1
|
Banhart S, Schäfer EK, Gensch JM, Heuer D. Sphingolipid Metabolism and Transport in Chlamydia trachomatis and Chlamydia psittaci Infections. Front Cell Dev Biol 2019; 7:223. [PMID: 31637241 PMCID: PMC6787139 DOI: 10.3389/fcell.2019.00223] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/28/2019] [Accepted: 09/20/2019] [Indexed: 12/05/2022] Open
Abstract
Chlamydia species infect a large range of vertebral hosts and have become of major economic and public health concern over the last decades. They are obligate intracellular bacteria that undergo a unique cycle of development characterized by the presence of two distinct bacterial forms. After infection of the host cell, Chlamydia are found inside a membrane-bound compartment, the inclusion. The surrounding membrane of the inclusion contributes to the host-Chlamydia interface and specific pathogen-derived Inc proteins shape this interface allowing interactions with distinct cellular proteins. In contrast to many other bacteria, Chlamydia species acquire sphingomyelin from the host cell. In recent years a clearer picture of how Chlamydia trachomatis acquires this lipid emerged showing that the bacteria interact with vesicular and non-vesicular transport pathways that involve the recruitment of specific RAB proteins and the lipid-transfer protein CERT. These interactions contribute to the development of a new sphingomyelin-producing compartment inside the host cell. Interestingly, recruitment of CERT is conserved among different Chlamydia species including Chlamydia psittaci. Here we discuss our current understanding on the molecular mechanisms used by C. trachomatis and C. psittaci to establish these interactions and to create a novel sphingomyelin-producing compartment inside the host cell important for the infection.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Sebastian Banhart
- Unit 'Sexually Transmitted Bacterial Infections', Department for Infectious Diseases, Robert Koch Institute, Berlin, Germany
| | - Elena K Schäfer
- Unit 'Sexually Transmitted Bacterial Infections', Department for Infectious Diseases, Robert Koch Institute, Berlin, Germany
| | - Jean-Marc Gensch
- Unit 'Sexually Transmitted Bacterial Infections', Department for Infectious Diseases, Robert Koch Institute, Berlin, Germany
| | - Dagmar Heuer
- Unit 'Sexually Transmitted Bacterial Infections', Department for Infectious Diseases, Robert Koch Institute, Berlin, Germany
| |
Collapse
|
2
|
Putman T, Hybiske K, Jow D, Afrasiabi C, Lelong S, Cano MA, Stupp GS, Waagmeester A, Good BM, Wu C, Su AI. ChlamBase: a curated model organism database for the Chlamydia research community. Database (Oxford) 2019; 2019:baz041. [PMID: 30985891 PMCID: PMC6463448 DOI: 10.1093/database/baz041] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [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: 10/31/2018] [Revised: 02/22/2019] [Accepted: 03/07/2019] [Indexed: 02/06/2023]
Abstract
The accelerating growth of genomic and proteomic information for Chlamydia species, coupled with unique biological aspects of these pathogens, necessitates bioinformatic tools and features that are not provided by major public databases. To meet these growing needs, we developed ChlamBase, a model organism database for Chlamydia that is built upon the WikiGenomes application framework, and Wikidata, a community-curated database. ChlamBase was designed to serve as a central access point for genomic and proteomic information for the Chlamydia research community. ChlamBase integrates information from numerous external databases, as well as important data extracted from the literature that are otherwise not available in structured formats that are easy to use. In addition, a key feature of ChlamBase is that it empowers users in the field to contribute new annotations and data as the field advances with continued discoveries. ChlamBase is freely and publicly available at chlambase.org.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Tim Putman
- Ontology Development Group, Library, Oregon Health and Science University, Portland, OR, USA
| | - Kevin Hybiske
- Division of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, Department of Medicine, University of Washington, Seattle, WA, USA
| | - Derek Jow
- Department of Integrative Structural and Computational Biology, The Scripps Research Institute, La Jolla, CA, USA
| | - Cyrus Afrasiabi
- Department of Integrative Structural and Computational Biology, The Scripps Research Institute, La Jolla, CA, USA
| | - Sebastien Lelong
- Department of Integrative Structural and Computational Biology, The Scripps Research Institute, La Jolla, CA, USA
| | - Marco Alvarado Cano
- Department of Integrative Structural and Computational Biology, The Scripps Research Institute, La Jolla, CA, USA
| | - Gregory S Stupp
- Department of Integrative Structural and Computational Biology, The Scripps Research Institute, La Jolla, CA, USA
| | | | - Benjamin M Good
- Department of Integrative Structural and Computational Biology, The Scripps Research Institute, La Jolla, CA, USA
| | - Chunlei Wu
- Department of Integrative Structural and Computational Biology, The Scripps Research Institute, La Jolla, CA, USA
| | - Andrew I Su
- Department of Integrative Structural and Computational Biology, The Scripps Research Institute, La Jolla, CA, USA
| |
Collapse
|
3
|
Skilton RJ, Wang Y, O'Neill C, Filardo S, Marsh P, Bénard A, Thomson NR, Ramsey KH, Clarke IN. The Chlamydia muridarum plasmid revisited : new insights into growth kinetics. Wellcome Open Res 2018; 3:25. [PMID: 29657985 PMCID: PMC5871946 DOI: 10.12688/wellcomeopenres.13905.1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 03/02/2018] [Indexed: 11/23/2022] Open
Abstract
Background: Research in chlamydial genetics is challenging because of its obligate intracellular developmental cycle.
In vivo systems exist that allow studies of different aspects of basic biology of chlamydiae, the murine
Chlamydia muridarum model is one of great importance and thus an essential research tool.
C. muridarum carries a plasmid that has a role in virulence. Our aim was to compare and contrast the
C. muridarum plasmid-free phenotype with that of a chromosomally isogenic plasmid-bearing strain, through the inclusion phase of the developmental cycle. Methods: We measured infectivity for plasmid bearing and plasmid-cured
C. muridarum by inclusion forming assays in McCoy cells and in parallel bacterial chromosome replication by quantitative PCR, throughout the developmental cycle. In addition to these studies, we have carefully monitored chlamydial inclusion formation by confocal microscopy and transmission electron microscopy. A new
E.coli/chlamydial shuttle vector (pNigg::GFP) was constructed using standard cloning technology and used to transform
C. muridarum for further phenotypic studies. Results: We have advanced the definition of the chlamydial phenotype away from the simple static observation of mature inclusions and redefined the
C. muridarum plasmid-based phenotype on growth profile and inclusion morphology. Our observations on the growth properties of plasmid-cured
C. muridarum challenge the established interpretations, especially with regard to inclusion growth kinetics. Introduction of the shuttle plasmid pNigg::GFP into plasmid-cured
C. muridarum restored the wild-type plasmid-bearing phenotype and confirmed that loss of the plasmid was the sole cause for the changes in growth and chromosomal replication. Conclusions: Accurate growth curves and sampling at multiple time points throughout the developmental cycle is necessary to define plasmid phenotypes. There are subtle but important (previously unnoticed) differences in the overall growth profile of plasmid-bearing and plasmid-free
C. muridarum. We have proven that the differences described are solely due to the plasmid pNigg.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Rachel J Skilton
- Molecular Microbiology Group, Faculty of Medicine, University of Southampton, Southampton General Hospital, Southampton, UK
| | - Yibing Wang
- Division of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, Department of Medicine, University of Washington, Seattle, WA, USA
| | - Colette O'Neill
- Molecular Microbiology Group, Faculty of Medicine, University of Southampton, Southampton General Hospital, Southampton, UK
| | - Simone Filardo
- Department of Public Health and Infectious Diseases, Section of Microbiology, Sapienza University, Rome, Italy
| | - Peter Marsh
- Public Health England, Public Health Laboratory Southampton, Southampton General Hospital, Southampton, UK
| | - Angèle Bénard
- Wellcome Trust Sanger Institute, Wellcome Trust Genome Campus, Hinxton, UK
| | - Nicholas R Thomson
- Wellcome Trust Sanger Institute, Wellcome Trust Genome Campus, Hinxton, UK.,London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine, London, UK
| | - Kyle H Ramsey
- Department of Microbiology & Immunology, Chicago College of Osteopathic Medicine, Midwestern University, Downers Grove, IL, USA
| | - Ian N Clarke
- Molecular Microbiology Group, Faculty of Medicine, University of Southampton, Southampton General Hospital, Southampton, UK
| |
Collapse
|
4
|
Hafner LM, Timms P. Development of a Chlamydia trachomatis vaccine for urogenital infections: novel tools and new strategies point to bright future prospects. Expert Rev Vaccines 2017; 17:57-69. [PMID: 29264970 DOI: 10.1080/14760584.2018.1417044] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/09/2023]
Abstract
INTRODUCTION The "cloaked" bacterial pathogen that is Chlamydia trachomatis continues to cause sexually transmitted infections (STIs) that adversely affect the health and well-being of children, adolescents and adults globally. The reproductive disease sequelae follow unresolved or untreated chronic or recurrent asymptomatic C.trachomatis infections of the lower female genital tract (FGT) and can include pelvic pain, pelvic inflammatory disease (PID) and ectopic pregnancy. Tubal Factor Infertility (TFI) can also occur since protective and long-term natural immunity to chlamydial infection is incomplete, allowing for ascension of the organism to the upper FGT. Developing countries including the WHO African (8.3 million cases) and South-East Asian regions (7.2 million cases) bear the highest burden of chlamydial STIs. AREAS COVERED Genetic advances for Chlamydia have provided tools for transformation (including dendrimer-enabled transformation), lateral gene transfer and chemical mutagenesis. Recent progress in these areas is reviewed with a focus on vaccine development for Chlamydia infections of the female genital tract. EXPERT COMMENTARY A vaccine that can elicit immuno-protective responses whilst avoiding adverse immuno-pathologic host responses is required. The current technological advances in chlamydial genetics and proteomics, as well as novel and improved adjuvants and delivery systems, provide new hope that the elusive chlamydial vaccine is an imminent and realistic goal.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Louise M Hafner
- a School of Biomedical Sciences, Institute of Health and Biomedical Innovation, Faculty of Health , Queensland University of Technology , Brisbane , Australia
| | - Peter Timms
- b Faculty of Science, Health, Education and Engineering , University of the Sunshine Coast , Maroochydore DC , Australia
| |
Collapse
|
5
|
Paul B, Kim HS, Kerr MC, Huston WM, Teasdale RD, Collins BM. Structural basis for the hijacking of endosomal sorting nexin proteins by Chlamydia trachomatis. eLife 2017; 6. [PMID: 28226239 PMCID: PMC5348129 DOI: 10.7554/elife.22311] [Citation(s) in RCA: 48] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/12/2016] [Accepted: 02/19/2017] [Indexed: 12/17/2022] Open
Abstract
During infection chlamydial pathogens form an intracellular membrane-bound replicative niche termed the inclusion, which is enriched with bacterial transmembrane proteins called Incs. Incs bind and manipulate host cell proteins to promote inclusion expansion and provide camouflage against innate immune responses. Sorting nexin (SNX) proteins that normally function in endosomal membrane trafficking are a major class of inclusion-associated host proteins, and are recruited by IncE/CT116. Crystal structures of the SNX5 phox-homology (PX) domain in complex with IncE define the precise molecular basis for these interactions. The binding site is unique to SNX5 and related family members SNX6 and SNX32. Intriguingly the site is also conserved in SNX5 homologues throughout evolution, suggesting that IncE captures SNX5-related proteins by mimicking a native host protein interaction. These findings thus provide the first mechanistic insights both into how chlamydial Incs hijack host proteins, and how SNX5-related PX domains function as scaffolds in protein complex assembly.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Blessy Paul
- Institute for Molecular Bioscience, The University of Queensland, St. Lucia, Australia
| | - Hyun Sung Kim
- Institute for Molecular Bioscience, The University of Queensland, St. Lucia, Australia
| | - Markus C Kerr
- Institute for Molecular Bioscience, The University of Queensland, St. Lucia, Australia
| | | | - Rohan D Teasdale
- Institute for Molecular Bioscience, The University of Queensland, St. Lucia, Australia
| | - Brett M Collins
- Institute for Molecular Bioscience, The University of Queensland, St. Lucia, Australia
| |
Collapse
|
6
|
Interrogating Genes That Mediate Chlamydia trachomatis Survival in Cell Culture Using Conditional Mutants and Recombination. J Bacteriol 2016; 198:2131-9. [PMID: 27246568 DOI: 10.1128/jb.00161-16] [Citation(s) in RCA: 21] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/17/2016] [Accepted: 05/24/2016] [Indexed: 12/21/2022] Open
Abstract
UNLABELLED Intracellular bacterial pathogens in the family Chlamydiaceae are causes of human blindness, sexually transmitted disease, and pneumonia. Genetic dissection of the mechanisms of chlamydial pathogenicity has been hindered by multiple limitations, including the inability to inactivate genes that would prevent the production of elementary bodies. Many genes are also Chlamydia-specific genes, and chlamydial genomes have undergone extensive reductive evolution, so functions often cannot be inferred from homologs in other organisms. Conditional mutants have been used to study essential genes of many microorganisms, so we screened a library of 4,184 ethyl methanesulfonate-mutagenized Chlamydia trachomatis isolates for temperature-sensitive (TS) mutants that developed normally at physiological temperature (37°C) but not at nonphysiological temperatures. Heat-sensitive TS mutants were identified at a high frequency, while cold-sensitive mutants were less common. Twelve TS mutants were mapped using a novel markerless recombination approach, PCR, and genome sequencing. TS alleles of genes that play essential roles in other bacteria and chlamydia-specific open reading frames (ORFs) of unknown function were identified. Temperature-shift assays determined that phenotypes of the mutants manifested at distinct points in the developmental cycle. Genome sequencing of a larger population of TS mutants also revealed that the screen had not reached saturation. In summary, we describe the first approach for studying essential chlamydial genes and broadly applicable strategies for genetic mapping in Chlamydia spp. and mutants that both define checkpoints and provide insights into the biology of the chlamydial developmental cycle. IMPORTANCE Study of the pathogenesis of Chlamydia spp. has historically been hampered by a lack of genetic tools. Although there has been recent progress in chlamydial genetics, the existing approaches have limitations for the study of the genes that mediate growth of these organisms in cell culture. We used a genetic screen to identify conditional Chlamydia mutants and then mapped these alleles using a broadly applicable recombination strategy. Phenotypes of the mutants provide fundamental insights into unexplored areas of chlamydial pathogenesis and intracellular biology. Finally, the reagents and approaches we describe are powerful resources for the investigation of these organisms.
Collapse
|