Epigenetic control of nitrous oxide emission by denitrifying bacteria

反硝化细菌对一氧化二氮排放的表观遗传控制

• 批准号: BB/S008942/1
• 负责人: Andrew Gates
• 金额: $ 60.15万
• 依托单位: University of East Anglia
• 依托单位国家: 英国
• 项目类别: Research Grant
• 财政年份: 2019
• 资助国家: 英国
• 起止时间: 2019 至 无数据
• 项目状态: 未结题
• 来源: https://gtr.ukri.org/projects?ref=BB%2FS008942%2F1
• 关键词: Epigenetic; control; nitrous; oxide; emission

The structure of DNA, first described by Watson and Crick, is an iconic aspect of science and many people are familiar with the DNA 'double helix' housing the genetic information for life. However, it is less commonly known that DNA is polymorphic and can adopt many different structures necessary for biological function.DNA is composed of four different 'building blocks' called bases that include adenine, guanine, thymine and cytosine. These are joined together to form elongated chains, called polymers, that intertwine to give a 'twisted ladder' helical structure. In particular, DNA sequences rich in the bases guanine and cytosine can form alternative secondary structures that may resemble 'knots', called G-quadruplexes and i-motifs. In our genomes, these types of sequence are widespread and may play various roles from regulating gene expression to defining the stability of our chromosomes and the life span of our cells. The majority of past work by scientists on G-quadruplexes and i-motifs has been performed in animals. Since DNA encodes the genetic instructions for all forms of life, alternative DNA structures may also play a key role in how genes are read in microorganisms such as bacteria. This is an area of research which is important, but has so far received less attention than studies in animals. We have chemicals that bind these special DNA structures and wish to understand exactly how they determine the structure of DNA and how this can affect whether genes are switched on or off. In particular, we focus on how we can use these chemical tools to stop bacteria releasing the potent greenhouse gas nitrous oxide that contributes to global warming and climate change. Nitrous oxide is better known as laughing gas. It is approx. 300-times more powerful molecule for molecule compared to carbon dioxide and is stable in the atmosphere for many years. Nitrous oxide is released when the bacteria grow in an excess of nutrients in the environment, typically caused by the use of nitrogen-based fertilisers in farmed soils. Use of fertilizers in the environment is required to maintain food supply and sustain our expanding populations world-wide, so we need to understand how we can counteract the side-effects of fertilizers and help prevent release of the greenhouse gas. Our land and water are inextricably linked, and nitrous oxide is also produced by microorganisms in sewage treatment works, where they use nitrogen compounds derived from human waste and agricultural run-off to grow.The focus of this project is to understand how G-quadruplex and i-motif DNA control how genes for nitrous oxide destruction in bacteria are read, and how we can use chemical tools that target these alternative DNA structures to stop bacteria releasing the potent climate-damaging gas nitrous oxide when they grow in environments rich in nitrogen nutrients. Our work will advance our understanding about how bacteria use DNA structures to determine how their genes are read. It will also allow chemists and microbiologists to control this process inside bacteria, using compounds that can enter cells, without the need to genetically modify organisms. The knowledge we generate could change how people manage soil fertility and treat sewage, to help reduce greenhouse gas emissions, global warming and climate change, which is an important priority for countries around the world.

DNA的结构，首先由沃森和克里克描述，是科学的一个标志性方面，许多人都熟悉DNA的“双螺旋”住房的遗传信息的生活。然而，人们不太清楚的是，DNA是多态性的，可以采用许多不同的结构来实现生物功能。DNA由四种不同的“构建模块”组成，称为碱基，包括腺嘌呤、鸟嘌呤、胸腺嘧啶和胞嘧啶。这些聚合物连接在一起形成细长的链，称为聚合物，它们相互交织形成“扭曲的阶梯”螺旋结构。特别是，富含鸟嘌呤和胞嘧啶碱基的DNA序列可以形成类似于“结”的替代二级结构，称为G-四链体和i-基序。在我们的基因组中，这些类型的序列分布广泛，可能发挥各种作用，从调节基因表达到定义我们染色体的稳定性和我们细胞的寿命。科学家过去对G-四链体和i-基序的大部分工作都是在动物身上进行的。由于DNA编码所有形式生命的遗传指令，替代DNA结构也可能在细菌等微生物中如何读取基因方面发挥关键作用。这是一个重要的研究领域，但迄今为止，人们对它的关注程度还不及动物研究。我们有结合这些特殊DNA结构的化学物质，并希望确切地了解它们如何决定DNA的结构，以及这如何影响基因的开启或关闭。特别是，我们专注于如何使用这些化学工具来阻止细菌释放导致全球变暖和气候变化的强效温室气体一氧化二氮。一氧化二氮通常被称为笑气。它是接近。300-它的分子比二氧化碳的分子强一倍，并且在大气中稳定存在多年。当细菌在环境中营养过剩时会释放一氧化二氮，这通常是由于在农田土壤中使用氮基肥料造成的。在环境中使用化肥是维持粮食供应和维持世界范围内不断增长的人口所必需的，因此我们需要了解如何抵消化肥的副作用，并帮助防止温室气体的释放。我们的土地和水是密不可分的，一氧化二氮也是由污水处理厂的微生物产生的，在那里它们使用来自人类废物和农业径流的氮化合物生长。本项目的重点是了解G-四链体和i-基序DNA如何控制细菌中一氧化二氮破坏基因的读取，以及我们如何使用化学工具来靶向这些替代DNA结构，以阻止细菌在富含氮营养的环境中生长时释放出对气候有害的一氧化二氮气体。我们的工作将推进我们对细菌如何使用DNA结构来确定其基因如何被读取的理解。它还将允许化学家和微生物学家控制细菌内部的这一过程，使用可以进入细胞的化合物，而不需要对生物体进行遗传修饰。我们产生的知识可以改变人们管理土壤肥力和处理污水的方式，以帮助减少温室气体排放，全球变暖和气候变化，这是世界各国的重要优先事项。

项目成果

Rhizobium etli

根瘤菌

• DOI: 10.6084/m9.figshare.24088996
• 发表时间: 2023
• 作者: Hidalgo-García A

Photocatalytic Removal of the Greenhouse Gas Nitrous Oxide by Liposomal Microreactors.

• DOI: 10.1002/anie.202210572
• 发表时间: 2022-10-10
• 期刊: ANGEWANDTE CHEMIE-INTERNATIONAL EDITION
• 影响因子: 16.6
• 作者: Piper, Samuel E. H.;Casadevall, Carla;Reisner, Erwin;Clarke, Thomas A.;Jeuken, Lars J. C.;Gates, Andrew J.;Butt, Julea N.
• 通讯作者: Butt, Julea N.

Handbook of Chemical Biology of Nucleic Acids

核酸化学生物学手册

• DOI: 10.1007/978-981-16-1313-5_97-1
• 发表时间: 2022
• 作者: Waller Z

Photocatalytic Removal of the Greenhouse Gas Nitrous Oxide by Liposomal Microreactors

脂质体微反应器光催化去除温室气体一氧化二氮

• DOI: 10.1002/ange.202210572
• 发表时间: 2022
• 期刊: Angewandte Chemie
• 作者: Piper S

Rhizobium etli is able to emit nitrous oxide by connecting assimilatory nitrate reduction with nitrite respiration in the bacteroids of common bean nodules

• DOI: 10.1080/17429145.2023.2251511
• 发表时间: 2023-12-31
• 期刊: JOURNAL OF PLANT INTERACTIONS
• 影响因子: 3.2
• 作者: Hidalgo-Garcia，Alba;Tortosa，German;Delgado，Maria J.
• 通讯作者: Delgado，Maria J.