The DNA damage response of Escherichia coli: differential gene expression after replication inhibition by azidothymidine
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ABSTRACT: We examined the DNA damage response of bacterium E. coli using the replication inhibitor azidothyimdine (AZT), and RNA-Seq analysis. We confirm the induction of classic SOS loci by AZT and identify several genes, including many of the pyrimidine pathway, that are induced dependent on LexA cleavage, but have not been previously demonstrated to be DNA damage-inducible. Despite a strong dependence on LexA, these genes lack LexA boxes and their regulation by LexA is likely to be indirect via unknown factors. We show that stringent starvation protein, SspA, is as important as LexA in the regulation of AZT-induced genes. Our experiments identify a new set of LexA-independent DNA damage inducible genes, including 22 small RNA genes, some of which appear to activated by SspA. Motility and chemotaxis genes are strongly down-regulated by AZT, possibly as a result of one of more of the small RNAs or other transcription factors such as AppY and GadE, whose expression is elevated by AZT. Genes controlling the iron siderophore, enterobactin, and iron homeostasis are also strongly induced, independent of LexA. We confirm that IraD anti-adaptor protein and its upstream genes are induced, independent of LexA and that a second anti-adaptor, IraM is also strongly AZT-inducible, independent of LexA, suggesting that RpoS stabilization via these anti-adaptor proteins is an integral part of DNA damage tolerance.
Project description:Repair of DNA damage is essential for genome integrity. DNA damage elicits a DNA damage response (DDR) that includes error-free and error-prone, i.e. mutagenic, repair. The SOS response is a widely conserved system in bacteria that regulates the DDR and depends on the recombinase RecA and the transcriptional repressor LexA. However, RecA/LexA-independent DDRs have been identified in several bacterial species. Here, using a whole-cell, label-free quantitative proteomics approach, we map the proteomic response in Myxococcus xanthus to mitomycin C treatment and the lack of LexA. In doing so, we confirm a LexA-independent DDR in M. xanthus. Using a candidate approach, we identify DdiA, a transcriptional regulator of the XRE family, and demonstrate that it regulates a subset of the LexA-independent DDR genes. Further, we show that ddiA expression is activated heterogeneously in a subpopulation of cells in the absence of exogenous genotoxic stress and is reversibly activated population-wide in response to such stress. We show that DdiA, indirectly or directly, activates the expression of dnaE2, which encodes the DnaE2 error-prone DNA polymerase, and inhibits the expression of recX, which encodes RecX, a negative regulator of RecA. Accordingly, the ΔddiA mutant has a lower mutation frequency than the wild-type but also a fitness defect, suggesting that DdiA mediates a trade-off between fitness and mutagenesis. We speculate that the DdiA-dependent response is tailored to counter replication stress, thereby preventing the induction of the complete RecA/LexA-dependent DDR in the absence of exogenous genotoxic stress.
Project description:The bacterium, Francisella tularensis (Ft), is one of the most infectious agents known and classified as a category A bioweapon. Ft virulence is controlled by a unique set of transcription regulators, the MglA-SspA heterodimer, PigR, and the stress signal, ppGpp. These factors activate Francisella pathogenicity island (FPI) gene expression, which is required for virulence. MglA-SspA is expressed during infection and constitutively associates with the σ70 associated RNAP holoenzyme (RNAPσ70), indicating that RNAPσ70-(MglA-SspA) is a virulence specific polymerase. How virulence activation is mediated by these components, however, is unknown. Here we report cryo-EM structures of FtRNAPσ70, FtRNAPσ70-(MglA-SspA) and RNAPσ70-(MglA-SspA)-ppGpp-PigR complexes with promoter DNA. FtRNAPσ70-DNA and FtRNAPσ70-(MglA-SspA)-DNA structures and RT-PCR analyses show MglA-SspA stabilizes σ70 binding to DNA to regulate FPI-independent, virulence-enhancing genes. Strikingly, an Escherichia coli RNAPσ70 complex with EcSspA suggests this is a general mechanism for SspA-like regulation of bacterial RNAPσ70. Finally, our FtRNAP-σ70-(MglA-SspA)-ppGpp-PigR-DNA structure reveals that ppGpp binds to MglA-SspA to tether the DNA-binding activator, PigR, to FPI promoters. PigR in turn recruits FtRNAP CTDs to two DNA upstream (UP) elements, generating stable FPI transcription complexes. Thus, these studies unveil a novel paradigm for pathogenesis in Ft involving a virulence-specific RNAP that employs two (MglA-SspA)-based strategies to activate virulence genes.
Project description:Shimoni2009 - Escherichia Coli SOS
Simple model, involving only the basic components of the circuit, sufficient to explain the peaks in the promoter activities of recA and lexA.
This model is described in the article:
Stochastic analysis of the SOS response in Escherichia coli.
Shimoni Y, Altuvia S, Margalit H, Biham O
PloS one. 2009; 4(5):e5363
Abstract:
BACKGROUND: DNA damage in Escherichia coli evokes a response mechanism called the SOS response. The genetic circuit of this mechanism includes the genes recA and lexA, which regulate each other via a mixed feedback loop involving transcriptional regulation and protein-protein interaction. Under normal conditions, recA is transcriptionally repressed by LexA, which also functions as an auto-repressor. In presence of DNA damage, RecA proteins recognize stalled replication forks and participate in the DNA repair process. Under these conditions, RecA marks LexA for fast degradation. Generally, such mixed feedback loops are known to exhibit either bi-stability or a single steady state. However, when the dynamics of the SOS system following DNA damage was recently studied in single cells, ordered peaks were observed in the promoter activity of both genes (Friedman et al., 2005, PLoS Biol. 3(7):e238). This surprising phenomenon was masked in previous studies of cell populations. Previous attempts to explain these results harnessed additional genes to the system and deployed complex deterministic mathematical models that were only partially successful in explaining the results.
PRINCIPAL FINDINGS: Here we apply stochastic methods, which are better suited for dynamic simulations of single cells. We show that a simple model, involving only the basic components of the circuit, is sufficient to explain the peaks in the promoter activities of recA and lexA. Notably, deterministic simulations of the same model do not produce peaks in the promoter activities.
SIGNIFICANCE: We conclude that the double negative mixed feedback loop with auto-repression accounts for the experimentally observed peaks in the promoter activities. In addition to explaining the experimental results, this result shows that including additional regulations in a mixed feedback loop may dramatically change the dynamic functionality of this regulatory module. Furthermore, our results suggests that stochastic fluctuations strongly affect the qualitative behavior of important regulatory modules even under biologically relevant conditions, thus emphasizing the importance of stochastic analysis of regulatory circuits.
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Project description:Our results indicate that the transcriptional responses to HPUra, MMC, and UV are only partially overlapping. recA is the major transcriptional regulator under all of the tested conditions and LexA appears to directly repress expression of 63 genes in 26 operons, including the 18 operons previously identified as LexA targets. MMC and HPUra treatments caused induction of an integrative and conjugative element (ICEBs1) and resident prophages (PBSX and SPß), which affected expression of many host genes. Consistent with previous results, induction of these mobile elements required recA. Induction of the phage appeared to require inactivation of LexA. Unrepaired UV damage and treatment with MMC also affected expression of some of the genes that are controlled by DnaA. Furthermore, MMC treatment caused an increase in origin proximal gene dosage Keywords: time dependent DNA damage response
Project description:The SOS response is a conserved pathway that is activated under certain stress conditions and is regulated by the repressor LexA and the activator RecA. The food-borne pathogen Listeria monocytogenes contains RecA and LexA homologs, but their roles in Listeria have not been established. In this study, we identified the SOS regulon in L. monocytogenes by comparing the transcription profiles of the wild-type strain and the ΔrecA mutant strain after exposure to the DNA damaging agent mitomycinC (MMC). The SOS response is an inducible pathway involved in DNA repair, restart of stalled replication forks, and in induction of genetic variation in stressed and stationary phase cells. It is regulated by LexA and RecA. LexA is an autoregulatory repressor which binds to a consensus sequence in the promoter region of the SOS response genes, thereby repressing transcription. A consensus LexA binding motif for L. monocytogenes has not been identified thus far. Generally, the SOS response is induced under circumstances in which single stranded DNA accumulates in the cell. This results in activation of RecA, which in turn stimulates cleavage of LexA, and ultimately in the induction of the SOS response. Keywords: stress response, loop design, SOS response, mitomycin c, listeria monocytogenes, RecA, LexA
Project description:Mitochondrial dysfunction causes oxidative stress and cardiomyopathy. Oxidative stress also is a side effect of dideoxynucleoside antiretrovirals (NRTI) and NRTI-induced cardiomyopathy. We show here that treatment with the NRTI AZT (1-[(2R,4S,5S)-4-azido-5-(hydroxymethyl)oxolan-2-yl]-5-methylpyrimidine-2,4-dione) modulates cardiac gene expression epigenetically through production of mitochondrially-derived reactive oxygen species (ROS). Transgenic mice with ubitquitous expression of mitochondrially-targeted catalase (MCAT) and C57BL/6 wild-type mice littermates (WT) were administered AZT (p.o., 0.22 mg/d; 35 days), and cardiac DNA and mRNA were isolated. In AZT-treated WT, 95 cardiac genes were differentially expressed compared to vehicle-treated WTs. When MCAT mice were treated with AZT, each of those 95 genes reverted to the pattern of vehicle-treated WTs. In AZT-treated WT hearts, Mthfr (5,10-methylenetetrahydrofolate reductase; a critical enzyme in synthesis of methionine cycle intermediates including S-adenosylmethionine (SAM)), was overexpressed. AZT caused hypermethylation (47%) and hypomethylation (53%) of differentially methylated DNA regions in WT cardiac DNA. AZT-treated MCAT heart DNA exhibited greater hypermethylation (91%) and less hypomethylation (9%) compared to vehicle-treated controls. Results show that mitochondrially-derived oxidative stress in the heart that is caused by AZT hinders cardiac DNA methylation, alters cardiac gene expression, and promotes characteristic pathophysiological changes of cardiomyopathy. This mechanism for NRTI toxicity offers insight into long-term side effects from these commonly used antiviral agents.
Project description:Mitochondrial dysfunction causes oxidative stress and cardiomyopathy. Oxidative stress also is a side effect of dideoxynucleoside antiretrovirals (NRTI) and NRTI-induced cardiomyopathy. We show here that treatment with the NRTI AZT (1-[(2R,4S,5S)-4-azido-5-(hydroxymethyl)oxolan-2-yl]-5-methylpyrimidine-2,4-dione) modulates cardiac gene expression epigenetically through production of mitochondrially-derived reactive oxygen species (ROS). Transgenic mice with ubitquitous expression of mitochondrially-targeted catalase (MCAT) and C57BL/6 wild-type mice littermates (WT) were administered AZT (p.o., 0.22 mg/d; 35 days), and cardiac DNA and mRNA were isolated. In AZT-treated WT, 95 cardiac genes were differentially expressed compared to vehicle-treated WTs. When MCAT mice were treated with AZT, each of those 95 genes reverted to the pattern of vehicle-treated WTs. In AZT-treated WT hearts, Mthfr (5,10-methylenetetrahydrofolate reductase; a critical enzyme in synthesis of methionine cycle intermediates including S-adenosylmethionine (SAM)), was overexpressed. AZT caused hypermethylation (47%) and hypomethylation (53%) of differentially methylated DNA regions in WT cardiac DNA. AZT-treated MCAT heart DNA exhibited greater hypermethylation (91%) and less hypomethylation (9%) compared to vehicle-treated controls. Results show that mitochondrially-derived oxidative stress in the heart that is caused by AZT hinders cardiac DNA methylation, alters cardiac gene expression, and promotes characteristic pathophysiological changes of cardiomyopathy. This mechanism for NRTI toxicity offers insight into long-term side effects from these commonly used antiviral agents.
Project description:The SOS response is a conserved pathway that is activated under certain stress conditions and is regulated by the repressor LexA and the activator RecA. The food-borne pathogen Listeria monocytogenes contains RecA and LexA homologs, but their roles in Listeria have not been established. In this study, we identified the SOS regulon in L. monocytogenes by comparing the transcription profiles of the wild-type strain and the ÎrecA mutant strain after exposure to the DNA damaging agent mitomycinC (MMC). The SOS response is an inducible pathway involved in DNA repair, restart of stalled replication forks, and in induction of genetic variation in stressed and stationary phase cells. It is regulated by LexA and RecA. LexA is an autoregulatory repressor which binds to a consensus sequence in the promoter region of the SOS response genes, thereby repressing transcription. A consensus LexA binding motif for L. monocytogenes has not been identified thus far. Generally, the SOS response is induced under circumstances in which single stranded DNA accumulates in the cell. This results in activation of RecA, which in turn stimulates cleavage of LexA, and ultimately in the induction of the SOS response. Keywords: stress response, loop design, SOS response, mitomycin c, listeria monocytogenes, RecA, LexA Triple loop design of 3 independent experiments (series A, B, and C) using Wt strain and recA mutant (activator of the SOS response). Sampling was done before (t=0) and 1 hour after (t=60) exposure to mitomycin C (MMC) for both the wild-type strain and the recA mutant strain. One series therefore contains 4 samples and the complete experiments consists of 12 samples. Each of the 3 series was designed in a loop (wt, t=0 =>wt, t=60 => recA, t=60 => recA, t=0 => wt, t=0). These 3 loops were connected using series B as the central loop. Series B was connected to series A as follows: wt, t=0 (B) => recA, t=0 (A) and wt, t=60 (B) => recA, t=60 (A). Series B was connected to series C as follows: recA, t=0 (B) => wt, t=0 (C) and recA, t=60 (B) => wt, t=60 (C).
Project description:Pseudomonas aeruginosa infections can be virtually impossible to eradicate and the evolution of resistance during antibiotic therapy is a significant concern. In this study, we use DNA microarrays to characterize the global transcriptional response of P. aeruginosa to clinical-like doses of the antibiotic ciprofloxacin and also to determine the component that is regulated by LexA cleavage and the SOS response. We find that genes involved in virtually every facet of metabolism are down-regulated in response to ciprofloxacin. The LexA-controlled SOS regulon identified by microarray analysis includes only fifteen genes, but does include several genes that encode proteins involved in recombination and replication, including two inducible polymerases known to play a role in mutation and the evolution of antibiotic resistance in other organisms. The data suggests that the inhibition of LexA cleavage during therapy might help combat this pathogen by decreasing its ability to adapt and evolve resistance. Keywords: Time course of response of P. aeruginosa to the antibiotic ciprofloxacin
Project description:UV Irradiation of the wild-type and lexA MG1655 Escherichia coli. Cells were irradiated at ~2x10^8 cells/ml in the Davis medium by 15-W germicidal lamp (254 nm, 0.66J/m^2/sec). Set also includes respective controls for unirradiated cells collected at 20 and 60 min time points. Comparison between lexA mutant and the isogenic wild-type prior the UV treatment is also included as part of the set. The SOS response in UV-irradiated Escherichia coli includes the upregulation of several dozen genes that are negatively regulated by the LexA repressor. Using DNA microarrays containing amplified DNA fragments from 95.5% of all open reading frames identified on the E. coli chromosome, we have examined the changes in gene expression following UV exposure in both wild-type cells and lexA1 mutants, which are unable to induce genes under LexA control. We report here the time courses of expression of the genes surrounding the 26 documented lexA-regulated regions on the E. coli chromosome. We observed 17 additional sites that responded in a lexA-dependent manner and a large number of genes that were upregulated in a lexA-independent manner although upregulation in this manner was generally not more than twofold. In addition, several transcripts were either downregulated or degraded following UV irradiation. These newly identified UV-responsive genes are discussed with respect to their possible roles in cellular recovery following exposure to UV irradiation. Data from the set are presented and analysed in the manuscript "Comparative gene expression profiles following UV exposure in wild type and SOS deficient Escherichia coli." Courcelle J; Khodursky A; Peter B; Brown PO; Hanawalt PC, Genetics 158: 41-64 May 2001 Keywords: other