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Blombach F, Sýkora M, Case J, Feng X, Baquero DP, Fouqueau T, Phung DK, Barker D, Krupovic M, She Q, Werner F. Cbp1 and Cren7 form chromatin-like structures that ensure efficient transcription of long CRISPR arrays. Nat Commun 2024; 15:1620. [PMID: 38388540 PMCID: PMC10883916 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-024-45728-8] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/05/2023] [Accepted: 02/01/2024] [Indexed: 02/24/2024] Open
Abstract
CRISPR arrays form the physical memory of CRISPR adaptive immune systems by incorporating foreign DNA as spacers that are often AT-rich and derived from viruses. As promoter elements such as the TATA-box are AT-rich, CRISPR arrays are prone to harbouring cryptic promoters. Sulfolobales harbour extremely long CRISPR arrays spanning several kilobases, a feature that is accompanied by the CRISPR-specific transcription factor Cbp1. Aberrant Cbp1 expression modulates CRISPR array transcription, but the molecular mechanisms underlying this regulation are unknown. Here, we characterise the genome-wide Cbp1 binding at nucleotide resolution and characterise the binding motifs on distinct CRISPR arrays, as well as on unexpected non-canonical binding sites associated with transposons. Cbp1 recruits Cren7 forming together 'chimeric' chromatin-like structures at CRISPR arrays. We dissect Cbp1 function in vitro and in vivo and show that the third helix-turn-helix domain is responsible for Cren7 recruitment, and that Cbp1-Cren7 chromatinization plays a dual role in the transcription of CRISPR arrays. It suppresses spurious transcription from cryptic promoters within CRISPR arrays but enhances CRISPR RNA transcription directed from their cognate promoters in their leader region. Our results show that Cbp1-Cren7 chromatinization drives the productive expression of long CRISPR arrays.
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Affiliation(s)
- Fabian Blombach
- RNAP laboratory, Institute for Structural and Molecular Biology, Division of Biosciences, University College London, Gower Street, London, WC1E 6BT, United Kingdom.
| | - Michal Sýkora
- RNAP laboratory, Institute for Structural and Molecular Biology, Division of Biosciences, University College London, Gower Street, London, WC1E 6BT, United Kingdom
| | - Jo Case
- RNAP laboratory, Institute for Structural and Molecular Biology, Division of Biosciences, University College London, Gower Street, London, WC1E 6BT, United Kingdom
| | - Xu Feng
- CRISPR and Archaea Biology Research Center, Microbial Technology Institute, Shandong University, Qingdao, 266237, PR China
| | - Diana P Baquero
- Institut Pasteur, Université Paris Cité, CNRS UMR6047, Archaeal Virology Unit, F-75015, Paris, France
| | - Thomas Fouqueau
- RNAP laboratory, Institute for Structural and Molecular Biology, Division of Biosciences, University College London, Gower Street, London, WC1E 6BT, United Kingdom
| | - Duy Khanh Phung
- RNAP laboratory, Institute for Structural and Molecular Biology, Division of Biosciences, University College London, Gower Street, London, WC1E 6BT, United Kingdom
| | - Declan Barker
- RNAP laboratory, Institute for Structural and Molecular Biology, Division of Biosciences, University College London, Gower Street, London, WC1E 6BT, United Kingdom
| | - Mart Krupovic
- Institut Pasteur, Université Paris Cité, CNRS UMR6047, Archaeal Virology Unit, F-75015, Paris, France
| | - Qunxin She
- CRISPR and Archaea Biology Research Center, Microbial Technology Institute, Shandong University, Qingdao, 266237, PR China
| | - Finn Werner
- RNAP laboratory, Institute for Structural and Molecular Biology, Division of Biosciences, University College London, Gower Street, London, WC1E 6BT, United Kingdom.
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Zhang Z, Fusco S. Editorial: New insights into the genetic mechanisms of thermophilic archaea. Front Microbiol 2023; 14:1185784. [PMID: 37082172 PMCID: PMC10112665 DOI: 10.3389/fmicb.2023.1185784] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/14/2023] [Accepted: 03/23/2023] [Indexed: 04/07/2023] Open
Affiliation(s)
- Zhenfeng Zhang
- State Key Laboratory of Microbial Resources, Institute of Microbiology, Chinese Academy of Sciences (CAS), Beijing, China
- *Correspondence: Zhenfeng Zhang
| | - Salvatore Fusco
- Biochemistry and Industrial Biotechnology Laboratory, Department of Biotechnology, University of Verona, Verona, Italy
- Salvatore Fusco
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3
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Takahashi S, Oshige M, Katsura S, Nagahara Y. A new fluorescence labeling method for molecular analysis of double-stranded DNA. Anal Biochem 2023; 662:115000. [PMID: 36470466 DOI: 10.1016/j.ab.2022.115000] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/01/2022] [Revised: 11/08/2022] [Accepted: 11/28/2022] [Indexed: 12/03/2022]
Abstract
In this study, a double-stranded DNA (dsDNA) fluorescent labeling method was developed using the fusion proteins of fluorescent protein (FP), and 7 kDa DNA-binding family members including Sso7d from Sulfolobus solfataricus, Aho7c from Acidianus hospitalis, ATSV7 from Acidianus tailed spindle virus and Sto7 from Sulfolobus tokodaii. Using this fluorescent DNA labeling method, we succeeded in single-molecule imaging of bacteriophage λDNA molecules stretched on glass surfaces. The fluorescence of the λDNA with FP fusion proteins decayed 2.4- to 6.4-fold slower than that of the typical intercalating method with SYTOX Green (SxG). In addition, the dynamic behaviors of FP-fused Aho7c-λDNA were relaxed and stretched with and without buffer flow, respectively, in microflow channels and were similar to that with typical intercalating dye, such as YOYO-1 and SxG. this fluorescent DNA labeling method. This fluorescent DNA labeling method can solve the problem of rapid fluorescence decay due to the intercalating dyes and therefore can be expected as an alternative to compound-based fluorescent dye. Thus, this study establishes FP fusion proteins as useful fluorescent DNA probes at the single-molecule level.
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Affiliation(s)
- Shunsuke Takahashi
- Division of Life Science and Engineering, School of Science and Engineering, Tokyo Denki University, Ishizaka, Hatoyama-cho, Hiki-gun, Saitama, 350-0394, Japan.
| | - Masahiko Oshige
- Department of Environmental Engineering Science, Graduate School of Science and Technology, Gunma University, Kiryu, Gunma, 376-8515, Japan; Gunma University Center for Food Science and Wellness (GUCFW), Aramaki, Gunma, 371-8510, Japan
| | - Shinji Katsura
- Department of Environmental Engineering Science, Graduate School of Science and Technology, Gunma University, Kiryu, Gunma, 376-8515, Japan; Gunma University Center for Food Science and Wellness (GUCFW), Aramaki, Gunma, 371-8510, Japan
| | - Yukitoshi Nagahara
- Division of Life Science and Engineering, School of Science and Engineering, Tokyo Denki University, Ishizaka, Hatoyama-cho, Hiki-gun, Saitama, 350-0394, Japan
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4
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Essentiality of core hydrophobicity to the structure and function of archaeal chromatin protein Cren7. Int J Biol Macromol 2022; 214:381-390. [PMID: 35728637 DOI: 10.1016/j.ijbiomac.2022.06.114] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/12/2021] [Revised: 04/29/2022] [Accepted: 06/14/2022] [Indexed: 11/23/2022]
Abstract
Studies on the structure-function relationship of protein greatly help to understand not only the principles of protein folding but also the rationales of protein engineering. Crenarchaeal chromatin protein Cren7 provides an excellent research model for this issue. The small protein adopts a 'β-barrel' fold, formed by the double-stranded antiparallel β-sheet 1 tightly packing with the triple-stranded antiparallel β-sheet 2. The simple structure of Cren7 is stabilized by the hydrophobic core between the β-sheets, consisting of the side chains of V8, V10, L20, V25, F41 and F50. In the present work, mutation analyses by alanine substitution of each of the residues in the hydrophobic core were performed. Circular dichroism spectra and nuclear magnetic resonance analyses showed that mutation of F41 led to a significant misfolding of Cren7 through disruption of the β-sheets. Meanwhile, the mutant F41A showed a reduced thermostatility (Tm of 53.2 °C), as compared with the wild-type Cren7 (Tm > 80 °C). Biolayer interferometry and nick-closure assays showed the largely unchanged activities in DNA binding and supercoiling of F41A, indicating the DNA interface of Cren7 was generally retained in F41A. However, F41A was unable to mediate DNA bridging, probably due to the impairment in forming oligomers/polymers on DNA. Atomic force microscopic images of the F41A-DNA complexes also revealed that F41A nearly completely lost the ability to compact DNA into highly condensed structures. Our results not only reveal the critical role of F41 in protein folding of Cren7 but also provide new insights into the structure-function relationships of thermostable proteins.
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5
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Ding N, Chen Y, Chu Y, Zhong C, Huang L, Zhang Z. Lysine Methylation Modulates the Interaction of Archaeal Chromatin Protein Cren7 With DNA. Front Microbiol 2022; 13:837737. [PMID: 35308404 PMCID: PMC8927968 DOI: 10.3389/fmicb.2022.837737] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/17/2021] [Accepted: 01/28/2022] [Indexed: 12/15/2022] Open
Abstract
Cren7 and Sis7d, two chromatin proteins from Sulfolobus islandicus, undergo extensive methylations at multiple lysine residues to various extents. Whether this highly conserved protein serves an epigenetic role in the regulation of the structure and function of the chromosome remains unclear. In the present study, we show that methylation significantly affects Cren7, but not Sis7d, in the ability to bind DNA and to constrain negative DNA supercoils. Strikingly, methylated Cren7 was significantly less efficient in forming oligomers or mediating intermolecular DNA bridging. Single-site substitution mutation with glutamine reveals that methylation of the four lysine residues (K24, K31, K42, and K48) of Cren7 at the protein-DNA interface, which are variably conserved among Cren7 homologues from different branches of the Crenarchaeota, influenced Cren7-DNA interactions in different manners. We suggest that dynamic methylation of Cren7 may represent a potential epigenetic mechanism involved in the chromosomal regulation in crenarchaea.
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Affiliation(s)
- Niannian Ding
- State Key Laboratory of Microbial Resources, Institute of Microbiology, Chinese Academy of Sciences (CAS), Beijing, China
- College of Life Sciences, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China
| | - Yuanyuan Chen
- The Research Platform for Protein Sciences, Institute of Biophysics, Chinese Academy of Sciences (CAS), Beijing, China
| | - Yindi Chu
- State Key Laboratory of Microbial Resources, Institute of Microbiology, Chinese Academy of Sciences (CAS), Beijing, China
| | - Cheng Zhong
- State Key Laboratory of Food Nutrition and Safety, Tianjin University of Science & Technology, Tianjin, China
| | - Li Huang
- State Key Laboratory of Microbial Resources, Institute of Microbiology, Chinese Academy of Sciences (CAS), Beijing, China
- College of Life Sciences, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China
- *Correspondence: Zhenfeng Zhang,
| | - Zhenfeng Zhang
- State Key Laboratory of Microbial Resources, Institute of Microbiology, Chinese Academy of Sciences (CAS), Beijing, China
- College of Life Sciences, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China
- Li Huang,
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6
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Lewis AM, Recalde A, Bräsen C, Counts JA, Nussbaum P, Bost J, Schocke L, Shen L, Willard DJ, Quax TEF, Peeters E, Siebers B, Albers SV, Kelly RM. The biology of thermoacidophilic archaea from the order Sulfolobales. FEMS Microbiol Rev 2021; 45:fuaa063. [PMID: 33476388 PMCID: PMC8557808 DOI: 10.1093/femsre/fuaa063] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/31/2020] [Accepted: 11/26/2020] [Indexed: 12/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Thermoacidophilic archaea belonging to the order Sulfolobales thrive in extreme biotopes, such as sulfuric hot springs and ore deposits. These microorganisms have been model systems for understanding life in extreme environments, as well as for probing the evolution of both molecular genetic processes and central metabolic pathways. Thermoacidophiles, such as the Sulfolobales, use typical microbial responses to persist in hot acid (e.g. motility, stress response, biofilm formation), albeit with some unusual twists. They also exhibit unique physiological features, including iron and sulfur chemolithoautotrophy, that differentiate them from much of the microbial world. Although first discovered >50 years ago, it was not until recently that genome sequence data and facile genetic tools have been developed for species in the Sulfolobales. These advances have not only opened up ways to further probe novel features of these microbes but also paved the way for their potential biotechnological applications. Discussed here are the nuances of the thermoacidophilic lifestyle of the Sulfolobales, including their evolutionary placement, cell biology, survival strategies, genetic tools, metabolic processes and physiological attributes together with how these characteristics make thermoacidophiles ideal platforms for specialized industrial processes.
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Affiliation(s)
- April M Lewis
- Department of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering, North Carolina State University. Raleigh, NC 27695, USA
| | - Alejandra Recalde
- Institute for Biology, Molecular Biology of Archaea, University of Freiburg, 79104 Freiburg, Germany
| | - Christopher Bräsen
- Department of Molecular Enzyme Technology and Biochemistry, Environmental Microbiology and Biotechnology, and Centre for Water and Environmental Research, University of Duisburg-Essen, 45117 Essen, Germany
| | - James A Counts
- Department of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering, North Carolina State University. Raleigh, NC 27695, USA
| | - Phillip Nussbaum
- Institute for Biology, Molecular Biology of Archaea, University of Freiburg, 79104 Freiburg, Germany
| | - Jan Bost
- Institute for Biology, Molecular Biology of Archaea, University of Freiburg, 79104 Freiburg, Germany
| | - Larissa Schocke
- Department of Molecular Enzyme Technology and Biochemistry, Environmental Microbiology and Biotechnology, and Centre for Water and Environmental Research, University of Duisburg-Essen, 45117 Essen, Germany
| | - Lu Shen
- Department of Molecular Enzyme Technology and Biochemistry, Environmental Microbiology and Biotechnology, and Centre for Water and Environmental Research, University of Duisburg-Essen, 45117 Essen, Germany
| | - Daniel J Willard
- Department of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering, North Carolina State University. Raleigh, NC 27695, USA
| | - Tessa E F Quax
- Archaeal Virus–Host Interactions, Faculty of Biology, University of Freiburg, 79104 Freiburg, Germany
| | - Eveline Peeters
- Research Group of Microbiology, Department of Bioengineering Sciences, Vrije Universiteit Brussel, 1050 Brussels, Belgium
| | - Bettina Siebers
- Department of Molecular Enzyme Technology and Biochemistry, Environmental Microbiology and Biotechnology, and Centre for Water and Environmental Research, University of Duisburg-Essen, 45117 Essen, Germany
| | - Sonja-Verena Albers
- Institute for Biology, Molecular Biology of Archaea, University of Freiburg, 79104 Freiburg, Germany
| | - Robert M Kelly
- Department of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering, North Carolina State University. Raleigh, NC 27695, USA
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7
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Laursen SP, Bowerman S, Luger K. Archaea: The Final Frontier of Chromatin. J Mol Biol 2020; 433:166791. [PMID: 33383035 PMCID: PMC7987875 DOI: 10.1016/j.jmb.2020.166791] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/09/2020] [Revised: 12/19/2020] [Accepted: 12/22/2020] [Indexed: 12/26/2022]
Abstract
The three domains of life employ various strategies to organize their genomes. Archaea utilize features similar to those found in both eukaryotic and bacterial chromatin to organize their DNA. In this review, we discuss the current state of research regarding the structure-function relationships of several archaeal chromatin proteins (histones, Alba, Cren7, and Sul7d). We address individual structures as well as inferred models for higher-order chromatin formation. Each protein introduces a unique phenotype to chromatin organization, and these structures are put into the context of in vivo and in vitro data. We close by discussing the present gaps in knowledge that are preventing further studies of the organization of archaeal chromatin, on both the organismal and domain level.
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Affiliation(s)
- Shawn P Laursen
- Department of Molecular, Cellular, and Developmental Biology, University of Colorado Boulder, Boulder, CO 80303, United States
| | - Samuel Bowerman
- Department of Biochemistry, University of Colorado Boulder, Boulder, CO 80309, United States
| | - Karolin Luger
- Department of Biochemistry, University of Colorado Boulder, Boulder, CO 80309, United States; Howard Hughes Medical Institute, Chevy Chase, MD 20815, United States.
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8
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Baquero DP, Liu Y, Wang F, Egelman EH, Prangishvili D, Krupovic M. Structure and assembly of archaeal viruses. Adv Virus Res 2020; 108:127-164. [PMID: 33837715 DOI: 10.1016/bs.aivir.2020.09.004] [Citation(s) in RCA: 29] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/19/2022]
Abstract
Viruses of archaea represent one of the most enigmatic parts of the virosphere. Most of the characterized archaeal viruses infect extremophilic hosts and display remarkable diversity of virion morphotypes, many of which have never been observed among bacteriophages or viruses of eukaryotes. However, recent environmental studies have shown that archaeal viruses are widespread also in moderate ecosystems, where they play an important ecological role by influencing the turnover of microbial communities, with a global impact on the carbon and nitrogen cycles. In this review, we summarize recent advances in understanding the molecular details of virion organization and assembly of archaeal viruses. We start by briefly introducing the 20 officially recognized families of archaeal viruses and then outline the similarities and differences of archaeal virus assembly with the morphogenesis pathways used by bacterial and eukaryotic viruses, and discuss the evolutionary implications of these observations. Generally, the assembly of the icosahedral archaeal viruses closely follows the mechanisms employed by evolutionarily related bacterial and eukaryotic viruses with the HK97 fold and double jelly-roll major capsid proteins, emphasizing the overall conservation of these pathways over billions of years of evolution. By contrast, archaea-specific viruses employ unique virion assembly mechanisms. We also highlight some of the molecular adaptations underlying the stability of archaeal viruses in extreme environments. Despite considerable progress during the past few years, the archaeal virosphere continues to represent one of the least studied parts of the global virome, with many molecular features awaiting to be discovered and characterized.
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Affiliation(s)
- Diana P Baquero
- Archaeal Virology Unit, Department of Microbiology, Institut Pasteur, Paris, France; Sorbonne Université, Collège Doctoral, Paris, France
| | - Ying Liu
- Archaeal Virology Unit, Department of Microbiology, Institut Pasteur, Paris, France
| | - Fengbin Wang
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Genetics, University of Virginia, Charlottesville, VA, United States
| | - Edward H Egelman
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Genetics, University of Virginia, Charlottesville, VA, United States
| | - David Prangishvili
- Archaeal Virology Unit, Department of Microbiology, Institut Pasteur, Paris, France; Ivane Javakhishvili Tbilisi State University, Tbilisi, Georgia
| | - Mart Krupovic
- Archaeal Virology Unit, Department of Microbiology, Institut Pasteur, Paris, France.
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9
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Wenck BR, Santangelo TJ. Archaeal transcription. Transcription 2020; 11:199-210. [PMID: 33112729 PMCID: PMC7714419 DOI: 10.1080/21541264.2020.1838865] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/11/2020] [Revised: 10/12/2020] [Accepted: 10/13/2020] [Indexed: 12/15/2022] Open
Abstract
Increasingly sophisticated biochemical and genetic techniques are unraveling the regulatory factors and mechanisms that control gene expression in the Archaea. While some similarities in regulatory strategies are universal, archaeal-specific regulatory strategies are emerging to complement a complex patchwork of shared archaeal-bacterial and archaeal-eukaryotic regulatory mechanisms employed in the archaeal domain. The prokaryotic archaea encode core transcription components with homology to the eukaryotic transcription apparatus and also share a simplified eukaryotic-like initiation mechanism, but also deploy tactics common to bacterial systems to regulate promoter usage and influence elongation-termination decisions. We review the recently established complete archaeal transcription cycle, highlight recent findings of the archaeal transcription community and detail the expanding post-initiation regulation imposed on archaeal transcription.
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Affiliation(s)
- Breanna R. Wenck
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Colorado State University, Fort Collins, CO, USA
| | - Thomas J. Santangelo
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Colorado State University, Fort Collins, CO, USA
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