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Mechanisms of Action of Non-Canonical ECF Sigma Factors.

ABSTRACT: Extracytoplasmic function (ECF) sigma factors are subunits of the RNA polymerase specialized in activating the transcription of a subset of genes responding to a specific environmental condition. The signal-transduction pathways where they participate can be activated by diverse mechanisms. The most common mechanism involves the action of a membrane-bound anti-sigma factor, which sequesters the ECF sigma factor, and releases it after the stimulus is sensed. However, despite most of these systems following this canonical regulation, there are many ECF sigma factors exhibiting a non-canonical regulatory mechanism. In this review, we aim to provide an updated and comprehensive view of the different activation mechanisms known for non-canonical ECF sigma factors, detailing their inclusion to the different phylogenetic groups and describing the mechanisms of regulation of some of their representative members such as EcfG from Rhodobacter sphaeroides, showing a partner-switch mechanism; EcfP from Vibrio parahaemolyticus, with a phosphorylation-dependent mechanism; or CorE from Myxococcus xanthus, regulated by a metal-sensing C-terminal extension.

SUBMITTER: Marcos-Torres FJ

PROVIDER: S-EPMC8999054 | biostudies-literature | 2022 Mar

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature

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Mechanisms of Action of Non-Canonical ECF Sigma Factors.

Marcos-Torres Francisco Javier FJ Moraleda-Muñoz Aurelio A Contreras-Moreno Francisco Javier FJ Muñoz-Dorado José J Pérez Juana J

International journal of molecular sciences 20220325 7

Extracytoplasmic function (ECF) sigma factors are subunits of the RNA polymerase specialized in activating the transcription of a subset of genes responding to a specific environmental condition. The signal-transduction pathways where they participate can be activated by diverse mechanisms. The most common mechanism involves the action of a membrane-bound anti-sigma factor, which sequesters the ECF sigma factor, and releases it after the stimulus is sensed. However, despite most of these systems ...[more]

PMID: 35408957

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Project description:Extracytoplasmic function (ECF) σ factors control the transcription of genes involved in different cellular functions, such as stress responses, metal homeostasis, virulence-related traits, and cell envelope structure. The genome of Bradyrhizobium japonicum, the nitrogen-fixing soybean endosymbiont, encodes 17 putative ECF σ factors belonging to nine different ECF σ factor families. The genes for two of them, ecfQ (bll1028) and ecfF (blr3038), are highly induced in response to the reactive oxygen species hydrogen peroxide (H(2)O(2)) and singlet oxygen ((1)O(2)). The ecfF gene is followed by the predicted anti-σ factor gene osrA (blr3039). Mutants lacking EcfQ, EcfF plus OsrA, OsrA alone, or both σ factors plus OsrA were phenotypically characterized. While the symbiotic properties of all mutants were indistinguishable from the wild type, they showed increased sensitivity to singlet oxygen under free-living conditions. Possible target genes of EcfQ and EcfF were determined by microarray analyses, and candidate genes were compared with the H(2)O(2)-responsive regulon. These experiments disclosed that the two σ factors control rather small and, for the most part, distinct sets of genes, with about half of the genes representing 13% of the members of H(2)O(2)-responsive regulon. To get more insight into transcriptional regulation of both σ factors, the 5' ends of ecfQ and ecfF mRNA were determined. The presence of conserved sequence motifs in the promoter region of ecfQ and genes encoding EcfQ-like σ factors in related α-proteobacteria suggests regulation via a yet unknown transcription factor. By contrast, we have evidence that ecfF is autoregulated by transcription from an EcfF-dependent consensus promoter, and its product is negatively regulated via protein-protein interaction with OsrA. Conserved cysteine residues 129 and 179 of OsrA are required for normal function of OsrA. Cysteine 179 is essential for release of EcfF from an EcfF-OsrA complex upon H(2)O(2) stress while cysteine 129 is possibly needed for EcfF-OsrA interaction.

Project description:A core component of the M-NM-1-proteobacterial general stress response is the extracytoplasmic function (ECF) sigma factor EcfG, exclusively present in this taxonomic class. Half of the completed M-NM-1-proteobacterial genome sequences contain two or more copies of genes encoding M-OM-^CEcfG-like sigma factors, with the primary copy typically located adjacent to genes coding for a cognate anti-sigma factor (NepR) and two-component response regulator (PhyR). So far, the widespread occurrence of additional, non-canonical M-OM-^CEcfG copies has not satisfactorily been explained. This work explores the hierarchical relation between Rhizobium etli M-OM-^CEcfG1 and M-OM-^CEcfG2, canonical and non-canonical M-OM-^CEcfG proteins, respectively. Contrary to reports in other species, we find that M-OM-^CEcfG1 and M-OM-^CEcfG2 act in parallel, as nodes of a complex regulatory network, rather than in series, as elements of a linear regulatory cascade. We demonstrate that both sigma factors control unique yet also shared target genes, corroborating phenotypic evidence. M-OM-^CEcfG1 drives expression of rpoH2, explaining the increased heat sensitivity of an ecfG1 mutant, while katG is under control of M-OM-^CEcfG2, accounting for reduced oxidative stress resistance of an ecfG2 mutant. We also identify non-coding RNA genes as novel M-OM-^CEcfG targets. We propose a modified model for general stress response regulation in R. etli, in which M-OM-^CEcfG1 and M-OM-^CEcfG2 function largely independently. Based on a phylogenetic analysis and considering the prevalence of M-NM-1-proteobacterial genomes with multiple M-OM-^CEcfG copies, this model may also be applicable to numerous other species. In this study, we investigate to which degree R. etli EcfG1 and EcfG2 regulation is interdependent. Furthermore, we demonstrate that both sigma factors control distinct regulons and pinpoint unique EcfG2 target genes. We also identify non-coding RNAs (ncRNAs) as novel targets of EcfG1 and EcfG2 and show that expression of at least one of these ncRNAs is under direct EcfG control. The presence of ncRNAs in the regulon of an EcfG type sigma factor has not been described previously and adds an extra level of complexity to the regulation of the general stress response in Alpha-proteobacteria. Moreover, considering the widespread existence of Alpha-proteobacterial genomes with multiple EcfG copies, the here presented results not only lead to a better understanding of the general stress response in R. etli, but also contribute to a conceptual paradigm for general stress response regulation by multiple EcfG proteins in Alpha-proteobacteria. Comparative transcriptome analyses were carried out on four samples: the parental strain (WT) and mutants in either sigma factor gene ecfG1, sigma factor gene ecfG2, and both genes combined.

Project description:A core component of the α-proteobacterial general stress response is the extracytoplasmic function (ECF) sigma factor EcfG, exclusively present in this taxonomic class. Half of the completed α-proteobacterial genome sequences contain two or more copies of genes encoding σEcfG-like sigma factors, with the primary copy typically located adjacent to genes coding for a cognate anti-sigma factor (NepR) and two-component response regulator (PhyR). So far, the widespread occurrence of additional, non-canonical σEcfG copies has not satisfactorily been explained. This work explores the hierarchical relation between Rhizobium etli σEcfG1 and σEcfG2, canonical and non-canonical σEcfG proteins, respectively. Contrary to reports in other species, we find that σEcfG1 and σEcfG2 act in parallel, as nodes of a complex regulatory network, rather than in series, as elements of a linear regulatory cascade. We demonstrate that both sigma factors control unique yet also shared target genes, corroborating phenotypic evidence. σEcfG1 drives expression of rpoH2, explaining the increased heat sensitivity of an ecfG1 mutant, while katG is under control of σEcfG2, accounting for reduced oxidative stress resistance of an ecfG2 mutant. We also identify non-coding RNA genes as novel σEcfG targets. We propose a modified model for general stress response regulation in R. etli, in which σEcfG1 and σEcfG2 function largely independently. Based on a phylogenetic analysis and considering the prevalence of α-proteobacterial genomes with multiple σEcfG copies, this model may also be applicable to numerous other species. In this study, we investigate to which degree R. etli EcfG1 and EcfG2 regulation is interdependent. Furthermore, we demonstrate that both sigma factors control distinct regulons and pinpoint unique EcfG2 target genes. We also identify non-coding RNAs (ncRNAs) as novel targets of EcfG1 and EcfG2 and show that expression of at least one of these ncRNAs is under direct EcfG control. The presence of ncRNAs in the regulon of an EcfG type sigma factor has not been described previously and adds an extra level of complexity to the regulation of the general stress response in Alpha-proteobacteria. Moreover, considering the widespread existence of Alpha-proteobacterial genomes with multiple EcfG copies, the here presented results not only lead to a better understanding of the general stress response in R. etli, but also contribute to a conceptual paradigm for general stress response regulation by multiple EcfG proteins in Alpha-proteobacteria.

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Mechanisms of Action of Non-Canonical ECF Sigma Factors.

Publications

Mechanisms of Action of Non-Canonical ECF Sigma Factors.

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