Identification and characterization of sugar regulated promoters in Chaetomium thermophilum
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ABSTRACT: The thermophilic fungus Chaetomium thermophilum has been successfully used in the past for biochemical and high resolution structural studies of protein complexes, but subsequent functional analysis of these assemblies were hindered due to the lack of genetic tools in this thermophile, which are typically amenable in several other mesophilic eukaryotic model organisms, in particular the yeast Saccharomycers cerevisiae. Hence, we aimed to develop a regulatable gene-expression system in C. thermophilum, which might facilitate such in vivo studies, based on what we know about the galactose-inducible GAL promoter in yeast. To identify sugar-regulatable promoters in C. thermophilum, we performed comparative xylose- versus glucose-dependent gene expression studies, which uncovered a number of enzymes induced by xylose but repressed by glucose. Subsequently, we cloned the promoters of the two most stringently regulated genes, the xylosidase-like gene (XYL) and xylitol dehydrogenase (XDH), obtained from this genome-wide analysis in front of the thermostable YFP (yellow fluorescent protein) reporter. In this way, we could demonstrate xylose-dependent YFP expression by either western blotting or life cell imaging fluorescence microscopy. Prompted by these results, we finally expressed a well-characterized dominant-negative ribosome assembly factor mutant, rsa4 E117>D, under the control of the XDH promoter, which allowed us to induce a nuclear export defect of the pre-60S subunit when C. thermophilum cells were grown in xylose but not glucose containing medium. Altogether, our study recognized xylose-regulatable promoters in Chaetomium thermophilum, which may foster functional studies of genes of interest in this thermophilic eukaryotic model organism.
Project description:Thermophilic fungi are eukaryotic species that grow at high temperatures, but little is known about the thermophily of thermophilic fungi. Here the proteome and N-glycoproteome of Chaetomium thermophilum at varying culture temperatures (30℃, 50℃, and 55℃) were studied using hydrophilic interaction liquid chromatography enrichment and high-resolution liquid chromatography–tandem mass spectroscopy analysis. In proteome, the numbers of differentially expressed proteins were 1274, 1374, and 1063 in T50/T30, T55/T30, and T55/T50, respectively. The up-regulated proteins were involved in biological processes, such as protein folding and carbohydrate metabolism. Most down-regulated proteins were involved in molecular functions, such as structural constituent of the ribosome and structural activity. For N-glycoproteome, the numbers of differentially expressed N-glycoproteins were 160, 176, and 128 in T50/T30, T55/T30, and T55/T50, respectively. The differential glycoproteins were mainly involved in various types of N-glycan biosynthesis, mRNA surveillance pathway, and protein processing in the endoplasmic reticulum. These results indicated that an efficient protein homeostasis pathway plays an essential role in the thermophily of C. thermophilum, and N-glycosylation is involved by affecting related proteins. This is the first study to reveal thermophilic fungi's physiological response to high-temperature adaptation using omics analysis, facilitating the exploration of the thermophily mechanism of thermophilic fungi.
Project description:The present work aimed at discovering xylose-inducible and glucose-insensitive promoters from Geobacillus thermoglucosidasius DSM 2542. This strategy enabled the pathway from xylose metabolism to riboflavin production activated by xylose but not glucose, so that glucose was mainly used for cell growth while xylose was used for riboflavin production. By performing whole genome transcriptional analysis of G. thermoglucosidasius DSM 2542 with or without 1% xylose, 71 xylose-activated genes were identified which were controlled by 39 putative promoters. 3 experimentally validated xylose-inducible and glucose-insensitive promoters covering a broad range of transcriptional levels were used to activate the extra pathway from xylose metabolism to riboflavin production. Fermentation results showed the good performance of these promoters for riboflavin production improvement comparing to constitutive promoters. Therefore, our strategy could be applicable to the construction of cell factories that can efficiently use natural carbon sources with glucose and xylose components for the production of high-value chemicals.
Project description:Xylose induced effects on metabolism and gene expression during anaerobic growth of an engineered Saccharomyces cerevisiae on mixed glucose-xylose medium were quantified. Gene expression of S. cerevisiae harbouring an XR-XDH pathway for xylose utilisation was analysed from early cultivation when mainly glucose was metabolised, to times when xylose was co-consumed in the presence of low glucose concentrations, and finally, to glucose depletion and solely xylose being consumed. Cultivations on glucose as a sole carbon source were used as a control. Genome-scale dynamic flux balance analysis models were developed and simulated to analyse the metabolic dynamics of S. cerevisiae in the cultivations. Model simulations quantitatively estimated xylose dependent dynamics of fluxes and challenges to the metabolic network utilisation. Increased relative xylose utilisation was predicted to induce two-directionality of glycolytic flux and a redox challenge already at low glucose concentrations. Xylose effects on gene expression were observed also when glucose was still abundant. Remarkably, xylose was observed to specifically delay the glucose-dependent repression of particular genes in mixed glucose-xylose cultures compared to glucose cultures. The delay occurred during similar metabolic flux activities in the both cultures. Xylose is abundantly present together with glucose in lignocellulosic streams that would be available for the valorisation to biochemicals or biofuels. Yeast S. cerevisiae has superior characteristics for a host of the bioconversion except that it strongly prefers glucose and the co-consumption of xylose is yet a challenge. Further, since xylose is not a natural substrate of S. cerevisiae, the regulatory response it induces in an engineered yeast strain cannot be expected to have evolved for its utilisation. Dynamic cultivation experiments on mixed glucose-xylose medium having glucose cultures as control integrated with mathematical modelling allowed to resolve specific effects of xylose on the gene expression and metabolism of engineered S. cerevisiae in the presence of varying amounts of glucose.
Project description:The spliceosome, a highly dynamic macromolecular assembly, catalyzes the precise removal of introns from pre-mRNAs. Recent studies have provided comprehensive structural insights in the step-wise assembly, catalytic splicing and final disassembly of the spliceosome. However, the molecular details of how the spliceosome recognizes and rejects suboptimal splicing substrates remained unclear. Here, we show cryo-electron microscopy structures of spliceosomal quality control complexes from a thermophilic eukaryote, Chaetomium thermophilum. The spliceosomes, henceforth termed B*Q, are stalled at a catalytically activated state but prior to the first splicing reaction due to an aberrant 5’ splice site conformation. This is recognized by G-patch protein GPATCH1, which is docked onto PRP8-EN and ‑RH domains and has recruited its cognate DHX35 helicase to its U2 snRNA substrate. In B*Q, DHX35 has dissociated the U2/branch site helix, while the disassembly helicase DHX15 is docked close to its U6 RNA 3’ end substrate. Our work thus provides mechanistic insights into the concerted action of two spliceosomal helicases in maintaining splicing fidelity by priming spliceosomes that are bound to aberrant splice substrates for disassembly.
Project description:Caldicellulosiruptor saccharolyticus is an extremely thermophilic, Gram-positive anaerobe, which ferments cellulose-, hemicellulose- and pectin-containing biomass to acetate, CO2 and hydrogen. Its broad substrate range, high hydrogen-producing capacity, and ability to co-utilize glucose and xylose, make this bacterium an attractive candidate for microbial bioenergy production. Glycolytic pathways and an ABC-type sugar transporter were significantly up-regulated during growth on glucose and xylose, indicating that C. saccharolyticus co-ferments these sugars unimpeded by glucose-based catabolite repression. The capacity to simultaneously process and utilize a range of carbohydrates associated with biomass feedstocks represents a highly desirable feature of a lignocellulose-utilizing, biofuel-producing bacterium. Keywords: substrate response
Project description:To select candidate promoters that function in the presence of xylose, we performed comprehensive gene expression analyses using xylose-utilizing yeast strains both during xylose and glucose fermentation.
Project description:Protein–metabolite interactions play an important role in the cell’s metabolism and many methods have been developed to screen them in vitro. However, few methods can be applied at a large scale and not alter biological state. Here we describe a proteometabolomic approach, using chromatography to generate cell fractions which are then analyzed with mass spectrometry for both protein and metabolite identification. Integrating the proteomic and metabolomic analyses makes it possible to identify protein-bound metabolites. Applying the concept to the thermophilic fungus Chaetomium thermophilum, we predict many likely protein-metabolite interactions, most of them novel. As a proof of principle, we experimentally validate a predicted interaction between the ribosome and isopentenyl adenine.
Project description:Cross-linking/mass spectrometry was used to study inter-domain interactions in the multifunctional AROM complex from Chaetomium thermophilum.