Glucose-Induced Cyclic Lipopeptides Resistance in Bacteria via ATP Maintenance through Enhanced Glycolysis

Inhibition of the ATP synthase increases sensitivity of Escherichia coli carrying mcr-1 to polymyxin B

Bacterial infections caused by multidrug-resistant (MDR) gram-negative strains carrying the mobile colistin resistance gene mcr-1 are serious threats to world public health due to the lack of effective treatments. Inhibition of the ATP synthase makes bacteria such as Staphylococcus aureus and Klebsiella pneumoniae more sensitive to polymyxin. This provides new strategies for treating infections caused by polymyxins-resistant bacteria carrying mcr-1. Six mcr-1-positive strains were isolated from clinical samples, and all were identified as Escherichia coli. Here we investigated several ATP synthase inhibitors, N,N'-dicyclohexylcarbodiimide (DCCD), resveratrol, and piceatannol, for their antibacterial effects against the mcr-1-positive strains combined with polymyxin B (POL). Checkerboard assay, time-kill assay, biofilm inhibition and eradication assay indicated the significant synergistic effect of ATP synthase inhibitors/POL combination in vitro. Meanwhile, mouse infection model experiment was also performed, showing a 5 log10 reduction of the pathogen after treatment with the resveratrol/POL combination. Moreover, adding adenosine disodium triphosphate (Na2ATP) could inhibit the antibacterial effect of the ATP synthase inhibitors/POL combination. In conclusion, our study confirmed that inhibition of ATP production could increase the susceptibility of bacteria carrying mcr-1 to polymyxins. This provides a new strategy against polymyxins-resistant bacteria infection.

Glucose Induces Resistance to Polymyxins in High-Alcohol-Producing Klebsiella pneumoniae via Increasing Capsular Polysaccharide and Maintaining Intracellular ATP

High-alcohol-producing K. pneumoniae (HiAlc Kpn) causes nonalcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) by producing excess endogenous alcohol in the gut of patients with NAFLD, using glucose as the main carbon source. The role of glucose in the response of HiAlc Kpn to environmental stresses such as antibiotics remains unclear. In this study, we found that glucose could enhance the resistance of HiAlc Kpn to polymyxins. First, glucose inhibited the expression of crp in HiAlc Kpn and promoted the increase of capsular polysaccharide (CPS), which promoted the drug resistance of HiAlc Kpn. Second, glucose maintained high ATP levels in HiAlc Kpn cells under the pressure of polymyxins, enhancing the resistance of the cells to the killing effect of antibiotics. Notably, the inhibition of CPS formation and the decrease of intracellular ATP levels could both effectively reverse glucose-induced polymyxins resistance. Our work demonstrated the mechanism by which glucose induces polymyxins resistance in HiAlc Kpn, thereby laying the foundation for developing effective treatments for NAFLD caused by HiAlc Kpn. IMPORTANCE HiAlc Kpn can use glucose to produce excess endogenous alcohol for promoting the development of NAFLD. Polymyxins are the last line of antibiotics and are commonly used to treat infections caused by carbapenem-resistant K. pneumoniae. In this study, we found that glucose increased bacterial resistance to polymyxins via increasing CPS and maintaining intracellular ATP; this increases the risk of failure to treat NAFLD caused by multidrug-resistant HiAlc Kpn infection. Further research revealed the important roles of glucose and the global regulator, CRP, in bacterial resistance and found that inhibiting CPS formation and decreasing intracellular ATP levels could effectively reverse glucose-induced polymyxins resistance. Our work reveals that glucose and the regulatory factor CRP can affect the resistance of bacteria to polymyxins, laying a foundation for the treatment of infections caused by multidrug-resistant bacteria.

Classification, application, multifarious activities and production improvement of lipopeptides produced by Bacillus

Lipopeptides, a class of compounds consisting of a peptide ring and a fatty acid chain, are secondary metabolites produced by Bacillus spp. As their hydrophilic and oleophilic properties, lipopeptides are widely used in food, medicine, environment and other industrial or agricultural fields. Compared with artificial synthetic surfactants, microbial lipopeptides have the advantages of low toxicity, high efficiency and versatility, resulting in urgent market demand and broad development prospect of lipopeptides. However, due to the complex metabolic network and precursor requirements of synthesis, the specific and strict synthesis pathway, and the coexistence of multiple homologous substances, the production of lipopeptides by microorganisms has the problems of high cost and low production efficiency, limiting the mass production of lipopeptides and large-scale application in industry. This review summarizes the types of Bacillus-produced lipopeptides and their biosynthetic pathways, introduces the versatility of lipopeptides, and describes the methods to improve the production of lipopeptides, including genetic engineering and optimization of fermentation conditions.

ArcR contributes to tolerance to fluoroquinolone antibiotics by regulating katA in Staphylococcus aureus

Staphylococcus aureus is an opportunistic pathogen that shows a unique ability to quickly respond to a variety of antibiotics. The Crp/Fnr family transcriptional regulator ArcR controls expression of arginine deiminase pathway genes arcABDC, which enable the utilization of arginine as an energy source for cell growth under anaerobic conditions. However, ArcR shares low overall similarity with other Crp/Fnr family proteins, suggesting that they differ in the response to environmental stress. In this study, MIC and survival assays were performed to determine the role of ArcR in antibiotic resistance and tolerance. The results showed that deletion of arcR reduced tolerance of S.aureus to fluoroquinolone antibiotics, mainly through a defect in the response to oxidative stress. In ΔarcR mutant, the expression of the major catalase gene katA was downregulated, and katA overexpression restored bacterial resistance to oxidative stress and antibiotics. We showed that ArcR directly regulated katA transcription by binding to the promoter region of katA. Therefore, our results revealed the contribution of ArcR in bacterial tolerance to oxidative stress and subsequently to fluoroquinolones antibiotics. This study added our understanding on the role of Crp/Fnr family in bacterial susceptibility to antibiotics.

The Role of the Two-Component System PhoP/PhoQ in Intrinsic Resistance of Yersinia enterocolitica to Polymyxin

Polymyxin is the “last resort” of antibiotics. The self-induced resistance to polymyxin in Gram-negative bacteria could be mediated by lipopolysaccharide (LPS) modification, which is regulated by the two-component system, PhoP/PhoQ. Yersinia enterocolitica is a common foodborne pathogen. However, PhoP/PhoQ has not been thoroughly studied in Y. enterocolitica. In this study, the functions of PhoP/PhoQ in Y. enterocolitica intrinsic resistance were investigated. The resistance of Y. enterocolitica was found to decrease with the deletion of PhoP/PhoQ. Further, PhoP/PhoQ was found to play an important role in maintaining membrane permeability, intercellular metabolism, and reducing membrane depolarization. Based on subsequent studies, the binding ability of polymyxin to Y. enterocolitica was decreased by the modification of LPS with structures, such as L-Ara4N and palmitate. Analysis of the gene transcription levels revealed that the LPS modification genes, pagP and arn operon, were downregulated with the deletion of PhoP/PhoQ in Y. enterocolitica during exposure to polymyxin. In addition, pmrA, pmrB, and eptA were downregulated in the mutants compared with the wild-type strain. Such findings demonstrate that PhoP/PhoQ contributes to the intrinsic resistance of Y. enterocolitica toward polymyxins. LPS modification with L-Ara4N or palmitate is mainly responsible for the resistance of Y. enterocolitica to polymyxins. The transcription of genes related to LPS modification and PmrA/PmrB can be both affected by PhoP/PhoQ in Y. enterocolitica. This study adds to current knowledge regarding the role of PhoP/PhoQ in intrinsic resistance of Y. enterocolitica to polymyxin.

Cell Membrane Remodeling Mediates Polymyxin B Resistance in Klebsiella pneumoniae: An Integrated Proteomics and Metabolomics Study

Polymyxin B (PB) is introduced into the clinic as the last-line therapy against carbapenem-resistant Klebsiella pneumoniae (CRKP). Unfortunately, increased resistance to PB in Klebsiella pneumoniae (K. pneumoniae) has threatened global health. Resistance of K. pneumoniae to PB was induced by passaging in serial concentrations of PB and determined by microbroth dilution method. Growth characteristics of induced strains including growth curve, reversibility of resistance, and biofilm formation (crystal violet staining method) were measured. This study employed TMT-labeled quantitative proteomics and LC-MS/MS metabolomics analysis to investigate the key biological processes associated with PB resistance in K. pneumoniae. A total of 315 differentially expressed proteins (DEPs) were identified, of which 133 were upregulated and 182 were downregulated in the PB-resistant K. pneumoniae. KEGG enrichment analysis revealed that the DEPs were mainly involved in ATP-binding cassette (ABC) transporters and cationic antimicrobial peptide (CAMP) resistance. Proteins related to central carbon metabolism were inhibited in the PB-resistant K. pneumoniae, but proteins mediating LPS modification were activated. Transcriptional levels of CAMP resistance-related proteins were significantly different between PB-susceptible and -resistant K. pneumoniae. PB treatment led to an increase in reactive oxygen species (ROS) levels of K. pneumoniae. Metabolomics data demonstrated that 23 metabolites were significantly upregulated in PB-resistant K. pneumoniae and 5 were downregulated. The differential metabolites were mainly lipids, including glycerophospholipids, sphingolipids, and fatty acids. Exposure to PB resulted in increased level of phospholipid transport gene mlaF in K. pneumoniae. Our study suggested that membrane remodeling and inhibited central carbon metabolism are conducive to the development of PB resistance in K. pneumoniae.

Mycobacterium tuberculosis H2S Functions as a Sink to Modulate Central Metabolism, Bioenergetics, and Drug Susceptibility

H2S is a potent gasotransmitter in eukaryotes and bacteria. Host-derived H2S has been shown to profoundly alter M. tuberculosis (Mtb) energy metabolism and growth. However, compelling evidence for endogenous production of H2S and its role in Mtb physiology is lacking. We show that multidrug-resistant and drug-susceptible clinical Mtb strains produce H2S, whereas H2S production in non-pathogenic M. smegmatis is barely detectable. We identified Rv3684 (Cds1) as an H2S-producing enzyme in Mtb and show that cds1 disruption reduces, but does not eliminate, H2S production, suggesting the involvement of multiple genes in H2S production. We identified endogenous H2S to be an effector molecule that maintains bioenergetic homeostasis by stimulating respiration primarily via cytochrome bd. Importantly, H2S plays a key role in central metabolism by modulating the balance between oxidative phosphorylation and glycolysis, and it functions as a sink to recycle sulfur atoms back to cysteine to maintain sulfur homeostasis. Lastly, Mtb-generated H2S regulates redox homeostasis and susceptibility to anti-TB drugs clofazimine and rifampicin. These findings reveal previously unknown facets of Mtb physiology and have implications for routine laboratory culturing, understanding drug susceptibility, and improved diagnostics.

A link between pH homeostasis and colistin resistance in bacteria

Colistin resistance is complex and multifactorial. DbcA is an inner membrane protein belonging to the DedA superfamily required for maintaining extreme colistin resistance of Burkholderia thailandensis. The molecular mechanisms behind this remain unclear. Here, we report that ∆dbcA displays alkaline pH/bicarbonate sensitivity and propose a role of DbcA in extreme colistin resistance of B. thailandensis by maintaining cytoplasmic pH homeostasis. We found that alkaline pH or presence of sodium bicarbonate displays a synergistic effect with colistin against not only extremely colistin resistant species like B. thailandensis and Serratia marcescens, but also a majority of Gram-negative and Gram-positive bacteria tested, suggesting a link between cytoplasmic pH homeostasis and colistin resistance across species. We found that lowering the level of oxygen in the growth media or supplementation of fermentable sugars such as glucose not only alleviated alkaline pH stress, but also increased colistin resistance in most bacteria tested, likely by avoiding cytoplasmic alkalinization. Our observations suggest a previously unreported link between pH, oxygen, and colistin resistance. We propose that maintaining optimal cytoplasmic pH is required for colistin resistance in a majority of bacterial species, consistent with the emerging link between cytoplasmic pH homeostasis and antibiotic resistance.

Integrative proteomics and metabolomics approach to elucidate the antimicrobial effect of simvastatin on Escherichia coli

Globally, simvastatin is one of the most commonly used statin drugs. Its antimicrobial properties have been investigated against various pathogens. However, its effect on biological processes in bacteria has been unclear. This study focused on altered biological and metabolic processes at protein and metabolite levels induced by simvastatin. MS-based proteomics and metabolomics were used to investigate the altered proteins and metabolites between experimental groups. Proteomics results showed that simvastatin induced various antimicrobial targets such as chaperon protein DnaK and cell division protein FtsZ. Metabolomics results revealed phenotypic changes in cells under simvastatin stress. Integrated proteomics and metabolomics result indicated that various metabolic processes were altered to adapt to stress conditions. Energy metabolism (glycolysis, tricarboxylic acid cycle, etc.), amino acid synthesis and ribosomal proteins, and purine and pyrimidine synthesis were induced by the effect of simvastatin. This study will contribute to the understanding of antimicrobial properties of statin drugs.

Bedaquiline reprograms central metabolism to reveal glycolytic vulnerability in Mycobacterium tuberculosis

The approval of bedaquiline (BDQ) for the treatment of tuberculosis has generated substantial interest in inhibiting energy metabolism as a therapeutic paradigm. However, it is not known precisely how BDQ triggers cell death in Mycobacterium tuberculosis (Mtb). Using ¹³C isotopomer analysis, we show that BDQ-treated Mtb redirects central carbon metabolism to induce a metabolically vulnerable state susceptible to genetic disruption of glycolysis and gluconeogenesis. Metabolic flux profiles indicate that BDQ-treated Mtb is dependent on glycolysis for ATP production, operates a bifurcated TCA cycle by increasing flux through the glyoxylate shunt, and requires enzymes of the anaplerotic node and methylcitrate cycle. Targeting oxidative phosphorylation (OXPHOS) with BDQ and simultaneously inhibiting substrate level phosphorylation via genetic disruption of glycolysis leads to rapid sterilization. Our findings provide insight into the metabolic mechanism of BDQ-induced cell death and establish a paradigm for the development of combination therapies that target OXPHOS and glycolysis.