scholarly journals Discovery of a Gene Involved in a Third Bacterial Protoporphyrinogen Oxidase Activity through Comparative Genomic Analysis and Functional Complementation

2011 ◽  
Vol 77 (14) ◽  
pp. 4795-4801 ◽  
Author(s):  
Tye O. Boynton ◽  
Svetlana Gerdes ◽  
Sarah H. Craven ◽  
Ellen L. Neidle ◽  
John D. Phillips ◽  
...  

ABSTRACTTetrapyrroles are ubiquitous molecules in nearly all living organisms. Heme, an iron-containing tetrapyrrole, is widely distributed in nature, including most characterized aerobic and facultative bacteria. A large majority of bacteria that contain heme possess the ability to synthesize it. Despite this capability and the fact that the biosynthetic pathway has been well studied, enzymes catalyzing at least three steps have remained “missing” in many bacteria. In the current work, we have employed comparative genomics via the SEED genomic platform, coupled with experimental verification utilizingAcinetobacter baylyiADP1, to identify one of the missing enzymes, a new protoporphyrinogen oxidase, the penultimate enzyme in heme biosynthesis. COG1981 was identified by genomic analysis as a candidate protein family for the missing enzyme in bacteria that lacked HemG or HemY, two known protoporphyrinogen oxidases. The predicted amino acid sequence of COG1981 is unlike those of the known enzymes HemG and HemY, but in some genomes, the gene encoding it is found neighboring other heme biosynthetic genes. When the COG1981 gene was deleted from the genome ofA. baylyi, a bacterium that lacks bothhemGandhemY, the organism became auxotrophic for heme. Cultures accumulated porphyrin intermediates, and crude cell extracts lacked protoporphyrinogen oxidase activity. The heme auxotrophy was rescued by the presence of a plasmid-borne protoporphyrinogen oxidase gene from a number of different organisms, such ashemGfromEscherichia coli,hemYfromMyxococcus xanthus, or the human gene for protoporphyrinogen oxidase.

2012 ◽  
Vol 57 (1) ◽  
pp. 269-276 ◽  
Author(s):  
Liang Chen ◽  
Kalyan D. Chavda ◽  
Henry S. Fraimow ◽  
José R. Mediavilla ◽  
Roberto G. Melano ◽  
...  

ABSTRACTKlebsiella pneumoniaecarbapenemase (KPC)-producingEnterobacteriaceaehave emerged as major nosocomial pathogens.blaKPC, commonly located on Tn4401, is found in Gram-negative bacterial strains, with the two most common variants,blaKPC-2andblaKPC-3, identified in plasmids with diverse genetic backgrounds. In this study, we examinedblaKPC-4- andblaKPC-5-bearing plasmids recovered from twoK. pneumoniaestrains, which were isolated from a single New Jersey hospital in 2005 and 2006, respectively. IncN plasmid pBK31551 is 84 kb in length and harborsblaKPC-4,blaTEM-1,qnrB2,aac(3)-Ib,aph(3′)-I,qacF,qacEΔ1,sul1, anddfrA14, which confer resistance to β-lactams, quinolones, aminoglycosides, quaternary ammonium compounds, and co-trimoxazole. The conserved regions within pBK31551 are similar to those of other IncN plasmids. Surprisingly, analysis of the Tn4401sequence revealed a large IS110- and Tn6901-carrying element (8.3 kb) inserted into theistAgene, encoding glyoxalase/bleomycin resistance, alcohol dehydrogenase, andS-formylglutathione hydrolase. Plasmid pBK31567 is 47 kb in length and harborsblaKPC-5,dfrA5,qacEΔ1, andsul1. pBK31567 belongs to a novel IncX subgroup (IncX5) and possesses a highly syntenic plasmid backbone like other IncX plasmids; however, sequence similarity at the nucleotide level is divergent. TheblaKPC-5gene is carried on a Tn4401element and differs from the genetic environment ofblaKPC-5described inPseudomonas aeruginosastrain P28 from Puerto Rico. This study underscores the genetic diversity of multidrug-resistant plasmids involved in the spread ofblaKPCgenes and highlights the mobility and plasticity of Tn4401. Comparative genomic analysis provides new insights into the evolution and dissemination of KPC plasmids belonging to different incompatibility groups.


2018 ◽  
Vol 62 (11) ◽  
Author(s):  
Glen P. Carter ◽  
James E. Ussher ◽  
Anders Gonçalves Da Silva ◽  
Sarah L. Baines ◽  
Helen Heffernan ◽  
...  

ABSTRACT Coagulase-negative staphylococci (CoNS), such as Staphylococcus capitis, are major causes of bloodstream infections in neonatal intensive care units (NICUs). Recently, a distinct clone of S. capitis (designated S. capitis NRCS-A) has emerged as an important pathogen in NICUs internationally. Here, 122 S. capitis isolates from New Zealand (NZ) underwent whole-genome sequencing (WGS), and these data were supplemented with publicly available S. capitis sequence reads. Phylogenetic and comparative genomic analyses were performed, as were phenotypic assessments of antimicrobial resistance, biofilm formation, and plasmid segregational stability on representative isolates. A distinct lineage of S. capitis was identified in NZ associated with neonates and the NICU environment. Isolates from this lineage produced increased levels of biofilm, displayed higher levels of tolerance to chlorhexidine, and were multidrug resistant. Although similar to globally circulating NICU-associated S. capitis strains at a core-genome level, NZ NICU S. capitis isolates carried a novel stably maintained multidrug-resistant plasmid that was not present in non-NICU isolates. Neonatal blood culture isolates were indistinguishable from environmental S. capitis isolates found on fomites, such as stethoscopes and neonatal incubators, but were generally distinct from those isolates carried by NICU staff. This work implicates the NICU environment as a potential reservoir for neonatal sepsis caused by S. capitis and highlights the capacity of genomics-based tracking and surveillance to inform future hospital infection control practices aimed at containing the spread of this important neonatal pathogen.


2021 ◽  
Vol 10 (46) ◽  
Author(s):  
Kentaro Miyazaki ◽  
Natsuko Tokito

Complete genome resequencing was conducted for Thermus thermophilus strain TMY by hybrid assembly of Oxford Nanopore Technologies long-read and MGI short-read data. Errors in the previously reported genome sequence determined by PacBio technology alone were corrected, allowing for high-quality comparative genomic analysis of closely related T. thermophilus genomes.


2019 ◽  
Vol 87 (10) ◽  
Author(s):  
Tracy H. Hazen ◽  
David A. Rasko

ABSTRACT Enteropathogenic Escherichia coli (EPEC) is a leading cause of moderate to severe diarrhea among young children in developing countries, and EPEC isolates can be subdivided into two groups. Typical EPEC (tEPEC) bacteria are characterized by the presence of both the locus of enterocyte effacement (LEE) and the plasmid-encoded bundle-forming pilus (BFP), which are involved in adherence and translocation of type III effectors into the host cells. Atypical EPEC (aEPEC) bacteria also contain the LEE but lack the BFP. In the current report, we describe the complete genome of outbreak-associated aEPEC isolate E110019, which carries four plasmids. Comparative genomic analysis demonstrated that the type III secreted effector EspT gene, an autotransporter gene, a hemolysin gene, and putative fimbrial genes are all carried on plasmids. Further investigation of 65 espT-containing E. coli genomes demonstrated that different espT alleles are associated with multiple plasmids that differ in their overall gene content from the E110019 espT-containing plasmid. EspT has been previously described with respect to its role in the ability of E110019 to invade host cells. While other type III secreted effectors of E. coli have been identified on insertion elements and prophages of the chromosome, we demonstrated in the current study that the espT gene is located on multiple unique plasmids. These findings highlight a role of plasmids in dissemination of a unique E. coli type III secreted effector that is involved in host invasion and severe diarrheal illness.


2019 ◽  
Vol 119 (2) ◽  
pp. 683-686 ◽  
Author(s):  
Aline Lamien-Meda ◽  
David Leitsch

AbstractThe microaerophilic human parasite Trichomonas vaginalis causes infections in the urogenital tract and is one of the most often sexually transmitted pathogens worldwide. Due to its anaerobic metabolism, it has to quickly remove intracellular oxygen in order to avoid deactivation of essential metabolic enzymes such as oxygen-sensitive pyruvate:ferredoxin oxidoreductase (PFOR). Two major enzyme activities which are responsible for the removal, i.e. reduction, of molecular oxygen have been identified in T. vaginalis flavin reductase, formerly designated NADPH oxidase, which indirectly reduces oxygen to hydrogen peroxide via flavin mononucleotide (FMN), and NADH oxidase which reduces oxygen to water. Flavin reductase has been identified and characterized at the gene level as well as enzymatically, but NADH oxidase has so far only been characterized enzymatically with enzyme isolated from T. vaginalis cell extracts. In this study, we identified NADH oxidase by mass spectrometry after isolation of the enzyme from gel bands positively staining for NADH oxidase activity. In strain C1 (ATCC 30001) which is known to lack NADH oxidase activity completely, the NADH oxidase gene has a deletion at position 1540 of the open reading frame leading to a frame shift and, as a consequence, to premature termination of the encoded polypeptide.


mSystems ◽  
2020 ◽  
Vol 5 (5) ◽  
Author(s):  
Zhiqiu Yin ◽  
Si Zhang ◽  
Yi Wei ◽  
Meng Wang ◽  
Shuangshuang Ma ◽  
...  

The taxonomic position of P. shigelloides has been the subject of debate for a long time, and until now, the evolutionary dynamics and pathogenesis of P. shigelloides were unclear. In this study, pan-genome analysis indicated extensive genetic diversity and the presence of large and variable gene repertoires. Our results revealed that horizontal gene transfer was the focal driving force for the genetic diversity of the P. shigelloides pan-genome and might have contributed to the emergence of novel properties. Vibrionaceae and Aeromonadaceae were found to be the predominant donor taxa for horizontal genes, which might have caused the taxonomic confusion historically. Comparative genomic analysis revealed the potential of P. shigelloides to cause intestinal and invasive diseases. Our results could advance the understanding of the evolution and pathogenesis of P. shigelloides, particularly in elucidating the role of horizontal gene transfer and investigating virulence-related elements.


2016 ◽  
Vol 113 (26) ◽  
pp. 7231-7236 ◽  
Author(s):  
Robert W. Moon ◽  
Hazem Sharaf ◽  
Claire H. Hastings ◽  
Yung Shwen Ho ◽  
Mridul B. Nair ◽  
...  

The dominant cause of malaria in Malaysia is now Plasmodium knowlesi, a zoonotic parasite of cynomolgus macaque monkeys found throughout South East Asia. Comparative genomic analysis of parasites adapted to in vitro growth in either cynomolgus or human RBCs identified a genomic deletion that includes the gene encoding normocyte-binding protein Xa (NBPXa) in parasites growing in cynomolgus RBCs but not in human RBCs. Experimental deletion of the NBPXa gene in parasites adapted to growth in human RBCs (which retain the ability to grow in cynomolgus RBCs) restricted them to cynomolgus RBCs, demonstrating that this gene is selectively required for parasite multiplication and growth in human RBCs. NBPXa-null parasites could bind to human RBCs, but invasion of these cells was severely impaired. Therefore, NBPXa is identified as a key mediator of P. knowlesi human infection and may be a target for vaccine development against this emerging pathogen.


2012 ◽  
Vol 78 (7) ◽  
pp. 2264-2271 ◽  
Author(s):  
Allan L. Delisle ◽  
Ming Guo ◽  
Natalia I. Chalmers ◽  
Gerard J. Barcak ◽  
Geneviève M. Rousseau ◽  
...  

ABSTRACTM102AD is the new designation for aStreptococcus mutansphage described in 1993 as phage M102. This change was necessitated by the genome analysis of anotherS. mutansphage named M102, which revealed differences from the genome sequence reported here. Additional host range analyses confirmed thatS. mutansphage M102AD infects only a few serotype c strains. Phage M102AD adsorbed very slowly to its host, and it cannot adsorb to serotype e and f strains ofS. mutans. M102AD adsorption was blocked by c-specific antiserum. Phage M102AD also adsorbed equally well to heat-treated and trypsin-treated cells, suggesting carbohydrate receptors. Saliva and polysaccharide production did not inhibit plaque formation. The genome of this siphophage consisted of a linear, double-stranded, 30,664-bp DNA molecule, with a GC content of 39.6%. Analysis of the genome extremities indicated the presence of a 3′-overhangcossite that was 11 nucleotides long. Bioinformatic analyses identified 40 open reading frames, all in the same orientation. No lysogeny-related genes were found, indicating that phage M102AD is strictly virulent. No obvious virulence factor gene candidates were found. Twelve proteins were identified in the virion structure by mass spectrometry. Comparative genomic analysis revealed a close relationship betweenS. mutansphages M102AD and M102 as well as withStreptococcus thermophilusphages. This study also highlights the importance of conducting research with biological materials obtained from recognized microbial collections.


mSystems ◽  
2019 ◽  
Vol 4 (5) ◽  
Author(s):  
Haijian Du ◽  
Wenyan Zhang ◽  
Wensi Zhang ◽  
Weijia Zhang ◽  
Hongmiao Pan ◽  
...  

ABSTRACT The evolution of microbial magnetoreception (or magnetotaxis) is of great interest in the fields of microbiology, evolutionary biology, biophysics, geomicrobiology, and geochemistry. Current genomic data from magnetotactic bacteria (MTB), the only prokaryotes known to be capable of sensing the Earth’s geomagnetic field, suggests an ancient origin of magnetotaxis in the domain Bacteria. Vertical inheritance, followed by multiple independent magnetosome gene cluster loss, is considered to be one of the major forces that drove the evolution of magnetotaxis at or above the class or phylum level, although the evolutionary trajectories at lower taxonomic ranks (e.g., within the class level) remain largely unstudied. Here we report the isolation, cultivation, and sequencing of a novel magnetotactic spirillum belonging to the genus Terasakiella (Terasakiella sp. strain SH-1) within the class Alphaproteobacteria. The complete genome sequence of Terasakiella sp. strain SH-1 revealed an unexpected duplication event of magnetosome genes within the mamAB operon, a group of genes essential for magnetosome biomineralization and magnetotaxis. Intriguingly, further comparative genomic analysis suggests that the duplication of mamAB genes is a common feature in the genomes of alphaproteobacterial MTB. Taken together, with the additional finding that gene duplication appears to have also occurred in some magnetotactic members of the Deltaproteobacteria, our results indicate that gene duplication plays an important role in the evolution of magnetotaxis in the Alphaproteobacteria and perhaps the domain Bacteria. IMPORTANCE A diversity of organisms can sense the geomagnetic field for the purpose of navigation. Magnetotactic bacteria are the most primitive magnetism-sensing organisms known thus far and represent an excellent model system for the study of the origin, evolution, and mechanism of microbial magnetoreception (or magnetotaxis). The present study is the first report focused on magnetosome gene cluster duplication in the Alphaproteobacteria, which suggests the important role of gene duplication in the evolution of magnetotaxis in the Alphaproteobacteria and perhaps the domain Bacteria. A novel scenario for the evolution of magnetotaxis in the Alphaproteobacteria is proposed and may provide new insights into evolution of magnetoreception of higher species.


2013 ◽  
Vol 79 (17) ◽  
pp. 5130-5136 ◽  
Author(s):  
María Esteban-Torres ◽  
Inés Reverón ◽  
José Miguel Mancheño ◽  
Blanca de las Rivas ◽  
Rosario Muñoz

ABSTRACTLactobacillus plantarumis frequently found in the fermentation of plant-derived food products, where hydroxycinnamoyl esters are abundant.L. plantarumWCFS1 cultures were unable to hydrolyze hydroxycinnamoyl esters; however, cell extracts from the strain partially hydrolyze methyl ferulate and methylp-coumarate. In order to discover whether the protein Lp_0796 is the enzyme responsible for this hydrolytic activity, it was recombinantly overproduced and enzymatically characterized. Lp_0796 is an esterase that, among other substrates, is able to efficiently hydrolyze the four model substrates for feruloyl esterases (methyl ferulate, methyl caffeate, methylp-coumarate, and methyl sinapinate). A screening test for the detection of the gene encoding feruloyl esterase Lp_0796 revealed that it is generally present amongL. plantarumstrains. The present study constitutes the description of feruloyl esterase activity inL. plantarumand provides new insights into the metabolism of hydroxycinnamic compounds in this bacterial species.


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