Transcriptome-Proteome Profiling in Burkholderia thailandensis during the Transition from Exponential to Stationary Phase

TL;DR

This study examines how gene and protein activity changes in Burkholderia thailandensis as it transitions from rapid growth to stationary phase, revealing key metabolic and regulatory shifts.

Contribution

The study provides an integrated transcriptomic and proteomic analysis of Burkholderia thailandensis during phase transition, highlighting novel regulatory patterns and metabolic adaptations.

Findings

928 mRNAs and 832 proteins showed differential accumulation during the stationary phase transition.

Proteins involved in fatty acid degradation and secondary metabolite synthesis increased in stationary phase.

Ribosomal and iron–sulfur biogenesis proteins were significantly downregulated in stationary phase.

Abstract

Burkholderia
thailandensis is closely related
to, and a surrogate for, highly pathogenic Burkholderia species. Like other bacterial cells, it commonly exists in the stationary
phase, for instance, within a host cell. Understanding the molecular
mechanisms that characterize the transition from exponential to stationary
phases is therefore critical to understanding responses to stress
or nutrient limitation. We present here an integrated transcriptomic
and proteomic analysis of mRNA and protein abundance changes during
entry into the stationary phase. We identified 928 differentially
accumulating mRNAs and 832 differentially accumulating proteins. mRNAs
encoding proteins involved in benzoate degradation and O-antigen nucleotide
sugar biosynthesis were elevated in the stationary phase, whereas
processes such as translation and flagellar biosynthesis were downregulated.
Proteins related to fatty acid degradation and butanoate metabolism
accumulated in the stationary phase along with proteins involved in
the synthesis of secondary metabolites. Markedly downregulated proteins
in the stationary phase included ribosomal proteins as well as the
house-keeping iron–sulfur biogenesis proteins. An only modest
correlation between transcriptome and proteome changes was seen, and
the RpoS sigma factor was not significantly increased during the stationary
phase; RpoS is typically abundant during the stationary phase and
critical for expression of stress-response genes. Our data point
to distinct adaptive mechanisms, possibly including post-translational
regulation.

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