1
|
Wood WN, Rubio MA, Leiva LE, Phillips GJ, Ibba M. Methionyl-tRNA synthetase synthetic and proofreading activities are determinants of antibiotic persistence. Front Microbiol 2024; 15:1384552. [PMID: 38601944 PMCID: PMC11004401 DOI: 10.3389/fmicb.2024.1384552] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/09/2024] [Accepted: 03/12/2024] [Indexed: 04/12/2024] Open
Abstract
Bacterial antibiotic persistence is a phenomenon where bacteria are exposed to an antibiotic and the majority of the population dies while a small subset enters a low metabolic, persistent, state and are able to survive. Once the antibiotic is removed the persistent population can resuscitate and continue growing. Several different molecular mechanisms and pathways have been implicated in this phenomenon. A common mechanism that may underly bacterial antibiotic persistence is perturbations in protein synthesis. To investigate this mechanism, we characterized four distinct metG mutants for their ability to increase antibiotic persistence. Two metG mutants encode changes near the catalytic site of MetRS and the other two mutants changes near the anticodon binding domain. Mutations in metG are of particular interest because MetRS is responsible for aminoacylation both initiator tRNAMet and elongator tRNAMet indicating that these mutants could impact translation initiation and/or translation elongation. We observed that all the metG mutants increased the level of antibiotic persistence as did reduced transcription levels of wild type metG. Although, the MetRS variants did not have an impact on MetRS activity itself, they did reduce translation rates. It was also observed that the MetRS variants affected the proofreading mechanism for homocysteine and that these mutants' growth is hypersensitive to homocysteine. Taken together with previous findings, our data indicate that both reductions in cellular Met-tRNAMet synthetic capacity and reduced proofreading of homocysteine by MetRS variants are positive determinants for bacterial antibiotic persistence.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Whitney N. Wood
- Department of Microbiology, The Ohio State University, Columbus, OH, United States
- Schmid College of Science and Technology, Chapman University, Orange, CA, United States
| | - Miguel Angel Rubio
- Department of Microbiology, The Ohio State University, Columbus, OH, United States
| | - Lorenzo Eugenio Leiva
- Schmid College of Science and Technology, Chapman University, Orange, CA, United States
| | - Gregory J. Phillips
- Department of Veterinary Microbiology, Iowa State University, Ames, IA, United States
| | - Michael Ibba
- Department of Microbiology, The Ohio State University, Columbus, OH, United States
- Schmid College of Science and Technology, Chapman University, Orange, CA, United States
| |
Collapse
|
2
|
Eisenreich W, Rudel T, Heesemann J, Goebel W. Link Between Antibiotic Persistence and Antibiotic Resistance in Bacterial Pathogens. Front Cell Infect Microbiol 2022; 12:900848. [PMID: 35928205 PMCID: PMC9343593 DOI: 10.3389/fcimb.2022.900848] [Citation(s) in RCA: 22] [Impact Index Per Article: 11.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/21/2022] [Accepted: 06/21/2022] [Indexed: 12/15/2022] Open
Abstract
Both, antibiotic persistence and antibiotic resistance characterize phenotypes of survival in which a bacterial cell becomes insensitive to one (or even) more antibiotic(s). However, the molecular basis for these two antibiotic-tolerant phenotypes is fundamentally different. Whereas antibiotic resistance is genetically determined and hence represents a rather stable phenotype, antibiotic persistence marks a transient physiological state triggered by various stress-inducing conditions that switches back to the original antibiotic sensitive state once the environmental situation improves. The molecular basics of antibiotic resistance are in principle well understood. This is not the case for antibiotic persistence. Under all culture conditions, there is a stochastically formed, subpopulation of persister cells in bacterial populations, the size of which depends on the culture conditions. The proportion of persisters in a bacterial population increases under different stress conditions, including treatment with bactericidal antibiotics (BCAs). Various models have been proposed to explain the formation of persistence in bacteria. We recently hypothesized that all physiological culture conditions leading to persistence converge in the inability of the bacteria to re-initiate a new round of DNA replication caused by an insufficient level of the initiator complex ATP-DnaA and hence by the lack of formation of a functional orisome. Here, we extend this hypothesis by proposing that in this persistence state the bacteria become more susceptible to mutation-based antibiotic resistance provided they are equipped with error-prone DNA repair functions. This is - in our opinion - in particular the case when such bacterial populations are exposed to BCAs.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Wolfgang Eisenreich
- Bavarian NMR Center – Structural Membrane Biochemistry, Department of Chemistry, Technische Universität München, Garching, Germany
- *Correspondence: Wolfgang Eisenreich,
| | - Thomas Rudel
- Chair of Microbiology, Biocenter, University of Würzburg, Würzburg, Germany
| | - Jürgen Heesemann
- Max von Pettenkofer-Institute, Ludwig Maximilian University of Munich, München, Germany
| | - Werner Goebel
- Max von Pettenkofer-Institute, Ludwig Maximilian University of Munich, München, Germany
| |
Collapse
|
3
|
Hartline CJ, Zhang R, Zhang F. Transient Antibiotic Tolerance Triggered by Nutrient Shifts From Gluconeogenic Carbon Sources to Fatty Acid. Front Microbiol 2022; 13:854272. [PMID: 35359720 PMCID: PMC8963472 DOI: 10.3389/fmicb.2022.854272] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/13/2022] [Accepted: 02/22/2022] [Indexed: 12/04/2022] Open
Abstract
Nutrient shifts from glycolytic-to-gluconeogenic carbon sources can create large sub-populations of extremely antibiotic tolerant bacteria, called persisters. Positive feedback in Escherichia coli central metabolism was believed to play a key role in the formation of persister cells. To examine whether positive feedback in nutrient transport can also support high persistence to β-lactams, we performed nutrient shifts for E. coli from gluconeogenic carbon sources to fatty acid (FA). We observed tri-phasic antibiotic killing kinetics characterized by a transient period of high antibiotic tolerance, followed by rapid killing then a slower persister-killing phase. The duration of transient tolerance (3-44 h) varies with pre-shift carbon source and correlates strongly with the time needed to accumulate the FA degradation enzyme FadD after the shift. Additionally, FadD accumulation time and thus transient tolerance time can be reduced by induction of the glyoxylate bypass prior to switching, highlighting that two interacting feedback loops simultaneously control the length of transient tolerance. Our results demonstrate that nutrient switches along with positive feedback are not sufficient to trigger persistence in a majority of the population but instead triggers only a temporary tolerance. Additionally, our results demonstrate that the pre-shift metabolic state determines the duration of transient tolerance and that supplying glyoxylate can facilitate antibiotic killing of bacteria.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Christopher J. Hartline
- Department of Energy, Environmental and Chemical Engineering, Washington University in St. Louis, Saint Louis, MO, United States
| | - Ruixue Zhang
- Department of Energy, Environmental and Chemical Engineering, Washington University in St. Louis, Saint Louis, MO, United States
| | - Fuzhong Zhang
- Department of Energy, Environmental and Chemical Engineering, Washington University in St. Louis, Saint Louis, MO, United States
- Division of Biology and Biomedical Sciences, Washington University in St. Louis, Saint Louis, MO, United States
- Institute of Materials Science and Engineering, Washington University in St. Louis, Saint Louis, MO, United States
| |
Collapse
|
4
|
|
5
|
Van den Bergh B, Schramke H, Michiels JE, Kimkes TEP, Radzikowski JL, Schimpf J, Vedelaar SR, Burschel S, Dewachter L, Lončar N, Schmidt A, Meijer T, Fauvart M, Friedrich T, Michiels J, Heinemann M. Mutations in respiratory complex I promote antibiotic persistence through alterations in intracellular acidity and protein synthesis. Nat Commun 2022; 13:546. [PMID: 35087069 PMCID: PMC8795404 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-022-28141-x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 18] [Impact Index Per Article: 9.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/23/2020] [Accepted: 01/04/2022] [Indexed: 11/28/2022] Open
Abstract
Antibiotic persistence describes the presence of phenotypic variants within an isogenic bacterial population that are transiently tolerant to antibiotic treatment. Perturbations of metabolic homeostasis can promote antibiotic persistence, but the precise mechanisms are not well understood. Here, we use laboratory evolution, population-wide sequencing and biochemical characterizations to identify mutations in respiratory complex I and discover how they promote persistence in Escherichia coli. We show that persistence-inducing perturbations of metabolic homeostasis are associated with cytoplasmic acidification. Such cytoplasmic acidification is further strengthened by compromised proton pumping in the complex I mutants. While RpoS regulon activation induces persistence in the wild type, the aggravated cytoplasmic acidification in the complex I mutants leads to increased persistence via global shutdown of protein synthesis. Thus, we propose that cytoplasmic acidification, amplified by a compromised complex I, can act as a signaling hub for perturbed metabolic homeostasis in antibiotic persisters.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Bram Van den Bergh
- Centre of Microbial and Plant Genetics, Department of Molecular and Microbial Systems, KU Leuven, Leuven, Belgium
- Center for Microbiology, Flanders Institute for Biotechnology, VIB, Leuven, Belgium
- Department of Entomology, Cornell University, Ithaca, NY, USA
| | - Hannah Schramke
- Molecular Systems Biology, Groningen Biomolecular Sciences and Biotechnology Institute, University of Groningen, Nijenborgh 4, Groningen, The Netherlands
| | - Joran Elie Michiels
- Centre of Microbial and Plant Genetics, Department of Molecular and Microbial Systems, KU Leuven, Leuven, Belgium
- Center for Microbiology, Flanders Institute for Biotechnology, VIB, Leuven, Belgium
| | - Tom E P Kimkes
- Molecular Systems Biology, Groningen Biomolecular Sciences and Biotechnology Institute, University of Groningen, Nijenborgh 4, Groningen, The Netherlands
| | - Jakub Leszek Radzikowski
- Molecular Systems Biology, Groningen Biomolecular Sciences and Biotechnology Institute, University of Groningen, Nijenborgh 4, Groningen, The Netherlands
| | - Johannes Schimpf
- Molecular Bioenergetics, Institute of Biochemistry, Albert-Ludwigs-University of Freiburg, Freiburg im Breisgau, Germany
| | - Silke R Vedelaar
- Molecular Systems Biology, Groningen Biomolecular Sciences and Biotechnology Institute, University of Groningen, Nijenborgh 4, Groningen, The Netherlands
| | - Sabrina Burschel
- Molecular Bioenergetics, Institute of Biochemistry, Albert-Ludwigs-University of Freiburg, Freiburg im Breisgau, Germany
| | - Liselot Dewachter
- Centre of Microbial and Plant Genetics, Department of Molecular and Microbial Systems, KU Leuven, Leuven, Belgium
- Center for Microbiology, Flanders Institute for Biotechnology, VIB, Leuven, Belgium
| | - Nikola Lončar
- Molecular Enzymology, Groningen Biomolecular Sciences and Biotechnology Institute, University of Groningen, Nijenborgh 4, Groningen, The Netherlands
| | - Alexander Schmidt
- Proteomics Core Facility, Biozentrum, University of Basel, Basel, Switzerland
| | - Tim Meijer
- Molecular Systems Biology, Groningen Biomolecular Sciences and Biotechnology Institute, University of Groningen, Nijenborgh 4, Groningen, The Netherlands
| | - Maarten Fauvart
- Centre of Microbial and Plant Genetics, Department of Molecular and Microbial Systems, KU Leuven, Leuven, Belgium
- Center for Microbiology, Flanders Institute for Biotechnology, VIB, Leuven, Belgium
- imec, Leuven, Belgium
| | - Thorsten Friedrich
- Molecular Bioenergetics, Institute of Biochemistry, Albert-Ludwigs-University of Freiburg, Freiburg im Breisgau, Germany
| | - Jan Michiels
- Centre of Microbial and Plant Genetics, Department of Molecular and Microbial Systems, KU Leuven, Leuven, Belgium.
- Center for Microbiology, Flanders Institute for Biotechnology, VIB, Leuven, Belgium.
| | - Matthias Heinemann
- Molecular Systems Biology, Groningen Biomolecular Sciences and Biotechnology Institute, University of Groningen, Nijenborgh 4, Groningen, The Netherlands.
| |
Collapse
|
6
|
Quereda JJ, Morón-García A, Palacios-Gorba C, Dessaux C, García-del Portillo F, Pucciarelli MG, Ortega AD. Pathogenicity and virulence of Listeria monocytogenes: A trip from environmental to medical microbiology. Virulence 2021; 12:2509-2545. [PMID: 34612177 PMCID: PMC8496543 DOI: 10.1080/21505594.2021.1975526] [Citation(s) in RCA: 64] [Impact Index Per Article: 21.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/04/2020] [Revised: 08/23/2021] [Accepted: 08/25/2021] [Indexed: 01/02/2023] Open
Abstract
Listeria monocytogenes is a saprophytic gram-positive bacterium, and an opportunistic foodborne pathogen that can produce listeriosis in humans and animals. It has evolved an exceptional ability to adapt to stress conditions encountered in different environments, resulting in a ubiquitous distribution. Because some food preservation methods and disinfection protocols in food-processing environments cannot efficiently prevent contaminations, L. monocytogenes constitutes a threat to human health and a challenge to food safety. In the host, Listeria colonizes the gastrointestinal tract, crosses the intestinal barrier, and disseminates through the blood to target organs. In immunocompromised individuals, the elderly, and pregnant women, the pathogen can cross the blood-brain and placental barriers, leading to neurolisteriosis and materno-fetal listeriosis. Molecular and cell biology studies of infection have proven L. monocytogenes to be a versatile pathogen that deploys unique strategies to invade different cell types, survive and move inside the eukaryotic host cell, and spread from cell to cell. Here, we present the multifaceted Listeria life cycle from a comprehensive perspective. We discuss genetic features of pathogenic Listeria species, analyze factors involved in food contamination, and review bacterial strategies to tolerate stresses encountered both during food processing and along the host's gastrointestinal tract. Then we dissect host-pathogen interactions underlying listerial pathogenesis in mammals from a cell biology and systemic point of view. Finally, we summarize the epidemiology, pathophysiology, and clinical features of listeriosis in humans and animals. This work aims to gather information from different fields crucial for a comprehensive understanding of the pathogenesis of L. monocytogenes.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Juan J. Quereda
- Departamento de Producción y Sanidad Animal, Salud Pública Veterinaria y Ciencia y Tecnología de los Alimentos, Facultad de Veterinaria, Universidad Cardenal Herrera-CEU, CEU Universities. Valencia, Spain
| | - Alvaro Morón-García
- Departamento de Biología Celular. Facultad de Ciencias Biológicas, Universidad Complutense de Madrid. Madrid, Spain
| | - Carla Palacios-Gorba
- Departamento de Producción y Sanidad Animal, Salud Pública Veterinaria y Ciencia y Tecnología de los Alimentos, Facultad de Veterinaria, Universidad Cardenal Herrera-CEU, CEU Universities. Valencia, Spain
| | - Charlotte Dessaux
- Departamento de Biotecnología Microbiana, Centro Nacional de Biotecnología (CNB)- Consejo Superior De Investigaciones Científicas (CSIC), Madrid, Spain
| | - Francisco García-del Portillo
- Departamento de Biotecnología Microbiana, Centro Nacional de Biotecnología (CNB)- Consejo Superior De Investigaciones Científicas (CSIC), Madrid, Spain
| | - M. Graciela Pucciarelli
- Departamento de Biotecnología Microbiana, Centro Nacional de Biotecnología (CNB)- Consejo Superior De Investigaciones Científicas (CSIC), Madrid, Spain
- Centro de Biología Molecular ‘Severo Ochoa’. Departamento de Biología Molecular, Facultad de Ciencias, Universidad Autónoma de Madrid. Madrid, Spain
| | - Alvaro D. Ortega
- Departamento de Biología Celular. Facultad de Ciencias Biológicas, Universidad Complutense de Madrid. Madrid, Spain
- Departamento de Biotecnología Microbiana, Centro Nacional de Biotecnología (CNB)- Consejo Superior De Investigaciones Científicas (CSIC), Madrid, Spain
| |
Collapse
|
7
|
Svenningsen MS, Svenningsen SL, Sørensen MA, Mitarai N. Existence of log-phase Escherichia coli persisters and lasting memory of a starvation pulse. Life Sci Alliance 2021; 5:5/2/e202101076. [PMID: 34795016 PMCID: PMC8605324 DOI: 10.26508/lsa.202101076] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/26/2021] [Revised: 11/04/2021] [Accepted: 11/04/2021] [Indexed: 11/24/2022] Open
Abstract
The authors characterize the growth condition dependence of survival of bacteria exposed to lethal antibiotics for a week. 1-h starvation pulse is shown to cause an increase in survival for days. The vast majority of a bacterial population is killed when treated with a lethal concentration of antibiotics. The time scale of this killing is often comparable with the bacterial generation time before the addition of antibiotics. Yet, a small subpopulation typically survives for an extended period. However, the long-term killing dynamics of bacterial cells has not been fully quantified even in well-controlled laboratory conditions. We constructed a week-long killing assay and followed the survival fraction of Escherichia coli K12 exposed to a high concentration of ciprofloxacin. We found that long-term survivors were formed during exponential growth, with some cells surviving at least 7 d. The long-term dynamics contained at least three time scales, which greatly enhances predictions of the population survival time compared with the biphasic extrapolation from the short-term behavior. Furthermore, we observed a long memory effect of a brief starvation pulse, which was dependent on the (p)ppGpp synthase relA. Specifically, 1 h of carbon starvation before antibiotics exposure increased the surviving fraction by nearly 100-fold even after 4 d of ciprofloxacin treatment.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
| | | | | | - Namiko Mitarai
- The Niels Bohr Institute, University of Copenhagen, Copenhagen, Denmark
| |
Collapse
|
8
|
Observation of universal ageing dynamics in antibiotic persistence. Nature 2021; 600:290-294. [PMID: 34789881 DOI: 10.1038/s41586-021-04114-w] [Citation(s) in RCA: 38] [Impact Index Per Article: 12.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/16/2020] [Accepted: 10/08/2021] [Indexed: 11/08/2022]
Abstract
Stress responses allow cells to adapt to changes in external conditions by activating specific pathways1. Here we investigate the dynamics of single cells that were subjected to acute stress that is too strong for a regulated response but not lethal. We show that when the growth of bacteria is arrested by acute transient exposure to strong inhibitors, the statistics of their regrowth dynamics can be predicted by a model for the cellular network that ignores most of the details of the underlying molecular interactions. We observed that the same stress, applied either abruptly or gradually, can lead to totally different recovery dynamics. By measuring the regrowth dynamics after stress exposure on thousands of cells, we show that the model can predict the outcome of antibiotic persistence measurements. Our results may account for the ubiquitous antibiotic persistence phenotype2, as well as for the difficulty in attempts to link it to specific genes3. More generally, our approach suggests that two different cellular states can be observed under stress: a regulated state, which prepares cells for fast recovery, and a disrupted cellular state due to acute stress, with slow and heterogeneous recovery dynamics. The disrupted state may be described by general properties of large random networks rather than by specific pathway activation. Better understanding of the disrupted state could shed new light on the survival and evolution of cells under stress.
Collapse
|
9
|
Abstract
During antibiotic persistence, bacterial cells become transiently tolerant to antibiotics by restraining their growth and metabolic activity. Detailed molecular characterization of antibiotic persistence is hindered by low count of persisting cells and the need for their isolation. Here, we used sustained addition of stable isotope-labeled lysine to selectively label the proteome during hipA-induced persistence and hipB-induced resuscitation of Escherichia coli cells in minimal medium after antibiotic treatment. Time-resolved, 24-h measurement of label incorporation allowed detection of over 500 newly synthesized proteins in viable cells, demonstrating low but widespread protein synthesis during persistence. Many essential proteins were newly synthesized, and several ribosome-associated proteins such as RaiA and Sra showed high synthesis levels, pointing to their roles in maintenance of persistence. At the onset of resuscitation, cells synthesized the ribosome-splitting GTPase HflX and various ABC transporters, restored translation machinery, and resumed metabolism by inducing glycolysis and biosynthesis of amino acids. IMPORTANCE While bactericidal antibiotics typically require actively growing cells to exploit their function, persister cells are slowly replicating which makes them tolerant to the lethal action of antimicrobials. Here, we used an established in vitro model of bacterial persistence based on overexpression of the paradigm toxin-antitoxin (TA) system hipA/hipB to devise a generic method for temporal analysis of protein synthesis during toxin-induced persistence and antitoxin-mediated resuscitation. Our time-resolved, 24-h measurement of label incorporation demonstrated low but widespread protein synthesis during persistence. At the onset of resuscitation, cells restored translation machinery and resumed metabolism by inducing glycolysis and biosynthesis of amino acids. Our study provides the first global analysis of protein synthesis in persisting and resuscitating bacterial cells, and as such, presents an unprecedented resource to study the processes governing antibiotic persistence.
Collapse
|
10
|
Manuse S, Shan Y, Canas-Duarte SJ, Bakshi S, Sun WS, Mori H, Paulsson J, Lewis K. Bacterial persisters are a stochastically formed subpopulation of low-energy cells. PLoS Biol 2021; 19:e3001194. [PMID: 33872303 PMCID: PMC8084331 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pbio.3001194] [Citation(s) in RCA: 65] [Impact Index Per Article: 21.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/19/2020] [Revised: 04/29/2021] [Accepted: 03/18/2021] [Indexed: 11/19/2022] Open
Abstract
Persisters represent a small subpopulation of non- or slow-growing bacterial cells that are tolerant to killing by antibiotics. Despite their prominent role in the recalcitrance of chronic infections to antibiotic therapy, the mechanism of their formation has remained elusive. We show that sorted cells of Escherichia coli with low levels of energy-generating enzymes are better able to survive antibiotic killing. Using microfluidics time-lapse microscopy and a fluorescent reporter for in vivo ATP measurements, we find that a subpopulation of cells with a low level of ATP survives killing by ampicillin. We propose that these low ATP cells are formed stochastically as a result of fluctuations in the abundance of energy-generating components. These findings point to a general "low energy" mechanism of persister formation.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Sylvie Manuse
- Antimicrobial Discovery Center, Department of Biology, Northeastern University, Boston, Massachusetts, United States of America
| | - Yue Shan
- Antimicrobial Discovery Center, Department of Biology, Northeastern University, Boston, Massachusetts, United States of America
| | - Silvia J. Canas-Duarte
- Department of Systems Biology, Harvard Medical School, Boston, Massachusetts, United States of America
| | - Somenath Bakshi
- Department of Systems Biology, Harvard Medical School, Boston, Massachusetts, United States of America
| | - Wei-Sheng Sun
- Antimicrobial Discovery Center, Department of Biology, Northeastern University, Boston, Massachusetts, United States of America
| | - Hirotada Mori
- Graduate School of Biological Sciences, Nara Institute of Science and Technology, Nara, Japan
| | - Johan Paulsson
- Department of Systems Biology, Harvard Medical School, Boston, Massachusetts, United States of America
| | - Kim Lewis
- Antimicrobial Discovery Center, Department of Biology, Northeastern University, Boston, Massachusetts, United States of America
| |
Collapse
|
11
|
Eisenreich W, Rudel T, Heesemann J, Goebel W. Persistence of Intracellular Bacterial Pathogens-With a Focus on the Metabolic Perspective. Front Cell Infect Microbiol 2021; 10:615450. [PMID: 33520740 PMCID: PMC7841308 DOI: 10.3389/fcimb.2020.615450] [Citation(s) in RCA: 23] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/09/2020] [Accepted: 11/30/2020] [Indexed: 12/19/2022] Open
Abstract
Persistence has evolved as a potent survival strategy to overcome adverse environmental conditions. This capability is common to almost all bacteria, including all human bacterial pathogens and likely connected to chronic infections caused by some of these pathogens. Although the majority of a bacterial cell population will be killed by the particular stressors, like antibiotics, oxygen and nitrogen radicals, nutrient starvation and others, a varying subpopulation (termed persisters) will withstand the stress situation and will be able to revive once the stress is removed. Several factors and pathways have been identified in the past that apparently favor the formation of persistence, such as various toxin/antitoxin modules or stringent response together with the alarmone (p)ppGpp. However, persistence can occur stochastically in few cells even of stress-free bacterial populations. Growth of these cells could then be induced by the stress conditions. In this review, we focus on the persister formation of human intracellular bacterial pathogens, some of which belong to the most successful persister producers but lack some or even all of the assumed persistence-triggering factors and pathways. We propose a mechanism for the persister formation of these bacterial pathogens which is based on their specific intracellular bipartite metabolism. We postulate that this mode of metabolism ultimately leads, under certain starvation conditions, to the stalling of DNA replication initiation which may be causative for the persister state.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Wolfgang Eisenreich
- Department of Chemistry, Chair of Biochemistry, Technische Universität München, Garching, Germany
| | - Thomas Rudel
- Chair of Microbiology, Biocenter, University of Würzburg, Würzburg, Germany
| | - Jürgen Heesemann
- Max von Pettenkofer-Institute, Ludwig Maximilian University of Munich, München, Germany
| | - Werner Goebel
- Max von Pettenkofer-Institute, Ludwig Maximilian University of Munich, München, Germany
| |
Collapse
|
12
|
Tonn MK, Thomas P, Barahona M, Oyarzún DA. Computation of Single-Cell Metabolite Distributions Using Mixture Models. Front Cell Dev Biol 2020; 8:614832. [PMID: 33415109 PMCID: PMC7783310 DOI: 10.3389/fcell.2020.614832] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/07/2020] [Accepted: 11/26/2020] [Indexed: 12/30/2022] Open
Abstract
Metabolic heterogeneity is widely recognized as the next challenge in our understanding of non-genetic variation. A growing body of evidence suggests that metabolic heterogeneity may result from the inherent stochasticity of intracellular events. However, metabolism has been traditionally viewed as a purely deterministic process, on the basis that highly abundant metabolites tend to filter out stochastic phenomena. Here we bridge this gap with a general method for prediction of metabolite distributions across single cells. By exploiting the separation of time scales between enzyme expression and enzyme kinetics, our method produces estimates for metabolite distributions without the lengthy stochastic simulations that would be typically required for large metabolic models. The metabolite distributions take the form of Gaussian mixture models that are directly computable from single-cell expression data and standard deterministic models for metabolic pathways. The proposed mixture models provide a systematic method to predict the impact of biochemical parameters on metabolite distributions. Our method lays the groundwork for identifying the molecular processes that shape metabolic heterogeneity and its functional implications in disease.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Mona K. Tonn
- Department of Mathematics, Imperial College London, London, United Kingdom
| | - Philipp Thomas
- Department of Mathematics, Imperial College London, London, United Kingdom
| | - Mauricio Barahona
- Department of Mathematics, Imperial College London, London, United Kingdom
| | - Diego A. Oyarzún
- School of Biological Sciences, University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, United Kingdom
- School of Informatics, University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, United Kingdom
| |
Collapse
|
13
|
Kuehl R, Morata L, Meylan S, Mensa J, Soriano A. When antibiotics fail: a clinical and microbiological perspective on antibiotic tolerance and persistence of Staphylococcus aureus. J Antimicrob Chemother 2020; 75:1071-1086. [PMID: 32016348 DOI: 10.1093/jac/dkz559] [Citation(s) in RCA: 26] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/20/2022] Open
Abstract
Staphylococcus aureus is a major human pathogen causing a vast array of infections with significant mortality. Its versatile physiology enables it to adapt to various environments. Specific physiological changes are thought to underlie the frequent failure of antimicrobial therapy despite susceptibility in standard microbiological assays. Bacteria capable of surviving high antibiotic concentrations despite having a genetically susceptible background are described as 'antibiotic tolerant'. In this review, we put current knowledge on environmental triggers and molecular mechanisms of increased antibiotic survival of S. aureus into its clinical context. We discuss animal and clinical evidence of its significance and outline strategies to overcome infections with antibiotic-tolerant S. aureus.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Richard Kuehl
- Service of Infectious Diseases, Hospital Clinic of Barcelona, University of Barcelona, IDIBAPS, Barcelona, Spain
- Department of Infectious Diseases and Hospital Epidemiology, University Hospital Basel, Basel, Switzerland
| | - Laura Morata
- Service of Infectious Diseases, Hospital Clinic of Barcelona, University of Barcelona, IDIBAPS, Barcelona, Spain
| | - Sylvain Meylan
- Department of Infectious Diseases and Hospital Epidemiology, University Hospital Basel, Basel, Switzerland
- Division de Maladies Infectieuses, Centre Hospitalier Universitaire Vaudois, Lausanne, Switzerland
| | - Josep Mensa
- Service of Infectious Diseases, Hospital Clinic of Barcelona, University of Barcelona, IDIBAPS, Barcelona, Spain
| | - Alex Soriano
- Service of Infectious Diseases, Hospital Clinic of Barcelona, University of Barcelona, IDIBAPS, Barcelona, Spain
| |
Collapse
|
14
|
Rodríguez-Verdugo A, Lozano-Huntelman N, Cruz-Loya M, Savage V, Yeh P. Compounding Effects of Climate Warming and Antibiotic Resistance. iScience 2020; 23:101024. [PMID: 32299057 PMCID: PMC7160571 DOI: 10.1016/j.isci.2020.101024] [Citation(s) in RCA: 48] [Impact Index Per Article: 12.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/11/2019] [Revised: 03/11/2020] [Accepted: 03/25/2020] [Indexed: 12/18/2022] Open
Abstract
Bacteria have evolved diverse mechanisms to survive environments with antibiotics. Temperature is both a key factor that affects the survival of bacteria in the presence of antibiotics and an environmental trait that is drastically increasing due to climate change. Therefore, it is timely and important to understand links between temperature changes and selection of antibiotic resistance. This review examines these links by synthesizing results from laboratories, hospitals, and environmental studies. First, we describe the transient physiological responses to temperature that alter cellular behavior and lead to antibiotic tolerance and persistence. Second, we focus on the link between thermal stress and the evolution and maintenance of antibiotic resistance mutations. Finally, we explore how local and global changes in temperature are associated with increases in antibiotic resistance and its spread. We suggest that a multidisciplinary, multiscale approach is critical to fully understand how temperature changes are contributing to the antibiotic crisis.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
| | - Natalie Lozano-Huntelman
- Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, University of California Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA 90095, USA
| | - Mauricio Cruz-Loya
- Department of Computational Medicine, David Geffen School of Medicine, University of California Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA 90095, USA
| | - Van Savage
- Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, University of California Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA 90095, USA; Department of Computational Medicine, David Geffen School of Medicine, University of California Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA 90095, USA; Santa Fe Institute, Santa Fe, NM 87501, USA
| | - Pamela Yeh
- Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, University of California Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA 90095, USA; Santa Fe Institute, Santa Fe, NM 87501, USA.
| |
Collapse
|
15
|
Environmental drivers of metabolic heterogeneity in clonal microbial populations. Curr Opin Biotechnol 2020; 62:202-211. [DOI: 10.1016/j.copbio.2019.11.018] [Citation(s) in RCA: 30] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/16/2019] [Revised: 11/15/2019] [Accepted: 11/22/2019] [Indexed: 02/06/2023]
|
16
|
Mohiuddin SG, Hoang T, Saba A, Karki P, Orman MA. Identifying Metabolic Inhibitors to Reduce Bacterial Persistence. Front Microbiol 2020; 11:472. [PMID: 32292393 PMCID: PMC7118205 DOI: 10.3389/fmicb.2020.00472] [Citation(s) in RCA: 21] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/30/2019] [Accepted: 03/04/2020] [Indexed: 01/08/2023] Open
Abstract
Bacterial persisters are rare phenotypic variants that are temporarily tolerant to high concentrations of antibiotics. We have previously discovered that stationary-phase-cell subpopulations exhibiting high redox activities were less capable of producing proteins and resuming growth upon their dilution into fresh media. The redox activities of these cells were maintained by endogenous protein and RNA degradation, resulting in self-inflicted damage that transiently repressed the cellular functions targeted by antibiotics. Here, we showed that pretreatment of stationary-phase cells with an ATP synthase inhibitor, chlorpromazine hydrochloride (CPZ), significantly reduced stationary-phase-redox activities and protein degradation, and yielded cells that were more susceptible to cell death when exposed to antibiotics in fresh media. Leveraging this knowledge, we developed an assay integrating a degradable fluorescent protein system and a small library, containing FDA-approved drugs and antibiotics, to detect medically relevant drugs that potentially target persister metabolism. We identified a subset of chemical inhibitors, including polymyxin B, poly-L-lysine and phenothiazine anti-psychotic drugs, that were able to reduce the persistence phenotype in Escherichia coli. These chemical inhibitors also reduced Pseudomonas aeruginosa persistence, potentially verifying the existence of similar mechanisms in a medically relevant organism.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Sayed Golam Mohiuddin
- Department of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering, University of Houston, Houston, TX, United States
| | - Thuy Hoang
- Department of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering, University of Houston, Houston, TX, United States
| | - Adesola Saba
- Department of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering, University of Houston, Houston, TX, United States
| | - Prashant Karki
- Department of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering, University of Houston, Houston, TX, United States
| | - Mehmet A Orman
- Department of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering, University of Houston, Houston, TX, United States
| |
Collapse
|
17
|
Balaban NQ, Helaine S, Lewis K, Ackermann M, Aldridge B, Andersson DI, Brynildsen MP, Bumann D, Camilli A, Collins JJ, Dehio C, Fortune S, Ghigo JM, Hardt WD, Harms A, Heinemann M, Hung DT, Jenal U, Levin BR, Michiels J, Storz G, Tan MW, Tenson T, Van Melderen L, Zinkernagel A. Definitions and guidelines for research on antibiotic persistence. Nat Rev Microbiol 2020; 17:441-448. [PMID: 30980069 PMCID: PMC7136161 DOI: 10.1038/s41579-019-0196-3] [Citation(s) in RCA: 660] [Impact Index Per Article: 165.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/21/2022]
Abstract
Increasing concerns about the rising rates of antibiotic therapy failure and advances in single-cell analyses have inspired a surge of research into antibiotic persistence. Bacterial persister cells represent a subpopulation of cells that can survive intensive antibiotic treatment without being resistant. Several approaches have emerged to define and measure persistence, and it is now time to agree on the basic definition of persistence and its relation to the other mechanisms by which bacteria survive exposure to bactericidal antibiotic treatments, such as antibiotic resistance, heteroresistance or tolerance. In this Consensus Statement, we provide definitions of persistence phenomena, distinguish between triggered and spontaneous persistence and provide a guide to measuring persistence. Antibiotic persistence is not only an interesting example of non-genetic single-cell heterogeneity, it may also have a role in the failure of antibiotic treatments. Therefore, it is our hope that the guidelines outlined in this article will pave the way for better characterization of antibiotic persistence and for understanding its relevance to clinical outcomes. Antibiotic persistence contributes to the survival of bacteria during antibiotic treatment. In this Consensus Statement, scientists working on the response of bacteria to antibiotics define antibiotic persistence and provide practical guidance on how to study bacterial persisters.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
| | - Sophie Helaine
- MRC Centre for Molecular Bacteriology and Infection, Imperial College London, London, UK
| | - Kim Lewis
- Department of Biology, Northeastern University, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Martin Ackermann
- Institute of Biogeochemistry and Pollutant Dynamics, ETH Zurich, Zurich, Switzerland.,Department of Environmental Microbiology, Eawag, Dubendorf, Switzerland
| | - Bree Aldridge
- Department of Molecular Biology and Microbiology, Tufts University School of Medicine, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Dan I Andersson
- Department of Medical Biochemistry and Microbiology, Uppsala University, Uppsala, Sweden
| | - Mark P Brynildsen
- Department of Chemical and Biological Engineering, Princeton University, Princeton, NJ, USA
| | - Dirk Bumann
- Focal Area Infection Biology, Biozentrum of the University of Basel, Basel, Switzerland
| | - Andrew Camilli
- Department of Molecular Biology and Microbiology, Tufts University School of Medicine, Boston, MA, USA
| | - James J Collins
- Institute for Medical Engineering & Science, Department of Biological Engineering, and Synthetic Biology Center, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA, USA.,Wyss Institute for Biologically Inspired Engineering, Harvard University, Boston, MA, USA.,Broad Institute of MIT and Harvard, Cambridge, MA, USA
| | - Christoph Dehio
- Focal Area Infection Biology, Biozentrum of the University of Basel, Basel, Switzerland
| | - Sarah Fortune
- Department of Immunology and Infectious Diseases, Harvard T. H. Chan School of Public Health, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Jean-Marc Ghigo
- Institut Pasteur, Genetics of Biofilms Laboratory, Paris, France
| | | | - Alexander Harms
- Focal Area Infection Biology, Biozentrum of the University of Basel, Basel, Switzerland
| | - Matthias Heinemann
- Molecular Systems Biology, Groningen Biomolecular Sciences and Biotechnology Institute, University of Groningen, Groningen, Netherlands
| | | | - Urs Jenal
- Focal Area Infection Biology, Biozentrum of the University of Basel, Basel, Switzerland
| | - Bruce R Levin
- Department of Biology, Emory University, Atlanta, GA, USA
| | - Jan Michiels
- Center for Microbiology, KU Leuven-University of Leuven, Leuven, Belgium
| | - Gisela Storz
- Division of Molecular and Cellular Biology, Eunice Kennedy Shriver National Institute of Child Health and Human Development, Bethesda, MD, USA
| | - Man-Wah Tan
- Infectious Diseases Department, Genentech, South San Francisco, CA, USA
| | - Tanel Tenson
- Institute of Technology, University of Tartu, Tartu, Estonia
| | | | - Annelies Zinkernagel
- Division of Infectious Diseases, University Hospital Zurich, University of Zurich, Zurich, Switzerland
| |
Collapse
|
18
|
Wu S, Flint S, Yu P. Changes of cell permeability during
Listeria monocytogenes
persistence under nisin treatment. J FOOD PROCESS PRES 2019. [DOI: 10.1111/jfpp.14333] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/28/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Shuyan Wu
- Massey Institute of Food Science and Technology Massey University Palmerston North New Zealand
| | - Steve Flint
- Massey Institute of Food Science and Technology Massey University Palmerston North New Zealand
| | - Pak‐Lam Yu
- School of Engineering & Advanced Technology Massey University Palmerston North New Zealand
| |
Collapse
|
19
|
Cellular responses to reactive oxygen species are predicted from molecular mechanisms. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A 2019; 116:14368-14373. [PMID: 31270234 DOI: 10.1073/pnas.1905039116] [Citation(s) in RCA: 52] [Impact Index Per Article: 10.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/20/2022] Open
Abstract
Catalysis using iron-sulfur clusters and transition metals can be traced back to the last universal common ancestor. The damage to metalloproteins caused by reactive oxygen species (ROS) can prevent cell growth and survival when unmanaged, thus eliciting an essential stress response that is universal and fundamental in biology. Here we develop a computable multiscale description of the ROS stress response in Escherichia coli, called OxidizeME. We use OxidizeME to explain four key responses to oxidative stress: 1) ROS-induced auxotrophy for branched-chain, aromatic, and sulfurous amino acids; 2) nutrient-dependent sensitivity of growth rate to ROS; 3) ROS-specific differential gene expression separate from global growth-associated differential expression; and 4) coordinated expression of iron-sulfur cluster (ISC) and sulfur assimilation (SUF) systems for iron-sulfur cluster biosynthesis. These results show that we can now develop fundamental and quantitative genotype-phenotype relationships for stress responses on a genome-wide basis.
Collapse
|
20
|
Antibiotic Killing of Diversely Generated Populations of Nonreplicating Bacteria. Antimicrob Agents Chemother 2019; 63:AAC.02360-18. [PMID: 31036690 PMCID: PMC6591645 DOI: 10.1128/aac.02360-18] [Citation(s) in RCA: 30] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/05/2018] [Accepted: 04/18/2019] [Indexed: 01/11/2023] Open
Abstract
Nonreplicating bacteria are known to be (or at least commonly thought to be) refractory to antibiotics to which they are genetically susceptible. Here, we explore the sensitivity to killing by bactericidal antibiotics of three classes of nonreplicating populations of planktonic bacteria: (i) stationary phase, when the concentration of resources and/or nutrients are too low to allow for population growth; (ii) persisters, minority subpopulations of susceptible bacteria surviving exposure to bactericidal antibiotics; and (iii) antibiotic-static cells, bacteria exposed to antibiotics that prevent their replication but kill them slowly if at all, the so-called bacteriostatic drugs. Using experimental populations of Staphylococcus aureus Newman and Escherichia coli K-12 (MG1655) and, respectively, nine and seven different bactericidal antibiotics, we estimated the rates at which these drugs kill these different types of nonreplicating bacteria. In contrast to the common belief that bacteria that are nonreplicating are refractory to antibiotic-mediated killing, all three types of nonreplicating populations of these Gram-positive and Gram-negative bacteria are consistently killed by aminoglycosides and the peptide antibiotics daptomycin and colistin, respectively. This result indicates that nonreplicating cells, irrespectively of why they do not replicate, have an almost identical response to bactericidal antibiotics. We discuss the implications of these results to our understanding of the mechanisms of action of antibiotics and the possibility of adding a short-course of aminoglycosides or peptide antibiotics to conventional therapy of bacterial infections.
Collapse
|
21
|
Prasetyoputri A, Jarrad AM, Cooper MA, Blaskovich MA. The Eagle Effect and Antibiotic-Induced Persistence: Two Sides of the Same Coin? Trends Microbiol 2019; 27:339-354. [DOI: 10.1016/j.tim.2018.10.007] [Citation(s) in RCA: 29] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/28/2018] [Revised: 09/21/2018] [Accepted: 10/18/2018] [Indexed: 12/21/2022]
|
22
|
Yang L, Yurkovich JT, King ZA, Palsson BO. Modeling the multi-scale mechanisms of macromolecular resource allocation. Curr Opin Microbiol 2018; 45:8-15. [PMID: 29367175 PMCID: PMC6419967 DOI: 10.1016/j.mib.2018.01.002] [Citation(s) in RCA: 39] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/04/2017] [Revised: 01/04/2018] [Accepted: 01/05/2018] [Indexed: 12/16/2022]
Abstract
As microbes face changing environments, they dynamically allocate macromolecular resources to produce a particular phenotypic state. Broad 'omics' data sets have revealed several interesting phenomena regarding how the proteome is allocated under differing conditions, but the functional consequences of these states and how they are achieved remain open questions. Various types of multi-scale mathematical models have been used to elucidate the genetic basis for systems-level adaptations. In this review, we outline several different strategies by which microbes accomplish resource allocation and detail how mathematical models have aided in our understanding of these processes. Ultimately, such modeling efforts have helped elucidate the principles of proteome allocation and hold promise for further discovery.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Laurence Yang
- Bioengineering Department, University of California, San Diego, La Jolla, CA, USA.
| | - James T Yurkovich
- Bioengineering Department, University of California, San Diego, La Jolla, CA, USA; Bioinformatics and Systems Biology Program, University of California, San Diego, La Jolla, CA, USA
| | - Zachary A King
- Bioengineering Department, University of California, San Diego, La Jolla, CA, USA
| | - Bernhard O Palsson
- Bioengineering Department, University of California, San Diego, La Jolla, CA, USA; Bioinformatics and Systems Biology Program, University of California, San Diego, La Jolla, CA, USA; Department of Pediatrics, University of California, San Diego, La Jolla, CA, USA; Novo Nordisk Foundation Center for Biosustainability, Technical University of Denmark, 2800 Kongens Lyngby, Denmark
| |
Collapse
|
23
|
Metabolic heterogeneity in clonal microbial populations. Curr Opin Microbiol 2018; 45:30-38. [DOI: 10.1016/j.mib.2018.02.004] [Citation(s) in RCA: 65] [Impact Index Per Article: 10.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/04/2018] [Revised: 02/07/2018] [Accepted: 02/08/2018] [Indexed: 11/22/2022]
|
24
|
Kochanowski K, Morinishi L, Altschuler S, Wu L. Drug persistence - from antibiotics to cancer therapies. CURRENT OPINION IN SYSTEMS BIOLOGY 2018; 10:1-8. [PMID: 30740553 PMCID: PMC6366840 DOI: 10.1016/j.coisb.2018.03.003] [Citation(s) in RCA: 18] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/20/2022]
Abstract
Drug-insensitive tumor subpopulations remain a significant barrier to effective cancer treatment. Recent works suggest that within isogenic drug-sensitive cancer populations, subsets of cells can enter a 'persister' state allowing them to survive prolonged drug treatment. Such persisters are well-described in antibiotic-treated bacterial populations. In this review, we compare mechanisms of drug persistence in bacteria and cancer. Both bacterial and cancer persisters are associated with slow-growing phenotypes, are metabolically distinct from non-persisters, and depend on the activation of specific regulatory programs. Moreover, evidence suggests that bacterial and cancer persisters are an important reservoir for the emergence of drug-resistant mutants. The emerging parallels between persistence in bacteria and cancer can guide efforts to untangle mechanistic links between growth, metabolism, and cellular regulation, and reveal exploitable therapeutic vulnerabilities.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
| | - Leanna Morinishi
- Department of Pharmaceutical Chemistry, University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, California, USA
| | - Steven Altschuler
- Department of Pharmaceutical Chemistry, University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, California, USA
| | - Lani Wu
- Department of Pharmaceutical Chemistry, University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, California, USA
| |
Collapse
|
25
|
Sierra R, Viollier P, Renzoni A. Linking toxin-antitoxin systems with phenotypes: A Staphylococcus aureus viewpoint. BIOCHIMICA ET BIOPHYSICA ACTA-GENE REGULATORY MECHANISMS 2018; 1862:742-751. [PMID: 30056132 DOI: 10.1016/j.bbagrm.2018.07.009] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/17/2018] [Revised: 07/04/2018] [Accepted: 07/17/2018] [Indexed: 10/28/2022]
Abstract
Toxin-antitoxin systems (TAS) are genetic modules controlling different aspects of bacterial physiology. They operate with versatility in an incredibly wide range of mechanisms. New TA modules with unexpected functions are continuously emerging from genome sequencing projects. Their discovery and functional studies have shed light on different characteristics of bacterial metabolism that are now applied to understanding clinically relevant questions and even proposed as antimicrobial treatment. Our main source of knowledge of TA systems derives from Gram-negative bacterial studies, but studies in Gram-positives are becoming more prevalent and provide new insights to TA functional mechanisms. In this review, we present an overview of the present knowledge of TA systems in the clinical pathogen Staphylococcus aureus, their implications in bacterial physiology and discuss relevant aspects that are driving TAS research. "This article is part of a Special Issue entitled: Dynamic gene expression, edited by Prof. Patrick Viollier".
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Roberto Sierra
- Geneva University Hospital, Service of Infectious Diseases, Geneva, Switzerland; Department of Microbiology and Molecular Medicine, University of Geneva, Switzerland
| | - Patrick Viollier
- Department of Microbiology and Molecular Medicine, University of Geneva, Switzerland
| | - Adriana Renzoni
- Geneva University Hospital, Service of Infectious Diseases, Geneva, Switzerland.
| |
Collapse
|
26
|
Wu S, Yu PL, Wheeler D, Flint S. Transcriptomic study on persistence and survival of Listeria monocytogenes following lethal treatment with nisin. J Glob Antimicrob Resist 2018; 15:25-31. [PMID: 29933119 DOI: 10.1016/j.jgar.2018.06.003] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/26/2018] [Revised: 06/01/2018] [Accepted: 06/11/2018] [Indexed: 12/15/2022] Open
Abstract
OBJECTIVES The aim of this study was to determine gene expression associated with the persistence of a Listeria monocytogenes stationary-phase population when facing lethal nisin treatment. METHODS RNA-Seq analysis was used for gene expression profiling of persister cells in nutrient-rich medium (persister TN) compared with untreated cells (non-persister). The results were confirmed using reverse transcription quantitative PCR (RT-qPCR). RESULTS Functional genes associated with the persister population were identified in multiple systems, such as heat-shock-related stress response, cell wall synthesis, ATP-binding cassette (ABC) transport system, phosphotransferase system (PTS) and SOS/DNA repair. CONCLUSIONS This study pointed to genetic regulation of persister cells exposed to lethal nisin concentrations and provides some insight into possible mechanisms of impeding bacterial persistence.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Shuyan Wu
- Massey Institute of Food Science and Technology, Massey University, Riddet Road, 4442 Palmerston North, New Zealand
| | - Pak-Lam Yu
- School of Engineering & Advanced Technology, Massey University, Riddet Road, 4442 Palmerston North, New Zealand
| | - Dave Wheeler
- Institute of Fundamental Sciences, Massey University, Palmerston North, New Zealand
| | - Steve Flint
- Massey Institute of Food Science and Technology, Massey University, Riddet Road, 4442 Palmerston North, New Zealand.
| |
Collapse
|
27
|
Martins PMM, Merfa MV, Takita MA, De Souza AA. Persistence in Phytopathogenic Bacteria: Do We Know Enough? Front Microbiol 2018; 9:1099. [PMID: 29887856 PMCID: PMC5981161 DOI: 10.3389/fmicb.2018.01099] [Citation(s) in RCA: 62] [Impact Index Per Article: 10.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/28/2018] [Accepted: 05/08/2018] [Indexed: 01/05/2023] Open
Abstract
Phytopathogenic bacteria affect a wide range of crops worldwide and have a negative impact in agriculture due to their associated economic losses and environmental impacts. Together with other biotic and abiotic stress factors, they pose a threat to global food production. Therefore, understanding bacterial survival strategies is an essential step toward the development of new strategies to control plant diseases. One mechanism used by bacteria to survive under stress conditions is the formation of persister cells. Persisters are a small fraction of phenotypic variants within an isogenic population that exhibits multidrug tolerance without undergoing genetic changes. They are dormant cells that survive treatment with antimicrobials by inactivating the metabolic functions that are disrupted by these compounds. They are thus responsible for the recalcitrance of many human diseases, and in the same way, they are thought to contribute to the survival of bacterial phytopathogens under a range of stresses they face in the environment. It is believed that persister cells of bacterial phytopathogens may lead to the reoccurrence of disease by recovering growth and recolonizing the host plant after the end of stress. However, compared to human pathogens, little is known about persister cells in phytopathogens, especially about their genetic regulation. In this review, we describe the overall knowledge on persister cells and their regulation in bacterial phytopathogens, focusing on their ability to survive stress conditions, to recover from dormancy and to maintain virulence.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Paula M. M. Martins
- Laboratório de Biotecnologia, Centro de Citricultura, Instituto Agronômico de Campinas, Cordeiropolis, Brazil
| | - Marcus V. Merfa
- Department of Entomology and Plant Pathology, Auburn University, Auburn, AL, United States
| | - Marco A. Takita
- Laboratório de Biotecnologia, Centro de Citricultura, Instituto Agronômico de Campinas, Cordeiropolis, Brazil
| | - Alessandra A. De Souza
- Laboratório de Biotecnologia, Centro de Citricultura, Instituto Agronômico de Campinas, Cordeiropolis, Brazil
| |
Collapse
|
28
|
Kawai Y, Matsumoto S, Ling Y, Okuda S, Tsuneda S. AldB controls persister formation in Escherichia coli depending on environmental stress. Microbiol Immunol 2018; 62:299-309. [PMID: 29577369 DOI: 10.1111/1348-0421.12587] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/05/2018] [Revised: 03/06/2018] [Accepted: 03/15/2018] [Indexed: 12/14/2022]
Abstract
Persisters are multidrug-tolerant cells that are present within antibiotic-sensitive populations. Persister formation is not induced by genetic mutations, but rather by changes in the degree of expression of some genes. High redundancy has been observed among the pathways that have been hypothesized to respond to specific stresses. In this study, we conducted RNA sequencing of Escherichia coli persisters under various stress conditions to identify common mechanisms. We induced stresses such as glucose or amino acid exhaustion, acid stress and anaerobic conditions, all of which are encountered during bacterial pathogenesis. We found that most genes are differentially expressed depending on the specific stress condition; however, some genes were commonly expressed in persisters in most stress conditions. Commonly expressed genes are expected to be promising therapeutic targets for combating persistent infections. We found that knockdown of aldehyde dehydrogenase (aldB), which was expressed in every condition except for acid stress, decreased persisters in the non-stressed condition. However, the same strain unexpectedly showed an increased number of persisters in the amino acid-limited condition. Because the increase in persister number is glycolytic metabolite-dependent, metabolic flow may play a crucial role in aldB-mediated persister formation. These data suggest that environmental stresses alter persister mechanisms. Identification of environmental influences on persister formation during pathogenesis is therefore necessary to enabling persister eradication.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Yuto Kawai
- Department of Life Science and Medical Bioscience, Waseda University, 2-2 Wakamatsu-cho, Shinjuku-ku, Tokyo 162-8480, Japan
| | - Shinya Matsumoto
- Department of Life Science and Medical Bioscience, Waseda University, 2-2 Wakamatsu-cho, Shinjuku-ku, Tokyo 162-8480, Japan
| | - Yiwei Ling
- Graduate School of Medical and Dental Sciences, Niigata University, 1-757 Asahimachi-dori, Chuo-ku, Niigata 951-8510, Japan
| | - Shujiro Okuda
- Graduate School of Medical and Dental Sciences, Niigata University, 1-757 Asahimachi-dori, Chuo-ku, Niigata 951-8510, Japan
| | - Satoshi Tsuneda
- Department of Life Science and Medical Bioscience, Waseda University, 2-2 Wakamatsu-cho, Shinjuku-ku, Tokyo 162-8480, Japan
| |
Collapse
|
29
|
Tkachenko AG. Stress Responses of Bacterial Cells as Mechanism of Development of Antibiotic Tolerance (Review). APPL BIOCHEM MICRO+ 2018. [DOI: 10.1134/s0003683818020114] [Citation(s) in RCA: 25] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/22/2022]
|
30
|
Schneider B, Weigel W, Sztukowska M, Demuth DR. Identification and functional characterization of type II toxin/antitoxin systems in Aggregatibacter actinomycetemcomitans. Mol Oral Microbiol 2018; 33:224-233. [PMID: 29319934 PMCID: PMC5969271 DOI: 10.1111/omi.12215] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 01/05/2018] [Indexed: 11/30/2022]
Abstract
Type II toxin/antitoxin (TA) systems contribute to the formation of persister cells and biofilm formation for many organisms. Aggregatibacter actinomycetemcomitans thrives in the complex oral microbial community subjected to continual environmental flux. Little is known regarding the presence and function of type II TA systems in this organism or their contribution to adaptation and persistence in the biofilm. We identified 11 TA systems that are conserved across all seven serotypes of A. actinomycetemcomitans and represent the RelBE, MazEF and HipAB families of type II TA systems. The systems selectively responded to various environmental conditions that exist in the oral cavity. Two putative RelBE‐like TA systems, D11S_1194‐1195 and D11S_1718‐1719 were induced in response to low pH and deletion of D11S_1718‐1719 significantly reduced metabolic activity of stationary phase A. actinomycetemcomitans cells upon prolonged exposure to acidic conditions. The deletion mutant also exhibited reduced biofilm biomass when cultured under acidic conditions. The D11S_1194 and D11S_1718 toxin proteins inhibited in vitro translation of dihydrofolate reductase (DHFR) and degraded ribosome‐associated, but not free, MS2 virus RNA. In contrast, the corresponding antitoxins (D11S_1195 and D11S_1719), or equimolar mixtures of toxin and antitoxin, had no effect on DHFR production or RNA degradation. Together, these results suggest that D11S_1194‐1195 and D11S_1718‐1719 are RelBE‐like type II TA systems that are activated under acidic conditions and may function to cleave ribosome‐associated mRNA to inhibit translation in A. actinomycetemcomitans. In vivo, these systems may facilitate A. actinomycetemcomitans adaptation and persistence in acidic local environments in the dental biofilm.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- B Schneider
- Department of Oral Immunology and Infectious Disease, University of Louisville School of Dentistry, Louisville, KY, USA
| | - W Weigel
- Department of Oral Immunology and Infectious Disease, University of Louisville School of Dentistry, Louisville, KY, USA
| | - M Sztukowska
- Department of Oral Immunology and Infectious Disease, University of Louisville School of Dentistry, Louisville, KY, USA
| | - D R Demuth
- Department of Oral Immunology and Infectious Disease, University of Louisville School of Dentistry, Louisville, KY, USA
| |
Collapse
|
31
|
|