Project description:Methanotrophs, which help regulate atmospheric levels of methane, are active in diverse natural and man-made environments. This range of habitats and the feast-famine cycles seen by many environmental methanotrophs suggest that methanotrophs dynamically mediate rates of methane oxidation. Global methane budgets require ways to account for this variability in time and space. Functional gene biomarker transcripts are increasingly being studied to inform the dynamics of diverse biogeochemical cycles. Previously, per-cell transcript levels of the methane oxidation biomarker, pmoA, were found to vary quantitatively with respect to methane oxidation rates in model aerobic methanotroph, Methylosinus trichosporium OB3b. In the present study, these trends were explored for two additional aerobic methanotroph pure cultures, Methylocystis parvus OBBP and Methylomicrobium album BG8. At steady-state conditions, per cell pmoA mRNA transcript levels strongly correlated with per cell methane oxidation across the three methanotrophs across many orders of magnitude of activity (R2 = 0.91). Additionally, genome-wide expression data (RNA-seq) were used to explore transcriptomic responses of steady state M. album BG8 cultures to short-term CH4 and O2 limitation. These limitations induced regulation of genes involved in central carbon metabolism (including carbon storage), cell motility, and stress response.
Project description:Metabolic flexibility in aerobic methane oxidising bacteria (methanotrophs) enhances cell growth and survival in instances where resources are variable or limiting. Examples include the production of intracellular compounds (such as glycogen or polyhydroxyalkanoates) in response to unbalanced growth conditions and the use of some energy substrates, besides methane, when available. Indeed, recent studies show that verrucomicrobial methanotrophs can grow mixotrophically through oxidation of hydrogen and methane gases via respiratory membrane-bound group 1d [NiFe] hydrogenases and methane monooxygenases respectively. Hydrogen metabolism is particularly important for adaptation to methane and oxygen limitation, suggesting this metabolic flexibility may confer growth and survival advantages. In this work, we provide evidence that, in adopting a mixotrophic growth strategy, the thermoacidophilic methanotroph, Methylacidiphilum sp. RTK17.1 changes its growth rate, biomass yields and the production of intracellular glycogen reservoirs. Under nitrogen-fixing conditions, removal of hydrogen from the feed-gas resulted in a 14 % reduction in observed growth rates and a 144% increase in cellular glycogen content. Concomitant with increases in glycogen content, the total protein content of biomass decreased following the removal of hydrogen. Transcriptome analysis of Methylacidiphilum sp. RTK17.1 revealed a 3.5-fold upregulation of the Group 1d [NiFe] hydrogenase in response to oxygen limitation and a 4-fold upregulation of nitrogenase encoding genes (nifHDKENX) in response to nitrogen limitation. Genes associated with glycogen synthesis and degradation were expressed constitutively and did not display evidence of transcriptional regulation. Collectively these data further challenge the belief that hydrogen metabolism in methanotrophic bacteria is primarily associated with energy conservation during nitrogen fixation and suggests its utilisation provides a competitive growth advantage within hypoxic habitats.
Project description:Hydrogen peroxide (H2O2) is an important signaling molecule in plant developmental processes and stress responses. However, whether H2O2-mediated signaling can crosstalk with plant hormone signaling is largely unclear. Here, we show that H2O2 induces oxidation of the BRASSINAZOLE-RESISTANT1 (BZR1) transcription factor, which functions as a master regulator of Brassinosteroid (BR) signaling. Oxidative modification enhances BZR1 transcriptional activity by promoting its interaction with regulators of auxin- and light-signaling, including AUXIN RESPONSE FACTOR6 (ARF6) and PHYTOCHROME INTERACTING FACTOR4 (PIF4). Genome-wide analysis shows that H2O2-dependent regulation of BZR1 activity plays a major role in modifying gene expression related to several BR-mediated biological processes. Furthermore, we show that the thioredoxin TRXh5 can interact with, and catalyze reduction of, BZR1. We conclude that reversible oxidation of BZR1 connects H2O2- and thioredoxin-mediated redox signaling to BR signaling to regulate plant development
Project description:To investigate selectivity of mRNA oxidation, total RNA and oxidized RNA isolated from Neuro 2a cells before and after H2O2 treatment were employed for microarray analysis. It was found that selective oxidation of mRNA already occurs under normal culture conditions but was increased by H2O2, especially in a subset of mRNAs related to certain functions. Moreover, mRNA oxidation level is also related to its abundance or stability (half-life time). This shows for the first time that mRNA oxidation is associated with RNA homeostasis including function, stability and abundance depending on cellular redox status in a genome-wide scale. Neuro 2a cells received hydrogen peroxide treatment or no treatment as a control. Samples were applied for RNA extraction and ARP labeling, which could bind with apurinic/apyrimidinic sites, and then a pull-down process to isolate oxidized RNA. Total RNA and oxidized RNA were used for subsequent transcriptomic profiling. 4 types of samples were analyzed: Basal-total: untreated N2a cells labeled with ARP, but not processed for the pull-down assay. Ox-total: hydrogen peroxide-treated N2a cells labeled with ARP, but not processed for the pull-down assay. Basal-ARP: untreated N2a cells labeled with ARP, and processed for the pull-down assay. ARP-derivatized RNA, which is also oxidized RNA, was concentrated and used for the microarray analysis. Ox-ARP: hydrogen peroxide-treated N2a cells labeled with ARP, and processed for the pull-down assay. ARP-derivatized RNA, which is also oxidized RNA, was concentrated and used for the microarray analysis.
Project description:Diverse aerobic bacteria use atmospheric hydrogen (H2) and carbon monoxide (CO) as energy sources to support growth and survival. Though recently discovered, trace gas oxidation is now recognised as a globally significant process that serves as the main sink in the biogeochemical H2 cycle and sustains microbial biodiversity in oligotrophic ecosystems. While trace gas oxidation has been reported in nine phyla of bacteria, it was not known whether archaea also use atmospheric H2. Here we show that a thermoacidophilic archaeon, Acidianus brierleyi (Thermoproteota), constitutively consumes H2 and CO to sub-atmospheric levels. Oxidation occurred during both growth and survival across a wide range of temperatures (10 to 70°C). Genomic analysis demonstrated that A. brierleyi encodes a canonical carbon monoxide dehydrogenase and, unexpectedly, four distinct [NiFe]-hydrogenases from subgroups not known to mediate aerobic H2 uptake. Quantitative proteomic analyses showed that A. brierleyi differentially produced these enzymes in response to electron donor and acceptor availability. A previously unidentified group 1 [NiFe]-hydrogenase, with a unique genetic arrangement, is constitutively expressed and upregulated during stationary phase and aerobic hydrogenotrophic growth. Another archaeon, Metallosphaera sedula, was also found to oxidize atmospheric H2. These results suggest that trace gas oxidation is a common trait of aerobic archaea, which likely plays a role in their survival and niche expansion, including during dispersal through temperate environments. These findings also demonstrate that atmospheric H2 consumption is a cross-domain phenomenon, suggesting an ancient origin of this trait, and identify previously unknown microbial and enzymatic sinks of atmospheric H2 and CO.