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Laboratory strains of Escherichia coli K-12: things are seldom what they seem.

ABSTRACT: Escherichia coli K-12 was originally isolated 100 years ago and since then it has become an invaluable model organism and a cornerstone of molecular biology research. However, despite its pedigree, since its initial isolation E. coli K-12 has been repeatedly cultured, passaged and mutagenized, resulting in an organism that carries many genetic changes. To understand more about this important model organism, we have sequenced the genomes of two ancestral K-12 strains, WG1 and EMG2, considered to be the progenitors of many key laboratory strains. Our analysis confirms that these strains still carry genetic elements such as bacteriophage lambda (λ) and the F plasmid, but also indicates that they have undergone extensive laboratory-based evolution. Thus, scrutinizing the genomes of ancestral E. coli K-12 strains leads us to examine whether E. coli K-12 is a sufficiently robust model organism for 21st century microbiology.

SUBMITTER: Browning DF

PROVIDER: S-EPMC9997739 | biostudies-literature | 2023 Feb

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature

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Laboratory strains of Escherichia coli K-12: things are seldom what they seem.

Browning Douglas F DF Hobman Jon L JL Busby Stephen J W SJW

Microbial genomics 20230201 2

Escherichia coli K-12 was originally isolated 100 years ago and since then it has become an invaluable model organism and a cornerstone of molecular biology research. However, despite its pedigree, since its initial isolation E. coli K-12 has been repeatedly cultured, passaged and mutagenized, resulting in an organism that carries many genetic changes. To understand more about this important model organism, we have sequenced the genomes of two ancestral K-12 strains, WG1 and EMG2, ...[more]

PMID: 36745549

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Project description:Escherichia coli K-12 W3110 grows in the presence of membrane-permeant organic acids that can depress cytoplasmic pH and accumulate in the cytoplasm. We conducted experimental evolution by daily diluting cultures in increasing concentrations of benzoic acid (up to 20 mM) buffered at external pH 6.5, a pH at which permeant acids concentrate in the cytoplasm. By 2,000 generations, clones isolated from evolving populations showed increasing tolerance to benzoate but were sensitive to chloramphenicol and tetracycline. Sixteen clones grew to stationary phase in 20 mM benzoate, whereas the ancestral strain W3110 peaked and declined. Similar growth occurred in 10 mM salicylate. Benzoate-evolved strains grew like W3110 in the absence of benzoate, in media buffered at pH 4.8, pH 7.0, or pH 9.0, or in 20 mM acetate or sorbate at pH 6.5. Genomes of 16 strains revealed over 100 mutations, including single-nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs), large deletions, and insertion knockouts. Most strains acquired deletions in the benzoate-induced multiple antibiotic resistance (Mar) regulon or in associated regulators such as rob and cpxA, as well as the multidrug resistance (MDR) efflux pumps emrA, emrY, and mdtA Strains also lost or downregulated the Gad acid fitness regulon. In 5 mM benzoate or in 2 mM salicylate (2-hydroxybenzoate), most strains showed increased sensitivity to the antibiotics chloramphenicol and tetracycline; some strains were more sensitive than a marA knockout strain. Thus, our benzoate-evolved strains may reveal additional unknown drug resistance components. Benzoate or salicylate selection pressure may cause general loss of MDR genes and regulators.ImportanceBenzoate is a common food preservative, and salicylate is the primary active metabolite of aspirin. In the gut microbiome, genetic adaptation to salicylate may involve loss or downregulation of inducible multidrug resistance systems. This discovery implies that aspirin therapy may modulate the human gut microbiome to favor salicylate tolerance at the expense of drug resistance. Similar aspirin-associated loss of drug resistance might occur in bacterial pathogens found in arterial plaques.

Project description:BackgroundHomologous recombination mediated by the lambda-Red genes is a common method for making chromosomal modifications in Escherichia coli. Several protocols have been developed that differ in the mechanisms by which DNA, carrying regions homologous to the chromosome, are delivered into the cell. A common technique is to electroporate linear DNA fragments into cells. Alternatively, DNA fragments are generated in vivo by digestion of a donor plasmid with a nuclease that does not cleave the host genome. In both cases the lambda-Red gene products recombine homologous regions carried on the linear DNA fragments with the chromosome. We have successfully used both techniques to generate chromosomal mutations in E. coli K-12 strains. However, we have had limited success with these lambda-Red based recombination techniques in pathogenic E. coli strains, which has led us to develop an enhanced protocol for recombineering in such strains.ResultsOur goal was to develop a high-throughput recombineering system, primarily for the coupling of genes to epitope tags, which could also be used for deletion of genes in both pathogenic and K-12 E. coli strains. To that end we have designed a series of donor plasmids for use with the lambda-Red recombination system, which when cleaved in vivo by the I-SceI meganuclease generate a discrete linear DNA fragment, allowing for C-terminal tagging of chromosomal genes with a 6xHis, 3xFLAG, 4xProteinA or GFP tag or for the deletion of chromosomal regions. We have enhanced existing protocols and technologies by inclusion of a cassette conferring kanamycin resistance and, crucially, by including the sacB gene on the donor plasmid, so that all but true recombinants are counter-selected on kanamycin and sucrose containing media, thus eliminating the need for extensive screening. This method has the added advantage of limiting the exposure of cells to the potential damaging effects of the lambda-Red system, which can lead to unwanted secondary alterations to the chromosome.ConclusionWe have developed a counter-selective recombineering technique for epitope tagging or for deleting genes in E. coli. We have demonstrated the versatility of the technique by modifying the chromosome of the enterohaemorrhagic O157:H7 (EHEC), uropathogenic CFT073 (UPEC), enteroaggregative O42 (EAEC) and enterotoxigenic H10407 (ETEC) E. coli strains as well as in K-12 laboratory strains.

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Laboratory strains of Escherichia coli K-12: things are seldom what they seem.

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Laboratory strains of <i>Escherichia coli</i> K-12: things are seldom what they seem.

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Laboratory strains of Escherichia coli K-12: things are seldom what they seem.

Publications

Laboratory strains of &lt;i&gt;Escherichia coli&lt;/i&gt; K-12: things are seldom what they seem.

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OmicsDI is part of the ELIXIR infrastructure

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Laboratory strains of <i>Escherichia coli</i> K-12: things are seldom what they seem.