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Cohen N, Kahana A, Schuldiner M. A Similarity-Based Method for Predicting Enzymatic Functions in Yeast Uncovers a New AMP Hydrolase. J Mol Biol 2022; 434:167478. [PMID: 35123996 PMCID: PMC9005783 DOI: 10.1016/j.jmb.2022.167478] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/12/2021] [Revised: 01/22/2022] [Accepted: 01/25/2022] [Indexed: 11/01/2022]
Abstract
Despite decades of research and the availability of the full genomic sequence of the baker's yeast Saccharomyces cerevisiae, still a large fraction of its genome is not functionally annotated. This hinders our ability to fully understand cellular activity and suggests that many additional processes await discovery. The recent years have shown an explosion of high-quality genomic and structural data from multiple organisms, ranging from bacteria to mammals. New computational methods now allow us to integrate these data and extract meaningful insights into the functional identity of uncharacterized proteins in yeast. Here, we created a database of sensitive sequence similarity predictions for all yeast proteins. We use this information to identify candidate enzymes for known biochemical reactions whose enzymes are unidentified, and show how this provides a powerful basis for experimental validation. Using one pathway as a test case we pair a new function for the previously uncharacterized enzyme Yhr202w, as an extra-cellular AMP hydrolase in the NAD degradation pathway. Yhr202w, which we now term Smn1 for Scavenger MonoNucleotidase 1, is a highly conserved protein that is similar to the human protein E5NT/CD73, which is associated with multiple cancers. Hence, our new methodology provides a paradigm, that can be adopted to other organisms, for uncovering new enzymatic functions of uncharacterized proteins.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nir Cohen
- Department of Molecular Genetics, Weizmann Institute of Science, Rehovot 7610001, Israel
| | - Amit Kahana
- Department of Molecular Genetics, Weizmann Institute of Science, Rehovot 7610001, Israel. https://twitter.com/AmitKahana
| | - Maya Schuldiner
- Department of Molecular Genetics, Weizmann Institute of Science, Rehovot 7610001, Israel.
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Bible AN, Chang M, Morrell-Falvey JL. Identification of a diguanylate cyclase expressed in the presence of plants and its application for discovering candidate gene products involved in plant colonization by Pantoea sp. YR343. PLoS One 2021; 16:e0248607. [PMID: 34288916 PMCID: PMC8294551 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0248607] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/26/2021] [Accepted: 07/01/2021] [Indexed: 12/03/2022] Open
Abstract
Microbial colonization of plant roots is a highly complex process that requires the coordination and regulation of many gene networks, yet the identities and functions of many of these gene products have yet to be discovered. Pantoea sp. YR343, a gamma-proteobacterium isolated from the rhizosphere of Populus deltoides, forms robust biofilms along the root surfaces of Populus and possesses plant growth-promoting characteristics. In this work, we identified three diguanylate cyclases in the plant-associated microbe Pantoea sp. YR343 that are expressed in the presence of plant roots. One of these diguanylate cyclases, DGC2884, localizes to discrete sites in the cells and its overexpression results in reduced motility and increased EPS production and biofilm formation. We performed a genetic screen by expressing this diguanylate cyclase from an inducible promoter in order to identify candidate gene products that may be involved in root colonization by Pantoea sp. YR343. Further, we demonstrate the importance of other domains in DGC2884 to its activity, which in combination with the genes identified by transposon mutagenesis, may yield insights into the mechanisms of plant association as well as the activity and regulation of homologous enzymes in medically and agriculturally relevant microbes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Amber N. Bible
- Biosciences Division, Oak Ridge National Laboratory, Oak Ridge, TN, United States of America
| | - Mang Chang
- UT-ORNL Graduate School of Genome Science and Technology, University of Tennessee, Knoxville, TN, United States of America
| | - Jennifer L. Morrell-Falvey
- Biosciences Division, Oak Ridge National Laboratory, Oak Ridge, TN, United States of America
- UT-ORNL Graduate School of Genome Science and Technology, University of Tennessee, Knoxville, TN, United States of America
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Garcia DC, Dinglasan JLN, Shrestha H, Abraham PE, Hettich RL, Doktycz MJ. A lysate proteome engineering strategy for enhancing cell-free metabolite production. Metab Eng Commun 2021; 12:e00162. [PMID: 33552897 PMCID: PMC7851839 DOI: 10.1016/j.mec.2021.e00162] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/02/2020] [Revised: 01/11/2021] [Accepted: 01/13/2021] [Indexed: 01/02/2023] Open
Abstract
Cell-free systems present a significant opportunity to harness the metabolic potential of diverse organisms. Removing the cellular context provides the ability to produce biological products without the need to maintain cell viability and enables metabolic engineers to explore novel chemical transformation systems. Crude extracts maintain much of a cell’s capabilities. However, only limited tools are available for engineering the contents of the extracts used for cell-free systems. Thus, our ability to take full advantage of the potential of crude extracts for cell-free metabolic engineering is constrained. Here, we employ Multiplex Automated Genomic Engineering (MAGE) to tag proteins for selective depletion from crude extracts so as to specifically direct chemical production. Specific edits to central metabolism are possible without significantly impacting cell growth. Selective removal of pyruvate degrading enzymes resulted in engineered crude lysates that are capable of up to 40-fold increases in pyruvate production when compared to the non-engineered extract. The described approach melds the tools of systems and synthetic biology to showcase the effectiveness of cell-free metabolic engineering for applications like bioprototyping and bioproduction. A method of engineering cell-free metabolism in lysates is described. Method enables design of cell lysates for enhancing specific metabolic processes. Pyruvate consuming enzymes tagged with 6xHis tags have minimal impact on growth. Post-lysis pull-down of tagged enzymes enables cell-free pyruvate pooling. Lysate engineering strategy permits metabolic states not possible in living cells.
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Affiliation(s)
- David C Garcia
- Biosciences Division, Oak Ridge National Laboratory, Oak Ridge, TN, USA.,Bredesen Center for Interdisciplinary Research, University of Tennessee, Knoxville, TN, USA
| | - Jaime Lorenzo N Dinglasan
- Biosciences Division, Oak Ridge National Laboratory, Oak Ridge, TN, USA.,Graduate School of Genome Science and Technology, University of Tennessee, Knoxville, TN, USA
| | - Him Shrestha
- Graduate School of Genome Science and Technology, University of Tennessee, Knoxville, TN, USA.,Chemical Sciences Division, Oak Ridge National Laboratory, Oak Ridge, TN, USA
| | - Paul E Abraham
- Graduate School of Genome Science and Technology, University of Tennessee, Knoxville, TN, USA.,Chemical Sciences Division, Oak Ridge National Laboratory, Oak Ridge, TN, USA
| | - Robert L Hettich
- Bredesen Center for Interdisciplinary Research, University of Tennessee, Knoxville, TN, USA.,Graduate School of Genome Science and Technology, University of Tennessee, Knoxville, TN, USA.,Chemical Sciences Division, Oak Ridge National Laboratory, Oak Ridge, TN, USA
| | - Mitchel J Doktycz
- Biosciences Division, Oak Ridge National Laboratory, Oak Ridge, TN, USA.,Bredesen Center for Interdisciplinary Research, University of Tennessee, Knoxville, TN, USA.,Graduate School of Genome Science and Technology, University of Tennessee, Knoxville, TN, USA
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Luziatelli F, Ficca AG, Bonini P, Muleo R, Gatti L, Meneghini M, Tronati M, Melini F, Ruzzi M. A Genetic and Metabolomic Perspective on the Production of Indole-3-Acetic Acid by Pantoea agglomerans and Use of Their Metabolites as Biostimulants in Plant Nurseries. Front Microbiol 2020; 11:1475. [PMID: 32765438 PMCID: PMC7381177 DOI: 10.3389/fmicb.2020.01475] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/31/2020] [Accepted: 06/05/2020] [Indexed: 12/11/2022] Open
Abstract
The species Pantoea agglomerans includes strains that are agronomically relevant for their growth-promoting or biocontrol traits. Molecular analysis demonstrated that the IPDC pathway involved in the conversion of tryptophan (Trp) to indole-3-acetic acid (IAA) is highly conserved among P. agglomerans strains at both gene and protein levels. Results also indicated that the promoter region controlling the inducible expression of ipdC gene differs from the model system Enterobacter cloacae, which is in accordance with the observation that P. agglomerans accumulates higher levels of IAA when cells are collected in the exponential phase of growth. To assess the potential applications of these microorganisms for IAA production, P. agglomerans C1, an efficient auxin-producer strain, was cultivated in 5 L fermenter so as to evaluate the effect of the medium formulation, the physiological state of the cells, and the induction timing on the volumetric productivity. Results demonstrated that higher IAA levels were obtained by using a saline medium amended with yeast extract and saccharose and by providing Trp, which acts both as a precursor and an inducer, to a culture in the exponential phase of growth. Untargeted metabolomic analysis revealed a significant effect of the carbon source on the exometabolome profile relative to IAA-related compounds and other plant bioactive signaling molecules. The IAA-enriched metabolites secreted in the culture medium by P. agglomerans C1 were used as plant biostimulants to run a series of trials at a large-scale nursery farm. Tests were carried out with in vitro and ex vitro systems following the regular protocols used for large-scale plant tree agamic propagation. Results obtained with 4,540 microcuttings of Prunus rootstock GF/677 and 1,080 plantlets of Corylus avellana L. showed that metabolites from strain C1 improved percentage of rooted-explant, number of adventitious root formation, plant survival, and quality of plant as vigor, with an increase in the leaf area between 17.5 and 42.7% compared to IBA-K (indole-3-butyric acid potassium salt)-treated plants.
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Affiliation(s)
- Francesca Luziatelli
- Department for Innovation in Biological, Agro-food and Forest systems (DIBAF), University of Tuscia, Viterbo, Italy
| | - Anna Grazia Ficca
- Department for Innovation in Biological, Agro-food and Forest systems (DIBAF), University of Tuscia, Viterbo, Italy
| | - Paolo Bonini
- Next-Generation Agronomics (NGA) Laboratory, Tarragona, Spain
| | - Rosario Muleo
- Department of Agricultural and Forestry Sciences (DAFNE), University of Tuscia, Viterbo, Italy
| | - Lorenzo Gatti
- Department of Agricultural and Forestry Sciences (DAFNE), University of Tuscia, Viterbo, Italy
| | | | - Michele Tronati
- Department for Innovation in Biological, Agro-food and Forest systems (DIBAF), University of Tuscia, Viterbo, Italy
| | - Francesca Melini
- Department for Innovation in Biological, Agro-food and Forest systems (DIBAF), University of Tuscia, Viterbo, Italy
- Council for Agricultural Research and Economics (CREA), Research Centre for Food and Nutrition, Rome, Italy
| | - Maurizio Ruzzi
- Department for Innovation in Biological, Agro-food and Forest systems (DIBAF), University of Tuscia, Viterbo, Italy
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