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Cerri FM, Basso RM, Biscola WAP, Silva JM, Ferreira EO, Haisi A, Araújo Júnior JP, Arroyo LG, de Castro YG, Silva ROS, Filho JPDO, Borges AS. Fecal Shedding of Clostridioides difficile in Calves in Sao Paulo State, Brazil. Anaerobe 2024:102861. [PMID: 38729514 DOI: 10.1016/j.anaerobe.2024.102861] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/04/2024] [Revised: 04/25/2024] [Accepted: 04/28/2024] [Indexed: 05/12/2024]
Abstract
OBJECTIVE This study aimed to evaluate the fecal shedding of C. difficile in calves on farms in Sao Paulo State, Brazil. MATERIALS AND METHODS Fecal samples (n=300) were collected from diarrheic (n=78) and nondiarrheic (n=222) calves less than 60 days of age from 20 farms. Fecal samples were inoculated into enrichment broth supplemented with taurocholate and cultured under anaerobic conditions. Colonies suspected to be C. difficile were harvested for DNA extraction and then multiplex PCR for the detection of genes encoding toxins A and B and binary toxins. All toxigenic isolates were ribotyped and tested for antimicrobial susceptibility, and five selected strains were subjected to whole-genome sequencing to determine their sequence type. RESULTS AND DISCUSSION C. difficile was isolated from 29.3% (88/300) of the samples. All toxigenic isolates (17/88, 19.3%) were classified as ribotypes RT046 (13/17 -79.47%, A+B+ CDT-) and RT126 (4/17=20.53%, A+B+ CDT+). The sequenced strains from RT046 were classified as ST35 (Clade 1), while those from RT126 were classified as ST11 (Clade 5). No associations between the epidemiological factors in any of the groups and C. difficile isolation were observed. Most of the toxigenic isolates (16/17=94.41%) were classified as multidrug-resistant. Calves can be an important source of toxigenic C. difficile strains, including multidrug-resistant isolates from ribotypes commonly observed in humans.
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Affiliation(s)
- Fabrício Moreira Cerri
- Sao Paulo State University (UNESP), School of Veterinary Medicine and Animal Science (FMVZ), Botucatu, Sao Paulo, Brazil
| | - Roberta Martins Basso
- Sao Paulo State University (UNESP), School of Veterinary Medicine and Animal Science (FMVZ), Botucatu, Sao Paulo, Brazil
| | | | - Júlia Meireles Silva
- Federal University of Rio de Janeiro (UFRJ), Paulo de Góes Institute of Microbiology (IMPG), Department of Medical Microbiology, UFRJ, Rio de Janeiro, Rio Janeiro, Brazil
| | - Eliane Oliveira Ferreira
- Federal University of Rio de Janeiro (UFRJ), Paulo de Góes Institute of Microbiology (IMPG), Department of Medical Microbiology, UFRJ, Rio de Janeiro, Rio Janeiro, Brazil
| | - Amanda Haisi
- Sao Paulo State University (UNESP), Institute of Biotechnology (IBTEC), Botucatu, Sao Paulo, Brazil
| | | | - Luis G Arroyo
- University of Guelph, Ontario Veterinary College, Department of Clinical Studies, Guelph, Ontario, Canada
| | - Yasmin Gonçalves de Castro
- Federal University of Minas Gerais (UFMG), School of Veterinary Medicine (EV), Belo Horizonte, Minas Gerais, Brazil
| | | | - José Paes de Oliveira Filho
- Sao Paulo State University (UNESP), School of Veterinary Medicine and Animal Science (FMVZ), Botucatu, Sao Paulo, Brazil
| | - Alexandre Secorun Borges
- Sao Paulo State University (UNESP), School of Veterinary Medicine and Animal Science (FMVZ), Botucatu, Sao Paulo, Brazil..
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Surface layer protein A from hypervirulent Clostridioides difficile ribotype 001 can induce autophagy process in human intestinal epithelial cells. Microb Pathog 2022; 169:105681. [PMID: 35850375 DOI: 10.1016/j.micpath.2022.105681] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/26/2021] [Revised: 05/31/2022] [Accepted: 07/12/2022] [Indexed: 11/21/2022]
Abstract
Clostridioides difficile is the leading cause of nosocomial diarrhea with high morbidity and mortality worldwide. C. difficile strains produce a crystalline surface layer protein A (SlpA), which is an absolute necessity for its pathogenesis. However, its pathogenic mechanisms and its pro-inflammatory behavior are not yet fully elucidated. Herein, we report for the first time that SlpA extracted from C. difficile can induce autophagy process in Caco-2 cells. SlpA protein was purified from two C. difficile strains (RT001 and ATCC 700075). The cell viability of Caco-2 cells after exposure with different concentrations (15, 20, 25 μg/mL) of SlpA at various time points (3, 6, 12, 24 h) was measured by MTT assay. Acridine orange staining was used to visualize the hypothetical acidic vesicular organelles. The gene expression of autophagy mediators including LC3B, Atg5, Atg16L, and Beclin-1 was determined by quantitative real-time PCR assay. Western blotting assay was used to detect the expression of LC3B protein. MTT assay showed that different concentrations of SlpA did not induce significant changes in the viability of Caco-2 cells. SlpA at concentration of 20 μg/mL enhanced the formation of acidic vesicular organelles in Caco-2 cells after 12 h of exposure. Moreover, SlpA treatment significantly increased the expression of autophagy-associated genes, and increased the expression of LC3B protein in Caco-2 cells. In conclusion, our study demonstrated that SlpA is capable to induce autophagy in intestinal epithelial cells. These findings reveal a novel mechanism for the pathogenesis of C. difficile mediated by its SLPs.
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Wang M, Deng Z, Li Y, Ma Y, Wang J. Design and characterization of a novel lytic protein against Clostridium difficile. Appl Microbiol Biotechnol 2022; 106:4511-4521. [PMID: 35699735 PMCID: PMC9194777 DOI: 10.1007/s00253-022-12010-0] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/21/2022] [Revised: 05/29/2022] [Accepted: 06/01/2022] [Indexed: 11/29/2022]
Abstract
Abstract Clostridium difficile (C. difficile) is a Gram-positive, spore-forming, toxin-producing anaerobe that can cause nosocomial antibiotic-associated intestinal disease. Autolysin is a lytic enzyme that hydrolyzes peptidoglycans of the bacterial cell wall, with a catalytic domain and cell wall–binding domains, proven to be involved in bacterial cell wall remodeling and cell division. Although autolysins in C. difficile have been reported, the autolysins have failed to yield impressive results when used as exogenous lytic agents. In this study, we expressed and characterized the binding domains (Cwp19-BD and Acd-BD) and catalytic domains (Cwp19-CD, Acd-CD, and Cwl-CD) of C. difficile autolysins, and the domains with the best binding specificity and lytic activity were selected towards C. difficile to design a novel lytic protein Cwl-CWB2. Cwl-CWB2 showed good biosafety with significantly low hemolysis and without cytotoxicity. The results of fluorescence analysis and lytic assay demonstrated that Cwl-CWB2 has higher binding specificity and stronger lytic activity with a minimum inhibitory concentration at 13.39 ± 5.80 μg/mL against living C. difficile cells, which is significantly stronger than commercial lysozyme (3333.33 ± 1443.37 μg/mL) and other reported C. difficile autolysins. Besides, Cwl-CWB2 exhibited good stability as about 75% of the lytic activity was still retained when incubated at 37 °C for 96 h, which is considered to be a potential antimicrobial agent to combat C. difficile. Key points • Several binding domains and catalytic domains, deriving from several Clostridium difficile autolysins, were expressed, purified, and functionally characterized. • A novel C. difficile lytic protein Cwl-CWB2 was designed from C. difficile autolysins. • The binding specificity and lytic activity of Cwl-CWB2 against C. difficile showed advantages compared with other reported C. difficile autolysins. • Cwl-CWB2 exhibited significantly low hemolysis and cytotoxicity against normal-derived colon mucosa 460 cell. Graphical abstract ![]()
Supplementary Information The online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1007/s00253-022-12010-0.
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Affiliation(s)
- Meng Wang
- School of Biology and Biological Engineering, South China University of Technology, Guangzhou, 510006, China
| | - Zifeng Deng
- School of Biology and Biological Engineering, South China University of Technology, Guangzhou, 510006, China
| | - Yanmei Li
- School of Biology and Biological Engineering, South China University of Technology, Guangzhou, 510006, China
| | - Yi Ma
- School of Biology and Biological Engineering, South China University of Technology, Guangzhou, 510006, China
- Guangdong Key Laboratory of Fermentation and Enzyme Engineering, South China University of Technology, Guangzhou, 510006, China
| | - Jufang Wang
- School of Biology and Biological Engineering, South China University of Technology, Guangzhou, 510006, China.
- Guangdong Key Laboratory of Fermentation and Enzyme Engineering, South China University of Technology, Guangzhou, 510006, China.
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Acuña-Amador L, Quesada-Gómez C, Rodríguez C. Clostridioides difficile in Latin America: A comprehensive review of literature (1984-2021). Anaerobe 2022; 74:102547. [PMID: 35337973 DOI: 10.1016/j.anaerobe.2022.102547] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/20/2021] [Revised: 03/07/2022] [Accepted: 03/14/2022] [Indexed: 02/06/2023]
Abstract
This narrative review summarizes literature on C. difficile and C. difficile infections (CDI) that emerged from Latin America (LA) between 1984 and 2021. The revised information includes papers in English, Spanish, or Portuguese that were retrieved from the databases Pubmed, Scopus, Web of Science, Google Scholar, Scielo, and Lilacs. Information is presented chronologically and segregated in subregions, focusing on clinical presentation, risk factors, detection and typing methods, prevalence and incidence rates, circulating strains, and, when available, phenotypic traits, such as antimicrobial susceptibility patterns. Studies dealing with cases, clinical aspects of CDI, and performance evaluations of diagnostic methods predominated. However, they showed substantial differences in case definitions, measuring units, populations, and experimental designs. Although a handful of autochthonous strains were identified, predominantly in Brazil and Costa Rica, the presentation and epidemiology of CDI in LA were highly comparable to what has been reported in other regions of the world. Few laboratories isolate and type this bacterium and even less generate whole genome sequences or perform basic science on C. difficile. Less than ten countries lead academic productivity on C. difficile or CDI-related topics, and information from various countries in Central America and the Caribbean is still lacking. The review ends with a global interpretation of the data and recommendations to further develop and consolidate this discipline in LA.
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Affiliation(s)
- Luis Acuña-Amador
- Facultad de Microbiología, Universidad de Costa Rica, Costa Rica; Laboratorio de Investigación en Bacteriología Anaerobia (LIBA), Universidad de Costa Rica, Costa Rica; Centro de Investigación en Enfermedades Tropicales (CIET), Universidad de Costa Rica, Costa Rica.
| | - Carlos Quesada-Gómez
- Facultad de Microbiología, Universidad de Costa Rica, Costa Rica; Laboratorio de Investigación en Bacteriología Anaerobia (LIBA), Universidad de Costa Rica, Costa Rica; Centro de Investigación en Enfermedades Tropicales (CIET), Universidad de Costa Rica, Costa Rica.
| | - César Rodríguez
- Facultad de Microbiología, Universidad de Costa Rica, Costa Rica; Laboratorio de Investigación en Bacteriología Anaerobia (LIBA), Universidad de Costa Rica, Costa Rica; Centro de Investigación en Enfermedades Tropicales (CIET), Universidad de Costa Rica, Costa Rica.
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Zhu D, Bullock J, He Y, Sun X. Cwp22, a novel peptidoglycan cross-linking enzyme, plays pleiotropic roles in Clostridioides difficile. Environ Microbiol 2019; 21:3076-3090. [PMID: 31173438 DOI: 10.1111/1462-2920.14706] [Citation(s) in RCA: 19] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/21/2018] [Revised: 06/01/2019] [Accepted: 06/05/2019] [Indexed: 12/23/2022]
Abstract
Clostridioides difficile is a Gram-positive, spore-forming, toxin-producing anaerobe pathogen, and can induce nosocomial antibiotic-associated intestinal disease. While production of toxin A (TcdA) and toxin B (TcdB) contribute to the main pathogenesis of C. difficile, adhesion and colonization of C. difficile in the host gut are prerequisites for disease onset. Previous cell wall proteins (CWPs) were identified that were implicated in C. difficile adhesion and colonization. In this study, we predicted and characterized Cwp22 (CDR20291_2601) from C. difficile R20291 to be involved in bacterial adhesion based on the Vaxign reverse vaccinology tool. The ClosTron-generated cwp22 mutant showed decreased TcdA and TcdB production during early growth, and increased cell permeability and autolysis. Importantly, the cwp22 mutation impaired cellular adherence in vitro and decreased cytotoxicity and fitness over the parent strain in a mouse infection model. Furthermore, lactate dehydrogenase cytotoxicity assay, live-dead cell staining and transmission electron microscopy confirmed the decreased cell viability of the cwp22 mutant. Thus, Cwp22 is involved in cell wall integrity and cell viability, which could affect most phenotypes of R20291. Our data suggest that Cwp22 is an attractive target for C. difficile infection therapeutics and prophylactics.
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Affiliation(s)
- Duolong Zhu
- Department of Molecular Medicine, Morsani College of Medicine, University of South Florida, Tampa, FL, USA
| | - Jessica Bullock
- Department of Molecular Medicine, Morsani College of Medicine, University of South Florida, Tampa, FL, USA
| | - Yongqun He
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, and Center for Computational Medicine and Bioinformatics, Unit for Laboratory Animal Medicine, University of Michigan Medical School, Ann Arbor, MI, USA
| | - Xingmin Sun
- Department of Molecular Medicine, Morsani College of Medicine, University of South Florida, Tampa, FL, USA
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Bradshaw WJ, Roberts AK, Shone CC, Acharya KR. The structure of the S-layer of Clostridium difficile. J Cell Commun Signal 2018; 12:319-331. [PMID: 29170885 PMCID: PMC5842191 DOI: 10.1007/s12079-017-0429-z] [Citation(s) in RCA: 27] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/12/2017] [Accepted: 10/25/2017] [Indexed: 12/28/2022] Open
Abstract
The nosocomially acquired pathogen Clostridium difficile is the primary causative agent of antibiotic associated diarrhoea and causes tens of thousands of deaths globally each year. C. difficile presents a paracrystalline protein array on the surface of the cell known as an S-layer. S-layers have been demonstrated to possess a wide range of important functions, which, combined with their inherent accessibility, makes them a promising drug target. The unusually complex S-layer of C. difficile is primarily comprised of the high- and low- molecular weight S-layer proteins, HMW SLP and LMW SLP, formed from the cleavage of the S-layer precursor protein, SlpA, but may also contain up to 28 SlpA paralogues. A model of how the S-layer functions as a whole is required if it is to be exploited in fighting the bacterium. Here, we provide a summary of what is known about the S-layer of C. difficile and each of the paralogues and, considering some of the domains present, suggest potential roles for them.
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Affiliation(s)
- William J Bradshaw
- Department of Biology and Biochemistry, University of Bath, Claverton Down, Bath, BA2 7AY, UK
- Public Health England, Porton Down, Salisbury, SP4 0JG, UK
| | | | | | - K Ravi Acharya
- Department of Biology and Biochemistry, University of Bath, Claverton Down, Bath, BA2 7AY, UK.
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Bradshaw WJ, Kirby JM, Roberts AK, Shone CC, Acharya KR. The molecular structure of the glycoside hydrolase domain of Cwp19 from Clostridium difficile. FEBS J 2017; 284:4343-4357. [PMID: 29083543 PMCID: PMC5765458 DOI: 10.1111/febs.14310] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/14/2017] [Revised: 10/03/2017] [Accepted: 10/25/2017] [Indexed: 12/15/2022]
Abstract
Clostridium difficile is a burden to healthcare systems around the world, causing tens of thousands of deaths annually. The S‐layer of the bacterium, a layer of protein found of the surface of cells, has received a significant amount of attention over the past two decades as a potential target to combat the growing threat presented by C. difficile infections. The S‐layer contains a wide range of proteins, each of which possesses three cell wall‐binding domains, while many also possess a “functional” region. Here, we present the high resolution structure of the functional region of one such protein, Cwp19 along with preliminary functional characterisation of the predicted glycoside hydrolase. Cwp19 has a TIM barrel fold and appears to possess a high degree of substrate selectivity. The protein also exhibits peptidoglycan hydrolase activity, an order of magnitude slower than that of lysozyme and is the first member of glycoside hydrolase‐like family 10 to be characterised. This research goes some way to understanding the role of Cwp19 in the S‐layer of C. difficile. Database Structural data are available in the PDB under the accession numbers 5OQ2 and 5OQ3.
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Affiliation(s)
- William J Bradshaw
- Department of Biology and Biochemistry, University of Bath, UK.,Public Health England, Salisbury, UK
| | | | | | | | - K Ravi Acharya
- Department of Biology and Biochemistry, University of Bath, UK
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