Cellulosome stoichiometry in Clostridium cellulolyticum is regulated by selective RNA processing and stabilization

Nat Commun. 2015 Apr 24:6:6900. doi: 10.1038/ncomms7900.

Abstract

The mechanism, physiological relevance and evolutionary implication of selective RNA processing and stabilization (SRPS) remain elusive. Here we report the genome-wide maps of transcriptional start sites (TSs) and post-transcriptional processed sites (PSs) for Clostridium cellulolyticum. The PS-associated genes are preferably associated with subunits of heteromultimeric protein complexes, and the intergenic PSs (iPSs) are enriched in operons exhibiting highly skewed transcript-abundance landscape. Stem-loop structures associated with those iPSs located at 3' termini of highly transcribed genes exhibit folding free energy negatively correlated with transcript-abundance ratio of flanking genes. In the cellulosome-encoding cip-cel operon, iPSs and stem-loops precisely regulate structure and abundance of the subunit-encoding transcripts processed from a primary polycistronic RNA, quantitatively specifying cellulosome stoichiometry. Moreover, cellulosome evolution is shaped by the number, position and biophysical nature of TSs, iPSs and stem-loops. Our findings unveil a genome-wide RNA-encoded strategy controlling in vivo stoichiometry of protein complexes.

Publication types

  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

  • Cellulase / genetics*
  • Cellulase / metabolism
  • Cellulosomes / genetics
  • Cellulosomes / metabolism
  • Clostridium cellulolyticum / genetics*
  • Clostridium cellulolyticum / metabolism
  • Multienzyme Complexes / genetics*
  • Multienzyme Complexes / metabolism
  • Operon / genetics
  • Promoter Regions, Genetic
  • RNA Processing, Post-Transcriptional*

Substances

  • Multienzyme Complexes
  • cellulosome, Clostridium
  • Cellulase