1
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Wirth NT, Rohr K, Danchin A, Nikel PI. Recursive genome engineering decodes the evolutionary origin of an essential thymidylate kinase activity in Pseudomonas putida KT2440. mBio 2023; 14:e0108123. [PMID: 37732760 PMCID: PMC10653934 DOI: 10.1128/mbio.01081-23] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/01/2023] [Accepted: 07/27/2023] [Indexed: 09/22/2023] Open
Abstract
IMPORTANCE Investigating fundamental aspects of metabolism is vital for advancing our understanding of the diverse biochemical capabilities and biotechnological applications of bacteria. The origin of the essential thymidylate kinase function in the model bacterium Pseudomonas putida KT2440, seemingly interrupted due to the presence of a large genomic island that disrupts the cognate gene, eluded a satisfactory explanation thus far. This is a first-case example of an essential metabolic function, likely acquired by horizontal gene transfer, which "landed" in a locus encoding the same activity. As such, foreign DNA encoding an essential dNMPK could immediately adjust to the recipient host-instead of long-term accommodation and adaptation. Understanding how these functions evolve is a major biological question, and the work presented here is a decisive step toward this direction. Furthermore, identifying essential and accessory genes facilitates removing those deemed irrelevant in industrial settings-yielding genome-reduced cell factories with enhanced properties and genetic stability.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nicolas T. Wirth
- The Novo Nordisk Foundation Center for Biosustainability, Technical University of Denmark, Kongens, Lyngby, Denmark
| | - Katja Rohr
- The Novo Nordisk Foundation Center for Biosustainability, Technical University of Denmark, Kongens, Lyngby, Denmark
| | - Antoine Danchin
- School of Biomedical Sciences, Li Ka Shing Faculty of Medicine, University of Hong Kong, Pokfulam, Hong Kong
| | - Pablo I. Nikel
- The Novo Nordisk Foundation Center for Biosustainability, Technical University of Denmark, Kongens, Lyngby, Denmark
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2
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Danchin A. Science, method and critical thinking. Microb Biotechnol 2023; 16:1888-1894. [PMID: 37462943 PMCID: PMC10527184 DOI: 10.1111/1751-7915.14315] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/29/2023] [Accepted: 07/03/2023] [Indexed: 09/28/2023] Open
Abstract
Science is founded on a method based on critical thinking. A prerequisite for this is not only a sufficient command of language but also the comprehension of the basic concepts underlying our understanding of reality. This constraint implies an awareness of the fact that the truth of the World is not directly accessible to us, but can only be glimpsed through the construction of models designed to anticipate its behaviour. Because the relationship between models and reality rests on the interpretation of founding postulates and instantiations of their predictions (and is therefore deeply rooted in language and culture), there can be no demarcation between science and non-science. However, critical thinking is essential to ensure that the link between models and reality is gradually made more adequate to reality, based on what has already been established, thus guaranteeing that science progresses on this basis and excluding any form of relativism.
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Affiliation(s)
- Antoine Danchin
- School of Biomedical Sciences, Li KaShing Faculty of MedicineHong Kong UniversityPokfulamHong KongChina
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3
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Bremer E, Calteau A, Danchin A, Harwood C, Helmann JD, Médigue C, Palsson BO, Sekowska A, Vallenet D, Zuniga A, Zuniga C. A model industrial workhorse:
Bacillus subtilis
strain 168 and its genome after a quarter of a century. Microb Biotechnol 2023; 16:1203-1231. [PMID: 37002859 DOI: 10.1111/1751-7915.14257] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/01/2023] [Accepted: 03/20/2023] [Indexed: 04/04/2023] Open
Abstract
The vast majority of genomic sequences are automatically annotated using various software programs. The accuracy of these annotations depends heavily on the very few manual annotation efforts that combine verified experimental data with genomic sequences from model organisms. Here, we summarize the updated functional annotation of Bacillus subtilis strain 168, a quarter century after its genome sequence was first made public. Since the last such effort 5 years ago, 1168 genetic functions have been updated, allowing the construction of a new metabolic model of this organism of environmental and industrial interest. The emphasis in this review is on new metabolic insights, the role of metals in metabolism and macromolecule biosynthesis, functions involved in biofilm formation, features controlling cell growth, and finally, protein agents that allow class discrimination, thus allowing maintenance management, and accuracy of all cell processes. New 'genomic objects' and an extensive updated literature review have been included for the sequence, now available at the International Nucleotide Sequence Database Collaboration (INSDC: AccNum AL009126.4).
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Affiliation(s)
- Erhard Bremer
- Department of Biology, Laboratory for Microbiology and Center for Synthetic Microbiology (SYNMIKRO) Philipps‐University Marburg Marburg Germany
| | - Alexandra Calteau
- LABGeM, Génomique Métabolique, CEA, Genoscope, Institut de Biologie François Jacob Université d'Évry, Université Paris‐Saclay, CNRS Évry France
| | - Antoine Danchin
- School of Biomedical Sciences, Li KaShing Faculty of Medicine Hong Kong University Pokfulam SAR Hong Kong China
| | - Colin Harwood
- Centre for Bacterial Cell Biology, Biosciences Institute Newcastle University Baddiley Clark Building Newcastle upon Tyne UK
| | - John D. Helmann
- Department of Microbiology Cornell University Ithaca New York USA
| | - Claudine Médigue
- LABGeM, Génomique Métabolique, CEA, Genoscope, Institut de Biologie François Jacob Université d'Évry, Université Paris‐Saclay, CNRS Évry France
| | - Bernhard O. Palsson
- Department of Bioengineering University of California San Diego La Jolla USA
| | | | - David Vallenet
- LABGeM, Génomique Métabolique, CEA, Genoscope, Institut de Biologie François Jacob Université d'Évry, Université Paris‐Saclay, CNRS Évry France
| | - Abril Zuniga
- Department of Biology San Diego State University San Diego California USA
| | - Cristal Zuniga
- Bioinformatics and Medical Informatics Graduate Program San Diego State University San Diego California USA
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4
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Timmis K, Berry D, Bonfante P, Coleman M, Cunliffe M, Danchin A, Galperin M, Huang W, Lopez P, Stewart F, Wood T. Juan Luis Ramos: An exceptional Editor of Environmental Microbiology. Environ Microbiol 2023; 25:595-596. [PMID: 36533904 DOI: 10.1111/1462-2920.16315] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/13/2022] [Accepted: 12/14/2022] [Indexed: 12/23/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Kenneth Timmis
- Institute of Microbiology, Technical University of Braunschweig, Braunschweig, Germany
| | - David Berry
- Division of Microbial Ecology, University of Vienna, Vienna, Austria
| | - Paola Bonfante
- Department of Life Sciences and Systems Biology, University of Torino, Turin, Italy
| | - Maureen Coleman
- Department of the Geophysical Sciences, University of Chicago, Illinois, USA
| | | | - Antoine Danchin
- Department of Infection, Immunity and Inflammation, Institut Cochin, Paris, France
| | - Michael Galperin
- National Center for Biotechnology Information, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, Maryland, USA
| | - Wei Huang
- Department of Engineering Science, University of Oxford, UK
| | - Puri Lopez
- Ecologie Systématique Evolution, UMR 8079 CNRS & Université Paris-Saclay, Orsay, France
| | | | - Tom Wood
- Departments of Chemical Engineering & Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Pennsylvania State University, University Park, Pennsylvania, USA
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5
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Danchin A, Huang JD. SynBio 2.0, a new era for synthetic life: Neglected essential functions for resilience. Environ Microbiol 2023; 25:64-78. [PMID: 36045561 DOI: 10.1111/1462-2920.16140] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/12/2022] [Accepted: 07/16/2022] [Indexed: 01/21/2023]
Affiliation(s)
- Antoine Danchin
- School of Biomedical Sciences, Li KaShing Faculty of Medicine, University of Hong Kong, Pokfulam, Hong Kong
| | - Jian Dong Huang
- School of Biomedical Sciences, Li KaShing Faculty of Medicine, University of Hong Kong, Pokfulam, Hong Kong
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6
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Abstract
Pasteur's originality in the way he developed pure research is to have understood the importance, for society, of the underlying motivation. Curiosity, of course, is a strong motivation, which explains why we seek to understand the origin of life. But, in front of the immensity of the possible choices, why not, also, choose to start from questions of economic interest (diseases of beer and wine, diseases affecting the silk industry ...) Finally, of course, health is a constant preoccupation, but the diseases, which have no borders, often come from tropical countries and Asia especially. It is therefore necessary to settle there, but not to come and impose one's point of view, but on the contrary to use the knowledge coming from the local culture in order to open new ways of understanding the reality of the world.
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7
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Pollo-Oliveira L, Davis NK, Hossain I, Ho P, Yuan Y, Salguero García P, Pereira C, Byrne SR, Leng J, Sze M, Blaby-Haas CE, Sekowska A, Montoya A, Begley T, Danchin A, Aalberts DP, Angerhofer A, Hunt J, Conesa A, Dedon PC, de Crécy-Lagard V. The absence of the queuosine tRNA modification leads to pleiotropic phenotypes revealing perturbations of metal and oxidative stress homeostasis in Escherichia coli K12. Metallomics 2022; 14:6692928. [PMID: 36066904 PMCID: PMC9508795 DOI: 10.1093/mtomcs/mfac065] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/02/2022] [Accepted: 09/09/2022] [Indexed: 02/04/2023]
Abstract
Queuosine (Q) is a conserved hypermodification of the wobble base of tRNA containing GUN anticodons but the physiological consequences of Q deficiency are poorly understood in bacteria. This work combines transcriptomic, proteomic and physiological studies to characterize a Q-deficient Escherichia coli K12 MG1655 mutant. The absence of Q led to an increased resistance to nickel and cobalt, and to an increased sensitivity to cadmium, compared to the wild-type (WT) strain. Transcriptomic analysis of the WT and Q-deficient strains, grown in the presence and absence of nickel, revealed that the nickel transporter genes (nikABCDE) are downregulated in the Q- mutant, even when nickel is not added. This mutant is therefore primed to resist to high nickel levels. Downstream analysis of the transcriptomic data suggested that the absence of Q triggers an atypical oxidative stress response, confirmed by the detection of slightly elevated reactive oxygen species (ROS) levels in the mutant, increased sensitivity to hydrogen peroxide and paraquat, and a subtle growth phenotype in a strain prone to accumulation of ROS.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Nick K Davis
- Department of Biological Engineering, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA 02139, USA
| | - Intekhab Hossain
- Department of Physics, Williams College, Williamstown, MA 01267, USA
| | - Peiying Ho
- Antimicrobial Resistance Interdisciplinary Research Group, Singapore-MIT Alliance for Research and Technology, Singapore 138602, Singapore
| | | | - Pedro Salguero García
- Department of Applied Statistics, Operations Research and Quality, Universitat Politècnica de València, Valencia 46022, Spain
| | | | - Shane R Byrne
- Department of Biological Engineering, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA 02139, USA
| | - Jiapeng Leng
- Department of Biological Engineering, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA 02139, USA
| | - Melody Sze
- Department of Microbiology and Cell Science, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL 32611, USA
| | | | | | - Alvaro Montoya
- Department of Chemistry, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL 32611, USA
| | - Thomas Begley
- The RNA Institute and Department of Biology, University at Albany, Albany, NY 12222, USA
| | - Antoine Danchin
- Kodikos Labs, 23 rue Baldassini, Lyon 69007, France,School of Biomedical Sciences, Li Kashing Faculty of Medicine, University of Hong Kong, Pokfulam, SAR Hong Kong
| | - Daniel P Aalberts
- Department of Physics, Williams College, Williamstown, MA 01267, USA
| | | | - John Hunt
- Department of Biological Sciences, Columbia University, New York, NY 10024, USA
| | - Ana Conesa
- Department of Microbiology and Cell Science, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL 32611, USA,Institute for Integrative Systems Biology, Spanish National Research Council, Paterna 46980, Spain
| | - Peter C Dedon
- Department of Biological Engineering, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA 02139, USA,Antimicrobial Resistance Interdisciplinary Research Group, Singapore-MIT Alliance for Research and Technology, Singapore 138602, Singapore
| | - Valérie de Crécy-Lagard
- Correspondence: Department of Microbiology and Cell Science, University of Florida, PO Box 32611-0700, Gainesville, FL 32611, USA. (+1) 352 392 9416; Tel: (+55) 16 99340 3538; E-mail:
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8
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Danchin A, Pagani-Azizi O, Turinici G, Yahiaoui G. COVID-19 Adaptive Humoral Immunity Models: Weakly Neutralizing Versus Antibody-Disease Enhancement Scenarios. Acta Biotheor 2022; 70:23. [PMID: 35962852 PMCID: PMC9375081 DOI: 10.1007/s10441-022-09447-1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/14/2021] [Accepted: 06/23/2022] [Indexed: 12/14/2022]
Abstract
The interplay between the virus, infected cells and immune responses to SARS-CoV-2 is still under debate. By extending the basic model of viral dynamics, we propose here a formal approach to describe neutralisation versus weak (or non-)neutralisation scenarios and compare them with the possible effects of antibody-dependent enhancement (ADE). The theoretical model is consistent with the data available in the literature; we show that both weakly neutralising antibodies and ADE can result in final viral clearance or disease progression, but that the immunodynamics are different in each case. As a significant proportion of the world’s population is already naturally immune or vaccinated, we also discuss the implications for secondary infections after vaccination or in the presence of immune system dysfunctions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Antoine Danchin
- School of Biomedical Sciences, University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong, China, 21 Sassoon Road, Pokfulam, 999077
| | | | - Gabriel Turinici
- CEREMADE, Université Paris Dauphine - PSL Research University, Paris, France.
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9
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de Crécy-lagard V, Amorin de Hegedus R, Arighi C, Babor J, Bateman A, Blaby I, Blaby-Haas C, Bridge AJ, Burley SK, Cleveland S, Colwell LJ, Conesa A, Dallago C, Danchin A, de Waard A, Deutschbauer A, Dias R, Ding Y, Fang G, Friedberg I, Gerlt J, Goldford J, Gorelik M, Gyori BM, Henry C, Hutinet G, Jaroch M, Karp PD, Kondratova L, Lu Z, Marchler-Bauer A, Martin MJ, McWhite C, Moghe GD, Monaghan P, Morgat A, Mungall CJ, Natale DA, Nelson WC, O’Donoghue S, Orengo C, O’Toole KH, Radivojac P, Reed C, Roberts RJ, Rodionov D, Rodionova IA, Rudolf JD, Saleh L, Sheynkman G, Thibaud-Nissen F, Thomas PD, Uetz P, Vallenet D, Carter EW, Weigele PR, Wood V, Wood-Charlson EM, Xu J. A roadmap for the functional annotation of protein families: a community perspective. Database (Oxford) 2022; 2022:6663924. [PMID: 35961013 PMCID: PMC9374478 DOI: 10.1093/database/baac062] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/07/2022] [Revised: 06/28/2022] [Accepted: 08/03/2022] [Indexed: 12/23/2022]
Abstract
Over the last 25 years, biology has entered the genomic era and is becoming a science of ‘big data’. Most interpretations of genomic analyses rely on accurate functional annotations of the proteins encoded by more than 500 000 genomes sequenced to date. By different estimates, only half the predicted sequenced proteins carry an accurate functional annotation, and this percentage varies drastically between different organismal lineages. Such a large gap in knowledge hampers all aspects of biological enterprise and, thereby, is standing in the way of genomic biology reaching its full potential. A brainstorming meeting to address this issue funded by the National Science Foundation was held during 3–4 February 2022. Bringing together data scientists, biocurators, computational biologists and experimentalists within the same venue allowed for a comprehensive assessment of the current state of functional annotations of protein families. Further, major issues that were obstructing the field were identified and discussed, which ultimately allowed for the proposal of solutions on how to move forward.
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Affiliation(s)
- Valérie de Crécy-lagard
- Department of Microbiology and Cell Sciences, University of Florida , Gainesville, FL 32611, USA
| | | | - Cecilia Arighi
- Department of Computer and Information Sciences, University of Delaware , Newark, DE 19713, USA
| | - Jill Babor
- Department of Microbiology and Cell Sciences, University of Florida , Gainesville, FL 32611, USA
| | - Alex Bateman
- European Molecular Biology Laboratory, European Bioinformatics Institute (EMBL-EBI), Wellcome Genome Campus , Hinxton CB10 1SD, UK
| | - Ian Blaby
- US Department of Energy Joint Genome Institute, Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory , Berkeley, CA 94720, USA
| | - Crysten Blaby-Haas
- Biology Department, Brookhaven National Laboratory , Upton, NY 11973, USA
| | - Alan J Bridge
- Swiss-Prot group, SIB Swiss Institute of Bioinformatics, Centre Medical Universitaire , Geneva 4 CH-1211, Switzerland
| | - Stephen K Burley
- RCSB Protein Data Bank, Institute for Quantitative Biomedicine, Rutgers, The State University of New Jersey , Piscataway, NJ 08854, USA
| | - Stacey Cleveland
- Department of Microbiology and Cell Sciences, University of Florida , Gainesville, FL 32611, USA
| | - Lucy J Colwell
- Departmenf of Chemistry, University of Cambridge , Lensfield Road, Cambridge CB2 1EW, UK
| | - Ana Conesa
- Spanish National Research Council, Institute for Integrative Systems Biology , Paterna, Valencia 46980, Spain
| | - Christian Dallago
- TUM (Technical University of Munich) Department of Informatics, Bioinformatics & Computational Biology , i12, Boltzmannstr. 3, Garching/Munich 85748, Germany
| | - Antoine Danchin
- School of Biomedical Sciences, Li KaShing Faculty of Medicine, The University of Hong Kong , 21 Sassoon Road, Pokfulam, SAR Hong Kong 999077, China
| | - Anita de Waard
- Research Collaboration Unit, Elsevier , Jericho, VT 05465, USA
| | - Adam Deutschbauer
- Environmental Genomics and Systems Biology Division, Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory , Berkeley, CA 94720, USA
| | - Raquel Dias
- Department of Microbiology and Cell Sciences, University of Florida , Gainesville, FL 32611, USA
| | - Yousong Ding
- Department of Medicinal Chemistry, Center for Natural Products, Drug Discovery and Development, University of Florida , Gainesville, FL 32610, USA
| | - Gang Fang
- NYU-Shanghai , Shanghai 200120, China
| | - Iddo Friedberg
- Department of Veterinary Microbiology and Preventive Medicine, Iowa State University , Ames, IA 50011, USA
| | - John Gerlt
- Institute for Genomic Biology and Departments of Biochemistry and Chemistry, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign , Urbana, IL 61801, USA
| | - Joshua Goldford
- Physics of Living Systems, Massachusetts Institute of Technology , Cambridge, MA 02139, USA
| | - Mark Gorelik
- Department of Microbiology and Cell Sciences, University of Florida , Gainesville, FL 32611, USA
| | - Benjamin M Gyori
- Laboratory of Systems Pharmacology, Harvard Medical School , Boston, MA 02115, USA
| | - Christopher Henry
- Mathematics and Computer Science Division, Argonne National Laboratory , Argonne, IL 60439, USA
| | - Geoffrey Hutinet
- Department of Microbiology and Cell Sciences, University of Florida , Gainesville, FL 32611, USA
| | - Marshall Jaroch
- Department of Microbiology and Cell Sciences, University of Florida , Gainesville, FL 32611, USA
| | - Peter D Karp
- Bioinformatics Research Group, SRI International , Menlo Park, CA 94025, USA
| | | | - Zhiyong Lu
- National Center for Biotechnology Information (NCBI), National Library of Medicine (NLM), National Institutes of Health (NIH) , 8600 Rockville Pike, Bethesda, MD 20817, USA
| | - Aron Marchler-Bauer
- National Center for Biotechnology Information (NCBI), National Library of Medicine (NLM), National Institutes of Health (NIH) , 8600 Rockville Pike, Bethesda, MD 20817, USA
| | - Maria-Jesus Martin
- European Molecular Biology Laboratory, European Bioinformatics Institute (EMBL-EBI), Wellcome Genome Campus , Hinxton CB10 1SD, UK
| | - Claire McWhite
- Lewis-Sigler Institute for Integrative Genomics, Princeton University , Princeton, NJ 08540, USA
| | - Gaurav D Moghe
- Plant Biology Section, School of Integrative Plant Science, Cornell University , Ithaca, NY 14853, USA
| | - Paul Monaghan
- Department of Agricultural Education and Communication, University of Florida , Gainesville, FL 32611, USA
| | - Anne Morgat
- Swiss-Prot group, SIB Swiss Institute of Bioinformatics, Centre Medical Universitaire , Geneva 4 CH-1211, Switzerland
| | - Christopher J Mungall
- Environmental Genomics and Systems Biology Division, Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory , Berkeley, CA 94720, USA
| | - Darren A Natale
- Georgetown University Medical Center , Washington, DC 20007, USA
| | - William C Nelson
- Biological Sciences Division, Pacific Northwest National Laboratories , Richland, WA 99354, USA
| | - Seán O’Donoghue
- School of Biotechnology and Biomolecular Sciences, University of NSW , Sydney, NSW 2052, Australia
| | - Christine Orengo
- Department of Structural and Molecular Biology, University College London , London WC1E 6BT, UK
| | | | - Predrag Radivojac
- Khoury College of Computer Sciences, Northeastern University , Boston, MA 02115, USA
| | - Colbie Reed
- Department of Microbiology and Cell Sciences, University of Florida , Gainesville, FL 32611, USA
| | | | - Dmitri Rodionov
- Sanford Burnham Prebys Medical Discovery Institute , La Jolla, CA 92037, USA
| | - Irina A Rodionova
- Department of Bioengineering, Division of Engineering, University of California at San Diego , La Jolla, CA 92093-0412, USA
| | - Jeffrey D Rudolf
- Department of Chemistry, University of Florida , Gainesville, FL 32611, USA
| | - Lana Saleh
- New England Biolabs , Ipswich, MA 01938, USA
| | - Gloria Sheynkman
- Department of Molecular Physiology and Biological Physics, University of Virginia , Charlottesville, VA, USA
| | - Francoise Thibaud-Nissen
- National Center for Biotechnology Information (NCBI), National Library of Medicine (NLM), National Institutes of Health (NIH) , 8600 Rockville Pike, Bethesda, MD 20817, USA
| | - Paul D Thomas
- Department of Population and Public Health Sciences, University of Southern California , Los Angeles, CA 90033, USA
| | - Peter Uetz
- Center for Biological Data Science, Virginia Commonwealth University , Richmond, VA 23284, USA
| | - David Vallenet
- LABGeM, Génomique Métabolique, CEA, Genoscope, Institut François Jacob, Université d’Évry, Université Paris-Saclay, CNRS , Evry 91057, France
| | - Erica Watson Carter
- Department of Plant Pathology, University of Florida Citrus Research and Education Center , 700 Experiment Station Rd., Lake Alfred, FL 33850, USA
| | | | - Valerie Wood
- Department of Biochemistry, University of Cambridge , Cambridge CB2 1GA, UK
| | - Elisha M Wood-Charlson
- Environmental Genomics and Systems Biology Division, Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory , Berkeley, CA 94720, USA
| | - Jin Xu
- Department of Plant Pathology, University of Florida Citrus Research and Education Center , 700 Experiment Station Rd., Lake Alfred, FL 33850, USA
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10
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Hazra S, Bhandari DM, Krishnamoorthy K, Sekowska A, Danchin A, Begley TP. Cysteine Dealkylation in Bacillus subtilis by a Novel Flavin-Dependent Monooxygenase. Biochemistry 2022; 61:952-955. [PMID: 35584544 DOI: 10.1021/acs.biochem.2c00020] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/28/2022]
Abstract
In this paper, we describe the biochemical reconstitution of a cysteine salvage pathway and the biochemical characterization of each of the five enzymes involved. The salvage begins with amine acetylation of S-alkylcysteine, followed by thioether oxidation. The C-S bond of the resulting sulfoxide is cleaved using a new flavoenzyme catalytic motif to give N-acetylcysteine sulfenic acid. This is then reduced to the thiol and deacetylated to complete the salvage pathway. We propose that this pathway is important in the catabolism of alkylated cysteine generated by proteolysis of alkylated glutathione formed in the detoxification of a wide range of electrophiles.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sohan Hazra
- Department of Chemistry, Texas A&M University, College Station, Texas 77843, United States
| | - Dhananjay M Bhandari
- Department of Chemistry, Texas A&M University, College Station, Texas 77843, United States
| | | | | | | | - Tadhg P Begley
- Department of Chemistry, Texas A&M University, College Station, Texas 77843, United States
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11
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Danchin A, Fenton AA. From Analog to Digital Computing: Is Homo sapiens’ Brain on Its Way to Become a Turing Machine? Front Ecol Evol 2022. [DOI: 10.3389/fevo.2022.796413] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
The abstract basis of modern computation is the formal description of a finite state machine, the Universal Turing Machine, based on manipulation of integers and logic symbols. In this contribution to the discourse on the computer-brain analogy, we discuss the extent to which analog computing, as performed by the mammalian brain, is like and unlike the digital computing of Universal Turing Machines. We begin with ordinary reality being a permanent dialog between continuous and discontinuous worlds. So it is with computing, which can be analog or digital, and is often mixed. The theory behind computers is essentially digital, but efficient simulations of phenomena can be performed by analog devices; indeed, any physical calculation requires implementation in the physical world and is therefore analog to some extent, despite being based on abstract logic and arithmetic. The mammalian brain, comprised of neuronal networks, functions as an analog device and has given rise to artificial neural networks that are implemented as digital algorithms but function as analog models would. Analog constructs compute with the implementation of a variety of feedback and feedforward loops. In contrast, digital algorithms allow the implementation of recursive processes that enable them to generate unparalleled emergent properties. We briefly illustrate how the cortical organization of neurons can integrate signals and make predictions analogically. While we conclude that brains are not digital computers, we speculate on the recent implementation of human writing in the brain as a possible digital path that slowly evolves the brain into a genuine (slow) Turing machine.
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12
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Wang Y, Li W, Baker BJ, Zhou Y, He L, Danchin A, Li Q, Gao Z. Carbon metabolism and adaptation of hyperalkaliphilic microbes in serpentinizing spring of Manleluag, the Philippines. Environ Microbiol Rep 2022; 14:308-319. [PMID: 35199456 DOI: 10.1111/1758-2229.13052] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/12/2021] [Revised: 02/10/2022] [Accepted: 02/11/2022] [Indexed: 06/14/2023]
Abstract
Reduced substrates produced by the serpentinization reaction under hydration of olivine may have fuelled biological processes on early Earth. To understand the adaptive strategies and carbon metabolism of the microbes in the serpentinizing ecosystems, we reconstructed 18 draft genomes representing dominant species of Omnitrophicaeota, Gammaproteobacteria and Methanobacteria from the Manleluag serpentinizing spring in Zambales, Philippines (hyperalkaline and rich in methane and hydrogen). Phylogenomics revealed that two genomes were affiliated with a candidate phylum NPL-UPA2 and the references of all our genomes were derived from ground waters, hot springs and the deep biosphere. C1 metabolism appears to be widespread as most of the genomes code for methanogenesis, CO oxidation and CO2 fixation. However, likely due to the low CO2 concentration and election acceptors, the biomass in the spring was extremely low (<103 cell/ml). Various Na+ and K+ transporters and Na+ -driving ATPases appear to be encoded by these genomes, suggesting that nutrient acquisition, bioenergetics and normal cytoplasmic pH were dependent on Na+ and K+ pumps. Our results advance our understanding of the metabolic potentials and bioenergetics of serpentinizing springs and provide a framework of the ecology of early Earth.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yong Wang
- Institute for Ocean Engineering, Shenzhen International Graduate School, Tsinghua University, Shenzhen, 518055, P. R. China
| | - Wenli Li
- Institute of Deep Sea Science and Engineering, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Sanya, Hainan, 572000, P. R. China
| | - Brett J Baker
- Department of Integrative Biology and Marine Science, University of Texas Austin, Austin, TX, 78373, USA
| | - Yingli Zhou
- Institute of Deep Sea Science and Engineering, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Sanya, Hainan, 572000, P. R. China
- University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 100049, P. R. China
| | - Lisheng He
- Institute of Deep Sea Science and Engineering, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Sanya, Hainan, 572000, P. R. China
| | - Antoine Danchin
- Kodikos Labs, Institut Cochin, 24 rue du Faubourg Saint Jacques, Paris, 75014, France
| | - Qingmei Li
- Institute of Deep Sea Science and Engineering, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Sanya, Hainan, 572000, P. R. China
- University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 100049, P. R. China
| | - Zhaoming Gao
- Institute of Deep Sea Science and Engineering, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Sanya, Hainan, 572000, P. R. China
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13
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Hu YF, Hu JC, Gong HR, Danchin A, Sun R, Chu H, Hung IFN, Yuen KY, To KKW, Zhang BZ, Yau T, Huang JD. Computation of Antigenicity Predicts SARS-CoV-2 Vaccine Breakthrough Variants. Front Immunol 2022; 13:861050. [PMID: 35401572 PMCID: PMC8987580 DOI: 10.3389/fimmu.2022.861050] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/24/2022] [Accepted: 02/25/2022] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
It has been reported that multiple severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) variants of concern (VOCs) including Alpha, Beta, Gamma, and Delta can reduce neutralization by antibodies, resulting in vaccine breakthrough infections. Virus–antiserum neutralization assays are typically performed to monitor potential vaccine breakthrough strains. However, experiment-based methods took several weeks whether newly emerging variants can break through current vaccines or therapeutic antibodies. To address this, we sought to establish a computational model to predict the antigenicity of SARS-CoV-2 variants by sequence alone. In this study, we firstly identified the relationship between the antigenic difference transformed from the amino acid sequence and the antigenic distance from the neutralization titers. Based on this correlation, we obtained a computational model for the receptor-binding domain (RBD) of the spike protein to predict the fold decrease in virus–antiserum neutralization titers with high accuracy (~0.79). Our predicted results were comparable to experimental neutralization titers of variants, including Alpha, Beta, Delta, Gamma, Epsilon, Iota, Kappa, and Lambda, as well as SARS-CoV. Here, we predicted the fold of decrease of Omicron as 17.4-fold less susceptible to neutralization. We visualized all 1,521 SARS-CoV-2 lineages to indicate variants including Mu, B.1.630, B.1.633, B.1.649, and C.1.2, which can induce vaccine breakthrough infections in addition to reported VOCs Beta, Gamma, Delta, and Omicron. Our study offers a quick approach to predict the antigenicity of SARS-CoV-2 variants as soon as they emerge. Furthermore, this approach can facilitate future vaccine updates to cover all major variants. An online version can be accessed at http://jdlab.online.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ye-Fan Hu
- School of Biomedical Sciences, Li Ka Shing Faculty of Medicine, University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong, Hong Kong SAR, China
- Department of Medicine, Li Ka Shing Faculty of Medicine, University of Hong Kong, Queen Mary Hospital, Hong Kong, Hong Kong SAR, China
| | - Jing-Chu Hu
- Chinese Academy of Sciences Key Laboratory of Quantitative Engineering Biology, Shenzhen Institute of Synthetic Biology, Shenzhen Institutes of Advanced Technology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shenzhen, China
| | - Hua-Rui Gong
- School of Biomedical Sciences, Li Ka Shing Faculty of Medicine, University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong, Hong Kong SAR, China
| | - Antoine Danchin
- School of Biomedical Sciences, Li Ka Shing Faculty of Medicine, University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong, Hong Kong SAR, China
- Kodikos Labs, Paris, France
| | - Ren Sun
- School of Biomedical Sciences, Li Ka Shing Faculty of Medicine, University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong, Hong Kong SAR, China
| | - Hin Chu
- Department of Microbiology, Li Ka Shing Faculty of Medicine, University of Hong Kong, Queen Mary Hospital, Hong Kong, Hong Kong SARS, China
| | - Ivan Fan-Ngai Hung
- Department of Medicine, Li Ka Shing Faculty of Medicine, University of Hong Kong, Queen Mary Hospital, Hong Kong, Hong Kong SAR, China
| | - Kwok Yung Yuen
- Department of Microbiology, Li Ka Shing Faculty of Medicine, University of Hong Kong, Queen Mary Hospital, Hong Kong, Hong Kong SARS, China
| | - Kelvin Kai-Wang To
- Department of Microbiology, Li Ka Shing Faculty of Medicine, University of Hong Kong, Queen Mary Hospital, Hong Kong, Hong Kong SARS, China
| | - Bao-Zhong Zhang
- Chinese Academy of Sciences Key Laboratory of Quantitative Engineering Biology, Shenzhen Institute of Synthetic Biology, Shenzhen Institutes of Advanced Technology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shenzhen, China
- *Correspondence: Bao-Zhong Zhang, ; Thomas Yau, ; Jian-Dong Huang,
| | - Thomas Yau
- Department of Medicine, Li Ka Shing Faculty of Medicine, University of Hong Kong, Queen Mary Hospital, Hong Kong, Hong Kong SAR, China
- *Correspondence: Bao-Zhong Zhang, ; Thomas Yau, ; Jian-Dong Huang,
| | - Jian-Dong Huang
- School of Biomedical Sciences, Li Ka Shing Faculty of Medicine, University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong, Hong Kong SAR, China
- Chinese Academy of Sciences Key Laboratory of Quantitative Engineering Biology, Shenzhen Institute of Synthetic Biology, Shenzhen Institutes of Advanced Technology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shenzhen, China
- Guangdong-Hong Kong Joint Laboratory for RNA Medicine, Sun Yat-Sen University, Guangzhou, China
- *Correspondence: Bao-Zhong Zhang, ; Thomas Yau, ; Jian-Dong Huang,
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14
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Danchin A. In vivo, in vitro and in silico: an open space for the development of microbe-based applications of synthetic biology. Microb Biotechnol 2022; 15:42-64. [PMID: 34570957 PMCID: PMC8719824 DOI: 10.1111/1751-7915.13937] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/11/2021] [Accepted: 09/14/2021] [Indexed: 12/24/2022] Open
Abstract
Living systems are studied using three complementary approaches: living cells, cell-free systems and computer-mediated modelling. Progresses in understanding, allowing researchers to create novel chassis and industrial processes rest on a cycle that combines in vivo, in vitro and in silico studies. This design-build-test-learn iteration loop cycle between experiments and analyses combines together physiology, genetics, biochemistry and bioinformatics in a way that keeps going forward. Because computer-aided approaches are not directly constrained by the material nature of the entities of interest, we illustrate here how this virtuous cycle allows researchers to explore chemistry which is foreign to that present in extant life, from whole chassis to novel metabolic cycles. Particular emphasis is placed on the importance of evolution.
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Affiliation(s)
- Antoine Danchin
- Kodikos LabsInstitut Cochin24 rue du Faubourg Saint‐JacquesParis75014France
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15
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Lauritsen I, Frendorf PO, Capucci S, Heyde SAH, Blomquist SD, Wendel S, Fischer EC, Sekowska A, Danchin A, Nørholm MHH. Temporal evolution of master regulator Crp identifies pyrimidines as catabolite modulator factors. Nat Commun 2021; 12:5880. [PMID: 34620864 PMCID: PMC8497467 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-021-26098-x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/24/2020] [Accepted: 09/07/2021] [Indexed: 12/19/2022] Open
Abstract
The evolution of microorganisms often involves changes of unclear relevance, such as transient phenotypes and sequential development of multiple adaptive mutations in hotspot genes. Previously, we showed that ageing colonies of an E. coli mutant unable to produce cAMP when grown on maltose, accumulated mutations in the crp gene (encoding a global transcription factor) and in genes involved in pyrimidine metabolism such as cmk; combined mutations in both crp and cmk enabled fermentation of maltose (which usually requires cAMP-mediated Crp activation for catabolic pathway expression). Here, we study the sequential generation of hotspot mutations in those genes, and uncover a regulatory role of pyrimidine nucleosides in carbon catabolism. Cytidine binds to the cytidine regulator CytR, modifies the expression of sigma factor 32 (RpoH), and thereby impacts global gene expression. In addition, cytidine binds and activates a Crp mutant directly, thus modulating catabolic pathway expression, and could be the catabolite modulating factor whose existence was suggested by Jacques Monod and colleagues in 1976. Therefore, transcription factor Crp appears to work in concert with CytR and RpoH, serving a dual role in sensing both carbon availability and metabolic flux towards DNA and RNA. Our findings show how certain alterations in metabolite concentrations (associated with colony ageing and/or due to mutations in metabolic or regulatory genes) can drive the evolution in non-growing cells. Microbial evolution often involves transient phenotypes and sequential development of multiple mutations of unclear relevance. Here, the authors show that the evolution of non-growing E. coli cells can be driven by alterations in pyrimidine nucleoside levels associated with colony ageing and/or due to mutations in metabolic or regulatory genes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ida Lauritsen
- Novo Nordisk Foundation Center for Biosustainability, Technical University of Denmark, Lyngby, Denmark
| | - Pernille Ott Frendorf
- Novo Nordisk Foundation Center for Biosustainability, Technical University of Denmark, Lyngby, Denmark
| | - Silvia Capucci
- Novo Nordisk Foundation Center for Biosustainability, Technical University of Denmark, Lyngby, Denmark
| | - Sophia A H Heyde
- Novo Nordisk Foundation Center for Biosustainability, Technical University of Denmark, Lyngby, Denmark
| | - Sarah D Blomquist
- Novo Nordisk Foundation Center for Biosustainability, Technical University of Denmark, Lyngby, Denmark
| | - Sofie Wendel
- Novo Nordisk Foundation Center for Biosustainability, Technical University of Denmark, Lyngby, Denmark
| | - Emil C Fischer
- Novo Nordisk Foundation Center for Biosustainability, Technical University of Denmark, Lyngby, Denmark
| | | | | | - Morten H H Nørholm
- Novo Nordisk Foundation Center for Biosustainability, Technical University of Denmark, Lyngby, Denmark.
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16
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Richard P, Kozlowski L, Guillorit H, Garnier P, McKnight NC, Danchin A, Manière X. Queuine, a bacterial-derived hypermodified nucleobase, shows protection in in vitro models of neurodegeneration. PLoS One 2021; 16:e0253216. [PMID: 34379627 PMCID: PMC8357117 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0253216] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/03/2021] [Accepted: 05/29/2021] [Indexed: 11/26/2022] Open
Abstract
Growing evidence suggests that human gut bacteria, which comprise the microbiome, are linked to several neurodegenerative disorders. An imbalance in the bacterial population in the gut of Parkinson's disease (PD) and Alzheimer's disease (AD) patients has been detected in several studies. This dysbiosis very likely decreases or increases microbiome-derived molecules that are protective or detrimental, respectively, to the human body and those changes are communicated to the brain through the so-called 'gut-brain-axis'. The microbiome-derived molecule queuine is a hypermodified nucleobase enriched in the brain and is exclusively produced by bacteria and salvaged by humans through their gut epithelium. Queuine replaces guanine at the wobble position (position 34) of tRNAs with GUN anticodons and promotes efficient cytoplasmic and mitochondrial mRNA translation. Queuine depletion leads to protein misfolding and activation of the endoplasmic reticulum stress and unfolded protein response pathways in mice and human cells. Protein aggregation and mitochondrial impairment are often associated with neural dysfunction and neurodegeneration. To elucidate whether queuine could facilitate protein folding and prevent aggregation and mitochondrial defects that lead to proteinopathy, we tested the effect of chemically synthesized queuine, STL-101, in several in vitro models of neurodegeneration. After neurons were pretreated with STL-101 we observed a significant decrease in hyperphosphorylated alpha-synuclein, a marker of alpha-synuclein aggregation in a PD model of synucleinopathy, as well as a decrease in tau hyperphosphorylation in an acute and a chronic model of AD. Additionally, an associated increase in neuronal survival was found in cells pretreated with STL-101 in both AD models as well as in a neurotoxic model of PD. Measurement of queuine in the plasma of 180 neurologically healthy individuals suggests that healthy humans maintain protective levels of queuine. Our work has identified a new role for queuine in neuroprotection uncovering a therapeutic potential for STL-101 in neurological disorders.
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Affiliation(s)
- Patricia Richard
- Stellate Therapeutics Inc., JLABS @ NYC, New York, New York, United States of America
| | | | - Hélène Guillorit
- Stellate Therapeutics SAS, Paris, France
- Institut de Génomique Fonctionnelle, Montpellier, France
| | | | - Nicole C. McKnight
- Stellate Therapeutics Inc., JLABS @ NYC, New York, New York, United States of America
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17
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Danchin A. Biological innovation in the functional landscape of a model regulator, or the lactose operon repressor. C R Biol 2021; 344:111-126. [PMID: 34213850 DOI: 10.5802/crbiol.52] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/25/2021] [Accepted: 06/01/2021] [Indexed: 12/24/2022]
Abstract
The operon model was proposed six decades ago. And yet, despite all this time, the lactose operon repressor, LacI, remains a subject of major interest. While it is well established that LacI can exist in two functional forms, one that renders the operon inactive via binding of LacI to DNA and another, bound to an inducer that does not allow repression, how it switches from one to the other is still not well understood. The construction of a library of several tens of thousands of LacI mutants has revealed some unexpected features. In particular, the transition implemented in some of them reveals a new type of transcription regulation: band-pass (OFF/ON/OFF) and band-stop (ON/OFF/ON) filters. This makes it natural to think that it is the network of hydrogen bonds associated with the water bound to the molecule that allows the remote interconnection between the binding site to an inducer molecule and the one that binds it to the DNA.
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Affiliation(s)
- Antoine Danchin
- Kodikos Labs, Institut Cochin, 24 rue du Faubourg Saint-Jacques 75014 Paris, France
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18
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Luo R, Delaunay‐Moisan A, Timmis K, Danchin A. SARS-CoV-2 biology and variants: anticipation of viral evolution and what needs to be done. Environ Microbiol 2021; 23:2339-2363. [PMID: 33769683 PMCID: PMC8251359 DOI: 10.1111/1462-2920.15487] [Citation(s) in RCA: 19] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/24/2021] [Accepted: 03/24/2021] [Indexed: 12/14/2022]
Abstract
The global propagation of SARS-CoV-2 and the detection of a large number of variants, some of which have replaced the original clade to become dominant, underscores the fact that the virus is actively exploring its evolutionary space. The longer high levels of viral multiplication occur - permitted by high levels of transmission -, the more the virus can adapt to the human host and find ways to success. The third wave of the COVID-19 pandemic is starting in different parts of the world, emphasizing that transmission containment measures that are being imposed are not adequate. Part of the consideration in determining containment measures is the rationale that vaccination will soon stop transmission and allow a return to normality. However, vaccines themselves represent a selection pressure for evolution of vaccine-resistant variants, so the coupling of a policy of permitting high levels of transmission/virus multiplication during vaccine roll-out with the expectation that vaccines will deal with the pandemic, is unrealistic. In the absence of effective antivirals, it is not improbable that SARS-CoV-2 infection prophylaxis will involve an annual vaccination campaign against 'dominant' viral variants, similar to influenza prophylaxis. Living with COVID-19 will be an issue of SARS-CoV-2 variants and evolution. It is therefore crucial to understand how SARS-CoV-2 evolves and what constrains its evolution, in order to anticipate the variants that will emerge. Thus far, the focus has been on the receptor-binding spike protein, but the virus is complex, encoding 26 proteins which interact with a large number of host factors, so the possibilities for evolution are manifold and not predictable a priori. However, if we are to mount the best defence against COVID-19, we must mount it against the variants, and to do this, we must have knowledge about the evolutionary possibilities of the virus. In addition to the generic cellular interactions of the virus, there are extensive polymorphisms in humans (e.g. Lewis, HLA, etc.), some distributed within most or all populations, some restricted to specific ethnic populations and these variations pose additional opportunities for/constraints on viral evolution. We now have the wherewithal - viral genome sequencing, protein structure determination/modelling, protein interaction analysis - to functionally characterize viral variants, but access to comprehensive genome data is extremely uneven. Yet, to develop an understanding of the impacts of such evolution on transmission and disease, we must link it to transmission (viral epidemiology) and disease data (patient clinical data), and the population granularities of these. In this editorial, we explore key facets of viral biology and the influence of relevant aspects of human polymorphisms, human behaviour, geography and climate and, based on this, derive a series of recommendations to monitor viral evolution and predict the types of variants that are likely to arise.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ruibang Luo
- Department of Computer ScienceThe University of Hong KongBonham RoadPokfulamHong Kong
| | - Agnès Delaunay‐Moisan
- Université Paris‐Saclay, CEA, CNRS, Institute for Integrative Biology of the Cell (I2BC)Gif‐sur‐Yvette91198France
| | - Kenneth Timmis
- Institute of MicrobiologyTechnical University of BraunschweigBraunschweigGermany
| | - Antoine Danchin
- Kodikos Labs, Institut Cochin, 24 rue du Faubourg Saint‐JacquesParis75014France
- School of Biomedical Sciences, Li Kashing Faculty of MedicineUniversity of Hong Kong21 Sassoon RoadHong Kong
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19
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Pan Q, Li Z, Ju X, Hou C, Xiao Y, Shi R, Fu C, Danchin A, You C. Escherichia coli segments its controls on carbon-dependent gene expression into global and specific regulations. Microb Biotechnol 2021; 14:1084-1106. [PMID: 33650807 PMCID: PMC8085971 DOI: 10.1111/1751-7915.13776] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/23/2020] [Revised: 02/05/2021] [Accepted: 02/05/2021] [Indexed: 01/20/2023] Open
Abstract
How bacteria adjust gene expression to cope with variable environments remains open to question. Here, we investigated the way global gene expression changes in E. coli correlated with the metabolism of seven carbon substrates chosen to trigger a large panel of metabolic pathways. Coarse-grained analysis of gene co-expression identified a novel regulation pattern: we established that the gene expression trend following immediately the reduction of growth rate (GR) was correlated to its initial expression level. Subsequent fine-grained analysis of co-expression demonstrated that the Crp regulator, coupled with a change in GR, governed the response of most GR-dependent genes. By contrast, the Cra, Mlc and Fur regulators governed the expression of genes responding to non-glycolytic substrates, glycolytic substrates or phosphotransferase system transported sugars following an idiosyncratic way. This work allowed us to expand additional genes in the panel of gene complement regulated by each regulator and to elucidate the regulatory functions of each regulator comprehensively. Interestingly, the bulk of genes controlled by Cra and Mlc were, respectively, co-regulated by Crp- or GR-related effect and our quantitative analysis showed that each factor took turns to work as the primary one or contributed equally depending on the conditions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Qing Pan
- Shenzhen Key Laboratory of Microbial Genetic EngineeringCollege of Life Sciences and OceanologyShenzhen UniversityShenzhen, GuangdongChina
- Shandong Provincial Key Laboratory of Energy GeneticsKey Laboratory of BiofuelsQingdao Engineering Research Center of Biomass Resources and EnvironmentQingdao Institute of Bioenergy and Bioprocess TechnologyChinese Academy of SciencesQingdao, ShandongChina
| | - Zongjin Li
- Shenzhen Key Laboratory of Microbial Genetic EngineeringCollege of Life Sciences and OceanologyShenzhen UniversityShenzhen, GuangdongChina
| | - Xian Ju
- Shenzhen Key Laboratory of Microbial Genetic EngineeringCollege of Life Sciences and OceanologyShenzhen UniversityShenzhen, GuangdongChina
| | - Chaofan Hou
- Shenzhen Key Laboratory of Microbial Genetic EngineeringCollege of Life Sciences and OceanologyShenzhen UniversityShenzhen, GuangdongChina
| | - Yunzhu Xiao
- Shenzhen Key Laboratory of Microbial Genetic EngineeringCollege of Life Sciences and OceanologyShenzhen UniversityShenzhen, GuangdongChina
| | - Ruoping Shi
- Shenzhen Key Laboratory of Microbial Genetic EngineeringCollege of Life Sciences and OceanologyShenzhen UniversityShenzhen, GuangdongChina
| | - Chunxiang Fu
- Shandong Provincial Key Laboratory of Energy GeneticsKey Laboratory of BiofuelsQingdao Engineering Research Center of Biomass Resources and EnvironmentQingdao Institute of Bioenergy and Bioprocess TechnologyChinese Academy of SciencesQingdao, ShandongChina
| | - Antoine Danchin
- Kodikos Labs/Stellate TherapeuticsInstitut Cochin24 rue du Faubourg Saint‐JacquesParis75014France
| | - Conghui You
- Shenzhen Key Laboratory of Microbial Genetic EngineeringCollege of Life Sciences and OceanologyShenzhen UniversityShenzhen, GuangdongChina
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Danchin A. Three overlooked key functional classes for building up minimal synthetic cells. Synth Biol (Oxf) 2021; 6:ysab010. [PMID: 35174295 PMCID: PMC8842674 DOI: 10.1093/synbio/ysab010] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/22/2021] [Revised: 04/09/2021] [Accepted: 04/12/2021] [Indexed: 12/14/2022] Open
Abstract
Assembly of minimal genomes revealed many genes encoding unknown functions. Three overlooked functional categories account for some of them. Cells are prone to make errors and age. As a first key function, discrimination between proper and changed entities is indispensable. Discrimination requires management of information, an authentic, yet abstract, currency of reality. For example proteins age, sometimes very fast. The cell must identify, then get rid of old proteins without destroying young ones. Implementing discrimination in cells leads to the second set of functions, usually ignored. Being abstract, information must nevertheless be embodied into material entities, with unavoidable idiosyncratic properties. This brings about novel unmet needs. Hence, the buildup of cells elicits specific but awkward material implementations, ‘kludges’ that become essential under particular settings, while difficult to identify. Finally, a third functional category characterizes the need for growth, with metabolic implementations allowing the cell to put together the growth of its cytoplasm, membranes, and genome, spanning different spatial dimensions. Solving this metabolic quandary, critical for engineering novel synthetic biology chassis, uncovered an unexpected role for CTP synthetase as the coordinator of nonhomothetic growth. Because a significant number of SynBio constructs aim at creating cell factories we expect that they will be attacked by viruses (it is not by chance that the function of the CRISPR system was identified in industrial settings). Substantiating the role of CTP, natural selection has dealt with this hurdle via synthesis of the antimetabolite 3′‐deoxy‐3′,4′‐didehydro‐CTP, recruited for antiviral immunity in all domains of life.
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Affiliation(s)
- Antoine Danchin
- Kodikos Labs/Stellate Therapeutics, Institut Cochin, Paris, France
- School of Biomedical Sciences, Li KaShing Faculty of Medicine, Hong Kong University, Pokfulam, SAR Hong Kong, China
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21
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Karapiperis C, Kouklis P, Papastratos S, Chasapi A, Danchin A, Angelis L, Ouzounis CA. A Strong Seasonality Pattern for Covid-19 Incidence Rates Modulated by UV Radiation Levels. Viruses 2021; 13:v13040574. [PMID: 33805449 PMCID: PMC8067063 DOI: 10.3390/v13040574] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/18/2021] [Revised: 03/18/2021] [Accepted: 03/19/2021] [Indexed: 01/04/2023] Open
Abstract
The Covid-19 pandemic has required nonpharmaceutical interventions, primarily physical distancing, personal hygiene and face mask use, to limit community transmission, irrespective of seasons. In fact, the seasonality attributes of this pandemic remain one of its biggest unknowns. Early studies based on past experience from respiratory diseases focused on temperature or humidity, with disappointing results. Our hypothesis that ultraviolet (UV) radiation levels might be a factor and a more appropriate parameter has emerged as an alternative to assess seasonality and exploit it for public health policies. Using geographical, socioeconomic and epidemiological criteria, we selected twelve North-equatorial-South countries with similar characteristics. We then obtained UV levels, mobility and Covid-19 daily incidence rates for nearly the entire 2020. Using machine learning, we demonstrated that UV radiation strongly associated with incidence rates, more so than mobility did, indicating that UV is a key seasonality indicator for Covid-19, irrespective of the initial conditions of the epidemic. Our findings can inform the implementation of public health emergency measures, partly based on seasons in the Northern and Southern Hemispheres, as the pandemic unfolds into 2021.
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Affiliation(s)
- Christos Karapiperis
- School of Informatics, Aristotle University of Thessaloniki, GR-54124 Thessalonica, Greece; (C.K.); (L.A.)
- Chemical Process & Energy Resources Institute, Centre for Research & Technology Hellas (CERTH), Thermi, GR-57001 Thessalonica, Greece; (S.P.); (A.C.)
| | - Panos Kouklis
- Laboratory of Biology, Medical School, University of Ioannina, GR-45110 Ioannina, Greece;
- Department of Biomedical Research, Institute of Molecular Biology & Biotechnology, Foundation for Research & Technology Hellas (FORTH), GR-45115 Ioannina, Greece
| | - Stelios Papastratos
- Chemical Process & Energy Resources Institute, Centre for Research & Technology Hellas (CERTH), Thermi, GR-57001 Thessalonica, Greece; (S.P.); (A.C.)
| | - Anastasia Chasapi
- Chemical Process & Energy Resources Institute, Centre for Research & Technology Hellas (CERTH), Thermi, GR-57001 Thessalonica, Greece; (S.P.); (A.C.)
| | - Antoine Danchin
- Kodikos Labs, F-69007 Lyon, France;
- Institut Cochin, F-75013 Paris, France
| | - Lefteris Angelis
- School of Informatics, Aristotle University of Thessaloniki, GR-54124 Thessalonica, Greece; (C.K.); (L.A.)
| | - Christos A. Ouzounis
- School of Informatics, Aristotle University of Thessaloniki, GR-54124 Thessalonica, Greece; (C.K.); (L.A.)
- Chemical Process & Energy Resources Institute, Centre for Research & Technology Hellas (CERTH), Thermi, GR-57001 Thessalonica, Greece; (S.P.); (A.C.)
- Correspondence:
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22
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Abstract
Motivated by historical and present clinical observations, we discuss the possible unfavorable evolution of the immunity (similar to documented antibody-dependent enhancement scenarios) after a first infection with COVID-19. More precisely we ask the question of how the epidemic outcomes are affected if the initial infection does not provide immunity but rather sensitization to future challenges. We first provide background comparison with the 2003 SARS epidemic. Then we use a compartmental epidemic model structured by immunity level that we fit to available data; using several scenarios of the fragilization dynamics, we derive quantitative insights into the additional expected numbers of severe cases and deaths.
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23
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Abstract
BACKGROUND Starting late 2019, a novel coronavirus spread from the capital of the Hubei province in China to the rest of the country, then to most of the world. To anticipate future trends in the development of the pandemic, we explore here, based on public records of infected persons, how variation in the virus tropism could end up in different patterns, warranting a specific strategy to handle the epidemic. METHODS We use a compartmental model to describe the evolution of an individual through several possible states: susceptible, infected, alternative infection, detected, and removed. We fit the parameters of the model to the existing data, taking into account significant quarantine changes where necessary. RESULTS The model indicates that Wuhan quarantine measures were effective, but that alternative virus forms and a second propagation route are compatible with available data. For the Hong Kong, Singapore, and Shenzhen regions, the secondary route does not seem to be active. CONCLUSIONS Hypotheses of an alternative infection tropism (the gut tropism) and a secondary propagation route are discussed using a model fitted by the available data. Corresponding prevention measures that take into account both routes should be implemented to the benefit of epidemic control.
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Affiliation(s)
- Antoine Danchin
- Institut Cochin, INSERM U1016-CNRS UMR8104-Université de Paris, 75006 Paris, France
- School of Biomedical Sciences, Li Ka Shing Faculty of Medicine, The University of Hong Kong, Pokfulam, Hong Kong SAR, China
| | - Tuen Wai Ng
- Department of Mathematics, The University of Hong Kong, Pokfulam, Hong Kong SAR, China
| | - Gabriel Turinici
- CEREMADE UMR 7434 CNRS, Université Paris Dauphine-PSL, 75016 Paris, France
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24
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Danchin A, Ng TW, Turinici G. A New Transmission Route for the Propagation of the SARS-CoV-2 Coronavirus. Biology (Basel) 2020; 10:biology10010010. [PMID: 33375381 PMCID: PMC7823892 DOI: 10.3390/biology10010010] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/17/2020] [Revised: 12/18/2020] [Accepted: 12/21/2020] [Indexed: 12/17/2022]
Abstract
Simple Summary In animals, two dominant organs are infected by coronaviruses, the respiratory tract and the gut. In past epidemics, a shift from the lung to the gut or vice versa has been observed. Analysis of the SARS episode in 2003 had suggested the possibility of a “double epidemic” explaining the absence of severe cases in Shanghai at the time. Here, using data from Wuhan and Hong Kong, Singapore, and Shenzhen, we discuss whether the present respiratory contagion route for SARS-CoV-2 might have also resulted from faecal contamination. We noticed that the propagation of the disease in the city of Wuhan underwent an original course. Besides the expected respiratory route, the disease appeared to have been greatly facilitated by a secondary propagation route, thus substantiating the beneficial effect of an effective quarantine. By contrast, a similar situation based on early data did not prevail in Hong Kong or Singapore. Our work shows how health authorities could decide to orient their prevention measures, depending on the analysis of ongoing epidemics, as a function of the identification of a secondary route in parallel with the prevailing one. Our model could also help highlight voluntarily or accidentally biased data collection. Abstract Background: Starting late 2019, a novel coronavirus spread from the capital of the Hubei province in China to the rest of the country, then to most of the world. To anticipate future trends in the development of the pandemic, we explore here, based on public records of infected persons, how variation in the virus tropism could end up in different patterns, warranting a specific strategy to handle the epidemic. Methods: We use a compartmental model to describe the evolution of an individual through several possible states: susceptible, infected, alternative infection, detected, and removed. We fit the parameters of the model to the existing data, taking into account significant quarantine changes where necessary. Results: The model indicates that Wuhan quarantine measures were effective, but that alternative virus forms and a second propagation route are compatible with available data. For the Hong Kong, Singapore, and Shenzhen regions, the secondary route does not seem to be active. Conclusions: Hypotheses of an alternative infection tropism (the gut tropism) and a secondary propagation route are discussed using a model fitted by the available data. Corresponding prevention measures that take into account both routes should be implemented to the benefit of epidemic control.
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Affiliation(s)
- Antoine Danchin
- Institut Cochin, INSERM U1016-CNRS UMR8104-Université de Paris, 75006 Paris, France;
- School of Biomedical Sciences, Li Ka Shing Faculty of Medicine, The University of Hong Kong, Pokfulam, Hong Kong SAR, China
| | - Tuen Wai Ng
- Department of Mathematics, The University of Hong Kong, Pokfulam, Hong Kong SAR, China
- Correspondence:
| | - Gabriel Turinici
- CEREMADE UMR 7434 CNRS, Université Paris Dauphine-PSL, 75016 Paris, France;
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25
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Ou Z, Ouzounis C, Wang D, Sun W, Li J, Chen W, Marlière P, Danchin A. A Path toward SARS-CoV-2 Attenuation: Metabolic Pressure on CTP Synthesis Rules the Virus Evolution. Genome Biol Evol 2020; 12:2467-2485. [PMID: 33125064 PMCID: PMC7665462 DOI: 10.1093/gbe/evaa229] [Citation(s) in RCA: 19] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 10/23/2020] [Indexed: 02/06/2023] Open
Abstract
In the context of the COVID-19 pandemic, we describe here the singular metabolic background that constrains enveloped RNA viruses to evolve toward likely attenuation in the long term, possibly after a step of increased pathogenicity. Cytidine triphosphate (CTP) is at the crossroad of the processes allowing SARS-CoV-2 to multiply, because CTP is in demand for four essential metabolic steps. It is a building block of the virus genome, it is required for synthesis of the cytosine-based liponucleotide precursors of the viral envelope, it is a critical building block of the host transfer RNAs synthesis and it is required for synthesis of dolichol-phosphate, a precursor of viral protein glycosylation. The CCA 3'-end of all the transfer RNAs required to translate the RNA genome and further transcripts into the proteins used to build active virus copies is not coded in the human genome. It must be synthesized de novo from CTP and ATP. Furthermore, intermediary metabolism is built on compulsory steps of synthesis and salvage of cytosine-based metabolites via uridine triphosphate that keep limiting CTP availability. As a consequence, accidental replication errors tend to replace cytosine by uracil in the genome, unless recombination events allow the sequence to return to its ancestral sequences. We document some of the consequences of this situation in the function of viral proteins. This unique metabolic setup allowed us to highlight and provide a raison d'être to viperin, an enzyme of innate antiviral immunity, which synthesizes 3'-deoxy-3',4'-didehydro-CTP as an extremely efficient antiviral nucleotide.
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Affiliation(s)
- Zhihua Ou
- BGI-Shenzhen, Shenzhen, China.,Shenzhen Key Laboratory of Unknown Pathogen Identification, BGI-Shenzhen, Shenzhen, China
| | - Christos Ouzounis
- Biological Computation and Process Laboratory, Centre for Research and Technology Hellas, Chemical Process and Energy Resources Institute, Thessalonica, Greece
| | - Daxi Wang
- BGI-Shenzhen, Shenzhen, China.,Shenzhen Key Laboratory of Unknown Pathogen Identification, BGI-Shenzhen, Shenzhen, China
| | - Wanying Sun
- BGI-Shenzhen, Shenzhen, China.,Shenzhen Key Laboratory of Unknown Pathogen Identification, BGI-Shenzhen, Shenzhen, China.,BGI Education Center, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shenzhen, China
| | - Junhua Li
- BGI-Shenzhen, Shenzhen, China.,Shenzhen Key Laboratory of Unknown Pathogen Identification, BGI-Shenzhen, Shenzhen, China
| | - Weijun Chen
- Shenzhen Key Laboratory of Unknown Pathogen Identification, BGI-Shenzhen, Shenzhen, China.,BGI PathoGenesis Pharmaceutical Technology, BGI-Shenzhen, Shenzhen, China
| | - Philippe Marlière
- TESSSI, The European Syndicate of Synthetic Scientists and Industrialists, Paris, France
| | - Antoine Danchin
- Kodikos Labs, Institut Cochin, Paris, France.,School of Biomedical Sciences, Li KaShing Faculty of Medicine, Hong Kong University, Pokfulam, Hong Kong
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26
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Cluzel N, Lambert A, Maday Y, Turinici G, Danchin A. [Biochemical and statistical lessons from the evolution of the SARS-CoV-2 virus: paths for novel antiviral warfare]. C R Biol 2020; 343:177-209. [PMID: 33108121 DOI: 10.5802/crbiol.16] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/03/2020] [Accepted: 09/23/2020] [Indexed: 02/07/2023]
Abstract
In the fight against the spread of COVID-19 the emphasis is on vaccination or on reactivating existing drugs used for other purposes. The tight links that necessarily exist between the virus as it multiplies and the metabolism of its host are systematically ignored. Here we show that the metabolism of all cells is coordinated by the availability of a core building block of the cell's genome, cytidine triphosphate (CTP). This metabolite is also the key to the synthesis of the viral envelope and to the translation of its genome into proteins. This unique role explains why evolution has led to the early emergence in animals of an antiviral immunity enzyme, viperin, that synthesizes a toxic analogue of CTP. The constraints arising from this dependency guide the evolution of the virus. With this in mind, we explored the real-time experiment taking place before our eyes using probabilistic modelling approaches to the molecular evolution of the virus. We have thus followed, almost on a daily basis, the evolution of the composition of the viral genome to link it to the progeny produced over time, particularly in the form of blooms that sparked a firework of viral mutations. Some of those certainly increase the propagation of the virus. This led us to make out the critical role in this evolution of several proteins of the virus, such as its nucleocapsid N, and more generally to begin to understand how the virus ties up the host metabolism to its own benefit. A way for the virus to escape CTP-dependent control in cells would be to infect cells that are not expected to grow, such as neurons. This may account for unexpected body sites of viral development in the present epidemic.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nicolas Cluzel
- Tremplin Carnot SMILES, 4 Place Jussieu, 75005 Paris, France
| | - Amaury Lambert
- Centre Interdisciplinaire de Recherche en Biologie (CIRB), Collège de France, CNRS UMR7241, INSERM U1050, PSL Research University, 11 place Marcelin Berthelot, 75005 Paris, France.,Laboratoire de Probabilités, Statistique & Modélisation (LPSM), Sorbonne Université, Université de Paris, CNRS UMR8001, 4 place Jussieu, 75005 Paris, France
| | - Yvon Maday
- Sorbonne Université and Université de Paris, CNRS, Laboratoire Jacques-Louis Lions (LJLL), F-75005 Paris, France.,Tremplin Carnot SMILES, 4 Place Jussieu, 75005 Paris, France
| | | | - Antoine Danchin
- Kodikos Labs / Stellate Therapeutics, Institut Cochin, 24 rue du Faubourg Saint-Jacques, 75014 Paris, France.,School of Biomedical Sciences, Li KaShing Faculty of Medicine, Hong Kong University, 21 Sassoon Road, Pokfulam, SAR Hong Kong, China
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27
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Courtier‐Orgogozo V, Danchin A, Gouyon P, Boëte C. Evaluating the probability of CRISPR-based gene drive contaminating another species. Evol Appl 2020; 13:1888-1905. [PMID: 32908593 PMCID: PMC7463340 DOI: 10.1111/eva.12939] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/31/2019] [Revised: 02/03/2020] [Accepted: 02/07/2020] [Indexed: 12/27/2022] Open
Abstract
The probability D that a given clustered regularly interspaced short palindromic repeats (CRISPR)-based gene drive element contaminates another, nontarget species can be estimated by the following Drive Risk Assessment Quantitative Estimate (DRAQUE) Equation: D = h y b + t r a n s f × e x p r e s s × c u t × f l a n k × i m m u n e × n o n e x t i n c t with hyb = probability of hybridization between the target species and a nontarget species; transf = probability of horizontal transfer of a piece of DNA containing the gene drive cassette from the target species to a nontarget species (with no hybridization); express = probability that the Cas9 and guide RNA genes are expressed; cut = probability that the CRISPR-guide RNA recognizes and cuts at a DNA site in the new host; flank = probability that the gene drive cassette inserts at the cut site; immune = probability that the immune system does not reject Cas9-expressing cells; nonextinct = probability of invasion of the drive within the population. We discuss and estimate each of the seven parameters of the equation, with particular emphasis on possible transfers within insects, and between rodents and humans. We conclude from current data that the probability of a gene drive cassette to contaminate another species is not insignificant. We propose strategies to reduce this risk and call for more work on estimating all the parameters of the formula.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Antoine Danchin
- Institut Cochin INSERM U1016 – CNRS UMR8104 – Université Paris DescartesParisFrance
| | - Pierre‐Henri Gouyon
- Institut de Systématique, Évolution, BiodiversitéMuséum National d'Histoire NaturelleCNRSSorbonne UniversitéEPHEUAParisFrance
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28
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McGenity TJ, Gessesse A, Hallsworth JE, Garcia Cela E, Verheecke‐Vaessen C, Wang F, Chavarría M, Haggblom MM, Molin S, Danchin A, Smid EJ, Lood C, Cockell CS, Whitby C, Liu S, Keller NP, Stein LY, Bordenstein SR, Lal R, Nunes OC, Gram L, Singh BK, Webster NS, Morris C, Sivinski S, Bindschedler S, Junier P, Antunes A, Baxter BK, Scavone P, Timmis K. Visualizing the invisible: class excursions to ignite children's enthusiasm for microbes. Microb Biotechnol 2020; 13:844-887. [PMID: 32406115 PMCID: PMC7264897 DOI: 10.1111/1751-7915.13576] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/29/2020] [Accepted: 03/29/2020] [Indexed: 12/15/2022] Open
Abstract
We have recently argued that, because microbes have pervasive - often vital - influences on our lives, and that therefore their roles must be taken into account in many of the decisions we face, society must become microbiology-literate, through the introduction of relevant microbiology topics in school curricula (Timmis et al. 2019. Environ Microbiol 21: 1513-1528). The current coronavirus pandemic is a stark example of why microbiology literacy is such a crucial enabler of informed policy decisions, particularly those involving preparedness of public-health systems for disease outbreaks and pandemics. However, a significant barrier to attaining widespread appreciation of microbial contributions to our well-being and that of the planet is the fact that microbes are seldom visible: most people are only peripherally aware of them, except when they fall ill with an infection. And it is disease, rather than all of the positive activities mediated by microbes, that colours public perception of 'germs' and endows them with their poor image. It is imperative to render microbes visible, to give them life and form for children (and adults), and to counter prevalent misconceptions, through exposure to imagination-capturing images of microbes and examples of their beneficial outputs, accompanied by a balanced narrative. This will engender automatic mental associations between everyday information inputs, as well as visual, olfactory and tactile experiences, on the one hand, and the responsible microbes/microbial communities, on the other hand. Such associations, in turn, will promote awareness of microbes and of the many positive and vital consequences of their actions, and facilitate and encourage incorporation of such consequences into relevant decision-making processes. While teaching microbiology topics in primary and secondary school is key to this objective, a strategic programme to expose children directly and personally to natural and managed microbial processes, and the results of their actions, through carefully planned class excursions to local venues, can be instrumental in bringing microbes to life for children and, collaterally, their families. In order to encourage the embedding of microbiology-centric class excursions in current curricula, we suggest and illustrate here some possibilities relating to the topics of food (a favourite pre-occupation of most children), agriculture (together with horticulture and aquaculture), health and medicine, the environment and biotechnology. And, although not all of the microbially relevant infrastructure will be within reach of schools, there is usually access to a market, local food store, wastewater treatment plant, farm, surface water body, etc., all of which can provide opportunities to explore microbiology in action. If children sometimes consider the present to be mundane, even boring, they are usually excited with both the past and the future so, where possible, visits to local museums (the past) and research institutions advancing knowledge frontiers (the future) are strongly recommended, as is a tapping into the natural enthusiasm of local researchers to leverage the educational value of excursions and virtual excursions. Children are also fascinated by the unknown, so, paradoxically, the invisibility of microbes makes them especially fascinating objects for visualization and exploration. In outlining some of the options for microbiology excursions, providing suggestions for discussion topics and considering their educational value, we strive to extend the vistas of current class excursions and to: (i) inspire teachers and school managers to incorporate more microbiology excursions into curricula; (ii) encourage microbiologists to support school excursions and generally get involved in bringing microbes to life for children; (iii) urge leaders of organizations (biopharma, food industries, universities, etc.) to give school outreach activities a more prominent place in their mission portfolios, and (iv) convey to policymakers the benefits of providing schools with funds, materials and flexibility for educational endeavours beyond the classroom.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Amare Gessesse
- Department of Biological Sciences and BiotechnologyBotswana International University of Science and TechnologyPalapyeBotswana
| | - John E. Hallsworth
- Institute for Global Food SecuritySchool of Biological SciencesQueen’s University BelfastBelfastUK
| | | | | | - Fengping Wang
- School of Life Sciences and BiotechnologyShanghai Jiao Tong UniversityShanghai200240China
| | - Max Chavarría
- Escuela de QuímicaCentro de Investigaciones en Productos Naturales (CIPRONA)Universidad de Costa RicaSan JoséCosta Rica
- Centro Nacional de Innovaciones Biotecnológicas (CENIBiot)CeNAT-CONARESan JoséCosta Rica
| | - Max M. Haggblom
- Department of Biochemistry and MicrobiologyRutgers UniversityNew BrunswickNJUSA
| | - Søren Molin
- Novo Nordisk Foundation Center for BiosustainabilityTechnical University of DenmarkLyngbyDenmark
| | - Antoine Danchin
- Institut Cochin24 rue du Faubourg Saint‐Jacques75014ParisFrance
| | - Eddy J. Smid
- Food MicrobiologyWageningen University and ResearchWageningenThe Netherlands
| | - Cédric Lood
- Department of Microbial and Molecular SystemsCentre of Microbial and Plant GeneticsLaboratory of Computational Systems BiologyKU Leuven3001LeuvenBelgium
- Department of BiosystemsLaboratory of Gene TechnologyKU Leuven3001LeuvenBelgium
| | | | | | | | - Nancy P. Keller
- Department of Medical Microbiology and ImmunologyUniversity of WisconsinMadisonWIUSA
| | - Lisa Y. Stein
- Department of Biological SciencesUniversity of AlbertaEdmontonABCanada
| | - Seth R. Bordenstein
- Department of Biological SciencesVanderbilt Microbiome InitiativeVanderbilt UniversityNashvilleTNUSA
| | - Rup Lal
- The Energy and Resources InstituteLodhi RoadNew Delhi110003India
| | - Olga C. Nunes
- Department of Chemical EngineeringUniversity of Porto4200‐465PortoPortugal
| | - Lone Gram
- Department of Biotechnology and BiomedicineTechnical University of DenmarkLyngbyDenmark
| | - Brajesh K. Singh
- Hawkesbury Institute for the EnvironmentUniversity of Western SydneyPenrithAustralia
| | - Nicole S. Webster
- Australian Institute of Marine ScienceTownsvilleQLDAustralia
- Australian Centre for EcogenomicsUniversity of QueenslandBrisbaneQLDAustralia
| | | | | | | | - Pilar Junier
- Institute of BiologyUniversity of NeuchâtelNeuchâtelSwitzerland
| | - André Antunes
- State Key Laboratory of Lunar and Planetary SciencesMacau University of Science and Technology (MUST)Taipa, Macau SARChina
| | - Bonnie K. Baxter
- Great Salt Lake InstituteWestminster CollegeSalt Lake CityUtahUSA
| | - Paola Scavone
- Department of MicrobiologyInstituto de Investigaciones Biológicas Clemente EstableMontevideoUruguay
| | - Kenneth Timmis
- Institute of MicrobiologyTechnical University of BraunschweigBraunschweigGermany
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29
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Abstract
Even when they no longer require the presence of iron, cells use zinc as a divalent cation, involved in a large variety of catalytic and regulatory functions. This metal is so important that it appears that ribosomes are instrumental in its ultimate storage. Here, we summarize a detailed analysis which investigates the way the global cell metabolism is integrated by zinc. This integration results from the zinc-dependent way in which the one-carbon metabolism is always coupled to the translation process, not only via methionine and S-adenosylmethionine, but via the complex set-up of the modification of the position 34 of the anticodon of tRNAs.
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Affiliation(s)
- Antoine Danchin
- AMAbiotics SASInstitut Cochin24 rue du Faubourg Saint‐Jacques75014ParisFrance
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30
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Abstract
The translation process, central to life, is tightly connected to the one-carbon (1-C) metabolism via a plethora of macromolecule modifications and specific effectors. Using manual genome annotations and putting together a variety of experimental studies, we explore here the possible reasons of this critical interaction, likely to have originated during the earliest steps of the birth of the first cells. Methionine, S-adenosylmethionine and tetrahydrofolate dominate this interaction. Yet, 1-C metabolism is unlikely to be a simple frozen accident of primaeval conditions. Reactive 1-C species (ROCS) are buffered by the translation machinery in a way tightly associated with the metabolism of iron-sulfur clusters, zinc and potassium availability, possibly coupling carbon metabolism to nitrogen metabolism. In this process, the highly modified position 34 of tRNA molecules plays a critical role. Overall, this metabolic integration may serve both as a protection against the deleterious formation of excess carbon under various growth transitions or environmental unbalanced conditions and as a regulator of zinc homeostasis, while regulating input of prosthetic groups into nascent proteins. This knowledge should be taken into account in metabolic engineering.
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Affiliation(s)
- Antoine Danchin
- AMAbiotics SASInstitut Cochin24 rue du Faubourg Saint‐Jacques75014ParisFrance
- School of Biomedical SciencesLi Ka Shing Faculty of MedicineThe University of Hong KongS.A.R. Hong KongChina
| | - Agnieszka Sekowska
- AMAbiotics SASInstitut Cochin24 rue du Faubourg Saint‐Jacques75014ParisFrance
| | - Conghui You
- Shenzhen Key Laboratory of Microbial Genetic EngineeringCollege of Life Sciences and OceanologyShenzhen University1066 Xueyuan Rd518055ShenzhenChina
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31
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Abstract
The Covid-19 pandemic has spread across the world during early 2020, with unforeseen consequences. Beyond social measures and biomedical research, it is important to assess the seasonality of the epidemic to inform strategies, with limited available data in the short period of time between the March equinox and the June solstice. While the effect of multiple factors is being investigated, little attention has been paid to ultraviolet (UV) radiation, a key parameter of seasonal forcing. We review the effects of UV radiation, proposing it as a potential element of seasonality, and provide evidence from the current literature and scant, yet revealing, observations. Explicit consideration should be given to UV radiation for the seasonality of Covid-19 at high latitudes and altitudes, based on the SARS and MERS epidemics and coronavirus diseases, and not just the ‘warmer days’ of summer.
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32
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Armengaud J, Delaunay-Moisan A, Thuret JY, van Anken E, Acosta-Alvear D, Aragón T, Arias C, Blondel M, Braakman I, Collet JF, Courcol R, Danchin A, Deleuze JF, Lavigne JP, Lucas S, Michiels T, Moore ERB, Nixon-Abell J, Rossello-Mora R, Shi ZL, Siccardi AG, Sitia R, Tillett D, Timmis KN, Toledano MB, van der Sluijs P, Vicenzi E. The importance of naturally attenuated SARS-CoV-2in the fight against COVID-19. Environ Microbiol 2020; 22:1997-2000. [PMID: 32342578 PMCID: PMC7267670 DOI: 10.1111/1462-2920.15039] [Citation(s) in RCA: 47] [Impact Index Per Article: 11.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/22/2020] [Accepted: 04/22/2020] [Indexed: 11/26/2022]
Abstract
The current SARS‐CoV‐2 pandemic is wreaking havoc throughout the world and has rapidly become a global health emergency. A central question concerning COVID‐19 is why some individuals become sick and others not. Many have pointed already at variation in risk factors between individuals. However, the variable outcome of SARS‐CoV‐2 infections may, at least in part, be due also to differences between the viral subspecies with which individuals are infected. A more pertinent question is how we are to overcome the current pandemic. A vaccine against SARS‐CoV‐2 would offer significant relief, although vaccine developers have warned that design, testing and production of vaccines may take a year if not longer. Vaccines are based on a handful of different designs (i), but the earliest vaccines were based on the live, attenuated virus. As has been the case for other viruses during earlier pandemics, SARS‐CoV‐2 will mutate and may naturally attenuate over time (ii). What makes the current pandemic unique is that, thanks to state‐of‐the‐art nucleic acid sequencing technologies, we can follow in detail how SARS‐CoV‐2 evolves while it spreads. We argue that knowledge of naturally emerging attenuated SARS‐CoV‐2 variants across the globe should be of key interest in our fight against the pandemic.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jean Armengaud
- Université Paris-Saclay, CEA, INRAE, Département Médicaments et Technologies pour la Santé (DMTS), SPI, Bagnols-sur-Cèze, 30200, France
| | - Agnès Delaunay-Moisan
- Université Paris-Saclay, CEA, CNRS, Institute for Integrative Biology of the Cell (I2BC), Gif-sur-Yvette, 91198, France
| | - Jean-Yves Thuret
- Université Paris-Saclay, CEA, CNRS, Institute for Integrative Biology of the Cell (I2BC), Gif-sur-Yvette, 91198, France
| | - Eelco van Anken
- Division of Genetics and Cell Biology, San Raffaele Scientific Institute, Università Vita-Salute San Raffaele, Via Olgettina 58, Milan, 20132, Italy
| | - Diego Acosta-Alvear
- Department of Molecular, Cellular, and Developmental Biology, University of California, Santa Barbara, Santa Barbara, CA, 93106, USA
| | - Tomás Aragón
- Center for Applied Medical Research, Department of Gene Therapy and Regulation of Gene Expression, University of Navarra, 55 Pio XII Street, Pamplona, 31008, Spain
| | - Carolina Arias
- Department of Molecular, Cellular, and Developmental Biology, University of California, Santa Barbara, Santa Barbara, CA, 93106, USA
| | - Marc Blondel
- Institut National de la Santé et de la Recherche Médicale UMR1078, 22 Avenue Camille Desmoulins, Brest, F-29200, France.,Université de Bretagne Occidentale, Faculté de Médecine et des Sciences de la Santé, 22 Avenue Camille Desmoulins, Brest, F-29200, France.,Etablissement Français du Sang (EFS) Bretagne, Brest, F-29200, France.,CHRU Brest, Hôpital Morvan, Laboratoire de Génétique Moléculaire, 22 Avenue Camille Desmoulins, Brest, F-29200, France
| | - Ineke Braakman
- Cellular Protein Chemistry, Bijvoet Centre for Biomolecular Science, Science for Life, Utrecht University, The Netherlands
| | - Jean-François Collet
- de Duve Institute, Université Catholique de Louvain, Brussels, Belgium.,WELBIO, Wallonia, Belgium
| | - René Courcol
- Expertise France, 73 Avenue de Vaugirard, Paris, 75006, France
| | - Antoine Danchin
- Stellate Therapeutics/Kodikos, Institut Cochin, Paris, 75014, France
| | - Jean-François Deleuze
- Centre National de Recherche en Génomique Humaine (CNRGH), Institut de Biologie François Jacob, CEA, Université Paris-Saclay, Evry, 91057, France
| | - Jean-Philippe Lavigne
- U1047, Institut National de la Santé et de la Recherche Médicale, Université Montpellier, Montpellier, France.,Service de Microbiologie et Hygiène Hospitalière, CHU Nîmes, Nîmes, France
| | - Sophie Lucas
- de Duve Institute, Université Catholique de Louvain, Brussels, Belgium.,WELBIO, Wallonia, Belgium
| | - Thomas Michiels
- de Duve Institute, Université Catholique de Louvain, Brussels, Belgium
| | - Edward R B Moore
- Department of Infectious Diseases, Institute for Biomedicine, Sahlgrenska Academy of the University of Gothenburg, Gothenburg, SE-41346, Sweden.,Department of Clinical Microbiology, Sahlgrenska University Hospital, Region Västra Götaland, Gothenburg, SE-41346, Sweden
| | - Jonathon Nixon-Abell
- Department of Clinical Neurosciences, Cambridge Institute for Medical Research, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, CB2 0XY, UK
| | - Ramon Rossello-Mora
- Marine Microbiology Group, Department of Animal and Bacterial Diversity, IMEDEA (CSIC-UIB), Esporles, Balearic Islands, 07190, Spain
| | - Zheng-Li Shi
- CAS Key Laboratory of Special Pathogens and Biosafety, Wuhan Institute of Virology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Wuhan, People's Republic of China
| | - Antonio G Siccardi
- Division of Genetics and Cell Biology, San Raffaele Scientific Institute, Università Vita-Salute San Raffaele, Via Olgettina 58, Milan, 20132, Italy
| | - Roberto Sitia
- Division of Genetics and Cell Biology, San Raffaele Scientific Institute, Università Vita-Salute San Raffaele, Via Olgettina 58, Milan, 20132, Italy
| | - Daniel Tillett
- Nucleics Pty Ltd, 29 John Street, Woollahra, New South Wales, 2025, Australia
| | - Kenneth N Timmis
- Institute of Microbiology, Technical University Braunschweig, Braunschweig, Germany
| | - Michel B Toledano
- Université Paris-Saclay, CEA, CNRS, Institute for Integrative Biology of the Cell (I2BC), Gif-sur-Yvette, 91198, France
| | - Peter van der Sluijs
- Cellular Protein Chemistry, Bijvoet Centre for Biomolecular Science, Science for Life, Utrecht University, The Netherlands
| | - Elisa Vicenzi
- Viral Pathogenesis and Biosafety Unit, San Raffaele Scientific Institute, Via Olgettina 58, Milan, 20132, Italy
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33
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Wang Y, Huang JM, Zhou YL, Almeida A, Finn RD, Danchin A, He LS. Phylogenomics of expanding uncultured environmental Tenericutes provides insights into their pathogenicity and evolutionary relationship with Bacilli. BMC Genomics 2020; 21:408. [PMID: 32552739 PMCID: PMC7301438 DOI: 10.1186/s12864-020-06807-4] [Citation(s) in RCA: 44] [Impact Index Per Article: 11.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/31/2020] [Accepted: 06/05/2020] [Indexed: 12/28/2022] Open
Abstract
Background The metabolic capacity, stress response and evolution of uncultured environmental Tenericutes have remained elusive, since previous studies have been largely focused on pathogenic species. In this study, we expanded analyses on Tenericutes lineages that inhabit various environments using a collection of 840 genomes. Results Several environmental lineages were discovered inhabiting the human gut, ground water, bioreactors and hypersaline lake and spanning the Haloplasmatales and Mycoplasmatales orders. A phylogenomics analysis of Bacilli and Tenericutes genomes revealed that some uncultured Tenericutes are affiliated with novel clades in Bacilli, such as RF39, RFN20 and ML615. Erysipelotrichales and two major gut lineages, RF39 and RFN20, were found to be neighboring clades of Mycoplasmatales. We detected habitat-specific functional patterns between the pathogenic, gut and the environmental Tenericutes, where genes involved in carbohydrate storage, carbon fixation, mutation repair, environmental response and amino acid cleavage are overrepresented in the genomes of environmental lineages, perhaps as a result of environmental adaptation. We hypothesize that the two major gut lineages, namely RF39 and RFN20, are probably acetate and hydrogen producers. Furthermore, deteriorating capacity of bactoprenol synthesis for cell wall peptidoglycan precursors secretion is a potential adaptive strategy employed by these lineages in response to the gut environment. Conclusions This study uncovers the characteristic functions of environmental Tenericutes and their relationships with Bacilli, which sheds new light onto the pathogenicity and evolutionary processes of Mycoplasmatales.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yong Wang
- Institute of Deep Sea Science and Engineering, Chinese Academy of Sciences, No. 28, Luhuitou Road, Sanya, Hai Nan, P.R. China.
| | - Jiao-Mei Huang
- Institute of Deep Sea Science and Engineering, Chinese Academy of Sciences, No. 28, Luhuitou Road, Sanya, Hai Nan, P.R. China.,University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China
| | - Ying-Li Zhou
- Institute of Deep Sea Science and Engineering, Chinese Academy of Sciences, No. 28, Luhuitou Road, Sanya, Hai Nan, P.R. China.,University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China
| | - Alexandre Almeida
- European Molecular Biology Laboratory, European Bioinformatics Institute (EMBL-EBI), Wellcome Genome Campus, Hinxton, UK.,Wellcome Sanger Institute, Wellcome Genome Campus, Hinxton, UK
| | - Robert D Finn
- European Molecular Biology Laboratory, European Bioinformatics Institute (EMBL-EBI), Wellcome Genome Campus, Hinxton, UK
| | - Antoine Danchin
- Kodikos, Department of Infection, Immunity and Inflammation, Institut Cochin INSERM U1016 - CNRS UMR8104 - Université Paris Descartes, 24 rue du Faubourg Saint-Jacques, 75014, Paris, France.,Li Kashing Faculty of Medicine, School of Biomedical Sciences, University of Hong Kong, 21 Sassoon Road, Hong Kong, SAR, China
| | - Li-Sheng He
- Institute of Deep Sea Science and Engineering, Chinese Academy of Sciences, No. 28, Luhuitou Road, Sanya, Hai Nan, P.R. China
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34
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Danchin A, Timmis K. SARS-CoV-2 variants: Relevance for symptom granularity, epidemiology, immunity (herd, vaccines), virus origin and containment? Environ Microbiol 2020; 22:2001-2006. [PMID: 32367648 PMCID: PMC7267449 DOI: 10.1111/1462-2920.15053] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/29/2020] [Accepted: 04/29/2020] [Indexed: 12/20/2022]
Abstract
The origin of the SARS‐CoV‐2 virus remains enigmatic. It is likely to be a continuum resulting from inevitable mutations and recombination events. These genetic changes keep developing in the present epidemic. Mutations tending to deplete the genome in its cytosine content will progressively lead to attenuation as a consequence of Muller's ratchet, but this is counteracted by recombination when different mutants co‐infect the same host, in particular, in clusters of infection. Monitoring as a function of time the genome sequences in closely related cases is critical to anticipate the future of SARS‐CoV‐2 and hence of COVID‐19.
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Affiliation(s)
- Antoine Danchin
- Kodikos Labs, 24 rue Jean Baldassini, Lyon 69007, France.,Institut Cochin, Paris 75013, France.,School of Biomedical Sciences, Li Kashing Faculty of Medicine, University of Hong Kong, 21 Sassoon Road, SAR Hong Kong, China
| | - Kenneth Timmis
- Institute of Microbiology, Technical University of Braunschweig, Braunschweig, Germany
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35
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Affiliation(s)
- Antoine Danchin
- Kodikos Labs, 24 rue Jean Baldassini, 69007 Lyon/Institut Cochin, 75013 Paris, France
| | - Philippe Marlière
- TESSSI, The European Syndicate of Synthetic Scientists and Industrialists, 81 rue Réaumur, 75002, Paris, France
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36
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Affiliation(s)
- Antoine Danchin
- Stellate TherapeuticsInstitut Cochin 24 rue du Faubourg Saint-Jacques 75014 Paris France
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37
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Prifti E, Chevaleyre Y, Hanczar B, Belda E, Danchin A, Clément K, Zucker JD. Interpretable and accurate prediction models for metagenomics data. Gigascience 2020; 9:giaa010. [PMID: 32150601 PMCID: PMC7062144 DOI: 10.1093/gigascience/giaa010] [Citation(s) in RCA: 21] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/17/2019] [Revised: 09/12/2019] [Accepted: 01/27/2020] [Indexed: 01/28/2023] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Microbiome biomarker discovery for patient diagnosis, prognosis, and risk evaluation is attracting broad interest. Selected groups of microbial features provide signatures that characterize host disease states such as cancer or cardio-metabolic diseases. Yet, the current predictive models stemming from machine learning still behave as black boxes and seldom generalize well. Their interpretation is challenging for physicians and biologists, which makes them difficult to trust and use routinely in the physician-patient decision-making process. Novel methods that provide interpretability and biological insight are needed. Here, we introduce "predomics", an original machine learning approach inspired by microbial ecosystem interactions that is tailored for metagenomics data. It discovers accurate predictive signatures and provides unprecedented interpretability. The decision provided by the predictive model is based on a simple, yet powerful score computed by adding, subtracting, or dividing cumulative abundance of microbiome measurements. RESULTS Tested on >100 datasets, we demonstrate that predomics models are simple and highly interpretable. Even with such simplicity, they are at least as accurate as state-of-the-art methods. The family of best models, discovered during the learning process, offers the ability to distil biological information and to decipher the predictability signatures of the studied condition. In a proof-of-concept experiment, we successfully predicted body corpulence and metabolic improvement after bariatric surgery using pre-surgery microbiome data. CONCLUSIONS Predomics is a new algorithm that helps in providing reliable and trustworthy diagnostic decisions in the microbiome field. Predomics is in accord with societal and legal requirements that plead for an explainable artificial intelligence approach in the medical field.
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Affiliation(s)
- Edi Prifti
- IRD, Sorbonne University, UMMISCO, 32 Avenue Henri Varagnat, F-93143 Bondy, France
- Institute of Cardiometabolism and Nutrition, ICAN, Integromics, 91 Boulevard de l'Hopital, F-75013, Paris, France
| | - Yann Chevaleyre
- Paris-Dauphine University, PSL Research University, CNRS, UMR 7243, LAMSADE, place du Mal. de Lattre de Tassigny, F-75016, Paris, France
| | - Blaise Hanczar
- IBISC, University Paris-Saclay, University Evry, Evry, 23 Boulevard de France, F-91034, France
| | - Eugeni Belda
- Institute of Cardiometabolism and Nutrition, ICAN, Integromics, 91 Boulevard de l'Hopital, F-75013, Paris, France
| | - Antoine Danchin
- Institut Cochin INSERM U1016−CNRS UMR8104−Université Paris Descartes, 24 Rue du Faubourg Saint-Jacques, F-75014, Paris, France
| | - Karine Clément
- Sorbonne University, INSERM, Nutrition and Obesities; Systemic Approach Research Unit (NutriOmics), 91 Boulevard de l'Hopital, F-75013, Paris, France
- Assistance Publique-Hôpitaux de Paris, Nutrition Department, CRNH Ile de France, Pitié-Salpêtrière Hospital, 91 Boulevard de l'Hopital, F-75013, Paris, France
| | - Jean-Daniel Zucker
- IRD, Sorbonne University, UMMISCO, 32 Avenue Henri Varagnat, F-93143 Bondy, France
- Institute of Cardiometabolism and Nutrition, ICAN, Integromics, 91 Boulevard de l'Hopital, F-75013, Paris, France
- Sorbonne University, INSERM, Nutrition and Obesities; Systemic Approach Research Unit (NutriOmics), 91 Boulevard de l'Hopital, F-75013, Paris, France
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38
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Lian CA, Yan GY, Huang JM, Danchin A, Wang Y, He LS. Genomic Characterization of a Novel Gut Symbiont From the Hadal Snailfish. Front Microbiol 2020; 10:2978. [PMID: 31998265 PMCID: PMC6965317 DOI: 10.3389/fmicb.2019.02978] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/14/2019] [Accepted: 12/10/2019] [Indexed: 01/30/2023] Open
Abstract
Hadal trenches are characterized by not only high hydrostatic pressure but also scarcity of nutrients and high diversity of viruses. Snailfishes, as the dominant vertebrates, play an important role in hadal ecology. Although studies have suggested possible reasons for the tolerance of hadal snailfish to high hydrostatic pressure, little is known about the strategies employed by hadal snailfish to cope with low-nutrient and virus-rich conditions. In this study, the gut microbiota of hadal snailfish was investigated. A novel bacterium named "Candidatus Mycoplasma liparidae" was dominant in the guts of three snailfish individuals from both the Mariana and Yap trenches. A draft genome of "Ca. Mycoplasma liparidae" was successfully assembled with 97.8% completeness by hybrid sequencing. A set of genes encoding riboflavin biosynthesis proteins and a clustered regularly interspaced short palindromic repeats (CRISPR) system was present in the genome of "Ca. Mycoplasma liparidae," which was unusual for Mycoplasma. The functional repertoire of the "Ca. Mycoplasma liparidae" genome is likely set to help the host in riboflavin supplementation and to provide protection against viruses via a super CRISPR system. Remarkably, genes encoding common virulence factors usually exist in Tenericutes pathogens but were lacking in the genome of "Ca. Mycoplasma liparidae." All of these characteristics supported an essential role of "Ca. Mycoplasma liparidae" in snailfish living in the hadal zone. Our findings provide further insights into symbiotic associations in the hadal biosphere.
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Affiliation(s)
- Chun-Ang Lian
- Institute of Deep-Sea Science and Engineering, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Sanya, China
- College of Earth Sciences, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China
| | - Guo-Yong Yan
- Institute of Deep-Sea Science and Engineering, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Sanya, China
- College of Earth Sciences, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China
| | - Jiao-Mei Huang
- Institute of Deep-Sea Science and Engineering, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Sanya, China
- College of Earth Sciences, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China
| | - Antoine Danchin
- Department of Infection, Immunity and Inflammation, Institut Cochin, INSERM U1016 – CNRS UMR 8104 – Université Paris Descartes, Paris, France
| | - Yong Wang
- Institute of Deep-Sea Science and Engineering, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Sanya, China
| | - Li-Sheng He
- Institute of Deep-Sea Science and Engineering, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Sanya, China
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39
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Wang Y, Zhu FC, He LS, Danchin A. Unique tRNA gene profile suggests paucity of nucleotide modifications in anticodons of a deep-sea symbiotic Spiroplasma. Nucleic Acids Res 2019; 46:2197-2203. [PMID: 29390076 PMCID: PMC5861454 DOI: 10.1093/nar/gky045] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/06/2017] [Accepted: 01/18/2018] [Indexed: 12/22/2022] Open
Abstract
The position 34 of a tRNA is always modified for efficient recognition of codons and accurate integration of amino acids by the translation machinery. Here, we report genomics features of a deep-sea gut symbiotic Spiroplasma, which suggests that the organism does not require tRNA(34) anticodon modifications. In the genome, there is a novel set of tRNA genes composed of 32 species for recognition of the 20 amino acids. Among the anticodons of the tRNAs, we witnessed the presence of both U34- and C34-containing tRNAs required to decode NNR (A/G) 2:2 codons as countermeasure of probable loss of anticodon modification genes. In the tRNA fragments detected in the gut transcriptome, mismatches expected to be caused by some tRNA modifications were not shown in their alignments with the corresponding genes. However, the probable paucity of modified anticodons did not fundamentally change the codon usage pattern of the Spiroplasma. The tRNA gene profile that probably resulted from the paucity of tRNA(34) modifications was not observed in other symbionts and deep-sea bacteria, indicating that this phenomenon was an evolutionary dead-end. This study provides insights on co-evolution of translation machine and tRNA genes and steric constraints of codon-anticodon interactions in deep-sea extreme environment.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yong Wang
- Institute of Deep-Sea Science and Engineering, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Sanya, Hainan, China
| | - Fang-Chao Zhu
- Institute of Deep-Sea Science and Engineering, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Sanya, Hainan, China
| | - Li-Sheng He
- Institute of Deep-Sea Science and Engineering, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Sanya, Hainan, China
| | - Antoine Danchin
- Institute of Cardiometabolism and Nutrition, Hôpital de la Pitié-Salpêtrière, 47 boulevard de l'Hôpital, 75013 Paris, France.,School of Biomedical Sciences, Li Kashing Faculty of Medicine, University of Hong Kong, 21 Sassoon Road, SAR Hong Kong, China
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40
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Frendorf PO, Lauritsen I, Sekowska A, Danchin A, Nørholm MH. Mutations in the Global Transcription Factor CRP/CAP: Insights from Experimental Evolution and Deep Sequencing. Comput Struct Biotechnol J 2019; 17:730-736. [PMID: 31303977 PMCID: PMC6603298 DOI: 10.1016/j.csbj.2019.05.009] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/10/2019] [Revised: 05/22/2019] [Accepted: 05/26/2019] [Indexed: 11/17/2022] Open
Abstract
The Escherichia coli cyclic AMP receptor protein (CRP or catabolite activator protein, CAP) provides a textbook example of bacterial transcriptional regulation and is one of the best studied transcription factors in biology. For almost five decades a large number of mutants, evolved in vivo or engineered in vitro, have shed light on the molecular structure and mechanism of CRP. Here, we review previous work, providing an overview of studies describing the isolation of CRP mutants. Furthermore, we present new data on deep sequencing of different bacterial populations that have evolved under selective pressure that strongly favors mutations in the crp locus. Our new approach identifies more than 100 new CRP mutations and paves the way for a deeper understanding of this fascinating bacterial master regulator.
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Affiliation(s)
- Pernille Ott Frendorf
- Novo Nordisk Foundation Center for Biosustainability, Technical University of Denmark, Kemitorvet B220, DK-2800 Kgs. Lyngby, Denmark
| | - Ida Lauritsen
- Novo Nordisk Foundation Center for Biosustainability, Technical University of Denmark, Kemitorvet B220, DK-2800 Kgs. Lyngby, Denmark
| | - Agnieszka Sekowska
- Institut de Cardiométabolisme et Nutrition, CHU Pitié-Salpêtrière, 47 boulevard de l'Hôpital, 75013 Paris, France
| | - Antoine Danchin
- Institut Cochin, INSERM U1016, CNRS UMR8104, Université Paris Descartes, 24 rue du Faubourg Saint-Jacques, 75014 Paris, France
| | - Morten H.H. Nørholm
- Novo Nordisk Foundation Center for Biosustainability, Technical University of Denmark, Kemitorvet B220, DK-2800 Kgs. Lyngby, Denmark
- Corresponding author.
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41
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Abstract
The development of synthetic biology calls for accurate understanding of the critical functions that allow construction and operation of a living cell. Besides coding for ubiquitous structures, minimal genomes encode a wealth of functions that dissipate energy in an unanticipated way. Analysis of these functions shows that they are meant to manage information under conditions when discrimination of substrates in a noisy background is preferred over a simple recognition process. We show here that many of these functions, including transporters and the ribosome construction machinery, behave as would behave a material implementation of the information‐managing agent theorized by Maxwell almost 150 years ago and commonly known as Maxwell's demon (MxD). A core gene set encoding these functions belongs to the minimal genome required to allow the construction of an autonomous cell. These MxDs allow the cell to perform computations in an energy‐efficient way that is vastly better than our contemporary computers.
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Affiliation(s)
- Grégory Boël
- UMR 8261 CNRS-University Paris Diderot, Institut de Biologie Physico-Chimique, 13 rue Pierre et Marie Curie, 75005, Paris, France
| | - Olivier Danot
- Institut Pasteur, 25-28 rue du Docteur Roux, 75724, Paris Cedex 15, France
| | - Victor de Lorenzo
- Molecular Environmental Microbiology Laboratory, Systems Biology Programme, Centro Nacional de Biotecnologia, C/Darwin n° 3, Campus de Cantoblanco, 28049, Madrid, España
| | - Antoine Danchin
- Institute of Cardiometabolism and Nutrition, Hôpital de la Pitié-Salpêtrière, 47 Boulevard de l'Hôpital, 75013, Paris, France.,The School of Biomedical Sciences, Li Kashing Faculty of Medicine, Hong Kong University, 21, Sassoon Road, Pokfulam, SAR Hong Kong
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42
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Amann RI, Baichoo S, Blencowe BJ, Bork P, Borodovsky M, Brooksbank C, Chain PSG, Colwell RR, Daffonchio DG, Danchin A, de Lorenzo V, Dorrestein PC, Finn RD, Fraser CM, Gilbert JA, Hallam SJ, Hugenholtz P, Ioannidis JPA, Jansson JK, Kim JF, Klenk HP, Klotz MG, Knight R, Konstantinidis KT, Kyrpides NC, Mason CE, McHardy AC, Meyer F, Ouzounis CA, Patrinos AAN, Podar M, Pollard KS, Ravel J, Muñoz AR, Roberts RJ, Rosselló-Móra R, Sansone SA, Schloss PD, Schriml LM, Setubal JC, Sorek R, Stevens RL, Tiedje JM, Turjanski A, Tyson GW, Ussery DW, Weinstock GM, White O, Whitman WB, Xenarios I. Consent insufficient for data release-Response. Science 2019; 364:446. [PMID: 31048484 DOI: 10.1126/science.aax7509] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/02/2022]
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43
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Timmis K, Cavicchioli R, Garcia JL, Nogales B, Chavarría M, Stein L, McGenity TJ, Webster N, Singh BK, Handelsman J, de Lorenzo V, Pruzzo C, Timmis J, Martín JLR, Verstraete W, Jetten M, Danchin A, Huang W, Gilbert J, Lal R, Santos H, Lee SY, Sessitsch A, Bonfante P, Gram L, Lin RTP, Ron E, Karahan ZC, van der Meer JR, Artunkal S, Jahn D, Harper L. The urgent need for microbiology literacy in society. Environ Microbiol 2019; 21:1513-1528. [PMID: 30912268 DOI: 10.1111/1462-2920.14611] [Citation(s) in RCA: 69] [Impact Index Per Article: 13.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/10/2018] [Revised: 03/24/2019] [Accepted: 03/24/2019] [Indexed: 12/16/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Kenneth Timmis
- Institute of Microbiology, Technical University Braunschweig, Germany
| | - Ricardo Cavicchioli
- School of Biotechnology and Biomolecular Sciences, The University of New South Wales, Sydney, Australia
| | - José Luis Garcia
- Department of Environmental Biology, Centro de Investigaciones Biológicas (CIB) (CSIC), Madrid, Spain
| | - Balbina Nogales
- Grupo de Microbiologia, Dept. Biologia, Universitat de les Illes Balears, and Instituto Mediterráneo de Estudios Avanzados 8IMEDEA, UIB-CSIC), Palma de Mallorca, Spain
| | - Max Chavarría
- Escuela de Química, Centro de Investigaciones en Productos Naturales (CIPRONA), Universidad de Costa Rica, San José, Costa Rica & Centro Nacional de Innovaciones Biotecnológicas (CENIBiot), CeNAT-CONARE, San José, Costa Rica
| | - Lisa Stein
- Department of Biological Sciences, University of Alberta, Edmonton, Canada
| | - Terry J McGenity
- School of Biological Sciences, University of Essex, Colchester, UK
| | - Nicole Webster
- Australian Institute of Marine Science, Townsville and Australian Centre for Ecogenomics, University of Queensland, Brisbane, Queensland, Australia
| | - Brajesh K Singh
- Hawkesbury Institute for the Environment, University of Western Sydney, Penrith, Australia
| | - Jo Handelsman
- Wisconsin Institute for Discovery, University of Wisconsin-Madison, WI, USA
| | - Victor de Lorenzo
- Systems Biology Program, Centro Nacional de Biotecnologia, CSIC, Madrid, Spain
| | - Carla Pruzzo
- Dipartimento di Scienze della Terra, dell'Ambiente e della Vita (DISTAV), Università degli Studi di Genova, Italy
| | - James Timmis
- Athena Institute, Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam, The Netherlands
| | | | - Willy Verstraete
- Center for Microbial Ecology and Technology (CMET), Ghent University, Belgium
| | - Mike Jetten
- Department of Microbiology, Radboud University Nijmegen, The Netherlands
| | - Antoine Danchin
- Institut Cochin INSERM U1016, CNRS UMR8104, Université Paris Descartes, Paris, France
| | - Wei Huang
- Department of Engineering Science, University of Oxford, Oxford, UK
| | - Jack Gilbert
- Dept. of Pediatrics, University of California at San Diego, San Diego, CA, USA
| | - Rup Lal
- Department of Zoology, Molecular Biology Laboratory, University of Delhi, Delhi, India
| | - Helena Santos
- Instituto de Tecnologia Química e Biológica, Universidade Nova de Lisboa, Oeiras, Portugal
| | - Sang Yup Lee
- Department of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering, Korea Advanced Institute of Science and Technology, Daejeon, Republic of Korea
| | - Angela Sessitsch
- Bioresources Unit, AIT Austrian Institute of Technology, Tulln, Austria
| | - Paola Bonfante
- Department of Life Science and Systems Biology, University of Torino, Italy
| | - Lone Gram
- Department of Biotechnology and Biomedicine, Technical University of Denmark, Lyngby, Denmark
| | - Raymond T P Lin
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, National University of Singapore, Singapore
| | - Eliora Ron
- School of Molecular Cell Biology & Biotechnology, Tel Aviv University, Israel
| | - Z Ceren Karahan
- Department of Medical Microbiology, Ankara University, Turkey
| | | | - Seza Artunkal
- Department of Clinical Microbiology, Haydarpaşa Numune Training Hospital, lstanbul, Turkey
| | - Dieter Jahn
- Institute of Microbiology, Technical University Braunschweig, Germany
| | - Lucy Harper
- Society for Applied Microbiology, London, UK
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44
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Iliopoulos I, Ananiadou S, Danchin A, Ioannidis JP, Katsikis PD, Ouzounis CA, Promponas VJ. Hypothesis, analysis and synthesis, it's all Greek to me. eLife 2019; 8:43514. [PMID: 30782313 PMCID: PMC6382348 DOI: 10.7554/elife.43514] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/09/2018] [Accepted: 02/05/2019] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
The linguistic foundations of science and technology include many terms that have been borrowed from ancient languages. In the case of terms with origins in the Greek language, the modern meaning can often differ significantly from the original one. Here we use the PubMed database to demonstrate the prevalence of words of Greek origin in the language of modern science, and call for scientists to exercise care when coining new terms.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ioannis Iliopoulos
- Division of Basic Sciences, School of Medicine, University of Crete, Heraklion, Greece
| | - Sophia Ananiadou
- School of Computer Science, University of Manchester, Manchester, United Kingdom
| | - Antoine Danchin
- Institute of Cardiometabolism and Nutrition, Hôpital de la Pitié-Salpêtrière, Paris, France.,School of Biomedical Sciences, Li Ka Shing Faculty of Medicine, University of Hong Kong, SAR Hong Kong, China
| | - John Pa Ioannidis
- Meta-Research Innovation Center at Stanford, University of Stanford, Stanford, United States
| | - Peter D Katsikis
- Department of Immunology, Erasmus University Medical Center, Rotterdam, Netherlands
| | - Christos A Ouzounis
- Biological Computation & Process Lab, Chemical Process & Energy Resources Institute, Centre for Research & Technology Hellas, Thessalonica, Greece
| | - Vasilis J Promponas
- Bioinformatics Research Laboratory, Department of Biological Sciences, University of Cyprus, Nicosia, Cyprus
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45
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Danchin A. Conceptual sequel to biological expeditions at the time of global changes. Environ Microbiol Rep 2019; 11:38-40. [PMID: 30516032 DOI: 10.1111/1758-2229.12722] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/14/2018] [Accepted: 11/14/2018] [Indexed: 06/09/2023]
Affiliation(s)
- Antoine Danchin
- Institute of Cardiometabolism and Nutrition, Hôpital de la Pitié-Salpêtrière, Paris, France
- School of Biomedical Sciences, Li Kashing Faculty of Medicine, Hong Kong University, Pokfulam, SAR, Hong Kong
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Amann RI, Baichoo S, Blencowe BJ, Bork P, Borodovsky M, Brooksbank C, Chain PSG, Colwell RR, Daffonchio DG, Danchin A, de Lorenzo V, Dorrestein PC, Finn RD, Fraser CM, Gilbert JA, Hallam SJ, Hugenholtz P, Ioannidis JPA, Jansson JK, Kim JF, Klenk HP, Klotz MG, Knight R, Konstantinidis KT, Kyrpides NC, Mason CE, McHardy AC, Meyer F, Ouzounis CA, Patrinos AAN, Podar M, Pollard KS, Ravel J, Muñoz AR, Roberts RJ, Rosselló-Móra R, Sansone SA, Schloss PD, Schriml LM, Setubal JC, Sorek R, Stevens RL, Tiedje JM, Turjanski A, Tyson GW, Ussery DW, Weinstock GM, White O, Whitman WB, Xenarios I. Toward unrestricted use of public genomic data. Science 2019; 363:350-352. [PMID: 30679363 DOI: 10.1126/science.aaw1280] [Citation(s) in RCA: 36] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/21/2022]
Abstract
Publication interests should not limit access to public data
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Sekowska A, Ashida H, Danchin A. Revisiting the methionine salvage pathway and its paralogues. Microb Biotechnol 2019; 12:77-97. [PMID: 30306718 PMCID: PMC6302742 DOI: 10.1111/1751-7915.13324] [Citation(s) in RCA: 29] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/16/2018] [Revised: 08/24/2018] [Accepted: 09/14/2018] [Indexed: 12/17/2022] Open
Abstract
Methionine is essential for life. Its chemistry makes it fragile in the presence of oxygen. Aerobic living organisms have selected a salvage pathway (the MSP) that uses dioxygen to regenerate methionine, associated to a ratchet-like step that prevents methionine back degradation. Here, we describe the variation on this theme, developed across the tree of life. Oxygen appeared long after life had developed on Earth. The canonical MSP evolved from ancestors that used both predecessors of ribulose bisphosphate carboxylase oxygenase (RuBisCO) and methanethiol in intermediate steps. We document how these likely promiscuous pathways were also used to metabolize the omnipresent by-products of S-adenosylmethionine radical enzymes as well as the aromatic and isoprene skeleton of quinone electron acceptors.
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Affiliation(s)
- Agnieszka Sekowska
- Institute of Cardiometabolism and NutritionHôpital de la Pitié‐SalpêtrièreParisFrance
| | - Hiroki Ashida
- Graduate School of Human Development and EnvironmentKobe UniversityKobeJapan
| | - Antoine Danchin
- Institute of Cardiometabolism and NutritionHôpital de la Pitié‐SalpêtrièreParisFrance
- Institute of Synthetic BiologyShenzhen Institutes of Advanced StudiesShenzhenChina
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Li Z, Pan Q, Xiao Y, Fang X, Shi R, Fu C, Danchin A, You C. Deciphering global gene expression and regulation strategy in Escherichia coli during carbon limitation. Microb Biotechnol 2018; 12:360-376. [PMID: 30536863 PMCID: PMC6390033 DOI: 10.1111/1751-7915.13343] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/09/2018] [Revised: 11/04/2018] [Accepted: 11/07/2018] [Indexed: 12/01/2022] Open
Abstract
Despite decades of studies meant to analyse the bacterial response to carbon limitation, we still miss a high‐resolution overview of the situation. All gene expression changes observed in such conditions cannot solely be accounted for by the global regulator Crp either free or bound to its effector, cyclic AMP. Here, for the first time, we evaluated the response of both CDS (protein‐coding sequence) and ncRNA (non‐coding RNA) genes to carbon limitation, revealed cellular functions of differentially expressed genes systematically, quantified the contribution of Crp‐cAMP and other factors to regulation and deciphered regulation strategies at a genomewide scale. Approximately one‐third of the differentially expressed genes we identified responded to Crp‐cAMP via its direct or indirect control, while the remaining genes were subject to growth rate‐dependent control or were controlled by other regulators, especially RpoS. Importantly, gene regulation mechanisms can be established by expression pattern studies. Here, we propose a comprehensive picture of how cells respond to carbon scarcity. The global regulation strategies thus exposed illustrate that the response of cell to carbon scarcity is not limited to maintaining sufficient carbon metabolism via cAMP signalling while the main response is to adjust metabolism to cope with a slow growth rate.
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Affiliation(s)
- Zongjin Li
- Shenzhen Key Laboratory of Microbial Genetic Engineering, College of Life Sciences and Oceanology, Shenzhen University, 1066 Xueyuan Rd, Shenzhen, 518055, Guangdong, P. R. China
| | - Qing Pan
- Shenzhen Key Laboratory of Microbial Genetic Engineering, College of Life Sciences and Oceanology, Shenzhen University, 1066 Xueyuan Rd, Shenzhen, 518055, Guangdong, P. R. China.,Shandong Provincial Key Laboratory of Energy Genetics, Key Laboratory of Biofuels, Qingdao Engineering Research Center of Biomass Resources and Environment, Qingdao Institute of Bioenergy and Bioprocess Technology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, 189 Songling Rd, Qingdao, 266101, Shandong, P. R.China
| | - Yunzhu Xiao
- Shenzhen Key Laboratory of Microbial Genetic Engineering, College of Life Sciences and Oceanology, Shenzhen University, 1066 Xueyuan Rd, Shenzhen, 518055, Guangdong, P. R. China
| | - Xingxing Fang
- Shenzhen Key Laboratory of Microbial Genetic Engineering, College of Life Sciences and Oceanology, Shenzhen University, 1066 Xueyuan Rd, Shenzhen, 518055, Guangdong, P. R. China
| | - Ruoping Shi
- Shenzhen Key Laboratory of Microbial Genetic Engineering, College of Life Sciences and Oceanology, Shenzhen University, 1066 Xueyuan Rd, Shenzhen, 518055, Guangdong, P. R. China
| | - Chunxiang Fu
- Shandong Provincial Key Laboratory of Energy Genetics, Key Laboratory of Biofuels, Qingdao Engineering Research Center of Biomass Resources and Environment, Qingdao Institute of Bioenergy and Bioprocess Technology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, 189 Songling Rd, Qingdao, 266101, Shandong, P. R.China
| | - Antoine Danchin
- Integromics, Institute of Cardiometabolism and Nutrition, Hôpital de la Pitié-Salpêtrière, 47 Boulevard de l'Hôpital, 75013, Paris, France.,School of Biomedical Sciences, Li KaShing Faculty of Medicine, Hong Kong University, 21 Sassoon Road, Pokfulam, Hong Kong
| | - Conghui You
- Shenzhen Key Laboratory of Microbial Genetic Engineering, College of Life Sciences and Oceanology, Shenzhen University, 1066 Xueyuan Rd, Shenzhen, 518055, Guangdong, P. R. China
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Affiliation(s)
- Antoine Danchin
- Institut de cardiométabolisme et nutrition, Hôpital de la Pitié-Salpêtrière, 47 boulevard de l'Hôpital 75013 Paris
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Abstract
Regarder plus de trois milliards d’années en arrière est difficile et la reconstruction d’arbres de l’évolution à partir de l’ADN actuel repose sur des hypothèses cachées qui ne permettent pas de retrouver ses vraies racines. Cherchant à s’affranchir de notre anthropocentrisme, le scénario proposé dans les deux textes qui seront successivement publiés écarte pour commencer l’idée d’une origine unique pour le remplacer par un scénario d’évolution qui ferait apparaître un processus réplicatif – formation d’une copie exacte – au sein d’un système chimique qui ne fait que se reproduire, formant des copies voisines de ce qu’il est. Les premières cellules formeraient une population de prédateurs assimilant peu à peu divers compartiments où se déroule la suite des étapes ancestrales. Échappant aux cellules prédatrices, deux types nouveaux, peu compartimentés, bactéries et archées seraient alors apparus pour envahir la Terre, former des organites au sein des prédateurs ancestraux en donnant la vie telle qu’on la connaît aujourd’hui.
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Affiliation(s)
- Antoine Danchin
- Institut de Cardiométabolisme et Nutrition, Hôpital de la Pitié-Salpêtrière, 47, boulevard de l'Hôpital 75013 Paris, France
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