Pendulispora rubella

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Diagram of microscopic imaging of Pendiluspora rubella colony. Image credit: Garcia, R. et al., (2024).

Classification

Bacteria; Myxococcota; Myxococcia; Myxococcales; Sorangiineae; Pendulisporaceae

Species

NCBI: [1]

Pendiluspora rubella (MSr11367)

Description and Significance

P. rubella has a wide range of acid tolerance as it can grow in a pH range of 4-12. This mesophilic organism can thrive in conditions where the temperature range is 18°C-37°C. Unlike other myxobacteria, P. rubella forms a unicellular fruiting body producing powdery round spores and does not form a sporangial coat nor a slime envelope around the spores. Since approximately 90% of P. rubella's biosynthetic gene clusters (BGCs) are considered orphaned, it presents significant possibilities in the development of novel compounds that can be utilized in pharmaceutical applications. Its properties include antifungal, antiviral, and cytotoxic characteristics. With the rapid emergence of viral pathogens, as well as drug-resistant diseases, P. rubella can play a vital role in combating this volant development. (Garcia et al., 2024)

P. rubella has been classified as a unique member of the myxobacteria family, which makes its addition to this branch of the phylogenetic tree significant. Myxobacteria are typically responsible for creating bioactive products and the essential part they play in maintaining ecological roles in soil environments (Garcia et al., 2024). The expansive research in this particular family of bacteria can contribute to our understanding of key concepts of biology, such as horizontal gene transfer, and the fundamentals of bacterial evolution itself. These two concepts together can be integrated into further study of drug development and other biology-dependent industries.

Genome Structure

P. rubella (MSr11367) has a circular genome with 10,733 total genes. Named GCF_037157805.1-RS_2024_10_26 and fully mapped on 10/26/2024 12:40:18 (National Center for Biotechnology Information, 2024). The P. rubella genome also presents significant synteny, where two or more loci can be found on the same chromosome (National Center for Biotechnology Information, 2024). These genetic similarities can be found among similar strains where a vast number of genetic islands with transposable, or mobile gene elements are present. These genetic elements are likely contributors to P. rubella's acquisition of specific biosynthetic traits. The genome also encodes for innovative enzymatic domains. For example, hybrid nonribosomal peptide-polyketide pathways. (Garcia et al., 2024).

Cell Structure, Metabolism and Life Cycle

"Pendulus" meaning 'hanging so as to swing freely or hanging downward is the prefix for Pendulispora (Persus Digital Library, 2024). This is to illustrate the way that P. rubella bears its spores. An advancing swarm colony pattern with flare-like edges, slender rod-shaped vegetative cells, and dormant spores can characterize its growth. P. rubella MSr11367T produces a family of N-terminally acetylated and C-terminally reduced tetrapeptides with an all L-configured amino acid sequence. P. rubella has a unique set of cellular machinery contributing to its metabolism and function. The genes that encode their synthesis mechanics display unparalleled enzymatics. The first ever discovered non-ribosomal peptide synthetase acetylation domain was found within their genome. P. rubella releases rounded spores during spore dispersal that appear powdery. (Garcia et al., 2024).

Ecology and Pathogenesis

P. rubella is a soil-living organism. It showcases a vast extremotolerance with an ability to withstand soil pH levels as low as pH 4 (acidic) and as high as pH 12 (basic). This highlights P. rubella's effective adaptation mechanisms to withstand fluctuations in soil environments. While no direct symbiotic relationships were reported, P. rubella has shown promise in antibiotic production through its relationships with other microbes, specifically in metabolic strategy competition. P. rubella plays a crucial role in biogeochemistry. It produces BGCs, or biosynthetic gene clusters, as well as specialized metabolites that aid in diversifying neighboring soil microbiota. The production of these compounds similarly alters the chemical ecology of the surrounding soils it inhabits. P. rubella serves as a reservoir of unconventional biosynthetic pathways, enriching the biodiversity of the soil. It produces specialized compounds that can aid in the inhibition of drug-resistant pathogens. This adaptation promotes microbial competition amongst surrounding soil microbes. Furthermore, P. rubella's bioactivity shows the potential to shift the dynamics of its microbial community (Garcia et al., 2024).

As of the most updated research, P. rubella does not present evidence of disease causing potential. There have been no links that it can cause direct disease in plants, animals, or humans. It is worth mentioning, however, that P. rubella produces potent antimicrobial and anticancer compounds such as sorangicin P and myxoquaterines, although these again have not been linked to pathogenicity. (Garcia et al., 2024).

References

Garcia, R., Popoff, A., Bader, C. D., Löhr, J., Walesch, S., Walt, C., Boldt, J., Bunk, B., Haeckl, F. P. J., Gunesch, A. P., Birkelbach, J., Nübel, U., Pietschmann, T., Bach, T., & Müller, R. 2024. Discovery of the Pendulisporaceae: An extremotolerant myxobacterial family with distinct sporulation behavior and prolific specialized metabolism. Chem 10:2518–2537. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.chempr.2024.04.019.

National Center for Biotechnology Information (NCBI). Synteny. MeSH, U.S. National Library of Medicine. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/mesh?Db=mesh&Cmd=DetailsSearch&Term=%22Synteny%22%5BMeSH+Terms%5D. Accessed 23 November 2024.

National Center for Biotechnology Information (NCBI). Taxonomy Browser: Pendulisporaceae. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/Taxonomy/Browser/wwwtax.cgi?id=2741070. Accessed 23 November 2024.

Perseus Digital Library. Pendulus. Tufts University. https://www.perseus.tufts.edu/hopper/text?doc=Perseus:text:1999.04.0059:entry=pendulus. Accessed 23 November 2024.

Author

Page authored by Colleen Bolmanski, Dakota Lowery, & Beckham LaBarbera, students of Prof. Bradley Tolar at UNC Wilmington.