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Functional characterization of the RuvB homologs from Mycoplasma pneumoniae and Mycoplasma genitalium.

ABSTRACT: Homologous recombination between repeated DNA elements in the genomes of Mycoplasma species has been hypothesized to be a crucial causal factor in sequence variation of antigenic proteins at the bacterial surface. To investigate this notion, studies were initiated to identify and characterize the proteins that form part of the homologous DNA recombination machinery in Mycoplasma pneumoniae as well as Mycoplasma genitalium. Among the most likely participants of this machinery are homologs of the Holliday junction migration motor protein RuvB. In both M. pneumoniae and M. genitalium, genes have been identified that have the capacity to encode RuvB homologs (MPN536 and MG359, respectively). Here, the characteristics of the MPN536- and MG359-encoded proteins (the RuvB proteins from M. pneumoniae strain FH [RuvB(FH)] and M. genitalium [RuvB(Mge)], respectively) are described. Both RuvB(FH) and RuvB(Mge) were found to have ATPase activity and to bind DNA. In addition, both proteins displayed divalent cation- and ATP-dependent DNA helicase activity on partially double-stranded DNA substrates. The helicase activity of RuvB(Mge), however, was significantly lower than that of RuvB(FH). Interestingly, we found RuvB(FH) to be expressed exclusively by subtype 2 strains of M. pneumoniae. In strains belonging to the other major subtype (subtype 1), a version of the protein is expressed (the RuvB protein from M. pneumoniae strain M129 [RuvB(M129)]) that differs from RuvB(FH) in a single amino acid residue (at position 140). In contrast to RuvB(FH), RuvB(M129) displayed only marginal levels of DNA-unwinding activity. These results demonstrate that M. pneumoniae strains (as well as closely related Mycoplasma spp.) can differ significantly in the function of components of their DNA recombination and repair machinery.

SUBMITTER: Estevao S

PROVIDER: S-EPMC3232873 | biostudies-literature | 2011 Dec

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature

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Functional characterization of the RuvB homologs from Mycoplasma pneumoniae and Mycoplasma genitalium.

Estevão Silvia S Sluijter Marcel M Hartwig Nico G NG van Rossum Annemarie M C AM Vink Cornelis C

Journal of bacteriology 20110923 23

Homologous recombination between repeated DNA elements in the genomes of Mycoplasma species has been hypothesized to be a crucial causal factor in sequence variation of antigenic proteins at the bacterial surface. To investigate this notion, studies were initiated to identify and characterize the proteins that form part of the homologous DNA recombination machinery in Mycoplasma pneumoniae as well as Mycoplasma genitalium. Among the most likely participants of this machinery are homologs of the ...[more]

PMID: 21949077

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Project description:The discovery of small open reading frames (smORFs) encoding for polypeptides (SEPs; <100aa) highlights that the coding capacity of the genomes has been underestimated. Most ORF-finding algorithms have historically set a minimum threshold length of 100 aa. As consequence, some transcripts encoding for SEPs, were erroneously discarded or classified as non-coding RNAs (ncRNAs). With this experiments we try to experimentally assess the existence and complexity of these small proteins. The experimental design includes: After growing each Mycoplasma for 6h at 37°C, cells were washed twice with PBS and lysed with 700 µl of Qiazol buffer. Then, samples were lysed with 700 µl of Qiazol buffer. RNA extractions were performed by using the miRNeasy mini Kit (Qiagen) following the instructions of the manufacturer. Libraries for RNA-seq were prepared following directional RNA-seq library preparation and sequencing. Briefly, 1 µg of total RNA was fragmented to ~100-150 nt using NEB Next Magnesium RNA Fragmentation Module (ref. E6150S, NEB). Treatments with Antarctic phosphatase (ref. M0289S, NEB) and PNK (ref. M0201S, NEB) were performed in order to make the 5’ and 3’ ends of the RNA available for adapter ligation. Samples were further processed using the TruSeq small RNA Sample Prep Kit (ref. RS-200-0012, Illumina) according to the manufacturer's protocol. In summary, 3’ adapters and subsequently 5’ adapters were ligated to the RNA. cDNA was synthesized using reverse transcriptase (SuperScript II, ref. 18064-014, Invitrogen) and a specific primer (RNA RT Primer) complementary to the 3’ RNA adapter. cDNA was further amplified by PCR using indexed adapters supplied in the kit. Finally, size selection of the libraries was performed using 6% Novex® TBE Gels (ref. EC6265BOX, Life Technologies). Fragments with insert sizes of 100 to 130 bp were cut from the gel, and cDNA was precipitated and eluted in 10 µl of elution buffer. Double-stranded templates were cluster amplified and sequenced on an Illumina HiSeq 2000.

Dataset Information

Functional characterization of the RuvB homologs from Mycoplasma pneumoniae and Mycoplasma genitalium.

Publications

Functional characterization of the RuvB homologs from Mycoplasma pneumoniae and Mycoplasma genitalium.

Similar Datasets

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