3 results on '"d'Udekem d'Acoz, Ophélie"'
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2. Functional interaction between Tn4430 replicative transposition and DNA replication
- Author
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UCL - SST/LIBST - Louvain Institute of Biomolecular Science and Technology, UCL - Faculté des Sciences, Hallet, Bernard, Mahillon, Jacques, Barre, François-Xavier, Reyes-Lamothe, Rodrigo, Ghislain, Michel, d'Udekem d'Acoz, Ophélie, UCL - SST/LIBST - Louvain Institute of Biomolecular Science and Technology, UCL - Faculté des Sciences, Hallet, Bernard, Mahillon, Jacques, Barre, François-Xavier, Reyes-Lamothe, Rodrigo, Ghislain, Michel, and d'Udekem d'Acoz, Ophélie
- Abstract
Transposons are mobile genetic elements that are able to move from one position to another within genomes. Little is known regarding the mechanisms whereby transposons choose their target and communicate with host cellular machineries to convert transposition intermediates into products. In this thesis, we addressed this issue by using the bacterial transposon Tn4430 belonging to the Tn3-family of replicative transposons. The recently proposed ‘Replication Hijacking’ model for replicative transposition suggests that Tn4430 targets DNA replication or repair intermediates as a direct mechanism to recruit the host replication machinery during transposition. To deepen our understanding of this mechanism, we studied the functional and physical interaction between Tn4430 transposition complex and the replication machinery by using a combination of genetic, cellular and bio-informatics approaches. We first demonstrated that the transposon targets arrested replication forks in the host chromosome, providing strong evidences of an interaction between transposition and replication machineries. We then investigated Tn4430’s preference for small multi-copy plasmids instead of the chromosome or large conjugative plasmids. We also showed the influence of spatial and genetic environments on target site selection and on the efficiency of transposition. Finally, we developed a set of tools to study the physical interaction between the transposition complex and the replication machinery in living cells. Together, these results helped us understand the particular patterns of target site selection that optimize the element-host relationship and facilitate successful integration in the target., (SC - Sciences) -- UCL, 2022
- Published
- 2022
3. Dynamics and quantitative contribution of the aminoglycoside 6'- N -acetyltransferase type Ib to amikacin resistance.
- Author
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d'Udekem d'Acoz O, Hue F, Ye T, Wang L, Leroux M, Rajngewerc L, Tran T, Phan K, Ramirez MS, Reisner W, Tolmasky ME, and Reyes-Lamothe R
- Subjects
- Humans, Aminoglycosides pharmacology, Acetyltransferases genetics, Acetyltransferases metabolism, Escherichia coli, Amikacin pharmacology, Anti-Bacterial Agents pharmacology
- Abstract
Aminoglycosides are essential components in the available armamentarium to treat bacterial infections. The surge and rapid dissemination of resistance genes strongly reduce their efficiency, compromising public health. Among the multitude of modifying enzymes that confer resistance to aminoglycosides, the aminoglycoside 6'- N -acetyltransferase type Ib [AAC(6')-Ib] is the most prevalent and relevant in the clinical setting as it can inactivate numerous aminoglycosides, such as amikacin. Although the mechanism of action, structure, and biochemical properties of the AAC(6')-Ib protein have been extensively studied, the contribution of the intracellular milieu to its activity remains unclear. In this work, we used a fluorescent-based system to quantify the number of AAC(6')-Ib per cell in Escherichia coli , and we modulated this copy number with the CRISPR interference method. These tools were then used to correlate enzyme concentrations with amikacin resistance levels. Our results show that resistance to amikacin increases linearly with a higher concentration of AAC(6')-Ib until it reaches a plateau at a specific protein concentration. In vivo imaging of this protein shows that it diffuses freely within the cytoplasm of the cell, but it tends to form inclusion bodies at higher concentrations in rich culture media. Addition of a chelating agent completely dissolves these aggregates and partially prevents the plateau in the resistance level, suggesting that AAC(6')-Ib aggregation lowers resistance to amikacin. These results provide the first step in understanding the cellular impact of each AAC(6')-Ib molecule on aminoglycoside resistance. They also highlight the importance of studying its dynamic behavior within the cell.IMPORTANCEAntibiotic resistance is a growing threat to human health. Understanding antibiotic resistance mechanisms can serve as foundation for developing innovative treatment strategies to counter this threat. While numerous studies clarified the genetics and dissemination of resistance genes and explored biochemical and structural features of resistance enzymes, their molecular dynamics and individual contribution to resistance within the cellular context remain unknown. Here, we examined this relationship modulating expression levels of aminoglycoside 6'- N -acetyltransferase type Ib, an enzyme of clinical relevance. We show a linear correlation between copy number of the enzyme per cell and amikacin resistance levels up to a threshold where resistance plateaus. We propose that at concentrations below the threshold, the enzyme diffuses freely in the cytoplasm but aggregates at the cell poles at concentrations over the threshold. This research opens promising avenues for studying enzyme solubility's impact on resistance, creating opportunities for future approaches to counter resistance., Competing Interests: The authors declare no conflict of interest.
- Published
- 2024
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