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He C, He G, Feng Y. Structural basis of phage transcriptional regulation. Structure 2024; 32:1031-1039. [PMID: 39067444 DOI: 10.1016/j.str.2024.07.002] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/24/2024] [Revised: 06/03/2024] [Accepted: 07/02/2024] [Indexed: 07/30/2024]
Abstract
Phages are the most prevalent and diverse entities in the biosphere and represent the simplest systems that are capable of self-replication. Many fundamental concepts of transcriptional regulation were revealed through phage studies. The replication of phages within bacteria entails the hijacking of the host transcription machinery. Typically, this is accomplished through proteins and RNAs encoded by the phage genome that bind to the host RNA polymerase and modify its characteristics. Understanding these processes offers valuable insights into the mechanisms of bacterial transcription itself. Historically, X-ray crystallography has been the major tool for elucidating the structural basis of phage transcriptional regulation. In recent years, the application of cryoelectron microscopy has not only allowed the exploration of protein-protein and protein-nucleic acid interactions at near-atomic resolution but also captured transient intermediate states, further expanding our mechanistic understanding of phage transcriptional regulation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Chuchu He
- Department of Biophysics, and Department of Infectious Disease of Sir Run Run Shaw Hospital, Zhejiang University School of Medicine, Hangzhou 310058, China
| | - Guanchen He
- Department of Biophysics, and Department of Infectious Disease of Sir Run Run Shaw Hospital, Zhejiang University School of Medicine, Hangzhou 310058, China
| | - Yu Feng
- Department of Biophysics, and Department of Infectious Disease of Sir Run Run Shaw Hospital, Zhejiang University School of Medicine, Hangzhou 310058, China; Key Laboratory for Diagnosis and Treatment of Physic-Chemical and Aging Injury Diseases of Zhejiang Province, Hangzhou 310003, China.
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2
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Kim D, Tracey J, Becerra Flores M, Chaudhry K, Nasim R, Correa-Medina A, Knipling L, Chen Q, Stibitz S, Jenkins LM, Moon K, Cardozo T, Hinton D. Conformational change of the Bordetella response regulator BvgA accompanies its activation of the B. pertussis virulence gene fhaB. Comput Struct Biotechnol J 2022; 20:6431-6442. [DOI: 10.1016/j.csbj.2022.10.042] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/03/2022] [Revised: 10/26/2022] [Accepted: 10/26/2022] [Indexed: 11/08/2022] Open
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Hutinet G, Lee YJ, de Crécy-Lagard V, Weigele PR. Hypermodified DNA in Viruses of E. coli and Salmonella. EcoSal Plus 2021; 9:eESP00282019. [PMID: 34910575 PMCID: PMC11163837 DOI: 10.1128/ecosalplus.esp-0028-2019] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/03/2020] [Accepted: 07/26/2021] [Indexed: 12/23/2022]
Abstract
The DNA in bacterial viruses collectively contains a rich, yet relatively underexplored, chemical diversity of nucleobases beyond the canonical adenine, guanine, cytosine, and thymine. Herein, we review what is known about the genetic and biochemical basis for the biosynthesis of complex DNA modifications, also called DNA hypermodifications, in the DNA of tailed bacteriophages infecting Escherichia coli and Salmonella enterica. These modifications, and their diversification, likely arose out of the evolutionary arms race between bacteriophages and their cellular hosts. Despite their apparent diversity in chemical structure, the syntheses of various hypermodified bases share some common themes. Hypermodifications form through virus-directed synthesis of noncanonical deoxyribonucleotide triphosphates, direct modification DNA, or a combination of both. Hypermodification enzymes are often encoded in modular operons reminiscent of biosynthetic gene clusters observed in natural product biosynthesis. The study of phage-hypermodified DNA provides an exciting opportunity to expand what is known about the enzyme-catalyzed chemistry of nucleic acids and will yield new tools for the manipulation and interrogation of DNA.
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Affiliation(s)
- Geoffrey Hutinet
- Department of Microbiology and Cell Science, University of Florida, Gainesville, Florida, USA
| | - Yan-Jiun Lee
- Research Department, New England Biolabs, Ipswich, Massachusetts, USA
| | - Valérie de Crécy-Lagard
- Department of Microbiology and Cell Science, University of Florida, Gainesville, Florida, USA
| | - Peter R. Weigele
- Research Department, New England Biolabs, Ipswich, Massachusetts, USA
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Slyvka A, Zagorskaitė E, Czapinska H, Sasnauskas G, Bochtler M. Crystal structure of the EcoKMcrA N-terminal domain (NEco): recognition of modified cytosine bases without flipping. Nucleic Acids Res 2020; 47:11943-11955. [PMID: 31724709 PMCID: PMC7145662 DOI: 10.1093/nar/gkz1017] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/03/2019] [Revised: 10/15/2019] [Accepted: 10/21/2019] [Indexed: 01/19/2023] Open
Abstract
EcoKMcrA from Escherichia coli restricts CpG methylated or hydroxymethylated DNA, and may act as a barrier against host DNA. The enzyme consists of a novel N-terminal specificity domain that we term NEco, and a C-terminal catalytic HNH domain. Here, we report that NEco and full-length EcoKMcrA specificities are consistent. NEco affinity to DNA increases more from hemi- to full-methylation than from non- to hemi-methylation, indicating cooperative binding of the methyl groups. We determined the crystal structures of NEco in complex with fully modified DNA containing three variants of the Y5mCGR EcoKMcrA target sequence: C5mCGG, T5mCGA and T5hmCGA. The structures explain the specificity for the two central base pairs and one of the flanking pairs. As predicted based on earlier biochemical experiments, NEco does not flip any DNA bases. The proximal and distal methyl groups are accommodated in separate pockets. Changes to either pocket reduce DNA binding by NEco and restriction by EcoKMcrA, confirming the relevance of the crystallographically observed binding mode in solution.
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Affiliation(s)
- Anton Slyvka
- International Institute of Molecular and Cell Biology, Trojdena 4, 02-109 Warsaw, Poland
| | - Evelina Zagorskaitė
- Institute of Biotechnology, Vilnius University, Saulėtekio av. 7, 10257 Vilnius, Lithuania
| | - Honorata Czapinska
- International Institute of Molecular and Cell Biology, Trojdena 4, 02-109 Warsaw, Poland
| | - Giedrius Sasnauskas
- Institute of Biotechnology, Vilnius University, Saulėtekio av. 7, 10257 Vilnius, Lithuania
| | - Matthias Bochtler
- International Institute of Molecular and Cell Biology, Trojdena 4, 02-109 Warsaw, Poland.,Institute of Biochemistry and Biophysics PAS, Pawinskiego 5a, 02-106 Warsaw, Poland
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Shi J, Wen A, Zhao M, You L, Zhang Y, Feng Y. Structural basis of σ appropriation. Nucleic Acids Res 2019; 47:9423-9432. [PMID: 31392983 PMCID: PMC6755090 DOI: 10.1093/nar/gkz682] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/04/2019] [Revised: 07/23/2019] [Accepted: 07/26/2019] [Indexed: 01/25/2023] Open
Abstract
Bacteriophage T4 middle promoters are activated through a process called σ appropriation, which requires the concerted effort of two T4-encoded transcription factors: AsiA and MotA. Despite extensive biochemical and genetic analyses, puzzle remains, in part, because of a lack of precise structural information for σ appropriation complex. Here, we report a single-particle cryo-electron microscopy (cryo-EM) structure of an intact σ appropriation complex, comprising AsiA, MotA, Escherichia coli RNA polymerase (RNAP), σ70 and a T4 middle promoter. As expected, AsiA binds to and remodels σ region 4 to prevent its contact with host promoters. Unexpectedly, AsiA undergoes a large conformational change, takes over the job of σ region 4 and provides an anchor point for the upstream double-stranded DNA. Because σ region 4 is conserved among bacteria, other transcription factors may use the same strategy to alter the landscape of transcription immediately. Together, the structure provides a foundation for understanding σ appropriation and transcription activation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jing Shi
- Department of Biophysics, and Department of Pathology of Sir Run Run Shaw Hospital, Zhejiang University School of Medicine, Hangzhou 310058, China
| | - Aijia Wen
- Department of Biophysics, and Department of Pathology of Sir Run Run Shaw Hospital, Zhejiang University School of Medicine, Hangzhou 310058, China
| | - Minxing Zhao
- Department of Emergency Medicine of the First Affiliated Hospital, Zhejiang University School of Medicine, Hangzhou 310003, China
| | - Linlin You
- Key Laboratory of Synthetic Biology, CAS Center for Excellence in Molecular Plant Sciences, Shanghai Institute of Plant Physiology and Ecology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shanghai 200032, China.,University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100049, China
| | - Yu Zhang
- Key Laboratory of Synthetic Biology, CAS Center for Excellence in Molecular Plant Sciences, Shanghai Institute of Plant Physiology and Ecology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shanghai 200032, China
| | - Yu Feng
- Department of Biophysics, and Department of Pathology of Sir Run Run Shaw Hospital, Zhejiang University School of Medicine, Hangzhou 310058, China
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Czapinska H, Kowalska M, Zagorskaite E, Manakova E, Slyvka A, Xu SY, Siksnys V, Sasnauskas G, Bochtler M. Activity and structure of EcoKMcrA. Nucleic Acids Res 2019; 46:9829-9841. [PMID: 30107581 PMCID: PMC6182155 DOI: 10.1093/nar/gky731] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/18/2018] [Accepted: 08/07/2018] [Indexed: 12/22/2022] Open
Abstract
Escherichia coli McrA (EcoKMcrA) acts as a methylcytosine and hydroxymethylcytosine dependent restriction endonuclease. We present a biochemical characterization of EcoKMcrA that includes the first demonstration of its endonuclease activity, small angle X-ray scattering (SAXS) data, and a crystal structure of the enzyme in the absence of DNA. Our data indicate that EcoKMcrA dimerizes via the anticipated C-terminal HNH domains, which together form a single DNA binding site. The N-terminal domains are not homologous to SRA domains, do not interact with each other, and have separate DNA binding sites. Electrophoretic mobility shift assay (EMSA) and footprinting experiments suggest that the N-terminal domains can sense the presence and sequence context of modified cytosines. Pyrrolocytosine fluorescence data indicate no base flipping. In vitro, EcoKMcrA DNA endonuclease activity requires Mn2+ ions, is not strictly methyl dependent, and is not observed when active site variants of the enzyme are used. In cells, EcoKMcrA specifically restricts DNA that is modified in the correct sequence context. This activity is impaired by mutations of the nuclease active site, unless the enzyme is highly overexpressed.
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Affiliation(s)
- Honorata Czapinska
- International Institute of Molecular and Cell Biology, Trojdena 4, 02-109 Warsaw, Poland
| | - Monika Kowalska
- International Institute of Molecular and Cell Biology, Trojdena 4, 02-109 Warsaw, Poland
| | - Evelina Zagorskaite
- Institute of Biotechnology, Vilnius University, Sauletekio av. 7, 10257 Vilnius, Lithuania
| | - Elena Manakova
- Institute of Biotechnology, Vilnius University, Sauletekio av. 7, 10257 Vilnius, Lithuania
| | - Anton Slyvka
- International Institute of Molecular and Cell Biology, Trojdena 4, 02-109 Warsaw, Poland
| | - Shuang-Yong Xu
- New England Biolabs, Inc. 240 County Road, Ipswich, MA 01938, USA
| | - Virginijus Siksnys
- Institute of Biotechnology, Vilnius University, Sauletekio av. 7, 10257 Vilnius, Lithuania
| | - Giedrius Sasnauskas
- Institute of Biotechnology, Vilnius University, Sauletekio av. 7, 10257 Vilnius, Lithuania
| | - Matthias Bochtler
- International Institute of Molecular and Cell Biology, Trojdena 4, 02-109 Warsaw, Poland.,Institute of Biochemistry and Biophysics PAS, Pawinskiego 5a, 02-106 Warsaw, Poland
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