原核生物Ⅶ型毒素-抗毒素系统研究进展北大核心

毒素-抗毒素(toxin-antitoxin,TA)系统是普遍存在于细菌、古细菌及原噬菌体中的遗传元件,通常由分别编码毒素和编码抗毒素的基因组成。毒素在细菌细胞中较为稳定,而抗毒素则容易被降解。大多数毒素为蛋白并具有酶的活性,通过影响蛋白质的翻译、DNA的复制等重要生命活动从而对细菌产生毒性,抑制细菌生长。抗毒素为蛋白质或非编码RNA,通过极其多样的方式,中和毒素的毒性。目前发现TA在调控质粒拷贝数、流产性感染、生物被膜的形成等过程中发挥着重要作用。随着研究的不断深入,新型TA不断被发现,极大地促进了我们对于TA的认识。目前TA已经扩展到I‒Ⅷ型,本文总结了近期发现的新型TA,并重点介绍了最新发现的Ⅶ型TA及其特殊的中和机制。由于TA与病原微生物的致病性密切相关,因此,深入研究这些TA可以为耐药微生物的治疗提供新的靶点。     

原核生物毒素-抗毒素系统的研究进展

毒素-抗毒素系统(toxin-antitoxin system,简称TA系统)广泛存在于原核生物(细菌和古菌)的基因组中，通常TA系统由毒素和抗毒素两部分组成，毒素发挥毒性抑制细菌生长，抗毒素可以解除抑制，它们通过体内的调控作用来对细菌或古菌的生长活动进行调节。研究发现，TA系统根据其性质及抗毒素中和毒素的方式不同可以分为8种类型Ⅰ～Ⅷ,不同类型的TA系统之间又存在着错综复杂的交互作用，而且此系统在细菌中发挥的作用也一直是近年来学者们研究的热点。现就TA系统的最新分类、TA系统的功能以及应用作一概述。     

细菌II型毒素-抗毒素系统活性的调控

细菌毒素-抗毒素系统(Toxin-antitoxin system,TA)由稳定的毒素和不稳定的抗毒素构成,几乎存在于所有细菌中。已证明染色体编码的II型TA系统作为胁迫反应因子,通过毒素作用于不同的细胞靶点来调控重要的细胞活动过程,使细菌适应不同的环境胁迫。因此,毒素活性的调控是II型TA系统介导细菌适应性胁迫反应的关键。本文总结了II型TA系统毒素活性调控机制的研究进展,并介绍了作者近年来对模式蓝藻Synechocystis sp.PCC6803中II型TA毒素活性调控的研究结果。     

细菌的毒素-抗毒素系统:定时炸弹还是免死金牌

毒素-抗毒素系统(Toxin-antitoxin system,TA)在细菌和古菌的染色体和可移动遗传元件中广泛分布,目前分为六大类型(I型-VI型)。研究发现TA能够促进多重耐药菌群的形成,同时参与细菌的程序性死亡、调控生物被膜形成、介导细菌环境适应过程等多个重要的生命过程。TA的研究主要集中在肠道细菌和病原菌中,其中II型TA研究最为深入和广泛。本文综述了近年来新型TA的鉴定、毒素新型作用靶点、抗毒素的调控功能以及TA间的相互作用等进展,并对未来的TA领域的潜在发展趋势和应用前景也进行了评述。     

毒素-抗毒素系统介导持留菌形成机制的研究进展

毒素-抗毒素(toxin-antitoxin,TA)系统是广泛存在细菌基因组上的由两个基因组成的操纵子,分别编码稳定的毒素蛋白和不稳定的抗毒素,其中毒素蛋白具有多种生物学功能。持留菌是指能够耐受高浓度抗生素或不利环境的一类细菌,它们同样具有TA系统。现就毒素-抗毒素系统介导持留菌形成机制的研究进展作一综述。     

毒素-抗毒素系统的调控、生理功能及应用

毒素-抗毒素（toxin-antitoxin,TA）系统是由抗毒素及其同源毒素组成的小遗传元件,毒素可以抑制细胞生长或诱导细胞死亡,抗毒素则可以中和毒素的毒性。根据TA系统的组成和抗毒素的作用方式,TA系统可分为Ⅰ～Ⅷ型共八类,其中Ⅱ型TA系统存在最广泛,调控机制研究得最清楚。TA系统可以维持质粒等遗传元件的稳定性,同时在压力应激、促进生物膜形成、维持细菌致病力、抗噬菌体等方面都扮演着重要角色。研究TA系统的调控与生理功能能丰富人们对于生物多样性的认知,对于微生物资源的开发和利用具有重要的科学意义与应用价值。基于毒素和抗毒素的特点,TA系统被应用于生物医学领域和生物技术领域。本文综述了TA系统的分类、调控机制、生理功能和应用并简单描述了TA系统目前研究面临的问题和未来展望。     

细菌毒素-抗毒素系统的功能

毒素-抗毒素(Toxin-Antitoxin,TA)系统广泛存在于原核生物和古细菌的染色体和质粒中。此系统由2个共表达的基因组成,分别编码稳定的毒素蛋白和易降解的抗毒素,毒素通常发挥毒性作用抑制细菌生长,而抗毒素则可中和毒性,二者相互作用对细菌生长状态起精密调节作用。根据TA的组成和抗毒素的性质,目前已经发现有6型TA,这些TA系统在细菌中发挥的作用一直是近年来学者们研究的热点,文中对细菌TA的功能研究进展进行了综述。     

蓝细菌PCC6803染色体上的一对毒素-抗毒素基因的鉴定

大肠杆菌细胞染色体上毒素－抗毒素系统(TA, toxin-antitoxin system)基因参与环境胁迫诱导的细胞死亡或生长抑制。在蓝细菌PCC6803染色体上开放阅读框ssr1114和slr0664具有与TA系统相同的遗传结构, slr0664编码产物与RelBE毒素－抗毒素系统中的毒素蛋白RelE同源, 但没有发现有与ssr1114编码产物同源的蛋白。为证明slr0664和ssr1114表达产物的毒性和抗毒性作用, 构建了含有乳糖诱导调控的启动子和阿拉伯糖诱导调控的启动子的表达调控系统, 将slr0664基因编码序列置于Plac启动子控制下, ssr1114编码序列置于PBAD启动子控制下, slr0664诱导表达产物对细胞具有毒性作用, ssr1114诱导表达产物具有抗slr0664表达产物的毒性作用。提示slr0664为毒素基因, ssr1114为抗毒素基因, 二者组成一个TA系统, 但其有关特性和功能尚待进一步证明。     

细菌毒素-抗毒素系统的研究进展

毒素-抗毒素系统(toxin-antitoxin system,TA)由两个共表达的基因组成,其中一个基因编码不稳定的抗毒素蛋白(antitoxin),另一个基因编码稳定的毒素蛋白(toxin).毒素-抗毒素系统最早发现于一些低拷贝的质粒,用来维持低拷贝质粒在菌群中的稳定存在.随后的研究表明,毒素-抗毒素系统广泛存在于细菌,包括一些致病菌的染色体上.在营养缺乏等不良生长条件下,由于基因表达的抑制和蛋白酶的降解作用,不稳定的抗毒素蛋白减少,从而产生游离的毒素蛋白,导致细菌的生长抑制和死亡.毒素-抗毒素系统的生理功能目前还存在争议,有学者认为细茼染色体上的毒素-抗毒素系统可以在不良生长状况下介导细菌的死亡,即细茼程序性细胞死亡(baeterial programmedcell death).但也有证据显示,毒素-抗毒素系统的功能更偏向于应激状态下的生理调节方面,即只起应激状态下的抑菌作用而不是杀菌作用.对细菌生长调控中毒素-抗毒素系统的作用机理进行综述,并探讨毒素-抗毒素系统研究的理论和应用价值.     

细菌毒素-抗毒素系统在噬菌体流产感染中的作用北大核心CSCD

细菌常受到数量众多的噬菌体感染,宿主细菌在和噬菌体竞赛中进化出多样化的分子策略,流产感染(abortive infection,Abi)是其中之一。毒素-抗毒素系统(toxin-antitoxin system,TA)会在细菌受到压力胁迫时表达并介导细菌的低代谢甚至休眠,还能直接减少子代噬菌体形成。此外,部分毒素序列和结构与Cas蛋白高度同源,噬菌体甚至会编码抗毒素类似物来阻遏对应毒素的活性。这表明流产感染中细菌死亡过程导致的噬菌体感染失败与TA功能高度重合,TA可能是噬菌体侵染宿主的主要阻力和防御力量之一。文中基于TA系统的分类和功能,对参与噬菌体流产感染的TA系统进行了综述,并预测具有流产功能的TA系统和其在抗生素开发和疾病治疗中的应用前景。这有助于认识细菌-噬菌体相互作用,并指导噬菌体治疗和合成生物学。     

Structural overview of toxin–antitoxin systems in infectious bacteria: A target for developing antimicrobial agents

The bacterial toxin–antitoxin (TA) system is a module that may play a role in cell survival under stress conditions. Generally, toxin molecules act as negative regulators in cell survival and antitoxin molecules as positive regulators. Thus, the expression levels and interactions between toxins and antitoxins should be systematically harmonized so that bacteria can escape such harmful conditions. Since TA systems are able to control the fate of bacteria, they are considered potent targets for the development of new antimicrobial agents. TA systems are widely prevalent with a variety of systems existing in bacteria: there are three types of bacterial TA systems depending on the property of the antitoxin which binds either the protein toxin or mRNA coding the toxin protein. Moreover, the multiplicity of TA genes has been observed even in species of bacteria. Therefore, knowledge on TA systems such as the individual characteristics of TA systems, integrative working mechanisms of various TA systems in bacteria, interactions between toxin molecules and cellular targets, and so on is currently limited due to their complexity. In this regard, it would be helpful to know the structural characteristics of TA modules for understanding TA systems in bacteria. Until now, 85 out of the total structures deposited in PDB have been bacterial TA system proteins including TA complexes or isolated toxins/antitoxins. Here, we summarized the structural information of TA systems and analyzed the structural characteristics of known TA modules from several bacteria, especially focusing on the TA modules of several infectious bacteria.     

Analysis of tail-anchored protein translocation pathway in plants

Tail-anchored (TA) proteins are a special class of membrane proteins that carry out vital functions in all living cells. Targeting mechanisms of TA proteins are investigated as the best example for post-translational protein targeting in yeast. Of the several mechanisms, Guided Entry of Tail-anchored protein (GET) pathway plays a major role in TA protein targeting. Many in silico and in vivo analyses are geared to identify TA proteins and their targeting mechanisms in different systems including Arabidopsis thaliana. Yet, crop plants that grow in specific and/or different conditions are not investigated for the presence of TA proteins and GET pathway. This study majorly investigates GET pathway in two crop plants, Oryza sativa subsp. Indica and Solanum tuberosum, through detailed in silico analysis. 508 and 912 TA proteins are identified in Oryza sativa subsp. Indica and Solanum tuberosum respectively and their localization with respect to endoplasmic reticulum (ER), mitochondria, and chloroplast has been delineated. Similarly, the associated GET proteins are identified (Get1, Get3 and Get4) and their structural inferences are elucidated using homology modelling. Get3 models are based on yeast Get3. The cytoplasmic Get3 from O. sativa is identified to be very similar to yeast Get3 with conserved P-loop and TA binding groove. Three cytoplasmic Get3s are identified for S. tuberosum. Taken together, this is the first study to identify TA proteins and GET components in Oryza sativa subsp. Indica and Solanum tuberosum, forming the basis for any further experimental characterization of TA targeting and GET pathway mechanisms in crop plants.     

副溶血弧菌染色体上毒素-抗毒素系统YefM-YoeB的鉴定

【背景】副溶血弧菌是一种重要的食源性病原菌,给公众健康带来严重危害。毒素-抗毒素系统广泛存在于细菌和古生菌基因组中,具有重要的生物学功能。【目的】在副溶血弧菌中鉴定新的毒素-抗毒素系统,为从毒素-抗毒素系统角度探讨该菌致病性和耐药性的分子机制奠定基础。【方法】通过在线工具预测副溶血弧菌染色体上的假定II型毒素-抗毒素系统;通过生长曲线分析和稀释点板实验检测假定毒素对大肠杆菌的毒性作用及相应抗毒素的抗毒性作用;通过反转录PCR确定毒素和抗毒素基因是否共转录;通过生物信息学分析确定新鉴定毒素-抗毒素系统的同源蛋白;通过LacZ报告实验确定抗毒素及毒素-抗毒素复合物对自身启动子的调控作用。【结果】副溶血弧菌染色体中编码6个假定II型毒素-抗毒素系统;基因vp1820的表达产物(VP1820)对大肠杆菌具有杀菌活性,vp1821的表达产物(VP1821)能中和VP1820的毒性;基因vp1821和vp1820共转录;vp1821-vp1820编码YefM-YoeB毒素-抗毒素系统;抗毒素YefM正调控启动子,YefM-YoeB复合物负调控启动子。【结论】在副溶血弧菌中鉴定了一个新的II型毒素-抗毒素系统,即YefM-YoeB,为进一步研究该系统对副溶血弧菌致病性和耐药性的影响奠定了基础。     

A novel mechanism of programmed cell death in bacteria by toxin-antitoxin systems corrupts peptidoglycan synthesis

Most genomes of bacteria contain toxin-antitoxin (TA) systems. These gene systems encode a toxic protein and its cognate antitoxin. Upon antitoxin degradation, the toxin induces cell stasis or death. TA systems have been linked with numerous functions, including growth modulation, genome maintenance, and stress response. Members of the epsilon/zeta TA family are found throughout the genomes of pathogenic bacteria and were shown not only to stabilize resistance plasmids but also to promote virulence. The broad distribution of epsilon/zeta systems implies that zeta toxins utilize a ubiquitous bacteriotoxic mechanism. However, whereas all other TA families known to date poison macromolecules involved in translation or replication, the target of zeta toxins remained inscrutable. We used in vivo techniques such as microscropy and permeability assays to show that pneumococcal zeta toxin PezT impairs cell wall synthesis and triggers autolysis in Escherichia coli. Subsequently, we demonstrated in vitro that zeta toxins in general phosphorylate the ubiquitous peptidoglycan precursor uridine diphosphate-N-acetylglucosamine (UNAG) and that this activity is counteracted by binding of antitoxin. After identification of the product we verified the kinase activity in vivo by analyzing metabolite extracts of cells poisoned by PezT using high pressure liquid chromatograpy (HPLC). We further show that phosphorylated UNAG inhibitis MurA, the enzyme catalyzing the initial step in bacterial peptidoglycan biosynthesis. Additionally, we provide what is to our knowledge the first crystal structure of a zeta toxin bound to its substrate. We show that zeta toxins are novel kinases that poison bacteria through global inhibition of peptidoglycan synthesis. This provides a fundamental understanding of how epsilon/zeta TA systems stabilize mobile genetic elements. Additionally, our results imply a mechanism that connects activity of zeta toxin PezT to virulence of pneumococcal infections. Finally, we discuss how phosphorylated UNAG likely poisons additional pathways of bacterial cell wall synthesis, making it an attractive lead compound for development of new antibiotics.     

Prokaryotic toxin-antitoxin systems--the role in bacterial physiology and application in molecular biology

Bacteria have developed multiple complex mechanisms ensuring an adequate response to environmental changes. In this context, bacterial cell division and growth are subject to strict control to ensure metabolic balance and cell survival. A plethora of studies cast light on toxin-antitoxin (TA) systems as metabolism regulators acting in response to environmental stress conditions. Many of those studies suggest direct relations between the TA systems and the pathogenic potential or antibiotic resistance of relevant bacteria. Other studies point out that TA systems play a significant role in ensuring stability of mobile genetic material. The evolutionary origin and relations between various TA systems are still a subject of a debate. The impact of toxin-antitoxin systems on bacteria physiology prompted their application in molecular biology as tools allowing cloning of some hard-to-maintain genes, plasmid maintenance and production of recombinant proteins.     

大肠埃希菌TA系统mazEF的研究进展

大部分细菌的遗传物质中含有毒素-抗毒素系统(TA)的遗传基因.mazEF是大肠埃希菌染色体上的一对毒素抗毒素基因,由毒素基因mazF和抗毒素基因mazE组成.其在细菌的生长调控和细胞程序性死亡中发挥了重要的作用.环境压力激活mazEF后,MazF可以通过对mRNA的剪切作用造成翻译停止.mazEF的存在可以增加细菌对环境压力的耐受性、保持细菌遗传物质的稳定、参与抗生素引起的细胞死亡、也在细菌的耐药性中发挥重要作用.     

Autocides and a paracide,antibiotic TA,produced byMyxococcus xanthus

Myxococcus xanthus produces two categories of low molecular weight antibacterial materials, autocides and paracides, that have diametrically opposite host ranges. Low concentrations of autocides lyseM. xanthus, the producing organism, whereas paracides exert their effects on other bacteria. Antibiotic TA (a paracide) kills all growing bacteria tested that have a peptidoglycan cell wall exceptM. xanthus. It is a macrocyclic polyketide with a molecular weight of 623. The two major autocides produced byM. xanthus are phosphatidylethanolamine and a mixture of fatty acids. The modes of action, host ranges and biosynthesis of antibiotic TA and the autocides are presented, and then an attempt is made to explain their role in the complex life cycle ofM. xanthus. In addition, the remarkable adhesion properties of antibiotic TA and a new semisynthetic derivative of it, focusin, are presented.