Transcriptional and biochemical analyses of Planomicrobium strain AX6 from Qinghai-Tibetan Plateau, China, reveal hydrogen peroxide scavenging potential

Ali Bahadur; Ting Li; Wasim Sajjad; Fahad Nasir; Muhammad Amir Zia; Minghui Wu; Gaosen Zhang; Guangxiu Liu; Tuo Chen; Wei Zhang

doi:10.1186/s12866-022-02677-w

Transcriptional and biochemical analyses of Planomicrobium strain AX6 from Qinghai-Tibetan Plateau, China, reveal hydrogen peroxide scavenging potential

BMC Microbiol. 2022 Nov 5;22(1):265. doi: 10.1186/s12866-022-02677-w.

Authors

Ali Bahadur^#^{1

2}, Ting Li^#³, Wasim Sajjad¹, Fahad Nasir⁴, Muhammad Amir Zia⁵, Minghui Wu¹, Gaosen Zhang^{2

6}, Guangxiu Liu^{2

6}, Tuo Chen¹, Wei Zhang^{7

8

9}

Affiliations

¹ State Key Laboratory of Cryospheric Science, Northwest Institute of Eco-Environment and Resources, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Lanzhou, 730000, China.
² Key Laboratory of Extreme Environmental Microbial Resources and Engineering, Gansu Province, Lanzhou, 730000, China.
³ School of Ecology and Environmental Science, Yunnan University, Kunming, 650091, China.
⁴ Key Laboratory of Mollisols Agroecology, Northeast Institute of Geography and Agroecology, Chinese Academy of Sciences (CAS), Changchun, 130102, Jilin Province, China.
⁵ National Institute for Genomics and Advanced Biotechnology (NIGAB), National Agriculture Research Center (NARC), Islamabad, Pakistan.
⁶ Key Laboratory of Desert and Desertification, Northwest Institute of Eco-Environment and Resources, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Lanzhou, 730000, China.
⁷ Key Laboratory of Extreme Environmental Microbial Resources and Engineering, Gansu Province, Lanzhou, 730000, China. ziaoshen@163.com.
⁸ Key Laboratory of Desert and Desertification, Northwest Institute of Eco-Environment and Resources, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Lanzhou, 730000, China. ziaoshen@163.com.
⁹ Key Laboratory of Extreme Environmental Microbial Resources and Engineering, Lanzhou, 730000, Gansu Province, China. ziaoshen@163.com.

^# Contributed equally.

Abstract

Background: The bacterial mechanisms responsible for hydrogen peroxide (H₂O₂) scavenging have been well-reported, yet little is known about how bacteria isolated from cold-environments respond to H₂O₂ stress. Therefore, we investigated the transcriptional profiling of the Planomicrobium strain AX6 strain isolated from the cold-desert ecosystem in the Qaidam Basin, Qinghai-Tibet Plateau, China, in response to H₂O₂ stress aiming to uncover the molecular mechanisms associated with H₂O₂ scavenging potential.

Methods: We investigated the H₂O₂-scavenging potential of the bacterial Planomicrobium strain AX6 isolated from the cold-desert ecosystem in the Qaidam Basin, Qinghai-Tibet Plateau, China. Furthermore, we used high-throughput RNA-sequencing to unravel the molecular aspects associated with the H₂O₂ scavenging potential of the Planomicrobium strain AX6 isolate.

Results: In total, 3,427 differentially expressed genes (DEGs) were identified in Planomicrobium strain AX6 isolate in response to 4 h of H₂O₂ (1.5 mM) exposure. Besides, Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes pathway and Gene Ontology analyses revealed the down- and/or up-regulated pathways following H₂O₂ treatment. Our study not only identified the H₂O₂ scavenging capability of the strain nevertheless also a range of mechanisms to cope with the toxic effect of H₂O₂ through genes involved in oxidative stress response. Compared to control, several genes coding for antioxidant proteins, including glutathione peroxidase (GSH-Px), Coproporphyrinogen III oxidase, and superoxide dismutase (SOD), were relatively up-regulated in Planomicrobium strain AX6, when exposed to H₂O₂.

Conclusions: Overall, the results suggest that the up-regulated genes responsible for antioxidant defense pathways serve as essential regulatory mechanisms for removing H₂O₂ in Planomicrobium strain AX6. The DEGs identified here could provide a competitive advantage for the existence of Planomicrobium strain AX6 in H₂O₂-polluted environments.

Keywords: Biochemical analysis; Hydrogen peroxide; Planomicrobium strain AX6; Qinghai-Tibetan Plateau; Transcriptional profiling.

Publication types

Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

Antioxidants*
Bacteria
China
Ecosystem
Hydrogen Peroxide* / pharmacology
Tibet

Substances

Hydrogen Peroxide
Antioxidants