Project description:Essentiality assays are commonly practiced as important tools for the discovery of gene functions. Growth/no growth screens of single gene knockout strain collections are often utilized to test the predictive power of genome-scale models. False positive predictions occur when computational analysis predicts a gene to be non-essential, however experimental screens deem the gene to be essential. One explanation for this inconsistency is that the model contains the wrong information, possibly an incorrectly annotated alternative pathway or isozyme reaction. Inconsistencies could also be attributed to experimental limitations, such as growth tests with arbitrary time cut-offs. The focus of this study was to resolve such inconsistencies to better understand isozyme activities and gene essentiality. Gene-deletion strains associated with false positive predictions of gene essentiality on defined minimal medium for Escherichia coli were targeted for extended growth tests followed by population sequencing.
Project description:The extent by which different genetic backgrounds affect conditional gene essentiality is understudied. Here, 4 whole-genome knockout libraries were screened to systematically record changes in conditional gene essentiality. Gene expression changes between the reference strain and the other three were measured to gain more knowledge on the molecular determinants of these changes.
Project description:Obesity-linked type 2 diabetes (T2D) is a major health problem of global epidemic proportions. The onset of T2D is marked by an eventual failure in pancreatic β-cell function and mass that is no longer able to compensate for the inherent insulin resistance and increased metabolic load intrinsic to obesity. However, β-cells have an inbuilt adaptive flexibility enabling them to effectively adjust insulin production rates relative to the metabolic demand. In a commonly used model of obesity-linked T2D, the db/db mouse, we have recently shown that so-called β-cell dysfunction is symptomatic of a marked increase in insulin production attempting to compensate for increased metabolic load. Pancreatic β-cells from these animals have markedly reduced intracellular insulin stores, yet high rates of (pro)insulin secretion (illustrated by severe chronic hyperinsulinemia), together with a substantial increase in proinsulin biosynthesis highlighted by expanded rough endoplasmic reticulum and Golgi apparatus. However, when the metabolic overload and/or hyperglycemia is normalized, β-cells from db/db mice quickly restore their insulin stores and normalize secretory function. This demonstrates the β-cell’s adaptive flexibility and indicates that therapeutic approaches applied to encourage β-cell rest are capable of restoring endogenous β-cell function. However, mechanisms that regulate β-cell adaptive flexibility are essentially unknown. To gain deeper mechanistic insight into the molecular events underlying β-cell adaptive flexibility in db/db β-cells, we conducted a combined proteomic and post-translational modification specific proteomic (PTMomics) approach on islets from db/db mice and wild-type controls (WT) with or without prior exposure to normal glucose levels. We identified differential modifications of proteins involved in cell redox homeostasis, protein refolding, protein K48-linked deubiquitination, mRNA/protein export along the microtubules, focal adhesion, ERK1/2 signaling, and renin-angiotensin-aldosterone signaling, as well as phosphorylation-regulated sialyltransferase activity, associated with β-cell adaptive flexibility. These proteins are all related to proinsulin biosynthesis and processing, maturation of insulin secretory granules, and vesicular trafficking—core pathways involved in the adaptation of insulin production to meet metabolic demand. Collectively, this study outlines a novel and comprehensive global proteome and PTMome signaling map that highlights important molecular mechanisms related to the adaptive flexibility of β-cell function, providing improved insight into disease pathogenesis of T2D.
Project description:Biofilms undergo a life cycle where cells attach to a surface, grow and produce a structured community before dispersing to seed biofilms in new environments. Progression through this life cycle requires controlled temporal gene expression to maximise fitness at each stage. Previous studies have focused on the essential genome for the formation of a mature biofilm, but here we present an insight into the genes involved at different stages of biofilm formation. We used TraDIS-Xpress (a massively parallel transposon mutagenesis using transposon-located promoters to assay expression of all genes in the genome) to determine how gene essentiality and expression affects the fitness of E. coli growing as a biofilm on glass beads after 12, 24 and 48 hours. An E. coli transposon mutant library of approximately 800,000 unique mutants was grown on glass beads, and a planktonic sample was taken alongside this at each time point to compare gene essentiality and expression at each time point.
Project description:Cullin RING-type E3 ubiquitin ligase SCFTIR1/AFB1-5 and their ubiquitylation targets, AUX/IAAs, sense auxin concentrations in the nucleus. TIR1 binds a surface- exposed degron in AUX/IAAs promoting their ubiquitylation and rapid auxin-regulated proteasomal degradation. Here, we resolved TIR1·auxin·IAA7 and TIR1·auxin·IAA12 complex topology, and show that flexible intrinsically disordered regions (IDRs) cooperatively position AUX/IAAs on TIR1. The AUX/IAA PB1 interaction domain also assists in non-native contacts, affecting AUX/IAA dynamic interaction states. Our results establish a role for IDRs in modulating auxin receptor assemblies. By securing AUX/IAAs on two opposite surfaces of TIR1, IDR diversity supports locally tailored positioning for targeted ubiquitylation, and might provide conformational flexibility for adopting a multiplicity of functional states. We postulate IDRs in distinct members of the AUX/IAA family to be an adaptive signature for protein interaction and initiation region for proteasome recruitment.
Project description:Bezafibrate (BEZ), a pan activator of peroxisome proliferator-activated receptors (PPARs), is generally used to treat hyperlipidemia. Clinical trials on patients suffering from type 2 diabetes indicated that BEZ also has beneficial effects on glucose metabolism, but the underlying mechanisms remain elusive. Much less is known about the function of BEZ in type 1 diabetes. Here, we show that BEZ treatment markedly improves hyperglycemia, glucose and insulin tolerance in streptozotocin (STZ)-treated mice, an insulin-deficient mouse model of type 1 diabetes presenting with very high blood glucose levels. Furthermore, BEZ-treated mice also exhibited improved metabolic flexibility as well as an enhanced mitochondrial mass and function in the liver. Our data demonstrate a beneficial effect of BEZ treatment on STZ mice reducing diabetes and suggest that BEZ ameliorates impaired glucose metabolism possibly via augmented hepatic mitochondrial performance, improved insulin sensitivity and metabolic flexibility. We performed gene expression microarray analysis on liver tissue derived from streptozotocin-treated mice treated with bezafibrate in addition.