scholarly journals Mechanism of Attenuation of Uranyl Toxicity by Glutathione in Lactococcus lactis

2016 ◽  
Vol 82 (12) ◽  
pp. 3563-3571 ◽  
Author(s):  
Muhammad H. Obeid ◽  
Jana Oertel ◽  
Marc Solioz ◽  
Karim Fahmy
Keyword(s):  
Heavy Metals ◽  
Lactococcus Lactis ◽  
Metal Toxicity ◽  
Molecular Mechanisms ◽  
Model Organism ◽  
Cell Number ◽  
Metal Resistance ◽  
Titration Calorimetry ◽  
Content Type

ABSTRACTBoth prokaryotic and eukaryotic organisms possess mechanisms for the detoxification of heavy metals, and these mechanisms are found among distantly related species. We investigated the role of intracellular glutathione (GSH), which, in a large number of taxa, plays a role in protection against the toxicity of common heavy metals. Anaerobically grownLactococcus lactiscontaining an inducible GSH synthesis pathway was used as a model organism. Its physiological condition allowed study of putative GSH-dependent uranyl detoxification mechanisms without interference from additional reactive oxygen species. By microcalorimetric measurements of metabolic heat during cultivation, it was shown that intracellular GSH attenuates the toxicity of uranium at a concentration in the range of 10 to 150 μM. In this concentration range, no effect was observed with copper, which was used as a reference for redox metal toxicity. At higher copper concentrations, GSH aggravated metal toxicity. Isothermal titration calorimetry revealed the endothermic binding of U(VI) to the carboxyl group(s) of GSH rather than to the reducing thiol group involved in copper interactions. The data indicate that the primary detoxifying mechanism is the intracellular sequestration of carboxyl-coordinated U(VI) into an insoluble complex with GSH. The opposite effects on uranyl and on copper toxicity can be related to the difference in coordination chemistry of the respective metal-GSH complexes, which cause distinct growth phase-specific effects on enzyme-metal interactions.IMPORTANCEUnderstanding microbial metal resistance is of particular importance for bioremediation, where microorganisms are employed for the removal of heavy metals from the environment. This strategy is increasingly being considered for uranium. However, little is known about the molecular mechanisms of uranyl detoxification. Existing studies of different taxa show little systematics but hint at a role of glutathione (GSH). Previous work could not unequivocally demonstrate a GSH function in decreasing the presumed uranyl-induced oxidative stress, nor could a redox-independent detoxifying action of GSH be identified. Combining metabolic calorimetry with cell number-based assays and genetics analysis enables a novel and general approach to quantify toxicity and relate it to molecular mechanisms. The results show that GSH-expressing microorganisms appear advantageous for uranyl bioremediation.

scholarly journals A novel calcium-concentrating compartment drives biofilm formation and persistent infections

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Alona Keren-Paz ◽  
Malena Cohen-Cymberknoh ◽  
Dror Kolodkin-Gal ◽  
Iris Karunker ◽  
Simon Dersch ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Biofilm Formation ◽  
Calcium Uptake ◽  
Molecular Mechanisms ◽  
Model Organism ◽  
Bacterial Cells ◽  
Mineral Layer ◽  
Cellular Compartment ◽  
Persistent Infections ◽  
Cellular Metal

AbstractBacterial biofilms produce a robust internal mineral layer, composed of calcite, which strengthens the colony and protects the residing bacteria from antibiotics. In this work, we provide evidence that the assembly of a functional mineralized macro-structure begins with mineral precipitation within a defined cellular compartment in a differentiated subpopulation of cells. Transcriptomic analysis of a model organism, Bacillus subtilis, revealed that calcium was essential for activation of the biofilm state, and highlighted the role of cellular metal homeostasis and carbon metabolism in biomineralization. The molecular mechanisms promoting calcite formation were conserved in pathogenic Pseudomonas aeruginosa biofilms, resulting in formation of calcite crystals tightly associated with bacterial cells in sputum samples collected from cystic fibrosis patients. Biomineralization inhibitors targeting calcium uptake and carbonate accumulation significantly reduced the damage inflicted by P. aeruginosa biofilms to lung tissues. Therefore, better understanding of the conserved molecular mechanisms promoting biofilm calcification can path the way to the development of novel classes of antibiotics to combat otherwise untreatable biofilm infections.

Role of the Fusarium oxysporum metallothionein Mt1 in resistance to metal toxicity and virulence

Metallomics ◽  
2019 ◽  
Vol 11 (7) ◽  
pp. 1230-1240 ◽  
Author(s):  
Damaris Lorenzo-Gutiérrez ◽  
Lucía Gómez-Gil ◽  
Josep Guarro ◽  
M. Isabel G. Roncero ◽  
Ana Fernández-Bravo ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Heavy Metals ◽  
Fusarium Oxysporum ◽  
Metal Toxicity ◽  
Evolutionary Adaptation ◽  
High Tolerance ◽  
Soil Organisms

Soil organisms exhibit high tolerance to heavy metals, probably acquired through evolutionary adaptation to contaminated environments.

scholarly journals Distinct Domains of CheA Confer Unique Functions in Chemotaxis and Cell Length in Azospirillum brasilense Sp7

2017 ◽  
Vol 199 (13) ◽  
Author(s):  
Jessica M. Gullett ◽  
Amber Bible ◽  
Gladys Alexandre
Keyword(s):  
Histidine Kinase ◽  
Azospirillum Brasilense ◽  
Molecular Mechanisms ◽  
Transmembrane Domain ◽  
Functional Divergence ◽  
Cell Length ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Evolutionary Event ◽  
Cellular Behaviors

ABSTRACT Chemotaxis is the movement of cells in response to gradients of diverse chemical cues. Motile bacteria utilize a conserved chemotaxis signal transduction system to bias their motility and navigate through a gradient. A central regulator of chemotaxis is the histidine kinase CheA. This cytoplasmic protein interacts with membrane-bound receptors, which assemble into large polar arrays, to propagate the signal. In the alphaproteobacterium Azospirillum brasilense, Che1 controls transient increases in swimming speed during chemotaxis, but it also biases the cell length at division. However, the exact underlying molecular mechanisms for Che1-dependent control of multiple cellular behaviors are not known. Here, we identify specific domains of the CheA1 histidine kinase implicated in modulating each of these functions. We show that CheA1 is produced in two isoforms: a membrane-anchored isoform produced as a fusion with a conserved seven-transmembrane domain of unknown function (TMX) at the N terminus and a soluble isoform similar to prototypical CheA. Site-directed and deletion mutagenesis combined with behavioral assays confirm the role of CheA1 in chemotaxis and implicate the TMX domain in mediating changes in cell length. Fluorescence microscopy further reveals that the membrane-anchored isoform is distributed around the cell surface while the soluble isoform localizes at the cell poles. Together, the data provide a mechanism for the role of Che1 in controlling multiple unrelated cellular behaviors via acquisition of a new domain in CheA1 and production of distinct functional isoforms. IMPORTANCE Chemotaxis provides a significant competitive advantage to bacteria in the environment, and this function has been transferred laterally multiple times, with evidence of functional divergence in different genomic contexts. The molecular principles that underlie functional diversification of chemotaxis in various genomic contexts are unknown. Here, we provide a molecular mechanism by which a single CheA protein controls two unrelated functions: chemotaxis and cell length. Acquisition of this multifunctionality is seemingly a recent evolutionary event. The findings illustrate a mechanism by which chemotaxis function may be co-opted to regulate additional cellular functions.

scholarly journals Transcriptomes of the Extremely Thermoacidophilic Archaeon Metallosphaera sedula Exposed to Metal “Shock” Reveal Generic and Specific Metal Responses

2016 ◽  
Vol 82 (15) ◽  
pp. 4613-4627 ◽  
Author(s):  
Garrett H. Wheaton ◽  
Arpan Mukherjee ◽  
Robert M. Kelly
Keyword(s):  
Metal Toxicity ◽  
Cellular Response ◽  
Sulfur Metabolism ◽  
Metal Resistance ◽  
Open Reading Frames ◽  
Copper Resistance ◽  
Natural Environments ◽  
Cluster Assembly ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Metallosphaera Sedula

ABSTRACTThe extremely thermoacidophilic archaeonMetallosphaera sedulamobilizes metals by novel membrane-associated oxidase clusters and, consequently, requires metal resistance strategies. This issue was examined by “shocking”M. sedulawith representative metals (Co2+, Cu2+, Ni2+, UO22+, Zn2+) at inhibitory and subinhibitory levels. Collectively, one-quarter of the genome (554 open reading frames [ORFs]) responded to inhibitory levels, and two-thirds (354) of the ORFs were responsive to a single metal. Cu2+(259 ORFs, 106 Cu2+-specific ORFs) and Zn2+(262 ORFs, 131 Zn2+-specific ORFs) triggered the largest responses, followed by UO22+(187 ORFs, 91 UO22+-specific ORFs), Ni2+(93 ORFs, 25 Ni2+-specific ORFs), and Co2+(61 ORFs, 1 Co2+-specific ORF). While one-third of the metal-responsive ORFs are annotated as encoding hypothetical proteins, metal challenge also impacted ORFs responsible for identifiable processes related to the cell cycle, DNA repair, and oxidative stress. Surprisingly, there were only 30 ORFs that responded to at least four metals, and 10 of these responded to all five metals. This core transcriptome indicated induction of Fe-S cluster assembly (Msed_1656-Msed_1657), tungsten/molybdenum transport (Msed_1780-Msed_1781), and decreased central metabolism. Not surprisingly, a metal-translocating P-type ATPase (Msed_0490) associated with a copper resistance system (Cop) was upregulated in response to Cu2+(6-fold) but also in response to UO22+(4-fold) and Zn2+(9-fold). Cu2+challenge uniquely induced assimilatory sulfur metabolism for cysteine biosynthesis, suggesting a role for this amino acid in Cu2+resistance or issues in sulfur metabolism. The results indicate thatM. sedulaemploys a range of physiological and biochemical responses to metal challenge, many of which are specific to a single metal and involve proteins with yet unassigned or definitive functions.IMPORTANCEThe mechanisms by which extremely thermoacidophilic archaea resist and are negatively impacted by metals encountered in their natural environments are important to understand so that technologies such as bioleaching, which leverage microbially based conversion of insoluble metal sulfides to soluble species, can be improved. Transcriptomic analysis of the cellular response to metal challenge provided both global and specific insights into how these novel microorganisms negotiate metal toxicity in natural and technological settings. As genetics tools are further developed and implemented for extreme thermoacidophiles, information about metal toxicity and resistance can be leveraged to create metabolically engineered strains with improved bioleaching characteristics.

scholarly journals The role of FLOWERING LOCUS C in vernalization of Brassica: the importance of vernalization research in the face of climate change

2018 ◽  
Vol 69 (1) ◽  
pp. 30 ◽  
Author(s):  
Daniel J. Shea ◽  
Etsuko Itabashi ◽  
Satoko Takada ◽  
Eigo Fukai ◽  
Tomohiro Kakizaki ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Molecular Mechanisms ◽  
Model Organism ◽  
Climatic Changes ◽  
Environmental Cues ◽  
Plant Responses ◽  
Agricultural Crops ◽  
Regulatory Pathways ◽  
Evolutionarily Conserved ◽  
The Face

As climatic changes occur over the coming decades, our scientific understanding of plant responses to environmental cues will become an increasingly important consideration in the breeding of agricultural crops. This review provides a summary of the literature regarding vernalization research in Brassicaceae, covering both the historical origins of vernalization research and current understanding of the molecular mechanisms behind the regulatory pathways involved in vernalization and subsequent inflorescence. We discuss the evolutionarily conserved biology between the model organism Arabidopsis thaliana and the Brassica genus of crop cultivars and contrast the differences between the genera to illustrate the importance of Brassica-specific research into vernalization.

scholarly journals Low-Molecular-Weight Thiols and Thioredoxins Are Important Players in Hg(II) Resistance in Thermus thermophilus HB27

2017 ◽  
Vol 84 (2) ◽  
Author(s):  
J. Norambuena ◽  
Y. Wang ◽  
T. Hanson ◽  
J. M. Boyd ◽  
T. Barkay
Keyword(s):  
Heavy Metals ◽  
Molecular Weight ◽  
Thermus Thermophilus ◽  
Mercury Resistance ◽  
Low Molecular Weight ◽  
Thiol Groups ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Protein Thiols ◽  
Thioredoxin System

ABSTRACTMercury (Hg), one of the most toxic and widely distributed heavy metals, has a high affinity for thiol groups. Thiol groups reduce and sequester Hg. Therefore, low-molecular-weight (LMW) and protein thiols may be important cell components used in Hg resistance. To date, the role of low-molecular-weight thiols in Hg detoxification remains understudied. The mercury resistance (mer) operon ofThermus thermophilussuggests an evolutionary link between Hg(II) resistance and low-molecular-weight thiol metabolism. Themeroperon encodes an enzyme involved in methionine biosynthesis, Oah. Challenge with Hg(II) resulted in increased expression of genes involved in the biosynthesis of multiple low-molecular-weight thiols (cysteine, homocysteine, and bacillithiol), as well as the thioredoxin system. Phenotypic analysis of gene replacement mutants indicated that Oah contributes to Hg resistance under sulfur-limiting conditions, and strains lacking bacillithiol and/or thioredoxins are more sensitive to Hg(II) than the wild type. Growth in the presence of either a thiol-oxidizing agent or a thiol-alkylating agent increased sensitivity to Hg(II). Furthermore, exposure to 3 μM Hg(II) consumed all intracellular reduced bacillithiol and cysteine. Database searches indicate thatoah2is present in allThermussp.meroperons. The presence of a thiol-related gene was also detected in some alphaproteobacterialmeroperons, in which a glutathione reductase gene was present, supporting the role of thiols in Hg(II) detoxification. These results have led to a working model in which LMW thiols act as Hg(II)-buffering agents while Hg is reduced by MerA.IMPORTANCEThe survival of microorganisms in the presence of toxic metals is central to life's sustainability. The affinity of thiol groups for toxic heavy metals drives microbe-metal interactions and modulates metal toxicity. Mercury detoxification (mer) genes likely originated early in microbial evolution in geothermal environments. Little is known about howmersystems interact with cellular thiol systems.Thermusspp. possess a simplemeroperon in which a low-molecular-weight thiol biosynthesis gene is present, along withmerRandmerA. In this study, we present experimental evidence for the role of thiol systems in mercury resistance. Our data suggest that, inT. thermophilus, thiolated compounds may function side by side withmergenes to detoxify mercury. Thus, thiol systems function in consort withmer-mediated resistance to mercury, suggesting exciting new questions for future research.

scholarly journals Hypoblast Formation in Bovine Embryos Does Not Depend on NANOG

Cells ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 10 (9) ◽  
pp. 2232 ◽  
Author(s):  
Claudia Springer ◽  
Valeri Zakhartchenko ◽  
Eckhard Wolf ◽  
Kilian Simmet
Keyword(s):  
Inner Cell Mass ◽  
Cell Mass ◽  
Model Organism ◽  
Cell Number ◽  
Blastocyst Stage ◽  
Bovine Embryo ◽  
Lineage Differentiation ◽  
Species Specific ◽  
And Control

The role of the pluripotency factor NANOG during the second embryonic lineage differentiation has been studied extensively in mouse, although species-specific differences exist. To elucidate the role of NANOG in an alternative model organism, we knocked out NANOG in fibroblast cells and produced bovine NANOG-knockout (KO) embryos via somatic cell nuclear transfer (SCNT). At day 8, NANOG-KO blastocysts showed a decreased total cell number when compared to controls from SCNT (NT Ctrl). The pluripotency factors OCT4 and SOX2 as well as the hypoblast (HB) marker GATA6 were co-expressed in all cells of the inner cell mass (ICM) and, in contrast to mouse Nanog-KO, expression of the late HB marker SOX17 was still present. We blocked the MEK-pathway with a MEK 1/2 inhibitor, and control embryos showed an increase in NANOG positive cells, but SOX17 expressing HB precursor cells were still present. NANOG-KO together with MEK-inhibition was lethal before blastocyst stage, similarly to findings in mouse. Supplementation of exogenous FGF4 to NANOG-KO embryos did not change SOX17 expression in the ICM, unlike mouse Nanog-KO embryos, where missing SOX17 expression was completely rescued by FGF4. We conclude that NANOG mediated FGF/MEK signaling is not required for HB formation in the bovine embryo and that another—so far unknown—pathway regulates HB differentiation.

scholarly journals Selective Autophagy inDrosophila

2012 ◽  
Vol 2012 ◽  
pp. 1-9 ◽  
Author(s):  
Ioannis P. Nezis
Keyword(s):  
Cellular Response ◽  
Molecular Mechanisms ◽  
Current Knowledge ◽  
Model Organism ◽  
Major Pathway ◽  
Selective Autophagy ◽  
Cytoplasmic Material ◽  
Evolutionarily Conserved ◽  
High Conservation

Autophagy is an evolutionarily conserved process of cellular self-eating and is a major pathway for degradation of cytoplasmic material by the lysosomal machinery. Autophagy functions as a cellular response in nutrient starvation, but it is also associated with the removal of protein aggregates and damaged organelles and therefore plays an important role in the quality control of proteins and organelles. Although it was initially believed that autophagy occurs randomly in the cell, during the last years, there is growing evidence that sequestration and degradation of cytoplasmic material by autophagy can be selective. Given the important role of autophagy and selective autophagy in several disease-related processes such as neurodegeneration, infections, and tumorigenesis, it is important to understand the molecular mechanisms of selective autophagy, especially at the organismal level.Drosophilais an excellent genetically modifiable model organism exhibiting high conservation in the autophagic machinery. However, the regulation and mechanisms of selective autophagy inDrosophilahave been largely unexplored. In this paper, I will present an overview of the current knowledge about selective autophagy inDrosophila.

scholarly journals The Enigmatic Genome of an Obligate Ancient Spiroplasma Symbiont in a Hadal Holothurian

2017 ◽  
Vol 84 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Li-Sheng He ◽  
Pei-Wei Zhang ◽  
Jiao-Mei Huang ◽  
Fang-Chao Zhu ◽  
Antoine Danchin ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Sea Cucumber ◽  
Pathogenic Bacteria ◽  
Molecular Mechanisms ◽  
Mariana Trench ◽  
Sea Cucumbers ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Sugar Transporters ◽  
Basal Group ◽  
Microbial Toxin

ABSTRACTProtective symbiosis has been reported in many organisms, but the molecular mechanisms of the mutualistic interactions between the symbionts and their hosts are unclear. Here, we sequenced the 424-kbp genome of “CandidatusSpiroplasma holothuricola,” which dominated the hindgut microbiome of a sea cucumber, a major scavenger captured in the Mariana Trench (6,140 m depth). Phylogenetic relationships indicated that the dominant bacterium in the hindgut was derived from a basal group ofSpiroplasmaspecies. In this organism, the genes responsible for the biosynthesis of amino acids, glycolysis, and sugar transporters were lost, strongly suggesting endosymbiosis. The highly decayed genome consists of two chromosomes and harbors genes coding for proteolysis, microbial toxin, restriction-methylation systems, and clustered regularly interspaced short palindromic repeats (CRISPRs), composed of threecasgenes and 76 CRISPR spacers. The holothurian host is probably protected against invading viruses from sediments by the CRISPRs/Cas and restriction systems of the endosymbiotic spiroplasma. The protective endosymbiosis indicates the important ecological role of the ancientSpiroplasmasymbiont in the maintenance of hadal ecosystems.IMPORTANCESea cucumbers are major inhabitants in hadal trenches. They collect microbes in surface sediment and remain tolerant against potential pathogenic bacteria and viruses. This study presents the genome of endosymbiotic spiroplasmas in the gut of a sea cucumber captured in the Mariana Trench. The extreme reduction of the genome and loss of essential metabolic pathways strongly support its endosymbiotic lifestyle. Moreover, a considerable part of the genome was occupied by a CRISPR/Cas system to provide immunity against viruses and antimicrobial toxin-encoding genes for the degradation of microbes. This novel species ofSpiroplasmais probably an important protective symbiont for the sea cucumbers in the hadal zone.

scholarly journals Biochemical and Thermodynamic Analyses of Salmonella enterica Pat, a Multidomain, Multimeric Nε-Lysine Acetyltransferase Involved in Carbon and Energy Metabolism

mBio ◽  
2011 ◽  
Vol 2 (5) ◽  
Author(s):  
Sandy Thao ◽  
Jorge C. Escalante-Semerena
Keyword(s):  
Salmonella Enterica ◽  
Metabolic Flux ◽  
Molecular Mechanisms ◽  
Gel Filtration ◽  
Metabolic Enzymes ◽  
Titration Calorimetry ◽  
Lysine Acetylation ◽  
Kinetic Behavior ◽  
Carbon Utilization ◽  
Content Type

ABSTRACT In the bacterium Salmonella enterica, the CobB sirtuin protein deacetylase and the Gcn5-related N ε-acetyltransferase (GNAT) Pat control carbon utilization and metabolic flux via N ε-lysine acetylation/deacetylation of metabolic enzymes. To date, the S. enterica Pat (SePat) acetyltransferase has not been biochemically characterized. Here we report the kinetic and thermodynamic characterization of the SePat enzyme using two of its substrates, acetyl coenzyme A (Ac-CoA) synthetase (Acs; AMP forming, EC 6.2.1.1) and Ac-CoA. The data showed typical Michaelis-Menten kinetic behavior when Ac-CoA was held at a saturating concentration while Acs was varied, and a sigmoidal kinetic behavior was observed when Acs was saturating and the Ac-CoA concentration was varied. The observation of sigmoidal kinetics and positive cooperativity for Ac-CoA is an unusual feature of GNATs. Results of isothermal titration calorimetry (ITC) experiments showed that binding of Ac-CoA to wild-type SePat produced a biphasic curve having thermodynamic properties consistent with two distinct sites. Biphasicity was not observed in ITC experiments that analyzed the binding of Ac-CoA to a C-terminal construct of SePat encompassing the predicted core acetyltransferase domain. Subsequent analytical gel filtration chromatography studies showed that in the presence of Ac-CoA, SePat oligomerized to a tetrameric form, whereas in the absence of Ac-CoA, SePat behaved as a monomer. The positive modulation of SePat activity by Ac-CoA, a product of the Acs enzyme that also serves as a substrate for SePat-dependent acetylation, is likely a layer of metabolic control. IMPORTANCE For decades, N ε-lysine acetylation has been a well-studied mode of regulation of diverse proteins involved in almost all aspects of eukaryotic physiology. Until recently, N ε-lysine acetylation was not considered a widespread phenomenon in bacteria. Recent studies have indicated that N ε-lysine acetylation and its impact on cellular metabolism may be just as diverse in bacteria as they are in eukaryotes. The S. enterica Pat enzyme, specifically, has recently been implicated in the modulation of many metabolic enzymes. Understanding the molecular mechanisms of how this enzyme controls the activity of diverse enzymes by N ε-lysine acetylation will advance our understanding of how the prokaryotic cell responds to its changing environment in order to meet its metabolic needs.

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