Discovery of novel community-relevant small proteins in a simplified human intestinal microbiome

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Title: Discovery of novel community-relevant small proteins in a simplified human intestinal microbiome
Authors: Petruschke, Hannes, Schori, Christian, Canzler, Sebastian, Riesbeck, Sarah, Poehlein, Anja, Daniel, Rolf, Frei, Daniel, Segessemann, Tina, Zimmerman, Johannes, Marinos, Georgios, Kaleta, Christoph, Jehmlich, Nico, Ahrens, Christian H., von Bergen, Martin, Department of Molecular Systems Biology, Helmholtz-Centre for Environmental Research – UFZ GmbH, Leipzig, Germany, Agroscope, Molecular Diagnostics, Genomics & Bioinformatics and SIB Swiss Institute of Bioinformatics, Wädenswil, Switzerland, Institute of Microbiology and Genetics, Department of Genomic and Applied Microbiology, Georg-August University of Göttingen, Göttingen, Germany, Research Group Medical Systems Biology, Institute for Experimental Medicine, Christian-Albrechts-University Kiel, Kiel, Germany, Institute of Biochemistry, Faculty of Biosciences, Pharmacy and Psychology, University of Leipzig, Leipzig, Germany
Contributors: Petruschke, Hannes, Schori, Christian, Canzler, Sebastian, Riesbeck, Sarah, Poehlein, Anja, Daniel, Rolf, Frei, Daniel, Segessemann, Tina, Zimmerman, Johannes, Marinos, Georgios, Kaleta, Christoph, Jehmlich, Nico, Ahrens, Christian H., von Bergen, Martin, Department of Molecular Systems Biology, Helmholtz-Centre for Environmental Research – UFZ GmbH, Leipzig, Germany, Agroscope, Molecular Diagnostics, Genomics & Bioinformatics and SIB Swiss Institute of Bioinformatics, Wädenswil, Switzerland, Institute of Microbiology and Genetics, Department of Genomic and Applied Microbiology, Georg-August University of Göttingen, Göttingen, Germany, Research Group Medical Systems Biology, Institute for Experimental Medicine, Christian-Albrechts-University Kiel, Kiel, Germany, Institute of Biochemistry, Faculty of Biosciences, Pharmacy and Psychology, University of Leipzig, Leipzig, Germany
Source: Microbiome
Microbiome, Vol 9, Iss 1, Pp 1-19 (2021)
Publisher Information: Springer Science and Business Media LLC, 2021.
Publication Year: 2021
Subject Terms: Metabolic modelling, 0301 basic medicine, 2. Zero hunger, Bacteria, iPtgxDB, Research, QR100-130, Tandem Mass Spectrometry [MeSH], Human gut microbiome, Bacteria/metabolism [MeSH], Intestines/microbiology [MeSH], Humans [MeSH], Cell Communication [MeSH], Bacteria/genetics [MeSH], Small proteins (sProteins), Bacterial Proteins/analysis [MeSH], Metagenome/genetics [MeSH], Gastrointestinal Microbiome/genetics [MeSH], Intestines/chemistry [MeSH], Metatranscriptomics, Proteogenomics, Bacterial Proteins/chemistry [MeSH], Bacterial Proteins/genetics [MeSH], Bacteria/classification [MeSH], Metaproteomics, SIHUMIx, Bacteria/isolation, Cell Communication, Gastrointestinal Microbiome, Microbial ecology, Intestines, 03 medical and health sciences, Bacterial Proteins, Tandem Mass Spectrometry, Humans, Metagenome
Description: BackgroundThe intestinal microbiota plays a crucial role in protecting the host from pathogenic microbes, modulating immunity and regulating metabolic processes. We studied the simplified human intestinal microbiota (SIHUMIx) consisting of eight bacterial species with a particular focus on the discovery of novel small proteins with less than 100 amino acids (= sProteins), some of which may contribute to shape the simplified human intestinal microbiota. Although sProteins carry out a wide range of important functions, they are still often missed in genome annotations, and little is known about their structure and function in individual microbes and especially in microbial communities.ResultsWe created a multi-species integrated proteogenomics search database (iPtgxDB) to enable a comprehensive identification of novel sProteins. Six of the eight SIHUMIx species, for which no complete genomes were available, were sequenced and de novo assembled. Several proteomics approaches including two earlier optimized sProtein enrichment strategies were applied to specifically increase the chances for novel sProtein discovery. The search of tandem mass spectrometry (MS/MS) data against the multi-species iPtgxDB enabled the identification of 31 novel sProteins, of which the expression of 30 was supported by metatranscriptomics data. Using synthetic peptides, we were able to validate the expression of 25 novel sProteins. The comparison of sProtein expression in each single strain versus a multi-species community cultivation showed that six of these sProteins were only identified in the SIHUMIx community indicating a potentially important role of sProteins in the organization of microbial communities. Two of these novel sProteins have a potential antimicrobial function. Metabolic modelling revealed that a third sProtein is located in a genomic region encoding several enzymes relevant for the community metabolism within SIHUMIx.ConclusionsWe outline an integrated experimental and bioinformatics workflow for the discovery of novel sProteins in a simplified intestinal model system that can be generically applied to other microbial communities. The further analysis of novel sProteins uniquely expressed in the SIHUMIx multi-species community is expected to enable new insights into the role of sProteins on the functionality of bacterial communities such as those of the human intestinal tract.
Document Type: Article
Other literature type
Language: English
ISSN: 2049-2618
DOI: 10.1186/s40168-020-00981-z
Access URL: https://microbiomejournal.biomedcentral.com/track/pdf/10.1186/s40168-020-00981-z
https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/33622394
https://doaj.org/article/81a31d395603419c8db097384e4bbb01
https://link.springer.com/article/10.1186/s40168-020-00981-z/tables/1
https://link.springer.com/content/pdf/10.1186/s40168-020-00981-z.pdf
https://link.springer.com/article/10.1186/s40168-020-00981-z
https://www.researchsquare.com/article/rs-318776/v1
https://microbiomejournal.biomedcentral.com/articles/10.1186/s40168-020-00981-z
https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/33622394/
https://resolver.sub.uni-goettingen.de/purl?gro-2/123184
https://resolver.sub.uni-goettingen.de/purl?gs-1/17737
https://repository.publisso.de/resource/frl:6464413
Rights: CC BY
Accession Number: edsair.doi.dedup.....ec20485a3badf070d659b511f6a93d79
Database: OpenAIRE
Description
Abstract:BackgroundThe intestinal microbiota plays a crucial role in protecting the host from pathogenic microbes, modulating immunity and regulating metabolic processes. We studied the simplified human intestinal microbiota (SIHUMIx) consisting of eight bacterial species with a particular focus on the discovery of novel small proteins with less than 100 amino acids (= sProteins), some of which may contribute to shape the simplified human intestinal microbiota. Although sProteins carry out a wide range of important functions, they are still often missed in genome annotations, and little is known about their structure and function in individual microbes and especially in microbial communities.ResultsWe created a multi-species integrated proteogenomics search database (iPtgxDB) to enable a comprehensive identification of novel sProteins. Six of the eight SIHUMIx species, for which no complete genomes were available, were sequenced and de novo assembled. Several proteomics approaches including two earlier optimized sProtein enrichment strategies were applied to specifically increase the chances for novel sProtein discovery. The search of tandem mass spectrometry (MS/MS) data against the multi-species iPtgxDB enabled the identification of 31 novel sProteins, of which the expression of 30 was supported by metatranscriptomics data. Using synthetic peptides, we were able to validate the expression of 25 novel sProteins. The comparison of sProtein expression in each single strain versus a multi-species community cultivation showed that six of these sProteins were only identified in the SIHUMIx community indicating a potentially important role of sProteins in the organization of microbial communities. Two of these novel sProteins have a potential antimicrobial function. Metabolic modelling revealed that a third sProtein is located in a genomic region encoding several enzymes relevant for the community metabolism within SIHUMIx.ConclusionsWe outline an integrated experimental and bioinformatics workflow for the discovery of novel sProteins in a simplified intestinal model system that can be generically applied to other microbial communities. The further analysis of novel sProteins uniquely expressed in the SIHUMIx multi-species community is expected to enable new insights into the role of sProteins on the functionality of bacterial communities such as those of the human intestinal tract.
ISSN:20492618
DOI:10.1186/s40168-020-00981-z