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Genome mining reveals an architecturally expanded pyoluteorin-associated biosynthetic gene cluster and a divergent flavin-dependent halogenase-like sequence in deep-sea Pseudomonas Aeruginosa from the Gulf of Guinea.

BACKGROUND: Marine deep-sea environments harbour microorganisms with extraordinary biosynthetic potential, yet their secondary metabolite repertoires remain largely uncharacterised. RESULTS: This study reports the isolation, phenotypic characterisation, and whole-genome analysis of Pseudomonas aeruginosa strain E1, recovered from deep Atlantic seawater (Gulf of Guinea, ~2500 m depth), which exhibits antifungal activity against multidrug-resistant Candida parapsilosis. Three presumptive P. aeruginosa isolates (E1, E17, and E44) showed > 99% 16S rRNA gene sequence identity to P. aeruginosa reference sequences, while whole-genome dDDH analysis of strain E1 yielded 95.2% (95% CI: 93.6-96.4%; formula d4) relative to the P. aeruginosa type strain DSM 50071ᵀ (= ATCC 10145ᵀ), supporting its species-level assignment. Antifungal screening and PCR-based detection of flavin-dependent halogenase genes identified strain E1 as the primary candidate for genomic investigation. Illumina whole-genome sequencing produced a 6.33 Mb draft genome assembly (113 contigs, 5862 protein-coding genes, 66.4% GC content). Genome mining with antiSMASH 8.0 identified 27 biosynthetic gene clusters (BGCs) spanning nonribosomal peptide synthetase (NRPS), polyketide synthase (PKS), phenazine, terpene, and metallophore pathways. Region 7.1 of strain E1 harbours a predicted 50.8 kb pyoluteorin-associated BGC, comprising 34 genes, substantially larger than its terrestrial counterpart (~ 22 kb, ~ 17 genes), and featuring nine transport genes and three regulatory elements. Phylogenetic analysis resolved three halogenase genes: ctg7_146 showed 98.7% amino acid identity to PltA, and ctg7_149 showed 99.2% amino acid identity to PltM, supporting their annotation as PltA-like and PltM-like components of the predicted pyoluteorin biosynthetic pathway. Among the characterised reference enzymes included in this analysis, ctg7_143 showed the highest amino acid identity to PltM from P. fluorescens Pf-5. However, the identity remained low at approximately 30.4%, supporting its placement as a divergent FDH-like sequence rather than a close PltM orthologue. CONCLUSION: This study provides the first comprehensive genomic characterisation of a pyoluteorin-BGC-harbouring marine P. aeruginosa strain, demonstrating conservation of the core biosynthetic machinery alongside an expanded transport architecture and a divergent FDH-like sequence that may represent a candidate for future biochemical investigation. These findings expand current knowledge of FDH-like sequence diversity in deep-sea bacteria and support further investigation of Gulf of Guinea microorganisms as a potential source of biosynthetic and enzymatic diversity.

Multigene Family

C10-Benzoate Esters of Anhydrotetracycline Inhibit Tetracycline Destructases and Recover Tetracycline Antibacterial Activity.

Tetracyclines (TCs) are an important class of antibiotics threatened by enzymatic inactivation. These tetracycline-inactivating enzymes, also known as tetracycline destructases (TDases), are a subfamily of class A flavin monooxygenases (FMOs) that catalyze hydroxyl group transfer and oxygen insertion (Baeyer-Villiger type) reactions on TC substrate scaffolds. Semisynthetic modification of TCs (e.g., tigecycline, omadacycline, eravacycline, and sarecycline) has proven effective in evading certain resistance mechanisms, such as ribosomal protection and efflux, but does not protect against TDase-mediated resistance. Here, we report the design, synthesis, and evaluation of a new series of 22 semisynthetic TDase inhibitors that explore D-ring substitution of anhydrotetracycline (aTC) including 14 C10-benzoate ester and eight C9-benzamides. Overall, the C10-benzoate esters displayed enhanced bioactivity and water solubility compared to the corresponding C9-benzamides featuring the same heterocyclic aryl side chains. The C10-benzoate ester derivatives of aTC were prepared in a high-yield one-step synthesis without the need for protecting groups. The C10-esters are water-soluble, stable toward hydrolysis, and display dose-dependent rescue of tetracycline antibiotic activity in E. coli expressing two types of tetracycline destructases, represented by TetX7 (Type 1) and Tet50 (Type 2). The best inhibitors recovered tetracycline antibiotic activity at concentrations as low as 2 &#x3bc;M, producing synergistic scores <0.5 in the fractional inhibitory concentration index (FICI) against TDase-expressing strains of E. coli and clinical P. aeruginosa. The C10-benzoate ester derivatives of aTC reported here are promising new leads for the development of tetracycline drug combination therapies to overcome TDase-mediated antibiotic resistance.

Anti-Bacterial Agents

Engineering Bacillus Subtilis for Efficient Biosynthesis of Riboflavin: Current Knowledge and Future Perspectives.

Riboflavin is an essential water-soluble vitamin that serves as a precursor for the biosynthesis of the flavin cofactors FMN and FAD, which play pivotal roles in numerous redox and energy metabolism reactions. With the growing global demand for sustainable vitamin production, microbial fermentation has become an attractive alternative to chemical synthesis due to its environmental and economic advantages. Among microbial hosts, Bacillus subtilis has emerged as a leading cell factory for riboflavin production owing to its GRAS status, well-characterized genetics, and efficient protein secretion system. This review provides a comprehensive overview of recent advances in metabolic engineering strategies to enhance riboflavin biosynthesis in B. subtilis. Key topics include strengthening biosynthetic and precursor pathways, relieving feedback inhibition, balancing metabolic flux and cell growth, employing adaptive laboratory evolution, and utilizing omics-guided optimization and 13C metabolic flux analysis. Moreover, the integration of synthetic biology tools such as riboswitch engineering, regulatory element design, and high-throughput screening has significantly accelerated strain improvement. Despite remarkable progress, challenges remain in achieving precise regulatory control, optimizing multi-gene expression, and enhancing genome integration efficiency. Future research combining multi-omics data, synthetic regulatory design, and machine learning-driven predictive modeling is expected to further advance the development of intelligent B. subtilis cell factories. However, the practical implementation of these systems remains constrained by the metabolic burden of overproduction and the lack of universal regulatory models that can predict strain performance across varying industrial scales.

Bacillus subtilis

Simultaneously PYCR-1 and ALH-6 inhibition exacerbates 6-PPD quinone toxicity via disrupting proline and glutamate metabolisms and activating insulin signals in Caenorhabditis elegans.

Glutamate synthesized from the proline can serve as a precursor for key intermediate metabolites of citric acid cycle. Recently, we observed reduced glutamate content and expression of alh-6 controlling glutamate synthesis by 6-PPD quinone (6-PPDQ) in Caenorhabditis elegans. However, possible effect of 6-PPDQ on proline synthesis and the association with 6-PPDQ toxicity induction remain unclear. After 0.1-10 &#x3bc;g/L 6-PPDQ exposure, proline content was further reduced, and expression of pycr-1 governing proline biosynthesis was decreased. In 6-PPDQ exposed nematodes, RNA interference (RNAi) of pycr-1 decreased &#x3b1;-ketoglutarate content, enhanced mitochondrial dysfunction, reduced nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide (NADH) and reduced flavine adenine dinucleotide (FADH&#x2082;) contents, inhibited mitochondrial complex I/II activities, and decreased expressions of gas-1 and mev-1. Moreover, compared to single RNAi, double RNAi of pycr-1 and alh-6 exacerbated the 6-PPDQ toxicity in reducing &#x3b1;-ketoglutarate, NADH, and FADH&#x2082; contents, and suppressing mitochondrial complex I/II activities and gas-1 and mev-1 expressions. Additionally, double RNAi of pycr-1 and alh-6 intensified toxicity of 6-PPDQ on longevity and caused upregulation of insulin ligand and receptor genes and downregulation of daf-16 and its targeted genes in 6-PPDQ exposed nematodes. Furthermore, after 6-PPDQ exposure, daf-16 RNAi suppressed pycr-1 and alh-6 expressions, suggesting formation of a regulatory feedback loop between pycr-1/alh-6 and daf-16. Our findings highlight involvement of disrupted proline and glutamate metabolisms in 6-PPDQ-induced mitochondrial dysfunction and reduced longevity.

Animals

Biosynthesis of the 5-Isoxazolidinone-Containing Hexacyclic Structure of Parnafungin.

Parnafungins A-D (1-4) are fungal natural products that inhibit eukaryotic poly(A)-polymerase and were first discovered by Merck & Co., Inc., through a Candida albicans Fitness Test (CaFT) screening program. The biological activity of parnafungins is a result of the unique fused hexacyclic structure highlighted by a 5-isoxazolidinone (5ILD) N-heterocycle. In this work, we characterize the complete biosynthetic pathway of parnafungins through heterologous reconstitution and enzymatic assays. Nearly half of the 26-gene biosynthetic gene cluster of parnafungin is responsible for the production of a known polyketide natural product, blennolide C. Starting from the blennolide C fragment, a three-enzyme cascade involving CoA-ligase ParJ, P450 ParO, and DUF829 ParD catalyzes the formal biaryl cross-coupling between blennolide C and anthranilate. Subsequent oxidative cyclization generates a phenanthridine product that is then reduced by atypical short-chain reductase ParT. N-Hydroxylation by flavin-dependent monooxygenase ParB and subsequent lactonization catalyzed by a homologue of dienenolactone hydrolase ParF form the 5ILD ring and complete the biosynthesis of 1 and 2. Methylation of 1 forms parnafungin C (3), and lastly epoxidation forms parnafungin D (4). Together, our work revealed the chemical logic and enzymology in extending the biosynthetic pathway of a well-characterized natural product, blennolide C, to introduce considerable additional structural diversity that affords parnafungins with unique biological activity.

Molecular Structure

Misregulation of bromotyrosine compromises fertility in male Drosophila.

Biological regulation often depends on reversible reactions such as phosphorylation, acylation, methylation, and glycosylation, but rarely halogenation. A notable exception is the iodination and deiodination of thyroid hormones. Here, we report detection of bromotyrosine and its subsequent debromination during Drosophila spermatogenesis. Bromotyrosine is not evident when Drosophila express a native flavin-dependent dehalogenase that is homologous to the enzyme responsible for iodide salvage from iodotyrosine in mammals. Deletion or suppression of the dehalogenase-encoding condet (cdt) gene in Drosophila allows bromotyrosine to accumulate with no detectable chloro- or iodotyrosine. The presence of bromotyrosine in the cdt mutant males disrupts sperm individualization and results in decreased fertility. Transgenic expression of the cdt gene in late-staged germ cells rescues this defect and enhances tolerance of male flies to bromotyrosine. These results are consistent with reversible halogenation affecting Drosophila spermatogenesis in a process that had previously eluded metabolomic, proteomic, and genomic analyses.

Animals

The Sef1 transcription factor interacts with promoters of riboflavin structural genes in Candida famata.

Riboflavin (RF, vitamin B2) serves as a precursor for the flavin coenzymes FAD and FMN, which are involved in numerous redox reactions in cells. RF is produced on an industrial scale. The yeast Candida famata overproduces RF under iron-starvation conditions, and mutants have been isolated that accumulate large amounts of RF. Overexpression of Sef1, the transcription factor of the zinc cluster family, increases RF production in C. famata; however, the specific mechanism remains unknown. Here, we report that SEF1 expression is upregulated under iron deficiency. We developed a yeast one-hybrid system based on the yeast Saccharomyces cerevisiae to study the role of Sef1 in regulation of RF biosynthesis. We found that Sef1 activates the promoters of the RIB1, RIB3, RIB5, RIB6, and RIB7 genes. Additionally, SEF1 was shown to undergo autoregulation. For the RIB1 promoter, a Sef1-binding sequence has been identified. The ability of Sef1 to activate RIB genes expression was further validated in the native C. famata system.

Promoter Regions, Genetic

Novel mutations associated with clofazimine resistance in Mycobacterium intracellulare.

BACKGROUND: Clofazimine is a promising repurposed drug for treating Mycobacterium avium-intracellulare complex pulmonary disease, but its resistance mechanisms in Mycobacterium intracellulare remain poorly understood. OBJECTIVE: This study aims to elucidate the resistance mechanisms of M. intracellulare to clofazimine. METHODS: We isolated 36 clofazimine-resistant M. intracellulare mutants in vitro and performed whole-genome sequencing to identify resistance-associated mutations. Gene complementation was used to validate the role of the identified mutations. RESULTS: We identified various mutations in the marR gene (WP_009952290.1) in 61% of clofazimine-resistant mutants by whole-genome sequencing. Mutations were identified in additional genes encoding ssuD (flavin-dependent oxidoreductase, C67A), lppI (membrane lipoprotein, C207 deletion), GMC oxidoreductase (glucose-methanol-choline oxidoreductase, G157 deletion), MASE1 domain-containing protein (C62G) and PPE family protein (222C deletion). Gene complementation experiments demonstrated that introducing the wild-type marR in clofazimine-resistant strain (L72) with marR mutations reduced clofazimine MIC from 1 mg/L to susceptible baseline (0.25 mg/L), confirming its critical role in clofazimine resistance. Notably, the M. intracellulare MarR lacks homology to Mycobacterium tuberculosis MarR family protein Rv0678 (MmpR) involved in clofazimine and bedaquiline resistance but is flanked by non-efflux pump genes (dhmA and doxX), and unlike M. tuberculosis, its mutation does not cause bedaquiline cross-resistance, indicating a different MarR and distinct regulatory mechanism for clofazimine resistance in M. intracellulare. CONCLUSIONS: This work highlights marR as a key determinant of clofazimine resistance in M. intracellulare and underscores the need for further mechanistic studies with implications for rapid molecular detection and effective treatment.

Clofazimine

Novel compound heterozygous POR variants in a neonate with Antley-Bixler syndrome and 46,XY DSD: a case report and literature review.

BACKGROUND: Cytochrome P450 oxidoreductase deficiency (PORD) is an ultra-rare autosomal recessive disorder within the congenital adrenal hyperplasia (CAH) spectrum, characterized by a broad clinical spectrum involving steroidogenesis defects, genital anomalies, and skeletal abnormalities. CASE PRESENTATION: We report a phenotypically female neonate with a 46,XY karyotype whose postnatal diagnostic evaluation was initiated after newborn screening revealed elevated 17-hydroxyprogesterone (17-OHP) concentration. The patient presented with mild hypertelorism, mild nasal hypoplasia, and low-set bilateral ears, along with female external genitalia consistent with disorder of sex development (DSD) and anal atresia. Radiological evaluation revealed femoral bowing and subsequent fracture. The craniofacial and skeletal abnormalities were consistent with the features of Antley-Bixler syndrome (ABS). Endocrine evaluation revealed elevated progesterone, markedly reduced testosterone, and secondary hyperaldosteronism. Genetic analysis identified three novel variants in the POR gene (NM_001395413.1): the patient harbored a paternal c.1187_1195dup (p.Pro396_Glu398dup) variant and two maternally inherited variants in cis, c.1447G>A (p.Gly483Ser) and c.1806&#xa0;+&#xa0;4_1806&#xa0;+&#xa0;28del. Protein structural modeling predicted that the p.Pro396_Glu398dup and p.Gly483Ser may disrupt the flavin adenine dinucleotide (FAD)-binding domain. RNA sequencing (RNA-seq) confirmed that the intronic variant c.1806&#xa0;+&#xa0;4_1806&#xa0;+&#xa0;28del caused aberrant splicing, resulting in partial intron retention and predicted impairment of the nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide phosphate (NADPH)-binding domain. According to American College of Medical Genetics and Genomics (ACMG) guidelines and incorporating functional evidence, c.1187_1195dup and c.1806&#xa0;+&#xa0;4_1806&#xa0;+&#xa0;28del were reclassified as likely pathogenic (LP), whereas c.1447G>A remained a variant of uncertain significance (VUS). CONCLUSIONS: This study describes a neonate with PORD caused by three novel POR variants and expands the known clinical spectrum of PORD by identifying rare manifestations including anal atresia and hearing loss. RNA-seq provided valuable functional evidence for variant interpretation and facilitated accurate molecular diagnosis. These findings highlight the importance of integrating genetic phasing, transcript-level functional analysis, and comprehensive clinical evaluation for precise diagnosis and counseling in rare endocrine disorders.

Humans

The auxin gatekeepers: Evolution and diversification of the YUCCA family.

The critically important YUCCA (YUC) gene family is highly conserved and specific to the plant kingdom, primarily responsible for the final and rate-limiting step for indole-3-acetic acid (IAA) biosynthesis. IAA is an essential phytohormone, involved in virtually all aspects of plant growth and development. In addition, IAA is involved in fine-tuning plant responses to biotic and abiotic interactions and stresses. While the YUC gene family has significantly expanded throughout the plant kingdom, a detailed analysis of the evolutionary patterns driving this diversification has not been performed. Here, we present a comprehensive phylogenetic analysis of the YUC family, combining YUCs from species representing key evolutionary plant lineages. The evolutionary history of YUCs is complex and suggests multiple recruitment events via horizontal gene transfer from bacteria. We identify and hierarchically classify the YUC family into an early diverging grade, five distinct classes and 41 subclasses. Angiosperm YUC diversity and expansion are explained in the context of protein sequence conservation, as well as spatial and gene expression patterns. The presented YUC gene landscape offers new perspectives on the distribution and evolutionary trends of this crucial family, which facilitates further YUC characterization within plant development and response to environmental change.

Indoleacetic Acids