Project description:Comparative proteomics of Bacteroides thetaiotaomicron samples comparing the total membrane (TM) and outer membrane vesicles (OMV) of WT B. thetaiotaomicron and delta 4364
Project description:Levoglucosan is produced in the pyrolysis of cellulose and starch, including from bushfires or the burning of biofuels, and is deposited from the atmosphere across the surface of the earth. We describe two levoglucosan degrading Paenarthrobacter spp. (Paenarthrobacter nitrojuajacolis LG01 and Paenarthrobacter histidinolovorans LG02) that were isolated by metabolic enrichment on levoglucosan as sole carbon source. Genome sequencing and proteomics analysis revealed expression of a series of gene clusters encoding known levoglucosan degrading enzymes, levoglucosan dehydrogenase (LGDH, LgdA), 3-keto-levoglucosan b-eliminase (LgdB1) and glucose 3-dehydrogenase (LgdC), along with an ABC transporter cassette and associated solute binding protein. However, no homologues of 3-ketoglucose dehydratase (LgdB2) were evident. The expressed gene clusters contained a range of putative sugar phosphate isomerase/xylose isomerases with weak similarity to LgdB2. Sequence similarity network analysis of genome neighbors revealed that homologues of LgdA, LgdB1 and LgdC are generally conserved in a range of bacteria in the phyla Firmicutes, Actinobacteria and Proteobacteria. One sugar phosphate isomerase/xylose isomerase cluster (LgdB3) was identified with limited distribution mutually exclusive with LgdB2. LgdB1, LgdB2 and LgdB3 adopt similar predicted 3D folds suggesting overlapping function in processing intermediates in LG metabolism. Our findings highlight the diversity within the LGDH pathway through which bacteria utilize levoglucosan as a nutrient source.
Project description:Melioidosis is a potentially fatal infection caused by Burkholderia pseudomallei, a bacterium that is intrinsically resistant to many commonly used antibiotics. Therefore, the identification of new drug targets is essential for the development of new and effective therapies. This study demonstrates that the Trigger Factor protein, encoded by BPSL1402, is important for the establishment of B. pseudomallei infection and is involved in multiple facets of virulence including motility, cell cytotoxicity and resistance to stress. With reports of B. pseudomallei isolated from new regions and resistance to current treatment options, the significance of this research is the identification of a novel B. pseudomallei virulence factor that can be potentially exploited for the development of new therapeutics to treat this deadly infection.
Project description:DPANN are a widespread and highly diverse group of archaea characterised by their small size, reduced genome, limited metabolic pathways, and symbiotic existence. DPANNs are predominantly obligate ectosymbionts that depend on their host for their survival and proliferation. Despite the recent expansion in this clade, the structural and molecular details of host recognition, host-DPANN intercellular communication, and host adaptation in response to DPANN attachment remain unknown. Here, we used electron cryotomography (cryo-ET) to reveal that the Candidatus Micrarchaeota” (ARM-1) interacts with its host through intercellular proteinaceous nanotubes. These tubes (~4.5 nm wide) originate in the host, extend all the way to the DPANN cytoplasm and act like tunnels for intercellular exchange. Combining cryo-ET and sub-tomogram averaging, we revealed the in situ architectures of host and DPANN S-layers and the structures of the nanotubes in their primed and extended states, providing mechanistic insights into substrate exchange. Additionally, we performed comparative proteomics and genomic analyses to identify host proteomic changes in response to the DPANN attachment. Our results showed striking alterations in host-proteome during symbiosis and upregulation/downregulation of key cellular pathways. Collectively, these results provided unprecedented insights into the structural basis of host-DPANN communication and deepen our understanding of the host ectosymbiotic relationships.