Publications by authors named "Samia Quaiyum"

Queuosine (Q) stands out as the sole tRNA modification that can be synthesized via salvage pathways. Comparative genomic analyses identified specific bacteria that showed a discrepancy between the projected Q salvage route and the predicted substrate specificities of the two identified salvage proteins: (1) the distinctive enzyme tRNA guanine-34 transglycosylase (bacterial TGT, or bTGT), responsible for inserting precursor bases into target tRNAs; and (2) queuosine precursor transporter (QPTR), a transporter protein that imports Q precursors. Organisms such as the facultative intracellular pathogen , which possess only bTGT and QPTR but lack predicted enzymes for converting preQ to Q, would be expected to salvage the queuine (q) base, mirroring the scenario for the obligate intracellular pathogen .

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Queuosine (Q) is a modification of the wobble base of tRNA harboring GUN anticodons with roles in decoding accuracy and efficiency. Its synthesis is complex with multiple enzymatic steps, and several pathway intermediates can be salvaged. The only two transporter families known to salvage Q precursors are QPTR/COG1738 and QrtT/QueT.

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Article Synopsis
  • tRNA modifications are important for ensuring accurate protein synthesis and may help bacteria respond to stress and virulence, yet there's limited understanding of these modifications in intracellular pathogens.
  • The study used various advanced methods like genomics and mass spectrometry to identify tRNA modification genes in Bartonella species, which cause cat-scratch disease and trench fever, overcoming challenges such as contamination from host RNA.
  • Findings revealed that these bacteria have fewer tRNA modification genes compared to other species, indicating a trend of gene loss and simplification of modifications, suggesting a process of reductive evolution.
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SUMMARYDeazaguanine modifications play multifaceted roles in the molecular biology of DNA and tRNA, shaping diverse yet essential biological processes, including the nuanced fine-tuning of translation efficiency and the intricate modulation of codon-anticodon interactions. Beyond their roles in translation, deazaguanine modifications contribute to cellular stress resistance, self-nonself discrimination mechanisms, and host evasion defenses, directly modulating the adaptability of living organisms. Deazaguanine moieties extend beyond nucleic acid modifications, manifesting in the structural diversity of biologically active natural products.

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Article Synopsis
  • tRNA modifications are essential for accurate protein synthesis and may also help bacteria respond to stress and infection.
  • This study used advanced techniques to identify tRNA modification genes in two intracellular bacteria linked to diseases, despite challenges like host RNA contamination.
  • The researchers discovered a reduced set of tRNA modification genes in these pathogens, indicating a trend of gene loss and simplification compared to other bacteria.
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Queuosine (Q) stands out as the sole tRNA modification that can be synthesized via salvage pathways. Comparative genomic analyses identified specific bacteria that showed a discrepancy between the projected Q salvage route and the predicted substrate specificities of the two identified salvage proteins: 1) the distinctive enzyme tRNA guanine-34 transglycosylase (bacterial TGT, or bTGT), responsible for inserting precursor bases into target tRNAs; and 2) Queuosine Precursor Transporter (QPTR), a transporter protein that imports Q precursors. Organisms like the facultative intracellular pathogen , which possess only bTGT and QPTR but lack predicted enzymes for converting preQ to Q, would be expected to salvage the queuine (q) base, mirroring the scenario for the obligate intracellular pathogen .

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Eukaryotic life benefits from-and ofttimes critically relies upon-the de novo biosynthesis and supply of vitamins and micronutrients from bacteria. The micronutrient queuosine (Q), derived from diet and/or the gut microbiome, is used as a source of the nucleobase queuine, which once incorporated into the anticodon of tRNA contributes to translational efficiency and accuracy. Here, we report high-resolution, substrate-bound crystal structures of the Sphaerobacter thermophilus queuine salvage protein Qng1 (formerly DUF2419) and of its human ortholog QNG1 (C9orf64), which together with biochemical and genetic evidence demonstrate its function as the hydrolase releasing queuine from queuosine-5'-monophosphate as the biological substrate.

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Methanogenic microbial communities were enriched from rice paddy soil and anaerobic digester sludge using peptidoglycan purified from gram-negative Escherichia coli or gram-positive Micrococcus luteus as the sole substrate. Methane production data suggested the anaerobic degradation of peptidoglycan and also that peptidoglycan from E. coli had lower degradability.

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The study was designed to collect water samples over two seasons-wet-monsoon season (n = 96) (March-April) and dry-monsoon season (n = 44) (September-October)-to understand the seasonal variation in anion and cation hydrochemistry of the coastal rivers and estuaries contributing in the spatial trend in salinity. Hydrochemical examination of wet-monsoon season primarily revealed Ca-Mg-HCO type (66%) and followed by Na-Cl type (17.70%) water.

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