Post-translational flavinylation is associated with diverse extracytosolic redox functionalities throughout bacterial life
Curation statements for this article:-
Curated by eLife
Evaluation Summary:
Light and coworkers provide evidence from mining 31,910 prokaryotic genomes for the widespread occurrence of extracytosolic flavinylated FMN-binding domains in bacteria. They discovered extracytosolic flavinylation of five protein classes potentially involved in transmembrane electron transfer. The study also proposes new connections between respiration and iron assimilation and identifies two novel substrates of ApbE enzymes. This work should inspire further work in the fields of redox enzymology and bioenergetics to characterize the suggested involvement of flavinylated protein complexes in prokaryotes.
(This preprint has been reviewed by eLife. We include the public reviews from the reviewers here; the authors also receive private feedback with suggested changes to the manuscript. Reviewer #1, Reviewer #2 and Reviewer #3 agreed to share their names with the authors.)
This article has been Reviewed by the following groups
Listed in
- Evaluated articles (eLife)
- Microbiology and Infectious Disease (eLife)
Abstract
Disparate redox activities that take place beyond the bounds of the prokaryotic cell cytosol must connect to membrane or cytosolic electron pools. Proteins post-translationally flavinylated by the enzyme ApbE mediate electron transfer in several characterized extracytosolic redox systems but the breadth of functions of this modification remains unknown. Here we present a comprehensive bioinformatic analysis of 31,910 prokaryotic genomes that provides evidence of extracytosolic ApbEs within ~50% of bacteria and the involvement of flavinylation in numerous uncharacterized biochemical processes. By mining flavinylation-associated gene clusters, we identify five protein classes responsible for transmembrane electron transfer and two domains of unknown function (DUF2271 and DUF3570) that are flavinylated by ApbE. We observe flavinylation/iron transporter gene colocalization patterns that implicate functions in iron reduction and assimilation. We find associations with characterized and uncharacterized respiratory oxidoreductases that highlight roles of flavinylation in respiratory electron transport chains. Finally, we identify interspecies gene cluster variability consistent with flavinylation/cytochrome functional redundancies and discover a class of “multi-flavinylated proteins'' that may resemble multiheme cytochromes in facilitating longer distance electron transfer. These findings provide key mechanistic insight into an important facet of bacterial physiology and establish flavinylation as a functionally diverse mediator of extracytosolic electron transfer.
Impact Statement
Bioinformatic and biochemical studies find that covalently bound flavins are common and participate in wide-ranging extracytosolic redox activities throughout bacterial life.
Article activity feed
-
-
Reviewer #4 (Public Review):
The authors analysed flavinylation across different species. They analysed impressive number of 31.910 prokaryotic genomes. They mined flavinylation associated gene clusters using a bioinformatic approach. They define five different protein classes responsible for transmembrane electron transfer. Moreover, they predicted and validated flavinylation of two domains with unknown functions (by ApbE). Unfortunately, the vast majority of predictions made in this study were not experimentally validated. It is therefore very difficult to judge the reliability of predictions, proposals and claims made in the manuscript.
-
Reviewer #3 (Public Review):
Summary
The authors have applied a comprehensive bioinformatics analysis to 31,910 prokaryotic genomes and found evidence for extracytosolic flavin transferases ("ApbE") in approximately 50% of the genomes. Moreover, they have analyzed associated gene clusters resulting in the hypothesis that five protein classes are involved in transmembrane electron transfer. Furthermore, the authors postulate that these protein classes are subject to flavinylation by ApbEs. Although the exact biochemical role of these five classes of protein remains unknown, the authors hypothesize that they might be involved in iron assimilation and respiration, at least in some cases. In this context, the authors also identified multi-flavinylated proteins and propose that these might exert a similar role as multi-heme cytochromes, for …
Reviewer #3 (Public Review):
Summary
The authors have applied a comprehensive bioinformatics analysis to 31,910 prokaryotic genomes and found evidence for extracytosolic flavin transferases ("ApbE") in approximately 50% of the genomes. Moreover, they have analyzed associated gene clusters resulting in the hypothesis that five protein classes are involved in transmembrane electron transfer. Furthermore, the authors postulate that these protein classes are subject to flavinylation by ApbEs. Although the exact biochemical role of these five classes of protein remains unknown, the authors hypothesize that they might be involved in iron assimilation and respiration, at least in some cases. In this context, the authors also identified multi-flavinylated proteins and propose that these might exert a similar role as multi-heme cytochromes, for example under iron depletion; in other words, multi-flavinylated systems might replace multi-heme cytochromes if iron is limiting.
Strength & weaknesses
As is evident from the summary, the basis of the article is the bioinformatic analysis of prokaryotic genomes leading to a number of interesting hypotheses with regard to transmembrane electron transport of hitherto uncharacterized protein complexes. Thus, the proposed functions of the potentially flavinylated membrane complexes will stimulate biochemical studies to characterize the suggested involvement of flavinylated protein complexes in prokaryotes. I would consider this as the main strength of the paper that it has generated multiple challenging hypotheses to follow up experimentally.
As mentioned by the authors, about 50% of the prokaryotic genomes analyzed harbor targets for flavinylation/and the FMN transferase. However, no discussion and not even a hint is provided what these 50% of prokaryotes have in common and what distinguishes this group from the other (50%) prokaryotes. Is it lifestyle (environment), energy production, ...?
On the other hand, the presented study leaves many issues unmentioned creating the (false) impression that all it takes to transport electrons across the membrane is a series of hemes and/or flavins along the way. For example, in the discussion of the very interesting hypothesis that flavinylation might replace multi-heme cytochromes under iron deficiency, discussed on page 20 (last para), the authors mention that "flavins possess two-electron transferring properties (ref. 46)" in contrast to the heme system. If this were true than the switch from heme to flavin would also imply that the electron transport itself would have to change from one- electron to two-electron transport. It is unclear that this would be compatible with all other components of the electron transport system. On the other hand, flavins can also - under certain circumstances and in certain environments - carry out one-electron transfer processes, e. g. DNA-photolyases, flavodoxins, etc. Thus, it is conceivable that the flavins operating in the suggested systems in prokaryotes also perform one-electron transport, similar to the operating mode of heme cytochromes. It is clear that we currently lack the biochemical/physical information to know what is really going on, but at least it should be discussed more thoroughly. Equally, several other aspects of the (multi-)flavinylation should be addressed:
• What is known about the environment of the flavin(s)? - Is the flavin embedded in a protein matrix or freely accessible, in other words does it "behave" like a "free" flavin?
• How does the binding of the flavin affect the redox potential (this is very important in order to understand the direction of electron transport).
• In contrast to other covalent flavin attachments, the flavinylation addressed in the current work is reversible. Is anything known about the removal of flavins from the protein complexes in question?
• Are there any enzymes that carry out de-flavinylation? If so, how are they regulated?
• Connected to the last bullet point: Is the reversibility of flavinylation used for the overall regulation of electron transport?
I assume that most of the questions cannot be satisfactorily answered yet, but I think these issues should at least be addressed in the discussion in order to stress the need for further in depths biochemical studies that target the obvious complexity of these systems.
-
Reviewer #2 (Public Review):
Interesting bioinformatics. The strength of this article lies in the extensive search for flavinylated domains in prokaryotic genomes. This has resulted in several new ideas about the functions of these domains in transmembrane electron transport. The comparison with (multi-heme) cytochromes and thioredoxins is interesting, and needs experimental validation in future work.
Some weaknesses: In the introduction, I miss a clear explanation about the mode of flavinylation of the FMN-binding proteins and how this relates to other covalent flavinylation systems (where an increase in redox potential of the flavin is a prominent effect of covalent binding). It is also not clearly explained whether the predicted flavinylation of the phosphate moiety of FMN is reversible.
Results and Discussion: The electron transfer …
Reviewer #2 (Public Review):
Interesting bioinformatics. The strength of this article lies in the extensive search for flavinylated domains in prokaryotic genomes. This has resulted in several new ideas about the functions of these domains in transmembrane electron transport. The comparison with (multi-heme) cytochromes and thioredoxins is interesting, and needs experimental validation in future work.
Some weaknesses: In the introduction, I miss a clear explanation about the mode of flavinylation of the FMN-binding proteins and how this relates to other covalent flavinylation systems (where an increase in redox potential of the flavin is a prominent effect of covalent binding). It is also not clearly explained whether the predicted flavinylation of the phosphate moiety of FMN is reversible.
Results and Discussion: The electron transfer properties of flavoproteins are not well explained. Quite some flavoproteins (e.g. flavodoxins) mediate one-electron transfer processes, and this is most likely the preferred way in the discussed transmembrane electron transport systems.
I was wondering if there is any protein structural information about this mode of flavinylation, for instance is the flavin hidden in the protein or accessible? Can the authors tell us more whether the amino acid sequence results explain in more general terms the site(s) of flavinylation?
I would also like to know how sure the authors are that the conserved motif always represents covalent flavinylation.
Along similar lines, regarding the reversibility of the covalent flavinylation, I am curious how sure the authors are that the flavin is always covalently bound and what would be the consequence if this is not the case. For example, might there be next to iron limitation, also flavin limitation?
Finally, I am wondering whether more could be said about the comparison with thioredoxins and cytochromes when we look at the 50% of bacteria that do not contain the flavinylation domains.
-
Reviewer #1 (Public Review):
The manuscript by MeHeust reports identification of flavinylation proteins that can potentially function as cellular redox mediators related to electron transfer systems in prokaryotes.
The work is useful and informative. The authors used bioinformatic approach to illustrate wide distribution of these proteins in a variety of prokaryotes. Although exact functions of these proteins are not known, this work should inspire further investigation by researchers in the fields of redox enzymology and bioenergetics.
-
Evaluation Summary:
Light and coworkers provide evidence from mining 31,910 prokaryotic genomes for the widespread occurrence of extracytosolic flavinylated FMN-binding domains in bacteria. They discovered extracytosolic flavinylation of five protein classes potentially involved in transmembrane electron transfer. The study also proposes new connections between respiration and iron assimilation and identifies two novel substrates of ApbE enzymes. This work should inspire further work in the fields of redox enzymology and bioenergetics to characterize the suggested involvement of flavinylated protein complexes in prokaryotes.
(This preprint has been reviewed by eLife. We include the public reviews from the reviewers here; the authors also receive private feedback with suggested changes to the manuscript. Reviewer #1, Reviewer #2 and …
Evaluation Summary:
Light and coworkers provide evidence from mining 31,910 prokaryotic genomes for the widespread occurrence of extracytosolic flavinylated FMN-binding domains in bacteria. They discovered extracytosolic flavinylation of five protein classes potentially involved in transmembrane electron transfer. The study also proposes new connections between respiration and iron assimilation and identifies two novel substrates of ApbE enzymes. This work should inspire further work in the fields of redox enzymology and bioenergetics to characterize the suggested involvement of flavinylated protein complexes in prokaryotes.
(This preprint has been reviewed by eLife. We include the public reviews from the reviewers here; the authors also receive private feedback with suggested changes to the manuscript. Reviewer #1, Reviewer #2 and Reviewer #3 agreed to share their names with the authors.)
-