The effect of temperature and pH gradients on Lactobacillus rhamnosus gene expression of stress-related genes

In this study, Lactobacillus rhamnosus, a renowned probiotic, was cultivated in fluctuating environment. Base gradients caused by a pH control in an industrial process and temperature gradients caused by uneven heating were simulated with a scale-down method. A pH gradient was created in a plug flow reactor (PFR). Expression of pH stress-related genes (atpA, aldB, cfa, groEL, hrcA and pstS) were studied as a relative gene expression study using ldhD as a reference gene. Expression measurements were carried out with the TRAC method. The responses of groEL, hrcA and atpA genes to temperature and pH changes were observed. The expression of phosphate uptake system-related pstS gene was induced almost linearly in the chemostat cultivation experiments when the base gradient in the PFR was increased. Correlations between the results from gene expression studies and freeze stability or acid stress survival were studied. However, by measuring the expression of these genes, we were not able to predict eventual freeze stability or survival from the acid stress test.     

Only one of five groEL genes is required for viability and successful symbiosis in Sinorhizobium meliloti

Many bacterial species contain multiple copies of the genes that encode the chaperone GroEL and its cochaperone, GroES, including all of the fully sequenced root-nodulating bacteria that interact symbiotically with legumes to generate fixed nitrogen. In particular, in Sinorhizobium meliloti there are four groESL operons and one groEL gene. To uncover functional redundancies of these genes during growth and symbiosis, we attempted to construct strains containing all combinations of groEL mutations. Although a double groEL1 groEL2 mutant cannot be constructed, we demonstrate that the quadruple groEL1 groESL3 groEL4 groESL5 and groEL2 groESL3 groEL4 groESL5 mutants are viable. Therefore, like E. coli and other species, S. meliloti requires only one groEL gene for viability, and either groEL1 or groEL2 will suffice. The groEL1 groESL5 double mutant is more severely affected for growth at both 30 degrees C and 40 degrees C than the single mutants, suggesting overlapping functions in stress response. During symbiosis the quadruple groEL2 groESL3 groEL4 groESL5 mutant acts like the wild type, but the quadruple groEL1 groESL3 groEL4 groESL5 mutant acts like the groEL1 single mutant, which cannot fully induce nod gene expression and forms ineffective nodules. Therefore, the only groEL gene required for symbiosis is groEL1. However, we show that the other groE genes are expressed in the nodule at lower levels, suggesting minor roles during symbiosis. Combining our data with other data, we conclude that groESL1 encodes the housekeeping GroEL/GroES chaperone and that groESL5 is specialized for stress response.     

Proteome phenotyping of acid stress-resistant mutants of Lactococcus lactis MG1363

To cope with medium acidity, Lactococcus lactis has evolved a number of inducible mechanisms commonly referred as acid stress response. To better understand the molecular basis of this response, several mutants constitutively tolerant to acidity were previously obtained by insertional random mutagenesis of L. lactis MG1363. Mutants in which the GMP synthase gene (i.e. guaA), the (p)ppGpp synthase gene (i.e. relA*) or the high affinity phosphate transport system (i.e. pstS) are inactivated are further characterized in this study. 2-DE was performed and showed that 42, 26, and 35 protein spots are positively deregulated in the guaA, relA*, and pstS mutants, respectively, as compared to the wild-type strain. Most of these proteins were identified by MS. Proteomes comparison of the mutants guaA, relA*, and pstS as well as the acid adaptation proteome of the wild-type strain revealed (i) the presence of numerous overlaps and (ii) that only five proteins were overexpressed in the four conditions, suggesting that these proteins play a crucial role in the constitutive acid stress tolerance of the mutants and in the acid tolerance response of the wild-type strain.     

An abundant periplasmic protein of the denitrifying phototroph Rhodobacter sphaeroides f. sp. denitrificans is PstS,a component of an ABC phosphate transport system

To understand a physiological role of an abundant 34-kDa periplasmic protein in the denitrifying phototroph Rhodobacter sphaeroides f. sp. denitrificans grown in a medium containing malate as the carbon source, the gene for the protein was isolated. The deduced amino acid sequence of the protein had a sequence similarity of 66.2% to that of PstS from Sinorhizobium meliloti. The downstream sequence of the Rhodobacter pstS contained five genes similar to pstCAB and phoUB, and its upstream sequence contained a putative regulatory sequence that is analogous to the Pho box involved in phosphate-limitation-induced gene expression in Escherichia coli. Both the amount of the PstS and the pstS promoter-driven expression of lacZ activity increased about two-fold in response to phosphate limitation. This is the first isolation of pst genes encoding proteins of an ABC phosphate transporter system from phototrophic bacteria.     

Exploring the rearrangement of sensory intelligence in proteobacteria: insight of <Emphasis Type="Italic">Pho regulon</Emphasis>

Pho regulon is a highly evolved and conserved mechanism across the microbes to fulfil their phosphate need. In this study, 52 proteobacteria genomes were analyzed for the presence of phosphorus acquisition genes, their pattern of arrangement and copy numbers. The diverse genetic architecture of the Pho regulon genes indicates the evolutionary challenge of nutrient limitation, particularly phosphorus, faced by bacteria in their environment. The incongruence between the Pho regulon proteins phylogeny and species phylogeny along with the presence of additional copies of pstS and pstB genes, having cross similarity with other genera, suggest the possibility of horizontal gene transfer event. The substitution rate analysis and multiple sequence alignment of the Pho regulon proteins were analyzed to gain additional insight into the evolution of the Pho regulon system. This comprehensive study confirms that genes perform the regulatory function (phoBR) were vertically inherited, whereas interestingly, genes whose product involved in direct interaction with the environment (pstS) acquired by horizontal gene transfer. The substantial amino acid substitutions in PstS most likely contribute to the successful adaptation of bacteria in different ecological condition dealing with different phosphorus availability. The findings decipher the intelligence of the bacteria which enable them to carry out the targeted alteration of genes to cope up with the environmental condition.