New Insights on Gene Function and Regulation in Archaea

Archaea share molecular characteristics both with Bacteria and Eukarya.

The Science

Researchers have reconstructed the primary transcriptome of Sulfolobus solfataricus P2, one of the most widely studied model archaeal organisms.The analysis led to the discovery of 310 expressed noncoding RNAs, with an extensive expression of overlapping cis-antisense transcripts to a level unprecedented in any bacteria or archaea but resembling that of eukaryotes. As opposed to bacterial transcripts, most Sulfolobus transcripts completely lack 5′-UTR sequences, suggesting that mRNA/ncRNA interactions differ between Bacteria and Archaea. The data also reveal internal hotspots for transcript cleavage linked to RNA degradation and predict sequence motifs that promote RNA destabilization.

Summary

The archaea occupy a unique position in the tree of life, appearing similar to bacteria but having some properties related to those found in plants, animals, and fungi. Many archaea possess novel metabolic capabilities enabling them to withstand extreme conditions of temperature and acidity that could be useful in addressing DOE missions. However, the archaea remain poorly characterized, which limits their current utility. Collaborating researchers at the DOE Joint Bioenergy Institute, the DOE Joint Genome Institute, and Israel’s Weizmann Institute of Science have now generated the first in depth gene expression map for Sulfolobus solfataricus, an archaeon that grows optimally under highly acidic conditions at 80°C. This study provides valuable new information on gene function and regulation in S. solfataricus and enables further development of this organism as a sturdy new platform or source of biological parts for biofuel production.

BER Program Manager

Dawn Adin

U.S. Department of Energy, Biological and Environmental Research (SC-33)
Biological Systems Science Division
[email protected]

References

Wurtzel, O., R. Sapra, F. Chen, Y. Zhu, B. A. Simmons, R. Sorek. 2010. “A Single-Base Resolution Map of an Archaeal Transcriptome,” Genome Research 20, 133–41. DOI:10.1101/gr.100396.109.