifications in bacterial tRNA and current methods for detection of these modifications that have enabled studies on the biosynthesis and functions of S-containing tRNA across bacteria. It provides insight into potential modes of regulation and potential evolutionary events responsible for divergence in sulfur metabolism among prokaryotes.

Sulfur Modifications of the Wobble U34 in tRNAs and their Intracellular Localization in Eukaryotic Cells

The wobble uridine (U₃₄) of transfer RNAs (tRNAs) for two-box codon recognition, i.e., tRNA^Lys_UUU, tRNA^Glu_UUC, and tRNA^Gln_UUG, harbor a sulfur- (thio-) and a methyl-derivative structure at the second and fifth positions of U₃₄, respectively. Both modifications are necessary to construct the proper anticodon loop structure and to enable them to exert their functions in translation. Thio-modification of U₃₄ (s²U₃₄) is found in both cytosolic tRNAs (cy-tRNAs) and mitochondrial tRNAs (mt-tRNAs). Although l-cysteine desulfurase is required in both cases, subsequent sulfur transfer pathways to cy-tRNAs and mt-tRNAs are different due to their distinct intracellular locations. The s²U₃₄ formation in cy-tRNAs involves a sulfur delivery system required for the biosynthesis of iron-sulfur (Fe/S) clusters and certain resultant Fe/S proteins. This review addresses presumed sulfur delivery pathways for the s²U₃₄ formation in distinct intracellular locations, especially that for cy-tRNAs in comparison with that for mt-tRNAs.

From Suicide Enzyme to Catalyst: The Iron-Dependent Sulfide Transfer in Methanococcus jannaschii Thiamin Thiazole Biosynthesis

Bacteria and yeast utilize different strategies for sulfur incorporation in the biosynthesis of the thiamin thiazole. Bacteria use thiocarboxylated proteins. In contrast, Saccharomyces cerevisiae thiazole synthase (THI4p) uses an active site cysteine as the sulfide source and is inactivated after a single turnover. Here, we demonstrate that the Thi4 ortholog from Methanococcus jannaschii uses exogenous sulfide and is catalytic. Structural and biochemical studies on this enzyme elucidate the mechanistic details of the sulfide transfer reactions.

Predicting the minimal translation apparatus: lessons from the reductive evolution of mollicutes

Mollicutes is a class of parasitic bacteria that have evolved from a common Firmicutes ancestor mostly by massive genome reduction. With genomes under 1 Mbp in size, most Mollicutes species retain the capacity to replicate and grow autonomously. The major goal of this work was to identify the minimal set of proteins that can sustain ribosome biogenesis and translation of the genetic code in these bacteria. Using the experimentally validated genes from the model bacteria Escherichia coli and Bacillus subtilis as input, genes encoding proteins of the core translation machinery were predicted in 39 distinct Mollicutes species, 33 of which are culturable. The set of 260 input genes encodes proteins involved in ribosome biogenesis, tRNA maturation and aminoacylation, as well as proteins cofactors required for mRNA translation and RNA decay. A core set of 104 of these proteins is found in all species analyzed. Genes encoding proteins involved in post-translational modifications of ribosomal proteins and translation cofactors, post-transcriptional modifications of t+rRNA, in ribosome assembly and RNA degradation are the most frequently lost. As expected, genes coding for aminoacyl-tRNA synthetases, ribosomal proteins and initiation, elongation and termination factors are the most persistent (i.e. conserved in a majority of genomes). Enzymes introducing nucleotides modifications in the anticodon loop of tRNA, in helix 44 of 16S rRNA and in helices 69 and 80 of 23S rRNA, all essential for decoding and facilitating peptidyl transfer, are maintained in all species. Reconstruction of genome evolution in Mollicutes revealed that, beside many gene losses, occasional gains by horizontal gene transfer also occurred. This analysis not only showed that slightly different solutions for preserving a functional, albeit minimal, protein synthetizing machinery have emerged in these successive rounds of reductive evolution but also has broad implications in guiding the reconstruction of a minimal cell by synthetic biology approaches.

Biosynthesis and functions of sulfur modifications in tRNA

Sulfur is an essential element for a variety of cellular constituents in all living organisms. In tRNA molecules, there are many sulfur-containing nucleosides, such as the derivatives of 2-thiouridine (s²U), 4-thiouridine (s⁴U), 2-thiocytidine (s²C), and 2-methylthioadenosine (ms²A). Earlier studies established the functions of these modifications for accurate and efficient translation, including proper recognition of the codons in mRNA or stabilization of tRNA structure. In many cases, the biosynthesis of these sulfur modifications starts with cysteine desulfurases, which catalyze the generation of persulfide (an activated form of sulfur) from cysteine. Many sulfur-carrier proteins are responsible for delivering this activated sulfur to each biosynthesis pathway. Finally, specific “modification enzymes” activate target tRNAs and then incorporate sulfur atoms. Intriguingly, the biosynthesis of 2-thiouridine in all domains of life is functionally and evolutionarily related to the ubiquitin-like post-translational modification system of cellular proteins in eukaryotes. This review summarizes the recent characterization of the biosynthesis of sulfur modifications in tRNA and the novel roles of this modification in cellular functions in various model organisms, with a special emphasis on 2-thiouridine derivatives. Each biosynthesis pathway of sulfur-containing molecules is mutually modulated via sulfur trafficking, and 2-thiouridine and codon usage bias have been proposed to control the translation of specific genes.

New proteins involved in sulfur trafficking in the cytoplasm of Allochromatium vinosum

The formation of periplasmic sulfur globules is an intermediate step during the oxidation of reduced sulfur compounds in various sulfur-oxidizing microorganisms. The mechanism of how this sulfur is activated and crosses the cytoplasmic membrane for further oxidation to sulfite by the dissimilatory reductase DsrAB is incompletely understood, but it has been well documented that the pathway involves sulfur trafficking mediated by sulfur-carrying proteins. So far sulfur transfer from DsrEFH to DsrC has been established. Persulfurated DsrC very probably serves as a direct substrate for DsrAB. Here, we introduce further important players in oxidative sulfur metabolism; the proteins Rhd_2599, TusA, and DsrE2 are strictly conserved in the Chromatiaceae, Chlorobiaceae, and Acidithiobacillaceae families of sulfur-oxidizing bacteria and are linked to genes encoding complexes involved in sulfur oxidation (Dsr or Hdr) in the latter two. Here we show via relative quantitative real-time PCR and microarray analysis an increase of mRNA levels under sulfur-oxidizing conditions for rhd_2599, tusA, and dsrE2 in Allochromatium vinosum. Transcriptomic patterns for the three genes match those of major genes for the sulfur-oxidizing machinery rather than those involved in biosynthesis of sulfur-containing biomolecules. TusA appears to be one of the major proteins in A. vinosum. A rhd_2599-tusA-dsrE2-deficient mutant strain, although not viable in liquid culture, was clearly sulfur oxidation negative upon growth on solid media containing sulfide. Rhd_2599, TusA, and DsrE2 bind sulfur atoms via conserved cysteine residues, and experimental evidence is provided for the transfer of sulfur between these proteins as well as to DsrEFH and DsrC.

A new protein-protein interaction sensor based on tripartite split-GFP association

Monitoring protein-protein interactions in living cells is key to unraveling their roles in numerous cellular processes and various diseases. Previously described split-GFP based sensors suffer from poor folding and/or self-assembly background fluorescence. Here, we have engineered a micro-tagging system to monitor protein-protein interactions in vivo and in vitro. The assay is based on tripartite association between two twenty amino-acids long GFP tags, GFP10 and GFP11, fused to interacting protein partners, and the complementary GFP1-9 detector. When proteins interact, GFP10 and GFP11 self-associate with GFP1-9 to reconstitute a functional GFP. Using coiled-coils and FRB/FKBP12 model systems we characterize the sensor in vitro and in Escherichia coli. We extend the studies to mammalian cells and examine the FK-506 inhibition of the rapamycin-induced association of FRB/FKBP12. The small size of these tags and their minimal effect on fusion protein behavior and solubility should enable new experiments for monitoring protein-protein association by fluorescence.

Microbial sulfite respiration

Despite its reactivity and hence toxicity to living cells, sulfite is readily converted by various microorganisms using distinct assimilatory and dissimilatory metabolic routes. In respiratory pathways, sulfite either serves as a primary electron donor or terminal electron acceptor (yielding sulfate or sulfide, respectively), and its conversion drives electron transport chains that are coupled to chemiosmotic ATP synthesis. Notably, such processes are also seen to play a general role in sulfite detoxification, which is assumed to have an evolutionary ancient origin. The diversity of sulfite conversion is reflected by the fact that the range of microbial sulfite-converting enzymes displays different cofactors such as siroheme, heme c, or molybdopterin. This chapter aims to summarize the current knowledge of microbial sulfite metabolism and focuses on sulfite catabolism. The structure and function of sulfite-converting enzymes and the emerging picture of the modular architecture of the corresponding respiratory/detoxifying electron transport chains is emphasized.

Cytoplasmic sulfurtransferases in the purple sulfur bacterium Allochromatium vinosum: evidence for sulfur transfer from DsrEFH to DsrC

While the importance of sulfur transfer reactions is well established for a number of biosynthetic pathways, evidence has only started to emerge that sulfurtransferases may also be major players in sulfur-based microbial energy metabolism. Among the first organisms studied in this regard is the phototrophic purple sulfur bacterium Allochromatium vinosum. During the oxidation of reduced sulfur species to sulfate this Gammaproteobacterium accumulates sulfur globules. Low molecular weight organic persulfides have been proposed as carrier molecules transferring sulfur from the periplasmic sulfur globules into the cytoplasm where it is further oxidized via the “Dsr” (dissimilatory sulfite reductase) proteins. We have suggested earlier that the heterohexameric protein DsrEFH is the direct or indirect acceptor for persulfidic sulfur imported into the cytoplasm. This proposal originated from the structural similarity of DsrEFH with the established sulfurtransferase TusBCD from E. coli. As part of a system for tRNA modification TusBCD transfers sulfur to TusE, a homolog of another crucial component of the A. vinosum Dsr system, namely DsrC. Here we show that neither DsrEFH nor DsrC have the ability to mobilize sulfane sulfur directly from low molecular weight thiols like thiosulfate or glutathione persulfide. However, we demonstrate that DsrEFH binds sulfur specifically to the conserved cysteine residue DsrE-Cys78 in vitro. Sulfur atoms bound to cysteines in DsrH and DsrF were not detected. DsrC was exclusively persulfurated at DsrC-Cys111 in the penultimate position of the protein. Most importantly, we show that persulfurated DsrEFH indeed serves as an effective sulfur donor for DsrC in vitro. The active site cysteines Cys78 of DsrE and Cys20 of DsrH furthermore proved to be essential for sulfur oxidation in vivo supporting the notion that DsrEFH and DsrC are part of a sulfur relay system that transfers sulfur from a persulfurated carrier molecule to the dissimilatory sulfite reductase DsrAB.

A high-throughput immobilized bead screen for stable proteins and multi-protein complexes

We describe an in vitro colony screen to identify Escherichia coli expressing soluble proteins and stable, assembled multiprotein complexes. Proteins with an N-terminal 6His tag and C-terminal green fluorescent protein (GFP) S11 tag are fluorescently labeled in cells by complementation with a coexpressed GFP 1-10 fragment. After partial colony lysis, the fluorescent soluble proteins or complexes diffuse through a supporting filtration membrane and are captured on Talon(®) resin metal affinity beads immobilized in agarose. Images of the fluorescent colonies convey total expression and the level of fluorescence bound to the beads indicates how much protein is soluble. Both pieces of information can be used together when selecting clones. After the assay, colonies can be picked and propagated, eliminating the need to make replica plates. We used the method to screen a DNA fragment library of the human protein p85 and preferentially obtained clones expressing the full-length 'breakpoint cluster region-homology' and NSH2 domains. The assay also distinguished clones expressing stable multi-protein complexes from those that are unstable due to missing subunits. Clones expressing stable, intact heterotrimeric E.coli YheNML complexes were readily identified in libraries dominated by complexes of YheML missing the N subunit.

Structural insights into dissimilatory sulfite reductases: structure of desulforubidin from desulfomicrobium norvegicum

Dissimilatory sulfite reductases (dSiRs) are crucial enzymes in bacterial sulfur-based energy metabolism, which are likely to have been present in some of the earliest life forms on Earth. Several classes of dSiRs have been proposed on the basis of different biochemical and spectroscopic properties, but it is not clear whether this corresponds to actual physiological or structural differences. Here, we describe the first structure of a dSiR from the desulforubidin class isolated from Desulfomicrobium norvegicum. The desulforubidin (Drub) structure is assembled as α₂β₂γ₂, in which two DsrC proteins are bound to the core [DsrA]₂[DsrB]₂ unit, as reported for the desulfoviridin (Dvir) structure from Desulfovibrio vulgaris. Unlike Dvir, four sirohemes and eight [4Fe–4S] clusters are present in Drub. However, the structure indicates that only two of the Drub coupled siroheme-[4Fe–4S] cofactors are catalytically active. Mass spectrometry studies of purified Drub and Dvir show that both proteins present different oligomeric complex forms that bind two, one, or no DsrC proteins, providing an explanation for conflicting spectroscopic and biochemical results in the literature, and further indicating that DsrC is not a subunit of dSiR, but rather a protein with which it interacts.

A role for the universal Kae1/Qri7/YgjD (COG0533) family in tRNA modification

The YgjD/Kae1 family (COG0533) has been on the top-10 list of universally conserved proteins of unknown function for over 5 years. It has been linked to DNA maintenance in bacteria and mitochondria and transcription regulation and telomere homeostasis in eukaryotes, but its actual function has never been found. Based on a comparative genomic and structural analysis, we predicted this family was involved in the biosynthesis of N(6)-threonylcarbamoyl adenosine, a universal modification found at position 37 of tRNAs decoding ANN codons. This was confirmed as a yeast mutant lacking Kae1 is devoid of t(6)A. t(6)A(-) strains were also used to reveal that t(6)A has a critical role in initiation codon restriction to AUG and in restricting frameshifting at tandem ANN codons. We also showed that YaeZ, a YgjD paralog, is required for YgjD function in vivo in bacteria. This work lays the foundation for understanding the pleiotropic role of this universal protein family.

Regulation of dsr genes encoding proteins responsible for the oxidation of stored sulfur in Allochromatium vinosum

Sulfur globules are formed as obligatory intermediates during the oxidation of reduced sulfur compounds in many environmentally important photo- and chemolithoautotrophic bacteria. It is well established that the so-called Dsr proteins are essential for the oxidation of zero-valent sulfur accumulated in the globules; however, hardly anything is known about the regulation of dsr gene expression. Here, we present a closer look at the regulation of the dsr genes in the phototrophic sulfur bacterium Allochromatium vinosum. The dsr genes are expressed in a reduced sulfur compound-dependent manner and neither sulfite, the product of the reverse-acting dissimilatory sulfite reductase DsrAB, nor the alternative electron donor malate inhibit the gene expression. Moreover, we show the oxidation of sulfur to sulfite to be the rate-limiting step in the oxidation of sulfur to sulfate as sulfate production starts concomitantly with the upregulation of the expression of the dsr genes. Real-time RT-PCR experiments suggest that the genes dsrC and dsrS are additionally expressed from secondary internal promoters, pointing to a special function of the encoded proteins. Earlier structural analyses indicated the presence of a helix-turn-helix (HTH)-like motif in DsrC. We therefore assessed the DNA-binding capability of the protein and provide evidence for a possible regulatory function of DsrC.

Folding and association of thermophilic dimeric and trimeric DsrEFH proteins: Tm0979 and Mth1491

Although the majority of natural proteins exist as protein-protein complexes, the molecular basis for the formation and regulation of such interactions and the evolution of protein interfaces remain poorly understood. We have investigated these phenomena by characterizing the thermal and chemical denaturation of thermophilic DsrEFH proteins that have a common subunit fold but distinct quaternary structures: homodimeric Tm0979 and homotrimeric Mth1491. Tm0979 forms a moderate affinity dimer, and a monomeric intermediate is readily populated at equilibrium and during folding kinetics. In contrast, the Mth1491 trimer has extremely high stability, so that a monomeric form is not measurably populated at equilibrium, although it may be during folding kinetics. A common mechanism for evolution of quaternary structures may be facile formation of a relatively stable monomeric species, with stabilizing intermolecular interactions centering on alternative environments for a beta-strand at the edge of the monomer, augmented by malleable hydrophobic interactions. The exceptional trimer stability arises from a remarkably slow unfolding rate constant, 6.5 x 10(-13) s(-1), which is a common characteristic of highly stable thermophilic and/or oligomeric proteins. The folding characteristics of Tm0979 and Mth1491 have interesting implications for assembly and regulation of homo- and heterooligomeric proteins in vivo.

Crystal structure and catalytic properties of Bacillus anthracis CoADR-RHD: implications for flavin-linked sulfur trafficking

Rhodanese homology domains (RHDs) play important roles in sulfur trafficking mechanisms essential to the biosynthesis of sulfur-containing cofactors and nucleosides. We have now determined the crystal structure at 2.10 A resolution for the Bacillus anthracis coenzyme A-disulfide reductase isoform (BaCoADR-RHD) containing a C-terminal RHD domain; this is the first structural representative of the multidomain proteins class of the rhodanese superfamily. The catalytic Cys44 of the CoADR module is separated by 25 A from the active-site Cys514' of the RHD domain from the complementary subunit. In stark contrast to the B. anthracis CoADR [Wallen, J. R., Paige, C., Mallett, T. C., Karplus, P. A., and Claiborne, A. (2008) Biochemistry 47, 5182-5193], the BaCoADR-RHD isoform does not catalyze the reduction of coenzyme A-disulfide, although both enzymes conserve the Cys-SSCoA redox center. NADH titrations have been combined with a synchrotron reduction protocol for examination of the structural and redox behavior of the Cys44-SSCoA center. The synchrotron-reduced (Cys44 + CoASH) structure reveals ordered binding for the adenosine 3'-phosphate 5'-pyrophosphate moiety of CoASH, but the absence of density for the pantetheine arm indicates that it is flexible within the reduced active site. Steady-state kinetic analyses with the alternate disulfide substrates methyl methanethiolsulfonate (MMTS) and 5,5'-dithiobis(2-nitrobenzoate) (DTNB), including the appropriate Cys --> Ser mutants, demonstrate that MMTS reduction occurs within the CoADR active site. NADH-dependent DTNB reduction, on the other hand, requires communication between Cys44 and Cys514', and we propose that reduction of the Cys44-SSCoA disulfide promotes the transfer of reducing equivalents to the RHD, with the swinging pantetheine arm serving as a ca. 20 A bridge.

Sulfur metabolism in phototrophic sulfur bacteria

Phototrophic sulfur bacteria are characterized by oxidizing various inorganic sulfur compounds for use as electron donors in carbon dioxide fixation during anoxygenic photosynthetic growth. These bacteria are divided into the purple sulfur bacteria (PSB) and the green sulfur bacteria (GSB). They utilize various combinations of sulfide, elemental sulfur, and thiosulfate and sometimes also ferrous iron and hydrogen as electron donors. This review focuses on the dissimilatory and assimilatory metabolism of inorganic sulfur compounds in these bacteria and also briefly discusses these metabolisms in other types of anoxygenic phototrophic bacteria. The biochemistry and genetics of sulfur compound oxidation in PSB and GSB are described in detail. A variety of enzymes catalyzing sulfur oxidation reactions have been isolated from GSB and PSB (especially Allochromatium vinosum, a representative of the Chromatiaceae), and many are well characterized also on a molecular genetic level. Complete genome sequence data are currently available for 10 strains of GSB and for one strain of PSB. We present here a genome-based survey of the distribution and phylogenies of genes involved in oxidation of sulfur compounds in these strains. It is evident from biochemical and genetic analyses that the dissimilatory sulfur metabolism of these organisms is very complex and incompletely understood. This metabolism is modular in the sense that individual steps in the metabolism may be performed by different enzymes in different organisms. Despite the distant evolutionary relationship between GSB and PSB, their photosynthetic nature and their dependency on oxidation of sulfur compounds resulted in similar ecological roles in the sulfur cycle as important anaerobic oxidizers of sulfur compounds.

Structural and molecular genetic insight into a widespread sulfur oxidation pathway

Many environmentally important photo- and chemolithoautotrophic bacteria accumulate globules of polymeric, water-insoluble sulfur as a transient product during oxidation of reduced sulfur compounds. Oxidation of this sulfur requires the concerted action of Dsr proteins. However, individual functions and interplay of these proteins are largely unclear. We proved with a DeltadsrE mutant experiment that the cytoplasmic alpha2beta2gamma2-structured protein DsrEFH is absolutely essential for the oxidation of sulfur stored in the intracellular sulfur globules of the purple sulfur bacterial model organism Allochromatium vinosum. The ability to degrade stored sulfur was fully regained upon complementation with dsrEFH in trans. The crystal structure of DsrEFH was determined at 2.5 A resolution to assist functional assignment in detail. In conjunction with phylogenetic analyses, two different types of putative active sites were identified in DsrE and DsrH and shown to be characteristic for sulfur-oxidizing bacteria. Conserved Cys78 of A. vinosum DsrE corresponds to the active cysteines of Escherichia coli YchN and TusD. TusBCD and the protein TusE are parts of sulfur relay system involved in thiouridine biosynthesis. DsrEFH interacts with DsrC, a TusE homologue encoded in the same operon. The conserved penultimate cysteine residue in the carboxy-terminus of DsrC is essential for the interaction. Here, we show that Cys78 of DsrE is strictly required for interaction with DsrC while Cys20 in the putative active site of DsrH is dispensable for that reaction. In summary, our findings point at the occurrence of sulfur transfer reactions during sulfur oxidation via the Dsr proteins.

Allochromatium vinosum DsrC: solution-state NMR structure, redox properties, and interaction with DsrEFH, a protein essential for purple sulfur bacterial sulfur oxidation

Sequenced genomes of dissimilatory sulfur-oxidizing and sulfate-reducing bacteria containing genes coding for DsrAB, the enzyme dissimilatory sulfite reductase, inevitably also contain the gene coding for the 12-kDa DsrC protein. DsrC is thought to have a yet unidentified role associated with the activity of DsrAB. Here we report the solution structure of DsrC from the sulfur-oxidizing purple sulfur bacterium Allochromatium vinosum determined with NMR spectroscopy in reducing conditions, and we describe the redox behavior of two conserved cysteine residues upon transfer to an oxidizing environment. In reducing conditions, the DsrC structure is disordered in the highly conserved carboxy-terminus. We present multiple lines of evidence that, in oxidizing conditions, a strictly conserved cysteine (Cys111) at the penultimate position in the sequence forms an intramolecular disulfide bond with Cys100, which is conserved in DsrC in all organisms with DsrAB. While an intermolecular Cys111-Cys111 disulfide-bonded dimer is rapidly formed under oxidizing conditions, the intramolecularly disulfide-bonded species (Cys100-Cys111) is the thermodynamically stable form of the protein under these conditions. Treatment of the disulfidic forms with reducing agent regenerates the monomeric species that was structurally characterized. Using a band-shift technique under nondenaturing conditions, we obtained evidence for the interaction of DsrC with heterohexameric DsrEFH, a protein encoded in the same operon. Mutation of Cys100 to serine prevented formation of the DsrC species assigned as an intramolecular disulfide in oxidizing conditions, while still allowing formation of the intermolecular Cys111-Cys111 dimer. In the reduced form, this mutant protein still interacted with DsrEFH. This was not the case for the Cys111Ser and Cys100Ser/Cys111Ser mutants, both of which also did not form protein dimers. Our observations highlight the central importance of the carboxy-terminal DsrC cysteine residues and are consistent with a role as a sulfur-substrate binding/transferring protein, as well as with an electron-transfer function via thiol-disulfide interchanges.

Sequence-structure-function analysis of the bifunctional enzyme MnmC that catalyses the last two steps in the biosynthesis of hypermodified nucleoside mnm5s2U in tRNA

MnmC catalyses the last two steps in the biosynthesis of 5-methylaminomethyl-2-thiouridine (mnm(5)s(2)U) in tRNA. Previously, we reported that this bifunctional enzyme is encoded by the yfcK open reading frame in the Escherichia coli K12 genome. However, the mechanism of its activity, in particular the potential structural and functional dependence of the domains responsible for catalyzing the two modification reactions, remains unknown. With the aid of the protein fold-recognition method, we constructed a structural model of MnmC in complex with the ligands and target nucleosides and studied the role of individual amino acids and entire domains by site-directed and deletion mutagenesis, respectively. We found out that the N-terminal domain contains residues responsible for binding of the S-adenosylmethionine cofactor and catalyzing the methylation of nm(5)s(2)U to form mnm(5)s(2)U, while the C-terminal domain contains residues responsible for binding of the FAD cofactor. Further, point mutants with compromised activity of either domain can complement each other to restore a fully functional enzyme. Thus, in the conserved fusion protein MnmC, the individual domains retain independence as enzymes. Interestingly, the N-terminal domain is capable of independent folding, while the isolated C-terminal domain is incapable of folding on its own, a situation similar to the one reported recently for the rRNA modification enzyme RsmC.

Structure-based inference of molecular functions of proteins of unknown function from Berkeley Structural Genomics Center

Advances in sequence genomics have resulted in an accumulation of a huge number of protein sequences derived from genome sequences. However, the functions of a large portion of them cannot be inferred based on the current methods of sequence homology detection to proteins of known functions. Three-dimensional structure can have an important impact in providing inference of molecular function (physical and chemical function) of a protein of unknown function. Structural genomics centers worldwide have been determining many 3-D structures of the proteins of unknown functions, and possible molecular functions of them have been inferred based on their structures. Combined with bioinformatics and enzymatic assay tools, the successful acceleration of the process of protein structure determination through high throughput pipelines enables the rapid functional annotation of a large fraction of hypothetical proteins. We present a brief summary of the process we used at the Berkeley Structural Genomics Center to infer molecular functions of proteins of unknown function.

A conserved modified wobble nucleoside (mcm5s2U) in lysyl-tRNA is required for viability in yeast

Transfer RNAs specific for Gln, Lys, and Glu from all organisms (except Mycoplasma) and organelles have a 2-thiouridine derivative (xm(5)s(2)U) as wobble nucleoside. These tRNAs read the A- and G-ending codons in the split codon boxes His/Gln, Asn/Lys, and Asp/Glu. In eukaryotic cytoplasmic tRNAs the conserved constituent (xm(5)-) in position 5 of uridine is 5-methoxycarbonylmethyl (mcm(5)). A protein (Tuc1p) from yeast resembling the bacterial protein TtcA, which is required for the synthesis of 2-thiocytidine in position 32 of the tRNA, was shown instead to be required for the synthesis of 2-thiouridine in the wobble position (position 34). Apparently, an ancient member of the TtcA family has evolved to thiolate U34 in tRNAs of organisms from the domains Eukarya and Archaea. Deletion of the TUC1 gene together with a deletion of the ELP3 gene, which results in the lack of the mcm(5) side chain, removes all modifications from the wobble uridine derivatives of the cytoplasmic tRNAs specific for Gln, Lys, and Glu, and is lethal to the cell. Since excess of the unmodified form of these three tRNAs rescued the double mutant elp3 tuc1, the primary function of mcm(5)s(2)U34 seems to be to improve the efficiency to read the cognate codons rather than to prevent mis-sense errors. Surprisingly, overexpression of the mcm(5)s(2)U-lacking tRNA(Lys) alone was sufficient to restore viability of the double mutant.

Evolution of protein fold in the presence of functional constraints

The functional requirement to form and maintain the active site structure probably exerts a strong selective pressure on a protein to adopt just one stable and evolutionarily conserved fold. Nonetheless, new evidence suggests the likelihood of protein fold being neither physically nor biologically invariant. Alternative folds discovered in several proteins are composed of constant and variable parts. The latter display context-dependent conformations and a tendency to form new oligomeric interfaces. In turn, oligomerisation mediates fold evolution without loss of protein function. Gene duplication breaks down homo-oligomeric symmetry and relieves the pressure to maintain the local architecture of redundant active sites; this can lead to further structural changes.

Crystallization and preliminary X-ray analysis of the tRNA thiolation enzyme MnmA from Escherichia coli complexed with tRNA(Glu)

MnmA catalyzes a sulfuration reaction to synthesize 2-thiouridine at the wobble positions of tRNA(Glu), tRNA(Gln) and tRNA(Lys) in Escherichia coli. The binary complex of MnmA and tRNA(Glu) was crystallized in two different crystal forms: forms I and II. Cocrystallization of MnmA-tRNA(Glu) with ATP yielded form III crystals. The three crystal forms diffracted to 3.1, 3.4 and 3.4 angstroms resolution, respectively, using synchrotron radiation at SPring-8. These crystals belong to space groups C2, I2(1)2(1)2(1) and C2, with unit-cell parameters a = 225.4, b = 175.8, c = 53.0 angstroms, beta = 101.6 degrees, a = 101.5, b = 108.0, c = 211.2 A and a = 238.1, b = 102.1, c = 108.2 angstroms, beta = 117.0 degrees, respectively. The asymmetric units of these crystals are expected to contain two, one and two MnmA-tRNA(Glu) complexes, respectively.