A role for topoisomerase III in Escherichia coli chromosome segregation

Untangling bacterial DNA topoisomerases functions

Topoisomerases are the main enzymes capable of resolving the topological constraints imposed by DNA transactions such as transcription or replication. All bacteria possess topoisomerases of different types. Although bacteria with circular replicons should encounter similar DNA topology issues, the distribution of topoisomerases varies from one bacterium to another, suggesting polymorphic functioning. Recently, several proteins restricting, enhancing or modifying the activity of topoisomerases were discovered, opening the way to a new area of understanding DNA topology management during the bacterial cell cycle. In this review, we discuss the distribution of topoisomerases across the bacterial phylum and current knowledge on the interplay among the different topoisomerases to maintain topological homeostasis.

Spatio-temporal organization of the E. coli chromosome from base to cellular length scales

Escherichia coli has been a vital model organism for studying chromosomal structure, thanks, in part, to its small and circular genome (4.6 million base pairs) and well-characterized biochemical pathways. Over the last several decades, we have made considerable progress in understanding the intricacies of the structure and subsequent function of the E. coli nucleoid. At the smallest scale, DNA, with no physical constraints, takes on a shape reminiscent of a randomly twisted cable, forming mostly random coils but partly affected by its stiffness. This ball-of-spaghetti-like shape forms a structure several times too large to fit into the cell. Once the physiological constraints of the cell are added, the DNA takes on overtwisted (negatively supercoiled) structures, which are shaped by an intricate interplay of many proteins carrying out essential biological processes. At shorter length scales (up to about 1 kb), nucleoid-associated proteins organize and condense the chromosome by inducing loops, bends, and forming bridges. Zooming out further and including cellular processes, topological domains are formed, which are flanked by supercoiling barriers. At the megabase-scale both large, highly self-interacting regions (macrodomains) and strong contacts between distant but co-regulated genes have been observed. At the largest scale, the nucleoid forms a helical ellipsoid. In this review, we will explore the history and recent advances that pave the way for a better understanding of E. coli chromosome organization and structure, discussing the cellular processes that drive changes in DNA shape, and what contributes to compaction and formation of dynamic structures, and in turn how bacterial chromatin affects key processes such as transcription and replication.

TOP3A coupling with replication forks and repair of TOP3A cleavage complexes

Humans have two Type IA topoisomerases, topoisomerase IIIα (TOP3A) and topoisomerase IIIβ (TOP3B). In this review, we focus on the role of human TOP3A in DNA replication and highlight the recent progress made in understanding TOP3A in the context of replication. Like other topoisomerases, TOP3A acts by a reversible mechanism of cleavage and rejoining of DNA strands allowing changes in DNA topology. By cleaving and resealing single-stranded DNA, it generates TOP3A-linked single-strand breaks as TOP3A cleavage complexes (TOP3Accs) with a TOP3A molecule covalently bound to the 5´-end of the break. TOP3A is critical for both mitochondrial and for nuclear DNA replication. Here, we discuss the formation and repair of irreversible TOP3Accs, as their presence compromises genome integrity as they form TOP3A DNA-protein crosslinks (TOP3A-DPCs) associated with DNA breaks. We discuss the redundant pathways that repair TOP3A-DPCs, and how their defects are a source of DNA damage leading to neurological diseases and mitochondrial disorders.

Characterization of a pathway of genomic instability induced by R-loops and its regulation by topoisomerases in E. coli

The prototype enzymes of the ubiquitous type IA topoisomerases (topos) family are Escherichia coli topo I (topA) and topo III (topB). Topo I shows preference for relaxation of negative supercoiling and topo III for decatenation. However, as they could act as backups for each other or even share functions, strains lacking both enzymes must be used to reveal the roles of type IA enzymes in genome maintenance. Recently, marker frequency analysis (MFA) of genomic DNA from topA topB null mutants revealed a major RNase HI-sensitive DNA peak bordered by Ter/Tus barriers, sites of replication fork fusion and termination in the chromosome terminus region (Ter). Here, flow cytometry for R-loop-dependent replication (RLDR), MFA, R-loop detection with S9.6 antibodies, and microscopy were used to further characterize the mechanism and consequences of over-replication in Ter. It is shown that the Ter peak is not due to the presence of a strong origin for RLDR in Ter region; instead RLDR, which is partly inhibited by the backtracking-resistant rpoB*35 mutation, appears to contribute indirectly to Ter over-replication. The data suggest that RLDR from multiple sites on the chromosome increases the number of replication forks trapped at Ter/Tus barriers which leads to RecA-dependent DNA amplification in Ter and to a chromosome segregation defect. Overproducing topo IV, the main cellular decatenase, does not inhibit RLDR or Ter over-replication but corrects the chromosome segregation defect. Furthermore, our data suggest that the inhibition of RLDR by topo I does not require its C-terminal-mediated interaction with RNA polymerase. Overall, our data reveal a pathway of genomic instability triggered by R-loops and its regulation by various topos activities at different steps.

Variable DNA topology is an epigenetic generator of physiological heterogeneity in bacterial populations

Transcription is a noisy and stochastic process that produces sibling-to-sibling variations in physiology across a population of genetically identical cells. This pattern of diversity reflects, in part, the burst-like nature of transcription. Transcription bursting has many causes and a failure to remove the supercoils that accumulate in DNA during transcription elongation is an important contributor. Positive supercoiling of the DNA ahead of the transcription elongation complex can result in RNA polymerase stalling if this DNA topological roadblock is not removed. The relaxation of these positive supercoils is performed by the ATP-dependent type II topoisomerases DNA gyrase and topoisomerase IV. Interference with the action of these topoisomerases involving, inter alia, topoisomerase poisons, fluctuations in the [ATP]/[ADP] ratio, and/or the intervention of nucleoid-associated proteins with GapR-like or YejK-like activities, may have consequences for the smooth operation of the transcriptional machinery. Antibiotic-tolerant (but not resistant) persister cells are among the phenotypic outliers that may emerge. However, interference with type II topoisomerase activity can have much broader consequences, making it an important epigenetic driver of physiological diversity in the bacterial population.

Negative supercoils regulate meiotic crossover patterns in budding yeast

Interference exists ubiquitously in many biological processes. Crossover interference patterns meiotic crossovers, which are required for faithful chromosome segregation and evolutionary adaption. However, what the interference signal is and how it is generated and regulated is unknown. We show that yeast top2 alleles which cannot bind or cleave DNA accumulate a higher level of negative supercoils and show weaker interference. However, top2 alleles which cannot religate the cleaved DNA or release the religated DNA accumulate less negative supercoils and show stronger interference. Moreover, the level of negative supercoils is negatively correlated with crossover interference strength. Furthermore, negative supercoils preferentially enrich at crossover-associated Zip3 regions before the formation of meiotic DNA double-strand breaks, and regions with more negative supercoils tend to have more Zip3. Additionally, the strength of crossover interference and homeostasis change coordinately in mutants. These findings suggest that the accumulation and relief of negative supercoils pattern meiotic crossovers.

The regulation of DNA supercoiling across evolution

DNA supercoiling controls a variety of cellular processes, including transcription, recombination, chromosome replication, and segregation, across all domains of life. As a physical property, DNA supercoiling alters the double helix structure by under- or over-winding it. Intriguingly, the evolution of DNA supercoiling reveals both similarities and differences in its properties and regulation across the three domains of life. Whereas all organisms exhibit local, constrained DNA supercoiling, only bacteria and archaea exhibit unconstrained global supercoiling. DNA supercoiling emerges naturally from certain cellular processes and can also be changed by enzymes called topoisomerases. While structurally and mechanistically distinct, topoisomerases that dissipate excessive supercoils exist in all domains of life. By contrast, topoisomerases that introduce positive or negative supercoils exist only in bacteria and archaea. The abundance of topoisomerases is also transcriptionally and post-transcriptionally regulated in domain-specific ways. Nucleoid-associated proteins, metabolites, and physicochemical factors influence DNA supercoiling by acting on the DNA itself or by impacting the activity of topoisomerases. Overall, the unique strategies that organisms have evolved to regulate DNA supercoiling hold significant therapeutic potential, such as bactericidal agents that target bacteria-specific processes or anticancer drugs that hinder abnormal DNA replication by acting on eukaryotic topoisomerases specialized in this process. The investigation of DNA supercoiling therefore reveals general principles, conserved mechanisms, and kingdom-specific variations relevant to a wide range of biological questions.

Lytic bacteriophages facilitate antibiotic sensitization of Enterococcus faecium

Enterococcus faecium, a commensal of the human intestine, has emerged as a hospital-adapted, multi-drug resistant (MDR) pathogen. Bacteriophages (phages), natural predators of bacteria, have regained attention as therapeutics to stem the rise of MDR bacteria. Despite their potential to curtail MDR E. faecium infections, the molecular events governing E. faecium-phage interactions remain largely unknown. Such interactions are important to delineate because phage selective pressure imposed on E. faecium will undoubtedly result in phage resistance phenotypes that could threaten the efficacy of phage therapy. In an effort to understand the emergence of phage resistance in E. faecium, three newly isolated lytic phages were used to demonstrate that E. faecium phage resistance is conferred through an array of cell wall-associated molecules, including secreted antigen A (SagA), enterococcal polysaccharide antigen (Epa), wall teichoic acids, capsule, and an arginine-aspartate-aspartate (RDD) protein of unknown function. We find that capsule and Epa are important for robust phage adsorption and that phage resistance mutations in sagA, epaR, and epaX enhance E. faecium susceptibility to ceftriaxone, an antibiotic normally ineffective due to its low affinity for enterococcal penicillin binding proteins. Consistent with these findings, we provide evidence that phages potently synergize with cell wall (ceftriaxone and ampicillin) and membrane-acting (daptomycin) antimicrobials to slow or completely inhibit the growth of E. faecium Our work demonstrates that the evolution of phage resistance comes with fitness defects resulting in drug sensitization and that lytic phages could serve as effective antimicrobials for the treatment of E. faecium infections.

Recombinational repair in the absence of holliday junction resolvases in E. coli

Cells possess two major DNA damage tolerance pathways that allow them to duplicate their genomes despite the presence of replication blocking lesions: translesion synthesis (TLS) and daughter strand gap repair (DSGR). The TLS pathway involves specialized DNA polymerases that are able to synthesize past DNA lesions while DSGR relies on Recombinational Repair (RR). At least two mechanisms are associated with RR: Homologous Recombination (HR) and RecA Mediated Excision Repair (RAMER). While HR and RAMER both depend on RecFOR and RecA, only the HR mechanism should involve Holliday Junctions (HJs) resolvase reactions. In this study we investigated the role of HJ resolvases, RuvC, TopIII and RusA on the balance between RAMER and HR in E. coli MG1655 derivatives. Using UV survival measurements, we first clearly establish that, in this genetic background, topB and ruvC define two distinct pathways of HJ resolution. We observed that a recA mutant is much more sensitive to UV than the ruvC topB double mutant which is deficient in HR because of its failure to resolve HJs. This difference is independent of RAMER, the SOS system, RusA, and the three TLS DNA polymerases, and may be accounted for by Double Strand Break repair mechanisms such as Synthesis Dependent Strand Annealing, Single Strand Annealing, or Break Induced Replication, which are independent of HJ resolvases. We then used a plasmid-based assay, in which RR is triggered by a single blocking lesion present on a plasmid molecule, to establish that while HR requires topB, ruvC or rusA, RAMER is independent of these genes and, as expected, requires a functional UvrABC excinuclease. Surprisingly, analysis of the RR events in a strain devoid of HJ resolvases reveals that the UvrABC dependent repair of the single lesion present on the plasmid molecule can generate an excision track potentially extending to dozens of nucleotides.

The many lives of type IA topoisomerases

The double-helical structure of genomic DNA is both elegant and functional in that it serves both to protect vulnerable DNA bases and to facilitate DNA replication and compaction. However, these design advantages come at the cost of having to evolve and maintain a cellular machinery that can manipulate a long polymeric molecule that readily becomes topologically entangled whenever it has to be opened for translation, replication, or repair. If such a machinery fails to eliminate detrimental topological entanglements, utilization of the information stored in the DNA double helix is compromised. As a consequence, the use of B-form DNA as the carrier of genetic information must have co-evolved with a means to manipulate its complex topology. This duty is performed by DNA topoisomerases, which therefore are, unsurprisingly, ubiquitous in all kingdoms of life. In this review, we focus on how DNA topoisomerases catalyze their impressive range of DNA-conjuring tricks, with a particular emphasis on DNA topoisomerase III (TOP3). Once thought to be the most unremarkable of topoisomerases, the many lives of these type IA topoisomerases are now being progressively revealed. This research interest is driven by a realization that their substrate versatility and their ability to engage in intimate collaborations with translocases and other DNA-processing enzymes are far more extensive and impressive than was thought hitherto. This, coupled with the recent associations of TOP3s with developmental and neurological pathologies in humans, is clearly making us reconsider their undeserved reputation as being unexceptional enzymes.

Supercoiling, R-loops, Replication and the Functions of Bacterial Type 1A Topoisomerases

Type 1A topoisomerases (topos) are the only topos that bind single-stranded DNA and the only ones found in all cells of the three domains of life. Two subfamilies, topo I and topo III, are present in bacteria. Topo I, found in all of them, relaxes negative supercoiling, while topo III acts as a decatenase in replication. However, recent results suggest that they can also act as back-up for each other. Because they are ubiquitous, type 1A enzymes are expected to be essential for cell viability. Single topA (topo I) and topB (topo III) null mutants of Escherichia coli are viable, but for topA only with compensatory mutations. Double topA topB null mutants were initially believed to be non-viable. However, in two independent studies, results of next generation sequencing (NGS) have recently shown that double topA topB null mutants of Bacillus subtilis and E. coli are viable when they carry parC parE gene amplifications. These genes encode the two subunits of topo IV, the main cellular decatenase. Here, we discuss the essential functions of bacterial type 1A topos in the context of this observation and new results showing their involvement in preventing unregulated replication from R-loops.

Topoisomerase III Acts at the Replication Fork To Remove Precatenanes

The role of DNA topoisomerase III (Topo III) in bacterial cells has proven elusive. Whereas eukaryotic Top IIIα homologs are clearly involved with homologs of the bacterial DNA helicase RecQ in unraveling double Holliday junctions, preventing crossover exchange of genetic information at unscheduled recombination intermediates, and Top IIIβ homologs have been shown to be involved in regulation of various mRNAs involved in neuronal function, there is little evidence for similar reactions in bacteria. Instead, most data point to Topo III playing a role supplemental to that of topoisomerase IV in unlinking daughter chromosomes during DNA replication. In support of this model, we show that Escherichia coli Topo III associates with the replication fork in vivo (likely via interactions with the single-stranded DNA-binding protein and the β clamp-loading DnaX complex of the DNA polymerase III holoenzyme), that the DnaX complex stimulates the ability of Topo III to unlink both catenated and precatenated DNA rings, and that ΔtopB cells show delayed and disorganized nucleoid segregation compared to that of wild-type cells. These data argue that Topo III normally assists topoisomerase IV in chromosome decatenation by removing excess positive topological linkages at or near the replication fork as they are converted into precatenanes.IMPORTANCE Topological entanglement between daughter chromosomes has to be reduced to exactly zero every time an E. coli cell divides. The enzymatic agents that accomplish this task are the topoisomerases. E. coli possesses four topoisomerases. It has been thought that topoisomerase IV is primarily responsible for unlinking the daughter chromosomes during DNA replication. We show here that topoisomerase III also plays a role in this process and is specifically localized to the replisome, the multiprotein machine that duplicates the cell's genome, in order to do so.

Direct observation of topoisomerase IA gate dynamics

Type IA topoisomerases cleave single-stranded DNA and relieve negative supercoils in discrete steps corresponding to the passage of the intact DNA strand through the cleaved strand. Although type IA topoisomerases are assumed to accomplish this strand passage via a protein-mediated DNA gate, opening of this gate has never been observed. We developed a single-molecule assay to directly measure gate opening of the Escherichia coli type IA topoisomerases I and III. We found that after cleavage of single-stranded DNA, the protein gate opens by as much as 6.6 nm and can close against forces in excess of 16 pN. Key differences in the cleavage, ligation, and gate dynamics of these two enzymes provide insights into their different cellular functions. The single-molecule results are broadly consistent with conformational changes obtained from molecular dynamics simulations. These results allowed us to develop a mechanistic model of interactions between type IA topoisomerases and single-stranded DNA.

Supercoiling of an excised genomic island represses effector gene expression to prevent activation of host resistance

The plant pathogen Pseudomonas syringae pv. phaseolicola, which causes halo blight disease of beans, contains a 106 kb genomic island PPHGI‐1. PPHGI‐1 carries a gene, avrPphB, which encodes an effector protein that triggers a resistance response in certain bean cultivars. Previous studies have shown that when PPHGI‐1 is excised from the bacterial chromosome, avrPphB is downregulated and therefore the pathogen avoids triggering the host’s defence mechanism. Here, we investigate whether the downregulation of avrPphB is caused by the supercoiling of PPHGI‐1. We also investigate the effect of a PPHGI‐1‐encoded type 1A topoisomerase, TopB3, on island stability and bacterial pathogenicity in the plant. Supercoiling inhibitors significantly increased the expression of avrPphB but did not affect the excision of PPHGI‐1. An insertional mutant of topB3 displayed an increase in avrPphB expression and an increase in PPHGI‐1 excision as well as reduced population growth in resistant and susceptible cultivars of bean. These results suggest an important role for topoisomerases in the maintenance and stability of a bacterial‐encoded genomic island and demonstrate that supercoiling is involved in the downregulation of an effector gene once the island has been excised, allowing the pathogen to prevent further activation of the host defence response.

Topoisomerases I and III inhibit R-loop formation to prevent unregulated replication in the chromosomal Ter region of Escherichia coli

Type 1A topoisomerases (topos) are the only ubiquitous topos. E. coli has two type 1A topos, topo I (topA) and topo III (topB). Topo I relaxes negative supercoiling in part to inhibit R-loop formation. To grow, topA mutants acquire compensatory mutations, base substitutions in gyrA or gyrB (gyrase) or amplifications of a DNA region including parC and parE (topo IV). topB mutants grow normally and topo III binds tightly to single-stranded DNA. What functions topo I and III share in vivo and how cells lacking these important enzymes can survive is unclear. Previously, a gyrB(Ts) compensatory mutation was used to construct topA topB null mutants. These mutants form very long filaments and accumulate diffuse DNA, phenotypes that appears to be related to replication from R-loops. Here, next generation sequencing and qPCR for marker frequency analysis were used to further define the functions of type 1A topos. The results reveal the presence of a RNase HI-sensitive origin of replication in the terminus (Ter) region of the chromosome that is more active in topA topB cells than in topA and rnhA (RNase HI) null cells. The S9.6 antibodies specific to DNA:RNA hybrids were used in dot-blot experiments to show the accumulation of R-loops in rnhA, topA and topA topB null cells. Moreover topA topB gyrB(Ts) strains, but not a topA gyrB(Ts) strain, were found to carry a parC parE amplification. When a topA gyrB(Ts) mutant carried a plasmid producing topo IV, topB null transductants did not have parC parE amplifications. Altogether, the data indicate that in E. coli type 1A topos are required to inhibit R-loop formation/accumulation mostly to prevent unregulated replication in Ter, and that they are essential to prevent excess negative supercoiling and its detrimental effects on cell growth and survival.

DNA topoisomerases are nicking closing enzymes with strand passage activity that solves the topological problems inherent to the double-helical structure of DNA. Topos of the type 1A family are the only ubiquitous topos. They are classified in two subfamilies, topo I and topo III respectively found in bacteria only and in organisms from the three domains of life. The prototype enzymes of these two subfamilies are topo I and topo III from Escherichia coli. Recent data suggest that duplications leading to topo I and III subfamilies occurred in the Last Common Universal Ancestor of the three domains of life. In this context, our finding reported here that both E. coli topo I and III control R-loop formation/accumulation, mostly to inhibit unregulated replication, may suggest that R-loops have been a problem early in the evolution of life. Furthermore, our data show that E. coli cells can survive in the absence of type 1A topos, owing to the surproduction of topo IV that can relax excess negative supercoiling and prevent R-loop formation. Thus, our results strongly suggest that a major function of type 1A topos is to control R-loop formation to preserve the integrity of the genome.

The Macromolecular Machines that Duplicate the Escherichia coli Chromosome as Targets for Drug Discovery

DNA replication is an essential process. Although the fundamental strategies to duplicate chromosomes are similar in all free-living organisms, the enzymes of the three domains of life that perform similar functions in DNA replication differ in amino acid sequence and their three-dimensional structures. Moreover, the respective proteins generally utilize different enzymatic mechanisms. Hence, the replication proteins that are highly conserved among bacterial species are attractive targets to develop novel antibiotics as the compounds are unlikely to demonstrate off-target effects. For those proteins that differ among bacteria, compounds that are species-specific may be found. Escherichia coli has been developed as a model system to study DNA replication, serving as a benchmark for comparison. This review summarizes the functions of individual E. coli proteins, and the compounds that inhibit them.

Negative supercoiling of DNA by gyrase is inhibited in Salmonella enterica serovar Typhimurium during adaptation to acid stress

DNA in intracellular Salmonella enterica serovar Typhimurium relaxes during growth in the acidified (pH 4-5) macrophage vacuole and DNA relaxation correlates with the upregulation of Salmonella genes involved in adaptation to the macrophage environment. Bacterial ATP levels did not increase during adaptation to acid pH unless the bacterium was deficient in MgtC, a cytoplasmic-membrane-located inhibitor of proton-driven F₁ F₀ ATP synthase activity. Inhibiting ATP binding by DNA gyrase and topo IV with novobiocin enhanced the effect of low pH on DNA relaxation. Bacteria expressing novobiocin-resistant (Nov^R ) derivatives of gyrase or topo IV also exhibited DNA relaxation at acid pH, although further relaxation with novobiocin was not seen in the strain with Nov^R gyrase. Thus, inhibition of the negative supercoiling activity of gyrase was the primary cause of enhanced DNA relaxation in drug-treated bacteria. The Salmonella cytosol reaches pH 5-6 in response to an external pH of 4-5: the ATP-dependent DNA supercoiling activity of purified gyrase was progressively inhibited by lowering the pH in this range, as was the ATP-dependent DNA relaxation activity of topo IV. We propose that DNA relaxation in Salmonella within macrophage is due to acid-mediated impairment of the negative supercoiling activity of gyrase.

Bacterial pathogen gene regulation: a DNA-structure-centred view of a protein-dominated domain

The mechanisms used by bacterial pathogens to regulate the expression of their genes, especially their virulence genes, have been the subject of intense investigation for several decades. Whole genome sequencing projects, together with more targeted studies, have identified hundreds of DNA-binding proteins that contribute to the patterns of gene expression observed during infection as well as providing important insights into the nature of the gene products whose expression is being controlled by these proteins. Themes that have emerged include the importance of horizontal gene transfer to the evolution of pathogens, the need to impose regulatory discipline upon these imported genes and the important roles played by factors normally associated with the organization of genome architecture as regulatory principles in the control of virulence gene expression. Among these architectural elements is the structure of DNA itself, its variable nature at a topological rather than just at a base-sequence level and its ability to play an active (as well as a passive) part in the gene regulation process.

The interplay between DNA topology and accessory factors in site-specific recombination in bacteria and their bacteriophages

Site-specific recombination is employed widely in bacteria and bacteriophage as a basis for genetic switching events that control phenotypic variation. It plays a vital role in the life cycles of phages and in the replication cycles of chromosomes and plasmids in bacteria. Site-specific recombinases drive these processes using very short segments of identical (or nearly identical) DNA sequences. In some cases, the efficiencies of the recombination reactions are modulated by the topological state of the participating DNA sequences and by the availability of accessory proteins that shape the DNA. These dependencies link the molecular machines that conduct the recombination reactions to the physiological state of the cell. This is because the topological state of bacterial DNA varies constantly during the growth cycle and so does the availability of the accessory factors. In addition, some accessory factors are under allosteric control by metabolic products or second messengers that report the physiological status of the cell. The interplay between DNA topology, accessory factors and site-specific recombination provides a powerful illustration of the connectedness and integration of molecular events in bacterial cells and in viruses that parasitise bacterial cells.

DNA supercoiling is a fundamental regulatory principle in the control of bacterial gene expression

Although it has become routine to consider DNA in terms of its role as a carrier of genetic information, it is also an important contributor to the control of gene expression. This regulatory principle arises from its structural properties. DNA is maintained in an underwound state in most bacterial cells and this has important implications both for DNA storage in the nucleoid and for the expression of genetic information. Underwinding of the DNA through reduction in its linking number potentially imparts energy to the duplex that is available to drive DNA transactions, such as transcription, replication and recombination. The topological state of DNA also influences its affinity for some DNA binding proteins, especially in DNA sequences that have a high A + T base content. The underwinding of DNA by the ATP-dependent topoisomerase DNA gyrase creates a continuum between metabolic flux, DNA topology and gene expression that underpins the global response of the genome to changes in the intracellular and external environments. These connections describe a fundamental and generalised mechanism affecting global gene expression that underlies the specific control of transcription operating through conventional transcription factors. This mechanism also provides a basal level of control for genes acquired by horizontal DNA transfer, assisting microbial evolution, including the evolution of pathogenic bacteria.

DNA supercoiling is a fundamental regulatory principle in the control of bacterial gene expression

Although it has become routine to consider DNA in terms of its role as a carrier of genetic information, it is also an important contributor to the control of gene expression. This regulatory principle arises from its structural properties. DNA is maintained in an underwound state in most bacterial cells and this has important implications both for DNA storage in the nucleoid and for the expression of genetic information. Underwinding of the DNA through reduction in its linking number potentially imparts energy to the duplex that is available to drive DNA transactions, such as transcription, replication and recombination. The topological state of DNA also influences its affinity for some DNA binding proteins, especially in DNA sequences that have a high A + T base content. The underwinding of DNA by the ATP-dependent topoisomerase DNA gyrase creates a continuum between metabolic flux, DNA topology and gene expression that underpins the global response of the genome to changes in the intracellular and external environments. These connections describe a fundamental and generalised mechanism affecting global gene expression that underlies the specific control of transcription operating through conventional transcription factors. This mechanism also provides a basal level of control for genes acquired by horizontal DNA transfer, assisting microbial evolution, including the evolution of pathogenic bacteria.

MatP regulates the coordinated action of topoisomerase IV and MukBEF in chromosome segregation

The Escherichia coli SMC complex, MukBEF, forms clusters of molecules that interact with the decatenase topisomerase IV and which are normally associated with the chromosome replication origin region (ori). Here we demonstrate an additional ATP-hydrolysis-dependent association of MukBEF with the replication termination region (ter). Consistent with this, MukBEF interacts with MatP, which binds matS sites in ter. MatP displaces wild-type MukBEF complexes from ter, thereby facilitating their association with ori, and limiting the availability of topoisomerase IV (TopoIV) at ter. Displacement of MukBEF is impaired when MukB ATP hydrolysis is compromised and when MatP is absent, leading to a stable association of ter and MukBEF. Impairing the TopoIV-MukBEF interaction delays sister ter segregation in cells lacking MatP. We propose that the interplay between MukBEF and MatP directs chromosome organization in relation to MukBEF clusters and associated topisomerase IV, thereby ensuring timely chromosome unlinking and segregation.

MukBEF, the bacterial structural maintenance of chromosomes complex, is known to associate with origins of replication and topoisomerase IV. Here the authors show an association of MukBEF with MatP and replication termination regions, important for proper sister chromatid decatenation and segregation.

Constitutive stable DNA replication in Escherichia coli cells lacking type 1A topoisomerase activity

Type 1A topoisomerases (topos) are ubiquitous enzymes involved in supercoiling regulation and in the maintenance of genome stability. Escherichia coli possesses two type 1A enzymes, topo I (topA) and topo III (topB). Cells lacking both enzymes form very long filaments and have severe chromosome segregation and growth defects. We previously found that RNase HI overproduction or a dnaT::aph mutation could significantly correct these phenotypes. This leads us to hypothesize that they were related to unregulated replication originating from R-loops, i.e. constitutive stable DNA replication (cSDR). cSDR, first observed in rnhA (RNase HI) mutants, is characterized by its persistence for several hours following protein synthesis inhibition and by its requirement for primosome components, including DnaT. Here, to visualize and measure cSDR, the incorporation of the nucleotide analog ethynyl deoxyuridine (EdU) during replication in E. coli cells pre-treated with protein synthesis inhibitors, was revealed by "click" labeling with Alexa Fluor(®) 488 in fixed cells, and flow cytometry analysis. cSDR was detected in rnhA mutants, but not in wild-type strains, and the number of cells undergoing cSDR was significantly reduced by the introduction of the dnaT::aph mutation. cSDR was also found in topA, double topA topB but not in topB null cells. This result is consistent with the established function of topo I in the inhibition of R-loop formation. Moreover, our finding that topB rnhA mutants are perfectly viable demonstrates that topo III is not uniquely required during cSDR. Thus, either topo I or III can provide the type 1A topo activity that is specifically required during cSDR to allow chromosome segregation.

Generation of supercoils in nicked and gapped DNA drives DNA unknotting and postreplicative decatenation

Due to the helical structure of DNA the process of DNA replication is topologically complex. Freshly replicated DNA molecules are catenated with each other and are frequently knotted. For proper functioning of DNA it is necessary to remove all of these entanglements. This is done by DNA topoisomerases that pass DNA segments through each other. However, it has been a riddle how DNA topoisomerases select the sites of their action. In highly crowded DNA in living cells random passages between contacting segments would only increase the extent of entanglement. Using molecular dynamics simulations we observed that in actively supercoiled DNA molecules the entanglements resulting from DNA knotting or catenation spontaneously approach sites of nicks and gaps in the DNA. Type I topoisomerases, that preferentially act at sites of nick and gaps, are thus naturally provided with DNA–DNA juxtapositions where a passage results in an error-free DNA unknotting or DNA decatenation.

55.2, a phage T4 ORFan gene, encodes an inhibitor of Escherichia coli topoisomerase I and increases phage fitness

Topoisomerases are enzymes that alter the topological properties of DNA. Phage T4 encodes its own topoisomerase but it can also utilize host-encoded topoisomerases. Here we characterized 55.2, a phage T4 predicted ORF of unknown function. High levels of expression of the cloned 55.2 gene are toxic in E. coli. This toxicity is suppressed either by increased topoisomerase I expression or by partial inactivation of the ATPase subunit of the DNA gyrase. Interestingly, very low-level expression of 55.2, which is non-lethal to wild type E. coli, prevents the growth of a deletion mutant of the topoisomerase I (topA) gene. In vitro, gp55.2 binds DNA and blocks specifically the relaxation of negatively supercoiled DNA by topoisomerase I. In vivo, expression of gp55.2 at low non-toxic levels alters the steady state DNA supercoiling of a reporter plasmid. Although 55.2 is not an essential gene, competition experiments indicate that it is required for optimal phage growth. We propose that the role of gp55.2 is to subtly modulate host topoisomerase I activity during infection to insure optimal T4 phage yield.

DNA Topoisomerases

DNA topoisomerases are enzymes that control the topology of DNA in all cells. There are two types, I and II, classified according to whether they make transient single- or double-stranded breaks in DNA. Their reactions generally involve the passage of a single- or double-strand segment of DNA through this transient break, stabilized by DNA-protein covalent bonds. All topoisomerases can relax DNA, but DNA gyrase, present in all bacteria, can also introduce supercoils into DNA. Because of their essentiality in all cells and the fact that their reactions proceed via DNA breaks, topoisomerases have become important drug targets; the bacterial enzymes are key targets for antibacterial agents. This article discusses the structure and mechanism of topoisomerases and their roles in the bacterial cell. Targeting of the bacterial topoisomerases by inhibitors, including antibiotics in clinical use, is also discussed.

Single-molecule analysis uncovers the difference between the kinetics of DNA decatenation by bacterial topoisomerases I and III

Escherichia coli topoisomerases I and III can decatenate double-stranded DNA (dsDNA) molecules containing single-stranded DNA regions or nicks as well as relax negatively supercoiled DNA. Although the proteins share a mechanism of action and have similar structures, they participate in different cellular processes. Whereas topoisomerase III is a more efficient decatenase than topoisomerase I, the opposite is true for DNA relaxation. In order to investigate the differences in the mechanism of these two prototypical type IA topoisomerases, we studied DNA decatenation at the single-molecule level using braids of intact dsDNA and nicked dsDNA with bulges. We found that neither protein decatenates an intact DNA braid. In contrast, both enzymes exhibited robust decatenation activity on DNA braids with a bulge. The experiments reveal that a main difference between the unbraiding mechanisms of these topoisomerases lies in the pauses between decatenation cycles. Shorter pauses for topoisomerase III result in a higher decatenation rate. In addition, topoisomerase III shows a strong dependence on the crossover angle of the DNA strands. These real-time observations reveal the kinetic characteristics of the decatenation mechanism and help explain the differences between their activities.

Roles of type 1A topoisomerases in genome maintenance in Escherichia coli

In eukaryotes, type 1A topoisomerases (topos) act with RecQ-like helicases to maintain the stability of the genome. Despite having been the first type 1A enzymes to be discovered, much less is known about the involvement of the E. coli topo I (topA) and III (topB) enzymes in genome maintenance. These enzymes are thought to have distinct cellular functions: topo I regulates supercoiling and R-loop formation, and topo III is involved in chromosome segregation. To better characterize their roles in genome maintenance, we have used genetic approaches including suppressor screens, combined with microscopy for the examination of cell morphology and nucleoid shape. We show that topA mutants can suffer from growth-inhibitory and supercoiling-dependent chromosome segregation defects. These problems are corrected by deleting recA or recQ but not by deleting recJ or recO, indicating that the RecF pathway is not involved. Rather, our data suggest that RecQ acts with a type 1A topo on RecA-generated recombination intermediates because: 1-topo III overproduction corrects the defects and 2-recQ deletion and topo IIII overproduction are epistatic to recA deletion. The segregation defects are also linked to over-replication, as they are significantly alleviated by an oriC::aph suppressor mutation which is oriC-competent in topA null but not in isogenic topA⁺ cells. When both topo I and topo III are missing, excess supercoiling triggers growth inhibition that correlates with the formation of extremely long filaments fully packed with unsegregated and diffuse DNA. These phenotypes are likely related to replication from R-loops as they are corrected by overproducing RNase HI or by genetic suppressors of double topA rnhA mutants affecting constitutive stable DNA replication, dnaT::aph and rne::aph, which initiates from R-loops. Thus, bacterial type 1A topos maintain the stability of the genome (i) by preventing over-replication originating from oriC (topo I alone) and R-loops and (ii) by acting with RecQ.

DNA topoisomerases are ubiquitous enzymes that solve the topological problems associated with replication, transcription and recombination. Eukaryotic enzymes of the type 1A family work with RecQ-like helicases such as BLM and Sgs1 and are involved in genome maintenance. Interestingly, E. coli topo I, a type 1A enzyme and the first topoisomerase to be discovered, appears to have distinct cellular functions that are related to supercoiling regulation and to the inhibition of R-loop formation. Here we present data strongly suggesting that these cellular functions are required to inhibit inappropriate replication originating from either oriC, the normal origin of replication, or R-loops that can otherwise lead to severe chromosome segregation defects. Avoiding such inappropriate replication appears to be a key cellular function for genome maintenance, since the other E. coli type 1A topo, topo III, is also involved. Furthermore, our data suggest that bacterial type 1A topos, like their eukaryotic counterparts, can act with RecQ in genome maintenance. Altogether, our data provide new insight into the role of type 1A topos in genome maintenance and reveal an interplay between these enzymes and R-loops, structures that can also significantly affect the stability of the genome as recently shown in numerous studies.

A highly processive topoisomerase I: studies at the single-molecule level

Amongst enzymes which relieve torsional strain and maintain chromosome supercoiling, type IA topoisomerases share a strand-passage mechanism that involves transient nicking and re-joining of a single deoxyribonucleic acid (DNA) strand. In contrast to many bacterial species that possess two type IA topoisomerases (TopA and TopB), Actinobacteria possess only TopA, and unlike its homologues this topoisomerase has a unique C-terminal domain that lacks the Zn-finger motifs characteristic of type IA enzymes. To better understand how this unique C-terminal domain affects the enzyme's activity, we have examined DNA relaxation by actinobacterial TopA from Streptomyces coelicolor (ScTopA) using real-time single-molecule experiments. These studies reveal extremely high processivity of ScTopA not described previously for any other topoisomerase of type I. Moreover, we also demonstrate that enzyme processivity varies in a torque-dependent manner. Based on the analysis of the C-terminally truncated ScTopA mutants, we propose that high processivity of the enzyme is associated with the presence of a stretch of positively charged amino acids in its C-terminal region.

Iron and zinc binding activity of Escherichia coli topoisomerase I homolog YrdD

YrdD, a homolog of the C-terminal zinc-binding region of Escherichia coli topoisomerase I, is highly conserved among proteobacteria and enterobacteria. However, the function of YrdD remains elusive. Here we report that YrdD purified from E. coli cells grown in LB media contains both zinc and iron. Supplement of exogenous zinc in the medium abolishes the iron binding of YrdD in E. coli cells, indicating that iron and zinc may compete for the same metal binding sites in the protein. While the zinc-bound YrdD is able to bind single-stranded (ss) DNA and protect ssDNA from the DNase I digestion in vitro, the iron-bound YrdD has very little or no binding activity for ssDNA, suggesting that the zinc-bound YrdD may have an important role in DNA repair by interacting with ssDNA in cells.

Structural basis for the MukB-topoisomerase IV interaction and its functional implications in vivo

Chromosome partitioning in Escherichia coli is assisted by two interacting proteins, topoisomerase (topo) IV and MukB. MukB stimulates the relaxation of negative supercoils by topo IV; to understand the mechanism of their action and to define this functional interplay, we determined the crystal structure of a minimal MukB-topo IV complex to 2.3 Å resolution. The structure shows that the so-called 'hinge' region of MukB forms a heterotetrameric assembly with a C-terminal DNA binding domain (CTD) on topo IV's ParC subunit. Biochemical studies show that the hinge stimulates topo IV by competing for a site on the CTD that normally represses activity on negatively supercoiled DNA, while complementation tests using mutants implicated in the interaction reveal that the cellular dependency on topo IV derives from a joint need for both strand passage and MukB binding. Interestingly, the configuration of the MukB·topo IV complex sterically disfavours intradimeric interactions, indicating that the proteins may form oligomeric arrays with one another, and suggesting a framework by which MukB and topo IV may collaborate during daughter chromosome disentanglement.

Studies of bacterial topoisomerases I and III at the single-molecule level

Topoisomerases are the enzymes responsible for maintaining the supercoiled state of DNA in the cell and also for many other DNA-topology-associated reactions. Type IA enzymes alter DNA topology by breaking one DNA strand and passing another strand or strands through the break. Although all type IA topoisomerases are related at the sequence, structure and mechanism levels, different type IA enzymes do not participate in the same cellular processes. We have studied the mechanism of DNA relaxation by Escherichia coli topoisomerases I and III using single-molecule techniques to understand their dissimilarities. Our experiments show important differences at the single-molecule level, while also recovering the results from bulk experiments. Overall, topoisomerase III relaxes DNA using fast processive runs followed by long pauses, whereas topoisomerase I relaxes DNA through slow processive runs followed by short pauses. These two properties combined give rise to the overall relaxation rate, which is higher for topoisomerase I than for topoisomerase III, as expected from many biochemical observations. The results help us to understand better the role of these two topoisomerases in the cell and also serve to illustrate the power of single-molecule experiments to uncover new functional characteristics of biological molecules.

Topoisomerase I (TopA) is recruited to ParB complexes and is required for proper chromosome organization during Streptomyces coelicolor sporulation

Streptomyces species are bacteria that resemble filamentous fungi in their hyphal mode of growth and sporulation. In Streptomyces coelicolor, the conversion of multigenomic aerial hyphae into chains of unigenomic spores requires synchronized septation accompanied by segregation of tens of chromosomes into prespore compartments. The chromosome segregation is dependent on ParB protein, which assembles into an array of nucleoprotein complexes in the aerial hyphae. Here, we report that nucleoprotein ParB complexes are bound in vitro and in vivo by topoisomerase I, TopA, which is the only topoisomerase I homolog found in S. coelicolor. TopA cannot be eliminated, and its depletion inhibits growth and blocks sporulation. Surprisingly, sporulation in the TopA-depleted strain could be partially restored by deletion of parB. Furthermore, the formation of regularly spaced ParB complexes, which is a prerequisite for proper chromosome segregation and septation during the development of aerial hyphae, has been found to depend on TopA. We hypothesize that TopA is recruited to ParB complexes during sporulation, and its activity is required to resolve segregating chromosomes.

Identification of another module involved in the horizontal transfer of the Haemophilus genomic island ICEHin1056

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The investigated module on the 5′ extremity of ICEHin1056 consists of 15 genes.

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Genes of this module are homologues of DNA replication and stabilization genes.

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This module is well conserved in a number of genomic islands.

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This module is important for the conjugal transfer of ICEHin1056.

A significant part of horizontal gene transfer is facilitated by genomic islands. Haemophilus influenzae genomic island ICEHin1056 is an archetype of a genomic island that accounts for pandemic spread of antibiotics resistance. ICEHin1056 has modular structure and harbors modules involved in type IV secretion and integration. Previous studies have shown that ICEHin1056 encodes a functional type IV secretion system; however, other modules have not been characterized yet. Here we show that the module on the 5′ extremity of ICEHin1056 consists of 15 genes that are well conserved in a number of related genomic islands. Furthermore by disrupting six genes of the investigated module of ICEHin1056 by site-specific mutagenesis we demonstrate that in addition to type IV secretion system module, the investigated module is also important for the successful conjugal transfer of ICEHin1056 from donor to recipient cells.

Comparison of DNA decatenation by Escherichia coli topoisomerase IV and topoisomerase III: implications for non-equilibrium topology simplification

Type II topoisomerases are essential enzymes that regulate DNA topology through a strand-passage mechanism. Some type II topoisomerases relax supercoils, unknot and decatenate DNA to below thermodynamic equilibrium. Several models of this non-equilibrium topology simplification phenomenon have been proposed. The kinetic proofreading (KPR) model postulates that strand passage requires a DNA-bound topoisomerase to collide twice in rapid succession with a second DNA segment, implying a quadratic relationship between DNA collision frequency and relaxation rate. To test this model, we used a single-molecule assay to measure the unlinking rate as a function of DNA collision frequency for Escherichia coli topoisomerase IV (topo IV) that displays efficient non-equilibrium topology simplification activity, and for E. coli topoisomerase III (topo III), a type IA topoisomerase that unlinks and unknots DNA to equilibrium levels. Contrary to the predictions of the KPR model, topo IV and topo III unlinking rates were linearly related to the DNA collision frequency. Furthermore, topo III exhibited decatenation activity comparable with that of topo IV, supporting proposed roles for topo III in DNA segregation. This study enables us to rule out the KPR model for non-equilibrium topology simplification. More generally, we establish an experimental approach to systematically control DNA collision frequency.

Interplay between type 1A topoisomerases and gyrase in chromosome segregation in Escherichia coli

Escherichia coli possesses two type 1A topoisomerases, Topo I (topA) and Topo III (topB). Topo I relaxes excess negative supercoiling, and topA mutants can grow only in the presence of compensatory mechanisms, such as gyrase mutations. topB mutants grow as well as wild-type cells. In vitro, Topo III, but not Topo I, can efficiently decatenate DNA during replication. However, in vivo, a chromosome segregation defect is seen only when both type 1A topoisomerases are absent. Here we present experimental evidence for an interplay between gyrase and type 1A topoisomerases in chromosome segregation. We found that both the growth defect and the Par(-) phenotypes of a gyrB(Ts) mutant at nonpermissive temperatures were significantly corrected by deleting topA, but only when topB was present. Overproducing Topo IV, the major cellular decatenase, could not substitute for topB. We also show that overproducing Topo III at a very high level could suppress the Par(-) phenotype. We previously found that the growth and chromosome segregation defects of a triple topA rnhA gyrB(Ts) mutant in which gyrase supercoiling activity was strongly inhibited could be corrected by overproducing Topo III (V. Usongo, F. Nolent, P. Sanscartier, C. Tanguay, S. Broccoli, I. Baaklini, K. Drlica, and M. Drolet, Mol. Microbiol. 69:968-981, 2008). We show here that this overproduction could be bypassed by substituting the gyrB(Ts) allele for a gyrB(+) one or by growing cells in a minimal medium, conditions that reduced both topA- and rnhA-dependent unregulated replication. Altogether, our data point to a role for Topo III in chromosome segregation when gyrase is inefficient and suggest that Topo I plays an indirect role via supercoiling regulation.