scholarly journals The fish pathogen Aliivibrio salmonicida LFI1238 can degrade and metabolize chitin despite major gene loss in the chitinolytic pathway

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Anna Skåne ◽  
Giusi Minniti ◽  
Jennifer Sarah Maria Loose ◽  
Sophanit Mekasha ◽  
Bastien Bissaro ◽  
...  

The fish pathogen Aliivibrio (Vibrio) salmonicida LFI1238 is thought to be incapable of utilizing chitin as a nutrient source since approximately half of the genes representing the chitinolytic pathway are disrupted by insertion sequences. In the present study, we combined a broad set of analytical methods to investigate this hypothesis. Cultivation studies revealed that Al. salmonicida grew efficiently on N-acetylglucosamine (GlcNAc) and chitobiose ((GlcNAc)2), the primary soluble products resulting from enzymatic chitin hydrolysis. The bacterium was also able to grow on chitin particles, albeit at a lower rate compared to the soluble substrates. The genome of the bacterium contains five disrupted chitinase genes (pseudogenes) and three intact genes encoding a glycoside hydrolase family 18 (GH18) chitinase and two auxiliary activity family 10 (AA10) lytic polysaccharide monooxygenases (LPMOs). Biochemical characterization showed that the chitinase and LPMOs were able to depolymerize both a- and b-chitin to (GlcNAc)2 and oxidized chitooligosaccharides, respectively. Notably, the chitinase displayed up to 50-fold lower activity compared to other well-studied chitinases. Deletion of the genes encoding the intact chitinolytic enzymes showed that the chitinase was important for growth on β-chitin, whereas the LPMO gene-deletion variants only showed minor growth defects on this substrate. Finally, proteomic analysis of Al. salmonicida LFI1238 growth on β-chitin showed expression of all three chitinolytic enzymes, and intriguingly also three of the disrupted chitinases. In conclusion, our results show that Al. salmonicida LFI1238 can utilize chitin as a nutrient source and that the GH18 chitinase and the two LPMOs are needed for this ability.

Author(s):  
Anna Skåne ◽  
Giusi Minniti ◽  
Jennifer S.M. Loose ◽  
Sophanit Mekasha ◽  
Bastien Bissaro ◽  
...  

The fish pathogen Aliivibrio (Vibrio) salmonicida LFI1238 is thought to be incapable of utilizing chitin as a nutrient source since approximately half of the genes representing the chitinolytic pathway are disrupted by insertion sequences. In the present study, we combined a broad set of analytical methods to investigate this hypothesis. Cultivation studies revealed that Al. salmonicida grew efficiently on N -acetylglucosamine (GlcNAc) and chitobiose ((GlcNAc) 2 ), the primary soluble products resulting from enzymatic chitin hydrolysis. The bacterium was also able to grow on chitin particles, albeit at a lower rate compared to the soluble substrates. The genome of the bacterium contains five disrupted chitinase genes (pseudogenes) and three intact genes encoding a glycoside hydrolase family 18 (GH18) chitinase and two auxiliary activity family 10 (AA10) lytic polysaccharide monooxygenases (LPMOs). Biochemical characterization showed that the chitinase and LPMOs were able to depolymerize both α- and β-chitin to (GlcNAc) 2 and oxidized chitooligosaccharides, respectively. Notably, the chitinase displayed up to 50-fold lower activity compared to other well-studied chitinases. Deletion of the genes encoding the intact chitinolytic enzymes showed that the chitinase was important for growth on β-chitin, whereas the LPMO gene-deletion variants only showed minor growth defects on this substrate. Finally, proteomic analysis of Al. salmonicida LFI1238 growth on β-chitin showed expression of all three chitinolytic enzymes, and intriguingly also three of the disrupted chitinases. In conclusion, our results show that Al. salmonicida LFI1238 can utilize chitin as a nutrient source and that the GH18 chitinase and the two LPMOs are needed for this ability. IMPORTANCE The ability to utilize chitin as a source of nutrients is important for the survival and spread of marine microbial pathogens in the environment. One such pathogen is Aliivibrio (Vibrio) salmonicida , the causative agent of cold water vibriosis. Due to extensive gene decay, many key enzymes in the chitinolytic pathway have been disrupted, putatively rendering this bacterium incapable of chitin degradation and utilization. In the present study we demonstrate that Al. salmonicida can degrade and metabolize chitin, the most abundant biopolymer in the ocean. Our findings shed new light on the environmental adaption of this fish pathogen.


Author(s):  
Yuki Sasaki ◽  
Ayako Horigome ◽  
Toshitaka Odamaki ◽  
Jin-Zhong Xiao ◽  
Akihiro Ishiwata ◽  
...  

Gum arabic arabinogalactan (AG) protein (AGP) is a unique dietary fiber that is degraded and assimilated by only specific strains of Bifidobacterium longum subsp. longum. Here, we identified a novel 3-O-α-d-galactosyl-α-l-arabinofuranosidase (GAfase) from B. longum JCM7052, and classified it into the glycoside hydrolase family 39 (GH39). GAfase released α-d-Galp-(1→3)-l-Ara and β-l-Arap-(1→3)-l-Ara from gum arabic AGP and β-l-Arap-(1→3)-l-Ara from larch AGP, and the α-d-Galp-(1→3)-l-Ara release activity was found to be 594-fold higher than that of β-l-Arap-(1→3)-l-Ara. The GAfase gene was part of a gene cluster that included genes encoding a GH36 α-galactosidase candidate and ABC transporters for the assimilation of the released α-d-Galp-(1→3)-l-Ara in B. longum. Notably, when α-d-Galp-(1→3)-l-Ara was removed from gum arabic AGP, it was assimilated by both B. longum JCM7052 and the non-assimilative B. longum JCM1217, suggesting that the removal of α-d-Galp-(1→3)-l-Ara from gum arabic AGP by GAfase permitted the cooperative action with type-II AG degradative enzymes in B. longum. The present study provides new insight into the mechanism of gum arabic AGP degradation in B. longum. IMPORTANCE Bifidobacteria harbor numerous carbohydrate-active enzymes that degrade several dietary fibers in the gastrointestinal tract. B. longum JCM7052 is known to exhibit the ability to assimilate gum arabic AGP, but the key enzyme involved in the degradation of gum arabic AGP remains unidentified. Here, we cloned and characterized a GH39 3-O-α-d-galactosyl-α-l-arabinofuranosidase (GAfase) from B. longum JCM7052. The enzyme was responsible for the release of α-d-Galp-(1→3)-l-Ara and β-l-Arap-(1→3)-l-Ara from gum arabic AGP. The presence of a gene cluster including the GAfase gene is specifically observed in gum arabic AGP assimilative strains. However, GAfase-carrier strains may affect GAfase-noncarrier strains that express other type-II AG degradative enzymes. These findings provide insights into the bifidogenic effect of gum arabic AGP.


2018 ◽  
Author(s):  
Krithika Rajagopalan ◽  
Jonathan Dworkin

AbstractIn bacteria, signaling phosphorylation is thought to occur primarily on His and Asp residues. However, phosphoproteomic surveys in phylogenetically diverse bacteria over the past decade have identified numerous proteins that are phosphorylated on Ser and/or Thr residues. Consistently, genes encoding Ser/Thr kinases are present in many bacterial genomes such asE. coli,which encodes at least three Ser/Thr kinases. Since Ser/Thr phosphorylation is a stable modification, a dedicated phosphatase is necessary to allow reversible regulation. Ser/Thr phosphatases belonging to several conserved families are found in bacteria. One family of particular interest are Ser/Thr phosphatases which have extensive sequence and structural homology to eukaryotic Ser/Thr PP2C phosphatases. These proteins, called eSTPs (eukaryotic-like Ser/Thr phosphatases), have been identified in a number of bacteria, but not inE. coli.Here, we describe a previously unknown eSTP encoded by anE. coliORF,yegK,and characterize its biochemical properties including its kinetics, substrate specificity and sensitivity to known phosphatase inhibitors. We investigate differences in the activity of this protein in closely relatedE. colistrains. Finally, we demonstrate that this eSTP acts to dephosphorylate a novel Ser/Thr kinase which is encoded in the same operon.ImportanceRegulatory protein phosphorylation is a conserved mechanism of signaling in all biological systems. Recent phosphoproteomic analyses of phylogenetically diverse bacteria including the model Gram-negative bacteriumE. colidemonstrate that many proteins are phosphorylated on serine or threonine residues. In contrast to phosphorylation on histidine or aspartate residues, phosphorylation of serine and threonine residues is stable and requires the action of a partner Ser/Thr phosphatase to remove the modification. Although a number of Ser/Thr kinases have been reported inE. coli, no partner Ser/Thrphosphatases have been identified. Here, we biochemically characterize a novel Ser/Thr phosphatase that acts to dephosphorylate a Ser/Thr kinase that is encoded in the same operon.


2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Gregory S Bulmer ◽  
Fang Wei Yuen ◽  
Naimah Begum ◽  
Bethan S Jones ◽  
Sabine S Flitsch ◽  
...  

β-D-Galactofuranose (Galf) and its polysaccharides are found in bacteria, fungi and protozoa but do not occur in mammalian tissues, and thus represent a specific target for anti-pathogenic drugs. Understanding the enzymatic degradation of these polysaccharides is therefore of great interest, but the identity of fungal enzymes with exclusively galactofuranosidase activity has so far remained elusive. Here we describe the identification and characterization of a galactofuranosidase from the industrially important fungus Aspergillus niger. Phylogenetic analysis of glycoside hydrolase family 43 subfamily 34 (GH43_34) members revealed the occurrence of three distinct clusters and, by comparison with specificities of characterized bacterial members, suggested a basis for prediction of enzyme specificity. Using this rationale, in tandem with molecular docking, we identified a putative β-D-galactofuranosidase from A. niger which was recombinantly expressed in Escherichia coli. The Galf-specific hydrolase, encoded by xynD demonstrates maximum activity at pH 5, 25 °C towards 4-Nitrophenyl-β-galactofuranoside (pNP-βGalf), with a Km of 17.9 ± 1.9 mM and Vmax of 70.6 ± 5.3 μmol min-1. The characterization of this first fungal GH43 galactofuranosidase offers further molecular insight into the degradation of Galf-containing structures and may inform clinical treatments against fungal pathogens.


2005 ◽  
Vol 71 (12) ◽  
pp. 7670-7678 ◽  
Author(s):  
Katsuro Yaoi ◽  
Tomonori Nakai ◽  
Yoshiro Kameda ◽  
Ayako Hiyoshi ◽  
Yasushi Mitsuishi

ABSTRACT Two xyloglucan-specific endo-β-1,4-glucanases (xyloglucanases [XEGs]), XEG5 and XEG74, with molecular masses of 40 kDa and 105 kDa, respectively, were isolated from the gram-positive bacterium Paenibacillus sp. strain KM21, which degrades tamarind seed xyloglucan. The genes encoding these XEGs were cloned and sequenced. Based on their amino acid sequences, the catalytic domains of XEG5 and XEG74 were classified in the glycoside hydrolase families 5 and 74, respectively. XEG5 is the first xyloglucanase belonging to glycoside hydrolase family 5. XEG5 lacks a carbohydrate-binding module, while XEG74 has an X2 module and a family 3 type carbohydrate-binding module at its C terminus. The two XEGs were expressed in Escherichia coli, and recombinant forms of the enzymes were purified and characterized. Both XEGs had endoglucanase active only toward xyloglucan and not toward Avicel, carboxymethylcellulose, barley β-1,3/1,4-glucan, or xylan. XEG5 is a typical endo-type enzyme that randomly cleaves the xyloglucan main chain, while XEG74 has dual endo- and exo-mode activities or processive endo-mode activity. XEG5 digested the xyloglucan oligosaccharide XXXGXXXG to produce XXXG, whereas XEG74 digestion of XXXGXXXG resulted in XXX, XXXG, and GXXXG, suggesting that this enzyme cleaves the glycosidic bond of unbranched Glc residues. Analyses using various oligosaccharide structures revealed that unique structures of xyloglucan oligosaccharides can be prepared with XEG74.


2021 ◽  
Vol 11 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Cathleen Kmezik ◽  
Daniel Krska ◽  
Scott Mazurkewich ◽  
Johan Larsbrink

AbstractBacteroidetes are efficient degraders of complex carbohydrates, much thanks to their use of polysaccharide utilization loci (PULs). An integral part of PULs are highly specialized carbohydrate-active enzymes, sometimes composed of multiple linked domains with discrete functions—multicatalytic enzymes. We present the biochemical characterization of a multicatalytic enzyme from a large PUL encoded by the gut bacterium Bacteroides eggerthii. The enzyme, BeCE15A-Rex8A, has a rare and novel architecture, with an N-terminal carbohydrate esterase family 15 (CE15) domain and a C-terminal glycoside hydrolase family 8 (GH8) domain. The CE15 domain was identified as a glucuronoyl esterase (GE), though with relatively poor activity on GE model substrates, attributed to key amino acid substitutions in the active site compared to previously studied GEs. The GH8 domain was shown to be a reducing-end xylose-releasing exo-oligoxylanase (Rex), based on having activity on xylooligosaccharides but not on longer xylan chains. The full-length BeCE15A-Rex8A enzyme and the Rex domain were capable of boosting the activity of a commercially available GH11 xylanase on corn cob biomass. Our research adds to the understanding of multicatalytic enzyme architectures and showcases the potential of discovering novel and atypical carbohydrate-active enzymes from mining PULs.


Microbiology ◽  
2014 ◽  
Vol 160 (9) ◽  
pp. 1914-1928 ◽  
Author(s):  
Chengheng Liao ◽  
Sébastien Rigali ◽  
Cuauhtemoc Licona Cassani ◽  
Esteban Marcellin ◽  
Lars Keld Nielsen ◽  
...  

Chitin degradation and subsequent N-acetylglucosamine (GlcNAc) catabolism is thought to be a common trait of a large majority of actinomycetes. Utilization of aminosugars had been poorly investigated outside the model strain Streptomyces coelicolor A3(2), and we examined here the genetic setting of the erythromycin producer Saccharopolyspora erythraea for GlcNAc and chitin utilization, as well as the transcriptional control thereof. Sacch. erythraea efficiently utilize GlcNAc most likely via the phosphotransferase system (PTSGlcNAc); however, this strain is not able to grow when chitin or N,N′-diacetylchitobiose [(GlcNAc)2] is the sole nutrient source, despite a predicted extensive chitinolytic system (chi genes). The inability of Sacch. erythraea to utilize chitin and (GlcNAc)2 is probably because of the loss of genes encoding the DasABC transporter for (GlcNAc)2 import, and genes for intracellular degradation of (GlcNAc)2 by β-N-acetylglucosaminidases. Transcription analyses revealed that in Sacch. erythraea all putative chi and GlcNAc utilization genes are repressed by DasR, whereas in Strep. coelicolor DasR displayed either activating or repressing functions whether it targets genes involved in the polymer degradation or genes for GlcNAc dimer and monomer utilization, respectively. A transcriptomic analysis further showed that GlcNAc not only activates the transcription of GlcNAc catabolism genes but also activates chi gene expression, as opposed to the previously reported GlcNAc-mediated catabolite repression in Strep. coelicolor. Finally, synteny exploration revealed an identical genetic background for chitin utilization in other rare actinomycetes, which suggests that screening procedures that used only the chitin-based protocol for selective isolation of antibiotic-producing actinomycetes could have missed the isolation of many industrially promising strains.


2002 ◽  
Vol 68 (11) ◽  
pp. 5765-5768 ◽  
Author(s):  
Amber Vanden Wymelenberg ◽  
Stuart Denman ◽  
Diane Dietrich ◽  
Jennifer Bassett ◽  
Xiaochun Yu ◽  
...  

ABSTRACT Phanerochaete chrysosporium cellulase genes were cloned and characterized. The cel61A product was structurally similar to fungal endoglucanases of glycoside hydrolase family 61, whereas the cel9A product revealed similarities to Thermobifida fusca Cel9A (E4), an enzyme with both endo- and exocellulase characteristics. The fungal Cel9A is apparently a membrane-bound protein, which is very unusual for microbial cellulases. Transcript levels of both genes were substantially higher in cellulose-grown cultures than in glucose-grown cultures. These results show that P. chrysosporium possesses a wide array of conventional and unconventional cellulase genes.


Microbiology ◽  
2011 ◽  
Vol 157 (11) ◽  
pp. 3059-3070 ◽  
Author(s):  
Hongchao Wang ◽  
Bo Yang ◽  
Guangfei Hao ◽  
Yun Feng ◽  
Haiqin Chen ◽  
...  

We characterized the de novo biosynthetic pathway of tetrahydrobiopterin (BH4) in the lipid-producing fungus Mortierella alpina. The BH4 cofactor is essential for various cell processes, and is probably present in every cell or tissue of higher organisms. Genes encoding two copies of GTP cyclohydrolase I (GTPCH-1 and GTPCH-2) for the conversion of GTP to dihydroneopterin triphosphate (H2-NTP), 6-pyruvoyltetrahydropterin synthase (PTPS) for the conversion of H2-NTP to 6-pyruvoyltetrahydropterin (PPH4), and sepiapterin reductase (SR) for the conversion of PPH4 to BH4, were expressed heterologously in Escherichia coli. The recombinant enzymes were produced as His-tagged fusion proteins and were purified to homogeneity to investigate their enzymic activities. Enzyme products were analysed by HPLC and electrospray ionization-MS. Kinetic parameters and other properties of GTPCH, PTPS and SR were investigated. Physiological roles of BH4 in M. alpina are discussed, and comparative analyses between GTPCH, PTPS and SR proteins and other homologous proteins were performed. The presence of two functional GTPCH enzymes has, as far as we are aware, not been reported previously, reflecting the unique ability of this fungus to synthesize both BH4 and folate, using the GTPCH product as a common substrate. To our knowledge, this study is the first to report the comprehensive characterization of a BH4 biosynthesis pathway in a fungus.


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