Co-opting bacterial viruses for DNA exchange: structure and regulation of gene transfer agents

Banks, Emma J; Le, Tung B K

doi:10.1016/j.mib.2024.102431

Cited by 4 publications

(1 citation statement)

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“…In some cases, there is evidence that these elements might be co-opted to perform biological functions for the host, thus providing selective advantages for the producing organisms 3 – 7 . Virus-like Gene Transfer Agents (GTAs) are among these cases 3 , 4 , 8 , 9 . GTAs were first discovered and characterized in the non-sulfur photosynthetic bacterium Rhodobacter capsulatus 10 , but have now been found in a wide range of bacterial species and archaea 3 , 4 , 11 , 12 .…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Control of a gene transfer agent cluster in Caulobacter crescentus by transcriptional activation and anti-termination

Tran,

2024

Nat Commun

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Gene Transfer Agents (GTAs) are phage-like particles that cannot self-multiply and be infectious. Caulobacter crescentus, a bacterium best known as a model organism to study bacterial cell biology and cell cycle regulation, has recently been demonstrated to produce bona fide GTA particles (CcGTA). Since C. crescentus ultimately die to release GTA particles, the production of GTA particles must be tightly regulated and integrated with the host physiology to prevent a collapse in cell population. Two direct activators of the CcGTA biosynthetic gene cluster, GafY and GafZ, have been identified, however, it is unknown how GafYZ controls transcription or how they coordinate gene expression of the CcGTA gene cluster with other accessory genes elsewhere on the genome for complete CcGTA production. Here, we show that the CcGTA gene cluster is transcriptionally co-activated by GafY, integration host factor (IHF), and by GafZ-mediated transcription anti-termination. We present evidence that GafZ is a transcription anti-terminator that likely forms an anti-termination complex with RNA polymerase, NusA, NusG, and NusE to bypass transcription terminators within the 14 kb CcGTA cluster. Overall, we reveal a two-tier regulation that coordinates the synthesis of GTA particles in C. crescentus.

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