Dataset Information

Neighbor predation linked to natural competence fosters the transfer of large genomic regions in Vibrio cholerae.

ABSTRACT: Natural competence for transformation is a primary mode of horizontal gene transfer. Competent bacteria are able to absorb free DNA from their surroundings and exchange this DNA against pieces of their own genome when sufficiently homologous. However, the prevalence of non-degraded DNA with sufficient coding capacity is not well understood. In this context, we previously showed that naturally competent Vibrio cholerae use their type VI secretion system (T6SS) to actively acquire DNA from non-kin neighbors. Here, we explored the conditions of the DNA released through T6SS-mediated killing versus passive cell lysis and the extent of the transfers that occur due to these conditions. We show that competent V. cholerae acquire DNA fragments with a length exceeding 150 kbp in a T6SS-dependent manner. Collectively, our data support the notion that the environmental lifestyle of V. cholerae fosters the exchange of genetic material with sufficient coding capacity to significantly accelerate bacterial evolution.

SUBMITTER: Matthey N

PROVIDER: S-EPMC6783263 | biostudies-literature | 2019 Sep

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature

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Neighbor predation linked to natural competence fosters the transfer of large genomic regions in <i>Vibrio cholerae</i>.

Matthey Noémie N Matthey Noémie N Stutzmann Sandrine S Stoudmann Candice C Guex Nicolas N Iseli Christian C Blokesch Melanie M

eLife 20190903

Natural competence for transformation is a primary mode of horizontal gene transfer. Competent bacteria are able to absorb free DNA from their surroundings and exchange this DNA against pieces of their own genome when sufficiently homologous. However, the prevalence of non-degraded DNA with sufficient coding capacity is not well understood. In this context, we previously showed that naturally competent <i>Vibrio cholerae</i> use their type VI secretion system (T6SS) to actively acquire DNA from ...[more]

PMID: 31478834

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Project description:Vibrio cholerae is naturally competent when grown on chitin. It is known that expression of the major regulator of competence, TfoX, is controlled by chitin; however, the molecular mechanisms underlying this requirement for chitin have remained unclear. In the present study, we identify and characterize a membrane-bound transcriptional regulator that positively regulates the small RNA (sRNA) TfoR, which posttranscriptionally enhances tfoX translation. We show that this regulation of the tfoR promoter is direct by performing electrophoretic mobility shift assays and by heterologous expression of this system in Escherichia coli. This transcriptional regulator was recently identified independently and was named "TfoS" (S. Yamamoto et al., Mol. Microbiol., in press, doi:10.1111/mmi.12462). Using a constitutively active form of TfoS, we demonstrate that the activity of this regulator is sufficient to promote competence in V. cholerae in the absence of chitin. Also, TfoS contains a large periplasmic domain, which we hypothesized interacts with chitin to regulate TfoS activity. In the heterologous host E. coli, we demonstrate that chitin oligosaccharides are sufficient to activate TfoS activity at the tfoR promoter. Collectively, these data characterize TfoS as a novel chitin-sensing transcriptional regulator that represents the direct link between chitin and natural competence in V. cholerae. IMPORTANCE Naturally competent bacteria can take up exogenous DNA from the environment and integrate it into their genome by homologous recombination. This ability to take up exogenous DNA is shared by diverse bacterial species and serves as a mechanism to acquire new genes to enhance the fitness of the organism. Several members of the family Vibrionaceae become naturally competent when grown on chitin; however, a molecular understanding of how chitin activates competence is lacking. Here, we identify a novel membrane-bound transcriptional regulator that is required for natural transformation in the human pathogen Vibrio cholerae. We demonstrate that this regulator senses chitin oligosaccharides to activate the competence cascade, thus, uncovering the molecular link between chitin and natural competence in this Vibrio species.

Dataset Information

Neighbor predation linked to natural competence fosters the transfer of large genomic regions in Vibrio cholerae.

Publications

Neighbor predation linked to natural competence fosters the transfer of large genomic regions in <i>Vibrio cholerae</i>.

Similar Datasets

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