Jean-Charles Portais

Strigolactone inhibition of shoot branching

A carotenoid-derived hormonal signal that inhibits shoot branching in plants has long escaped identification. Strigolactones are compounds thought to be derived from carotenoids and are known to trigger the germination of parasitic plant seeds and stimulate symbiotic fungi. Here we present evidence that carotenoid cleavage dioxygenase 8 shoot branching mutants of pea are strigolactone deficient and that strigolactone application restores the wild-type branching phenotype to ccd8 mutants. Moreover, we show that other branching mutants previously characterized as lacking a response to the branching inhibition signal also lack strigolactone response, and are not deficient in strigolactones. These responses are conserved in Arabidopsis. In agreement with the expected properties of the hormonal signal, exogenous strigolactone can be transported in shoots and act at low concentrations. We suggest that endogenous strigolactones or related compounds inhibit shoot branching in plants. Furthermore, ccd8 mutants demonstrate the diverse effects of strigolactones in shoot branching, mycorrhizal symbiosis and parasitic weed interaction.

Demonstration of the ethylmalonyl-CoA pathway by using 13C metabolomics

The assimilation of one-carbon (C1) compounds, such as methanol, by serine cycle methylotrophs requires the continuous regeneration of glyoxylate. Instead of the glyoxylate cycle, this process is achieved by a not yet established pathway where CoA thioesters are known to play a key role. We applied state-of-the-art metabolomics and 13C metabolomics strategies to demonstrate how glyoxylate is generated during methylotrophic growth in the isocitrate lyase-negative methylotroph Methylobacterium extorquens AM1. High-resolution mass spectrometry showed the presence of CoA thioesters specific to the recently proposed ethylmalonyl-CoA pathway. The operation of this pathway was demonstrated by short-term 13C-labeling experiments, which allowed determination of the sequence of reactions from the order of label incorporation into the different CoA derivatives. Analysis of 13C positional enrichment in glycine by NMR was consistent with the predicted labeling pattern as a result of the operation of the ethylmalonyl-CoA pathway and the unique operation of the latter for glyoxylate generation during growth on methanol. The results also revealed that 2 molecules of glyoxylate were regenerated in this process. This work provides a complete pathway for methanol assimilation in the model methylotroph M. extorquens AM1 and represents an important step toward the determination of the overall topology of its metabolic network. The operation of the ethylmalonyl-CoA pathway in M. extorquens AM1 has major implications for the physiology of these methylotrophs and their role in nature, and it also provides a common ground for C1 and C2 compound assimilation in isocitrate lyase-negative bacteria.

IsoCor: correcting MS data in isotope labeling experiments

UNLABELLED Mass spectrometry (MS) is widely used for isotopic labeling studies of metabolism and other biological processes. Quantitative applications-e.g. metabolic flux analysis-require tools to correct the raw MS data for the contribution of all naturally abundant isotopes. IsoCor is a software that allows such correction to be applied to any chemical species. Hence it can be used to exploit any isotopic tracer, from well-known ((13)C, (15)N, (18)O, etc) to unusual ((57)Fe, (77)Se, etc) isotopes. It also provides new features-e.g. correction for the isotopic purity of the tracer-to improve the accuracy of quantitative isotopic studies, and implements an efficient algorithm to process large datasets. Its user-friendly interface makes isotope labeling experiments more accessible to a wider biological community. AVAILABILITY IsoCor is distributed under OpenSource license at http://metasys.insa-toulouse.fr/software/isocor/

Quantitative metabolome analysis using liquid chromatography-high-resolution mass spectrometry.

In this report, we introduce a liquid chromatography single-mass spectrometry method for metabolome quantification, using the LTQ Orbitrap high-resolution mass spectrometer. Analytes were separated with hydrophilic interaction liquid chromatography. At a working resolution of 30,000 (at m/z 400), the limit of detection varied from 50 fmol to 5 pmol for 25 metabolites tested. In terms of metabolite concentration, the linearity was about 2 to 3 orders of magnitude for most compounds (R(2)>0.99). To determine the accuracy of the system in complex sample matrices, the isotope dilution method was evaluated from mixtures of pure compounds and uniformly 13C-labeled cell extracts. With the application of this method, quantification was possible within single runs even when the pool sizes of individual metabolites varied from 0.13 to 55.6 microM. As a case study, intracellular concentrations of central metabolites were determined for Methylobacterium extorquens AM1 during growth on two different carbon sources, methanol and succinate. Reproducible results from technical and biological repetitions were obtained that revealed significant variations of intracellular metabolite pool sizes, depending on the carbon source. The LTQ Obitrap offers new perspectives and strategies for metabolome quantification.

Multiple Formate Dehydrogenase Enzymes in the Facultative Methylotroph Methylobacterium extorquens AM1 Are Dispensable for Growth on Methanol

Formate dehydrogenase has traditionally been assumed to play an essential role in energy generation during growth on C(1) compounds. However, this assumption has not yet been experimentally tested in methylotrophic bacteria. In this study, a whole-genome analysis approach was used to identify three different formate dehydrogenase systems in the facultative methylotroph Methylobacterium extorquens AM1 whose expression is affected by either molybdenum or tungsten. A complete set of single, double, and triple mutants was generated, and their phenotypes were analyzed. The growth phenotypes of the mutants suggest that any one of the three formate dehydrogenases is sufficient to sustain growth of M. extorquens AM1 on formate, while surprisingly, none is required for growth on methanol or methylamine. Nuclear magnetic resonance analysis of the fate of [(13)C]methanol revealed that while cells of wild-type M. extorquens AM1 as well as cells of all the single and the double mutants continuously produced [(13)C]bicarbonate and (13)CO(2), cells of the triple mutant accumulated [(13)C]formate instead. Further studies of the triple mutant showed that formate was not produced quantitatively and was consumed later in growth. These results demonstrated that all three formate dehydrogenase systems must be inactivated in order to disrupt the formate-oxidizing capacity of the organism but that an alternative formate-consuming capacity exists in the triple mutant.

Genome-scale reconstruction and system level investigation of the metabolic network of Methylobacterium extorquens AM1

BackgroundMethylotrophic microorganisms are playing a key role in biogeochemical processes - especially the global carbon cycle - and have gained interest for biotechnological purposes. Significant progress was made in the recent years in the biochemistry, genetics, genomics, and physiology of methylotrophic bacteria, showing that methylotrophy is much more widespread and versatile than initially assumed. Despite such progress, system-level description of the methylotrophic metabolism is currently lacking, and much remains to understand regarding the network-scale organization and properties of methylotrophy, and how the methylotrophic capacity emerges from this organization, especially in facultative organisms.ResultsIn this work, we report on the integrated, system-level investigation of the metabolic network of the facultative methylotroph Methylobacterium extorquens AM1, a valuable model of methylotrophic bacteria. The genome-scale metabolic network of the bacterium was reconstructed and contains 1139 reactions and 977 metabolites. The sub-network operating upon methylotrophic growth was identified from both in silico and experimental investigations, and 13C-fluxomics was applied to measure the distribution of metabolic fluxes under such conditions. The core metabolism has a highly unusual topology, in which the unique enzymes that catalyse the key steps of C1 assimilation are tightly connected by several, large metabolic cycles (serine cycle, ethylmalonyl-CoA pathway, TCA cycle, anaplerotic processes). The entire set of reactions must operate as a unique process to achieve C1 assimilation, but was shown to be structurally fragile based on network analysis. This observation suggests that in nature a strong pressure of selection must exist to maintain the methylotrophic capability. Nevertheless, substantial substrate cycling could be measured within C2/C3/C4 inter-conversions, indicating that the metabolic network is highly versatile around a flexible backbone of central reactions that allows rapid switching to multi-carbon sources.ConclusionsThis work emphasizes that the metabolism of M. extorquens AM1 is adapted to its lifestyle not only in terms of enzymatic equipment, but also in terms of network-level structure and regulation. It suggests that the metabolism of the bacterium has evolved both structurally and functionally to an efficient but transitory utilization of methanol. Besides, this work provides a basis for metabolic engineering to convert methanol into value-added products.

Response of the central metabolism of Escherichia coli to modified expression of the gene encoding the glucose-6-phosphate dehydrogenase

The deletion of the zwf gene encoding G6PDH activity led to restructuring of the carbon flux through central metabolism in Escherichia coli, though over‐expression of this gene had only minor consequences for overall carbon flux. The modified carbon flux seen in the zwf deletion mutant enabled alternative routes of anabolic precursor formation and an adequate supply of NADPH synthesis via a modified TCA cycle to be generated so as to sustain growth rates comparable to the WT.

Ultrafast Quantitative 2D NMR: An Efficient Tool for the Measurement of Specific Isotopic Enrichments in Complex Biological Mixtures

Two-dimensional nuclear magnetic resonance (2D NMR) is a promising tool for studying metabolic fluxes by measuring (13)C-enrichments in complex mixtures of (13)C-labeled metabolites. However, the methods reported so far are hampered by very long acquisition durations limiting the use of 2D NMR as a quantitative tool for fluxomics. In this paper, we propose a new approach for measuring specific (13)C-enrichments in a very fast way, by using new experiments based on ultrafast 2D NMR. Two homonuclear 2D experiments (ultrafast COSY and zTOCSY) are proposed to measure (13)C-enrichments in a single scan. Their advantages and limitations are discussed, and their high analytical potentialities are highlighted. Both methods are characterized by an accuracy of 1-2%, an average precision of 3%, and an excellent linearity. The analytical performance is equivalent or better than any of the conventional methods previously reported. The two ultrafast experiments are applied to the measurement of (13)C-enrichments on a biomass hydrolyzate, showing the first known application of ultrafast 2D NMR to a real biological extract. The experiment duration is divided by 200 compared to the conventional methods, while preserving 80% of the quantitative information. This new approach opens new perspectives of application for fluxomics and metabonomics.

Control of ATP homeostasis during the respiro-fermentative transition in yeast.

Respiring Saccharomyces cerevisiae cells respond to a sudden increase in glucose concentration by a pronounced drop of their adenine nucleotide content ([ATP]+[ADP]+[AMP]=[AXP]). The unknown fate of ‘lost’ AXP nucleotides represented a long‐standing problem for the understanding of the yeasts physiological response to changing growth conditions. Transient accumulation of the purine salvage pathway intermediate, inosine, accounted for the apparent loss of adenine nucleotides. Conversion of AXPs into inosine was facilitated by AMP deaminase, Amd1, and IMP‐specific 5′‐nucleotidase, Isn1. Inosine recycling into the AXP pool was facilitated by purine nucleoside phosphorylase, Pnp1, and joint action of the phosphoribosyltransferases, Hpt1 and Xpt1. Analysis of changes in 24 intracellular metabolite pools during the respiro‐fermentative growth transition in wild‐type, amd1, isn1, and pnp1 strains revealed that only the amd1 mutant exhibited significant deviations from the wild‐type behavior. Moreover, mutants that were blocked in inosine production exhibited delayed growth acceleration after glucose addition. It is proposed that interconversion of adenine nucleotides and inosine facilitates rapid and energy‐cost efficient adaptation of the AXP pool size to changing environmental conditions.

Production of carbon-13-labeled cadaverine by engineered Corynebacterium glutamicum using carbon-13-labeled methanol as co-substrate

Methanol, a one-carbon compound, can be utilized by a variety of bacteria and other organisms as carbon and energy source and is regarded as a promising substrate for biotechnological production. In this study, a strain of non-methylotrophic Corynebacterium glutamicum, which was able to produce the polyamide building block cadaverine as non-native product, was engineered for co-utilization of methanol. Expression of the gene encoding NAD+-dependent methanol dehydrogenase (Mdh) from the natural methylotroph Bacillus methanolicus increased methanol oxidation. Deletion of the endogenous aldehyde dehydrogenase genes ald and fadH prevented methanol oxidation to carbon dioxide and formaldehyde detoxification via the linear formaldehyde dissimilation pathway. Heterologous expression of genes for the key enzymes hexulose-6-phosphate synthase and 6-phospho-3-hexuloisomerase of the ribulose monophosphate (RuMP) pathway in this strain restored growth in the presence of methanol or formaldehyde, which suggested efficient formaldehyde detoxification involving RuMP key enzymes. While growth with methanol as sole carbon source was not observed, the fate of 13C-methanol added as co-substrate to sugars was followed and the isotopologue distribution indicated incorporation into central metabolites and in vivo activity of the RuMP pathway. In addition, 13C-label from methanol was traced to the secreted product cadaverine. Thus, this synthetic biology approach led to a C. glutamicum strain that converted the non-natural carbon substrate methanol at least partially to the non-native product cadaverine.