Evidence map›Paper›PMID 40263708›Full record

ArticleNucleic acids research2025

HU promotes higher order chromosome organization and influences DNA replication rates in Streptococcus pneumoniae.

Maria-Vittoria Mazzuoli, Renske van Raaphorst, Louise S Martin, Florian P Bock, Agnès Thierry, Martial Marbouty, Barbora Waclawiková, Jasper Stinenbosch, Romain Koszul, Jan-Willem Veening

Abstract read
In one paragraph

Article in Nucleic acids research, 2025. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 5 papers.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
5citing papers in PubMed
–field-weighted citation impact
1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

The trial behind it

Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.

Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

5 citing papers in PubMed.

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4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

10 authors.

Maria-Vittoria MazzuoliDepartment of Fundamental Microbiology, Faculty of Biology and Medicine, University of Lausanne, Biophore Building, Lausanne, CH-1015, Switzerland.ORCID 0000-0002-7071-1698
Renske van RaaphorstDepartment of Molecular Microbiology, Groningen Institute of Biomolecular Sciences & Biotechnology, University of Groningen, 9747, The Netherlands.
Louise S MartinDepartment of Fundamental Microbiology, Faculty of Biology and Medicine, University of Lausanne, Biophore Building, Lausanne, CH-1015, Switzerland.
Florian P BockDepartment of Fundamental Microbiology, Faculty of Biology and Medicine, University of Lausanne, Biophore Building, Lausanne, CH-1015, Switzerland.
Agnès ThierryInstitut Pasteur, CNRS UMR3525, Université Paris Cité, Unité Régulation Spatiale des Génomes, Paris, 75015, France.ORCID 0000-0002-1566-0664
Martial MarboutyInstitut Pasteur, CNRS UMR3525, Université Paris Cité, Unité Régulation Spatiale des Génomes, Paris, 75015, France.
Barbora WaclawikováDepartment of Molecular Microbiology, Groningen Institute of Biomolecular Sciences & Biotechnology, University of Groningen, 9747, The Netherlands.
Jasper StinenboschDepartment of Fundamental Microbiology, Faculty of Biology and Medicine, University of Lausanne, Biophore Building, Lausanne, CH-1015, Switzerland.
Romain KoszulInstitut Pasteur, CNRS UMR3525, Université Paris Cité, Unité Régulation Spatiale des Génomes, Paris, 75015, France.ORCID 0000-0002-3086-1173
Jan-Willem VeeningDepartment of Fundamental Microbiology, Faculty of Biology and Medicine, University of Lausanne, Biophore Building, Lausanne, CH-1015, Switzerland.ORCID 0000-0002-3162-6634

Funding

Swiss Academy of Engineering Sciences 49105ZASwiss National Science Foundation 310030_192517
6 · The paper itself

Abstract

Nucleoid-associated proteins (NAPs) are crucial for maintaining chromosomal compaction and architecture, and are actively involved in DNA replication, recombination, repair, and gene regulation. In Streptococcus pneumoniae, the role of the highly conserved NAP HU in chromosome conformation has not yet been investigated. Here, we use a multi-scale approach to explore HU's role in chromosome conformation and segregation dynamics. By combining superresolution microscopy and whole-genome-binding analysis, we describe the nucleoid as a dynamic structure where HU binds transiently across the entire nucleoid, with a preference for the origin of replication over the terminus. Reducing cellular HU levels impacts nucleoid maintenance and disrupts nucleoid scaling with cell size, similar to the distortion caused by fluoroquinolones, supporting its requirement for maintaining DNA supercoiling. Furthermore, in cells lacking HU, the replication machinery is misplaced, preventing cells from initiating and proceeding with ongoing replication. Chromosome conformation capture coupled to deep sequencing (Hi-C) revealed that HU is required to maintain cohesion between the two chromosomal arms, similar to the structural maintenance of chromosome complex. Together, we show that by promoting long-range chromosome interactions and supporting the architecture of the domain encompassing the origin, HU is essential for chromosome integrity and the intimately related processes of replication and segregation.

Indexed as

Bacterial ProteinsChromosomes, BacterialDNA-Binding ProteinsDNA ReplicationStreptococcus pneumoniaeDNA, BacterialReplication OriginBacterial ProteinsDNA, BacterialDNA-Binding Proteinshistone-like protein HU, bacteria

Identifiers

PMID40263708
PMCPMC12014288

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Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.