Targeted Gene Disruption of the Cyclo (L-Phe, L-Pro) Biosynthetic Pathway in Streptomyces sp. US24 Strain

We have previously isolated a new actinomycete strain from Tunisian soil called Streptomyces sp. US24, and have shown that it produces two bioactive molecules including a Cyclo (L-Phe, L-Pro) diketopiperazine (DKP). To identify the structural genes responsible for the synthesis of this DKP derivative, a PCR amplification (696 bp) was carried out using the Streptomyces sp. US24 genomic DNA as template and two degenerate oligonucleotides designed by analogy with genes encoding peptide synthetases (NRPS). The detection of DKP derivative biosynthetic pathway of the Streptomyces sp. US24 strain was then achieved by gene disruption via homologous recombination using a suicide vector derived from the conjugative plasmid pSET152 and containing the PCR product. Chromatography analysis, biological tests and spectroscopic studies of supernatant cultures of the wild-type Streptomyces sp. US24 strain and three mutants obtained by this gene targeting disruption approach showed that the amplified DNA fragment is required for Cyclo (L-Phe, L-Pro) biosynthesis in Streptomyces sp. US24 strain. This DKP derivative seems to be produced either directly via a nonribosomal pathway or as a side product in the course of nonribosomal synthesis of a longer peptide

Integrative Gene Cloning and Expression System for Streptomyces sp. US 24 and Streptomyces sp. TN 58 Bioactive Molecule Producing Strains

Streptomyces sp. US 24 and Streptomyces sp. TN 58, two strains producing interesting bioactive molecules, were successfully transformed using E. coli ET12567 (pUZ8002), as a conjugal donor, carrying the integrative plasmid pSET152. For the Streptomyces sp. US 24 strain, two copies of this plasmid were tandemly integrated in the chromosome, whereas for Streptomyces sp. TN 58, the integration was in single copy at the attB site. Plasmid pSET152 was inherited every time for all analysed Streptomyces sp. US 24 and Streptomyces sp. TN 58 exconjugants under nonselective conditions. The growth, morphological differentiation, and active molecules production of all studied pSET152 integrated exconjugants were identical to those of wild type strains. Consequently, conjugal transfer using pSET152 integration system is a suitable means of genes transfer and expression for both studied strains. To validate the above gene transfer system, the glucose isomerase gene (xylA) from Streptomyces sp. SK was expressed in strain Streptomyces sp. TN 58. Obtained results indicated that heterologous glucose isomerase could be expressed and folded effectively. Glucose isomerase activity of the constructed TN 58 recombinant strain is of about eighteenfold higher than that of the Streptomyces sp. SK strain. Such results are certainly of importance due to the potential use of improved strains in biotechnological process for the production of high-fructose syrup from starch

Accompagnement dans l’apprentissage de l’argumentation par une équipe pluridisciplinaire : quels effets sur les acteurs?

Dans le cadre du Cursus Master Ingénieur (CMI) de Biologie Santé Environnement (BSE) développé à l’Université de Lorraine en France, une équipe pluridisciplinaire propose aux étudiants de première année de cette formation une Activité de Mise en Situation (AMS). Par groupe de trois ou quatre, ils/elles doivent effectuer une recherche de documentation scientifique sur un sujet de société lié aux sciences pour ensuite élaborer un argumentaire pro- et anti- qui sera présenté oralement. L’équipe pédagogique accompagne les étudiants tout au long du processus, dans l’objectif de favoriser l’intégration et la réussite des nouveaux étudiants. Il s’agit aussi de renforcer des compétences construites au lycée, notamment des compétences informationnelles afin de faciliter l’appropriation de la littéracie universitaire. L’article examine la question des effets de ce dispositif d’accompagnement sur les étudiants et les accompagnants. L’analyse des résultats des étudiants, de leurs réponses à une enquête d’auto-évaluation, de celles des tuteurs lors d’entretiens semi-directifs indique que cette AMS contribue à l’acquisition de compétences et au développement de l’autonomie des étudiants. Les enseignants témoignent d’un changement de posture dans leur rôle d’accompagnant, changement qui transforme aussi leurs pratiques professionnelles dans d’autres cours.Within the framework of a master’s degree in Biological, Health and Environmental Engineering developed at the University of Lorraine in France, a multidisciplinary team offers first year students a Situational Awareness Activity (AMS). In groups of three or four, the students have to carry out scientific documentation research on a societal subject related to science and develop pro and con arguments that are then presented orally. The pedagogical team accompanies the students throughout the process, with the aim of fostering the integration and success of new students. It is also a question of reinforcing the skills built up in high school, in particular informational skills in order to facilitate the appropriation of university literacy. The article examines the effects of this support system on the students and their tutors. The analysis of the students' results, their answers to a self-evaluation survey and those of the tutors during semi-directive interviews indicate that this AMS contributes to the acquisition of skills and the development of students' autonomy. The teachers report a change of stance in their role as tutors, a change that also transforms their professional practices in other courses

Classification non supervisée par HMM de sites de fixation de facteurs de transcription chez les bactéries

Colloque avec actes et comité de lecture. nationale.National audienceNous développons des méthodes de fouille de données basées sur l'utilisation de modèles Markoviens du second ordre adaptés à l'étude des génomes. Ceux-ci réalisent une segmentation pouvant être observée sous la forme d'un signal stochastique traduisant l'organisation et la structure des motifs d'ADN sous-jacents. Aucune hypothèse 'a priori' n'est effectuée sur le contenu génétique des séquences étudiées. La modélisation du corpus de séquences est réalisée par une étape d'apprentissage automatique qui produit une classification non supervisée des segments nucléotidiques observés sur les différents états des HMM. Une première étape d'apprentissage sur les séquences chromosomiques complètes des bactéries actinomycètes Streptomyces coelicolor, S. avermitilis et Mycobacterium tuberculosis permet l'obtention de trois classes de HMM décrivant chacune un génome. Lors du processus de segmentation, certaines chaînes d'états cachés décrivent des fragments génomiques comme les gènes et les séquences intergéniques alors qu'une autre chaîne se spécialise sur la distribution de motifs d'ADN locaux particuliers. Ceux-ci correspondent à des mots de 5 à 12 nucléotides présents à des fréquences inhabituelles dans les régions intergéniques. Chez S. coelicolor, la classification de 2500 de ces motifs, issus d'une extraction automatique et identifiés dans 1,2 Mb d'ADN génomique, indique que 7% correspondraient à des sites de fixation de facteurs sigma connus (SigR, SigB, WhiG, HrdB) et 5% à des sites de fixation du ribosome ou des terminateurs de transcription potentiels. Concernant le régulon SigR/SigH (réponse au stress oxydant chez les Streptomyces/M. tuberculosis), la mise en oeuvre de cette approche a permis de détecter tous les promoteurs déjà déterminés biologiquement. Enfin, certains de ces motifs ne peuvent être corrélés à des rôles biologiques connus ou prédits à ce jour. Leur classification pourrait mettre en évidence des groupes à propriétés communes et viserait à définir des motifs promoteurs, puis, à terme, des réseaux de gènes co-régulés

A new data mining approach for the detection of bacterial promoters combining stochastic and combinatorial methods

International audienceWe present a new data mining method based on stochastic analysis (HMM for Hidden Markov Model) and combinatorial methods for discovering new transcriptional factors in bacterial genome sequences. Sigma factor binding sites (SFBSs) were described as patterns of box1 - spacer - box2 corresponding to the -35 and -10 DNA motifs of bacterial promoters. We used a high-order Hidden Markov Model in which the hidden process is a second-order Markov chain. Applied on the genome of the model bacterium Streptomyces coelicolor (2), the a posteriori state probabilities revealed local maxima or peaks whose distribution was enriched in the intergenic sequences (``iPeaks'' for intergenic peaks). Short DNA sequences underlying the iPeaks were extracted and clustered by a hierarchical classification algorithm based on the SmithWaterman local similarity. Some selected motif consensuses were used as box1 (-35 motif) in the search of a potential neighbouring box2 (-10 motif) using a word enumeration algorithm. This new SFBS mining methodology applied on Streptomyces coelicolor was successful to retrieve already known SFBSs and to suggest new potential transcriptional factor binding sites (TFBSs). The well defined SigR regulon (oxidative stress response) was also used as a test quorum to compare first and second-order HMM. Our approach also allowed the preliminary detection of known SFBSs in Bacillus subtilis

Genomic Exploration of the Hemiascomycetous Yeasts: 1. A set of yeast species for molecular evolution studies11Sequences and annotations are accessible at: Génoscope (http://www.genoscope.cns.fr), FEBS Letters Website (http://www.elsevier.nl/febs/show/), Bordeaux (http://cbi.genopole-bordeaux.fr/Genolevures) and were deposited into the EMBL database (accession number from AL392203 to AL441602).

AbstractThe identification of molecular evolutionary mechanisms in eukaryotes is approached by a comparative genomics study of a homogeneous group of species classified as Hemiascomycetes. This group includes Saccharomyces cerevisiae, the first eukaryotic genome entirely sequenced, back in 1996. A random sequencing analysis has been performed on 13 different species sharing a small genome size and a low frequency of introns. Detailed information is provided in the 20 following papers. Additional tables available on websites describe the ca. 20 000 newly identified genes. This wealth of data, so far unique among eukaryotes, allowed us to examine the conservation of chromosome maps, to identify the ‘yeast-specific’ genes, and to review the distribution of gene families into functional classes. This project conducted by a network of seven French laboratories has been designated ‘Génolevures’

Genomic Exploration of the Hemiascomycetous Yeasts: 19. Ascomycetes-specific genes

AbstractComparisons of the 6213 predicted Saccharomyces cerevisiae open reading frame (ORF) products with sequences from organisms of other biological phyla differentiate genes commonly conserved in evolution from ‘maverick’ genes which have no homologue in phyla other than the Ascomycetes. We show that a majority of the ‘maverick’ genes have homologues among other yeast species and thus define a set of 1892 genes that, from sequence comparisons, appear ‘Ascomycetes-specific’. We estimate, retrospectively, that the S. cerevisiae genome contains 5651 actual protein-coding genes, 50 of which were identified for the first time in this work, and that the present public databases contain 612 predicted ORFs that are not real genes. Interestingly, the sequences of the ‘Ascomycetes-specific’ genes tend to diverge more rapidly in evolution than that of other genes. Half of the ‘Ascomycetes-specific’ genes are functionally characterized in S. cerevisiae, and a few functional categories are over-represented in them

SIGffRid: A tool to search for sigma factor binding sites in bacterial genomes using comparative approach and biologically driven statistics

<p>Abstract</p> <p>Background</p> <p>Many programs have been developed to identify transcription factor binding sites. However, most of them are not able to infer two-word motifs with variable spacer lengths. This case is encountered for RNA polymerase Sigma (<it>σ</it>) Factor Binding Sites (SFBSs) usually composed of two boxes, called -35 and -10 in reference to the transcription initiation point. Our goal is to design an algorithm detecting SFBS by using combinational and statistical constraints deduced from biological observations.</p> <p>Results</p> <p>We describe a new approach to identify SFBSs by comparing two related bacterial genomes. The method, named SIGffRid (SIGma Factor binding sites Finder using R'MES to select Input Data), performs a simultaneous analysis of pairs of promoter regions of orthologous genes. SIGffRid uses a prior identification of over-represented patterns in whole genomes as selection criteria for potential -35 and -10 boxes. These patterns are then grouped using pairs of short seeds (of which one is possibly gapped), allowing a variable-length spacer between them. Next, the motifs are extended guided by statistical considerations, a feature that ensures a selection of motifs with statistically relevant properties. We applied our method to the pair of related bacterial genomes of <it>Streptomyces coelicolor </it>and <it>Streptomyces avermitilis</it>. Cross-check with the well-defined SFBSs of the SigR regulon in <it>S. coelicolor </it>is detailed, validating the algorithm. SFBSs for HrdB and BldN were also found; and the results suggested some new targets for these <it>σ </it>factors. In addition, consensus motifs for BldD and new SFBSs binding sites were defined, overlapping previously proposed consensuses. Relevant tests were carried out also on bacteria with moderate GC content (i.e. <it>Escherichia coli</it>/<it>Salmonella typhimurium </it>and <it>Bacillus subtilis</it>/<it>Bacillus licheniformis </it>pairs). Motifs of house-keeping <it>σ </it>factors were found as well as other SFBSs such as that of SigW in <it>Bacillus </it>strains.</p> <p>Conclusion</p> <p>We demonstrate that our approach combining statistical and biological criteria was successful to predict SFBSs. The method versatility autorizes the recognition of other kinds of two-box regulatory sites.</p

SIGffRid: A tool to search for sigma factor binding sites in bacterial genomes using comparative approach and biologically driven statistics

<p>Abstract</p> <p>Background</p> <p>Many programs have been developed to identify transcription factor binding sites. However, most of them are not able to infer two-word motifs with variable spacer lengths. This case is encountered for RNA polymerase Sigma (<it>σ</it>) Factor Binding Sites (SFBSs) usually composed of two boxes, called -35 and -10 in reference to the transcription initiation point. Our goal is to design an algorithm detecting SFBS by using combinational and statistical constraints deduced from biological observations.</p> <p>Results</p> <p>We describe a new approach to identify SFBSs by comparing two related bacterial genomes. The method, named SIGffRid (SIGma Factor binding sites Finder using R'MES to select Input Data), performs a simultaneous analysis of pairs of promoter regions of orthologous genes. SIGffRid uses a prior identification of over-represented patterns in whole genomes as selection criteria for potential -35 and -10 boxes. These patterns are then grouped using pairs of short seeds (of which one is possibly gapped), allowing a variable-length spacer between them. Next, the motifs are extended guided by statistical considerations, a feature that ensures a selection of motifs with statistically relevant properties. We applied our method to the pair of related bacterial genomes of <it>Streptomyces coelicolor </it>and <it>Streptomyces avermitilis</it>. Cross-check with the well-defined SFBSs of the SigR regulon in <it>S. coelicolor </it>is detailed, validating the algorithm. SFBSs for HrdB and BldN were also found; and the results suggested some new targets for these <it>σ </it>factors. In addition, consensus motifs for BldD and new SFBSs binding sites were defined, overlapping previously proposed consensuses. Relevant tests were carried out also on bacteria with moderate GC content (i.e. <it>Escherichia coli</it>/<it>Salmonella typhimurium </it>and <it>Bacillus subtilis</it>/<it>Bacillus licheniformis </it>pairs). Motifs of house-keeping <it>σ </it>factors were found as well as other SFBSs such as that of SigW in <it>Bacillus </it>strains.</p> <p>Conclusion</p> <p>We demonstrate that our approach combining statistical and biological criteria was successful to predict SFBSs. The method versatility autorizes the recognition of other kinds of two-box regulatory sites.</p

Sharing and community curation of mass spectrometry data with Global Natural Products Social Molecular Networking

The potential of the diverse chemistries present in natural products (NP) for biotechnology and medicine remains untapped because NP databases are not searchable with raw data and the NP community has no way to share data other than in published papers. Although mass spectrometry techniques are well-suited to high-throughput characterization of natural products, there is a pressing need for an infrastructure to enable sharing and curation of data. We present Global Natural Products Social molecular networking (GNPS, http://gnps.ucsd.edu), an open-access knowledge base for community wide organization and sharing of raw, processed or identified tandem mass (MS/MS) spectrometry data. In GNPS crowdsourced curation of freely available community-wide reference MS libraries will underpin improved annotations. Data-driven social-networking should facilitate identification of spectra and foster collaborations. We also introduce the concept of ‘living data’ through continuous reanalysis of deposited data