Filter and export

Publications

What is a Publication?
625 Publications visible to you, out of a total of 625
Functional dissection of a trigger enzyme: mutations of the bacillus subtilis glutamate dehydrogenase RocG that affect differentially its catalytic activity and regulatory properties

Abstract (Expand)

Any signal transduction requires communication between a sensory component and an effector. Some enzymes engage in signal perception and transduction, as well as in catalysis, and these proteins are … known as "trigger" enzymes. In this report, we detail the trigger properties of RocG, the glutamate dehydrogenase of Bacillus subtilis. RocG not only deaminates the key metabolite glutamate to form alpha-ketoglutarate but also interacts directly with GltC, a LysR-type transcription factor that regulates glutamate biosynthesis from alpha-ketoglutarate, thus linking the two metabolic pathways. We have isolated mutants of RocG that separate the two functions. Several mutations resulted in permanent inactivation of GltC as long as a source of glutamate was present. These RocG proteins have lost their ability to catabolize glutamate due to a strongly reduced affinity for glutamate. The second class of mutants is exemplified by the replacement of aspartate residue 122 by asparagine. This mutant protein has retained enzymatic activity but has lost the ability to control the activity of GltC. Crystal structures of glutamate dehydrogenases that permit a molecular explanation of the properties of the various mutants are presented. Specifically, we may propose that D122N replacement affects the surface of RocG. Our data provide evidence for a correlation between the enzymatic activity of RocG and its ability to inactivate GltC, and thus give insights into the mechanism that couples the enzymatic activity of a trigger enzyme to its regulatory function.

Authors: Katrin Gunka, , Fabian M Commichau, Christina Herzberg, Cecilia Rodrigues, Lorraine Hewitt, , Jörg Stülke

Date Published: 22nd Feb 2010

Publication Type: Not specified

Metabolomic systems biology of trypanosomes

Abstract (Expand)

Metabolomics analysis, which aims at the systematic identification and quantification of all metabolites in biological systems, is emerging as a powerful new tool to identify biomarkers of disease, … report on cellular responses to environmental perturbation, and to identify the targets of drugs. Here we discuss recent developments in metabolomic analysis, from the perspective of trypanosome research, highlighting remaining challenges and the most promising areas for future research.

Editor:

Date Published: 17th Feb 2010

Publication Type: Not specified

Heterochronic phosphorelay gene expression as a source of heterogeneity in Bacillus subtilis spore formation

Abstract (Expand)

In response to limiting nutrient sources and cell density signals, Bacillus subtilis can differentiate and form highly resistant endospores. Initiation of spore development is governed by the master … regulator Spo0A, which is activated by phosphorylation via a multicomponent phosphorelay. Interestingly, only part of a clonal population will enter this developmental pathway, a phenomenon known as sporulation bistability or sporulation heterogeneity. How sporulation heterogeneity is established is largely unknown. To investigate the origins of sporulation heterogeneity, we constructed promoter-green fluorescent protein (GFP) fusions to the main phosphorelay genes and perturbed their expression levels. Using time-lapse fluorescence microscopy and flow cytometry, we showed that expression of the phosphorelay genes is distributed in a unimodal manner. However, single-cell trajectories revealed that phosphorelay gene expression is highly dynamic or "heterochronic" between individual cells and that stochasticity of phosphorelay gene transcription might be an important regulatory mechanism for sporulation heterogeneity. Furthermore, we showed that artificial induction or depletion of the phosphorelay phosphate flow results in loss of sporulation heterogeneity. Our data suggest that sporulation heterogeneity originates from highly dynamic and variable gene activity of the phosphorelay components, resulting in large cell-to-cell variability with regard to phosphate input into the system. These transcriptional and posttranslational differences in phosphorelay activity appear to be sufficient to generate a heterogeneous sporulation signal without the need of the positive-feedback loop established by the sigma factor SigH.

Editor:

Date Published: 12th Feb 2010

Publication Type: Not specified

Saccharomyces cerevisiae BY4741 and W303-1A laboratory strains differ in salt tolerance

Abstract (Expand)

Saccharomyces cerevisiae yeast cells serve as a model to elucidate the bases of salt tolerance and potassium homeostasis regulation in eukaryotic cells. In this study, we show that two widely used … laboratory strains, BY4741 and W303-1A, differ not only in cell size and volume but also in their relative plasma-membrane potential (estimated with a potentiometric fluorescent dye diS-C3(3) and as Hygromycin B sensitivity) and tolerance to alkali-metal cations. W303-1A cells and their mutant derivatives lacking either uptake (trk1 trk2) or efflux (nha1) systems for alkali-metal cations are more tolerant to toxic sodium and lithium cations but also more sensitive to higher external concentrations of potassium than BY4741 cells and their mutants. Moreover, our results suggest that though the two strains do not differ in the total potassium content, the regulation of intracellular potassium homeostasis is probably not the same in BY4741 and W303-1A cells.

Editor:

Date Published: 1st Feb 2010

Publication Type: Not specified

Miniaturized device for agitating a high-density yeast suspension that is suitable for in vivo nuclear magnetic resonance applications

Abstract (Expand)

In vivo nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) monitoring requires a high-density cell suspension, where cell precipitation should be avoided. We have designed a miniaturized cell agitator that fits entirely … into an 8-mm NMR probe but that, being mounted into the instrument, is situated outside of the sensitive area. The device consists of two glass tubes connected in a way that, when gas flow is blown through them, creates influx of cell suspension into the device that returns through apertures. This flow creates continuous circular vortex of the cell suspension in the whole sample volume, whereas there are no moving mechanical parts or gas bubbles crossing the instrument’s sensitive area. The gas flow controls conditions of the cell suspension and removes volatile waste metabolites.

Authors: , Christian Bock

Date Published: 1st Feb 2010

Publication Type: Not specified

Transformation of environmental Bacillus subtilis isolates by transiently inducing genetic competence

Abstract (Expand)

Domesticated laboratory strains of Bacillus subtilis readily take up and integrate exogenous DNA. In contrast, "wild" ancestors or Bacillus strains recently isolated from the environment can … only be genetically modified by phage transduction, electroporation or protoplast transformation. Such methods are laborious, have a variable yield or cannot efficiently be used to alter chromosomal DNA. A major disadvantage of using laboratory strains is that they have often lost, or do not display ecologically relevant physiologies such as the ability to form biofilms. Here we present a method that allows genetic transformation by natural competence in several environmental isolates of B. subtilis. Competence in these strains was established by expressing the B. subtilis competence transcription factor ComK from an IPTG-inducible promoter construct present on an unstable plasmid. This transiently activates expression of the genes required for DNA uptake and recombination in the host strain. After transformation, the comK encoding plasmid is lost easily because of its intrinsic instability and the transformed strain returns to its wild state. Using this method, we have successfully generated mutants and introduced foreign DNA into a number of environmental isolates and also B. subtilis strain NCIB3610, which is widely used to study biofilm formation. Application of the same method to strains of B. licheniformis was unsuccessful. The efficient and rapid approach described here may facilitate genetic studies in a wider array of environmental B. subtilis strains.

Authors: Reindert Nijland, J Grant Burgess, Jeff Errington,

Date Published: 11th Jan 2010

Publication Type: Not specified

Cellular Immune Responses to Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome Coronavirus (SARS-CoV) Infection in Senescent BALB/c Mice: CD4+ T Cells Are Important in Control of SARS-CoV Infection

Abstract

Not specified

Authors: J. Chen, Y. F. Lau, E. W. Lamirande, C. D. Paddock, J. H. Bartlett, S. R. Zaki, K. Subbarao

Date Published: 11th Jan 2010

Publication Type: Journal

Identification and characterization of the PhhR regulon inPseudomonas putida

Abstract (Expand)

Pseudomonas putida is a soil microorganism that utilizes aromatic amino acids present in root exudates as a nitrogen source. We have previously shown that the PhhR transcriptional regulator induces … phhAB genes encoding a phenylalanine hydroxylase. In this study we show, using microarray assays and promoter fusions, that PhhR is a global regulator responsible for the activation of genes essential for phenylalanine degradation, phenylalanine homeostasis and other genes of unknown function. Recently, it has been shown that phenylalanine catabolism occurs through more than one pathway. One of these possible pathways involves the metabolism of phenylalanine via tyrosine, p-hydroxyphenylpyruvate, and homogentisate. We identified two genes within this pathway that encode an acyl-CoA transferase involved in the metabolism of acetoacetate. All genes in this pathway were induced in response to phenylalanine in a PhhR-proficient background. The second potential degradative pathway involves the degradation of phenylalanine to produce phenylpyruvate, which seems to be degraded via phenylacetyl-CoA. A number of mutants in the paa genes encoding phenylacetyl-CoA degradation enzymes fail to grow on phenylpyruvate or phenylacetate, further supporting the existence of this second pathway. We found that the PhhR regulon also includes genes involved in the biosynthesis of aromatic amino acids that are repressed in the presence of phenylalanine, suggesting the possibility of feedback at the transcriptional level. In addition, we found that PhhR modulates the level of expression of the broad-substrate-specificity MexEF/OprN efflux pump. Expression from this pump is under the control of mexT gene product because phenylalanine-dependent transcription from the mexE promoter does not occur in a mexT mutant background. These results place PhhR as an important regulator in the control of bacterial responses to aromatic amino acids.

Authors: M. Carmen Herrera, , José J. Rodríguez-Herva, Ana M. Fernández-Escamilla,

Date Published: 2010

Publication Type: Not specified

Metabolic modeling and analysis of the metabolic switch in Streptomyces coelicolor

Abstract (Expand)

Background The transition from exponential to stationary phase in Streptomyces coelicolor is accompanied by a major metabolic switch and results in a strong activation of secondary metabolism. Here we … have explored the underlying reorganization of the metabolome by combining computational predictions based on constraint-based modeling and detailed transcriptomics time course observations. Results We reconstructed the stoichiometric matrix of S. coelicolor, including the major antibiotic biosynthesis pathways, and performed flux balance analysis to predict flux changes that occur when the cell switches from biomass to antibiotic production. We defined the model input based on observed fermenter culture data and used a dynamically varying objective function to represent the metabolic switch. The predicted fluxes of many genes show highly significant correlation to the time series of the corresponding gene expression data. Individual mispredictions identify novel links between antibiotic production and primary metabolism. Conclusion Our results show the usefulness of constraint-based modeling for providing a detailed interpretation of time course gene expression data. Other Sections▼

Authors: , , The STREAM Consortium (stream), , , ,

Date Published: 2010

Publication Type: Not specified

Integration of sensitivity and bifurcation analysis to detect critical processes in a model combining signalling and cell population dynamics

Abstract (Expand)

In this article we present and test a strategy to integrate, in a sequential manner, sensitivity analysis, bifurcation analysis and predictive simulations. Our strategy uses some of these methods in a … coordinated way such that information, generated in one step, feeds into the definition of further analyses and helps refining the structure of the mathematical model. The aim of the method is to help in the designing of more informative predictive simulations, which focus on critical model parameters and the biological effects of their modulation. We tested our methodology with a multilevel model, accounting for the effect of erythropoietin (Epo)-mediated JAK2-STAT5 signalling in erythropoiesis. Our analysis revealed that time-delays associated with the proliferation-differentiation process are critical to induce pathological sustained oscillations, whereas the modulation of time-delays related to intracellular signalling and hypoxia-controlled physiological dynamics is not enough to induce self-oscillations in the system. Furthermore, our results suggest that the system is able to compensate (through the physiological-level feedback loop on hypoxia) the partial impairment of intracellular signalling processes (downregulation or overexpression of Epo receptor complex and STAT5), but cannot control impairment in some critical physiological-level processes, which provoke the emergence of pathological oscillations.

Authors: S. Nikolov, X. Lai, , , J. Vera

Date Published: 2010

Publication Type: Not specified

Ref2, a regulatory subunit of the yeast protein phosphatase 1, is a novel component of cation homoeostasis

Abstract (Expand)

Maintenance of cation homoeostasis is a key process for any living organism. Specific mutations in Glc7, the essential catalytic subunit of yeast protein phosphatase 1, result in salt and alkaline pH … sensitivity, suggesting a role for this protein in cation homoeostasis. We screened a collection of Glc7 regulatory subunit mutants for altered tolerance to diverse cations (sodium, lithium and calcium) and alkaline pH. Among 18 candidates, only deletion of REF2 (RNA end formation 2) yielded increased sensitivity to these conditions, as well as to diverse organic toxic cations. The Ref2F374A mutation, which renders it unable to bind Glc7, did not rescue the salt-related phenotypes of the ref2 strain, suggesting that Ref2 function in cation homoeostasis is mediated by Glc7. The ref2 deletion mutant displays a marked decrease in lithium efflux, which can be explained by the inability of these cells to fully induce the Na+-ATPase ENA1 gene. The effect of lack of Ref2 is additive to that of blockage of the calcineurin pathway and might disrupt multiple mechanisms controlling ENA1 expression. ref2 cells display a striking defect in vacuolar morphogenesis, which probably accounts for the increased calcium levels observed under standard growth conditions and the strong calcium sensitivity of this mutant. Remarkably, the evidence collected indicates that the role of Ref2 in cation homoeostasis may be unrelated to its previously identified function in the formation of mRNA via the APT (for associated with Pta1) complex.

Authors: Jofre Ferrer-Dalmau, Asier González, Maria Platara, , José L Martínez, , , ,

Date Published: 24th Dec 2009

Publication Type: Not specified

Computer controlled automated assay for comprehensive studies of enzyme kinetic parameters

Abstract (Expand)

Stability and biological activity of proteins is highly dependent on their physicochemical environment. The development of realistic models of biological systems necessitates quantitative information … on the response to changes of external conditions like pH, salinity and concentrations of substrates and allosteric modulators. Changes in just a few variable parameters rapidly lead to large numbers of experimental conditions, which go beyond the experimental capacity of most research groups. We implemented a computer-aided experimenting framework ("robot lab assistant") that allows us to parameterize abstract, human-readable descriptions of micro-plate based experiments with variable parameters and execute them on a conventional 8 channel liquid handling robot fitted with a sensitive plate reader. A set of newly developed R-packages translates the instructions into machine commands, executes them, collects the data and processes it without user-interaction. By combining script-driven experimental planning, execution and data-analysis, our system can react to experimental outcomes autonomously, allowing outcome-based iterative experimental strategies. The framework was applied in a response-surface model based iterative optimization of buffer conditions and investigation of substrate, allosteric effector, pH and salt dependent activity profiles of pyruvate kinase (PYK). A diprotic model of enzyme kinetics was used to model the combined effects of changing pH and substrate concentrations. The 8 parameters of the model could be estimated from a single two-hour experiment using nonlinear least-squares regression. The model with the estimated parameters successfully predicted pH and PEP dependence of initial reaction rates, while the PEP concentration dependent shift of optimal pH could only be reproduced with a set of manually tweaked parameters. Differences between model-predictions and experimental observations at low pH suggest additional protonation-sites at the enzyme or substrates critical for enzymatic activity. The developed framework is a powerful tool to investigate enzyme reaction specifics and explore biological system behaviour in a wide range of experimental conditions.

Authors: Felix Bonowski, , , Jinda Holzwarth, Igor Kitanovic, Van Ngoc Bui, Elke Lederer,

Date Published: 23rd Dec 2009

Publication Type: Not specified

The SARS Coronavirus 3a Protein Causes Endoplasmic Reticulum Stress and Induces Ligand-Independent Downregulation of the Type 1 Interferon Receptor

Abstract (Expand)

The Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome Coronavirus (SARS-CoV) is reported to cause apoptosis of infected cells and several of its proteins including the 3a accessory protein, are pro-apoptotic. Since … the 3a protein localizes to the endoplasmic reticulum (ER)-Golgi compartment, its role in causing ER stress was investigated in transiently transfected cells. Cells expressing the 3a proteins showed ER stress based on activation of genes for the ER chaperones GRP78 and GRP94. Since ER stress can cause differential modulation of the unfolded protein response (UPR), which includes the inositol-requiring enzyme 1 (IRE-1), activating transcription factor 6 (ATF6) and PKR-like ER kinase (PERK) pathways, these were individually tested in 3a-expressing cells. Only the PERK pathway was found to be activated in 3a-expressing cells based on (1) increased phosphorylation of eukaryotic initiation factor 2 alpha (eIF2a) and inhibitory effects of a dominant-negative form of eIF2a on GRP78 promoter activity, (2) increased translation of activating transcription factor 4 (ATF4) mRNA, and (3) ATF4dependent activation of the C/EBP homologous protein (CHOP) gene promoter. Activation of PERK affects innate immunity by suppression of type 1 interferon (IFN) signaling. The 3a protein was found to induce serine phosphorylation within the IFN alpha-receptor subunit 1 (IFNAR1) degradation motif and to increase IFNAR1 ubiquitination. Confocal microscopic analysis showed increased translocation of IFNAR1 into the lysosomal compartment and flow cytometry showed reduced levels of IFNAR1 in 3a-expressing cells. These results provide further mechanistic details of the pro-apoptotic effects of the SARS-CoV 3a protein, and suggest a potential role for it in attenuating interferon responses and innate immunity.

Authors: Rinki Minakshi, Kartika Padhan, Manjusha Rani, Nabab Khan, Faizan Ahmad, Shahid Jameel

Date Published: 17th Dec 2009

Publication Type: Journal

Signal Transduction by Trigger Enzymes: Bifunctional Enzymes and Transporters Controlling Gene Expression

Abstract

Not specified

Authors: Fabian M. Commichau, Jrg Stlke

Date Published: 16th Dec 2009

Publication Type: Not specified

Recombination between ccrC genes in a type V (5C2&5) staphylococcal cassette chromosome mec (SCCmec) of Staphylococcus aureus ST398 leads to conversion from methicillin resistance to methicillin susceptibility in vivo

Abstract (Expand)

Various types of the staphylococcal cassette chromosome mec (SCCmec) are known to confer methicillin resistance on the human pathogen Staphylococcus aureus. Such cassettes are not always stably maintained. … The present studies were aimed at identifying the mechanism underlying the in vivo conversion of methicillin-resistant S. aureus (MRSA) to methicillin-susceptible S. aureus (MSSA) derivatives as encountered in two patients suffering from pneumonia and an umbilicus infection, respectively. All MRSA and MSSA isolates identified belong to multilocus sequence type (MLST) 398, have spa type t034, and are Panton-Valentine leukocidin positive. Sequencing of 27,616 nucleotides from the chromosomal SCCmec insertion site in orfX to the hsdR gene for a restriction enzyme revealed a type V (5C2&5) SCCmec. Sequence comparisons show that parts of the cassette are highly similar to sequences within SCCmec elements from coagulase-negative staphylococci, indicating a possible common origin. The cassette investigated contains ccrC-carrying units on either side of its class C2b mec gene complex. In vivo loss of the mec gene complex was caused by recombination between the recombinase genes ccrC1 allele 8 and ccrC1 allele 10. In vitro, the SCCmec was very stable, and low-frequency MRSA-to-MSSA conversion was only observed when MRSA isolates were cultivated at 41 degrees C for prolonged periods of time. In this case also, loss of the mec complex was due to ccrC gene recombination. Interestingly, the MRSA and MSSA isolates studied displayed no detectable differences in competitive growth and virulence, suggesting that the presence of the intact type V (5C2&5) SCCmec has no negative bearing on staphylococcal fitness under the conditions used.

Authors: Monika A Chlebowicz, Kristelle Nganou, Svitlana Kozytska, Jan P Arends, Susanne Engelmann, Hajo Grundmann, Knut Ohlsen, , Girbe Buist

Date Published: 7th Dec 2009

Publication Type: Not specified

Quantitative proteomic analysis of Sulfolobus solfataricus membrane proteins

Abstract (Expand)

A quantitative proteomic analysis of the membrane of the archaeon Sulfolobus solfataricus P2 using iTRAQ was successfully demonstrated in this technical note. The estimated number of membrane proteins … of this organism is 883 (predicted based on Gravy score), corresponding to 30% of the total number of proteins. Using a modified iTRAQ protocol for membrane protein analysis, of the 284 proteins detected, 246 proteins were identified as membrane proteins, while using an original iTRAQ protocol, 147 proteins were detected with only 133 proteins being identified as membrane proteins. Furthermore, 97.2% of proteins identified in the modified protocol contained more than 2 distinct peptides compared to the original workflow. The successful application of this modified protocol offers a potential technique for quantitatively analyzing membrane-associated proteomes of organisms in the archaeal kingdom. The combination of 3 different iTRAQ experiments resulted in the detection of 395 proteins (>or=2 distinct peptides) of which 373 had predicted membrane properties. Approximately 20% of the quantified proteins were observed to exhibit >or=1.5-fold differential expression at temperatures well below the optimum for growth.

Editor:

Date Published: 4th Dec 2009

Publication Type: Not specified

Connecting parts with processes: SubtiWiki and SubtiPathways integrate gene and pathway annotation for Bacillus subtilis

Abstract (Expand)

Bacillus subtilis is the model organism for a large group of Gram-positive bacteria, the Firmicutes. Several online databases have been established over time to manage its genetic and metabolic … information, but they differ greatly in their rate of update and their focus on B. subtilis. Therefore, a European systems biology consortium called for an integrated solution that empowers its users to enrich online content. To meet this goal we created SubtiWiki and SubtiPathways, two complementary online tools for gene and pathway information on B. subtilis 168. SubtiWiki (http://subtiwiki.uni-goettingen.de/ ) is a scientific wiki for all genes of B. subtilis and their protein or RNA products. Each gene page contains a summary of the most important information; sections on the gene, its product and expression; sections concerning biological materials and laboratories; and a list of references. SubtiWiki has been seeded with key content and can be extended by any researcher after a simple registration, thus keeping it always up to date. As a complement, SubtiPathways (http://subtipathways.uni-goettingen.de/) is an online tool for navigation of the metabolism of B. subtilis and its regulation. Each SubtiPathways diagram presents a metabolic pathway with its participating enzymes, together with the regulatory mechanisms that act on their expression and activity, in an intuitive interface that is based on Google Maps. Together, SubtiWiki and SubtiPathways provide an integrated view of the processes that make up B. subtilis and its components, making it the most comprehensive web resource for B. subtilis researchers.

Authors: Christoph R Lammers, , Arne G Schmeisky, Sebastian F Roppel, Ulrike Mäder, ,

Date Published: 3rd Dec 2009

Publication Type: Not specified

A mathematical investigation of the effects of inhibitor therapy on three putative phosphorylation cascades governing the two-component system of the agr operon

Abstract (Expand)

Two-component systems (TCSs) are widely employed by bacteria to sense specific external signals and conduct an appropriate response via a phosphorylation cascade within the cell. The TCS of the agr … operon in the bacterium Staphylococcus aureus forms part of a regulatory process termed quorum sensing, a cell-to-cell communication mechanism used to assess population density. Since S. aureus manipulates this "knowledge" in order to co-ordinate production of its armoury of exotoxin virulence factors required to promote infection, it is important to understand fully how this process works. We present three models of the agr operon, each incorporating a different phosphorylation cascade for the TCS since the precise nature of the cascade is not fully understood. Using numerical and asymptotic techniques we examine the effects of inhibitor therapy, a novel approach to controlling bacterial infection through the attenuation of virulence, on each of these three cascades. We present results which, if evaluated against appropriate experimental data, provide insights into the potential effectiveness of such therapy. Moreover, the TCS models presented here are of broad relevance given that TCSs are widely conserved throughout the bacterial kingdom.

Authors: , , Paul Williams

Date Published: 30th Nov 2009

Publication Type: Not specified

Contributions of the pre- and pro-regions of a Staphylococcus hyicus lipase to secretion of a heterologous protein by Bacillus subtilis

Abstract (Expand)

Bacillus subtilis is a well-established cell factory for efficient secretion of many biotechnologically relevant enzymes that are naturally produced by it or related organisms. However, the use of B. … subtilis as a host for production of heterologous secretory proteins can be complicated by problems related to inefficient translocation of the foreign proteins across the plasma membrane or to inefficient release of the exported proteins from the cell surface into the surrounding medium. Therefore, there is a clear need for tools that allow more efficient membrane targeting, translocation, and release during the production of these proteins. In the present study, we investigated the contributions of the pre (pre(lip)) and pro (pro(lip)) sequences of a Staphylococcus hyicus lipase to secretion of a heterologous protein, the alkaline phosphatase PhoA of Escherichia coli, by B. subtilis. The results indicate that the presence of the pro(lip)-peptide, in combination with the lipase signal peptide (pre(lip)), contributes significantly to the efficient secretion of PhoA by B. subtilis and that pre(lip) directs PhoA secretion more efficiently than the authentic signal peptide of PhoA. Genome-wide transcriptional analyses of the host cell responses indicate that, under the conditions tested, no known secretion or membrane-cell wall stress responses were provoked by the production of PhoA with any of the pre- and pro-region sequences used. Our data underscore the view that the pre-pro signals of the S. hyicus lipase are very useful tools for secretion of heterologous proteins in B. subtilis.

Authors: Thijs R H M Kouwen, Allan K Nielsen, Emma L Denham, Jean-Yves F Dubois, Ronald Dorenbos, Michael D Rasmussen, Wim J Quax, Roland Freudl,

Date Published: 30th Nov 2009

Publication Type: Not specified

Significance analysis and statistical mechanics: an application to clustering

Abstract (Expand)

This Letter addresses the statistical significance of structures in random data: given a set of vectors and a measure of mutual similarity, how likely is it that a subset of these vectors forms a cluster … with enhanced similarity among its elements? The computation of this cluster p value for randomly distributed vectors is mapped onto a well-defined problem of statistical mechanics. We solve this problem analytically, establishing a connection between the physics of quenched disorder and multiple-testing statistics in clustering and related problems. In an application to gene expression data, we find a remarkable link between the statistical significance of a cluster and the functional relationships between its genes.

Authors: Marta Łuksza, Michael Lässig,

Date Published: 27th Nov 2009

Publication Type: Not specified

Annotation and merging of SBML models with semanticSBML

Abstract (Expand)

SUMMARY: Systems Biology Markup Language (SBML) is the leading exchange format for mathematical models in Systems Biology. Semantic annotations link model elements with external knowledge via unique … database identifiers and ontology terms, enabling software to check and process models by their biochemical meaning. Such information is essential for model merging, one of the key steps towards the construction of large kinetic models. SemanticSBML is a tool that helps users to check and edit MIRIAM annotations and SBO terms in SBML models. Using a large collection of biochemical names and database identifiers, it supports modellers in finding the right annotations and in merging existing models. Initially, an element matching is derived from the MIRIAM annotations and conflicting element attributes are categorized and highlighted. Conflicts can then be resolved automatically or manually, allowing the user to control the merging process in detail. AVAILABILITY: SemanticSBML comes as a free software written in Python and released under the GPL 3. A Debian package, a source package for other Linux distributions, a Windows installer and an online version of semanticSBML with limited functionality are available at http://www.semanticsbml.org. A preinstalled version can be found on the Linux live DVD SB.OS, available at http://www.sbos.eu. SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: Supplementary data are available at Bioinformatics online.

Authors: , Jannis Uhlendorf, Timo Lubitz, Marvin Schulz, , Wolfram Liebermeister

Date Published: 17th Nov 2009

Publication Type: Not specified

Staphylococcal PknB as the first prokaryotic representative of the proline-directed kinases

Abstract (Expand)

In eukaryotic cell types, virtually all cellular processes are under control of proline-directed kinases and especially MAP kinases. Serine/threonine kinases in general were originally considered as a … eukaryote-specific enzyme family. However, recent studies have revealed that orthologues of eukaryotic serine/threonine kinases exist in bacteria. Moreover, various pathogenic species, such as Yersinia and Mycobacterium, require serine/threonine kinases for successful invasion of human host cells. The substrates targeted by bacterial serine/threonine kinases have remained largely unknown. Here we report that the serine/threonine kinase PknB from the important pathogen Staphylococcus aureus is released into the external milieu, which opens up the possibility that PknB does not only phosphorylate bacterial proteins but also proteins of the human host. To identify possible human targets of purified PknB, we studied in vitro phosphorylation of peptide microarrays and detected 68 possible human targets for phosphorylation. These results show that PknB is a proline-directed kinase with MAP kinase-like enzymatic activity. As the potential cellular targets for PknB are involved in apoptosis, immune responses, transport, and metabolism, PknB secretion may help the bacterium to evade intracellular killing and facilitate its growth. In apparent agreement with this notion, phosphorylation of the host-cell response coordinating transcription factor ATF-2 by PknB was confirmed by mass spectrometry. Taken together, our results identify PknB as the first prokaryotic representative of the proline-directed kinase/MAP kinase family of enzymes.

Authors: Malgorzata Miller, Stefanie Donat, Sonja Rakette, Thilo Stehle, Thijs R H M Kouwen, Sander H Diks, Annette Dreisbach, Ewoud Reilman, Katrin Gronau, Dörte Becher, Maikel P Peppelenbosch, , Knut Ohlsen

Date Published: 12th Nov 2009

Publication Type: Not specified

Systems biology: the elements and principles of life

Abstract (Expand)

Systems Biology has a mission that puts it at odds with traditional paradigms of physics and molecular biology, such as the simplicity requested by Occam's razor and minimum energy/maximal efficiency. … By referring to biochemical experiments on control and regulation, and on flux balancing in yeast, we show that these paradigms are inapt. Systems Biology does not quite converge with biology either: Although it certainly requires accurate 'stamp collecting', it discovers quantitative laws. Systems Biology is a science of its own, discovering own fundamental principles, some of which we identify here.

Authors: , Catherine Winder, , Evangelos Simeonidis, Malgorzata Adamczyk, , Frank J Bruggeman, Warwick Dunn

Date Published: 6th Nov 2009

Publication Type: Not specified

Functional analysis of new transporters involved in stress tolerance inPseudomonas putidaDOT-T1E

Abstract (Expand)

Pseudomonas putida DOT-T1E is a highly solvent-tolerant strain. Although the main mechanism that confers solvent tolerance to the strain is the TtgGHI efflux pump, a number of other proteins are also … involved in the response to toluene. Previous proteomic and transcriptomic analysis carried out in our lab with P. putida DOT-T1E, and the solvent-sensitive strain, P. putida KT2440, revealed several transporters that were induced in the presence of toluene. We prepared five mutants of the corresponding genes in P. putida DOT-T1E and analysed their phenotypes with respect to solvent tolerance, stress endurance and growth with different carbon, nitrogen and sulfur sources. The data clearly demonstrated that two transporters (Ttg2ABC and TtgK) are involved in multidrug resistance and toluene tolerance, whereas another (homologous to PP0219 of P. putida KT2440) is a sulfate/sulfite transporter. No clear function could be assigned to the other two transporters. Of the transporters shown to be involved in toluene tolerance, one (ttg2ABC) belongs to the ATP-Binding Cassette (ABC) family, and is involved in multidrug resistance in P. putida DOT-T1E, while the other belongs to the Major Facilitator Superfamily and exhibits homology to a putative transporter of the Bcr/CflA family that has not previously been reported to be involved in toluene tolerance.

Authors: Vanina García, Patricia Godoy, Craig Daniels, Ana Hurtado, , Ana Segura

Date Published: 1st Nov 2009

Publication Type: Not specified

The ion channel activity of the SARS-coronavirus 3a protein is linked to its pro-apoptotic function

Abstract (Expand)

The severe acute respiratory syndrome-coronavirus (SARS-CoV) caused an outbreak of atypical pneumonia in 2003. The SARS-CoV viral genome encodes several proteins which have no homology to proteins in … any other coronaviruses, and a number of these proteins have been implicated in viral cytopathies. One such protein is 3a, which is also known as X1, ORF3 and U274. 3a expression is detected in both SARS-CoV infected cultured cells and patients. Among the different functions identified, 3a is a capable of inducing apoptosis. We previously showed that caspase pathways are involved in 3a-induced apoptosis. In this study, we attempted to find out protein domains on 3a that are essential for its pro-apoptotic function. Protein sequence analysis reveals that 3a possesses three major protein signatures, the cysteine-rich, Yxx␾ and diacidic domains. We showed that 3a proteins carrying respective mutations in these protein domains exhibit reduced pro-apoptotic activities, indicating the importance of these domains on 3a’s pro-apoptotic function. It was previously reported that 3a possesses potassium ion channel activity. We further demonstrated that the blockade of 3a’s potassium channel activity abolished caspase-dependent apoptosis. This report provides the first evidence that ion channel activity of 3a is required for its proapoptotic function. As ion channel activity has been reported to regulate apoptosis in different pathologic conditions, finding ways to modulate the ion channel activity may offer a new direction toward the inhibition of apoptosis triggered by SARS-CoV.

Authors: Chak-Ming Chan, Ho Tsoi, Wing-Man Chan, Shenyu Zhai, Ching-On Wong, Xiaoqiang Yao, Wood-Yee Chan, Stephen Kwok-Wing Tsui, Ho Yin Edwin Chan

Date Published: 1st Nov 2009

Publication Type: Journal

Diamide triggers mainly S Thiolations in the cytoplasmic proteomes of Bacillus subtilis and Staphylococcus aureus

Abstract (Expand)

Glutathione constitutes a key player in the thiol redox buffer in many organisms. However, the gram-positive bacteria Bacillus subtilis and Staphylococcus aureus lack this low-molecular-weight thiol. … Recently, we identified S-cysteinylated proteins in B. subtilis after treatment of cells with the disulfide-generating electrophile diamide. S cysteinylation is thought to protect protein thiols against irreversible oxidation to sulfinic and sulfonic acids. Here we show that S thiolation occurs also in S. aureus proteins after exposure to diamide. We further analyzed the formation of inter- and intramolecular disulfide bonds in cytoplasmic proteins using diagonal nonreducing/reducing sodium dodecyl sulfate gel electrophoresis. However, only a few proteins were identified that form inter- or intramolecular disulfide bonds under control and diamide stress conditions in B. subtilis and S. aureus. Depletion of the cysteine pool was concomitantly measured in B. subtilis using a metabolomics approach. Thus, the majority of reversible thiol modifications that were previously detected by two-dimensional gel fluorescence-based thiol modification assay are most likely based on S thiolations. Finally, we found that a glutathione-producing B. subtilis strain which expresses the Listeria monocytogenes gshF gene did not show enhanced oxidative stress resistance compared to the wild type.

Authors: Dierk-Christoph Pöther, Manuel Liebeke, Falko Hochgräfe, Haike Antelmann, Dörte Becher, , Ulrike Lindequist, Ilya Borovok, Gerald Cohen, Yair Aharonowitz,

Date Published: 16th Oct 2009

Publication Type: Not specified

Ribosome and transcript copy numbers, polysome occupancy and enzyme dynamics in Arabidopsis

Abstract (Expand)

Plants are exposed to continual changes in the environment. The daily alternation between light and darkness results in massive recurring changes in the carbon budget, and leads to widespread changes … in transcript levels. These diurnal changes are superimposed on slower changes in the environment. Quantitative molecular information about the numbers of ribosomes, of transcripts for 35 enzymes in central metabolism and their loading into polysomes is used to estimate translation rates in Arabidopsis rosettes, and explore the consequences for important sub-processes in plant growth. Translation rates for individual enzyme are compared with their abundance in the rosette to predict which enzymes are subject to rapid turnover every day, and which are synthesized at rates that would allow only slow adjustments to sustained changes of the environment, or resemble those needed to support the observed rate of growth. Global translation rates are used to estimate the energy costs of protein synthesis and relate them to the plant carbon budget, in particular the rates of starch degradation and respiration at night.

Authors: Maria Piques, Waltraud X Schulze, Melanie Höhne, Björn Usadel, Yves Gibon, Johann Rohwer, Mark Stitt

Date Published: 13th Oct 2009

Publication Type: Not specified

Stress-responsive systems set specific limits to the overproduction of membrane proteins in Bacillus subtilis

Abstract (Expand)

Essential membrane proteins are generally recognized as relevant potential drug targets due to their exposed localization in the cell envelope. Unfortunately, high-level production of membrane proteins … for functional and structural analyses is often problematic. This is mainly due to their high overall hydrophobicity. To develop new concepts for membrane protein overproduction, we investigated whether the biogenesis of overproduced membrane proteins is affected by stress response-related proteolytic systems in the membrane. For this purpose, the well-established expression host Bacillus subtilis was used to overproduce eight essential membrane proteins from B. subtilis and Staphylococcus aureus. The results show that the sigma(W) regulon (responding to cell envelope perturbations) and the CssRS two-component regulatory system (responding to unfolded exported proteins) set critical limits to membrane protein production in large quantities. The identified sigW or cssRS mutant B. subtilis strains with significantly improved capacity for membrane protein production are interesting candidate expression hosts for fundamental research and biotechnological applications. Importantly, our results pinpoint the interdependent expression and function of membrane-associated proteases as key parameters in bacterial membrane protein production.

Authors: Jessica C Zweers, Thomas Wiegert,

Date Published: 9th Oct 2009

Publication Type: Not specified

The large mechanosensitive channel MscL determines bacterial susceptibility to the bacteriocin sublancin 168

Abstract (Expand)

Bacillus subtilis strain 168 produces the extremely stable and broad-spectrum lantibiotic sublancin 168. Known sublancin 168-susceptible organisms include important pathogens, such as Staphylococcus … aureus. Nevertheless, since its discovery, the mode of action of sublancin 168 has remained elusive. The present studies were, therefore, aimed at the identification of cellular determinants for bacterial susceptibility toward sublancin 168. Growth inhibition and competition assays on plates and in liquid cultures revealed that sublancin 168-mediated growth inhibition of susceptible B. subtilis and S. aureus cells is affected by the NaCl concentration in the growth medium. Added NaCl did not influence the production, activity, or stability of sublancin 168 but, instead, lowered the susceptibility of sensitive cells toward this lantibiotic. Importantly, the susceptibility of B. subtilis and S. aureus cells toward sublancin 168 was shown to depend on the presence of the large mechanosensitive channel of conductance MscL. In contrast, MscL was not involved in susceptibility toward the bacteriocin nisin or Pep5. Taken together, our unprecedented results demonstrate that MscL is a critical and specific determinant in bacterial sublancin 168 susceptibility that may serve either as a direct target for this lantibiotic or as a gate of entry to the cytoplasm.

Authors: Thijs R H M Kouwen, Erik N Trip, Emma L Denham, Mark J J B Sibbald, Jean-Yves F Dubois,

Date Published: 8th Sep 2009

Publication Type: Not specified

Cellular localization of choline-utilization proteins in Streptococcus pneumoniae using novel fluorescent reporter systems

Abstract (Expand)

The molecular mechanisms underlying cell growth, cell division and pathogenesis in Streptococcus pneumoniae are still not fully understood. Single-cell methodologies are potentially of great value to … investigate S. pneumoniae cell biology. Here, we report the construction of novel plasmids for single and double cross-over integration of functional fusions to the gene encoding a fast folding variant of the green fluorescent protein (GFP) into the S. pneumoniae chromosome. We have also established a zinc-inducible system for the fine control of gfp-fusion gene expression and for protein depletion experiments in S. pneumoniae. Using this novel single cell toolkit, we have examined the cellular localization of the proteins involved in the essential process of choline decoration of S. pneumoniae teichoic acid. GFP fusions to LicA and LicC, enzymes involved in the activation of choline, showed a cytoplasmic distribution, as predicted from their primary sequences. A GFP fusion to the choline importer protein LicB showed clear membrane localization. GFP fusions to LicD1 and LicD2, enzymes responsible for loading of teichoic acid subunits with choline, are also membrane-associated, even though both proteins lack any obvious membrane spanning domain. These results indicate that the decoration of teichoic acid by the LicD enzymes is a membrane-associated process presumably occurring at lipid-linked teichoic acid precursors.

Authors: Alice Eberhardt, Ling J Wu, Jeff Errington, Waldemar Vollmer,

Date Published: 8th Sep 2009

Publication Type: Not specified

Powered by
 (v.1.15.0)
About FAIRDOMHub | Funding and Programmes | Credits | Terms & Conditions | Imprint | Cookie preferences
Copyright © 2008 - 2024 The University of Manchester and HITS gGmbH