The ATP-dependent chromatin remodeling enzyme Fun30 represses transcription by sliding promoter-proximal nucleosomes.

The evolutionarily conserved ATP-dependent chromatin remodeling enzyme Fun30 has recently been shown to play important roles in heterochromatin silencing and DNA repair. However, how Fun30 remodels nucleosomes is not clear. Here we report a nucleosome sliding activity of Fun30 and its role in transcriptional repression. We observed that Fun30 repressed the expression of genes involved in amino acid and carbohydrate metabolism, the stress response, and meiosis. In addition, Fun30 was localized at the 5' and 3' ends of genes and within the open reading frames of its targets. Consistent with its role in gene repression, we observed that Fun30 target genes lacked histone modifications often associated with gene activation and showed an increased level of ubiquitinated histone H2B. Furthermore, a genome-wide nucleosome mapping analysis revealed that the length of the nucleosome-free region at the 5' end of a subset of genes was changed in Fun30-depleted cells. In addition, the positions of the -1, +2, and +3 nucleosomes at the 5' end of target genes were shifted significantly, whereas the position of the +1 nucleosome remained largely unchanged in the fun30Δ mutant. Finally, we demonstrated that affinity-purified, single-component Fun30 exhibited a nucleosome sliding activity in an ATP-dependent manner. These results define a role for Fun30 in the regulation of transcription and indicate that Fun30 remodels chromatin at the 5' end of genes by sliding promoter-proximal nucleosomes.

Two live attenuated Shigella flexneri 2a strains WRSf2G12 and WRSf2G15: a new combination of gene deletions for 2nd generation live attenuated vaccine candidates.

Shigella infections are a major cause of inflammatory diarrhea and dysentery worldwide. First-generation virG-based live attenuated Shigella strains have been successfully tested in phase I and II clinical trials and are a leading approach for Shigella vaccine development. Additional gene deletions in senA, senB and msbB2 have been engineered into second-generation virG-based Shigella flexneri 2a strains producing WRSf2G12 and WRSf2G15. Both strains harbor a unique combination of gene deletions designed to increase the safety of live Shigella vaccines. WRSf2G12 and WRSf2G15 are genetically stable and highly attenuated in both cell culture and animal models of infection. Ocular immunization of guinea pigs with either strain induces robust systemic and mucosal immune responses that protect against homologous challenge with wild-type Shigella. The data support further evaluation of the second-generation strains in a phase I clinical trial.

Osmoregulated periplasmic glucans synthesis gene family of Shigella flexneri.

UNLABELLED: Osmoregulated periplasmic glucans (OPGs) of food- and water-borne enteropathogen Shigella flexneri were characterized. OPGs were composed of 100% glucose with 2-linked glucose as the most abundant residue with terminal glucose, 2-linked and 2,6-linked glucose also present in high quantities. Most dominant backbone polymer chain length was seven glucose residues. Individual genes from the opg gene family comprising of a bicistronic operon opgGH, opgB, opgC and opgD were mutagenized to study their effect on OPGs synthesis, growth in hypo-osmotic media and ability to invade HeLa cells. Mutation in opgG and opgH abolished OPGs biosynthesis, and mutants experienced longer lag time to initiate growth in hypo-osmotic media. Longer lag times to initiate growth in hypo-osmotic media were also observed for opgC and opgD mutants but not for opgB mutant. All opg mutants were able to infect HeLa cells, and abolition of OPGs synthesis did not affect actin polymerization or plaque formation. Ability to synthesize OPGs was beneficial to bacteria in order to initiate growth under low osmolarity conditions, in vitro mammalian cell invasion assays, however, could not discriminate whether OPGs were required for basic aspect of Shigella virulence. ELECTRONIC SUPPLEMENTARY MATERIAL: The online version of this article (doi:10.1007/s00203-009-0538-z) contains supplementary material, which is available to authorized users.

Virulence, inflammatory potential, and adaptive immunity induced by Shigella flexneri msbB mutants.

The ability of genetically detoxified lipopolysaccharide (LPS) to stimulate adaptive immune responses is an ongoing area of investigation with significant consequences for the development of safe and effective bacterial vaccines and adjuvants. One approach to genetic detoxification is the deletion of genes whose products modify LPS. The msbB1 and msbB2 genes, which encode late acyltransferases, were deleted in the Shigella flexneri 2a human challenge strain 2457T to evaluate the virulence, inflammatory potential, and acquired immunity induced by strains producing underacylated lipid A. Consistent with a reduced endotoxic potential, S. flexneri 2a msbB mutants were attenuated in an acute mouse pulmonary challenge model. Attenuation correlated with decreases in the production of proinflammatory cytokines and in chemokine release without significant changes in lung histopathology. The levels of specific proinflammatory cytokines (interleukin-1beta [IL-1beta], macrophage inflammatory protein 1alpha [MIP-1alpha], and tumor necrosis factor alpha [TNF-alpha]) were also significantly reduced after infection of mouse macrophages with either single or double msbB mutants. Surprisingly, the msbB double mutant displayed defects in the ability to invade, replicate, and spread within epithelial cells. Complementation restored these phenotypes, but the exact nature of the defects was not determined. Acquired immunity and protective efficacy were also assayed in the mouse lung model, using a vaccination-challenge study. Both humoral and cellular responses were generally robust in msbB-immunized mice and afforded significant protection from lethal challenge. These data suggest that the loss of either msbB gene reduces the endotoxicity of Shigella LPS but does not coincide with a reduction in protective immune responses.