Inactivation of the selB gene in Methanococcus maripaludis: effect on synthesis of selenoproteins and their sulfur-containing homologs

The genome of Methanococcus maripaludis harbors genes for at least six selenocysteine-containing proteins and also for homologs that contain a cysteine codon in the position of the UGA selenocysteine codon. To investigate the synthesis and function of both the Se and the S forms, a mutant with an inactivated selB gene was constructed and analyzed. The mutant was unable to synthesize any of the selenoproteins, thus proving that the gene product is the archaeal translation factor (aSelB) specialized for selenocysteine insertion. The wild-type form of M. maripaludis repressed the synthesis of the S forms of selenoproteins, i.e., the selenium-independent alternative system, in selenium-enriched medium, but the mutant did not. We concluded that free selenium is not involved in regulation but rather a successional compound such as selenocysteyl-tRNA or some selenoprotein. Apart from the S forms, several enzymes from the general methanogenic route were affected by selenium supplementation of the wild type or by the selB mutation. Although the growth of M. maripaludis on H(2)/CO(2) is only marginally affected by the selB lesion, the gene is indispensable for growth on formate because M. maripaludis possesses only a selenocysteine-containing formate dehydrogenase.     

Escherichia coli leucine-responsive regulatory protein (Lrp) controls lysyl-tRNA synthetase expression

Using random Tn10 insertion mutagenesis, we isolated an Escherichia coli mutant strain affected in the regulation of lysU, the gene encoding the inducible form of lysyl-tRNA synthetase. The transposon giving rise to the altered expression of lysU was found inserted within lrp. The latter gene codes for the leucine-responsive regulatory protein (Lrp) which mediates a global response of the bacterium to leucine. An involvement of Lrp in the regulation of lysU was searched for by using a lysU-lacZ operon fusion. The following conclusions were reached: (i) inactivation of lrp causes an increased activity of the lysU promoter, whatever the growth conditions assayed, (ii) insertion of a wild-type lrp gene into a multi-copy plasmid significantly reduces lysU expression, and (iii) sensitivity of the lysU promoter to the presence of leucine in the growth medium is abolished in the lrp context.     

Genome copy numbers and gene conversion in methanogenic archaea

Previous studies revealed that one species of methanogenic archaea, Methanocaldococcus jannaschii, is polyploid, while a second species, Methanothermobacter thermoautotrophicus, is diploid. To further investigate the distribution of ploidy in methanogenic archaea, species of two additional genera-Methanosarcina acetivorans and Methanococcus maripaludis-were investigated. M. acetivorans was found to be polyploid during fast growth (t(D) = 6 h; 17 genome copies) and oligoploid during slow growth (doubling time = 49 h; 3 genome copies). M. maripaludis has the highest ploidy level found for any archaeal species, with up to 55 genome copies in exponential phase and ca. 30 in stationary phase. A compilation of archaeal species with quantified ploidy levels reveals a clear dichotomy between Euryarchaeota and Crenarchaeota: none of seven euryarchaeal species of six genera is monoploid (haploid), while, in contrast, all six crenarchaeal species of four genera are monoploid, indicating significant genetic differences between these two kingdoms. Polyploidy in asexual species should lead to accumulation of inactivating mutations until the number of intact chromosomes per cell drops to zero (called "Muller's ratchet"). A mechanism to equalize the genome copies, such as gene conversion, would counteract this phenomenon. Making use of a previously constructed heterozygous mutant strain of the polyploid M. maripaludis we could show that in the absence of selection very fast equalization of genomes in M. maripaludis took place probably via a gene conversion mechanism. In addition, it was shown that the velocity of this phenomenon is inversely correlated to the strength of selection.     

Markerless mutagenesis in Methanococcus maripaludis demonstrates roles for alanine dehydrogenase, alanine racemase, and alanine permease

Among the archaea, Methanococcus maripaludis has the unusual ability to use L- or D-alanine as a nitrogen source. To understand how this occurs, we tested the roles of three adjacent genes encoding homologs of alanine dehydrogenase, alanine racemase, and alanine permease. To produce mutations in these genes, we devised a method for markerless mutagenesis that builds on previously established genetic tools for M. maripaludis. The technique uses a negative selection strategy that takes advantage of the ability of the M. maripaludis hpt gene encoding hypoxanthine phosphoribosyltransferase to confer sensitivity to the base analog 8-azahypoxanthine. In addition, we developed a negative selection method to stably incorporate constructs into the genome at the site of the upt gene encoding uracil phosphoribosyltransferase. Mutants with in-frame deletion mutations in the genes for alanine dehydrogenase and alanine permease lost the ability to grow on either isomer of alanine, while a mutant with an in-frame deletion mutation in the gene for alanine racemase lost only the ability to grow on D-alanine. The wild-type gene for alanine dehydrogenase, incorporated into the upt site, complemented the alanine dehydrogenase mutation. Hence, the permease is required for the transport of either isomer, the dehydrogenase is specific for the L isomer, and the racemase converts the D isomer to the L isomer. Phylogenetic analysis indicated that all three genes had been acquired by lateral gene transfer from the low-moles-percent G+C gram-positive bacteria.     

Separate regulation of transport and biosynthesis of leucine, isoleucine, and valine in bacteria.

Since both transport activity and the leucine biosynthetic enzymes are repressed by growth on leucine, the regulation of leucine, isoleucine, and valine biosynthetic enzymes was examined in Escherichia coli K-12 strain EO312, a constitutively derepressed branched-chain amino acid transport mutant, to determine if the transport derepression affected the biosynthetic enzymes. Neither the iluB gene product, acetohydroxy acid synthetase (acetolactate synthetase, EC 4.1.3.18), NOR THE LEUB gene product, 3-isopropylmalate dehydrogenase (2-hydroxy-4-methyl-3-carboxyvalerate-nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide oxido-reductase, EC 1.1.1.85), were significantly affected in their level of derepression or repression compared to the parental strain. A number of strains with alterations in the regulation of the branched-chain amino acid biosynthetic enzymes were examined for the regulation of the shock-sensitive transport system for these amino acids (LIV-I). When transport activity was examined in strains with mutations leading to derepression of the iluB, iluADE, and leuABCD gene clusters, the regulation of the LIV-I transport system was found to be normal. The regulation of transport in an E. coli strain B/r with a deletion of the entire leucine biosynthetic operon was normal, indicating none of the gene products of this operon are required for regulation of transport. Salmonella typhimurium LT2 strain leu-500, a single-site mutation affecting both promotor-like and operator-like function of the leuABCD gene cluster, also had normal regulation of the LIV-I transport system. All of the strains contained leucine-specific transport activity, which was also repressed by growth in media containing leucine, isoleucine and valine. The concentrated shock fluids from these strains grown in minimal medium or with excess leucine, isoleucine, and valine were examined for proteins with leucine-binding activity, and the levels of these proteins were found to be regulated normally. It appears that the branched-chain amino acid transport systems and biosynthetic enzymes in E. coli strains K-12 and B/r and in S. typhimurium strain LT2 are not regulated together by a cis-dominate type of mechanism, although both systems may have components in common.     

Protein abundance ratios for global studies of prokaryotes

The use of multidimensional capillary HPLC combined with MS/MS has allowed high qualitative and quantitative proteome coverage of prokaryotic organisms. The determination of protein abundance change between two or more conditions has matured to the point that false discovery rates can be very low and for smaller proteomes coverage is sufficiently high to explicitly consider false negative error. Selected aspects of using these methods for global protein abundance assessments are reviewed. These include instrumental issues that influence the reliability of abundance ratios; a comparison of sources of nonlinearity, errors, and data compression in proteomics and spotted cDNA arrays; strengths and weaknesses of spectral counting versus stable isotope metabolic labeling; and a survey of microbiological applications of global abundance analysis at the protein level. Proteomic results for two organisms that have been studied extensively using these methods are reviewed in greater detail. Spectral counting and metabolic labeling data are compared and the utility of proteomics for global gene regulation studies are discussed for the methanogenic Archaeon Methanococcus maripaludis. The oral pathogen Porphyromonas gingivalis is discussed as an example of an organism where a large percentage of the proteome differs in relative abundance between the intracellular and extracellular phenotype.     

Genetics in methanogens: transposon insertion mutagenesis of a Methanococcus maripaludis nifH gene.

We designed a transposon insertion mutagenesis system for Methanococcus species and used it to make mutations in and around a nifH gene in Methanococcus maripaludis. The transposon Mudpur was constructed with a gene for puromycin resistance that is expressed and selectable in Methanococcus species. A 15.6-kb nifH region from M. maripaludis cloned in a lambda vector was used as a target for mutagenesis. A series of 19 independent Mudpur insertions spanning the cloned region were produced. Four mutagenized clones in and around nifH were introduced by transformation into M. maripaludis, where each was found to replace wild-type genomic DNA with the corresponding transposon-mutagenized DNA. Wild-type M. maripaludis and a transformant containing a Mudpur insertion upstream of nifH grew on N2 as a nitrogen source. Two transformants with insertions in nifH and one transformant with an insertion downstream of nifH did not grow on N2. The transposon insertion-gene replacement technique should be generally applicable in the methanococci for studying the effects of genetic manipulations in vivo.     

Sulfometuron methyl-sensitive and -resistant acetolactate synthases of the archaebacteria Methanococcus spp.

The herbicide sulfometuron methyl (SM) inhibited growth of some methanococci. Of 28 strains tested, the growth of 7 was completely inhibited by 0.55 mM SM. Growth of an additional 14 strains was partially inhibited, and the growth of 7 strains was unaffected by this concentration of SM. In some cases, the branched-chain amino acids protected growth. Growth inhibition was correlated with the Ki for SM of acetolactate synthase (ALS). For the enzymes from bacteria representative of the sensitive, partially resistant, and resistant methanococci (Methanococcus aeolicus, Methanococcus maripaludis, and Methanococcus voltae, respectively), the Ki for SM was 0.0012, 0.34, and greater than 1.0 mM, respectively. Inhibition was uncompetitive with respect to pyruvate. Based on these observations, ALS appeared to be the major if not the sole site of action of SM in the methanococci. The sensitivity of the ALS from these three methanococci to feedback inhibition by branched-chain amino acids was also quite different. Although all three were sensitive to feedback inhibition by valine, the Ki varied 20-fold, from 0.01 to 0.22 mM. Moreover, only the ALS from M. maripaludis was sensitive to inhibition by leucine, and the Ki was 1.8 mM. The Ki for isoleucine for the ALS from both M. maripaludis and M. voltae was about 0.1 mM. The ALS from M. aeolicus was not inhibited by isoleucine. In other respects, the ALSs from the methanococci were very similar. After dialysis, thiamine pyrophosphate but not FAD and Mg2+ was required for maximal activity, and they were all rapidly inactivated by oxygen. Although the methanococcal ALSs exhibited diverse properties, the range of catalytic and regulatory properties closely resembled those of the eubacterial enzymes.     

Deciphering global gene expression and regulation strategy in Escherichia coli during carbon limitation

Despite decades of studies meant to analyse the bacterial response to carbon limitation, we still miss a high-resolution overview of the situation. All gene expression changes observed in such conditions cannot solely be accounted for by the global regulator Crp either free or bound to its effector, cyclic AMP. Here, for the first time, we evaluated the response of both CDS (protein-coding sequence) and ncRNA (non-coding RNA) genes to carbon limitation, revealed cellular functions of differentially expressed genes systematically, quantified the contribution of Crp-cAMP and other factors to regulation and deciphered regulation strategies at a genomewide scale. Approximately one-third of the differentially expressed genes we identified responded to Crp-cAMP via its direct or indirect control, while the remaining genes were subject to growth rate-dependent control or were controlled by other regulators, especially RpoS. Importantly, gene regulation mechanisms can be established by expression pattern studies. Here, we propose a comprehensive picture of how cells respond to carbon scarcity. The global regulation strategies thus exposed illustrate that the response of cell to carbon scarcity is not limited to maintaining sufficient carbon metabolism via cAMP signalling while the main response is to adjust metabolism to cope with a slow growth rate.     

Functional conservation between the argininosuccinate lyase of the archaeon Methanococcus maripaludis and the corresponding bacterial and eukaryal genes

The argH gene encoding argininosuccinate lyase (ASL) of Methanococcus maripaludis was cloned on a 4.7-kb HindIII genomic fragment. The gene is preceded by a short open reading frame (ORF149), which encodes a polypeptide with an unknown function. The two genes are co-transcribed. The ASL of M. maripaludis shares a high amino acid identity with ASLs from both bacterial and eukaryal origins and was able to complement both an argH Escherichia coli mutant and an arg4 yeast mutant, showing its extraordinary evolutionary conservation. Attempts to create an argH auxotroph of M. maripaludis by disrupting the genomic allele were unsuccessful: although a knockout allele of argH was integrated into the M. maripaludis chromosome by homologous recombination, the intact copy was not excluded, suggesting that the argH gene is essential.     

Regulation of branched-chain amino acid transport in Escherichia coli.

The repression and derepression of leucine, isoleucine, and valine transport in Escherichia coli K-12 was examined by using strains auxotrophic for leucine, isoleucine, valine, and methionine. In experiments designed to limit each of these amino acids separately, we demonstrate that leucine limitation alone derepressed the leucine-binding protein, the high-affinity branched-chain amino acid transport system (LIV-I), and the membrane-bound, low-affinity system (LIV-II). This regulation did not seem to involve inactivation of transport components, but represented an increase in the differential rate of synthesis of transport components relative to total cellular proteins. The apparent regulation of transport by isoleucine, valine, and methionine reported elsewhere was shown to require an intact leucine, biosynthetic operon and to result from changes in the level of leucine biosynthetic enzymes. A functional leucyl-transfer ribonucleic acid synthetase was also required for repression of transport. Transport regulation was shown to be essentially independent of ilvA or its gene product, threonine deaminase. The central role of leucine or its derivatives in cellular metabolism in general is discussed.