Biology subjects

Boudry, P.

Publications and source records attributed to Boudry, P..

6 recordsLinked to original sources

bioRxiv2026

Structural analysis reveals three families of bacterial tRNA mimics

Comparative genomics has identified over 1,000 candidate structured RNA motifs, yet most remain functionally uncharacterized. Here, we combine crystallography, comparative analysis, and bacterial genetics to identify three families of bacterial tRNA-like RNAs. The skipping-rope RNA adopts an L-shaped fold resembling tRNA despite distinct secondary-structure connectivity and tertiary interactions. In Clostridioides difficile, the skipping-rope RNA RCd1 is abundantly expressed and processed into a highly stable RNA species. RCd1 overexpression suppresses sporulation, whereas its deletion enhances early spore formation, supporting a role in sporulation control. Guided by the skipping-rope structure, we identify a conserved architectural core and use it to recognize additional candidate tRNA mimics. Crystal structures of DUF2693-FD and salivarius-1 RNAs confirm a shared tRNA-like scaffold assembled through distinct interaction networks. Together, these findings expand the repertoire of bacterial tRNA mimics and establish a structural framework for recognizing shared architectures among uncharacterized ncRNAs, linking one such family to bacterial developmental regulation.

biochemistry↗

bioRxiv2022

Impacts of ocean acidification and warming on post-larval growth and metabolism in two populations of the great scallop (Pecten maximus L.)

Ocean acidification and warming are key stressors for many marine organisms. Some organisms display physiological acclimatisation or plasticity, but this may vary across species ranges, especially if populations are adapted to local climatic conditions. Understanding how acclimatisation potential varies among populations is therefore important in predicting species responses to climate change. We carried out a common garden experiment to investigate how different populations of the economically important great scallop (Pecten maximus) from France and Norway responded to variation in temperature and pCO2 concentration. After acclimation, post-larval scallops (spat) were reared for 31 days at one of two temperatures (13{degrees}C and 19{degrees}C) under either ambient or elevated pCO2 (pH 8.0 and pH 7.7). We combined measures of proteomic, metabolic, and phenotypic traits to produce an integrative picture of how physiological plasticity varies between the populations. The proteome of French spat showed significant sensitivity to environmental variation, with 12 metabolic, structural and stress-response proteins responding to temperature and/or pCO2. Principal component analysis revealed seven energy metabolism proteins in French spat that were consistent with countering ROS stress under elevated temperature. Oxygen uptake in French spat did not change under elevated temperature, but increased under elevated pCO2. In contrast, Norwegian spat reduced oxygen uptake under both elevated temperature and pCO2. Metabolic plasticity seemingly allowed French scallops to maintain greater energy availability for growth than Norwegian spat. However, increased physiological plasticity and growth in French spat may come at a cost, as French (but not Norwegian) spat showed reduced survival under elevated temperature. Summary StatementJuvenile scallops from France and Norway differ in their response to warming and acidification. French scallops show more physiological plasticity, adjusting their proteome and metabolism in order to maintain growth.

evolutionary biology↗

bioRxiv2020

Identification of RNAs bound by Hfq reveals widespread RNA partners and a sporulation regulator in the human pathogen Clostridioides difficile

Noncoding RNAs (ncRNA) have emerged as important components of regulatory networks governing bacterial physiology and virulence. Previous deep-sequencing analysis identified a large diversity of ncRNAs in the human enteropathogen Clostridioides (Clostridium) difficile. Some of them are trans-encoded RNAs that could require the RNA chaperone protein Hfq for their action. Recent analysis suggested a pleiotropic role of Hfq in C. difficile with the most pronounced effect on sporulation, a key process during the infectious cycle of this pathogen. However, a global view of RNAs interacting with C. difficile Hfq is missing. In the present study, we performed RNA immunoprecipitation high-throughput sequencing (RIP-Seq) to identify Hfq-associated RNAs in C. difficile. Our work revealed a large set of Hfq-interacting mRNAs and ncRNAs, including mRNA leaders and coding regions, known and potential new ncRNAs. In addition to trans-encoded RNAs, new categories of Hfq ligands were found including cis-antisense RNAs, riboswitches and CRISPR RNAs. ncRNA-mRNA and ncRNA-ncRNA pairings were postulated through computational predictions. Investigation of one of the Hfq-associated ncRNAs, RCd1, suggests that this RNA contributes to the control of late stages of sporulation in C. difficile. Altogether, these data provide essential molecular basis for further studies of post-transcriptional regulatory network in this enteropathogen.

microbiology↗

bioRxiv2020

Type I toxin-antitoxin systems contribute to mobile genetic elements maintenance in Clostridioides difficile and can be used as a counter-selectable marker for chromosomal manipulation

Toxin-antitoxin (TA) systems are widespread on mobile genetic elements as well as in bacterial chromosomes. According to the nature of the antitoxin and its mode of action for toxin inhibition, TA systems are subdivided into different types. The first type I TA modules were recently identified in the human enteropathogen Clostridioides (formerly Clostridium) difficile. In type I TA, synthesis of the toxin protein is prevented by the transcription of an antitoxin RNA during normal growth. Here, we report the characterization of five additional type I TA systems present within phiCD630-1 and phiCD630-2 prophage regions of C. difficile 630. Toxin genes encode 34 to 47 amino acid peptides and their ectopic expression in C. difficile induces growth arrest. Growth is restored when the antitoxin RNAs, transcribed from the opposite strand, are co-expressed together with the toxin genes. In addition, we show that type I TA modules located within the phiCD630-1 prophage contribute to its stability and mediate phiCD630-1 heritability. Type I TA systems were found to be widespread in genomes of C. difficile phages, further suggesting their functional importance. We have made use of a toxin gene from one of type I TA modules of C. difficile as a counter-selectable marker to generate an efficient mutagenesis tool for this bacterium. This tool enabled us to delete all identified toxin genes within the phiCD630-1 prophage, thus allowing investigation of the role of TA in prophage maintenance. Furthermore, we were able to delete the large 49 kb phiCD630-2 prophage region using this improved procedure.

microbiology↗

bioRxiv2019

Staphylococcus aureus staphyloxanthin expression is not controlled by Hfq

ObjectiveThe golden color of Staphylococcus aureus is due to the synthesis of carotenoid pigments. In Gram-negative bacteria, Hfq is a global posttranscriptional regulator, but its function in S. aureus remains obscure. The absence of Hfq in S. aureus was reported to correlate with production of carotenoid pigment leading to the conclusion that Hfq was a negative regulator of the yellow color. However, we reported the construction of hfq mutants in several S. aureus strains and never noticed any color change; we therefore revisited the question of Hfq implication in S. aureus pigmentation. ResultsThe absence or accumulation of Hfq does not affect S. aureus pigmentation.

microbiology↗

bioRxiv2018

Analysis of genome-wide differentiation between native and introduced populations of the cupped oysters Crassostrea gigas and Crassostrea angulata

The Pacific cupped oyster is genetically subdivided into two sister taxa, Crassostrea gigas and C. angulata, which are in contact in the north-western Pacific. The nature and origin of their genetic and taxonomic differentiation remains controversial due the lack of known reproductive barriers and morphologic similarity. In particular, whether ecological and/or intrinsic isolating mechanisms participate to species divergence remains unknown. The recent co-introduction of both taxa into Europe offers a unique opportunity to test how genetic differentiation maintains under new environmental and demographic conditions. We generated a pseudo-chromosome assembly of the Pacific oyster genome using a combination of BAC-end sequencing and scaffold anchoring to a new high-density linkage map. We characterized genome-wide differentiation between C. angulata and C. gigas in both their native and introduced ranges, and showed that gene flow between species has been facilitated by their recent co-introductions in Europe. Nevertheless, patterns of genomic divergence between species remain highly similar in Asia and Europe, suggesting that the environmental transition caused by the co-introduction of the two species did not affect the genomic architecture of their partial reproductive isolation. Increased genetic differentiation was preferentially found in regions of low recombination. Using historical demographic inference, we show that the heterogeneity of differentiation across the genome is well explained by a scenario whereby recent gene flow has eroded past differentiation at different rates across the genome after a period of geographical isolation. Our results thus support the view that low-recombining regions help in maintaining intrinsic genetic differences between the two species.

evolutionary biology↗