Antagonistic properties of some halophilic thermoactinomycetes isolated from superficial sediment of a solar saltern and production of cyclic antimicrobial peptides by the novel isolate paludifilum halophilum

This study has focused on the isolation of twenty-three halophilic actinomycetes from two ponds of different salinity and the evaluation of their ability to exert an antimicrobial activity against both their competitors and several other pathogens. From the 23 isolates, 18 strains showed antagonistic activity, while 19 showed activities against one or more of the seven pathogen strains tested. Six strains exhibited consistent antibacterial activity against Gram-negative and Gram-positive pathogens characterized at the physiological and molecular levels. These strains shared only 94-95% 16S rRNA sequence identity with the closely related species of the Thermoactinomycetaceae family. Among them, the potent strain SMBg3 was further characterized and assigned to a new genus in the family for which the name Paludifilum halophilum (DSM 102817T) is proposed. Sequential extraction of the antimicrobial compounds with ethyl acetate revealed that the crude extract from SMBg3 strain had inhibitory effect on the growth of the plant pathogen Agrobacterium tumefaciens and the human pathogens Staphylococcus aureus, Salmonella enterica, Escherichia coli, and Pseudomonas aeruginosa. Based on the HRESI-MS spectral data, the cyclic lipopeptide Gramicidin S and four cyclic dipeptides (CDPs) named cyclo(L-4-OH-Pro-L-Leu), cyclo(L-Tyr-L-Pro), cyclo(L-Phe-L-Pro), and cyclo(L-Leu-L-Pro) were detected in the fermentation broth of Paludifilum halophilum. To our knowledge, this is the first report on the isolation of these compounds from members of the Thermoactinomycetaceae family

Study of specialized metabolism of Streptomyces sp.TN58

Le nombre des génomes bactériens séquencés disponibles dans les bases des données ne cesse d’augmenter. Grâce au développement d’outils bio informatiques, l’exploration de ces données génomiques est devenue beaucoup plus aisée. Ces analyses génomiques révèlent qu’un important réservoir de gènes du métabolisme spécialisé, et potentiellement de métabolites bioactifs, reste encore à explorer. J’ai étudié le métabolisme spécialisé d’une souche de Streptomyces appelée Streptomyces sp.TN58, isolée à partir d’un échantillon de sol tunisien et retenue pour son spectre d’activité biologique assez large. Son génome a été séquencé dans le cadre de ce travail. Je me suis particulièrement intéressée à la biosynthèse de deux familles de métabolites spécialisés, les acyl alpha-L-rhamnopyranosides et les dicétopipérazines.Les acyl alpha-L-rhamnopyranosides sont des composés qui possèdent un groupement rhamnose lié à un groupement acyle. Ils présentent plusieurs activités d’intérêt médical (antitumorale, antifongique, antibactérienne…). Leur biosynthèse par des Streptomyces a déjà été décrite, mais aucune étude de leur voie de biosynthèse n’est disponible dans la littérature. La souche Streptomyces sp.TN58 était connue pour produire deux molécules de cette famille. J’ai montré qu’elle en produisait une troisième et j’ai recherché quels gènes dirigeaient leur biosynthèse. J’ai pu identifier les gènes impliqués dans la biosynthèse du précurseur rhamnose et montrer qu’ils sont impliqués dans la biosynthèse des acyl alpha-L-rhamnopyranosides. Les gènes localisés au voisinage de ceux qui dirigent la biosynthèse du rhamnose ne sont pas impliqués dans la biosynthèse des acyl alpha-L-rhamnopyranoides. Cette organisation est originale, car tous les gènes impliqués dans la biosynthèse d’un métabolite spécialisé ne sont pas groupés, contrairement à ce qui est classiquement trouvé chez les Streptomyces et plus généralement chez les microorganismes. L’analyse du génome de Streptomyces sp. TN58 a permis l’identification d’autres gènes candidats, mais l’inactivation de certains de ces gènes n’abolit pas la biosynthèse des trois molécules d’acyl alpha-L-rhamnopyranoside. Ceci peut suggérer plusieurs enzymes promiscuitaires pourraient être impliquées dans la biosynthèse des acyl alpha-L-rhamnopyranosides.Les dicétopipérazines sont des dérivés de dipeptides cycliques et constituent une classe de produits naturels possédant des activités biologiques diverses, mais leur rôle physiologique chez l’organisme producteur reste peu connu. Elles peuvent être synthétisées par des mégacomplexes enzymatiques, les synthétases de peptides non ribosomiques (NRPS), ou par des cyclodipeptides synthases (CDPS). Ces dernières sont des enzymes de petite taille utilisant des ARN de transfert amino-acylés comme substrat. Les cyclodipeptides synthétisés peuvent subir différentes modifications, ce qui explique la diversité de leur structure chimique. L’analyse du génome de Streptomyces sp.TN58 a permis d’identifier un cluster de deux gènes (codant une CDPS et un cytochrome P450) homologues à des gènes impliqués dans la biosynthèse d’une dicétopipérazine (la mycocyclosine) chez Mycobacterium tuberculosis. J’ai identifié les produits dont la biosynthèse est dirigée par ces gènes. J’ai construit des souches mutées pour tester l’hypothèse d’un rôle de ces produits dans la signalisation pour la différenciation morphologique et la production d’antibiotiques chez Streptomyces sp.TN58. Les premiers résultats obtenus semblent en accord avec cette hypothèse.The number of sequenced bacterial genomes available in databases is steadily increasing. With the development of bioinformatics tools, the exploration of these genomic data has become much easier. These genomic analyzes reveal that an important reservoir of genes for specialized metabolism, and potentially bioactive metabolites, remains to be explored. The vast majority of bacterial specialized metabolism was therefore ignored. I studied the specialized metabolism of a Streptomyces strain called Streptomyces sp.TN58, isolated from a Tunisian soil sample and retained for its broad spectrum of biological activity. Its genome has been sequenced in the frame of this work. I was particularly interested in the biosynthesis of two families of specialized metabolites, acyl alpha-L-rhamnopyranosides and diketopiperazines (DKPs).Acyl alpha-L-rhamnopyranosides are compounds having a rhamnose group linked to an acyl group. They possess a variety of biological activities of medical interest (anti-tumor, antifungal, antibacterial…). Their production by Streptomyces sp. has been described previously but no study of their biosynthetic pathway is available in literature. Streptomyces sp.TN58 strain was known to produce two molecules of this family. I showed that it produced a third one and I looked for the genes directing their biosynthesis. I have identified the genes involved in the biosynthesis of the rhamnose precursor and shown that their inactivation abolished the biosynthesis of acyl alpha-L-rhamnopyranosides. However, the genes located in the vicinity of the rhamnose biosynthetic genes are not involved in acyl alpha-L-rhamnopyranoside biosynthesis. This organization is unusual because all the genes directing the biosynthesis of a specialized metabolite are not clustered, contrarily to what is usually found in Streptomyces and more generally in microorganisms. A genome-mining approach allowed the identification of candidate genes, but the inactivation of some of these genes did not abolish the biosynthesis of the three acyl alpha-L-rhamnopyranoside molecules. This suggests that several rather promiscuous enzymes might be involved in the biosynthesis of acyl alpha-L-rhamnopyranosides.DKPs are cyclic dipeptide derivatives. This class of natural products possesses a wide variety of biological activities, but their physiological role in the producing organism remains often unknown. DKPs can be synthesized by non-ribosomal peptide synthases (NRPSs) or by cyclodipetide synthases (CDPSs). Contrarily to NRPSs which are enzymatic megacomplexes using amino acids as substrate, CDPSs are small enzymes using amino-acylated tRNAs as a substrate. The synthesized cyclodipeptides can undergo various modifications, which explains the diversity of DKP chemical structures. Mining the genome of Streptomyces sp. TN58 allowed the identification of a cluster of two genes (encoding a CDPS and a cytochrome P450) homologous to genes involved in the biosynthesis of a DKP (mycocyclosin) in Mycobacterium tuberculosis. I managed to identify the DKP synthesized. I constructed mutant strains to test the hypothesis that these DKPs could play a role as signaling molecules for morphological differentiation and antibiotic production in Streptomyces sp.TN58. Preliminary results seem to support this hypothesi

Design of a generic CRISPR-Cas9 approach using the same sgRNA to perform gene editing at distinct loci

Abstract Background The CRISPR/Cas (clustered regularly interspaced short palindromic repeat and CRISPR-associated nucleases) based technologies have revolutionized genome engineering. While their use for prokaryotic genome editing is expanding, some limitations remain such as possible off-target effects and design constraints. These are compounded when performing systematic genome editing at distinct loci or when targeting repeated sequences (e.g. multicopy genes or mobile genetic elements). To overcome these limitations, we designed an approach using the same sgRNA and CRISPR-Cas9 system to independently perform gene editing at different loci. Results We developed a two-step procedure based on the introduction by homologous recombination of ‘bait’ DNA at the vicinity of a gene copy of interest before inducing CRISPR-Cas9 activity. The introduction of a genetic tool encoding a CRISPR-Cas9 complex targeting this ‘bait’ DNA induces a double strand break near the copy of interest. Its repair by homologous recombination can lead either to reversion or gene copy-specific editing. The relative frequencies of these events are linked to the impact of gene editing on cell fitness. In our study, we used this technology to successfully delete the native copies of two xenogeneic silencers lsr2 paralogs in Streptomyces ambofaciens. We observed that one of these paralogs is a candidate-essential gene since its native locus can be deleted only in the presence of an extra copy. Conclusion By targeting ‘bait’ DNA, we designed a ‘generic’ CRISPR-Cas9 toolkit that can be used to edit different loci. The differential action of this CRISPR-Cas9 system is exclusively based on the specific recombination between regions surrounding the gene copy of interest. This approach is suitable to edit multicopy genes. One such particular example corresponds to the mutagenesis of candidate-essential genes that requires the presence of an extra copy of the gene before gene disruption. This opens new insights to explore gene essentiality in bacteria and to limit off-target effects during systematic CRISPR-Cas9 based approaches

Complete Genome Sequence of Streptomyces sp. TN58, a Producer of Acyl Alpha-l-Rhamnopyranosides

Streptomyces sp. TN58, isolated from a Tunisian soil sample, produces several natural products, including acyl alpha-l-rhamnopyranosides. It possesses a 7.6-Mb linear chromosome. This is, to our knowledge, the first genome sequence of a microorganism known to produce acyl alpha-l-rhamnopyranosides, and it will be helpful to study the biosynthesis of these specialized metabolites

Family specific genetic predisposition to breast cancer: results from Tunisian whole exome sequenced breast cancer cases

Abstract Background A family history of breast cancer has long been thought to indicate the presence of inherited genetic events that predispose to this disease. In North Africa, many specific epidemio-genetic characteristics have been observed in breast cancer families when compared to Western populations. Despite these specificities, the majority of breast cancer genetics studies performed in North Africa remain restricted to the investigation of the BRCA1 and BRCA2 genes. Thus, comprehensive data at a whole exome or whole genome level from local patients are lacking. Methods A whole exome sequencing (WES) of seven breast cancer Tunisian families have been performed using a family-based approach. We focused our analysis on BC-TN-F001 family that included two affected members that have been sequenced using WES. Relevant variants identified in BC-TN-F001 have been confirmed using Sanger sequencing. Then, we conducted an integrative analysis by combining our results with those from other WES studies in order to figure out the genetic transmission model of the newly identified genes. Biological network construction and protein–protein interactions analyses have been performed to decipher the molecular mechanisms likely accounting for the role of these genes in breast cancer risk. Results Sequencing, filtering strategies, and validation analysis have been achieved. For BC-TN-F001, no deleterious mutations have been identified on known breast cancer genes. However, 373 heterozygous, exonic and rare variants have been identified on other candidate genes. After applying several filters, 12 relevant high-risk variants have been selected. Our results showed that these variants seem to be inherited in a family specific model. This hypothesis has been confirmed following a thorough analysis of the reported WES studies. Enriched biological process and protein–protein interaction networks resulted in the identification of four novel breast cancer candidate genes namely MMS19, DNAH3, POLK and KATB6. Conclusions In this first WES application on Tunisian breast cancer patients, we highlighted the impact of next generation sequencing technologies in the identification of novel breast cancer candidate genes which may bring new insights into the biological mechanisms of breast carcinogenesis. Our findings showed that the breast cancer predisposition in non-BRCA families may be ethnic and/or family specific

Dynamics of the compartmentalized Streptomyces chromosome during metabolic differentiation

Publisher: Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory Section: New ResultsInternational audienceStreptomyces are among the most prolific bacterial producers of specialized metabolites, including antibiotics. The linear genome is partitioned into a central region harboring core genes and two extremities enriched in specialized metabolite biosynthetic gene clusters (SMBGCs). The molecular mechanisms governing structure and function of these compartmentalized genomes remain mostly unknown. Here we show that in exponential phase, chromosome structure correlates with genetic compartmentalization: conserved, large and highly transcribed genes form boundaries that segment the central part of the genome into domains, whereas the terminal ends are transcriptionally, largely quiescent compartments with different structural features. Onset of metabolic differentiation is accompanied by remodeling of chromosome architecture from an open to a rather closed conformation, in which the SMBGCs are expressed forming new boundaries. Altogether, our results reveal that S. ambofaciens linear chromosome is partitioned into structurally distinct entities, indicating a link between chromosome folding, gene expression and genome evolution

Family specific genetic predisposition to breast cancer: results from Tunisian whole exome sequenced breast cancer cases.

International audienceBACKGROUND:A family history of breast cancer has long been thought to indicate the presence of inherited genetic events that predispose to this disease. In North Africa, many specific epidemio-genetic characteristics have been observed in breast cancer families when compared to Western populations. Despite these specificities, the majority of breast cancer genetics studies performed in North Africa remain restricted to the investigation of the BRCA1 and BRCA2 genes. Thus, comprehensive data at a whole exome or whole genome level from local patients are lacking.METHODS:A whole exome sequencing (WES) of seven breast cancer Tunisian families have been performed using a family-based approach. We focused our analysis on BC-TN-F001 family that included two affected members that have been sequenced using WES. Relevant variants identified in BC-TN-F001 have been confirmed using Sanger sequencing. Then, we conducted an integrative analysis by combining our results with those from other WES studies in order to figure out the genetic transmission model of the newly identified genes. Biological network construction and protein-protein interactions analyses have been performed to decipher the molecular mechanisms likely accounting for the role of these genes in breast cancer risk.RESULTS:Sequencing, filtering strategies, and validation analysis have been achieved. For BC-TN-F001, no deleterious mutations have been identified on known breast cancer genes. However, 373 heterozygous, exonic and rare variants have been identified on other candidate genes. After applying several filters, 12 relevant high-risk variants have been selected. Our results showed that these variants seem to be inherited in a family specific model. This hypothesis has been confirmed following a thorough analysis of the reported WES studies. Enriched biological process and protein-protein interaction networks resulted in the identification of four novel breast cancer candidate genes namely MMS19, DNAH3, POLK and KATB6.CONCLUSIONS:In this first WES application on Tunisian breast cancer patients, we highlighted the impact of next generation sequencing technologies in the identification of novel breast cancer candidate genes which may bring new insights into the biological mechanisms of breast carcinogenesis. Our findings showed that the breast cancer predisposition in non-BRCA families may be ethnic and/or family specific

Genetic testing for hereditary cancer syndromes in Tunisian patients: Impact on health system

Introduction: Cancer management in Africa faces diverse challenges due to limited resources, health system challenges, and other matters. Identifying hereditary cancer syndromic cases is crucial to improve clinical management and preventive care in these settings. This study aims to explore the clinicopathological features and genetic factors associated with hereditary cancer in Tunisia, a North African country with a rising cancer burden Materials and methods: Clinicopathological features and personal/family history of cancer were explored in 521 patients. Genetic analysis using Sanger and next-generation sequencing was performed for a set of patients Results: Hereditary breast and ovarian cancer syndrome was the most frequent cluster in which 36 BRCA mutations were identified. We described a subgroup of patients with likely ‘’breast cancer-only syndrome’’ among this cluster. Two cases of Li-Fraumeni syndrome with distinct TP53 mutations namely c.638G>A and c.733G>A have been identified. Genetic investigation also allowed the identification of a new BLM homozygous mutation (c.3254dupT) in one patient with multiple primary cancers. Phenotype-genotype correlation suggests the diagnosis of Bloom syndrome. A recurrent MUTYH mutation (c.1143_1144dup) was identified in three patients with different phenotypes Conclusion: Our study calls for comprehensive genetic education and the implementation of genetic screening in Tunisia and other African countries health systems, to reduce the burden of hereditary diseases and improve cancer outcomes in resource-stratified settings