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ABSTRACT: The functionally versatile (β/α)(8) barrel scaffold was used to migrate triosephosphate isomerase (TPI) to thiamin phosphate synthase (TPS) activity, two enzymes that share the same fold but catalyze unrelated reactions through different mechanisms. The high sensitivity of the selection methodology was determinant to succeed in finding proteins with the desired activity. A combination of rational design and random mutagenesis was used to achieve the desired catalytic migration. One of the parallel directed evolution strategies followed resulted in TPI derivatives able to complement the thiamin phosphate auxotrophy phenotype of an Escherichia coli strain deleted of thiE, the gene that codes for TPS. Successive rounds of directed evolution resulted in better complementing TPI variants. Biochemical characterization of some of the evolved TPI clones demonstrated that the K(m) for the TPS substrates was similar to that of the native TPS; however and in agreement with the very slow complementation phenotype, the k(cat) was 4 orders of magnitude lower, indicating that substrate binding played a major role on selection. Interestingly, the crystal structure of the most proficient variant showed a slightly modified TPI active site occupied by a thiamin-phosphate-like molecule. Substitution of key residues in this region reduced TPS activity, strongly suggesting that this is also the catalytic site for the evolved TPS activity. The presence of the TPS reaction product at the active site explains the fast inactivation of the enzyme observed. In conclusion, by combining rational design, random mutagenesis and a very sensitive selection, it is possible to achieve enzymatic activity migration.
Journal of Molecular Biology 02/2012; 416(2):255-70. · 4.00 Impact Factor
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ABSTRACT: Choline favors the pathogenesis of Pseudomonas aeruginosa because hemolytic phospholipase C and phosphorylcholine phosphatase (PchP) are synthesized as a consequence of its catabolism. The experiments performed here resulted in the identification of the factors that regulate both the catabolism of choline and the gene coding for PchP. We have also identified and characterized the promoter of the pchP gene, its transcriptional organization and the factors that affect its expression. Deletion analyses reveal that the region between -188 and -68 contains all controlling elements necessary for pchP expression: a hypothetical -12/-24 promoter element, a consensus sequence for the integration host factor (-141/-133), and a palindromic sequence resembling a binding site for a potential enhancer binding protein (-190/-174). Our data also demonstrate that choline catabolism and NtrC (nitrogen regulatory protein) are necessary for the full expression of pchP and is partially dependent on σ(54) factor.
Microbiological Research 07/2011; 166(5):380-90. · 2.31 Impact Factor
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Socorro Gama-Castro,
Heladia Salgado,
Martín Peralta-Gil,
Alberto Santos-Zavaleta,
Luis Muñiz-Rascado,
Hilda Solano-Lira,
Verónica Jiménez-Jacinto,
Verena Weiss,
Jair S. García-Sotelo,
Alejandra López-Fuentes, [......],
Araceli M. Huerta,
Alfredo Mendoza-Vargas,
Leonardo Collado-Torres,
Blanca Taboada,
Leticia Vega-Alvarado,
Maricela Olvera, Leticia Olvera,
Ricardo Grande,
Enrique Morett,
Julio Collado-Vides
Nucleic Acids Research. 01/2011; 39:98-105.
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Socorro Gama-Castro,
Heladia Salgado,
Martin Peralta-Gil,
Alberto Santos-Zavaleta,
Luis Muñiz-Rascado,
Hilda Solano-Lira,
Verónica Jimenez-Jacinto,
Verena Weiss,
Jair S García-Sotelo,
Alejandra López-Fuentes, [......],
Araceli M Huerta,
Alfredo Mendoza-Vargas,
Leonardo Collado-Torres,
Blanca Taboada,
Leticia Vega-Alvarado, Maricela Olvera,
Leticia Olvera,
Ricardo Grande,
Enrique Morett,
Julio Collado-Vides
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ABSTRACT: RegulonDB (http://regulondb.ccg.unam.mx/) is the primary reference database of the best-known regulatory network of any free-living organism, that of Escherichia coli K-12. The major conceptual change since 3 years ago is an expanded biological context so that transcriptional regulation is now part of a unit that initiates with the signal and continues with the signal transduction to the core of regulation, modifying expression of the affected target genes responsible for the response. We call these genetic sensory response units, or Gensor Units. We have initiated their high-level curation, with graphic maps and superreactions with links to other databases. Additional connectivity uses expandable submaps. RegulonDB has summaries for every transcription factor (TF) and TF-binding sites with internal symmetry. Several DNA-binding motifs and their sizes have been redefined and relocated. In addition to data from the literature, we have incorporated our own information on transcription start sites (TSSs) and transcriptional units (TUs), obtained by using high-throughput whole-genome sequencing technologies. A new portable drawing tool for genomic features is also now available, as well as new ways to download the data, including web services, files for several relational database manager systems and text files including BioPAX format.
Nucleic Acids Research 11/2010; 39(Database issue):D98-105. · 8.03 Impact Factor
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ABSTRACT: The phosphoenolpyruvate: carbohydrate transferase system (PTS) transports glucose in Escherichia coli. Previous work demonstrated that strains lacking PTS, such as PB11, grow slow on glucose. PB11 has a reduced expression of glycolytic, and upregulates poxB and acs genes as compared to the parental strain JM101, when growing on glucose. The products of the latter genes are involved in the production of AcetylCoA. Inactivation of rpoS that codes for the RNA polymerase sigma(38) subunit, reduces further (50%) growth of PB11, indicating that sigma(38) plays a central role in the expression of central metabolism genes in slowly growing cells. In fact, transcription levels of glycolytic genes is reduced in strain PB11rpoS(-) as compared to PB11. In this report we studied the role of sigma(70) and sigma(38) in the expression of the complete glycolytic pathway and poxB and acs genes in certain PTS(-) strains and their rpoS(-) derivatives. We determined the transcription start sites (TSSs) and the corresponding promoters, in strains JM101, PB11, its derivative PB12 that recovered its growth capacity, and in their rpoS(-) derivatives, by 5'RACE and pyrosequencing. In all these genes the presence of sequences resembling sigma(38) recognition sites allowed the proposition that they could be transcribed by both sigma factors, from overlapping putative promoters that initiate transcription at the same site. Fourteen new TSSs were identified in seventeen genes. Besides, more than 30 putative promoters were proposed and we confirmed ten previously reported. In vitro transcription experiments support the functionality of putative dual promoters. Alternatives that could also explain lower transcription levels of the rpoS(-) derivatives are discussed. We propose that the presence if real, of both sigma(70) and sigma(38) dependent promoters in all glycolytic genes and operons could allow a differential transcription of these central metabolism genes by both sigma subunits as an adaptation response to carbon limitation.
PLoS ONE 01/2009; 4(10):e7466. · 4.09 Impact Factor
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Alfredo Mendoza-Vargas, Leticia Olvera,
Maricela Olvera,
Ricardo Grande,
Leticia Vega-Alvarado,
Blanca Taboada,
Verónica Jimenez-Jacinto,
Heladia Salgado,
Katy Juárez,
Bruno Contreras-Moreira,
Araceli M Huerta,
Julio Collado-Vides,
Enrique Morett
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ABSTRACT: Despite almost 40 years of molecular genetics research in Escherichia coli a major fraction of its Transcription Start Sites (TSSs) are still unknown, limiting therefore our understanding of the regulatory circuits that control gene expression in this model organism. RegulonDB (http://regulondb.ccg.unam.mx/) is aimed at integrating the genetic regulatory network of E. coli K12 as an entirely bioinformatic project up till now. In this work, we extended its aims by generating experimental data at a genome scale on TSSs, promoters and regulatory regions. We implemented a modified 5' RACE protocol and an unbiased High Throughput Pyrosequencing Strategy (HTPS) that allowed us to map more than 1700 TSSs with high precision. From this collection, about 230 corresponded to previously reported TSSs, which helped us to benchmark both our methodologies and the accuracy of the previous mapping experiments. The other ca 1500 TSSs mapped belong to about 1000 different genes, many of them with no assigned function. We identified promoter sequences and type of sigma factors that control the expression of about 80% of these genes. As expected, the housekeeping sigma(70) was the most common type of promoter, followed by sigma(38). The majority of the putative TSSs were located between 20 to 40 nucleotides from the translational start site. Putative regulatory binding sites for transcription factors were detected upstream of many TSSs. For a few transcripts, riboswitches and small RNAs were found. Several genes also had additional TSSs within the coding region. Unexpectedly, the HTPS experiments revealed extensive antisense transcription, probably for regulatory functions. The new information in RegulonDB, now with more than 2400 experimentally determined TSSs, strengthens the accuracy of promoter prediction, operon structure, and regulatory networks and provides valuable new information that will facilitate the understanding from a global perspective the complex and intricate regulatory network that operates in E. coli.
PLoS ONE 01/2009; 4(10):e7526. · 4.09 Impact Factor
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ABSTRACT: Growth using Fe(III) as a terminal electron acceptor is a critical physiological process in Geobacter sulfurreducens. However, the mechanisms of electron transfer during Fe(III) reduction are only now being understood. It has been demonstrated that the pili in G. sulfurreducens function as microbial nanowires conducting electrons onto Fe(III) oxides. A number of c-type cytochromes have also been shown to play important roles in Fe(III) reduction. However, the regulatory networks controlling the expression of the genes involved in such processes are not well known. Here we report that the expression of pilA, which encodes the pilistructural protein, is directly regulated by a two-component regulatory system in which PilR functions as an RpoN-dependent enhancer binding protein. Surprisingly, a deletion of the pilR gene affected not only insoluble Fe(III) reduction, which requires pili, but also soluble Fe(III) reduction, which, in contrast, does not require pili. Gene expression profiling using whole-genome DNA microarray and quantitative RT-PCR analyses obtained with a PilR-deficient mutant revealed that the expression of pilA and other pilin-related genes are downregulated, while many c-type cytochromes involved in Fe(III) reduction were differentially regulated. This is the first instance of an enhancer binding protein implicated in regulating genes involved in Fe(III) respiratory functions.
Journal of Molecular Microbiology and Biotechnology 03/2008; 16(3-4):146-58. · 1.95 Impact Factor
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ABSTRACT: Contemporary enzymes are highly efficient and selective catalysts. However, due to the intrinsically very reactive nature of active sites, gratuitous secondary reactions are practically unavoidable. Consequently, even the smallest cell, with its limited enzymatic repertoire, has the potential to carry out numerous additional, very likely inefficient, secondary reactions. If selectively advantageous, secondary reactions could be the basis for the evolution of new fully functional enzymes. Here, we investigated if Escherichia coli has cryptic enzymatic activities related to thiamin biosynthesis. We selected this pathway because this vitamin is essential, but the cell's requirements are very small. Therefore, enzymes with very low activity could complement the auxotrophy of strains deleted of some bona fide thiamin biosynthetic genes. By overexpressing the E. coli's protein repertoire, we selected yjbQ, a gene that complemented a strain deleted of the thiamin phosphate synthase (TPS)-coding gene thiE. In vitro studies confirmed TPS activity, and by directed evolution experiments, this activity was enhanced. Structurally oriented mutagenesis allowed us to identify the putative active site. Remote orthologs of YjbQ from Thermotoga, Sulfolobus, and Pyrococcus were cloned and also showed thiamin auxotrophy complementation, indicating that the cryptic TPS activity is a property of this protein family. Interestingly, the thiE- and yjbQ-coded TPSs are analog enzymes with no structural similarity, reflecting distinct evolutionary origin. These results support the hypothesis that the enzymatic repertoire of a cell such as E. coli has the potential to perform vast amounts of alternative reactions, which could be exploited to evolve novel or more efficient catalysts.
Journal of Molecular Biology 03/2008; 376(3):839-53. · 4.00 Impact Factor
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ABSTRACT: In all genome-sequencing projects completed to date, a considerable number of 'gaps' have been found in the biochemical pathways of the respective species. In many instances, missing enzymes are displaced by analogs, functionally equivalent proteins that have evolved independently and lack sequence and structural similarity. Here we fill such gaps by analyzing anticorrelating occurrences of genes across species. Our approach, applied to the thiamin biosynthesis pathway comprising approximately 15 catalytic steps, predicts seven instances in which known enzymes have been displaced by analogous proteins. So far we have verified four predictions by genetic complementation, including three proteins for which there was no previous experimental evidence of a role in the thiamin biosynthesis pathway. For one hypothetical protein, biochemical characterization confirmed the predicted thiamin phosphate synthase (ThiE) activity. The results demonstrate the ability of our computational approach to predict specific functions without taking into account sequence similarity.
Nature Biotechnology 08/2003; 21(7):790-5. · 23.27 Impact Factor
