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Roig FJ, González-Candelas F, Sanjuán E, Fouz B, Feil EJ, Llorens C, Baker-Austin C, Oliver JD, Danin-Poleg Y, Gibas CJ, Kashi Y, Gulig PA, Morrison SS, Amaro C. Phylogeny of Vibrio vulnificus from the Analysis of the Core-Genome: Implications for Intra-Species Taxonomy. Front Microbiol 2018; 8:2613. [PMID: 29358930 PMCID: PMC5765525 DOI: 10.3389/fmicb.2017.02613] [Citation(s) in RCA: 29] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/13/2017] [Accepted: 12/14/2017] [Indexed: 01/22/2023] Open
Abstract
Vibrio vulnificus (Vv) is a multi-host pathogenic species currently subdivided into three biotypes (Bts). The three Bts are human-pathogens, but only Bt2 is also a fish-pathogen, an ability that is conferred by a transferable virulence-plasmid (pVvbt2). Here we present a phylogenomic analysis from the core genome of 80 Vv strains belonging to the three Bts recovered from a wide range of geographical and ecological sources. We have identified five well-supported phylogenetic groups or lineages (L). L1 comprises a mixture of clinical and environmental Bt1 strains, most of them involved in human clinical cases related to raw seafood ingestion. L2 is formed by a mixture of Bt1 and Bt2 strains from various sources, including diseased fish, and is related to the aquaculture industry. L3 is also linked to the aquaculture industry and includes Bt3 strains exclusively, mostly related to wound infections or secondary septicemia after farmed-fish handling. Lastly, L4 and L5 include a few strains of Bt1 associated with specific geographical areas. The phylogenetic trees for ChrI and II are not congruent to one another, which suggests that inter- and/or intra-chromosomal rearrangements have been produced along Vv evolution. Further, the phylogenetic trees for each chromosome and the virulence plasmid were also not congruent, which also suggests that pVvbt2 has been acquired independently by different clones, probably in fish farms. From all these clones, the one with zoonotic capabilities (Bt2-Serovar E) has successfully spread worldwide. Based on these results, we propose a new updated classification of the species based on phylogenetic lineages rather than on Bts, as well as the inclusion of all Bt2 strains in a pathovar with the particular ability to cause fish vibriosis, for which we suggest the name "piscis."
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Affiliation(s)
- Francisco J Roig
- Estructura de Investigación Interdisciplinar en Biotecnología y Biomedicina BIOTECMED, University of Valencia, Valencia, Spain.,Departmento de Microbiología y Ecología, Universidad de Valencia, Valencia, Spain.,Biotechvana, Parc Cientific, Universitat de Valencia, Valencia, Spain
| | - Fernando González-Candelas
- Joint Research Unit on Infection and Public Health FISABIO-Salud Pública and Universitat de Valencia-I2SysBio, Valencia, Spain.,CIBEResp, National Network Center for Research on Epidemiology and Public Health, Instituto de Salud Carlos III, Valencia, Spain
| | - Eva Sanjuán
- Estructura de Investigación Interdisciplinar en Biotecnología y Biomedicina BIOTECMED, University of Valencia, Valencia, Spain.,Departmento de Microbiología y Ecología, Universidad de Valencia, Valencia, Spain
| | - Belén Fouz
- Estructura de Investigación Interdisciplinar en Biotecnología y Biomedicina BIOTECMED, University of Valencia, Valencia, Spain.,Departmento de Microbiología y Ecología, Universidad de Valencia, Valencia, Spain
| | - Edward J Feil
- Department of Biology and Biochemistry, University of Bath, Bath, United Kingdom
| | - Carlos Llorens
- Biotechvana, Parc Cientific, Universitat de Valencia, Valencia, Spain
| | - Craig Baker-Austin
- Centre for Environment, Fisheries and Aquaculture Science, Weymouth, United Kingdom
| | - James D Oliver
- Department of Biological Sciences, University of North Carolina at Charlotte, Charlotte, NC, United States.,Duke University Marine Lab, Beaufort, NC, United States
| | - Yael Danin-Poleg
- Faculty of Biotechnology and Food Engineering, Technion-Israel Institute of Technology, Haifa, Israel
| | - Cynthia J Gibas
- Department of Bioinformatics and Genomics, the University of North Carolina at Charlotte, Charlotte, NC, United States
| | - Yechezkel Kashi
- Faculty of Biotechnology and Food Engineering, Technion-Israel Institute of Technology, Haifa, Israel
| | - Paul A Gulig
- Department of Molecular Genetics and Microbiology, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL, United States
| | - Shatavia S Morrison
- Department of Bioinformatics and Genomics, the University of North Carolina at Charlotte, Charlotte, NC, United States
| | - Carmen Amaro
- Estructura de Investigación Interdisciplinar en Biotecnología y Biomedicina BIOTECMED, University of Valencia, Valencia, Spain.,Departmento de Microbiología y Ecología, Universidad de Valencia, Valencia, Spain
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52
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Carda-Diéguez M, Ghai R, Rodríguez-Valera F, Amaro C. Wild eel microbiome reveals that skin mucus of fish could be a natural niche for aquatic mucosal pathogen evolution. MICROBIOME 2017; 5:162. [PMID: 29268781 PMCID: PMC5740887 DOI: 10.1186/s40168-017-0376-1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 25] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/11/2017] [Accepted: 11/21/2017] [Indexed: 05/21/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Fish skin mucosal surfaces (SMS) are quite similar in composition and function to some mammalian MS and, in consequence, could constitute an adequate niche for the evolution of mucosal aquatic pathogens in natural environments. We aimed to test this hypothesis by searching for metagenomic and genomic evidences in the SMS-microbiome of a model fish species (Anguilla Anguilla or eel), from different ecosystems (four natural environments of different water salinity and one eel farm) as well as the water microbiome (W-microbiome) surrounding the host. RESULTS Remarkably, potentially pathogenic Vibrio monopolized wild eel SMS-microbiome from natural ecosystems, Vibrio anguillarum/Vibrio vulnificus and Vibrio cholerae/Vibrio metoecus being the most abundant ones in SMS from estuary and lake, respectively. Functions encoded in the SMS-microbiome differed significantly from those in the W-microbiome and allowed us to predict that successful mucus colonizers should have specific genes for (i) attachment (mainly by forming biofilms), (ii) bacterial competence and communication, and (iii) resistance to mucosal innate immunity, predators (amoeba), and heavy metals/drugs. In addition, we found several mobile genetic elements (mainly integrative conjugative elements) as well as a series of evidences suggesting that bacteria exchange DNA in SMS. Further, we isolated and sequenced a V. metoecus strain from SMS. This isolate shares pathogenicity islands with V. cholerae O1 from intestinal infections that are absent in the rest of sequenced V. metoecus strains, all of them from water and extra-intestinal infections. CONCLUSIONS We have obtained metagenomic and genomic evidence in favor of the hypothesis on the role of fish mucosal surfaces as a specialized habitat selecting microbes capable of colonizing and persisting on other comparable mucosal surfaces, e.g., the human intestine.
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Affiliation(s)
- Miguel Carda-Diéguez
- Department of Microbiology and Ecology abd Estructura de Recerca Interdisciplinar en Biotecnologia i Biomedicina (ERI BIOTECMED), University of Valencia, Valencia, Spain
| | - Rohit Ghai
- Institute of Hydrobiology, Department of Aquatic Microbial Ecology, Biology Center of the Academy of Sciences of the Czech Republic, České Budějovice, Czech Republic
| | - Francisco Rodríguez-Valera
- Evolutionary Genomics Group, Department de Producción Vegetal y Microbiología, Universidad Miguel Hernández, San Juan de Alicante, Spain
| | - Carmen Amaro
- Department of Microbiology and Ecology abd Estructura de Recerca Interdisciplinar en Biotecnologia i Biomedicina (ERI BIOTECMED), University of Valencia, Valencia, Spain.
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53
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Woida PJ, Satchell KJF. Coordinated delivery and function of bacterial MARTX toxin effectors. Mol Microbiol 2017; 107:133-141. [PMID: 29114985 DOI: 10.1111/mmi.13875] [Citation(s) in RCA: 19] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 11/04/2017] [Indexed: 12/22/2022]
Abstract
Bacteria often coordinate virulence factors to fine-tune the host response during infection. These coordinated events can include toxins counteracting or amplifying effects of another toxin or though regulating the stability of virulence factors to remove their function once it is no longer needed. Multifunctional autoprocessing repeats-in toxin (MARTX) toxins are effector delivery toxins that form a pore into the plasma membrane of a eukaryotic cell to deliver multiple effector proteins into the cytosol of the target cell. The function of these proteins includes manipulating actin cytoskeletal dynamics, regulating signal transduction pathways and inhibiting host secretory pathways. Investigations into the molecular mechanisms of these effector domains are providing insight into how the function of some effectors overlap and regulate one another during infection. Coordinated crosstalk of effector function suggests that MARTX toxins are not simply a sum of all their parts. Instead, modulation of cell function by effector domains may depend on which other effector domain are co-delivered. Future studies will elucidate how these effectors interact with each other to modulate the bacterial host interaction.
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Affiliation(s)
- Patrick J Woida
- Department of Microbiology-Immunology, Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine, Chicago, IL 60611, USA
| | - Karla J F Satchell
- Department of Microbiology-Immunology, Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine, Chicago, IL 60611, USA
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Kim IH, Aryal SK, Aghai DT, Casanova-Torres ÁM, Hillman K, Kozuch MP, Mans EJ, Mauer TJ, Ogier JC, Ensign JC, Gaudriault S, Goodman WG, Goodrich-Blair H, Dillman AR. The insect pathogenic bacterium Xenorhabdus innexi has attenuated virulence in multiple insect model hosts yet encodes a potent mosquitocidal toxin. BMC Genomics 2017; 18:927. [PMID: 29191166 PMCID: PMC5709968 DOI: 10.1186/s12864-017-4311-4] [Citation(s) in RCA: 27] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/07/2017] [Accepted: 11/16/2017] [Indexed: 11/25/2022] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Xenorhabdus innexi is a bacterial symbiont of Steinernema scapterisci nematodes, which is a cricket-specialist parasite and together the nematode and bacteria infect and kill crickets. Curiously, X. innexi expresses a potent extracellular mosquitocidal toxin activity in culture supernatants. We sequenced a draft genome of X. innexi and compared it to the genomes of related pathogens to elucidate the nature of specialization. RESULTS Using green fluorescent protein-expressing X. innexi we confirm previous reports using culture-dependent techniques that X. innexi colonizes its nematode host at low levels (~3-8 cells per nematode), relative to other Xenorhabdus-Steinernema associations. We found that compared to the well-characterized entomopathogenic nematode symbiont X. nematophila, X. innexi fails to suppress the insect phenoloxidase immune pathway and is attenuated for virulence and reproduction in the Lepidoptera Galleria mellonella and Manduca sexta, as well as the dipteran Drosophila melanogaster. To assess if, compared to other Xenorhabdus spp., X. innexi has a reduced capacity to synthesize virulence determinants, we obtained and analyzed a draft genome sequence. We found no evidence for several hallmarks of Xenorhabdus spp. toxicity, including Tc and Mcf toxins. Similar to other Xenorhabdus genomes, we found numerous loci predicted to encode non-ribosomal peptide/polyketide synthetases. Anti-SMASH predictions of these loci revealed one, related to the fcl locus that encodes fabclavines and zmn locus that encodes zeamines, as a likely candidate to encode the X. innexi mosquitocidal toxin biosynthetic machinery, which we designated Xlt. In support of this hypothesis, two mutants each with an insertion in an Xlt biosynthesis gene cluster lacked the mosquitocidal compound based on HPLC/MS analysis and neither produced toxin to the levels of the wild type parent. CONCLUSIONS The X. innexi genome will be a valuable resource in identifying loci encoding new metabolites of interest, but also in future comparative studies of nematode-bacterial symbiosis and niche partitioning among bacterial pathogens.
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Affiliation(s)
- Il-Hwan Kim
- Department of Entomology, University of Wisconsin-Madison, Madison, WI USA
- Present address: Laboratory of Malaria and Vector Research, National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, Rockville, MD USA
| | | | - Dariush T. Aghai
- Department of Bacteriology, University of Wisconsin-Madison, Madison, WI USA
| | | | - Kai Hillman
- Department of Bacteriology, University of Wisconsin-Madison, Madison, WI USA
| | - Michael P. Kozuch
- Department of Bacteriology, University of Wisconsin-Madison, Madison, WI USA
| | - Erin J. Mans
- Department of Bacteriology, University of Wisconsin-Madison, Madison, WI USA
- Department of Microbiology, University of Tennessee-Knoxville, Knoxville, TN USA
| | - Terra J. Mauer
- Department of Bacteriology, University of Wisconsin-Madison, Madison, WI USA
- Department of Microbiology, University of Tennessee-Knoxville, Knoxville, TN USA
| | | | - Jerald C. Ensign
- Department of Bacteriology, University of Wisconsin-Madison, Madison, WI USA
| | | | - Walter G. Goodman
- Department of Entomology, University of Wisconsin-Madison, Madison, WI USA
| | - Heidi Goodrich-Blair
- Department of Bacteriology, University of Wisconsin-Madison, Madison, WI USA
- Department of Microbiology, University of Tennessee-Knoxville, Knoxville, TN USA
| | - Adler R. Dillman
- Department of Nematology, University of California, Riverside, CA USA
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55
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Type I Protein Secretion-Deceptively Simple yet with a Wide Range of Mechanistic Variability across the Family. EcoSal Plus 2017; 7. [PMID: 28084193 DOI: 10.1128/ecosalplus.esp-0019-2015] [Citation(s) in RCA: 36] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/08/2023]
Abstract
A very large type I polypeptide begins to reel out from a ribosome; minutes later, the still unidentifiable polypeptide, largely lacking secondary structure, is now in some cases a thousand or more residues longer. Synthesis of the final hundred C-terminal residues commences. This includes the identity code, the secretion signal within the last 50 amino acids, designed to dock with a waiting ATP binding cassette (ABC) transporter. What happens next is the subject of this review, with the main, but not the only focus on hemolysin HlyA, an RTX protein toxin secreted by the type I system. Transport substrates range from small peptides to giant proteins produced by many pathogens. These molecules, without detectable cellular chaperones, overcome enormous barriers, crossing two membranes before final folding on the cell surface, involving a unique autocatalytic process.Unfolded HlyA is extruded posttranslationally, C-terminal first. The transenvelope "tunnel" is formed by HlyB (ABC transporter), HlyD (membrane fusion protein) straddling the inner membrane and periplasm and TolC (outer membrane). We present a new evaluation of the C-terminal secretion code, and the structure function of HlyD and HlyB at the heart of this nanomachine. Surprisingly, key details of the secretion mechanism are remarkably variable in the many type I secretion system subtypes. These include alternative folding processes, an apparently distinctive secretion code for each type I subfamily, and alternative forms of the ABC transporter; most remarkably, the ABC protein probably transports peptides or polypeptides by quite different mechanisms. Finally, we suggest a putative structure for the Hly-translocon, HlyB, the multijointed HlyD, and the TolC exit.
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56
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Kudryashova E, Seveau SM, Kudryashov DS. Targeting and inactivation of bacterial toxins by human defensins. Biol Chem 2017; 398:1069-1085. [PMID: 28593905 DOI: 10.1515/hsz-2017-0106] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/24/2017] [Accepted: 04/18/2017] [Indexed: 11/15/2022]
Abstract
Defensins, as a prominent family of antimicrobial peptides (AMP), are major effectors of the innate immunity with a broad range of immune modulatory and antimicrobial activities. In particular, defensins are the only recognized fast-response molecules that can neutralize a broad range of bacterial toxins, many of which are among the deadliest compounds on the planet. For a decade, the mystery of how a small and structurally conserved group of peptides can neutralize a heterogeneous group of toxins with little to no sequential and structural similarity remained unresolved. Recently, it was found that defensins recognize and target structural plasticity/thermodynamic instability, fundamental physicochemical properties that unite many bacterial toxins and distinguish them from the majority of host proteins. Binding of human defensins promotes local unfolding of the affected toxins, destabilizes their secondary and tertiary structures, increases susceptibility to proteolysis, and leads to their precipitation. While the details of toxin destabilization by defensins remain obscure, here we briefly review properties and activities of bacterial toxins known to be affected by or resilient to defensins, and discuss how recognized features of defensins correlate with the observed inactivation.
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57
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Aktories K, Schwan C, Lang AE. ADP-Ribosylation and Cross-Linking of Actin by Bacterial Protein Toxins. Handb Exp Pharmacol 2017; 235:179-206. [PMID: 27316913 DOI: 10.1007/164_2016_26] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/22/2022]
Abstract
Actin and the actin cytoskeleton play fundamental roles in host-pathogen interactions. Proper function of the actin cytoskeleton is crucial for innate and acquired immune defense. Bacterial toxins attack the actin cytoskeleton by targeting regulators of actin. Moreover, actin is directly modified by various bacterial protein toxins and effectors, which cause ADP-ribosylation or cross-linking of actin. Modification of actin can result in inhibition or stimulation of actin polymerization. Toxins, acting directly on actin, are reviewed.
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Affiliation(s)
- Klaus Aktories
- Institute for Experimental and Clinical Pharmacology and Toxicology, Albert-Ludwigs-Universität Freiburg, Freiburg, 79104, Germany. .,Freiburg Institute of Advanced Studies (FRIAS), Albert-Ludwigs-Universität Freiburg, Freiburg, 79104, Germany.
| | - Carsten Schwan
- Institute for Experimental and Clinical Pharmacology and Toxicology, Albert-Ludwigs-Universität Freiburg, Freiburg, 79104, Germany
| | - Alexander E Lang
- Institute for Experimental and Clinical Pharmacology and Toxicology, Albert-Ludwigs-Universität Freiburg, Freiburg, 79104, Germany
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58
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Variable Virulence of Biotype 3 Vibrio vulnificus due to MARTX Toxin Effector Domain Composition. mSphere 2017; 2:mSphere00272-17. [PMID: 28815212 PMCID: PMC5555677 DOI: 10.1128/mspheredirect.00272-17] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/03/2017] [Accepted: 07/07/2017] [Indexed: 01/22/2023] Open
Abstract
Vibrio vulnificus is an environmental organism that causes septic human infections characterized by high morbidity and mortality. The annual incidence and global distribution of this pathogen are increasing as ocean waters warm. Clinical strains exhibit variations in the primary virulence toxin, suggesting a potential for the emergence of new strains with altered virulence properties. A clonal outbreak of tilapia-associated wound infections in Israel serves as a natural experiment for the sudden emergence of a new V. vulnificus strain. The effector domain content of the multifunctional autoprocessing RTX (MARTX) toxin of the outbreak-associated biotype 3 (BT3) strains was previously shown to harbor a modification generated by recombination. The modification introduced an actin-induced adenylate cyclase effector domain (ExoY) and an effector domain that disrupts the Golgi organelle (DmX). Here, we report that the exchange of these effector domains for a putative progenitor biotype 1 toxin arrangement produces a toxin that slows the lysis kinetics of targeted epithelial cells but increases cellular rounding phenotypes in response to bacteria. In addition, replacing the biotype 3 toxin variant with the putative progenitor biotype 1 variant renders the resulting strain significantly more virulent in mice. This suggests that the exchange of MARTX effector domains during the emergence of BT3 generated a toxin with reduced toxin potency, resulting in decreased virulence of this outbreak-associated strain. We posit that selection for reduced virulence may serve as a route for this lethal infectious agent to enter the human food chain by allowing it to persist in natural hosts. IMPORTANCEVibrio vulnificus is a serious infection linked to climate change. The virulence capacity of these bacteria can vary by gene exchange, resulting in new variants of the primary virulence toxin. In this study, we tested whether the emergence of an epidemic strain of V. vulnificus with a novel toxin variant correlated with a change in virulence. We found that restoring the biotype 3 toxin variant to the putative progenitor-type toxin resulted in dramatically increased virulence, revealing that the emergence of the biotype 3 strain could be linked to virulence reduction. This reduced virulence, previously found also in the biotype 1 strain, suggests that reduced virulence may stimulate outbreaks, as strains have greater capacity to enter the human food chain through reduced impact to environmental hosts.
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59
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Murciano C, Lee CT, Fernández-Bravo A, Hsieh TH, Fouz B, Hor LI, Amaro C. MARTX Toxin in the Zoonotic Serovar of Vibrio vulnificus Triggers an Early Cytokine Storm in Mice. Front Cell Infect Microbiol 2017; 7:332. [PMID: 28775962 PMCID: PMC5517466 DOI: 10.3389/fcimb.2017.00332] [Citation(s) in RCA: 21] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/09/2017] [Accepted: 07/05/2017] [Indexed: 12/18/2022] Open
Abstract
Vibrio vulnificus biotype 2-serovar E is a zoonotic clonal complex that can cause death by sepsis in humans and fish. Unlike other biotypes, Bt2 produces a unique type of MARTXVv (Multifunctional-Autoprocessive-Repeats-in-Toxin; RtxA13), which is encoded by a gene duplicated in the pVvBt2 plasmid and chromosome II. In this work, we analyzed the activity of this toxin and its role in human sepsis by performing in vitro, ex vivo, and in vivo assays. First, we demonstrated that the ACD domain, present exclusively in this toxin variant, effectively has an actin-cross-linking activity. Second, we determined that the whole toxin caused death of human endotheliocytes and monocytes by lysis and apoptosis, respectively. Finally, we tested the hypothesis that RtxA13 contributes to human death caused by this zoonotic serovar by triggering an early cytokine storm in blood. To this end, we used a Bt2-SerE strain (R99) together with its rtxA13 deficient mutant, and a Bt1 strain (YJ016) producing RtxA11 (the most studied MARTXVv) together with its rtxA11 deficient mutant, as controls. Our results showed that RtxA13 was essential for virulence, as R99ΔΔrtxA13 was completely avirulent in our murine model of infection, and that R99, but not strain YJ016, induced an early, strong and dysregulated immune response involving the up-regulation of a high number of genes. This dysregulated immune response was directly linked to RtxA13. Based on these results and those obtained ex vivo (human blood), we propose a model of infection for the zoonotic serovar of V. vulnificus, in which RtxA13 would act as a sepsis-inducing toxin.
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Affiliation(s)
- Celia Murciano
- Departamento de Microbiología y Ecología & Estructura de Recerca Interdisciplinar en Biotecnologia i Biomedicina, Universitat de ValènciaValencia, Spain
| | - Chung-Te Lee
- Department of Microbiology & Immunology & College of Medicine, National Cheng Kung UniversityTainan, Taiwan
| | - Ana Fernández-Bravo
- Departamento de Microbiología y Ecología & Estructura de Recerca Interdisciplinar en Biotecnologia i Biomedicina, Universitat de ValènciaValencia, Spain
| | - Tsung-Han Hsieh
- Department of Microbiology & Immunology & College of Medicine, National Cheng Kung UniversityTainan, Taiwan
| | - Belén Fouz
- Departamento de Microbiología y Ecología & Estructura de Recerca Interdisciplinar en Biotecnologia i Biomedicina, Universitat de ValènciaValencia, Spain
| | - Lien-I Hor
- Department of Microbiology & Immunology & College of Medicine, National Cheng Kung UniversityTainan, Taiwan.,Institute of Basic Medical Sciences, College of Medicine, National Cheng Kung UniversityTainan, Taiwan
| | - Carmen Amaro
- Departamento de Microbiología y Ecología & Estructura de Recerca Interdisciplinar en Biotecnologia i Biomedicina, Universitat de ValènciaValencia, Spain
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60
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Affiliation(s)
- Megan Garland
- Cancer
Biology Program, ‡Department of Pathology, §Department of Microbiology and Immunology, and ∥Department of
Chemical and Systems Biology, Stanford University School of Medicine, 300 Pasteur Drive, Stanford, California 94305, United States
| | - Sebastian Loscher
- Cancer
Biology Program, ‡Department of Pathology, §Department of Microbiology and Immunology, and ∥Department of
Chemical and Systems Biology, Stanford University School of Medicine, 300 Pasteur Drive, Stanford, California 94305, United States
| | - Matthew Bogyo
- Cancer
Biology Program, ‡Department of Pathology, §Department of Microbiology and Immunology, and ∥Department of
Chemical and Systems Biology, Stanford University School of Medicine, 300 Pasteur Drive, Stanford, California 94305, United States
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61
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Affiliation(s)
- Kelsey E. Phillips
- Department of Microbiology-Immunology, Feinberg School of Medicine, Northwestern University, Chicago, Illinois, United States of America
| | - Karla J. F. Satchell
- Department of Microbiology-Immunology, Feinberg School of Medicine, Northwestern University, Chicago, Illinois, United States of America
- * E-mail:
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62
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Gavin HE, Beubier NT, Satchell KJF. The Effector Domain Region of the Vibrio vulnificus MARTX Toxin Confers Biphasic Epithelial Barrier Disruption and Is Essential for Systemic Spread from the Intestine. PLoS Pathog 2017; 13:e1006119. [PMID: 28060924 PMCID: PMC5218395 DOI: 10.1371/journal.ppat.1006119] [Citation(s) in RCA: 31] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/17/2016] [Accepted: 12/12/2016] [Indexed: 12/14/2022] Open
Abstract
Vibrio vulnificus causes highly lethal bacterial infections in which the Multifunctional Autoprocessing Repeats-in-Toxins (MARTX) toxin product of the rtxA1 gene is a key virulence factor. MARTX toxins are secreted proteins up to 5208 amino acids in size. Conserved MARTX N- and C-terminal repeat regions work in concert to form pores in eukaryotic cell membranes, through which the toxin's central region of modular effector domains is translocated. Upon inositol hexakisphosphate-induced activation of the of the MARTX cysteine protease domain (CPD) in the eukaryotic cytosol, effector domains are released from the holotoxin by autoproteolytic activity. We previously reported that the native MARTX toxin effector domain repertoire is dispensable for epithelial cellular necrosis in vitro, but essential for cell rounding and apoptosis prior to necrotic cell death. Here we use an intragastric mouse model to demonstrate that the effector domain region is required for bacterial virulence during intragastric infection. The MARTX effector domain region is essential for bacterial dissemination from the intestine, but dissemination occurs in the absence of overt intestinal tissue pathology. We employ an in vitro model of V. vulnificus interaction with polarized colonic epithelial cells to show that the MARTX effector domain region induces rapid intestinal barrier dysfunction and increased paracellular permeability prior to onset of cell lysis. Together, these results negate the inherent assumption that observations of necrosis in vitro directly predict bacterial virulence, and indicate a paradigm shift in our conceptual understanding of MARTX toxin function during intestinal infection. Results implicate the MARTX effector domain region in mediating early bacterial dissemination from the intestine to distal organs-a key step in V. vulnificus foodborne pathogenesis-even before onset of overt intestinal pathology.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hannah E. Gavin
- Department of Microbiology-Immunology, Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine, Chicago, IL, United States of America
| | - Nike T. Beubier
- Department of Pathology, Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine and Northwestern Memorial Hospital, Chicago, IL, United States of America
| | - Karla J. F. Satchell
- Department of Microbiology-Immunology, Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine, Chicago, IL, United States of America
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63
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Oladokun MO, Okoh IA. Vibrio cholerae: A historical perspective and current trend. ASIAN PACIFIC JOURNAL OF TROPICAL DISEASE 2016. [DOI: 10.1016/s2222-1808(16)61154-4] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/16/2022]
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64
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Proteomics Analysis Reveals Previously Uncharacterized Virulence Factors in Vibrio proteolyticus. mBio 2016; 7:mBio.01077-16. [PMID: 27460800 PMCID: PMC4981721 DOI: 10.1128/mbio.01077-16] [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] [Indexed: 01/22/2023] Open
Abstract
Members of the genus Vibrio include many pathogens of humans and marine animals that share genetic information via horizontal gene transfer. Hence, the Vibrio pan-genome carries the potential to establish new pathogenic strains by sharing virulence determinants, many of which have yet to be characterized. Here, we investigated the virulence properties of Vibrio proteolyticus, a Gram-negative marine bacterium previously identified as part of the Vibrio consortium isolated from diseased corals. We found that V. proteolyticus causes actin cytoskeleton rearrangements followed by cell lysis in HeLa cells in a contact-independent manner. In search of the responsible virulence factor involved, we determined the V. proteolyticus secretome. This proteomics approach revealed various putative virulence factors, including active type VI secretion systems and effectors with virulence toxin domains; however, these type VI secretion systems were not responsible for the observed cytotoxic effects. Further examination of the V. proteolyticus secretome led us to hypothesize and subsequently demonstrate that a secreted hemolysin, belonging to a previously uncharacterized clan of the leukocidin superfamily, was the toxin responsible for the V. proteolyticus-mediated cytotoxicity in both HeLa cells and macrophages. Clearly, there remains an armory of yet-to-be-discovered virulence factors in the Vibrio pan-genome that will undoubtedly provide a wealth of knowledge on how a pathogen can manipulate host cells. The pan-genome of the genus Vibrio is a potential reservoir of unidentified toxins that can provide insight into how members of this genus have successfully risen as emerging pathogens worldwide. We focused on Vibrio proteolyticus, a marine bacterium that was previously implicated in virulence toward marine animals, and characterized its interaction with eukaryotic cells. We found that this bacterium causes actin cytoskeleton rearrangements and leads to cell death. Using a proteomics approach, we identified a previously unstudied member of the leukocidin family of pore-forming toxins as the virulence factor responsible for the observed cytotoxicity in eukaryotic cells, as well as a plethora of additional putative virulence factors secreted by this bacterium. Our findings reveal a functional new clan of the leukocidin toxin superfamily and establish this pathogen as a reservoir of potential toxins that can be used for biomedical applications.
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Abstract
Bacterial sphingomyelinases and phospholipases are a heterogeneous group of esterases which are usually surface associated or secreted by a wide variety of Gram-positive and Gram-negative bacteria. These enzymes hydrolyze sphingomyelin and glycerophospholipids, respectively, generating products identical to the ones produced by eukaryotic enzymes which play crucial roles in distinct physiological processes, including membrane dynamics, cellular signaling, migration, growth, and death. Several bacterial sphingomyelinases and phospholipases are essential for virulence of extracellular, facultative, or obligate intracellular pathogens, as these enzymes contribute to phagosomal escape or phagosomal maturation avoidance, favoring tissue colonization, infection establishment and progression, or immune response evasion. This work presents a classification proposal for bacterial sphingomyelinases and phospholipases that considers not only their enzymatic activities but also their structural aspects. An overview of the main physiopathological activities is provided for each enzyme type, as are examples in which inactivation of a sphingomyelinase- or a phospholipase-encoding gene impairs the virulence of a pathogen. The identification of sphingomyelinases and phospholipases important for bacterial pathogenesis and the development of inhibitors for these enzymes could generate candidate vaccines and therapeutic agents, which will diminish the impacts of the associated human and animal diseases.
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Kim BS, Satchell KJF. MARTX effector cross kingdom activation by Golgi-associated ADP-ribosylation factors. Cell Microbiol 2016; 18:1078-93. [PMID: 26780191 DOI: 10.1111/cmi.12568] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/06/2015] [Revised: 12/28/2015] [Accepted: 01/10/2016] [Indexed: 02/07/2023]
Abstract
Vibrio vulnificus infects humans and causes lethal septicemia. The primary virulence factor is a multifunctional-autoprocessing repeats-in-toxin (MARTX) toxin consisting of conserved repeats-containing regions and various effector domains. Recent genomic analyses for the newly emerged V. vulnificus biotype 3 strain revealed that its MARTX toxin has two previously unknown effector domains. Herein, we characterized one of these domains, Domain X (DmXVv ). A structure-based homology search revealed that DmXVv belongs to the C58B cysteine peptidase subfamily. When ectopically expressed in cells, DmXVv was autoprocessed and induced cytopathicity including Golgi dispersion. When the catalytic cysteine or the region flanking the scissile bond was mutated, both autoprocessing and cytopathicity were significantly reduced indicating that DmXVv cytopathicity is activated by amino-terminal autoprocessing. Consistent with this, host cell protein export was affected by Vibrio cells producing a toxin with wild-type, but not catalytically inactive, DmXVv . DmXVv was found to localize to Golgi and to directly interact with Golgi-associated ADP-ribosylation factors ARF1, ARF3 and ARF4, although ARF binding was not necessary for the subcellular localization. Rather, this interaction was found to induce autoprocessing of DmXVv . These data demonstrate that the V. vulnificus hijacks the host ARF proteins to activate the cytopathic DmXVv effector domain of MARTX toxin.
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Affiliation(s)
- Byoung Sik Kim
- Department of Microbiology-Immunology, Feinberg School of Medicine, Northwestern University, Chicago, IL, 60611, USA
| | - Karla J F Satchell
- Department of Microbiology-Immunology, Feinberg School of Medicine, Northwestern University, Chicago, IL, 60611, USA
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Pathogenic Mechanisms of Actin Cross-Linking Toxins: Peeling Away the Layers. Curr Top Microbiol Immunol 2016; 399:87-112. [PMID: 27858184 DOI: 10.1007/82_2016_22] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/07/2023]
Abstract
Actin cross-linking toxins are produced by Gram-negative bacteria from Vibrio and Aeromonas genera. The toxins were named actin cross-linking domains (ACD), since the first and most of the subsequently discovered ACDs were found as effector domains in larger MARTX and VgrG toxins. Among recognized human pathogens, ACD is produced by Vibrio cholerae, Vibrio vulnificus, and Aeromonas hydrophila. Upon delivery to the cytoplasm of a host cell, ACD covalently cross-links actin monomers into non-polymerizable actin oligomers of various lengths. Provided sufficient doses of toxin are delivered, most or all actin can be promptly cross-linked into non-functional oligomers, leading to cell rounding, detachment from the substrate and, in many cases, cell death. Recently, a deeper layer of ACD toxicity with a less obvious but more potent mechanism was discovered. According to this finding, low doses of the ACD-produced actin oligomers can actively disrupt the actin cytoskeleton by potently inhibiting essential actin assembly proteins, formins. The first layer of toxicity is direct (as actin is the immediate and the only target), passive (since ACD-cross-linked actin oligomers are toxic only because they are non-functional), and less potent (as bulk quantities of one of the most abundant cytoplasmic proteins, actin, have to be modified). The second mechanism is indirect (as major targets, formins, are not affected by ACD directly), active (because actin oligomers act as "secondary" toxins), and highly potent [as it affects scarce and essential actin-binding proteins (ABPs)].
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Murfin KE, Whooley AC, Klassen JL, Goodrich-Blair H. Comparison of Xenorhabdus bovienii bacterial strain genomes reveals diversity in symbiotic functions. BMC Genomics 2015; 16:889. [PMID: 26525894 PMCID: PMC4630870 DOI: 10.1186/s12864-015-2000-8] [Citation(s) in RCA: 18] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/19/2015] [Accepted: 10/03/2015] [Indexed: 12/16/2022] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Xenorhabdus bacteria engage in a beneficial symbiosis with Steinernema nematodes, in part by providing activities that help kill and degrade insect hosts for nutrition. Xenorhabdus strains (members of a single species) can display wide variation in host-interaction phenotypes and genetic potential indicating that strains may differ in their encoded symbiosis factors, including secreted metabolites. METHODS To discern strain-level variation among symbiosis factors, and facilitate the identification of novel compounds, we performed a comparative analysis of the genomes of 10 Xenorhabdus bovienii bacterial strains. RESULTS The analyzed X. bovienii draft genomes are broadly similar in structure (e.g. size, GC content, number of coding sequences). Genome content analysis revealed that general classes of putative host-microbe interaction functions, such as secretion systems and toxin classes, were identified in all bacterial strains. In contrast, we observed diversity of individual genes within families (e.g. non-ribosomal peptide synthetase clusters and insecticidal toxin components), indicating the specific molecules secreted by each strain can vary. Additionally, phenotypic analysis indicates that regulation of activities (e.g. enzymes and motility) differs among strains. CONCLUSIONS The analyses presented here demonstrate that while general mechanisms by which X. bovienii bacterial strains interact with their invertebrate hosts are similar, the specific molecules mediating these interactions differ. Our data support that adaptation of individual bacterial strains to distinct hosts or niches has occurred. For example, diverse metabolic profiles among bacterial symbionts may have been selected by dissimilarities in nutritional requirements of their different nematode hosts. Similarly, factors involved in parasitism (e.g. immune suppression and microbial competition factors), likely differ based on evolution in response to naturally encountered organisms, such as insect hosts, competitors, predators or pathogens. This study provides insight into effectors of a symbiotic lifestyle, and also highlights that when mining Xenorhabdus species for novel natural products, including antibiotics and insecticidal toxins, analysis of multiple bacterial strains likely will increase the potential for the discovery of novel molecules.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kristen E Murfin
- Department of Bacteriology, University of Wisconsin-Madison, Madison, WI, 53706, USA.
| | - Amy C Whooley
- Department of Bacteriology, University of Wisconsin-Madison, Madison, WI, 53706, USA.
| | - Jonathan L Klassen
- Department of Molecular & Cell Biology, University of Connecticut, Storrs, CT, 06269, USA.
| | - Heidi Goodrich-Blair
- Department of Bacteriology, University of Wisconsin-Madison, Madison, WI, 53706, USA.
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Gavin HE, Satchell KJF. MARTX toxins as effector delivery platforms. Pathog Dis 2015; 73:ftv092. [PMID: 26472741 DOI: 10.1093/femspd/ftv092] [Citation(s) in RCA: 29] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 10/07/2015] [Indexed: 12/14/2022] Open
Abstract
Bacteria frequently manipulate their host environment via delivery of microbial 'effector' proteins to the cytosol of eukaryotic cells. In the case of the multifunctional autoprocessing repeats-in-toxins (MARTX) toxin, this phenomenon is accomplished by a single, >3500 amino acid polypeptide that carries information for secretion, translocation, autoprocessing and effector activity. MARTX toxins are secreted from bacteria by dedicated Type I secretion systems. The released MARTX toxins form pores in target eukaryotic cell membranes for the delivery of up to five cytopathic effectors, each of which disrupts a key cellular process. Targeted cellular processes include modulation or modification of small GTPases, manipulation of host cell signaling and disruption of cytoskeletal integrity. More recently, MARTX toxins have been shown to be capable of heterologous protein translocation. Found across multiple bacterial species and genera--frequently in pathogens lacking Type 3 or Type 4 secretion systems--MARTX toxins in multiple cases function as virulence factors. Innovative research at the intersection of toxin biology and bacterial genetics continues to elucidate the intricacies of the toxin as well as the cytotoxic mechanisms of its diverse effector collection.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hannah E Gavin
- Department of Microbiology-Immunology, Feinberg School of Medicine, Northwestern University, Chicago, IL 60611, USA
| | - Karla J F Satchell
- Department of Microbiology-Immunology, Feinberg School of Medicine, Northwestern University, Chicago, IL 60611, USA
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