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Surges in biosynthetic gene cluster transcription are accompanied by bursts in natural compound production in the myxobacterium Sorangium sp. So ce836

ABSTRACT: An improved understanding of the genome-wide regulation of natural compound biosynthesis in bacterial producers may accelerate the discovery of novel biologically active molecules and facilitate their production. To this end, we have investigated the time course of genome-wide transcription in the myxobacterium Sorangium sp. So ce836 in relation to its production of natural compounds. Time-resolved RNA sequencing revealed the dynamic temporal variation of transcriptional activity, indicating that core biosynthesis genes from 48 biosynthetic gene clusters (BGCs; 92% of all BGCs encoded in the genome) were actively transcribed at specific time points in a batch culture. The majority (80%) of polyketide synthase and nonribosomal peptide synthetase genes displayed distinct peaks of transcription during exponential bacterial growth. Strikingly, these surges in BGC transcriptional activity were associated with boosts in the production of known natural compounds, indicating that their biosynthesis was crucially regulated at the transcriptional level. In contrast, BGC read counts from single time points had limited predictive value about biosynthetic activity, since transcription levels varied >100-fold among BGCs with detected natural products. Taken together, our time-course data provided unique insights into the dynamics of natural compound biosynthesis and its regulation in a wild-type myxobacterium, challenging the commonly cited notion of preferential BGC expression under meager conditions for bacterial growth. The close association between BGC transcription and compound production suggested that the molecular manipulation of transcriptional activity may be a viable strategy to increase compound yields from myxobacterial producer strains, warranting increased efforts to develop genetic engineering tools for these organisms.

ORGANISM(S): Sorangium sp.

PROVIDER: GSE217497 | GEO | 2023/05/03

REPOSITORIES: GEO

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Project description:Biosynthetic gene clusters (BGCs) encoding the production of bacteriocins are widespread among bacterial isolates and are important genetic determinants of competitive fitness within a given habitat. Staphylococci produce a tremendous diversity of compounds, and the corresponding BGCs are frequently associated with mobile genetic elements, suggesting gain and loss of biosynthetic capacity. Pharmaceutical biology has shown that compound production in heterologous hosts is often challenging, and many BGC recipients initially produce small amounts of compound or show reduced growth rates. To assess whether transfer of BGCs between closely related Staphylococcus aureus strains can be instantly effective or requires elaborate metabolic adaptation, we investigated the intraspecies transfer of a BGC encoding the ribosomally synthesized and posttranslationally modified peptide (RiPP) micrococcin P1 (MP1). We found that acquisition of the BGC by S. aureus RN4220 enabled immediate MP1 production but also imposed a metabolic burden, which was relieved after prolonged cultivation by adaptive mutation. We used a multiomics approach to study this phenomenon and found adaptive evolution to select for strains with increased activity of the tricarboxylic acid cycle (TCA), which enhanced metabolic fitness and levels of compound production. Metabolome analysis revealed increases of central metabolites, including citrate and α-ketoglutarate in the adapted strain, suggesting metabolic adaptation to overcome the BGC-associated growth defects. Our results indicate that BGC acquisition requires genetic and metabolic predispositions, allowing the integration of bacteriocin production into the cellular metabolism. Inappropriate metabolic characteristics of recipients can entail physiological burdens, negatively impacting the competitive fitness of recipients within natural bacterial communities.IMPORTANCE: Human microbiomes are critically associated with human health and disease. Importantly, pathogenic bacteria can hide in human-associated communities and can cause disease when the composition of the community becomes unbalanced. Bacteriocin-producing commensals are able to displace pathogens from microbial communities, suggesting that their targeted introduction into human microbiomes might prevent pathogen colonization and infection. However, to develop probiotic approaches, strains are needed that produce high levels of bioactive compounds and retain cellular fitness within mixed bacterial communities. Our work offers insights into the metabolic burdens associated with the production of the bacteriocin micrococcin P1 and highlights evolutionary strategies that increase cellular fitness in the context of production. Metabolic adaptations are most likely broadly relevant for bacteriocin producers and need to be considered for the future development of effective microbiome editing strategies.

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Surges in biosynthetic gene cluster transcription are accompanied by bursts in natural compound production in the myxobacterium Sorangium sp. So ce836

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