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Tetreau G, Andreeva EA, Banneville AS, De Zitter E, Colletier JP. Can (We Make) Bacillus thuringiensis Crystallize More Than Its Toxins? Toxins (Basel) 2021; 13:toxins13070441. [PMID: 34206749 PMCID: PMC8309801 DOI: 10.3390/toxins13070441] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/22/2021] [Revised: 06/22/2021] [Accepted: 06/24/2021] [Indexed: 11/16/2022] Open
Abstract
The development of finely tuned and reliable crystallization processes to obtain crystalline formulations of proteins has received growing interest from different scientific fields, including toxinology and structural biology, as well as from industry, notably for biotechnological and medical applications. As a natural crystal-making bacterium, Bacillus thuringiensis (Bt) has evolved through millions of years to produce hundreds of highly structurally diverse pesticidal proteins as micrometer-sized crystals. The long-term stability of Bt protein crystals in aqueous environments and their specific and controlled dissolution are characteristics that are particularly sought after. In this article, we explore whether the crystallization machinery of Bt can be hijacked as a means to produce (micro)crystalline formulations of proteins for three different applications: (i) to develop new bioinsecticidal formulations based on rationally improved crystalline toxins, (ii) to functionalize crystals with specific characteristics for biotechnological and medical applications, and (iii) to produce microcrystals of custom proteins for structural biology. By developing the needs of these different fields to figure out if and how Bt could meet each specific requirement, we discuss the already published and/or patented attempts and provide guidelines for future investigations in some underexplored yet promising domains.
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Pinzón-Reyes EH, Sierra-Bueno DA, Suarez-Barrera MO, Rueda-Forero NJ, Abaunza-Villamizar S, Rondón-Villareal P. Generation of Cry11 Variants of Bacillus thuringiensis by Heuristic Computational Modeling. Evol Bioinform Online 2020; 16:1176934320924681. [PMID: 32782424 PMCID: PMC7385851 DOI: 10.1177/1176934320924681] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/09/2019] [Accepted: 04/07/2020] [Indexed: 12/19/2022] Open
Abstract
Directed evolution methods mimic in vitro Darwinian evolution, inducing random mutations and selective pressure in genes to obtain proteins with enhanced characteristics. These techniques are developed using trial-and-error testing at an experimental level with a high degree of uncertainty. Therefore, in silico modeling of directed evolution is required to support experimental assays. Several in silico approaches have reproduced directed evolution, using statistical, thermodynamic, and kinetic models in an attempt to recreate experimental conditions. Likewise, optimization techniques using heuristic models have been used to understand and find the best scenarios of directed evolution. Our study uses an in silico model named HeurIstics DirecteD EvolutioN, which is based on a genetic algorithm designed to generate chimeric libraries from 2 parental genes, cry11Aa and cry11Ba, of Bacillus thuringiensis. These genes encode crystal-shaped δ-endotoxins with 3 conserved domains. Cry11 toxins are of biotechnological interest because they have shown to be effective as biopesticides for disease-spreading vectors. With our heuristic model, we considered experimental parameters such as DNA fragmentation length, number of generations or simulation cycles, and mutation rate, to get characteristics of Cry11 chimeric libraries such as percentage of population identity, truncation of variants obtained from the presence of internal stop codons, percentage of thermodynamic diversity, and stability of variants. Our study allowed us to focus on experimental conditions that may be useful for the design of in vitro and in silico experiments of directed evolution with Cry toxins of 3 conserved domains. Furthermore, we obtained in silico libraries of Cry11 variants, in which structural characteristics of wild Cry families were observed in a review of a sample of in silico sequences. We consider that future studies could use our in silico libraries and heuristic computational models, as the one suggested here, to support in vitro experiments of directed evolution.
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Affiliation(s)
- Efraín Hernando Pinzón-Reyes
- Universidad de Santander, Faculty of Health Sciences, Laboratory of Molecular Biology and Biotechnology, Bucaramanga, Colombia.,Centro de Bioinformática Simulación y Modelado (CBSM), School of Bioinformatic, Universidad de Talca, Talca, Chile
| | | | - Miguel Orlando Suarez-Barrera
- Universidad de Santander, Faculty of Health Sciences, Laboratory of Molecular Biology and Biotechnology, Bucaramanga, Colombia
| | - Nohora Juliana Rueda-Forero
- Universidad de Santander, Faculty of Health Sciences, Laboratory of Molecular Biology and Biotechnology, Bucaramanga, Colombia
| | - Sebastián Abaunza-Villamizar
- Universidad de Santander, Faculty of Health Sciences, Laboratory of Molecular Biology and Biotechnology, Bucaramanga, Colombia
| | - Paola Rondón-Villareal
- Universidad de Santander, Faculty of Health Sciences, Laboratory of Molecular Biology and Biotechnology, Bucaramanga, Colombia
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Duval D, Galinier R, Mouahid G, Toulza E, Allienne JF, Portela J, Calvayrac C, Rognon A, Arancibia N, Mitta G, Théron A, Gourbal B. A novel bacterial pathogen of Biomphalaria glabrata: a potential weapon for schistosomiasis control? PLoS Negl Trop Dis 2015; 9:e0003489. [PMID: 25719489 PMCID: PMC4342248 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pntd.0003489] [Citation(s) in RCA: 24] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/29/2014] [Accepted: 12/17/2014] [Indexed: 12/29/2022] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Schistosomiasis is the second-most widespread tropical parasitic disease after malaria. Various research strategies and treatment programs for achieving the objective of eradicating schistosomiasis within a decade have been recommended and supported by the World Health Organization. One of these approaches is based on the control of snail vectors in endemic areas. Previous field studies have shown that competitor or predator introduction can reduce snail numbers, but no systematic investigation has ever been conducted to identify snail microbial pathogens and evaluate their molluscicidal effects. METHODOLOGY/PRINCIPAL FINDINGS In populations of Biomphalaria glabrata snails experiencing high mortalities, white nodules were visible on snail bodies. Infectious agents were isolated from such nodules. Only one type of bacteria, identified as a new species of Paenibacillus named Candidatus Paenibacillus glabratella, was found, and was shown to be closely related to P. alvei through 16S and Rpob DNA analysis. Histopathological examination showed extensive bacterial infiltration leading to overall tissue disorganization. Exposure of healthy snails to Paenibacillus-infected snails caused massive mortality. Moreover, eggs laid by infected snails were also infected, decreasing hatching but without apparent effects on spawning. Embryonic lethality was correlated with the presence of pathogenic bacteria in eggs. CONCLUSIONS/SIGNIFICANCE This is the first account of a novel Paenibacillus strain, Ca. Paenibacillus glabratella, as a snail microbial pathogen. Since this strain affects both adult and embryonic stages and causes significant mortality, it may hold promise as a biocontrol agent to limit schistosomiasis transmission in the field.
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Affiliation(s)
- David Duval
- CNRS, UMR 5244, Ecologie et Evolution des Interactions (2EI), Perpignan, France
- Université de Perpignan Via Domitia, Perpignan, France
- * E-mail:
| | - Richard Galinier
- CNRS, UMR 5244, Ecologie et Evolution des Interactions (2EI), Perpignan, France
- Université de Perpignan Via Domitia, Perpignan, France
| | - Gabriel Mouahid
- CNRS, UMR 5244, Ecologie et Evolution des Interactions (2EI), Perpignan, France
- Université de Perpignan Via Domitia, Perpignan, France
| | - Eve Toulza
- CNRS, UMR 5244, Ecologie et Evolution des Interactions (2EI), Perpignan, France
- Université de Perpignan Via Domitia, Perpignan, France
| | - Jean François Allienne
- CNRS, UMR 5244, Ecologie et Evolution des Interactions (2EI), Perpignan, France
- Université de Perpignan Via Domitia, Perpignan, France
| | - Julien Portela
- CNRS, UMR 5244, Ecologie et Evolution des Interactions (2EI), Perpignan, France
- Université de Perpignan Via Domitia, Perpignan, France
| | - Christophe Calvayrac
- CNRS, UMR 5244, Ecologie et Evolution des Interactions (2EI), Perpignan, France
- Laboratoire de Chimie des Biomolécules et de l’Environnement (LCBE, EA 4215), Perpignan, France
| | - Anne Rognon
- CNRS, UMR 5244, Ecologie et Evolution des Interactions (2EI), Perpignan, France
- Université de Perpignan Via Domitia, Perpignan, France
| | - Nathalie Arancibia
- CNRS, UMR 5244, Ecologie et Evolution des Interactions (2EI), Perpignan, France
- Université de Perpignan Via Domitia, Perpignan, France
| | - Guillaume Mitta
- CNRS, UMR 5244, Ecologie et Evolution des Interactions (2EI), Perpignan, France
- Université de Perpignan Via Domitia, Perpignan, France
| | - André Théron
- CNRS, UMR 5244, Ecologie et Evolution des Interactions (2EI), Perpignan, France
- Université de Perpignan Via Domitia, Perpignan, France
| | - Benjamin Gourbal
- CNRS, UMR 5244, Ecologie et Evolution des Interactions (2EI), Perpignan, France
- Université de Perpignan Via Domitia, Perpignan, France
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