Article
Genetics & Heredity
Saria A. A. McKeithen-Mead, Alan D. D. Grossman
Summary: Integrative and conjugative elements (ICEs) play a significant role in genome plasticity in bacteria. Premature integration of ICEs into the chromosome of a new host leads to cell death and decreased fitness of both the ICE and transconjugants.
Article
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Joshua P. Ramsay, Tahlia R. Bastholm, Callum J. Verdonk, Dinah D. Tambalo, John T. Sullivan, Liam K. Harold, Beatrice A. Panganiban, Elena Colombi, Benjamin J. Perry, William Jowsey, Calum Morris, Michael F. Hynes, Charles S. Bond, Andrew D. S. Cameron, Christopher K. Yost, Clive W. Ronson
Summary: The horizontal transfer of ICEMlSym (R7A) can cause non-symbiotic Mesorhizobium spp. to become nitrogen-fixing legume symbionts. A subpopulation of Mesorhizobium japonicum R7A called R7A* is epigenetically primed for quorum sensing and horizontal transfer, maintained in laboratory culture. The epigenetic maintenance of the R7A* state requires ICEMlSym (R7A)-encoded copies of both qseC and qseC2, forming a stable epigenetic switch that controls qseM transcription and primes a subpopulation of R7A cells for quorum sensing and horizontal transfer.
NUCLEIC ACIDS RESEARCH
(2022)
Article
Genetics & Heredity
Emily L. L. Bean, Calvin Herman, Mary E. E. Anderson, Alan D. D. Grossman
Summary: Author summaryHorizontal gene transfer plays a crucial role in microbial evolution, allowing bacteria to acquire new genes and traits rapidly. Integrative and conjugative elements (ICEs) are mobile genetic elements that reside in a bacterial host chromosome and are significant drivers of horizontal gene transfer. This study investigated the determinants of transfer efficiencies by making and utilizing hybrid ICEs. The findings showed that there are species-specific interactions that help determine the efficiencies of stable acquisition. Furthermore, these hybrid elements can be useful in genetic engineering and synthetic biology to move genes and pathways into different bacterial species with greater efficiencies than naturally occurring ICEs.
Article
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Rinat Arbel-Goren, Saria A. McKeithen-Mead, Dominik Voglmaier, Idana Afremov, Gianluca Teza, Alan D. Grossman, Joel Stavans
Summary: ICEs are mobile genetic elements that transfer to recipient cells by conjugation. This study quantitatively investigated the search process of ICEBs1 for its unique integration site in Bacillus subtilis cells. The results showed various dynamic behaviors of ICEBs1 and pronounced asymmetry in the motion of the chromosomal integration site, highlighting the role of chromosomal structure and bacterial interior heterogeneity in the search process.
NUCLEIC ACIDS RESEARCH
(2023)
Editorial Material
Microbiology
Sophie Payot
Summary: The propagation of ICEBs1 in Bacillus subtilis biofilm depends mainly on transconjugants, which are restricted to clusters of bacteria in close proximity to initial donor cells. These clusters are heterogeneously distributed in the biofilm and expand vertically towards the air-liquid interface.
JOURNAL OF BACTERIOLOGY
(2022)
Article
Infectious Diseases
Juan He, Changwei Lei, Cui Li, Xuechun Wang, Pengfei Cui, Hongning Wang
Summary: This study aimed to determine the genetic environment of antimicrobial resistance genes in Proteus mirabilis strain STP3 isolated from a diarrhoeic pig on a swine farm in Sichuan Province, China. The identification of two genomic islands (GIs) in this study suggested that genetic elements might be key mediators for resistance gene acquisition in P. mirabilis and that IS26-mediated rearrangements promote the diversity of GIs.
JOURNAL OF GLOBAL ANTIMICROBIAL RESISTANCE
(2021)
Article
Microbiology
Da-Eun Jeong, Man Su Kim, Ha-Rim Kim, Soo-Keun Choi
Summary: In this study, a highly efficient plasmid delivery system (MICE) was developed to successfully introduce gfp gene into various undomesticated Bacillus strains and other Bacillus species. Moreover, the CBE system was used for multiplex genome editing and cell factory engineering of the Bacillus strains, providing a powerful tool for expanding the Bacillus cell factory.
FRONTIERS IN MICROBIOLOGY
(2022)
Review
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Joao Botelho, Hinrich Schulenburg
Summary: Mobile genetic elements (MGEs) play a key role in the spread of antibiotic resistance, with the coevolution between bacteria and MGEs shaping their transfer and stability. Despite the abundance of ICEs, the dynamics of ICE-bacterium coevolution remain largely unexplored. Both conjugative plasmids and ICEs are transferred via type IV secretion systems, but the immunity to segregational loss in ICEs results in different evolutionary paths for ICE-bacterium associations compared to plasmid-bacterium associations.
TRENDS IN MICROBIOLOGY
(2021)
Article
Microbiology
Anastasia C. Murthy, Naira Aleksanyan, Georgeanna M. Morton, Hunter C. Toyoda, Meri Kalashyan, Sirui Chen, Adelyn E. Ragucci, Matthew P. Broulidakis, Kyle J. Swerdlow, Minh N. N. Bui, Maria Muccioli, Melanie B. Berkmen
Summary: Conjugation is a major form of horizontal gene transfer, promoting bacterial evolution and acquisition of new traits. The T4SS in ICEBs1 was investigated, and it was found that ConE plays a critical role in DNA transfer. It interacts with itself, ConB, and ConQ, but these interactions do not affect the stability of ConE.
JOURNAL OF BACTERIOLOGY
(2023)
Article
Genetics & Heredity
Christopher M. Johnson, M. Michael Harden, Alan D. Grossman
Summary: The study focused on the interactions between mobile genetic elements in bacterial genomes and found that an integrative and conjugative element can protect bacteria from phage predation, providing a selective advantage for the maintenance of the element in the bacterial population. This protective effect is mediated by a single gene in the integrative and conjugative element.
Article
Microbiology
Zhou Song, Lei Zuo, Cui Li, Yiming Tian, Hongning Wang
Summary: Copper ions can significantly accelerate the conjugative transfer of SXT/R391 ICE, enhancing DNA transfer between bacteria, with the production of ROS and cell membrane permeability playing critical roles, and influencing the expression of related genes.
FRONTIERS IN MICROBIOLOGY
(2021)
Article
Microbiology
Jiahui An, Genglin Guo, Dong Yu, Kexin Zhu, Chao Zhang, Yufeng Li
Summary: A novel ICE has been identified in Glaesserella (Haemophilus) parasuis, which can mediate the migration of antimicrobial resistance genes in G. parasuis and potentially transfer between different serovar strains. These findings highlight the crucial role of ICE in the horizontal transfer of antimicrobial resistance among G. parasuis strains.
ANTIMICROBIAL AGENTS AND CHEMOTHERAPY
(2021)
Article
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Mary E. Anderson, Janet L. Smith, Alan D. Grossman
Summary: DNA replication is regulated primarily at the initiation step, where DnaA and oriC are the key targets. Multiple mechanisms including elongation and initiation can compensate for over-initiation, highlighting the complexity of replication regulation.
MOLECULAR MICROBIOLOGY
(2022)
Article
Chemistry, Analytical
Mei-yan Wu, Wen-wei Li, Graham Christie, Peter Setlow, Yong-qing Li
Summary: Using Raman tweezers and live-cell phase-contrast microscopy, this study characterized the lysis process of individual Bacillus subtilis cells carrying PBSX prophage during spores' germination, outgrowth, and vegetative growth. The findings showed that nucleic acid intensities in induced cultures decreased rapidly after prophage induction, with a delay before cell burst, and the latent time and burst time varied in cell populations under different culture conditions.
ANALYTICAL CHEMISTRY
(2021)
Article
Multidisciplinary Sciences
Jeremy W. W. Schroeder, Rebecca L. L. Hurto, Justin R. R. Randall, Katherine J. J. Wozniak, Taylor A. A. Timko, Taylor M. M. Nye, Jue D. D. Wang, Peter L. L. Freddolino, Lyle A. A. Simmons
Summary: RNA:DNA hybrids hinder replication fork progression and compromise genome integrity in all cells. The impact of naturally occurring hybrids on genome integrity and the role of ribonucleases H in mitigating their negative effects are unknown. This study investigates the contributions of RNases HII and HIII to hybrid removal, DNA replication, and mutagenesis across the genome. Deletion of rnhB or rnhC leads to RNA:DNA hybrid accumulation with different patterns of mutagenesis and hybrid distribution. Hybrids mainly accumulate in noncoding RNAs and 5'-UTRs of coding sequences. In ?rnhB cells, hybrids preferentially accumulate in untranslated regions and early in coding sequences. Gene expression levels significantly affect hybrid accumulation in ?rnhC cells. Disruption of DNA replication in ?rnhC cells leads to transversions and structural variation. These findings provide insights into how hybrids cause mutagenesis and shape genome organization in native genomic contexts.
Review
Genetics & Heredity
Christopher M. Johnson, Alan D. Grossman
ANNUAL REVIEW OF GENETICS, VOL 49
(2015)
Correction
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Christopher M. Johnson, Alan D. Grossman
MOLECULAR MICROBIOLOGY
(2015)
Article
Microbiology
Christopher M. Johnson, Alan D. Grossman
JOURNAL OF BACTERIOLOGY
(2016)
Review
Microbiology
Gary M. Dunny, Christopher M. Johnson
CURRENT OPINION IN MICROBIOLOGY
(2011)
Article
Microbiology
Christopher M. Johnson, Dawn A. Manias, Heather A. H. Haemig, Sonia Shokeen, Keith E. Weaver, Tina M. Henkin, Gary M. Dunny
JOURNAL OF BACTERIOLOGY
(2010)
Article
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Christopher M. Johnson, Alan D. Grossman
MOLECULAR MICROBIOLOGY
(2014)
Article
Genetics & Heredity
Sonia Shokeen, Christopher M. Johnson, Tony J. Greenfield, Dawn A. Manias, Gary M. Dunny, Keith E. Weaver
Article
Multidisciplinary Sciences
Anushree Chatterjee, Christopher M. Johnson, Che-Chi Shu, Yiannis N. Kaznessis, Doraiswami Ramkrishna, Gary M. Dunny, Wei-Shou Hu
PROCEEDINGS OF THE NATIONAL ACADEMY OF SCIENCES OF THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA
(2011)
Article
Multidisciplinary Sciences
Christopher M. Johnson, Yuqing Chen, Heejin Lee, Ailong Ke, Keith E. Weaver, Gary M. Dunny
PROCEEDINGS OF THE NATIONAL ACADEMY OF SCIENCES OF THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA
(2014)
Article
Microbiology
Christopher M. Johnson, Heather H. A. Haemig, Anushree Chatterjee, Hu Wei-Shou, Keith E. Weaver, Gary M. Dunny
Article
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Takaya Segawa, Christopher M. Johnson, Ronnie P-A. Berntsson, Gary M. Dunny
Summary: This study analyzed the potential interactions of the Enterococcal pheromone-inducible plasmids-encoded protein PrgZ with two host-encoded Opp transporters. The results showed that cells expressing PrgZ could import pheromone if either opp1 or opp2 was functional, but not if both opp loci were disrupted. Additionally, in the absence of PrgZ, pheromone import was dependent on a functional opp2 system.
MOLECULAR MICROBIOLOGY
(2021)
Article
Genetics & Heredity
Christopher M. Johnson, M. Michael Harden, Alan D. Grossman
Summary: The study focused on the interactions between mobile genetic elements in bacterial genomes and found that an integrative and conjugative element can protect bacteria from phage predation, providing a selective advantage for the maintenance of the element in the bacterial population. This protective effect is mediated by a single gene in the integrative and conjugative element.
Article
Microbiology
Christopher M. Johnson, Alan D. Grossman
GENOME ANNOUNCEMENTS
(2016)
Article
Immunology
JM Curtsinger, DC Lins, CM Johnson, MF Mescher
JOURNAL OF IMMUNOLOGY
(2005)