Project description:Xenorhabdus nematophila is a Gram-negative bacterium, mutually associated with the soil nematode Steinernema carpocapsae and this nematobacterial complex is parasitic for a broad spectrum of insects. The transcriptional regulator OxyR is widely conserved in bacteria, but the OxyR regulon can vary significantly between species. OxyR activates the transcription of a set of genes that influence cellular defense against oxidative stress. It is also involved in the virulence of several bacterial pathogens. The aim of this study was to identify the X. nematophila OxyR regulon and investigate its role in the bacterial life cycle. An oxyR-mutant was constructed in X. nematophila and phenotypically characterized in vitro and in vivo after reassociation with its nematode partner. OxyR plays a major role during the X. nematophila resistance to oxidative stress in vitro. Transcriptome analysis allowed the identification of 59 genes differentially regulated in the oxyR mutant compared to the parental strain. In vivo, the oxyR mutant was able to reassociate with the nematode as efficiently as the control strain. These nematobacterial complexes harboring the oxyR mutant symbiont were able to rapidly kill the insect larvae in less than 48h after infestation, suggesting that factors other than OxyR could also allow X. nematophila to cope with oxidative stress encountered during this phase of infection in insect. The significant increased number of offspring of the nematobacterial complex when reassociated with the X. nematophila oxyR mutant compared to the control strain, revealed a potential role of OxyR during this symbiotic stage of the bacterial life-cycle.
Project description:A fliZ mutant in the entomopathogenic bacterium X. nematophila is attenuated in virulence in the insect. The goal of this study is to compare transcriptomes of the fliZ mutant and wild type strain to identify the FliZ regulon.
Project description:A fliZ mutant in the entomopathogenic bacterium X. nematophila is attenuated in virulence in the insect. The goal of this study is to compare transcriptomes of the fliZ mutant and wild type strain to identify the FliZ regulon. Two biological replicates of total RNA from exponential cultures of WT strain and fliZ mutant were analysed by deep sequencing, using Illumina HiSeq 2000.
Project description:Rapid modulation of gene expression is a key feature for the success of bacteria, particularly for those that rapidly have to adapt to different niches. The lifecycles of Photorhabdus and Xenorhabdus involve a mutualistic association with nematodes as well as an entomopathogenic phase1,2, both of which rely on the production of numerous specialized metabolites (SMs) 3,4. Several regulators have been previously implicated in the regulation of SM production in these genera3,4. However, the molecular underpinnings regulating SM production and the role of small regulatory RNAs (sRNAs) in this process are unknown. Here we describe the mechanism underlying RNA-mediated control of SM synthesis. We show that the Hfq-dependent sRNA, ArcZ, is an essential requirement for SM production. We discovered that ArcZ directly base-pairs with the mRNA encoding HexA, a key repressor of SM genes. We further demonstrate that the ArcZ regulon is not restricted to SM production, but rather modulates up to ~15% of the transcriptional output in both Photorhabdus and Xenorhabdus. Together, our study shows that sRNAs are crucial for SM production in these species, reveals previously unknown targets for biosynthetic pathway manipulations, and offers a new tool for the (over)production, isolation and identification of unknown natural products.
Project description:Oxidative stress caused by exposure to reactive oxygen species (ROS), is a major challenge for aerobic and especially anaerobic organisms. Bacteria coordinate the response to oxidative stress through the LysR-type transcriptional regulator (LTTR) OxyR. Extensive studies have focused on the classical Escherichia coli system to shed light on the mode of action of defensive weapons against oxidative stress. The underlying mechanism is mediated via the formation of redox-dependent disulfide bond between two conserved cysteines of OxyR, thus activating transcription of members of the OxyR regulon. However, only fragmentary information on the regulation and function of OxyR has been gleaned through genetic and biochemical analyses in the important opportunistic pathogen P. aeruginosa. In this report, we used a comprehensive transcriptional profiling analysis to delineate the OxyR regulon under three conditions (King’s A medium [Pseudomonas medium or PM], Luria Broth (LB), and LB when oxyR is overexpressed), to investigate its roles in different cellular aspects that are independent of the classical oxidative stress response. Interestingly, when grown in LB, OxyR was found to regulating many genes involved in the process of inter-cellular communication known as quorum sensing (QS). In contrast, when grown in PM, OxyR regulate the expression of a newly identified CSS (cell-surface signaling) system in an OxyR-dependent fashion. In addition, the results from oxyR overexpression further confirmed that OxyR was linked to regulation of QS and Type 3 Secretion (T3SS) in addition to the regulation of antioxidative genes. Taken together, our results show that, apart from its dominant role in defense against oxidative stress in P. aeruginosa, OxyR acts as a global regulator that provides a link between the regulation of oxidative stress response, QS and virulence.
Project description:Oxidative stress caused by exposure to reactive oxygen species (ROS), is a major challenge for aerobic and especially anaerobic organisms. Bacteria coordinate the response to oxidative stress through the LysR-type transcriptional regulator (LTTR) OxyR. Extensive studies have focused on the classical Escherichia coli system to shed light on the mode of action of defensive weapons against oxidative stress. The underlying mechanism is mediated via the formation of redox-dependent disulfide bond between two conserved cysteines of OxyR, thus activating transcription of members of the OxyR regulon. However, only fragmentary information on the regulation and function of OxyR has been gleaned through genetic and biochemical analyses in the important opportunistic pathogen P. aeruginosa. In this report, we used a comprehensive transcriptional profiling analysis to delineate the OxyR regulon under three conditions (KingM-bM-^@M-^Ys A medium [Pseudomonas medium or PM], Luria Broth (LB), and LB when oxyR is overexpressed), to investigate its roles in different cellular aspects that are independent of the classical oxidative stress response. Interestingly, when grown in LB, OxyR was found to regulating many genes involved in the process of inter-cellular communication known as quorum sensing (QS). In contrast, when grown in PM, OxyR regulate the expression of a newly identified CSS (cell-surface signaling) system in an OxyR-dependent fashion. In addition, the results from oxyR overexpression further confirmed that OxyR was linked to regulation of QS and Type 3 Secretion (T3SS) in addition to the regulation of antioxidative genes. Taken together, our results show that, apart from its dominant role in defense against oxidative stress in P. aeruginosa, OxyR acts as a global regulator that provides a link between the regulation of oxidative stress response, QS and virulence. 15 samples, representing 5 different biological conditions, including 3 biological replicates for each condition