scholarly journals Chromosome dynamics in bacteria: triggering replication at opposite location and segregation in opposite direction

2019 ◽  
Author(s):  
Ady B. Meléndez ◽  
Inoka P. Menikpurage ◽  
Paola E. Mera
Keyword(s):  
Opposite Direction ◽  
Caulobacter Crescentus ◽  
Chromosome Replication ◽  
Replication Initiation ◽  
Opposite Orientation ◽  
Dividing Cells ◽  
Bacterial Replication ◽  
High Flexibility ◽  
Replication Initiator ◽  
Chromosomal Loci

ABSTRACTThe accurate onset of chromosome replication and segregation are fundamental for the survival of the cell. In bacteria, regulation of chromosome replication lies primarily at the initiation step. The bacterial replication initiator DnaA recognizes the origin of replication (ori) and opens this double stranded site allowing for the assembly of the DNA replication machinery. Following the onset of replication initiation, the partitioning protein ParA triggers the onset of chromosome segregation by direct interactions with ParB-bound to the centromere. The subcellular organization of ori and centromere are maintained after the completion of each cell cycle. It remains unclear what triggers the onset of these key chromosome regulators DnaA and ParA. One potential scenario is that the microenvironment of where the onset of replication and segregation take place hosts the regulators that trigger the activity of DnaA and ParA. In order to address this, we analyzed whether the activity of DnaA and ParA are restricted to only one site within the cell. In non-dividing cells of the alpha proteobacterium Caulobacter crescentus, ori and centromere are found near the stalked pole. To test DnaA’s ability to initiate replication away from the stalked pole, we engineered a strain where movement of ori was induced in the absence of chromosome replication. Our data show that DnaA can initiate replication of the chromosome independently of the subcellular localization of ori. Furthermore, we discovered that the partitioning protein ParA was functional and could segregate the replicated centromere in the opposite direction from the new pole toward the stalked pole. We showed that the organization of the ParA gradient can be completely reconstructed in the opposite orientation by rearranging the location of the centromere. Our data reveal the high flexibility of the machineries that trigger the onset of chromosome replication and segregation in bacteria. Our work also provides insights into the coordination between replication and segregation with the cellular organization of specific chromosomal loci.

scholarly journals Chromosome Dynamics in Bacteria: Triggering Replication at the Opposite Location and Segregation in the Opposite Direction

mBio ◽  
2019 ◽  
Vol 10 (4) ◽  
Author(s):  
Ady B. Meléndez ◽  
Inoka P. Menikpurage ◽  
Paola E. Mera
Keyword(s):  
Cell Cycle ◽  
Chromosome Segregation ◽  
Opposite Direction ◽  
Caulobacter Crescentus ◽  
Chromosome Replication ◽  
Opposite Orientation ◽  
Circular Chromosome ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Cell Pole ◽  
Protein Gradients

ABSTRACT Maintaining the integrity of the genome is essential to cell survival. In the bacterium Caulobacter crescentus, the single circular chromosome exhibits a specific orientation in the cell, with the replication origin (ori) residing at the pole of the cell bearing a stalk. Upon initiation of replication, the duplicated centromere-like region parS and ori move rapidly to the opposite pole where parS is captured by a microdomain hosting a unique set of proteins that contribute to the identity of progeny cells. Many questions remain as to how this organization is maintained. In this study, we constructed strains of Caulobacter in which ori and the parS centromere can be induced to move to the opposite cell pole in the absence of chromosome replication, allowing us to ask whether once these chromosomal foci were positioned at the wrong pole, replication initiation and chromosome segregation can proceed in the opposite orientation. Our data reveal that DnaA can initiate replication and ParA can orchestrate segregation from either cell pole. The cell reconstructs the organization of its ParA gradient in the opposite orientation to segregate one replicated centromere from the new pole toward the stalked pole (i.e., opposite direction), while displaying no detectable viability defects. Thus, the unique polar microdomains exhibit remarkable flexibility in serving as a platform for directional chromosome segregation along the long axis of the cell. IMPORTANCE Bacteria can accomplish surprising levels of organization in the absence of membrane organelles by constructing subcellular asymmetric protein gradients. These gradients are composed of regulators that can either trigger or inhibit cell cycle events from distinct cell poles. In Caulobacter crescentus, the onset of chromosome replication and segregation from the stalked pole are regulated by asymmetric protein gradients. We show that the activators of chromosome replication and segregation are not restricted to the stalked pole and that their organization and directionality can be flipped in orientation. Our results also indicate that the subcellular location of key chromosomal loci play important roles in the establishment of the asymmetric organization of cell cycle regulators.

scholarly journals Transcriptional Activity of the Bacterial Replication Initiator DnaA

2021 ◽  
Vol 12 ◽  
Author(s):  
Inoka P. Menikpurage ◽  
Kristin Woo ◽  
Paola E. Mera
Keyword(s):  
Transcription Factor ◽  
Transcriptional Activity ◽  
Bacterial Species ◽  
Chromosome Replication ◽  
Initiator Protein ◽  
Aaa Atpase ◽  
Cellular Events ◽  
Bacterial Replication ◽  
Cycle Regulation ◽  
Replication Initiator

In bacteria, DnaA is the most conserved DNA replication initiator protein. DnaA is a DNA binding protein that is part of the AAA+ ATPase family. In addition to initiating chromosome replication, DnaA can also function as a transcription factor either as an activator or repressor. The first gene identified to be regulated by DnaA at the transcriptional levels was dnaA. DnaA has been shown to regulate genes involved in a variety of cellular events including those that trigger sporulation, DNA repair, and cell cycle regulation. DnaA’s dual functions (replication initiator and transcription factor) is a potential mechanism for DnaA to temporally coordinate diverse cellular events with the onset of chromosome replication. This strategy of using chromosome replication initiator proteins as regulators of gene expression has also been observed in archaea and eukaryotes. In this mini review, we focus on our current understanding of DnaA’s transcriptional activity in various bacterial species.

scholarly journals Dynamic Association of the Replication Initiator and Transcription Factor DnaA with the Bacillus subtilis Chromosome during Replication Stress

2008 ◽  
Vol 191 (2) ◽  
pp. 486-493 ◽  
Author(s):  
Adam M. Breier ◽  
Alan D. Grossman
Keyword(s):  
Transcription Factor ◽  
Chromatin Immunoprecipitation ◽  
Binding Sites ◽  
Replication Fork ◽  
Replication Stress ◽  
Replication Initiation ◽  
Pass Through ◽  
Bacillus Subtilis Chromosome ◽  
Rapid Signaling ◽  
Replication Initiator

ABSTRACT DnaA functions as both a transcription factor and the replication initiator in bacteria. We characterized the DNA binding dynamics of DnaA on a genomic level. Based on cross-linking and chromatin immunoprecipitation data, DnaA binds at least 17 loci, 15 of which are regulated transcriptionally in response to inhibition of replication (replication stress). Six loci, each of which has a cluster of at least nine potential DnaA binding sites, had significant increases in binding by DnaA when replication was inhibited, indicating that the association of DnaA with at least some of its target sites is altered after replication stress. When replication resumed from oriC after inhibition of replication initiation, these high levels of binding decreased rapidly at origin-proximal and origin-distal regions, well before a replication fork could pass through each of the regulated regions. These findings indicate that there is rapid signaling to decrease activation of DnaA during replication and that interaction between DnaA bound at each site and the replication machinery is not required for regulation of DnaA activity in response to replication stress.

Beyond DnaA: The Role of DNA Topology and DNA Methylation in Bacterial Replication Initiation

2014 ◽  
Vol 426 (12) ◽  
pp. 2269-2282 ◽  
Author(s):  
Rafał Donczew ◽  
Jolanta Zakrzewska-Czerwińska ◽  
Anna Zawilak-Pawlik
Keyword(s):  
Dna Methylation ◽  
Dna Topology ◽  
Replication Initiation ◽  
Bacterial Replication

scholarly journals Multipartite Regulation of rctB, the Replication Initiator Gene of Vibrio cholerae Chromosome II

2005 ◽  
Vol 187 (21) ◽  
pp. 7167-7175 ◽  
Author(s):  
Debasish Pal ◽  
Tatiana Venkova-Canova ◽  
Preeti Srivastava ◽  
Dhruba K. Chattoraj
Keyword(s):  
Vibrio Cholerae ◽  
Copy Number ◽  
Promoter Activity ◽  
Replication Initiation ◽  
E Coli ◽  
Long Range Interactions ◽  
Replication Control ◽  
Chromosome Ii ◽  
Replication Initiator ◽  
Rate Limiting

ABSTRACT Replication initiator proteins in bacteria not only allow DNA replication but also often regulate the rate of replication initiation as well. The regulation is mediated by limiting the synthesis or availability of initiator proteins. The applicability of this principle is demonstrated here for RctB, the replication initiator for the smaller of the two chromosomes of Vibrio cholerae. A strong promoter for the rctB gene named rctBp was identified and found to be autoregulated in Escherichia coli. Promoter activity was lower in V. cholerae than in E. coli, and a part of this reduction is likely to be due to autorepression. Sequences upstream of rctBp, implicated earlier in replication control, enhanced the repression. The action of the upstream sequences required that they be present in cis, implying long-range interactions in the control of the promoter activity. A second gene specific for chromosome II replication, rctA, reduced rctB translation, most likely by antisense RNA control. Finally, optimal rctBp activity was found to be dependent on Dam. Increasing RctB in trans increased the copy number of a miniplasmid carrying oriCIIVC , implying that RctB can be rate limiting for chromosome II replication. The multiple modes of control on RctB are expected to reduce fluctuations in the initiator concentration and thereby help maintain chromosome copy number homeostasis.

scholarly journals Polar Remodeling and Histidine Kinase Activation, Which Is Essential for Caulobacter Cell Cycle Progression, Are Dependent on DNA Replication Initiation

2010 ◽  
Vol 192 (15) ◽  
pp. 3893-3902 ◽  
Author(s):  
Antonio A. Iniesta ◽  
Nathan J. Hillson ◽  
Lucy Shapiro
Keyword(s):  
Cell Cycle ◽  
Dna Replication ◽  
Histidine Kinase ◽  
Cell Cycle Progression ◽  
Caulobacter Crescentus ◽  
Replication Initiation ◽  
Cycle Progression ◽  
Dna Replication Initiation ◽  
Flagellar Biosynthesis ◽  
Initiation Of Dna Replication

ABSTRACT Caulobacter crescentus initiates a single round of DNA replication during each cell cycle. Following the initiation of DNA replication, the essential CckA histidine kinase is activated by phosphorylation, which (via the ChpT phosphotransferase) enables the phosphorylation and activation of the CtrA global regulator. CtrA∼P then blocks the reinitiation of replication while regulating the transcription of a large number of cell cycle-controlled genes. It has been shown that DNA replication serves as a checkpoint for flagellar biosynthesis and cell division and that this checkpoint is mediated by the availability of active CtrA. Because CckA∼P promotes the activation of CtrA, we addressed the question of what controls the temporal activation of CckA. We found that the initiation of DNA replication is a prerequisite for remodeling the new cell pole, which includes the localization of the DivL protein kinase to that pole and, consequently, the localization, autophosphorylation, and activation of CckA at that pole. Thus, CckA activation is dependent on polar remodeling and a DNA replication initiation checkpoint that is tightly integrated with the polar phospho-signaling cascade governing cell cycle progression.

scholarly journals The Escherichia coli datA site promotes proper regulation of cell division

Microbiology ◽  
2014 ◽  
Vol 160 (4) ◽  
pp. 703-710 ◽  
Author(s):  
Morigen Morigen ◽  
Ingvild Flåtten ◽  
Kirsten Skarstad
Keyword(s):  
Escherichia Coli ◽  
Cell Division ◽  
Binding Sites ◽  
Replication Initiation ◽  
Permissive Temperature ◽  
Initiator Protein ◽  
Dnaa Protein ◽  
Daughter Cells ◽  
Initiation Of Replication ◽  
Replication Initiator

In Escherichia coli inhibition of replication leads to a block of cell division. This checkpoint mechanism ensures that no cell divides without having two complete copies of the genome to pass on to the two daughter cells. The chromosomal datA site is a 1 kb region that contains binding sites for the DnaA replication initiator protein, and which contributes to the inactivation of DnaA. An excess of datA sites provided on plasmids has been found to lead to both a delay in initiation of replication and in cell division during exponential growth. Here we have investigated the effect of datA on the cell division block that occurs upon inhibition of replication initiation in a dnaC2 mutant. We found that this checkpoint mechanism was aided by the presence of datA. In cells where datA was deleted or an excess of DnaA was provided, cell division occurred in the absence of replication and anucleate cells were formed. This finding indicates that loss of datA and/or excess of DnaA protein promote cell division. This conclusion was supported by the finding that the lethality of the division-compromised mutants ftsZ84 and ftsI23 was suppressed by deletion of datA, at the lowest non-permissive temperature. We propose that the cell division block that occurs upon inhibition of DNA replication is, at least in part, due to a drop in the concentration of the ATP–DnaA protein.

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