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Han X, Zhao S, Liu Z, Zhang Y, Zhao G, Zhang C, Tang L, Cui L, Wang Y. Bartonella, Blechomonas and Trypanosoma in fleas from the long-tailed ground squirrel ( Spermophilus undulatus) in northwestern China. Int J Parasitol Parasites Wildl 2024; 24:100958. [PMID: 39040597 PMCID: PMC11261052 DOI: 10.1016/j.ijppaw.2024.100958] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/01/2024] [Revised: 06/23/2024] [Accepted: 06/23/2024] [Indexed: 07/24/2024]
Abstract
Fleas are known to be vectors for a variety of pathogens in veterinary medicine. However, no information is available on the presence of Bartonella and Trypanosomatidae in fleas of the long-tailed ground squirrel (LTGR, Spermophilus undulatus). The present study shows detection of these pathogens in LTGR fleas. During 2022-2023, a total of 396 fleas were collected from 91 LTGRs in 4 alpine regions of Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region (northwestern China) and grouped into 54 flea pools. Flea species were identified according to morphological characteristics and molecular data. In addition, all flea samples were analyzed for Bartonella with amplification and sequencing of a 380-bp part of the gltA gene and Trypanosomatidae with targeting the 18S rRNA (850-bp) and gGAPDH (820-bp) genes. The flea species included Frontopsylla elatoides elatoides (203), Neopsylla mana (49), and Citellophilus tesquorum dzetysuensis (144). Of 54 flea pools, seven (12.96%) tested positive for Bartonella, and three (5.56%) were positive for Trypanosomatidae. Based on BLASTn and phylogenetic analyses, i) Bartonella washoensis in F. elatoides elatoides and C. tesquorum dzetysuensis, and Bartonella rochalimae in F. elatoides elatoides were identified. Interestingly, a new haplotype within the species Ba. washoensis was discovered in C. tesquorum dzetysuensis; and ii) Blechomonas luni was confirmed in C. tesquorum dzetysuensis and Trypanosoma otospermophili in F. elatoides elatoides. Two Bartonella species and two Trypanosomatidae members were discovered for the first time in fleas from LTGRs. This study broadens our understanding of the geographic distribution and potential vectors for Bartonella and Trypanosomatidae.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xiaoshuang Han
- Key Laboratory for Prevention and Control of Emerging Infectious Diseases and Public Health Security, the XPCC, School of Medicine, Shihezi University, Shihezi City, Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region, 832002, People's Republic of China
- NHC Key Laboratory of Prevention and Treatment of Central Asia High Incidence Diseases, First Affiliated Hospital, School of Medicine, Shihezi University, Shihezi City, Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region, 832002, People's Republic of China
| | - Shanshan Zhao
- Key Laboratory for Prevention and Control of Emerging Infectious Diseases and Public Health Security, the XPCC, School of Medicine, Shihezi University, Shihezi City, Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region, 832002, People's Republic of China
- NHC Key Laboratory of Prevention and Treatment of Central Asia High Incidence Diseases, First Affiliated Hospital, School of Medicine, Shihezi University, Shihezi City, Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region, 832002, People's Republic of China
| | - Ziheng Liu
- Key Laboratory for Prevention and Control of Emerging Infectious Diseases and Public Health Security, the XPCC, School of Medicine, Shihezi University, Shihezi City, Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region, 832002, People's Republic of China
- NHC Key Laboratory of Prevention and Treatment of Central Asia High Incidence Diseases, First Affiliated Hospital, School of Medicine, Shihezi University, Shihezi City, Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region, 832002, People's Republic of China
| | - Yujiang Zhang
- Xinjiang Key Laboratory of Vector-borne Infectious Diseases, People's Republic of China
| | - Guoyu Zhao
- Xinjiang Key Laboratory of Vector-borne Infectious Diseases, People's Republic of China
| | - Chunju Zhang
- Tumushuk City Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 17 Qianhai East Street, Tumushuk City, Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region, 843806, People's Republic of China
| | - Lijuan Tang
- Bayingol Vocational and Technical College, People's Republic of China
| | - Lin Cui
- Key Laboratory for Prevention and Control of Emerging Infectious Diseases and Public Health Security, the XPCC, School of Medicine, Shihezi University, Shihezi City, Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region, 832002, People's Republic of China
- NHC Key Laboratory of Prevention and Treatment of Central Asia High Incidence Diseases, First Affiliated Hospital, School of Medicine, Shihezi University, Shihezi City, Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region, 832002, People's Republic of China
| | - Yuanzhi Wang
- Key Laboratory for Prevention and Control of Emerging Infectious Diseases and Public Health Security, the XPCC, School of Medicine, Shihezi University, Shihezi City, Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region, 832002, People's Republic of China
- NHC Key Laboratory of Prevention and Treatment of Central Asia High Incidence Diseases, First Affiliated Hospital, School of Medicine, Shihezi University, Shihezi City, Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region, 832002, People's Republic of China
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Tang D, Duan R, Chen Y, Liang J, Zheng X, Qin S, Bukai A, Lu X, Xi J, Lv D, He Z, Wu W, Xiao M, Jing H, Wang X. Plague Outbreak of a Marmota himalayana Family Emerging from Hibernation. Vector Borne Zoonotic Dis 2022; 22:410-418. [PMID: 35787155 PMCID: PMC9419979 DOI: 10.1089/vbz.2022.0010] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/16/2022] Open
Abstract
In April 2021, a plague outbreak was identified within one Marmota himalayana family shortly after emerging from hibernation, during plague surveillance in the M. himalayana plague foci of the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau. A total of five marmots were found dead of Yersinia pestis near the same burrow; one live marmot was positive of Y. pestis fraction 1 (F1) antibody. Comparative genome analysis shows that few single nucleotide polymorphisms were detected among the nine strains, indicating the same origin of the outbreak. The survived marmot shows a high titer of F1 antibody, higher than the mean titer of all marmots during the 2021 monitoring period (W = 391.00, Z = 2.81, p < 0.01). Marmots live with Y. pestis during hibernation when the pathogen is inhibited by hypothermia. But they wake up during or just after hibernation with body temperature rising to 37°C, when Y. pestis goes through optimal growth temperature, increases virulence, and causes death in marmots. A previous report has shown human plague cases caused by excavating marmots during winter; combined, this study shows the high risk of hibernation marmot carrying Y. pestis. This analysis provides new insights into the transmission of the highly virulent Y. pestis in M. himalayana plague foci and drives further effort upon plague control during hibernation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Deming Tang
- State Key Laboratory of Infectious Disease Prevention and Control, National Institute for Communicable Disease Control and Prevention, Chinese Center for Disease Control and Prevention, Beijing, China
| | - Ran Duan
- State Key Laboratory of Infectious Disease Prevention and Control, National Institute for Communicable Disease Control and Prevention, Chinese Center for Disease Control and Prevention, Beijing, China
| | - Yuhuang Chen
- Child Healthcare Department, Shenzhen Nanshan Maternity and Child Health Care Hospital, Shenzhen, China
| | - Junrong Liang
- State Key Laboratory of Infectious Disease Prevention and Control, National Institute for Communicable Disease Control and Prevention, Chinese Center for Disease Control and Prevention, Beijing, China
| | - Xiaojin Zheng
- Plague Prevention and Control Department, Akesai Kazak Autonomous County Center for Disease Control and Prevention, Jiuquan, China
| | - Shuai Qin
- State Key Laboratory of Infectious Disease Prevention and Control, National Institute for Communicable Disease Control and Prevention, Chinese Center for Disease Control and Prevention, Beijing, China
| | - Asaiti Bukai
- Plague Prevention and Control Department, Akesai Kazak Autonomous County Center for Disease Control and Prevention, Jiuquan, China
| | - Xinmin Lu
- Plague Prevention and Control Department, Akesai Kazak Autonomous County Center for Disease Control and Prevention, Jiuquan, China
| | - Jinxiao Xi
- Institute for Plague and Brucellosis Prevention and Control, Gansu Provincial Center for Disease Control and Prevention, Lanzhou, China
| | - Dongyue Lv
- State Key Laboratory of Infectious Disease Prevention and Control, National Institute for Communicable Disease Control and Prevention, Chinese Center for Disease Control and Prevention, Beijing, China
| | - Zhaokai He
- State Key Laboratory of Infectious Disease Prevention and Control, National Institute for Communicable Disease Control and Prevention, Chinese Center for Disease Control and Prevention, Beijing, China
| | - Weiwei Wu
- State Key Laboratory of Infectious Disease Prevention and Control, National Institute for Communicable Disease Control and Prevention, Chinese Center for Disease Control and Prevention, Beijing, China
| | - Meng Xiao
- State Key Laboratory of Infectious Disease Prevention and Control, National Institute for Communicable Disease Control and Prevention, Chinese Center for Disease Control and Prevention, Beijing, China
| | - Huaiqi Jing
- State Key Laboratory of Infectious Disease Prevention and Control, National Institute for Communicable Disease Control and Prevention, Chinese Center for Disease Control and Prevention, Beijing, China
| | - Xin Wang
- State Key Laboratory of Infectious Disease Prevention and Control, National Institute for Communicable Disease Control and Prevention, Chinese Center for Disease Control and Prevention, Beijing, China
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Nlp enhances biofilm formation by Yersinia pestis biovar microtus. Microb Pathog 2022; 169:105659. [PMID: 35760284 DOI: 10.1016/j.micpath.2022.105659] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/24/2022] [Revised: 06/21/2022] [Accepted: 06/22/2022] [Indexed: 11/22/2022]
Abstract
Biofilms formed by Yersinia pestis are able to attach to and block flea's proventriculus, which stimulates the transmission of this pathogen from fleas to mammals. In this study, we found that Nlp (YP1143) enhanced biofilm formation by Y. pestis and had regulatory effects on biofilm-associated genes at the transcriptional level. Phenotypic assays, including colony morphology assay, crystal violet staining, and Caenorhabditis elegans biofilm assay, disclosed that Nlp strongly promoted biofilm formation by Y. pestis. Further gene regulation assays showed that Nlp stimulated the expression of hmsHFRS, hmsCDE and hmsB, while had no regulatory effect on the expression of hmsT and hmsP at the transcriptional level. These findings promoted us to gain more understanding of the complex regulatory circuits controlling biofilm formation by Y. pestis.
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Okaro U, George S, Anderson B. What Is in a Cat Scratch? Growth of Bartonella henselae in a Biofilm. Microorganisms 2021; 9:835. [PMID: 33919891 PMCID: PMC8070961 DOI: 10.3390/microorganisms9040835] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/19/2021] [Revised: 04/02/2021] [Accepted: 04/07/2021] [Indexed: 01/04/2023] Open
Abstract
Bartonella henselae (B. henselae) is a gram-negative bacterium that causes cat scratch disease, bacteremia, and endocarditis, as well as other clinical presentations. B. henselae has been shown to form a biofilm in vitro that likely plays a role in the establishment and persistence of the bacterium in the host. Biofilms are also known to form in the cat flea vector; hence, the ability of this bacterium to form a biofilm has broad biological significance. The release of B. henselae from a biofilm niche appears to be important in disease persistence and relapse in the vertebrate host but also in transmission by the cat flea vector. It has been shown that the BadA adhesin of B. henselae is critical for adherence and biofilm formation. Thus, the upregulation of badA is important in initiating biofilm formation, and down-regulation is important in the release of the bacterium from the biofilm. We summarize the current knowledge of biofilm formation in Bartonella species and the role of BadA in biofilm formation. We discuss the evidence that defines possible mechanisms for the regulation of the genes required for biofilm formation. We further describe the regulation of those genes in the conditions that mimic both the arthropod vector and the mammalian host for B. henselae. The treatment for persistent B. henselae infection remains a challenge; hence, a better understanding of the mechanisms by which this bacterium persists in its host is critical to inform future efforts to develop drugs to treat such infections.
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Affiliation(s)
- Udoka Okaro
- Foundational Sciences Directorate, Bacteriology Division, United States Army Medical Research Institute of Infectious Diseases, Frederick, MD 21702, USA;
| | - Sierra George
- Department of Molecular Medicine, MDC7, Morsani College of Medicine, University of South Florida, 12901 Bruce B. Downs Blvd., Tampa, FL 33612, USA;
| | - Burt Anderson
- Department of Molecular Medicine, MDC7, Morsani College of Medicine, University of South Florida, 12901 Bruce B. Downs Blvd., Tampa, FL 33612, USA;
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Suntsov VV. Genomogenesis of the Plague Bacteria Yersinia pestis as a Process of Mosaic Evolution. RUSS J GENET+ 2021. [DOI: 10.1134/s1022795421020113] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/22/2022]
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The Diverse Roles of the Global Transcriptional Regulator PhoP in the Lifecycle of Yersinia pestis. Pathogens 2020; 9:pathogens9121039. [PMID: 33322274 PMCID: PMC7764729 DOI: 10.3390/pathogens9121039] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/29/2020] [Revised: 11/30/2020] [Accepted: 12/04/2020] [Indexed: 11/18/2022] Open
Abstract
Yersinia pestis, the causative agent of plague, has a complex infectious cycle that alternates between mammalian hosts (rodents and humans) and insect vectors (fleas). Consequently, it must adapt to a wide range of host environments to achieve successful propagation. Y. pestis PhoP is a response regulator of the PhoP/PhoQ two-component signal transduction system that plays a critical role in the pathogen’s adaptation to hostile conditions. PhoP is activated in response to various host-associated stress signals detected by the sensor kinase PhoQ and mediates changes in global gene expression profiles that lead to cellular responses. Y. pestis PhoP is required for resistance to antimicrobial peptides, as well as growth under low Mg2+ and other stress conditions, and controls a number of metabolic pathways, including an alternate carbon catabolism. Loss of phoP function in Y. pestis causes severe defects in survival inside mammalian macrophages and neutrophils in vitro, and a mild attenuation in murine plague models in vivo, suggesting its role in pathogenesis. A Y. pestisphoP mutant also exhibits reduced ability to form biofilm and to block fleas in vivo, indicating that the gene is also important for establishing a transmissible infection in this vector. Additionally, phoP promotes the survival of Y. pestis inside the soil-dwelling amoeba Acanthamoeba castellanii, a potential reservoir while the pathogen is quiescent. In this review, we summarize our current knowledge on the mechanisms of PhoP-mediated gene regulation in Y. pestis and examine the significance of the roles played by the PhoP regulon at each stage of the Y. pestis life cycle.
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Transcriptomic profiling of the digestive tract of the rat flea, Xenopsylla cheopis, following blood feeding and infection with Yersinia pestis. PLoS Negl Trop Dis 2020; 14:e0008688. [PMID: 32946437 PMCID: PMC7526888 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pntd.0008688] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/04/2020] [Revised: 09/30/2020] [Accepted: 08/10/2020] [Indexed: 01/29/2023] Open
Abstract
Yersinia pestis, the causative agent of plague, is a highly lethal pathogen transmitted by the bite of infected fleas. Once ingested by a flea, Y. pestis establish a replicative niche in the gut and produce a biofilm that promotes foregut colonization and transmission. The rat flea Xenopsylla cheopis is an important vector to several zoonotic bacterial pathogens including Y. pestis. Some fleas naturally clear themselves of infection; however, the physiological and immunological mechanisms by which this occurs are largely uncharacterized. To address this, RNA was extracted, sequenced, and distinct transcript profiles were assembled de novo from X. cheopis digestive tracts isolated from fleas that were either: 1) not fed for 5 days; 2) fed sterile blood; or 3) fed blood containing ~5x108 CFU/ml Y. pestis KIM6+. Analysis and comparison of the transcript profiles resulted in identification of 23 annotated (and 11 unknown or uncharacterized) digestive tract transcripts that comprise the early transcriptional response of the rat flea gut to infection with Y. pestis. The data indicate that production of antimicrobial peptides regulated by the immune-deficiency pathway (IMD) is the primary flea immune response to infection with Y. pestis. The remaining infection-responsive transcripts, not obviously associated with the immune response, were involved in at least one of 3 physiological themes: 1) alterations to chemosensation and gut peristalsis; 2) modification of digestion and metabolism; and 3) production of chitin-binding proteins (peritrophins). Despite producing several peritrophin transcripts shortly after feeding, including a subset that were infection-responsive, no thick peritrophic membrane was detectable by histochemistry or electron microscopy of rat flea guts for the first 24 hours following blood-feeding. Here we discuss the physiological implications of rat flea infection-responsive transcripts, the function of X. cheopis peritrophins, and the mechanisms by which Y. pestis may be cleared from the flea gut. The goal of this study was to characterize the transcriptional response of the digestive tract of the rat flea, Xenopsylla cheopis, to infection with Yersinia pestis, the causative agent of plague. This flea is generally considered the most prevalent and efficient vector of Y. pestis. Because most pathogens transmitted by fleas, including Y. pestis, reside in the insect digestive tract prior to transmission, the transcriptional program induced in the gut epithelium likely influences bacterial colonization of the flea. To determine the specific response to infection, RNA profiles were generated from fleas that were either unfed, fed sterile blood, or fed blood containing Y. pestis. Comparative analyses of the transcriptomes resulted in identification of 34 infection-responsive transcripts. The functions of these differentially regulated genes indicate that infection of fleas with Y. pestis induces a limited immune response and potentially alters the insect’s behavior, metabolism, and other aspects of its physiology. Based on these data, we describe potential mechanisms fleas use to eliminate bacteria and the corresponding strategies Y. pestis uses to resist elimination. These findings may be helpful for developing targeted strategies to make fleas resistant to microbial infection and thereby reduce the incidence of diseases they spread.
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Brinkerhoff RJ, Rinsland HS, Sato S, Maruyama S, Ray C. Vector-Borne Pathogens in Ectoparasites Collected from High-Elevation Pika Populations. ECOHEALTH 2020; 17:333-344. [PMID: 33200238 DOI: 10.1007/s10393-020-01495-8] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/21/2019] [Revised: 08/11/2020] [Accepted: 09/11/2020] [Indexed: 06/11/2023]
Abstract
The American pika, Ochotona princeps, is projected to decline throughout North America as climate change reduces its range, and pikas have already disappeared from several locations. In addition to climate, disease spillover from lower elevation mammalian species might affect pikas. We sampled pika fleas in Colorado and Montana across elevations ranging from 2896 to 3612 m and screened them for the presence of DNA from rodent-associated bacterial pathogens (Bartonella species and Yersinia pestis) to test the hypothesis that flea exchange between pikas and rodents may lead to occurrence of rodent-associated pathogens in pika ectoparasites. We collected 275 fleas from 74 individual pikas at 5 sites in Colorado and one site in Montana. We found that 5.5% of 275 pika fleas in this study tested positive for rodent-associated Bartonella DNA but that variation in Bartonella infection prevalence in fleas among sites was not driven by elevation. Specifically, we detected DNA sequences from two loci (gltA and rpoB) that are most similar to Bartonella grahamii isolates collected from rodents in Canada. We did not detect Y. pestis DNA in our survey. Our results demonstrate evidence of rodent-associated flea-borne bacteria in pika fleas. These findings are also consistent with the hypothesis that rodent-associated pathogens could be acquired by pikas. Flea-borne pathogen spillover from rodents to pikas has the potential to exacerbate the more direct effects of climate that have been suggested to drive pika declines.
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Affiliation(s)
- R Jory Brinkerhoff
- Department of Biology, University of Richmond, Richmond, VA, USA.
- School of Life Sciences, University of KwaZulu-Natal, Pietermaritzburg, South Africa.
| | | | - Shingo Sato
- Laboratory of Veterinary Public Health, Department of Veterinary Medicine, College of Bioresource Sciences, Nihon University, Kanagawa, Japan
| | - Soichi Maruyama
- Laboratory of Veterinary Public Health, Department of Veterinary Medicine, College of Bioresource Sciences, Nihon University, Kanagawa, Japan
| | - Chris Ray
- Institute of Arctic and Alpine Research, University of Colorado, Boulder, CO, USA
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Vallès X, Stenseth NC, Demeure C, Horby P, Mead PS, Cabanillas O, Ratsitorahina M, Rajerison M, Andrianaivoarimanana V, Ramasindrazana B, Pizarro-Cerda J, Scholz HC, Girod R, Hinnebusch BJ, Vigan-Womas I, Fontanet A, Wagner DM, Telfer S, Yazdanpanah Y, Tortosa P, Carrara G, Deuve J, Belmain SR, D’Ortenzio E, Baril L. Human plague: An old scourge that needs new answers. PLoS Negl Trop Dis 2020; 14:e0008251. [PMID: 32853251 PMCID: PMC7451524 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pntd.0008251] [Citation(s) in RCA: 39] [Impact Index Per Article: 9.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/06/2023] Open
Abstract
Yersinia pestis, the bacterial causative agent of plague, remains an important threat to human health. Plague is a rodent-borne disease that has historically shown an outstanding ability to colonize and persist across different species, habitats, and environments while provoking sporadic cases, outbreaks, and deadly global epidemics among humans. Between September and November 2017, an outbreak of urban pneumonic plague was declared in Madagascar, which refocused the attention of the scientific community on this ancient human scourge. Given recent trends and plague's resilience to control in the wild, its high fatality rate in humans without early treatment, and its capacity to disrupt social and healthcare systems, human plague should be considered as a neglected threat. A workshop was held in Paris in July 2018 to review current knowledge about plague and to identify the scientific research priorities to eradicate plague as a human threat. It was concluded that an urgent commitment is needed to develop and fund a strong research agenda aiming to fill the current knowledge gaps structured around 4 main axes: (i) an improved understanding of the ecological interactions among the reservoir, vector, pathogen, and environment; (ii) human and societal responses; (iii) improved diagnostic tools and case management; and (iv) vaccine development. These axes should be cross-cutting, translational, and focused on delivering context-specific strategies. Results of this research should feed a global control and prevention strategy within a "One Health" approach.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xavier Vallès
- Epidemiology and Clinical Research Unit, Institut Pasteur de Madagascar, Antananarivo, Madagascar
| | - Nils Chr. Stenseth
- Centre for Ecological and Evolutionary Synthesis (CEES), Department of Biosciences, University of Oslo, Oslo, Norway
- Key Laboratory for Earth System Modelling, Department of Earth System Science, Tsinghua University, Beijing, China
| | - Christian Demeure
- Yersinia Research Unit, National Reference Centre “Plague & Other Yersinioses,” WHO Collaborating Research and Reference Centre for Yersinia, Institut Pasteur, Paris, France
| | - Peter Horby
- Centre for Tropical Medicine and Global Health, Nuffield Department of Medicine, University of Oxford, Oxford, United Kingdom
| | - Paul S. Mead
- Bacterial Diseases Branch, Division of Vector Borne Diseases, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Fort Collins, Colorado, United States of America
| | - Oswaldo Cabanillas
- Control de Epidemia Desastres y Otras Emergencias Sanitarias, Oficina General de Epidemiologia, Ministerio de Salud, Perúu
| | - Mahery Ratsitorahina
- Epidemiology and Clinical Research Unit, Institut Pasteur de Madagascar, Antananarivo, Madagascar
| | - Minoarisoa Rajerison
- Plague Unit, Central Laboratory for Plague, Institut Pasteur de Madagascar, Antananarivo, Madagascar
| | | | - Beza Ramasindrazana
- Plague Unit, Central Laboratory for Plague, Institut Pasteur de Madagascar, Antananarivo, Madagascar
| | - Javier Pizarro-Cerda
- Yersinia Research Unit, National Reference Centre “Plague & Other Yersinioses,” WHO Collaborating Research and Reference Centre for Yersinia, Institut Pasteur, Paris, France
| | - Holger C. Scholz
- Reference Laboratory for Plague, Bundeswehr Institute of Microbiology, Munich, Germany
| | - Romain Girod
- Medical Entomology Unit, Institut Pasteur de Madagascar, Antananarivo, Madagascar
| | - B. Joseph Hinnebusch
- Rocky Mountain Laboratories, National Institute of Health, National Institutes of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, Hamilton, Montana, United States of America
| | - Ines Vigan-Womas
- Immunology of Infectious Diseases Unit, Institut Pasteur de Madagascar, Antananarivo, Madagascar
| | - Arnaud Fontanet
- Emerging Diseases Epidemiology Unit, Institut Pasteur, Paris, France
- PACRI unit, Conservatoire National des Arts et Métiers, Paris, France
| | - David M. Wagner
- The Pathogen and Microbiome Institute, Northern Arizona University, Flagstaff, Arizona, United States of America
| | - Sandra Telfer
- School of Biological Sciences, University of Aberdeen, Aberdeen, United Kingdom
| | - Yazdan Yazdanpanah
- REACTing, Inserm, Université Paris-Diderot, Sorbonne Paris Cité, Paris, France
- Service de Maladies Infectieuses et Tropicales, Hôpital Bichat-Claude Bernard, AP-HP, Paris, France
| | - Pablo Tortosa
- Université de La Réunion, Unité Mixte de Recherche Processus Infectieux en Milieu Insulaire Tropical, La Réunion, France
| | - Guia Carrara
- REACTing, Inserm, Université Paris-Diderot, Sorbonne Paris Cité, Paris, France
| | - Jane Deuve
- Department of International Affairs, Institut Pasteur, Paris, France
| | - Steven R. Belmain
- Natural Resources Institute, University of Greenwich, Chatham Maritime, Kent, United Kingdom
| | - Eric D’Ortenzio
- REACTing, Inserm, Université Paris-Diderot, Sorbonne Paris Cité, Paris, France
- Service de Maladies Infectieuses et Tropicales, Hôpital Bichat-Claude Bernard, AP-HP, Paris, France
| | - Laurence Baril
- Epidemiology and Clinical Research Unit, Institut Pasteur de Madagascar, Antananarivo, Madagascar
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Putative Horizontally Acquired Genes, Highly Transcribed during Yersinia pestis Flea Infection, Are Induced by Hyperosmotic Stress and Function in Aromatic Amino Acid Metabolism. J Bacteriol 2020; 202:JB.00733-19. [PMID: 32205462 PMCID: PMC7221256 DOI: 10.1128/jb.00733-19] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/03/2019] [Accepted: 03/17/2020] [Indexed: 11/20/2022] Open
Abstract
Distinct gene repertoires are expressed during Y. pestis infection of its flea and mammalian hosts. The functions of many of these genes remain predicted or unknown, necessitating their characterization, as this may provide a better understanding of Y. pestis specialized biological adaptations to the discrete environments of its two hosts. This study provides functional context to adjacently clustered horizontally acquired genes predominantly expressed in the flea host by deciphering their fundamental processes with regard to (i) transcriptional organization, (ii) transcription activation signals, and (iii) biochemical function. Our data support a role for these genes in osmoadaptation and aromatic amino acid metabolism, highlighting these as preferential processes by which Y. pestis gene expression is modulated during flea infection. While alternating between insects and mammals during its life cycle, Yersinia pestis, the flea-transmitted bacterium that causes plague, regulates its gene expression appropriately to adapt to these two physiologically disparate host environments. In fleas competent to transmit Y. pestis, low-GC-content genes y3555, y3551, and y3550 are highly transcribed, suggesting that these genes have a highly prioritized role in flea infection. Here, we demonstrate that y3555, y3551, and y3550 are transcribed as part of a single polycistronic mRNA comprising the y3555, y3554, y3553, y355x, y3551, and y3550 genes. Additionally, y355x-y3551-y3550 compose another operon, while y3550 can be also transcribed as a monocistronic mRNA. The expression of these genes is induced by hyperosmotic salinity stress, which serves as an explicit environmental stimulus that initiates transcriptional activity from the predicted y3550 promoter. Y3555 has homology to pyridoxal 5′-phosphate (PLP)-dependent aromatic aminotransferases, while Y3550 and Y3551 are homologous to the Rid protein superfamily (YjgF/YER057c/UK114) members that forestall damage caused by reactive intermediates formed during PLP-dependent enzymatic activity. We demonstrate that y3551 specifically encodes an archetypal RidA protein with 2-aminoacrylate deaminase activity but Y3550 lacks Rid deaminase function. Heterologous expression of y3555 generates a critical aspartate requirement in a Salmonella entericaaspC mutant, while its in vitro expression, and specifically its heterologous coexpression with y3550, enhances the growth rate of an Escherichia coli ΔaspC ΔtyrB mutant in a defined minimal amino acid-supplemented medium. Our data suggest that the y3555, y3551, and y3550 genes operate cooperatively to optimize aromatic amino acid metabolism and are induced under conditions of hyperosmotic salinity stress. IMPORTANCE Distinct gene repertoires are expressed during Y. pestis infection of its flea and mammalian hosts. The functions of many of these genes remain predicted or unknown, necessitating their characterization, as this may provide a better understanding of Y. pestis specialized biological adaptations to the discrete environments of its two hosts. This study provides functional context to adjacently clustered horizontally acquired genes predominantly expressed in the flea host by deciphering their fundamental processes with regard to (i) transcriptional organization, (ii) transcription activation signals, and (iii) biochemical function. Our data support a role for these genes in osmoadaptation and aromatic amino acid metabolism, highlighting these as preferential processes by which Y. pestis gene expression is modulated during flea infection.
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Harvey E, Rose K, Eden JS, Lawrence A, Doggett SL, Holmes EC. Identification of diverse arthropod associated viruses in native Australian fleas. Virology 2019; 535:189-199. [PMID: 31319276 DOI: 10.1016/j.virol.2019.07.010] [Citation(s) in RCA: 18] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/19/2019] [Revised: 07/02/2019] [Accepted: 07/08/2019] [Indexed: 10/26/2022]
Abstract
Fleas are important vectors of zoonotic disease. However, little is known about the natural diversity and abundance of flea viruses, particularly in the absence of disease associations, nor the evolutionary relationships among those viruses found in different parasitic vector species. Herein, we present the first virome scale study of fleas, based on the meta-transcriptomic analysis of 52 fleas collected along the eastern coast of Australia. Our analysis revealed 18 novel RNA viruses belonging to nine viral families with diverse genome organizations, although the majority (72%) possessed single-stranded positive-sense genomes. Notably, a number of the viruses identified belonged to the same phylogenetic groups as those observed in ticks sampled at the same locations, although none were likely associated with mammalian infection. Overall, we identified high levels of genomic diversity and abundance of viruses in the flea species studied, and established that fleas harbor viruses similar to those seen to other vectors.
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Affiliation(s)
- Erin Harvey
- Marie Bashir Institute for Infectious Diseases and Biosecurity, Charles Perkins Centre, School of Life and Environmental Sciences and Sydney Medical School, The University of Sydney, Sydney, NSW, 2006, Australia
| | - Karrie Rose
- Australian Registry of Wildlife Health, Taronga Conservation Society Australia, Mosman, NSW, 2088, Australia
| | - John-Sebastian Eden
- Marie Bashir Institute for Infectious Diseases and Biosecurity, Charles Perkins Centre, School of Life and Environmental Sciences and Sydney Medical School, The University of Sydney, Sydney, NSW, 2006, Australia; Centre for Virus Research, Westmead Institute for Medical Research, Westmead, NSW, 2145, Australia
| | - Andrea Lawrence
- Medical Entomology, NSW Health Pathology, ICPMR, Westmead Hospital, Westmead, NSW, 2145, Australia; Sydney School of Veterinary Science, The University of Sydney, Sydney, NSW, 2006, Australia; SpeeDx, Pty Ltd., Eveleigh, NSW, 2015, Australia
| | - Stephen L Doggett
- Department of Medical Entomology, NSWHP-ICPMR, Westmead Hospital, Westmead, NSW, 2145, Australia
| | - Edward C Holmes
- Marie Bashir Institute for Infectious Diseases and Biosecurity, Charles Perkins Centre, School of Life and Environmental Sciences and Sydney Medical School, The University of Sydney, Sydney, NSW, 2006, Australia.
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12
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Gandon S, Heitzmann L, Sebbane F. To block or not to block: The adaptive manipulation of plague transmission. Evol Lett 2019; 3:152-161. [PMID: 31161047 PMCID: PMC6541909 DOI: 10.1002/evl3.111] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/29/2018] [Accepted: 02/12/2019] [Indexed: 12/14/2022] Open
Abstract
The ability of the agent of plague, Yersinia pestis, to form a biofilm blocking the gut of the flea has been considered to be a key evolutionary step in maintaining flea‐borne transmission. However, blockage decreases dramatically the life expectancy of fleas, challenging the adaptive nature of blockage. Here, we develop an epidemiological model of plague that accounts for its different transmission routes, as well as the within‐host competition taking place between bacteria within the flea vector. We use this theoretical framework to identify the environmental conditions promoting the evolution of blockage. We also show that blockage is favored at the onset of an epidemic, and that the frequencies of bacterial strains exhibiting different strategies of blockage can fluctuate in seasonal environments. This analysis quantifies the contribution of different transmission routes in plague and makes testable predictions on the adaptive nature of blockage.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sylvain Gandon
- CEFE UMR 5175 CNRS - Université de Montpellier - Université Paul-Valéry Montpellier - EPHE 1919 route de Mende 34293 Montpellier France
| | - Louise Heitzmann
- CEFE UMR 5175 CNRS - Université de Montpellier - Université Paul-Valéry Montpellier - EPHE 1919 route de Mende 34293 Montpellier France
| | - Florent Sebbane
- Inserm, Univ. of Lille, CNRS, CHU Lille, Institut Pasteur de Lille, U1019-UMR8204-CIIL-Center for Infection and Immunity of Lille F-59000 Lille France
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13
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Abstract
Inspection of the genomes of bacterial pathogens indicates that their pathogenic potential relies, at least in part, on the activity of different elements that have been acquired by horizontal gene transfer from other (usually unknown) microorganisms. Similarly, in the case of resistance to antibiotics, besides mutation-driven resistance, the incorporation of novel resistance genes is a widespread evolutionary procedure for the acquisition of this phenotype. Current information in the field supports the idea that most (if not all) genes acquired by horizontal gene transfer by bacterial pathogens and contributing to their virulence potential or to antibiotic resistance originate in environmental, not human-pathogenic, microorganisms. Herein I discuss the potential functions that the genes that are dubbed virulence or antibiotic resistance genes may have in their original hosts in nonclinical, natural ecosystems. In addition, I discuss the potential bottlenecks modulating the transfer of virulence and antibiotic resistance determinants and the consequences in terms of speciation of acquiring one or another of both categories of genes. Finally, I propose that exaptation, a process by which a change of function is achieved by a change of habitat and not by changes in the element with the new functionality, is the basis of the evolution of virulence determinants and of antibiotic resistance genes.
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14
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D’Ortenzio E, Lemaître N, Brouat C, Loubet P, Sebbane F, Rajerison M, Baril L, Yazdanpanah Y. Plague: Bridging gaps towards better disease control. Med Mal Infect 2018; 48:307-317. [DOI: 10.1016/j.medmal.2018.04.393] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/06/2018] [Accepted: 04/13/2018] [Indexed: 01/14/2023]
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Hinnebusch BJ, Jarrett CO, Bland DM. "Fleaing" the Plague: Adaptations of Yersinia pestis to Its Insect Vector That Lead to Transmission. Annu Rev Microbiol 2018; 71:215-232. [PMID: 28886687 DOI: 10.1146/annurev-micro-090816-093521] [Citation(s) in RCA: 57] [Impact Index Per Article: 9.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/09/2022]
Abstract
Interest in arthropod-borne pathogens focuses primarily on how they cause disease in humans. How they produce a transmissible infection in their arthropod host is just as critical to their life cycle, however. Yersinia pestis adopts a unique life stage in the digestive tract of its flea vector, characterized by rapid formation of a bacterial biofilm that is enveloped in a complex extracellular polymeric substance. Localization and adherence of the biofilm to the flea foregut is essential for transmission. Here, we review the molecular and genetic mechanisms of these processes and present a comparative evaluation and updated model of two related transmission mechanisms.
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Affiliation(s)
- B Joseph Hinnebusch
- Laboratory of Zoonotic Pathogens, Rocky Mountain Laboratories, National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, National Institutes of Health, Hamilton, Montana 59840;
| | - Clayton O Jarrett
- Laboratory of Zoonotic Pathogens, Rocky Mountain Laboratories, National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, National Institutes of Health, Hamilton, Montana 59840;
| | - David M Bland
- Laboratory of Zoonotic Pathogens, Rocky Mountain Laboratories, National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, National Institutes of Health, Hamilton, Montana 59840;
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16
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Fukuto HS, Vadyvaloo V, McPhee JB, Poinar HN, Holmes EC, Bliska JB. A Single Amino Acid Change in the Response Regulator PhoP, Acquired during Yersinia pestis Evolution, Affects PhoP Target Gene Transcription and Polymyxin B Susceptibility. J Bacteriol 2018; 200:e00050-18. [PMID: 29440252 PMCID: PMC5892123 DOI: 10.1128/jb.00050-18] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/30/2018] [Accepted: 02/06/2018] [Indexed: 11/20/2022] Open
Abstract
Yersinia pestis, the causative agent of plague, evolved from the closely related pathogen Yersinia pseudotuberculosis During its emergence, Y. pestis is believed to have acquired its unique pathogenic characteristics through numerous gene gains/losses, genomic rearrangements, and single nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) changes. One such SNP creates a single amino acid variation in the DNA binding domain of PhoP, the response regulator in the PhoP/PhoQ two-component system. Y. pseudotuberculosis and the basal human-avirulent strains of Y. pestis harbor glycines at position 215 of PhoP, whereas the modern human-virulent strains (e.g., KIM and CO92) harbor serines at this residue. Since PhoP plays multiple roles in the adaptation of Y. pestis to stressful host conditions, we tested whether this amino acid substitution affects PhoP activity or the ability of Y. pestis to survive in host environments. Compared to the parental KIM6+ strain carrying the modern allele of phoP (phoP-S215), a derivative carrying the basal allele (phoP-G215) exhibited slightly defective growth under a low-Mg2+ condition and decreased transcription of a PhoP target gene, ugd, as well as an ∼8-fold increase in the susceptibility to the antimicrobial peptide polymyxin B. The phoP-G215 strain showed no apparent defect in flea colonization, although a phoP-null mutant showed decreased flea infectivity in competition experiments. Our results suggest that the amino acid variation at position 215 of PhoP causes subtle changes in the PhoP activity and raise the possibility that the change in this residue have contributed to the evolution of increased virulence in Y. pestisIMPORTANCEY. pestis acquired a single nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) in phoP when the highly human-virulent strains diverged from less virulent basal strains, resulting in an amino acid substitution in the DNA binding domain of the PhoP response regulator. We show that Y. pestis carrying the modern phoP allele has an increased ability to induce the PhoP-regulated ugd gene and resist antimicrobial peptides compared to an isogenic strain carrying the basal allele. Given the important roles PhoP plays in host adaptation, the results raise an intriguing possibility that this amino acid substitution contributed to the evolution of increased virulence in Y. pestis Additionally, we present the first evidence that phoP confers a survival fitness advantage to Y. pestis inside the flea midgut.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hana S Fukuto
- Center for Infectious Diseases, Stony Brook University, Stony Brook, New York, USA
- Department of Molecular Genetics and Microbiology, Stony Brook University, Stony Brook, New York, USA
- Clinical Laboratory Sciences Program, School of Health Technology and Management, Stony Brook University, Stony Brook, New York, USA
| | - Viveka Vadyvaloo
- Paul G. Allen School for Global Animal Health, Washington State University, Pullman, Washington, USA
| | - Joseph B McPhee
- Department of Chemistry and Biology, Ryerson University, Toronto, Canada
| | - Hendrik N Poinar
- McMaster Ancient DNA Center, Department of Anthropology, McMaster University, Hamilton, Canada
- Michael G. DeGroote Institute for Infectious Disease Research, McMaster University, Hamilton, Ontario, Canada
- Humans and the Microbiome Program, Canadian Institute for Advanced Research, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
| | - Edward C Holmes
- Marie Bashir Institute for Infectious Diseases and Biosecurity, The University of Sydney, Sydney, Australia
- Charles Perkins Centre, School of Life and Environmental Sciences, The University of Sydney, Sydney, Australia
- Sydney Medical School, The University of Sydney, Sydney, Australia
| | - James B Bliska
- Center for Infectious Diseases, Stony Brook University, Stony Brook, New York, USA
- Department of Molecular Genetics and Microbiology, Stony Brook University, Stony Brook, New York, USA
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Yersinia pestis Targets the Host Endosome Recycling Pathway during the Biogenesis of the Yersinia-Containing Vacuole To Avoid Killing by Macrophages. mBio 2018; 9:mBio.01800-17. [PMID: 29463656 PMCID: PMC5821078 DOI: 10.1128/mbio.01800-17] [Citation(s) in RCA: 21] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/23/2022] Open
Abstract
Yersinia pestis has evolved many strategies to evade the innate immune system. One of these strategies is the ability to survive within macrophages. Upon phagocytosis, Y. pestis prevents phagolysosome maturation and establishes a modified compartment termed the Yersinia-containing vacuole (YCV). Y. pestis actively inhibits the acidification of this compartment, and eventually, the YCV transitions from a tight-fitting vacuole into a spacious replicative vacuole. The mechanisms to generate the YCV have not been defined. However, we hypothesized that YCV biogenesis requires Y. pestis interactions with specific host factors to subvert normal vesicular trafficking. In order to identify these factors, we performed a genome-wide RNA interference (RNAi) screen to identify host factors required for Y. pestis survival in macrophages. This screen revealed that 71 host proteins are required for intracellular survival of Y. pestis. Of particular interest was the enrichment for genes involved in endosome recycling. Moreover, we demonstrated that Y. pestis actively recruits Rab4a and Rab11b to the YCV in a type three secretion system-independent manner, indicating remodeling of the YCV by Y. pestis to resemble a recycling endosome. While recruitment of Rab4a was necessary to inhibit YCV acidification and lysosomal fusion early during infection, Rab11b appeared to contribute to later stages of YCV biogenesis. We also discovered that Y. pestis disrupts global host endocytic recycling in macrophages, possibly through sequestration of Rab11b, and this process is required for bacterial replication. These data provide the first evidence that Y. pestis targets the host endocytic recycling pathway to avoid phagolysosomal maturation and generate the YCV. Yersinia pestis can infect and survive within macrophages. However, the mechanisms that the bacterium use to subvert killing by these phagocytes have not been defined. To provide a better understanding of these mechanisms, we used an RNAi approach to identify host factors required for intracellular Y. pestis survival. This approach revealed that the host endocytic recycling pathway is essential for Y. pestis to avoid clearance by the macrophage. We further demonstrate that Y. pestis remodels the phagosome to resemble a recycling endosome, allowing the bacterium to avoid the normal phagolysosomal maturation pathway. Moreover, we show that infection with Y. pestis disrupts normal recycling in the macrophage and that disruption is required for bacterial replication. These findings provide the first evidence that Y. pestis targets the host endocytic recycling pathway in order to evade killing by macrophages.
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18
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Henriques BS, Gomes B, da Costa SG, Moraes CDS, Mesquita RD, Dillon VM, Garcia EDS, Azambuja P, Dillon RJ, Genta FA. Genome Wide Mapping of Peptidases in Rhodnius prolixus: Identification of Protease Gene Duplications, Horizontally Transferred Proteases and Analysis of Peptidase A1 Structures, with Considerations on Their Role in the Evolution of Hematophagy in Triatominae. Front Physiol 2017; 8:1051. [PMID: 29326597 PMCID: PMC5736985 DOI: 10.3389/fphys.2017.01051] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/06/2017] [Accepted: 11/30/2017] [Indexed: 12/27/2022] Open
Abstract
Triatominae is a subfamily of the order Hemiptera whose species are able to feed in the vertebrate blood (i.e., hematophagy). This feeding behavior presents a great physiological challenge to insects, especially in Hemipteran species with a digestion performed by lysosomal-like cathepsins instead of the more common trypsin-like enzymes. With the aim of having a deeper understanding of protease involvement in the evolutionary adaptation for hematophagy in Hemipterans, we screened peptidases in the Rhodnius prolixus genome and characterized them using common blast (NCBI) and conserved domain analyses (HMMER/blast manager software, FAT, plus PFAM database). We compared the results with available sequences from other hemipteran species and with 18 arthropod genomes present in the MEROPS database. Rhodnius prolixus contains at least 433 protease coding genes, belonging to 71 protease families. Seven peptidase families in R. prolixus presented higher gene numbers when compared to other arthropod genomes. Further analysis indicated that a gene expansion of the protease family A1 (Eukaryotic aspartyl protease, PF00026) might have played a major role in the adaptation to hematophagy since most of these peptidase genes seem to be recently acquired, are expressed in the gut and present putative secretory pathway signal peptides. Besides that, most R. prolixus A1 peptidases showed high frequencies of basic residues at the protein surface, a typical structural signature of Cathepsin D-like proteins. Other peptidase families expanded in R. prolixus (i.e., C2 and M17) also presented significant differences between hematophagous (higher number of peptidases) and non-hematophagous species. This study also provides evidence for gene acquisition from microorganisms in some peptidase families in R. prolixus: (1) family M74 (murein endopeptidase), (2) family S29 (Hepatitis C virus NS3 protease), and (3) family S24 (repressor LexA). This study revealed new targets for studying the adaptation of these insects for digestion of blood meals and their competence as vectors of Chagas disease.
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Affiliation(s)
- Bianca S Henriques
- Laboratory of Insect Physiology and Biochemistry, Oswaldo Cruz Institute - Oswaldo Cruz Foundation (IOC-FIOCRUZ), Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
| | - Bruno Gomes
- Laboratory of Insect Physiology and Biochemistry, Oswaldo Cruz Institute - Oswaldo Cruz Foundation (IOC-FIOCRUZ), Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
| | - Samara G da Costa
- Laboratory of Insect Physiology and Biochemistry, Oswaldo Cruz Institute - Oswaldo Cruz Foundation (IOC-FIOCRUZ), Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
| | - Caroline da Silva Moraes
- Laboratory of Insect Physiology and Biochemistry, Oswaldo Cruz Institute - Oswaldo Cruz Foundation (IOC-FIOCRUZ), Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
| | - Rafael D Mesquita
- National Institute of Science and Technology for Molecular Entomology (INCT-EM), Cidade Universitária, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil.,Chemistry Institute, Federal University of Rio de Janeiro, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
| | - Viv M Dillon
- Institute of Integrative Biology, University of Liverpool, Liverpool, United Kingdom
| | - Eloi de Souza Garcia
- Laboratory of Insect Physiology and Biochemistry, Oswaldo Cruz Institute - Oswaldo Cruz Foundation (IOC-FIOCRUZ), Rio de Janeiro, Brazil.,National Institute of Science and Technology for Molecular Entomology (INCT-EM), Cidade Universitária, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
| | - Patricia Azambuja
- Laboratory of Insect Physiology and Biochemistry, Oswaldo Cruz Institute - Oswaldo Cruz Foundation (IOC-FIOCRUZ), Rio de Janeiro, Brazil.,National Institute of Science and Technology for Molecular Entomology (INCT-EM), Cidade Universitária, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
| | - Roderick J Dillon
- Division of Biomedical and Life Sciences, Lancaster University, Lancaster, United Kingdom
| | - Fernando A Genta
- Laboratory of Insect Physiology and Biochemistry, Oswaldo Cruz Institute - Oswaldo Cruz Foundation (IOC-FIOCRUZ), Rio de Janeiro, Brazil.,National Institute of Science and Technology for Molecular Entomology (INCT-EM), Cidade Universitária, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
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19
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Andrades Valtueña A, Mittnik A, Key FM, Haak W, Allmäe R, Belinskij A, Daubaras M, Feldman M, Jankauskas R, Janković I, Massy K, Novak M, Pfrengle S, Reinhold S, Šlaus M, Spyrou MA, Szécsényi-Nagy A, Tõrv M, Hansen S, Bos KI, Stockhammer PW, Herbig A, Krause J. The Stone Age Plague and Its Persistence in Eurasia. Curr Biol 2017; 27:3683-3691.e8. [PMID: 29174893 DOI: 10.1016/j.cub.2017.10.025] [Citation(s) in RCA: 76] [Impact Index Per Article: 10.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/16/2017] [Revised: 07/31/2017] [Accepted: 10/09/2017] [Indexed: 12/20/2022]
Abstract
Yersinia pestis, the etiologic agent of plague, is a bacterium associated with wild rodents and their fleas. Historically it was responsible for three pandemics: the Plague of Justinian in the 6th century AD, which persisted until the 8th century [1]; the renowned Black Death of the 14th century [2, 3], with recurrent outbreaks until the 18th century [4]; and the most recent 19th century pandemic, in which Y. pestis spread worldwide [5] and became endemic in several regions [6]. The discovery of molecular signatures of Y. pestis in prehistoric Eurasian individuals and two genomes from Southern Siberia suggest that Y. pestis caused some form of disease in humans prior to the first historically documented pandemic [7]. Here, we present six new European Y. pestis genomes spanning the Late Neolithic to the Bronze Age (LNBA; 4,800 to 3,700 calibrated years before present). This time period is characterized by major transformative cultural and social changes that led to cross-European networks of contact and exchange [8, 9]. We show that all known LNBA strains form a single putatively extinct clade in the Y. pestis phylogeny. Interpreting our data within the context of recent ancient human genomic evidence that suggests an increase in human mobility during the LNBA, we propose a possible scenario for the early spread of Y. pestis: the pathogen may have entered Europe from Central Eurasia following an expansion of people from the steppe, persisted within Europe until the mid-Bronze Age, and moved back toward Central Eurasia in parallel with human populations.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Alissa Mittnik
- Max Planck Institute for the Science of Human History, Jena, Germany; Institute for Archaeological Sciences, Archaeo- and Palaeogenetics, University of Tübingen, Tübingen, Germany
| | - Felix M Key
- Max Planck Institute for the Science of Human History, Jena, Germany
| | - Wolfgang Haak
- Max Planck Institute for the Science of Human History, Jena, Germany; School of Biological Sciences, The University of Adelaide, Adelaide SA 5005, South Australia, Australia
| | - Raili Allmäe
- Archaeological Research Collection, Tallinn University, Tallinn, Estonia
| | | | - Mantas Daubaras
- Department of Archaeology, Lithuanian Institute of History, Vilnius, Lithuania
| | - Michal Feldman
- Max Planck Institute for the Science of Human History, Jena, Germany; Institute for Archaeological Sciences, Archaeo- and Palaeogenetics, University of Tübingen, Tübingen, Germany
| | - Rimantas Jankauskas
- Department of Anatomy, Histology and Anthropology, Vilnius University, Vilnius, Lithuania
| | - Ivor Janković
- Institute for Anthropological Research, Zagreb, Croatia; Department of Anthropology, University of Wyoming, Laramie, WY, USA
| | - Ken Massy
- Institute for Pre- and Protohistoric Archaeology and Archaeology of the Roman Provinces, Ludwig-Maximilians-University Munich, Munich, Germany; Heidelberg Academy of Sciences, Heidelberg, Germany
| | - Mario Novak
- Institute for Anthropological Research, Zagreb, Croatia
| | - Saskia Pfrengle
- Institute for Archaeological Sciences, Archaeo- and Palaeogenetics, University of Tübingen, Tübingen, Germany
| | - Sabine Reinhold
- Eurasia Department, German Archaeological Institute, Berlin, Germany
| | - Mario Šlaus
- Anthropological Center, Croatian Academy of Sciences and Arts, Zagreb, Croatia
| | - Maria A Spyrou
- Max Planck Institute for the Science of Human History, Jena, Germany; Institute for Archaeological Sciences, Archaeo- and Palaeogenetics, University of Tübingen, Tübingen, Germany
| | - Anna Szécsényi-Nagy
- Institute of Archaeology, Research Centre for the Humanities, Hungarian Academy of Sciences, Budapest 1097, Hungary
| | - Mari Tõrv
- Department of Archaeology, Institute of History and Archaeology, University of Tartu, Tartu, Estonia
| | - Svend Hansen
- Eurasia Department, German Archaeological Institute, Berlin, Germany
| | - Kirsten I Bos
- Max Planck Institute for the Science of Human History, Jena, Germany; Institute for Archaeological Sciences, Archaeo- and Palaeogenetics, University of Tübingen, Tübingen, Germany
| | - Philipp W Stockhammer
- Max Planck Institute for the Science of Human History, Jena, Germany; Institute for Pre- and Protohistoric Archaeology and Archaeology of the Roman Provinces, Ludwig-Maximilians-University Munich, Munich, Germany
| | - Alexander Herbig
- Max Planck Institute for the Science of Human History, Jena, Germany; Institute for Archaeological Sciences, Archaeo- and Palaeogenetics, University of Tübingen, Tübingen, Germany.
| | - Johannes Krause
- Max Planck Institute for the Science of Human History, Jena, Germany; Institute for Archaeological Sciences, Archaeo- and Palaeogenetics, University of Tübingen, Tübingen, Germany.
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Hoxmeier JC, Fleshman AC, Broeckling CD, Prenni JE, Dolan MC, Gage KL, Eisen L. Metabolomics of the tick-Borrelia interaction during the nymphal tick blood meal. Sci Rep 2017; 7:44394. [PMID: 28287618 PMCID: PMC5347386 DOI: 10.1038/srep44394] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/10/2016] [Accepted: 02/07/2017] [Indexed: 02/08/2023] Open
Abstract
The causal agents of Lyme disease in North America, Borrelia burgdorferi and Borrelia mayonii, are transmitted primarily by Ixodes scapularis ticks. Due to their limited metabolic capacity, spirochetes rely on the tick blood meal for nutrients and metabolic intermediates while residing in the tick vector, competing with the tick for nutrients in the blood meal. Metabolomics is an effective methodology to explore dynamics of spirochete survival and multiplication in tick vectors before transmission to a vertebrate host via tick saliva. Using gas chromatography coupled to mass spectrometry, we identified statistically significant differences in the metabolic profile among uninfected I. scapularis nymphal ticks, B. burgdorferi-infected nymphal ticks and B. mayonii-infected nymphal ticks by measuring metabolism every 24 hours over the course of their up to 96 hour blood meals. Specifically, differences in the abundance of purines, amino acids, carbohydrates, and fatty acids during the blood meal among the three groups of nymphal ticks suggest that B. mayonii and B. burgdorferi may have different metabolic capabilities, especially during later stages of nymphal feeding. Understanding mechanisms underlying variable metabolic requirements of different Lyme disease spirochetes within tick vectors could potentially aid development of novel methods to control spirochete transmission.
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Affiliation(s)
- J Charles Hoxmeier
- Division of Vector-Borne Diseases, National Center for Emerging and Zoonotic Infectious Diseases, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Fort Collins, CO 80521, USA
| | - Amy C Fleshman
- Division of Vector-Borne Diseases, National Center for Emerging and Zoonotic Infectious Diseases, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Fort Collins, CO 80521, USA
| | - Corey D Broeckling
- Proteomics and Metabolomics Facility, Colorado State University, Fort Collins, CO, 80523, USA
| | - Jessica E Prenni
- Proteomics and Metabolomics Facility, Colorado State University, Fort Collins, CO, 80523, USA
| | - Marc C Dolan
- Division of Vector-Borne Diseases, National Center for Emerging and Zoonotic Infectious Diseases, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Fort Collins, CO 80521, USA
| | - Kenneth L Gage
- Division of Vector-Borne Diseases, National Center for Emerging and Zoonotic Infectious Diseases, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Fort Collins, CO 80521, USA
| | - Lars Eisen
- Division of Vector-Borne Diseases, National Center for Emerging and Zoonotic Infectious Diseases, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Fort Collins, CO 80521, USA
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21
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Martínez JL, Coque TM, Lanza VF, de la Cruz F, Baquero F. Genomic and metagenomic technologies to explore the antibiotic resistance mobilome. Ann N Y Acad Sci 2016; 1388:26-41. [PMID: 27861983 DOI: 10.1111/nyas.13282] [Citation(s) in RCA: 31] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/20/2016] [Revised: 09/20/2016] [Accepted: 09/26/2016] [Indexed: 12/13/2022]
Abstract
Antibiotic resistance is a relevant problem for human health that requires global approaches to establish a deep understanding of the processes of acquisition, stabilization, and spread of resistance among human bacterial pathogens. Since natural (nonclinical) ecosystems are reservoirs of resistance genes, a health-integrated study of the epidemiology of antibiotic resistance requires the exploration of such ecosystems with the aim of determining the role they may play in the selection, evolution, and spread of antibiotic resistance genes, involving the so-called resistance mobilome. High-throughput sequencing techniques allow an unprecedented opportunity to describe the genetic composition of a given microbiome without the need to subculture the organisms present inside. However, bioinformatic methods for analyzing this bulk of data, mainly with respect to binning each resistance gene with the organism hosting it, are still in their infancy. Here, we discuss how current genomic methodologies can serve to analyze the resistance mobilome and its linkage with different bacterial genomes and metagenomes. In addition, we describe the drawbacks of current methodologies for analyzing the resistance mobilome, mainly in cases of complex microbiotas, and discuss the possibility of implementing novel tools to improve our current metagenomic toolbox.
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Affiliation(s)
- José L Martínez
- Centro Nacional de Biotecnología, CSIC, Darwin 3, Madrid, Spain
| | - Teresa M Coque
- Servicio de Microbiología, Hospital Universitario Ramón y Cajal (IRYCIS), Madrid, Spain.,CIBER en Epidemiología y Salud Pública (CIBER-ESP), Madrid, Spain.,Unidad de Resistencia a Antibióticos y Virulencia Bacteriana (RYC-CSIC), Madrid, Spain
| | - Val F Lanza
- Servicio de Microbiología, Hospital Universitario Ramón y Cajal (IRYCIS), Madrid, Spain.,CIBER en Epidemiología y Salud Pública (CIBER-ESP), Madrid, Spain.,Unidad de Resistencia a Antibióticos y Virulencia Bacteriana (RYC-CSIC), Madrid, Spain
| | - Fernando de la Cruz
- Instituto de Biomedicina y Biotecnología de Cantabria, Universidad de Cantabria-Consejo Superior de Investigaciones Científicas, Santander, Cantabria, Spain
| | - Fernando Baquero
- Servicio de Microbiología, Hospital Universitario Ramón y Cajal (IRYCIS), Madrid, Spain.,CIBER en Epidemiología y Salud Pública (CIBER-ESP), Madrid, Spain.,Unidad de Resistencia a Antibióticos y Virulencia Bacteriana (RYC-CSIC), Madrid, Spain
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22
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Chauhan N, Wrobel A, Skurnik M, Leo JC. Yersinia adhesins: An arsenal for infection. Proteomics Clin Appl 2016; 10:949-963. [PMID: 27068449 DOI: 10.1002/prca.201600012] [Citation(s) in RCA: 39] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/20/2016] [Revised: 03/14/2016] [Accepted: 04/06/2016] [Indexed: 11/09/2022]
Abstract
The Yersiniae are a group of Gram-negative coccobacilli inhabiting a wide range of habitats. The genus harbors three recognized human pathogens: Y. enterocolitica and Y. pseudotuberculosis, which both cause gastrointestinal disease, and Y. pestis, the causative agent of plague. These three organisms have served as models for a number of aspects of infection biology, including adhesion, immune evasion, evolution of pathogenic traits, and retracing the course of ancient pandemics. The virulence of the pathogenic Yersiniae is heavily dependent on a number of adhesin molecules. Some of these, such as the Yersinia adhesin A and invasin of the enteropathogenic species, and the pH 6 antigen of Y. pestis, have been extensively studied. However, genomic sequencing has uncovered a host of other adhesins present in these organisms, the functions of which are only starting to be investigated. Here, we review the current state of knowledge on the adhesin molecules present in the Yersiniae, and their functions and putative roles in the infection process.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nandini Chauhan
- Evolution and Genetics, Department of Biosciences, University of Oslo, Oslo, Norway
| | - Agnieszka Wrobel
- Evolution and Genetics, Department of Biosciences, University of Oslo, Oslo, Norway
| | - Mikael Skurnik
- Department of Bacteriology and Immunology, Medicum, Research Programs Unit, Immunobiology, University of Helsinki, Helsinki, Finland.,Central Hospital Laboratory Diagnostics, Helsinki University, Helsinki, Finland
| | - Jack C Leo
- Evolution and Genetics, Department of Biosciences, University of Oslo, Oslo, Norway.
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23
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Liu L, Fang H, Yang H, Zhang Y, Han Y, Zhou D, Yang R. CRP Is an Activator of Yersinia pestis Biofilm Formation that Operates via a Mechanism Involving gmhA and waaAE-coaD. Front Microbiol 2016; 7:295. [PMID: 27014218 PMCID: PMC4782182 DOI: 10.3389/fmicb.2016.00295] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/14/2016] [Accepted: 02/23/2016] [Indexed: 01/28/2023] Open
Abstract
gmhA encodes a phosphoheptose isomerase that catalyzes the biosynthesis of heptose, a conserved component of lipopolysaccharide (LPS). GmhA plays an important role in Yersinia pestis biofilm blockage in the flea gut. waaA, waaE, and coaD constitute a three-gene operon waaAE-coaD in Y. pestis. waaA encodes a transferase that is responsible for binding lipid-A to the core oligosaccharide of LPS. WaaA is a key determinant in Y. pestis biofilm formation, and the waaA expression is positively regulated by the two-component regulatory system PhoP/PhoQ. WaaE is involved in LPS modification and is necessary for Y. pestis biofilm production. In this study, the biofilm-related phenotypic assays indicate that the global regulator CRP stimulates Y. pestis biofilm formation in vitro and on nematodes, while it has no regulatory effect on the biosynthesis of the biofilm-signaling molecular 3',5'-cyclic diguanosine monophosphate. Further gene regulation experiments disclose that CRP does not regulate the hms genes at the transcriptional level but directly promotes the gmhA transcription and indirectly activates the waaAE-coaD transcription through directly acting on phoPQ-YPO1632. Thus, it is speculated that CRP-mediated carbon catabolite regulation of Y. pestis biofilm formation depends on the CRP-dependent carbon source metabolic pathways of the biosynthesis, modification, and transportation of biofilm exopolysaccharide.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lei Liu
- State Key Laboratory of Pathogen and Biosecurity, Beijing Institute of Microbiology and Epidemiology Beijing, China
| | - Haihong Fang
- State Key Laboratory of Pathogen and Biosecurity, Beijing Institute of Microbiology and Epidemiology Beijing, China
| | - Huiying Yang
- State Key Laboratory of Pathogen and Biosecurity, Beijing Institute of Microbiology and Epidemiology Beijing, China
| | - Yiquan Zhang
- Department of Biochemistry, School of Medicine, Jiangsu University Zhenjiang, China
| | - Yanping Han
- State Key Laboratory of Pathogen and Biosecurity, Beijing Institute of Microbiology and Epidemiology Beijing, China
| | - Dongsheng Zhou
- State Key Laboratory of Pathogen and Biosecurity, Beijing Institute of Microbiology and Epidemiology Beijing, China
| | - Ruifu Yang
- State Key Laboratory of Pathogen and Biosecurity, Beijing Institute of Microbiology and Epidemiology Beijing, China
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24
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Abstract
The archaeological evidence for parasites in the Roman era is presented in order to demonstrate the species present at that time, and highlight the health consequences for people living under Roman rule. Despite their large multi-seat public latrines with washing facilities, sewer systems, sanitation legislation, fountains and piped drinking water from aqueducts, we see the widespread presence of whipworm (Trichuris trichiura), roundworm (Ascaris lumbricoides) and Entamoeba histolytica that causes dysentery. This would suggest that the public sanitation measures were insufficient to protect the population from parasites spread by fecal contamination. Ectoparasites such as fleas, head lice, body lice, pubic lice and bed bugs were also present, and delousing combs have been found. The evidence fails to demonstrate that the Roman culture of regular bathing in the public baths reduced the prevalence of these parasites. Fish tapeworm was noted to be widely present, and was more common than in Bronze and Iron Age Europe. It is possible that the Roman enthusiasm for fermented, uncooked fish sauce (garum) may have facilitated the spread of this helminth. Roman medical practitioners such as Galen were aware of intestinal worms, explaining their existence and planning treatment using the humoural theory of the period.
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25
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Yang R, Cui Y, Bi Y. Perspectives on Yersinia pestis: A Model for Studying Zoonotic Pathogens. ADVANCES IN EXPERIMENTAL MEDICINE AND BIOLOGY 2016; 918:377-391. [PMID: 27722871 DOI: 10.1007/978-94-024-0890-4_14] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/01/2023]
Abstract
Yersinia pestis is a typical zoonotic bacterial pathogen. The following reasons make this pathogen a model for studying zoonotic pathogens: (1) Its unique lifestyle makes Y. pestis an ideal model for studying host-vector-environment-pathogen interactions; (2) population diversity characters in Y. pestis render it a model species for studying monomorphic bacterial evolution; (3) the pathogenic features of bacteria provide us with good opportunities to study human immune responses; (4) typical animal and vector models of Y. pestis infection create opportunities for experimental studies on pathogenesis and evolution; and (5) repeated pandemics and local outbreaks provide us with clues about the infectious disease outbreaks that have occurred in human history.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ruifu Yang
- Beijing Institute of Microbiology and Epidemiology, No. 20, Dongdajie, Fengtai, Beijing, 100071, China.
| | - Yujun Cui
- Beijing Institute of Microbiology and Epidemiology, No. 20, Dongdajie, Fengtai, Beijing, 100071, China
| | - Yujing Bi
- Beijing Institute of Microbiology and Epidemiology, No. 20, Dongdajie, Fengtai, Beijing, 100071, China
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26
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Vadyvaloo V, Hinz AK. A LysR-Type Transcriptional Regulator, RovM, Senses Nutritional Cues Suggesting that It Is Involved in Metabolic Adaptation of Yersinia pestis to the Flea Gut. PLoS One 2015; 10:e0137508. [PMID: 26348850 PMCID: PMC4562620 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0137508] [Citation(s) in RCA: 18] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/09/2015] [Accepted: 08/17/2015] [Indexed: 11/18/2022] Open
Abstract
Yersinia pestis has evolved as a clonal variant of Yersinia pseudotuberculosis to cause flea-borne biofilm–mediated transmission of the bubonic plague. The LysR-type transcriptional regulator, RovM, is highly induced only during Y. pestis infection of the flea host. RovM homologs in other pathogens regulate biofilm formation, nutrient sensing, and virulence; including in Y. pseudotuberculosis, where RovM represses the major virulence factor, RovA. Here the role that RovM plays during flea infection was investigated using a Y. pestis KIM6+ strain deleted of rovM, ΔrovM. The ΔrovM mutant strain was not affected in characteristic biofilm gut blockage, growth, or survival during single infection of fleas. Nonetheless, during a co-infection of fleas, the ΔrovM mutant exhibited a significant competitive fitness defect relative to the wild type strain. This competitive fitness defect was restored as a fitness advantage relative to the wild type in a ΔrovM mutant complemented in trans to over-express rovM. Consistent with this, Y. pestis strains, producing elevated transcriptional levels of rovM, displayed higher growth rates, and differential ability to form biofilm in response to specific nutrients in comparison to the wild type. In addition, we demonstrated that rovA was not repressed by RovM in fleas, but that elevated transcriptional levels of rovM in vitro correlated with repression of rovA under specific nutritional conditions. Collectively, these findings suggest that RovM likely senses specific nutrient cues in the flea gut environment, and accordingly directs metabolic adaptation to enhance flea gut colonization by Y. pestis.
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Affiliation(s)
- Viveka Vadyvaloo
- Paul G. Allen School for Global Animal Health, Washington State University, Pullman, Washington, 99164, United States of America
- * E-mail:
| | - Angela K. Hinz
- Paul G. Allen School for Global Animal Health, Washington State University, Pullman, Washington, 99164, United States of America
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27
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CRP-Mediated Carbon Catabolite Regulation of Yersinia pestis Biofilm Formation Is Enhanced by the Carbon Storage Regulator Protein, CsrA. PLoS One 2015; 10:e0135481. [PMID: 26305456 PMCID: PMC4549057 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0135481] [Citation(s) in RCA: 28] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/30/2015] [Accepted: 07/22/2015] [Indexed: 01/20/2023] Open
Abstract
The natural transmission of Yersinia pestis is reliant upon biofilm blockage of the flea vector. However, the environmentally-responsive adaptive regulators which facilitate Y. pestis biofilm production in accordance with the flea midgut milieu are not well understood. We seek to establish the impact of available carbon source metabolism and storage upon Y. pestis biofilm production. Our findings demonstrate that Y. pestis biofilm production is subject to carbon catabolite regulation in which the presence of glucose impairs biofilm production; whereas, the sole metabolism of alternate carbon sources promotes robust biofilm formation. This observation is facilitated by the cAMP receptor protein, CRP. In accordance with a stark growth defect, deletion of crp in both CO92 and KIM6+ Y. pestis strains significantly impaired biofilm production when solely utilizing alternate carbon sources. Media supplementation with cAMP, a small-molecule activator of CRP, did not significantly alter Y. pestis biofilm production. Furthermore, CRP did not alter mRNA abundance of previously-characterized hms biofilm synthesis and regulation factors. Therefore, our findings indicate CRP does not confer a direct stimulatory effect, but may indirectly promote Y. pestis biofilm production by facilitating the alternate carbon source expression profile. Additionally, we assessed the impact of the carbon storage regulator protein, CsrA, upon Y. pestis biofilm production. Contrary to what has been described for E. coli, Y. pestis biofilm formation was found to be enhanced by CsrA. Regardless of media composition and available carbon source, deletion of csrA significantly impaired Y. pestis biofilm production. CsrA was found to promote Y. pestis biofilm production independent of glycogen regulation. Loss of csrA did not significantly alter relative hmsH, hmsP, or hmsT mRNA abundance. However, deletion of hmsP in the csrA-deficient mutant enabled excessive biofilm production, suggesting CsrA enables potent Y. pestis biofilm production through cyclic diguanylate regulation.
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28
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Mitchell PD. Human Parasites in Medieval Europe: Lifestyle, Sanitation and Medical Treatment. ADVANCES IN PARASITOLOGY 2015; 90:389-420. [PMID: 26597073 DOI: 10.1016/bs.apar.2015.05.001] [Citation(s) in RCA: 24] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/22/2023]
Abstract
Parasites have been infecting humans throughout our evolution. However, not all people suffered with the same species or to the same intensity throughout this time. Our changing way of life has altered the suitability of humans to infection by each type of parasite. This analysis focuses upon the evidence for parasites from archaeological excavations at medieval sites across Europe. Comparison between the patterns of infection in the medieval period allows us to see how changes in sanitation, herding animals, growing and fertilizing crops, the fishing industry, food preparation and migration all affected human susceptibility to different parasites. We go on to explore how ectoparasites may have spread infectious bacterial diseases, and also consider what medieval medical practitioners thought of parasites and how they tried to treat them. While modern research has shown the use of a toilet decreases the risk of contracting certain intestinal parasites, the evidence for past societies presented here suggests that the invention of latrines had no observable beneficial effects upon intestinal health. This may be because toilets were not sufficiently ubiquitous until the last century, or that the use of fresh human faeces for manuring crops still ensured those parasite species were easily able to reinfect the population.
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Affiliation(s)
- Piers D Mitchell
- Department of Archaeology and Anthropology, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, United Kingdom.
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29
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Shannon JG, Bosio CF, Hinnebusch BJ. Dermal neutrophil, macrophage and dendritic cell responses to Yersinia pestis transmitted by fleas. PLoS Pathog 2015; 11:e1004734. [PMID: 25781984 PMCID: PMC4363629 DOI: 10.1371/journal.ppat.1004734] [Citation(s) in RCA: 45] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/09/2014] [Accepted: 02/06/2015] [Indexed: 11/19/2022] Open
Abstract
Yersinia pestis, the causative agent of plague, is typically transmitted by the bite of an infected flea. Many aspects of mammalian innate immune response early after Y. pestis infection remain poorly understood. A previous study by our lab showed that neutrophils are the most prominent cell type recruited to the injection site after intradermal needle inoculation of Y. pestis, suggesting that neutrophil interactions with Y. pestis may be important in bubonic plague pathogenesis. In the present study, we developed new tools allowing for intravital microscopy of Y. pestis in the dermis of an infected mouse after transmission by its natural route of infection, the bite of an infected flea. We found that uninfected flea bites typically induced minimal neutrophil recruitment. The magnitude of neutrophil response to flea-transmitted Y. pestis varied considerably and appeared to correspond to the number of bacteria deposited at the bite site. Macrophages migrated towards flea bite sites and interacted with small numbers of flea-transmitted bacteria. Consistent with a previous study, we observed minimal interaction between Y. pestis and dendritic cells; however, dendritic cells did consistently migrate towards flea bite sites containing Y. pestis. Interestingly, we often recovered viable Y. pestis from the draining lymph node (dLN) 1 h after flea feeding, indicating that the migration of bacteria from the dermis to the dLN may be more rapid than previously reported. Overall, the innate cellular host responses to flea-transmitted Y. pestis differed from and were more variable than responses to needle-inoculated bacteria. This work highlights the importance of studying the interactions between fleas, Y. pestis and the mammalian host to gain a better understanding of the early events in plague pathogenesis. Flea-borne transmission is central to the natural history of the plague bacillus Yersinia pestis, and infection within the context of flea feeding may affect the pathogenesis of bubonic plague. We analyzed the mammalian host response to Y. pestis in the skin immediately after transmission by its natural vector, the rat flea Xenopsylla cheopis, to observe differences relative to the response to needle-inoculated bacteria. Our results show that uninfected flea bites induce minimal inflammation, but flea-transmitted Y. pestis cause the recruitment of neutrophils roughly in proportion to the number of bacteria deposited in the skin. We observed interactions of flea-transmitted bacteria with macrophages, a cell type much more permissive than neutrophils for survival and growth of Y. pestis. We found that dendritic cells, important sentinel antigen presenting cells, were recruited to, but had minimal interaction with, flea-transmitted bacteria. Additionally, we found that Y. pestis could disseminate from the flea bite site to the draining lymph node and spleen as early as 1 h after flea feeding, significantly earlier than has been previously reported. This study reveals important differences between needle-inoculated and flea-transmitted Y. pestis in the immediate host response to infection and improves our understanding of the early host-bacterium interactions in plague pathogenesis.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jeffrey G. Shannon
- Plague Section, Laboratory of Zoonotic Pathogens, Rocky Mountain Laboratories, National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, National Institutes of Health, Hamilton, Montana, United States of America
- * E-mail:
| | - Christopher F. Bosio
- Plague Section, Laboratory of Zoonotic Pathogens, Rocky Mountain Laboratories, National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, National Institutes of Health, Hamilton, Montana, United States of America
| | - B. Joseph Hinnebusch
- Plague Section, Laboratory of Zoonotic Pathogens, Rocky Mountain Laboratories, National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, National Institutes of Health, Hamilton, Montana, United States of America
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30
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Guo XP, Ren GX, Zhu H, Mao XJ, Sun YC. Differential regulation of the hmsCDE operon in Yersinia pestis and Yersinia pseudotuberculosis by the Rcs phosphorelay system. Sci Rep 2015; 5:8412. [PMID: 25672461 PMCID: PMC4325325 DOI: 10.1038/srep08412] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/18/2014] [Accepted: 01/19/2015] [Indexed: 11/19/2022] Open
Abstract
Yersinia pestis, the agent of plague, forms a biofilm in its flea vector to enhance transmission. Y. pestis biofilm development is positively regulated by hmsT and hmsD, encoding diguanylate cyclases (DGCs) involved in synthesis of the bacterial second messenger c-di-GMP. rcsA, encoding an auxiliary protein in Rcs phosphorelay, is nonfunctional in Y. pestis, while in Yersinia pseudotuberculosis, rcsA is functional and represses biofilms. Previously we showed that Rcs phosphorelay negatively regulates transcription of hmsT in Y. pestis and its ancestor Yersinia pseudotuberculosis. In this study, we show that Rcs positively regulates hmsCDE operon (encoding HmsD) in Y. pestis; while in the presence of functional rcsA, Rcs represses hmsCDE operon in Y. pseudotuberculosis. Loss of rcsA's function in Y. pestis not only causes derepression of hmsT but also causes activation of hmsD, which may account for the increased biofilm formation in Y. pestis. In addition, differential regulation of the two DGCs, HmsT and HmsD by Rcs may help Y. pestis to adapt to different environment.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xiao-Peng Guo
- MOH key laboratory of Systems Biology of Pathogens, Institute of Pathogen Biology, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences and Peking Union Medical College, 9, Dongdan Santiao, Dongcheng District, Beijing, 100730, China
| | - Gai-Xian Ren
- MOH key laboratory of Systems Biology of Pathogens, Institute of Pathogen Biology, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences and Peking Union Medical College, 9, Dongdan Santiao, Dongcheng District, Beijing, 100730, China
| | - Hui Zhu
- MOH key laboratory of Systems Biology of Pathogens, Institute of Pathogen Biology, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences and Peking Union Medical College, 9, Dongdan Santiao, Dongcheng District, Beijing, 100730, China
| | - Xu-Jian Mao
- MOH key laboratory of Systems Biology of Pathogens, Institute of Pathogen Biology, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences and Peking Union Medical College, 9, Dongdan Santiao, Dongcheng District, Beijing, 100730, China
| | - Yi-Cheng Sun
- MOH key laboratory of Systems Biology of Pathogens, Institute of Pathogen Biology, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences and Peking Union Medical College, 9, Dongdan Santiao, Dongcheng District, Beijing, 100730, China
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31
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Aoyagi KL, Brooks BD, Bearden SW, Montenieri JA, Gage KL, Fisher MA. LPS modification promotes maintenance of Yersinia pestis in fleas. MICROBIOLOGY-SGM 2014; 161:628-38. [PMID: 25533446 DOI: 10.1099/mic.0.000018] [Citation(s) in RCA: 21] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/02/2023]
Abstract
Yersinia pestis, the causative agent of plague, can be transmitted by fleas by two different mechanisms: by early-phase transmission (EPT), which occurs shortly after flea infection, or by blocked fleas following long-term infection. Efficient flea-borne transmission is predicated upon the ability of Y. pestis to be maintained within the flea. Signature-tagged mutagenesis (STM) was used to identify genes required for Y. pestis maintenance in a genuine plague vector, Xenopsylla cheopis. The STM screen identified seven mutants that displayed markedly reduced fitness in fleas after 4 days, the time during which EPT occurs. Two of the mutants contained insertions in genes encoding glucose 1-phosphate uridylyltransferase (galU) and UDP-4-amino-4-deoxy-l-arabinose-oxoglutarate aminotransferase (arnB), which are involved in the modification of lipid A with 4-amino-4-deoxy-l-arabinose (Ara4N) and resistance to cationic antimicrobial peptides (CAMPs). These Y. pestis mutants were more susceptible to the CAMPs cecropin A and polymyxin B, and produced lipid A lacking Ara4N modifications. Surprisingly, an in-frame deletion of arnB retained modest levels of CAMP resistance and Ara4N modification, indicating the presence of compensatory factors. It was determined that WecE, an aminotransferase involved in biosynthesis of enterobacterial common antigen, plays a novel role in Y. pestis Ara4N modification by partially offsetting the loss of arnB. These results indicated that mechanisms of Ara4N modification of lipid A are more complex than previously thought, and these modifications, as well as several factors yet to be elucidated, play an important role in early survival and transmission of Y. pestis in the flea vector.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kari L Aoyagi
- University of Utah Department of Pathology, 2100 JMRB, 15 North Medical Drive East, Salt Lake City, UT 84132, USA
| | - Benjamin D Brooks
- University of Utah Department of Pathology, 2100 JMRB, 15 North Medical Drive East, Salt Lake City, UT 84132, USA
| | - Scott W Bearden
- Division of Vector-Borne Diseases, Bacterial Diseases Branch, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 3156 Rampart Road, Fort Collins, CO 80521, USA
| | - John A Montenieri
- Division of Vector-Borne Diseases, Bacterial Diseases Branch, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 3156 Rampart Road, Fort Collins, CO 80521, USA
| | - Kenneth L Gage
- Division of Vector-Borne Diseases, Bacterial Diseases Branch, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 3156 Rampart Road, Fort Collins, CO 80521, USA
| | - Mark A Fisher
- University of Utah Department of Pathology, 2100 JMRB, 15 North Medical Drive East, Salt Lake City, UT 84132, USA ARUP Institute for Clinical and Experimental Pathology, 500 Chipeta Way, Salt Lake City, UT 84108, USA
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32
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Willias SP, Chauhan S, Motin VL. Functional characterization of Yersinia pestis aerobic glycerol metabolism. Microb Pathog 2014; 76:33-43. [PMID: 25220241 DOI: 10.1016/j.micpath.2014.08.010] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/16/2014] [Revised: 08/27/2014] [Accepted: 08/28/2014] [Indexed: 10/24/2022]
Abstract
Yersinia pestis biovar Orientalis isolates have lost the capacity to ferment glycerol. Herein we provide experimental validation that a 93 bp in-frame deletion within the glpD gene encoding the glycerol-3-phosphate dehydrogenase present in all biovar Orientalis strains is sufficient to disrupt aerobic glycerol fermentation. Furthermore, the inability to ferment glycerol is often insured by a variety of additional mutations within the glpFKX operon which prevents glycerol internalization and conversion to glycerol-3-phosphate. The physiological impact of functional glpFKX in the presence of dysfunctional glpD was assessed. Results demonstrate no change in growth kinetics at 26 °C and 37 °C. Mutants deficient in glpD displayed decreased intracellular accumulation of glycerol-3-phosphate, a characterized inhibitor of cAMP receptor protein (CRP) activation. Since CRP is rigorously involved in global regulation Y. pestis virulence, we tested a possible influence of a single glpD mutation on virulence. Nonetheless, subcutaneous and intranasal murine challenge was not impacted by glycerol metabolism. As quantified by crystal violet assay, biofilm formation of the glpD-deficient KIM6+ mutant was mildly repressed; whereas, chromosomal restoration of glpD in CO92 resulted in a significant increase in biofilm formation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Stephan P Willias
- Department of Pathology, University of Texas Medical Branch, Galveston, TX, USA
| | - Sadhana Chauhan
- Department of Microbiology & Immunology, University of Texas Medical Branch, Galveston, TX, USA
| | - Vladimir L Motin
- Department of Pathology, University of Texas Medical Branch, Galveston, TX, USA; Department of Microbiology & Immunology, University of Texas Medical Branch, Galveston, TX, USA.
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Epidemiology of pathogenic enterobacteria in humans, livestock, and peridomestic rodents in rural Madagascar. PLoS One 2014; 9:e101456. [PMID: 24983990 PMCID: PMC4077799 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0101456] [Citation(s) in RCA: 20] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/06/2014] [Accepted: 06/06/2014] [Indexed: 01/03/2023] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Among the families of enteric bacteria are globally important diarrheal agents. Despite their potential for zoonotic and environmental transmission, few studies have examined the epidemiology of these pathogens in rural systems characterized by extensive overlap among humans, domesticated and peridomestic animals. We investigated patterns of infection with Enterotoxigenic Escherichia coli, Shigella spp., Salmonella enterica, Vibrio cholerae, and Yersinia spp. (enterocolitica, and pseudotuberculosis) in Southeastern Madagascar where the potential for the aforementioned interactions is high. In this pilot project we conducted surveys to examine behaviors potentially associated with risk of infection and if infection with specific enterobacteria species was associated with diarrheal disease. METHODOLOGY/PRINCIPAL FINDINGS PCR was conducted on DNA from human, livestock, and rodent fecal samples from three villages. Overall, human prevalence was highest (77%), followed by rodents (51%) and livestock (18%). Rodents were ∼2.8 times more likely than livestock to carry one of the bacteria. The incidence of individual species varied between villages, with the observation that, E. coli and Shigella spp. were consistently associated with co-infections. As an aggregate, there was a significant risk of infection linked to a water source in one village. Individually, different pathogens were associated with certain behaviors, including: those who had used medication, experienced diarrhea in the past four weeks, or do not use toilets. CONCLUSIONS/SIGNIFICANCE Different bacteria were associated with an elevated risk of infection for various human activities or characteristics. Certain bacteria may also predispose people to co-infections. These data suggest that a high potential for transmission among these groups, either directly or via contaminated water sources. As these bacteria were most prevalent in humans, it is possible that they are maintained in humans and that transmission to other species is infrequent. Further studies are needed to understand bacterial persistence, transmission dynamics, and associated consequences in this and similar systems.
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Martínez JL. Short-sighted evolution of bacterial opportunistic pathogens with an environmental origin. Front Microbiol 2014; 5:239. [PMID: 24904552 PMCID: PMC4033005 DOI: 10.3389/fmicb.2014.00239] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/27/2014] [Accepted: 04/30/2014] [Indexed: 12/28/2022] Open
Affiliation(s)
- José L Martínez
- Departamento de Biotecnología Microbiana, Centro Nacional de Biotecnología, Consejo Superior de Investigaciones Científicas Madrid, Spain
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Abstract
Plague has been a scourge of mankind for centuries, and outbreaks continue to the present day. The virulence mechanisms employed by the etiological agent Yersinia pestis are reviewed in the context of the available prophylactic and therapeutic strategies for plague. Although antibiotics are available, resistance is emerging in this dangerous pathogen. Therapeutics used in the clinic are discussed and innovative approaches to the design and development of new therapeutic compounds are reviewed. Currently there is no licensed vaccine available for prevention of plague in the USA or western Europe, although both live attenuated strains and killed whole-cell extracts have been used historically. Live strains are still approved for human use in some parts of the world, such as the former Soviet Union, but poor safety profiles render them unacceptable to many countries. The development of safe, effective next-generation vaccines, including the recombinant subunit vaccine currently used in clinical trials is discussed.
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Affiliation(s)
- Petra C F Oyston
- Biomedical Sciences, Dstl Porton Down, Salisbury, Wiltshire, SP4 0JQ, UK
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36
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Bernard Q, Jaulhac B, Boulanger N. Smuggling across the Border: How Arthropod-Borne Pathogens Evade and Exploit the Host Defense System of the Skin. J Invest Dermatol 2014; 134:1211-1219. [DOI: 10.1038/jid.2014.36] [Citation(s) in RCA: 23] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/28/2013] [Revised: 12/04/2013] [Accepted: 12/28/2013] [Indexed: 12/20/2022]
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Suntsov VV. Ecological aspects of the origin of Yersinia pestis, causative agent of the plague: Concept of intermediate environment. CONTEMP PROBL ECOL+ 2014. [DOI: 10.1134/s1995425514010144] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/23/2022]
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Ford DC, Ireland PM, Bullifent HL, Saint RJ, McAlister EV, Sarkar-Tyson M, Oyston PCF. Construction of an inducible system for the analysis of essential genes in Yersinia pestis. J Microbiol Methods 2014; 100:1-7. [PMID: 24524852 DOI: 10.1016/j.mimet.2014.01.017] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/18/2013] [Revised: 01/20/2014] [Accepted: 01/25/2014] [Indexed: 01/14/2023]
Abstract
Yersinia pestis, a Gram negative bacterium, causes bubonic and pneumonic plague. Emerging antibiotic resistance in clinical isolates is driving a need to develop novel antibiotics to treat infection by this transmissible and highly virulent pathogen. Proteins required for viability, so called essential genes, are attractive potential therapeutic targets, however, confirmation of essentiality is problematic. For the first time, we report the development of a system that allows the rapid determination of Y. pestis gene essentiality through mutagenesis and inducible expression of a plasmid borne copy of the target gene. Using this approach, we have confirmed the uridine monophosphate kinase PyrH as an essential protein in Y. pestis. This methodology and the tools we have developed will allow the confirmation of other putative essential genes in this dangerous pathogen, and facilitate the identification of novel targets for antimicrobial development.
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Affiliation(s)
- D C Ford
- Defence Science and Technology Laboratory, Porton Down, Salisbury, Wiltshire SP4 0JQ, UK.
| | - P M Ireland
- Defence Science and Technology Laboratory, Porton Down, Salisbury, Wiltshire SP4 0JQ, UK
| | - H L Bullifent
- Defence Science and Technology Laboratory, Porton Down, Salisbury, Wiltshire SP4 0JQ, UK
| | - R J Saint
- Defence Science and Technology Laboratory, Porton Down, Salisbury, Wiltshire SP4 0JQ, UK
| | - E V McAlister
- Defence Science and Technology Laboratory, Porton Down, Salisbury, Wiltshire SP4 0JQ, UK
| | - M Sarkar-Tyson
- Defence Science and Technology Laboratory, Porton Down, Salisbury, Wiltshire SP4 0JQ, UK
| | - P C F Oyston
- Defence Science and Technology Laboratory, Porton Down, Salisbury, Wiltshire SP4 0JQ, UK
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Ren GX, Yan HQ, Zhu H, Guo XP, Sun YC. HmsC, a periplasmic protein, controls biofilm formation via repression of HmsD, a diguanylate cyclase in Yersinia pestis. Environ Microbiol 2013; 16:1202-16. [PMID: 24192006 DOI: 10.1111/1462-2920.12323] [Citation(s) in RCA: 25] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/22/2013] [Accepted: 10/28/2013] [Indexed: 01/25/2023]
Abstract
Yersinia pestis, the cause of plague, forms a biofilm in the foregut of its flea vector to enhance transmission. Biofilm formation in Y. pestis is controlled by the intracellular levels of the second messenger molecule cyclic diguanylate (c-di-GMP). HmsT and Y3730, the two diguanylate cyclases (DGC) in Y. pestis, are responsible for the synthesis of c-di-GMP. Y3730, which we name here as HmsD, has little effect on in vitro biofilms, but has a major effect on biofilm formation in the flea. The mechanism by which HmsD plays differential roles in vivo and in vitro is not understood. In this study, we show that hmsD is part of a three-gene operon (y3729-31), which we designate as hmsCDE. Deletion of hmsC resulted in increased, hmsD-dependent biofilm formation, while deletion or overexpression of hmsE did not affect biofilm formation. Localization experiments suggest that HmsC resides in the periplasmic space. In addition, we provide evidence that HmsC might interact directly with the periplasmic domain of HmsD and cause the proteolysis of HmsD. We propose that HmsC senses the environmental signals, which in turn regulates HmsD, and controls the c-di-GMP synthesis and biofilm formation in Y. pestis.
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Affiliation(s)
- Gai-Xian Ren
- MOH key laboratory of Systems Biology of Pathogens, Institute of Pathogen Biology, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences and Peking Union Medical College, 9, Dongdan Santiao, Dongcheng District, Beijing, 100730, China
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40
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Uittenbogaard AM, Myers-Morales T, Gorman AA, Welsh E, Wulff C, Hinnebusch BJ, Korhonen TK, Straley SC. Temperature-dependence of yadBC phenotypes in Yersinia pestis. MICROBIOLOGY-SGM 2013; 160:396-405. [PMID: 24222617 DOI: 10.1099/mic.0.073205-0] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/18/2022]
Abstract
YadB and YadC are putative trimeric autotransporters present only in the plague bacterium Yersinia pestis and its evolutionary predecessor, Yersinia pseudotuberculosis. Previously, yadBC was found to promote invasion of epithelioid cells by Y. pestis grown at 37 °C. In this study, we found that yadBC also promotes uptake of 37 °C-grown Y. pestis by mouse monocyte/macrophage cells. We tested whether yadBC might be required for lethality of the systemic stage of plague in which the bacteria would be pre-adapted to mammalian body temperature before colonizing internal organs and found no requirement for early colonization or growth over 3 days. We tested the hypothesis that YadB and YadC function on ambient temperature-grown Y. pestis in the flea vector or soon after infection of the dermis in bubonic plague. We found that yadBC did not promote uptake by monocyte/macrophage cells if the bacteria were grown at 28 °C, nor was there a role of yadBC in colonization of fleas by Y. pestis grown at 21 °C. However, the presence of yadBC did promote recoverability of the bacteria from infected skin for 28 °C-grown Y. pestis. Furthermore, the gene for the proinflammatory chemokine CXCL1 was upregulated in expression if the infecting Y. pestis lacked yadBC but not if yadBC was present. Also, yadBC was not required for recoverability if the bacteria were grown at 37 °C. These findings imply that thermally induced virulence properties dominate over effects of yadBC during plague but that yadBC has a unique function early after transmission of Y. pestis to skin.
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Affiliation(s)
- Annette M Uittenbogaard
- Department of Microbiology, Immunology, and Molecular Genetics, University of Kentucky, Lexington, KY 40536-0298, USA
| | - Tanya Myers-Morales
- Department of Microbiology, Immunology, and Molecular Genetics, University of Kentucky, Lexington, KY 40536-0298, USA
| | - Amanda A Gorman
- Department of Microbiology, Immunology, and Molecular Genetics, University of Kentucky, Lexington, KY 40536-0298, USA
| | - Erin Welsh
- Department of Microbiology, Immunology, and Molecular Genetics, University of Kentucky, Lexington, KY 40536-0298, USA
| | - Christine Wulff
- Department of Microbiology, Immunology, and Molecular Genetics, University of Kentucky, Lexington, KY 40536-0298, USA
| | - B Joseph Hinnebusch
- Laboratory of Zoonotic Pathogens, Rocky Mountain Laboratories, National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, National Institutes of Health, Hamilton, MT 59840, USA
| | - Timo K Korhonen
- Division of General Microbiology, Department of Biosciences, University of Helsinki, Helsinki, Finland
| | - Susan C Straley
- Department of Microbiology, Immunology, and Molecular Genetics, University of Kentucky, Lexington, KY 40536-0298, USA
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41
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Liu M, Biville F. Managing iron supply during the infection cycle of a flea borne pathogen, Bartonella henselae. Front Cell Infect Microbiol 2013; 3:60. [PMID: 24151576 PMCID: PMC3799009 DOI: 10.3389/fcimb.2013.00060] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/17/2013] [Accepted: 09/19/2013] [Indexed: 11/29/2022] Open
Abstract
Bartonella are hemotropic bacteria responsible for emerging zoonoses. Most Bartonella species appear to share a natural cycle that involves an arthropod transmission, followed by exploitation of a mammalian host in which they cause long-lasting intra-erythrocytic bacteremia. Persistence in erythrocytes is considered an adaptation to transmission by bloodsucking arthropod vectors and a strategy to obtain heme required for Bartonella growth. Bartonella genomes do not encode for siderophore biosynthesis or a complete iron Fe3+ transport system. Only genes, sharing strong homology with all components of a Fe2+ transport system, are present in Bartonella genomes. Also, Bartonella genomes encode for a complete heme transport system. Bartonella must face various environments in their hosts and vectors. In mammals, free heme and iron are rare and oxygen concentration is low. In arthropod vectors, toxic heme levels are found in the gut where oxygen concentration is high. Bartonella genomes encode for 3–5 heme-binding proteins. In Bartonella henselae heme-binding proteins were shown to be involved in heme uptake process, oxidative stress response, and survival inside endothelial cells and in the flea. In this report, we discuss the use of the heme uptake and storage system of B. henselae during its infection cycle. Also, we establish a comparison with the iron and heme uptake systems of Yersinia pestis used during its infection cycle.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mafeng Liu
- Key Laboratory of Animal Disease and Human Health of Sichuan Province, Avian Disease Research Center, Institute of Preventive Veterinary Medicine, College of Veterinary Medicine, Sichuan Agricultural University, Chengdu/Ya'an , Sichuan, China
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42
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Babujee L, Balakrishnan V, Kiley PJ, Glasner JD, Perna NT. Transcriptome changes associated with anaerobic growth in Yersinia intermedia (ATCC29909). PLoS One 2013; 8:e76567. [PMID: 24116118 PMCID: PMC3792023 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0076567] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/24/2013] [Accepted: 08/26/2013] [Indexed: 12/04/2022] Open
Abstract
Background The yersiniae (Enterobacteriaceae) occupy a variety of niches, including some in human and flea hosts. Metabolic adaptations of the yersiniae, which contribute to their success in these specialized environments, remain largely unknown. We report results of an investigation of the transcriptome under aerobic and anaerobic conditions for Y. intermedia, a non-pathogenic member of the genus that has been used as a research surrogate for Y. pestis. Y. intermedia shares characteristics of pathogenic yersiniae, but is not known to cause disease in humans. Oxygen restriction is an important environmental stimulus experienced by many bacteria during their life-cycles and greatly influences their survival in specific environments. How oxygen availability affects physiology in the yersiniae is of importance in their life cycles but has not been extensively characterized. Methodology/Principal Findings Tiled oligonucleotide arrays based on a draft genome sequence of Y. intermedia were used in transcript profiling experiments to identify genes that change expression in response to oxygen availability during growth in minimal media with glucose. The expression of more than 400 genes, constituting about 10% of the genome, was significantly altered due to oxygen-limitation in early log phase under these conditions. Broad functional categorization indicated that, in addition to genes involved in central metabolism, genes involved in adaptation to stress and genes likely involved with host interactions were affected by oxygen-availability. Notable among these, were genes encoding functions for motility, chemotaxis and biosynthesis of cobalamin, which were up-regulated and those for iron/heme utilization, methionine metabolism and urease, which were down-regulated. Conclusions/Significance This is the first transcriptome analysis of a non-pathogenic Yersiniaspp. and one of few elucidating the global response to oxygen limitation for any of the yersiniae. Thus this study lays the foundation for further experimental characterization of oxygen-responsive genes and pathways in this ecologically diverse genus.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lavanya Babujee
- Biotechnology Center, University of Wisconsin - Madison, Madison, Wisconsin, United States of America
| | - Venkatesh Balakrishnan
- Biotechnology Center, University of Wisconsin - Madison, Madison, Wisconsin, United States of America
| | - Patricia J. Kiley
- Department of Biomolecular Chemistry, University of Wisconsin - Madison, Madison, Wisconsin, United States of America
| | - Jeremy D. Glasner
- Biotechnology Center, University of Wisconsin - Madison, Madison, Wisconsin, United States of America
| | - Nicole T. Perna
- Biotechnology Center, University of Wisconsin - Madison, Madison, Wisconsin, United States of America
- Department of Genetics, University of Wisconsin - Madison, Madison, Wisconsin, United States of America
- * E-mail:
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43
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Brant SV, Loker ES. Discovery-based studies of schistosome diversity stimulate new hypotheses about parasite biology. Trends Parasitol 2013; 29:449-59. [PMID: 23849836 DOI: 10.1016/j.pt.2013.06.004] [Citation(s) in RCA: 34] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/26/2013] [Revised: 06/10/2013] [Accepted: 06/10/2013] [Indexed: 02/06/2023]
Abstract
This review provides an update of ongoing efforts to expand our understanding of the diversity inherent within the Schistosomatidae, the parasites responsible for causing schistosomiasis and cercarial dermatitis. By revealing more of the species present, particularly among understudied avian schistosomes, we gain increased understanding of patterns of schistosome diversification, and their abilities to colonize new hosts and habitats. Schistosomes reveal a surprising ability to switch into new snail and vertebrate host species, into new intrahost habitats, and may adopt novel body forms in the process. Often these changes are not associated with deep splits or long branches in their phylogeny, suggesting some are of relatively recent origin. Several hypotheses prompted by the new observations are discussed, helping to focus thinking on processes influencing not only schistosome diversification but also their pathogenicity and abundance.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sara V Brant
- Department of Biology, COBRE Center for Evolutionary and Theoretical Immunology, Museum of Southwestern Biology, Division of Parasitology, University of New Mexico, Albuquerque, NM 87131, USA.
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Needham BD, Trent MS. Fortifying the barrier: the impact of lipid A remodelling on bacterial pathogenesis. Nat Rev Microbiol 2013; 11:467-81. [PMID: 23748343 PMCID: PMC6913092 DOI: 10.1038/nrmicro3047] [Citation(s) in RCA: 396] [Impact Index Per Article: 36.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/30/2022]
Abstract
Gram-negative bacteria decorate their outermost surface structure, lipopolysaccharide, with elaborate chemical moieties, which effectively disguises them from immune surveillance and protects them from the onslaught of host defences. Many of these changes occur on the lipid A moiety of lipopolysaccharide, a component that is crucial for host recognition of Gram-negative infection. In this Review, we describe the regulatory mechanisms controlling lipid A modification and discuss the impact of modifications on pathogenesis, bacterial physiology and bacterial interactions with the host immune system.
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Affiliation(s)
- Brittany D Needham
- The Institute of Cellular and Molecular Biology, The University of Texas at Austin, 78712, USA
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45
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Small oversights that led to the Great Plague of Marseille (1720-1723): lessons from the past. INFECTION GENETICS AND EVOLUTION 2012; 14:169-85. [PMID: 23246639 DOI: 10.1016/j.meegid.2012.11.016] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/17/2012] [Accepted: 11/20/2012] [Indexed: 01/14/2023]
Abstract
In recent decades, the issue of emerging and re-emerging infectious diseases has become an increasingly important area of concern in public health. Today, like centuries ago, infectious diseases confront us with the fear of death and have heavily influenced social behaviors and policy decisions at local, national and international levels. Remarkably, an infectious disease such as plague, which is disseminated from one country to another mainly by commercial transportation, remains today, as it was in the distant past, a threat for human societies. Throughout history, plague outbreaks prevailed on numerous occasions in Mediterranean harbors, including Marseille in the south of France. A few months ago, the municipal authorities of the city of Marseille, announced the archaeological discovery of the last remnants of a "lazaretto" or "lazaret" (http://20.minutes.fr, March 3th, 2012), a place equipped with an infirmary and destined to isolate ship passengers quarantined for health reasons. More recently, on September 16th, 2012, the anchor of the ship "Grand Saint Antoine" responsible for bringing the plague to Marseille in 1720, was recovered and it will be restored before being presented to the public in 2013 (http://www.libemarseille.fr/henry/2012/09/lancre-du-bateau-qui-amena-la-grande-peste-%C3%A0-marseille.html). In the light of these recent archaeological discoveries, it is quite instructive to revisit the sequence of events and decisions that led to the outbreak of the Great Plague of Marseille between 1720 and 1723. It comes to the evidence that although the threat was known and health surveillance existed with quite effective preventive measures such as quarantine, the accumulation of small negligence led to one of the worst epidemics in the city (about 30% of casualties among the inhabitants). This is an excellent model to illustrate the issues we are facing with emerging and re-emerging infectious diseases today and to define how to improve biosurveillance and response tomorrow. Importantly, the risk of plague dissemination by transport trade is negligible between developed countries, however, this risk still persists in developing countries. In addition, the emergence of antibiotic resistant strains of Yersinia pestis, the infectious agent of plague, is raising serious concerns for public health.
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Schiano CA, Lathem WW. Post-transcriptional regulation of gene expression in Yersinia species. Front Cell Infect Microbiol 2012; 2:129. [PMID: 23162797 PMCID: PMC3493969 DOI: 10.3389/fcimb.2012.00129] [Citation(s) in RCA: 33] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/06/2012] [Accepted: 10/03/2012] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Proper regulation of gene expression is required by bacterial pathogens to respond to continually changing environmental conditions and the host response during the infectious process. While transcriptional regulation is perhaps the most well understood form of controlling gene expression, recent studies have demonstrated the importance of post-transcriptional mechanisms of gene regulation that allow for more refined management of the bacterial response to host conditions. Yersinia species of bacteria are known to use various forms of post-transcriptional regulation for control of many virulence-associated genes. These include regulation by cis- and trans-acting small non-coding RNAs, RNA-binding proteins, RNases, and thermoswitches. The effects of these and other regulatory mechanisms on Yersinia physiology can be profound and have been shown to influence type III secretion, motility, biofilm formation, host cell invasion, intracellular survival and replication, and more. In this review, we discuss these and other post-transcriptional mechanisms and their influence on virulence gene regulation, with a particular emphasis on how these processes influence the virulence of Yersinia in the host.
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Affiliation(s)
- Chelsea A Schiano
- Department of Microbiology-Immunology, Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine Chicago, IL, USA
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47
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Abstract
The analysis of the genomes of bacterial pathogens indicates that they have acquired their pathogenic capability by incorporating different genetic elements through horizontal gene transfer. The ancestors of virulent bacteria, as well as the origin of virulence determinants, lay most likely in the environmental microbiota. Studying the role that these determinants may have in non-clinical ecosystems is thus of value for understanding in detail the evolution and the ecology of bacterial pathogens. In this article, I propose that classical virulence determinants might be relevant for basic metabolic processes (for instance iron-uptake systems) or in modulating prey/predator relationships (toxins) in natural, non-infective ecosystems. The different role that horizontal gene transfer and mutation may have in the evolution of bacterial pathogens either for their speciation or in short-sighted evolution processes is also discussed.
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Affiliation(s)
- José L Martínez
- Departamento de Biotecnología Microbiana, Centro Nacional de Biotecnología, Darwin 3, Cantoblanco, 28049-Madrid, Spain.
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