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Loperena-Barber M, Elizalde-Bielsa A, Salvador-Bescós M, Ruiz-Rodríguez P, Pellegrini JM, Renau-Mínguez C, Lancaster R, Zúñiga-Ripa A, Iriarte M, Bengoechea JA, Coscollá M, Gorvel JP, Moriyón I, Conde-Álvarez R. "Phylogenomic insights into brucellaceae: The Pseudochrobactrum algeriensis case". INFECTION, GENETICS AND EVOLUTION : JOURNAL OF MOLECULAR EPIDEMIOLOGY AND EVOLUTIONARY GENETICS IN INFECTIOUS DISEASES 2024; 123:105625. [PMID: 38906517 DOI: 10.1016/j.meegid.2024.105625] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/03/2024] [Revised: 06/17/2024] [Accepted: 06/17/2024] [Indexed: 06/23/2024]
Abstract
The genus Pseudochrobactrum encompasses free-living bacteria phylogenetically close to Ochrobactrum opportunistic pathogens and to Brucella, facultative intracellular parasites causing brucellosis, a worldwide-extended and grave zoonosis. Recently, Pseudochrobactrum strains were isolated from Brucella natural hosts on Brucella selective media, potentially causing diagnostic confusions. Strikingly, P. algeriensis was isolated from cattle lymph nodes, organs that are inimical to bacteria. Here, we analyse P. algeriensis potential virulence factors in comparison with Ochrobactrum and Brucella. Consistent with genomic analyses, Western-Blot analyses confirmed that P. algeriensis lacks the ability to synthesize the N-formylperosamine O-polysaccharide characteristic of the lipopolysaccharide (LPS) of smooth Brucella core species. However, unlike other Pseudochrobactrum but similar to some early diverging brucellae, P. algeriensis carries genes potentially synthetizing a rhamnose-based O-polysaccharide LPS. Lipid A analysis by MALDI-TOF demonstrated that P. algeriensis LPS bears a lipid A with a reduced pathogen-associated molecular pattern, a trait shared with Ochrobactrum and Brucella that is essential to generate a highly stable outer membrane and to delay immune activation. Also, although not able to multiply intracellularly in macrophages, the analysis of P. algeriensis cell lipid envelope revealed the presence of large amounts of cationic aminolipids, which may account for the extremely high resistance of P. algeriensis to bactericidal peptides and could favor colonization of mucosae and transient survival in Brucella hosts. However, two traits critical in Brucella pathogenicity are either significantly different (T4SS [VirB]) or absent (erythritol catabolic pathway) in P. algeriensis. This work shows that, while diverging in other characteristics, lipidic envelope features relevant in Brucella pathogenicity are conserved in Brucellaceae. The constant presence of these features strongly suggests that reinforcement of the envelope integrity as an adaptive advantage in soil was maintained in Brucella because of the similarity of some environmental challenges, such as the action of cationic peptide antibiotics and host defense peptides. This information adds knowledge about the evolution of Brucellaceae, and also underlines the taxonomical differences of the three genera compared.
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Affiliation(s)
- Maite Loperena-Barber
- Instituto de Investigación Sanitaria de Navarra (IdISNA) and Departamento de Microbiología y Parasitología, Universidad de Navarra, Pamplona, Spain
| | - Aitor Elizalde-Bielsa
- Instituto de Investigación Sanitaria de Navarra (IdISNA) and Departamento de Microbiología y Parasitología, Universidad de Navarra, Pamplona, Spain
| | - Miriam Salvador-Bescós
- Instituto de Investigación Sanitaria de Navarra (IdISNA) and Departamento de Microbiología y Parasitología, Universidad de Navarra, Pamplona, Spain
| | - Paula Ruiz-Rodríguez
- Institute for Integrative Systems Biology, Universidad de Valencia-CSIC, Valencia, Spain
| | | | - Chantal Renau-Mínguez
- Institute for Integrative Systems Biology, Universidad de Valencia-CSIC, Valencia, Spain
| | - Rebecca Lancaster
- Wellcome-Wolfson Institute for Experimental Medicine, Queen's University Belfast, Belfast, United Kingdom
| | - Amaia Zúñiga-Ripa
- Instituto de Investigación Sanitaria de Navarra (IdISNA) and Departamento de Microbiología y Parasitología, Universidad de Navarra, Pamplona, Spain
| | - Maite Iriarte
- Instituto de Investigación Sanitaria de Navarra (IdISNA) and Departamento de Microbiología y Parasitología, Universidad de Navarra, Pamplona, Spain
| | - Jose A Bengoechea
- Wellcome-Wolfson Institute for Experimental Medicine, Queen's University Belfast, Belfast, United Kingdom
| | - Mireia Coscollá
- Institute for Integrative Systems Biology, Universidad de Valencia-CSIC, Valencia, Spain
| | - Jean-Pierre Gorvel
- Centre d'Immunologie de Marseille-Luminy, CNRS, INSERM, Aix-Marseille University, Marseille, France
| | - Ignacio Moriyón
- Instituto de Investigación Sanitaria de Navarra (IdISNA) and Departamento de Microbiología y Parasitología, Universidad de Navarra, Pamplona, Spain
| | - Raquel Conde-Álvarez
- Instituto de Investigación Sanitaria de Navarra (IdISNA) and Departamento de Microbiología y Parasitología, Universidad de Navarra, Pamplona, Spain.
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2
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Baglivo I, Malgieri G, Roop RM, Barton IS, Wang X, Russo V, Pirone L, Pedone EM, Pedone PV. MucR protein: Three decades of studies have led to the identification of a new H-NS-like protein. Mol Microbiol 2024. [PMID: 38619026 DOI: 10.1111/mmi.15261] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/29/2024] [Revised: 03/22/2024] [Accepted: 03/25/2024] [Indexed: 04/16/2024]
Abstract
MucR belongs to a large protein family whose members regulate the expression of virulence and symbiosis genes in α-proteobacteria species. This protein and its homologs were initially studied as classical transcriptional regulators mostly involved in repression of target genes by binding their promoters. Very recent studies have led to the classification of MucR as a new type of Histone-like Nucleoid Structuring (H-NS) protein. Thus this review is an effort to put together a complete and unifying story demonstrating how genetic and biochemical findings on MucR suggested that this protein is not a classical transcriptional regulator, but functions as a novel type of H-NS-like protein, which binds AT-rich regions of genomic DNA and regulates gene expression.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ilaria Baglivo
- Department of Environmental, Biological and Pharmaceutical Sciences and Technologies, University of Campania "Luigi Vanvitelli", Caserta, Italy
| | - Gaetano Malgieri
- Department of Environmental, Biological and Pharmaceutical Sciences and Technologies, University of Campania "Luigi Vanvitelli", Caserta, Italy
| | - Roy Martin Roop
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, Brody School of Medicine, East Carolina University, Greenville, North Carolina, USA
| | - Ian S Barton
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, Brody School of Medicine, East Carolina University, Greenville, North Carolina, USA
| | - Xindan Wang
- Department of Biology, Indiana University, Bloomington, Indiana, USA
| | | | - Luciano Pirone
- Institute of Biostructures and Bioimaging, CNR, Naples, Italy
| | - Emilia M Pedone
- Institute of Biostructures and Bioimaging, CNR, Naples, Italy
| | - Paolo V Pedone
- Department of Environmental, Biological and Pharmaceutical Sciences and Technologies, University of Campania "Luigi Vanvitelli", Caserta, Italy
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3
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Marchesini MI, Spera JM, Comerci DJ. The 'ins and outs' of Brucella intracellular journey. Curr Opin Microbiol 2024; 78:102427. [PMID: 38309247 DOI: 10.1016/j.mib.2024.102427] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/07/2023] [Revised: 12/27/2023] [Accepted: 01/04/2024] [Indexed: 02/05/2024]
Abstract
Members of the genus Brucella are the causative agents of brucellosis, a worldwide zoonosis affecting wild and domestic animals and humans. These facultative intracellular pathogens cause long-lasting chronic infections by evolving sophisticated strategies to counteract, evade, or subvert host bactericidal mechanisms in order to establish a secure replicative niche necessary for their survival. In this review, we present recent findings on selected Brucella effectors to illustrate how this pathogen modulates host cell signaling pathways to gain control of the vacuole, promote the formation of a safe intracellular replication niche, alter host cell metabolism to its advantage, and exploit various cellular pathways to ensure egress from the infected cell.
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Affiliation(s)
- María I Marchesini
- Instituto de Investigaciones Biotecnológicas, Universidad Nacional de San Martín (UNSAM)-Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas (CONICET), Escuela de Bio y Nanotecnologías (EByN), Universidad Nacional de San Martín, San Martín, Buenos Aires, Argentina
| | - Juan M Spera
- Instituto de Investigaciones Biotecnológicas, Universidad Nacional de San Martín (UNSAM)-Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas (CONICET), Escuela de Bio y Nanotecnologías (EByN), Universidad Nacional de San Martín, San Martín, Buenos Aires, Argentina
| | - Diego J Comerci
- Instituto de Investigaciones Biotecnológicas, Universidad Nacional de San Martín (UNSAM)-Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas (CONICET), Escuela de Bio y Nanotecnologías (EByN), Universidad Nacional de San Martín, San Martín, Buenos Aires, Argentina; Comisión Nacional de Energía Atómica, Grupo Pecuario, Centro Atómico Ezeiza, Buenos Aires, Argentina.
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4
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Chaves-Olarte E, Meza-Torres J, Herrera-Rodríguez F, Lizano-González E, Suárez-Esquivel M, Baker KS, Rivas-Solano O, Ruiz-Villalobos N, Villalta-Romero F, Cheng HP, Walker GC, Cloeckaert A, Thomson NR, Frisan T, Moreno E, Guzmán-Verri C. A sensor histidine kinase from a plant-endosymbiont bacterium restores the virulence of a mammalian intracellular pathogen. Microb Pathog 2023; 185:106442. [PMID: 37944675 PMCID: PMC10740080 DOI: 10.1016/j.micpath.2023.106442] [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: 02/08/2023] [Revised: 07/22/2023] [Accepted: 11/03/2023] [Indexed: 11/12/2023]
Abstract
Alphaproteobacteria include organisms living in close association with plants or animals. This interaction relies partly on orthologous two-component regulatory systems (TCS), with sensor and regulator proteins modulating the expression of conserved genes related to symbiosis/virulence. We assessed the ability of the exoS+Sm gene, encoding a sensor protein from the plant endosymbiont Sinorhizobium meliloti to substitute its orthologous bvrS in the related animal/human pathogen Brucella abortus. ExoS phosphorylated the B. abortus regulator BvrR in vitro and in cultured bacteria, showing conserved biological function. Production of ExoS in a B. abortus bvrS mutant reestablished replication in host cells and the capacity to infect mice. Bacterial outer membrane properties, the production of the type IV secretion system VirB, and its transcriptional regulators VjbR and BvrR were restored as compared to parental B. abortus. These results indicate that conserved traits of orthologous TCS from bacteria living in and sensing different environments are sufficient to achieve phenotypic plasticity and support bacterial survival. The knowledge of bacterial genetic networks regulating host interactions allows for an understanding of the subtle differences between symbiosis and parasitism. Rewiring these networks could provide new alternatives to control and prevent bacterial infection.
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Affiliation(s)
- Esteban Chaves-Olarte
- Centro de Investigación en Enfermedades Tropicales, Facultad de Microbiología, Universidad de Costa Rica, San José, Costa Rica; Programa de Investigación en Enfermedades Tropicales, Escuela de Medicina Veterinaria, Universidad Nacional, Heredia, Costa Rica
| | - Jazmín Meza-Torres
- Centro de Investigación en Enfermedades Tropicales, Facultad de Microbiología, Universidad de Costa Rica, San José, Costa Rica
| | - Fabiola Herrera-Rodríguez
- Programa de Investigación en Enfermedades Tropicales, Escuela de Medicina Veterinaria, Universidad Nacional, Heredia, Costa Rica
| | - Esteban Lizano-González
- Centro de Investigación en Enfermedades Tropicales, Facultad de Microbiología, Universidad de Costa Rica, San José, Costa Rica; Programa de Investigación en Enfermedades Tropicales, Escuela de Medicina Veterinaria, Universidad Nacional, Heredia, Costa Rica
| | - Marcela Suárez-Esquivel
- Programa de Investigación en Enfermedades Tropicales, Escuela de Medicina Veterinaria, Universidad Nacional, Heredia, Costa Rica
| | - Kate S Baker
- Parasites and Microbes from Pathogen Genomics, Wellcome Trust Sanger Institute, Wellcome Genome Campus, Hinxton, Cambridgeshire, UK
| | - Olga Rivas-Solano
- Centro de Investigación en Biotecnología, Escuela de Biología, Instituto Tecnológico de Costa Rica, Cartago, Costa Rica
| | - Nazareth Ruiz-Villalobos
- Programa de Investigación en Enfermedades Tropicales, Escuela de Medicina Veterinaria, Universidad Nacional, Heredia, Costa Rica
| | - Fabián Villalta-Romero
- Centro de Investigación en Biotecnología, Escuela de Biología, Instituto Tecnológico de Costa Rica, Cartago, Costa Rica
| | - Hai-Ping Cheng
- Biological Sciences Department, Lehman College, The City University of New York, New York, USA
| | - Graham C Walker
- Department of Biology, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA, USA
| | | | - Nicholas R Thomson
- Parasites and Microbes from Pathogen Genomics, Wellcome Trust Sanger Institute, Wellcome Genome Campus, Hinxton, Cambridgeshire, UK
| | - Teresa Frisan
- Department of Cell and Molecular Biology, Karolinska Institutet, Stockholm, Sweden
| | - Edgardo Moreno
- Programa de Investigación en Enfermedades Tropicales, Escuela de Medicina Veterinaria, Universidad Nacional, Heredia, Costa Rica
| | - Caterina Guzmán-Verri
- Centro de Investigación en Enfermedades Tropicales, Facultad de Microbiología, Universidad de Costa Rica, San José, Costa Rica; Programa de Investigación en Enfermedades Tropicales, Escuela de Medicina Veterinaria, Universidad Nacional, Heredia, Costa Rica.
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5
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Alakavuklar MA, Fiebig A, Crosson S. The Brucella Cell Envelope. Annu Rev Microbiol 2023; 77:233-253. [PMID: 37104660 PMCID: PMC10787603 DOI: 10.1146/annurev-micro-032521-013159] [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] [Indexed: 04/29/2023]
Abstract
The cell envelope is a multilayered structure that insulates the interior of bacterial cells from an often chaotic outside world. Common features define the envelope across the bacterial kingdom, but the molecular mechanisms by which cells build and regulate this critical barrier are diverse and reflect the evolutionary histories of bacterial lineages. Intracellular pathogens of the genus Brucella exhibit marked differences in cell envelope structure, regulation, and biogenesis when compared to more commonly studied gram-negative bacteria and therefore provide an excellent comparative model for study of the gram-negative envelope. We review distinct features of the Brucella envelope, highlighting a conserved regulatory system that links cell cycle progression to envelope biogenesis and cell division. We further discuss recently discovered structural features of the Brucella envelope that ensure envelope integrity and that facilitate cell survival in the face of host immune stressors.
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Affiliation(s)
- Melene A Alakavuklar
- Department of Microbiology and Molecular Genetics, Michigan State University, East Lansing, Michigan, USA;
| | - Aretha Fiebig
- Department of Microbiology and Molecular Genetics, Michigan State University, East Lansing, Michigan, USA;
| | - Sean Crosson
- Department of Microbiology and Molecular Genetics, Michigan State University, East Lansing, Michigan, USA;
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6
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Castillo-Zeledón A, Rivas-Solano O, Villalta-Romero F, Gómez-Espinoza O, Moreno E, Chaves-Olarte E, Guzmán-Verri C. The Brucella abortus two-component system response regulator BvrR binds to three DNA regulatory boxes in the upstream region of omp25. Front Microbiol 2023; 14:1241143. [PMID: 37779712 PMCID: PMC10538546 DOI: 10.3389/fmicb.2023.1241143] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/16/2023] [Accepted: 08/15/2023] [Indexed: 10/03/2023] Open
Abstract
Brucella abortus is a facultative extracellular-intracellular bacterial zoonotic pathogen worldwide. It is also a major cause of abortion in bovines, generating economic losses. The two-component regulatory system BvrR/BvrS modulates the expression of genes required to transition from extracellular to intracellular lifestyles. However, few regulatory regions of BvrR direct target genes have been studied. In this study, we characterized the regulatory region of omp25, a gene encoding an outer membrane protein that is positively regulated by TCS BvrR/BvrS. By omp25-lacZ reporter fusions and β-galactosidase activity assays, we found that the region between-262 and + 127 is necessary for transcriptional activity, particularly a 111-bp long fragment located from-262 to -152. In addition, we demonstrated the binding of P-BvrR to three sites within the -140 to +1 region. Two of these sites were delimited between -18 to +1 and - 99 to -76 by DNase I footprinting and called DNA regulatory boxes 1 and 2, respectively. The third binding site (box 3) was delimited from -140 to -122 by combining EMSA and fluorescence anisotropy results. A molecular docking analysis with HDOCK predicted BvrR-DNA interactions between 11, 13, and 12 amino acid residue-nucleotide pairs in boxes 1, 2, and 3, respectively. A manual sequence alignment of the three regulatory boxes revealed the presence of inverted and non-inverted repeats of five to eight nucleotides, partially matching DNA binding motifs previously described for BvrR. We propose that P-BvrR binds directly to up to three regulatory boxes and probably interacts with other transcription factors to regulate omp25 expression. This gene regulation model could apply to other BvrR target genes and to orthologs of the TCS BvrR/BvrS and Omp25 in phylogenetically closed Rhizobiales.
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Affiliation(s)
- Amanda Castillo-Zeledón
- Programa de Investigación en Enfermedades Tropicales, Escuela de Medicina Veterinaria, Universidad Nacional de Costa Rica, Heredia, Costa Rica
| | - Olga Rivas-Solano
- Programa de Investigación en Enfermedades Tropicales, Escuela de Medicina Veterinaria, Universidad Nacional de Costa Rica, Heredia, Costa Rica
- Centro de Investigación en Biotecnología, Escuela de Biología, Instituto Tecnológico de Costa Rica, Campus Tecnológico Central Cartago, Cartago, Costa Rica
| | - Fabián Villalta-Romero
- Centro de Investigación en Biotecnología, Escuela de Biología, Instituto Tecnológico de Costa Rica, Campus Tecnológico Central Cartago, Cartago, Costa Rica
| | - Olman Gómez-Espinoza
- Centro de Investigación en Biotecnología, Escuela de Biología, Instituto Tecnológico de Costa Rica, Campus Tecnológico Central Cartago, Cartago, Costa Rica
| | - Edgardo Moreno
- Programa de Investigación en Enfermedades Tropicales, Escuela de Medicina Veterinaria, Universidad Nacional de Costa Rica, Heredia, Costa Rica
| | - Esteban Chaves-Olarte
- Centro de Investigación en Enfermedades Tropicales, Facultad de Microbiología, Universidad de Costa Rica, San José, Costa Rica
| | - Caterina Guzmán-Verri
- Programa de Investigación en Enfermedades Tropicales, Escuela de Medicina Veterinaria, Universidad Nacional de Costa Rica, Heredia, Costa Rica
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7
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Barringer R, Parnell AE, Lafita A, Monzon V, Back CR, Madej M, Potempa J, Nobbs AH, Burston SG, Bateman A, Race PR. Domain shuffling of a highly mutable ligand-binding fold drives adhesin generation across the bacterial kingdom. Proteins 2023; 91:1007-1020. [PMID: 36912614 PMCID: PMC10952558 DOI: 10.1002/prot.26487] [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: 11/11/2022] [Revised: 02/27/2023] [Accepted: 02/28/2023] [Indexed: 03/14/2023]
Abstract
Bacterial fibrillar adhesins are specialized extracellular polypeptides that promote the attachment of bacteria to the surfaces of other cells or materials. Adhesin-mediated interactions are critical for the establishment and persistence of stable bacterial populations within diverse environmental niches and are important determinants of virulence. The fibronectin (Fn)-binding fibrillar adhesin CshA, and its paralogue CshB, play important roles in host colonization by the oral commensal and opportunistic pathogen Streptococcus gordonii. As paralogues are often catalysts for functional diversification, we have probed the early stages of structural and functional divergence in Csh proteins by determining the X-ray crystal structure of the CshB adhesive domain NR2 and characterizing its Fn-binding properties in vitro. Despite sharing a common fold, CshB_NR2 displays an ~1.7-fold reduction in Fn-binding affinity relative to CshA_NR2. This correlates with reduced electrostatic charge in the Fn-binding cleft. Complementary bioinformatic studies reveal that homologues of CshA/B_NR2 domains are widely distributed in both Gram-positive and Gram-negative bacteria, where they are found housed within functionally cryptic multi-domain polypeptides. Our findings are consistent with the classification of Csh adhesins and their relatives as members of the recently defined polymer adhesin domain (PAD) family of bacterial proteins.
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Affiliation(s)
- Rob Barringer
- School of BiochemistryUniversity of Bristol, University WalkBristolBS8 1TDUK
| | - Alice E. Parnell
- School of BiochemistryUniversity of Bristol, University WalkBristolBS8 1TDUK
- BrisSynBio Synthetic Biology Research CentreUniversity of Bristol, Life Sciences BuildingTyndall AvenueBristolBS8 1TQUK
| | - Aleix Lafita
- European Molecular Biology LaboratoryEuropean Bioinformatics Institute (EMBL‐EBI)Wellcome Genome CampusHinxtonCB10 1SDUK
| | - Vivian Monzon
- European Molecular Biology LaboratoryEuropean Bioinformatics Institute (EMBL‐EBI)Wellcome Genome CampusHinxtonCB10 1SDUK
| | - Catherine R. Back
- School of BiochemistryUniversity of Bristol, University WalkBristolBS8 1TDUK
- BrisSynBio Synthetic Biology Research CentreUniversity of Bristol, Life Sciences BuildingTyndall AvenueBristolBS8 1TQUK
| | - Mariusz Madej
- Department of Microbiology, Faculty of Biochemistry, Biophysics, and BiotechnologyJagiellonian UniversityKrakowPoland
| | - Jan Potempa
- Department of Microbiology, Faculty of Biochemistry, Biophysics, and BiotechnologyJagiellonian UniversityKrakowPoland
- Department of Oral Immunology and Infectious DiseasesUniversity of Louisville School of DentistryLouisvilleKentuckyUSA
| | - Angela H. Nobbs
- Bristol Dental School, University of BristolLower Maudlin StreetBristolBS1 2LYUK
| | - Steven G. Burston
- School of BiochemistryUniversity of Bristol, University WalkBristolBS8 1TDUK
| | - Alex Bateman
- European Molecular Biology LaboratoryEuropean Bioinformatics Institute (EMBL‐EBI)Wellcome Genome CampusHinxtonCB10 1SDUK
| | - Paul R. Race
- School of BiochemistryUniversity of Bristol, University WalkBristolBS8 1TDUK
- BrisSynBio Synthetic Biology Research CentreUniversity of Bristol, Life Sciences BuildingTyndall AvenueBristolBS8 1TQUK
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8
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Figueroa-Cuilan WM, Irazoki O, Feeley M, Smith E, Nguyen T, Cava F, Goley ED. Quantitative analysis of morphogenesis and growth dynamics in an obligate intracellular bacterium. Mol Biol Cell 2023; 34:ar69. [PMID: 37017481 PMCID: PMC10295487 DOI: 10.1091/mbc.e23-01-0023] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/26/2023] [Revised: 03/23/2023] [Accepted: 03/29/2023] [Indexed: 04/06/2023] Open
Abstract
Obligate intracellular bacteria of the order Rickettsiales include important human pathogens. However, our understanding of the biology of Rickettsia species is limited by challenges imposed by their obligate intracellular lifestyle. To overcome this roadblock, we developed methods to assess cell wall composition, growth, and morphology of Rickettsia parkeri, a human pathogen in the spotted fever group of the Rickettsia genus. Analysis of the cell wall of R. parkeri revealed unique features that distinguish it from free-living alphaproteobacteria. Using a novel fluorescence microscopy approach, we quantified R. parkeri morphology in live host cells and found that the fraction of the population undergoing cell division decreased over the course of infection. We further demonstrated the feasibility of localizing fluorescence fusions, for example, to the cell division protein ZapA, in live R. parkeri for the first time. To evaluate population growth kinetics, we developed an imaging-based assay that improves on the throughput and resolution of other methods. Finally, we applied these tools to quantitatively demonstrate that the actin homologue MreB is required for R. parkeri growth and rod shape. Collectively, a toolkit was developed of high-throughput, quantitative tools to understand growth and morphogenesis of R. parkeri that is translatable to other obligate intracellular bacteria.
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Affiliation(s)
- Wanda M. Figueroa-Cuilan
- Department of Biological Chemistry, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD 21205-2185
| | - Oihane Irazoki
- Laboratory for Molecular Infection Medicine, Umeå Center for Microbial Research, Department of Molecular Biology, Umeå University, SE-901 87, Umeå, Sweden
| | - Marissa Feeley
- Department of Biological Chemistry, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD 21205-2185
| | - Erika Smith
- Department of Biological Chemistry, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD 21205-2185
| | - Trung Nguyen
- Department of Biological Chemistry, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD 21205-2185
| | - Felipe Cava
- Laboratory for Molecular Infection Medicine, Umeå Center for Microbial Research, Department of Molecular Biology, Umeå University, SE-901 87, Umeå, Sweden
| | - Erin D. Goley
- Department of Biological Chemistry, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD 21205-2185
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9
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El Maï M, Bird M, Allouche A, Targen S, Şerifoğlu N, Lopes-Bastos B, Guigonis JM, Kang D, Pourcher T, Yue JX, Ferreira MG. Gut-specific telomerase expression counteracts systemic aging in telomerase-deficient zebrafish. NATURE AGING 2023; 3:567-584. [PMID: 37142828 DOI: 10.1038/s43587-023-00401-5] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/18/2022] [Accepted: 03/21/2023] [Indexed: 05/06/2023]
Abstract
Telomere shortening is a hallmark of aging and is counteracted by telomerase. As in humans, the zebrafish gut is one of the organs with the fastest rate of telomere decline, triggering early tissue dysfunction during normal zebrafish aging and in prematurely aged telomerase mutants. However, whether telomere-dependent aging of an individual organ, the gut, causes systemic aging is unknown. Here we show that tissue-specific telomerase expression in the gut can prevent telomere shortening and rescues premature aging of tert-/-. Induction of telomerase rescues gut senescence and low cell proliferation, while restoring tissue integrity, inflammation and age-dependent microbiota dysbiosis. Averting gut aging causes systemic beneficial impacts, rescuing aging of distant organs such as reproductive and hematopoietic systems. Conclusively, we show that gut-specific telomerase expression extends the lifespan of tert-/- by 40%, while ameliorating natural aging. Our work demonstrates that gut-specific rescue of telomerase expression leading to telomere elongation is sufficient to systemically counteract aging in zebrafish.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mounir El Maï
- Institute for Research on Cancer and Aging of Nice (IRCAN), CNRS UMR7284, INSERM U1081, Université Côte d'Azur, Nice, France
- Instituto Gulbenkian de Ciência, Oeiras, Portugal
| | - Malia Bird
- Institute for Research on Cancer and Aging of Nice (IRCAN), CNRS UMR7284, INSERM U1081, Université Côte d'Azur, Nice, France
| | - Asma Allouche
- Institute for Research on Cancer and Aging of Nice (IRCAN), CNRS UMR7284, INSERM U1081, Université Côte d'Azur, Nice, France
| | - Seniye Targen
- Institute for Research on Cancer and Aging of Nice (IRCAN), CNRS UMR7284, INSERM U1081, Université Côte d'Azur, Nice, France
| | - Naz Şerifoğlu
- Institute for Research on Cancer and Aging of Nice (IRCAN), CNRS UMR7284, INSERM U1081, Université Côte d'Azur, Nice, France
| | - Bruno Lopes-Bastos
- Institute for Research on Cancer and Aging of Nice (IRCAN), CNRS UMR7284, INSERM U1081, Université Côte d'Azur, Nice, France
| | - Jean-Marie Guigonis
- Laboratory Transporter in Imaging and Radiotherapy in Oncology, Institut des Sciences du Vivant Frederic Joliot, Commissariat à l'Energie Atomique et aux Energies Alternatives, Université Côte d'Azur, Nice, France
| | - Da Kang
- State Key Laboratory of Oncology in South China, Collaborative Innovation Center for Cancer Medicine, Sun Yat-sen University Cancer Center, Guangzhou, China
| | - Thierry Pourcher
- Laboratory Transporter in Imaging and Radiotherapy in Oncology, Institut des Sciences du Vivant Frederic Joliot, Commissariat à l'Energie Atomique et aux Energies Alternatives, Université Côte d'Azur, Nice, France
| | - Jia-Xing Yue
- State Key Laboratory of Oncology in South China, Collaborative Innovation Center for Cancer Medicine, Sun Yat-sen University Cancer Center, Guangzhou, China
| | - Miguel Godinho Ferreira
- Institute for Research on Cancer and Aging of Nice (IRCAN), CNRS UMR7284, INSERM U1081, Université Côte d'Azur, Nice, France.
- Instituto Gulbenkian de Ciência, Oeiras, Portugal.
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10
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Nencioni A, Pastorelli R, Bigiotti G, Cucu MA, Sacchetti P. Diversity of the Bacterial Community Associated with Hindgut, Malpighian Tubules, and Foam of Nymphs of Two Spittlebug Species (Hemiptera: Aphrophoridae). Microorganisms 2023; 11:microorganisms11020466. [PMID: 36838431 PMCID: PMC9967529 DOI: 10.3390/microorganisms11020466] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/24/2022] [Revised: 01/31/2023] [Accepted: 02/09/2023] [Indexed: 02/17/2023] Open
Abstract
Spittlebugs are xylem-sap feeding insects that can exploit a nutrient-poor diet, thanks to mutualistic endosymbionts residing in various organs of their body. Although obligate symbioses in some spittlebug species have been quite well studied, little is known about their facultative endosymbionts, especially those inhabiting the gut. Recently, the role played by spittlebugs as vectors of the phytopathogenetic bacterium Xylella fastidiosa aroused attention to this insect group, boosting investigations aimed at developing effective yet sustainable control strategies. Since spittlebug nymphs are currently the main target of applied control, the composition of gut bacterial community of the juveniles of Philaenus spumarius and Lepyronia coleoptrata was investigated using molecular techniques. Moreover, bacteria associated with their froth, sampled from different host plants, were studied. Results revealed that Sodalis and Rickettsia bacteria are the predominant taxa in the gut of P. spumarius and L. coleoptrata nymphs, respectively, while Rhodococcus was found in both species. Our investigations also highlighted the presence of recurring bacteria in the froth. Furthermore, the foam hosted several bacterial species depending on the host plant, the insect species, or on soil contaminant. Overall, first findings showed that nymphs harbor a large and diverse bacterial community in their gut and froth, providing new accounts to the knowledge on facultative symbionts of spittlebugs.
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Affiliation(s)
- Anita Nencioni
- Department of Agricultural, Food, Environmental and Forestry Science and Technology (DAGRI), University of Florence, Piazzale delle Cascine 28, 50144 Florence, Italy
| | - Roberta Pastorelli
- Research Center for Agriculture and Environment, Consiglio per la Ricerca in Agricoltura e l’Analisi dell’Economia Agraria (CREA-AA), Via di Lanciola 12/A, 50125 Florence, Italy
| | - Gaia Bigiotti
- Research Center for Agriculture and Environment, Consiglio per la Ricerca in Agricoltura e l’Analisi dell’Economia Agraria (CREA-AA), Via di Lanciola 12/A, 50125 Florence, Italy
| | - Maria Alexandra Cucu
- Research Center for Agriculture and Environment, Consiglio per la Ricerca in Agricoltura e l’Analisi dell’Economia Agraria (CREA-AA), Via di Lanciola 12/A, 50125 Florence, Italy
| | - Patrizia Sacchetti
- Department of Agricultural, Food, Environmental and Forestry Science and Technology (DAGRI), University of Florence, Piazzale delle Cascine 28, 50144 Florence, Italy
- Correspondence: ; Tel.: +39-055-2755554
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11
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Mencía M. Acid digestion and symbiont: Proton sharing at the origin of mitochondriogenesis?: Proton production by a symbiotic bacterium may have been the origin of two hallmark eukaryotic features, acid digestion and mitochondria: Proton production by a symbiotic bacterium may have been the origin of two hallmark eukaryotic features, acid digestion and mitochondria. Bioessays 2023; 45:e2200136. [PMID: 36373631 DOI: 10.1002/bies.202200136] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/07/2022] [Revised: 11/02/2022] [Accepted: 11/03/2022] [Indexed: 11/16/2022]
Abstract
The initial relationships between organisms leading to endosymbiosis and the first eukaryote are currently a topic of hot debate. Here, I present a theory that offers a gradual scenario in which the origins of phagocytosis and mitochondria are intertwined in such a way that the evolution of one would not be possible without the other. In this scenario, the premitochondrial bacterial symbiont became initially associated with a protophagocytic host on the basis of cooperation to kill prey with symbiont-produced toxins and reactive oxygen species (ROS). Subsequently, the cooperation was focused on the digestion stage, through the acidification of the protophagocytic cavities via exportation of protons produced by the aerobic respiration of the symbiont. The host gained an improved phagocytic capacity and the symbiont received organic compounds from prey. As the host gradually lost its membrane energetics to develop lysosomal digestion, respiration was centralized in the premitochondrial symbiont for energy production for the consortium.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mario Mencía
- Departamento de Biología Molecular and Centro de Biología Molecular Severo Ochoa (CBMSO) UAM-CSIC, Universidad Autónoma de Madrid, Madrid, 28409, Spain
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12
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The regulon of Brucella abortus two-component system BvrR/BvrS reveals the coordination of metabolic pathways required for intracellular life. PLoS One 2022; 17:e0274397. [PMID: 36129877 PMCID: PMC9491525 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0274397] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/30/2022] [Accepted: 08/26/2022] [Indexed: 11/19/2022] Open
Abstract
Brucella abortus is a facultative intracellular pathogen causing a severe zoonotic disease worldwide. The two-component regulatory system (TCS) BvrR/BvrS of B. abortus is conserved in members of the Alphaproteobacteria class. It is related to the expression of genes required for host interaction and intracellular survival. Here we report that bvrR and bvrS are part of an operon composed of 16 genes encoding functions related to nitrogen metabolism, DNA repair and recombination, cell cycle arrest, and stress response. Synteny of this genomic region within close Alphaproteobacteria members suggests a conserved role in coordinating the expression of carbon and nitrogen metabolic pathways. In addition, we performed a ChIP-Seq analysis after exposure of bacteria to conditions that mimic the intracellular environment. Genes encoding enzymes at metabolic crossroads of the pentose phosphate shunt, gluconeogenesis, cell envelope homeostasis, nucleotide synthesis, cell division, and virulence are BvrR/BvrS direct targets. A 14 bp DNA BvrR binding motif was found and investigated in selected gene targets such as virB1, bvrR, pckA, omp25, and tamA. Understanding gene expression regulation is essential to elucidate how Brucella orchestrates a physiological response leading to a furtive pathogenic strategy.
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13
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Shi WT, Zhang B, Li ML, Liu KH, Jiao J, Tian CF. The convergent xenogeneic silencer MucR predisposes α-proteobacteria to integrate AT-rich symbiosis genes. Nucleic Acids Res 2022; 50:8580-8598. [PMID: 36007892 PMCID: PMC9410896 DOI: 10.1093/nar/gkac664] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/03/2021] [Revised: 07/11/2022] [Accepted: 07/21/2022] [Indexed: 11/16/2022] Open
Abstract
Bacterial adaptation is largely shaped by horizontal gene transfer, xenogeneic silencing mediated by lineage-specific DNA bridgers (H-NS, Lsr2, MvaT and Rok), and various anti-silencing mechanisms. No xenogeneic silencing DNA bridger is known for α-proteobacteria, from which mitochondria evolved. By investigating α-proteobacterium Sinorhizobium fredii, a facultative legume microsymbiont, here we report the conserved zinc-finger bearing MucR as a novel xenogeneic silencing DNA bridger. Self-association mediated by its N-terminal domain (NTD) is required for DNA–MucR–DNA bridging complex formation, maximizing MucR stability, transcriptional silencing, and efficient symbiosis in legume nodules. Essential roles of NTD, CTD (C-terminal DNA-binding domain), or full-length MucR in symbiosis can be replaced by non-homologous NTD, CTD, or full-length protein of H-NS from γ-proteobacterium Escherichia coli, while NTD rather than CTD of Lsr2 from Gram-positive Mycobacterium tuberculosis can replace the corresponding domain of MucR in symbiosis. Chromatin immunoprecipitation sequencing reveals similar recruitment profiles of H-NS, MucR and various functional chimeric xenogeneic silencers across the multipartite genome of S. fredii, i.e. preferring AT-rich genomic islands and symbiosis plasmid with key symbiosis genes as shared targets. Collectively, the convergently evolved DNA bridger MucR predisposed α-proteobacteria to integrate AT-rich foreign DNA including symbiosis genes, horizontal transfer of which is strongly selected in nature.
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Affiliation(s)
- Wen-Tao Shi
- State Key Laboratory of Agrobiotechnology, and College of Biological Sciences, China Agricultural University , Beijing , China
- MOA Key Laboratory of Soil Microbiology, and Rhizobium Research Center, China Agricultural University , Beijing , China
| | - Biliang Zhang
- State Key Laboratory of Agrobiotechnology, and College of Biological Sciences, China Agricultural University , Beijing , China
- MOA Key Laboratory of Soil Microbiology, and Rhizobium Research Center, China Agricultural University , Beijing , China
| | - Meng-Lin Li
- State Key Laboratory of Agrobiotechnology, and College of Biological Sciences, China Agricultural University , Beijing , China
- MOA Key Laboratory of Soil Microbiology, and Rhizobium Research Center, China Agricultural University , Beijing , China
| | - Ke-Han Liu
- State Key Laboratory of Agrobiotechnology, and College of Biological Sciences, China Agricultural University , Beijing , China
- MOA Key Laboratory of Soil Microbiology, and Rhizobium Research Center, China Agricultural University , Beijing , China
| | - Jian Jiao
- State Key Laboratory of Agrobiotechnology, and College of Biological Sciences, China Agricultural University , Beijing , China
- MOA Key Laboratory of Soil Microbiology, and Rhizobium Research Center, China Agricultural University , Beijing , China
| | - Chang-Fu Tian
- State Key Laboratory of Agrobiotechnology, and College of Biological Sciences, China Agricultural University , Beijing , China
- MOA Key Laboratory of Soil Microbiology, and Rhizobium Research Center, China Agricultural University , Beijing , China
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14
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Roba A, Carlier E, Godessart P, Naili C, De Bolle X. A histidine auxotroph mutant is defective for cell separation and allows the identification of crucial factors for cell division in Brucella abortus. Mol Microbiol 2022; 118:145-154. [PMID: 35748337 DOI: 10.1111/mmi.14956] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/14/2022] [Revised: 06/20/2022] [Accepted: 06/21/2022] [Indexed: 11/29/2022]
Abstract
The pathogenic bacterium Brucella abortus invades and multiplies inside host cells. To grow inside host cells, B. abortus requires a functional histidine biosynthesis pathway. Here, we show that a B. abortus histidine auxotroph mutant also displays an unexpected chaining phenotype. The intensity of this phenotype varies according to the culture medium and is exacerbated inside host cells. Chains of bacteria consist of contiguous peptidoglycan, and likely result from the defective cleavage of peptidoglycan at septa. Genetic suppression of the chaining phenotype unearthed two essential genes with a role in B. abortus cell division, dipM and cdlP. Loss of function of dipM and cdlP generates swelling at the division site. While DipM is strictly localized at the division site, CdlP is localized at the growth pole and the division site. Altogether, the unexpected chaining phenotype of a hisB mutant allowed the discovery of new crucial actors in cell division in B. abortus.
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Affiliation(s)
- Agnès Roba
- Research Unit in Biology of Microorganisms, Narilis, University of Namur, Namur, Belgium
| | - Elodie Carlier
- Research Unit in Biology of Microorganisms, Narilis, University of Namur, Namur, Belgium
| | - Pierre Godessart
- Research Unit in Biology of Microorganisms, Narilis, University of Namur, Namur, Belgium
| | - Cerine Naili
- Research Unit in Biology of Microorganisms, Narilis, University of Namur, Namur, Belgium
| | - Xavier De Bolle
- Research Unit in Biology of Microorganisms, Narilis, University of Namur, Namur, Belgium
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15
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The zinc-finger bearing xenogeneic silencer MucR in α-proteobacteria balances adaptation and regulatory integrity. THE ISME JOURNAL 2022; 16:738-749. [PMID: 34584215 PMCID: PMC8857273 DOI: 10.1038/s41396-021-01118-2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/26/2021] [Revised: 09/07/2021] [Accepted: 09/10/2021] [Indexed: 02/08/2023]
Abstract
Foreign AT-rich genes drive bacterial adaptation to new niches while challenging the existing regulation network. Here we report that MucR, a conserved regulator in α-proteobacteria, balances adaptation and regulatory integrity in Sinorhizobium fredii, a facultative microsymbiont of legumes. Chromatin immunoprecipitation sequencing coupled with transcriptomic data reveal that average transcription levels of both target and non-target genes, under free-living and symbiotic conditions, increase with their conservation levels. Targets involved in environmental adaptation and symbiosis belong to genus or species core and can be repressed or activated by MucR in a condition-dependent manner, implying regulatory integrations. However, most targets are enriched in strain-specific genes of lower expression levels and higher AT%. Within each conservation levels, targets have higher AT% and average transcription levels than non-target genes and can be further up-regulated in the mucR mutant. This is consistent with higher AT% of spacers between -35 and -10 elements of promoters for target genes, which enhances transcription. The MucR recruitment level linearly increases with AT% and the number of a flexible pattern (with periodic repeats of Ts) of target sequences. Collectively, MucR directly represses AT-rich foreign genes with predisposed high transcription potential while progressive erosions of its target sites facilitate regulatory integrations of foreign genes.
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16
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Arashida H, Odake H, Sugawara M, Noda R, Kakizaki K, Ohkubo S, Mitsui H, Sato S, Minamisawa K. Evolution of rhizobial symbiosis islands through insertion sequence-mediated deletion and duplication. THE ISME JOURNAL 2022; 16:112-121. [PMID: 34272493 PMCID: PMC8692435 DOI: 10.1038/s41396-021-01035-4] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/11/2021] [Revised: 05/27/2021] [Accepted: 06/03/2021] [Indexed: 11/08/2022]
Abstract
Symbiosis between organisms influences their evolution via adaptive changes in genome architectures. Immunity of soybean carrying the Rj2 allele is triggered by NopP (type III secretion system [T3SS]-dependent effector), encoded by symbiosis island A (SymA) in B. diazoefficiens USDA122. This immunity was overcome by many mutants with large SymA deletions that encompassed T3SS (rhc) and N2 fixation (nif) genes and were bounded by insertion sequence (IS) copies in direct orientation, indicating homologous recombination between ISs. Similar deletion events were observed in B. diazoefficiens USDA110 and B. japonicum J5. When we cultured a USDA122 strain with a marker gene sacB inserted into the rhc gene cluster, most sucrose-resistant mutants had deletions in nif/rhc gene clusters, similar to the mutants above. Some deletion mutants were unique to the sacB system and showed lower competitive nodulation capability, indicating that IS-mediated deletions occurred during free-living growth and the host plants selected the mutants. Among 63 natural bradyrhizobial isolates, 2 possessed long duplications (261-357 kb) harboring nif/rhc gene clusters between IS copies in direct orientation via homologous recombination. Therefore, the structures of symbiosis islands are in a state of flux via IS-mediated duplications and deletions during rhizobial saprophytic growth, and host plants select mutualistic variants from the resultant pools of rhizobial populations. Our results demonstrate that homologous recombination between direct IS copies provides a natural mechanism generating deletions and duplications on symbiosis islands.
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Affiliation(s)
- Haruka Arashida
- Graduate School of Life Sciences, Tohoku University, 2-1-1 Katahira, Aoba-Ku, Sendai, 980-8577, Japan
| | - Haruka Odake
- Graduate School of Life Sciences, Tohoku University, 2-1-1 Katahira, Aoba-Ku, Sendai, 980-8577, Japan
| | - Masayuki Sugawara
- Graduate School of Life Sciences, Tohoku University, 2-1-1 Katahira, Aoba-Ku, Sendai, 980-8577, Japan
| | - Ryota Noda
- Graduate School of Life Sciences, Tohoku University, 2-1-1 Katahira, Aoba-Ku, Sendai, 980-8577, Japan
| | - Kaori Kakizaki
- Graduate School of Life Sciences, Tohoku University, 2-1-1 Katahira, Aoba-Ku, Sendai, 980-8577, Japan
| | - Satoshi Ohkubo
- Graduate School of Life Sciences, Tohoku University, 2-1-1 Katahira, Aoba-Ku, Sendai, 980-8577, Japan
| | - Hisayuki Mitsui
- Graduate School of Life Sciences, Tohoku University, 2-1-1 Katahira, Aoba-Ku, Sendai, 980-8577, Japan
| | - Shusei Sato
- Graduate School of Life Sciences, Tohoku University, 2-1-1 Katahira, Aoba-Ku, Sendai, 980-8577, Japan
| | - Kiwamu Minamisawa
- Graduate School of Life Sciences, Tohoku University, 2-1-1 Katahira, Aoba-Ku, Sendai, 980-8577, Japan.
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17
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Zhang J, Ling J, Zhou W, Zhang W, Yang F, Wei Z, Yang Q, Zhang Y, Dong J. Biochar Addition Altered Bacterial Community and Improved Photosynthetic Rate of Seagrass: A Mesocosm Study of Seagrass Thalassia hemprichii. Front Microbiol 2021; 12:783334. [PMID: 34925287 PMCID: PMC8678274 DOI: 10.3389/fmicb.2021.783334] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/26/2021] [Accepted: 11/08/2021] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Seagrass meadows, as typical “blue carbon” ecosystems, play critical ecological roles in the marine ecosystem and decline every year. The application of biochar in soil has been proposed as a potential soil amendment to improve soil quality and mitigate global climate change. The effects of biochar on soil bacterial activities are integrally linked to the potential of biochar in achieving these benefits. However, biochar has been rarely applied in marine ecosystems. Whether the application of biochar could work on the seagrass ecosystem remained unknown. In this study, we investigated the responses of sediment and rhizosphere bacterial communities of seagrass Thalassia hemprichii to the biochar addition derived from maize at ratios of 5% by dry weight in the soil during a one-month incubation. Results indicated that the biochar addition significantly changed the sedimental environment with increasing pH, total phosphorus, and total kalium while total nitrogen decreased. Biochar addition significantly altered both the rhizosphere and sediment bacterial community compositions. The significant changes in rhizosphere bacterial community composition occurred after 30days of incubation, while the significant variations in sediment bacterial community composition distinctly delayed than in sediment occurred on the 14th day. Biochar application improved nitrification and denitrification, which may accelerate nitrogen cycling. As a stabilizer to communities, biochar addition decreased the importance of deterministic selection in sediment and changed the bacterial co-occurrence pattern. The biochar addition may promote seagrass photosynthesis and growth by altering the bacterial community compositions and improving nutrient circulation in the seagrass ecosystem, contributing to the seagrass health improvement. This study provided a theoretical basis for applying biochar to the seagrass ecosystem and shed light on the feasible application of biochar in the marine ecosystem. ![]()
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Affiliation(s)
- Jian Zhang
- CAS Key Laboratory of Tropical Marine Bio-Resources and Ecology, Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Applied Marine Biology, South China Sea Institute of Oceanology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Guangzhou, China.,Southern Marine Science and Engineering Guangdong Laboratory (Guangzhou), Guangzhou, China.,Key Laboratory of Tropical Marine Biotechnology of Hainan Province, Sanya Institute of Oceanology, South China Sea Institute of Oceanology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Sanya, China.,Innovation Academy of South China Sea Ecology and Environmental Engineering, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Guangzhou, China.,College of Marine Science, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China
| | - Juan Ling
- CAS Key Laboratory of Tropical Marine Bio-Resources and Ecology, Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Applied Marine Biology, South China Sea Institute of Oceanology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Guangzhou, China.,Southern Marine Science and Engineering Guangdong Laboratory (Guangzhou), Guangzhou, China.,Key Laboratory of Tropical Marine Biotechnology of Hainan Province, Sanya Institute of Oceanology, South China Sea Institute of Oceanology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Sanya, China.,Innovation Academy of South China Sea Ecology and Environmental Engineering, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Guangzhou, China.,Sanya National Marine Ecosystem Research Station, Tropical Marine Biological Research Station in Hainan, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Sanya, China
| | - Weiguo Zhou
- CAS Key Laboratory of Tropical Marine Bio-Resources and Ecology, Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Applied Marine Biology, South China Sea Institute of Oceanology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Guangzhou, China.,Southern Marine Science and Engineering Guangdong Laboratory (Guangzhou), Guangzhou, China.,Key Laboratory of Tropical Marine Biotechnology of Hainan Province, Sanya Institute of Oceanology, South China Sea Institute of Oceanology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Sanya, China.,Innovation Academy of South China Sea Ecology and Environmental Engineering, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Guangzhou, China
| | - Wenqian Zhang
- CAS Key Laboratory of Tropical Marine Bio-Resources and Ecology, Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Applied Marine Biology, South China Sea Institute of Oceanology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Guangzhou, China.,Southern Marine Science and Engineering Guangdong Laboratory (Guangzhou), Guangzhou, China.,Key Laboratory of Tropical Marine Biotechnology of Hainan Province, Sanya Institute of Oceanology, South China Sea Institute of Oceanology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Sanya, China.,Innovation Academy of South China Sea Ecology and Environmental Engineering, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Guangzhou, China.,College of Marine Science, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China
| | - Fangfang Yang
- CAS Key Laboratory of Tropical Marine Bio-Resources and Ecology, Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Applied Marine Biology, South China Sea Institute of Oceanology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Guangzhou, China.,Southern Marine Science and Engineering Guangdong Laboratory (Guangzhou), Guangzhou, China.,Key Laboratory of Tropical Marine Biotechnology of Hainan Province, Sanya Institute of Oceanology, South China Sea Institute of Oceanology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Sanya, China.,Innovation Academy of South China Sea Ecology and Environmental Engineering, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Guangzhou, China
| | - Zhangliang Wei
- CAS Key Laboratory of Tropical Marine Bio-Resources and Ecology, Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Applied Marine Biology, South China Sea Institute of Oceanology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Guangzhou, China.,Southern Marine Science and Engineering Guangdong Laboratory (Guangzhou), Guangzhou, China.,Key Laboratory of Tropical Marine Biotechnology of Hainan Province, Sanya Institute of Oceanology, South China Sea Institute of Oceanology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Sanya, China.,Innovation Academy of South China Sea Ecology and Environmental Engineering, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Guangzhou, China
| | - Qingsong Yang
- CAS Key Laboratory of Tropical Marine Bio-Resources and Ecology, Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Applied Marine Biology, South China Sea Institute of Oceanology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Guangzhou, China.,Southern Marine Science and Engineering Guangdong Laboratory (Guangzhou), Guangzhou, China.,Key Laboratory of Tropical Marine Biotechnology of Hainan Province, Sanya Institute of Oceanology, South China Sea Institute of Oceanology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Sanya, China.,Innovation Academy of South China Sea Ecology and Environmental Engineering, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Guangzhou, China.,Sanya National Marine Ecosystem Research Station, Tropical Marine Biological Research Station in Hainan, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Sanya, China
| | - Ying Zhang
- CAS Key Laboratory of Tropical Marine Bio-Resources and Ecology, Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Applied Marine Biology, South China Sea Institute of Oceanology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Guangzhou, China.,Southern Marine Science and Engineering Guangdong Laboratory (Guangzhou), Guangzhou, China.,Key Laboratory of Tropical Marine Biotechnology of Hainan Province, Sanya Institute of Oceanology, South China Sea Institute of Oceanology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Sanya, China.,Innovation Academy of South China Sea Ecology and Environmental Engineering, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Guangzhou, China
| | - Junde Dong
- CAS Key Laboratory of Tropical Marine Bio-Resources and Ecology, Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Applied Marine Biology, South China Sea Institute of Oceanology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Guangzhou, China.,Southern Marine Science and Engineering Guangdong Laboratory (Guangzhou), Guangzhou, China.,Key Laboratory of Tropical Marine Biotechnology of Hainan Province, Sanya Institute of Oceanology, South China Sea Institute of Oceanology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Sanya, China.,Innovation Academy of South China Sea Ecology and Environmental Engineering, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Guangzhou, China.,Sanya National Marine Ecosystem Research Station, Tropical Marine Biological Research Station in Hainan, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Sanya, China
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18
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Unipolar Peptidoglycan Synthesis in the Rhizobiales Requires an Essential Class A Penicillin-Binding Protein. mBio 2021; 12:e0234621. [PMID: 34544272 PMCID: PMC8546619 DOI: 10.1128/mbio.02346-21] [Citation(s) in RCA: 19] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/23/2022] Open
Abstract
Members of the Rhizobiales are polarly growing bacteria that lack homologs of the canonical Rod complex. To investigate the mechanisms underlying polar cell wall synthesis, we systematically probed the function of cell wall synthesis enzymes in the plant pathogen Agrobacterium tumefaciens. The development of fluorescent d-amino acid dipeptide (FDAAD) probes, which are incorporated into peptidoglycan by penicillin-binding proteins in A. tumefaciens, enabled us to monitor changes in growth patterns in the mutants. Use of these fluorescent cell wall probes and peptidoglycan compositional analysis demonstrate that a single class A penicillin-binding protein is essential for polar peptidoglycan synthesis. Furthermore, we find evidence of an additional mode of cell wall synthesis that requires ld-transpeptidase activity. Genetic analysis and cell wall targeting antibiotics reveal that the mechanism of unipolar growth is conserved in Sinorhizobium and Brucella. This work provides insights into unipolar peptidoglycan biosynthesis employed by the Rhizobiales during cell elongation.
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19
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An ArsR Transcriptional Regulator Facilitates Brucella sp. Survival via Regulating Self and Outer Membrane Protein. Int J Mol Sci 2021; 22:ijms221910860. [PMID: 34639201 PMCID: PMC8509827 DOI: 10.3390/ijms221910860] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/02/2021] [Revised: 09/21/2021] [Accepted: 09/26/2021] [Indexed: 12/30/2022] Open
Abstract
The arsenic acid-resistant (ArsR) family transcriptional regulators are widely distributed in microorganisms, including in the facultative intracellular pathogen Brucella spp. ArsR proteins are implicated in numerous biological processes. However, the specific roles of ArsR family members in Brucella remain obscure. Here, we show that ArsR6 (BSS2_RS07325) is required for Brucella survival both under heat, oxidative, and osmotic stress and in a murine infection model in vivo. RNA-seq and ChIP-seq reveal that 34 potential target genes for ArsR6 protein were identified, among which eight genes were up-regulated and 26 genes were down-regulated, including outer membrane protein 25D (Omp25D). ArsR6 autoregulates its own expression to maintain bacterial intracellular Cu/Ni homeostasis to benefit bacterial survival in hostile environments. Moreover, ArsR6 also regulates the production of virulence factor Omp25D, which is important for the survival of Brucella under stress conditions. Significantly, Omp25D deletion strain attenuated in a murine infection model in vivo. Altogether, our findings reveal a unique mechanism in which the ArsR family member ArsR6 autoregulates its expression and also modulates Omp25D expression to maintain metal ion homeostasis and virulence in Brucella.
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20
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Roop RM, Barton IS, Hopersberger D, Martin DW. Uncovering the Hidden Credentials of Brucella Virulence. Microbiol Mol Biol Rev 2021; 85:e00021-19. [PMID: 33568459 PMCID: PMC8549849 DOI: 10.1128/mmbr.00021-19] [Citation(s) in RCA: 47] [Impact Index Per Article: 15.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/18/2023] Open
Abstract
Bacteria in the genus Brucella are important human and veterinary pathogens. The abortion and infertility they cause in food animals produce economic hardships in areas where the disease has not been controlled, and human brucellosis is one of the world's most common zoonoses. Brucella strains have also been isolated from wildlife, but we know much less about the pathobiology and epidemiology of these infections than we do about brucellosis in domestic animals. The brucellae maintain predominantly an intracellular lifestyle in their mammalian hosts, and their ability to subvert the host immune response and survive and replicate in macrophages and placental trophoblasts underlies their success as pathogens. We are just beginning to understand how these bacteria evolved from a progenitor alphaproteobacterium with an environmental niche and diverged to become highly host-adapted and host-specific pathogens. Two important virulence determinants played critical roles in this evolution: (i) a type IV secretion system that secretes effector molecules into the host cell cytoplasm that direct the intracellular trafficking of the brucellae and modulate host immune responses and (ii) a lipopolysaccharide moiety which poorly stimulates host inflammatory responses. This review highlights what we presently know about how these and other virulence determinants contribute to Brucella pathogenesis. Gaining a better understanding of how the brucellae produce disease will provide us with information that can be used to design better strategies for preventing brucellosis in animals and for preventing and treating this disease in humans.
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Affiliation(s)
- R Martin Roop
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, Brody School of Medicine, East Carolina University, Greenville, North Carolina, USA
| | - Ian S Barton
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, Brody School of Medicine, East Carolina University, Greenville, North Carolina, USA
| | - Dariel Hopersberger
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, Brody School of Medicine, East Carolina University, Greenville, North Carolina, USA
| | - Daniel W Martin
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, Brody School of Medicine, East Carolina University, Greenville, North Carolina, USA
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21
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Yap YA, McLeod KH, McKenzie CI, Gavin PG, Davalos-Salas M, Richards JL, Moore RJ, Lockett TJ, Clarke JM, Eng VV, Pearson JS, Hamilton-Williams EE, Mackay CR, Mariño E. An acetate-yielding diet imprints an immune and anti-microbial programme against enteric infection. Clin Transl Immunology 2021; 10:e1233. [PMID: 33489123 PMCID: PMC7809703 DOI: 10.1002/cti2.1233] [Citation(s) in RCA: 22] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/15/2020] [Revised: 11/16/2020] [Accepted: 12/09/2020] [Indexed: 12/19/2022] Open
Abstract
Objectives During gastrointestinal infection, dysbiosis can result in decreased production of microbially derived short‐chain fatty acids (SCFAs). In response to the presence of intestinal pathogens, we examined whether an engineered acetate‐ or butyrate‐releasing diet can rectify the deficiency of SCFAs and lead to the resolution of enteric infection. Methods We tested whether a high acetate‐ or butyrate‐producing diet (HAMSA or HAMSB, respectively) condition Citrobacterrodentium infection in mice and assess its impact on host‐microbiota interactions. We analysed the adaptive and innate immune responses, changes in gut microbiome function, epithelial barrier function and the molecular mechanism via metabolite sensing G protein‐coupled receptor 43 (GPR43) and IL‐22 expression. Results HAMSA diet rectified the deficiency in acetate production and protected against enteric infection. Increased SCFAs affect the expression of pathogen virulence genes. HAMSA diet promoted compositional and functional changes in the gut microbiota during infection similar to healthy microbiota from non‐infected mice. Bacterial changes were evidenced by the production of proteins involved in acetate utilisation, starch and sugar degradation, amino acid biosynthesis, carbohydrate transport and metabolism. HAMSA diet also induced changes in host proteins critical in glycolysis, wound healing such as GPX1 and epithelial architecture such as EZR1 and PFN1. Dietary acetate assisted in rapid epithelial repair, as shown by increased colonic Muc‐2, Il‐22, and anti‐microbial peptides. We found that acetate increased numbers of colonic IL‐22 producing TCRαβ+CD8αβ+ and TCRγδ+CD8αα+ intraepithelial lymphocytes expressing GPR43. Conclusion HAMSA diet may be an effective therapeutic approach for fighting inflammation and enteric infections and offer a safe alternative that may impact on human health.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yu Anne Yap
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology Infection and Immunity Program Biomedicine Discovery Institute Monash University Clayton, Melbourne VIC Australia
| | - Keiran H McLeod
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology Infection and Immunity Program Biomedicine Discovery Institute Monash University Clayton, Melbourne VIC Australia
| | - Craig I McKenzie
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology Infection and Immunity Program Biomedicine Discovery Institute Monash University Clayton, Melbourne VIC Australia
| | - Patrick G Gavin
- The University of Queensland Diamantina Institute The University of Queensland Brisbane QLD Australia
| | - Mercedes Davalos-Salas
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology Infection and Immunity Program Biomedicine Discovery Institute Monash University Clayton, Melbourne VIC Australia
| | - James L Richards
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology Infection and Immunity Program Biomedicine Discovery Institute Monash University Clayton, Melbourne VIC Australia
| | - Robert J Moore
- Department of Microbiology Infection and Immunity Program Biomedicine Discovery Institute Monash University Clayton, Melbourne VIC Australia.,School of Science RMIT University Bundoora VIC Australia
| | | | | | - Vik Ven Eng
- Department of Microbiology Infection and Immunity Program Biomedicine Discovery Institute Monash University Clayton, Melbourne VIC Australia.,Centre for Innate Immunity and Infectious Diseases Hudson Institute of Medical Research Clayton, Melbourne VIC Australia
| | - Jaclyn S Pearson
- Department of Microbiology Infection and Immunity Program Biomedicine Discovery Institute Monash University Clayton, Melbourne VIC Australia.,Centre for Innate Immunity and Infectious Diseases Hudson Institute of Medical Research Clayton, Melbourne VIC Australia.,Department of Molecular and Translational Research Monash University Clayton, Melbourne VIC Australia
| | - Emma E Hamilton-Williams
- The University of Queensland Diamantina Institute The University of Queensland Brisbane QLD Australia
| | - Charles R Mackay
- Department of Microbiology Infection and Immunity Program Biomedicine Discovery Institute Monash University Clayton, Melbourne VIC Australia
| | - Eliana Mariño
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology Infection and Immunity Program Biomedicine Discovery Institute Monash University Clayton, Melbourne VIC Australia
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22
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Jiao J, Tian CF. Ancestral zinc-finger bearing protein MucR in alpha-proteobacteria: A novel xenogeneic silencer? Comput Struct Biotechnol J 2020; 18:3623-3631. [PMID: 33304460 PMCID: PMC7710501 DOI: 10.1016/j.csbj.2020.11.028] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/30/2020] [Revised: 11/14/2020] [Accepted: 11/16/2020] [Indexed: 12/26/2022] Open
Abstract
The MucR/Ros family protein is conserved in alpha-proteobacteria and characterized by its zinc-finger motif that has been proposed as the ancestral domain from which the eukaryotic C2H2 zinc-finger structure evolved. In the past decades, accumulated evidences have revealed MucR as a pleiotropic transcriptional regulator that integrating multiple functions such as virulence, symbiosis, cell cycle and various physiological processes. Scattered reports indicate that MucR mainly acts as a repressor, through oligomerization and binding to multiple sites of AT-rich target promoters. The N-terminal region and zinc-finger bearing C-terminal region of MucR mediate oligomerization and DNA-binding, respectively. These features are convergent to those of xenogeneic silencers such as H-NS, MvaT, Lsr2 and Rok, which are mainly found in other lineages. Phylogenetic analysis of MucR homologs suggests an ancestral origin of MucR in alpha- and delta-proteobacteria. Multiple independent duplication and lateral gene transfer events contribute to the diversity and phyletic distribution of MucR. Finally, we posed questions which remain unexplored regarding the putative roles of MucR as a xenogeneic silencer and a general manager in balancing adaptation and regulatory integration in the pangenome context.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jian Jiao
- State Key Laboratory of Agrobiotechnology, and College of Biological Sciences, China Agricultural University, Beijing, China.,MOA Key Laboratory of Soil Microbiology, and Rhizobium Research Center, China Agricultural University, Beijing, China
| | - Chang-Fu Tian
- State Key Laboratory of Agrobiotechnology, and College of Biological Sciences, China Agricultural University, Beijing, China.,MOA Key Laboratory of Soil Microbiology, and Rhizobium Research Center, China Agricultural University, Beijing, China
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23
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Suárez-Esquivel M, Chaves-Olarte E, Moreno E, Guzmán-Verri C. Brucella Genomics: Macro and Micro Evolution. Int J Mol Sci 2020; 21:E7749. [PMID: 33092044 PMCID: PMC7589603 DOI: 10.3390/ijms21207749] [Citation(s) in RCA: 26] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/01/2020] [Revised: 10/08/2020] [Accepted: 10/11/2020] [Indexed: 01/25/2023] Open
Abstract
Brucella organisms are responsible for one of the most widespread bacterial zoonoses, named brucellosis. The disease affects several species of animals, including humans. One of the most intriguing aspects of the brucellae is that the various species show a ~97% similarity at the genome level. Still, the distinct Brucella species display different host preferences, zoonotic risk, and virulence. After 133 years of research, there are many aspects of the Brucella biology that remain poorly understood, such as host adaptation and virulence mechanisms. A strategy to understand these characteristics focuses on the relationship between the genomic diversity and host preference of the various Brucella species. Pseudogenization, genome reduction, single nucleotide polymorphism variation, number of tandem repeats, and mobile genetic elements are unveiled markers for host adaptation and virulence. Understanding the mechanisms of genome variability in the Brucella genus is relevant to comprehend the emergence of pathogens.
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Affiliation(s)
- Marcela Suárez-Esquivel
- Programa de Investigación en Enfermedades Tropicales, Escuela de Medicina Veterinaria, Universidad Nacional, Heredia 3000, Costa Rica; (M.S.-E.); (E.M.)
| | - Esteban Chaves-Olarte
- Centro de Investigación en Enfermedades Tropicales, Facultad de Microbiología, Universidad de Costa Rica, San José 1180, Costa Rica;
| | - Edgardo Moreno
- Programa de Investigación en Enfermedades Tropicales, Escuela de Medicina Veterinaria, Universidad Nacional, Heredia 3000, Costa Rica; (M.S.-E.); (E.M.)
| | - Caterina Guzmán-Verri
- Programa de Investigación en Enfermedades Tropicales, Escuela de Medicina Veterinaria, Universidad Nacional, Heredia 3000, Costa Rica; (M.S.-E.); (E.M.)
- Centro de Investigación en Enfermedades Tropicales, Facultad de Microbiología, Universidad de Costa Rica, San José 1180, Costa Rica;
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24
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Convergent evolution of zoonotic Brucella species toward the selective use of the pentose phosphate pathway. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A 2020; 117:26374-26381. [PMID: 33020286 DOI: 10.1073/pnas.2008939117] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/18/2022] Open
Abstract
Mechanistic understanding of the factors that govern host tropism remains incompletely understood for most pathogens. Brucella species, which are capable of infecting a wide range of hosts, offer a useful avenue to address this question. We hypothesized that metabolic fine-tuning to intrahost niches is likely an underappreciated axis underlying pathogens' ability to infect new hosts and tropism. In this work, we compared the central metabolism of seven Brucella species by stable isotopic labeling and genetics. We identified two functionally distinct groups, one overlapping with the classical zoonotic species of domestic livestock that exclusively use the pentose phosphate pathway (PPP) for hexose catabolism, whereas species from the second group use mostly the Entner-Doudoroff pathway (EDP). We demonstrated that the metabolic dichotomy among Brucellae emerged after the acquisition of two independent EDP-inactivating mutations in all classical zoonotic species. We then examined the pathogenicity of key metabolic mutants in mice and confirmed that this trait is tied to virulence. Altogether, our data are consistent with the hypothesis that the PPP has been incrementally selected over the EDP in parallel to Brucella adaptation to domestic livestock.
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25
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Lindsey ARI. Sensing, Signaling, and Secretion: A Review and Analysis of Systems for Regulating Host Interaction in Wolbachia. Genes (Basel) 2020; 11:E813. [PMID: 32708808 PMCID: PMC7397232 DOI: 10.3390/genes11070813] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/13/2020] [Revised: 07/12/2020] [Accepted: 07/13/2020] [Indexed: 12/18/2022] Open
Abstract
Wolbachia (Anaplasmataceae) is an endosymbiont of arthropods and nematodes that resides within host cells and is well known for manipulating host biology to facilitate transmission via the female germline. The effects Wolbachia has on host physiology, combined with reproductive manipulations, make this bacterium a promising candidate for use in biological- and vector-control. While it is becoming increasingly clear that Wolbachia's effects on host biology are numerous and vary according to the host and the environment, we know very little about the molecular mechanisms behind Wolbachia's interactions with its host. Here, I analyze 29 Wolbachia genomes for the presence of systems that are likely central to the ability of Wolbachia to respond to and interface with its host, including proteins for sensing, signaling, gene regulation, and secretion. Second, I review conditions under which Wolbachia alters gene expression in response to changes in its environment and discuss other instances where we might hypothesize Wolbachia to regulate gene expression. Findings will direct mechanistic investigations into gene regulation and host-interaction that will deepen our understanding of intracellular infections and enhance applied management efforts that leverage Wolbachia.
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Affiliation(s)
- Amelia R I Lindsey
- Department of Entomology, University of Minnesota, St. Paul, MN 55108, USA
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26
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Suárez-Esquivel M, Hernández-Mora G, Ruiz-Villalobos N, Barquero-Calvo E, Chacón-Díaz C, Ladner JT, Oviedo-Sánchez G, Foster JT, Rojas-Campos N, Chaves-Olarte E, Thomson NR, Moreno E, Guzmán-Verri C. Persistence of Brucella abortus lineages revealed by genomic characterization and phylodynamic analysis. PLoS Negl Trop Dis 2020; 14:e0008235. [PMID: 32287327 PMCID: PMC7182279 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pntd.0008235] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/18/2019] [Revised: 04/24/2020] [Accepted: 03/18/2020] [Indexed: 12/27/2022] Open
Abstract
Brucellosis, caused by Brucella abortus, is a major disease of cattle and humans worldwide distributed. Eradication and control of the disease has been difficult in Central and South America, Central Asia, the Mediterranean and the Middle East. Epidemiological strategies combined with phylogenetic methods provide the high-resolution power needed to study relationships between surveillance data and pathogen population dynamics, using genetic diversity and spatiotemporal distributions. This information is crucial for prevention and control of disease spreading at a local and worldwide level. In Costa Rica (CR), the disease was first reported at the beginning of the 20th century and has not been controlled despite many efforts. We characterized 188 B. abortus isolates from CR recovered from cattle, humans and water buffalo, from 2003 to 2018, and whole genome sequencing (WGS) was performed in 95 of them. They were also assessed based on geographic origin, date of introduction, and phylogenetic associations in a worldwide and national context. Our results show circulation of five B. abortus lineages (I to V) in CR, phylogenetically related to isolates from the United States, United Kingdom, and South America. Lineage I was dominant and probably introduced at the end of the 19th century. Lineage II, represented by a single isolate from a water buffalo, clustered with a Colombian sample, and was likely introduced after 1845. Lineages III and IV were likely introduced during the early 2000s. Fourteen isolates from humans were found within the same lineage (lineage I) regardless of their geographic origin within the country. The main CR lineages, introduced more than 100 years ago, are widely spread throughout the country, in contrast to new introductions that seemed to be more geographically restricted. Following the brucellosis prevalence and the farming practices of several middle- and low-income countries, similar scenarios could be found in other regions worldwide.
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Affiliation(s)
- Marcela Suárez-Esquivel
- Programa de Investigación en Enfermedades Tropicales, Escuela de Medicina Veterinaria, Universidad Nacional, Heredia, Costa Rica
| | - Gabriela Hernández-Mora
- Servicio Nacional de Salud Animal, Ministerio de Agricultura y Ganadería, Heredia, Costa Rica
| | - Nazareth Ruiz-Villalobos
- Programa de Investigación en Enfermedades Tropicales, Escuela de Medicina Veterinaria, Universidad Nacional, Heredia, Costa Rica
| | - Elías Barquero-Calvo
- Programa de Investigación en Enfermedades Tropicales, Escuela de Medicina Veterinaria, Universidad Nacional, Heredia, Costa Rica
- Centro de Investigación en Enfermedades Tropicales, Facultad de Microbiología, Universidad de Costa Rica, San José, Costa Rica
| | - Carlos Chacón-Díaz
- Centro de Investigación en Enfermedades Tropicales, Facultad de Microbiología, Universidad de Costa Rica, San José, Costa Rica
| | - Jason T. Ladner
- The Pathogen and Microbiome Institute, Northern Arizona University, United States of America
| | - Gerardo Oviedo-Sánchez
- Programa de Investigación en Enfermedades Tropicales, Escuela de Medicina Veterinaria, Universidad Nacional, Heredia, Costa Rica
- Centro de Investigación en Enfermedades Tropicales, Facultad de Microbiología, Universidad de Costa Rica, San José, Costa Rica
| | - Jeffrey T. Foster
- The Pathogen and Microbiome Institute, Northern Arizona University, United States of America
| | - Norman Rojas-Campos
- Centro de Investigación en Enfermedades Tropicales, Facultad de Microbiología, Universidad de Costa Rica, San José, Costa Rica
| | - Esteban Chaves-Olarte
- Centro de Investigación en Enfermedades Tropicales, Facultad de Microbiología, Universidad de Costa Rica, San José, Costa Rica
| | - Nicholas R. Thomson
- Parasites and Microbes from Pathogen Genomics, Wellcome Trust Sanger Institute, Hinxton, United Kingdom
| | - Edgardo Moreno
- Programa de Investigación en Enfermedades Tropicales, Escuela de Medicina Veterinaria, Universidad Nacional, Heredia, Costa Rica
| | - Caterina Guzmán-Verri
- Programa de Investigación en Enfermedades Tropicales, Escuela de Medicina Veterinaria, Universidad Nacional, Heredia, Costa Rica
- Centro de Investigación en Enfermedades Tropicales, Facultad de Microbiología, Universidad de Costa Rica, San José, Costa Rica
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27
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Kushwaha P, Kashyap PL, Bhardwaj AK, Kuppusamy P, Srivastava AK, Tiwari RK. Bacterial endophyte mediated plant tolerance to salinity: growth responses and mechanisms of action. World J Microbiol Biotechnol 2020; 36:26. [PMID: 31997078 DOI: 10.1007/s11274-020-2804-9] [Citation(s) in RCA: 24] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/09/2019] [Accepted: 01/22/2020] [Indexed: 12/18/2022]
Abstract
Salinity stress is one of the key constraints for sustainable crop production. It has gained immense importance in the backdrop of climate change induced imbalanced terrestrial water budgets. The traditional agronomic approaches and breeding salt-tolerant genotypes have often proved insufficient to alleviate salinity stress. Newer approaches like the use of bacterial endophytes associated with agricultural crops have occupied center place recently, owing to their advantageous role in improving crop growth, health and yield. Research evidences have revealed that bacterial endophytes can promote plant growth by accelerating availability of mineral nutrients, helping in production of phytohormones, siderophores, and enzymes, and also by activating systemic resistance against insect pest and pathogens in plants. These research developments have opened an innovative boulevard in agriculture for capitalizing bacterial endophytes, single species or consortium, to enhance plant salt tolerance capabilities, and ultimately lead to translational refinement of crop-production business under salty environments. This article reviews the latest research progress on the identification and functional characterization of salt tolerant endophytic bacteria and illustrates various mechanisms triggered by them for plant growth promotion under saline environment.
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Affiliation(s)
- Prity Kushwaha
- ICAR-National Bureau of Agriculturally Important Microorganisms (NBAIM), Uttar Pradesh, Mau, 275103, India
| | - Prem Lal Kashyap
- ICAR-Indian Institute of Wheat and Barley Research (IIWBR), Karnal, 132001, India.
| | - Ajay Kumar Bhardwaj
- ICAR-Central Soil Salinity Research Institute (CSSRI), Karnal, 132001, India.
| | - Pandiyan Kuppusamy
- ICAR-National Bureau of Agriculturally Important Microorganisms (NBAIM), Uttar Pradesh, Mau, 275103, India
| | - Alok Kumar Srivastava
- ICAR-National Bureau of Agriculturally Important Microorganisms (NBAIM), Uttar Pradesh, Mau, 275103, India
| | - Rajesh Kumar Tiwari
- AMITY University, Uttar Pradesh Lucknow Campus, Malhaur, Gomti Nagar Extension, Lucknow, 227105, India
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28
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Abstract
Prokaryotes commonly undergo genome reduction, particularly in the case of symbiotic bacteria. Genome reductions tend toward the energetically favorable removal of unnecessary, redundant, or nonfunctional genes. However, without mechanisms to compensate for these losses, deleterious mutation and genetic drift might otherwise overwhelm a population. Among the mechanisms employed to counter gene loss and share evolutionary success within a population, gene transfer agents (GTAs) are increasingly becoming recognized as important contributors. Although viral in origin, GTA particles package fragments of their "host" genome for distribution within a population of cells, often in a synchronized manner, rather than selfishly packaging genes necessary for their spread. Microbes as diverse as archaea and alpha-proteobacteria have been known to produce GTA particles, which are capable of transferring selective advantages such as virulence factors and antibiotic resistance. In this review, we discuss the various types of GTAs identified thus far, focusing on a defined set of symbiotic alpha-proteobacteria known to carry them. Drawing attention to the predicted presence of these genes, we discuss their potential within the selective marine and terrestrial environments occupied by mutualistic, parasitic, and endosymbiotic microbes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Steen Christensen
- Department of Biological Sciences, Florida International University, Miami, FL, USA.,Biomolecular Sciences Institute, Florida International University, Miami, FL, USA
| | - Laura R Serbus
- Department of Biological Sciences, Florida International University, Miami, FL, USA. .,Biomolecular Sciences Institute, Florida International University, Miami, FL, USA.
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29
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Québatte M, Dehio C. Bartonella gene transfer agent: Evolution, function, and proposed role in host adaptation. Cell Microbiol 2019; 21:e13068. [PMID: 31231937 PMCID: PMC6899734 DOI: 10.1111/cmi.13068] [Citation(s) in RCA: 21] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/05/2019] [Revised: 05/09/2019] [Accepted: 06/13/2019] [Indexed: 01/05/2023]
Abstract
The processes underlying host adaptation by bacterial pathogens remain a fundamental question with relevant clinical, ecological, and evolutionary implications. Zoonotic pathogens of the genus Bartonella constitute an exceptional model to study these aspects. Bartonellae have undergone a spectacular diversification into multiple species resulting from adaptive radiation. Specific adaptations of a complex facultative intracellular lifestyle have enabled the colonisation of distinct mammalian reservoir hosts. This remarkable host adaptability has a multifactorial basis and is thought to be driven by horizontal gene transfer (HGT) and recombination among a limited genus‐specific pan genome. Recent functional and evolutionary studies revealed that the conserved Bartonella gene transfer agent (BaGTA) mediates highly efficient HGT and could thus drive this evolution. Here, we review the recent progress made towards understanding BaGTA evolution, function, and its role in the evolution and pathogenesis of Bartonella spp. We notably discuss how BaGTA could have contributed to genome diversification through recombination of beneficial traits that underlie host adaptability. We further address how BaGTA may counter the accumulation of deleterious mutations in clonal populations (Muller's ratchet), which are expected to occur through the recurrent transmission bottlenecks during the complex infection cycle of these pathogens in their mammalian reservoir hosts and arthropod vectors.
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30
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Roop RM. That's the Way You Do It. J Bacteriol 2019; 201:e00216-19. [PMID: 30936369 PMCID: PMC6531615 DOI: 10.1128/jb.00216-19] [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] [Indexed: 11/20/2022] Open
Abstract
About one-third of the proteins encoded by the bacterial genomes that have been sequenced to date are proteins of "unknown function." Studies aimed at defining the biological functions of these proteins represent an important frontier in prokaryotic biology. The study presented by J. Herrou et al. (J Bacteriol 201:e00134-19, 2019) in this issue of the Journal of Bacteriology provides an excellent example of how to pursue such studies and define a new virulence determinant for an important zoonotic pathogen.
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Affiliation(s)
- R Martin Roop
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, Brody School of Medicine, East Carolina University, Greenville, North Carolina, USA
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31
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Fiebig A, Varesio LM, Alejandro Navarreto X, Crosson S. Regulation of the Erythrobacter litoralis DSM 8509 general stress response by visible light. Mol Microbiol 2019; 112:442-460. [PMID: 31125464 DOI: 10.1111/mmi.14310] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 05/20/2019] [Indexed: 01/23/2023]
Abstract
Extracytoplasmic function (ECF) sigma factors are environmentally responsive transcriptional regulators. In Alphaproteobacteria, σEcfG activates general stress response (GSR) transcription and protects cells from multiple stressors. A phosphorylation-dependent protein partner switching mechanism, involving HWE/HisKA_2-family histidine kinases, underlies σEcfG activation. The identity of these sensor kinases and the signals that regulate them remain largely uncharacterized. We have developed the aerobic anoxygenic photoheterotroph (AAP), Erythrobacter litoralis DSM 8509, as a comparative genetic model to investigate GSR. Using this system, we sought to define the role of visible light and a photosensory HWE kinase, LovK, in regulation of GSR transcription. We identified three HWE kinase genes that collectively control GSR: gsrK and lovK are activators, while gsrP is a repressor. In wild-type cells, GSR transcription is activated in the dark and nearly off in the light, and the opposing activities of gsrK and gsrP are sufficient to modulate GSR transcription in response to illumination. In the absence of gsrK and gsrP, lovK alone is sufficient to activate GSR transcription. lovK is a more robust activator in the dark, and light-dependent regulation by LovK requires that its N-terminal LOV domain be photochemically active. Our studies establish a role for visible light and an ensemble of HWE kinases in light-dependent regulation of GSR transcription in E. litoralis.
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Affiliation(s)
- Aretha Fiebig
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, The University of Chicago, Chicago, IL, 60637, USA
| | - Lydia M Varesio
- The Committee on Microbiology, The University of Chicago, Chicago, IL, 60637, USA
| | | | - Sean Crosson
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, The University of Chicago, Chicago, IL, 60637, USA.,The Committee on Microbiology, The University of Chicago, Chicago, IL, 60637, USA
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32
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Brucella Periplasmic Protein EipB Is a Molecular Determinant of Cell Envelope Integrity and Virulence. J Bacteriol 2019; 201:JB.00134-19. [PMID: 30936371 DOI: 10.1128/jb.00134-19] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/14/2019] [Accepted: 03/25/2019] [Indexed: 01/18/2023] Open
Abstract
The Gram-negative cell envelope is a remarkable structure with core components that include an inner membrane, an outer membrane, and a peptidoglycan layer in the periplasmic space between. Multiple molecular systems function to maintain integrity of this essential barrier between the interior of the cell and its surrounding environment. We show that a conserved DUF1849 family protein, EipB, is secreted to the periplasmic space of Brucella species, a monophyletic group of intracellular pathogens. In the periplasm, EipB folds into an unusual 14-stranded β-spiral structure that resembles the LolA and LolB lipoprotein delivery system, though the overall fold of EipB is distinct from LolA/LolB. Deletion of eipB results in defects in Brucella cell envelope integrity in vitro and in maintenance of spleen colonization in a mouse model of Brucella abortus infection. Transposon disruption of ttpA, which encodes a periplasmic protein containing tetratricopeptide repeats, is synthetically lethal with eipB deletion. ttpA is a reported virulence determinant in Brucella, and our studies of ttpA deletion and overexpression strains provide evidence that this gene also contributes to cell envelope function. We conclude that eipB and ttpA function in the Brucella periplasmic space to maintain cell envelope integrity, which facilitates survival in a mammalian host.IMPORTANCE Brucella species cause brucellosis, a global zoonosis. A gene encoding a conserved DUF1849-family protein, which we have named EipB, is present in all sequenced Brucella and several other genera in the class Alphaproteobacteria The manuscript provides the first functional and structural characterization of a DUF1849 protein. We show that EipB is secreted to the periplasm where it forms a spiral-shaped antiparallel β protein that is a determinant of cell envelope integrity in vitro and virulence in an animal model of disease. eipB genetically interacts with ttpA, which also encodes a periplasmic protein. We propose that EipB and TtpA function as part of a system required for cell envelope homeostasis in select Alphaproteobacteria.
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Herrou J, Willett JW, Fiebig A, Varesio LM, Czyż DM, Cheng JX, Ultee E, Briegel A, Bigelow L, Babnigg G, Kim Y, Crosson S. Periplasmic protein EipA determines envelope stress resistance and virulence in Brucella abortus. Mol Microbiol 2019; 111:637-661. [PMID: 30536925 DOI: 10.1111/mmi.14178] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 11/30/2018] [Indexed: 12/17/2022]
Abstract
Molecular components of the Brucella abortus cell envelope play a major role in its ability to infect, colonize and survive inside mammalian host cells. In this study, we have defined a role for a conserved gene of unknown function in B. abortus envelope stress resistance and infection. Expression of this gene, which we name eipA, is directly activated by the essential cell cycle regulator, CtrA. eipA encodes a soluble periplasmic protein that adopts an unusual eight-stranded β-barrel fold. Deletion of eipA attenuates replication and survival in macrophage and mouse infection models, and results in sensitivity to treatments that compromise the cell envelope integrity. Transposon disruption of genes required for LPS O-polysaccharide biosynthesis is synthetically lethal with eipA deletion. This genetic connection between O-polysaccharide and eipA is corroborated by our discovery that eipA is essential in Brucella ovis, a naturally rough species that harbors mutations in several genes required for O-polysaccharide production. Conditional depletion of eipA expression in B. ovis results in a cell chaining phenotype, providing evidence that eipA directly or indirectly influences cell division in Brucella. We conclude that EipA is a molecular determinant of Brucella virulence that functions to maintain cell envelope integrity and influences cell division.
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Affiliation(s)
- Julien Herrou
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, The University of Chicago, Chicago, IL, USA
| | - Jonathan W Willett
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, The University of Chicago, Chicago, IL, USA
| | - Aretha Fiebig
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, The University of Chicago, Chicago, IL, USA
| | - Lydia M Varesio
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, The University of Chicago, Chicago, IL, USA
| | - Daniel M Czyż
- Department of Microbiology and Cell Science, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL, USA
| | - Jason X Cheng
- Department of Pathology, The University of Chicago, Chicago, IL, USA
| | - Eveline Ultee
- Department of Biology, Universiteit Leiden, Leiden, Netherlands
| | - Ariane Briegel
- Department of Biology, Universiteit Leiden, Leiden, Netherlands
| | - Lance Bigelow
- Biosciences Division, Argonne National Laboratory, Argonne, IL, USA
| | - Gyorgy Babnigg
- Biosciences Division, Argonne National Laboratory, Argonne, IL, USA
| | - Youngchang Kim
- Biosciences Division, Argonne National Laboratory, Argonne, IL, USA
| | - Sean Crosson
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, The University of Chicago, Chicago, IL, USA
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Kosoy M, Goodrich I. Comparative Ecology of Bartonella and Brucella Infections in Wild Carnivores. Front Vet Sci 2019; 5:322. [PMID: 30662899 PMCID: PMC6328487 DOI: 10.3389/fvets.2018.00322] [Citation(s) in RCA: 20] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/23/2018] [Accepted: 12/03/2018] [Indexed: 01/15/2023] Open
Abstract
Phylogenetic sister clades Bartonella and Brucella within the order Rhizobiales present some common biological characteristics as well as evident differences in adaptations to their mammalian reservoirs. We reviewed published data on Bartonella and Brucella infections in wild carnivores to compare the ecology of these bacteria in relatively similar host environments. Arthropod vectors are the main mechanism for Bartonella species transmission between mammalian hosts. The role of arthropods in transmission of Brucella remains disputed, however experimental studies and reported detection of Brucella in arthropods indicate potential vector transmission. More commonly, transmission of Brucella occurs via contact exposure to infected animals or the environment contaminated with their discharges. Of 26 species of carnivores tested for both Bartonella and Brucella, 58% harbored either. Among them were bobcats, African lions, golden jackals, coyotes, wolves, foxes, striped skunks, sea otters, raccoons, and harbor seals. The most common species of Bartonella in wild carnivores was B. henselae, found in 23 species, followed by B. rochalimae in 12, B. clarridgeiae in ten, and B. vinsonii subsp. berkhoffii in seven. Among Brucella species, Br. abortus was reported in over 30 terrestrial carnivore species, followed by Br. canis in seven. Marine carnivores, such as seals and sea lions, can host Br. pinnipedialis. In contrast, there is no evidence of a Bartonella strain specific for marine mammals. Bartonella species are present practically in every sampled species of wild felids, but of 14 Brucella studies of felids, only five reported Brucella and those were limited to detection of antibodies. We found no reports of Bartonella in bears while Brucella was detected in these animals. There is evident host-specificity of Bartonella species in wild carnivores (e.g., B. henselae in felids and B. vinsonii subsp. berkhoffii in canids). A co-adaptation of Brucella with terrestrial wild carnivore hosts is not as straightforward as in domestic animals. Wild carnivores often carry the same pathogens as their domesticated relatives (cats and dogs), but the risk of exposure varies widely because of differences in biology, distribution, and historical interactions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Michael Kosoy
- Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Fort Collins, CO, United States
| | - Irina Goodrich
- Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Fort Collins, CO, United States
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Villagrasa E, Ferrer-Miralles N, Millach L, Obiol A, Creus J, Esteve I, Solé A. Morphological responses to nitrogen stress deficiency of a new heterotrophic isolated strain of Ebro Delta microbial mats. PROTOPLASMA 2019; 256:105-116. [PMID: 29987389 DOI: 10.1007/s00709-018-1263-8] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/20/2018] [Accepted: 05/09/2018] [Indexed: 06/08/2023]
Abstract
Microorganisms living in hypersaline microbial mats frequently form consortia under stressful and changing environmental conditions. In this paper, the heterotrophic strain DE2010 from a microalgae consortium (Scenedesmus sp. DE2009) from Ebro Delta microbial mats has been phenotypically and genotypically characterized and identified. In addition, changes in the morphology and biomass of this bacterium in response to nitrogen deficiency stress have been evaluated by correlative light and electron microscopy (CLEM) combining differential interference contrast (DIC) microscopy and transmission electron microscopy (TEM) and scanning electron microscopy (SEM). These isolated bacteria are chemoorganoheterotrophic, gram-negative, and strictly aerobic bacteria that use a variety of amino acids, organic acids, and carbohydrates as carbon and energy sources, and they grow optimally at 27 °C in a pH range of 5 to 9 and tolerate salinity from 0 to 70‰ NaCl. The DNA-sequencing analysis of the 16S rRNA and nudC and fixH genes and the metabolic characterization highlight that strain DE2010 corresponds to the species Ochrobactrum anthropi. Cells are rod shaped, 1-3 μm in length, and 0.5 μm wide, but under deprived nitrogen conditions, cells are less abundant and become more round, reducing their length and area and, consequently, their biomass. An increase in the number of pleomorphic cells is observed in cultures grown without nitrogen using different optical and electron microscopy techniques. In addition, the amplification of the fixH gene confirms that Ochrobactrum anthropi DE2010 has the capacity to fix nitrogen, overcoming N2-limiting conditions through a nifH-independent mechanism that is still unidentified.
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Affiliation(s)
- Eduard Villagrasa
- Departament de Genètica i Microbiologia, Facultat de Biociències, Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona, Campus de la UAB, Bellaterra, Cerdanyola del Vallès, 08193, Barcelona, Spain
| | - Neus Ferrer-Miralles
- Departament de Genètica i Microbiologia, Facultat de Biociències, Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona, Campus de la UAB, Bellaterra, Cerdanyola del Vallès, 08193, Barcelona, Spain
- Institut de Biotecnologia i de Biomedicina, Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona, Bellaterra, Cerdanyola del Vallès, 08193, Barcelona, Spain
- CIBER de Bioingeniería, Biomateriales y Nanomedicina (CIBER-BBN), Madrid, Spain
| | - Laia Millach
- Departament de Genètica i Microbiologia, Facultat de Biociències, Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona, Campus de la UAB, Bellaterra, Cerdanyola del Vallès, 08193, Barcelona, Spain
| | - Aleix Obiol
- Departament de Genètica i Microbiologia, Facultat de Biociències, Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona, Campus de la UAB, Bellaterra, Cerdanyola del Vallès, 08193, Barcelona, Spain
| | - Jordi Creus
- Departament de Genètica i Microbiologia, Facultat de Biociències, Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona, Campus de la UAB, Bellaterra, Cerdanyola del Vallès, 08193, Barcelona, Spain
| | - Isabel Esteve
- Departament de Genètica i Microbiologia, Facultat de Biociències, Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona, Campus de la UAB, Bellaterra, Cerdanyola del Vallès, 08193, Barcelona, Spain
| | - Antonio Solé
- Departament de Genètica i Microbiologia, Facultat de Biociències, Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona, Campus de la UAB, Bellaterra, Cerdanyola del Vallès, 08193, Barcelona, Spain.
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Abstract
Fixed (reduced) soil nitrogen plays a critical role in soil fertility and successful food growth. Much soil fertility relies on symbiotic nitrogen fixation: the bacterial partner infects the host plant roots and reduces atmospheric dinitrogen in exchange for host metabolic fuel, a process that involves complex interactions between the partners mediated by changes in gene expression in each partner. Here we test the roles of a family of 11 extracytoplasmic function (ECF) gene regulatory proteins (sigma factors [σs]) that interact with RNA polymerase to determine if they play a significant role in establishing a nitrogen-fixing symbiosis or in responding to various stresses, including cell envelope stress. We discovered that symbiotic nitrogen fixation occurs even when all 11 of these regulatory genes are deleted, that most ECF sigma factors control accessory functions, and that none of the ECF sigma factors are required to survive envelope stress. Bacteria must sense alterations in their environment and respond with changes in function and/or structure in order to cope. Extracytoplasmic function sigma factors (ECF σs) modulate transcription in response to cellular and environmental signals. The symbiotic nitrogen-fixing alphaproteobacterium Sinorhizobium meliloti carries genes for 11 ECF-like σs (RpoE1 to -E10 and FecI). We hypothesized that some of these play a role in mediating the interaction between the bacterium and its plant symbiotic partner. The bacterium senses changes in its immediate environment as it establishes contact with the plant root, initiates invasion of the plant as the root nodule is formed, traverses several root cell layers, and enters plant cortical cells via endocytosis. We used genetics, transcriptomics, and functionality to characterize the entire S. meliloti cohort of ECF σs. We discovered new targets for individual σs, confirmed others by overexpressing individual ECF σs, and identified or confirmed putative promoter motifs for nine of them. We constructed precise deletions of each ECF σ gene and its demonstrated or putative anti-σ gene and also a strain in which all 11 ECF σ and anti-σ genes were deleted. This all-ECF σ deletion strain showed no major defects in free-living growth, in Biolog Phenotype MicroArray assays, or in response to multiple stresses. None of the ECF σs were required for symbiosis on the host plants Medicago sativa and Medicago truncatula: the strain deleted for all ECF σ and anti-σ genes was symbiotically normal. IMPORTANCE Fixed (reduced) soil nitrogen plays a critical role in soil fertility and successful food growth. Much soil fertility relies on symbiotic nitrogen fixation: the bacterial partner infects the host plant roots and reduces atmospheric dinitrogen in exchange for host metabolic fuel, a process that involves complex interactions between the partners mediated by changes in gene expression in each partner. Here we test the roles of a family of 11 extracytoplasmic function (ECF) gene regulatory proteins (sigma factors [σs]) that interact with RNA polymerase to determine if they play a significant role in establishing a nitrogen-fixing symbiosis or in responding to various stresses, including cell envelope stress. We discovered that symbiotic nitrogen fixation occurs even when all 11 of these regulatory genes are deleted, that most ECF sigma factors control accessory functions, and that none of the ECF sigma factors are required to survive envelope stress.
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Herrou J, Czyż DM, Fiebig A, Willett JW, Kim Y, Wu R, Babnigg G, Crosson S. Molecular control of gene expression by Brucella BaaR, an IclR-type transcriptional repressor. J Biol Chem 2018; 293:7437-7456. [PMID: 29567835 PMCID: PMC5949995 DOI: 10.1074/jbc.ra118.002045] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/23/2018] [Revised: 03/19/2018] [Indexed: 01/06/2023] Open
Abstract
The general stress response sigma factor σE1 directly and indirectly regulates the transcription of dozens of genes that influence stress survival and host infection in the zoonotic pathogen Brucella abortus Characterizing the functions of σE1-regulated genes therefore would contribute to our understanding of B. abortus physiology and infection biology. σE1 indirectly activates transcription of the IclR family regulator Bab2_0215, but the function of this regulator remains undefined. Here, we present a structural and functional characterization of Bab2_0215, which we have named B rucella adipic acid-activated regulator (BaaR). We found that BaaR adopts a classic IclR-family fold and directly represses the transcription of two operons with predicted roles in carboxylic acid oxidation. BaaR binds two sites on chromosome II between baaR and a divergently transcribed hydratase/dehydrogenase (acaD2), and it represses transcription of both genes. We identified three carboxylic acids (adipic acid, tetradecanedioic acid, and ϵ-aminocaproic acid) and a lactone (ϵ-caprolactone) that enhance transcription from the baaR and acaD2 promoters. However, neither the activating acids nor caprolactone enhanced transcription by binding directly to BaaR. Induction of baaR transcription by adipic acid required the gene bab2_0213, which encodes a major facilitator superfamily transporter, suggesting that Bab2_0213 transports adipic acid across the inner membrane. We conclude that a suite of structurally related organic molecules activate transcription of genes repressed by BaaR. Our study provides molecular-level understanding of a gene expression program in B. abortus that is downstream of σE1.
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Affiliation(s)
- Julien Herrou
- Departments of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Chicago, Illinois 60637; Howard Taylor Ricketts Laboratory, University of Chicago, Argonne, Illinois 60439
| | - Daniel M Czyż
- Departments of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Chicago, Illinois 60637; Howard Taylor Ricketts Laboratory, University of Chicago, Argonne, Illinois 60439
| | - Aretha Fiebig
- Howard Taylor Ricketts Laboratory, University of Chicago, Argonne, Illinois 60439
| | - Jonathan W Willett
- Departments of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Chicago, Illinois 60637; Howard Taylor Ricketts Laboratory, University of Chicago, Argonne, Illinois 60439
| | | | - Ruiying Wu
- Argonne National Laboratory, Argonne, Illinois 60439
| | | | - Sean Crosson
- Departments of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Chicago, Illinois 60637; Howard Taylor Ricketts Laboratory, University of Chicago, Argonne, Illinois 60439; Microbiology, University of Chicago, Chicago, Illinois 60637.
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Schneijderberg M, Schmitz L, Cheng X, Polman S, Franken C, Geurts R, Bisseling T. A genetically and functionally diverse group of non-diazotrophic Bradyrhizobium spp. colonizes the root endophytic compartment of Arabidopsis thaliana. BMC PLANT BIOLOGY 2018; 18:61. [PMID: 29642886 PMCID: PMC5896095 DOI: 10.1186/s12870-018-1272-y] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/03/2017] [Accepted: 03/26/2018] [Indexed: 06/08/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Diazotrophic Bradyrhizobium spp. are well known for their ability to trigger nodule formation on a variety of legume species. In nodules, Bradyrhizobium utilizes plant-derived carbohydrates in exchange for fixed nitrogen. The genes essential for the nodulation and nitrogen-fixation trait are clustered in a genomic region, which is known as the 'symbiotic island'. Recently, novel non-diazotrophic Bradyrhizobium spp. have been found to be highly abundant in soils, suggesting that these species can also have a 'free-living' life history. However, whether non-diazotrophic Bradyrhizobium spp. can live in association with plants remains elusive. RESULTS In this study, we show that Bradyrhizobium spp. are common root endophytes of non-legume plant species - including Arabidopsis thaliana (Arabidopsis) - grown in an ecological setting. From a single Arabidopsis root, four Bradyrhizobium sp. strains (designated MOS001 to MOS004) were isolated. Comparative genome analysis revealed that these strains were genetically and functionally highly diverse, but did not harbour the nodulation and the nitrogen fixation gene clusters. Comparative colonization experiments, with MOS strains and nitrogen-fixing symbiotic strains, revealed that all tested Bradyrhizobium spp. can colonize the root endophytic compartment of Arabidopsis. CONCLUSION This study provides evidence that both diazotrophic and non-diazotrophic Bradyrhizobium spp. colonize the root endophytic compartment of a wide variety of plant species, including the model species Arabidopsis. This demonstrates that plant roots form a major ecological niche for Bradyrhizobium spp., which might be ancestral to the evolution of the nodulation and nitrogen-fixation trait in this genus.
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Affiliation(s)
- Martinus Schneijderberg
- Department of Plant Sciences, Laboratory of Molecular Biology, Wageningen University, Droevendaalsesteeg 1, 6708 PB Wageningen, The Netherlands
| | - Lucas Schmitz
- Department of Plant Sciences, Laboratory of Molecular Biology, Wageningen University, Droevendaalsesteeg 1, 6708 PB Wageningen, The Netherlands
| | - Xu Cheng
- Department of Plant Sciences, Laboratory of Molecular Biology, Wageningen University, Droevendaalsesteeg 1, 6708 PB Wageningen, The Netherlands
| | - Sharon Polman
- Department of Plant Sciences, Laboratory of Molecular Biology, Wageningen University, Droevendaalsesteeg 1, 6708 PB Wageningen, The Netherlands
| | - Carolien Franken
- Department of Plant Sciences, Laboratory of Molecular Biology, Wageningen University, Droevendaalsesteeg 1, 6708 PB Wageningen, The Netherlands
| | - Rene Geurts
- Department of Plant Sciences, Laboratory of Molecular Biology, Wageningen University, Droevendaalsesteeg 1, 6708 PB Wageningen, The Netherlands
| | - Ton Bisseling
- Department of Plant Sciences, Laboratory of Molecular Biology, Wageningen University, Droevendaalsesteeg 1, 6708 PB Wageningen, The Netherlands
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Baglivo I, Pirone L, Malgieri G, Fattorusso R, Roop II RM, Pedone EM, Pedone PV. MucR binds multiple target sites in the promoter of its own gene and is a heat-stable protein: Is MucR a H-NS-like protein? FEBS Open Bio 2018; 8:711-718. [PMID: 29632823 PMCID: PMC5881533 DOI: 10.1002/2211-5463.12411] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/20/2018] [Revised: 02/17/2018] [Accepted: 02/21/2018] [Indexed: 01/08/2023] Open
Abstract
The protein MucR from Brucella spp. is involved in the expression regulation of genes necessary for host interaction and infection. MucR is a member of the Ros/MucR family, which comprises prokaryotic zinc-finger proteins and includes Ros from Agrobacterium tumefaciens and the Ml proteins from Mesorhizobium loti. MucR from Brucella spp. can regulate the expression of virulence genes and repress its own gene expression. Despite the well-known role played by MucR in the repression of its own gene, no target sequence has yet been identified in the mucR promoter gene. In this study, we provide the first evidence that MucR from Brucella abortus binds more than one target site in the promoter region of its own gene, suggesting a molecular mechanism by which this protein represses its own expression. Furthermore, a circular dichroism analysis reveals that MucR is a heat-stable protein. Overall, the results of this study suggest that MucR might resemble a H-NS protein.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ilaria Baglivo
- Department of Environmental, Biological and Pharmaceutical Sciences and TechnologiesUniversity of Campania ‘Luigi Vanvitelli’CasertaItaly
| | - Luciano Pirone
- Institute of Biostructures and BioimagingC.N.R.NaplesItaly
| | - Gaetano Malgieri
- Department of Environmental, Biological and Pharmaceutical Sciences and TechnologiesUniversity of Campania ‘Luigi Vanvitelli’CasertaItaly
| | - Roberto Fattorusso
- Department of Environmental, Biological and Pharmaceutical Sciences and TechnologiesUniversity of Campania ‘Luigi Vanvitelli’CasertaItaly
| | - Roy Martin Roop II
- Department of Microbiology and ImmunologyBrody School of MedicineEast Carolina UniversityGreenvilleNCUSA
| | | | - Paolo Vincenzo Pedone
- Department of Environmental, Biological and Pharmaceutical Sciences and TechnologiesUniversity of Campania ‘Luigi Vanvitelli’CasertaItaly
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Hitch TCA, Thomas BJ, Friedersdorff JCA, Ougham H, Creevey CJ. Deep sequence analysis reveals the ovine rumen as a reservoir of antibiotic resistance genes. ENVIRONMENTAL POLLUTION (BARKING, ESSEX : 1987) 2018; 235:571-575. [PMID: 29331890 DOI: 10.1016/j.envpol.2017.12.067] [Citation(s) in RCA: 25] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/14/2017] [Revised: 12/06/2017] [Accepted: 12/18/2017] [Indexed: 06/07/2023]
Abstract
Antibiotic resistance is an increasingly important environmental pollutant with direct consequences for human health. Identification of environmental sources of antibiotic resistance genes (ARGs) makes it possible to follow their evolution and prevent their entry into the clinical setting. ARGs have been found in environmental sources exogenous to the original source and previous studies have shown that these genes are capable of being transferred from livestock to humans. Due to the nature of farming and the slaughter of ruminants for food, humans interact with these animals in close proximity, and for this reason it is important to consider the risks to human health. In this study, we characterised the ARG populations in the ovine rumen, termed the resistome. This was done using the Comprehensive Antibiotic Resistance Database (CARD) to identify the presence of genes conferring resistance to antibiotics within the rumen. Genes were successfully mapped to those that confer resistance to a total of 30 different antibiotics. Daptomycin was identified as the most common antibiotic for which resistance is present, suggesting that ruminants may be a source of daptomycin ARGs. Colistin resistance, conferred by the gene pmrE, was also found to be present within all samples, with an average abundance of 800 counts. Due to the high abundance of some ARGs (against daptomycin) and the presence of rare ARGs (against colistin), we suggest further study and monitoring of the rumen resistome as a possible source of clinically relevant ARGs.
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Affiliation(s)
- Thomas C A Hitch
- Institute of Biological, Environmental and Rural Sciences (IBERS), Aberystwyth University, Aberystwyth, SY23 3FG, UK.
| | - Ben J Thomas
- Institute of Biological, Environmental and Rural Sciences (IBERS), Aberystwyth University, Aberystwyth, SY23 3FG, UK
| | - Jessica C A Friedersdorff
- Institute of Biological, Environmental and Rural Sciences (IBERS), Aberystwyth University, Aberystwyth, SY23 3FG, UK
| | - Helen Ougham
- Institute of Biological, Environmental and Rural Sciences (IBERS), Aberystwyth University, Aberystwyth, SY23 3FG, UK
| | - Christopher J Creevey
- Institute of Biological, Environmental and Rural Sciences (IBERS), Aberystwyth University, Aberystwyth, SY23 3FG, UK
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Coba de la Peña T, Fedorova E, Pueyo JJ, Lucas MM. The Symbiosome: Legume and Rhizobia Co-evolution toward a Nitrogen-Fixing Organelle? FRONTIERS IN PLANT SCIENCE 2018; 8:2229. [PMID: 29403508 PMCID: PMC5786577 DOI: 10.3389/fpls.2017.02229] [Citation(s) in RCA: 74] [Impact Index Per Article: 12.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/25/2017] [Accepted: 12/19/2017] [Indexed: 05/21/2023]
Abstract
In legume nodules, symbiosomes containing endosymbiotic rhizobial bacteria act as temporary plant organelles that are responsible for nitrogen fixation, these bacteria develop mutual metabolic dependence with the host legume. In most legumes, the rhizobia infect post-mitotic cells that have lost their ability to divide, although in some nodules cells do maintain their mitotic capacity after infection. Here, we review what is currently known about legume symbiosomes from an evolutionary and developmental perspective, and in the context of the different interactions between diazotroph bacteria and eukaryotes. As a result, it can be concluded that the symbiosome possesses organelle-like characteristics due to its metabolic behavior, the composite origin and differentiation of its membrane, the retargeting of host cell proteins, the control of microsymbiont proliferation and differentiation by the host legume, and the cytoskeletal dynamics and symbiosome segregation during the division of rhizobia-infected cells. Different degrees of symbiosome evolution can be defined, specifically in relation to rhizobial infection and to the different types of nodule. Thus, our current understanding of the symbiosome suggests that it might be considered a nitrogen-fixing link in organelle evolution and that the distinct types of legume symbiosomes could represent different evolutionary stages toward the generation of a nitrogen-fixing organelle.
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Affiliation(s)
- Teodoro Coba de la Peña
- Instituto de Ciencias Agrarias ICA-CSIC, Madrid, Spain
- Centro de Estudios Avanzados en Zonas Áridas (CEAZA), La Serena, Chile
| | - Elena Fedorova
- Instituto de Ciencias Agrarias ICA-CSIC, Madrid, Spain
- K. A. Timiryazev Institute of Plant Physiology, Russian Academy of Science, Moscow, Russia
| | - José J Pueyo
- Instituto de Ciencias Agrarias ICA-CSIC, Madrid, Spain
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Legrand TPRA, Catalano SR, Wos-Oxley ML, Stephens F, Landos M, Bansemer MS, Stone DAJ, Qin JG, Oxley APA. The Inner Workings of the Outer Surface: Skin and Gill Microbiota as Indicators of Changing Gut Health in Yellowtail Kingfish. Front Microbiol 2018; 8:2664. [PMID: 29379473 PMCID: PMC5775239 DOI: 10.3389/fmicb.2017.02664] [Citation(s) in RCA: 83] [Impact Index Per Article: 13.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/09/2017] [Accepted: 12/21/2017] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
The mucosal surfaces and associated microbiota of fish are an important primary barrier and provide the first line of defense against potential pathogens. An understanding of the skin and gill microbial assemblages and the factors which drive their composition may provide useful insights into the broad dynamics of fish host–microbial relationships, and may reveal underlying changes in health status. This is particularly pertinent to cultivated systems whereby various stressors may led to conditions (like enteritis) which impinge on productivity. As an economically important species, we assessed whether the outer-surface bacterial communities reflect a change in gut health status of cultivated Yellowtail Kingfish (Seriola lalandi). Active bacterial assemblages were surveyed from RNA extracts from swabs of the skin and gills by constructing Illumina 16S rRNA gene amplicon libraries. Proteobacteria and Bacteroidetes were predominant in both the skin and gills, with enrichment of key β-proteobacteria in the gills (Nitrosomonadales and Ferrovales). Fish exhibiting early stage chronic lymphocytic enteritis comprised markedly different global bacterial assemblages compared to those deemed healthy and exhibiting late stages of the disease. This corresponded to an overall loss of diversity and enrichment of Proteobacteria and Actinobacteria, particularly in the gills. In contrast, bacterial assemblages of fish with late stage enteritis were generally similar to those of healthy individuals, though with some distinct taxa. In conclusion, gut health status is an important factor which defines the skin and gill bacterial assemblages of fish and likely reflects changes in immune states and barrier systems during the early onset of conditions like enteritis. This study represents the first to investigate the microbiota of the outer mucosal surfaces of fish in response to underlying chronic gut enteritis, revealing potential biomarkers for assessing fish health in commercial aquaculture systems.
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Affiliation(s)
- Thibault P R A Legrand
- Aquatic Sciences Centre, South Australian Research and Development Institute, West Beach, SA, Australia.,School of Biological Sciences, Flinders University, Adelaide, SA, Australia
| | - Sarah R Catalano
- Aquatic Sciences Centre, South Australian Research and Development Institute, West Beach, SA, Australia
| | - Melissa L Wos-Oxley
- Research Group Microbial Interactions and Processes, Helmholtz Centre for Infection Research, Braunschweig, Germany.,South Australian Museum, Adelaide, SA, Australia
| | | | - Matt Landos
- Future Fisheries Veterinary Service Pty Ltd., East Ballina, NSW, Australia
| | - Matthew S Bansemer
- Aquatic Sciences Centre, South Australian Research and Development Institute, West Beach, SA, Australia
| | - David A J Stone
- Aquatic Sciences Centre, South Australian Research and Development Institute, West Beach, SA, Australia.,School of Biological Sciences, Flinders University, Adelaide, SA, Australia
| | - Jian G Qin
- School of Biological Sciences, Flinders University, Adelaide, SA, Australia
| | - Andrew P A Oxley
- Aquatic Sciences Centre, South Australian Research and Development Institute, West Beach, SA, Australia
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Small Noncoding RNA AbcR1 Addressing Multiple Target mRNAs From Transcriptional Factor and Two-Component Response Regulator of Brucella melitensis. Jundishapur J Microbiol 2017. [DOI: 10.5812/jjm.60269] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/08/2023] Open
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44
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Daubech B, Remigi P, Doin de Moura G, Marchetti M, Pouzet C, Auriac MC, Gokhale CS, Masson-Boivin C, Capela D. Spatio-temporal control of mutualism in legumes helps spread symbiotic nitrogen fixation. eLife 2017; 6:e28683. [PMID: 29022875 PMCID: PMC5687860 DOI: 10.7554/elife.28683] [Citation(s) in RCA: 30] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/17/2017] [Accepted: 10/11/2017] [Indexed: 01/01/2023] Open
Abstract
Mutualism is of fundamental importance in ecosystems. Which factors help to keep the relationship mutually beneficial and evolutionarily successful is a central question. We addressed this issue for one of the most significant mutualistic interactions on Earth, which associates plants of the leguminosae family and hundreds of nitrogen (N2)-fixing bacterial species. Here we analyze the spatio-temporal dynamics of fixers and non-fixers along the symbiotic process in the Cupriavidus taiwanensis-Mimosa pudica system. N2-fixing symbionts progressively outcompete isogenic non-fixers within root nodules, where N2-fixation occurs, even when they share the same nodule. Numerical simulations, supported by experimental validation, predict that rare fixers will invade a population dominated by non-fixing bacteria during serial nodulation cycles with a probability that is function of initial inoculum, plant population size and nodulation cycle length. Our findings provide insights into the selective forces and ecological factors that may have driven the spread of the N2-fixation mutualistic trait.
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Affiliation(s)
- Benoit Daubech
- The Laboratory of Plant-Microbe InteractionsUniversité de Toulouse, INRA, CNRSCastanet-TolosanFrance
| | - Philippe Remigi
- New Zealand Institute for Advanced StudyMassey UniversityAucklandNew Zealand
| | - Ginaini Doin de Moura
- The Laboratory of Plant-Microbe InteractionsUniversité de Toulouse, INRA, CNRSCastanet-TolosanFrance
| | - Marta Marchetti
- The Laboratory of Plant-Microbe InteractionsUniversité de Toulouse, INRA, CNRSCastanet-TolosanFrance
| | - Cécile Pouzet
- Fédération de Recherches Agrobiosciences, Interactions et Biodiversité, Plateforme d’Imagerie TRI, CNRS - UPSCastanet-TolosanFrance
| | - Marie-Christine Auriac
- The Laboratory of Plant-Microbe InteractionsUniversité de Toulouse, INRA, CNRSCastanet-TolosanFrance
- Fédération de Recherches Agrobiosciences, Interactions et Biodiversité, Plateforme d’Imagerie TRI, CNRS - UPSCastanet-TolosanFrance
| | - Chaitanya S Gokhale
- Research Group for Theoretical Models of Eco-evolutionary Dynamics, Department of Evolutionary TheoryMax Planck Institute for Evolutionary BiologyPlönGermany
| | - Catherine Masson-Boivin
- The Laboratory of Plant-Microbe InteractionsUniversité de Toulouse, INRA, CNRSCastanet-TolosanFrance
| | - Delphine Capela
- The Laboratory of Plant-Microbe InteractionsUniversité de Toulouse, INRA, CNRSCastanet-TolosanFrance
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45
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Yang T, Ahmari N, Schmidt JT, Redler T, Arocha R, Pacholec K, Magee KL, Malphurs W, Owen JL, Krane GA, Li E, Wang GP, Vickroy TW, Raizada MK, Martyniuk CJ, Zubcevic J. Shifts in the Gut Microbiota Composition Due to Depleted Bone Marrow Beta Adrenergic Signaling Are Associated with Suppressed Inflammatory Transcriptional Networks in the Mouse Colon. Front Physiol 2017; 8:220. [PMID: 28446880 PMCID: PMC5388758 DOI: 10.3389/fphys.2017.00220] [Citation(s) in RCA: 22] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/02/2017] [Accepted: 03/27/2017] [Indexed: 12/19/2022] Open
Abstract
The brain-gut axis plays a critical role in the regulation of different diseases, many of which are characterized by sympathetic dysregulation. However, a direct link between sympathetic dysregulation and gut dysbiosis remains to be illustrated. Bone marrow (BM)-derived immune cells continuously interact with the gut microbiota to maintain homeostasis in the host. Their function is largely dependent upon the sympathetic nervous system acting via adrenergic receptors present on the BM immune cells. In this study, we utilized a novel chimera mouse that lacks the expression of BM beta1/2 adrenergic receptors (b1/2-ARs) to investigate the role of the sympathetic drive to the BM in gut and microbiota homeostasis. Fecal analyses demonstrated a shift from a dominance of Firmicutes to Bacteroidetes phylum in the b1/2-ARs KO chimera, resulting in a reduction in Firmicutes/Bacteroidetes ratio. Meanwhile, a significant reduction in Proteobacteria phylum was determined. No changes in the abundance of acetate-, butyrate-, and lactate-producing bacteria, and colon pathology were observed in the b1/2-ARs KO chimera. Transcriptomic profiling in colon identified Killer Cell Lectin-Like Receptor Subfamily D, Member 1 (Klrd1), Membrane-Spanning 4-Domains Subfamily A Member 4A (Ms4a4b), and Casein Kinase 2 Alpha Prime Polypeptide (Csnk2a2) as main transcripts associated with the microbiota shifts in the b1/2-ARs KO chimera. Suppression of leukocyte-related transcriptome networks (i.e., function, differentiation, migration), classical compliment pathway, and networks associated with intestinal function, barrier integrity, and excretion was also observed in the colon of the KO chimera. Moreover, reduced expression of transcriptional networks related to intestinal diseases (i.e., ileitis, enteritis, inflammatory lesions, and stress) was noted. The observed suppressed transcriptome networks were associated with a reduction in NK cells, macrophages, and CD4+ T cells in the b1/2-ARs KO chimera colon. Thus, sympathetic regulation of BM-derived immune cells plays a significant role in modifying inflammatory networks in the colon and the gut microbiota composition. To our knowledge, this study is the first to suggest a key role of BM b1/2-ARs signaling in host-microbiota interactions, and reveals specific molecular mechanisms that may lead to generation of novel anti-inflammatory treatments for many immune and autonomic diseases as well as gut dysbiosis across the board.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tao Yang
- Department of Physiological Sciences, College of Veterinary Medicine, University of Florida (UF)Gainesville, FL, USA
| | - Niousha Ahmari
- Department of Physiological Sciences, College of Veterinary Medicine, University of Florida (UF)Gainesville, FL, USA
| | - Jordan T Schmidt
- Department of Physiological Sciences, College of Veterinary Medicine, University of Florida (UF)Gainesville, FL, USA
| | - Ty Redler
- Department of Physiological Sciences, College of Veterinary Medicine, University of Florida (UF)Gainesville, FL, USA
| | - Rebeca Arocha
- Department of Physiological Sciences, College of Veterinary Medicine, University of Florida (UF)Gainesville, FL, USA
| | - Kevin Pacholec
- Department of Physiological Sciences, College of Veterinary Medicine, University of Florida (UF)Gainesville, FL, USA
| | - Kacy L Magee
- Department of Physiological Sciences, College of Veterinary Medicine, University of Florida (UF)Gainesville, FL, USA
| | - Wendi Malphurs
- Department of Physiological Sciences, College of Veterinary Medicine, University of Florida (UF)Gainesville, FL, USA
| | - Jennifer L Owen
- Department of Physiological Sciences, College of Veterinary Medicine, University of Florida (UF)Gainesville, FL, USA
| | - Gregory A Krane
- Cellular and Molecular Pathology Branch, National Toxicology Program, National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences, Research Triangle ParkDurham, NC, USA
| | - Eric Li
- Division of Infectious Diseases and Global Medicine, Department of Medicine, University of FloridaGainesville, FL, USA
| | - Gary P Wang
- Division of Infectious Diseases and Global Medicine, Department of Medicine, University of FloridaGainesville, FL, USA
| | - Thomas W Vickroy
- Department of Physiological Sciences, College of Veterinary Medicine, University of Florida (UF)Gainesville, FL, USA
| | - Mohan K Raizada
- Department of Physiology and Functional Genomics, College of Medicine, University of FloridaGainesville, FL, USA
| | - Christopher J Martyniuk
- Department of Physiological Sciences, College of Veterinary Medicine, University of Florida (UF)Gainesville, FL, USA
| | - Jasenka Zubcevic
- Department of Physiological Sciences, College of Veterinary Medicine, University of Florida (UF)Gainesville, FL, USA
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46
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Genomic changes associated with the evolutionary transition of an insect gut symbiont into a blood-borne pathogen. ISME JOURNAL 2017; 11:1232-1244. [PMID: 28234349 PMCID: PMC5437933 DOI: 10.1038/ismej.2016.201] [Citation(s) in RCA: 67] [Impact Index Per Article: 9.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/03/2016] [Revised: 11/25/2016] [Accepted: 11/30/2016] [Indexed: 12/25/2022]
Abstract
The genus Bartonella comprises facultative intracellular bacteria with a unique lifestyle. After transmission by blood-sucking arthropods they colonize the erythrocytes of mammalian hosts causing acute and chronic infectious diseases. Although the pathogen–host interaction is well understood, little is known about the evolutionary origin of the infection strategy manifested by Bartonella species. Here we analyzed six genomes of Bartonella apis, a honey bee gut symbiont that to date represents the closest relative of pathogenic Bartonella species. Comparative genomics revealed that B. apis encodes a large set of vertically inherited genes for amino acid and cofactor biosynthesis and nitrogen metabolism. Most pathogenic bartonellae have lost these ancestral functions, but acquired specific virulence factors and expanded a vertically inherited gene family for harvesting cofactors from the blood. However, the deeply rooted pathogen Bartonella tamiae has retained many of the ancestral genome characteristics reflecting an evolutionary intermediate state toward a host-restricted intraerythrocytic lifestyle. Our findings suggest that the ancestor of the pathogen Bartonella was a gut symbiont of insects and that the adaptation to blood-feeding insects facilitated colonization of the mammalian bloodstream. This study highlights the importance of comparative genomics among pathogens and non-pathogenic relatives to understand disease emergence within an evolutionary-ecological framework.
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48
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Hallez R, Delaby M, Sanselicio S, Viollier PH. Hit the right spots: cell cycle control by phosphorylated guanosines in alphaproteobacteria. Nat Rev Microbiol 2017; 15:137-148. [PMID: 28138140 DOI: 10.1038/nrmicro.2016.183] [Citation(s) in RCA: 37] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/09/2022]
Abstract
The class Alphaproteobacteria includes Gram-negative free-living, symbiotic and obligate intracellular bacteria, as well as important plant, animal and human pathogens. Recent work has established the key antagonistic roles that phosphorylated guanosines, cyclic-di-GMP (c-di-GMP) and the alarmones guanosine tetraphosphate and guanosine pentaphosphate (collectively referred to as (p)ppGpp), have in the regulation of the cell cycle in these bacteria. In this Review, we discuss the insights that have been gained into the regulation of the initiation of DNA replication and cytokinesis by these second messengers, with a particular focus on the cell cycle of Caulobacter crescentus. We explore how the fluctuating levels of c-di-GMP and (p)ppGpp during the progression of the cell cycle and under conditions of stress control the synthesis and proteolysis of key regulators of the cell cycle. As these signals also promote bacterial interactions with host cells, the enzymes that control (p)ppGpp and c-di-GMP are attractive antibacterial targets.
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Affiliation(s)
- Régis Hallez
- Bacterial Cell cycle and Development (BCcD), Unité de recherche en biologie des micro-organismes (URBM), University of Namur, 61 Rue de Bruxelles, Namur 5000, Belgium
| | - Marie Delaby
- Department of Microbiology and Molecular Medicine, Institute of Genetics &Genomics in Geneva (iGE3), Faculty of Medicine, University of Geneva, CH-1211 Geneva, Switzerland
| | - Stefano Sanselicio
- Department of Microbiology and Molecular Medicine, Institute of Genetics &Genomics in Geneva (iGE3), Faculty of Medicine, University of Geneva, CH-1211 Geneva, Switzerland.,Present address: Molecular Genetics Group, Groningen Biomolecular Sciences and Biotechnology Institute, Centre for Synthetic Biology, University of Groningen, Nijenborgh 7, 9747 AG Groningen, The Netherlands
| | - Patrick H Viollier
- Department of Microbiology and Molecular Medicine, Institute of Genetics &Genomics in Geneva (iGE3), Faculty of Medicine, University of Geneva, CH-1211 Geneva, Switzerland
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49
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Bacterial community structure within an activated sludge reactor added with phenolic compounds. Appl Microbiol Biotechnol 2016; 101:3405-3414. [DOI: 10.1007/s00253-016-8000-z] [Citation(s) in RCA: 30] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/17/2016] [Revised: 10/26/2016] [Accepted: 11/06/2016] [Indexed: 01/02/2023]
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50
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Yu XY, Tao TY, Fu GY, Su Y, Han SB, Wang RJ, Wu M, Sun C. Marinibaculum pumilum gen. nov., sp. nov., isolated from seawater. Int J Syst Evol Microbiol 2016; 66:4844-4849. [DOI: 10.1099/ijsem.0.001439] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/18/2022] Open
Affiliation(s)
- Xiao-Yun Yu
- College of Life Sciences, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou 310058, PR China
| | - Tian-Yi Tao
- College of Agriculture and Biotechnology, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou 310058, PR China
| | - Ge-Yi Fu
- Ocean College, Zhejiang University, Zhoushan 316000, PR China
| | - Yue Su
- Ocean College, Zhejiang University, Zhoushan 316000, PR China
| | - Shuai-Bo Han
- College of Life Sciences, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou 310058, PR China
| | - Rui-Jun Wang
- Ocean College, Zhejiang University, Zhoushan 316000, PR China
| | - Min Wu
- College of Life Sciences, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou 310058, PR China
| | - Cong Sun
- College of Life Sciences, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou 310058, PR China
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