Stay or Go: Sulfolobales Biofilm Dispersal Is Dependent on a Bifunctional VapB Antitoxin

Lewis, April M.; Willard, Daniel J; Manesh, Mohamad J H; Sivabalasarma, Shamphavi; Albers, Sonja‐Verena; Kelly, Robert M.

doi:10.1128/mbio.00053-23

Cited by 10 publications

(3 citation statements)

References 52 publications

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“…Ultimately, small segments of the genome may define microbiological characteristics that cannot be gleaned from global genomic analysis (such as carbohydrate metabolism, discussed in part here through analysis of CAZymes, but extends to other genes with high phenotypic influence, such as toxin-antitoxin biofilm regulation ( Lewis et al, 2023 )). We show here that when carbohydrate “appetite” is mapped to CAZyme inventory, the Caldicellulosiruptorales differ from the Thermoanaerobacterales in that many species of the former, but not the latter, can degrade microcrystalline cellulose.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Whither the genus Caldicellulosiruptor and the order Thermoanaerobacterales: phylogeny, taxonomy, ecology, and phenotype

et al. 2023

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The order Thermoanaerobacterales currently consists of fermentative anaerobic bacteria, including the genus Caldicellulosiruptor. Caldicellulosiruptor are represented by thirteen species; all, but one, have closed genome sequences. Interest in these extreme thermophiles has been motivated not only by their high optimal growth temperatures (≥70°C), but also by their ability to hydrolyze polysaccharides including, for some species, both xylan and microcrystalline cellulose. Caldicellulosiruptor species have been isolated from geographically diverse thermal terrestrial environments located in New Zealand, China, Russia, Iceland and North America. Evidence of their presence in other terrestrial locations is apparent from metagenomic signatures, including volcanic ash in permafrost. Here, phylogeny and taxonomy of the genus Caldicellulosiruptor was re-examined in light of new genome sequences. Based on genome analysis of 15 strains, a new order, Caldicellulosiruptorales, is proposed containing the family Caldicellulosiruptoraceae, consisting of two genera, Caldicellulosiruptor and Anaerocellum. Furthermore, the order Thermoanaerobacterales also was re-assessed, using 91 genome-sequenced strains, and should now include the family Thermoanaerobacteraceae containing the genera Thermoanaerobacter, Thermoanaerobacterium, Caldanaerobacter, the family Caldanaerobiaceae containing the genus Caldanaerobius, and the family Calorimonaceae containing the genus Calorimonas. A main outcome of ANI/AAI analysis indicates the need to reclassify several previously designated species in the Thermoanaerobacterales and Caldicellulosiruptorales by condensing them into strains of single species. Comparative genomics of carbohydrate-active enzyme inventories suggested differentiating phenotypic features, even among strains of the same species, reflecting available nutrients and ecological roles in their native biotopes.

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Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Whither the genus Caldicellulosiruptor and the order Thermoanaerobacterales: phylogeny, taxonomy, ecology, and phenotype

et al. 2023

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“…These observations might indicate a general downregulation response of this transcriptional regulator to confront stress. Target genes regulated by SSO1101 and homologs remain unknown, whereas it has been proposed that one of its targets could be the vapBC14 operon, which was also described to be upregulated in S. acidocaldarius biofilms [ 11 ]. The proteins VapB14 and VapC14 coded in this operon influence biofilm formation as well [ 11 ].…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Lewis et al reported that type II antitoxin VapB14 regulates biofilm dispersal in S. acidocaldarius through traditional toxin neutralization, but also by employing noncanonical transcriptional regulation [ 11 ]. S. acidocaldarius vapB14 and its homolog in thermoacidophile Metallosphaera sedula ( msed_0871 ) were both upregulated in biofilm cells, supporting the role of an antitoxin in biofilm regulation [ 11 ].…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Sessile Lifestyle Offers Protection against Copper Stress in Saccharolobus solfataricus

Recalde,

González-Madrid,

Acevedo-López

et al. 2023

Microorganisms

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Some archaea from the genus Sulfolobus are important for bioleaching of copper, where metal resistant microorganisms are required. Biofilm generation is one of the ways microorganisms cope with some stimuli in nature, including heavy metals. The response to external factors, particularly in the biofilm form of life, is still underexplored in archaea. To explore how model thermoacidophilic archaeon Saccharolobus solfataricus faces copper stress during this lifestyle, changes in biofilms were studied using crystal violet staining, confocal fluorescence microscopy, and qPCR approaches. It was found that biofilm formation reached a maximum at 0.5 mM Cu, before starting to decrease at higher metal concentrations. The morphology of biofilms at 0.5 mM Cu was observed to be different, displaying lower thickness, different sugar patterns, and higher amounts of cells compared to standard growing conditions. Furthermore, copA, which is responsive to intracellular Cu concentration, was downregulated in biofilm cells when compared with planktonic cells exposed to the same metal concentration. The latest results suggests that cells in biofilms are less exposed to Cu than those in planktonic culture. In a PolyP-deficient strain, Cu was not able to induce biofilm formation at 0.5 mM. In summary, the findings reported here suggest that the biofilm form of life confers S. solfataricus advantages to face stress caused by Cu.Biofilm formation remains a relatively unexplored topic in archaeal research. Therefore, this knowledge in model organisms such as S. solfataricus, and how they use it to face stress, could be of great importance to engineer organisms with improved capabilities to be applied in biotechnological processes, such as bioleaching of metals.

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A Survey of the Battlefield for the Origin of Life

2024

Origin of Life via Archaea

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Stay or Go: Sulfolobales Biofilm Dispersal Is Dependent on a Bifunctional VapB Antitoxin

Abstract: Biofilms allow microbes to resist a multitude of stresses and stay proximate to vital nutrients. The mechanisms of entering and leaving a biofilm are highly regulated to ensure microbial survival, but are not yet well described in archaea.

Cited by 10 publications

References 52 publications

Whither the genus Caldicellulosiruptor and the order Thermoanaerobacterales: phylogeny, taxonomy, ecology, and phenotype

Whither the genus Caldicellulosiruptor and the order Thermoanaerobacterales: phylogeny, taxonomy, ecology, and phenotype

Sessile Lifestyle Offers Protection against Copper Stress in Saccharolobus solfataricus

A Survey of the Battlefield for the Origin of Life

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