ABSTRACT: ChIP analysis unravels an exceptionally wide distribution of binding sites for the NtcA transcription factor in a heterocyst-forming cyanobacterium.
Project description:Here, we report the comparison of transcriptomes of Anabaena sp. PCC7120 and the FurB(Zur) deletion derivative strain (MN38). Anabaena sp PCC7120 is a cyanobacterium that differentiates specialized nitrogen-fixing cells called heterocysts and that is capable of forming biofilms. Our data showed that the deletion of FurB negativily affected the heterocyst development and the biofilm formation. In addition, the RNA-seq data together with gel retardation assays unveiled that FurB is directly involved in the regulation of several genes related to heterocyst development and biofilm formation and other novel functions different from the ones related to the canonical Zur regulon.
Project description:The CRP-family transcription factor NtcA, universally found in cyanobacteria, was initially discovered as a regulator operating N control. It responds to the N regime signaled by the internal 2-oxoglutarate levels, an indicator of the C to N balance of the cells. NtcA-activated canonical promoters bear an NtcA-consensus binding site (GTAN8TAC) centered at about 41.5 nucleotides upstream from the transcription start point. In this study, we have used chromatin immunoprecipitation followed by high-throughput sequencing to identify the whole regulon of NtcA in cells of the filamentous, heterocyst-forming cyanobacterium Anabaena sp. PCC 7120 after the withdrawal of combined N. NtcA has been found to bind to 2,424 target regions in the genome of Anabaena, which have been ascribed to 2,153 genes. Interestingly, only a small proportion of those are involved in N assimilation and metabolism, and 65 % of the target regions were located intragenically. The NtcA regulon identified here constitutes the largest bacterial regulon described to date. Our results show that NtcA has a much wider role in the physiology of the cell than it has been previously thought, acting both as a global transcriptional regulator and possibly also as a factor influencing the superstructure of chromosome (and plasmids).
Project description:The CRP-family transcription factor NtcA, universally found in cyanobacteria, was initially discovered as a regulator operating N control. It responds to the N regime signaled by the internal 2-oxoglutarate levels, an indicator of the C to N balance of the cells. NtcA-activated canonical promoters bear an NtcA-consensus binding site (GTAN8TAC) centered at about 41.5 nucleotides upstream from the transcription start point. In this study, we have used chromatin immunoprecipitation followed by high-throughput sequencing to identify the whole regulon of NtcA in cells of the filamentous, heterocyst-forming cyanobacterium Anabaena sp. PCC 7120 after the withdrawal of combined N. NtcA has been found to bind to 2,424 target regions in the genome of Anabaena, which have been ascribed to 2,153 genes. Interestingly, only a small proportion of those are involved in N assimilation and metabolism, and 65 % of the target regions were located intragenically. The NtcA regulon identified here constitutes the largest bacterial regulon described to date. Our results show that NtcA has a much wider role in the physiology of the cell than it has been previously thought, acting both as a global transcriptional regulator and possibly also as a factor influencing the superstructure of chromosome (and plasmids). Cells of Anabaena sp. PCC 7120 subjected to N-withdrawal for 3 h were used to perform chromatin immunoprecipitation with anti-NtcA antibody. The immunoprecipitated material was sequenced. Three ChIPs were performed from two independent sets of Anabaena cells. A sample of total DNA (not subjected to immunoprecipitation) was used as a control (Input sample).
Project description:Here, we report the comparison of transcriptomes of Anabaena sp. PCC7120 and a FurC-overexpressing derivative strain grown under standard conditions (BG11) and after 48 hours of nitrogen step-down (BG110). Anabaena sp PCC7120 is a cyanobacterium that differentiates specialized nitrogen-fixing cells called heterocysts. Our data suggests that FurC directly controls the regulation of heterocyst differentiation and nitrogen fixation in this cyanobacterium. In addition, we found that FurC is also clearly involved in the regulation of several genes belonging to different functional categories, such as iron metabolism, photosynthesis and regulatory functions.
Project description:NtcA regulates primary in a unicelluar cyanobacterium Synechocystis sp. PCC6803. We constructed an ntcA-overexpressing strain, named NOX10, by introducing the ntcA genes fusing psbAII promoter by homologous recombination. The transcript profiles of parental wild-type strain GT and NOX10 were compared by microarray CyanoChip (Takrara bio.). Experiments were performed two times with biologically independent RNA.
Project description:NtcA regulates primary in a unicelluar cyanobacterium Synechocystis sp. PCC6803. We constructed an ntcA-overexpressing strain, named NOX10, by introducing the ntcA genes fusing psbAII promoter by homologous recombination. The transcript profiles of parental wild-type strain GT and NOX10 were compared by microarray CyanoChip (Takrara bio.). Experiments were performed three times with biologically independent RNA.
Project description:Transcriptomic analyses using high-throughput methods have revealed abundant antisense transcription in bacteria. Most frequently, antisense transcription is due to the overlap of mRNAs with long 5’ regions or 3’ ends that extend beyond the coding sequence. In addition, antisense RNAs that do not contain any coding sequence are also observed. Nostoc sp. PCC 7120 is a filamentous cyanobacterium that, under nitrogen limitation, behaves as a multicellular organism with division of labor among two different cell types that depend on each other, the vegetative CO2-fixing cells and the nitrogen-fixing heterocysts. Differentiation of heterocysts depends on the global nitrogen regulator NtcA and requires the specific regulator HetR. To identify antisense RNAs potentially involved in heterocyst differentiation we performed an RNA-Seq analysis of cells subjected to nitrogen limitation (either at 9 or 24 hours after nitrogen removal) and analyzed the results in combination with a genome-wide set of nitrogen-regulated transcriptional start sites and a prediction of transcriptional terminators. Our analysis resulted in the definition of a transcriptional map including more than 4,000 transcripts, 65% of them in antisense orientation to other transcripts. In addition to overlapping mRNAs we identified nitrogen-regulated non-coding antisense RNAs transcribed from NtcA-dependent or HetR-dependent promoters.
Project description:Here, we report the transcriptome of Anabaena sp. strain 7120, a cyanobacterium that forms specialized nitrogen-fixing cells called heterocysts. Our data suggests that cyanobacteria frequently have more complex transcripts than thought, with large 5' UTRs, numerous antisense transcripts, and multiple transcriptional start sites or processing sites.
Project description:NtcA regulates primary in a unicelluar cyanobacterium Synechocystis sp. PCC6803. We constructed an ntcA-overexpressing strain, named NOX10, by introducing the ntcA genes fusing psbAII promoter by homologous recombination. The transcript profiles of parental wild-type strain GT and NOX10 were compared by microarray CyanoChip (Takrara bio.). Experiments were performed two times with biologically independent RNA. Total RNAs from two independent wild-type (GT) and two independent ntcA-overexpressing strains were differently labeled by Cy3 or Cy5, followed by hybridization on CyanoChip.
Project description:NtcA regulates primary in a unicelluar cyanobacterium Synechocystis sp. PCC6803. We constructed an ntcA-overexpressing strain, named NOX10, by introducing the ntcA genes fusing psbAII promoter by homologous recombination. The transcript profiles of parental wild-type strain GT and NOX10 were compared by microarray CyanoChip (Takrara bio.). Experiments were performed three times with biologically independent RNA. Total RNAs from three independent wild-type (GT) and three independent ntcA-overexpressing strains were differently labeled by Cy3 or Cy5, followed by hybridization on CyanoChip.