Dataset Information

Genome-wide analysis of signal peptide functionality in Lactobacillus plantarum WCFS1.

ABSTRACT: BACKGROUND: Lactobacillus plantarum is a normal, potentially probiotic, inhabitant of the human gastrointestinal (GI) tract. The bacterium has great potential as food-grade cell factory and for in situ delivery of biomolecules. Since protein secretion is important both for probiotic activity and in biotechnological applications, we have carried out a genome-wide experimental study of signal peptide (SP) functionality. RESULTS: We have constructed a library of 76 Sec-type signal peptides from L. plantarum WCFS1 that were predicted to be cleaved by signal peptidase I. SP functionality was studied using staphylococcal nuclease (NucA) as a reporter protein. 82% of the SPs gave significant extracellular NucA activity. Levels of secreted NucA varied by a dramatic 1800-fold and this variation was shown not to be the result of different mRNA levels. For the best-performing SPs all produced NucA was detected in the culture supernatant, but the secretion efficiency decreased for the less well performing SPs. Sequence analyses of the SPs and their cognate proteins revealed four properties that correlated positively with SP performance for NucA: high hydrophobicity, the presence of a transmembrane helix predicted by TMHMM, the absence of an anchoring motif in the cognate protein, and the length of the H+C domain. Analysis of a subset of SPs with a lactobacillal amylase (AmyA) showed large variation in production levels and secretion efficiencies. Importantly, there was no correlation between SP performance with NucA and the performance with AmyA. CONCLUSION: This is the first comprehensive experimental study showing that predicted SPs in the L. plantarum genome actually are capable of driving protein secretion. The results reveal considerable variation between the SPs that is at least in part dependent on the protein that is secreted. Several SPs stand out as promising candidates for efficient secretion of heterologous proteins in L. plantarum. The results for NucA provide some hints as to the sequence-based prediction of SP functionality, but the general conclusion is that such prediction is difficult. The vector library generated in this study is based on exchangeable cassettes and provides a powerful tool for rapid experimental screening of SPs.

SUBMITTER: Mathiesen G

PROVIDER: S-EPMC2748100 | biostudies-literature | 2009

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature

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Genome-wide analysis of signal peptide functionality in Lactobacillus plantarum WCFS1.

Mathiesen Geir G Sveen Anita A Brurberg May Bente MB Fredriksen Lasse L Axelsson Lars L Eijsink Vincent Gh VG

BMC genomics 20090910

<h4>Background</h4>Lactobacillus plantarum is a normal, potentially probiotic, inhabitant of the human gastrointestinal (GI) tract. The bacterium has great potential as food-grade cell factory and for in situ delivery of biomolecules. Since protein secretion is important both for probiotic activity and in biotechnological applications, we have carried out a genome-wide experimental study of signal peptide (SP) functionality.<h4>Results</h4>We have constructed a library of 76 Sec-type signal pept ...[more]

PMID: 19744343

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Project description:BACKGROUND: In prokaryotes, sigma factors are essential for directing the transcription machinery towards promoters. Various sigma factors have been described that recognize, and bind to specific DNA sequence motifs in promoter sequences. The canonical sigma factor ?(70) is commonly involved in transcription of the cell's housekeeping genes, which is mediated by the conserved ?(70) promoter sequence motifs. In this study the ?(70)-promoter sequences in Lactobacillus plantarum WCFS1 were predicted using a genome-wide analysis. The accuracy of the transcriptionally-active part of this promoter prediction was subsequently evaluated by correlating locations of predicted promoters with transcription start sites inferred from the 5'-ends of transcripts detected by high-resolution tiling array transcriptome datasets. RESULTS: To identify ?(70)-related promoter sequences, we performed a genome-wide sequence motif scan of the L. plantarum WCFS1 genome focussing on the regions upstream of protein-encoding genes. We obtained several highly conserved motifs including those resembling the conserved ?(70)-promoter consensus. Position weight matrices-based models of the recovered ?(70)-promoter sequence motif were employed to identify 3874 motifs with significant similarity (p-value<10(-4)) to the model-motif in the L. plantarum genome. Genome-wide transcript information deduced from whole genome tiling-array transcriptome datasets, was used to infer transcription start sites (TSSs) from the 5'-end of transcripts. By this procedure, 1167 putative TSSs were identified that were used to corroborate the transcriptionally active fraction of these predicted promoters. In total, 568 predicted promoters were found in proximity (? 40 nucleotides) of the putative TSSs, showing a highly significant co-occurrence of predicted promoter and TSS (p-value<10(-263)). CONCLUSIONS: High-resolution tiling arrays provide a suitable source to infer TSSs at a genome-wide level, and allow experimental verification of in silico predicted promoter sequence motifs.

Project description:Background: In prokaryotes, sigma factors are essential for the targeting of the transcription machinery to promoters. Various sigma factors have been described that recognize and bind to specific DNA sequence motifs in promoter sequences. The canonical sigma factor σ70 is commonly involved in transcription of the cell's general housekeeping genes, which is mediated by the conserved σ70 promoter sequence motifs. This study detects and predicts the general σ70-promoter sequences in Lactobacillus plantarum WCFS1 using genome-wide analysis. The accuracy of the transcriptionally-active part of this promoter prediction was subsequently evaluated by correlating locations of predicted promoters with experimentally detected transcription starts sites (TSSs) using high-resolution tiling array transcriptome datasets. Results: To identify σ70-related promoter sequences, we performed a genome-wide sequence motif scan of the L. plantarum WCFS1 genome focusing on the regions upstream of protein-encoding genes. We obtained several highly conserved motifs including those resembling the conserved σ70-promoter consensus. Position weight matrices-based models of the recovered σ70-promoter sequence motif were employed to identify 4746 motifs with significant similarity (p-value < 10-4) to the model-motif in the L. plantarum genome. Genome-wide transcription start site information deduced from whole genome tiling-array transcriptome datasets revealed 936 TSSs that were employed to validate the transcriptionally active fraction of these predicted promoters. In total, 578 predicted promoters were found in proximity (≤ 100 nucleotides) of the identified TSSs, showing a highly significant co-occurrence of predicted promoter and measured TSS (p-value < 10-23). An additional 224 predicted promoters was validated when the significant similarity to the model-motif was applied less strictly (10-4 ≤ p-value < 10-3). Conclusions: High-resolution tiling arrays provide a suitable source for TSS detection at a genome-wide level, and allow experimental verification of in silico-predicted promoter sequence motifs.

Project description:Gallic acid (GA) is a model hydroxybenzoic acid that occurs esterified in the lignocellulosic biomass of higher plants. GA displays relevant biological activities including anticancer properties. Owing to its antimicrobial and cellulase-inhibiting activities, GA also imposes constraints to the fermentability of lignocellulosic hydrolysates. In depth-knowledge of the mechanisms used by tolerant microorganisms to adapt to hydroxybenzoic acids would be a step forward to improve the bioavailability of GA or select/engineer production hosts with improved metabolic traits for the bioconversion of pretreated lignocellulosic biomass.Whole genome transcriptional profiling using DNA microarrays was used to characterize the molecular response of Lactobacillus plantarum WCFS1 to GA. Expression levels of 14 and 40 genes were differentially regulated at 1.5 and 15 mM GA, respectively. The transcriptomic analysis identified a marked induction of genes with confirmed or related roles to gastrointestinal survival, the repression of genes coding for certain ABC-type transporters and modulation of genes involved in the control of intracellular ammonia levels, among other responses. Most notably, a core set of genes dedicated to produce GA from polyphenols (tanB Lp ), decarboxylate GA to pyrogallol (lpdB, lpdC and lpdD) and transport functions (lp_2943) was highly overexpressed at both GA concentrations. Correspondingly, resting cells of strain WCFS1 induced by GA, but not their non-induced controls, produced pyrogallol. Gene expression and organization of genes involved in GA metabolism suggested a chemiosmotic mechanism of energy generation. Resting cells of L. plantarum induced by GA generated a membrane potential and a pH gradient across the membrane immediately upon addition of GA. Altogether, transcriptome profiling correlated with physiological observations indicating that a proton motive force could be generated during GA metabolism as a result of electrogenic GA uptake coupled with proton consumption by the intracellular gallate decarboxylase.The combination of transcriptome and physiological analyses revealed versatile molecular mechanisms involved in the adaptation of L. plantarum to GA. These data provide a platform to improve the survival of Lactobacillus in the gut. Our data may also guide the selection/engineering of microorganisms that better tolerate phenolic inhibitors present in pretreated lignocellulosic feedstocks.

Dataset Information

Genome-wide analysis of signal peptide functionality in Lactobacillus plantarum WCFS1.

Publications

Genome-wide analysis of signal peptide functionality in Lactobacillus plantarum WCFS1.

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