1
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Ramos EI, Veerapandian R, Das K, Chacon JA, Gadad SS, Dhandayuthapani S. Pathogenic mycoplasmas of humans regulate the long noncoding RNAs in epithelial cells. Noncoding RNA Res 2023; 8:282-293. [PMID: 36970372 PMCID: PMC10031284 DOI: 10.1016/j.ncrna.2023.03.002] [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: 11/10/2022] [Revised: 03/06/2023] [Accepted: 03/07/2023] [Indexed: 03/09/2023] Open
Abstract
Non-coding RNAs (ncRNAs), specifically long ncRNAs (lncRNAs), regulate cellular processes by affecting gene expression at the transcriptional, post-transcriptional, and epigenetic levels. Emerging evidence indicates that pathogenic microbes dysregulate the expression of host lncRNAs to suppress cellular defense mechanisms and promote survival. To understand whether the pathogenic human mycoplasmas dysregulate host lncRNAs, we infected HeLa cells with Mycoplasma genitalium (Mg) and Mycoplasma penumoniae (Mp) and assessed the expression of lncRNAs by directional RNA-seq analysis. HeLa cells infected with these species showed up-and-down regulation of lncRNAs expression, indicating that both species can modulate host lncRNAs. However, the number of upregulated (200 for Mg and 112 for Mp) and downregulated lncRNAs (30 for Mg and 62 for Mp) differ widely between these two species. GREAT analysis of the noncoding regions associated with differentially expressed lncRNAs showed that Mg and Mp regulate a discrete set of lncRNA plausibly related to transcription, metabolism, and inflammation. Further, signaling network analysis of the differentially regulated lncRNAs exhibited diverse pathways such as neurodegeneration, NOD-like receptor signaling, MAPK signaling, p53 signaling, and PI3K signaling, suggesting that both species primarily target signaling mechanisms. Overall, the study's results suggest that Mg and Mp modulate lncRNAs to promote their survival within the host but in distinct manners.
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Affiliation(s)
- Enrique I. Ramos
- Center of Emphasis in Cancer, Department of Molecular and Translational Medicine, Paul L. Foster School of Medicine, Texas Tech University Health Sciences Center El Paso, TX, 79905, USA
| | - Raja Veerapandian
- Center of Emphasis in Infectious Diseases, Paul L. Foster School of Medicine, Department of Molecular and Translational Medicine, Texas Tech University Health Sciences Center El Paso, TX, 79905, USA
| | - Kishore Das
- Center of Emphasis in Infectious Diseases, Paul L. Foster School of Medicine, Department of Molecular and Translational Medicine, Texas Tech University Health Sciences Center El Paso, TX, 79905, USA
| | - Jessica A. Chacon
- Department of Medical Education, Paul L. Foster School of Medicine, Texas Tech University Health Sciences Center El Paso, TX, 79905, USA
| | - Shrikanth S. Gadad
- Center of Emphasis in Cancer, Department of Molecular and Translational Medicine, Paul L. Foster School of Medicine, Texas Tech University Health Sciences Center El Paso, TX, 79905, USA
- Frederick L. Francis Graduate School of Biomedical Sciences, Texas Tech University Health Sciences Center El Paso, Texas, 79905, USA
- Mays Cancer Center, UT Health San Antonio MD Anderson Cancer Center, San Antonio, TX, 78229, USA
| | - Subramanian Dhandayuthapani
- Center of Emphasis in Infectious Diseases, Paul L. Foster School of Medicine, Department of Molecular and Translational Medicine, Texas Tech University Health Sciences Center El Paso, TX, 79905, USA
- Frederick L. Francis Graduate School of Biomedical Sciences, Texas Tech University Health Sciences Center El Paso, Texas, 79905, USA
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2
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Dumke R. Molecular Tools for Typing Mycoplasma pneumoniae and Mycoplasma genitalium. Front Microbiol 2022; 13:904494. [PMID: 35722324 PMCID: PMC9203060 DOI: 10.3389/fmicb.2022.904494] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/25/2022] [Accepted: 05/16/2022] [Indexed: 11/25/2022] Open
Abstract
Mycoplasma pneumoniae and Mycoplasma genitalium are cell wall-less bacteria with strongly reduced genome content and close phylogenetic relatedness. In humans, the only known natural host, the microorganisms colonize the respiratory or genitourinary mucosa and may cause a broad range of clinical presentations. Besides fundamental differences in their tissue specificity, transmission route, and ability to cause prevalence peaks, both species share similarities such as the occurrence of asymptomatic carriers, preferred populations for infection, and problems with high rates of antimicrobial resistance. To further understand the epidemiology of these practically challenging bacteria, typing of strains is necessary. Since the cultivation of both pathogens is difficult and not performed outside of specialized laboratories, molecular typing methods with adequate discriminatory power, stability, and reproducibility have been developed. These include the characterization of genes containing repetitive sequences, of variable genome regions without the presence of repetitive sequences, determination of single and multi-locus variable-number tandem repeats, and detection of single nucleotide polymorphisms in different genes, respectively. The current repertoire of procedures allows reliable differentiation of strains circulating in different populations and in different time periods as well as comparison of strains occurring subsequently in individual patients. In this review, the methods for typing M. pneumoniae and M. genitalium, including the results of their application in different studies, are summarized and current knowledge regarding the association of typing data with the clinical characteristics of infections is presented.
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Affiliation(s)
- Roger Dumke
- TU Dresden, Institute of Medical Microbiology and Virology, Dresden, Germany
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3
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Dawood A, Algharib SA, Zhao G, Zhu T, Qi M, Delai K, Hao Z, Marawan MA, Shirani I, Guo A. Mycoplasmas as Host Pantropic and Specific Pathogens: Clinical Implications, Gene Transfer, Virulence Factors, and Future Perspectives. Front Cell Infect Microbiol 2022; 12:855731. [PMID: 35646746 PMCID: PMC9137434 DOI: 10.3389/fcimb.2022.855731] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/15/2022] [Accepted: 04/04/2022] [Indexed: 12/28/2022] Open
Abstract
Mycoplasmas as economically important and pantropic pathogens can cause similar clinical diseases in different hosts by eluding host defense and establishing their niches despite their limited metabolic capacities. Besides, enormous undiscovered virulence has a fundamental role in the pathogenesis of pathogenic mycoplasmas. On the other hand, they are host-specific pathogens with some highly pathogenic members that can colonize a vast number of habitats. Reshuffling mycoplasmas genetic information and evolving rapidly is a way to avoid their host's immune system. However, currently, only a few control measures exist against some mycoplasmosis which are far from satisfaction. This review aimed to provide an updated insight into the state of mycoplasmas as pathogens by summarizing and analyzing the comprehensive progress, current challenge, and future perspectives of mycoplasmas. It covers clinical implications of mycoplasmas in humans and domestic and wild animals, virulence-related factors, the process of gene transfer and its crucial prospects, the current application and future perspectives of nanotechnology for diagnosing and curing mycoplasmosis, Mycoplasma vaccination, and protective immunity. Several questions remain unanswered and are recommended to pay close attention to. The findings would be helpful to develop new strategies for basic and applied research on mycoplasmas and facilitate the control of mycoplasmosis for humans and various species of animals.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ali Dawood
- The State Key Laboratory of Agricultural Microbiology, (HZAU), Wuhan, China
- College of Veterinary Medicine, Huazhong Agricultural University, Wuhan, China
- Department of Medicine and Infectious Diseases, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, University of Sadat City, Sadat City, Egypt
- Hubei Hongshan Laboratory, Wuhan, China
| | - Samah Attia Algharib
- College of Veterinary Medicine, Huazhong Agricultural University, Wuhan, China
- National Reference Laboratory of Veterinary Drug Residues (HZAU) and MAO Key Laboratory for Detection of Veterinary Drug Residues, HZAU, Wuhan, China
- Department of Clinical Pathology, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Benha University, Toukh, Egypt
| | - Gang Zhao
- The State Key Laboratory of Agricultural Microbiology, (HZAU), Wuhan, China
- College of Veterinary Medicine, Huazhong Agricultural University, Wuhan, China
- Hubei Hongshan Laboratory, Wuhan, China
- Hubei International Scientific and Technological Cooperation Base of Veterinary Epidemiology, Huazhong Agricultural University, Wuhan, China
| | - Tingting Zhu
- The State Key Laboratory of Agricultural Microbiology, (HZAU), Wuhan, China
- College of Veterinary Medicine, Huazhong Agricultural University, Wuhan, China
- Hubei Hongshan Laboratory, Wuhan, China
- Hubei International Scientific and Technological Cooperation Base of Veterinary Epidemiology, Huazhong Agricultural University, Wuhan, China
| | - Mingpu Qi
- The State Key Laboratory of Agricultural Microbiology, (HZAU), Wuhan, China
- College of Veterinary Medicine, Huazhong Agricultural University, Wuhan, China
- Hubei Hongshan Laboratory, Wuhan, China
- Hubei International Scientific and Technological Cooperation Base of Veterinary Epidemiology, Huazhong Agricultural University, Wuhan, China
| | - Kong Delai
- The State Key Laboratory of Agricultural Microbiology, (HZAU), Wuhan, China
- College of Veterinary Medicine, Huazhong Agricultural University, Wuhan, China
| | - Zhiyu Hao
- The State Key Laboratory of Agricultural Microbiology, (HZAU), Wuhan, China
- College of Veterinary Medicine, Huazhong Agricultural University, Wuhan, China
- Hubei Hongshan Laboratory, Wuhan, China
- Hubei International Scientific and Technological Cooperation Base of Veterinary Epidemiology, Huazhong Agricultural University, Wuhan, China
| | - Marawan A. Marawan
- The State Key Laboratory of Agricultural Microbiology, (HZAU), Wuhan, China
- Infectious Diseases, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Benha University, Toukh, Egypt
| | - Ihsanullah Shirani
- The State Key Laboratory of Agricultural Microbiology, (HZAU), Wuhan, China
- Para-Clinic Department, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Jalalabad, Afghanistan
| | - Aizhen Guo
- The State Key Laboratory of Agricultural Microbiology, (HZAU), Wuhan, China
- College of Veterinary Medicine, Huazhong Agricultural University, Wuhan, China
- Hubei Hongshan Laboratory, Wuhan, China
- Hubei International Scientific and Technological Cooperation Base of Veterinary Epidemiology, Huazhong Agricultural University, Wuhan, China
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4
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Shaw D, Miravet‐Verde S, Piñero‐Lambea C, Serrano L, Lluch‐Senar M. LoxTnSeq: random transposon insertions combined with cre/lox recombination and counterselection to generate large random genome reductions. Microb Biotechnol 2021; 14:2403-2419. [PMID: 33325626 PMCID: PMC8601177 DOI: 10.1111/1751-7915.13714] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/10/2020] [Revised: 11/04/2020] [Accepted: 11/04/2020] [Indexed: 12/13/2022] Open
Abstract
The removal of unwanted genetic material is a key aspect in many synthetic biology efforts and often requires preliminary knowledge of which genomic regions are dispensable. Typically, these efforts are guided by transposon mutagenesis studies, coupled to deepsequencing (TnSeq) to identify insertion points and gene essentiality. However, epistatic interactions can cause unforeseen changes in essentiality after the deletion of a gene, leading to the redundancy of these essentiality maps. Here, we present LoxTnSeq, a new methodology to generate and catalogue libraries of genome reduction mutants. LoxTnSeq combines random integration of lox sites by transposon mutagenesis, and the generation of mutants via Cre recombinase, catalogued via deep sequencing. When LoxTnSeq was applied to the naturally genome reduced bacterium Mycoplasma pneumoniae, we obtained a mutant pool containing 285 unique deletions. These deletions spanned from > 50 bp to 28 Kb, which represents 21% of the total genome. LoxTnSeq also highlighted large regions of non-essential genes that could be removed simultaneously, and other non-essential regions that could not, providing a guide for future genome reductions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Daniel Shaw
- Centre for Genomic Regulation (CRG)The Barcelona Institute of Science and TechnologyDr. Aiguader 88Barcelona08003Spain
| | - Samuel Miravet‐Verde
- Centre for Genomic Regulation (CRG)The Barcelona Institute of Science and TechnologyDr. Aiguader 88Barcelona08003Spain
| | - Carlos Piñero‐Lambea
- Centre for Genomic Regulation (CRG)The Barcelona Institute of Science and TechnologyDr. Aiguader 88Barcelona08003Spain
- Present address:
Pulmobiotics ltdDr. Aiguader 88Barcelona08003Spain
| | - Luis Serrano
- Centre for Genomic Regulation (CRG)The Barcelona Institute of Science and TechnologyDr. Aiguader 88Barcelona08003Spain
- Universitat Pompeu Fabra (UPF)Barcelona08002Spain
- ICREAPg. Lluís Companys 23Barcelona08010Spain
| | - Maria Lluch‐Senar
- Centre for Genomic Regulation (CRG)The Barcelona Institute of Science and TechnologyDr. Aiguader 88Barcelona08003Spain
- Basic Sciences DepartmentFaculty of Medicine and Health SciencesUniversitat Internacional de CatalunyaSant Cugat del Vallès08195Spain
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5
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Ramos EI, Das K, Harrison AL, Garcia A, Gadad SS, Dhandayuthapani S. Mycoplasma genitalium and M. pneumoniae Regulate a Distinct Set of Protein-Coding Genes in Epithelial Cells. Front Immunol 2021; 12:738431. [PMID: 34707609 PMCID: PMC8544821 DOI: 10.3389/fimmu.2021.738431] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/08/2021] [Accepted: 09/15/2021] [Indexed: 12/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Mycoplasma genitalium and M. pneumoniae are two significant mycoplasmas that infect the urogenital and respiratory tracts of humans. Despite distinct tissue tropisms, they both have similar pathogenic mechanisms and infect/invade epithelial cells in the respective regions and persist within these cells. However, the pathogenic mechanisms of these species in terms of bacterium-host interactions are poorly understood. To gain insights on this, we infected HeLa cells independently with M. genitalium and M. pneumoniae and assessed gene expression by whole transcriptome sequencing (RNA-seq) approach. The results revealed that HeLa cells respond to M. genitalium and M. pneumoniae differently by regulating various protein-coding genes. Though there is a significant overlap between the genes regulated by these species, many of the differentially expressed genes were specific to each species. KEGG pathway and signaling network analyses revealed that the genes specific to M. genitalium are more related to cellular processes. In contrast, the genes specific to M. pneumoniae infection are correlated with immune response and inflammation, possibly suggesting that M. pneumoniae has some inherent ability to modulate host immune pathways.
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Affiliation(s)
- Enrique I. Ramos
- Center of Emphasis in Cancer, Department of Molecular and Translational Medicine, Texas Tech University Health Sciences Center, El Paso, TX, United States
| | - Kishore Das
- Center of Emphasis in Infectious Diseases, Department of Molecular and Translational Medicine, Texas Tech University Health Sciences Center El Paso, El Paso, TX, United States
| | - Alana L. Harrison
- Center of Emphasis in Cancer, Department of Molecular and Translational Medicine, Texas Tech University Health Sciences Center, El Paso, TX, United States
| | - Anissa Garcia
- Center of Emphasis in Infectious Diseases, Department of Molecular and Translational Medicine, Texas Tech University Health Sciences Center El Paso, El Paso, TX, United States
- Graduate School of Biomedical Sciences, Texas Tech University Health Sciences Center El Paso, El Paso, TX, United States
| | - Shrikanth S. Gadad
- Center of Emphasis in Cancer, Department of Molecular and Translational Medicine, Texas Tech University Health Sciences Center, El Paso, TX, United States
- Graduate School of Biomedical Sciences, Texas Tech University Health Sciences Center El Paso, El Paso, TX, United States
- Mays Cancer Center, UT Health San Antonio MD Anderson Cancer Center, San Antonio, TX, United States
| | - Subramanian Dhandayuthapani
- Center of Emphasis in Infectious Diseases, Department of Molecular and Translational Medicine, Texas Tech University Health Sciences Center El Paso, El Paso, TX, United States
- Graduate School of Biomedical Sciences, Texas Tech University Health Sciences Center El Paso, El Paso, TX, United States
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6
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Vizarraga D, Torres-Puig S, Aparicio D, Pich OQ. The Sialoglycan Binding Adhesins of Mycoplasma genitalium and Mycoplasma pneumoniae. Trends Microbiol 2021; 29:477-481. [PMID: 33593698 DOI: 10.1016/j.tim.2021.01.011] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/01/2020] [Revised: 01/23/2021] [Accepted: 01/25/2021] [Indexed: 01/20/2023]
Abstract
Mycoplasma genitalium (Mge) and Mycoplasma pneumoniae (Mpn) are two human pathogens associated with urogenital and respiratory tract infections, respectively. The recent elucidation of the tridimensional structure of their major cytoadhesins by X-ray crystallography and cryo-electron microscopy/tomography, has provided important insights regarding the mechanics of infection and evasion of immune surveillance.
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Affiliation(s)
- David Vizarraga
- Instituto de Biología Molecular de Barcelona (IBMB-CSIC), Parc Científic de Barcelona, Baldiri Reixac 10, 08028 Barcelona, Spain
| | - Sergi Torres-Puig
- Research Unit of Molecular Microbiology (RUMM), Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, University of Southern Denmark, Odense, Denmark
| | - David Aparicio
- Instituto de Biología Molecular de Barcelona (IBMB-CSIC), Parc Científic de Barcelona, Baldiri Reixac 10, 08028 Barcelona, Spain.
| | - Oscar Q Pich
- Laboratori de Recerca en Microbiologia i Malalties Infeccioses, Institut d'Investigació i Innovació Parc Taulí (I3PT), Hospital Universitari Parc Taulí, Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona, 08208 Sabadell, Spain; Institut de Biotecnologia i Biomedicina and Departament de Bioquímica i Biologia Molecular, Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona, 08193 Bellaterra, Spain.
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7
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Hakim MS, Annisa L, Jariah ROA, Vink C. The mechanisms underlying antigenic variation and maintenance of genomic integrity in Mycoplasma pneumoniae and Mycoplasma genitalium. Arch Microbiol 2020; 203:413-429. [PMID: 32970220 DOI: 10.1007/s00203-020-02041-4] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/28/2020] [Revised: 08/02/2020] [Accepted: 09/12/2020] [Indexed: 11/28/2022]
Abstract
Mycoplasma pneumoniae and Mycoplasma genitalium are important causative agents of infections in humans. Like all other mycoplasmas, these species possess genomes that are significantly smaller than that of other prokaryotes. Moreover, both organisms possess an exceptionally compact set of DNA recombination and repair-associated genes. These genes, however, are sufficient to generate antigenic variation by means of homologous recombination between specific repetitive genomic elements. At the same time, these mycoplasmas have likely evolved strategies to maintain the stability and integrity of their 'minimal' genomes. Previous studies have indicated that there are considerable differences between mycoplasmas and other bacteria in the composition of their DNA recombination and repair machinery. However, the complete repertoire of activities executed by the putative recombination and repair enzymes encoded by Mycoplasma species is not yet fully understood. In this paper, we review the current knowledge on the proteins that likely form part of the DNA repair and recombination pathways of two of the most clinically relevant Mycoplasma species, M. pneumoniae and M. genitalium. The characterization of these proteins will help to define the minimal enzymatic requirements for creating bacterial genetic diversity (antigenic variation) on the one hand, while maintaining genomic integrity on the other.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mohamad S Hakim
- Department of Microbiology, Faculty of Medicine, Public Health and Nursing, Universitas Gadjah Mada, 55281, Yogyakarta, Indonesia. .,Postgraduate School of Molecular Medicine, Erasmus MC-University Medical Center Rotterdam, Rotterdam, The Netherlands.
| | - Luthvia Annisa
- Department of Microbiology, Faculty of Medicine, Public Health and Nursing, Universitas Gadjah Mada, 55281, Yogyakarta, Indonesia
| | - Rizka O A Jariah
- Department of Health Science, Faculty of Vocational Studies, Universitas Airlangga, Surabaya, Indonesia
| | - Cornelis Vink
- Department of Life Sciences, Erasmus University College, Erasmus University, 3011 HP, Rotterdam, The Netherlands.
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8
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Thairu MW, Hansen AK. It's a small, small world: unravelling the role and evolution of small RNAs in organelle and endosymbiont genomes. FEMS Microbiol Lett 2019; 366:5371121. [PMID: 30844054 DOI: 10.1093/femsle/fnz049] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/13/2018] [Accepted: 03/05/2019] [Indexed: 12/19/2022] Open
Abstract
Organelles and host-restricted bacterial symbionts are characterized by having highly reduced genomes that lack many key regulatory genes and elements. Thus, it has been hypothesized that the eukaryotic nuclear genome is primarily responsible for regulating these symbioses. However, with the discovery of organelle- and symbiont-expressed small RNAs (sRNAs) there is emerging evidence that these sRNAs may play a role in gene regulation as well. Here, we compare the diversity of organelle and bacterial symbiont sRNAs recently identified using genome-enabled '-omic' technologies and discuss their potential role in gene regulation. We also discuss how the genome architecture of small genomes may influence the evolution of these sRNAs and their potential function. Additionally, these new studies suggest that some sRNAs are conserved within organelle and symbiont taxa and respond to changes in the environment and/or their hosts. In summary, these results suggest that organelle and symbiont sRNAs may play a role in gene regulation in addition to nuclear-encoded host mechanisms.
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Affiliation(s)
- Margaret W Thairu
- Department of Entomology, University of California, Riverside, Riverside, CA, USA
| | - Allison K Hansen
- Department of Entomology, University of California, Riverside, Riverside, CA, USA
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9
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Ruiz E, Talenton V, Dubrana MP, Guesdon G, Lluch-Senar M, Salin F, Sirand-Pugnet P, Arfi Y, Lartigue C. CReasPy-Cloning: A Method for Simultaneous Cloning and Engineering of Megabase-Sized Genomes in Yeast Using the CRISPR-Cas9 System. ACS Synth Biol 2019; 8:2547-2557. [PMID: 31663334 DOI: 10.1021/acssynbio.9b00224] [Citation(s) in RCA: 19] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/20/2022]
Abstract
Over the past decade, a new strategy was developed to bypass the difficulties to genetically engineer some microbial species by transferring (or "cloning") their genome into another organism that is amenable to efficient genetic modifications and therefore acts as a living workbench. As such, the yeast Saccharomyces cerevisiae has been used to clone and engineer genomes from viruses, bacteria, and algae. The cloning step requires the insertion of yeast genetic elements in the genome of interest, in order to drive its replication and maintenance as an artificial chromosome in the host cell. Current methods used to introduce these genetic elements are still unsatisfactory, due either to their random nature (transposon) or the requirement for unique restriction sites at specific positions (TAR cloning). Here we describe the CReasPy-cloning, a new method that combines both the ability of Cas9 to cleave DNA at a user-specified locus and the yeast's highly efficient homologous recombination to simultaneously clone and engineer a bacterial chromosome in yeast. Using the 0.816 Mbp genome of Mycoplasma pneumoniae as a proof of concept, we demonstrate that our method can be used to introduce the yeast genetic element at any location in the bacterial chromosome while simultaneously deleting various genes or group of genes. We also show that CReasPy-cloning can be used to edit up to three independent genomic loci at the same time with an efficiency high enough to warrant the screening of a small (<50) number of clones, allowing for significantly shortened genome engineering cycle times.
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Affiliation(s)
- Estelle Ruiz
- INRA , UMR 1332 de Biologie du Fruit et Pathologie , F-33140 Villenave d'Ornon , France
- Univ. Bordeaux , UMR 1332 de Biologie du Fruit et Pathologie , F-33140 Villenave d'Ornon , France
| | - Vincent Talenton
- INRA , UMR 1332 de Biologie du Fruit et Pathologie , F-33140 Villenave d'Ornon , France
- Univ. Bordeaux , UMR 1332 de Biologie du Fruit et Pathologie , F-33140 Villenave d'Ornon , France
| | - Marie-Pierre Dubrana
- INRA , UMR 1332 de Biologie du Fruit et Pathologie , F-33140 Villenave d'Ornon , France
- Univ. Bordeaux , UMR 1332 de Biologie du Fruit et Pathologie , F-33140 Villenave d'Ornon , France
| | - Gabrielle Guesdon
- INRA , UMR 1332 de Biologie du Fruit et Pathologie , F-33140 Villenave d'Ornon , France
- Univ. Bordeaux , UMR 1332 de Biologie du Fruit et Pathologie , F-33140 Villenave d'Ornon , France
| | - Maria Lluch-Senar
- EMBL/CRG Systems Biology Research Unit, Centre for Genomic Regulation (CRG) , The Barcelona Institute of Science and Technology , Dr Aiguader 88 , Barcelona 08003 , Spain
- Universitat Pompeu Fabra (UPF) , 08003 Barcelona , Spain
| | - Franck Salin
- BIOGECO, INRA , Univ. Bordeaux , 33610 Cestas , France
| | - Pascal Sirand-Pugnet
- INRA , UMR 1332 de Biologie du Fruit et Pathologie , F-33140 Villenave d'Ornon , France
- Univ. Bordeaux , UMR 1332 de Biologie du Fruit et Pathologie , F-33140 Villenave d'Ornon , France
| | - Yonathan Arfi
- INRA , UMR 1332 de Biologie du Fruit et Pathologie , F-33140 Villenave d'Ornon , France
- Univ. Bordeaux , UMR 1332 de Biologie du Fruit et Pathologie , F-33140 Villenave d'Ornon , France
| | - Carole Lartigue
- INRA , UMR 1332 de Biologie du Fruit et Pathologie , F-33140 Villenave d'Ornon , France
- Univ. Bordeaux , UMR 1332 de Biologie du Fruit et Pathologie , F-33140 Villenave d'Ornon , France
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10
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Masukagami Y, Tivendale KA, Browning GF, Sansom FM. Analysis of the Mycoplasma bovis lactate dehydrogenase reveals typical enzymatic activity despite the presence of an atypical catalytic site motif. MICROBIOLOGY-SGM 2019; 164:186-193. [PMID: 29393016 DOI: 10.1099/mic.0.000600] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/03/2023]
Abstract
The lactate dehydrogenase (LDH) of Mycoplasma genitalium has been predicted to also act as a malate dehydrogenase (MDH), but there has been no experimental validation of this hypothesized dual function for any mollicute. Our analysis of the metabolite profile of Mycoplasma bovis using gas chromatography/mass spectrometry (GC/MS) and liquid chromatography/mass spectrometry (LC/MS) detected malate, suggesting that there may be MDH activity in M. bovis. To investigate whether the putative l-LDH enzyme of M. bovis has a dual function (MDH and LDH), we performed bioinformatic and functional biochemical analyses. Although the amino acid sequence and predicted structural analysis of M. bovisl-LDH revealed unusual residues within the catalytic site, suggesting that it may have the flexibility to possess a dual function, our biochemical studies using recombinant M. bovis -LDH did not detect any MDH activity. However, we did show that the enzyme has typical LDH activity that could be inhibited by both MDH substrates oxaloacetate (OAA) and malate, suggesting that these substrates may be able to bind to M. bovis LDH. Inhibition of the conversion of pyruvate to lactate by OAA may be one method the mycoplasma cell uses to reduce the potential for accumulation of intracellular lactate.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yumiko Masukagami
- Asia-Pacific Centre for Animal Health, Melbourne Veterinary School, Faculty of Veterinary and Agricultural Sciences, University of Melbourne, Parkville, VIC, Australia
| | - Kelly Anne Tivendale
- Asia-Pacific Centre for Animal Health, Melbourne Veterinary School, Faculty of Veterinary and Agricultural Sciences, University of Melbourne, Parkville, VIC, Australia
| | - Glenn Francis Browning
- Asia-Pacific Centre for Animal Health, Melbourne Veterinary School, Faculty of Veterinary and Agricultural Sciences, University of Melbourne, Parkville, VIC, Australia
| | - Fiona Margaret Sansom
- Asia-Pacific Centre for Animal Health, Melbourne Veterinary School, Faculty of Veterinary and Agricultural Sciences, University of Melbourne, Parkville, VIC, Australia
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11
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Lai Y, Xu X, Yan R, Hua Z. Evaluation of mycoplasma removal reagents using qPCR-based quantification. Anal Biochem 2019; 564-565:88-95. [PMID: 30336125 DOI: 10.1016/j.ab.2018.10.014] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/10/2018] [Revised: 10/09/2018] [Accepted: 10/10/2018] [Indexed: 11/30/2022]
Abstract
In this study, we evaluated the efficacy of various mycoplasma removal reagents using nuclear staining, DNA gel electrophoresis, and qPCR-based quantification. Our results showed Plasmocure and Plasmocin are two effective anti-mycoplasma reagents whose effects can be observed within a week. However, prolonged treatment with Plasmocin led to development of resistance. Withdrawal of anti-mycoplasma reagents led to reoccurrence of mycoplasma contamination, but addition of prevention reagent, such as Primocin, prevented recontamination. Therefore, sequential treatment by Plasmocure and Primocin is the best course of action against mycoplasma contamination. Lastly, we developed methods based on qPCR to estimate the average number of mycoplasma associated with a single contaminated cell. We have shown, for the first time, that untreated contaminated BEAS-2B cells have approximately 300-400 mycoplasma contaminants per cell in the cytoplasm or attached to the cell membrane. Furthermore, withdrawal of anti-mycoplasma reagents led to reoccurrence of mycoplasma contamination within two days, and therefore continued use of prevention reagent is imperative.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yueyang Lai
- School of Life Sciences and the State Key Laboratory of Pharmaceutical Biotechnology, Nanjing University, Nanjing, China
| | - Xuebo Xu
- School of Life Sciences and the State Key Laboratory of Pharmaceutical Biotechnology, Nanjing University, Nanjing, China
| | - Ruiying Yan
- School of Life Sciences and the State Key Laboratory of Pharmaceutical Biotechnology, Nanjing University, Nanjing, China
| | - Zichun Hua
- School of Life Sciences and the State Key Laboratory of Pharmaceutical Biotechnology, Nanjing University, Nanjing, China; Changzhou High-Tech Research Institute of Nanjing University and Jiangsu Target Pharma Laboratories Inc., Changzhou, China; Shenzhen Research Institute of Nanjing University, Shenzhen, China.
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12
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Blötz C, Lartigue C, Valverde Timana Y, Ruiz E, Paetzold B, Busse J, Stülke J. Development of a replicating plasmid based on the native oriC in Mycoplasma pneumoniae. MICROBIOLOGY-SGM 2018; 164:1372-1382. [PMID: 30252643 DOI: 10.1099/mic.0.000711] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/18/2022]
Abstract
Bacteria of the genus Mycoplasma have recently attracted considerable interest as model organisms in synthetic and systems biology. In particular, Mycoplasma pneumoniae is one of the most intensively studied organisms in the field of systems biology. However, the genetic manipulation of these bacteria is often difficult due to the lack of efficient genetic systems and some intrinsic peculiarities such as an aberrant genetic code. One major disadvantage in working with M. pneumoniae is the lack of replicating plasmids that can be used for the complementation of mutants and the expression of proteins. In this study, we have analysed the genomic region around the gene encoding the replication initiation protein, DnaA, and detected putative binding sites for DnaA (DnaA boxes) that are, however, less conserved than in other bacteria. The construction of several plasmids encompassing this region allowed the selection of plasmid pGP2756 that is stably inherited and that can be used for genetic experiments, as shown by the complementation assays with the glpQ gene encoding the glycerophosphoryl diester phosphodiesterase. Plasmid-borne complementation of the glpQ mutant restored the formation of hydrogen peroxide when bacteria were cultivated in the presence of glycerol phosphocholine. Interestingly, the replicating plasmid can also be used in the close relative, Mycoplasma genitalium but not in more distantly related members of the genus Mycoplasma. Thus, plasmid pGP2756 is a valuable tool for the genetic analysis of M. pneumoniae and M. genitalium.
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Affiliation(s)
- Cedric Blötz
- 1Department of General Microbiology, Institute of Microbiology and Genetics, Georg-August University Göttingen, Göttingen, Germany
| | - Carole Lartigue
- 2INRA, UMR 1332 de Biologie du Fruit et Pathologie, Villenave d'Ornon, France.,3University of Bordeaux, UMR 1332 de Biologie du Fruit et Pathologie, Villenave d'Ornon, France
| | - Yanina Valverde Timana
- 2INRA, UMR 1332 de Biologie du Fruit et Pathologie, Villenave d'Ornon, France.,3University of Bordeaux, UMR 1332 de Biologie du Fruit et Pathologie, Villenave d'Ornon, France
| | - Estelle Ruiz
- 2INRA, UMR 1332 de Biologie du Fruit et Pathologie, Villenave d'Ornon, France.,3University of Bordeaux, UMR 1332 de Biologie du Fruit et Pathologie, Villenave d'Ornon, France
| | - Bernhard Paetzold
- 4Centre for Genomic Regulation (CRG), The Barcelona Institute for Science and Technology, Barcelona, Spain.,†Present address: S-Biomedic N.V., Beerse, Belgium
| | - Julia Busse
- 1Department of General Microbiology, Institute of Microbiology and Genetics, Georg-August University Göttingen, Göttingen, Germany
| | - Jörg Stülke
- 1Department of General Microbiology, Institute of Microbiology and Genetics, Georg-August University Göttingen, Göttingen, Germany
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13
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Fookes MC, Hadfield J, Harris S, Parmar S, Unemo M, Jensen JS, Thomson NR. Mycoplasma genitalium: whole genome sequence analysis, recombination and population structure. BMC Genomics 2017; 18:993. [PMID: 29281972 PMCID: PMC5745988 DOI: 10.1186/s12864-017-4399-6] [Citation(s) in RCA: 27] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/09/2017] [Accepted: 12/19/2017] [Indexed: 01/10/2023] Open
Abstract
Background Although Mycoplasma genitalium is a common sexually transmitted pathogen causing clinically distinct diseases both in male and females, few genomes have been sequenced up to now, due mainly to its fastidious nature and slow growth. Hence, we lack a robust phylogenetic framework to provide insights into the population structure of the species. Currently our understanding of the nature and diversity of M. genitalium relies on molecular tests targeting specific genes or regions of the genome and knowledge is limited by a general under-testing internationally. This is set against a background of drug resistance whereby M. genitalium has developed resistance to mainly all therapeutic antimicrobials. Results We sequenced 28 genomes of Mycoplasma genitalium from temporally (1980–2010) and geographically (Europe, Japan, Australia) diverse sources. All the strain showed essentially the same genomic content without any accessory regions found. However, we identified extensive recombination across their genomes with a total of 25 regions showing heightened levels of SNP density. These regions include the MgPar loci, associated with host interactions, as well as other genes that could also be involved in this role. Using these data, we generated a robust phylogeny which shows that there are two main clades with differing degrees of genomic variability. SNPs found in region V of 23S rRNA and parC were consistent with azithromycin/erythromycin and fluoroquinolone resistances, respectively, and with their phenotypic MIC data. Conclusions The sequence data here generated is essential for designing rational approaches to type and track Mycoplasma genitalium as antibiotic resistance increases. It represents a first approach to its population genetics to better appreciate the role of this organism as a sexually transmitted pathogen. Electronic supplementary material The online version of this article (10.1186/s12864-017-4399-6) contains supplementary material, which is available to authorized users.
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Affiliation(s)
- Maria C Fookes
- Pathogen Genomics, The Wellcome Trust Sanger Institute, Wellcome Trust Genome Campus, Hinxton, Cambridge, UK.
| | - James Hadfield
- Pathogen Genomics, The Wellcome Trust Sanger Institute, Wellcome Trust Genome Campus, Hinxton, Cambridge, UK
| | - Simon Harris
- Pathogen Genomics, The Wellcome Trust Sanger Institute, Wellcome Trust Genome Campus, Hinxton, Cambridge, UK
| | - Surendra Parmar
- Clinical Microbiology and Public Health Laboratory, National Infection Service, Cambridge University Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust, Hills Road, Cambridge, UK
| | - Magnus Unemo
- WHO Collaborating Centre for Gonorrhoea and other Sexually Transmitted Infections, Department of Laboratory Medicine, Microbiology, Faculty of Medicine and Health, Örebro University, Örebro, Sweden
| | - Jørgen S Jensen
- Division for Infection Preparedness, Bacteria, Parasites, and Fungi, Research Unit for Reproductive Tract Microbiology, Statens Serum Institute, Copenhagen, Denmark
| | - Nicholas R Thomson
- Pathogen Genomics, The Wellcome Trust Sanger Institute, Wellcome Trust Genome Campus, Hinxton, Cambridge, UK. .,London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine, London, UK.
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14
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Billmyre RB, Clancey SA, Heitman J. Natural mismatch repair mutations mediate phenotypic diversity and drug resistance in Cryptococcus deuterogattii. eLife 2017; 6. [PMID: 28948913 PMCID: PMC5614558 DOI: 10.7554/elife.28802] [Citation(s) in RCA: 66] [Impact Index Per Article: 9.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/18/2017] [Accepted: 08/25/2017] [Indexed: 12/14/2022] Open
Abstract
Pathogenic microbes confront an evolutionary conflict between the pressure to maintain genome stability and the need to adapt to mounting external stresses. Bacteria often respond with elevated mutation rates, but little evidence exists of stable eukaryotic hypermutators in nature. Whole genome resequencing of the human fungal pathogen Cryptococcus deuterogattii identified an outbreak lineage characterized by a nonsense mutation in the mismatch repair component MSH2. This defect results in a moderate mutation rate increase in typical genes, and a larger increase in genes containing homopolymer runs. This allows facile inactivation of genes with coding homopolymer runs including FRR1, which encodes the target of the immunosuppresive antifungal drugs FK506 and rapamycin. Our study identifies a eukaryotic hypermutator lineage spread over two continents and suggests that pathogenic eukaryotic microbes may experience similar selection pressures on mutation rate as bacterial pathogens, particularly during long periods of clonal growth or while expanding into new environments. As humans, we often think of genetic mutations as being bad. Over the past several decades we have seen health warnings issued on a variety of environmental exposures, from cigarettes to tanning beds, and with good reason because they cause mutations. For multicellular organisms like humans, these mutations are strongly associated with cancer. But in bacteria, this is not true. In fact, the rate at which mutations occur sometimes increases to help bacteria cope with stressful environments. Unlike bacteria, humans are eukaryotes – the name given to organisms whose cells contain different compartments separated by membranes, such as the nucleus of the cell. For years, we have assumed that eukaryotic microbes, like fungi and parasites, act more like humans than like bacteria because work in budding yeast (another eukaryote) has suggested this to be the case. However, recent work in disease-causing fungi has shown that, much like bacteria, elevated mutation rates may help them to respond to stress. This could also enable fungi to become resistant to drugs used to treat fungal infections. Cryptococcus deuterogattii is a fungus that causes human diseases including meningoencephalitis and a lung infection called pulmonary cryptococcosis. An ongoing outbreak of the fungus began in the Pacific Northwest of Canada in the late 1990s and emerged in the United States in 2006/2007. Among isolates closely related to those fungi causing the outbreak, three were found that appear to have a specific mutation in their DNA mismatch repair pathway, meaning that they may also experience a higher mutation rate. These strains are also less able to cause disease than others. Billmyre et al. now demonstrate experimentally that all three isolates have a specific DNA mismatch repair defect, and show that these fungi experience elevated mutation rates, resulting in what is known as a hypermutator state. Furthermore, whole genome sequencing and phylogenetic analysis showed that these hypermutator strains are derived from the outbreak-causing fungi, and that their reduced ability to cause disease is likely a result of accumulating mutations and the loss of the ability to grow at the higher temperatures found in the human body. Fungal infections are difficult to treat, in part because there are a limited number of available drugs. Elevated mutation rates will likely increase how often and how rapidly fungi develop resistance to these drugs. Understanding how commonly fungi exhibit a hypermutator state that could impact the development of drug resistance will therefore be important for treating patients with fungal infections, which account for millions of infections and hundreds of thousands of deaths annually worldwide.
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Affiliation(s)
- R Blake Billmyre
- Department of Molecular Genetics and Microbiology, Duke University School of Medicine, Duke University Medical Center, Durham, United States
| | - Shelly Applen Clancey
- Department of Molecular Genetics and Microbiology, Duke University School of Medicine, Duke University Medical Center, Durham, United States
| | - Joseph Heitman
- Department of Molecular Genetics and Microbiology, Duke University School of Medicine, Duke University Medical Center, Durham, United States
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15
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McGowin CL, Totten PA. The Unique Microbiology and Molecular Pathogenesis of Mycoplasma genitalium. J Infect Dis 2017; 216:S382-S388. [PMID: 28838077 DOI: 10.1093/infdis/jix172] [Citation(s) in RCA: 44] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Mycoplasma genitalium is increasingly appreciated as a common cause of sexually transmitted disease syndromes, including urethritis in men and cervicitis, endometritis, pelvic inflammatory disease, and possibly preterm birth, tubal factor infertility, and ectopic pregnancy in women. Despite these disease associations, which parallel those of Chlamydia trachomatis and Neisseria gonorrhoeae, the mechanisms by which this pathogen elicits inflammation, causes cellular damage, and persists in its only natural host (humans) are unique and are not fully understood. The purpose of this review is to briefly provide a historical background on the discovery, microbiology, and recognition of M. genitalium as a pathogen, and then summarize the recent advances in our understanding of the molecular biology and pathogenesis of this unique urogenital organism. Collectively, the basic scientific discussions herein should provide a framework for understanding the clinical and epidemiological outcomes described in the accompanying articles in this supplemental issue.
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Affiliation(s)
- Chris L McGowin
- Departments of 1 Microbiology, Immunology, and Parasitology.,Internal Medicine (Section of Infectious Diseases), Louisiana State University Health Sciences Center, New Orleans
| | - Patricia A Totten
- Departments of 3 Medicine (Division of Infectious Diseases).,Global Health (Pathobiology Interdisciplinary Program), University of Washington, Seattle
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16
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Affiliation(s)
- Søren A Ladefoged
- Department of Medical Microbiology and Immunology University of Aarhus, Denmark.,Department of Clinical Biochemistry University Hospital of Aarhus, Denmark
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17
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18
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Multiple Barriers to the Evolution of Alternative Gene Orders in a Positive-Strand RNA Virus. Genetics 2016; 202:1503-21. [PMID: 26868766 DOI: 10.1534/genetics.115.185017] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/19/2015] [Accepted: 02/07/2016] [Indexed: 01/06/2023] Open
Abstract
The order in which genes are organized within a genome is generally not conserved between distantly related species. However, within virus orders and families, strong conservation of gene order is observed. The factors that constrain or promote gene-order diversity are largely unknown, although the regulation of gene expression is one important constraint for viruses. Here we investigate why gene order is conserved for a positive-strand RNA virus encoding a single polyprotein in the context of its authentic multicellular host. Initially, we identified the most plausible trajectory by which alternative gene orders could evolve. Subsequently, we studied the accessibility of key steps along this evolutionary trajectory by constructing two virus intermediates: (1) duplication of a gene followed by (2) loss of the ancestral gene. We identified five barriers to the evolution of alternative gene orders. First, the number of viable positions for reordering is limited. Second, the within-host fitness of viruses with gene duplications is low compared to the wild-type virus. Third, after duplication, the ancestral gene copy is always maintained and never the duplicated one. Fourth, viruses with an alternative gene order have even lower fitness than viruses with gene duplications. Fifth, after more than half a year of evolution in isolation, viruses with an alternative gene order are still vastly inferior to the wild-type virus. Our results show that all steps along plausible evolutionary trajectories to alternative gene orders are highly unlikely. Hence, the inaccessibility of these trajectories probably contributes to the conservation of gene order in present-day viruses.
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Abstract
The concept of the minimal cell has fascinated scientists for a long time, from both fundamental and applied points of view. This broad concept encompasses extreme reductions of genomes, the last universal common ancestor (LUCA), the creation of semiartificial cells, and the design of protocells and chassis cells. Here we review these different areas of research and identify common and complementary aspects of each one. We focus on systems biology, a discipline that is greatly facilitating the classical top-down and bottom-up approaches toward minimal cells. In addition, we also review the so-called middle-out approach and its contributions to the field with mathematical and computational models. Owing to the advances in genomics technologies, much of the work in this area has been centered on minimal genomes, or rather minimal gene sets, required to sustain life. Nevertheless, a fundamental expansion has been taking place in the last few years wherein the minimal gene set is viewed as a backbone of a more complex system. Complementing genomics, progress is being made in understanding the system-wide properties at the levels of the transcriptome, proteome, and metabolome. Network modeling approaches are enabling the integration of these different omics data sets toward an understanding of the complex molecular pathways connecting genotype to phenotype. We review key concepts central to the mapping and modeling of this complexity, which is at the heart of research on minimal cells. Finally, we discuss the distinction between minimizing the number of cellular components and minimizing cellular complexity, toward an improved understanding and utilization of minimal and simpler cells.
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20
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Saraya T, Kurai D, Nakagaki K, Sasaki Y, Niwa S, Tsukagoshi H, Nunokawa H, Ohkuma K, Tsujimoto N, Hirao S, Wada H, Ishii H, Nakata K, Kimura H, Kozawa K, Takizawa H, Goto H. Novel aspects on the pathogenesis of Mycoplasma pneumoniae pneumonia and therapeutic implications. Front Microbiol 2014; 5:410. [PMID: 25157244 PMCID: PMC4127663 DOI: 10.3389/fmicb.2014.00410] [Citation(s) in RCA: 57] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/29/2014] [Accepted: 07/20/2014] [Indexed: 01/30/2023] Open
Abstract
Mycoplasma pneumoniae (Mp) is a leading cause of community acquired pneumonia. Knowledge regarding Mp pneumonia obtained from animal models or human subjects has been discussed in many different reports. Accumulated expertise concerning this critical issue has been hard to apply clinically, and potential problems may remain undiscovered. Therefore, our multidisciplinary team extensively reviewed the literature regarding Mp pneumonia, and compared findings from animal models with those from human subjects. In human beings, the characteristic pathological features of Mp pneumonia have been reported as alveolar infiltration with neutrophils and lymphocytes and lymphocyte/plasma cell infiltrates in the peri-bronchovascular area. Herein, we demonstrated the novel aspects of Mp pneumonia that the severity of the Mp pneumonia seemed to depend on the host innate immunity to the Mp, which might be accelerated by antecedent Mp exposure (re-exposure or latent respiratory infection) through up-regulation of Toll-like receptor 2 expression on bronchial epithelial cells and alveolar macrophages. The macrolides therapy might be beneficial for the patients with macrolide-resistant Mp pneumonia via not bacteriological but immunomodulative effects. This exhaustive review focuses on pathogenesis and extends to some therapeutic implications such as clarithromycin, and discusses the various diverse aspects of Mp pneumonia. It is our hope that this might lead to new insights into this common respiratory disease.
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Affiliation(s)
- Takeshi Saraya
- Department of Respiratory Medicine, Kyorin University School of Medicine Mitaka, Japan
| | - Daisuke Kurai
- Department of Respiratory Medicine, Kyorin University School of Medicine Mitaka, Japan
| | - Kazuhide Nakagaki
- Department of Virology and Immunology, College of Veterinary Medicine, Nippon Veterinary and Animal Science University Mitaka, Japan
| | - Yoshiko Sasaki
- Gunma Prefectural Institute of Public Health and Environmental Sciences Maebashi, Japan
| | - Shoichi Niwa
- Gunma Prefectural Institute of Public Health and Environmental Sciences Maebashi, Japan
| | - Hiroyuki Tsukagoshi
- Gunma Prefectural Institute of Public Health and Environmental Sciences Maebashi, Japan
| | - Hiroki Nunokawa
- Department of Respiratory Medicine, Kyorin University School of Medicine Mitaka, Japan
| | - Kosuke Ohkuma
- Department of Respiratory Medicine, Kyorin University School of Medicine Mitaka, Japan
| | - Naoki Tsujimoto
- Department of Respiratory Medicine, Kyorin University School of Medicine Mitaka, Japan
| | - Susumu Hirao
- Department of Respiratory Medicine, Kyorin University School of Medicine Mitaka, Japan
| | - Hiroo Wada
- Department of Respiratory Medicine, Kyorin University School of Medicine Mitaka, Japan
| | - Haruyuki Ishii
- Department of Respiratory Medicine, Kyorin University School of Medicine Mitaka, Japan
| | - Koh Nakata
- Bioscience Medical Research Center, Niigata University Medical and Dental Hospital Niigata, Japan
| | - Hirokazu Kimura
- Infectious Disease Surveillance Center, National Institute of Infectious Diseases Tokyo, Japan
| | - Kunihisa Kozawa
- Gunma Prefectural Institute of Public Health and Environmental Sciences Maebashi, Japan
| | - Hajime Takizawa
- Department of Respiratory Medicine, Kyorin University School of Medicine Mitaka, Japan
| | - Hajime Goto
- Department of Respiratory Medicine, Kyorin University School of Medicine Mitaka, Japan
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Grosjean H, Breton M, Sirand-Pugnet P, Tardy F, Thiaucourt F, Citti C, Barré A, Yoshizawa S, Fourmy D, de Crécy-Lagard V, Blanchard A. Predicting the minimal translation apparatus: lessons from the reductive evolution of mollicutes. PLoS Genet 2014; 10:e1004363. [PMID: 24809820 PMCID: PMC4014445 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pgen.1004363] [Citation(s) in RCA: 96] [Impact Index Per Article: 9.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/20/2013] [Accepted: 03/24/2014] [Indexed: 11/18/2022] Open
Abstract
Mollicutes is a class of parasitic bacteria that have evolved from a common Firmicutes ancestor mostly by massive genome reduction. With genomes under 1 Mbp in size, most Mollicutes species retain the capacity to replicate and grow autonomously. The major goal of this work was to identify the minimal set of proteins that can sustain ribosome biogenesis and translation of the genetic code in these bacteria. Using the experimentally validated genes from the model bacteria Escherichia coli and Bacillus subtilis as input, genes encoding proteins of the core translation machinery were predicted in 39 distinct Mollicutes species, 33 of which are culturable. The set of 260 input genes encodes proteins involved in ribosome biogenesis, tRNA maturation and aminoacylation, as well as proteins cofactors required for mRNA translation and RNA decay. A core set of 104 of these proteins is found in all species analyzed. Genes encoding proteins involved in post-translational modifications of ribosomal proteins and translation cofactors, post-transcriptional modifications of t+rRNA, in ribosome assembly and RNA degradation are the most frequently lost. As expected, genes coding for aminoacyl-tRNA synthetases, ribosomal proteins and initiation, elongation and termination factors are the most persistent (i.e. conserved in a majority of genomes). Enzymes introducing nucleotides modifications in the anticodon loop of tRNA, in helix 44 of 16S rRNA and in helices 69 and 80 of 23S rRNA, all essential for decoding and facilitating peptidyl transfer, are maintained in all species. Reconstruction of genome evolution in Mollicutes revealed that, beside many gene losses, occasional gains by horizontal gene transfer also occurred. This analysis not only showed that slightly different solutions for preserving a functional, albeit minimal, protein synthetizing machinery have emerged in these successive rounds of reductive evolution but also has broad implications in guiding the reconstruction of a minimal cell by synthetic biology approaches.
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Affiliation(s)
- Henri Grosjean
- Centre de Génétique Moléculaire, UPR 3404, CNRS, Université Paris-Sud, FRC 3115, Gif-sur-Yvette, France
| | - Marc Breton
- INRA, UMR 1332 de Biologie du Fruit et Pathologie, Villenave d'Ornon, France
- Univ. Bordeaux, UMR 1332 de Biologie du Fruit et Pathologie, Villenave d'Ornon, France
| | - Pascal Sirand-Pugnet
- INRA, UMR 1332 de Biologie du Fruit et Pathologie, Villenave d'Ornon, France
- Univ. Bordeaux, UMR 1332 de Biologie du Fruit et Pathologie, Villenave d'Ornon, France
| | - Florence Tardy
- Anses, Laboratoire de Lyon, UMR Mycoplasmoses des Ruminants, Lyon, France
- Université de Lyon, VetAgro Sup, UMR Mycoplasmoses des Ruminants, Marcy L'Etoile, France
| | - François Thiaucourt
- Centre International de Recherche en Agronomie pour le Développement, UMR CMAEE, Montpellier, France
| | - Christine Citti
- INRA, UMR1225, Ecole Nationale Vétérinaire de Toulouse, Toulouse, France
- Université de Toulouse, INP-ENVT, UMR1225, Ecole Nationale Vétérinaire de Toulouse, Toulouse, France
| | - Aurélien Barré
- Univ. Bordeaux, Centre de bioinformatique et de génomique fonctionnelle, CBiB, Bordeaux, France
| | - Satoko Yoshizawa
- Centre de Génétique Moléculaire, UPR 3404, CNRS, Université Paris-Sud, FRC 3115, Gif-sur-Yvette, France
| | - Dominique Fourmy
- Centre de Génétique Moléculaire, UPR 3404, CNRS, Université Paris-Sud, FRC 3115, Gif-sur-Yvette, France
| | - Valérie de Crécy-Lagard
- Department of Microbiology and Cell Science, University Florida, Gainesville, Florida, United States of America
| | - Alain Blanchard
- INRA, UMR 1332 de Biologie du Fruit et Pathologie, Villenave d'Ornon, France
- Univ. Bordeaux, UMR 1332 de Biologie du Fruit et Pathologie, Villenave d'Ornon, France
- * E-mail:
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22
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Vishnyakov IE, Borchsenius SN. Mycoplasma heat shock proteins and their genes. Microbiology (Reading) 2014. [DOI: 10.1134/s002626171306012x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/17/2023] Open
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23
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Chen X, Shen YY, Zhang YP. [Review of mtDNA in molecular evolution studies]. DONG WU XUE YAN JIU = ZOOLOGICAL RESEARCH 2013; 33:566-73. [PMID: 23266975 DOI: 10.3724/sp.j.1141.2012.06566] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/25/2022]
Abstract
Mitochondria are old organelles found in most eukaryotic cells. Due to its rapid mutation ratio, mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) has been widely used as a DNA marker in molecular studies and has long been suggested to undergo neutral evolution or purifying selection. Mitochondria produces 95% of the adenosine triphosphate (ATP) needed for locomotion, and heat for thermoregulation. Recent studies had found that mitochondria play critical roles in energy metabolism, and proved that functional constraints acting on mitochondria, due to energy metabolism and/or thermoregulation, influence the evolution of mtDNA. This review summarizes mitochondrial genome composition, evolution, and its applications in molecular evolution studies (reconstruction of species phylogenesis, the relationship between biological energy metabolism and mtDNA evolution, and the mtDNA codon reassignment influences the adaptation in different creatures).
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Affiliation(s)
- Xing Chen
- Laboratory for Conservation and Utilization of Bio-resources, Yunnan University, Kunming, China
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24
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The Mycoplasma gallisepticum virulence factor lipoprotein MslA is a novel polynucleotide binding protein. Infect Immun 2013; 81:3220-6. [PMID: 23798535 DOI: 10.1128/iai.00365-13] [Citation(s) in RCA: 23] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/20/2022] Open
Abstract
Although lipoproteins of mycoplasmas are thought to play a crucial role in interactions with their hosts, very few have had their biochemical function defined. The gene encoding the lipoprotein MslA in Mycoplasma gallisepticum has recently been shown to be required for virulence, but the biochemical function of this gene is not known. Although this gene has no significant sequence similarity to any gene of known function, it is located within an operon in M. gallisepticum that contains a homolog of a gene previously shown to be a nonspecific exonuclease. We mutagenized both genes to facilitate expression in Escherichia coli and then examined the functions of the recombinant proteins. The capacity of MslA to bind polynucleotides was examined, and we found that the protein bound single- and double-stranded DNA, as well as single-stranded RNA, with a predicted binding site of greater than 1 nucleotide but less than or equal to 5 nucleotides in length. Recombinant MslA cleaved into two fragments in vitro, both of which were able to bind oligonucleotides. These findings suggest that the role of MslA may be to act in concert with the lipoprotein nuclease to generate nucleotides for transport into the mycoplasma cell, as the remaining genes in the operon are predicted to encode an ABC transporter.
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Siqueira FM, Thompson CE, Virginio VG, Gonchoroski T, Reolon L, Almeida LG, da Fonsêca MM, de Souza R, Prosdocimi F, Schrank IS, Ferreira HB, de Vasconcelos ATR, Zaha A. New insights on the biology of swine respiratory tract mycoplasmas from a comparative genome analysis. BMC Genomics 2013; 14:175. [PMID: 23497205 PMCID: PMC3610235 DOI: 10.1186/1471-2164-14-175] [Citation(s) in RCA: 55] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/08/2012] [Accepted: 03/08/2013] [Indexed: 11/10/2022] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Mycoplasma hyopneumoniae, Mycoplasma flocculare and Mycoplasma hyorhinis live in swine respiratory tracts. M. flocculare, a commensal bacterium, is genetically closely related to M. hyopneumoniae, the causative agent of enzootic porcine pneumonia. M. hyorhinis is also pathogenic, causing polyserositis and arthritis. In this work, we present the genome sequences of M. flocculare and M. hyopneumoniae strain 7422, and we compare these genomes with the genomes of other M. hyoponeumoniae strain and to the a M. hyorhinis genome. These analyses were performed to identify possible characteristics that may help to explain the different behaviors of these species in swine respiratory tracts. RESULTS The overall genome organization of three species was analyzed, revealing that the ORF clusters (OCs) differ considerably and that inversions and rearrangements are common. Although M. flocculare and M. hyopneumoniae display a high degree of similarity with respect to the gene content, only some genomic regions display considerable synteny. Genes encoding proteins that may be involved in host-cell adhesion in M. hyopneumoniae and M. flocculare display differences in genomic structure and organization. Some genes encoding adhesins of the P97 family are absent in M. flocculare and some contain sequence differences or lack of domains that are considered to be important for adhesion to host cells. The phylogenetic relationship of the three species was confirmed by a phylogenomic approach. The set of genes involved in metabolism, especially in the uptake of precursors for nucleic acids synthesis and nucleotide metabolism, display some differences in copy number and the presence/absence in the three species. CONCLUSIONS The comparative analyses of three mycoplasma species that inhabit the swine respiratory tract facilitated the identification of some characteristics that may be related to their different behaviors. M. hyopneumoniae and M. flocculare display many differences that may help to explain why one species is pathogenic and the other is considered to be commensal. However, it was not possible to identify specific virulence determinant factors that could explain the differences in the pathogenicity of the analyzed species. The M. hyorhinis genome contains differences in some components involved in metabolism and evasion of the host's immune system that may contribute to its growth aggressiveness. Several horizontal gene transfer events were identified. The phylogenomic analysis places M. hyopneumoniae, M. flocculare and M. hyorhinis in the hyopneumoniae clade.
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Affiliation(s)
- Franciele Maboni Siqueira
- Centro de Biotecnologia, Universidade Federal do Rio Grande do Sul (UFRGS), Porto Alegre, Brazil
- Programa de Pós-Graduação em Ciências Biológicas - Bioquímica. UFRGS, Porto Alegre, Brazil
| | - Claudia Elizabeth Thompson
- Laboratório de Bioinformática. Laboratório Nacional de Computação Científica. Petrópolis, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
| | - Veridiana Gomes Virginio
- Centro de Biotecnologia, Universidade Federal do Rio Grande do Sul (UFRGS), Porto Alegre, Brazil
- Programa de Pós-Graduação em Biologia Celular e Molecular. Centro de Biotecnologia UFRGS, Porto Alegre, Brazil
| | - Taylor Gonchoroski
- Centro de Biotecnologia, Universidade Federal do Rio Grande do Sul (UFRGS), Porto Alegre, Brazil
| | - Luciano Reolon
- Centro de Biotecnologia, Universidade Federal do Rio Grande do Sul (UFRGS), Porto Alegre, Brazil
- Programa de Pós-Graduação em Biologia Celular e Molecular. Centro de Biotecnologia UFRGS, Porto Alegre, Brazil
| | - Luiz Gonzaga Almeida
- Laboratório de Bioinformática. Laboratório Nacional de Computação Científica. Petrópolis, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
| | - Marbella Maria da Fonsêca
- Laboratório de Bioinformática. Laboratório Nacional de Computação Científica. Petrópolis, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
| | - Rangel de Souza
- Laboratório de Bioinformática. Laboratório Nacional de Computação Científica. Petrópolis, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
| | - Francisco Prosdocimi
- Departamento de Bioquímica Médica. Centro de Ciências da Saúde, Universidade Federal do Rio de Janeiro, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
| | - Irene Silveira Schrank
- Centro de Biotecnologia, Universidade Federal do Rio Grande do Sul (UFRGS), Porto Alegre, Brazil
- Programa de Pós-Graduação em Biologia Celular e Molecular. Centro de Biotecnologia UFRGS, Porto Alegre, Brazil
- Departamento de Biologia Molecular e Biotecnologia, Instituto de Biociências. UFRGS, Porto Alegre, Brazil
| | - Henrique Bunselmeyer Ferreira
- Centro de Biotecnologia, Universidade Federal do Rio Grande do Sul (UFRGS), Porto Alegre, Brazil
- Programa de Pós-Graduação em Biologia Celular e Molecular. Centro de Biotecnologia UFRGS, Porto Alegre, Brazil
- Departamento de Biologia Molecular e Biotecnologia, Instituto de Biociências. UFRGS, Porto Alegre, Brazil
| | | | - Arnaldo Zaha
- Centro de Biotecnologia, Universidade Federal do Rio Grande do Sul (UFRGS), Porto Alegre, Brazil
- Programa de Pós-Graduação em Biologia Celular e Molecular. Centro de Biotecnologia UFRGS, Porto Alegre, Brazil
- Programa de Pós-Graduação em Ciências Biológicas - Bioquímica. UFRGS, Porto Alegre, Brazil
- Departamento de Biologia Molecular e Biotecnologia, Instituto de Biociências. UFRGS, Porto Alegre, Brazil
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Martinez MA, Das K, Saikolappan S, Materon LA, Dhandayuthapani S. A serine/threonine phosphatase encoded by MG_207 of Mycoplasma genitalium is critical for its virulence. BMC Microbiol 2013; 13:44. [PMID: 23432936 PMCID: PMC3639085 DOI: 10.1186/1471-2180-13-44] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/30/2012] [Accepted: 02/19/2013] [Indexed: 01/01/2023] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Bacterial signal transduction systems like two component system (TCS) and Serine/Threonine kinase (STK) and Serine/Threonine phosphatase (STP) play important roles in the virulence and pathogenesis of bacterial pathogens. Mycoplasma genitalium, a mollicute that causes the urogenital diseases urethritis and cervicitis in men and women, respectively, is a pathogen which lacks TCS but possesses STK/STP. In this study, we investigated the biochemical and virulence properties of an STP protein encoded by the gene MG_207 of this species. RESULTS We overexpressed MG207 in Escherichia coli overexpression system as a recombinant His10MG207 protein and purified it with affinity chromatography. This recombinant protein readily hydrolyzed the substrate p-nitrophenyl phosphate (pNPP) in a dose-dependent manner. Additional studies using synthetic peptides as substrates revealed that the recombinant protein was able to hydrolyze the threonine phosphate. Further, a transposon insertion mutant strain of M. genitalium (TIM207) that lacks the protein MG207 showed differentially phosphorylated proteins when compared to the wild type G37 strain. Mass spectrometry revealed that some of the key proteins differentially phosphorylated in TIM207 strain were putative cytoskeletal protein encoded by the gene MG_328 and pyruvate dehydrogenase E1 α chain encoded by the gene MG_274. In addition, TIM207 was noticed to be less cytotoxic to HeLa cells and this correlated with the production of less hydrogen peroxide by this strain. This strain was also less efficient in inducing the differentiation of THP-1 cell line as compared to wild type M. genitalium. CONCLUSIONS The results of the study suggest that MG207 is an important signaling protein of M. genitalium and its presence may be crucial for the virulence of this species.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mario A Martinez
- Regional Academic Health Center and Department of Microbiology and Immunology, University of Texas Health Science Center at San Antonio, Edinburg, TX 78541, USA
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Siqueira FM, Schrank A, Schrank IS. Mycoplasma hyopneumoniae transcription unit organization: genome survey and prediction. DNA Res 2011; 18:413-22. [PMID: 22086999 PMCID: PMC3223074 DOI: 10.1093/dnares/dsr028] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/24/2022] Open
Abstract
Mycoplasma hyopneumoniae is associated with swine respiratory diseases. Although gene organization and regulation are well known in many prokaryotic organisms, knowledge on mycoplasma is limited. This study performed a comparative analysis of three strains of M. hyopneumoniae (7448, J and 232), with a focus on genome organization and gene comparison for open read frame (ORF) cluster (OC) identification. An in silico analysis of gene organization demonstrated 117 OCs and 34 single ORFs in M. hyopneumoniae 7448 and J, while 116 OCs and 36 single ORFs were identified in M. hyopneumoniae 232. Genomic comparison revealed high synteny and conservation of gene order between the OCs defined for 7448 and J strains as well as for 7448 and 232 strains. Twenty-one OCs were chosen and experimentally confirmed by reverse transcription–PCR from M. hyopneumoniae 7448 genome, validating our prediction. A subset of the ORFs within an OC could be independently transcribed due to the presence of internal promoters. Our results suggest that transcription occurs in ‘run-on’ from an upstream promoter in M. hyopneumoniae, thus forming large ORF clusters (from 2 to 29 ORFs in the same orientation) and indicating a complex transcriptional organization.
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Affiliation(s)
- Franciele Maboni Siqueira
- Programa de Pós-Graduação em Biologia Molecular e Celular, Departamento de Biologia Molecular e Biotecnologia, Centro de Biotecnologia, Universidade Federal do Rio Grande do Sul, Porto Alegre, Brazil
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Mycoplasma genitalium: from Chrysalis to multicolored butterfly. Clin Microbiol Rev 2011; 24:498-514. [PMID: 21734246 DOI: 10.1128/cmr.00006-11] [Citation(s) in RCA: 338] [Impact Index Per Article: 26.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/18/2022] Open
Abstract
The history, replication, genetics, characteristics (both biological and physical), and factors involved in the pathogenesis of Mycoplasma genitalium are presented. The latter factors include adhesion, the influence of hormones, motility, possible toxin production, and immunological responses. The preferred site of colonization, together with current detection procedures, mainly by PCR technology, is discussed. The relationships between M. genitalium and various diseases are highlighted. These diseases include acute and chronic nongonococcal urethritis, balanoposthitis, chronic prostatitis, and acute epididymitis in men and urethritis, bacterial vaginosis, vaginitis, cervicitis, pelvic inflammatory disease, and reproductive disease in women. A causative relationship, or otherwise strong association, between several of these diseases and M. genitalium is apparent, and the extent of this, on a subjective basis, is presented; also provided is a comparison between M. genitalium and two other genital tract-orientated mollicutes, namely, Mycoplasma hominis, the first mycoplasma of human origin to be discovered, and Ureaplasma species. Also discussed is the relationship between M. genitalium and infertility and also arthritis in both men and women, as is infection in homosexual and immunodeficient patients. Decreased immunity, as in HIV infections, may enhance mycoplasmal detection and increase disease severity. Finally, aspects of the antimicrobial susceptibility and resistance of M. genitalium, together with the treatment and possible prevention of mycoplasmal disease, are discussed.
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Weinstein SA, Stiles BG. A review of the epidemiology, diagnosis and evidence-based management of Mycoplasma genitalium. Sex Health 2011; 8:143-58. [PMID: 21592428 DOI: 10.1071/sh10065] [Citation(s) in RCA: 25] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/06/2010] [Accepted: 08/30/2010] [Indexed: 11/23/2022]
Abstract
Mycoplasma genitalium is attracting increasing recognition as an important sexually transmitted pathogen. Presented is a review of the epidemiology, detection, presentation and management of M. genitalium infection. Accumulating evidence suggests that M. genitalium is an important cause of non-gonococcal, non-chlamydial urethritis and cervicitis, and is linked with pelvic inflammatory disease and, possibly, obstetric complications. Although there is no standard detection assay, several nucleic acid amplification tests have >95% sensitivity and specificity for M. genitalium. To date, there is a general lack of established protocols for screening in public health clinics. Patients with urethritis or cervicitis should be screened for M. genitalium and some asymptomatic sub-groups should be screened depending on individual factors and local prevalence. Investigations estimating M. genitalium geographic prevalence document generally low incidence, but some communities exhibit infection frequencies comparable to that of Chlamydia trachomatis. Accumulating evidence supports an extended regimen of azithromycin for treatment of M. genitalium infection, as data suggest that stat 1 g azithromycin may be less effective. Although data are limited, azithromycin-resistant cases documented to date respond to an appropriate fluoroquinolone (e.g. moxifloxacin). Inconsistent clinical recognition of M. genitalium may result in treatment failure and subsequent persistence due to ineffective antibiotics. The contrasting nature of existing literature regarding risks of M. genitalium infection emphasises the need for further carefully controlled studies of this emerging pathogen.
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Affiliation(s)
- Scott A Weinstein
- Women's and Children's Hospital, 72 King William Road, North Adelaide, SA 5003, Australia.
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30
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The proteome of Mycoplasma pneumoniae
, a supposedly “simple” cell. Proteomics 2011; 11:3614-32. [DOI: 10.1002/pmic.201100076] [Citation(s) in RCA: 22] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/09/2011] [Revised: 05/09/2011] [Accepted: 06/15/2011] [Indexed: 11/07/2022]
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Zhang W, Baseman JB. Transcriptional regulation of MG_149, an osmoinducible lipoprotein gene from Mycoplasma genitalium. Mol Microbiol 2011; 81:327-39. [PMID: 21692875 DOI: 10.1111/j.1365-2958.2011.07717.x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 25] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/28/2022]
Abstract
Transcriptional regulation remains poorly understood in Mycoplasma genitalium, the smallest self-replicating cell and the causative agent of a spectrum of urogenital diseases. Previously, we reported that MG_149, a lipoprotein-encoding gene, was highly induced under physiological hyperosmolarity conditions. In this study we further analysed MG_149 transcription with a focus on the identification of promoter elements and regulatory mechanisms. We established MG_149 as a genuine osmoinducible gene that exhibited the highest transcript abundance compared with other lipoprotein genes. Using genetic approaches, we demonstrated that the -10 region of the MG_149 promoter was essential for osmoinduction. Moreover, we showed that MG_149 osmoinduction was regulated by DNA supercoiling, as the presence of novobiocin decreased MG_149 expression in a dose-dependent manner. Taken together, these results indicate that DNA supercoiling participates in controlling MG_149 expression during in vivo-like conditions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Wenbo Zhang
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, The University of Texas Health Science Center at San Antonio, San Antonio, TX 78229-3900, USA
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Zhang W, Baseman JB. Transcriptional response of Mycoplasma genitalium to osmotic stress. MICROBIOLOGY-SGM 2010; 157:548-556. [PMID: 21051489 PMCID: PMC3090130 DOI: 10.1099/mic.0.043984-0] [Citation(s) in RCA: 21] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/23/2022]
Abstract
Mycoplasma genitalium is the causative agent of non-gonococcal, chlamydia-negative urethritis in men and has been linked to reproductive tract disease syndromes in women. As with other mycoplasmas, M. genitalium lacks many regulatory genes because of its streamlined genome and total dependence on a parasitic existence. Therefore, it is important to understand how gene regulation occurs in M. genitalium, particularly in response to environmental signals likely to be encountered in vivo. In this study, we developed an oligonucleotide-based microarray to investigate transcriptional changes in M. genitalium following osmotic shock. Using a physiologically relevant osmolarity condition (0.3 M sodium chloride), we identified 39 upregulated and 72 downregulated genes. Of the upregulated genes, 21 were of unknown function and 15 encoded membrane-associated proteins. The majority of downregulated genes encoded enzymes involved in energy metabolism and components of the protein translation process. These data provide insights into the in vivo response of M. genitalium to hyperosmolarity conditions and identify candidate genes that may contribute to mycoplasma survival in the urogenital tract.
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Affiliation(s)
- Wenbo Zhang
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, The University of Texas Health Science Center at San Antonio, 7703 Floyd Curl Drive, San Antonio, TX 78229, USA
| | - Joel B Baseman
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, The University of Texas Health Science Center at San Antonio, 7703 Floyd Curl Drive, San Antonio, TX 78229, USA
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Abstract
With recent breakthroughs in experimental microbiology making it possible to synthesize and implant an entire genome to create a living cell, the challenge of constructing a working blueprint for the first truly minimal synthetic organism is more important than ever. Here we review the significant progress made in the design and creation of a minimal organism. We discuss how comparative genomes, gene essentiality data, naturally small genomes, and metabolic modeling are all being applied to produce a catalogue of the biological functions essential for life. We compare the minimal gene sets from three published sources with functions identified in 13 existing gene essentiality datasets. We examine how genome-scale metabolic models have been applied to design a minimal metabolism for growth in simple and complex media. Additionally, we survey the progress of efforts to construct a minimal organism, either through implementation of combinatorial deletions in Bacillus subtilis and Escherichia coli or through the synthesis and implantation of synthetic genomes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Christopher Henry
- Mathematics and Computer Science Department, Argonne National Laboratory, Argonne, IL, USA.
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Mahmood K, Konagurthu AS, Song J, Buckle AM, Webb GI, Whisstock JC. EGM: encapsulated gene-by-gene matching to identify gene orthologs and homologous segments in genomes. Bioinformatics 2010; 26:2076-84. [DOI: 10.1093/bioinformatics/btq339] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/06/2023] Open
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36
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Horino A, Kenri T, Sasaki Y, Okamura N, Sasaki T. Identification of a site-specific tyrosine recombinase that mediates promoter inversions of phase-variable mpl lipoprotein genes in Mycoplasma penetrans. MICROBIOLOGY-SGM 2009; 155:1241-1249. [PMID: 19332825 DOI: 10.1099/mic.0.025437-0] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/18/2022]
Abstract
Mycoplasma penetrans has the ability to change its surface lipoprotein profiles frequently. The P35 family lipoproteins encoded by the mpl genes are key players in this profile variation. The M. penetrans HF-2 genome has 38 mpl genes that form three gene clusters. Most of these mpl genes have an invertible promoter sequence that is responsible for the ON/OFF switching of individual mpl gene expression. Here, we identified the recombinase that catalyses inversions of the mpl gene promoters. We focused on two open reading frames of the M. penetrans HF-2 genome, namely MYPE2900 and MYPE8180, which show significant homology to the tyrosine site-specific recombinase (Tsr) family proteins. Since genetic tools for M. penetrans are still not developed, we cloned the MYPE2900 and MYPE8180 genes and expressed them in Mycoplasma pneumoniae and Escherichia coli. The promoter regions of the mpl genes [p35 (MYPE6810) or p42 (MYPE6630) genes] were also introduced into M. pneumoniae and E. coli cells expressing MYPE2900 or MYPE8180. Inversion of these promoters occurred in the presence of the MYPE2900 gene but not in the presence of the MYPE8180 gene, indicating that the MYPE2900 gene product is the recombinase that catalyses mpl gene promoter inversions. We used a PCR-based method to detect mpl promoter inversion. This method also enabled us to detect inversions of 10 mpl gene promoters in M. penetrans HF-2 cells. All these promoter inversions occurred at the 12 bp inverted repeat (IR) sequences flanking the promoter sequence. The consensus sequence of these IRs was proposed as TAAYNNNDATTA (Y=C or T; D=A, G or T).
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Affiliation(s)
- Atsuko Horino
- Laboratory of Microbiology and Immunology, Graduate School of Health Sciences, Tokyo Medical and Dental University, Tokyo 113-8519, Japan.,Department of Bacterial Pathogenesis and Infection Control, National Institute of Infectious Diseases, Musashimurayama, Tokyo 208-0011, Japan
| | - Tsuyoshi Kenri
- Department of Bacterial Pathogenesis and Infection Control, National Institute of Infectious Diseases, Musashimurayama, Tokyo 208-0011, Japan
| | - Yuko Sasaki
- Department of Bacterial Pathogenesis and Infection Control, National Institute of Infectious Diseases, Musashimurayama, Tokyo 208-0011, Japan
| | - Noboru Okamura
- Laboratory of Microbiology and Immunology, Graduate School of Health Sciences, Tokyo Medical and Dental University, Tokyo 113-8519, Japan
| | - Tsuguo Sasaki
- Department of Bacterial Pathogenesis and Infection Control, National Institute of Infectious Diseases, Musashimurayama, Tokyo 208-0011, Japan
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Promoter characterization in the AT-rich genome of the obligate endosymbiont "Candidatus Blochmannia floridanus". J Bacteriol 2009; 191:3747-51. [PMID: 19329646 DOI: 10.1128/jb.00069-09] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/20/2022] Open
Abstract
The characterization of transcriptional start sites of 14 genes encoded by the extremely AT-rich genome of "Candidatus Blochmannia floridanus" revealed a high degree of conservation with the RpoD promoter consensus sequence of the free-living relative Escherichia coli. Moreover, in agreement with the presence of the alternative heat shock sigma factor RpoH in "Ca. Blochmannia," typical RpoH-dependent promoters were identified. However, no heat shock response resembling that of E. coli could be detected in "Ca. Blochmannia."
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38
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Abstract
Glycerol is one of the few carbon sources that can be utilized by Mycoplasma pneumoniae. Glycerol metabolism involves uptake by facilitated diffusion, phosphorylation, and the oxidation of glycerol 3-phosphate to dihydroxyacetone phosphate, a glycolytic intermediate. We have analyzed the expression of the genes involved in glycerol metabolism and observed constitutive expression irrespective of the presence of glycerol or preferred carbon sources. Similarly, the enzymatic activity of glycerol kinase is not modulated by HPr-dependent phosphorylation. This lack of regulation is unique among the bacteria for which glycerol metabolism has been studied so far. Two types of enzymes catalyze the oxidation of glycerol 3-phosphate: oxidases and dehydrogenases. Here, we demonstrate that the enzyme encoded by the M. pneumoniae glpD gene is a glycerol 3-phosphate oxidase that forms hydrogen peroxide rather than NADH(2). The formation of hydrogen peroxide by GlpD is crucial for cytotoxic effects of M. pneumoniae. A glpD mutant exhibited a significantly reduced formation of hydrogen peroxide and a severely reduced cytotoxicity. Attempts to isolate mutants affected in the genes of glycerol metabolism revealed that only the glpD gene, encoding the glycerol 3-phosphate oxidase, is dispensable. In contrast, the glpF and glpK genes, encoding the glycerol facilitator and the glycerol kinase, respectively, are essential in M. pneumoniae. Thus, the enzymes of glycerol metabolism are crucial for the pathogenicity of M. pneumoniae but also for other essential, yet-to-be-identified functions in the M. pneumoniae cell.
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De Palmenaer D, Siguier P, Mahillon J. IS4 family goes genomic. BMC Evol Biol 2008; 8:18. [PMID: 18215304 PMCID: PMC2266710 DOI: 10.1186/1471-2148-8-18] [Citation(s) in RCA: 50] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/13/2007] [Accepted: 01/23/2008] [Indexed: 01/29/2023] Open
Abstract
Background Insertion sequences (ISs) are small, mobile DNA entities able to expand in prokaryotic genomes and trigger important rearrangements. To understand their role in evolution, accurate IS taxonomy is essential. The IS4 family is composed of ~70 elements and, like some other families, displays extremely elevated levels of internal divergence impeding its classification. The increasing availability of complete genome sequences provides a valuable source for the discovery of additional IS4 elements. In this study, this genomic database was used to update the structural and functional definition of the IS4 family. Results A total of 227 IS4-related sequences were collected among more than 500 sequenced bacterial and archaeal genomes, representing more than a three fold increase of the initial inventory. A clear division into seven coherent subgroups was discovered as well as three emerging families, which displayed distinct structural and functional properties. The IS4 family was sporadically present in 17 % of analyzed genomes, with most of them displaying single or a small number of IS4 elements. Significant expansions were detected only in some pathogens as well as among certain extremophiles, suggesting the probable involvement of some elements in bacterial and archaeal adaptation and/or evolution. Finally, it should be noted that some IS4 subgroups and two emerging families occurred preferentially in specific phyla or exclusively inside a specific genus. Conclusion The present taxonomic update of IS4 and emerging families will facilitate the classification of future elements as they arise from ongoing genome sequencing. Their narrow genomic impact and the existence of both IS-poor and IS-rich thriving prokaryotes suggested that these families, and probably ISs in general, are occasionally used as a tool for genome flexibility and evolution, rather than just representing self sustaining DNA entities.
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Affiliation(s)
- Daniel De Palmenaer
- Laboratoire de microbiologie alimentaire et environnementale, Université catholique de Louvain, Croix du Sud 2/12, B-1348 Louvain-la-Neuve, Belgium.
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Genomic analysis reveals Mycoplasma pneumoniae repetitive element 1-mediated recombination in a clinical isolate. Infect Immun 2008; 76:1639-48. [PMID: 18212079 DOI: 10.1128/iai.01621-07] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/20/2022] Open
Abstract
Mycoplasmas are cell wall-less bacteria that evolved by drastic reduction of the genome size. Complete genome analysis of Mycoplasma pneumoniae revealed the presence of numerous copies of four distinct large M. pneumoniae repetitive elements (RepMPs). One copy each of RepMP2/3, RepMP4, and RepMP5 are localized within the P1 operon (MPN140 to MPN142 loci), and their involvement in sequence variation in adhesin P1 and adherence-related protein B/C has been documented. Here we analyzed a clinical strain of M. pneumoniae designated S1 isolated from a 1993 outbreak of respiratory infections in San Antonio, TX. Based on the type of RepMPs within the P1 operon, we classified clinical isolate S1 as type 2 with unique minor sequence variations. Hybridization with oligonucleotide arrays revealed sequence divergence in two previously unsuspected hypothetical genes (MPN137 and MPN138 loci). Closer inspection of this region revealed that the MPN137 and MPN138 loci harbored previously unrecognized unique RepMP1 sequences found only in M. pneumoniae. PCR and sequence analyses revealed a recombination event involving three RepMP1-containing genes that resulted in fusion of MPN137 and MPN138 reading frames and loss of all but a short fragment of another RepMP1-containing locus, MPN130. The multiple copies of unique RepMP1 elements spread throughout the chromosome could allow vast numbers of sequence variations in clinical strains. Comparisons of amino acid sequences showed the presence of leucine zipper motifs in MPN130 and MPN138 proteins in reference strain M129 and the absence of these motifs in the fused protein of S1. The presence of tandem leucine and other repeats points to possible regulatory functions of proteins encoded by RepMP1-containing genes.
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Brown DR, Whitcomb RF, Bradbury JM. Revised minimal standards for description of new species of the class Mollicutes (division Tenericutes). Int J Syst Evol Microbiol 2008; 57:2703-2719. [PMID: 17978244 DOI: 10.1099/ijs.0.64722-0] [Citation(s) in RCA: 91] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/18/2022] Open
Abstract
Minimal standards for novel species of the class Mollicutes (trivial term, mollicutes), last published in 1995, require revision. The International Committee on Systematics of Prokaryotes Subcommittee on the Taxonomy of Mollicutes proposes herein revised standards that reflect recent advances in molecular systematics and the species concept for prokaryotes. The mandatory requirements are: (i) deposition of the type strain into two recognized culture collections, preferably located in different countries; (ii) deposition of the 16S rRNA gene sequence into a public database, and a phylogenetic analysis of the relationships among the 16S rRNA gene sequences of the novel species and its neighbours; (iii) deposition of antiserum against the type strain into a recognized collection; (iv) demonstration, by using the combination of 16S rRNA gene sequence analyses, serological analyses and supplementary phenotypic data, that the type strain differs significantly from all previously named species; and (v) assignment to an order, a family and a genus in the class, with an appropriate specific epithet. The 16S rRNA gene sequence provides the primary basis for assignment to hierarchical rank, and may also constitute evidence of species novelty, but serological and supplementary phenotypic data must be presented to substantiate this. Serological methods have been documented to be congruent with DNA-DNA hybridization data and with 16S rRNA gene placements. The novel species must be tested serologically to the greatest extent that the investigators deem feasible against all neighbouring species whose 16S rRNA gene sequences show >0.94 similarity. The investigator is responsible for justifying which characters are most meaningful for assignment to the part of the mollicute phylogenetic tree in which a novel species is located, and for providing the means by which novel species can be identified by other investigators. The publication of the description should appear in a journal having wide circulation. If the journal is not the International Journal of Systematic and Evolutionary Microbiology, copies of the publication must be submitted to that journal so that the name may be considered for inclusion in a Validation List as required by the International Code of Bacteriological Nomenclature (the Bacteriological Code). Updated informal descriptions of the class Mollicutes and some of its constituent higher taxa are available as supplementary material in IJSEM Online.
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Affiliation(s)
- Daniel R Brown
- Department of Infectious Diseases and Pathology, College of Veterinary Medicine, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL 32610-0880, USA
| | - Robert F Whitcomb
- Collaborator, Vegetable Laboratory, Beltsville Agricultural Research Center, US Department of Agriculture, Beltsville, MD 20705, USA
| | - Janet M Bradbury
- Department of Veterinary Pathology, University of Liverpool, Leahurst, Neston, CH64 7TE, UK
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Iverson-Cabral SL, Astete SG, Cohen CR, Totten PA. mgpB and mgpC sequence diversity in Mycoplasma genitalium is generated by segmental reciprocal recombination with repetitive chromosomal sequences. Mol Microbiol 2007; 66:55-73. [PMID: 17880423 DOI: 10.1111/j.1365-2958.2007.05898.x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 65] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/28/2022]
Abstract
Mycoplasma genitalium is associated with sexually transmitted infections in men and women that, if untreated, can persist, suggesting that mechanism(s) exist to facilitate immune evasion. Approximately 4% of the limited M. genitalium genome contains repeat sequences termed MgPar regions that have homology to mgpB and mgpC, which encode antigenic proteins associated with attachment. We have previously shown that mgpB sequences vary within a single strain of M. genitalium in a pattern consistent with recombination between mgpB and MgPar sequences (Iverson-Cabral et al.). In the current study, we show that mgpC heterogeneity similarly occurs within the type strain, G-37(T), cultured in vitro and among cervical specimens collected from a persistently infected woman. In all cases, alternative mgpC sequences are indicative of recombination with MgPar regions. Additionally, the isolation of single-colony M. genitalium clonal variants containing alternative mgpB or mgpC sequences allowed us to demonstrate that mgpB and mgpC heterogeneity is associated with corresponding changes within donor MgPar regions, consistent with reciprocal recombination. Better-defined systems of antigenic variation are typically mediated by unidirectional gene conversion, so the generation of genetic diversity observed in M. genitalium by the mutual exchange of sequences makes this organism unique among bacterial pathogens.
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Mapping phosphoproteins in Mycoplasma genitalium and Mycoplasma pneumoniae. BMC Microbiol 2007; 7:63. [PMID: 17605819 PMCID: PMC1947986 DOI: 10.1186/1471-2180-7-63] [Citation(s) in RCA: 36] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/21/2006] [Accepted: 07/02/2007] [Indexed: 12/04/2022] Open
Abstract
Background Little is known regarding the extent or targets of phosphorylation in mycoplasmas, yet in many other bacterial species phosphorylation is known to play an important role in signaling and regulation of cellular processes. To determine the prevalence of phosphorylation in mycoplasmas, we examined the CHAPS-soluble protein fractions of Mycoplasma genitalium and Mycoplasma pneumoniae by two-dimensional gel electrophoresis (2-DE), using a combination of Pro-Q Diamond phosphoprotein stain and 33P labeling. Protein spots that were positive for phosphorylation were identified by peptide mass fingerprinting using MALDI-TOF-TOF mass spectrometry. Results We identified a total of 24 distinct phosphoproteins, about 3% and 5% of the total protein complement in M. pneumoniae and M. genitalium, respectively, indicating that phosphorylation occurs with prevalence similar to many other bacterial species. Identified phosphoproteins include pyruvate dehydrogenase E1 alpha and beta subunits, enolase, heat shock proteins DnaK and GroEL, elongation factor Tu, cytadherence accessory protein HMW3, P65, and several hypothetical proteins. These proteins are involved in energy metabolism, carbohydrate metabolism, translation/transcription and cytadherence. Interestingly, fourteen of the 24 phosphoproteins we identified (58%) were previously reported as putatively associated with a cytoskeleton-like structure that is present in the mycoplasmas, indicating a potential regulatory role for phosphorylation in this structure. Conclusion This study has shown that phosphorylation in mycoplasmas is comparable to that of other bacterial species. Our evidence supports a link between phosphorylation and cytadherence and/or a cytoskeleton-like structure, since over half of the proteins identified as phosphorylated have been previously associated with these functions. This opens the door to further research into the purposes and mechanisms of phosphorylation for mycoplasmas.
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Halbedel S, Eilers H, Jonas B, Busse J, Hecker M, Engelmann S, Stülke J. Transcription in Mycoplasma pneumoniae: analysis of the promoters of the ackA and ldh genes. J Mol Biol 2007; 371:596-607. [PMID: 17586527 DOI: 10.1016/j.jmb.2007.05.098] [Citation(s) in RCA: 23] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/29/2007] [Revised: 05/30/2007] [Accepted: 05/30/2007] [Indexed: 10/23/2022]
Abstract
The nucleotide sequences that control transcription initiation and regulation in Mycoplasma pneumoniae are poorly understood. Moreover, only few regulatory events have been reported for M. pneumoniae. We have studied changes in the global protein synthesis pattern in M. pneumoniae in response to the presence of glycerol. The ackA and ldh genes, encoding acetate kinase and lactate dehydrogenase, respectively, were controlled in a carbon source-dependent manner. While the ackA gene was strongly expressed in the presence of glucose, transcription of ldh was induced by glycerol. The promoters of both genes were mapped by primer extension analysis. Molecular analysis of transcription regulatory mechanisms in M. pneumoniae has so far not been possible due to the lack of appropriate reporter systems that can be used to study the activity of promoter fragments and their mutant derivatives in vivo. Recently, a reporter system has been developed which allows cloning of promoter fragments in front of a promoterless lacZ gene and inserting this construct into the genome of M. pneumoniae. To study the requirements of M. pneumoniae RNA polymerase for promoter recognition, a series of fusions of deletion and mutant variants of the ldh promoter was constructed and analyzed in vivo. While mutations affecting the -10 region strongly interfered with gene expression, the -35 region seems to be of minor importance in M. pneumoniae.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sven Halbedel
- Department of General Microbiology, Institute of Microbiology and Genetics, Georg-August University Göttingen, Germany
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Into T, Dohkan JI, Inomata M, Nakashima M, Shibata KI, Matsushita K. Synthesis and characterization of a dipalmitoylated lipopeptide derived from paralogous lipoproteins of Mycoplasma pneumoniae. Infect Immun 2007; 75:2253-9. [PMID: 17325056 PMCID: PMC1865785 DOI: 10.1128/iai.00141-07] [Citation(s) in RCA: 25] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/20/2023] Open
Abstract
Genomic analysis of Mycoplasma pneumoniae revealed the existence of a large number of putative lipoprotein genes compared with the numbers in other bacteria. However, the pathogenic roles of M. pneumoniae lipoproteins are still obscure. In this study, we synthesized a lipopeptide (designated M. pneumoniae paralogous lipoprotein 1 [MPPL-1]) in which an S-dipalmitoylglyceryl cysteine was coupled to a peptide with a consensus sequence of a putative paralogous lipoprotein group characteristic of M. pneumoniae. The cytokine-inducing activity of MPPL-1 in human monocytic cells was much weaker (approximately 700-fold weaker) than that of the known mycoplasmal S-dipalmitoylated lipopeptide FSL-1 or MALP-2. MPPL-1 required Toll-like receptor (TLR2) to activate NF-kappaB-dependent gene transcription in HEK293 cells, although a 1,000-fold-larger amount of MPPL-1 was needed to exert activity similar to that of FSL-1 in the cells. TLR2-mediated recognition of MPPL-1 was synergistically upregulated by TLR6 but not by TLR1 or TLR10, although the activity was still weak. In addition, MPPL-1 did not antagonize FSL-1 recognition in human monocytic cells and TLR2/TLR6-expressing HEK293 cells. Thus, these results suggest that there is preferential selective recognition of diacylated lipopeptides due to the magnitude of an affinity with TLR2 and TLR6 and the roles of increased paralogous lipoprotein genes of M. pneumoniae in evasion of TLR2 recognition.
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Affiliation(s)
- Takeshi Into
- Department of Oral Disease Research, National Institute for Longevity Sciences, National Center for Geriatrics and Gerontology, 36-3 Gengo, Morioka, Obu, Aichi 474-8522, Japan.
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Momynaliev K, Klubin A, Chelysheva V, Selezneva O, Akopian T, Govorun V. Comparative genome analysis of Ureaplasma parvum clinical isolates. Res Microbiol 2007; 158:371-8. [PMID: 17363224 DOI: 10.1016/j.resmic.2007.01.002] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/30/2006] [Accepted: 01/10/2007] [Indexed: 10/23/2022]
Abstract
Ureaplasma parvum colonizes human mucosal surfaces, primarily in the respiratory and urogenital tracts, causing a wide spectrum of diseases, from non-gonococcal urethritis to pneumonitis in immunocompromised hosts. Although the basis for these diverse clinical outcomes is not yet understood, more severe disease may be associated with strains harboring a certain set of strain-specific genes. To investigate this, whole genome DNA macroarrays were constructed and used to assess genomic diversity in 10 U. parvum clinical strains. We found that 7.6% of U. parvum genes were dispersed into one or more strains, thus defining a minimal functional core of 538 U. parvum genes. Most of the strain-specific genes (79%) were of unknown function and were unique to U. parvum. Four hypervariable plasticity regions were identified in the genome containing 93% of the variability in the gene pool (UU32-UU33, UU145-UU170, UU440-UU447 and UU527-UU529). We hypothesized that one of them (UU145-UU170) was a pathogenicity island in U. parvum and we characterized it. Thus, we propose that the clinical outcome of U. parvum infection is probably associated with this newly identified pathogenicity island.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kuvat Momynaliev
- Department of Molecular Biology and Genetics, Research Institute of Physicochemical Medicine, Federal Agency for Health and Social Development, Malaya Pirogovskaya 1A, Moscow 119992, Russian Federation.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | - Arnaldo Zaha
- Universidade Federal do Rio Grande do Sul, Brazil
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Hallamaa KM, Browning GF, Tang SL. Lipoprotein multigene families in Mycoplasma pneumoniae. J Bacteriol 2006; 188:5393-9. [PMID: 16855228 PMCID: PMC1540031 DOI: 10.1128/jb.01819-05] [Citation(s) in RCA: 18] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/20/2022] Open
Abstract
In this study, reverse transcriptase PCR was employed to construct a transcriptional profile of Mycoplasma pneumoniae lipoprotein genes contained in six multigene families. Most genes were found to be expressed. Many truncated lipoprotein genes were expressed, often polycistronically with other truncated genes, indicating that these genes may still be functional.
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Affiliation(s)
- K M Hallamaa
- Department of Veterinary Science, The University of Melbourne, Parkville, Victoria 3010, Australia
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Pich OQ, Burgos R, Ferrer-Navarro M, Querol E, Piñol J. Mycoplasma genitalium mg200 and mg386 genes are involved in gliding motility but not in cytadherence. Mol Microbiol 2006; 60:1509-19. [PMID: 16796684 DOI: 10.1111/j.1365-2958.2006.05187.x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 36] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/30/2022]
Abstract
Isolation and characterization of transposon-generated Mycoplasma genitalium gliding-deficient mutants has implicated mg200 and mg386 genes in gliding motility. The proposed role of these genes was confirmed by restoration of the gliding phenotype in deficient mutants through gene complementation with their respective mg386 or mg200 wild-type copies. mg200 and mg386 are the first reported gliding-associated mycoplasma genes not directly involved in cytadherence. Orthologues of MG200 and MG386 proteins are also found in the slow gliding mycoplasmas, Mycoplasma pneumoniae and Mycoplasma gallisepticum, suggesting the existence of a unique set of proteins involved in slow gliding motility. MG200 and MG386 proteins share common features, such as the presence of enriched in aromatic and glycine residues boxes and an acidic and proline-rich domain, suggesting that these motifs could play a significant role in gliding motility.
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Affiliation(s)
- Oscar Q Pich
- Institut de Biotecnologia i Biomedicina and Departament de Bioquímica i Biologia Molecular. Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona, 08193 Bellaterra, Barcelona, Spain
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Kawai M, Nakao K, Uchiyama I, Kobayashi I. How genomes rearrange: genome comparison within bacteria Neisseria suggests roles for mobile elements in formation of complex genome polymorphisms. Gene 2006; 383:52-63. [PMID: 16949772 DOI: 10.1016/j.gene.2006.07.013] [Citation(s) in RCA: 19] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/09/2006] [Revised: 07/13/2006] [Accepted: 07/14/2006] [Indexed: 11/15/2022]
Abstract
Comparison of closely related genome sequences can provide a clue as to how macroscopic genome polymorphisms were formed through various events of recombination. However, this approach has been limited to relatively simple polymorphisms such as insertion, deletion and inversion. In the present study, we tried to extend this approach to more complex genome polymorphisms that were observed when four genome sequences of bacterial genus Neisseria were compared. The first polymorphism was an apparent translocation (ab-cd to cd-ba; a region 'ab' was translocated). The second one was a re-ordering of adjacent regions (ab-cd-ef-gh to ef-cd-ab-gh; ab, cd and ef were in reverse order). The third one was a translocation of two adjacent regions with permutation of their order (ab-cd to cd-ab elsewhere in the genome). The fourth one was a genome-wide inversion associated with a genome-specific insertion into the joints (-ab-cd- to -y-ba-x-cd-). We were able to explain their formation by only a few steps of plausible events of recombination that involved linked IS copies and prophages. Our approach would help to reconstruct a history of apparently complex genome polymorphisms in any forms of organisms and to understand genome rearrangements in the natural environments in non-model organisms.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mikihiko Kawai
- Department of Medical Genome Sciences, Graduate School of Frontier Science, the University of Tokyo, Japan
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