Project description:Saxitoxin is a potent neurotoxin produced by several species of dinoflagellates and cyanobacteria. The molecular target of saxitoxin in higher eukaryotes is the voltage-gated sodium channel; however, its target in lower eukaryotic organisms remains unknown. The goal of this study was to obtain the transcriptional fingerprint of the model lower eukaryote Saccharomyces cerevisiae upon exposure to saxitoxin to identify potential genes suitable for biomarker development. Microarray analyses identified multiple genes associated with copper and iron homeostasis and sulfur metabolism as significantly differentially expressed upon exposure to saxitoxin; these results were verified with quantitative reverse-transcriptase PCR (qRT-PCR). Additionally, the qRT-PCR assays were used to generate expression profiles in a subset of the differentially regulated genes across multiple exposure times and concentrations, the results of which demonstrated that overall, genes tended to respond in a consistent manner to the toxin. In general, the genes encoding the metallothioneins CUP1 and CRS5 were induced following exposure to saxitoxin, while those encoding the ferric/cupric reductase FRE1 and the copper uptake transporter CTR1 were repressed. The gene encoding the multicopper ferroxidase FET3, part of the high-affinity iron uptake system, was also induced in all treatments, along with the STR3 gene, which codes for the cystathionine beta-lyase found in the methionine biosynthetic pathway.
Project description:Saxitoxin is a potent neurotoxin produced by several species of dinoflagellates and cyanobacteria. The molecular target of saxitoxin in higher eukaryotes is the voltage-gated sodium channel; however, its target in lower eukaryotic organisms remains unknown. The goal of this study was to obtain the transcriptional fingerprint of the model lower eukaryote Saccharomyces cerevisiae upon exposure to saxitoxin to identify potential genes suitable for biomarker development. Microarray analyses identified multiple genes associated with copper and iron homeostasis and sulfur metabolism as significantly differentially expressed upon exposure to saxitoxin; these results were verified with quantitative reverse-transcriptase PCR (qRT-PCR). Additionally, the qRT-PCR assays were used to generate expression profiles in a subset of the differentially regulated genes across multiple exposure times and concentrations, the results of which demonstrated that overall, genes tended to respond in a consistent manner to the toxin. In general, the genes encoding the metallothioneins CUP1 and CRS5 were induced following exposure to saxitoxin, while those encoding the ferric/cupric reductase FRE1 and the copper uptake transporter CTR1 were repressed. The gene encoding the multicopper ferroxidase FET3, part of the high-affinity iron uptake system, was also induced in all treatments, along with the STR3 gene, which codes for the cystathionine beta-lyase found in the methionine biosynthetic pathway. Experiment Overall Design: Cultures of S. cerevisiae S288C were grown to OD600=1.0 in YPD (1% yeast extract, 2% peptone, 2% dextrose). Four hundred microliters from individual 10 mL overnight cultures were transferred to sterile tubes and saxitoxin added to a final concentration of 16 µM. Sample were mixed gently and incubated at 30° C for 45 min. Controls consisted of deionized water. Three biological replicates were performed under these conditions for microarray analysis. Cells were harvested via sequential centrifugation and placed immediately in liquid nitrogen.Total RNA was extracted from frozen cell pellets using a protocol that combined the hot acid phenol method with the RNEasy kit. Total RNA was processed by the Affymetrix Core Facility at the University of Tennessee (Knoxville, TN) following the protocols of the Affymetrix GeneChip Expression Analysis Technical Manual. MAS5.0 was used to provide present/absent calls; genes absent in all six samples were then removed from the data set. Intensity values for all transcripts were obtained from the scanned image files of the chips. The intensity values of the six arrays were background-corrected and normalized with the GC-RMA algorithm.
Project description:Dolichospermum circinale (formerly Anabaena circinale) is a significant harmful algal bloom species. We report the draft metagenome-assembled genome (MAG) for a strain of D. circinale (Clear-D4) obtained from an enrichment culture. The genome sequence comprises 5,029,933?bp in 560 contigs with a GC content of 37%.
Project description:Saxitoxin and its analogues, paralytic shellfish toxins (PSTs), are potent and specific voltage-gated sodium channel blockers. These toxins are produced by some species of freshwater cyanobacteria and marine dinoflagellates. We previously identified several biosynthetic intermediates of PSTs, as well as new analogues, from such organisms and proposed the biosynthetic and metabolic pathways of PSTs. In this study, 12β-deoxygonyautoxin 5 (12α-gonyautoxinol 5 = gonyautoxin 5-12(R)-ol) was identified in the freshwater cyanobacterium, Dolichospermum circinale (TA04), and 12β-deoxysaxitoxin (12α-saxitoxinol = saxitoxin-12(R)-ol) was identified in the same cyanobacterium and in the marine dinoflagellate Alexandrium pacificum (Group IV) (120518KureAC) for the first time from natural sources. The authentic standards of these compounds and 12α-deoxygonyautoxin 5 (12β-gonyautoxinol 5 = gonyautoxin 5-12(S)-ol) were prepared by chemical derivatization from the major PSTs, C1/C2, produced in D. circinale (TA04). These standards were used to identify the deoxy analogues by comparing the retention times and MS/MS spectra using high-resolution LC-MS/MS. Biosynthetic or metabolic pathways for these analogues have also been proposed based on their structures. The identification of these compounds supports the α-oriented stereoselective oxidation at C12 in the biosynthetic pathway towards PSTs.
Project description:BackgroundDolichospermum circinale is a filamentous bloom-forming cyanobacterium responsible for biosynthesis of the paralytic shellfish toxins (PST), including saxitoxin. PSTs are neurotoxins and in their purified form are important analytical standards for monitoring the quality of water and seafood and biomedical research tools for studying neuronal sodium channels. More recently, PSTs have been recognised for their utility as local anaesthetics. Characterisation of the transcriptional elements within the saxitoxin (sxt) biosynthetic gene cluster (BGC) is a first step towards accessing these molecules for biotechnology.ResultsIn D. circinale AWQC131C the sxt BGC is transcribed from two bidirectional promoter regions encoding five individual promoters. These promoters were identified experimentally using 5' RACE and their activity assessed via coupling to a lux reporter system in E. coli and Synechocystis sp. PCC 6803. Transcription of the predicted drug/metabolite transporter (DMT) encoded by sxtPER was found to initiate from two promoters, PsxtPER1 and PsxtPER2. In E. coli, strong expression of lux from PsxtP, PsxtD and PsxtPER1 was observed while expression from Porf24 and PsxtPER2 was remarkably weaker. In contrast, heterologous expression in Synechocystis sp. PCC 6803 showed that expression of lux from PsxtP, PsxtPER1, and Porf24 promoters was statistically higher compared to the non-promoter control, while PsxtD showed poor activity under the described conditions.ConclusionsBoth of the heterologous hosts investigated in this study exhibited high expression levels from three of the five sxt promoters. These results indicate that the majority of the native sxt promoters appear active in different heterologous hosts, simplifying initial cloning efforts. Therefore, heterologous expression of the sxt BGC in either E. coli or Synechocystis could be a viable first option for producing PSTs for industrial or biomedical purposes.