Suppression of the Escherichia coli dnaA46 mutation by changes in the activities of the pyruvate-acetate node links DNA replication regulation to central carbon metabolism

PLoS One. 2017 Apr 27;12(4):e0176050. doi: 10.1371/journal.pone.0176050. eCollection 2017.

Abstract

To ensure faithful transmission of genetic material to progeny cells, DNA replication is tightly regulated, mainly at the initiation step. Escherichia coli cells regulate the frequency of initiation according to growth conditions. Results of the classical, as well as the latest studies, suggest that the DNA replication in E. coli starts at a predefined, constant cell volume per chromosome but the mechanisms coordinating DNA replication with cell growth are still not fully understood. Results of recent investigations have revealed a role of metabolic pathway proteins in the control of cell division and a direct link between metabolism and DNA replication has also been suggested both in Bacillus subtilis and E. coli cells. In this work we show that defects in the acetate overflow pathway suppress the temperature-sensitivity of a defective replication initiator-DnaA under acetogenic growth conditions. Transcriptomic and metabolic analyses imply that this suppression is correlated with pyruvate accumulation, resulting from alterations in the pyruvate dehydrogenase (PDH) activity. Consequently, deletion of genes encoding the pyruvate dehydrogenase subunits likewise resulted in suppression of the thermal-sensitive growth of the dnaA46 strain. We propose that the suppressor effect may be directly related to the PDH complex activity, providing a link between an enzyme of the central carbon metabolism and DNA replication.

MeSH terms

  • Acetates / analysis*
  • Acetates / metabolism
  • Bacterial Proteins / genetics
  • Bacterial Proteins / metabolism*
  • Carbon / metabolism*
  • DNA Replication
  • DNA-Binding Proteins / genetics
  • DNA-Binding Proteins / metabolism*
  • Escherichia coli / genetics*
  • Ketone Oxidoreductases / metabolism
  • Metabolic Networks and Pathways / genetics
  • Mutation
  • Pyruvic Acid / analysis*
  • Pyruvic Acid / metabolism
  • RNA, Messenger / chemistry
  • RNA, Messenger / isolation & purification
  • RNA, Messenger / metabolism
  • Sequence Analysis, RNA

Substances

  • Acetates
  • Bacterial Proteins
  • DNA-Binding Proteins
  • DnaA protein, Bacteria
  • RNA, Messenger
  • Carbon
  • Pyruvic Acid
  • Ketone Oxidoreductases
  • pyruvate dehydrogenase (NADP+)

Grants and funding

This work was supported by the National Science Center grants: UMO-2012/04/M/NZ2/00122 (G.W.) and NCN 2012/05/N/NZ1/00535 (M.M.D.). The funders had no role in study design, data collection and analysis, decision to publish, or preparation of the manuscript.