scholarly journals Targeted Mutagenesis in the Study of the Tight Adherence (tad) Locus of Aggregatibacter actinomycetemcomitans

Author(s):  
David H. ◽  
Daniel H. ◽  
Brenda A. ◽  
Valerie W. ◽  
Karin E. ◽  
...  
2007 ◽  
Vol 75 (9) ◽  
pp. 4440-4448 ◽  
Author(s):  
Gang Yue ◽  
Jeffrey B. Kaplan ◽  
David Furgang ◽  
Keith G. Mansfield ◽  
Daniel H. Fine

ABSTRACT Previous work showed that the Aggregatibacter actinomycetemcomitans adhesin Aae demonstrated species specificity and tissue tropism to buccal epithelial cells (BECs) derived from humans and Old World primates, but a second, lower-affinity adhesin was noted. This study was designed to determine if Omp100 (also known as ApiA), a surface-expressed A. actinomycetemcomitans adhesin, is that second adhesin and if so to investigate its tissue tropism and species specificity. A targeted mutagenesis protocol was used to construct an isogenic apiA mutant and an aae apiA double mutant with wild-type A. actinomycetemcomitans. In addition, Escherichia coli strain DH5α was used to express apiA to further assess binding parameters. Results indicated that the apiA mutant strain showed significantly less binding to BECs than its parent strain (P ≤ 0.05). Further, binding mediated by ApiA was specific to BECs from humans and Old World primates, as seen in both wild-type A. actinomycetemcomitans and E. coli expressing ApiA (P ≤ 0.05). Pretreatment of wild-type A. actinomycetemcomitans cells with anti-ApiA antiserum reduced binding in a dose-dependent manner. The aae apiA double mutant completely abrogated A. actinomycetemcomitans binding to both human and Old World primate BECs. Taken together, these studies indicate that ApiA and Aae, in concert, modulate binding of A. actinomycetemcomitans to human BECs. Since the BEC is a prominent reservoir for A. actinomycetemcomitans, identification of this second adhesin could lead to important therapeutic strategies.


2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Sean A. Newmister ◽  
Kinshuk Raj Srivastava ◽  
Rosa V. Espinoza ◽  
Kersti Caddell Haatveit ◽  
Yogan Khatri ◽  
...  

Biocatalysis offers an expanding and powerful strategy to construct and diversify complex molecules by C-H bond functionalization. Due to their high selectivity, enzymes have become an essential tool for C-H bond functionalization and offer complementary reactivity to small-molecule catalysts. Hemoproteins, particularly cytochromes P450, have proven effective for selective oxidation of unactivated C-H bonds. Previously, we reported the in vitro characterization of an oxidative tailoring cascade in which TamI, a multifunctional P450 functions co-dependently with the TamL flavoprotein to catalyze regio- and stereoselective hydroxylations and epoxidation to yield tirandamycin A and tirandamycin B. TamI follows a defined order including 1) C10 hydroxylation, 2) C11/C12 epoxidation, and 3) C18 hydroxylation. Here we present a structural, biochemical, and computational investigation of TamI to understand the molecular basis of its substrate binding, diverse reactivity, and specific reaction sequence. The crystal structure of TamI in complex with tirandamycin C together with molecular dynamics simulations and targeted mutagenesis suggest that hydrophobic interactions with the polyene chain of its natural substrate are critical for molecular recognition. QM/MM calculations and molecular dynamics simulations of TamI with variant substrates provided detailed information on the molecular basis of sequential reactivity, and pattern of regio- and stereo-selectivity in catalyzing the three-step oxidative cascade.<br>


Pathogens ◽  
2020 ◽  
Vol 9 (3) ◽  
pp. 192 ◽  
Author(s):  
Sanae Akkaoui ◽  
Anders Johansson ◽  
Maâmar Yagoubi ◽  
Dorte Haubek ◽  
Adnane El hamidi ◽  
...  

In this study, the essential oil of Origanum vulgare was evaluated for putative antibacterial activity against six clinical strains and five reference strains of Aggregatibacter actinomycetemcomitans, in comparison with some antimicrobials. The chemical composition of the essential oil was analyzed, using chromatography (CG) and gas chromatography–mass spectrometry coupled (CG–MS). The major compounds in the oil were Carvacrol (32.36%), α-terpineol (16.70%), p-cymene (16.24%), and Thymol (12.05%). The antimicrobial activity was determined by an agar well diffusion test. A broth microdilution method was used to study the minimal inhibitory concentration (MIC). The minimal bactericidal concentration (MBC) was also determined. The cytotoxicity of the essential oil (IC50) was <125 µg/mL for THP-1 cells, which was high in comparison with different MIC values for the A. actinomycetemcomitans strains. O. vulgare essential oil did not interfere with the neutralizing capacity of Psidium guajava against the A. actinomycetemcomitans leukotoxin. In addition, it was shown that the O. vulgare EO had an antibacterial effect against A. actinomycetemcomitans on a similar level as some tested antimicrobials. In view of these findings, we suggest that O.vulgare EO may be used as an adjuvant for prevention and treatment of periodontal diseases associated to A. actinomycetemcomitans. In addition, it can be used together with the previously tested leukotoxin neutralizing Psidium guajava.


2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Yuru Wang ◽  
Christopher D Katanski ◽  
Christopher Watkins ◽  
Jessica N Pan ◽  
Qing Dai ◽  
...  

Abstract AlkB is a DNA/RNA repair enzyme that removes base alkylations such as N1-methyladenosine (m1A) or N3-methylcytosine (m3C) from DNA and RNA. The AlkB enzyme has been used as a critical tool to facilitate tRNA sequencing and identification of mRNA modifications. As a tool, AlkB mutants with better reactivity and new functionalities are highly desired; however, previous identification of such AlkB mutants was based on the classical approach of targeted mutagenesis. Here, we introduce a high-throughput screening method to evaluate libraries of AlkB variants for demethylation activity on RNA and DNA substrates. This method is based on a fluorogenic RNA aptamer with an internal modified RNA/DNA residue which can block reverse transcription or introduce mutations leading to loss of fluorescence inherent in the cDNA product. Demethylation by an AlkB variant eliminates the blockage or mutation thereby restores the fluorescence signals. We applied our screening method to sites D135 and R210 in the Escherichia coli AlkB protein and identified a variant with improved activity beyond a previously known hyperactive mutant toward N1-methylguanosine (m1G) in RNA. We also applied our method to O6-methylguanosine (O6mG) modified DNA substrates and identified candidate AlkB variants with demethylating activity. Our study provides a high-throughput screening method for in vitro evolution of any demethylase enzyme.


2021 ◽  
Vol 11 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Yuu Asano ◽  
Kensuke Yamashita ◽  
Aoi Hasegawa ◽  
Takanori Ogasawara ◽  
Hoshie Iriki ◽  
...  

AbstractThe powerful genome editing tool Streptococcus pyogenes Cas9 (SpCas9) requires the trinucleotide NGG as a protospacer adjacent motif (PAM). The PAM requirement is limitation for precise genome editing such as single amino-acid substitutions and knock-ins at specific genomic loci since it occurs in narrow editing window. Recently, SpCas9 variants (i.e., xCas9 3.7, SpCas9-NG, and SpRY) were developed that recognise the NG dinucleotide or almost any other PAM sequences in human cell lines. In this study, we evaluated these variants in Dictyostelium discoideum. In the context of targeted mutagenesis at an NG PAM site, we found that SpCas9-NG and SpRY were more efficient than xCas9 3.7. In the context of NA, NT, NG, and NC PAM sites, the editing efficiency of SpRY was approximately 60% at NR (R = A and G) but less than 22% at NY (Y = T and C). We successfully used SpRY to generate knock-ins at specific gene loci using donor DNA flanked by 60 bp homology arms. In addition, we achieved point mutations with efficiencies as high as 97.7%. This work provides tools that will significantly expand the gene loci that can be targeted for knock-out, knock-in, and precise point mutation in D. discoideum.


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