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Tueffers L, Batra A, Zimmermann J, Botelho J, Buchholz F, Liao J, Mendoza Mejía N, Munder A, Klockgether J, Tüemmler B, Rupp J, Schulenburg H. Variation in the response to antibiotics and life-history across the major Pseudomonas aeruginosa clone type (mPact) panel. Microbiol Spectr 2024; 12:e0014324. [PMID: 38860784 PMCID: PMC11218531 DOI: 10.1128/spectrum.00143-24] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/18/2024] [Accepted: 04/18/2024] [Indexed: 06/12/2024] Open
Abstract
Pseudomonas aeruginosa is a ubiquitous, opportunistic human pathogen. Since it often expresses multidrug resistance, new treatment options are urgently required. Such new treatments are usually assessed with one of the canonical laboratory strains, PAO1 or PA14. However, these two strains are unlikely representative of the strains infecting patients, because they have adapted to laboratory conditions and do not capture the enormous genomic diversity of the species. Here, we characterized the major P. aeruginosa clone type (mPact) panel. This panel consists of 20 strains, which reflect the species' genomic diversity, cover all major clone types, and have both patient and environmental origins. We found significant strain variation in distinct responses toward antibiotics and general growth characteristics. Only few of the measured traits are related, suggesting independent trait optimization across strains. High resistance levels were only identified for clinical mPact isolates and could be linked to known antimicrobial resistance (AMR) genes. One strain, H01, produced highly unstable AMR combined with reduced growth under drug-free conditions, indicating an evolutionary cost to resistance. The expression of microcolonies was common among strains, especially for strain H15, which also showed reduced growth, possibly indicating another type of evolutionary trade-off. By linking isolation source, growth, and virulence to life history traits, we further identified specific adaptive strategies for individual mPact strains toward either host processes or degradation pathways. Overall, the mPact panel provides a reasonably sized set of distinct strains, enabling in-depth analysis of new treatment designs or evolutionary dynamics in consideration of the species' genomic diversity. IMPORTANCE New treatment strategies are urgently needed for high-risk pathogens such as the opportunistic and often multidrug-resistant pathogen Pseudomonas aeruginosa. Here, we characterize the major P. aeruginosa clone type (mPact) panel. It consists of 20 strains with different origins that cover the major clone types of the species as well as its genomic diversity. This mPact panel shows significant variation in (i) resistance against distinct antibiotics, including several last resort antibiotics; (ii) related traits associated with the response to antibiotics; and (iii) general growth characteristics. We further developed a novel approach that integrates information on resistance, growth, virulence, and life-history characteristics, allowing us to demonstrate the presence of distinct adaptive strategies of the strains that focus either on host interaction or resource processing. In conclusion, the mPact panel provides a manageable number of representative strains for this important pathogen for further in-depth analyses of treatment options and evolutionary dynamics.
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Affiliation(s)
- Leif Tueffers
- Evolutionary Ecology and Genetics, Zoological Institute, Kiel University, Kiel, Germany
- Department of Infectious Diseases and Microbiology, University of Lübeck, Lübeck, Germany
| | - Aditi Batra
- Evolutionary Ecology and Genetics, Zoological Institute, Kiel University, Kiel, Germany
- Antibiotic resistance group, Max-Planck Institute for Evolutionary Biology, Ploen, Germany
| | - Johannes Zimmermann
- Evolutionary Ecology and Genetics, Zoological Institute, Kiel University, Kiel, Germany
- Antibiotic resistance group, Max-Planck Institute for Evolutionary Biology, Ploen, Germany
| | - João Botelho
- Evolutionary Ecology and Genetics, Zoological Institute, Kiel University, Kiel, Germany
- Antibiotic resistance group, Max-Planck Institute for Evolutionary Biology, Ploen, Germany
- Centro de Biotecnología y Genómica de Plantas (CBGP), Universidad Politécnica de Madrid (UPM)—Instituto Nacional de Investigación y Tecnología Agraria y Alimentaria (INIA-CSIC), Madrid, Spain
| | - Florian Buchholz
- Evolutionary Ecology and Genetics, Zoological Institute, Kiel University, Kiel, Germany
| | - Junqi Liao
- Evolutionary Ecology and Genetics, Zoological Institute, Kiel University, Kiel, Germany
| | | | - Antje Munder
- Department of Pediatric Pneumology, Allergology, and Neonatology, Hannover Medical School (MHH), Hannover, Germany
- Biomedical Research in Endstage and Obstructive Lung Disease Hannover (BREATH), German Center for Lung Research, Hannover, Germany
| | - Jens Klockgether
- Department of Pediatric Pneumology, Allergology, and Neonatology, Hannover Medical School (MHH), Hannover, Germany
| | - Burkhard Tüemmler
- Department of Pediatric Pneumology, Allergology, and Neonatology, Hannover Medical School (MHH), Hannover, Germany
- Biomedical Research in Endstage and Obstructive Lung Disease Hannover (BREATH), German Center for Lung Research, Hannover, Germany
| | - Jan Rupp
- Department of Infectious Diseases and Microbiology, University of Lübeck, Lübeck, Germany
- German Center for Infection Research (DZIF), Hamburg-Lübeck-Borstel-Riems, Lübeck, Germany
| | - Hinrich Schulenburg
- Evolutionary Ecology and Genetics, Zoological Institute, Kiel University, Kiel, Germany
- Antibiotic resistance group, Max-Planck Institute for Evolutionary Biology, Ploen, Germany
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Abbas A, Barkhouse A, Hackenberger D, Wright GD. Antibiotic resistance: A key microbial survival mechanism that threatens public health. Cell Host Microbe 2024; 32:837-851. [PMID: 38870900 DOI: 10.1016/j.chom.2024.05.015] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/18/2024] [Revised: 05/13/2024] [Accepted: 05/17/2024] [Indexed: 06/15/2024]
Abstract
Antibiotic resistance (AMR) is a global public health threat, challenging the effectiveness of antibiotics in combating bacterial infections. AMR also represents one of the most crucial survival traits evolved by bacteria. Antibiotics emerged hundreds of millions of years ago as advantageous secondary metabolites produced by microbes. Consequently, AMR is equally ancient and hardwired into the genetic fabric of bacteria. Human use of antibiotics for disease treatment has created selection pressure that spurs the evolution of new resistance mechanisms and the mobilization of existing ones through bacterial populations in the environment, animals, and humans. This integrated web of resistance elements is genetically complex and mechanistically diverse. Addressing this mode of bacterial survival requires innovation and investment to ensure continued use of antibiotics in the future. Strategies ranging from developing new therapies to applying artificial intelligence in monitoring AMR and discovering new drugs are being applied to manage the growing AMR crisis.
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Affiliation(s)
- Amna Abbas
- David Braley Center for Antibiotic Discovery, Michael G. DeGroote Institute for Infectious Disease Research, Department of Biochemistry and Biomedical Sciences, McMaster University, Hamilton, ON, Canada
| | - Alexandra Barkhouse
- David Braley Center for Antibiotic Discovery, Michael G. DeGroote Institute for Infectious Disease Research, Department of Biochemistry and Biomedical Sciences, McMaster University, Hamilton, ON, Canada
| | - Dirk Hackenberger
- David Braley Center for Antibiotic Discovery, Michael G. DeGroote Institute for Infectious Disease Research, Department of Biochemistry and Biomedical Sciences, McMaster University, Hamilton, ON, Canada
| | - Gerard D Wright
- David Braley Center for Antibiotic Discovery, Michael G. DeGroote Institute for Infectious Disease Research, Department of Biochemistry and Biomedical Sciences, McMaster University, Hamilton, ON, Canada.
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Miller WR, Arias CA. ESKAPE pathogens: antimicrobial resistance, epidemiology, clinical impact and therapeutics. Nat Rev Microbiol 2024:10.1038/s41579-024-01054-w. [PMID: 38831030 DOI: 10.1038/s41579-024-01054-w] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 04/22/2024] [Indexed: 06/05/2024]
Abstract
The rise of antibiotic resistance and a dwindling antimicrobial pipeline have been recognized as emerging threats to public health. The ESKAPE pathogens - Enterococcus faecium, Staphylococcus aureus, Klebsiella pneumoniae, Acinetobacter baumannii, Pseudomonas aeruginosa and Enterobacter spp. - were initially identified as critical multidrug-resistant bacteria for which effective therapies were rapidly needed. Now, entering the third decade of the twenty-first century, and despite the introduction of several new antibiotics and antibiotic adjuvants, such as novel β-lactamase inhibitors, these organisms continue to represent major therapeutic challenges. These bacteria share several key biological features, including adaptations for survival in the modern health-care setting, diverse methods for acquiring resistance determinants and the dissemination of successful high-risk clones around the world. With the advent of next-generation sequencing, novel tools to track and combat the spread of these organisms have rapidly evolved, as well as renewed interest in non-traditional antibiotic approaches. In this Review, we explore the current epidemiology and clinical impact of this important group of bacterial pathogens and discuss relevant mechanisms of resistance to recently introduced antibiotics that affect their use in clinical settings. Furthermore, we discuss emerging therapeutic strategies needed for effective patient care in the era of widespread antimicrobial resistance.
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Affiliation(s)
- William R Miller
- Department of Internal Medicine, Division of Infectious Diseases, Houston Methodist Hospital, Houston, TX, USA
- Center for Infectious Diseases, Houston Methodist Research Institute, Houston, TX, USA
- Department of Medicine, Weill Cornell Medical College, New York, NY, USA
| | - Cesar A Arias
- Department of Internal Medicine, Division of Infectious Diseases, Houston Methodist Hospital, Houston, TX, USA.
- Center for Infectious Diseases, Houston Methodist Research Institute, Houston, TX, USA.
- Department of Medicine, Weill Cornell Medical College, New York, NY, USA.
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Ambreetha S, Zincke D, Balachandar D, Mathee K. Genomic and metabolic versatility of Pseudomonas aeruginosa contributes to its inter-kingdom transmission and survival. J Med Microbiol 2024; 73. [PMID: 38362900 DOI: 10.1099/jmm.0.001791] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/17/2024] Open
Abstract
Pseudomonas aeruginosa is one of the most versatile bacteria with renowned pathogenicity and extensive drug resistance. The diverse habitats of this bacterium include fresh, saline and drainage waters, soil, moist surfaces, taps, showerheads, pipelines, medical implants, nematodes, insects, plants, animals, birds and humans. The arsenal of virulence factors produced by P. aeruginosa includes pyocyanin, rhamnolipids, siderophores, lytic enzymes, toxins and polysaccharides. All these virulent elements coupled with intrinsic, adaptive and acquired antibiotic resistance facilitate persistent colonization and lethal infections in different hosts. To date, treating pulmonary diseases remains complicated due to the chronic secondary infections triggered by hospital-acquired P. aeruginosa. On the contrary, this bacterium can improve plant growth by suppressing phytopathogens and insects. Notably, P. aeruginosa is one of the very few bacteria capable of trans-kingdom transmission and infection. Transfer of P. aeruginosa strains from plant materials to hospital wards, animals to humans, and humans to their pets occurs relatively often. Recently, we have identified that plant-associated P. aeruginosa strains could be pathologically similar to clinical isolates. In this review, we have highlighted the genomic and metabolic factors that facilitate the dominance of P. aeruginosa across different biological kingdoms and the varying roles of this bacterium in plant and human health.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sakthivel Ambreetha
- Developmental Biology and Genetics, Division of Biological Sciences, Indian Institute of Science, Bengaluru, Karnataka, 560012, India
| | - Diansy Zincke
- Emerging Pathogens Institute, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL 32610, USA
| | - Dananjeyan Balachandar
- Department of Agricultural Microbiology, Tamil Nadu Agricultural University, Coimbatore, 641003, Tamil Nadu, India
| | - Kalai Mathee
- Department of Human and Molecular Genetics, Herbert Wertheim College of Medicine, Florida International University, Miami, FL 33199, USA
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Benigno V, Carraro N, Sarton-Lohéac G, Romano-Bertrand S, Blanc DS, van der Meer JR. Diversity and evolution of an abundant ICE clc family of integrative and conjugative elements in Pseudomonas aeruginosa. mSphere 2023; 8:e0051723. [PMID: 37902330 PMCID: PMC10732049 DOI: 10.1128/msphere.00517-23] [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: 09/08/2023] [Accepted: 09/24/2023] [Indexed: 10/31/2023] Open
Abstract
IMPORTANCE Microbial populations swiftly adapt to changing environments through horizontal gene transfer. While the mechanisms of gene transfer are well known, the impact of environmental conditions on the selection of transferred gene functions remains less clear. We investigated ICEs, specifically the ICEclc-type, in Pseudomonas aeruginosa clinical isolates. Our findings revealed co-evolution between ICEs and their hosts, with ICE transfers occurring within strains. Gene functions carried by ICEs are positively selected, including potential virulence factors and heavy metal resistance. Comparison to publicly available P. aeruginosa genomes unveiled widespread antibiotic-resistance determinants within ICEclc clades. Thus, the ubiquitous ICEclc family significantly contributes to P. aeruginosa's adaptation and fitness in diverse environments.
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Affiliation(s)
- Valentina Benigno
- Department of Fundamental Microbiology, University of Lausanne, Lausanne, Switzerland
| | - Nicolas Carraro
- Department of Fundamental Microbiology, University of Lausanne, Lausanne, Switzerland
| | - Garance Sarton-Lohéac
- Department of Fundamental Microbiology, University of Lausanne, Lausanne, Switzerland
| | - Sara Romano-Bertrand
- Hydrosciences Montpellier, IRD, CNRS, University of Montpellier, Hospital Hygiene and Infection Control Team, University Hospital of Montpellier, Montpellier, France
| | - Dominique S. Blanc
- Prevention and Infection Control Unit, Infectious Diseases Service, Lausanne University Hospital and University of Lausanne, Lausanne, Switzerland
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Wheatley RM, Botelho J. Chasing resistance: analyzing the fight against hospital infections. THE LANCET REGIONAL HEALTH. EUROPE 2023; 34:100740. [PMID: 37781067 PMCID: PMC10541483 DOI: 10.1016/j.lanepe.2023.100740] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/12/2023] [Accepted: 09/13/2023] [Indexed: 10/03/2023]
Affiliation(s)
- Rachel M. Wheatley
- Department of Biology, University of Oxford, 11a Mansfield Road, Oxford, UK
| | - João Botelho
- Centro de Biotecnología y Genómica de Plantas (CBGP), Universidad Politécnica de Madrid (UPM) - Instituto Nacional de Investigación y Tecnología Agraria y Alimentaria (INIA-CSIC), Madrid, Spain
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7
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Weisberg AJ, Chang JH. Mobile Genetic Element Flexibility as an Underlying Principle to Bacterial Evolution. Annu Rev Microbiol 2023; 77:603-624. [PMID: 37437216 DOI: 10.1146/annurev-micro-032521-022006] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 16.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 07/14/2023]
Abstract
Mobile genetic elements are key to the evolution of bacteria and traits that affect host and ecosystem health. Here, we use a framework of a hierarchical and modular system that scales from genes to populations to synthesize recent findings on mobile genetic elements (MGEs) of bacteria. Doing so highlights the role that emergent properties of flexibility, robustness, and genetic capacitance of MGEs have on the evolution of bacteria. Some of their traits can be stored, shared, and diversified across different MGEs, taxa of bacteria, and time. Collectively, these properties contribute to maintaining functionality against perturbations while allowing changes to accumulate in order to diversify and give rise to new traits. These properties of MGEs have long challenged our abilities to study them. Implementation of new technologies and strategies allows for MGEs to be analyzed in new and powerful ways.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alexandra J Weisberg
- Department of Botany and Plant Pathology, Oregon State University, Corvallis, Oregon, USA;
| | - Jeff H Chang
- Department of Botany and Plant Pathology, Oregon State University, Corvallis, Oregon, USA;
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Wiehlmann L, Klockgether J, Hammerbacher AS, Salunkhe P, Horatzek S, Munder A, Peilert JF, Gulbins E, Eberl L, Tümmler B. A VirB4 ATPase of the mobile accessory genome orchestrates core genome-encoded features of physiology, metabolism, and virulence of Pseudomonas aeruginosa TBCF10839. Front Cell Infect Microbiol 2023; 13:1234420. [PMID: 37577372 PMCID: PMC10413270 DOI: 10.3389/fcimb.2023.1234420] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/04/2023] [Accepted: 07/10/2023] [Indexed: 08/15/2023] Open
Abstract
Pseudomonas aeruginosa TBCF10839 is a highly virulent strain that can persist and replicate in human neutrophils. Screening of a signature-tagged mutagenesis (STM) TBCF10839 transposon library in phagocytosis tests identified a mutant that carried the transposon in the VirB4 homolog 5PG21 of an integrative and conjugative element (ICE)-associated type IV secretion system of the pKLC102 subtype. 5P21 TBCF10839 insertion mutants were deficient in metabolic versatility, secretion, quorum sensing, and virulence. The mutants were efficiently killed in phagocytosis tests in vitro and were avirulent in an acute murine airway infection model in vivo. The inactivation of 5PG21 silenced the rhl, las, and pqs operons and the gene expression for the synthesis of hydrogen cyanide, the antimetabolite l-2-amino-4-methoxy-trans-3-butenoic acid, and the H2- and H3-type VI secretion systems and their associated effectors. The mutants were impaired in the utilization of carbon sources and stored compounds that are not funneled into intermediary metabolism. This showcase demonstrates that a single gene of the mobile accessory genome can become an essential element to operate the core genome-encoded features of metabolism and virulence.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lutz Wiehlmann
- Department of Pediatric Pneumology, Allergology and Neonatology, Hannover Medical School, Hannover, Germany
- Research Core Unit Genomics, Hannover Medical School, Hannover, Germany
| | - Jens Klockgether
- Department of Pediatric Pneumology, Allergology and Neonatology, Hannover Medical School, Hannover, Germany
| | - Anna-Silke Hammerbacher
- Department of Pediatric Pneumology, Allergology and Neonatology, Hannover Medical School, Hannover, Germany
| | - Prabhakar Salunkhe
- Department of Pediatric Pneumology, Allergology and Neonatology, Hannover Medical School, Hannover, Germany
| | - Sonja Horatzek
- Department of Pediatric Pneumology, Allergology and Neonatology, Hannover Medical School, Hannover, Germany
| | - Antje Munder
- Department of Pediatric Pneumology, Allergology and Neonatology, Hannover Medical School, Hannover, Germany
- Biomedical Research in Endstage and Obstructive Lung Disease, German Center for Lung Research, Hannover, Germany
| | | | - Erich Gulbins
- Department of Surgery, University of Cincinnati College of Medicine, Cincinnati, OH, United States
- Institute of Molecular Biology, University Hospital Essen, University of Duisburg-Essen, Essen, Germany
| | - Leo Eberl
- Department of Plant and Microbial Biology, University of Zurich, Zurich, Switzerland
| | - Burkhard Tümmler
- Department of Pediatric Pneumology, Allergology and Neonatology, Hannover Medical School, Hannover, Germany
- Biomedical Research in Endstage and Obstructive Lung Disease, German Center for Lung Research, Hannover, Germany
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