Arabidopsis Root Microbiome Microfluidic (ARMM) Device for Imaging Bacterial Colonization and Morphogenesis of Arabidopsis Roots.

Imaging the spatiotemporal dynamics of host-microbiota interactions is of particular interest for augmenting our understanding of these complex systems. This is especially true of plant-microbe interactions happening around, on, and inside plant roots where relatively little is understood about the dynamics of these systems. Over the past decade, a number of microfluidic devices have been developed to grow plants hydroponically in gnotobiotic conditions and image morphogenesis of the root and/or dynamics with fluorescently labeled bacteria from the plant root microbiome. Here we describe the construction and use of our Arabidopsis Root Microbiome Microfluidic (ARMM) device for imaging fluorescent protein expressing bacteria and their colonization of Arabidopsis roots. In contrast to other plant root imaging devices, we designed this device to have a larger chamber for observing Arabidopsis root elongation and plant-microbe interactions with older seedlings (between 1.5 and 4 weeks after germination) and a 200 µm chamber depth to specifically maintain thin Arabidopsis roots within the focal distance of the confocal microscope. Our device incorporates a new approach to growing Arabidopsis seedlings in screw-top tube caps for simplified germination and transfer to the device. We present representative images from the ARMM device including high resolution cross section images of bacterial colonization at the root surface.

Roots of synthetic ecology: microbes that foster plant resilience in the changing climate.

Microbes orchestrate nearly all major biogeochemical processes. The ability to program their influence on plant growth and development is attractive for sustainable agriculture. However, the complexity of microbial ecosystems and our limited understanding of the mechanisms by which plants and microbes interact with each other and the environment make it challenging to use microbiomes to influence plant growth. Novel technologies at the intersection of microbial ecology, systems biology, and bioengineering provide new tools to probe the role of plant microbiomes across environments. Here, we summarize recent studies on plant and microbe responses to abiotic stresses, showcasing key molecules and micro-organisms that are important for plant health. We highlight opportunities to use synthetic microbial communities to understand the complexity of plant-microbial interactions and discuss future avenues of programming ecology to improve plant and ecosystem health.

Sugar transport in thermophiles: Bridging lignocellulose deconstruction and bioconversion.

Biomass degrading thermophiles play an indispensable role in building lignocellulose-based supply chains. They operate at high temperatures to improve process efficiencies and minimize mesophilic contamination, can overcome lignocellulose recalcitrance through their native carbohydrate-active enzyme (CAZyme) inventory, and can utilize a wide range of sugar substrates. However, sugar transport in thermophiles is poorly understood and investigated, as compared to enzymatic lignocellulose deconstruction and metabolic conversion of sugars to value-added chemicals. Here, we review the general modes of sugar transport in thermophilic bacteria and archaea, covering the structural, molecular, and biophysical basis of their high-affinity sugar uptake. We also discuss recent genetic studies on sugar transporter function. With this understanding of sugar transport, we discuss strategies for how sugar transport can be engineered in thermophiles, with the potential to enhance the conversion of lignocellulosic biomass into renewable products. ONE-SENTENCE SUMMARY: Sugar transport is the understudied link between extracellular biomass deconstruction and intracellular sugar metabolism in thermophilic lignocellulose bioprocessing.

Diverse MarR bacterial regulators of auxin catabolism in the plant microbiome.

Chemical signalling in the plant microbiome can have drastic effects on microbial community structure, and on host growth and development. Previously, we demonstrated that the auxin metabolic signal interference performed by the bacterial genus Variovorax via an auxin degradation locus was essential for maintaining stereotypic root development in an ecologically relevant bacterial synthetic community. Here, we dissect the Variovorax auxin degradation locus to define the genes iadDE as necessary and sufficient for indole-3-acetic acid (IAA) degradation and signal interference. We determine the crystal structures and binding properties of the operon's MarR-family repressor with IAA and other auxins. Auxin degradation operons were identified across the bacterial tree of life and we define two distinct types on the basis of gene content and metabolic products: iac-like and iad-like. The structures of MarRs from representatives of each auxin degradation operon type establish that each has distinct IAA-binding pockets. Comparison of representative IAA-degrading strains from diverse bacterial genera colonizing Arabidopsis plants show that while all degrade IAA, only strains containing iad-like auxin-degrading operons interfere with auxin signalling in a complex synthetic community context. This suggests that iad-like operon-containing bacterial strains, including Variovorax species, play a key ecological role in modulating auxins in the plant microbiome.

Specific modulation of the root immune system by a community of commensal bacteria.

Plants have an innate immune system to fight off potential invaders that is based on the perception of nonself or modified-self molecules. Microbe-associated molecular patterns (MAMPs) are evolutionarily conserved microbial molecules whose extracellular detection by specific cell surface receptors initiates an array of biochemical responses collectively known as MAMP-triggered immunity (MTI). Well-characterized MAMPs include chitin, peptidoglycan, and flg22, a 22-amino acid epitope found in the major building block of the bacterial flagellum, FliC. The importance of MAMP detection by the plant immune system is underscored by the large diversity of strategies used by pathogens to interfere with MTI and that failure to do so is often associated with loss of virulence. Yet, whether or how MTI functions beyond pathogenic interactions is not well understood. Here we demonstrate that a community of root commensal bacteria modulates a specific and evolutionarily conserved sector of the Arabidopsis immune system. We identify a set of robust, taxonomically diverse MTI suppressor strains that are efficient root colonizers and, notably, can enhance the colonization capacity of other tested commensal bacteria. We highlight the importance of extracellular strategies for MTI suppression by showing that the type 2, not the type 3, secretion system is required for the immunomodulatory activity of one robust MTI suppressor. Our findings reveal that root colonization by commensals is controlled by MTI, which, in turn, can be selectively modulated by specific members of a representative bacterial root microbiota.

A complex immune response to flagellin epitope variation in commensal communities.

Immune systems restrict microbial pathogens by identifying "non-self" molecules called microbe-associated molecular patterns (MAMPs). It is unclear how immune responses are tuned to or by MAMP diversity present in commensal microbiota. We systematically studied the variability of commensal peptide derivatives of flagellin (flg22), a MAMP detected by plants. We define substantial functional diversity. Most flg22 peptides evade recognition, while others contribute to evasion by manipulating immunity through antagonism and signal modulation. We establish a paradigm of signal integration, wherein the sequential signaling outputs of the flagellin receptor are separable and allow for reprogramming by commensal-derived flg22 epitope variants. Plant-associated communities are enriched for immune evading flg22 epitopes, but upon physiological stress that represses the immune system, immune-activating flg22 epitopes become enriched. The existence of immune-manipulating epitopes suggests that they evolved to either communicate or utilize the immune system for host colonization and thus can influence commensal microbiota community composition.

A single bacterial genus maintains root growth in a complex microbiome.

Plants grow within a complex web of species that interact with each other and with the plant1-10. These interactions are governed by a wide repertoire of chemical signals, and the resulting chemical landscape of the rhizosphere can strongly affect root health and development7-9,11-18. Here, to understand how interactions between microorganisms influence root growth in Arabidopsis, we established a model system for interactions between plants, microorganisms and the environment. We inoculated seedlings with a 185-member bacterial synthetic community, manipulated the abiotic environment and measured bacterial colonization of the plant. This enabled us to classify the synthetic community into four modules of co-occurring strains. We deconstructed the synthetic community on the basis of these modules, and identified interactions between microorganisms that determine root phenotype. These interactions primarily involve a single bacterial genus (Variovorax), which completely reverses the severe inhibition of root growth that is induced by a wide diversity of bacterial strains as well as by the entire 185-member community. We demonstrate that Variovorax manipulates plant hormone levels to balance the effects of our ecologically realistic synthetic root community on root growth. We identify an auxin-degradation operon that is conserved in all available genomes of Variovorax and is necessary and sufficient for the reversion of root growth inhibition. Therefore, metabolic signal interference shapes bacteria-plant communication networks and is essential for maintaining the stereotypic developmental programme of the root. Optimizing the feedbacks that shape chemical interaction networks in the rhizosphere provides a promising ecological strategy for developing more resilient and productive crops.

CRAGE-Duet Facilitates Modular Assembly of Biological Systems for Studying Plant-Microbe Interactions.

Developing sustainable agricultural practices will require increasing our understanding of plant-microbe interactions. To study these interactions, new genetic tools for manipulating nonmodel microbes will be needed. To help meet this need, we recently reported development of chassis-independent recombinase-assisted genome engineering (CRAGE). CRAGE relies on cassette exchange between two pairs of mutually exclusive lox sites and allows direct, single-step chromosomal integration of large, complex gene constructs into diverse bacterial species. We then extended CRAGE by introducing a third mutually exclusive lox site, creating CRAGE-Duet, which allows modular integration of two constructs. CRAGE-Duet offers advantages over CRAGE, especially when a cumbersome recloning step is required to build single-integration constructs. To demonstrate the utility of CRAGE-Duet, we created a set of strains from the plant-growth-promoting rhizobacterium Pseudomonas simiae WCS417r that expressed various fluorescence marker genes. We visualized these strains simultaneously under a confocal microscope, demonstrating the usefulness of CRAGE-Duet for creating biological systems to study plant-microbe interactions.

The Plant Microbiome: From Ecology to Reductionism and Beyond.

Methodological advances over the past two decades have propelled plant microbiome research, allowing the field to comprehensively test ideas proposed over a century ago and generate many new hypotheses. Studying the distribution of microbial taxa and genes across plant habitats has revealed the importance of various ecological and evolutionary forces shaping plant microbiota. In particular, selection imposed by plant habitats strongly shapes the diversity and composition of microbiota and leads to microbial adaptation associated with navigating the plant immune system and utilizing plant-derived resources. Reductionist approaches have demonstrated that the interaction between plant immunity and the plant microbiome is, in fact, bidirectional and that plants, microbiota, and the environment shape a complex chemical dialogue that collectively orchestrates the plantmicrobiome. The next stage in plant microbiome research will require the integration of ecological and reductionist approaches to establish a general understanding of the assembly and function in both natural and managed environments.

Quantitative fermentation of unpretreated transgenic poplar by Caldicellulosiruptor bescii.

Microbial fermentation of lignocellulosic biomass to produce industrial chemicals is exacerbated by the recalcitrant network of lignin, cellulose and hemicelluloses comprising the plant secondary cell wall. In this study, we show that transgenic poplar (Populus trichocarpa) lines can be solubilized without any pretreatment by the extreme thermophile Caldicellulosiruptor bescii that has been metabolically engineered to shift its fermentation products away from inhibitory organic acids to ethanol. Carbohydrate solubilization and conversion of unpretreated milled biomass is nearly 90% for two transgenic lines, compared to only 25% for wild-type poplar. Unexpectedly, unpretreated intact poplar stems achieved nearly 70% of the fermentation production observed with milled poplar as the substrate. The nearly quantitative microbial conversion of the carbohydrate content of unpretreated transgenic lignocellulosic biomass bodes well for full utilization of renewable biomass feedstocks.

Elucidating Bacterial Gene Functions in the Plant Microbiome.

There is a growing appreciation for the important roles microorganisms play in association with plants. Microorganisms are drawn to distinct plant surfaces by the nutrient-rich microenvironment, and in turn some of these colonizing microbes provide mutualistic benefits to their host. The development of plant probiotics to increase crop yield and provide plant resistance against biotic and abiotic stresses, while minimizing chemical inputs, would benefit from a deeper mechanistic understanding of plant-microbe interaction. Technological advances in molecular biology and high-throughput -omics provide stepping stones to the elucidation of critical microbiome gene functions that aid in improving plant performance. Here, we review -omics-based approaches that are propelling forward the current understanding of plant-associated bacterial gene functions, and describe how these technologies have helped unravel key bacterial genes and pathways that mediate pathogenic, beneficial, and commensal host interactions.

Parsing in vivo and in vitro contributions to microcrystalline cellulose hydrolysis by multidomain glycoside hydrolases in the Caldicellulosiruptor bescii secretome.

Six multidomain glycoside hydrolases (GHs), CelA (Athe_1867), CelB (Athe_1859), CelC (Athe_1857), CelD (Athe_1866), CelE (Athe_1865), and CelF (Athe_1860) are encoded in the Caldicellulosiruptor bescii glucan degradation locus (GDL). Each GH was affinity-tagged, overexpressed, and purified from recombinant C. bescii for side-by-side characterization in vitro and to examine the contribution of each of these enzymes to microcrystalline cellulose hydrolysis in vivo. All six recombinant GDL GHs were glycosylated, and deletion of glycosyltransferase Athe_1864 eliminated this posttranslational modification. A simplex centroid mixture experimental design revealed that in vitro optimal mixtures of the GDL GHs were predominantly CelA, CelC, and CelE, had low to moderate proportions of CelB and CelD, and minimal CelF. The best binary mixture contained CelA + CelB in a 3:2 molar ratio, whereas the best ternary mixture was composed of CelA + CelC + CelE in equimolar amounts. Neither the native C. bescii secretome nor cocktails of GDL GHs in vitro exceeded 25% of cellulose hydrolysis observed for wild-type C. bescii in vivo. C. bescii deletion strains lacking specific GDL GHs could be restored to wild-type degradation levels with the exogenous addition of either 5 µg/ml of recombinant GDL GH cocktails based on the natural secretome or mixtures optimized in vitro. Also, the addition of CelA up to 100 µg/ml provided no significant additional benefit. These results suggest that the C. bescii secretome is naturally balanced to achieve optimal synergy for cellulose degradation. They also reinforce the importance of microbial contributions to microcrystalline cellulose hydrolysis and suggest that mass action effects from glucan fermentation shift equilibria to drive degradation.

Biotechnology of extremely thermophilic archaea.

Although the extremely thermophilic archaea (Topt ≥ 70°C) may be the most primitive extant forms of life, they have been studied to a limited extent relative to mesophilic microorganisms. Many of these organisms have unique biochemical and physiological characteristics with important biotechnological implications. These include methanogens that generate methane, fermentative anaerobes that produce hydrogen gas with high efficiency, and acidophiles that can mobilize base, precious and strategic metals from mineral ores. Extremely thermophilic archaea have also been a valuable source of thermoactive, thermostable biocatalysts, but their use as cellular systems has been limited because of the general lack of facile genetics tools. This situation has changed recently, however, thereby providing an important avenue for understanding their metabolic and physiological details and also opening up opportunities for metabolic engineering efforts. Along these lines, extremely thermophilic archaea have recently been engineered to produce a variety of alcohols and industrial chemicals, in some cases incorporating CO2 into the final product. There are barriers and challenges to these organisms reaching their full potential as industrial microorganisms but, if these can be overcome, a new dimension for biotechnology will be forthcoming that strategically exploits biology at high temperatures.

Native xylose-inducible promoter expands the genetic tools for the biomass-degrading, extremely thermophilic bacterium Caldicellulosiruptor bescii.

Regulated control of both homologous and heterologous gene expression is essential for precise genetic manipulation and metabolic engineering of target microorganisms. However, there are often no options available for inducible promoters when working with non-model microorganisms. These include extremely thermophilic, cellulolytic bacteria that are of interest for renewable lignocellulosic conversion to biofuels and chemicals. In fact, improvements to the genetic systems in these organisms often cease once transformation is achieved. This present study expands the tools available for genetically engineering Caldicellulosiruptor bescii, the most thermophilic cellulose-degrader known growing up to 90 °C on unpretreated plant biomass. A native xylose-inducible (P xi ) promoter was utilized to control the expression of the reporter gene (ldh) encoding lactate dehydrogenase. The P xi -ldh construct resulted in a both increased ldh expression (20-fold higher) and lactate dehydrogenase activity (32-fold higher) in the presence of xylose compared to when glucose was used as a substrate. Finally, lactate production during growth of the recombinant C. bescii strain was proportional to the initial xylose concentration, showing that tunable expression of genes is now possible using this xylose-inducible system. This study represents a major step in the use of C. bescii as a potential platform microorganism for biotechnological applications using renewable biomass.

Genus-Wide Assessment of Lignocellulose Utilization in the Extremely Thermophilic Genus Caldicellulosiruptor by Genomic, Pangenomic, and Metagenomic Analyses.

Metagenomic data from Obsidian Pool (Yellowstone National Park, USA) and 13 genome sequences were used to reassess genus-wide biodiversity for the extremely thermophilic Caldicellulosiruptor The updated core genome contains 1,401 ortholog groups (average genome size for 13 species = 2,516 genes). The pangenome, which remains open with a revised total of 3,493 ortholog groups, encodes a variety of multidomain glycoside hydrolases (GHs). These include three cellulases with GH48 domains that are colocated in the glucan degradation locus (GDL) and are specific determinants for microcrystalline cellulose utilization. Three recently sequenced species, Caldicellulosiruptor sp. strain Rt8.B8 (renamed here Caldicellulosiruptor morganii), Thermoanaerobacter cellulolyticus strain NA10 (renamed here Caldicellulosiruptor naganoensis), and Caldicellulosiruptor sp. strain Wai35.B1 (renamed here Caldicellulosiruptor danielii), degraded Avicel and lignocellulose (switchgrass). C. morganii was more efficient than Caldicellulosiruptor bescii in this regard and differed from the other 12 species examined, both based on genome content and organization and in the specific domain features of conserved GHs. Metagenomic analysis of lignocellulose-enriched samples from Obsidian Pool revealed limited new information on genus biodiversity. Enrichments yielded genomic signatures closely related to that of Caldicellulosiruptor obsidiansis, but there was also evidence for other thermophilic fermentative anaerobes (Caldanaerobacter, Fervidobacterium, Caloramator, and Clostridium). One enrichment, containing 89.8% Caldicellulosiruptor and 9.7% Caloramator, had a capacity for switchgrass solubilization comparable to that of C. bescii These results refine the known biodiversity of Caldicellulosiruptor and indicate that microcrystalline cellulose degradation at temperatures above 70°C, based on current information, is limited to certain members of this genus that produce GH48 domain-containing enzymes.IMPORTANCE The genus Caldicellulosiruptor contains the most thermophilic bacteria capable of lignocellulose deconstruction, which are promising candidates for consolidated bioprocessing for the production of biofuels and bio-based chemicals. The focus here is on the extant capability of this genus for plant biomass degradation and the extent to which this can be inferred from the core and pangenomes, based on analysis of 13 species and metagenomic sequence information from environmental samples. Key to microcrystalline hydrolysis is the content of the glucan degradation locus (GDL), a set of genes encoding glycoside hydrolases (GHs), several of which have GH48 and family 3 carbohydrate binding module domains, that function as primary cellulases. Resolving the relationship between the GDL and lignocellulose degradation will inform efforts to identify more prolific members of the genus and to develop metabolic engineering strategies to improve this characteristic.

Functional Analysis of the Glucan Degradation Locus in Caldicellulosiruptor bescii Reveals Essential Roles of Component Glycoside Hydrolases in Plant Biomass Deconstruction.

The ability to hydrolyze microcrystalline cellulose is an uncommon feature in the microbial world, but it can be exploited for conversion of lignocellulosic feedstocks into biobased fuels and chemicals. Understanding the physiological and biochemical mechanisms by which microorganisms deconstruct cellulosic material is key to achieving this objective. The glucan degradation locus (GDL) in the genomes of extremely thermophilic Caldicellulosiruptor species encodes polysaccharide lyases (PLs), unique cellulose binding proteins (tapirins), and putative posttranslational modifying enzymes, in addition to multidomain, multifunctional glycoside hydrolases (GHs), thereby representing an alternative paradigm for plant biomass degradation compared to fungal or cellulosomal systems. To examine the individual and collective in vivo roles of the glycolytic enzymes, the six GH genes in the GDL of Caldicellulosiruptor bescii were systematically deleted, and the extents to which the resulting mutant strains could solubilize microcrystalline cellulose (Avicel) and plant biomass (switchgrass or poplar) were examined. Three of the GDL enzymes, Athe_1867 (CelA) (GH9-CBM3-CBM3-CBM3-GH48), Athe_1859 (GH5-CBM3-CBM3-GH44), and Athe_1857 (GH10-CBM3-CBM3-GH48), acted synergistically in vivo and accounted for 92% of naked microcrystalline cellulose (Avicel) degradation. However, the relative importance of the GDL GHs varied for the plant biomass substrates tested. Furthermore, mixed cultures of mutant strains showed that switchgrass solubilization depended on the secretome-bound enzymes collectively produced by the culture, not on the specific strain from which they came. These results demonstrate that certain GDL GHs are primarily responsible for the degradation of microcrystalline cellulose-containing substrates by C. bescii and provide new insights into the workings of a novel microbial mechanism for lignocellulose utilization.IMPORTANCE The efficient and extensive degradation of complex polysaccharides in lignocellulosic biomass, particularly microcrystalline cellulose, remains a major barrier to its use as a renewable feedstock for the production of fuels and chemicals. Extremely thermophilic bacteria from the genus Caldicellulosiruptor rapidly degrade plant biomass to fermentable sugars at temperatures of 70 to 78°C, although the specific mechanism by which this occurs is not clear. Previous comparative genomic studies identified a genomic locus found only in certain Caldicellulosiruptor species that was hypothesized to be mainly responsible for microcrystalline cellulose degradation. By systematically deleting genes in this locus in Caldicellulosiruptor bescii, the nuanced, substrate-specific in vivo roles of glycolytic enzymes in deconstructing crystalline cellulose and plant biomasses could be discerned. The results here point to synergism of three multidomain cellulases in C. bescii, working in conjunction with the aggregate secreted enzyme inventory, as the key to the plant biomass degradation ability of this extreme thermophile.

Bioavailability of Carbohydrate Content in Natural and Transgenic Switchgrasses for the Extreme Thermophile Caldicellulosiruptor bescii.

Improving access to the carbohydrate content of lignocellulose is key to reducing recalcitrance for microbial deconstruction and conversion to fuels and chemicals. Caldicellulosiruptor bescii completely solubilizes naked microcrystalline cellulose, yet this transformation is impeded within the context of the plant cell wall by a network of lignin and hemicellulose. Here, the bioavailability of carbohydrates to C. bescii at 70°C was examined for reduced lignin transgenic switchgrass lines COMT3(+) and MYB Trans, their corresponding parental lines (cultivar Alamo) COMT3(-) and MYB wild type (WT), and the natural variant cultivar Cave-in-Rock (CR). Transgenic modification improved carbohydrate solubilization by C. bescii to 15% (2.3-fold) for MYB and to 36% (1.5-fold) for COMT, comparable to the levels achieved for the natural variant, CR (36%). Carbohydrate solubilization was nearly doubled after two consecutive microbial fermentations compared to one microbial step, but it never exceeded 50% overall. Hydrothermal treatment (180°C) prior to microbial steps improved solubilization 3.7-fold for the most recalcitrant line (MYB WT) and increased carbohydrate recovery to nearly 50% for the least recalcitrant lines [COMT3(+) and CR]. Alternating microbial and hydrothermal steps (T→M→T→M) further increased bioavailability, achieving carbohydrate solubilization ranging from 50% for MYB WT to above 70% for COMT3(+) and CR. Incomplete carbohydrate solubilization suggests that cellulose in the highly lignified residue was inaccessible; indeed, residue from the T→M→T→M treatment was primarily glucan and inert materials (lignin and ash). While C. bescii could significantly solubilize the transgenic switchgrass lines and natural variant tested here, additional or alternative strategies (physical, chemical, enzymatic, and/or genetic) are needed to eliminate recalcitrance.IMPORTANCE Key to a microbial process for solubilization of plant biomass is the organism's access to the carbohydrate content of lignocellulose. Economically viable routes will characteristically minimize physical, chemical, and biological pretreatment such that microbial steps contribute to the greatest extent possible. Recently, transgenic versions of plants and trees have been developed with the intention of lowering the barrier to lignocellulose conversion, with particular focus on lignin content and composition. Here, the extremely thermophilic bacterium Caldicellulosiruptor bescii was used to solubilize natural and genetically modified switchgrass lines, with and without the aid of hydrothermal treatment. For lignocellulose conversion, it is clear that the microorganism, plant biomass substrate, and processing steps must all be considered simultaneously to achieve optimal results. Whether switchgrass lines engineered for low lignin or natural variants with desirable properties are used, conversion will depend on microbial access to crystalline cellulose in the plant cell wall.

Genome Stability in Engineered Strains of the Extremely Thermophilic Lignocellulose-Degrading Bacterium Caldicellulosiruptor bescii.

Caldicellulosiruptor bescii is the most thermophilic cellulose degrader known and is of great interest because of its ability to degrade nonpretreated plant biomass. For biotechnological applications, an efficient genetic system is required to engineer it to convert plant biomass into desired products. To date, two different genetically tractable lineages of C. bescii strains have been generated. The first (JWCB005) is based on a random deletion within the pyrimidine biosynthesis genes pyrFA, and the second (MACB1018) is based on the targeted deletion of pyrE, making use of a kanamycin resistance marker. Importantly, an active insertion element, ISCbe4, was discovered in C. bescii when it disrupted the gene for lactate dehydrogenase (ldh) in strain JWCB018, constructed in the JWCB005 background. Additional instances of ISCbe4 movement in other strains of this lineage are presented herein. These observations raise concerns about the genetic stability of such strains and their use as metabolic engineering platforms. In order to investigate genome stability in engineered strains of C. bescii from the two lineages, genome sequencing and Southern blot analyses were performed. The evidence presented shows a dramatic increase in the number of single nucleotide polymorphisms, insertions/deletions, and ISCbe4 elements within the genome of JWCB005, leading to massive genome rearrangements in its daughter strain, JWCB018. Such dramatic effects were not evident in the newer MACB1018 lineage, indicating that JWCB005 and its daughter strains are not suitable for metabolic engineering purposes in C. bescii Furthermore, a facile approach for assessing genomic stability in C. bescii has been established.IMPORTANCECaldicellulosiruptor bescii is a cellulolytic extremely thermophilic bacterium of great interest for metabolic engineering efforts geared toward lignocellulosic biofuel and bio-based chemical production. Genetic technology in C. bescii has led to the development of two uracil auxotrophic genetic background strains for metabolic engineering. We show that strains derived from the genetic background containing a random deletion in uracil biosynthesis genes (pyrFA) have a dramatic increase in the number of single nucleotide polymorphisms, insertions/deletions, and ISCbe4 insertion elements in their genomes compared to the wild type. At least one daughter strain of this lineage also contains large-scale genome rearrangements that are flanked by these ISCbe4 elements. In contrast, strains developed from the second background strain developed using a targeted deletion strategy of the uracil biosynthetic gene pyrE have a stable genome structure, making them preferable for future metabolic engineering studies.

Caldicellulosiruptor saccharolyticus transcriptomes reveal consequences of chemical pretreatment and genetic modification of lignocellulose.

Recalcitrance of plant biomass is a major barrier for commercially feasible cellulosic biofuel production. Chemical and enzymatic assays have been developed to measure recalcitrance and carbohydrate composition; however, none of these assays can directly report which polysaccharides a candidate microbe will sense during growth on these substrates. Here, we propose using the transcriptomic response of the plant biomass-deconstructing microbe, Caldicellulosiruptor saccharolyticus, as a direct measure of how suitable a sample of plant biomass may be for fermentation based on the bioavailability of polysaccharides. Key genes were identified using the global gene response of the microbe to model plant polysaccharides and various types of unpretreated, chemically pretreated and genetically modified plant biomass. While the majority of C. saccharolyticus genes responding were similar between plant biomasses; subtle differences were discernable, most importantly between chemically pretreated or genetically modified biomass that both exhibit similar levels of solubilization by the microbe. Furthermore, the results here present a new paradigm for assessing plant-microbe interactions that can be deployed as a biological assay to report on the complexity and recalcitrance of plant biomass.

A Highly Thermostable Kanamycin Resistance Marker Expands the Tool Kit for Genetic Manipulation of Caldicellulosiruptor bescii.

UNLABELLED: Caldicellulosiruptor bescii, an anaerobic Gram-positive bacterium with an optimal growth temperature of 78°C, is the most thermophilic cellulose degrader known. It is of great biotechnological interest, as it efficiently deconstructs nonpretreated lignocellulosic plant biomass. Currently, its genetic manipulation relies on a mutant uracil auxotrophic background strain that contains a random deletion in the pyrF genome region. The pyrF gene serves as a genetic marker to select for uracil prototrophy, and it can also be counterselected for loss via resistance to the compound 5-fluoroorotic acid (5-FOA). To expand the C. bescii genetic tool kit, kanamycin resistance was developed as a selection for genetic manipulation. A codon-optimized version of the highly thermostable kanamycin resistance gene (named Cbhtk) allowed the use of kanamycin selection to obtain transformants of either replicating or integrating vector constructs in C. bescii These strains showed resistance to kanamycin at concentrations >50 µg · ml(-1), whereas wild-type C. bescii was sensitive to kanamycin at 10 µg · ml(-1) In addition, placement of the Cbhtk marker between homologous recombination regions in an integrating vector allowed direct selection of a chromosomal mutation using both kanamycin and 5-FOA. Furthermore, the use of kanamycin selection enabled the targeted deletion of the pyrE gene in wild-type C. bescii, generating a uracil auxotrophic genetic background strain resistant to 5-FOA. The pyrE gene functioned as a counterselectable marker, like pyrF, and was used together with Cbhtk in the ΔpyrE background strain to delete genes encoding lactate dehydrogenase and the CbeI restriction enzyme. IMPORTANCE: Caldicellulosiruptor bescii is a thermophilic anaerobic bacterium with an optimal growth temperature of 78°C, and it has the ability to efficiently deconstruct nonpretreated lignocellulosic plant biomass. It is, therefore, of biotechnological interest for genetic engineering applications geared toward biofuel production. The current genetic system used with C. bescii is based upon only a single selection strategy, and this uses the gene involved in a primary biosynthetic pathway. There are many advantages with an additional genetic selection using an antibiotic. This presents a challenge for thermophilic microorganisms, as only a limited number of antibiotics are stable above 50°C, and a thermostable version of the enzyme conferring antibiotic resistance must be obtained. In this work, we have developed a selection system for C. bescii using the antibiotic kanamycin and have shown that, in combination with the biosynthetic gene marker, it can be used to efficiently delete genes in this organism.