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Burkholderia thailandensis methylated hydroxy-alkylquinolines: biosynthesis and antimicrobial activity in co-culture experiments

Jennifer R Klaus, Charlotte Majerczyk, Natalie A. Eppler, Patrick Ball, Marie-Christine Groleau, Kyle L. Asfahl, Nicole E. Smalley, Hillary Hayden, Marianne Piochon, Ajai A. Dandekar, Charles Gauthier, Eric Deziel, View ORCID ProfileJosephine R. Chandler
doi: https://doi.org/10.1101/2020.05.27.120295
Jennifer R Klaus
aDepartment of Molecular Biosciences, University of Kansas, Lawrence KS 66045
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Charlotte Majerczyk
bDepartment of Biology, Oregon State University – Cascades, Bend, OR 97702
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Natalie A. Eppler
bDepartment of Biology, Oregon State University – Cascades, Bend, OR 97702
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Patrick Ball
aDepartment of Molecular Biosciences, University of Kansas, Lawrence KS 66045
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Marie-Christine Groleau
cINRS-Centre Armand Frappier Santé Biotechnologies, Laval (Québec) H7V 1B7, Canada
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Kyle L. Asfahl
dDepartment of Microbiology, University of Washington, Seattle WA 98195
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Nicole E. Smalley
dDepartment of Microbiology, University of Washington, Seattle WA 98195
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Hillary Hayden
dDepartment of Microbiology, University of Washington, Seattle WA 98195
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Marianne Piochon
cINRS-Centre Armand Frappier Santé Biotechnologies, Laval (Québec) H7V 1B7, Canada
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Ajai A. Dandekar
dDepartment of Microbiology, University of Washington, Seattle WA 98195
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Charles Gauthier
cINRS-Centre Armand Frappier Santé Biotechnologies, Laval (Québec) H7V 1B7, Canada
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Eric Deziel
cINRS-Centre Armand Frappier Santé Biotechnologies, Laval (Québec) H7V 1B7, Canada
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Josephine R. Chandler
bDepartment of Biology, Oregon State University – Cascades, Bend, OR 97702
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  • ORCID record for Josephine R. Chandler
  • For correspondence: jrchandler@ku.edu
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ABSTRACT

The bacterium Burkholderia thailandensis produces an arsenal of secondary metabolites that have diverse structures and roles in the ecology of this soil-dwelling bacterium. In liquid co-culture experiments, B. thailandensis secretes a previously unstudied antimicrobial that nearly eliminates another soil bacterium, Bacillus subtilis. To identify the antimicrobial, we used a transposon mutagenesis approach. This screen identified antimicrobial-defective mutants with insertions in the hmqA, C and F genes involved in biosynthesis of a family of quinolones called 3-methyl-4-hydroxy-2-alkenylquinolines (HMAQs), which are related to the Pseudomonas aeruginosa 4-hydroxy-2-alkylquinolines (HAQs). Insertions also occurred in a previously uncharacterized gene BTH_II1576. We confirm that BTH_II1576 is involved in generating N-oxide HMAQ (HMAQ-NO) in B. thailandensis and that HMAQ-NOs are sufficient to eliminate B. subtilis in co-cultures. Moreover, synthetic HMAQ-NO is ~50-fold more active than HMAQ. Both the methyl group and the length of the carbon side chain account for high activity of HMAQ-NO against B. subtilis. The results provide new information on the biosynthesis and activities of HMAQs and reveal new insight into how these molecules might be important for the ecology of B. thailandensis.

IMPORTANCE The soil bacterium Burkholderia thailandensis produces methylated alkylquinolones, which are a family of relatively unstudied molecules related to the alkylquinolones of Pseudomonas aeruginosa. Several of the methylated alkylquinolones have antimicrobial activity against other species. We show N-oxidated methyl-alkenylquinolone is particularly antimicrobial and is sufficient to kill Bacillus subtilis in co-cultures, and requires a previously unstudied protein HmqL for biosynthesis. These results also provide new information about the biology of alkyl-quinolones, particularly the methylated alkylquinolones, which are unique to B. thailandensis. This study also has importance for understanding B. thailandensis secondary metabolites and has implications for potential therapeutic development.

Competing Interest Statement

The authors have declared no competing interest.

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Posted May 28, 2020.
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Burkholderia thailandensis methylated hydroxy-alkylquinolines: biosynthesis and antimicrobial activity in co-culture experiments
Jennifer R Klaus, Charlotte Majerczyk, Natalie A. Eppler, Patrick Ball, Marie-Christine Groleau, Kyle L. Asfahl, Nicole E. Smalley, Hillary Hayden, Marianne Piochon, Ajai A. Dandekar, Charles Gauthier, Eric Deziel, Josephine R. Chandler
bioRxiv 2020.05.27.120295; doi: https://doi.org/10.1101/2020.05.27.120295
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Burkholderia thailandensis methylated hydroxy-alkylquinolines: biosynthesis and antimicrobial activity in co-culture experiments
Jennifer R Klaus, Charlotte Majerczyk, Natalie A. Eppler, Patrick Ball, Marie-Christine Groleau, Kyle L. Asfahl, Nicole E. Smalley, Hillary Hayden, Marianne Piochon, Ajai A. Dandekar, Charles Gauthier, Eric Deziel, Josephine R. Chandler
bioRxiv 2020.05.27.120295; doi: https://doi.org/10.1101/2020.05.27.120295

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