scholarly journals Phenotypic consequences of RNA polymerase dysregulation in Escherichia coli

2017 ◽  
Author(s):  
Paramita Sarkar ◽  
Amy Switzer ◽  
Christine Peters ◽  
Joe Pogliano ◽  
Sivaramesh Wigneshweraraj
Keyword(s):  
Escherichia Coli ◽  
Rna Polymerase ◽  
Single Molecule ◽  
Abiotic Factors ◽  
Growth Conditions ◽  
Bacterial Cells ◽  
Adaptive Responses ◽  
Single Molecule Level ◽  
Bacterial Rna ◽  
Transcriptional Rewiring

ABSTRACTMany bacterial adaptive responses to changes in growth conditions due to biotic and abiotic factors involve reprogramming of gene expression at the transcription level. The bacterial RNA polymerase (RNAP), which catalyzes transcription, can thus be considered as the major mediator of cellular adaptive strategies. But how do bacteria respond if a stress factor directly compromises the activity of the RNAP? We used a phage-derived small protein to specifically perturb bacterial RNAP activity in exponentially growing Escherichia coli. Using cytological profiling, tracking RNAP behavior at single-molecule level and transcriptome analysis, we reveal that adaptation to conditions that directly perturb bacterial RNAP performance can result in a biphasic growth behavior and thereby confer the ‘adapted’ bacterial cells an enhanced ability to tolerate diverse antibacterial stresses. The results imply that while synthetic transcriptional rewiring may confer bacteria with the intended desirable properties, such approaches may also collaterally allow them to acquire undesirable traits.

scholarly journals The extent of B-form structure in a 6S RNA variant that mimics DNA to bind to the Escherichia coli RNA Polymerase

2018 ◽  
Author(s):  
Nilesh K. Banavali
Keyword(s):  
Escherichia Coli ◽  
Nucleic Acid ◽  
Structural Analysis ◽  
Rna Polymerase ◽  
Rna Structure ◽  
Recent Article ◽  
Single Strand ◽  
Bacterial Rna ◽  
6S Rna

AbstractIn a recent article by Darst and coworkers, it was found that a non-coding 6S RNA variant regulates a bacterial RNA polymerase by mimicking B-Form DNA, and a few different nucleic acid duplex parameters were analyzed to understand the extent of B-form RNA structure. In this manuscript, a different structural analysis based on conformational distance from canonical A-form and B-form single-strand structures is presented. This analysis addresses the occurrence and extent of both local and global B-form structure in the published 6S RNA variant model.

scholarly journals Trigger loop folding determines transcription rate of Escherichia coli’s RNA polymerase

2014 ◽  
Vol 112 (3) ◽  
pp. 743-748 ◽  
Author(s):  
Yara X. Mejia ◽  
Evgeny Nudler ◽  
Carlos Bustamante
Keyword(s):  
Escherichia Coli ◽  
Rna Polymerase ◽  
Single Molecule ◽  
Conformational Changes ◽  
Elongation Rate ◽  
Nucleoside Triphosphate ◽  
Transcription Rate ◽  
Nucleotide Analogs ◽  
Catalytic Center ◽  
Trigger Loop

Two components of the RNA polymerase (RNAP) catalytic center, the bridge helix and the trigger loop (TL), have been linked with changes in elongation rate and pausing. Here, single molecule experiments with the WT and two TL-tip mutants of the Escherichia coli enzyme reveal that tip mutations modulate RNAP’s pause-free velocity, identifying TL conformational changes as one of two rate-determining steps in elongation. Consistent with this observation, we find a direct correlation between helix propensity of the modified amino acid and pause-free velocity. Moreover, nucleotide analogs affect transcription rate, suggesting that their binding energy also influences TL folding. A kinetic model in which elongation occurs in two steps, TL folding on nucleoside triphosphate (NTP) binding followed by NTP incorporation/pyrophosphate release, quantitatively accounts for these results. The TL plays no role in pause recovery remaining unfolded during a pause. This model suggests a finely tuned mechanism that balances transcription speed and fidelity.

scholarly journals Substitution of a Highly Conserved Histidine in the Escherichia coli Heat Shock Transcription Factor, σ32, Affects Promoter Utilization In Vitro and Leads to Overexpression of the Biofilm-Associated Flu Protein In Vivo

2007 ◽  
Vol 189 (23) ◽  
pp. 8430-8436 ◽  
Author(s):  
Olga V. Kourennaia ◽  
Pieter L. deHaseth
Keyword(s):  
Escherichia Coli ◽  
Heat Shock ◽  
Rna Polymerase ◽  
Sigma Factor ◽  
Stable Complex ◽  
Tryptophan Residue ◽  
Specific Sequence ◽  
Bacterial Rna

ABSTRACT The heat shock sigma factor (σ32 in Escherichia coli) directs the bacterial RNA polymerase to promoters of a specific sequence to form a stable complex, competent to initiate transcription of genes whose products mitigate the effects of exposure of the cell to high temperatures. The histidine at position 107 of σ32 is at the homologous position of a tryptophan residue at position 433 of the main sigma factor of E. coli, σ70. This tryptophan is essential for the strand separation step leading to the formation of the initiation-competent RNA polymerase-promoter complex. The heat shock sigma factors of all gammaproteobacteria sequenced have a histidine at this position, while in the alpha- and deltaproteobacteria, it is a tryptophan. In vitro the alanine-for-histidine substitution at position 107 (H107A) destabilizes complexes between the GroE promoter and RNA polymerase containing σ32, implying that H107 plays a role in formation or maintenance of the strand-separated complex. In vivo, the H107A substitution in σ32 impedes recovery from heat shock (exposure to 42°C), and it also leads to overexpression at lower temperatures (30°C) of the Flu protein, which is associated with biofilm formation.

scholarly journals Partitioning of RNA Polymerase Activity in Live Escherichia coli from Analysis of Single-Molecule Diffusive Trajectories

2013 ◽  
Vol 105 (12) ◽  
pp. 2676-2686 ◽  
Author(s):  
Somenath Bakshi ◽  
Renée M. Dalrymple ◽  
Wenting Li ◽  
Heejun Choi ◽  
James C. Weisshaar
Keyword(s):  
Escherichia Coli ◽  
Rna Polymerase ◽  
Single Molecule ◽  
Polymerase Activity ◽  
Rna Polymerase Activity

scholarly journals Live-cell superresolution microscopy reveals the organization of RNA polymerase in the bacterial nucleoid

2015 ◽  
Vol 112 (32) ◽  
pp. E4390-E4399 ◽  
Author(s):  
Mathew Stracy ◽  
Christian Lesterlin ◽  
Federico Garza de Leon ◽  
Stephan Uphoff ◽  
Pawel Zawadzki ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Rna Polymerase ◽  
Single Molecule ◽  
Spatial Organization ◽  
Search Time ◽  
Population Level ◽  
Bacterial Cells ◽  
Structured Illumination ◽  
Structured Illumination Microscopy ◽  
Superresolution Microscopy

Despite the fundamental importance of transcription, a comprehensive analysis of RNA polymerase (RNAP) behavior and its role in the nucleoid organization in vivo is lacking. Here, we used superresolution microscopy to study the localization and dynamics of the transcription machinery and DNA in live bacterial cells, at both the single-molecule and the population level. We used photoactivated single-molecule tracking to discriminate between mobile RNAPs and RNAPs specifically bound to DNA, either on promoters or transcribed genes. Mobile RNAPs can explore the whole nucleoid while searching for promoters, and spend 85% of their search time in nonspecific interactions with DNA. On the other hand, the distribution of specifically bound RNAPs shows that low levels of transcription can occur throughout the nucleoid. Further, clustering analysis and 3D structured illumination microscopy (SIM) show that dense clusters of transcribing RNAPs form almost exclusively at the nucleoid periphery. Treatment with rifampicin shows that active transcription is necessary for maintaining this spatial organization. In faster growth conditions, the fraction of transcribing RNAPs increases, as well as their clustering. Under these conditions, we observed dramatic phase separation between the densest clusters of RNAPs and the densest regions of the nucleoid. These findings show that transcription can cause spatial reorganization of the nucleoid, with movement of gene loci out of the bulk of DNA as levels of transcription increase. This work provides a global view of the organization of RNA polymerase and transcription in living cells.

scholarly journals Bacterial RNA polymerase can retain σ70 throughout transcription

2016 ◽  
Vol 113 (3) ◽  
pp. 602-607 ◽  
Author(s):  
Timothy T. Harden ◽  
Christopher D. Wells ◽  
Larry J. Friedman ◽  
Robert Landick ◽  
Ann Hochschild ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Rna Polymerase ◽  
Single Molecule ◽  
Transcription Initiation ◽  
Messenger Rna ◽  
Initiation Factors ◽  
Bacterial Rna ◽  
Direct Measurements ◽  
Promoter Recognition ◽  
Σ Factor ◽  
Transcript Elongation

Production of a messenger RNA proceeds through sequential stages of transcription initiation and transcript elongation and termination. During each of these stages, RNA polymerase (RNAP) function is regulated by RNAP-associated protein factors. In bacteria, RNAP-associated σ factors are strictly required for promoter recognition and have historically been regarded as dedicated initiation factors. However, the primary σ factor in Escherichia coli, σ70, can remain associated with RNAP during the transition from initiation to elongation, influencing events that occur after initiation. Quantitative studies on the extent of σ70 retention have been limited to complexes halted during early elongation. Here, we used multiwavelength single-molecule fluorescence-colocalization microscopy to observe the σ70–RNAP complex during initiation from the λ PR′ promoter and throughout the elongation of a long (>2,000-nt) transcript. Our results provide direct measurements of the fraction of actively transcribing complexes with bound σ70 and the kinetics of σ70 release from actively transcribing complexes. σ70 release from mature elongation complexes was slow (0.0038 s−1); a substantial subpopulation of elongation complexes retained σ70 throughout transcript elongation, and this fraction depended on the sequence of the initially transcribed region. We also show that elongation complexes containing σ70 manifest enhanced recognition of a promoter-like pause element positioned hundreds of nucleotides downstream of the promoter. Together, the results provide a quantitative framework for understanding the postinitiation roles of σ70 during transcription.

scholarly journals A dual role for H2A.Z.1 in modulating the dynamics of RNA Polymerase II initiation and elongation

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Constantine Mylonas ◽  
Alexander L. Auld ◽  
Choongman Lee ◽  
Ibrahim I. Cisse ◽  
Laurie A. Boyer
Keyword(s):  
Gene Expression ◽  
Rna Polymerase ◽  
Rna Polymerase Ii ◽  
Single Molecule ◽  
Mammalian Cells ◽  
Embryonic Stem ◽  
Super Resolution ◽  
Fine Tuning ◽  
Transcriptional Initiation ◽  
Single Molecule Level

AbstractRNAPII pausing immediately downstream of the transcription start site (TSS) is a critical rate limiting step at most metazoan genes that allows fine-tuning of gene expression in response to diverse signals1–5. During pause-release, RNA Polymerase II (RNAPII) encounters an H2A.Z.1 nucleosome6–8, yet how this variant contributes to transcription is poorly understood. Here, we use high resolution genomic approaches2,9 (NET-seq and ChIP-nexus) along with live cell super-resolution microscopy (tcPALM)10 to investigate the role of H2A.Z.1 on RNAPII dynamics in embryonic stem cells (ESCs). Using a rapid, inducible protein degron system11 combined with transcriptional initiation and elongation inhibitors, our quantitative analysis shows that H2A.Z.1 slows the release of RNAPII, impacting both RNAPII and NELF dynamics at a single molecule level. We also find that H2A.Z.1 loss has a dramatic impact on nascent transcription at stably paused, signal-dependent genes. Furthermore, we demonstrate that H2A.Z.1 inhibits re-assembly and re-initiation of the PIC to reinforce the paused state and acts as a strong additional pause signal at stably paused genes. Together, our study suggests that H2A.Z.1 fine-tunes gene expression by regulating RNAPII kinetics in mammalian cells.

scholarly journals Ribosomal RNA degradation induced by the bacterial RNA polymerase inhibitor rifampicin

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Lina Hamouche ◽  
Leonora Poljak ◽  
Agamemnon J. Carpousis
Keyword(s):  
16S Rrna ◽  
Rna Polymerase ◽  
Growth Conditions ◽  
Rna Degradation ◽  
Mrna Degradation ◽  
Rnase E ◽  
Rifampicin Treatment ◽  
Bacterial Rna ◽  
Degradation Rates ◽  
Rrna Degradation

AbstractRifampicin, a broad-spectrum antibiotic, inhibits bacterial RNA polymerase. Here we show that rifampicin treatment of Escherichia coli results in a 50% decrease in cell size due to a terminal cell division. This decrease is a consequence of inhibition of transcription as evidenced by an isogenic rifampicin-resistant strain. There is also a 50% decrease in total RNA due mostly to a 90% decrease in 23S and 16S rRNA levels. Control experiments showed this decrease is not an artifact of our RNA purification protocol and therefore due to degradation in vivo. Since chromosome replication continues after rifampicin treatment, ribonucleotides from rRNA degradation could be recycled for DNA synthesis. Rifampicin-induced rRNA degradation occurs under different growth conditions and in different strain backgrounds. However, rRNA degradation is never complete thus permitting the re-initiation of growth after removal of rifampicin. The orderly shutdown of growth under conditions where the induction of stress genes is blocked by rifampicin is noteworthy. Inhibition of protein synthesis by chloramphenicol resulted in a partial decrease in 23S and 16S rRNA levels whereas kasugamycin treatment had no effect. Analysis of temperature-sensitive mutant strains implicate RNase E, PNPase and RNase R in rifampicin-induced rRNA degradation. We cannot distinguish between a direct role for RNase E in rRNA degradation versus an indirect role involving a slowdown of mRNA degradation. Since mRNA and rRNA appear to be degraded by the same ribonucleases, competition by rRNA is likely to result in slower mRNA degradation rates in the presence of rifampicin than under normal growth conditions.

DNA origami-based single-molecule force spectroscopy unravels the molecular basis of RNA Polymerase III pre-initiation complex stability

2019 ◽  
Author(s):  
Kevin Kramm ◽  
Tim Schröder ◽  
Jerome Gouge ◽  
Andrés Manuel Vera ◽  
Florian B. Heiss ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Rna Polymerase ◽  
Single Molecule ◽  
Rna Polymerase Iii ◽  
Dna Origami ◽  
Initiation Complex ◽  
Single Molecule Level ◽  
Initiation Factors ◽  
Strict Requirement ◽  
Rnap Ii ◽  
Pol Iii

AbstractThe TATA-binding protein (TBP) and a transcription factor (TF) IIB-like factor compound the fundamental core of all eukaryotic initiation complexes. The reason for the emergence and strict requirement of the additional intiation factor Bdp1, which is unique to the RNA polymerase (RNAP) III sytem, however, remained elusive. A poorly studied aspect in this context is the effect of DNA strain, that arises from DNA compaction and transcriptional activity, on the efficiency of initiation complex formation. We made use of a new nanotechnological tool – a DNA origami-based force clamp - to follow the assembly of human initiation complexes in the Pol II and Pol III system at the single-molecule level under piconewton forces. We demonstrate that TBP-DNA complexes are force-sensitive and TFIIB is necessary and sufficient to stabilise TBP on a strained RNAP II promoter. In contrast, Bdp1 is the pivotal component that ensures stable anchoring of initiation factors, and thus the polymerase itself, in the RNAP III system. Thereby, we offer an explanation for the crucial role of Bdp1 for the high transcriptional output of Pol III genes for the first time.

scholarly journals A Novel Complex: A Quantum Dot Conjugated to an Active T7RNA Polymerase

2013 ◽  
Vol 2013 ◽  
pp. 1-9 ◽  
Author(s):  
Mette Eriksen ◽  
Peter Horvath ◽  
Michael A. Sørensen ◽  
Szabolcs Semsey ◽  
Lene B. Oddershede ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Quantum Dot ◽  
Rna Polymerase ◽  
Single Molecule ◽  
Rna Polymerases ◽  
Fluorescent Signal ◽  
Single Molecule Level ◽  
Single Molecule Studies ◽  
Novel Complex ◽  
Luminescent Nanoparticle

To perform single-molecule studies of the T7RNA polymerase, it is crucial to visualize an individual T7RNA polymerase, for example, through a fluorescent signal. We present a novel complex combining two different molecular functions, an active T7RNA polymerase and a highly luminescent nanoparticle, a quantum dot. The complex has the advantage of both constituents: the complex can traffic along DNA and simultaneously be visualized, both at the ensemble and at the single-molecule level. The labeling was mediated through anin vivobiotinylation of a His-tagged T7RNA polymerase and subsequent binding of a streptavidin-coated quantum dot. Our technique allows for easy purification of the quantum dot labeled T7RNA polymerases from the reactants. Also, the conjugation does not alter the functionality of the polymerase; it retains the ability to bind and transcribe.

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