In many organisms, the methylation of cytosine in DNA has a key role in silencing 'parasitic' DNA elements, regulating transcription and establishing cellular identity. The recent discovery that ...ten-eleven translocation (TET) proteins are 5-methylcytosine oxidases has provided several chemically plausible pathways for the reversal of DNA methylation, thus triggering a paradigm shift in our understanding of how changes in DNA methylation are coupled to cell differentiation, embryonic development and cancer.
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DOBA, IJS, IZUM, KILJ, NUK, PILJ, PNG, SAZU, UILJ, UKNU, UL, UM, UPUK
While N⁶‐methyladenosine (m⁶A) is a well‐known epigenetic modification in bacterial DNA, it remained largely unstudied in eukaryotes. Recent studies have brought to fore its potential epigenetic role ...across diverse eukaryotes with biological consequences, which are distinct and possibly even opposite to the well‐studied 5‐methylcytosine mark. Adenine methyltransferases appear to have been independently acquired by eukaryotes on at least 13 occasions from prokaryotic restriction‐modification and counter‐restriction systems. On at least four to five instances, these methyltransferases were recruited as RNA methylases. Thus, m⁶A marks in eukaryotic DNA and RNA might be more widespread and diversified than previously believed. Several m⁶A‐binding protein domains from prokaryotes were also acquired by eukaryotes, facilitating prediction of potential readers for these marks. Further, multiple lineages of the AlkB family of dioxygenases have been recruited as m⁶A demethylases. Although members of the TET/JBP family of dioxygenases have also been suggested to be m⁶A demethylases, this proposal needs more careful evaluation. Also watch the Video Abstract.
Nucleotide-activated effector deployment, prototyped by interferon-dependent immunity, is a common mechanistic theme shared by immune systems of several animals and prokaryotes. Prokaryotic versions ...include CRISPR-Cas with the CRISPR polymerase domain, their minimal variants, and systems with second messenger oligonucleotide or dinucleotide synthetase (SMODS). Cyclic or linear oligonucleotide signals in these systems help set a threshold for the activation of potentially deleterious downstream effectors in response to invader detection. We establish such a regulatory mechanism to be a more general principle of immune systems, which can also operate independently of such messengers. Using sensitive sequence analysis and comparative genomics, we identify 12 new prokaryotic immune systems, which we unify by this principle of threshold-dependent effector activation. These display regulatory mechanisms paralleling physiological signaling based on 3'-5' cyclic mononucleotides, NAD
-derived messengers, two- and one-component signaling that includes histidine kinase-based signaling, and proteolytic activation. Furthermore, these systems allowed the identification of multiple new sensory signal sensory components, such as a tetratricopeptide repeat (TPR) scaffold predicted to recognize NAD
-derived signals, unreported versions of the STING domain, prokaryotic YEATS domains, and a predicted nucleotide sensor related to receiver domains. We also identify previously unrecognized invader detection components and effector components, such as prokaryotic versions of the Wnt domain. Finally, we show that there have been multiple acquisitions of unidentified STING domains in eukaryotes, while the TPR scaffold was incorporated into the animal immunity/apoptosis signal-regulating kinase (ASK) signalosome.
Both prokaryotic and eukaryotic immune systems face the dangers of premature activation of effectors and degradation of self-molecules in the absence of an invader. To mitigate this, they have evolved threshold-setting regulatory mechanisms for the triggering of effectors only upon the detection of a sufficiently strong invader signal. This work defines general templates for such regulation in effector-based immune systems. Using this, we identify several previously uncharacterized prokaryotic immune mechanisms that accomplish the regulation of downstream effector deployment by using nucleotide, NAD
-derived, two-component, and one-component signals paralleling physiological homeostasis. This study has also helped identify several previously unknown sensor and effector modules in these systems. Our findings also augment the growing evidence for the emergence of key animal immunity and chromatin regulatory components from prokaryotic progenitors.
Eukaryotes contain an elaborate membrane system, which bounds the cell itself, nuclei, organelles and transient intracellular structures, such as vesicles. The emergence of this system was marked by ...an expansion of a number of structurally distinct classes of lipid-binding domains that could throw light on the early evolution of eukaryotic membranes. The C2 domain is a useful model to understand these events because it is one of the most prevalent eukaryotic lipid-binding domains deployed in diverse functional contexts. Most studies have concentrated on C2 domains prototyped by those in protein kinase C (PKC–C2) isoforms that bind lipid in a calcium-dependent manner. While two other distinct families of C2 domains, namely those in PI3K–C2 and PTEN–C2 are also recognized, a complete picture of evolutionary relationships within the C2 domain superfamily is lacking. We systematically studied this superfamily using sequence profile searches, phylogenetic and phyletic-pattern analysis and structure-prediction. Consequently, we identified several distinct families of C2 domains including those respectively typified by C2 domains in the Aida (axin interactor, dorsalization associated) proteins, B9 proteins (e.g. Mks1 (Xbx-7), Stumpy (Tza-1) and Tza-2) involved in centrosome migration and ciliogenesis, Dock180/Zizimin proteins which are Rac/CDC42 GDP exchange factors, the EEIG1/Sym-3, EHBP1 and plant RPG/PMI1 proteins involved in endocytotic recycling and organellar positioning and an apicomplexan family. We present evidence that the last eukaryotic common ancestor (LECA) contained at least 10 C2 domains belonging to 6 well-defined families. Further, we suggest that this pre-LECA diversification was linked to the emergence of several quintessentially eukaryotic structures, such as membrane repair and vesicular trafficking system, anchoring of the actin and tubulin cytoskeleton to the plasma and vesicular membranes, localization of small GTPases to membranes and lipid-based signal transduction. Subsequent lineage-specific expansions of Zizimin-type C2 domains and functionally linked CDC42/Rac GTPases occurred independently in eukaryotes that evolved active amoeboid motility. While two lipid-binding regions are likely to be shared by majority of C2 domains, the actual constellation of lipid-binding residues (predominantly basic) are distinct in each family potentially reflective of the functional and biochemical diversity of these domains. Importantly, we show that the calcium-dependent membrane interaction is a derived feature limited to the PKC–C2 domains. Our identification of novel C2 domains offers new insights into interaction between both the microtubular and microfilament cytoskeleton and cellular membranes.
Abstract
The DndABCDE systems catalysing the unusual phosphorothioate (PT) DNA backbone modification, and the DndFGH systems, which restrict invasive DNA, have enigmatic and paradoxical features. ...Using comparative genomics and sequence-structure analyses, we show that the DndABCDE module is commonly functionally decoupled from the DndFGH module. However, the modification gene-neighborhoods encode other nucleases, potentially acting as the actual restriction components or suicide effectors limiting propagation of the selfish elements. The modification module's core consists of a coevolving gene-pair encoding the DNA-scanning apparatus – a DndD/CxC-clade ABC ATPase and DndE with two ribbon-helix-helix (MetJ/Arc) DNA-binding domains. Diversification of DndE’s DNA-binding interface suggests a multiplicity of target specificities. Additionally, many systems feature DNA cytosine methylase genes instead of PT modification, indicating the DndDE core can recruit other nucleobase modifications. We show that DndFGH is a distinct counter-invader system with several previously uncharacterized domains, including a nucleotide kinase. These likely trigger its restriction endonuclease domain in response to multiple stimuli, like nucleotides, while blocking protective modifications by invader methylases. Remarkably, different DndH variants contain a HerA/FtsK ATPase domain acquired from multiple sources, including cellular genome-segregation systems and mobile elements. Thus, we uncovered novel HerA/FtsK-dependent defense systems that might intercept invasive DNA during replication, conjugation, or packaging.
Lay Summary
Bacteria defend against selfish genetic elements by distinguishing their genetic material through special chemical modifications and using specific enzymes to break down viral DNA. This study explores the Dnd defense system, revealing several of its poorly understood facets. The Dnd modification system, utilizing sulfur to distinguish bacterial from viral DNA, cooperates with various anti-viral and cell-suicide nuclease enzymes to limit viral infection. While previously considered its restriction component, DndFGH emerges as an independent defense system, recognizing signals like nucleotides and DNA to thwart protective modifications of invader DNA. DndH, featuring diverse versions of the HerA/FtsK ATPase domain, helped unveil several unrecognized bacterial defense systems. This discovery illuminates sophisticated bacterial defenses against viral threats during crucial cellular processes.
Graphical Abstract
Graphical Abstract
A novel coronavirus, severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2), was recently identified as the causative agent for the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) outbreak that has ...generated a global health crisis. We use a combination of genomic analysis and sensitive profile-based sequence and structure analysis to understand the potential pathogenesis determinants of this virus. As a result, we identify several fast-evolving genomic regions that might be at the interface of virus-host interactions, corresponding to the receptor binding domain of the Spike protein, the three tandem Macro fold domains in ORF1a, and the uncharacterized protein ORF8. Further, we show that ORF8 and several other proteins from alpha- and beta-CoVs belong to novel families of immunoglobulin (Ig) proteins. Among them, ORF8 is distinguished by being rapidly evolving, possessing a unique insert, and having a hypervariable position among SARS-CoV-2 genomes in its predicted ligand-binding groove. We also uncover numerous Ig domain proteins from several unrelated metazoan viruses, which are distinct in sequence and structure but share comparable architectures to those of the CoV Ig domain proteins. Hence, we propose that SARS-CoV-2 ORF8 and other previously unidentified CoV Ig domain proteins fall under the umbrella of a widespread strategy of deployment of Ig domain proteins in animal viruses as pathogenicity factors that modulate host immunity. The rapid evolution of the ORF8 Ig domain proteins points to a potential evolutionary arms race between viruses and hosts, likely arising from immune pressure, and suggests a role in transmission between distinct host species.
The ongoing COVID-19 pandemic strongly emphasizes the need for a more complete understanding of the biology and pathogenesis of its causative agent SARS-CoV-2. Despite intense scrutiny, several proteins encoded by the genomes of SARS-CoV-2 and other SARS-like coronaviruses remain enigmatic. Moreover, the high infectivity and severity of SARS-CoV-2 in certain individuals make wet-lab studies currently challenging. In this study, we used a series of computational strategies to identify several fast-evolving regions of SARS-CoV-2 proteins which are potentially under host immune pressure. Most notably, the hitherto-uncharacterized protein encoded by ORF8 is one of them. Using sensitive sequence and structural analysis methods, we show that ORF8 and several other proteins from alpha- and beta-coronavirus comprise novel families of immunoglobulin domain proteins, which might function as potential immune modulators to delay or attenuate the host immune response against the viruses.
DNA cytosine methylation is crucial for retrotransposon silencing and mammalian development. In a computational search for enzymes that could modify 5-methylcytosine (5mC), we identified TET proteins ...as mammalian homologs of the trypanosome proteins JBP1 and JBP2, which have been proposed to oxidize the 5-methyl group of thymine. We show here that TET1, a fusion partner of the MLL gene in acute myeloid leukemia, is a 2-oxoglutarate (2OG)- and Fe(II)-dependent enzyme that catalyzes conversion of 5mC to 5-hydroxymethylcytosine (hmC) in cultured cells and in vitro. hmC is present in the genome of mouse embryonic stem cells, and hmC levels decrease upon RNA interference-mediated depletion of TET1. Thus, TET proteins have potential roles in epigenetic regulation through modification of 5mC to hmC.
The Warburg effect, characterized by increased glucose uptake and lactate production, is a well-known universal across cancer cells and other proliferating cells. PKM2, a splice isoformof the ...pyruvate kinase (PK) specifically expressed in these cells, serves as a major regulator of this metabolic reprogramming with an adjustable activity subjected to numerous allosteric effectors and posttranslational modifications. Here, we have identified a posttranslational modification on PKM2, O-GlcNAcylation, which specifically targets Thr405 and Ser406, residues of the region encoded by the alternatively spliced exon 10 in cancer cells. We show that PKM2 O-GlcNAcylation is up-regulated in various types of human tumor cells and patient tumor tissues. The modification destabilized the active tetrameric PKM2, reduced PK activity, and led to nuclear translocation of PKM2. We also observed that the modification was associated with an increased glucose consumption and lactate production and enhanced level of lipid and DNA synthesis, indicating that O-GlcNAcylation promotes the Warburg effect. In vivo experiments showed that blocking PKM2 O-GlcNAcylation attenuated tumor growth. Thus, we demonstrate that O-GlcNAcylation is a regulatory mechanism for PKM2 in cancer cells and serves as a bridge between PKM2 and metabolic reprogramming typical of the Warburg effect.
Modified bases in nucleic acids present a layer of information that directs biological function over and beyond the coding capacity of the conventional bases. While a large number of modified bases ...have been identified, many of the enzymes generating them still remain to be discovered. Recently, members of the 2-oxoglutarate- and iron(II)-dependent dioxygenase superfamily, which modify diverse substrates from small molecules to biopolymers, were predicted and subsequently confirmed to catalyze oxidative modification of bases in nucleic acids. Of these, two distinct families, namely the AlkB and the kinetoplastid base J binding proteins (JBP) catalyze in situ hydroxylation of bases in nucleic acids. Using sensitive computational analysis of sequences, structures and contextual information from genomic structure and protein domain architectures, we report five distinct families of 2-oxoglutarate- and iron(II)-dependent dioxygenase that we predict to be involved in nucleic acid modifications. Among the DNA-modifying families, we show that the dioxygenase domains of the kinetoplastid base J-binding proteins belong to a larger family that includes the Tet proteins, prototyped by the human oncogene Tet1, and proteins from basidiomycete fungi, chlorophyte algae, heterolobosean amoeboflagellates and bacteriophages. We present evidence that some of these proteins are likely to be involved in oxidative modification of the 5-methyl group of cytosine leading to the formation of 5-hydroxymethylcytosine. The Tet/JBP homologs from basidiomycete fungi such as Laccaria and Coprinopsis show large lineage-specific expansions and a tight linkage with genes encoding a novel and distinct family of predicted transposases, and a member of the Maelstrom-like HMG family. We propose that these fungal members are part of a mobile transposon. To the best of our knowledge, this is the first report of a eukaryotic transposable element that encodes its own DNA-modification enzyme with a potential regulatory role. Through a wider analysis of other poorly characterized DNA-modifying enzymes we also show that the phage Mu Mom-like proteins, which catalyze the N6-carbamoylmethylation of adenines, are also linked to diverse families of bacterial transposases, suggesting that DNA modification by transposable elements might have a more general presence than previously appreciated. Among the other families of 2-oxoglutarate- and iron(II)-dependent dioxygenases identified in this study, one which is found in algae, is predicted to mainly comprise of RNA-modifying enzymes and shows a striking diversity in protein domain architectures suggesting the presence of RNA modifications with possibly unique adaptive roles. The results presented here are likely to provide the means for future investigation of unexpected epigenetic modifications, such as hydroxymethyl cytosine, that could profoundly impact our understanding of gene regulation and processes such as DNA demethylation.
Only few small, regulatory RNAs encoded opposite another gene have been identified in bacteria. Here, we report the characterization of a locus where a small RNA (SymR) is encoded in cis to an ...SOS-induced gene whose product shows homology to the antitoxin MazE (SymE). Synthesis of the SymE protein is tightly repressed at multiple levels by the LexA repressor, the SymR RNA and the Lon protease. SymE co-purifies with ribosomes and overproduction of the protein leads to cell growth inhibition, decreased protein synthesis and increased RNA degradation. These properties are shared with several RNA endonuclease toxins of the toxin-antitoxin modules, and we show that the SymE protein represents evolution of a toxin from the AbrB fold, whose representatives are typically antitoxins. We suggest that SymE promotion of RNA cleavage may be important for the recycling of RNAs damaged under SOS-inducing conditions.
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