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Arnold WK, Savage CR, Brissette CA, Seshu J, Livny J, Stevenson B. RNA-Seq of Borrelia burgdorferi in Multiple Phases of Growth Reveals Insights into the Dynamics of Gene Expression, Transcriptome Architecture, and Noncoding RNAs. PLoS One 2016; 11:e0164165. [PMID: 27706236 PMCID: PMC5051733 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0164165] [Citation(s) in RCA: 40] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/04/2016] [Accepted: 09/20/2016] [Indexed: 12/25/2022] Open
Abstract
Borrelia burgdorferi, the agent of Lyme disease, differentially expresses numerous genes and proteins as it cycles between mammalian hosts and tick vectors. Insights on regulatory mechanisms have been provided by earlier studies that examined B. burgdorferi gene expression patterns during cultivation. However, prior studies examined bacteria at only a single time point of cultivation, providing only a snapshot of what is likely a dynamic transcriptional program driving B. burgdorferi adaptations to changes during culture growth phases. To address that concern, we performed RNA sequencing (RNA-Seq) analysis of B. burgdorferi cultures at early-exponential, mid-exponential, and early-stationary phases of growth. We found that expression of nearly 18% of annotated B. burgdorferi genes changed significantly during culture maturation. Moreover, genome-wide mapping of the B. burgdorferi transcriptome in different growth phases enabled insight on transcript boundaries, operon structures, and identified numerous putative non-coding RNAs. These RNA-Seq data are discussed and presented as a resource for the community of researchers seeking to better understand B. burgdorferi biology and pathogenesis.
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Affiliation(s)
- William K Arnold
- Department of Microbiology, Immunology and Molecular Genetics, University of Kentucky School of Medicine, Lexington, KY, United States of America
| | - Christina R Savage
- Department of Microbiology, Immunology and Molecular Genetics, University of Kentucky School of Medicine, Lexington, KY, United States of America
| | - Catherine A Brissette
- Department of Biomedical Sciences, University of North Dakota School of Medicine and Health Sciences, Grand Forks, ND, United States of America
| | - Janakiram Seshu
- Department of Biology, University of Texas at San Antonio, San Antonio, TX, United States of America
| | - Jonathan Livny
- Broad Institute of MIT and Harvard, Cambridge, MA, United States of America
| | - Brian Stevenson
- Department of Microbiology, Immunology and Molecular Genetics, University of Kentucky School of Medicine, Lexington, KY, United States of America
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Iqbal H, Kenedy MR, Lybecker M, Akins DR. The TamB ortholog of Borrelia burgdorferi interacts with the β-barrel assembly machine (BAM) complex protein BamA. Mol Microbiol 2016; 102:757-774. [PMID: 27588694 PMCID: PMC5582053 DOI: 10.1111/mmi.13492] [Citation(s) in RCA: 27] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 08/30/2016] [Indexed: 12/29/2022]
Abstract
Two outer membrane protein (OMP) transport systems in diderm bacteria assist in assembly and export of OMPs. These two systems are the β-barrel assembly machine (BAM) complex and the translocation and assembly module (TAM). The BAM complex consists of the OMP component BamA along with several outer membrane associated proteins. The TAM also consists of an OMP, designated TamA, and a single inner membrane (IM) protein, TamB. Together TamA and TamB aid in the secretion of virulence-associated OMPs. In this study we characterized the hypothetical protein BB0794 in Borrelia burgdorferi. BB0794 contains a conserved DUF490 domain, which is a motif found in all TamB proteins. All spirochetes lack a TamA ortholog, but computational and physicochemical characterization of BB0794 revealed it is a TamB ortholog. Interestingly, BB0794 was observed to interact with BamA and a BB0794 regulatable mutant displayed altered cellular morphology and antibiotic sensitivity. The observation that B. burgdorferi contains a TamB ortholog that interacts with BamA and is required for proper outer membrane biogenesis not only identifies a novel role for TamB-like proteins, but also may explain why most diderms harbor a TamB-like protein while only a select group encodes TamA.
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Affiliation(s)
- Henna Iqbal
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, University of Oklahoma Health Sciences Center, Oklahoma City, Oklahoma, 73104, USA
| | - Melisha R Kenedy
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, University of Oklahoma Health Sciences Center, Oklahoma City, Oklahoma, 73104, USA
| | - Meghan Lybecker
- Department of Biology, University of Colorado - Colorado Springs, Colorado Springs, CO, 80918, USA
| | - Darrin R Akins
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, University of Oklahoma Health Sciences Center, Oklahoma City, Oklahoma, 73104, USA
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53
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Bontemps-Gallo S, Lawrence K, Gherardini FC. Two Different Virulence-Related Regulatory Pathways in Borrelia burgdorferi Are Directly Affected by Osmotic Fluxes in the Blood Meal of Feeding Ixodes Ticks. PLoS Pathog 2016; 12:e1005791. [PMID: 27525653 PMCID: PMC4985143 DOI: 10.1371/journal.ppat.1005791] [Citation(s) in RCA: 37] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/14/2016] [Accepted: 07/06/2016] [Indexed: 11/18/2022] Open
Abstract
Lyme disease, caused by Borrelia burgdorferi, is a vector-borne illness that requires the bacteria to adapt to distinctly different environments in its tick vector and various mammalian hosts. Effective colonization (acquisition phase) of a tick requires the bacteria to adapt to tick midgut physiology. Successful transmission (transmission phase) to a mammal requires the bacteria to sense and respond to the midgut environmental cues and up-regulate key virulence factors before transmission to a new host. Data presented here suggest that one environmental signal that appears to affect both phases of the infective cycle is osmolarity. While constant in the blood, interstitial fluid and tissue of a mammalian host (300 mOsm), osmolarity fluctuates in the midgut of feeding Ixodes scapularis. Measured osmolarity of the blood meal isolated from the midgut of a feeding tick fluctuates from an initial osmolarity of 600 mOsm to blood-like osmolarity of 300 mOsm. After feeding, the midgut osmolarity rebounded to 600 mOsm. Remarkably, these changes affect the two independent regulatory networks that promote acquisition (Hk1-Rrp1) and transmission (Rrp2-RpoN-RpoS) of B. burgdorferi. Increased osmolarity affected morphology and motility of wild-type strains, and lysed Hk1 and Rrp1 mutant strains. At low osmolarity, Borrelia cells express increased levels of RpoN-RpoS-dependent virulence factors (OspC, DbpA) required for the mammalian infection. Our results strongly suggest that osmolarity is an important part of the recognized signals that allow the bacteria to adjust gene expression during the acquisition and transmission phases of the infective cycle of B. burgdorferi. Borrelia burgdorferi, the Lyme disease agent, exploits a multifaceted enzootic cycle that requires a tick vector for successful transmission between mammalian hosts. Two different regulatory systems control genes that are required to complete this infective cycle. The Hk1/Rrp1 two-component system affects genes required for successful transfer between mammal and tick vector while the Rrp2-RpoN-RpoS regulatory cascade modulates genes essential for the transmission from the tick to a new vertebrate host. Data presented in this study indicate that fluctuations in osmolarity in the tick midgut directly affect these two regulatory pathways. Osmolarity in the lumen of the tick adjusts to the osmolarity of the incoming blood (blood meal) to promote water and ion flux into tick tissues. A positive water flux is essential to generate sufficient saliva for prolonged feeding. We propose that B. burgdorferi uses this physiological parameter as an important signal to adapt and regulate genes required for survival in the tick (through Hk1/Rrp1) and transmission to a new host (through Rrp2-RpoN-RpoS).
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Affiliation(s)
- Sébastien Bontemps-Gallo
- Laboratory of Zoonotic Pathogens, Rocky Mountain Laboratories, National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, National Institutes of Health, Hamilton, Montana, United States of America
| | - Kevin Lawrence
- Laboratory of Zoonotic Pathogens, Rocky Mountain Laboratories, National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, National Institutes of Health, Hamilton, Montana, United States of America
| | - Frank C Gherardini
- Laboratory of Zoonotic Pathogens, Rocky Mountain Laboratories, National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, National Institutes of Health, Hamilton, Montana, United States of America
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Moon KH, Zhao X, Manne A, Wang J, Yu Z, Liu J, Motaleb MA. Spirochetes flagellar collar protein FlbB has astounding effects in orientation of periplasmic flagella, bacterial shape, motility, and assembly of motors in Borrelia burgdorferi. Mol Microbiol 2016; 102:336-348. [PMID: 27416872 DOI: 10.1111/mmi.13463] [Citation(s) in RCA: 28] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 07/13/2016] [Indexed: 12/17/2022]
Abstract
Borrelia burgdorferi, the causative agent of Lyme disease, is a highly motile spirochete, and motility, which is provided by its periplasmic flagella, is critical for every part of the spirochete's enzootic life cycle. Unlike externally flagellated bacteria, spirochetes possess a unique periplasmic flagellar structure called the collar. This spirochete-specific novel component is linked to the flagellar basal body; however, nothing is known about the proteins encoding the collar or their function in any spirochete. To identify a collar protein and determine its function, we employed a comprehensive strategy that included genetic, biochemical, and microscopic analyses. We found that BB0286 (FlbB) is a novel flagellar motor protein, which is located around the flagellar basal body. Deletion of bb0286 has a profound effect on collar formation, assembly of other flagellar structures, morphology, and motility of the spirochete. Orientation of the flagella toward the cell body is critical for determination of wild-type spirochete's wave-like morphology and motility. Here, we provide the first evidence that FlbB is a key determinant of normal orientation of the flagella and collar assembly.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ki Hwan Moon
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, Brody School of Medicine, East Carolina University, Greenville, NC, USA
| | - Xiaowei Zhao
- Department of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine, University of Texas Health Science Center, Houston, TX, USA
| | - Akarsh Manne
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, Brody School of Medicine, East Carolina University, Greenville, NC, USA
| | - Juyu Wang
- Department of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine, University of Texas Health Science Center, Houston, TX, USA
| | - Zhou Yu
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, Brody School of Medicine, East Carolina University, Greenville, NC, USA
| | - Jun Liu
- Department of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine, University of Texas Health Science Center, Houston, TX, USA.
| | - Md A Motaleb
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, Brody School of Medicine, East Carolina University, Greenville, NC, USA.
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Troy EB, Lin T, Gao L, Lazinski DW, Lundt M, Camilli A, Norris SJ, Hu LT. Global Tn-seq analysis of carbohydrate utilization and vertebrate infectivity of Borrelia burgdorferi. Mol Microbiol 2016; 101:1003-23. [PMID: 27279039 DOI: 10.1111/mmi.13437] [Citation(s) in RCA: 36] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/05/2016] [Accepted: 06/07/2016] [Indexed: 02/05/2023]
Abstract
Borrelia burgdorferi maintains a complex life cycle between tick and vertebrate hosts. Although some genes have been identified as contributing to bacterial adaptation in the different hosts, the list is incomplete. In this manuscript, we report the first use of transposon mutagenesis combined with high-throughput sequencing (Tn-seq) in B. burgdorferi. We utilize the technique to investigate mechanisms of carbohydrate utilization in B. burgdorferi and the role of carbohydrate metabolism during mouse infection. We performed genetic fitness analyses to identify genes encoding factors contributing to growth on glucose, maltose, mannose, trehalose and N-acetyl-glucosamine. We obtained insight into the potential functions of proteins predicted to be involved in carbohydrate utilization and identified additional factors previously unrecognized as contributing to the metabolism of the tested carbohydrates. Strong phenotypes were observed for the putative carbohydrate phosphotransferase transporters BB0408 and BBB29 as well as the response regulator Rrp1. We further validated Tn-seq for use in mouse studies and were able to correctly identify known infectivity factors as well as additional transporters and genes on lp54 that may contribute to optimal mouse infection. As such, this study establishes Tn-seq as a powerful method for both in vitro and in vivo studies of B. burgdorferi.
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Affiliation(s)
- Erin B Troy
- Department of Molecular Biology and Microbiology, Tufts University School of Medicine, Boston, MA
| | - Tao Lin
- Department of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine, University of Texas Medical Center at Houston, Houston, TX
| | - Lihui Gao
- Department of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine, University of Texas Medical Center at Houston, Houston, TX
| | - David W Lazinski
- Department of Molecular Biology and Microbiology, Tufts University School of Medicine, Boston, MA
| | - Maureen Lundt
- Department of Molecular Biology and Microbiology, Tufts University School of Medicine, Boston, MA
| | - Andrew Camilli
- Department of Molecular Biology and Microbiology, Tufts University School of Medicine, Boston, MA.,Howard Hughes Medical Institute, Boston, MA
| | - Steven J Norris
- Department of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine, University of Texas Medical Center at Houston, Houston, TX.,Department of Microbiology and Molecular Genetics, University of Texas Medical Center at Houston, Houston, TX
| | - Linden T Hu
- Department of Molecular Biology and Microbiology, Tufts University School of Medicine, Boston, MA.
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56
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Caimano MJ, Drecktrah D, Kung F, Samuels DS. Interaction of the Lyme disease spirochete with its tick vector. Cell Microbiol 2016; 18:919-27. [PMID: 27147446 DOI: 10.1111/cmi.12609] [Citation(s) in RCA: 71] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/19/2016] [Revised: 04/27/2016] [Accepted: 05/03/2016] [Indexed: 01/01/2023]
Abstract
Borrelia burgdorferi, the causative agent of Lyme disease (along with closely related genospecies), is in the deeply branching spirochete phylum. The bacterium is maintained in nature in an enzootic cycle that involves transmission from a tick vector to a vertebrate host and acquisition from a vertebrate host to a tick vector. During its arthropod sojourn, B. burgdorferi faces a variety of stresses, including nutrient deprivation. Here, we review some of the spirochetal factors that promote persistence, maintenance and dissemination of B. burgdorferi in the tick, and then focus on the utilization of available carbohydrates as well as the exquisite regulatory systems invoked to adapt to the austere environment between blood meals and to signal species transitions as the bacteria traverse their enzootic cycle. The spirochetes shift their source of carbon and energy from glucose in the vertebrate to glycerol in the tick. Regulation of survival under limiting nutrients requires the classic stringent response in which RelBbu controls the levels of the alarmones guanosine tetraphosphate and guanosine pentaphosphate (collectively termed (p)ppGpp), while regulation at the tick-vertebrate interface as well as regulation of protective responses to the blood meal require the two-component system Hk1/Rrp1 to activate production of the second messenger cyclic-dimeric-GMP (c-di-GMP).
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Affiliation(s)
- Melissa J Caimano
- Departments of Medicine, Pediatrics, and Molecular Biology and Biophysics, UConn Health, Farmington, CT, USA
| | - Dan Drecktrah
- Division of Biological Sciences, University of Montana, Missoula, MT, USA
| | - Faith Kung
- Department of Veterinary Medicine, University of Maryland-College Park and Virginia-Maryland Regional College of Veterinary Medicine, College Park, MD, USA
| | - D Scott Samuels
- Division of Biological Sciences, University of Montana, Missoula, MT, USA.,Center for Biomolecular Structure and Dynamics, University of Montana, Missoula, MT, USA
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57
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Microarray-Based Comparative Genomic and Transcriptome Analysis of Borrelia burgdorferi. MICROARRAYS 2016; 5:microarrays5020009. [PMID: 27600075 PMCID: PMC5003485 DOI: 10.3390/microarrays5020009] [Citation(s) in RCA: 18] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/07/2016] [Revised: 03/28/2016] [Accepted: 04/11/2016] [Indexed: 11/29/2022]
Abstract
Borrelia burgdorferi, the spirochetal agent of Lyme disease, is maintained in nature in a cycle involving a tick vector and a mammalian host. Adaptation to the diverse conditions of temperature, pH, oxygen tension and nutrient availability in these two environments requires the precise orchestration of gene expression. Over 25 microarray analyses relating to B. burgdorferi genomics and transcriptomics have been published. The majority of these studies has explored the global transcriptome under a variety of conditions and has contributed substantially to the current understanding of B. burgdorferi transcriptional regulation. In this review, we present a summary of these studies with particular focus on those that helped define the roles of transcriptional regulators in modulating gene expression in the tick and mammalian milieus. By performing comparative analysis of results derived from the published microarray expression profiling studies, we identified composite gene lists comprising differentially expressed genes in these two environments. Further, we explored the overlap between the regulatory circuits that function during the tick and mammalian phases of the enzootic cycle. Taken together, the data indicate that there is interplay among the distinct signaling pathways that function in feeding ticks and during adaptation to growth in the mammal.
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58
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Kasumba IN, Bestor A, Tilly K, Rosa PA. Virulence of the Lyme disease spirochete before and after the tick bloodmeal: a quantitative assessment. Parasit Vectors 2016; 9:129. [PMID: 26951688 PMCID: PMC4780146 DOI: 10.1186/s13071-016-1380-1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/14/2015] [Accepted: 02/12/2016] [Indexed: 11/10/2022] Open
Abstract
Background Borrelia burgdorferi, the tick-transmitted agent of Lyme disease, adapts to different environments as it cycles between an arthropod vector and vertebrate host. Signals encountered during nymphal tick feeding prior to transmission activate a regulon that is controlled by the alternative sigma factors RpoN and RpoS, which are required for mammalian infection. The ingested bloodmeal also provides nutrients that stimulate spirochete replication. Although the influence of tick feeding on spirochete growth and gene expression is well documented, a quantitative assessment of spirochete virulence before and after tick feeding has not been made. Methods Homogenates were prepared from unfed and fed infected Ixodes scapularis nymphs that had acquired B. burgdorferi as larvae. Serially diluted tick homogenates were needle-inoculated into mice to determine the infectious dose of tick-derived spirochetes before and after the bloodmeal. Mouse infection was assessed by sero-reactivity with B. burgdorferi whole cell lysates on immunoblots and attempted isolation of spirochetes from mouse tissues. Viable spirochetes in tick-derived inocula were quantified by colony formation in solid media. Results We found that an inoculum containing as many as 104B. burgdorferi from unfed ticks is largely non-infectious, while the calculated ID50 for spirochetes from fed ticks is ~30 organisms. Engineered constitutive production of the essential virulence factor OspC by spirochetes within unfed ticks did not confer an infectious phenotype. Conclusion Conditional priming of B. burgdorferi during tick feeding induces changes in addition to OspC that are required for infection of the mammalian host.
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Affiliation(s)
- Irene N Kasumba
- Laboratory of Zoonotic Pathogens, Rocky Mountain Laboratories, National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, National Institutes of Health, Hamilton, MT, 59840, USA. .,Current address: Center for Vaccine Development, Department of Geographic Medicine, University of Maryland School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD, 21201, USA.
| | - Aaron Bestor
- Laboratory of Zoonotic Pathogens, Rocky Mountain Laboratories, National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, National Institutes of Health, Hamilton, MT, 59840, USA.
| | - Kit Tilly
- Laboratory of Zoonotic Pathogens, Rocky Mountain Laboratories, National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, National Institutes of Health, Hamilton, MT, 59840, USA.
| | - Patricia A Rosa
- Laboratory of Zoonotic Pathogens, Rocky Mountain Laboratories, National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, National Institutes of Health, Hamilton, MT, 59840, USA.
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59
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Ye M, Zhou Y, Lou Y, Yang XF. Genome reduction of Borrelia burgdorferi: two TCS signaling pathways for two distinct host habitats. SCIENCE CHINA-LIFE SCIENCES 2016; 59:19-21. [PMID: 26740104 PMCID: PMC5846617 DOI: 10.1007/s11427-015-4996-z] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/16/2015] [Accepted: 12/25/2015] [Indexed: 12/02/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Meiping Ye
- Key Laboratory of Laboratory Medicine, School of Laboratory Medicine, Wenzhou Medical College, Wenzhou, 325035, China
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, Indiana University School of Medicine, Indianapolis, Indiana, 46202, USA
| | - Yan Zhou
- Key Laboratory of Laboratory Medicine, School of Laboratory Medicine, Wenzhou Medical College, Wenzhou, 325035, China
| | - Yongliang Lou
- Key Laboratory of Laboratory Medicine, School of Laboratory Medicine, Wenzhou Medical College, Wenzhou, 325035, China
| | - X Frank Yang
- Key Laboratory of Laboratory Medicine, School of Laboratory Medicine, Wenzhou Medical College, Wenzhou, 325035, China.
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, Indiana University School of Medicine, Indianapolis, Indiana, 46202, USA.
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Samuels DS, Samuels LRN. Gene Regulation During the Enzootic Cycle of the Lyme Disease Spirochete. ACTA ACUST UNITED AC 2016; 7:205-212. [PMID: 29876141 DOI: 10.1615/forumimmundisther.2017019469] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/05/2023]
Abstract
Borrelia burgdorferi, the spirochete that causes Lyme disease, exists in an enzootic cycle, alternating between a tick vector and a vertebrate host. To adapt to and survive the environmental changes associated with its enzootic cycle, including nutrient availability, B. burgdorferi uses three different systems to regulate the expression of genes: RpoN-RpoS, histidine kinase (Hk)1/response regulator 1 (Rrp1), and RelBbu. The RpoN-RpoS alternative sigma factor cascade activates genes required for transmission from the tick to the vertebrate, maintenance of the vertebrate infection, and persistence in the tick. RelBbu controls the levels of the alarmones guanosine pentaphosphate and guanosine tetraphosphate, which are necessary for surviving the nutrient-deficient conditions in the midgut of the tick following absorption of the blood meal and the subsequent molt. The Hk1/Rrp1 two-component system produces cyclic dimeric guanosine monophosphate that regulates the genes required for the transitions between the tick and vertebrate as well as protective responses to the blood meal.
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Affiliation(s)
- D Scott Samuels
- Division of Biological Sciences, University of Montana, Missoula, MT 59812-4824
| | - Leah R N Samuels
- Division of Biological Sciences, University of Montana, Missoula, MT 59812-4824
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61
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Spirochetal motility and chemotaxis in the natural enzootic cycle and development of Lyme disease. Curr Opin Microbiol 2015; 28:106-13. [PMID: 26519910 DOI: 10.1016/j.mib.2015.09.006] [Citation(s) in RCA: 43] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/03/2015] [Accepted: 09/07/2015] [Indexed: 11/21/2022]
Abstract
Two-thirds of all bacterial genomes sequenced to-date possess an organelle for locomotion, referred to as flagella, periplasmic flagella or type IV pili. These genomes may also contain a chemotaxis-signaling system which governs flagellar rotation, thus leading a coordinated function for motility. Motility and chemotaxis are often crucial for infection or disease process caused by pathogenic bacteria. Although motility-associated genes are well-characterized in some organisms, the highly orchestrated synthesis, regulation, and assembly of periplasmic flagella in spirochetes are just being delineated. Recent advances were fostered by development of unique genetic manipulations in spirochetes coupled with cutting-edge imaging techniques. These contemporary advances in understanding the role of spirochetal motility and chemotaxis in host persistence and disease development are highlighted in this review.
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62
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Bauer WJ, Luthra A, Zhu G, Radolf JD, Malkowski MG, Caimano MJ. Structural characterization and modeling of the Borrelia burgdorferi hybrid histidine kinase Hk1 periplasmic sensor: A system for sensing small molecules associated with tick feeding. J Struct Biol 2015; 192:48-58. [PMID: 26321039 PMCID: PMC4605270 DOI: 10.1016/j.jsb.2015.08.013] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/11/2015] [Revised: 08/05/2015] [Accepted: 08/24/2015] [Indexed: 12/15/2022]
Abstract
Two-component signal transduction systems are the primary mechanisms by which bacteria perceive and respond to changes in their environment. The Hk1/Rrp1 two-component system (TCS) in Borrelia burgdorferi consists of a hybrid histidine kinase and a response regulator with diguanylate cyclase activity, respectively. Phosphorylated Rrp1 catalyzes the synthesis of c-di-GMP, a second messenger associated with bacterial life-style control networks. Spirochetes lacking either Hk1 or Rrp1 are virulent in mice but destroyed within feeding ticks. Activation of Hk1 by exogenous stimuli represents the seminal event for c-di-GMP signaling. We reasoned that structural characterization of Hk1's sensor would provide insights into the mechanism underlying signal transduction and aid in the identification of activating ligands. The Hk1 sensor is composed of three ligand-binding domains (D1-3), each with homology to periplasmic solute-binding proteins (PBPs) typically associated with ABC transporters. Herein, we determined the structure for D1, the most N-terminal PBP domain. As expected, D1 displays a bilobed Venus Fly Trap-fold. Similar to the prototypical sensor PBPs HK29S from Geobacter sulfurreducens and VFT2 from Bordetella pertussis, apo-D1 adopts a closed conformation. Using complementary approaches, including SAXS, we established that D1 forms a dimer in solution. The D1 structure enabled us to model the D2 and D3 domains. Differences in the ligand-binding pockets suggest that each PBP recognizes a different ligand. The ability of Hk1 to recognize multiple stimuli provides spirochetes with a means of distinguishing between the acquisition and transmission blood meals and generate a graded output response that is reflective of the perceived environmental threats.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Amit Luthra
- Department of Medicine, University of Connecticut Health, Farmington, CT, 06030
| | - Guangyu Zhu
- Hauptman-Woodward Medical Research Institute, Buffalo, NY 14203
| | - Justin D. Radolf
- Department of Medicine, University of Connecticut Health, Farmington, CT, 06030
- Department of Pediatrics, University of Connecticut Health, Farmington, CT, 06030
- Department of Molecular Biology and Biophysics, University of Connecticut Health, Farmington, CT, 06030
- Department of Genetics and Genomic Sciences, University of Connecticut Health, Farmington, CT, 06030
- Department of Immunology University of Connecticut Health, Farmington, CT, 06030
- Department of Structural Biology, State University of New York at Buffalo, Buffalo, NY 1420
| | - Michael G. Malkowski
- Hauptman-Woodward Medical Research Institute, Buffalo, NY 14203
- Department of Structural Biology, State University of New York at Buffalo, Buffalo, NY 1420
| | - Melissa J. Caimano
- Department of Medicine, University of Connecticut Health, Farmington, CT, 06030
- Department of Pediatrics, University of Connecticut Health, Farmington, CT, 06030
- Department of Molecular Biology and Biophysics, University of Connecticut Health, Farmington, CT, 06030
- Connecticut Children's Medical Center, Hartford, CT 06106
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63
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Drecktrah D, Lybecker M, Popitsch N, Rescheneder P, Hall LS, Samuels DS. The Borrelia burgdorferi RelA/SpoT Homolog and Stringent Response Regulate Survival in the Tick Vector and Global Gene Expression during Starvation. PLoS Pathog 2015; 11:e1005160. [PMID: 26371761 PMCID: PMC4570706 DOI: 10.1371/journal.ppat.1005160] [Citation(s) in RCA: 67] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/07/2015] [Accepted: 08/21/2015] [Indexed: 01/09/2023] Open
Abstract
As the Lyme disease bacterium Borrelia burgdorferi traverses its enzootic cycle, alternating between a tick vector and a vertebrate host, the spirochete must adapt and persist in the tick midgut under prolonged nutrient stress between blood meals. In this study, we examined the role of the stringent response in tick persistence and in regulation of gene expression during nutrient limitation. Nutritionally starving B. burgdorferi in vitro increased the levels of guanosine tetraphosphate (ppGpp) and guanosine pentaphosphate (pppGpp), collectively referred to as (p)ppGpp, products of the bifunctional synthetase/hydrolase RelBbu (RelA/SpoT homolog). Conversely, returning B. burgdorferi to a nutrient-rich medium decreased (p)ppGpp levels. B. burgdorferi survival in ticks between the larval and nymph blood meals, and during starvation in vitro, was dependent on RelBbu. Furthermore, normal morphological conversion from a flat-wave shape to a condensed round body (RB) form during starvation was dependent on RelBbu; relBbu mutants more frequently formed RBs, but their membranes were compromised. By differential RNA sequencing analyses, we found that RelBbu regulates an extensive transcriptome, both dependent and independent of nutrient stress. The RelBbu regulon includes the glp operon, which is important for glycerol utilization and persistence in the tick, virulence factors and the late phage operon of the 32-kb circular plasmid (cp32) family. In summary, our data suggest that RelBbu globally modulates transcription in response to nutrient stress by increasing (p)ppGpp levels to facilitate B. burgdorferi persistence in the tick.
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Affiliation(s)
- Dan Drecktrah
- Division of Biological Sciences, University of Montana, Missoula, Montana, United States of America
| | - Meghan Lybecker
- Department of Biology, University of Colorado, Colorado Springs, Colorado, United States of America
- Department of Biochemistry and Cell Biology, Max F. Perutz Laboratories, University of Vienna, Vienna, Austria
| | - Niko Popitsch
- Oxford NIHR Biomedical Research Centre, Wellcome Trust Centre for Human Genetics, University of Oxford, Oxford, United Kingdom
- Center for Integrative Bioinformatics Vienna, Max F. Perutz Laboratories, University of Vienna & Medical University of Vienna, Vienna, Austria
| | - Philipp Rescheneder
- Center for Integrative Bioinformatics Vienna, Max F. Perutz Laboratories, University of Vienna & Medical University of Vienna, Vienna, Austria
| | - Laura S. Hall
- Division of Biological Sciences, University of Montana, Missoula, Montana, United States of America
| | - D. Scott Samuels
- Division of Biological Sciences, University of Montana, Missoula, Montana, United States of America
- Center for Biomolecular Structure and Dynamics, University of Montana, Missoula, Montana, United States of America
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