HU promotes higher order chromosome organization and influences DNA replication rates in Streptococcus pneumoniae.

Details

Serval ID
serval:BIB_24D4243AB731
Type
Article: article from journal or magazin.
Collection
Publications
Institution
Title
HU promotes higher order chromosome organization and influences DNA replication rates in Streptococcus pneumoniae.
Journal
Nucleic acids research
Author(s)
Mazzuoli M.V., van Raaphorst R., Martin L.S., Bock F.P., Thierry A., Marbouty M., Waclawiková B., Stinenbosch J., Koszul R., Veening J.W.
ISSN
1362-4962 (Electronic)
ISSN-L
0305-1048
Publication state
Published
Issued date
22/04/2025
Peer-reviewed
Oui
Volume
53
Number
8
Language
english
Notes
Publication types: Journal Article
Publication Status: ppublish
Abstract
Nucleoid-associated proteins (NAPs) are crucial for maintaining chromosomal compaction and architecture, and are actively involved in DNA replication, recombination, repair, and gene regulation. In Streptococcus pneumoniae, the role of the highly conserved NAP HU in chromosome conformation has not yet been investigated. Here, we use a multi-scale approach to explore HU's role in chromosome conformation and segregation dynamics. By combining superresolution microscopy and whole-genome-binding analysis, we describe the nucleoid as a dynamic structure where HU binds transiently across the entire nucleoid, with a preference for the origin of replication over the terminus. Reducing cellular HU levels impacts nucleoid maintenance and disrupts nucleoid scaling with cell size, similar to the distortion caused by fluoroquinolones, supporting its requirement for maintaining DNA supercoiling. Furthermore, in cells lacking HU, the replication machinery is misplaced, preventing cells from initiating and proceeding with ongoing replication. Chromosome conformation capture coupled to deep sequencing (Hi-C) revealed that HU is required to maintain cohesion between the two chromosomal arms, similar to the structural maintenance of chromosome complex. Together, we show that by promoting long-range chromosome interactions and supporting the architecture of the domain encompassing the origin, HU is essential for chromosome integrity and the intimately related processes of replication and segregation.
Keywords
Streptococcus pneumoniae/genetics, Streptococcus pneumoniae/metabolism, DNA Replication, Chromosomes, Bacterial/genetics, Chromosomes, Bacterial/metabolism, Chromosomes, Bacterial/chemistry, Bacterial Proteins/metabolism, Bacterial Proteins/genetics, DNA-Binding Proteins/metabolism, DNA-Binding Proteins/genetics, Replication Origin, DNA, Bacterial/genetics
Pubmed
Web of science
Open Access
Yes
Create date
02/05/2025 11:38
Last modification date
03/05/2025 7:09
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