scholarly journals Genomic and phenotypic evolution of Escherichia coli in a novel citrate-only resource environment

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Zachary D. Blount ◽  
Rohan Maddamsetti ◽  
Nkrumah A. Grant ◽  
Sumaya T. Ahmed ◽  
Tanush Jagdish ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Escherichia Coli ◽  
Transposable Elements ◽  
Copy Number ◽  
Ecological Niches ◽  
Phenotypic Evolution ◽  
Aerobic Growth ◽  
E Coli ◽  
Number Variation ◽  
Control Set ◽  
Resource Environment

ABSTRACTEvolutionary innovations allow populations to colonize new, previously inaccessible ecological niches. We previously reported that aerobic growth on citrate (Cit+) evolved in a population of Escherichia coli during adaptation to a minimal glucose medium containing citrate (DM25). Cit+ can grow in citrate-only medium (DM0), which is a novel environment for E. coli. To study adaptation to this new niche, we evolved one set of Cit+ populations for 2,500 generations in DM0 and a control set in DM25. We identified numerous parallel mutations, many mediated by transposable elements. Several lineages evolved multi-copy amplifications containing the maeA gene, constituting up to ∼15% of the genome. We also found substantial cell death in ancestral and evolved clones. Our results demonstrate the importance of copy-number variation and transposable elements in the refinement of the Cit+ trait. However, the observed mortality suggests a persistent evolutionary mismatch between E. coli physiology and a citrate-only environment.

scholarly journals Genomic and phenotypic evolution of Escherichia coli in a novel citrate-only resource environment

eLife ◽  
2020 ◽  
Vol 9 ◽  
Author(s):  
Zachary D Blount ◽  
Rohan Maddamsetti ◽  
Nkrumah A Grant ◽  
Sumaya T Ahmed ◽  
Tanush Jagdish ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Escherichia Coli ◽  
Cell Death ◽  
Transposable Elements ◽  
Ecological Niches ◽  
Phenotypic Evolution ◽  
Glucose Medium ◽  
Aerobic Growth ◽  
E Coli ◽  
Resource Environment ◽  
Minimal Glucose Medium

Evolutionary innovations allow populations to colonize new ecological niches. We previously reported that aerobic growth on citrate (Cit+) evolved in an Escherichia coli population during adaptation to a minimal glucose medium containing citrate (DM25). Cit+ variants can also grow in citrate-only medium (DM0), a novel environment for E. coli. To study adaptation to this niche, we founded two sets of Cit+ populations and evolved them for 2500 generations in DM0 or DM25. The evolved lineages acquired numerous parallel mutations, many mediated by transposable elements. Several also evolved amplifications of regions containing the maeA gene. Unexpectedly, some evolved populations and clones show apparent declines in fitness. We also found evidence of substantial cell death in Cit+ clones. Our results thus demonstrate rapid trait refinement and adaptation to the new citrate niche, while also suggesting a recalcitrant mismatch between E. coli physiology and growth on citrate.

scholarly journals Aerobic Fermentation of d-Glucose by an Evolved Cytochrome Oxidase-Deficient Escherichia coli Strain

2008 ◽  
Vol 74 (24) ◽  
pp. 7561-7569 ◽  
Author(s):  
Vasiliy A. Portnoy ◽  
Markus J. Herrgård ◽  
Bernhard Ø. Palsson
Keyword(s):  
Escherichia Coli ◽  
Oxygen Uptake ◽  
Growth Conditions ◽  
Aerobic Growth ◽  
Acid Fermentation ◽  
Mixed Acid Fermentation ◽  
E Coli ◽  
Knockout Strain ◽  
Mixed Acid ◽  
Cytochrome Oxidases

ABSTRACT Fermentation of glucose to d-lactic acid under aerobic growth conditions by an evolved Escherichia coli mutant deficient in three terminal oxidases is reported in this work. Cytochrome oxidases (cydAB, cyoABCD, and cbdAB) were removed from the E. coli K12 MG1655 genome, resulting in the ECOM3 (E. coli cytochrome oxidase mutant) strain. Removal of cytochrome oxidases reduced the oxygen uptake rate of the knockout strain by nearly 85%. Moreover, the knockout strain was initially incapable of growing on M9 minimal medium. After the ECOM3 strain was subjected to adaptive evolution on glucose M9 medium for 60 days, a growth rate equivalent to that of anaerobic wild-type E. coli was achieved. Our findings demonstrate that three independently adaptively evolved ECOM3 populations acquired different phenotypes: one produced lactate as a sole fermentation product, while the other two strains exhibited a mixed-acid fermentation under oxic growth conditions with lactate remaining as the major product. The homofermenting strain showed a d-lactate yield of 0.8 g/g from glucose. Gene expression and in silico model-based analyses were employed to identify perturbed pathways and explain phenotypic behavior. Significant upregulation of ygiN and sodAB explains the remaining oxygen uptake that was observed in evolved ECOM3 strains. E. coli strains produced in this study showed the ability to produce lactate as a fermentation product from glucose and to undergo mixed-acid fermentation during aerobic growth.

scholarly journals Can Pathogenic and Nonpathogenic Bacteria Be Distinguished by Sensory Protein Abundance?

2020 ◽  
Vol 86 (14) ◽  
Author(s):  
Subhrajit Bhar ◽  
Tungadri Bose ◽  
Sharmila S. Mande
Keyword(s):  
Escherichia Coli ◽  
Genome Size ◽  
Ecological Niche ◽  
Environmental Changes ◽  
Ecological Niches ◽  
Content Type ◽  
E Coli ◽  
Depth Analysis ◽  
Component Systems ◽  
The Relationship

ABSTRACT Signal transduction systems are essential for microorganisms to respond to their ever-changing environment. They can be distinguished into one-component systems, two-component systems, and extracytoplasmic-function σ factors. Abundances of a few signal-transducing proteins, termed herein as sensory proteins (SPs), have previously been reported to be correlated with the genome size and ecological niche of certain Gram-positive bacteria. No such reports are available for Gram-negative bacteria. The current study attempts to investigate the relationship of the abundances of SPs to genome size in Escherichia coli, and the bacterial pathotypes or phylotypes. While the relationship between SP abundance and genome size could not be established, the sensory protein index (SPI), a new metric defined herein, was found to be correlated with E. coli virulence. In addition, significant association was observed among the distribution of SPs and E. coli pathotypes. Results indicate that such associations might be due to genomic rearrangements to best utilize the resources available in a given ecological niche. Overall, the study provides an in-depth analysis of the occurrence of different SPs among pathogenic and nonpathogenic E. coli strains. Possibilities of using the SPI as a marker for identifying pathogenic strains from among an organism complex are also discussed. IMPORTANCE Sensory proteins (SPs) act as sensors and actuators for a cell and participate in important mechanisms pertaining to bacterial survival, adaptation, and virulence. Therefore, bacterial species residing in similar ecological niches or those sharing common pathotypes are expected to exhibit similar SP signatures. We have investigated profiles of SPs in different species of Escherichia coli and present in this article the sensory protein index (SPI), a metric for quantifying the abundance and/or distribution of SPs across bacterial genomes, which could indicate the virulence potency of a bacterium. The SPI could find use in characterizing uncultured strains and bacterial complexes, as a biomarker for disease diagnostics, evaluating the effect of therapeutic interventions, assessing effects of ecological alterations, etc. Grouping the studied strains of E. coli on the basis of the frequency of occurrence of SPs in their genomes could potentially replicate the stratification of these strains on the basis of their phylotypes. In addition, E. coli strains belonging to the same pathotypes were also seen to share similar SP signatures. Furthermore, the SPI was seen to be an indicator of pathogenic potency of E. coli strains. The SPI metric is expected to be useful in the (pathogenic) characterization of hereto uncultured strains which are routinely sequenced in host microbiome analysis projects, or from among an ensemble of microbial organisms constituting a biospecimen. Thus, the possibilities of using the SPI as a biomarker for diagnosis of a disease or the outcome of a therapeutic intervention cannot be ruled out. Further, SPIs obtained from longitudinal ecological samples have the potential to serve as key indicators of environmental changes. Such changes in the environment are often detrimental to the resident biome and methods for timely detection of environmental changes hold huge socioeconomic benefits.

scholarly journals F Plasmids Are the Major Carriers of Antibiotic Resistance Genes in Human-Associated Commensal Escherichia coli

mSphere ◽  
2020 ◽  
Vol 5 (4) ◽  
Author(s):  
Craig Stephens ◽  
Tyler Arismendi ◽  
Megan Wright ◽  
Austin Hartman ◽  
Andres Gonzalez ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Escherichia Coli ◽  
Antibiotic Resistance ◽  
Transposable Elements ◽  
Dna Sequencing ◽  
Resistance Genes ◽  
Bacterial Pathogens ◽  
Acquired Resistance ◽  
Antibiotic Resistance Genes ◽  
Content Type ◽  
E Coli

ABSTRACT The evolution and propagation of antibiotic resistance by bacterial pathogens are significant threats to global public health. Contemporary DNA sequencing tools were applied here to gain insight into carriage of antibiotic resistance genes in Escherichia coli, a ubiquitous commensal bacterium in the gut microbiome in humans and many animals, and a common pathogen. Draft genome sequences generated for a collection of 101 E. coli strains isolated from healthy undergraduate students showed that horizontally acquired antibiotic resistance genes accounted for most resistance phenotypes, the primary exception being resistance to quinolones due to chromosomal mutations. A subset of 29 diverse isolates carrying acquired resistance genes and 21 control isolates lacking such genes were further subjected to long-read DNA sequencing to enable complete or nearly complete genome assembly. Acquired resistance genes primarily resided on F plasmids (101/153 [67%]), with smaller numbers on chromosomes (30/153 [20%]), IncI complex plasmids (15/153 [10%]), and small mobilizable plasmids (5/153 [3%]). Nearly all resistance genes were found in the context of known transposable elements. Very few structurally conserved plasmids with antibiotic resistance genes were identified, with the exception of an ∼90-kb F plasmid in sequence type 1193 (ST1193) isolates that appears to serve as a platform for resistance genes and may have virulence-related functions as well. Carriage of antibiotic resistance genes on transposable elements and mobile plasmids in commensal E. coli renders the resistome highly dynamic. IMPORTANCE Rising antibiotic resistance in human-associated bacterial pathogens is a serious threat to our ability to treat many infectious diseases. It is critical to understand how acquired resistance genes move in and through bacteria associated with humans, particularly for species such as Escherichia coli that are very common in the human gut but can also be dangerous pathogens. This work combined two distinct DNA sequencing approaches to allow us to explore the genomes of E. coli from college students to show that the antibiotic resistance genes these bacteria have acquired are usually carried on a specific type of plasmid that is naturally transferrable to other E. coli, and likely to other related bacteria.

Resistance to piperacillin/tazobactam in Escherichia coli resulting from extensive IS26-associated gene amplification of blaTEM-1

2019 ◽  
Vol 74 (11) ◽  
pp. 3179-3183 ◽  
Author(s):  
Katrine Hartung Hansen ◽  
Minna Rud Andreasen ◽  
Martin Schou Pedersen ◽  
Henrik Westh ◽  
Lotte Jelsbak ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Escherichia Coli ◽  
Gene Amplification ◽  
Copy Number ◽  
Chromosomal Location ◽  
Sequencing Data ◽  
Pcr Screening ◽  
E Coli ◽  
Oxford Nanopore ◽  
Additional Strain ◽  
Resistance To Penicillin

Abstract Background bla TEM-1 encodes a narrow-spectrum β-lactamase that is inhibited by β-lactamase inhibitors and commonly present in Escherichia coli. Hyperproduction of blaTEM-1 may cause resistance to penicillin/β-lactamase inhibitor (P/BLI) combinations. Objectives To characterize EC78, an E. coli bloodstream isolate, resistant to P/BLI combinations, which contains extensive amplification of blaTEM-1 within the chromosome. Methods EC78 was sequenced using Illumina and Oxford Nanopore Technology (ONT) methodology. Configuration of blaTEM-1 amplification was probed using PCR. Expression of blaTEM-1 mRNA was determined using quantitative PCR and β-lactamase activity was determined spectrophotometrically in a nitrocefin conversion assay. Growth rate was assessed to determine fitness and stability of the gene amplification was assessed by passage in the absence of antibiotics. Results Illumina sequencing of EC78 identified blaTEM-1B as the only acquired β-lactamase preceded by the WT P3 promoter and present at a copy number of 182.6 with blaTEM-1B bracketed by IS26 elements. The chromosomal location of the IS26-blaTEM-1B amplification was confirmed by ONT sequencing. Hyperproduction of blaTEM-1 was confirmed by increased transcription of blaTEM-1 and β-lactamase activity and associated with a significant fitness cost; however, the array was maintained at a relatively high copy number for 150 generations. PCR screening for blaTEM amplification of isolates resistant to P/BLI combinations identified an additional strain containing an IS26-associated amplification of a blaTEM gene. Conclusions IS26-associated amplification of blaTEM can cause resistance to P/BLI combinations. This adaptive mechanism of resistance may be overlooked if simple methods of genotypic prediction (e.g. gene presence/absence) are used to predict antimicrobial susceptibility from sequencing data.

scholarly journals Metabolic Engineering of Escherichia coli for Production of Enantiomerically Pure (R)-(−)-Hydroxycarboxylic Acids

2003 ◽  
Vol 69 (6) ◽  
pp. 3421-3426 ◽  
Author(s):  
Sang Yup Lee ◽  
Young Lee
Keyword(s):  
Escherichia Coli ◽  
Copy Number ◽  
Ralstonia Eutropha ◽  
Enantiomerically Pure ◽  
Pha Depolymerase ◽  
E Coli ◽  
Theoretical Yield ◽  
Hydroxycarboxylic Acids ◽  
Copy Number Plasmid ◽  
High Copy Number Plasmid

ABSTRACT A heterologous metabolism of polyhydroxyalkanoate (PHA) biosynthesis and degradation was established in Escherichia coli by introducing the Ralstonia eutropha PHA biosynthesis operon along with the R. eutropha intracellular PHA depolymerase gene. By with this metabolically engineered E. coli, enantiomerically pure (R)-3-hydroxybutyric acid (R3HB) could be efficiently produced from glucose. By employing a two-plasmid system, developed as the PHA biosynthesis operon on a medium-copy-number plasmid and the PHA depolymerase gene on a high-copy-number plasmid, R3HB could be produced with a yield of 49.5% (85.6% of the maximum theoretical yield) from glucose. By integration of the PHA biosynthesis genes into the chromosome of E. coli and by introducing a plasmid containing the PHA depolymerase gene, R3HB could be produced without plasmid instability in the absence of antibiotics. This strategy can be used for the production of various enantiomerically pure (R)-hydroxycarboxylic acids from renewable resources.

The distribution and genetic structure of Escherichia coli in Australian vertebrates: host and geographic effects

Microbiology ◽  
2003 ◽  
Vol 149 (12) ◽  
pp. 3575-3586 ◽  
Author(s):  
David M. Gordon ◽  
Ann Cowling
Keyword(s):  
Escherichia Coli ◽  
Body Mass ◽  
The Body ◽  
Ecological Niches ◽  
E Coli ◽  
Close Proximity ◽  
Host Diet ◽  
Group A ◽  
Human Habitation ◽  
The Tropics

Escherichia coli was isolated from more than 2300 non-domesticated vertebrate hosts living in Australia. E. coli was most prevalent in mammals, less prevalent in birds and uncommon in fish, frogs and reptiles. Mammals were unlikely to harbour E. coli if they lived in regions with a desert climate and less likely to have E. coli if they lived in the tropics than if they lived in semi-arid or temperate regions. In mammals, the likelihood of isolating E. coli from an individual depended on the diet of the host and E. coli was less prevalent in carnivores than in herbivores or omnivores. In both birds and mammals, the probability of isolating E. coli increased with the body mass of the host. Hosts living in close proximity to human habitation were more likely to harbour E. coli than hosts living away from people. The relative abundance of E. coli groups A, B1, B2 and D strains in mammals depended on climate, host diet and body mass. Group A strains were uncommon, but were isolated from both ectothermic and endothermic vertebrates. Group B1 strains could also be isolated from any vertebrate group, but were predominant in ectothermic vertebrates, birds and carnivorous mammals. Group B2 strains were unlikely to be isolated from ectotherms and were most abundant in omnivorous and herbivorous mammals. Group D strains were rare in ectotherms and uncommon in endotherms, but were equally abundant in birds and mammals. The results of this study suggest that, at the species level, the ecological niche of E. coli is mammals with hindgut modifications to enable microbial fermentation, or in the absence of a modified hindgut, E. coli can only establish a population in ‘large-bodied’ hosts. The non-random distribution of E. coli genotypes among the different host groups indicates that strains of the four E. coli groups may differ in their ecological niches and life-history characteristics.

scholarly journals Rates of transposition in Escherichia coli

2013 ◽  
Vol 9 (6) ◽  
pp. 20130838 ◽  
Author(s):  
Ana Sousa ◽  
Catarina Bourgard ◽  
Lindi M. Wahl ◽  
Isabel Gordo
Keyword(s):  
Escherichia Coli ◽  
Transposable Elements ◽  
Selective Pressure ◽  
Previous Knowledge ◽  
E Coli ◽  
Transposition Rate ◽  
Replicative Transposition ◽  
Evolutionary Role ◽  
Excision Rate

The evolutionary role of transposable elements (TEs) is still highly controversial. Two key parameters, the transposition rate ( u and w , for replicative and non-replicative transposition) and the excision rate ( e ) are fundamental to understanding their evolution and maintenance in populations. We have estimated u , w and e for six families of TEs (including eight members: IS1, IS2, IS3, IS4, IS5, IS30, IS150 and IS186) in Escherichia coli , using a mutation accumulation (MA) experiment. In this experiment, mutations accumulate essentially at the rate at which they appear, during a period of 80 500 (1610 generations × 50 lines) generations, and spontaneous transposition events can be detected. This differs from other experiments in which insertions accumulated under strong selective pressure or over a limited genomic target. We therefore provide new estimates for the spontaneous rates of transposition and excision in E. coli . We observed 25 transposition and three excision events in 50 MA lines, leading to overall rate estimates of u ∼ 1.15 × 10 –5 , w ∼ 4 × 10 −8 and e ∼ 1.08 × 10 −6 (per element, per generation). Furthermore, extensive variation between elements was found, consistent with previous knowledge of the mechanisms and regulation of transposition for the different elements.

scholarly journals Functional analysis of deoxyhexose sugar utilization in Escherichia coli reveals fermentative metabolism under aerobic conditions

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Pierre Millard ◽  
Julien Pérochon ◽  
Fabien Letisse
Keyword(s):  
Escherichia Coli ◽  
Metabolic Flux ◽  
Sugar Metabolism ◽  
Laboratory Strain ◽  
Flux Analysis ◽  
Aerobic Growth ◽  
Aerobic Conditions ◽  
E Coli ◽  
Metabolic Analysis ◽  
K 12

L-rhamnose and L-fucose are the two main 6-deoxyhexoses Escherichia coli can use as carbon and energy sources. Deoxyhexose metabolism leads to the formation of lactaldehyde whose fate depends on oxygen availability. Under anaerobic conditions, lactaldehyde is reduced to 1,2-propanediol whereas under aerobic condition, it should be oxidised into lactate and then channelled into the central metabolism. However, although this all-or-nothing view is accepted in the literature, it seems overly simplistic since propanediol is also reported to be present in the culture medium during aerobic growth on L-fucose. To clarify the functioning of 6-deoxyhexose sugar metabolism, a quantitative metabolic analysis was performed to determine extra- and intracellular fluxes in E. coli K-12 MG1655 (a laboratory strain) and in E. coli Nissle 1917 (a human commensal strain) during anaerobic and aerobic growth on L-rhamnose and L-fucose. As expected, lactaldehyde is fully reduced to 1,2-propanediol in anoxic conditions allowing complete reoxidation of the NADH produced by glyceraldehyde-3-phosphate-dehydrogenase. We also found that net ATP synthesis is ensured by acetate production. More surprisingly, lactaldehyde is also primarily reduced into 1,2-propanediol under aerobic conditions. For growth on L-fucose, 13 C-metabolic flux analysis revealed a large excess of available energy, highlighting the need to better characterize ATP utilization processes. The probiotic E. coli Nissle 1917 strain exhibits similar metabolic traits, indicating that they are not the result of the K-12 strain’s prolonged laboratory use. IMPORTANCE E. coli ’s ability to survive, grow and colonize the gastrointestinal tract stems from its use of partially digested food and hydrolysed glycosylated proteins (mucins) from the intestinal mucus layer as substrates. These include L-fucose and L-rhamnose, two 6-deoxyhexose sugars, whose catabolic pathways have been established by genetic and biochemical studies. However, the functioning of these pathways has only partially been elucidated. Our quantitative metabolic analysis provides a comprehensive picture of 6-deoxyhexose sugar metabolism in E. coli under anaerobic and aerobic conditions. We found that 1,2-propanediol is a major by-product under both conditions, revealing the key role of fermentative pathways in 6-deoxyhexose sugar metabolism. This metabolic trait is shared by both E. coli strains studied here, a laboratory strain and a probiotic strain. Our findings add to our understanding of E. coli ’s metabolism and of its functioning in the bacterium’s natural environment.

scholarly journals Restoration of wild-type motility to flagellin-knockout Escherichia coli

2019 ◽  
Author(s):  
Nicholas M. Thomson ◽  
Mark J. Pallen
Keyword(s):  
Escherichia Coli ◽  
Copy Number ◽  
Plasmid Copy Number ◽  
Major Constituent ◽  
Strongly Correlated ◽  
Wild Type ◽  
Plasmid Copy ◽  
Inducible Promoters ◽  
E Coli ◽  
Flagellar Filament

AbstractFlagellin is the major constituent of the flagellar filament and faithful restoration of wild-type motility to flagellin mutants may be beneficial for studies of flagellar biology and biotechnological exploitation of the flagellar system. Therefore, we explored the restoration of motility by flagellin expressed from a variety of combinations of promoter, plasmid copy number and induction strength. Motility was only partially restored using the tightly regulated rhamnose promoter, but wild-type motility was achieved with the T5 promoter, which, although leaky, allowed titration of induction strength. Motility was little affected by plasmid copy number when dependent on inducible promoters. However, plasmid copy number was important when expression was controlled by the native E. coli flagellin promoter. Motility was poorly correlated with flagellin transcription levels, but strongly correlated with the amount of flagellin associated with the flagellar filament, suggesting that excess monomers are either not exported or not assembled into filaments. This study provides a useful reference for further studies of flagellar function and a simple blueprint for similar studies with other proteins.

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