The Selenophosphate Synthetase Gene, selD, Is Important for Clostridioides difficile Physiology. 2021

Kathleen N McAllister, and Andrea Martinez Aguirre, and Joseph A Sorg
Department of Biology, Texas A&M University, College Station, Texas, USA.

The endospore-forming pathogen Clostridioides difficile is the leading cause of antibiotic-associated diarrhea and is a significant burden on the community and health care. C. difficile, like all forms of life, incorporates selenium into proteins through a selenocysteine synthesis pathway. The known selenoproteins in C. difficile are involved in a metabolic process that uses amino acids as the sole carbon and nitrogen source (Stickland metabolism). The Stickland metabolic pathway requires the use of two selenium-containing reductases. In this study, we built upon our initial characterization of the CRISPR-Cas9-generated selD mutant by creating a CRISPR-Cas9-mediated restoration of the selD gene at the native locus. Here, we use these CRISPR-generated strains to analyze the importance of selenium-containing proteins on C. difficile physiology. SelD is the first enzyme in the pathway for selenoprotein synthesis, and we found that multiple aspects of C. difficile physiology were affected (e.g., growth, sporulation, and outgrowth of a vegetative cell post-spore germination). Using transcriptome sequencing (RNA-seq), we identified multiple candidate genes which likely aid the cell in overcoming the global loss of selenoproteins to grow in medium which is favorable for using Stickland metabolism. Our results suggest that the absence of selenophosphate (i.e., selenoprotein synthesis) leads to alterations to C. difficile physiology so that NAD+ can be regenerated by other pathways. IMPORTANCE C. difficile is a Gram-positive, anaerobic gut pathogen which infects thousands of individuals each year. In order to stop the C. difficile life cycle, other nonantibiotic treatment options are in urgent need of development. Toward this goal, we find that a metabolic process used by only a small fraction of the microbiota is important for C. difficile physiology: Stickland metabolism. Here, we use our CRISPR-Cas9 system to "knock in" a copy of the selD gene into the deletion strain to restore selD at its native locus. Our findings support the hypothesis that selenium-containing proteins are important for several aspects of C. difficile physiology, from vegetative growth to spore formation and outgrowth postgermination.

UI MeSH Term Description Entries
D010770 Phosphotransferases A rather large group of enzymes comprising not only those transferring phosphate but also diphosphate, nucleotidyl residues, and others. These have also been subdivided according to the acceptor group. (From Enzyme Nomenclature, 1992) EC 2.7. Kinases,Phosphotransferase,Phosphotransferases, ATP,Transphosphorylase,Transphosphorylases,Kinase,ATP Phosphotransferases
D000072669 Gene Editing Genetic engineering or molecular biology techniques that involve DNA REPAIR mechanisms for incorporating site-specific modifications into a cell's genome. Base Editing,Genome Editing,Editing, Base,Editing, Gene,Editing, Genome
D000081246 RNA-Seq High-throughput nucleotide sequencing techniques developed for determining and analyzing the composition of the TRANSCRIPTOME of a sample. Whole Transcriptome Shotgun Sequencing
D012329 RNA, Bacterial Ribonucleic acid in bacteria having regulatory and catalytic roles as well as involvement in protein synthesis. Bacterial RNA
D015964 Gene Expression Regulation, Bacterial Any of the processes by which cytoplasmic or intercellular factors influence the differential control of gene action in bacteria. Bacterial Gene Expression Regulation,Regulation of Gene Expression, Bacterial,Regulation, Gene Expression, Bacterial
D015971 Gene Expression Regulation, Enzymologic Any of the processes by which nuclear, cytoplasmic, or intercellular factors influence the differential control of gene action in enzyme synthesis. Enzymologic Gene Expression Regulation,Regulation of Gene Expression, Enzymologic,Regulation, Gene Expression, Enzymologic
D016360 Clostridioides difficile A common inhabitant of the colon flora in human infants and sometimes in adults. The type species Clostridioides difficile is formerly known as Clostridium difficile. It is a causative agent for CLOSTRIDIOIDES INFECTIONS and is associated with PSEUDOMEMBRANOUS ENTEROCOLITIS in patients receiving antibiotic therapy. Clostridium difficile
D016680 Genome, Bacterial The genetic complement of a BACTERIA as represented in its DNA. Bacterial Genome,Bacterial Genomes,Genomes, Bacterial
D017353 Gene Deletion A genetic rearrangement through loss of segments of DNA or RNA, bringing sequences which are normally separated into close proximity. This deletion may be detected using cytogenetic techniques and can also be inferred from the phenotype, indicating a deletion at one specific locus. Deletion, Gene,Deletions, Gene,Gene Deletions
D064113 CRISPR-Cas Systems Adaptive antiviral defense mechanisms, in archaea and bacteria, based on DNA repeat arrays called CLUSTERED REGULARLY INTERSPACED SHORT PALINDROMIC REPEATS (CRISPR elements) that function in conjunction with CRISPR-ASSOCIATED PROTEINS (Cas proteins). Several types have been distinguished, including Type I, Type II, and Type III, based on signature motifs of CRISPR-ASSOCIATED PROTEINS. CRISPR Cas Systems,CRISPR-Cas System,System, CRISPR-Cas,Systems, CRISPR-Cas

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