A bacterial expression cloning screen reveals single-stranded DNA-binding proteins as potent desicco-protectants
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Abstract
Desiccation kills most cells. Some proteins have been identified to help certain cells survive desiccation, but many protein protectants are likely to be unknown. Moreover, the mechanisms ensuring protection of key cellular components are incompletely understood. We devised an expression-cloning approach to discover further protectants. We expressed cDNA libraries from two species of tardigrades in E. coli, and we subjected the bacteria to desiccation to select for survivors. Sequencing the populations of surviving bacteria revealed enrichment of mitochondrial single-stranded DNA-binding proteins (mtSSBs) from both tardigrade species. Expression of mtSSBs in bacteria improved desiccation survival as strongly as the best tardigrade protectants known to date. We found that DNA-binding activity of mtSSBs was necessary and sufficient to improve the desiccation tolerance of bacteria. Although tardigrade mtSSBs were among the strongest protectants we found, single-stranded DNA binding proteins in general offered some protection. These results identify single-stranded DNA-binding proteins as potent desicco-protectants.
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Cites
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- Authors
- Hibshman, J. D., Clark-Hachtel, C. M., Bloom, K. S., & Goldstein, B.
- Affiliations
- University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill (US)
- Corresponding author
- Hibshman, Jonathan D.
- Venue
- Cell Reports
- Publisher
- Elsevier BV
- Published
- 2024-11
- Volume
- 43
- Issue
- 11
- Pages
- 114956
- ISSN
- 2211-1247 (ISSN-L)
- PMC
- PMC11654893
- OpenAlex
- W4404250079
- Cited by
- 5
- References
- 6
- Citations by year
- 2026: 4 · 2024: 1
- FWCI
- 1.93
- Type
- journal article
- Language
- en
- Open access
- gold
- doi.org
- Licence
- Locations
- Cell Reports (publishedVersion, cc-by)
- bioRxiv (Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory) (acceptedVersion, cc-by-nc)
- PubMed (publishedVersion)
- PubMed Central (acceptedVersion, cc-by)
- Carolina Digital Repository (University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill) (submittedVersion, cc-by)
- DOAJ (DOAJ: Directory of Open Access Journals) (submittedVersion, cc-by-sa)
- UNC Libraries
- Funders
- National Science Foundation (IOS 2028860)
- National Institute of General Medical Sciences (F32GM131577, 5-R01-GM032238-35)
- University of North Carolina
- National Institutes of Health
- Topics
- Life Sciences › Agricultural and Biological Sciences › Ecology, Evolution, Behavior and Systematics › Tardigrade Biology and Ecology
- Life Sciences › Biochemistry, Genetics and Molecular Biology › Genetics › Bacterial Genetics and Biotechnology
- Physical Sciences › Environmental Science › Ecology › Polar Research and Ecology
- Keywords
- desiccation tolerance, single-stranded DNA binding protein, mitochondrial single-stranded DNA-binding protein, tardigrades, DNA-binding activity, desiccation survival
- MeSH terms
- Animals, Cloning, Molecular, Desiccation, DNA-Binding Proteins, DNA, Single-Stranded, Escherichia coli, Gene Library, Tardigrada
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