Hibernation factors directly block ribonucleases from entering the ribosome in response to starvation.
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ABSTRACT:
SUBMITTER: Prossliner T
PROVIDER: S-EPMC7913689 | biostudies-literature |
REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature
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Project description:To conserve energy during starvation and stress, many organisms use hibernation factor proteins to inhibit protein synthesis and protect their ribosomes from damage1,2. In bacteria, two families of hibernation factors have been described, but the low conservation of these proteins and the huge diversity of species, habitats and environmental stressors have confounded their discovery3-6. Here, by combining cryogenic electron microscopy, genetics and biochemistry, we identify Balon, a new hibernation factor in the cold-adapted bacterium Psychrobacter urativorans. We show that Balon is a distant homologue of the archaeo-eukaryotic translation factor aeRF1 and is found in 20% of representative bacteria. During cold shock or stationary phase, Balon occupies the ribosomal A site in both vacant and actively translating ribosomes in complex with EF-Tu, highlighting an unexpected role for EF-Tu in the cellular stress response. Unlike typical A-site substrates, Balon binds to ribosomes in an mRNA-independent manner, initiating a new mode of ribosome hibernation that can commence while ribosomes are still engaged in protein synthesis. Our work suggests that Balon-EF-Tu-regulated ribosome hibernation is a ubiquitous bacterial stress-response mechanism, and we demonstrate that putative Balon homologues in Mycobacteria bind to ribosomes in a similar fashion. This finding calls for a revision of the current model of ribosome hibernation inferred from common model organisms and holds numerous implications for how we understand and study ribosome hibernation.
| S-EPMC10901736 | biostudies-literature
Project description:Most bacteria are quiescent, typically as a result of nutrient limitation. In order to minimize energy consumption during this potentially prolonged state, quiescent bacteria substantially attenuate protein synthesis, the most energetically costly cellular process. Ribosomes in quiescent bacteria are present as dimers of two 70S ribosomes. Dimerization is dependent on a single protein, hibernation promoting factor (HPF), that binds the ribosome in the mRNA channel. This interaction indicates that dimers are inactive, suggesting that HPF inhibits translation. However, we observe that HPF does not significantly affect protein synthesis in vivo suggesting that dimerization is a consequence of inactivity, not the cause. The HPF-dimer interaction further implies that re-initiation of translation when the bacteria exit quiescence requires dimer resolution. We show that ribosome dimers quickly resolve in the presence of nutrients, and this resolution is dependent on transcription, indicating that mRNA synthesis is required for dimer resolution. Finally, we observe that ectopic HPF expression in growing cells where mRNA is abundant does not significantly affect protein synthesis despite stimulating dimer formation, suggesting that dimerization is dynamic. Thus, the extensive transcription that occurs in response to nutrient availability rapidly re-activates the translational apparatus of a quiescent cell and induces dimer resolution.
| S-EPMC8628635 | biostudies-literature
Project description:Bacteria respond to zinc starvation by replacing ribosomal proteins that have the zinc-binding CXXC motif (C+) with their zinc-free (C-) paralogues. Consequences of this process beyond zinc homeostasis are unknown. Here, we show that the C- ribosome in Mycobacterium smegmatis is the exclusive target of a bacterial protein Y homolog, referred to as mycobacterial-specific protein Y (MPY), which binds to the decoding region of the 30S subunit, thereby inactivating the ribosome. MPY binding is dependent on another mycobacterial protein, MPY recruitment factor (MRF), which is induced on zinc depletion, and interacts with C- ribosomes. MPY binding confers structural stability to C- ribosomes, promoting survival of growth-arrested cells under zinc-limiting conditions. Binding of MPY also has direct influence on the dynamics of aminoglycoside-binding pockets of the C- ribosome to inhibit binding of these antibiotics. Together, our data suggest that zinc limitation leads to ribosome hibernation and aminoglycoside resistance in mycobacteria. Furthermore, our observation of the expression of the proteins of C- ribosomes in Mycobacterium tuberculosis in a mouse model of infection suggests that ribosome hibernation could be relevant in our understanding of persistence and drug tolerance of the pathogen encountered during chemotherapy of TB.
| S-EPMC6094098 | biostudies-literature
Project description:The X-ray crystal structure of ribosome hibernation promoting factor (HPF) from Vibrio cholerae is presented at 2.0 Å resolution. The crystal was phased by two-wavelength MAD using cocrystallized cobalt. The asymmetric unit contained two molecules of HPF linked by four Co atoms. The metal-binding sites observed in the crystal are probably not related to biological function. The structure of HPF has a typical β-α-β-β-β-α fold consistent with previous structures of YfiA and HPF from Escherichia coli. Comparison of the new structure with that of HPF from E. coli bound to the Thermus thermophilus ribosome [Polikanov et al. (2012), Science, 336, 915-918] shows that no significant structural changes are induced in HPF by binding.
| S-EPMC3606564 | biostudies-literature
Project description:Bacteria growing in biofilms are physiologically heterogeneous, due in part to their adaptation to local environmental conditions. Here, we characterized the local transcriptional responses of Pseudomonas aeruginosa growing in biofilms by using microarray analysis of isolated biofilm subpopulations. The results demonstrated that cells at the top of the biofilms had high mRNA abundances for genes involved in general metabolic functions, while mRNAs for these housekeeping genes were low in cells at the bottom of the biofilms. Selective GFP labeling showed that cells at the top of the biofilm were actively dividing. However, the dividing cells had high mRNAs levels for genes regulated by the hypoxia induced regulator, Anr. Slow-growing cells deep in the biofilms had little expression of Anr-regulated genes and may have experienced long-termanoxia. Transcripts for ribosomal proteins were primarily associated with the metabolically active cell fraction, while ribosomal RNAs were abundant throughout the biofilms, indicating that ribosomes are stably maintained even in slowly growing cells. Consistent with these results was the identification of mRNAs for ribosome hibernation factors (rmf and PA4463) at the bottom of the biofilms. A P. aeruginosa M-bM-^HM-^Frmf strain had increased uptake of the membrane integrity stain, propidium iodide. Using selective GFP labeling and cell sorting, we showed that the dividing cells were more susceptible to tobramycin and ciprofloxacin than the dormant subpopulation. The results demonstrate that in thick P. aeruginosa biofilms, cells are physiologically distinct spatially, with cells deep in the biofilm in a viable but antibiotic-tolerant slow-growth state. 52-hour Pseudomonas aeruginosa TSA colony biofilms were cryoembedded, thin sectioned, and laser dissected (LCM) to obtain samples from the top and bottom 50 M-BM-5m of the biofilms. 9 sections per biofilm were pooled. RNA was extracted with the RNeasy Micro kit, Turbo DNase treated, poly(A) tailed, and amplified using the Quantitect WTA kit. After clean up, the resulting product was fragmented and end labeled before hybridization.
2012-05-02 | E-GEOD-34762 | biostudies-arrayexpress
Project description:In opportunistic Gram-positive Staphylococcus aureus, a small protein called hibernation-promoting factor (HPFSa) is sufficient to dimerize 2.5-MDa 70S ribosomes into a translationally inactive 100S complex. Although the 100S dimer is observed in only the stationary phase in Gram-negative gammaproteobacteria, it is ubiquitous throughout all growth phases in S. aureus The biological significance of the 100S ribosome is poorly understood. Here, we reveal an important role of HPFSa in preserving ribosome integrity and poising cells for translational restart, a process that has significant clinical implications for relapsed staphylococcal infections. We found that the hpf null strain is severely impaired in long-term viability concomitant with a dramatic loss of intact ribosomes. Genome-wide ribosome profiling shows that eliminating HPFSa drastically increased ribosome occupancy at the 5' end of specific mRNAs under nutrient-limited conditions, suggesting that HPFSa may suppress translation initiation. The protective function of HPFSa on ribosomes resides at the N-terminal conserved basic residues and the extended C-terminal segment, which are critical for dimerization and ribosome binding, respectively. These data provide significant insight into the functional consequences of 100S ribosome loss for protein synthesis and stress adaptation.
| S-EPMC4889938 | biostudies-literature
Project description:Hibernation-promoting factor (HPF) is a ribosomal accessory protein that inactivates ribosomes during bacterial starvation. In Pseudomonas aeruginosa, HPF protects ribosome integrity while the cells are dormant. The sequence of HPF has diverged among bacteria but contains conserved charged amino acids in its two alpha helices that interact with the rRNA. Here, we characterized the function of HPF in P. aeruginosa by performing mutagenesis of the conserved residues and then assaying mutant HPF alleles for their ability to protect ribosome integrity of starved P. aeruginosa cells. The results show that HPF functionally tolerates point mutations in charged residues and in the conserved Y71 residue as well as a C-terminal truncation. Double and triple mutations of charged residues in helix 1 in combination with a Y71F substitution reduce HPF activity. Screening for single point mutations that caused impaired HPF activity identified additional substitutions in the two HPF alpha helices. However, alanine substitutions in equivalent positions restored HPF activity, indicating that HPF is tolerant to mutations that do not disrupt the protein structure. Surprisingly, heterologous HPFs from Gram-positive bacteria that have long C-terminal domains functionally complement the P. aeruginosa Δhpf mutant, suggesting that HPF may play a similar role in ribosome protection in other bacterial species. Collectively, the results show that HPF has diverged among bacteria and is tolerant to most single amino acid substitutions. The Y71 residue in combination with helix 1 is important for the functional role of HPF in ribosome protection during bacterial starvation and resuscitation of the bacteria from dormancy.IMPORTANCE In most environments, bacteria experience conditions where nutrients may be readily abundant or where nutrients are limited. Under nutrient limitation conditions, even non-spore-forming bacteria may enter a dormant state. Dormancy is accompanied by a variety of cellular physiological changes that are required for the cells to remain viable during dormancy and to resuscitate when nutrients become available. Among the physiological changes that occur in dormant bacteria is the inactivation and preservation of ribosomes by the dormancy protein, hibernation-promoting factor (HPF). In this study, we characterized the activity of HPF of Pseudomonas aeruginosa, an opportunistic pathogen that causes persistent infections, and analyzed the role of HPF in ribosome protection and bacterial survival during dormancy.
| S-EPMC7484188 | biostudies-literature
Project description:The translationally silent 100S ribosome is a poorly understood form of the dimeric 70S complex that is ubiquitously found in all bacterial phyla. The elimination of the hibernating 100S ribosome leads to translational derepression, ribosome instability, antibiotic sensitivity, and biofilm defects in some bacteria. In Firmicutes, such as the opportunistic pathogen Staphylococcus aureus, a 190-amino acid protein called hibernating-promoting factor (HPF) dimerizes and conjoins two 70S ribosomes through a direct interaction between the HPF homodimer, with each HPF monomer tethered on an individual 70S complex. While the formation of the 100S ribosome in gammaproteobacteria and cyanobacteria is exclusively induced during postexponential growth phase and darkness, respectively, the 100S ribosomes in Firmicutes are constitutively produced from the lag-logarithmic phase through the post-stationary phase. Very little is known about the regulatory pathways that control hpf expression and 100S ribosome abundance. Here, we show that a general stress response (GSR) sigma factor (SigB) and a GTP-sensing transcription factor (CodY) integrate nutrient and thermal signals to regulate hpf synthesis in S. aureus, resulting in an enhanced virulence of the pathogen in a mouse model of septicemic infection. CodY-dependent regulation of hpf is strain specific. An epistasis analysis further demonstrated that CodY functions upstream of the GSR pathway in a condition-dependent manner. The results reveal an important link between S. aureus stress physiology, ribosome metabolism, and infection biology.IMPORTANCE The dimerization of 70S ribosomes (100S complex) plays an important role in translational regulation and infectivity of the major human pathogen Staphylococcus aureus Although the dimerizing factor HPF has been characterized biochemically, the pathways that regulate 100S ribosome abundance remain elusive. We identified a metabolite- and nutrient-sensing transcription factor, CodY, that serves both as an activator and a repressor of hpf expression in nutrient- and temperature-dependent manners. Furthermore, CodY-mediated activation of hpf masks a secondary hpf transcript derived from a general stress response SigB promoter. CodY and SigB regulate a repertoire of virulence genes. The unexpected link between ribosome homeostasis and the two master virulence regulators provides new opportunities for alternative druggable sites.
| S-EPMC6256015 | biostudies-literature
Project description:Bacteria growing in biofilms are physiologically heterogeneous, due in part to their adaptation to local environmental conditions. Here, we characterized the local transcriptional responses of Pseudomonas aeruginosa growing in biofilms by using microarray analysis of isolated biofilm subpopulations. The results demonstrated that cells at the top of the biofilms had high mRNA abundances for genes involved in general metabolic functions, while mRNAs for these housekeeping genes were low in cells at the bottom of the biofilms. Selective GFP labeling showed that cells at the top of the biofilm were actively dividing. However, the dividing cells had high mRNAs levels for genes regulated by the hypoxia induced regulator, Anr. Slow-growing cells deep in the biofilms had little expression of Anr-regulated genes and may have experienced long-termanoxia. Transcripts for ribosomal proteins were primarily associated with the metabolically active cell fraction, while ribosomal RNAs were abundant throughout the biofilms, indicating that ribosomes are stably maintained even in slowly growing cells. Consistent with these results was the identification of mRNAs for ribosome hibernation factors (rmf and PA4463) at the bottom of the biofilms. A P. aeruginosa ∆rmf strain had increased uptake of the membrane integrity stain, propidium iodide. Using selective GFP labeling and cell sorting, we showed that the dividing cells were more susceptible to tobramycin and ciprofloxacin than the dormant subpopulation. The results demonstrate that in thick P. aeruginosa biofilms, cells are physiologically distinct spatially, with cells deep in the biofilm in a viable but antibiotic-tolerant slow-growth state.
2012-05-03 | GSE34762 | GEO
Project description:Bacteria growing in biofilms are physiologically heterogeneous, due in part to their adaptation to local environmental conditions. Here, we characterized the local transcriptome responses of Pseudomonas aeruginosa growing in biofilms by using a microarray analysis of isolated biofilm subpopulations. The results demonstrated that cells at the top of the biofilms had high mRNA abundances for genes involved in general metabolic functions, while mRNA levels for these housekeeping genes were low in cells at the bottom of the biofilms. Selective green fluorescent protein (GFP) labeling showed that cells at the top of the biofilm were actively dividing. However, the dividing cells had high mRNA levels for genes regulated by the hypoxia-induced regulator Anr. Slow-growing cells deep in the biofilms had little expression of Anr-regulated genes and may have experienced long-term anoxia. Transcripts for ribosomal proteins were associated primarily with the metabolically active cell fraction, while ribosomal RNAs were abundant throughout the biofilms, indicating that ribosomes are stably maintained even in slowly growing cells. Consistent with these results was the identification of mRNAs for ribosome hibernation factors (the rmf and PA4463 genes) at the bottom of the biofilms. The dormant biofilm cells of a P. aeruginosa ?rmf strain had decreased membrane integrity, as shown by propidium iodide staining. Using selective GFP labeling and cell sorting, we show that the dividing cells are more susceptible to killing by tobramycin and ciprofloxacin. The results demonstrate that in thick P. aeruginosa biofilms, cells are physiologically distinct spatially, with cells deep in the biofilm in a viable but antibiotic-tolerant slow-growth state.
| S-EPMC3318454 | biostudies-literature