Bacterial Immunity Flashcards
2 types Chronic infection life cycles
Temperate
Non temperate
Can chronic cycle lead to cell death
Yes
But chronic infections don’t perceive the lysis of the cell
Increasing genetic distance
Temperate phage - phage that is genetically able to display lysogenic cycles as well as productive cycles
Virulent mutant - phage that is one or a few genetic changes separated from temperate phage ancestor
Professionally lytic - phage unrelated or distant to temperate Phages
Prokaryotic host virus arms race
Huge diversity of antivirus systems
Prevent infection - block entry
Prevent replication - cleave or block DNA and RNA
Prevent spreading - dormancy and suicide
What causes bacterial evolution
Phage infection
Pre 2018
Only 2 defence systems known
CRISPR cas
Restriction modification
Post 2018
201 defence systems known
Restriction modification (R-M) systems
Present in 3/4 bacterial genomes
Cleave phage DNA while modifying bacterial DNA to prevent self cleavage
DNA methyltransferase (Mod) modifies DNA at target site to protect endogenous DNA
restriction endonuclease (Res) cleaves foreign DNA at unmethylated target sites
R-M system type 1
Cuts without recognition (variable distance)
R-M system type 2
Cut DNA at site of recognition
Used for cloning
Palindromic sequence
R-M systems type 3
Cuts close to site of recognition
~25 bp from site
Requires ATP
How are R-M systems classified?
Subunit composition, cleavage position, sequence specificity and cofactor requirements
Most common forms of DNA methylation in bacteria
N4-methylcytosine (4mC)
5-methylcyticine (5mC)
N6-methyladinine (6mA)
How does DNA methylation in bacteria work?
Methyltransferase (MTase) transfers a methyl group (CH3) from s-adenosyl-L-methionine (SAM) to the unmodified nucleotide, producing a methylated bucleotide and a-adenosyl-homocytosije (SAH)
R-M system type 4
No methyltransferase
Composed of restriction endonuclease that cleaves methylated foreign DNA
Can cleave m6, m5c and hm5c and other modified DNA
Methylation dependent enzyme - cleaves modified DNA
Where can R-M restriction systems found?
In plasmids
“Selfish genetic elements” to promote own survival
Express both Erase (restricts foreign) and MTase (protects host genome)
Post segregational loss of R-M causes cell death
R-M gene complex replicated in clinal population resulting in the addiction of host cell
Why does the cell get addicted to the R-M plasmid?
Plasmid has the ability to modify genome upon entry
Loss of plasmid causes cell death
Addiction drives evolution as it also helps survival
DNA methyltransferases not associated with R-M system
3 solitary (or Logan) methyltransferases - Dcm, DAM
Epigenetic regulators of gene expression in many host adapted bacterial pathogens
What does DNA methylation in bacteria do?
Defence against foreign DNA
Chromosome replication and segregation
Mismatch repair
Conjugation, packaging of phage DNA
Regulation of gene expression
Role of R-M systems in the evolution of new strains
Facilitate genetic isolation
Control of uptake if DNA from environment
Horizontal transfer increases genetic diversity
New R-M complex = new strain so isolated from original clonal population
Methylation pattern and horizontal gene transfer (Biotypes)
Different recognition specificities in various strains divides the species into variant strains - BIOTYPES
different biotypes don’t exchange genetic material due to different methylation patterns