Project description:Modifications of RNA, known as the epitranscriptome, affect mRNA stability, translation, and splicing in eukaryotes and have implications for developmental processes, cancer, and viral infections. In prokaryotes, however, the landscape of the epitranscriptome is still poorly understood. To address this knowledge gap, we used direct RNA sequencing with Nanopore technology to study RNA modifications in the model bacterium Escherichia coli. With a single sequencing reaction, we were able to simultaneously identify and map most of the known modification types in rRNA, tRNA, and mRNA. Subsequently, a multifaceted approach integrating different algorithms for data analysis, deletion mutants, mass spectrometry, qPCR, and in vitro methylation was implemented to evaluate the presence of m5C and m6A in E. coli. Known m5C and m6A sites in rRNA were confirmed, but these modifications could not be localized in the mRNA. Nevertheless, based on the sequencing data, modifications were found to be enriched in the coding regions of genes associated with general metabolism and RNA processing. This study provides a useful resource for experimental and bioinformatic approaches to gain new insights into post-transcriptional regulation in a prokaryotic model.
Project description:Enteric pathogens with low infectious doses rely on the ability to orchestrate expression of virulence and metabolism-associated genes in response to environmental cues for successful infection. Accordingly, the human pathogen enterohemorrhagic Escherichia coli (EHEC) employs a complex multifaceted regulatory network to link expression of type III secretion system (T3SS) factors to nutrient availability. While phosphorylation of histidine and aspartate on two-component system response regulators is recognized as an integral part of signaling, the involvement of phosphotyrosine-mediated control is minimally explored in Gram-negative pathogens. Our recent phosphotyrosine profiling study of E. coli revealed 342 proteins, indicating that phosphotyrosine modifications in bacteria are more prevalent than previously anticipated. Here, we demonstrate that tyrosine phosphorylation of a metabolite-responsive LacI/GalR family regulator, Cra, negatively affects T3SS expression in glycolytic conditions typical for the colon lumen environment where production of the T3SS is unnecessary. Our data suggest that Cra phosphorylation affects T3SS expression by modulating expression of ler, encoding the major activator of EHEC virulence gene expression. Phosphorylation of the Cra Y47 residue diminishes DNA-binding, thereby altering expression of metabolism and virulence-associated genes including those of the LEE pathogenicity island encoding the T3SS. Hence, phosphotyrosine-mediated regulation provides a mechanism to regulate Cra activity. Our data further suggest that tyrosine phosphorylation influences DNA binding by PurR and LacI, thereby phosphotyrosine-mediated control could provide a means to regulate DNA-binding of LacI/GalR family regulators in general. Our study provides an initial effort to unravel the role of phosphotyrosine-mediated global signaling in controlling the EHEC virulence potential
Project description:Escherichia coli DH1 cultures with treated with 6% 1,4 Butanediol for 1 hour and compared with untreated cultures The data from this experiment was used to identify a candidate for further study as described in Szmidt et al 2013 Utilizing a highly responsive gene, yhjX, in E. coli based production of 1,4-Butanediol submitted to Chemical Engineering Science
Project description:In this project we aim to construct a tyrosine-producing E. coli strain through iterative steps of genome engineering. High PEP availability through knockout of the PTS was combined with the precise, in-place genomic integration of several engineering interventions, known to increase L-tyrosine production yields, to create a tyrosine-overproducing E. coli strain that can function as a platform for further engineering and optimization. Utilizing a design-build-test-learn (DBTL) cycle, an evolved pts-knockout E. coli strain was equipped with optimizations of the aroG, aroB and tyrA genes and cultivated under batch and fed-batch conditions. Subsequently, metabolomics, transcriptomics and proteomics samples from the fed-batch experiments were analyzed to inform the design of new genomic interventions.