Over-production of exopolysaccharide by Lacticaseibacillus rhamnosus CNCM I-3690 strain cutbacks its beneficial effect on the host.

Most lactobacilli produce extracellular polysaccharides that are considered to contribute to the probiotic effect of many strains. Lacticaseibacillus rhamnosus CNCM I-3690 is an anti-inflammatory strain able to counterbalance gut barrier dysfunction. In this study ten spontaneous variants of CNCM I-3690 with different EPS-production were generated and characterized by their ropy phenotype, the quantification of the secreted EPS and genetic analysis. Amongst them, two were further analysed in vitro and in vivo: an EPS over-producer (7292) and a low-producer derivative of 7292 (7358, with similar EPS levels than the wild type (WT) strain). Our results showed that 7292 does not have anti-inflammatory profile in vitro, and lost the capacity to adhere to the colonic epithelial cells as well as the protective effect on the permeability. Finally, 7292 lost the protective effects of the WT strain in a murine model of gut dysfunction. Notably, strain 7292 was unable to stimulate goblet cell mucus production and colonic IL-10 production, all key features for the beneficial effect of the WT strain. Furthermore, transcriptome analysis of colonic samples from 7292-treated mice showed a down-regulation of anti-inflammatory genes. Altogether, our results point out that the increase of EPS production in CNCM I-3690 impairs its protective effects and highlight the importance of the correct EPS synthesis for the beneficial effects of this strain.

Lactobacillus rhamnosus CNCM I-3690 and the commensal bacterium Faecalibacterium prausnitzii A2-165 exhibit similar protective effects to induced barrier hyper-permeability in mice.

Impaired gut barrier function has been reported in a wide range of diseases and syndromes and in some functional gastrointestinal disorders. In addition, there is increasing evidence that suggests the gut microbiota tightly regulates gut barrier function and recent studies demonstrate that probiotic bacteria can enhance barrier integrity. Here, we aimed to investigate the effects of Lactobacillus rhamnosus CNCM I-3690 on intestinal barrier function. In vitro results using a Caco-2 monolayer cells stimulated with TNF-α confirmed the anti-inflammatory nature of the strain CNCM I-3690 and pointed out a putative role for the protection of the epithelial function. Next, we tested the protective effects of L. rhamnosus CNCM I-3690 in a mouse model of increased colonic permeability. Most importantly, we compared its performance to that of the well-known beneficial human commensal bacterium Faecalibacterium prauznitzii A2-165. Increased colonic permeability was normalized by both strains to a similar degree. Modulation of apical tight junction proteins expression was then analyzed to decipher the mechanism underlying this effect. We showed that CNCM I-3690 partially restored the function of the intestinal barrier and increased the levels of tight junction proteins Occludin and E-cadherin. The results indicate L. rhamnosus CNCM I-3690 is as effective as the commensal anti-inflammatory bacterium F. prausnitzii to treat functional barrier abnormalities.

Interaction between Set1p and checkpoint protein Mec3p in DNA repair and telomere functions.

The yeast protein Set1p, inactivation of which alleviates telomeric position effect (TPE), contains a conserved SET domain present in chromosomal proteins involved in epigenetic control of transcription. Mec3p is required for efficient DNA-damage-dependent checkpoints at G1/S, intra-S and G2/M (refs 3-7). We show here that the SET domain of Set1p interacts with Mec3p. Deletion of SET1 increases the viability of mec3delta mutants after DNA damage (in a process that is mostly independent of Rad53p kinase, which has a central role in checkpoint control) but does not significantly affect cell-cycle progression. Deletion of MEC3 enhances TPE and attenuates the Set1delta-induced silencing defect. Furthermore, restoration of TPE in a Set1delta mutant by overexpression of the isolated SET domain requires Mec3p. Finally, deletion of MEC3 results in telomere elongation, whereas cells with deletions of both SET1 and MEC3 do not have elongated telomeres. Our findings indicate that interactions between SET1 and MEC3 have a role in DNA repair and telomere function.

Transposition of IS117, the 2.5 kb Streptomyces coelicolor A3(2) 'minicircle': roles of open reading frames and origin of tandem insertions.

IS117 is a 2527 bp transposable element from Streptomyces coelicolor A3(2) with a circular transposition intermediate. Disruption of ORF1 of IS117, presumed to encode a transposase, abolished transposition. Deletion or mutation of ORF2 and ORF3, which overlap each other on opposite strands of IS117, caused a c. 20-fold reduction in integration frequency of the circular form of IS117 into the Streptomyces lividans chromosome or into the preferred chromosomal target site cloned on a plasmid in transformation experiments. In contrast, inactivation of ORF2/3 did not significantly influence transposition of IS117 derivatives from an already integrated state in the chromosome to the preferred target site cloned on a plasmid. ORF2 mutants apparently excised readily from the S. lividans chromosome, whereas excision of integrated wild-type IS117 derivatives to yield the unoccupied site was not detected; presumably, therefore, the circular transposition intermediate normally arises replicatively. Attempts to promote integration of a plasmid carrying the attachment site of IS117 by providing the ORF1 product in trans were unsuccessful. Most transformation of S. lividans with circular IS117 derivatives yielded tandem chromosomal insertions, which arose by co-transformation rather than dimerization of a monomeric insert. Typically, two to three transforming elements gave a transformed strain, suggesting a local concentration of transposase as a limit on integration.

Identification of a gene encoding the replication initiator protein of the Streptomyces integrating element, pSAM2.

pSAM2 is an 11-kilobase integrating element from Streptomyces ambofaciens which was previously shown to generate single-stranded DNA during replication, indicating that it probably replicates by a rolling-circle replication (RCR) mechanism. Two separate regions are involved in its replication, one of which was shown to contain the plus origin of replication (ds origin). We report here the study of the second region. Its nucleotide sequence was determined and analysed for open reading frames (ORFs). Three putative ORFs were identified: orf183 (183 amino acids (aa)), orf50 (50 aa), and repSA (459 aa). orf183 is not necessary for replication. The function of orf50 is unknown. repSA is essential for pSAM2 replication; it could encode a protein, RepSA, presenting similarities to the replication initiator proteins (Rep) of elements that replicate by an RCR mechanism. A derivative consisting of repSA, the region containing ds origin, a Streptomyces antibiotic resistance marker, and pBR322, could replicate in Streptomyces, further demonstrating that this ORF encodes the major replication protein of pSAM2. repSA might be co-transcribed with the genes involved in integration and excision of pSAM2.

Analysis of secondary integration sites for IS117 in Streptomyces lividans and their role in the generation of chromosomal deletions.

IS117, the 2.6 kb mini-circle of Streptomyces coelicolor A3(2), is a transposable element previously shown to be integrated into two distant sites in the chromosome. When introduced into S. lividans, IS117 integrates into one preferred chromosomal site, but when this site was artificially deleted, IS117 integrated into many secondary sites. Nucleotide sequence analysis of several secondary integration sites revealed varying degrees of similarity with the preferred site, but no consensus sequence. Nevertheless, sites more similar to the preferred site tended to be occupied more often than those that are less similar. Insertion of IS117 into secondary sites in the chromosome of S. lividans sometimes mediated chromosomal rearrangements. It was shown that some strains containing IS117 integrated into secondary sites had suffered deletions of chromosomal DNA. Deletions were adjacent to the inserted element and were at least several kilobases long. The proposed model implicates homologous recombination between IS117 copies integrated into two different secondary sites in the same chromosome as a cause of the deletions.

Site-specific integration of the Streptomyces plasmid pSAM2 in Mycobacterium smegmatis.

A method which allowed the stable integration of DNA fragments at a single site (attB) in the chromosome of Mycobacterium smegmatis was developed using an integrative element from Streptomyces ambofaciens, pSAM2. Vectors containing an Escherichia coli replicon (pBR322), the kanamycin resistance gene from Tn903 for selection in mycobacteria, and a fragment of pSAM2 containing the int gene as well as the attachment site (attP) were constructed and introduced to M. smegmatis by electroporation. Transformants showed stable integration of the plasmid into a single site (attB) of the mycobacterial genome. This approach should be valuable for analyses of gene expression in various mycobacterial species and permit the development of stable recombinant mycobacterial vaccine strains expressing bacterial or viral genes inserted in pSAM2.

Functional analysis of the Streptomyces ambofaciens element pSAM2.

pSAM2 is an 11-kb element integrated in the Streptomyces ambofaciens ATCC23877 genome and found additionally as a free replicon present at several copies per chromosome in strain JI3212, the derivative of ATCC23877 isolated after uv irradiation. In spite of its small size, this element specifies numerous functions including maintenance, site-specific integration, self-transmissibility, pock formation, and mobilization of chromosomal markers. After transfer of the free form of pSAM2 to Streptomyces lividans, the free and the integrated forms coexist. A functional map of pSAM2 was deduced from phenotypes exhibited in S. lividans by numerous deletion or insertion derivatives. In addition to the previously characterized regions sufficient for site-specific integration we have shown that separate regions are involved in either plasmid maintenance as a free molecule, plasmid transfer, and pock formation. Transfer of pSAM2 could depend on its ability to be maintained in a free form, since plasmids deficient in this function are transferred at very low frequency. Deletions of some regions of the plasmid are lethal for the plasmid or the host, but if some other regions are deleted simultaneously, transformants can be obtained.

Construction of a series of pSAM2-based integrative vectors for use in actinomycetes.

We have developed vectors which allowed integration of cloned DNA at a single site in the chromosome of Streptomyces lividans 66. These vectors made use of (1) an Escherichia coli replicon, (2) a thiostrepton (Th)- and a streptomycin/spectinomycin-resistance gene for selection in Streptomyces, (3) a 3.5-kb fragment of the Streptomyces integrative plasmid pSAM2 containing its xis and int genes as well as its attachment site, attP, to direct the integration of the vectors at the chromosomal pSAM2 attachment site attB, (4) the origin of transfer of the IncP broad-host-range plasmid RK2 which allowed the mobilization of the vectors from E. coli to S. lividans, and (5) the Th-inducible tipA promoter to permit regulated transcription of cloned genes. We demonstrated that pPM927, a plasmid which contained all of these elements, was able to transfer cloned fragments from E. coli to S. lividans by conjugation, stably integrate into the chromosome, and express cloned genes from the tipA promoter. Furthermore, since pPM927 contained the pBR322 replicon, cloned fragments could be conveniently recovered from the S. lividans chromosome for analysis in E. coli by cleavage of genomic DNA isolated from transformed strains, intramolecular ligation and transformation. Since we have shown that the pSAM2 attB site forms part of a conserved prokaryotic tRNA gene, these integrative vectors are potentially useful tools for analysis and expression of genes in diverse bacteria.

The integrated conjugative plasmid pSAM2 of Streptomyces ambofaciens is related to temperate bacteriophages.

Streptomyces ambofaciens ATCC23877 and derivatives contain the 11-kb element pSAM2 present in an integrated state or as a free and integrated plasmid. This element, able to integrate site-specifically in the genome of different Streptomyces species, is conjugative and mobilizes chromosomal markers. Besides these plasmid functions, we have shown that the site-specific recombination system of pSAM2 presents strong similarities with that of several temperate phages. The integration event is promoted by a site-specific recombinase of the integrase family. The int gene encoding this integrase is closely linked to the plasmid attachment site (attP). A small open reading frame (ORF) overlaps the int gene and the predicted protein exhibits similarities with Xis proteins involved in phages excision. The integrated copy of pSAM2 in strain ATCC23877 is flanked by att sequences (attL and attR). Another att sequence (attX) is present in this strain and attX and attL are the boundaries of a 42-kb fragment (xSAM1) absent, as well as pSAM2, from S.ambofaciens DSM40697. Sequences partially similar to pSAM2 int gene are found near the chromosomal integration zone in both S.ambofaciens strains. The possible origin of pSAM2, an element carrying plasmid as well as phage features, is discussed.

Structural analysis of loci involved in pSAM2 site-specific integration in Streptomyces.

pSAM2 is an 11-kb plasmid integrated in the Streptomyces ambofaciens ATCC23877 and ATCC15154 genomes and found additionally as a free replicon in an uv derivative. After transfer into S. ambofaciens DSM40697 (devoid of pSAM2) or into Streptomyces lividans, specific integration of pSAM2 occurred very efficiently. A 58-bp sequence (att) present in both pSAM2 (attP) and S. ambofaciens strain DSM40697 (attB) attachment regions is found at the boundaries (attL and attR) of integrated pSAM2 in S. ambofaciens strain ATCC23877. The S. lividans chromosomal integration zone contained an imperfectly conserved att sequence (attB), and the integration event of pSAM2 was located within a 49-bp sequence of attB. Only one primary functional attB sequence was present in the S. lividans or S. ambofaciens DSM40697 total DNA. The integration zone of S. lividans hybridized with the integration zone of S. ambofaciens DSM40697. The two integration zones were homologous only to the right side of the att sequence. The conserved region contained an open reading frame (ORF A) with a stop codon located 99 bp from the attB sequence in both strains. S. ambofaciens DSM40697 contained DNA sequences related to pSAM2 on the left side of the att site. The att sequence was included in a region conserved in Streptomyces antibioticus, Streptomyces actuosus, Streptomyces bikiniensis, Streptomyces coelicolor, Streptomyces glaucescens, and Streptomyces parvulus. Site-specific integration of a pSAM2 derivative was characterized in another unrelated strain, Streptomyces griseofuscus. This strain contained an imperfectly conserved 58-bp attB sequence, and the integration event took place within a 45-bp sequence of attB. Site-specific integration of pSAM2 in three nonrelated Streptomyces strains suggests the wide host range of pSAM2 integration in Streptomyces.

Genetic analysis in Streptomyces ambofaciens.

A chromosomal linkage map of ten markers was established for Streptomyces ambofaciens by the four-factor cross method and allele-gradient analysis. Mutants were obtained by nitrous acid treatment as well as UV mutagenesis. The fertility of crosses was enhanced over 100-fold by pSAM2, a plasmid present in some strains of S. ambofaciens, and over 1000-fold by the conjugative plasmid pIJ303.

A comparative study of protoplast preparation and regeneration in Streptomyces rimosus and Streptomyces lividans.

One of the basic techniques for DNA cloning in Streptomyces is the preparation of protoplasts and the efficient regeneration of normal mycelia. In order to develop an oxytetracycline producing S. rimosus strain as a host for molecular cloning, the efficiencies of protoplast preparation and cell wall regeneration were compared with those obtained using S. lividans, the host for the majority of cloning experiments. The results presented suggest that the S. rimosus strain selected is a convenient host for the cloning of recombinant DNA, at least in relation to the preparation and regeneration of protoplasts. Interestingly, the size of the protoplasts was dependent upon the physiological age of the mycelium in S. rimosus; no such dependence was observed in S. lividans.

Genetic interactions in Streptomyces rimosus mediated by conjugation and by protoplast fusion.

The development of a protoplast fusion technique for oxytetracycline-producing Streptomyces rimosus strains, and its evaluation for the application for a breeding programme, has been described. Treatment of S. rimosus protoplasts with 40% (w/v) PEG 1550 for 30 min gave optimal numbers of recombinants ranging from 1 to 10% of the total progeny. Therefore, by comparison with conjugation, protoplast fusion increased the frequency of recombination by two to three orders of magnitude. The proportion of multiple crossover classes amongst recombinants was higher, by a factor of ten, after protoplast fusion (13.3%) than after conjugation (1.5%). Participation of less frequent complementary genotype doubled from 9.0% in conjugation to 17.9% in protoplast fusion. Overall, this suggested that the opportunities for crossing over in a fusion of S. rimosus protoplasts were spatially and/or temporally extended leading to a loosening of linkage with a near-random assortment of genotypes in a cross. However, by minimizing the multiple crossover classes and calculating allele frequency gradients, it was shown that the protoplast fusion technique allows arrangement of genetic markers on the S. rimosus chromosome. These are ideal characteristics for the recombination of divergent lines in a strain improvement programme.

Optimal Cultural and Physiological Conditions for Handling Streptomyces rimosus Protoplasts.

A general procedure for manipulating protoplasts of three Streptomyces rimosus strains was developed. More than 50% regeneration efficiency was obtained by optimizing the osmotic stabilizer concentrations and modifying the plating procedure. Preparation and regeneration of protoplasts were studied by both phase-contrast and electron microscopy. After cell wall degradation with lysozyme, protoplasts about 1,000 to 1,500 nm in diameter appeared. The reversion process exhibited normal and aberrant regeneration of protoplasts to hyphae and to spherical cells, respectively. Spherical cells contained no alpha, epsilon-ll-diaminopimelic acid and were colorless or red after Gram staining. They showed consistent stability during at least five subsequent subcultivations. However, the omission of glycine from the precultivation medium reduced the unusual process of regeneration almost completely. After normal protoplast regeneration, the production of oxytetracycline by single isolates was not affected.