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Charles-Orszag A, van Wolferen M, Lord SJ, Albers SV, Mullins RD. Adhesion pilus retraction powers twitching motility in the thermoacidophilic crenarchaeon Sulfolobus acidocaldarius. Nat Commun 2024; 15:5051. [PMID: 38877024 PMCID: PMC11178785 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-024-49101-7] [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: 08/09/2023] [Accepted: 05/21/2024] [Indexed: 06/16/2024] Open
Abstract
Type IV pili are filamentous appendages found in most bacteria and archaea, where they can support functions such as surface adhesion, DNA uptake, aggregation, and motility. In most bacteria, PilT-family ATPases disassemble adhesion pili, causing them to rapidly retract and produce twitching motility, important for surface colonization. As archaea do not possess PilT homologs, it was thought that archaeal pili cannot retract and that archaea do not exhibit twitching motility. Here, we use live-cell imaging, automated cell tracking, fluorescence imaging, and genetic manipulation to show that the hyperthermophilic archaeon Sulfolobus acidocaldarius exhibits twitching motility, driven by retractable adhesion (Aap) pili, under physiologically relevant conditions (75 °C, pH 2). Aap pili are thus capable of retraction in the absence of a PilT homolog, suggesting that the ancestral type IV pili in the last universal common ancestor (LUCA) were capable of retraction.
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Affiliation(s)
- Arthur Charles-Orszag
- Department of Cellular and Molecular Pharmacology, Howard Hughes Medical Institute, University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, CA, US
| | - Marleen van Wolferen
- Molecular Biology of Archaea, Faculty of Biology, Institute of Biology II, University of Freiburg, Freiburg, Germany
| | - Samuel J Lord
- Department of Cellular and Molecular Pharmacology, Howard Hughes Medical Institute, University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, CA, US
| | - Sonja-Verena Albers
- Molecular Biology of Archaea, Faculty of Biology, Institute of Biology II, University of Freiburg, Freiburg, Germany.
- Signalling Research Centre BIOSS and CIBBS, Faculty of Biology, University of Freiburg, Freiburg, Germany.
| | - R Dyche Mullins
- Department of Cellular and Molecular Pharmacology, Howard Hughes Medical Institute, University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, CA, US.
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2
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Otto SB, Servajean R, Lemopoulos A, Bitbol AF, Blokesch M. Interactions between pili affect the outcome of bacterial competition driven by the type VI secretion system. Curr Biol 2024; 34:2403-2417.e9. [PMID: 38749426 DOI: 10.1016/j.cub.2024.04.041] [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] [Received: 10/26/2023] [Revised: 04/09/2024] [Accepted: 04/22/2024] [Indexed: 06/06/2024]
Abstract
The bacterial type VI secretion system (T6SS) is a widespread, kin-discriminatory weapon capable of shaping microbial communities. Due to the system's dependency on contact, cellular interactions can lead to either competition or kin protection. Cell-to-cell contact is often accomplished via surface-exposed type IV pili (T4Ps). In Vibrio cholerae, these T4Ps facilitate specific interactions when the bacteria colonize natural chitinous surfaces. However, it has remained unclear whether and, if so, how these interactions affect the bacterium's T6SS-mediated killing. In this study, we demonstrate that pilus-mediated interactions can be harnessed by T6SS-equipped V. cholerae to kill non-kin cells under liquid growth conditions. We also show that the naturally occurring diversity of pili determines the likelihood of cell-to-cell contact and, consequently, the extent of T6SS-mediated competition. To determine the factors that enable or hinder the T6SS's targeted reduction of competitors carrying pili, we developed a physics-grounded computational model for autoaggregation. Collectively, our research demonstrates that T4Ps involved in cell-to-cell contact can impose a selective burden when V. cholerae encounters non-kin cells that possess an active T6SS. Additionally, our study underscores the significance of T4P diversity in protecting closely related individuals from T6SS attacks through autoaggregation and spatial segregation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Simon B Otto
- Laboratory of Molecular Microbiology, Global Health Institute, School of Life Sciences, École Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne (EPFL), 1015 Lausanne, Switzerland
| | - Richard Servajean
- Laboratory of Computational Biology and Theoretical Biophysics, Institute of Bioengineering, School of Life Sciences, École Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne (EPFL), 1015 Lausanne, Switzerland; SIB Swiss Institute of Bioinformatics, 1015 Lausanne, Switzerland
| | - Alexandre Lemopoulos
- Laboratory of Molecular Microbiology, Global Health Institute, School of Life Sciences, École Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne (EPFL), 1015 Lausanne, Switzerland
| | - Anne-Florence Bitbol
- Laboratory of Computational Biology and Theoretical Biophysics, Institute of Bioengineering, School of Life Sciences, École Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne (EPFL), 1015 Lausanne, Switzerland; SIB Swiss Institute of Bioinformatics, 1015 Lausanne, Switzerland
| | - Melanie Blokesch
- Laboratory of Molecular Microbiology, Global Health Institute, School of Life Sciences, École Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne (EPFL), 1015 Lausanne, Switzerland.
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3
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Quispe Haro JJ, Chen F, Los R, Shi S, Sun W, Chen Y, Idema T, Wegner SV. Optogenetic Control of Bacterial Cell-Cell Adhesion Dynamics: Unraveling the Influence on Biofilm Architecture and Functionality. ADVANCED SCIENCE (WEINHEIM, BADEN-WURTTEMBERG, GERMANY) 2024; 11:e2310079. [PMID: 38613837 PMCID: PMC11187914 DOI: 10.1002/advs.202310079] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/21/2023] [Revised: 03/22/2024] [Indexed: 04/15/2024]
Abstract
The transition of bacteria from an individualistic to a biofilm lifestyle profoundly alters their biology. During biofilm development, the bacterial cell-cell adhesions are a major determinant of initial microcolonies, which serve as kernels for the subsequent microscopic and mesoscopic structure of the biofilm, and determine the resulting functionality. In this study, the significance of bacterial cell-cell adhesion dynamics on bacterial aggregation and biofilm maturation is elucidated. Using photoswitchable adhesins between bacteria, modifying the dynamics of bacterial cell-cell adhesions with periodic dark-light cycles is systematic. Dynamic cell-cell adhesions with liquid-like behavior improve bacterial aggregation and produce more compact microcolonies than static adhesions with solid-like behavior in both experiments and individual-based simulations. Consequently, dynamic cell-cell adhesions give rise to earlier quorum sensing activation, better intermixing of different bacterial populations, improved biofilm maturation, changes in the growth of cocultures, and higher yields in fermentation. The here presented approach of tuning bacterial cell-cell adhesion dynamics opens the door for regulating the structure and function of biofilms and cocultures with potential biotechnological applications.
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Affiliation(s)
- Juan José Quispe Haro
- Institute of Physiological Chemistry and PathobiochemistryUniversity of MünsterMünsterGermany
| | - Fei Chen
- Institute of Physiological Chemistry and PathobiochemistryUniversity of MünsterMünsterGermany
- Xiangya School of Pharmaceutical SciencesCentral South UniversityChangshaChina
| | - Rachel Los
- Department of BionanoscienceKavli Institute of NanoscienceDelft University of TechnologyDelftThe Netherlands
| | - Shuqi Shi
- National Engineering Research Center for BiotechnologyCollege of Biotechnology and Pharmaceutical EngineeringNanjing Tech UniversityNanjingChina
- State Key Laboratory of Materials‐Oriented Chemical EngineeringCollege of Biotechnology and Pharmaceutical EngineeringNanjing Tech UniversityNanjingChina
| | - Wenjun Sun
- National Engineering Research Center for BiotechnologyCollege of Biotechnology and Pharmaceutical EngineeringNanjing Tech UniversityNanjingChina
- State Key Laboratory of Materials‐Oriented Chemical EngineeringCollege of Biotechnology and Pharmaceutical EngineeringNanjing Tech UniversityNanjingChina
| | - Yong Chen
- National Engineering Research Center for BiotechnologyCollege of Biotechnology and Pharmaceutical EngineeringNanjing Tech UniversityNanjingChina
- State Key Laboratory of Materials‐Oriented Chemical EngineeringCollege of Biotechnology and Pharmaceutical EngineeringNanjing Tech UniversityNanjingChina
| | - Timon Idema
- Department of BionanoscienceKavli Institute of NanoscienceDelft University of TechnologyDelftThe Netherlands
| | - Seraphine V. Wegner
- Institute of Physiological Chemistry and PathobiochemistryUniversity of MünsterMünsterGermany
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4
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Rhodes KA, Rendón MA, Ma MC, Agellon A, Johnson AC, So M. Type IV pilus retraction is required for Neisseria musculi colonization and persistence in a natural mouse model of infection. mBio 2024; 15:e0279223. [PMID: 38084997 PMCID: PMC10790696 DOI: 10.1128/mbio.02792-23] [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: 10/20/2023] [Accepted: 10/25/2023] [Indexed: 01/17/2024] Open
Abstract
IMPORTANCE We describe the importance of Type IV pilus retraction to colonization and persistence by a mouse commensal Neisseria, N. musculi, in its native host. Our findings have implications for the role of Tfp retraction in mediating interactions of human-adapted pathogenic and commensal Neisseria with their human host due to the relatedness of these species.
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Affiliation(s)
- Katherine A. Rhodes
- Immunobiology Department, University of Arizona College of Medicine, Tucson, Arizona, USA
- BIO5 Institute, University of Arizona, Tucson, Arizona, USA
| | - María A. Rendón
- Immunobiology Department, University of Arizona College of Medicine, Tucson, Arizona, USA
- BIO5 Institute, University of Arizona, Tucson, Arizona, USA
| | - Man Cheong Ma
- Immunobiology Department, University of Arizona College of Medicine, Tucson, Arizona, USA
- BIO5 Institute, University of Arizona, Tucson, Arizona, USA
| | - Al Agellon
- School of Animal and Comparative Biomedical Sciences, University of Arizona, Tucson, Arizona, USA
| | - Andrew C.E. Johnson
- Immunobiology Department, University of Arizona College of Medicine, Tucson, Arizona, USA
| | - Magdalene So
- Immunobiology Department, University of Arizona College of Medicine, Tucson, Arizona, USA
- BIO5 Institute, University of Arizona, Tucson, Arizona, USA
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5
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Odermatt PD, Nussbaum P, Monnappa S, Talà L, Li Z, Sivabalasarma S, Albers SV, Persat A. Archaeal type IV pili stabilize Haloferax volcanii biofilms in flow. Curr Biol 2023; 33:3265-3271.e4. [PMID: 37473762 DOI: 10.1016/j.cub.2023.06.055] [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] [Received: 01/23/2023] [Revised: 05/01/2023] [Accepted: 06/20/2023] [Indexed: 07/22/2023]
Abstract
Multicellular communities of contiguous cells attached to solid surfaces called biofilms represent a common microbial strategy to improve resilience in adverse environments.1,2,3 While bacterial biofilms have been under intense investigation, whether archaeal biofilms follow similar assembly rules remains unknown.4,5Haloferax volcanii is an extremely halophilic euryarchaeon that commonly colonizes salt crust surfaces. H. volcanii produces long and thin appendages called type IV pili (T4Ps). These play a role in surface attachment and biofilm formation in both archaea and bacteria. In this study, we employed biophysical experiments to identify the function of T4Ps in H. volcanii biofilm morphogenesis. H. volcanii expresses not one but six types of major pilin subunits that are predicted to compose T4Ps. Non-invasive imaging of T4Ps in live cells using interferometric scattering (iSCAT) microscopy reveals that piliation varies across mutants expressing single major pilin isoforms. T4Ps are necessary to secure attachment of single cells to surfaces, and the adhesive strength of pilin mutants correlates with their level of piliation. In flow, H. volcanii forms clonal biofilms that extend in three dimensions. Notably, the expression of PilA2, a single pilin isoform, is sufficient to maintain levels of piliation, surface attachment, and biofilm formation that are indistinguishable from the wild type. Furthermore, we discovered that fluid flow stabilizes biofilm integrity; as in the absence of flow, biofilms tend to lose cohesion and disperse in a density-dependent manner. Overall, our results demonstrate that T4P-surface and possibly T4P-T4P interactions promote biofilm formation and integrity and that flow is a key factor regulating archaeal biofilm formation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Pascal D Odermatt
- Global Health Institute and Institute for Bioengineering, School of Life Sciences, EPFL, 1015 Lausanne, Switzerland
| | - Phillip Nussbaum
- Molecular Biology of Archaea, Faculty of Biology, University of Freiburg, 79104 Freiburg, Germany
| | - Sourabh Monnappa
- Global Health Institute and Institute for Bioengineering, School of Life Sciences, EPFL, 1015 Lausanne, Switzerland
| | - Lorenzo Talà
- Global Health Institute and Institute for Bioengineering, School of Life Sciences, EPFL, 1015 Lausanne, Switzerland
| | - Zhengqun Li
- Molecular Biology of Archaea, Faculty of Biology, University of Freiburg, 79104 Freiburg, Germany
| | - Shamphavi Sivabalasarma
- Molecular Biology of Archaea, Faculty of Biology, University of Freiburg, 79104 Freiburg, Germany
| | - Sonja-Verena Albers
- Molecular Biology of Archaea, Faculty of Biology, University of Freiburg, 79104 Freiburg, Germany.
| | - Alexandre Persat
- Global Health Institute and Institute for Bioengineering, School of Life Sciences, EPFL, 1015 Lausanne, Switzerland.
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6
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Charles-Orszag A, van Wolferen M, Lord SJ, Albers SV, Mullins RD. Sulfolobus acidocaldarius adhesion pili power twitching motility in the absence of a dedicated retraction ATPase. BIORXIV : THE PREPRINT SERVER FOR BIOLOGY 2023:2023.08.04.552066. [PMID: 37577505 PMCID: PMC10418518 DOI: 10.1101/2023.08.04.552066] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 08/15/2023]
Abstract
Type IV pili are ancient and widespread filamentous organelles found in most bacterial and archaeal phyla where they support a wide range of functions, including substrate adhesion, DNA uptake, self aggregation, and cell motility. In most bacteria, PilT-family ATPases disassemble adhesion pili, causing them to rapidly retract and produce twitching motility, important for surface colonization. As archaea do not possess homologs of PilT, it was thought that archaeal pili cannot retract. Here, we employ live-cell imaging under native conditions (75°C and pH 2), together with automated single-cell tracking, high-temperature fluorescence imaging, and genetic manipulation to demonstrate that S. acidocaldarius exhibits bona fide twitching motility, and that this behavior depends specifically on retractable adhesion pili. Our results demonstrate that archaeal adhesion pili are capable of retraction in the absence of a PilT retraction ATPase and suggests that the ancestral type IV pilus machinery in the last universal common ancestor (LUCA) relied on such a bifunctional ATPase for both extension and retraction.
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Affiliation(s)
- Arthur Charles-Orszag
- Department of Cellular and Molecular Pharmacology, Howard Hughes Medical Institute, University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, CA, United States
| | - Marleen van Wolferen
- Molecular Biology of Archaea, Faculty of Biology, Institute of Biology II, University of Freiburg, Freiburg, Germany
| | - Samuel J Lord
- Department of Cellular and Molecular Pharmacology, Howard Hughes Medical Institute, University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, CA, United States
| | - Sonja-Verena Albers
- Molecular Biology of Archaea, Faculty of Biology, Institute of Biology II, University of Freiburg, Freiburg, Germany
- Signalling Research Centres BIOSS and CIBBS, Faculty of Biology, University of Freiburg, Freiburg, Germany
| | - R Dyche Mullins
- Department of Cellular and Molecular Pharmacology, Howard Hughes Medical Institute, University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, CA, United States
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7
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Rossy T, Distler T, Meirelles LA, Pezoldt J, Kim J, Talà L, Bouklas N, Deplancke B, Persat A. Pseudomonas aeruginosa type IV pili actively induce mucus contraction to form biofilms in tissue-engineered human airways. PLoS Biol 2023; 21:e3002209. [PMID: 37527210 PMCID: PMC10393179 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pbio.3002209] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/08/2022] [Accepted: 06/21/2023] [Indexed: 08/03/2023] Open
Abstract
The opportunistic pathogen Pseudomonas aeruginosa causes antibiotic-recalcitrant pneumonia by forming biofilms in the respiratory tract. Despite extensive in vitro experimentation, how P. aeruginosa forms biofilms at the airway mucosa is unresolved. To investigate the process of biofilm formation in realistic conditions, we developed AirGels: 3D, optically accessible tissue-engineered human lung models that emulate the airway mucosal environment. AirGels recapitulate important factors that mediate host-pathogen interactions including mucus secretion, flow and air-liquid interface (ALI), while accommodating high-resolution live microscopy. With AirGels, we investigated the contributions of mucus to P. aeruginosa biofilm biogenesis in in vivo-like conditions. We found that P. aeruginosa forms mucus-associated biofilms within hours by contracting luminal mucus early during colonization. Mucus contractions facilitate aggregation, thereby nucleating biofilms. We show that P. aeruginosa actively contracts mucus using retractile filaments called type IV pili. Our results therefore suggest that, while protecting epithelia, mucus constitutes a breeding ground for biofilms.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tamara Rossy
- Global Health Institute, School of Life Sciences, Ecole Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne (EPFL), Lausanne, Switzerland
- Institute of Bioengineering, School of Life Sciences, École Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne (EPFL), Lausanne, Switzerland
| | - Tania Distler
- Global Health Institute, School of Life Sciences, Ecole Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne (EPFL), Lausanne, Switzerland
- Institute of Bioengineering, School of Life Sciences, École Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne (EPFL), Lausanne, Switzerland
| | - Lucas A Meirelles
- Global Health Institute, School of Life Sciences, Ecole Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne (EPFL), Lausanne, Switzerland
- Institute of Bioengineering, School of Life Sciences, École Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne (EPFL), Lausanne, Switzerland
| | - Joern Pezoldt
- Institute of Bioengineering, School of Life Sciences, École Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne (EPFL), Lausanne, Switzerland
| | - Jaemin Kim
- Sibley School of Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering, Cornell University, Ithaca, New York, United States of America
| | - Lorenzo Talà
- Global Health Institute, School of Life Sciences, Ecole Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne (EPFL), Lausanne, Switzerland
- Institute of Bioengineering, School of Life Sciences, École Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne (EPFL), Lausanne, Switzerland
| | - Nikolaos Bouklas
- Sibley School of Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering, Cornell University, Ithaca, New York, United States of America
| | - Bart Deplancke
- Institute of Bioengineering, School of Life Sciences, École Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne (EPFL), Lausanne, Switzerland
| | - Alexandre Persat
- Global Health Institute, School of Life Sciences, Ecole Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne (EPFL), Lausanne, Switzerland
- Institute of Bioengineering, School of Life Sciences, École Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne (EPFL), Lausanne, Switzerland
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8
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Chekli Y, Stevick RJ, Kornobis E, Briolat V, Ghigo JM, Beloin C. Escherichia coli Aggregates Mediated by Native or Synthetic Adhesins Exhibit Both Core and Adhesin-Specific Transcriptional Responses. Microbiol Spectr 2023; 11:e0069023. [PMID: 37039668 PMCID: PMC10269875 DOI: 10.1128/spectrum.00690-23] [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: 02/17/2023] [Accepted: 03/20/2023] [Indexed: 04/12/2023] Open
Abstract
Bacteria can rapidly tune their physiology and metabolism to adapt to environmental fluctuations. In particular, they can adapt their lifestyle to the close proximity of other bacteria or the presence of different surfaces. However, whether these interactions trigger transcriptomic responses is poorly understood. We used a specific setup of E. coli strains expressing native or synthetic adhesins mediating bacterial aggregation to study the transcriptomic changes of aggregated compared to nonaggregated bacteria. Our results show that, following aggregation, bacteria exhibit a core response independent of the adhesin type, with differential expression of 56.9% of the coding genome, including genes involved in stress response and anaerobic lifestyle. Moreover, when aggregates were formed via a naturally expressed E. coli adhesin (antigen 43), the transcriptomic response of the bacteria was more exaggerated than that of aggregates formed via a synthetic adhesin. This suggests that the response to aggregation induced by native E. coli adhesins could have been finely tuned during bacterial evolution. Our study therefore provides insights into the effect of self-interaction in bacteria and allows a better understanding of why bacterial aggregates exhibit increased stress tolerance. IMPORTANCE The formation of bacterial aggregates has an important role in both clinical and ecological contexts. Although these structures have been previously shown to be more resistant to stressful conditions, the genetic basis of this stress tolerance associated with the aggregate lifestyle is poorly understood. Surface sensing mediated by different adhesins can result in various changes in bacterial physiology. However, whether adhesin-adhesin interactions, as well as the type of adhesin mediating aggregation, affect bacterial cell physiology is unknown. By sequencing the transcriptomes of aggregated and nonaggregated cells expressing native or synthetic adhesins, we characterized the effects of aggregation and adhesin type on E. coli physiology.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yankel Chekli
- Institut Pasteur, Université Paris Cité, CNRS UMR 6047, Genetics of Biofilms Laboratory, Paris, France
| | - Rebecca J. Stevick
- Institut Pasteur, Université Paris Cité, CNRS UMR 6047, Genetics of Biofilms Laboratory, Paris, France
| | - Etienne Kornobis
- Hub de Bioinformatique et Biostatistique-Département Biologie Computationnelle, Institut Pasteur, USR 3756 CNRS, Paris, France
- Plate-forme Technologique Biomics—Centre de Ressources et Recherches Technologiques, Institut Pasteur, Paris, France
| | - Valérie Briolat
- Hub de Bioinformatique et Biostatistique-Département Biologie Computationnelle, Institut Pasteur, USR 3756 CNRS, Paris, France
- Plate-forme Technologique Biomics—Centre de Ressources et Recherches Technologiques, Institut Pasteur, Paris, France
| | - Jean-Marc Ghigo
- Institut Pasteur, Université Paris Cité, CNRS UMR 6047, Genetics of Biofilms Laboratory, Paris, France
| | - Christophe Beloin
- Institut Pasteur, Université Paris Cité, CNRS UMR 6047, Genetics of Biofilms Laboratory, Paris, France
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9
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Girgis MM, Christodoulides M. Vertebrate and Invertebrate Animal and New In Vitro Models for Studying Neisseria Biology. Pathogens 2023; 12:782. [PMID: 37375472 DOI: 10.3390/pathogens12060782] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/30/2023] [Revised: 05/03/2023] [Accepted: 05/18/2023] [Indexed: 06/29/2023] Open
Abstract
The history of Neisseria research has involved the use of a wide variety of vertebrate and invertebrate animal models, from insects to humans. In this review, we itemise these models and describe how they have made significant contributions to understanding the pathophysiology of Neisseria infections and to the development and testing of vaccines and antimicrobials. We also look ahead, briefly, to their potential replacement by complex in vitro cellular models.
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Affiliation(s)
- Michael M Girgis
- Neisseria Research Group, Molecular Microbiology, School of Clinical and Experimental Sciences, Faculty of Medicine, University of Southampton, Southampton SO16 6YD, UK
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, Faculty of Pharmacy, Mansoura University, Mansoura 35516, Egypt
| | - Myron Christodoulides
- Neisseria Research Group, Molecular Microbiology, School of Clinical and Experimental Sciences, Faculty of Medicine, University of Southampton, Southampton SO16 6YD, UK
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10
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Han Y, Jiang N, Xu H, Yuan Z, Xiu J, Mao S, Liu X, Huang J. Extracellular Matrix Rigidities Regulate the Tricarboxylic Acid Cycle and Antibiotic Resistance of Three-Dimensionally Confined Bacterial Microcolonies. ADVANCED SCIENCE (WEINHEIM, BADEN-WURTTEMBERG, GERMANY) 2023; 10:e2206153. [PMID: 36658695 PMCID: PMC10037996 DOI: 10.1002/advs.202206153] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/21/2022] [Revised: 12/22/2022] [Indexed: 06/06/2023]
Abstract
As a major cause of clinical chronic infection, microbial biofilms/microcolonies in host tissues essentially live in 3D-constrained microenvironments, which potentially modulate their spatial self-organization and morphodynamics. However, it still remains unclear whether and how mechanical cues of 3D confined microenvironments, for example, extracellular matrix (ECM) stiffness, exert an impact on antibiotic resistance of bacterial biofilms/microcolonies. With a high-throughput antibiotic sensitivity testing (AST) platform, it is revealed that 3D ECM rigidities greatly modulate their resistance to diverse antibiotics. The microcolonies in 3D ECM with human tissue-specific rigidities varying from 0.5 to 20 kPa show a ≈2-10 000-fold increase in minimum inhibitory concentration, depending on the types of antibiotics. The authors subsequently identified that the increase in 3D ECM rigidities leads to the downregulation of the tricarboxylic acid (TCA) cycle, which is responsible for enhanced antibiotic resistance. Further, it is shown that fumarate, as a potentiator of TCA cycle activity, can alleviate the elevated antibiotic resistance and thus remarkably improve the efficacy of antibiotics against bacterial microcolonies in 3D confined ECM, as confirmed in the chronic infection mice model. These findings suggest fumarate can be employed as an antibiotic adjuvant to effectively treat infections induced by bacterial biofilms/microcolonies in a 3D-confined environment.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yiming Han
- Department of Mechanics and Engineering Science, and Beijing Innovation Center for Engineering Science and Advanced TechnologyCollege of EngineeringPeking University100871BeijingChina
| | - Nan Jiang
- Department of Mechanics and Engineering Science, and Beijing Innovation Center for Engineering Science and Advanced TechnologyCollege of EngineeringPeking University100871BeijingChina
| | - Hongwei Xu
- Department of Mechanics and Engineering Science, and Beijing Innovation Center for Engineering Science and Advanced TechnologyCollege of EngineeringPeking University100871BeijingChina
| | - Zuoying Yuan
- Department of Mechanics and Engineering Science, and Beijing Innovation Center for Engineering Science and Advanced TechnologyCollege of EngineeringPeking University100871BeijingChina
| | - Jidong Xiu
- Department of Mechanics and Engineering Science, and Beijing Innovation Center for Engineering Science and Advanced TechnologyCollege of EngineeringPeking University100871BeijingChina
| | - Sheng Mao
- Department of Mechanics and Engineering Science, and Beijing Innovation Center for Engineering Science and Advanced TechnologyCollege of EngineeringPeking University100871BeijingChina
| | - Xiaozhi Liu
- Tianjin Key Laboratory of Epigenetics for Organ Development of Premature InfantsFifth Central Hospital of TianjinTianjin300450China
| | - Jianyong Huang
- Department of Mechanics and Engineering Science, and Beijing Innovation Center for Engineering Science and Advanced TechnologyCollege of EngineeringPeking University100871BeijingChina
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11
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Hennes M, Bender N, Cronenberg T, Welker A, Maier B. Collective polarization dynamics in bacterial colonies signify the occurrence of distinct subpopulations. PLoS Biol 2023; 21:e3001960. [PMID: 36652440 PMCID: PMC9847958 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pbio.3001960] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/23/2022] [Accepted: 12/15/2022] [Indexed: 01/19/2023] Open
Abstract
Membrane potential in bacterial systems has been shown to be dynamic and tightly related to survivability at the single-cell level. However, little is known about spatiotemporal patterns of membrane potential in bacterial colonies and biofilms. Here, we discovered a transition from uncorrelated to collective dynamics within colonies formed by the human pathogen Neisseria gonorrhoeae. In freshly assembled colonies, polarization is heterogeneous with instances of transient and uncorrelated hyper- or depolarization of individual cells. As colonies reach a critical size, the polarization behavior transitions to collective dynamics: A hyperpolarized shell forms at the center, travels radially outward, and halts several micrometers from the colony periphery. Once the shell has passed, we detect an influx of potassium correlated with depolarization. Transient hyperpolarization also demarks the transition from volume to surface growth. By combining simulations and the use of an alternative electron acceptor for the respiratory chain, we provide strong evidence that local oxygen gradients shape the collective polarization dynamics. Finally, we show that within the hyperpolarized shell, tolerance against aminoglycoside antibiotics increases. These findings highlight that the polarization pattern can signify the differentiation into distinct subpopulations with different growth rates and antibiotic tolerance.
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Affiliation(s)
- Marc Hennes
- Institute for Biological Physics, and Center for Molecular Medicine Cologne, University of Cologne, Cologne, Germany
- * E-mail: (MH); (BM)
| | - Niklas Bender
- Institute for Biological Physics, and Center for Molecular Medicine Cologne, University of Cologne, Cologne, Germany
| | - Tom Cronenberg
- Institute for Biological Physics, and Center for Molecular Medicine Cologne, University of Cologne, Cologne, Germany
| | - Anton Welker
- Institute for Biological Physics, and Center for Molecular Medicine Cologne, University of Cologne, Cologne, Germany
| | - Berenike Maier
- Institute for Biological Physics, and Center for Molecular Medicine Cologne, University of Cologne, Cologne, Germany
- * E-mail: (MH); (BM)
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12
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Alston H, Parry AO, Voituriez R, Bertrand T. Intermittent attractive interactions lead to microphase separation in nonmotile active matter. Phys Rev E 2022; 106:034603. [PMID: 36266896 DOI: 10.1103/physreve.106.034603] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/11/2022] [Accepted: 07/26/2022] [Indexed: 06/16/2023]
Abstract
Nonmotile active matter exhibits a wide range of nonequilibrium collective phenomena yet examples are crucially lacking in the literature. We present a microscopic model inspired by the bacteria Neisseria meningitidis in which diffusive agents feel intermittent attractive forces. Through a formal coarse-graining procedure, we show that this truly scalar model of active matter exhibits the time-reversal-symmetry breaking terms defining the Active Model B+ class. In particular, we confirm the presence of microphase separation by solving the kinetic equations numerically. We show that the switching rate controlling the interactions provides a regulation mechanism tuning the typical cluster size, e.g., in populations of bacteria interacting via type IV pili.
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Affiliation(s)
- Henry Alston
- Department of Mathematics, Imperial College London, 180 Queen's Gate, London SW7 2BZ, United Kingdom
| | - Andrew O Parry
- Department of Mathematics, Imperial College London, 180 Queen's Gate, London SW7 2BZ, United Kingdom
| | - Raphaël Voituriez
- Laboratoire de Physique Théorique de la Matière Condensée, UMR 7600 CNRS/UPMC, 4 Place Jussieu, 75255 Paris Cedex, France
- Laboratoire Jean Perrin, UMR 8237 CNRS/UPMC, 4 Place Jussieu, 75255 Paris Cedex, France
| | - Thibault Bertrand
- Department of Mathematics, Imperial College London, 180 Queen's Gate, London SW7 2BZ, United Kingdom
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13
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Bender N, Hennes M, Maier B. Mobility of extracellular DNA within gonococcal colonies. Biofilm 2022; 4:100078. [PMID: 35647521 PMCID: PMC9136125 DOI: 10.1016/j.bioflm.2022.100078] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/21/2022] [Revised: 05/10/2022] [Accepted: 05/10/2022] [Indexed: 11/17/2022] Open
Abstract
Transformation enables bacteria to acquire genetic information from extracellular DNA (eDNA). Close proximity between bacteria in colonies and biofilms may inhibit escape of eDNA from the colony but it also hinders its diffusion between donor and recipient. In this study, we investigate the mobility of DNA within colonies formed by Neisseria gonorrhoeae, and relate it to transformation efficiency. We characterize the penetration dynamics of fluorescent DNA into the colony at a time scale of hours and find that 300 bp fragments diffuse through the colony without hindrance. For DNA length exceeding 3 kbp, a concentration gradient between the edge and the center of the colony develops, indicating hindered diffusion. Accumulation of DNA within the colony increases with increasing DNA length. The presence of the gonococcal DNA uptake sequence (DUS), which mediates specific binding to type 4 pili (T4P) and uptake into the cell, steepens the radial concentration gradient within the colony, suggesting that the DUS reduces DNA mobility. In particular, DNA of N. gonorrhoeae containing multiple DUS is trapped at the periphery. Under conditions, where DUS containing DNA fragments readily enter the colony center, we investigate the efficiency of transformation. We show that despite rapid diffusion of DNA, the transformation is limited to the edge of young colonies. We conclude that DNA mobility depends on DNA length and specific binding mediated by the DUS, resulting in restricted mobility of gonococcal DNA. Yet gonococcal colonies accumulate DNA, and may therefore act as a reservoir for eDNA. DNA fragments encompassing the length of a typical operon efficiently penetrate bacterial colonies. Bacterial colonies accumulate eDNA with an efficiency that depends on the length and the DNA uptake sequence. Genomic DNA from a distinct species spreads efficiently through gonococcal colonies, while gonococcal DNA and DNA from a closely related species are trapped. Transformation is most efficient at the periphery of freshly assembled gonococcal colonies.
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14
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Guo P, Xu J, Liang H, Xu L, Gao W, Chen Z, Gao Y, Zhang M, Yu G, Shao Z. Estrogen Suppresses Cytokines Release in cc4821 Neisseria meningitidis Infection via TLR4 and ERβ-p38-MAPK Pathway. Front Microbiol 2022; 13:834091. [PMID: 35422784 PMCID: PMC9002303 DOI: 10.3389/fmicb.2022.834091] [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: 12/13/2021] [Accepted: 02/09/2022] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Estrogen has long been known to possess immune-modulatory effects in diseases, and multiple pathological conditions show great sex disparities. However, the impact of estrogen in Neisseria meningitidis infection has not been determined. The present study aimed to investigate the role of estrogen in N. meningitidis infection and the molecular mechanism. We selected 35 N. meningitidis isolates representing different clonal complexes (cc), serogroups, and isolation sources to infect the HBMEC cell line. Results showed that the expression of estrogen receptor (ER) β in N. meningitidis-infected cells was downregulated compared with that in normal cells. The expression of ERβ induced by invasive isolates was lower than that in carriers. Serogroup C isolates induced the lowest expression of ERβ compared with serogroup A and B isolates. We used four cc4821 N. meningitidis isolates to infect two kinds of host cells (human brain microvascular endothelial cells and meningeal epithelial cells). The results showed that 17 β-estradiol (E2) could inhibit the release of inflammatory factors interleukin (IL)-6, IL-8, and tumor necrosis factor-α after N. meningitidis infection via TLR4. E2 could inhibit the activation of the p38-MAPK signal pathway induced by N. meningitidis infection through binding to ERβ, and significantly inhibit the release of inflammatory factors in N. meningitidis-infected host cells. This study demonstrated that estrogen plays a protective role in N. meningitidis infection. ERβ is potentially associated with the release of inflammatory cytokines in N. meningitidis infection, which sheds light on a possible therapeutic strategy for the treatment of invasive diseases caused by N. meningitidis.
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Affiliation(s)
- Pengbo Guo
- 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.,Department of Pathogen Biology, School of Basic Medicine, Shandong First Medical University and Shandong Academy of Medical Sciences, Jinan, China
| | - Juan Xu
- 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
| | - Hao Liang
- Department of Microbiology, School of Public Health, Cheeloo College of Medicine, Shandong University, Jinan, China
| | - Li Xu
- 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
| | - Wanying Gao
- 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
| | - Ziman Chen
- 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
| | - Yuan Gao
- 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
| | - Maojun Zhang
- 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
| | - Guangfu Yu
- Department of Pathogen Biology, School of Basic Medicine, Shandong First Medical University and Shandong Academy of Medical Sciences, Jinan, China
| | - Zhujun Shao
- 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.,Collaborative Innovation Center for Diagnosis and Treatment of Infectious Diseases, Hangzhou, China
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15
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Alric B, Formosa-Dague C, Dague E, Holt LJ, Delarue M. Macromolecular crowding limits growth under pressure. NATURE PHYSICS 2022; 18:411-416. [PMID: 37152719 PMCID: PMC10162713 DOI: 10.1038/s41567-022-01506-1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 23] [Impact Index Per Article: 11.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/09/2023]
Abstract
Cells that grow in confined spaces eventually build up mechanical compressive stress. This growth-induced pressure (GIP) decreases cell growth. GIP is important in a multitude of contexts from cancer, to microbial infections, to biofouling, yet our understanding of its origin and molecular consequences remains limited. Here, we combine microfluidic confinement of the yeast Saccharomyces cerevisiae, with rheological measurements using genetically encoded multimeric nanoparticles (GEMs) to reveal that growth-induced pressure is accompanied with an increase in a key cellular physical property: macromolecular crowding. We develop a fully calibrated model that predicts how increased macromolecular crowding hinders protein expression and thus diminishes cell growth. This model is sufficient to explain the coupling of growth rate to pressure without the need for specific molecular sensors or signaling cascades. As molecular crowding is similar across all domains of life, this could be a deeply conserved mechanism of biomechanical feedback that allows environmental sensing originating from the fundamental physical properties of cells.
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Affiliation(s)
- Baptiste Alric
- MILE team, CNRS, UPR8001, LAAS-CNRS, 7 Avenue du Colonel Roche, F-31400 Toulouse, France
| | | | - Etienne Dague
- ELIA team, CNRS, UPR8001, LAAS-CNRS, 7 Avenue du Colonel Roche, F-31400 Toulouse, France
| | - Liam J. Holt
- New York University Grossman School of Medicine, Institute for Systems Genetics, 435 E 30th Street, New York, NY, United States
- to whom correspondence should be addressed: ;
| | - Morgan Delarue
- MILE team, CNRS, UPR8001, LAAS-CNRS, 7 Avenue du Colonel Roche, F-31400 Toulouse, France
- to whom correspondence should be addressed: ;
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16
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Kraus-Römer S, Wielert I, Rathmann I, Grossbach J, Maier B. External Stresses Affect Gonococcal Type 4 Pilus Dynamics. Front Microbiol 2022; 13:839711. [PMID: 35283813 PMCID: PMC8914258 DOI: 10.3389/fmicb.2022.839711] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/20/2021] [Accepted: 01/25/2022] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Bacterial type 4 pili (T4P) are extracellular polymers that serve both as adhesins and molecular motors. Functionally, they are involved in adhesion, colony formation, twitching motility, and horizontal gene transfer. T4P of the human pathogen Neisseria gonorrhoeae have been shown to enhance survivability under treatment with antibiotics or hydrogen peroxide. However, little is known about the effect of external stresses on T4P production and motor properties. Here, we address this question by directly visualizing gonococcal T4P dynamics. We show that in the absence of stress gonococci produce T4P at a remarkably high rate of ∼200 T4P min–1. T4P retraction succeeds elongation without detectable time delay. Treatment with azithromycin or ceftriaxone reduces the T4P production rate. RNA sequencing results suggest that reduced piliation is caused by combined downregulation of the complexes required for T4P extrusion from the cell envelope and cellular energy depletion. Various other stresses including inhibitors of cell wall synthesis and DNA replication, as well as hydrogen peroxide and lactic acid, inhibit T4P production. Moreover, hydrogen peroxide and acidic pH strongly affect pilus length and motor function. In summary, we show that gonococcal T4P are highly dynamic and diverse external stresses reduce piliation despite the protective effect of T4P against some of these stresses.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Isabelle Wielert
- Institute for Biological Physics, University of Cologne, Cologne, Germany
| | - Isabel Rathmann
- Institute for Biological Physics, University of Cologne, Cologne, Germany
| | - Jan Grossbach
- Faculty of Mathematics and Natural Sciences, CECAD, University of Cologne, Cologne, Germany
| | - Berenike Maier
- Institute for Biological Physics, University of Cologne, Cologne, Germany
- Center for Molecular Medicine Cologne, Cologne, Germany
- *Correspondence: Berenike Maier,
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17
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Contou D, Urbina T, de Prost N. Understanding purpura fulminans in adult patients. Intensive Care Med 2022; 48:106-110. [PMID: 34846563 DOI: 10.1007/s00134-021-06580-2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/01/2021] [Accepted: 11/08/2021] [Indexed: 01/15/2023]
Affiliation(s)
- Damien Contou
- Service de Réanimation Polyvalente, Centre Hospitalier Victor Dupouy, 69, Rue du Lieutenant-Colonel Prud'hon, 95100, Argenteuil, France.
| | - Tomas Urbina
- Service de Médecine Intensive Réanimation, Hôpital Saint-Antoine, Assistance Publique-Hôpitaux de Paris, Paris, France
| | - Nicolas de Prost
- Service de Médecine Intensive Réanimation, Groupe de Recherche CARMAS, Centre Hospitalier Universitaire Henri Mondor, Assistance Publique-Hôpitaux de Paris, 51, Avenue du Maréchal de Lattre de Tassigny, 94010, Créteil, France
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18
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Marullo S, Scott MGH, Enslen H, Coureuil M. Mechanical Activation of the β 2-Adrenergic Receptor by Meningococcus: A Historical and Future Perspective Analysis of How a Bacterial Probe Can Reveal Signalling Pathways in Endothelial Cells, and a Unique Mode of Receptor Activation Involving Its N-Terminal Glycan Chains. Front Endocrinol (Lausanne) 2022; 13:883568. [PMID: 35586623 PMCID: PMC9108228 DOI: 10.3389/fendo.2022.883568] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/25/2022] [Accepted: 04/04/2022] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
More than 12 years have passed since the seminal observation that meningococcus, a pathogen causing epidemic meningitis in humans, occasionally associated with infectious vasculitis and septic shock, can promote the translocation of β-arrestins to the cell surface beneath bacterial colonies. The cellular receptor used by the pathogen to induce signalling in host cells and allowing it to open endothelial cell junctions and reach meninges was unknown. The involvement of β-arrestins, which are scaffolding proteins regulating G protein coupled receptor signalling and function, incited us to specifically investigate this class of receptors. In this perspective article we will summarize the events leading to the discovery that the β2-adrenergic receptor is the receptor that initiates the signalling cascades induced by meningococcus in host cells. This receptor, however, cannot mediate cell infection on its own. It needs to be pre-associated with an "early" adhesion receptor, CD147, within a hetero-oligomeric complex, stabilized by the cytoskeletal protein α-actinin 4. It then required several years to understand how the pathogen actually activates the signalling receptor. Once bound to the N-terminal glycans of the β2-adrenergic receptor, meningococcus provides a mechanical stimulation that induces the biased activation of β-arrestin-mediated signalling pathways. This activating mechanical stimulus can be reproduced in the absence of any pathogen by applying equivalent forces on receptor glycans. Mechanical activation of the β2-adrenergic receptor might have a physiological role in signalling events promoted in the context of cell-to-cell interaction.
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Affiliation(s)
- Stefano Marullo
- Université de Paris, Institut Cochin, INSERM U1016, CNRS UMR 8104, Paris, France
- *Correspondence: Stefano Marullo,
| | - Mark G. H. Scott
- Université de Paris, Institut Cochin, INSERM U1016, CNRS UMR 8104, Paris, France
| | - Hervé Enslen
- Université de Paris, Institut Cochin, INSERM U1016, CNRS UMR 8104, Paris, France
| | - Mathieu Coureuil
- Université de Paris, Institut-Necker-Enfants-Malades, INSERM U1151, CNRS UMR 8253, Paris, France
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19
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Ellison CK, Whitfield GB, Brun YV. Type IV Pili: Dynamic Bacterial Nanomachines. FEMS Microbiol Rev 2021; 46:6425739. [PMID: 34788436 DOI: 10.1093/femsre/fuab053] [Citation(s) in RCA: 29] [Impact Index Per Article: 9.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/19/2021] [Accepted: 11/08/2021] [Indexed: 01/19/2023] Open
Abstract
Bacteria and archaea rely on appendages called type IV pili (T4P) to participate in diverse behaviors including surface sensing, biofilm formation, virulence, protein secretion, and motility across surfaces. T4P are broadly distributed fibers that dynamically extend and retract, and this dynamic activity is essential for their function in broad processes. Despite the essentiality of dynamics in T4P function, little is known about the role of these dynamics and molecular mechanisms controlling them. Recent advances in microscopy have yielded insight into the role of T4P dynamics in their diverse functions and recent structural work has expanded what is known about the inner workings of the T4P motor. This review discusses recent progress in understanding the function, regulation, and mechanisms of T4P dynamics.
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Affiliation(s)
- Courtney K Ellison
- Lewis-Sigler Institute for Integrative Genomics, Princeton University, Princeton, NJ, USA.,Department of Molecular Biology, Princeton University, Princeton, NJ, USA
| | - Gregory B Whitfield
- Département de Microbiologie, Infectiologie et Immunologie, Université de Montréal, Montréal, Québec, Canada
| | - Yves V Brun
- Département de Microbiologie, Infectiologie et Immunologie, Université de Montréal, Montréal, Québec, Canada
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20
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Cai L, Jain M, Sena-Vélez M, Jones KM, Fleites LA, Heck M, Gabriel DW. Tad pilus-mediated twitching motility is essential for DNA uptake and survival of Liberibacters. PLoS One 2021; 16:e0258583. [PMID: 34644346 PMCID: PMC8513845 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0258583] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/21/2021] [Accepted: 10/01/2021] [Indexed: 12/12/2022] Open
Abstract
Axenically cultured Liberibacter crescens (Lcr) is a closely related surrogate for uncultured plant pathogenic species of the genus Liberibacter, including ‘Candidatus L. asiaticus’ (CLas) and ‘Ca. L. solanacearum’ (CLso). All Liberibacters encode a completely conserved gene repertoire for both flagella and Tad (Tight Adherence) pili and all are missing genes critical for nucleotide biosynthesis. Both flagellar swimming and Tad pilus-mediated twitching motility in Lcr were demonstrated for the first time. A role for Tad pili in the uptake of extracellular dsDNA for food in Liberibacters was suspected because both twitching and DNA uptake are impossible without repetitive pilus extension and retraction, and no genes encoding other pilus assemblages or mechanisms for DNA uptake were predicted to be even partially present in any of the 35 fully sequenced Liberibacter genomes. Insertional mutations of the Lcr Tad pilus genes cpaA, cpaB, cpaE, cpaF and tadC all displayed such severely reduced growth and viability that none could be complemented. A mutation affecting cpaF (motor ATPase) was further characterized and the strain displayed concomitant loss of twitching, viability and reduced periplasmic uptake of extracellular dsDNA. Mutations of comEC, encoding the inner membrane competence channel, had no effect on either motility or growth but completely abolished natural transformation in Lcr. The comEC mutation was restored by complementation using comEC from Lcr but not from CLas strain psy62 or CLso strain RS100, indicating that unlike Lcr, these pathogens were not naturally competent for transformation. This report provides the first evidence that the Liberibacter Tad pili are dynamic and essential for both motility and DNA uptake, thus extending their role beyond surface adherence.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lulu Cai
- Plant Pathology Department, University of Florida, Gainesville, Florida, United States of America
| | - Mukesh Jain
- Plant Pathology Department, University of Florida, Gainesville, Florida, United States of America
| | - Marta Sena-Vélez
- Department of Biological Science, Florida State University, Tallahassee, Florida, United States of America
| | - Kathryn M. Jones
- Department of Biological Science, Florida State University, Tallahassee, Florida, United States of America
| | - Laura A. Fleites
- USDA Agricultural Research Service, Robert W. Holley Center for Agriculture and Health, Ithaca, New York, United States of America
| | - Michelle Heck
- USDA Agricultural Research Service, Robert W. Holley Center for Agriculture and Health, Ithaca, New York, United States of America
| | - Dean W. Gabriel
- Plant Pathology Department, University of Florida, Gainesville, Florida, United States of America
- * E-mail:
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21
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Liu X, Zhu K, Duan X, Wang P, Han Y, Peng W, Huang J. Extracellular matrix stiffness modulates host-bacteria interactions and antibiotic therapy of bacterial internalization. Biomaterials 2021; 277:121098. [PMID: 34478931 DOI: 10.1016/j.biomaterials.2021.121098] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/02/2020] [Revised: 05/12/2021] [Accepted: 08/24/2021] [Indexed: 02/04/2023]
Abstract
Pathogenic bacteria evolve multiple strategies to hijack host cells for intracellular survival and persistent infections. Previous studies have revealed the intricate interactions between bacteria and host cells at genetic, biochemical and even single molecular levels. Mechanical interactions and mechanotransduction exert a crucial impact on the behaviors and functions of pathogenic bacteria and host cells, owing to the ubiquitous mechanical microenvironments like extracellular matrix (ECM) stiffness. Nevertheless, it remains unclear whether and how ECM stiffness modulates bacterial infections and the sequential outcome of antibacterial therapy. Here we show that bacteria tend to adhere to and invade epithelial cells located on the regions with relatively high traction forces. ECM stiffness regulates spatial distributions of bacteria during the invasion through arrangements of F-actin cytoskeletons in host cells. Depolymerization of cytoskeletons in the host cells induced by bacterial infection decreases intracellular accumulation of antibiotics, thus preventing the eradication of invaded bacterial pathogens. These findings not only reveal the key regulatory role of ECM stiffness, but suggest that the coordination of cytoskeletons may provide alternative approaches to improve antibiotic therapy against multidrug resistant bacteria in clinic.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xiaoye Liu
- Department of Mechanics and Engineering Science, College of Engineering, Academy for Advanced Interdisciplinary Studies, and Beijing Innovation Center for Engineering Science and Advanced Technology, College of Engineering, Peking University, Beijing, 100871, China; College of Veterinary Medicine, China Agricultural University, Beijing, 100193, China
| | - Kui Zhu
- College of Veterinary Medicine, China Agricultural University, Beijing, 100193, China
| | - Xiaocen Duan
- Department of Mechanics and Engineering Science, College of Engineering, Academy for Advanced Interdisciplinary Studies, and Beijing Innovation Center for Engineering Science and Advanced Technology, College of Engineering, Peking University, Beijing, 100871, China
| | - Pudi Wang
- Department of Mechanics and Engineering Science, College of Engineering, Academy for Advanced Interdisciplinary Studies, and Beijing Innovation Center for Engineering Science and Advanced Technology, College of Engineering, Peking University, Beijing, 100871, China
| | - Yiming Han
- Department of Mechanics and Engineering Science, College of Engineering, Academy for Advanced Interdisciplinary Studies, and Beijing Innovation Center for Engineering Science and Advanced Technology, College of Engineering, Peking University, Beijing, 100871, China
| | - Wenjing Peng
- College of Veterinary Medicine, China Agricultural University, Beijing, 100193, China
| | - Jianyong Huang
- Department of Mechanics and Engineering Science, College of Engineering, Academy for Advanced Interdisciplinary Studies, and Beijing Innovation Center for Engineering Science and Advanced Technology, College of Engineering, Peking University, Beijing, 100871, China.
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22
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Manriquez V, Nivoit P, Urbina T, Echenique-Rivera H, Melican K, Fernandez-Gerlinger MP, Flamant P, Schmitt T, Bruneval P, Obino D, Duménil G. Colonization of dermal arterioles by Neisseria meningitidis provides a safe haven from neutrophils. Nat Commun 2021; 12:4547. [PMID: 34315900 PMCID: PMC8316345 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-021-24797-z] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/03/2021] [Accepted: 06/30/2021] [Indexed: 01/07/2023] Open
Abstract
The human pathogen Neisseria meningitidis can cause meningitis and fatal systemic disease. The bacteria colonize blood vessels and rapidly cause vascular damage, despite a neutrophil-rich inflammatory infiltrate. Here, we use a humanized mouse model to show that vascular colonization leads to the recruitment of neutrophils, which partially reduce bacterial burden and vascular damage. This partial effect is due to the ability of bacteria to colonize capillaries, venules and arterioles, as observed in human samples. In venules, potent neutrophil recruitment allows efficient bacterial phagocytosis. In contrast, in infected capillaries and arterioles, adhesion molecules such as E-Selectin are not expressed on the endothelium, and intravascular neutrophil recruitment is minimal. Our results indicate that the colonization of capillaries and arterioles by N. meningitidis creates an intravascular niche that precludes the action of neutrophils, resulting in immune escape and progression of the infection.
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Affiliation(s)
- Valeria Manriquez
- Pathogenesis of Vascular Infections unit, INSERM, Institut Pasteur, Paris, France
| | - Pierre Nivoit
- Pathogenesis of Vascular Infections unit, INSERM, Institut Pasteur, Paris, France
| | - Tomas Urbina
- Pathogenesis of Vascular Infections unit, INSERM, Institut Pasteur, Paris, France
| | | | - Keira Melican
- Pathogenesis of Vascular Infections unit, INSERM, Institut Pasteur, Paris, France
- Department of Neuroscience, Karolinska Institutet, Stockholm, Sweden
| | | | - Patricia Flamant
- Experimental Neuropathology Unit, Institut Pasteur, Paris, France
| | | | - Patrick Bruneval
- Service d'Anatomie Pathologie, Hôpital Européen Georges Pompidou, Assistance Publique-Hôpitaux de Paris (AP-HP), Paris, France
| | - Dorian Obino
- Pathogenesis of Vascular Infections unit, INSERM, Institut Pasteur, Paris, France.
| | - Guillaume Duménil
- Pathogenesis of Vascular Infections unit, INSERM, Institut Pasteur, Paris, France.
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23
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Welker A, Hennes M, Bender N, Cronenberg T, Schneider G, Maier B. Spatiotemporal dynamics of growth and death within spherical bacterial colonies. Biophys J 2021; 120:3418-3428. [PMID: 34214531 PMCID: PMC8391034 DOI: 10.1016/j.bpj.2021.06.022] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/27/2021] [Revised: 05/26/2021] [Accepted: 06/17/2021] [Indexed: 11/18/2022] Open
Abstract
Bacterial growth within colonies and biofilms is heterogeneous. Local reduction of growth rates has been associated with tolerance against various antibiotics. However, spatial gradients of growth rates are poorly characterized in three-dimensional bacterial colonies. Here, we report two spatially resolved methods for measuring growth rates in bacterial colonies. As bacteria grow and divide, they generate a velocity field that is directly related to the growth rates. We derive profiles of growth rates from the velocity field and show that they are consistent with the profiles obtained by single-cell-counting. Using these methods, we reveal that even small colonies initiated with a few thousand cells of the human pathogen Neisseria gonorrhoeae develop a steep gradient of growth rates within two generations. Furthermore, we show that stringent response decelerates growth inhibition at the colony center. Based on our results, we suggest that aggregation-related growth inhibition can protect gonococci from external stresses even at early biofilm stages.
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Affiliation(s)
- Anton Welker
- Institute for Biological Physics and Center for Molecular Medicine Cologne, University of Cologne, Köln, Germany
| | - Marc Hennes
- Institute for Biological Physics and Center for Molecular Medicine Cologne, University of Cologne, Köln, Germany
| | - Niklas Bender
- Institute for Biological Physics and Center for Molecular Medicine Cologne, University of Cologne, Köln, Germany
| | - Tom Cronenberg
- Institute for Biological Physics and Center for Molecular Medicine Cologne, University of Cologne, Köln, Germany
| | - Gabriele Schneider
- Institute for Biological Physics and Center for Molecular Medicine Cologne, University of Cologne, Köln, Germany
| | - Berenike Maier
- Institute for Biological Physics and Center for Molecular Medicine Cologne, University of Cologne, Köln, Germany.
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24
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Dos Santos Souza I, Maïssa N, Ziveri J, Morand PC, Coureuil M, Nassif X, Bourdoulous S. Meningococcal disease: A paradigm of type-IV pilus dependent pathogenesis. Cell Microbiol 2021; 22:e13185. [PMID: 32185901 DOI: 10.1111/cmi.13185] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/20/2019] [Revised: 01/31/2020] [Accepted: 02/03/2020] [Indexed: 01/11/2023]
Abstract
Neisseria meningitidis (meningococcus) is a Gram-negative bacterium responsible for two devastating forms of invasive diseases: purpura fulminans and meningitis. Interaction with both peripheral and cerebral microvascular endothelial cells is at the heart of meningococcal pathogenesis. During the last two decades, an essential role for meningococcal type IV pili in vascular colonisation and disease progression has been unravelled. This review summarises 20 years of research on meningococcal type IV pilus-dependent virulence mechanisms, up to the identification of promising anti-virulence compounds that target type IV pili.
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Affiliation(s)
- Isabel Dos Santos Souza
- Inserm, U1016, Institut Cochin, Paris, France.,CNRS, UMR8104, Paris, France.,Faculté de Santé, Université de Paris, Paris, France
| | - Nawal Maïssa
- Inserm, U1016, Institut Cochin, Paris, France.,CNRS, UMR8104, Paris, France.,Faculté de Santé, Université de Paris, Paris, France
| | - Jason Ziveri
- Inserm, U1016, Institut Cochin, Paris, France.,CNRS, UMR8104, Paris, France.,Faculté de Santé, Université de Paris, Paris, France
| | - Philippe C Morand
- Inserm, U1016, Institut Cochin, Paris, France.,CNRS, UMR8104, Paris, France.,Faculté de Santé, Université de Paris, Paris, France
| | - Mathieu Coureuil
- Faculté de Santé, Université de Paris, Paris, France.,Inserm, U1151, Institut-Necker-Enfants-Malades, Paris, France.,CNRS, UMR 8253, Paris, France
| | - Xavier Nassif
- Faculté de Santé, Université de Paris, Paris, France.,Inserm, U1151, Institut-Necker-Enfants-Malades, Paris, France.,CNRS, UMR 8253, Paris, France.,Assistance Publique - Hôpitaux de Paris, Hôpital Necker Enfants Malades, Paris, France
| | - Sandrine Bourdoulous
- Inserm, U1016, Institut Cochin, Paris, France.,CNRS, UMR8104, Paris, France.,Faculté de Santé, Université de Paris, Paris, France
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25
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Lam T, Ellison CK, Eddington DT, Brun YV, Dalia AB, Morrison DA. Competence pili in Streptococcus pneumoniae are highly dynamic structures that retract to promote DNA uptake. Mol Microbiol 2021; 116:381-396. [PMID: 33754381 DOI: 10.1111/mmi.14718] [Citation(s) in RCA: 19] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/03/2021] [Revised: 03/11/2021] [Accepted: 03/17/2021] [Indexed: 01/11/2023]
Abstract
The competence pili of transformable Gram-positive species are phylogenetically related to the diverse and widespread class of extracellular filamentous organelles known as type IV pili. In Gram-negative bacteria, type IV pili act through dynamic cycles of extension and retraction to carry out diverse activities including attachment, motility, protein secretion, and DNA uptake. It remains unclear whether competence pili in Gram-positive species exhibit similar dynamic activity, and their mechanism of action for DNA uptake remains unclear. They are hypothesized to either (1) leave transient cavities in the cell wall that facilitate DNA passage, (2) form static adhesins to enrich DNA near the cell surface for subsequent uptake by membrane-embedded transporters, or (3) play an active role in translocating bound DNA via dynamic activity. Here, we use a recently described pilus labeling approach to demonstrate that competence pili in Streptococcus pneumoniae are highly dynamic structures that rapidly extend and retract from the cell surface. By labeling the principal pilus monomer, ComGC, with bulky adducts, we further demonstrate that pilus retraction is essential for natural transformation. Together, our results suggest that Gram-positive competence pili in other species may also be dynamic and retractile structures that play an active role in DNA uptake.
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Affiliation(s)
- Trinh Lam
- Department of Bioengineering, University of Illinois at Chicago, Chicago, IL, USA
| | - Courtney K Ellison
- Lewis-Sigler Institute for Integrative Genomics, Princeton University, Princeton, NJ, USA.,Department of Molecular Biology, Princeton University, Princeton, NJ, USA
| | - David T Eddington
- Department of Bioengineering, University of Illinois at Chicago, Chicago, IL, USA
| | - Yves V Brun
- Department of Biology, Indiana University, Bloomington, IN, USA.,Département de microbiologie, infectiologie et immunologie, Université de Montréal, Montréal, QC, Canada
| | - Ankur B Dalia
- Department of Biology, Indiana University, Bloomington, IN, USA
| | - Donald A Morrison
- Department of Biological Sciences, University of Illinois at Chicago, Chicago, IL, USA
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26
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Abstract
Biofilms are structured communities formed by a single or multiple microbial species. Within biofilms, bacteria are embedded into extracellular matrix, allowing them to build macroscopic objects. Biofilm structure can respond to environmental changes such as the presence of antibiotics or predators. By adjusting expression levels of surface and extracellular matrix components, bacteria tune cell-to-cell interactions. One major challenge in the field is the fact that these components are very diverse among different species. Deciphering how physical interactions within biofilms are affected by changes in gene expression is a promising approach to obtaining a more unified picture of how bacteria modulate biofilms. This review focuses on recent advances in characterizing attractive and repulsive forces between bacteria in correlation with biofilm structure, dynamics, and spreading. How bacteria control physical interactions to maximize their fitness is an emerging theme.
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Affiliation(s)
- Berenike Maier
- Institute for Biological Physics and Center for Molecular Medicine Cologne, University of Cologne, 50674 Cologne, Germany;
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27
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Barnier JP, Euphrasie D, Join-Lambert O, Audry M, Schonherr-Hellec S, Schmitt T, Bourdoulous S, Coureuil M, Nassif X, El Behi M. Type IV pilus retraction enables sustained bacteremia and plays a key role in the outcome of meningococcal sepsis in a humanized mouse model. PLoS Pathog 2021; 17:e1009299. [PMID: 33592056 PMCID: PMC7909687 DOI: 10.1371/journal.ppat.1009299] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/28/2020] [Revised: 02/26/2021] [Accepted: 01/11/2021] [Indexed: 12/17/2022] Open
Abstract
Neisseria meningitidis (the meningococcus) remains a major cause of bacterial meningitis and fatal sepsis. This commensal bacterium of the human nasopharynx can cause invasive diseases when it leaves its niche and reaches the bloodstream. Blood-borne meningococci have the ability to adhere to human endothelial cells and rapidly colonize microvessels. This crucial step enables dissemination into tissues and promotes deregulated inflammation and coagulation, leading to extensive necrotic purpura in the most severe cases. Adhesion to blood vessels relies on type IV pili (TFP). These long filamentous structures are highly dynamic as they can rapidly elongate and retract by the antagonistic action of two ATPases, PilF and PilT. However, the consequences of TFP dynamics on the pathophysiology and the outcome of meningococcal sepsis in vivo have been poorly studied. Here, we show that human graft microvessels are replicative niches for meningococci, that seed the bloodstream and promote sustained bacteremia and lethality in a humanized mouse model. Intriguingly, although pilus-retraction deficient N. meningitidis strain (ΔpilT) efficiently colonizes human graft tissue, this mutant did not promote sustained bacteremia nor induce mouse lethality. This effect was not due to a decreased inflammatory response, nor defects in bacterial clearance by the innate immune system. Rather, TFP-retraction was necessary to promote the release of TFP-dependent contacts between bacteria and, in turn, the detachment from colonized microvessels. The resulting sustained bacteremia was directly correlated with lethality. Altogether, these results demonstrate that pilus retraction plays a key role in the occurrence and outcome of meningococcal sepsis by supporting sustained bacteremia. These findings open new perspectives on the role of circulating bacteria in the pathological alterations leading to lethal sepsis.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jean-Philippe Barnier
- Université de Paris, Faculté de Médecine, Paris, France
- Institut Necker Enfants-Malades, Inserm U1151, CNRS UMR 8253, Paris, France
- Service de microbiologie, Assistance Publique–Hôpitaux de Paris. Centre–Université de Paris, Hôpital Necker Enfants Malades, Paris, France
| | - Daniel Euphrasie
- Université de Paris, Faculté de Médecine, Paris, France
- Institut Necker Enfants-Malades, Inserm U1151, CNRS UMR 8253, Paris, France
| | - Olivier Join-Lambert
- Université de Paris, Faculté de Médecine, Paris, France
- Institut Necker Enfants-Malades, Inserm U1151, CNRS UMR 8253, Paris, France
- Service de microbiologie, Assistance Publique–Hôpitaux de Paris. Centre–Université de Paris, Hôpital Necker Enfants Malades, Paris, France
| | - Mathilde Audry
- Université de Paris, Faculté de Médecine, Paris, France
- Institut Necker Enfants-Malades, Inserm U1151, CNRS UMR 8253, Paris, France
| | - Sophia Schonherr-Hellec
- Université de Paris, Faculté de Médecine, Paris, France
- Institut Necker Enfants-Malades, Inserm U1151, CNRS UMR 8253, Paris, France
| | - Taliah Schmitt
- Service de chirurgie reconstructrice et plastique, Groupe Hospitalier Paris Saint-Joseph, Paris, France
| | - Sandrine Bourdoulous
- Université de Paris, Faculté de Médecine, Paris, France
- Institut Cochin, Inserm U1016, CNRS UMR 8104, Paris, France
| | - Mathieu Coureuil
- Université de Paris, Faculté de Médecine, Paris, France
- Institut Necker Enfants-Malades, Inserm U1151, CNRS UMR 8253, Paris, France
| | - Xavier Nassif
- Université de Paris, Faculté de Médecine, Paris, France
- Institut Necker Enfants-Malades, Inserm U1151, CNRS UMR 8253, Paris, France
- Service de microbiologie, Assistance Publique–Hôpitaux de Paris. Centre–Université de Paris, Hôpital Necker Enfants Malades, Paris, France
| | - Mohamed El Behi
- Université de Paris, Faculté de Médecine, Paris, France
- Institut Necker Enfants-Malades, Inserm U1151, CNRS UMR 8253, Paris, France
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28
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Cronenberg T, Hennes M, Wielert I, Maier B. Antibiotics modulate attractive interactions in bacterial colonies affecting survivability under combined treatment. PLoS Pathog 2021; 17:e1009251. [PMID: 33524048 PMCID: PMC7877761 DOI: 10.1371/journal.ppat.1009251] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/24/2020] [Revised: 02/11/2021] [Accepted: 12/21/2020] [Indexed: 02/02/2023] Open
Abstract
Biofilm formation protects bacteria from antibiotics. Very little is known about the response of biofilm-dwelling bacteria to antibiotics at the single cell level. Here, we developed a cell-tracking approach to investigate how antibiotics affect structure and dynamics of colonies formed by the human pathogen Neisseria gonorrhoeae. Antibiotics targeting different cellular functions enlarge the cell volumes and modulate within-colony motility. Focusing on azithromycin and ceftriaxone, we identify changes in type 4 pilus (T4P) mediated cell-to-cell attraction as the molecular mechanism for different effects on motility. By using strongly attractive mutant strains, we reveal that the survivability under ceftriaxone treatment depends on motility. Combining our results, we find that sequential treatment with azithromycin and ceftriaxone is synergistic. Taken together, we demonstrate that antibiotics modulate T4P-mediated attractions and hence cell motility and colony fluidity.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tom Cronenberg
- Institute for Biological Physics, University of Cologne, Köln, Germany
| | - Marc Hennes
- Institute for Biological Physics, University of Cologne, Köln, Germany
| | - Isabelle Wielert
- Institute for Biological Physics, University of Cologne, Köln, Germany
| | - Berenike Maier
- Institute for Biological Physics, University of Cologne, Köln, Germany
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29
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Lebov JF, Bohannan BJM. Msh Pilus Mutations Increase the Ability of a Free-Living Bacterium to Colonize a Piscine Host. Genes (Basel) 2021; 12:genes12020127. [PMID: 33498301 PMCID: PMC7909257 DOI: 10.3390/genes12020127] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/14/2020] [Revised: 01/12/2021] [Accepted: 01/18/2021] [Indexed: 02/07/2023] Open
Abstract
Symbioses between animals and bacteria are ubiquitous. To better understand these relationships, it is essential to unravel how bacteria evolve to colonize hosts. Previously, we serially passaged the free-living bacterium, Shewanella oneidensis, through the digestive tracts of germ-free larval zebrafish (Danio rerio) to uncover the evolutionary changes involved in the initiation of a novel symbiosis with a vertebrate host. After 20 passages, we discovered an adaptive missense mutation in the mshL gene of the msh pilus operon, which improved host colonization, increased swimming motility, and reduced surface adhesion. In the present study, we determined that this mutation was a loss-of-function mutation and found that it improved zebrafish colonization by augmenting S. oneidensis representation in the water column outside larvae through a reduced association with environmental surfaces. Additionally, we found that strains containing the mshL mutation were able to immigrate into host digestive tracts at higher rates per capita. However, mutant and evolved strains exhibited no evidence of a competitive advantage after colonizing hosts. Our results demonstrate that bacterial behaviors outside the host can play a dominant role in facilitating the onset of novel host associations.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jarrett F. Lebov
- Institute for Genome Sciences, University of Maryland School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD 21201, USA
- Department of Biology, Institute of Ecology and Evolution, University of Oregon, Eugene, OR 97403-5289, USA;
- Correspondence:
| | - Brendan J. M. Bohannan
- Department of Biology, Institute of Ecology and Evolution, University of Oregon, Eugene, OR 97403-5289, USA;
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30
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Kuan HS, Pönisch W, Jülicher F, Zaburdaev V. Continuum Theory of Active Phase Separation in Cellular Aggregates. PHYSICAL REVIEW LETTERS 2021; 126:018102. [PMID: 33480767 DOI: 10.1103/physrevlett.126.018102] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/31/2020] [Accepted: 11/29/2020] [Indexed: 06/12/2023]
Abstract
Dense cellular aggregates are common in biology, ranging from bacterial biofilms to organoids, cell spheroids, and tumors. Their dynamics, driven by intercellular forces, is intrinsically out of equilibrium. Motivated by bacterial colonies as a model system, we present a continuum theory to study dense, active, cellular aggregates. We describe the process of aggregate formation as an active phase separation phenomenon, while the merging of aggregates is rationalized as a coalescence of viscoelastic droplets where the key timescales are linked to the turnover of the active force. Our theory provides a general framework for studying the rheology and nonequilibrium dynamics of dense cellular aggregates.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hui-Shun Kuan
- Department of Biology, Friedrich-Alexander-Universität Erlangen-Nürnberg, 91058 Erlangen, Germany
- Max Planck Institute for the Physics of Complex Systems, 01187 Dresden, Germany
- Max Planck Zentrum für Physik und Medizin, 91058 Erlangen, Germany
| | - Wolfram Pönisch
- Max Planck Institute for the Physics of Complex Systems, 01187 Dresden, Germany
- MRC Laboratory for Molecular Cell Biology, University College London, WC1E 6BT London, United Kingdom
- Department of Physiology, Development and Neuroscience, University of Cambridge, CB2 3DY Cambridge, United Kingdom
| | - Frank Jülicher
- Max Planck Institute for the Physics of Complex Systems, 01187 Dresden, Germany
- Center for Systems Biology Dresden, 01307 Dresden, Germany
- Cluster of Excellence Physics of Life, Technische Universität Dresden, 01307 Dresden, Germany
| | - Vasily Zaburdaev
- Department of Biology, Friedrich-Alexander-Universität Erlangen-Nürnberg, 91058 Erlangen, Germany
- Max Planck Institute for the Physics of Complex Systems, 01187 Dresden, Germany
- Max Planck Zentrum für Physik und Medizin, 91058 Erlangen, Germany
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31
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Cambré A, Aertsen A. Bacterial Vivisection: How Fluorescence-Based Imaging Techniques Shed a Light on the Inner Workings of Bacteria. Microbiol Mol Biol Rev 2020; 84:e00008-20. [PMID: 33115939 PMCID: PMC7599038 DOI: 10.1128/mmbr.00008-20] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/11/2022] Open
Abstract
The rise in fluorescence-based imaging techniques over the past 3 decades has improved the ability of researchers to scrutinize live cell biology at increased spatial and temporal resolution. In microbiology, these real-time vivisections structurally changed the view on the bacterial cell away from the "watery bag of enzymes" paradigm toward the perspective that these organisms are as complex as their eukaryotic counterparts. Capitalizing on the enormous potential of (time-lapse) fluorescence microscopy and the ever-extending pallet of corresponding probes, initial breakthroughs were made in unraveling the localization of proteins and monitoring real-time gene expression. However, later it became clear that the potential of this technique extends much further, paving the way for a focus-shift from observing single events within bacterial cells or populations to obtaining a more global picture at the intra- and intercellular level. In this review, we outline the current state of the art in fluorescence-based vivisection of bacteria and provide an overview of important case studies to exemplify how to use or combine different strategies to gain detailed information on the cell's physiology. The manuscript therefore consists of two separate (but interconnected) parts that can be read and consulted individually. The first part focuses on the fluorescent probe pallet and provides a perspective on modern methodologies for microscopy using these tools. The second section of the review takes the reader on a tour through the bacterial cell from cytoplasm to outer shell, describing strategies and methods to highlight architectural features and overall dynamics within cells.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alexander Cambré
- KU Leuven, Department of Microbial and Molecular Systems, Faculty of Bioscience Engineering, Leuven, Belgium
| | - Abram Aertsen
- KU Leuven, Department of Microbial and Molecular Systems, Faculty of Bioscience Engineering, Leuven, Belgium
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32
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Mokrane ML, Desclaux T, Morris JF, Joseph P, Liot O. Microstructure of the near-wall layer of filtration-induced colloidal assembly. SOFT MATTER 2020; 16:9726-9737. [PMID: 32996535 DOI: 10.1039/d0sm01143f] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/11/2023]
Abstract
This paper describes an experimental study of filtration of a colloidal suspension using microfluidic devices. A suspension of micrometer-scale colloids flows through parallel slit-shaped pores at fixed pressure drop. Clogs and cakes are systematically observed at pore entrance, for variable applied pressure drop and ionic strength. Based on image analysis of the layer of colloids close to the device wall, global and local studies are performed to analyse in detail the near-wall layer microstructure. Whereas global porosity of this layer does not seem to be affected by ionic strength and applied pressure drop, a local study shows some heterogeneity: clogs are more porous at the vicinity of the pore than far away. An analysis of medium-range order using radial distribution function shows a slightly more organized state at high ionic strength. This is confirmed by a local analysis using two-dimension continuous wavelet decomposition: the typical size of crystals of colloids is larger for low ionic strength, and it increases with distance from the pores. We bring these results together in a phase diagram involving colloid-colloid repulsive interactions and fluid velocity.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mohand Larbi Mokrane
- Institut de Mécanique des Fluides de Toulouse, Université de Toulouse, CNRS, Toulouse, France.
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33
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Autotransporters Drive Biofilm Formation and Autoaggregation in the Diderm Firmicute Veillonella parvula. J Bacteriol 2020; 202:JB.00461-20. [PMID: 32817093 PMCID: PMC7549365 DOI: 10.1128/jb.00461-20] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/10/2020] [Accepted: 08/11/2020] [Indexed: 12/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Veillonella parvula is an anaerobic commensal and opportunistic pathogen whose ability to adhere to surfaces or other bacteria and form biofilms is critical for it to inhabit complex human microbial communities such as the gut and oral microbiota. Although the adhesive capacity of V. parvula has been previously described, very little is known about the underlying molecular mechanisms due to a lack of genetically amenable Veillonella strains. In this study, we took advantage of a naturally transformable V. parvula isolate and newly adapted genetic tools to identify surface-exposed adhesins called autotransporters as the main molecular determinants of adhesion in this bacterium. This work therefore provides new insights on an important aspect of the V. parvula lifestyle, opening new possibilities for mechanistic studies of the contribution of biofilm formation to the biology of this major commensal of the oral-digestive tract. The Negativicutes are a clade of the Firmicutes that have retained the ancestral diderm character and possess an outer membrane. One of the best studied Negativicutes, Veillonella parvula, is an anaerobic commensal and opportunistic pathogen inhabiting complex human microbial communities, including the gut and the dental plaque microbiota. Whereas the adhesion and biofilm capacities of V. parvula are expected to be crucial for its maintenance and development in these environments, studies of V. parvula adhesion have been hindered by the lack of efficient genetic tools to perform functional analyses in this bacterium. Here, we took advantage of a recently described naturally transformable V. parvula isolate, SKV38, and adapted tools developed for the closely related Clostridia spp. to perform random transposon and targeted mutagenesis to identify V. parvula genes involved in biofilm formation. We show that type V secreted autotransporters, typically found in diderm bacteria, are the main determinants of V. parvula autoaggregation and biofilm formation and compete with each other for binding either to cells or to surfaces, with strong consequences for V. parvula biofilm formation capacity. The identified trimeric autotransporters have an original structure compared to classical autotransporters identified in Proteobacteria, with an additional C-terminal domain. We also show that inactivation of the gene coding for a poorly characterized metal-dependent phosphohydrolase HD domain protein conserved in the Firmicutes and their closely related diderm phyla inhibits autotransporter-mediated biofilm formation. This study paves the way for further molecular characterization of V. parvula interactions with other bacteria and the host within complex microbiota environments. IMPORTANCEVeillonella parvula is an anaerobic commensal and opportunistic pathogen whose ability to adhere to surfaces or other bacteria and form biofilms is critical for it to inhabit complex human microbial communities such as the gut and oral microbiota. Although the adhesive capacity of V. parvula has been previously described, very little is known about the underlying molecular mechanisms due to a lack of genetically amenable Veillonella strains. In this study, we took advantage of a naturally transformable V. parvula isolate and newly adapted genetic tools to identify surface-exposed adhesins called autotransporters as the main molecular determinants of adhesion in this bacterium. This work therefore provides new insights on an important aspect of the V. parvula lifestyle, opening new possibilities for mechanistic studies of the contribution of biofilm formation to the biology of this major commensal of the oral-digestive tract.
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34
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Levy M, Aouiti Trabelsi M, Taha MK. Evidence for Multi-Organ Infection During Experimental Meningococcal Sepsis due to ST-11 Isolates in Human Transferrin-Transgenic Mice. Microorganisms 2020; 8:microorganisms8101456. [PMID: 32977487 PMCID: PMC7598264 DOI: 10.3390/microorganisms8101456] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/15/2020] [Revised: 09/21/2020] [Accepted: 09/22/2020] [Indexed: 11/17/2022] Open
Abstract
The description of invasive meningococcal disease that is provoked by Neisseria meningitidis (Nm) is frequently restricted to meningitis. However, a wide panel of clinical presentations can be encountered including severe forms with intense inflammatory reaction leading to multi-organ failure. Several human factors are involved in the development of invasive infections such as transferrin, factor H or CEACAM1. In this study, we used an experimental meningococcal infection in transgenic mice expressing the human transferrin to show multi-organ infection. Mice were infected by an intraperitoneal injection of bacterial suspension (1.5 × 107 colony-forming unit/mouse) of a bioluminescent serogroup C strain belonging to the clonal complex ST-11. Dynamic imaging and histological analysis were performed. The results showed invasion of tissues by Nm with bacteria observed, outside blood vessels, in the kidneys, the heart and the brain as well as skin involvement. These data further support the systemic aspect of invasive meningococcal disease with involvement of several organs including skin as in humans. Thus, our model can be used to study severe forms of meningococcal invasive infections with multi-organ failure.
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Affiliation(s)
- Michael Levy
- Institut Pasteur, Invasive Bacterial Infection Unit, 28 rue du Dr Roux, 75724 Paris, France; (M.A.T.); (M.-K.T.)
- Paediatric Intensive Care Unit, Robert-Debré University Hospital, Assistance Publique Hôpitaux de Paris, 75019 Paris, France
- Université de Paris, 75019 Paris, France
- Correspondence:
| | - Myriam Aouiti Trabelsi
- Institut Pasteur, Invasive Bacterial Infection Unit, 28 rue du Dr Roux, 75724 Paris, France; (M.A.T.); (M.-K.T.)
| | - Muhamed-Kheir Taha
- Institut Pasteur, Invasive Bacterial Infection Unit, 28 rue du Dr Roux, 75724 Paris, France; (M.A.T.); (M.-K.T.)
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35
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Vourc'h T, Léopoldès J, Peerhossaini H. Clustering of bacteria with heterogeneous motility. Phys Rev E 2020; 101:022612. [PMID: 32168693 DOI: 10.1103/physreve.101.022612] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/06/2019] [Accepted: 02/05/2020] [Indexed: 11/07/2022]
Abstract
We study the clustering of a model cyanobacterium Synechocystis into microcolonies. The bacteria are allowed to diffuse onto surfaces of different hardness and interact with the others by aggregation and detachment. We find that soft surfaces give rise to more microcolonies than hard ones. This effect is related to the amount of heterogeneity of bacteria's dynamics as given by the proportion of motile cells. A kinetic model that emphasizes specific interactions between cells, complemented by extensive numerical simulations considering various amounts of motility, describes the experimental results adequately. The high proportion of motile cells enhances dispersion rather than aggregation.
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Affiliation(s)
- T Vourc'h
- Laboratoire AstroParticules et Cosmologie, CNRS, Université Paris-Diderot, Université de Paris, 5 rue Thomas Mann 75013 Paris, France
| | - J Léopoldès
- ESPCI Paris, PSL Research University, CNRS, Institut Langevin, 1 rue Jussieu, F-75005 Paris, France.,Université Paris-Est Marne-la-Vallée, 5 Bd Descartes, Champs sur Marne, Marne-la-Vallée Cedex 2, France
| | - H Peerhossaini
- Laboratoire AstroParticules et Cosmologie, CNRS, Université Paris-Diderot, Université de Paris, 5 rue Thomas Mann 75013 Paris, France.,Mechanics of Active Fluids Laboratory, Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering, Department of Mechanical and Materials Engineering, University of Western Ontario, London, Ontario, Canada N6A3K7
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36
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Craig L, Forest KT, Maier B. Type IV pili: dynamics, biophysics and functional consequences. Nat Rev Microbiol 2020; 17:429-440. [PMID: 30988511 DOI: 10.1038/s41579-019-0195-4] [Citation(s) in RCA: 222] [Impact Index Per Article: 55.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/22/2022]
Abstract
The surfaces of many bacteria are decorated with long, exquisitely thin appendages called type IV pili (T4P), dynamic filaments that are rapidly polymerized and depolymerized from a pool of pilin subunits. Cycles of pilus extension, binding and retraction enable T4P to perform a phenomenally diverse array of functions, including twitching motility, DNA uptake and microcolony formation. On the basis of recent developments, a comprehensive understanding is emerging of the molecular architecture of the T4P machinery and the filament it builds, providing mechanistic insights into the assembly and retraction processes. Combined microbiological and biophysical approaches have revealed how T4P dynamics influence self-organization of bacteria, how bacteria respond to external stimuli to regulate T4P activity for directed movement, and the role of T4P retraction in surface sensing. In this Review, we discuss the T4P machine architecture and filament structure and present current molecular models for T4P dynamics, with a particular focus on recent insights into T4P retraction. We also discuss the functional consequences of T4P dynamics, which have important implications for bacterial lifestyle and pathogenesis.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lisa Craig
- Department of Molecular Biology and Biochemistry, Simon Fraser University, Burnaby, British Columbia, Canada.
| | - Katrina T Forest
- Department of Bacteriology, University of Wisconsin-Madison, Madison, WI, USA.
| | - Berenike Maier
- Institute for Biological Physics, University of Cologne, Köln, Germany.
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Airway Mucus Restricts Neisseria meningitidis Away from Nasopharyngeal Epithelial Cells and Protects the Mucosa from Inflammation. mSphere 2019; 4:4/6/e00494-19. [PMID: 31801841 PMCID: PMC6893211 DOI: 10.1128/msphere.00494-19] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/22/2022] Open
Abstract
N. meningitidis is transmitted from person to person by aerosol droplets produced by breathing, talking, or coughing or by direct contact with a contaminated fluid. The natural reservoir of N. meningitidis is the human nasopharynx mucosa, located at the back of the nose and above the oropharynx. The means by which meningococci cross the nasopharyngeal wall is still under debate, due to the lack of a convenient and relevant model mimicking the nasopharyngeal niche. Here, we took advantage of Calu-3 cells grown in air interface culture to study how meningococci colonize the nasopharyngeal niche. We report that the airway mucus is both a niche for meningococcal growth and a protective barrier against N. meningitidis infection. As such, N. meningitidis behaves like commensal bacteria and is unlikely to induce infection without an external trigger. Neisseria meningitidis is an inhabitant of the nasopharynx, from which it is transmitted from person to person or disseminates in blood and becomes a harmful pathogen. In this work, we addressed colonization of the nasopharyngeal niche by focusing on the interplay between meningococci and the airway mucus that lines the mucosa of the host. Using Calu-3 cells grown in air interface culture (cells grown with the apical domain facing air), we studied meningococcal colonization of the mucus and the host response. Our results suggested that N. meningitidis behaved like commensal bacteria in mucus, without interacting with human cells or actively transmigrating through the cell layer. As a result, type IV pili do not play a role in this model, and meningococci did not trigger a strong innate immune response from the Calu-3 cells. Finally, we have shown that this model is suitable for studying interaction of N. meningitidis with other bacteria living in the nasopharynx and that Streptococcus mitis, but not Moraxella catarrhalis, can promote meningococcal growth in this model. IMPORTANCEN. meningitidis is transmitted from person to person by aerosol droplets produced by breathing, talking, or coughing or by direct contact with a contaminated fluid. The natural reservoir of N. meningitidis is the human nasopharynx mucosa, located at the back of the nose and above the oropharynx. The means by which meningococci cross the nasopharyngeal wall is still under debate, due to the lack of a convenient and relevant model mimicking the nasopharyngeal niche. Here, we took advantage of Calu-3 cells grown in air interface culture to study how meningococci colonize the nasopharyngeal niche. We report that the airway mucus is both a niche for meningococcal growth and a protective barrier against N. meningitidis infection. As such, N. meningitidis behaves like commensal bacteria and is unlikely to induce infection without an external trigger.
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Kennouche P, Charles‐Orszag A, Nishiguchi D, Goussard S, Imhaus A, Dupré M, Chamot‐Rooke J, Duménil G. Deep mutational scanning of the Neisseria meningitidis major pilin reveals the importance of pilus tip-mediated adhesion. EMBO J 2019; 38:e102145. [PMID: 31609039 PMCID: PMC6856618 DOI: 10.15252/embj.2019102145] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/29/2019] [Revised: 09/10/2019] [Accepted: 09/12/2019] [Indexed: 11/09/2022] Open
Abstract
Type IV pili (TFP) are multifunctional micrometer-long filaments expressed at the surface of many prokaryotes. In Neisseria meningitidis, TFP are crucial for virulence. Indeed, these homopolymers of the major pilin PilE mediate interbacterial aggregation and adhesion to host cells. However, the mechanisms behind these functions remain unclear. Here, we simultaneously determined regions of PilE involved in pilus display, auto-aggregation, and adhesion by using deep mutational scanning and started mining this extensive functional map. For auto-aggregation, pili must reach a minimum length to allow pilus-pilus interactions through an electropositive cluster of residues centered around Lys140. For adhesion, results point to a key role for the tip of the pilus. Accordingly, purified pili interacting with host cells initially bind via their tip-located major pilin and then along their length. Overall, these results identify functional domains of PilE and support a direct role of the major pilin in TFP-dependent aggregation and adhesion.
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Affiliation(s)
- Paul Kennouche
- Pathogenesis of Vascular Infections UnitINSERMInstitut PasteurParisFrance
- Université Paris DescartesParisFrance
| | | | - Daiki Nishiguchi
- Pathogenesis of Vascular Infections UnitINSERMInstitut PasteurParisFrance
| | - Sylvie Goussard
- Pathogenesis of Vascular Infections UnitINSERMInstitut PasteurParisFrance
| | - Anne‐Flore Imhaus
- Pathogenesis of Vascular Infections UnitINSERMInstitut PasteurParisFrance
| | - Mathieu Dupré
- Institut PasteurCNRS USR 2000Mass Spectrometry for Biology UnitParisFrance
| | - Julia Chamot‐Rooke
- Institut PasteurCNRS USR 2000Mass Spectrometry for Biology UnitParisFrance
| | - Guillaume Duménil
- Pathogenesis of Vascular Infections UnitINSERMInstitut PasteurParisFrance
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39
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Virion Z, Doly S, Saha K, Lambert M, Guillonneau F, Bied C, Duke RM, Rudd PM, Robbe-Masselot C, Nassif X, Coureuil M, Marullo S. Sialic acid mediated mechanical activation of β 2 adrenergic receptors by bacterial pili. Nat Commun 2019; 10:4752. [PMID: 31628314 PMCID: PMC6800425 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-019-12685-6] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/25/2018] [Accepted: 09/21/2019] [Indexed: 01/14/2023] Open
Abstract
Meningococcus utilizes β-arrestin selective activation of endothelial cell β2 adrenergic receptor (β2AR) to cause meningitis in humans. Molecular mechanisms of receptor activation by the pathogen and of its species selectivity remained elusive. We report that β2AR activation requires two asparagine-branched glycan chains with terminally exposed N-acetyl-neuraminic acid (sialic acid, Neu5Ac) residues located at a specific distance in its N-terminus, while being independent of surrounding amino-acid residues. Meningococcus triggers receptor signaling by exerting direct and hemodynamic-promoted traction forces on β2AR glycans. Similar activation is recapitulated with beads coated with Neu5Ac-binding lectins, submitted to mechanical stimulation. This previously unknown glycan-dependent mode of allosteric mechanical activation of a G protein-coupled receptor contributes to meningococcal species selectivity, since Neu5Ac is only abundant in humans due to the loss of CMAH, the enzyme converting Neu5Ac into N-glycolyl-neuraminic acid in other mammals. It represents an additional mechanism of evolutionary adaptation of a pathogen to its host.
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Affiliation(s)
- Zoe Virion
- Inserm, U1151, CNRS UMR 8253, Institut-Necker-Enfants-Malades, Université de Paris, Paris, France
| | - Stéphane Doly
- Inserm, U1016, CNRS UMR8104, Institut Cochin, Université de Paris, Paris, France
| | - Kusumika Saha
- Inserm, U1016, CNRS UMR8104, Institut Cochin, Université de Paris, Paris, France
| | - Mireille Lambert
- Inserm, U1016, CNRS UMR8104, Institut Cochin, Université de Paris, Paris, France
| | | | - Camille Bied
- Inserm, U1016, CNRS UMR8104, Institut Cochin, Université de Paris, Paris, France
| | - Rebecca M Duke
- NIBRT GlycoScience Group, NIBRT - The National Institute for Bioprocessing Research and Training, Blackrock, Co., Mount Merrion, Fosters Avenue, Dublin, Ireland
| | - Pauline M Rudd
- NIBRT GlycoScience Group, NIBRT - The National Institute for Bioprocessing Research and Training, Blackrock, Co., Mount Merrion, Fosters Avenue, Dublin, Ireland
| | - Catherine Robbe-Masselot
- CNRS, UMR 8576, Unité de Glycobiologie Structurale et Fonctionnelle (UGSF), Université Lille, 59000, Lille, France
| | - Xavier Nassif
- Inserm, U1151, CNRS UMR 8253, Institut-Necker-Enfants-Malades, Université de Paris, Paris, France.,Assistance Publique - Hôpitaux de Paris, Hôpital Necker Enfants Malades, Paris, France
| | - Mathieu Coureuil
- Inserm, U1151, CNRS UMR 8253, Institut-Necker-Enfants-Malades, Université de Paris, Paris, France.
| | - Stefano Marullo
- Inserm, U1016, CNRS UMR8104, Institut Cochin, Université de Paris, Paris, France.
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40
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Zöllner R, Cronenberg T, Maier B. Motor Properties of PilT-Independent Type 4 Pilus Retraction in Gonococci. J Bacteriol 2019; 201:e00778-18. [PMID: 30692169 PMCID: PMC6707916 DOI: 10.1128/jb.00778-18] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/14/2018] [Accepted: 01/17/2019] [Indexed: 01/25/2023] Open
Abstract
Bacterial type 4 pili (T4P) belong to the strongest molecular machines. The gonococcal T4P retraction ATPase PilT supports forces exceeding 100 pN during T4P retraction. Here, we address the question of whether gonococcal T4P retract in the absence of PilT. We show that pilT deletion strains indeed retract their T4P, but the maximum force is reduced to 5 pN. Similarly, the speed of T4P retraction is lower by orders of magnitude compared to that of T4P retraction driven by PilT. Deleting the pilT paralogue pilT2 further reduces the speed of T4P retraction, yet T4P retraction is detectable in the absence of all three pilT paralogues. Furthermore, we show that depletion of proton motive force (PMF) slows but does not inhibit pilT-independent T4P retraction. We conclude that the retraction ATPase is not essential for gonococcal T4P retraction. However, the force generated in the absence of PilT is too low to support important functions of T4P, including twitching motility, fluidization of colonies, and induction of host cell response.IMPORTANCE Bacterial type 4 pili (T4P) have been termed the "Swiss Army knives" of bacteria because they perform numerous functions, including host cell interaction, twitching motility, colony formation, DNA uptake, protein secretion, and surface sensing. The pilus fiber continuously elongates or retracts, and these dynamics are functionally important. Curiously, only a subset of T4P systems employ T4P retraction ATPases to power T4P retraction. Here, we show that one of the strongest T4P machines, the gonococcal T4P, retracts without a retraction ATPase. Biophysical characterization reveals strongly reduced force and speed compared to retraction with ATPase. We propose that bacteria encode retraction ATPases when T4P have to generate high-force-supporting functions like twitching motility, triggering host cell response, or fluidizing colonies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Robert Zöllner
- University of Cologne, Institute for Biological Physics, Cologne, Germany
| | - Tom Cronenberg
- University of Cologne, Institute for Biological Physics, Cologne, Germany
| | - Berenike Maier
- University of Cologne, Institute for Biological Physics, Cologne, Germany
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41
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Zurzolo C, Enninga J. The best of both worlds- bringing together cell biology and infection at the Institut Pasteur. Microbes Infect 2019; 21:254-262. [PMID: 31374255 DOI: 10.1016/j.micinf.2019.06.014] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/04/2019] [Accepted: 03/18/2019] [Indexed: 10/26/2022]
Abstract
Only a profound understanding of the structure and function of cells - either as single units or in the context of tissues and whole organisms - will allow a comprehension of what happens in pathological conditions and provides the means to fight disease. The Cell Biology and Infection (BCI for Biologie Cellulaire et Infection) department was created in 2002 at the Institut Pasteur in Paris to develop a research program under the umbrella of cell biology, infection biology and microbiology. Its visionary ambition was to shape a common framework for cellular microbiology, and to interface the latter with hard sciences like physics and mathematics and cutting-edge technology. This concept, ahead of time, has given high visibility to the field of cellular microbiology and quantitative cell biology, and it has allowed the successful execution of highly interdisciplinary research programs linking a molecular understanding of cellular events with disease. Now, the BCI department embraces additional pathologies, namely cancer and neurodegenerative diseases. Here, we will portray how the integrative research approach of BCI has led to major scientific breakthroughs during the last ten years, and where we see scientific opportunities for the near future.
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Affiliation(s)
- Chiara Zurzolo
- The Cell Biology and Infection Department, Institut Pasteur, Paris, France.
| | - Jost Enninga
- The Cell Biology and Infection Department, Institut Pasteur, Paris, France
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42
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Bae GH, Baek SK. Discontinuous phase transition in chemotactic aggregation with density-dependent pressure. Phys Rev E 2019; 100:022605. [PMID: 31574670 DOI: 10.1103/physreve.100.022605] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/31/2019] [Indexed: 06/10/2023]
Abstract
Many small organisms such as bacteria can attract each other by depositing chemical attractants. At the same time, they exert repulsive force on each other when crowded, which can be modeled by effective pressure as an increasing function of the organisms' density. As the chemical attraction becomes strong compared to the effective pressure, the system will undergo a phase transition from homogeneous distribution to aggregation. In this work, we describe the interplay of organisms and chemicals on a two-dimensional disk with a set of partial differential equations of the Patlak-Keller-Segel type. By analyzing its Lyapunov functional, we show that the aggregation transition occurs discontinuously, forming an aggregate near the boundary of the disk. The result can be interpreted within a thermodynamic framework by identifying the Lyapunov functional with free energy.
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Affiliation(s)
- Gyu Ho Bae
- Department of Physics, Pukyong National University, Busan 48513, Korea
| | - Seung Ki Baek
- Department of Physics, Pukyong National University, Busan 48513, Korea
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43
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Coureuil M, Jamet A, Bille E, Lécuyer H, Bourdoulous S, Nassif X. Molecular interactions between Neisseria meningitidis and its human host. Cell Microbiol 2019; 21:e13063. [PMID: 31167044 PMCID: PMC6899865 DOI: 10.1111/cmi.13063] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/18/2019] [Revised: 05/21/2019] [Accepted: 05/30/2019] [Indexed: 02/06/2023]
Abstract
Neisseria meningitidis is a Gram‐negative bacterium that asymptomatically colonises the nasopharynx of humans. For an unknown reason, N. meningitidis can cross the nasopharyngeal barrier and invade the bloodstream where it becomes one of the most harmful extracellular bacterial pathogen. This infectious cycle involves the colonisation of two different environments. (a) In the nasopharynx, N. meningitidis grow on the top of mucus‐producing epithelial cells surrounded by a complex microbiota. To survive and grow in this challenging environment, the meningococcus expresses specific virulence factors such as polymorphic toxins and MDAΦ. (b) Meningococci have the ability to survive in the extra cellular fluids including blood and cerebrospinal fluid. The interaction of N. meningitidis with human endothelial cells leads to the formation of typical microcolonies that extend overtime and promote vascular injury, disseminated intravascular coagulation, and acute inflammation. In this review, we will focus on the interplay between N. meningitidis and these two different niches at the cellular and molecular level and discuss the use of inhibitors of piliation as a potent therapeutic approach.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mathieu Coureuil
- Inserm, Institut Necker Enfants Malades, U1151, Paris, France.,Université de Paris, UMR_S 1151, Paris, France.,CNRS, UMR 8253, Paris, France
| | - Anne Jamet
- Inserm, Institut Necker Enfants Malades, U1151, Paris, France.,Université de Paris, UMR_S 1151, Paris, France.,CNRS, UMR 8253, Paris, France.,Assistance Publique - Hôpitaux de Paris, Hôpital Necker Enfants Malades, Paris, France
| | - Emmanuelle Bille
- Inserm, Institut Necker Enfants Malades, U1151, Paris, France.,Université de Paris, UMR_S 1151, Paris, France.,CNRS, UMR 8253, Paris, France.,Assistance Publique - Hôpitaux de Paris, Hôpital Necker Enfants Malades, Paris, France
| | - Hervé Lécuyer
- Inserm, Institut Necker Enfants Malades, U1151, Paris, France.,Université de Paris, UMR_S 1151, Paris, France.,CNRS, UMR 8253, Paris, France.,Assistance Publique - Hôpitaux de Paris, Hôpital Necker Enfants Malades, Paris, France
| | - Sandrine Bourdoulous
- Université de Paris, UMR_S 1151, Paris, France.,Inserm, U1016, Institut Cochin, Paris, France.,CNRS, UMR8104, Paris, France
| | - Xavier Nassif
- Inserm, Institut Necker Enfants Malades, U1151, Paris, France.,Université de Paris, UMR_S 1151, Paris, France.,CNRS, UMR 8253, Paris, France.,Assistance Publique - Hôpitaux de Paris, Hôpital Necker Enfants Malades, Paris, France
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44
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Zurzolo C, Enninga J. The best of both worlds-bringing together cell biology and infection at the Institut Pasteur. Genes Immun 2019; 20:426-435. [PMID: 31019256 DOI: 10.1038/s41435-019-0068-x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/04/2019] [Revised: 03/10/2019] [Accepted: 03/18/2019] [Indexed: 11/09/2022]
Abstract
Only a profound understanding of the structure and function of cells-either as single units or in the context of tissues and whole organisms-will allow a comprehension of what happens in pathological conditions and provides the means to fight disease. The Cell Biology and Infection (BCI for Biologie Cellulaire et Infection) department was created in 2002 at the Institut Pasteur in Paris to develop a research program under the umbrella of cell biology, infection biology, and microbiology. Its visionary ambition was to shape a common framework for cellular microbiology, and to interface the latter with hard sciences like physics and mathematics and cutting-edge technology. This concept, ahead of time, has given high visibility to the field of cellular microbiology and quantitative cell biology, and it has allowed the successful execution of highly interdisciplinary research programs linking a molecular understanding of cellular events with disease. Now, the BCI department embraces additional pathologies, namely cancer and neurodegenerative diseases. Here, we will portray how the integrative research approach of BCI has led to major scientific breakthroughs during the last 10 years, and where we see scientific opportunities for the near future.
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Affiliation(s)
- Chiara Zurzolo
- The Cell Biology and Infection Department, Institut Pasteur, Paris, France
| | - Jost Enninga
- The Cell Biology and Infection Department, Institut Pasteur, Paris, France.
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45
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Abstract
A wide variety of pathogens reach the circulatory system during viral, parasitic, fungal, and bacterial infections, causing clinically diverse pathologies. Such systemic infections are usually severe and frequently life-threatening despite intensive care, in particular during the age of antibiotic resistance. Because of its position at the interface between the blood and the rest of the organism, the endothelium plays a central role during these infections. Using several examples of systemic infections, we explore the diversity of interactions between pathogens and the endothelium. These examples reveal that bacterial pathogens target specific vascular beds and affect most aspects of endothelial cell biology, ranging from cellular junction stability to endothelial cell proliferation and inflammation.
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46
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Inhibitors of the Neisseria meningitidis PilF ATPase provoke type IV pilus disassembly. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A 2019; 116:8481-8486. [PMID: 30948644 DOI: 10.1073/pnas.1817757116] [Citation(s) in RCA: 23] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/31/2022] Open
Abstract
Despite the availability of antibiotics and vaccines, Neisseria meningitidis remains a major cause of meningitis and sepsis in humans. Due to its extracellular lifestyle, bacterial adhesion to host cells constitutes an attractive therapeutic target. Here, we present a high-throughput microscopy-based approach that allowed the identification of compounds able to decrease type IV pilus-mediated interaction of bacteria with endothelial cells in the absence of bacterial or host cell toxicity. Compounds specifically inhibit the PilF ATPase enzymatic activity that powers type IV pilus extension but remain inefficient on the ATPase that promotes pilus retraction, thus leading to rapid pilus disappearance from the bacterial surface and loss of pili-mediated functions. Structure activity relationship of the most active compound identifies specific moieties required for the activity of this compound and highlights its specificity. This study therefore provides compounds targeting pilus biogenesis, thereby inhibiting bacterial adhesion, and paves the way for a novel therapeutic option for meningococcal infections.
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47
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Zöllner R, Cronenberg T, Kouzel N, Welker A, Koomey M, Maier B. Type IV Pilin Post-Translational Modifications Modulate Material Properties of Bacterial Colonies. Biophys J 2019; 116:938-947. [PMID: 30739725 PMCID: PMC6400827 DOI: 10.1016/j.bpj.2019.01.020] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/10/2018] [Revised: 01/17/2019] [Accepted: 01/22/2019] [Indexed: 12/30/2022] Open
Abstract
Bacterial type 4 pili (T4P) are extracellular polymers that initiate the formation of microcolonies and biofilms. T4P continuously elongate and retract. These pilus dynamics crucially affect the local order, shape, and fluidity of microcolonies. The major pilin subunit of the T4P bears multiple post-translational modifications. By interfering with different steps of the pilin glycosylation and phosphoform modification pathways, we investigated the effect of pilin post-translational modification on the shape and dynamics of microcolonies formed by Neisseria gonorrhoeae. Deleting the phosphotransferase responsible for phosphoethanolamine modification at residue serine 68 inhibits shape relaxations of microcolonies after perturbation and causes bacteria carrying the phosphoform modification to segregate to the surface of mixed colonies. We relate these mesoscopic phenotypes to increased attractive forces generated by T4P between cells. Moreover, by deleting genes responsible for the pilin glycan structure, we show that the number of saccharides attached at residue serine 63 affects the ratio between surface tension and viscosity and cause sorting between bacteria carrying different pilin glycoforms. We conclude that different pilin post-translational modifications moderately affect the attractive forces between bacteria but have severe effects on the material properties of microcolonies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Robert Zöllner
- Institute for Biological Physics, University of Cologne, Cologne, Germany
| | - Tom Cronenberg
- Institute for Biological Physics, University of Cologne, Cologne, Germany
| | - Nadzeya Kouzel
- Institute for Biological Physics, University of Cologne, Cologne, Germany
| | - Anton Welker
- Institute for Biological Physics, University of Cologne, Cologne, Germany
| | - Michael Koomey
- Department of Biological Sciences, Center for Integrative Microbial Evolution, University of Oslo, Oslo, Norway
| | - Berenike Maier
- Institute for Biological Physics, University of Cologne, Cologne, Germany.
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48
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Takacs CN, Kloos ZA, Scott M, Rosa PA, Jacobs-Wagner C. Fluorescent Proteins, Promoters, and Selectable Markers for Applications in the Lyme Disease Spirochete Borrelia burgdorferi. Appl Environ Microbiol 2018; 84:e01824-18. [PMID: 30315081 PMCID: PMC6275353 DOI: 10.1128/aem.01824-18] [Citation(s) in RCA: 19] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/25/2018] [Accepted: 10/08/2018] [Indexed: 11/30/2022] Open
Abstract
Lyme disease is the most widely reported vector-borne disease in the United States. Its incidence is rapidly increasing, and disease symptoms can be debilitating. The need to understand the biology of the disease agent, the spirochete Borrelia burgdorferi, is thus evermore pressing. Despite important advances in B. burgdorferi genetics, the array of molecular tools available for use in this organism remains limited, especially for cell biological studies. Here, we adapt a palette of bright and mostly monomeric fluorescent proteins for versatile use and multicolor imaging in B. burgdorferi We also characterize two novel antibiotic selection markers and establish the feasibility of their use in conjunction with extant markers. Last, we describe a set of promoters of low and intermediate strengths that allow fine-tuning of gene expression levels. These molecular tools complement and expand current experimental capabilities in B. burgdorferi, which will facilitate future investigation of this important human pathogen. To showcase the usefulness of these reagents, we used them to investigate the subcellular localization of BB0323, a B. burgdorferi lipoprotein essential for survival in the host and vector environments. We show that BB0323 accumulates at the cell poles and future division sites of B. burgdorferi cells, highlighting the complex subcellular organization of this spirochete.IMPORTANCE Genetic manipulation of the Lyme disease spirochete B. burgdorferi remains cumbersome, despite significant progress in the field. The scarcity of molecular reagents available for use in this pathogen has slowed research efforts to study its unusual biology. Of interest, B. burgdorferi displays complex cellular organization features that have yet to be understood. These include an unusual morphology and a highly fragmented genome, both of which are likely to play important roles in the bacterium's transmission, infectivity, and persistence. Here, we complement and expand the array of molecular tools available for use in B. burgdorferi by generating and characterizing multiple fluorescent proteins, antibiotic selection markers, and promoters of varied strengths. These tools will facilitate investigations in this important human pathogen, as exemplified by the polar and midcell localization of the cell envelope regulator BB0323, which we uncovered using these reagents.
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Affiliation(s)
- Constantin N Takacs
- Microbial Sciences Institute, Yale West Campus, West Haven, Connecticut, USA
- Department of Molecular, Cellular, and Developmental Biology, Yale University, New Haven, Connecticut, USA
- Howard Hughes Medical Institute, Yale West Campus, West Haven, Connecticut, USA
| | - Zachary A Kloos
- Microbial Sciences Institute, Yale West Campus, West Haven, Connecticut, USA
- Microbiology Program, Yale University, New Haven, Connecticut, USA
| | - Molly Scott
- Microbial Sciences Institute, Yale West Campus, West Haven, Connecticut, USA
- Department of Molecular, Cellular, and Developmental Biology, Yale University, New Haven, Connecticut, USA
- Howard Hughes Medical Institute, Yale West Campus, West Haven, Connecticut, USA
| | - Patricia A Rosa
- Laboratory of Bacteriology, Rocky Mountain Laboratories, Division of Intramural Research, National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, National Institutes of Health, Hamilton, Montana, USA
| | - Christine Jacobs-Wagner
- Microbial Sciences Institute, Yale West Campus, West Haven, Connecticut, USA
- Department of Molecular, Cellular, and Developmental Biology, Yale University, New Haven, Connecticut, USA
- Howard Hughes Medical Institute, Yale West Campus, West Haven, Connecticut, USA
- Department of Microbial Pathogenesis, Yale School of Medicine, New Haven, Connecticut, USA
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49
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Pönisch W, Eckenrode KB, Alzurqa K, Nasrollahi H, Weber C, Zaburdaev V, Biais N. Pili mediated intercellular forces shape heterogeneous bacterial microcolonies prior to multicellular differentiation. Sci Rep 2018; 8:16567. [PMID: 30410109 PMCID: PMC6224386 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-018-34754-4] [Citation(s) in RCA: 18] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/23/2017] [Accepted: 10/24/2018] [Indexed: 11/18/2022] Open
Abstract
Microcolonies are aggregates of a few dozen to a few thousand cells exhibited by many bacteria. The formation of microcolonies is a crucial step towards the formation of more mature bacterial communities known as biofilms, but also marks a significant change in bacterial physiology. Within a microcolony, bacteria forgo a single cell lifestyle for a communal lifestyle hallmarked by high cell density and physical interactions between cells potentially altering their behaviour. It is thus crucial to understand how initially identical single cells start to behave differently while assembling in these tight communities. Here we show that cells in the microcolonies formed by the human pathogen Neisseria gonorrhoeae (Ng) present differential motility behaviors within an hour upon colony formation. Observation of merging microcolonies and tracking of single cells within microcolonies reveal a heterogeneous motility behavior: cells close to the surface of the microcolony exhibit a much higher motility compared to cells towards the center. Numerical simulations of a biophysical model for the microcolonies at the single cell level suggest that the emergence of differential behavior within a multicellular microcolony of otherwise identical cells is of mechanical origin. It could suggest a route toward further bacterial differentiation and ultimately mature biofilms.
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Affiliation(s)
- Wolfram Pönisch
- Max-Planck-Institute for the Physics of Complex Systems, Dresden, Germany
- MRC Laboratory for Molecular Cell Biology, University City London, London, UK
| | - Kelly B Eckenrode
- Brooklyn College of CUNY, Department of Biology, Brooklyn, USA
- Graduate Center of CUNY, New York, USA
| | - Khaled Alzurqa
- Brooklyn College of CUNY, Department of Biology, Brooklyn, USA
| | - Hadi Nasrollahi
- Brooklyn College of CUNY, Department of Biology, Brooklyn, USA
| | - Christoph Weber
- Max-Planck-Institute for the Physics of Complex Systems, Dresden, Germany
| | - Vasily Zaburdaev
- Max-Planck-Institute for the Physics of Complex Systems, Dresden, Germany.
- Friedrich-Alexander-Universität Erlangen-Nürnberg, Erlangen, Germany.
| | - Nicolas Biais
- Brooklyn College of CUNY, Department of Biology, Brooklyn, USA.
- Graduate Center of CUNY, New York, USA.
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Welker A, Cronenberg T, Zöllner R, Meel C, Siewering K, Bender N, Hennes M, Oldewurtel ER, Maier B. Molecular Motors Govern Liquidlike Ordering and Fusion Dynamics of Bacterial Colonies. PHYSICAL REVIEW LETTERS 2018; 121:118102. [PMID: 30265121 DOI: 10.1103/physrevlett.121.118102] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/04/2017] [Revised: 06/09/2018] [Indexed: 06/08/2023]
Abstract
Bacteria can adjust the structure of colonies and biofilms to enhance their survival rate under external stress. Here, we explore the link between bacterial interaction forces and colony structure. We show that the activity of extracellular pilus motors enhances local ordering and accelerates fusion dynamics of bacterial colonies. The radial distribution function of mature colonies shows local fluidlike order. The degree and dynamics of ordering are dependent on motor activity. At a larger scale, the fusion dynamics of two colonies shows liquidlike behavior whereby motor activity strongly affects surface tension and viscosity.
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Affiliation(s)
- Anton Welker
- Institute for Biological Physics, University of Cologne, Zülpicher Straße 77, 50937 Köln, Germany
| | - Tom Cronenberg
- Institute for Biological Physics, University of Cologne, Zülpicher Straße 77, 50937 Köln, Germany
| | - Robert Zöllner
- Institute for Biological Physics, University of Cologne, Zülpicher Straße 77, 50937 Köln, Germany
| | - Claudia Meel
- Institute for Biological Physics, University of Cologne, Zülpicher Straße 77, 50937 Köln, Germany
| | - Katja Siewering
- Institute for Biological Physics, University of Cologne, Zülpicher Straße 77, 50937 Köln, Germany
| | - Niklas Bender
- Institute for Biological Physics, University of Cologne, Zülpicher Straße 77, 50937 Köln, Germany
| | - Marc Hennes
- Institute for Biological Physics, University of Cologne, Zülpicher Straße 77, 50937 Köln, Germany
| | - Enno R Oldewurtel
- Institute for Biological Physics, University of Cologne, Zülpicher Straße 77, 50937 Köln, Germany
| | - Berenike Maier
- Institute for Biological Physics, University of Cologne, Zülpicher Straße 77, 50937 Köln, Germany
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