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Komera I, Chen X, Liu L, Gao C. Microbial Synthetic Epigenetic Tools Design and Applications. ACS Synth Biol 2024; 13:1621-1632. [PMID: 38758631 DOI: 10.1021/acssynbio.4c00125] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/19/2024]
Abstract
Microbial synthetic epigenetics offers significant opportunities for the design of synthetic biology tools by leveraging reversible gene control mechanisms without altering DNA sequences. However, limited understanding and a lack of technologies for thorough analysis of the mechanisms behind epigenetic modifications have hampered their utilization in biotechnological applications. In this review, we explore advancements in developing epigenetic-based synthetic gene regulatory tools at both transcriptional and post-transcriptional levels. Furthermore, we examine strategies developed to construct epigenetic-based circuits that provide controllable and stable gene regulation, aiming to boost the performance of microbial chassis cells. Finally, we discuss the current challenges and perspectives in the development of synthetic epigenetic tools.
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Affiliation(s)
- Irene Komera
- School of Biotechnology and Key Laboratory of Industrial Biotechnology of Ministry of Education, Jiangnan University, Wuxi 214122, China
| | - Xiulai Chen
- School of Biotechnology and Key Laboratory of Industrial Biotechnology of Ministry of Education, Jiangnan University, Wuxi 214122, China
| | - Liming Liu
- School of Biotechnology and Key Laboratory of Industrial Biotechnology of Ministry of Education, Jiangnan University, Wuxi 214122, China
| | - Cong Gao
- School of Biotechnology and Key Laboratory of Industrial Biotechnology of Ministry of Education, Jiangnan University, Wuxi 214122, China
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2
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Kim TD, Khanal S, Bäcker LE, Lood C, Kerremans A, Gorivale S, Begyn K, Cambré A, Rajkovic A, Devlieghere F, Heyndrickx M, Michiels C, Duitama J, Aertsen A. Rapid evolutionary tuning of endospore quantity versus quality trade-off via a phase-variable contingency locus. Curr Biol 2024:S0960-9822(24)00744-9. [PMID: 38925118 DOI: 10.1016/j.cub.2024.05.067] [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: 04/19/2023] [Revised: 05/06/2024] [Accepted: 05/29/2024] [Indexed: 06/28/2024]
Abstract
The UV resistance of bacterial endospores is an important quality supporting their survival in inhospitable environments and therefore constitutes an essential driver of the ecological success of spore-forming bacteria. Nevertheless, the variability and evolvability of this trait are poorly understood. In this study, directed evolution and genetics approaches revealed that the Bacillus cereus pdaA gene (encoding the endospore-specific peptidoglycan-N-acetylmuramic acid deacetylase) serves as a contingency locus in which the expansion and contraction of short tandem repeats can readily compromise (PdaAOFF) or restore (PdaAON) the pdaA open reading frame. Compared with B. cereus populations in the PdaAON state, populations in the PdaAOFF state produced a lower yield of viable endospores but endowed them with vastly increased UV resistance. Moreover, selection pressures based on either quantity (i.e., yield of viable endospores) or quality (i.e., UV resistance of viable endospores) aspects could readily shift populations between PdaAON and PdaAOFF states, respectively. Bioinformatic analysis also revealed that pdaA homologs within the Bacillus and Clostridium genera are often equipped with several short tandem repeat regions, suggesting a wider implementation of the pdaA-mediated phase variability in other sporeformers as well. These results for the first time reveal (1) pdaA as a phase-variable contingency locus in the adaptive evolution of endospore properties and (2) bet-hedging between what appears to be a quantity versus quality trade-off in endospore crops.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tom Dongmin Kim
- Department of Microbial and Molecular Systems, Faculty of Bioscience Engineering, KU Leuven, 3001 Leuven, Belgium
| | - Sadhana Khanal
- Department of Microbial and Molecular Systems, Faculty of Bioscience Engineering, KU Leuven, 3001 Leuven, Belgium
| | - Leonard E Bäcker
- Department of Microbial and Molecular Systems, Faculty of Bioscience Engineering, KU Leuven, 3001 Leuven, Belgium
| | - Cédric Lood
- Department of Biology, University of Oxford, Oxford OX1 3SZ, UK
| | - Alison Kerremans
- Department of Biosystems, Faculty of Bioscience Engineering, KU Leuven, 3001 Leuven, Belgium
| | - Sayali Gorivale
- Department of Biosystems, Faculty of Bioscience Engineering, KU Leuven, 3001 Leuven, Belgium
| | - Katrien Begyn
- Department of Food Technology, Safety and Health, Part of Food2Know, Faculty Bioscience Engineering, Ghent University, 9000 Ghent, Belgium
| | - Alexander Cambré
- Department of Microbial and Molecular Systems, Faculty of Bioscience Engineering, KU Leuven, 3001 Leuven, Belgium
| | - Andreja Rajkovic
- Department of Food Technology, Safety and Health, Part of Food2Know, Faculty Bioscience Engineering, Ghent University, 9000 Ghent, Belgium
| | - Frank Devlieghere
- Department of Food Technology, Safety and Health, Part of Food2Know, Faculty Bioscience Engineering, Ghent University, 9000 Ghent, Belgium
| | - Marc Heyndrickx
- ILVO-Flanders Research Institute for Agriculture, Fishery and Food, Technology and Food Science, Unit-Food Safety, 9090 Melle, Belgium; Department of Pathobiology, Pharmacology and Zoological Medicine, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Ghent University, 9820 Merelbeke, Belgium
| | - Chris Michiels
- Department of Microbial and Molecular Systems, Faculty of Bioscience Engineering, KU Leuven, 3001 Leuven, Belgium; Leuven Food Science and Nutritional Research Centre (LeFoRCe), Department of Microbial and Molecular Systems (M2S), Faculty of Bioscience Engineering, KU Leuven, 3001 Leuven, Belgium
| | - Jorge Duitama
- Systems and Computing Engineering Department, Universidad de los Andes, 111711 Bogotá, Colombia
| | - Abram Aertsen
- Department of Microbial and Molecular Systems, Faculty of Bioscience Engineering, KU Leuven, 3001 Leuven, Belgium.
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Patel L, Ailloud F, Suerbaum S, Josenhans C. Single-base resolution quantitative genome methylation analysis in the model bacterium Helicobacter pylori by enzymatic methyl sequencing (EM-Seq) reveals influence of strain, growth phase, and methyl homeostasis. BMC Biol 2024; 22:125. [PMID: 38807090 PMCID: PMC11134628 DOI: 10.1186/s12915-024-01921-1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/14/2024] [Accepted: 05/16/2024] [Indexed: 05/30/2024] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Bacterial epigenetics is a rapidly expanding research field. DNA methylation by diverse bacterial methyltransferases (MTases) contributes to genomic integrity and replication, and many recent studies extended MTase function also to global transcript regulation and phenotypic variation. Helicobacter pylori is currently one of those bacterial species which possess the highest number and the most variably expressed set of DNA MTases. Next-generation sequencing technologies can directly detect DNA base methylation. However, they still have limitations in their quantitative and qualitative performance, in particular for cytosine methylation. RESULTS As a complementing approach, we used enzymatic methyl sequencing (EM-Seq), a technology recently established that has not yet been fully evaluated for bacteria. Thereby, we assessed quantitatively, at single-base resolution, whole genome cytosine methylation for all methylated cytosine motifs in two different H. pylori strains and isogenic MTase mutants. EM-Seq reliably detected both m5C and m4C methylation. We demonstrated that three different active cytosine MTases in H. pylori provide considerably different levels of average genome-wide single-base methylation, in contrast to isogenic mutants which completely lost specific motif methylation. We found that strain identity and changed environmental conditions, such as growth phase and interference with methyl donor homeostasis, significantly influenced quantitative global and local genome-wide methylation in H. pylori at specific motifs. We also identified significantly hyper- or hypo-methylated cytosines, partially linked to overlapping MTase target motifs. Notably, we revealed differentially methylated cytosines in genome-wide coding regions under conditions of methionine depletion, which can be linked to transcript regulation. CONCLUSIONS This study offers new knowledge on H. pylori global and local genome-wide methylation and establishes EM-Seq for quantitative single-site resolution analyses of bacterial cytosine methylation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lubna Patel
- Max von Pettenkofer Institute, Chair for Medical Microbiology, Faculty of Medicine, LMU Munich, Pettenkoferstr. 9a, 80336, Munich, Germany
| | - Florent Ailloud
- Max von Pettenkofer Institute, Chair for Medical Microbiology, Faculty of Medicine, LMU Munich, Pettenkoferstr. 9a, 80336, Munich, Germany
| | - Sebastian Suerbaum
- Max von Pettenkofer Institute, Chair for Medical Microbiology, Faculty of Medicine, LMU Munich, Pettenkoferstr. 9a, 80336, Munich, Germany
| | - Christine Josenhans
- Max von Pettenkofer Institute, Chair for Medical Microbiology, Faculty of Medicine, LMU Munich, Pettenkoferstr. 9a, 80336, Munich, Germany.
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Khoo E, Roslee R, Zakaria Z, Ahmad NI. Virulence gene profiles and antimicrobial susceptibility of Salmonella Brancaster from chicken. J Vet Sci 2023; 24:e82. [PMID: 38031519 PMCID: PMC10694367 DOI: 10.4142/jvs.23053] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/07/2023] [Revised: 08/17/2023] [Accepted: 09/25/2023] [Indexed: 12/01/2023] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND The current conventional serotyping based on antigen-antisera agglutination could not provide a better understanding of the potential pathogenicity of Salmonella enterica subsp. enterica serovar Brancaster. Surveillance data from Malaysian poultry farms indicated an increase in its presence over the years. OBJECTIVE This study aims to investigate the virulence determinants and antimicrobial resistance in S. Brancaster isolated from chickens in Malaysia. METHODS One hundred strains of archived S. Brancaster isolated from chicken cloacal swabs and raw chicken meat from 2017 to 2022 were studied. Two sets of multiplex polymerase chain reaction (PCR) were conducted to identify eight virulence genes associated with pathogenicity in Salmonella (invasion protein gene [invA], Salmonella invasion protein gene [sipB], Salmonella-induced filament gene [sifA], cytolethal-distending toxin B gene [cdtB], Salmonella iron transporter gene [sitC], Salmonella pathogenicity islands gene [spiA], Salmonella plasmid virulence gene [spvB], and inositol phosphate phosphatase gene [sopB]). Antimicrobial susceptibility assessment was conducted by disc diffusion method on nine selected antibiotics for the S. Brancaster isolates. S. Brancaster, with the phenotypic ACSSuT-resistance pattern (ampicillin, chloramphenicol, streptomycin, sulphonamides, and tetracycline), was subjected to PCR to detect the corresponding resistance gene(s). RESULTS Virulence genes detected in S. Brancaster in this study were invA, sitC, spiA, sipB, sopB, sifA, cdtB, and spvB. A total of 36 antibiogram patterns of S. Brancaster with a high level of multidrug resistance were observed, with ampicillin exhibiting the highest resistance. Over a third of the isolates displayed ACSSuT-resistance, and seven resistance genes (β-lactamase temoneira [blaTEM], florfenicol/chloramphenicol resistance gene [floR], streptomycin resistance gene [strA], aminoglycoside nucleotidyltransferase gene [ant(3″)-Ia], sulfonamides resistance gene [sul-1, sul-2], and tetracycline resistance gene [tetA]) were detected. CONCLUSION Multidrug-resistant S. Brancaster from chickens harbored an array of virulence-associated genes similar to other clinically significant and invasive non-typhoidal Salmonella serovars, placing it as another significant foodborne zoonosis.
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Affiliation(s)
- Evie Khoo
- Department of Veterinary Pathology and Microbiology, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Universiti Putra Malaysia, 43400 Serdang, Selangor, Malaysia
- Bacteriology Section, Veterinary Research Institute, 31400 Ipoh, Perak, Malaysia
| | - Roseliza Roslee
- Bacteriology Section, Veterinary Research Institute, 31400 Ipoh, Perak, Malaysia
| | - Zunita Zakaria
- Department of Veterinary Pathology and Microbiology, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Universiti Putra Malaysia, 43400 Serdang, Selangor, Malaysia
- Institute of Bioscience, Universiti Putra Malaysia, 43400 Serdang, Selangor, Malaysia
| | - Nur Indah Ahmad
- Department of Veterinary Pathology and Microbiology, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Universiti Putra Malaysia, 43400 Serdang, Selangor, Malaysia.
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Hockenberry A, Slack E, Stadtmueller BM. License to Clump: Secretory IgA Structure-Function Relationships Across Scales. Annu Rev Microbiol 2023; 77:645-668. [PMID: 37713459 DOI: 10.1146/annurev-micro-032521-041803] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 09/17/2023]
Abstract
Secretory antibodies are the only component of our adaptive immune system capable of attacking mucosal pathogens topologically outside of our bodies. All secretory antibody classes are (a) relatively resistant to harsh proteolytic environments and (b) polymeric. Recent elucidation of the structure of secretory IgA (SIgA) has begun to shed light on SIgA functions at the nanoscale. We can now begin to unravel the structure-function relationships of these molecules, for example, by understanding how the bent conformation of SIgA enables robust cross-linking between adjacent growing bacteria. Many mysteries remain, such as the structural basis of protease resistance and the role of noncanonical bacteria-IgA interactions. In this review, we explore the structure-function relationships of IgA from the nano- to the metascale, with a strong focus on how the seemingly banal "license to clump" can have potent effects on bacterial physiology and colonization.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alyson Hockenberry
- Department of Environmental Microbiology, Swiss Federal Institute of Aquatic Science and Technology (EAWAG), Dübendorf, Switzerland
- Department of Environmental Systems Science (D-USYS), ETH Zürich, Zürich, Switzerland;
| | - Emma Slack
- Department of Health Sciences and Technology, ETH Zürich, Zürich, Switzerland;
- Botnar Research Centre for Child Health, Basel, Switzerland
- Sir William Dunn School of Pathology, University of Oxford, Oxford, United Kingdom
| | - Beth M Stadtmueller
- Department of Biochemistry, Center for Biophysics and Quantitative Biology, and Carl R. Woese Institute for Genomic Biology, University of Illinois, Urbana, Illinois, USA;
- Department of Biomedical and Translational Sciences, Carle Illinois College of Medicine, University of Illinois, Urbana, Illinois, USA
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Teklemariam AD, Al-Hindi RR, Albiheyri RS, Alharbi MG, Alghamdi MA, Filimban AAR, Al Mutiri AS, Al-Alyani AM, Alseghayer MS, Almaneea AM, Albar AH, Khormi MA, Bhunia AK. Human Salmonellosis: A Continuous Global Threat in the Farm-to-Fork Food Safety Continuum. Foods 2023; 12:foods12091756. [PMID: 37174295 PMCID: PMC10178548 DOI: 10.3390/foods12091756] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 13.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/24/2023] [Revised: 04/18/2023] [Accepted: 04/20/2023] [Indexed: 05/15/2023] Open
Abstract
Salmonella is one of the most common zoonotic foodborne pathogens and a worldwide public health threat. Salmonella enterica is the most pathogenic among Salmonella species, comprising over 2500 serovars. It causes typhoid fever and gastroenteritis, and the serovars responsible for the later disease are known as non-typhoidal Salmonella (NTS). Salmonella transmission to humans happens along the farm-to-fork continuum via contaminated animal- and plant-derived foods, including poultry, eggs, fish, pork, beef, vegetables, fruits, nuts, and flour. Several virulence factors have been recognized to play a vital role in attaching, invading, and evading the host defense system. These factors include capsule, adhesion proteins, flagella, plasmids, and type III secretion systems that are encoded on the Salmonella pathogenicity islands. The increased global prevalence of NTS serovars in recent years indicates that the control approaches centered on alleviating the food animals' contamination along the food chain have been unsuccessful. Moreover, the emergence of antibiotic-resistant Salmonella variants suggests a potential food safety crisis. This review summarizes the current state of the knowledge on the nomenclature, microbiological features, virulence factors, and the mechanism of antimicrobial resistance of Salmonella. Furthermore, it provides insights into the pathogenesis and epidemiology of Salmonella infections. The recent outbreaks of salmonellosis reported in different clinical settings and geographical regions, including Africa, the Middle East and North Africa, Latin America, Europe, and the USA in the farm-to-fork continuum, are also highlighted.
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Affiliation(s)
- Addisu D Teklemariam
- Department of Biological Sciences, Faculty of Science, King Abdulaziz University, Jeddah 21589, Saudi Arabia
| | - Rashad R Al-Hindi
- Department of Biological Sciences, Faculty of Science, King Abdulaziz University, Jeddah 21589, Saudi Arabia
| | - Raed S Albiheyri
- Department of Biological Sciences, Faculty of Science, King Abdulaziz University, Jeddah 21589, Saudi Arabia
- Centre of Excellence in Bionanoscience Research, King Abdulaziz University, Jeddah 21589, Saudi Arabia
| | - Mona G Alharbi
- Department of Biological Sciences, Faculty of Science, King Abdulaziz University, Jeddah 21589, Saudi Arabia
| | - Mashail A Alghamdi
- Department of Biological Sciences, Faculty of Science, King Abdulaziz University, Jeddah 21589, Saudi Arabia
| | - Amani A R Filimban
- Department of Biological Sciences, Faculty of Science, King Abdulaziz University, Jeddah 21589, Saudi Arabia
| | - Abdullah S Al Mutiri
- Laboratory Department, Saudi Food and Drug Authority, Riyadh 12843, Saudi Arabia
| | - Abdullah M Al-Alyani
- Laboratory Department, Saudi Food and Drug Authority, Jeddah 22311, Saudi Arabia
| | - Mazen S Alseghayer
- Department of Biological Sciences, Faculty of Science, King Abdulaziz University, Jeddah 21589, Saudi Arabia
- Monitoring and Risk Assessment Department, Saudi Food and Drug Authority, Riyadh 13513, Saudi Arabia
| | - Abdulaziz M Almaneea
- Department of Biological Sciences, Faculty of Science, King Abdulaziz University, Jeddah 21589, Saudi Arabia
- Monitoring and Risk Assessment Department, Saudi Food and Drug Authority, Riyadh 13513, Saudi Arabia
| | - Abdulgader H Albar
- Department of Biological Sciences, Faculty of Science, King Abdulaziz University, Jeddah 21589, Saudi Arabia
- Department of Microbiology and Medical Parasitology, Faculty of Medicine, Jeddah University, Jeddah 23218, Saudi Arabia
| | - Mohsen A Khormi
- Department of Biological Sciences, Faculty of Sciences, Jazan University, Jazan 82817, Saudi Arabia
| | - Arun K Bhunia
- Molecular Food Microbiology Laboratory, Department of Food Science, Purdue University, West Lafayette, IN 47907, USA
- Purdue Institute of Inflammation, Immunology, and Infectious Disease, Purdue University, West Lafayette, IN 47907, USA
- Purdue University Interdisciplinary Life Science Program (PULSe), West Lafayette, IN 47907, USA
- Department of Comparative Pathobiology, Purdue University, West Lafayette, IN 47907, USA
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Giacone L, Cameranesi MM, Sanchez RI, Limansky AS, Morán-Barrio J, Viale AM. Dynamic state of plasmid genomic architectures resulting from XerC/D-mediated site-specific recombination in Acinetobacter baumannii Rep_3 superfamily resistance plasmids carrying blaOXA-58 - and Tn aphA6-resistance modules. Front Microbiol 2023; 14:1057608. [PMID: 36846794 PMCID: PMC9947245 DOI: 10.3389/fmicb.2023.1057608] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/29/2022] [Accepted: 01/04/2023] [Indexed: 02/11/2023] Open
Abstract
The acquisition of bla OXA genes encoding different carbapenem-hydrolyzing class-D β-lactamases (CHDL) represents a main determinant of carbapenem resistance in the nosocomial pathogen Acinetobacter baumannii. The blaOXA-58 gene, in particular, is generally embedded in similar resistance modules (RM) carried by plasmids unique to the Acinetobacter genus lacking self-transferability. The ample variations in the immediate genomic contexts in which blaOXA-58 -containing RMs are inserted among these plasmids, and the almost invariable presence at their borders of non-identical 28-bp sequences potentially recognized by the host XerC and XerD tyrosine recombinases (pXerC/D-like sites), suggested an involvement of these sites in the lateral mobilization of the gene structures they encircle. However, whether and how these pXerC/D sites participate in this process is only beginning to be understood. Here, we used a series of experimental approaches to analyze the contribution of pXerC/D-mediated site-specific recombination to the generation of structural diversity between resistance plasmids carrying pXerC/D-bounded bla OXA-58- and TnaphA6-containing RM harbored by two phylogenetically- and epidemiologically-closely related A. baumannii strains of our collection, Ab242 and Ab825, during adaptation to the hospital environment. Our analysis disclosed the existence of different bona fide pairs of recombinationally-active pXerC/D sites in these plasmids, some mediating reversible intramolecular inversions and others reversible plasmid fusions/resolutions. All of the identified recombinationally-active pairs shared identical GGTGTA sequences at the cr spacer separating the XerC- and XerD-binding regions. The fusion of two Ab825 plasmids mediated by a pair of recombinationally-active pXerC/D sites displaying sequence differences at the cr spacer could be inferred on the basis of sequence comparison analysis, but no evidence of reversibility could be obtained in this case. The reversible plasmid genome rearrangements mediated by recombinationally-active pairs of pXerC/D sites reported here probably represents an ancient mechanism of generating structural diversity in the Acinetobacter plasmid pool. This recursive process could facilitate a rapid adaptation of an eventual bacterial host to changing environments, and has certainly contributed to the evolution of Acinetobacter plasmids and the capture and dissemination of bla OXA-58 genes among Acinetobacter and non-Acinetobacter populations co-residing in the hospital niche.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | - Rocío I. Sanchez
- Departamento de Microbiología, Facultad de Ciencias Bioquímicas y Farmacéuticas, CONICET, Instituto de Biología Molecular y Celular de Rosario (IBR), Universidad Nacional de Rosario (UNR), Rosario, Argentina
| | - Adriana S. Limansky
- Departamento de Microbiología, Facultad de Ciencias Bioquímicas y Farmacéuticas, CONICET, Instituto de Biología Molecular y Celular de Rosario (IBR), Universidad Nacional de Rosario (UNR), Rosario, Argentina
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8
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Martin CS, Jubelin G, Darsonval M, Leroy S, Leneveu-Jenvrin C, Hmidene G, Omhover L, Stahl V, Guillier L, Briandet R, Desvaux M, Dubois-Brissonnet F. Genetic, physiological, and cellular heterogeneities of bacterial pathogens in food matrices: Consequences for food safety. Compr Rev Food Sci Food Saf 2022; 21:4294-4326. [PMID: 36018457 DOI: 10.1111/1541-4337.13020] [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: 03/22/2022] [Revised: 07/12/2022] [Accepted: 07/14/2022] [Indexed: 01/28/2023]
Abstract
In complex food systems, bacteria live in heterogeneous microstructures, and the population displays phenotypic heterogeneities at the single-cell level. This review provides an overview of spatiotemporal drivers of phenotypic heterogeneity of bacterial pathogens in food matrices at three levels. The first level is the genotypic heterogeneity due to the possibility for various strains of a given species to contaminate food, each of them having specific genetic features. Then, physiological heterogeneities are induced within the same strain, due to specific microenvironments and heterogeneous adaptative responses to the food microstructure. The third level of phenotypic heterogeneity is related to cellular heterogeneity of the same strain in a specific microenvironment. Finally, we consider how these phenotypic heterogeneities at the single-cell level could be implemented in mathematical models to predict bacterial behavior and help ensure microbiological food safety.
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Affiliation(s)
- Cédric Saint Martin
- MICALIS Institute, Université Paris-Saclay, INRAE, AgroParisTech, Jouy-en-Josas, France.,Université Clermont Auvergne, INRAE, UMR454 MEDIS, Clermont-Ferrand, France
| | - Grégory Jubelin
- Université Clermont Auvergne, INRAE, UMR454 MEDIS, Clermont-Ferrand, France
| | - Maud Darsonval
- MICALIS Institute, Université Paris-Saclay, INRAE, AgroParisTech, Jouy-en-Josas, France
| | - Sabine Leroy
- Université Clermont Auvergne, INRAE, UMR454 MEDIS, Clermont-Ferrand, France
| | - Charlène Leneveu-Jenvrin
- MICALIS Institute, Université Paris-Saclay, INRAE, AgroParisTech, Jouy-en-Josas, France.,Association pour le Développement de l'Industrie de la Viande (ADIV), Clermont-Ferrand, France
| | - Ghaya Hmidene
- Risk Assessment Department, ANSES, Maisons-Alfort, France
| | - Lysiane Omhover
- Aerial, Technical Institute of Agro-Industry, Illkirch, France
| | - Valérie Stahl
- Aerial, Technical Institute of Agro-Industry, Illkirch, France
| | | | - Romain Briandet
- MICALIS Institute, Université Paris-Saclay, INRAE, AgroParisTech, Jouy-en-Josas, France
| | - Mickaël Desvaux
- Université Clermont Auvergne, INRAE, UMR454 MEDIS, Clermont-Ferrand, France
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9
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Ek V, Fattinger SA, Florbrant A, Hardt WD, Di Martino ML, Eriksson J, Sellin ME. A Motile Doublet Form of Salmonella Typhimurium Diversifies Target Search Behaviour at the Epithelial Surface. Mol Microbiol 2022; 117:1156-1172. [PMID: 35332598 PMCID: PMC9325389 DOI: 10.1111/mmi.14898] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/04/2021] [Revised: 02/24/2022] [Accepted: 03/21/2022] [Indexed: 12/01/2022]
Abstract
The behaviors of infectious bacteria are commonly studied in bulk. This is effective to define the general properties of a given isolate, but insufficient to resolve subpopulations and unique single‐microbe behaviors within the bacterial pool. We here employ microscopy to study single‐bacterium characteristics among Salmonella enterica serovar Typhimurium (S.Tm), as they prepare for and launch invasion of epithelial host cells. We find that during the bacterial growth cycle, S.Tm populations switch gradually from fast planktonic growth to a host cell‐invasive phenotype, characterized by flagellar motility and expression of the Type‐three‐secretion‐system‐1. The indistinct nature of this shift leads to the establishment of a transient subpopulation of S.Tm “doublets”—waist‐bearing bacteria anticipating cell division—which simultaneously express host cell invasion machinery. In epithelial cell culture infections, these S.Tm doublets outperform their “singlet” brethren and represent a hyperinvasive subpopulation. Atop both glass and enteroid‐derived monolayers, doublets swim along markedly straighter trajectories than singlets, thereby diversifying search patterns and improving the surface exploration capacity of the total bacterial population. The straighter swimming, combined with an enhanced cell‐adhesion propensity, suffices to account for the hyperinvasive doublet phenotype. This work highlights bacterial cell length heterogeneity as a key determinant of target search patterns atop epithelia.
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Affiliation(s)
- Viktor Ek
- Science for Life Laboratory, Department of Medical Biochemistry and Microbiology, Uppsala University, Sweden
| | - Stefan A Fattinger
- Science for Life Laboratory, Department of Medical Biochemistry and Microbiology, Uppsala University, Sweden.,Institute of Microbiology, Department of Biology, ETH, Zurich, Zurich, Switzerland
| | - Alexandra Florbrant
- Science for Life Laboratory, Department of Medical Biochemistry and Microbiology, Uppsala University, Sweden
| | - Wolf-Dietrich Hardt
- Institute of Microbiology, Department of Biology, ETH, Zurich, Zurich, Switzerland
| | - Maria Letizia Di Martino
- Science for Life Laboratory, Department of Medical Biochemistry and Microbiology, Uppsala University, Sweden
| | - Jens Eriksson
- Science for Life Laboratory, Department of Medical Biochemistry and Microbiology, Uppsala University, Sweden
| | - Mikael E Sellin
- Science for Life Laboratory, Department of Medical Biochemistry and Microbiology, Uppsala University, Sweden
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10
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DNA Methylation in Prokaryotes. ADVANCES IN EXPERIMENTAL MEDICINE AND BIOLOGY 2022; 1389:21-43. [DOI: 10.1007/978-3-031-11454-0_2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/10/2022]
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Nicchi S, Giuliani M, Giusti F, Pancotto L, Maione D, Delany I, Galeotti CL, Brettoni C. Decorating the surface of Escherichia coli with bacterial lipoproteins: a comparative analysis of different display systems. Microb Cell Fact 2021; 20:33. [PMID: 33531008 PMCID: PMC7853708 DOI: 10.1186/s12934-021-01528-z] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/29/2020] [Accepted: 01/23/2021] [Indexed: 11/10/2022] Open
Abstract
Background The display of recombinant proteins on cell surfaces has a plethora of applications including vaccine development, screening of peptide libraries, whole-cell biocatalysts and biosensor development for diagnostic, industrial or environmental purposes. In the last decades, a wide variety of surface display systems have been developed for the exposure of recombinant proteins on the surface of Escherichia coli, such as autotransporters and outer membrane proteins. Results In this study, we assess three approaches for the surface display of a panel of heterologous and homologous mature lipoproteins in E. coli: four from Neisseria meningitidis and four from the host strain that are known to be localised in the inner leaflet of the outer membrane. Constructs were made carrying the sequences coding for eight mature lipoproteins, each fused to the delivery portion of three different systems: the autotransporter adhesin involved in diffuse adherence-I (AIDA-I) from enteropathogenic E. coli, the Lpp’OmpA chimaera and a truncated form of the ice nucleation protein (INP), InaK-NC (N-terminal domain fused with C-terminal one) from Pseudomonas syringae. In contrast to what was observed for the INP constructs, when fused to the AIDA-I or Lpp’OmpA, most of the mature lipoproteins were displayed on the bacterial surface both at 37 and 25 °C as demonstrated by FACS analysis, confocal and transmission electron microscopy. Conclusions To our knowledge this is the first study that compares surface display systems using a number of passenger proteins. We have shown that the experimental conditions, including the choice of the carrier protein and the growth temperature, play an important role in the translocation of mature lipoproteins onto the bacterial surface. Despite all the optimization steps performed with the InaK-NC anchor motif, surface exposure of the passenger proteins used in this study was not achieved. For our experimental conditions, Lpp’OmpA chimaera has proved to be an efficient surface display system for the homologous passenger proteins although cell lysis and phenotype heterogeneity were observed. Finally, AIDA-I was found to be the best surface display system for mature lipoproteins (especially heterologous ones) in the E. coli host strain with no inhibition of growth and only limited phenotype heterogeneity.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sonia Nicchi
- GSK, via Fiorentina 1, 53100, Siena, Italy.,Department of Pharmacy and Biotechnology (FaBiT), University of Bologna, Bologna, Italy
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Single Cell Analysis of Bistable Expression of Pathogenicity Island 1 and the Flagellar Regulon in Salmonella enterica. Microorganisms 2021; 9:microorganisms9020210. [PMID: 33498391 PMCID: PMC7909444 DOI: 10.3390/microorganisms9020210] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/28/2020] [Revised: 01/16/2021] [Accepted: 01/18/2021] [Indexed: 12/21/2022] Open
Abstract
Bistable expression of the Salmonella enterica pathogenicity island 1 (SPI-1) and the flagellar network (Flag) has been described previously. In this study, simultaneous monitoring of OFF and ON states in SPI-1 and in the flagellar regulon reveals independent switching, with concomitant formation of four subpopulations: SPI-1OFF FlagOFF, SPI-1OFF FlagON, SPI-1ON FlagOFF, and SPI-1ON FlagON. Invasion assays upon cell sorting show that none of the four subpopulations is highly invasive, thus raising the possibility that FlagOFF cells might contribute to optimal invasion as previously proposed for SPI-1OFF cells. Time lapse microscopy observation indicates that expression of the flagellar regulon contributes to the growth impairment previously described in SPI-1ON cells. As a consequence, growth resumption in SPI-1ON FlagON cells requires switching to both SPI-1OFF and FlagOFF states.
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13
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Sánchez-Romero MA, Olivenza DR, Gutiérrez G, Casadesús J. Contribution of DNA adenine methylation to gene expression heterogeneity in Salmonella enterica. Nucleic Acids Res 2020; 48:11857-11867. [PMID: 32954419 PMCID: PMC7708049 DOI: 10.1093/nar/gkaa730] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/01/2020] [Revised: 08/14/2020] [Accepted: 08/24/2020] [Indexed: 12/14/2022] Open
Abstract
Expression of Salmonella enterica loci harboring undermethylated GATC sites at promoters or regulatory regions was monitored by single cell analysis. Cell-to-cell differences in expression were detected in ten such loci (carA, dgoR, holA, nanA, ssaN, STM1290, STM3276, STM5308, gtr and opvAB), with concomitant formation of ON and OFF subpopulations. The ON and OFF subpopulation sizes varied depending on the growth conditions, suggesting that the population structure can be modulated by environmental control. All the loci under study except STM5308 displayed altered patterns of expression in strains lacking or overproducing Dam methylase, thereby confirming control by Dam methylation. Bioinformatic analysis identified potential binding sites for transcription factors OxyR, CRP and Fur, and analysis of expression in mutant backgrounds confirmed transcriptional control by one or more of such factors. Surveys of gene expression in pairwise combinations of Dam methylation-dependent loci revealed independent switching, thus predicting the formation of a high number of cell variants. This study expands the list of S. enterica loci under transcriptional control by Dam methylation, and underscores the relevance of the DNA adenine methylome as a source of phenotypic heterogeneity.
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Affiliation(s)
- María A Sánchez-Romero
- Departamento de Genética, Facultad de Biología, Universidad de Sevilla, Apartado 1095, Seville 41080, Spain
| | - David R Olivenza
- Departamento de Genética, Facultad de Biología, Universidad de Sevilla, Apartado 1095, Seville 41080, Spain
| | - Gabriel Gutiérrez
- Departamento de Genética, Facultad de Biología, Universidad de Sevilla, Apartado 1095, Seville 41080, Spain
| | - Josep Casadesús
- Departamento de Genética, Facultad de Biología, Universidad de Sevilla, Apartado 1095, Seville 41080, Spain
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Gonzalez JM, Puerta-Fernández E, Santana MM, Rekadwad B. On a Non-Discrete Concept of Prokaryotic Species. Microorganisms 2020; 8:microorganisms8111723. [PMID: 33158054 PMCID: PMC7692863 DOI: 10.3390/microorganisms8111723] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/14/2020] [Revised: 11/02/2020] [Accepted: 11/03/2020] [Indexed: 01/09/2023] Open
Abstract
The taxonomic concept of species has received continuous attention. A microbial species as a discrete box contains a limited number of highly similar microorganisms assigned to that taxon, following a polyphasic approach. In the 21st Century, with the advancements of sequencing technologies and genomics, the existence of a huge prokaryotic diversity has become well known. At present, the prokaryotic species might no longer have to be understood as discrete values (such as 1 or 2, by homology to Natural numbers); rather, it is expected that some microorganisms could be potentially distributed (according to their genome features and phenotypes) in between others (such as decimal numbers between 1 and 2; real numbers). We propose a continuous species concept for microorganisms, which adapts to the current knowledge on the huge diversity, variability and heterogeneity existing among bacteria and archaea. Likely, this concept could be extended to eukaryotic microorganisms. The continuous species concept considers a species to be delimited by the distance between a range of variable features following a Gaussian-type distribution around a reference organism (i.e., its type strain). Some potential pros and cons of a continuous concept are commented on, offering novel perspectives on our understanding of the highly diversified prokaryotic world, thus promoting discussion and further investigation in the field.
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Affiliation(s)
- Juan M. Gonzalez
- Instituto de Recursos Naturales y Agrobiología, Consejo Superior de Investigaciones Científicas, IRNAS-CSIC, Avda. Reina Mercedes 10, 41012 Sevilla, Spain;
- Correspondence: ; Tel.: +34-95-462-4711
| | - Elena Puerta-Fernández
- Instituto de Recursos Naturales y Agrobiología, Consejo Superior de Investigaciones Científicas, IRNAS-CSIC, Avda. Reina Mercedes 10, 41012 Sevilla, Spain;
| | - Margarida M. Santana
- Centre for Ecology, Evolution and Environmental Changes (cE3c), Faculdade de Ciências da Universidade de Lisboa, Edifício C2, Campo Grande, 1749-016 Lisboa, Portugal;
| | - Bhagwan Rekadwad
- National Centre for Microbial Resource, National Centre for Cell Science, NCCS Complex, Savitribai Phule Pune University Campus, Ganeshkhind Road, Maharashtra State, Pune 411007, India;
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15
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Cheng RA, Eade CR, Wiedmann M. Embracing Diversity: Differences in Virulence Mechanisms, Disease Severity, and Host Adaptations Contribute to the Success of Nontyphoidal Salmonella as a Foodborne Pathogen. Front Microbiol 2019; 10:1368. [PMID: 31316476 PMCID: PMC6611429 DOI: 10.3389/fmicb.2019.01368] [Citation(s) in RCA: 90] [Impact Index Per Article: 18.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/30/2018] [Accepted: 05/31/2019] [Indexed: 12/19/2022] Open
Abstract
Not all Salmonella enterica serovars cause the same disease. S. enterica represents an incredibly diverse species comprising >2,600 unique serovars. While some S. enterica serovars are host-restricted, others infect a wide range of hosts. The diseases that nontyphoidal Salmonella (NTS) serovars cause vary considerably, with some serovars being significantly more likely to cause invasive disease in humans than others. Furthermore, while genomic analyses have advanced our understanding of the genetic diversity of these serovars, they have not been able to fully account for the observed clinical differences. One overarching challenge is that much of what is known about Salmonella's general biology and virulence strategies is concluded from studies examining a select few serovars, especially serovar Typhimurium. As targeted control strategies have been implemented to control select serovars, an increasing number of foodborne outbreaks involving serovars that are less frequently associated with human clinical illness are being detected. Harnessing what is known about the diversity of NTS serovars represents an important factor in achieving the ultimate goal of reducing salmonellosis-associated morbidity and mortality worldwide. In this review we summarize the current understanding of the differences and similarities among NTS serovars, highlighting the virulence mechanisms, genetic differences, and sources that characterize S. enterica diversity and contribute to its success as a foodborne pathogen.
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Affiliation(s)
- Rachel A. Cheng
- Department of Food Science, Cornell University, Ithaca, NY, United States
| | - Colleen R. Eade
- Department of Population Medicine and Diagnostic Sciences, Cornell University, Ithaca, NY, United States
- Department of Chemistry, University of North Carolina at Charlotte, Charlotte, NC, United States
| | - Martin Wiedmann
- Department of Food Science, Cornell University, Ithaca, NY, United States
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16
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Wahl A, Battesti A, Ansaldi M. Prophages in Salmonella enterica: a driving force in reshaping the genome and physiology of their bacterial host? Mol Microbiol 2018; 111:303-316. [PMID: 30466179 PMCID: PMC7380047 DOI: 10.1111/mmi.14167] [Citation(s) in RCA: 32] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 11/10/2018] [Indexed: 12/11/2022]
Abstract
Thanks to the exponentially increasing number of publicly available bacterial genome sequences, one can now estimate the important contribution of integrated viral sequences to the diversity of bacterial genomes. Indeed, temperate bacteriophages are able to stably integrate the genome of their host through site‐specific recombination and transmit vertically to the host siblings. Lysogenic conversion has been long acknowledged to provide additional functions to the host, and particularly to bacterial pathogen genomes where prophages contribute important virulence factors. This review aims particularly at highlighting the current knowledge and questions about lysogeny in Salmonella genomes where functional prophages are abundant, and where genetic interactions between host and prophages are of particular importance for human health considerations.
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Affiliation(s)
- Astrid Wahl
- Laboratoire de Chimie Bactérienne, UMR7283, Institut de Microbiologie de la Méditerranée, Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique, Aix-Marseille Université, Marseille, France
| | - Aurélia Battesti
- Laboratoire de Chimie Bactérienne, UMR7283, Institut de Microbiologie de la Méditerranée, Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique, Aix-Marseille Université, Marseille, France
| | - Mireille Ansaldi
- Laboratoire de Chimie Bactérienne, UMR7283, Institut de Microbiologie de la Méditerranée, Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique, Aix-Marseille Université, Marseille, France
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17
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Knorre DA, Azbarova AV, Galkina KV, Feniouk BA, Severin FF. Replicative aging as a source of cell heterogeneity in budding yeast. Mech Ageing Dev 2018; 176:24-31. [DOI: 10.1016/j.mad.2018.09.001] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/16/2018] [Revised: 09/18/2018] [Accepted: 09/19/2018] [Indexed: 02/06/2023]
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18
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Ransom EM, Kaus GM, Tran PM, Ellermeier CD, Weiss DS. Multiple factors contribute to bimodal toxin gene expression in Clostridioides (Clostridium) difficile. Mol Microbiol 2018; 110:533-549. [PMID: 30125399 PMCID: PMC6446242 DOI: 10.1111/mmi.14107] [Citation(s) in RCA: 28] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/28/2018] [Revised: 08/10/2018] [Accepted: 08/11/2018] [Indexed: 12/14/2022]
Abstract
Clostridioides (formerly Clostridium) difficile produces two major toxins, TcdA and TcdB, upon entry into stationary phase. Transcription of tcdA and tcdB requires the specialized sigma factor, σTcdR , which also directs RNA Polymerase to transcribe tcdR itself. We fused a gene for a red fluorescent protein to the tcdA promoter to study toxin gene expression at the level of individual C. difficile cells. Surprisingly, only a subset of cells became red fluorescent upon entry into stationary phase. Breaking the positive feedback loop that controls σTcdR production by engineering cells to express tcdR from a tetracycline-inducible promoter resulted in uniform fluorescence across the population. Experiments with two regulators of tcdR expression, σD and CodY, revealed neither is required for bimodal toxin gene expression. However, σD biased cells toward the Toxin-ON state, while CodY biased cells toward the Toxin-OFF state. Finally, toxin gene expression was observed in sporulating cells. We conclude that (i) toxin production is regulated by a bistable switch governed by σTcdR , which only accumulates to high enough levels to trigger toxin gene expression in a subset of cells, and (ii) toxin production and sporulation are not mutually exclusive developmental programs.
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Affiliation(s)
- Eric M. Ransom
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, Carver College of Medicine, University of Iowa, Iowa City, IA 52242
| | - Gabriela M. Kaus
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, Carver College of Medicine, University of Iowa, Iowa City, IA 52242
| | - Phuong M. Tran
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, Carver College of Medicine, University of Iowa, Iowa City, IA 52242
| | - Craig D. Ellermeier
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, Carver College of Medicine, University of Iowa, Iowa City, IA 52242
- Graduate Program in Genetics, University of Iowa, Iowa City, IA 52242
| | - David S. Weiss
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, Carver College of Medicine, University of Iowa, Iowa City, IA 52242
- Graduate Program in Genetics, University of Iowa, Iowa City, IA 52242
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19
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Wang H, Xing X, Wang J, Pang B, Liu M, Larios-Valencia J, Liu T, Liu G, Xie S, Hao G, Liu Z, Kan B, Zhu J. Hypermutation-induced in vivo oxidative stress resistance enhances Vibrio cholerae host adaptation. PLoS Pathog 2018; 14:e1007413. [PMID: 30376582 PMCID: PMC6226196 DOI: 10.1371/journal.ppat.1007413] [Citation(s) in RCA: 23] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/23/2018] [Revised: 11/09/2018] [Accepted: 10/18/2018] [Indexed: 01/08/2023] Open
Abstract
Bacterial pathogens are highly adaptable organisms, a quality that enables them to overcome changing hostile environments. For example, Vibrio cholerae, the causative agent of cholera, is able to colonize host small intestines and combat host-produced reactive oxygen species (ROS) during infection. To dissect the molecular mechanisms utilized by V. cholerae to overcome ROS in vivo, we performed a whole-genome transposon sequencing analysis (Tn-seq) by comparing gene requirements for colonization using adult mice with and without the treatment of the antioxidant, N-acetyl cysteine. We found that mutants of the methyl-directed mismatch repair (MMR) system, such as MutS, displayed significant colonization advantages in untreated, ROS-rich mice, but not in NAC-treated mice. Further analyses suggest that the accumulation of both catalase-overproducing mutants and rugose colony variants in NAC- mice was the leading cause of mutS mutant enrichment caused by oxidative stress during infection. We also found that rugose variants could revert back to smooth colonies upon aerobic, in vitro culture. Additionally, the mutation rate of wildtype colonized in NAC- mice was significantly higher than that in NAC+ mice. Taken together, these findings support a paradigm in which V. cholerae employs a temporal adaptive strategy to battle ROS during infection, resulting in enriched phenotypes. Moreover, ΔmutS passage and complementation can be used to model hypermuation in diverse pathogens to identify novel stress resistance mechanisms. Cholera is a devastating diarrheal disease that is still endemic to many developing nations, with the worst outbreak in history having occurred recently in Yemen. Vibrio cholerae, the causative agent of cholera, transitions from aquatic reservoirs to the human gastrointestinal tract, where it expresses virulence factors to facilitate colonization of the small intestines and to combat host innate immune effectors, such as reactive oxygen species (ROS). We applied a genome-wide transposon screen (Tn-seq) and identified that deletion of mutS, which is part of DNA mismatch repair system, drastically increased colonization in ROS-rich mice. The deletion of mutS led to the accumulation of catalase-overproducing mutants and a high frequency rugose phenotype when exposed to ROS selective pressures in vivo. Additionally, ROS elevated mutation frequency in wildtype, both in vitro and in vivo. Our data imply that V. cholerae may modulate mutation frequency as a temporal adaptive strategy to overcome oxidative stress and to enhance infectivity.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hui Wang
- Department of Microbiology, Nanjing Agricultural University, Nanjing, China
- * E-mail: (HW); (JH)
| | - Xiaolin Xing
- Department of Microbiology, Nanjing Agricultural University, Nanjing, China
| | - Jipeng Wang
- Department of Microbiology, Nanjing Agricultural University, Nanjing, China
| | - Bo Pang
- State Key Laboratory for Infectious Disease Prevention and Control, National Institute for Communicable Disease Control and Prevention, Chinese Center for Disease Control and Prevention, Beijing, China
| | - Ming Liu
- Department of Microbiology, Nanjing Agricultural University, Nanjing, China
| | - Jessie Larios-Valencia
- Department of Microbiology, Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, United States of America
| | - Tao Liu
- Department of Microbiology, Nanjing Agricultural University, Nanjing, China
| | - Ge Liu
- Department of Microbiology, Nanjing Agricultural University, Nanjing, China
| | - Saijun Xie
- Department of Microbiology, Nanjing Agricultural University, Nanjing, China
| | - Guijuan Hao
- Department of Microbiology, Nanjing Agricultural University, Nanjing, China
| | - Zhi Liu
- Department of Biotechnology, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, China
| | - Biao Kan
- State Key Laboratory for Infectious Disease Prevention and Control, National Institute for Communicable Disease Control and Prevention, Chinese Center for Disease Control and Prevention, Beijing, China
| | - Jun Zhu
- Department of Microbiology, Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, United States of America
- * E-mail: (HW); (JH)
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20
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Mouammine A, Collier J. The impact of DNA methylation in Alphaproteobacteria. Mol Microbiol 2018; 110:1-10. [PMID: 29995343 DOI: 10.1111/mmi.14079] [Citation(s) in RCA: 28] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 07/07/2018] [Indexed: 02/02/2023]
Abstract
Alphaproteobacteria include bacteria with very different modes of life, from free-living to host-associated and pathogenic bacteria. Their genomes vary in size and organization from single circular chromosomes to multipartite genomes and are often methylated by one or more adenine or cytosine methyltransferases (MTases). These include MTases that are part of restriction/modification systems and so-called orphan MTases. The development of novel technologies accelerated the analysis of methylomes and revealed the existence of epigenetic patterns in several Alphaproteobacteria. This review describes the known functions of DNA methylation in Alphaproteobacteria and also discusses its potential drawbacks through the accidental deamination of methylated cytosines. Particular emphasis is given to the strong connection between the cell cycle-regulated orphan MTase CcrM and the complex network that controls gene expression and cell cycle progression in Alphaproteobacteria.
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Affiliation(s)
- Annabelle Mouammine
- Faculty of Biology and Medicine, Department of Fundamental Microbiology, University of Lausanne, Quartier UNIL/Sorge, Lausanne, CH 1015, Switzerland
| | - Justine Collier
- Faculty of Biology and Medicine, Department of Fundamental Microbiology, University of Lausanne, Quartier UNIL/Sorge, Lausanne, CH 1015, Switzerland
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