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Rehm C, Kolm C, Pleininger S, Heger F, Indra A, Reischer GH, Farnleitner AAH, Kirschner AKT. Vibrio cholerae-An emerging pathogen in Austrian bathing waters? Wien Klin Wochenschr 2023; 135:597-608. [PMID: 37530997 PMCID: PMC10651712 DOI: 10.1007/s00508-023-02241-0] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/24/2023] [Accepted: 06/11/2023] [Indexed: 08/03/2023]
Abstract
Vibrio cholerae, an important human pathogen, is naturally occurring in specific aquatic ecosystems. With very few exceptions, only the cholera-toxigenic strains belonging to the serogroups O1 and O139 are responsible for severe cholera outbreaks with epidemic or pandemic potential. All other nontoxigenic, non-O1/non-O139 V. cholerae (NTVC) strains may cause various other diseases, such as mild to severe infections of the ears, of the gastrointestinal and urinary tracts as well as wound and bloodstream infections. Older, immunocompromised people and patients with specific preconditions have an elevated risk. In recent years, worldwide reports demonstrated that NTVC infections are on the rise, caused amongst others by elevated water temperatures due to global warming.The aim of this review is to summarize the knowledge gained during the past two decades on V. cholerae infections and its occurrence in bathing waters in Austria, with a special focus on the lake Neusiedler See. We investigated whether NTVC infections have increased and which specific environmental conditions favor the occurrence of NTVC. We present an overview of state of the art methods that are currently available for clinical and environmental diagnostics. A preliminary public health risk assessment concerning NTVC infections related to the Neusiedler See was established. In order to raise awareness of healthcare professionals for NTVC infections, typical symptoms, possible treatment options and the antibiotic resistance status of Austrian NTVC isolates are discussed.
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Affiliation(s)
- Carmen Rehm
- Division Water Quality and Health, Karl-Landsteiner University of Health Sciences, Krems, Austria
- Institute for Hygiene and Applied Immunology - Water Microbiology, Medical University Vienna, Vienna, Austria
- Interuniversity Cooperation Centre Water & Health
| | - Claudia Kolm
- Division Water Quality and Health, Karl-Landsteiner University of Health Sciences, Krems, Austria
- Interuniversity Cooperation Centre Water & Health
- Institute for Chemical, Environmental and Bioscience Engineering, Research Group Microbiology and Molecular Diagnostics 166/5/3, Technische Universität Wien, Vienna, Austria
| | - Sonja Pleininger
- Institute for Medical Microbiology and Hygiene, National Reference Centre for Vibrio cholerae, Austrian Agency for Health and Food Safety (AGES), Vienna, Austria
| | - Florian Heger
- Institute for Medical Microbiology and Hygiene, National Reference Centre for Vibrio cholerae, Austrian Agency for Health and Food Safety (AGES), Vienna, Austria
| | - Alexander Indra
- Institute for Medical Microbiology and Hygiene, National Reference Centre for Vibrio cholerae, Austrian Agency for Health and Food Safety (AGES), Vienna, Austria
- Paracelsus Medical University Salzburg, Salzburg, Austria
| | - Georg H Reischer
- Interuniversity Cooperation Centre Water & Health
- Institute for Chemical, Environmental and Bioscience Engineering, Research Group Microbiology and Molecular Diagnostics 166/5/3, Technische Universität Wien, Vienna, Austria
| | - Andreas A H Farnleitner
- Division Water Quality and Health, Karl-Landsteiner University of Health Sciences, Krems, Austria
- Interuniversity Cooperation Centre Water & Health
- Institute for Chemical, Environmental and Bioscience Engineering, Research Group Microbiology and Molecular Diagnostics 166/5/3, Technische Universität Wien, Vienna, Austria
| | - Alexander K T Kirschner
- Division Water Quality and Health, Karl-Landsteiner University of Health Sciences, Krems, Austria.
- Institute for Hygiene and Applied Immunology - Water Microbiology, Medical University Vienna, Vienna, Austria.
- Interuniversity Cooperation Centre Water & Health, .
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2
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Shin J, Rychel K, Palsson BO. Systems biology of competency in Vibrio natriegens is revealed by applying novel data analytics to the transcriptome. Cell Rep 2023; 42:112619. [PMID: 37285268 DOI: 10.1016/j.celrep.2023.112619] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/07/2022] [Revised: 04/27/2023] [Accepted: 05/22/2023] [Indexed: 06/09/2023] Open
Abstract
Vibrio natriegens regulates natural competence through the TfoX and QstR transcription factors, which are involved in external DNA capture and transport. However, the extensive genetic and transcriptional regulatory basis for competency remains unknown. We used a machine-learning approach to decompose Vibrio natriegens's transcriptome into 45 groups of independently modulated sets of genes (iModulons). Our findings show that competency is associated with the repression of two housekeeping iModulons (iron metabolism and translation) and the activation of six iModulons; including TfoX and QstR, a novel iModulon of unknown function, and three housekeeping iModulons (representing motility, polycations, and reactive oxygen species [ROS] responses). Phenotypic screening of 83 gene deletion strains demonstrates that loss of iModulon function reduces or eliminates competency. This database-iModulon-discovery cycle unveils the transcriptomic basis for competency and its relationship to housekeeping functions. These results provide the genetic basis for systems biology of competency in this organism.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jongoh Shin
- Department of Bioengineering, University of California San Diego, La Jolla, CA 92093, USA
| | - Kevin Rychel
- Department of Bioengineering, University of California San Diego, La Jolla, CA 92093, USA
| | - Bernhard O Palsson
- Department of Bioengineering, University of California San Diego, La Jolla, CA 92093, USA; Novo Nordisk Foundation Center for Biosustainability, Technical University of Denmark, 2800 Lyngby, Denmark; Department of Pediatrics, University of California, San Diego, La Jolla, CA, USA.
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3
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Xu C, Rao J, Xie Y, Lu J, Li Z, Dong C, Wang L, Jiang J, Chen C, Chen S. The DNA Phosphorothioation Restriction-Modification System Influences the Antimicrobial Resistance of Pathogenic Bacteria. Microbiol Spectr 2023; 11:e0350922. [PMID: 36598279 PMCID: PMC9927239 DOI: 10.1128/spectrum.03509-22] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/04/2022] [Accepted: 11/30/2022] [Indexed: 01/05/2023] Open
Abstract
Bacterial defense barriers, such as DNA methylation-associated restriction-modification (R-M) and the CRISPR-Cas system, play an important role in bacterial antimicrobial resistance (AMR). Recently, a novel R-M system based on DNA phosphorothioate (PT) modification has been shown to be widespread in the kingdom of Bacteria as well as Archaea. However, the potential role of the PT R-M system in bacterial AMR remains unclear. In this study, we explored the role of PT R-Ms in AMR with a series of common clinical pathogenic bacteria. By analyzing the distribution of AMR genes related to mobile genetic elements (MGEs), it was shown that the presence of PT R-M effectively reduced the distribution of horizontal gene transfer (HGT)-derived AMR genes in the genome, even in the bacteria that did not tend to acquire AMR genes by HGT. In addition, unique gene variation analysis based on pangenome analysis and MGE prediction revealed that the presence of PT R-M could suppress HGT frequency. Thus, this is the first report showing that the PT R-M system has the potential to repress HGT-derived AMR gene acquisition by reducing the HGT frequency. IMPORTANCE In this study, we demonstrated the effect of DNA PT modification-based R-M systems on horizontal gene transfer of AMR genes in pathogenic bacteria. We show that there is no apparent association between the genetic background of the strains harboring PT R-Ms and the number of AMR genes or the kinds of gene families. The strains equipped with PT R-M harbor fewer plasmid-derived, prophage-derived, or integrating mobile genetic element (iMGE)-related AMR genes and have a lower HGT frequency, but the degree of inhibition varies among different bacteria. In addition, compared with Salmonella enterica and Escherichia coli, Klebsiella pneumoniae prefers to acquire MGE-derived AMR genes, and there is no coevolution between PT R-M clusters and bacterial core genes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Congrui Xu
- Brain Center, Department of Neurosurgery, Key Laboratory of Combinatorial Biosynthesis and Drug Discovery Ministry of Education, Zhongnan Hospital of Wuhan University, School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Wuhan University, Wuhan, China
| | - Jing Rao
- Brain Center, Department of Neurosurgery, Key Laboratory of Combinatorial Biosynthesis and Drug Discovery Ministry of Education, Zhongnan Hospital of Wuhan University, School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Wuhan University, Wuhan, China
| | - Yuqing Xie
- Brain Center, Department of Neurosurgery, Key Laboratory of Combinatorial Biosynthesis and Drug Discovery Ministry of Education, Zhongnan Hospital of Wuhan University, School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Wuhan University, Wuhan, China
| | - Jiajun Lu
- Information Engineering Institute, Wuchang Institute of Technology, Wuhan, China
| | - Zhiqiang Li
- Brain Center, Department of Neurosurgery, Key Laboratory of Combinatorial Biosynthesis and Drug Discovery Ministry of Education, Zhongnan Hospital of Wuhan University, School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Wuhan University, Wuhan, China
| | - Changjiang Dong
- Brain Center, Department of Neurosurgery, Key Laboratory of Combinatorial Biosynthesis and Drug Discovery Ministry of Education, Zhongnan Hospital of Wuhan University, School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Wuhan University, Wuhan, China
| | - Lianrong Wang
- Brain Center, Department of Neurosurgery, Key Laboratory of Combinatorial Biosynthesis and Drug Discovery Ministry of Education, Zhongnan Hospital of Wuhan University, School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Wuhan University, Wuhan, China
| | - Jinghong Jiang
- Department of Obstetrics & Gynecology, Zhongnan Hospital of Wuhan University, Wuhan University, Wuhan, China
| | - Chao Chen
- Department of Burn and Plastic Surgery, Shenzhen Institute of Translational Medicine, Health Science Center, Shenzhen Second People's Hospital, The First Affiliated Hospital of Shenzhen University, Shenzhen, China
| | - Shi Chen
- Brain Center, Department of Neurosurgery, Key Laboratory of Combinatorial Biosynthesis and Drug Discovery Ministry of Education, Zhongnan Hospital of Wuhan University, School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Wuhan University, Wuhan, China
- Department of Burn and Plastic Surgery, Shenzhen Institute of Translational Medicine, Health Science Center, Shenzhen Second People's Hospital, The First Affiliated Hospital of Shenzhen University, Shenzhen, China
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4
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Ma JY, Zhu XK, Hu RG, Qi ZZ, Sun WC, Hao ZP, Cong W, Kang YH. A systematic review, meta-analysis and meta-regression of the global prevalence of foodborne Vibrio spp. infection in fishes: A persistent public health concern. MARINE POLLUTION BULLETIN 2023; 187:114521. [PMID: 36621299 DOI: 10.1016/j.marpolbul.2022.114521] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/12/2022] [Revised: 12/14/2022] [Accepted: 12/18/2022] [Indexed: 06/17/2023]
Abstract
Human vibriosis, caused by pathogenic Vibrio spp., such as Vibrio parahaemolyticus, Vibrio cholerae and Vibrio vulnificus, has been increasing worldwide, mediated by increasing consumption of seafood. The present study was conducted to examine the global prevalence of V. vulnificus, V. parahaemolyticus and V. cholerae in fishes. We searched PubMed, Web of Science, Scopus, and CNKI for peer-reviewed articles and dissertations prior to December 31, 2021. A total of 24,831 articles were retrieved, and 82 articles contained 61 fish families were included. The global pooled prevalence of V. cholerae, V. parahaemolyticus and V. vulnificus in fishes was 9.56 % (95 % CI: 2.12-20.92), 24.77 % (95 % CI: 17.40-32.93) and 5.29 % (95 % CI: 0.38-13.61), respectively. Subgroup and meta-regression analyses showed that study-level covariates, including temperature, country, continent, origin and detection methods partly explained the between-study heterogeneity. These heterogeneities were underpinned by differences of the three Vibrio spp. in fishes at geographical and climatic scales. These results reveal a high global prevalence of pathogenic Vibrio spp. in fishes and highlight the need for implementation of more effective prevention and control measures to reduce food-borne infection in humans.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jun-Yang Ma
- Marine College, Shandong University, Weihai, Shandong 264209, PR China
| | - Xin-Kun Zhu
- Marine College, Shandong University, Weihai, Shandong 264209, PR China
| | - Ren-Ge Hu
- Marine College, Shandong University, Weihai, Shandong 264209, PR China
| | - Ze-Zheng Qi
- Marine College, Shandong University, Weihai, Shandong 264209, PR China
| | - Wen-Chao Sun
- Zhejiang Provincial Key Laboratory for Water Environment and Marine Biological Resources Protection, Wenzhou University, Wenzhou 32503, PR China
| | - Zhi-Peng Hao
- Marine College, Shandong University, Weihai, Shandong 264209, PR China
| | - Wei Cong
- Marine College, Shandong University, Weihai, Shandong 264209, PR China.
| | - Yuan-Huan Kang
- Marine College, Shandong University, Weihai, Shandong 264209, PR China.
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5
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Perera IU, Fujiyoshi S, Nishiuchi Y, Nakai T, Maruyama F. Zooplankton act as cruise ships promoting the survival and pathogenicity of pathogenic bacteria. Microbiol Immunol 2022; 66:564-578. [PMID: 36128640 PMCID: PMC10091822 DOI: 10.1111/1348-0421.13029] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/26/2022] [Revised: 08/12/2022] [Accepted: 09/12/2022] [Indexed: 12/13/2022]
Abstract
Bacteria in general interact with zooplankton in aquatic ecosystems. These zooplankton-bacterial interactions help to shape the bacterial community by regulating bacterial abundances. Such interactions are even more significant and crucially in need of investigation in the case of pathogenic bacteria, which cause severe diseases in humans and animals. Among the many associations between a host metazoan and pathogenic bacteria, zooplankton provide nutrition and protection from stressful conditions, promote the horizontal transfer of virulence genes, and act as a mode of pathogen transport. These interactions allow the pathogen to survive and proliferate in aquatic environments and to endure water treatment processes, thereby creating a potential risk to human health. This review highlights current knowledge on the contributions of zooplankton to the survival and pathogenicity of pathogenic bacteria. We also discuss the need to consider these interactions as a risk factor in water treatment processes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ishara U Perera
- Center for the Planetary Health and Innovation Science (PHIS), The IDEC Institute, Hiroshima University, Higashi-Hiroshima City, Hiroshima, Japan.,Center for Holobiome and Built Environment (CHOBE), Hiroshima University, Higashi-Hiroshima City, Hiroshima, Japan
| | - So Fujiyoshi
- Center for the Planetary Health and Innovation Science (PHIS), The IDEC Institute, Hiroshima University, Higashi-Hiroshima City, Hiroshima, Japan.,Center for Holobiome and Built Environment (CHOBE), Hiroshima University, Higashi-Hiroshima City, Hiroshima, Japan
| | - Yukiko Nishiuchi
- Center for the Planetary Health and Innovation Science (PHIS), The IDEC Institute, Hiroshima University, Higashi-Hiroshima City, Hiroshima, Japan
| | - Toshihiro Nakai
- Takehara Marine Science Station, Graduate School of Integrated Science for Life, Hiroshima University, Takehara City, Hiroshima, Japan
| | - Fumito Maruyama
- Center for the Planetary Health and Innovation Science (PHIS), The IDEC Institute, Hiroshima University, Higashi-Hiroshima City, Hiroshima, Japan.,Center for Holobiome and Built Environment (CHOBE), Hiroshima University, Higashi-Hiroshima City, Hiroshima, Japan
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6
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Murase K, Arakawa E, Izumiya H, Iguchi A, Takemura T, Kikuchi T, Nakagawa I, Thomson NR, Ohnishi M, Morita M. Genomic dissection of the Vibrio cholerae O-serogroup global reference strains: reassessing our view of diversity and plasticity between two chromosomes. Microb Genom 2022; 8. [PMID: 35930328 PMCID: PMC9484750 DOI: 10.1099/mgen.0.000860] [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] [Indexed: 11/18/2022] Open
Abstract
Approximately 200 O-serogroups of Vibrio cholerae have already been identified; however, only 2 serogroups, O1 and O139, are strongly related to pandemic cholera. The study of non-O1 and non-O139 strains has hitherto been limited. Nevertheless, there are other clinically and epidemiologically important serogroups causing outbreaks with cholera-like disease. Here, we report a comprehensive genome analysis of the whole set of V. cholerae O-serogroup reference strains to provide an overview of this important bacterial pathogen. It revealed structural diversity of the O-antigen biosynthesis gene clusters located at specific loci on chromosome 1 and 16 pairs of strains with almost identical O-antigen biosynthetic gene clusters but differing in serological patterns. This might be due to the presence of O-antigen biosynthesis-related genes at secondary loci on chromosome 2.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kazunori Murase
- Department of Microbiology, Graduate School of Medicine, Kyoto University, Kyoto, Japan.,Department of Infectious Diseases, Faculty of Medicine, University of Miyazaki, Miyazaki, Japan
| | - Eiji Arakawa
- Department of Bacteriology I, National Institute of Infectious Diseases, Tokyo, Japan
| | - Hidemasa Izumiya
- Department of Bacteriology I, National Institute of Infectious Diseases, Tokyo, Japan
| | - Atsushi Iguchi
- Department of Animal and Grassland Sciences, Faculty of Agriculture, University of Miyazaki, Japan
| | - Taichiro Takemura
- Vietnam Research Station, Institute of Tropical Medicine, Nagasaki University, Nagasaki, Japan
| | - Taisei Kikuchi
- Department of Infectious Diseases, Faculty of Medicine, University of Miyazaki, Miyazaki, Japan.,Department of Integrated Biosciences, Graduate School of Frontier Sciences, The University of Tokyo, Kashiwa, Japan
| | - Ichiro Nakagawa
- Department of Microbiology, Graduate School of Medicine, Kyoto University, Kyoto, Japan
| | - Nicholas R Thomson
- Wellcome Trust Sanger Institute, Hinxton, UK.,London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine, London, UK
| | - Makoto Ohnishi
- Department of Bacteriology I, National Institute of Infectious Diseases, Tokyo, Japan
| | - Masatomo Morita
- Department of Bacteriology I, National Institute of Infectious Diseases, Tokyo, Japan
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7
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Unni R, Pintor KL, Diepold A, Unterweger D. Presence and absence of type VI secretion systems in bacteria. MICROBIOLOGY (READING, ENGLAND) 2022; 168. [PMID: 35467500 DOI: 10.1099/mic.0.001151] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/12/2022]
Abstract
The type VI secretion system (T6SS) is a molecular puncturing device that enables Gram-negative bacteria to kill competitors, manipulate host cells and take up nutrients. Who would want to miss such superpowers? Indeed, many studies show how widespread the secretion apparatus is among microbes. However, it is becoming evident that, on multiple taxonomic levels, from phyla to species and strains, some bacteria lack a T6SS. Here, we review who does and does not have a type VI secretion apparatus and speculate on the dynamic process of gaining and losing the secretion system to better understand its spread and distribution across the microbial world.
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Affiliation(s)
- Rahul Unni
- Max Planck Institute for Evolutionary Biology, August-Thienemann-Straße 2, 24306 Plön, Germany.,Institute for Experimental Medicine, Kiel University, Michaelisstraße 5, 24105 Kiel, Germany
| | - Katherine L Pintor
- Department of Ecophysiology, Max Planck Institute for Terrestrial Microbiology, Karl-von-Frisch-Str. 10, 35043 Marburg, Germany
| | - Andreas Diepold
- Department of Ecophysiology, Max Planck Institute for Terrestrial Microbiology, Karl-von-Frisch-Str. 10, 35043 Marburg, Germany
| | - Daniel Unterweger
- Max Planck Institute for Evolutionary Biology, August-Thienemann-Straße 2, 24306 Plön, Germany.,Institute for Experimental Medicine, Kiel University, Michaelisstraße 5, 24105 Kiel, Germany
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8
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Mathieu-Denoncourt A, Duperthuy M. Secretome analysis reveals a role of subinhibitory concentrations of polymyxin B in the survival of Vibrio cholerae mediated by the type VI secretion system. Environ Microbiol 2021; 24:1133-1149. [PMID: 34490971 DOI: 10.1111/1462-2920.15762] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/23/2021] [Accepted: 09/04/2021] [Indexed: 11/30/2022]
Abstract
Antimicrobials are commonly used in prevention of infections including in aquaculture, agriculture and medicine. Subinhibitory concentrations of antimicrobial peptides can modulate resistance, virulence and persistence effectors in Gram-negative pathogens. In this study, we investigated the effect of subinhibitory concentrations of polymyxin B (PmB) on the secretome of Vibrio cholerae, a natural inhabitant of aquatic environments and the pathogen responsible for the cholera disease. Our proteomic approach revealed that the abundance of many extracellular proteins is affected by PmB and some of them are detected only either in the presence or in the absence of PmB. The type VI secretion system (T6SS) secreted hemolysin-coregulated protein (Hcp) displayed an increased abundance in the presence of PmB. Hcp is also more abundant in the bacterial cells in the presence of PmB and hcp expression is upregulated upon PmB supplementation. No effect of the T6SS on antimicrobial resistance was observed. Conversely, PmB increases the T6SS-dependent cytotoxicity of V. cholerae towards the amoeba Dictyostelium discoideum and its ability to compete with Escherichia coli.
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Affiliation(s)
- Annabelle Mathieu-Denoncourt
- Department de Microbiologie, infectiologie et immunologie, Faculté de Médecine, Université de Montreal, Montreal, Quebec, H3T 1J4, Canada
| | - Marylise Duperthuy
- Department de Microbiologie, infectiologie et immunologie, Faculté de Médecine, Université de Montreal, Montreal, Quebec, H3T 1J4, Canada
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9
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Huang M, Liu M, Huang L, Wang M, Jia R, Zhu D, Chen S, Zhao X, Zhang S, Gao Q, Zhang L, Cheng A. The activation and limitation of the bacterial natural transformation system: The function in genome evolution and stability. Microbiol Res 2021; 252:126856. [PMID: 34454311 DOI: 10.1016/j.micres.2021.126856] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/18/2021] [Revised: 08/19/2021] [Accepted: 08/22/2021] [Indexed: 12/26/2022]
Abstract
Bacteria can take up exogenous naked DNA and integrate it into their genomes, which has been regarded as a main contributor to bacterial evolution. The competent status of bacteria is influenced by environmental cues and by the immune systems of bacteria. Here, we review recent advances in understanding the working mechanisms underlying activation of the natural transformation system and limitations thereof. Environmental stresses including the presence of antimicrobials can activate the natural transformation system. However, bacterial enzymes (nucleases), non-coding RNAs, specific DNA sequences, the restriction-modification (R-M) systems, CRISPR-Cas systems and prokaryotic Argonaute proteins (Agos) are have been found to be involved in the limitation of the natural transformation system. Together, this review represents an opportunity to gain insight into bacterial genome stability and evolution.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mi Huang
- Institute of Preventive Veterinary Medicine, Sichuan Agricultural University, Chengdu, Sichuan, 611130, PR China; Research Centre of Avian Disease, College of Veterinary Medicine of Sichuan Agricultural University, Chengdu, Sichuan, 611130, PR China; Key Laboratory of Animal Disease and Human Health of Sichuan Province, Chengdu, Sichuan, 611130, PR China
| | - Mafeng Liu
- Institute of Preventive Veterinary Medicine, Sichuan Agricultural University, Chengdu, Sichuan, 611130, PR China; Research Centre of Avian Disease, College of Veterinary Medicine of Sichuan Agricultural University, Chengdu, Sichuan, 611130, PR China; Key Laboratory of Animal Disease and Human Health of Sichuan Province, Chengdu, Sichuan, 611130, PR China
| | - Li Huang
- Institute of Preventive Veterinary Medicine, Sichuan Agricultural University, Chengdu, Sichuan, 611130, PR China; Research Centre of Avian Disease, College of Veterinary Medicine of Sichuan Agricultural University, Chengdu, Sichuan, 611130, PR China; Key Laboratory of Animal Disease and Human Health of Sichuan Province, Chengdu, Sichuan, 611130, PR China
| | - Mingshu Wang
- Institute of Preventive Veterinary Medicine, Sichuan Agricultural University, Chengdu, Sichuan, 611130, PR China; Research Centre of Avian Disease, College of Veterinary Medicine of Sichuan Agricultural University, Chengdu, Sichuan, 611130, PR China; Key Laboratory of Animal Disease and Human Health of Sichuan Province, Chengdu, Sichuan, 611130, PR China
| | - Renyong Jia
- Institute of Preventive Veterinary Medicine, Sichuan Agricultural University, Chengdu, Sichuan, 611130, PR China; Research Centre of Avian Disease, College of Veterinary Medicine of Sichuan Agricultural University, Chengdu, Sichuan, 611130, PR China; Key Laboratory of Animal Disease and Human Health of Sichuan Province, Chengdu, Sichuan, 611130, PR China
| | - Dekang Zhu
- Institute of Preventive Veterinary Medicine, Sichuan Agricultural University, Chengdu, Sichuan, 611130, PR China; Research Centre of Avian Disease, College of Veterinary Medicine of Sichuan Agricultural University, Chengdu, Sichuan, 611130, PR China; Key Laboratory of Animal Disease and Human Health of Sichuan Province, Chengdu, Sichuan, 611130, PR China
| | - Shun Chen
- Institute of Preventive Veterinary Medicine, Sichuan Agricultural University, Chengdu, Sichuan, 611130, PR China; Research Centre of Avian Disease, College of Veterinary Medicine of Sichuan Agricultural University, Chengdu, Sichuan, 611130, PR China; Key Laboratory of Animal Disease and Human Health of Sichuan Province, Chengdu, Sichuan, 611130, PR China
| | - Xinxin Zhao
- Institute of Preventive Veterinary Medicine, Sichuan Agricultural University, Chengdu, Sichuan, 611130, PR China; Research Centre of Avian Disease, College of Veterinary Medicine of Sichuan Agricultural University, Chengdu, Sichuan, 611130, PR China; Key Laboratory of Animal Disease and Human Health of Sichuan Province, Chengdu, Sichuan, 611130, PR China
| | - Shaqiu Zhang
- Institute of Preventive Veterinary Medicine, Sichuan Agricultural University, Chengdu, Sichuan, 611130, PR China; Research Centre of Avian Disease, College of Veterinary Medicine of Sichuan Agricultural University, Chengdu, Sichuan, 611130, PR China; Key Laboratory of Animal Disease and Human Health of Sichuan Province, Chengdu, Sichuan, 611130, PR China
| | - Qun Gao
- Institute of Preventive Veterinary Medicine, Sichuan Agricultural University, Chengdu, Sichuan, 611130, PR China; Research Centre of Avian Disease, College of Veterinary Medicine of Sichuan Agricultural University, Chengdu, Sichuan, 611130, PR China; Key Laboratory of Animal Disease and Human Health of Sichuan Province, Chengdu, Sichuan, 611130, PR China
| | - Ling Zhang
- Institute of Preventive Veterinary Medicine, Sichuan Agricultural University, Chengdu, Sichuan, 611130, PR China; Research Centre of Avian Disease, College of Veterinary Medicine of Sichuan Agricultural University, Chengdu, Sichuan, 611130, PR China; Key Laboratory of Animal Disease and Human Health of Sichuan Province, Chengdu, Sichuan, 611130, PR China
| | - Anchun Cheng
- Institute of Preventive Veterinary Medicine, Sichuan Agricultural University, Chengdu, Sichuan, 611130, PR China; Research Centre of Avian Disease, College of Veterinary Medicine of Sichuan Agricultural University, Chengdu, Sichuan, 611130, PR China; Key Laboratory of Animal Disease and Human Health of Sichuan Province, Chengdu, Sichuan, 611130, PR China.
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10
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Vibrio cholerae's mysterious Seventh Pandemic island (VSP-II) encodes novel Zur-regulated zinc starvation genes involved in chemotaxis and cell congregation. PLoS Genet 2021; 17:e1009624. [PMID: 34153031 PMCID: PMC8248653 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pgen.1009624] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/21/2021] [Revised: 07/01/2021] [Accepted: 05/27/2021] [Indexed: 11/19/2022] Open
Abstract
Vibrio cholerae is the causative agent of cholera, a notorious diarrheal disease that is typically transmitted via contaminated drinking water. The current pandemic agent, the El Tor biotype, has undergone several genetic changes that include horizontal acquisition of two genomic islands (VSP-I and VSP-II). VSP presence strongly correlates with pandemicity; however, the contribution of these islands to V. cholerae's life cycle, particularly the 26-kb VSP-II, remains poorly understood. VSP-II-encoded genes are not expressed under standard laboratory conditions, suggesting that their induction requires an unknown signal from the host or environment. One signal that bacteria encounter under both host and environmental conditions is metal limitation. While studying V. cholerae's zinc-starvation response in vitro, we noticed that a mutant constitutively expressing zinc starvation genes (Δzur) congregates at the bottom of a culture tube when grown in a nutrient-poor medium. Using transposon mutagenesis, we found that flagellar motility, chemotaxis, and VSP-II encoded genes were required for congregation. The VSP-II genes encode an AraC-like transcriptional activator (VerA) and a methyl-accepting chemotaxis protein (AerB). Using RNA-seq and lacZ transcriptional reporters, we show that VerA is a novel Zur target and an activator of the nearby AerB chemoreceptor. AerB interfaces with the chemotaxis system to drive oxygen-dependent congregation and energy taxis. Importantly, this work suggests a functional link between VSP-II, zinc-starved environments, and energy taxis, yielding insights into the role of VSP-II in a metal-limited host or aquatic reservoir.
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11
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Bhandari M, Jennison AV, Rathnayake IU, Huygens F. Evolution, distribution and genetics of atypical Vibrio cholerae - A review. INFECTION GENETICS AND EVOLUTION 2021; 89:104726. [PMID: 33482361 DOI: 10.1016/j.meegid.2021.104726] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/09/2020] [Revised: 01/07/2021] [Accepted: 01/15/2021] [Indexed: 12/21/2022]
Abstract
Vibrio cholerae is the etiological agent of cholera, a severe diarrheal disease, which can occur as either an epidemic or sporadic disease. Cholera pandemic-causing V. cholerae O1 and O139 serogroups originated from the Indian subcontinent and spread globally and millions of lives are lost each year, mainly in developing and underdeveloped countries due to this disease. V. cholerae O1 is further classified as classical and El Tor biotype which can produce biotype specific cholera toxin (CT). Since 1961, the current seventh pandemic El Tor strains replaced the sixth pandemic strains resulting in the classical biotype strain that produces classical CT. The ongoing evolution of Atypical El Tor V. cholerae srains encoding classical CT is of global concern. The severity in the pathophysiology of these Atypical El Tor strains is significantly higher than El Tor or classical strains. Pathogenesis of V. cholerae is a complex process that involves coordinated expression of different sets of virulence-associated genes to cause disease. We are yet to understand the complete virulence profile of V. cholerae, including direct and indirect expression of genes involved in its survival and stress adaptation in the host. In recent years, whole genome sequencing has paved the way for better understanding of the evolution and strain distribution, outbreak identification and pathogen surveillance for the implementation of direct infection control measures in the clinic against many infectious pathogens including V. cholerae. This review provides a synopsis of recent studies that have contributed to the understanding of the evolution, distribution and genetics of the seventh pandemic Atypical El Tor V. cholerae strains.
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Affiliation(s)
- Murari Bhandari
- Institute of Health and Biomedical Innovation, Queensland University of Technology, Brisbane, QLD, Australia; Public Health Microbiology, Forensic and Scientific Services, Queensland Department of Health, Brisbane, QLD, Australia
| | - Amy V Jennison
- Public Health Microbiology, Forensic and Scientific Services, Queensland Department of Health, Brisbane, QLD, Australia
| | - Irani U Rathnayake
- Public Health Microbiology, Forensic and Scientific Services, Queensland Department of Health, Brisbane, QLD, Australia
| | - Flavia Huygens
- Institute of Health and Biomedical Innovation, Queensland University of Technology, Brisbane, QLD, Australia.
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12
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Abstract
Prophages are nearly ubiquitous in bacterial species. These integrated phage elements have previously been implicated in horizontal gene transfer (HGT) largely through their ability to carry out transduction (generalized or specialized). Here, we show that prophage-encoded viral particles promote neighbor predation leading to enhanced HGT by natural transformation in the waterborne pathogen Vibrio cholerae. Our findings contribute to a comprehensive understanding of the dynamic forces involved in prophage maintenance which ultimately drive the evolution of naturally competent bacteria in their natural environment. Natural transformation is a broadly conserved mechanism of horizontal gene transfer (HGT) in bacteria that can shape their evolution through the acquisition of genes that promote virulence, antibiotic resistance, and other traits. Recent work has established that neighbor predation via type VI secretion systems, bacteriocins, and virulent phages plays an important role in promoting HGT. Here, we demonstrate that in chitin estuary microcosms, Vibrio cholerae K139 lysogens exhibit prophage-dependent neighbor predation of nonlysogens to enhance HGT. Through predation of nonlysogens, K139 lysogens also have a fitness advantage under these microcosm conditions. The ecological strategy revealed by our work provides a better understanding of the evolutionary mechanisms used by bacteria to adapt in their natural setting and contributes to our understanding of the selective pressures that may drive prophage maintenance in bacterial genomes. IMPORTANCE Prophages are nearly ubiquitous in bacterial species. These integrated phage elements have previously been implicated in horizontal gene transfer (HGT) largely through their ability to carry out transduction (generalized or specialized). Here, we show that prophage-encoded viral particles promote neighbor predation leading to enhanced HGT by natural transformation in the waterborne pathogen Vibrio cholerae. Our findings contribute to a comprehensive understanding of the dynamic forces involved in prophage maintenance which ultimately drive the evolution of naturally competent bacteria in their natural environment.
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13
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Wallace MJ, Fishbein SRS, Dantas G. Antimicrobial resistance in enteric bacteria: current state and next-generation solutions. Gut Microbes 2020; 12:1799654. [PMID: 32772817 PMCID: PMC7524338 DOI: 10.1080/19490976.2020.1799654] [Citation(s) in RCA: 22] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/03/2023] Open
Abstract
Antimicrobial resistance is one of the largest threats to global health and imposes substantial burdens in terms of morbidity, mortality, and economic costs. The gut is a key conduit for the genesis and spread of antimicrobial resistance in enteric bacterial pathogens. Distinct bacterial species that cause enteric disease can exist as invasive enteropathogens that immediately evoke gastrointestinal distress, or pathobionts that can arise from established bacterial commensals to inflict dysbiosis and disease. Furthermore, various environmental reservoirs and stressors facilitate the evolution and transmission of resistance. In this review, we present a comprehensive discussion on circulating resistance profiles and gene mobilization strategies of the most problematic species of enteric bacterial pathogens. Importantly, we present emerging approaches toward surveillance of pathogens and their resistance elements as well as promising treatment strategies that can circumvent common resistance mechanisms.
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Affiliation(s)
- M. J. Wallace
- Department of Pathology & Immunology, Division of Laboratory and Genomic Medicine, Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis, St. Louis, MO, USA,The Edison Family Center for Genome Sciences and Systems Biology, Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis, St. Louis, MO, USA
| | - S. R. S. Fishbein
- Department of Pathology & Immunology, Division of Laboratory and Genomic Medicine, Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis, St. Louis, MO, USA,The Edison Family Center for Genome Sciences and Systems Biology, Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis, St. Louis, MO, USA
| | - G. Dantas
- Department of Pathology & Immunology, Division of Laboratory and Genomic Medicine, Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis, St. Louis, MO, USA,The Edison Family Center for Genome Sciences and Systems Biology, Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis, St. Louis, MO, USA,Department of Molecular Microbiology, Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis, St. Louis, MO, USA,Department of Biomedical Engineering, Washington University in St. Louis, St. Louis, MO, USA,CONTACT G. Dantas Department of Pathology & Immunology, Division of Laboratory and Genomic Medicine, Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis, St. Louis, MO
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14
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Drebes Dörr NC, Blokesch M. Interbacterial competition and anti-predatory behaviour of environmental Vibrio cholerae strains. Environ Microbiol 2020; 22:4485-4504. [PMID: 32885535 PMCID: PMC7702109 DOI: 10.1111/1462-2920.15224] [Citation(s) in RCA: 20] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/23/2020] [Revised: 08/31/2020] [Accepted: 09/01/2020] [Indexed: 12/21/2022]
Abstract
Vibrio cholerae isolates responsible for cholera pandemics represent only a small portion of the diverse strains belonging to this species. Indeed, most V. cholerae are encountered in aquatic environments. To better understand the emergence of pandemic lineages, it is crucial to discern what differentiates pandemic strains from their environmental relatives. Here, we studied the interaction of environmental V. cholerae with eukaryotic predators or competing bacteria and tested the contributions of the haemolysin and the type VI secretion system (T6SS) to those interactions. Both of these molecular weapons are constitutively active in environmental isolates but subject to tight regulation in the pandemic clade. We showed that several environmental isolates resist amoebal grazing and that this anti‐grazing defense relies on the strains' T6SS and its actincross‐linking domain (ACD)‐containing tip protein. Strains lacking the ACD were unable to defend themselves against grazing amoebae but maintained high levels of T6SS‐dependent interbacterial killing. We explored the latter phenotype through whole‐genome sequencing of 14 isolates, which unveiled a wide array of novel T6SS effector and (orphan) immunity proteins. By combining these in silico predictions with experimental validations, we showed that highly similar but non‐identical immunity proteins were insufficient to provide cross‐immunity among those wild strains.
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Affiliation(s)
- Natália C Drebes Dörr
- Laboratory of Molecular Microbiology, Global Health Institute, School of Life Sciences, École Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne (EPFL), Lausanne, CH-1015, Switzerland
| | - Melanie Blokesch
- Laboratory of Molecular Microbiology, Global Health Institute, School of Life Sciences, École Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne (EPFL), Lausanne, CH-1015, Switzerland
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15
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Stutzmann S, Blokesch M. Comparison of chitin-induced natural transformation in pandemic Vibrio cholerae O1 El Tor strains. Environ Microbiol 2020; 22:4149-4166. [PMID: 32860313 PMCID: PMC7693049 DOI: 10.1111/1462-2920.15214] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/20/2020] [Revised: 08/23/2020] [Accepted: 08/25/2020] [Indexed: 12/23/2022]
Abstract
The human pathogen Vibrio cholerae serves as a model organism for many important processes ranging from pathogenesis to natural transformation, which has been extensively studied in this bacterium. Previous work has deciphered important regulatory circuits involved in natural competence induction as well as mechanistic details related to its DNA acquisition and uptake potential. However, since competence was first reported for V. cholerae in 2005, many researchers have struggled with reproducibility in certain strains. In this study, we therefore compare prominent seventh pandemic V. cholerae isolates, namely strains A1552, N16961, C6706, C6709, E7946, P27459, and the close relative MO10, for their natural transformability and decipher underlying defects that mask the high degree of competence conservation. Through a combination of experimental approaches and comparative genomics based on new whole-genome sequences and de novo assemblies, we identify several strain-specific defects, mostly in genes that encode key players in quorum sensing. Moreover, we provide evidence that most of these deficiencies might have recently occurred through laboratory domestication events or through the acquisition of mobile genetic elements. Lastly, we highlight that differing experimental approaches between research groups might explain more of the variations than strain-specific alterations.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sandrine Stutzmann
- Laboratory of Molecular Microbiology, Global Health InstituteSchool of Life Sciences, Ecole Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne (EPFL)LausanneCH‐1015Switzerland
| | - Melanie Blokesch
- Laboratory of Molecular Microbiology, Global Health InstituteSchool of Life Sciences, Ecole Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne (EPFL)LausanneCH‐1015Switzerland
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16
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Ma AT, Tyrell B, Beld J. Specificity of cobamide remodeling, uptake and utilization in Vibrio cholerae. Mol Microbiol 2019; 113:89-102. [PMID: 31609521 DOI: 10.1111/mmi.14402] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 10/11/2019] [Indexed: 12/11/2022]
Abstract
Cobamides are a group of compounds including vitamin B12 that can vary at the lower base position of the nucleotide loop. They are synthesized de novo by only a subset of prokaryotes, but some organisms encode partial biosynthesis pathways for converting one variant to another (remodeling) or completing biosynthesis from an intermediate (corrinoid salvaging). Here, we explore the cobamide specificity in Vibrio cholerae through examination of three natural variants representing major cobamide groups: commercially available cobalamin, and isolated pseudocobalamin and p-cresolylcobamide. We show that BtuB, the outer membrane corrinoid transporter, mediates the uptake of all three variants and the intermediate cobinamide. Our previous work suggested that V. cholerae could convert pseudocobalamin produced by cyanobacteria into cobalamin. In this work, cobamide specificity in V. cholerae is demonstrated by remodeling of pseudocobalamin and salvaging of cobinamide to produce cobalamin. Cobamide remodeling in V. cholerae is distinct from the canonical pathway requiring amidohydrolase CbiZ, and heterologous expression of V. cholerae CobS was sufficient for remodeling. Furthermore, function of V. cholerae cobamide-dependent methionine synthase MetH was robustly supported by cobalamin and p-cresolylcobamide, but not pseudocobalamin. Notably, the inability of V. cholerae to produce and utilize pseudocobalamin contrasts with enteric bacteria like Salmonella.
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Affiliation(s)
- Amy T Ma
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, Drexel University College of Medicine, Philadelphia, PA, 19102, USA
| | - Breanna Tyrell
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, Drexel University College of Medicine, Philadelphia, PA, 19102, USA
| | - Joris Beld
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, Drexel University College of Medicine, Philadelphia, PA, 19102, USA
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17
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Matthey N, Stutzmann S, Stoudmann C, Guex N, Iseli C, Blokesch M. Neighbor predation linked to natural competence fosters the transfer of large genomic regions in Vibrio cholerae. eLife 2019; 8:e48212. [PMID: 31478834 PMCID: PMC6783263 DOI: 10.7554/elife.48212] [Citation(s) in RCA: 37] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/05/2019] [Accepted: 09/03/2019] [Indexed: 01/28/2023] Open
Abstract
Natural competence for transformation is a primary mode of horizontal gene transfer. Competent bacteria are able to absorb free DNA from their surroundings and exchange this DNA against pieces of their own genome when sufficiently homologous. However, the prevalence of non-degraded DNA with sufficient coding capacity is not well understood. In this context, we previously showed that naturally competent Vibrio cholerae use their type VI secretion system (T6SS) to actively acquire DNA from non-kin neighbors. Here, we explored the conditions of the DNA released through T6SS-mediated killing versus passive cell lysis and the extent of the transfers that occur due to these conditions. We show that competent V. cholerae acquire DNA fragments with a length exceeding 150 kbp in a T6SS-dependent manner. Collectively, our data support the notion that the environmental lifestyle of V. cholerae fosters the exchange of genetic material with sufficient coding capacity to significantly accelerate bacterial evolution.
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Affiliation(s)
- Noémie Matthey
- Laboratory of Molecular Microbiology, Global Health Institute, School of Life SciencesEcole Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne (Swiss Federal Institute of Technology Lausanne; EPFL)LausanneSwitzerland
| | - Sandrine Stutzmann
- Laboratory of Molecular Microbiology, Global Health Institute, School of Life SciencesEcole Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne (Swiss Federal Institute of Technology Lausanne; EPFL)LausanneSwitzerland
| | - Candice Stoudmann
- Laboratory of Molecular Microbiology, Global Health Institute, School of Life SciencesEcole Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne (Swiss Federal Institute of Technology Lausanne; EPFL)LausanneSwitzerland
| | - Nicolas Guex
- Swiss Institute of BioinformaticsLausanneSwitzerland
| | | | - Melanie Blokesch
- Laboratory of Molecular Microbiology, Global Health Institute, School of Life SciencesEcole Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne (Swiss Federal Institute of Technology Lausanne; EPFL)LausanneSwitzerland
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18
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Hernández-Cabanyero C, Lee CT, Tolosa-Enguis V, Sanjuán E, Pajuelo D, Reyes-López F, Tort L, Amaro C. Adaptation to host in Vibrio vulnificus, a zoonotic pathogen that causes septicemia in fish and humans. Environ Microbiol 2019; 21:3118-3139. [PMID: 31206984 DOI: 10.1111/1462-2920.14714] [Citation(s) in RCA: 21] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/03/2019] [Revised: 06/10/2019] [Accepted: 06/10/2019] [Indexed: 12/18/2022]
Abstract
Vibrio vulnificus is a siderophilic pathogen spreading due to global warming. The zoonotic strains constitute a clonal-complex related to fish farms that are distributed worldwide. In this study, we applied a transcriptomic and single gene approach and discover that the zoonotic strains bypassed the iron requirement of the species thanks to the acquisition of two iron-regulated outer membrane proteins (IROMPs) involved in resistance to fish innate immunity. Both proteins have been acquired by horizontal gene transfer and are contributing to the successful spreading of this clonal-complex. We have also discovered that the zoonotic strains express a virulent phenotype in the blood of its main susceptible hosts (iron-overloaded humans and healthy eels) by combining a host-specific protective envelope with the common expression of two toxins (VvhA and RtxA1), one of which (RtxA1) is directly involved in sepsis. Finally, we found that both IROMPs are also present in other fish pathogenic species and have recently been transmitted to the phylogenetic lineage involved in human primary sepsis after raw seafood ingestion. Together our results highlight the potential hazard that the aquaculture industry poses to public health, which is of particular relevance in the context of a warming world.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Chung-Te Lee
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, College of Medicine, National Cheng Kung University, Tainan, Taiwan
| | | | - Eva Sanjuán
- ERI-Biotecmed, University of Valencia, Dr. Moliner, 50, 46100, Valencia, Spain
| | - David Pajuelo
- ERI-Biotecmed, University of Valencia, Dr. Moliner, 50, 46100, Valencia, Spain
| | - Felipe Reyes-López
- Department of Cell Biology, Physiology and Immunology, Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona, 08193, Bellaterra, Spain
| | - Lluis Tort
- Department of Cell Biology, Physiology and Immunology, Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona, 08193, Bellaterra, Spain
| | - Carmen Amaro
- ERI-Biotecmed, University of Valencia, Dr. Moliner, 50, 46100, Valencia, Spain
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19
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Jaskólska M, Stutzmann S, Stoudmann C, Blokesch M. QstR-dependent regulation of natural competence and type VI secretion in Vibrio cholerae. Nucleic Acids Res 2019; 46:10619-10634. [PMID: 30102403 PMCID: PMC6237807 DOI: 10.1093/nar/gky717] [Citation(s) in RCA: 35] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/03/2018] [Accepted: 07/31/2018] [Indexed: 11/17/2022] Open
Abstract
During growth on chitinous surfaces in its natural aquatic environment Vibrio cholerae develops natural competence for transformation and kills neighboring non-immune bacteria using a type VI secretion system (T6SS). Activation of these two phenotypes requires the chitin-induced regulator TfoX, but also integrates signals from quorum sensing via the intermediate regulator QstR, which belongs to the LuxR-type family of regulators. Here, we define the QstR regulon using RNA sequencing. Moreover, by mapping QstR binding sites using chromatin immunoprecipitation coupled with deep sequencing we demonstrate that QstR is a transcription factor that binds upstream of the up- and down-regulated genes. Like other LuxR-type family transcriptional regulators we show that QstR function is dependent on dimerization. However, in contrast to the well-studied LuxR-type biofilm regulator VpsT of V. cholerae, which requires the second messenger c-di-GMP, we show that QstR dimerization and function is c-di-GMP independent. Surprisingly, although ComEA, which is a periplasmic DNA-binding protein essential for transformation, is produced in a QstR-dependent manner, QstR-binding was not detected upstream of comEA suggesting the existence of a further regulatory pathway. Overall, these results provide detailed insights into the function of a key regulator of natural competence and type VI secretion in V. cholerae.
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Affiliation(s)
- Milena Jaskólska
- Laboratory of Molecular Microbiology, Global Health Institute, School of Life Sciences, Ecole Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne (EPFL), CH-1015 Lausanne, Switzerland
| | - Sandrine Stutzmann
- Laboratory of Molecular Microbiology, Global Health Institute, School of Life Sciences, Ecole Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne (EPFL), CH-1015 Lausanne, Switzerland
| | - Candice Stoudmann
- Laboratory of Molecular Microbiology, Global Health Institute, School of Life Sciences, Ecole Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne (EPFL), CH-1015 Lausanne, Switzerland
| | - Melanie Blokesch
- Laboratory of Molecular Microbiology, Global Health Institute, School of Life Sciences, Ecole Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne (EPFL), CH-1015 Lausanne, Switzerland
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20
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Metzger LC, Matthey N, Stoudmann C, Collas EJ, Blokesch M. Ecological implications of gene regulation by TfoX and TfoY among diverse Vibrio species. Environ Microbiol 2019; 21:2231-2247. [PMID: 30761714 PMCID: PMC6618264 DOI: 10.1111/1462-2920.14562] [Citation(s) in RCA: 24] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/08/2018] [Revised: 01/16/2019] [Accepted: 02/10/2019] [Indexed: 01/26/2023]
Abstract
Bacteria of the genus Vibrio are common members of aquatic environments where they compete with other prokaryotes and defend themselves against grazing predators. A macromolecular protein complex called the type VI secretion system (T6SS) is used for both purposes. Previous research showed that the sole T6SS of the human pathogen V. cholerae is induced by extracellular (chitin) or intracellular (low c‐di‐GMP levels) cues and that these cues lead to distinctive signalling pathways for which the proteins TfoX and TfoY serve as master regulators. In this study, we tested whether the TfoX‐ and TfoY‐mediated regulation of T6SS, concomitantly with natural competence or motility, was conserved in non‐cholera Vibrio species, and if so, how these regulators affected the production of individual T6SSs in double‐armed vibrios. We show that, alongside representative competence genes, TfoX regulates at least one T6SS in all tested Vibrio species. TfoY, on the other hand, fostered motility in all vibrios but had a more versatile T6SS response in that it did not foster T6SS‐mediated killing in all tested vibrios. Collectively, our data provide evidence that the TfoX‐ and TfoY‐mediated signalling pathways are mostly conserved in diverse Vibrio species and important for signal‐specific T6SS induction.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lisa C Metzger
- Laboratory of Molecular Microbiology, Global Health Institute, School of Life Sciences, Ecole Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne (EPFL), Lausanne, Switzerland
| | - Noémie Matthey
- Laboratory of Molecular Microbiology, Global Health Institute, School of Life Sciences, Ecole Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne (EPFL), Lausanne, Switzerland
| | - Candice Stoudmann
- Laboratory of Molecular Microbiology, Global Health Institute, School of Life Sciences, Ecole Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne (EPFL), Lausanne, Switzerland
| | - Esther J Collas
- Laboratory of Molecular Microbiology, Global Health Institute, School of Life Sciences, Ecole Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne (EPFL), Lausanne, Switzerland
| | - Melanie Blokesch
- Laboratory of Molecular Microbiology, Global Health Institute, School of Life Sciences, Ecole Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne (EPFL), Lausanne, Switzerland
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21
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Clark DP, Pazdernik NJ, McGehee MR. Bacterial Genetics. Mol Biol 2019. [DOI: 10.1016/b978-0-12-813288-3.00028-8] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/27/2022]
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22
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Klein S, Pipes S, Lovell CR. Occurrence and significance of pathogenicity and fitness islands in environmental vibrios. AMB Express 2018; 8:177. [PMID: 30377851 PMCID: PMC6207609 DOI: 10.1186/s13568-018-0704-2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/16/2018] [Accepted: 10/19/2018] [Indexed: 12/29/2022] Open
Abstract
Pathogenicity islands (PAIs) are large genomic regions that contain virulence genes, which aid pathogens in establishing infections. While PAIs in clinical strains (strains isolated from a human infection) are well-studied, less is known about the occurrence of PAIs in strains isolated from the environment. In this study we describe three PAIs found in environmental Vibrio vulnificus and Vibrio parahaemolyticus strains, as well as a genomic fitness island found in a Vibrio diabolicus strain. All four islands had markedly different GC profiles than the rest of the genome, indicating that all of these islands were acquired via lateral gene transfer. Genes on the PAIs and fitness island were characterized. The PAI found in V. parahaemolyticus contained the tdh gene, a collagenase gene, and genes involved in the type 3 secretion system II (T3SS2). A V. vulnificus environmental strain contained two PAIs, a small 25 kbp PAI and a larger 143 kbp PAI. Both PAIs contained virulence genes. Toxin-antitoxin (TA) genes were found in all three species: on the V. diabolicus fitness island, and on the V. parahaemolyticus and V. vulnificus PAIs.
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Affiliation(s)
- Savannah Klein
- Department of Biological Sciences, University of South Carolina, 715 Sumter St, Room 401, Columbia, SC 29208 USA
| | - Shannon Pipes
- Department of Biological Sciences, University of South Carolina, 715 Sumter St, Room 401, Columbia, SC 29208 USA
| | - Charles R. Lovell
- Department of Biological Sciences, University of South Carolina, 715 Sumter St, Room 401, Columbia, SC 29208 USA
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23
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Terceti MS, Vences A, Matanza XM, Dalsgaard I, Pedersen K, Osorio CR. Molecular Epidemiology of Photobacterium damselae subsp. damselae Outbreaks in Marine Rainbow Trout Farms Reveals Extensive Horizontal Gene Transfer and High Genetic Diversity. Front Microbiol 2018; 9:2155. [PMID: 30283411 PMCID: PMC6156455 DOI: 10.3389/fmicb.2018.02155] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/23/2018] [Accepted: 08/22/2018] [Indexed: 12/13/2022] Open
Abstract
The marine bacterium Photobacterium damselae subsp. damselae is a pathogen for a variety of marine animals, as well as for humans, and is nowadays considered an emerging pathogen for fish of importance in marine aquaculture. Recent studies have suggested that outbreaks in fish farms are caused by multiclonal populations of this subspecies that exist in the environment. Here, we report the study of a collection of 31 strains isolated during the course of disease outbreaks in marine rainbow trout farms in Denmark in 1994, 1995, and 2006, respectively. A phylogenetic analysis based on the toxR gene sequence, and the screening of virulence-related genes uncovered a high genetic heterogeneity, even among strains isolated from the same fish farm at the same time. Moreover, comparative analysis of the whole genome sequences of four selected strains revealed a large number of differentially occurring genes, which included virulence genes, pPHDD1 plasmid, polysaccharide synthesis gene clusters, CRISPR-Cas systems and putative new mobile genetic elements. This study provides sound evidence that P. damselae subsp. damselae outbreaks in Danish rainbow trout farms were caused by multiclonal populations and that horizontal gene transfer constitutes a strong driving force in the generation of intraspecific diversity in this pathogen.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mateus S. Terceti
- Departamento de Microbioloxía e Parasitoloxía, Instituto de Acuicultura, Universidade de Santiago de Compostela, Santiago de Compostela, Spain
| | - Ana Vences
- Departamento de Microbioloxía e Parasitoloxía, Instituto de Acuicultura, Universidade de Santiago de Compostela, Santiago de Compostela, Spain
| | - Xosé M. Matanza
- Departamento de Microbioloxía e Parasitoloxía, Instituto de Acuicultura, Universidade de Santiago de Compostela, Santiago de Compostela, Spain
| | - Inger Dalsgaard
- National Institute of Aquatic Resources, Technical University of Denmark, Kongens Lyngby, Denmark
| | - Karl Pedersen
- National Food Institute, Technical University of Denmark, Kongens Lyngby, Denmark
| | - Carlos R. Osorio
- Departamento de Microbioloxía e Parasitoloxía, Instituto de Acuicultura, Universidade de Santiago de Compostela, Santiago de Compostela, Spain
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Van der Henst C, Vanhove AS, Drebes Dörr NC, Stutzmann S, Stoudmann C, Clerc S, Scrignari T, Maclachlan C, Knott G, Blokesch M. Molecular insights into Vibrio cholerae's intra-amoebal host-pathogen interactions. Nat Commun 2018; 9:3460. [PMID: 30150745 PMCID: PMC6110790 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-018-05976-x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 33] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/16/2017] [Accepted: 08/07/2018] [Indexed: 01/03/2023] Open
Abstract
Vibrio cholerae, which causes the diarrheal disease cholera, is a species of bacteria commonly found in aquatic habitats. Within such environments, the bacterium must defend itself against predatory protozoan grazers. Amoebae are prominent grazers, with Acanthamoeba castellanii being one of the best-studied aquatic amoebae. We previously showed that V. cholerae resists digestion by A. castellanii and establishes a replication niche within the host's osmoregulatory organelle. In this study, we decipher the molecular mechanisms involved in the maintenance of V. cholerae's intra-amoebal replication niche and its ultimate escape from the succumbed host. We demonstrate that minor virulence features important for disease in mammals, such as extracellular enzymes and flagellum-based motility, have a key role in the replication and transmission of V. cholerae in its aqueous environment. This work, therefore, describes new mechanisms that provide the pathogen with a fitness advantage in its primary habitat, which may have contributed to the emergence of these minor virulence factors in the species V. cholerae.
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Affiliation(s)
- Charles Van der Henst
- Laboratory of Molecular Microbiology, Global Health Institute, School of Life Sciences, Station 19, EPFL-SV-UPBLO, Ecole Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne (EPFL), 1015, Lausanne, Switzerland
| | - Audrey Sophie Vanhove
- Laboratory of Molecular Microbiology, Global Health Institute, School of Life Sciences, Station 19, EPFL-SV-UPBLO, Ecole Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne (EPFL), 1015, Lausanne, Switzerland
| | - Natália Carolina Drebes Dörr
- Laboratory of Molecular Microbiology, Global Health Institute, School of Life Sciences, Station 19, EPFL-SV-UPBLO, Ecole Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne (EPFL), 1015, Lausanne, Switzerland
| | - Sandrine Stutzmann
- Laboratory of Molecular Microbiology, Global Health Institute, School of Life Sciences, Station 19, EPFL-SV-UPBLO, Ecole Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne (EPFL), 1015, Lausanne, Switzerland
| | - Candice Stoudmann
- Laboratory of Molecular Microbiology, Global Health Institute, School of Life Sciences, Station 19, EPFL-SV-UPBLO, Ecole Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne (EPFL), 1015, Lausanne, Switzerland
| | - Stéphanie Clerc
- Bioelectron Microscopy Core Facility (BioEM), School of Life Sciences, Station 19, EPFL-SV-PTBIOEM, Ecole Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne (EPFL), 1015, Lausanne, Switzerland
| | - Tiziana Scrignari
- Laboratory of Molecular Microbiology, Global Health Institute, School of Life Sciences, Station 19, EPFL-SV-UPBLO, Ecole Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne (EPFL), 1015, Lausanne, Switzerland
| | - Catherine Maclachlan
- Bioelectron Microscopy Core Facility (BioEM), School of Life Sciences, Station 19, EPFL-SV-PTBIOEM, Ecole Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne (EPFL), 1015, Lausanne, Switzerland
| | - Graham Knott
- Bioelectron Microscopy Core Facility (BioEM), School of Life Sciences, Station 19, EPFL-SV-PTBIOEM, Ecole Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne (EPFL), 1015, Lausanne, Switzerland
| | - Melanie Blokesch
- Laboratory of Molecular Microbiology, Global Health Institute, School of Life Sciences, Station 19, EPFL-SV-UPBLO, Ecole Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne (EPFL), 1015, Lausanne, Switzerland.
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25
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Ambur OH, Engelstädter J, Johnsen PJ, Miller EL, Rozen DE. Steady at the wheel: conservative sex and the benefits of bacterial transformation. Philos Trans R Soc Lond B Biol Sci 2017; 371:rstb.2015.0528. [PMID: 27619692 PMCID: PMC5031613 DOI: 10.1098/rstb.2015.0528] [Citation(s) in RCA: 35] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 05/30/2016] [Indexed: 12/25/2022] Open
Abstract
Many bacteria are highly sexual, but the reasons for their promiscuity remain obscure. Did bacterial sex evolve to maximize diversity and facilitate adaptation in a changing world, or does it instead help to retain the bacterial functions that work right now? In other words, is bacterial sex innovative or conservative? Our aim in this review is to integrate experimental, bioinformatic and theoretical studies to critically evaluate these alternatives, with a main focus on natural genetic transformation, the bacterial equivalent of eukaryotic sexual reproduction. First, we provide a general overview of several hypotheses that have been put forward to explain the evolution of transformation. Next, we synthesize a large body of evidence highlighting the numerous passive and active barriers to transformation that have evolved to protect bacteria from foreign DNA, thereby increasing the likelihood that transformation takes place among clonemates. Our critical review of the existing literature provides support for the view that bacterial transformation is maintained as a means of genomic conservation that provides direct benefits to both individual bacterial cells and to transformable bacterial populations. We examine the generality of this view across bacteria and contrast this explanation with the different evolutionary roles proposed to maintain sex in eukaryotes. This article is part of the themed issue 'Weird sex: the underappreciated diversity of sexual reproduction'.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ole Herman Ambur
- Department of Life Sciences and Health, Oslo and Akershus University College of Applied Sciences, 1478 Oslo, Norway
| | - Jan Engelstädter
- School of Biological Sciences, The University of Queensland, Brisbane, QLD 4072, Australia
| | - Pål J Johnsen
- Faculty of Health Sciences, Department of Pharmacy, UiT-The Arctic University of Norway, 9037 Tromsø, Norway
| | - Eric L Miller
- Faculty of Life Sciences, University of Manchester, Manchester M13 9PL, UK
| | - Daniel E Rozen
- Institute of Biology, Leiden University, 2333 BE Leiden, The Netherlands
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26
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Bonnin-Jusserand M, Copin S, Le Bris C, Brauge T, Gay M, Brisabois A, Grard T, Midelet-Bourdin G. Vibrio species involved in seafood-borne outbreaks (Vibrio cholerae, V. parahaemolyticus and V. vulnificus): Review of microbiological versus recent molecular detection methods in seafood products. Crit Rev Food Sci Nutr 2017; 59:597-610. [DOI: 10.1080/10408398.2017.1384715] [Citation(s) in RCA: 58] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/11/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Maryse Bonnin-Jusserand
- Univ. Littoral Côte d'Opale, convention ANSES, EA 7394 – ICV – Institut Charles Viollette, Boulogne-sur-Mer, France
- INRA, France
- Univ. Lille, Lille, France
- ISA, Lille, France
- Univ. Artois, Arras, France
| | - Stéphanie Copin
- French Agency for Food, Environmental and Occupational Health & Safety (ANSES), Laboratory for Food Safety, Boulevard du Bassin Napoléon, Boulogne-sur-Mer, France
| | - Cédric Le Bris
- Univ. Littoral Côte d'Opale, convention ANSES, EA 7394 – ICV – Institut Charles Viollette, Boulogne-sur-Mer, France
| | - Thomas Brauge
- French Agency for Food, Environmental and Occupational Health & Safety (ANSES), Laboratory for Food Safety, Boulevard du Bassin Napoléon, Boulogne-sur-Mer, France
| | - Mélanie Gay
- French Agency for Food, Environmental and Occupational Health & Safety (ANSES), Laboratory for Food Safety, Boulevard du Bassin Napoléon, Boulogne-sur-Mer, France
| | - Anne Brisabois
- French Agency for Food, Environmental and Occupational Health & Safety (ANSES), Laboratory for Food Safety, Boulevard du Bassin Napoléon, Boulogne-sur-Mer, France
| | - Thierry Grard
- Univ. Littoral Côte d'Opale, convention ANSES, EA 7394 – ICV – Institut Charles Viollette, Boulogne-sur-Mer, France
| | - Graziella Midelet-Bourdin
- French Agency for Food, Environmental and Occupational Health & Safety (ANSES), Laboratory for Food Safety, Boulevard du Bassin Napoléon, Boulogne-sur-Mer, France
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27
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Interbacterial predation as a strategy for DNA acquisition in naturally competent bacteria. Nat Rev Microbiol 2017; 15:621-629. [PMID: 28690319 DOI: 10.1038/nrmicro.2017.66] [Citation(s) in RCA: 66] [Impact Index Per Article: 9.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/30/2022]
Abstract
Natural competence enables bacteria to take up exogenous DNA. The evolutionary function of natural competence remains controversial, as imported DNA can act as a source of substrates or can be integrated into the genome. Exogenous homologous DNA can also be used for genome repair. In this Opinion article, we propose that predation of non-related neighbouring bacteria coupled with competence regulation might function as an active strategy for DNA acquisition. Competence-dependent kin-discriminated killing has been observed in the unrelated bacteria Vibrio cholerae and Streptococcus pneumoniae. Importantly, both the regulatory networks and the mode of action of neighbour predation differ between these organisms, with V. cholerae using a type VI secretion system and S. pneumoniae secreting bacteriocins. We argue that the forced release of DNA from killed bacteria and the transfer of non-clonal genetic material have important roles in bacterial evolution.
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28
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Chowdhury FR, Nur Z, Hassan N, von Seidlein L, Dunachie S. Pandemics, pathogenicity and changing molecular epidemiology of cholera in the era of global warming. Ann Clin Microbiol Antimicrob 2017; 16:10. [PMID: 28270154 PMCID: PMC5341193 DOI: 10.1186/s12941-017-0185-1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 64] [Impact Index Per Article: 9.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/24/2016] [Accepted: 03/01/2017] [Indexed: 12/17/2022] Open
Abstract
Background Vibrio cholerae, a Gram-negative, non-spore forming curved rod is found in diverse aquatic ecosystems around the planet. It is classified according to its major surface antigen into around 206 serogroups, of which O1 and O139 cause epidemic cholera. A recent spatial modelling technique estimated that around 2.86 million cholera cases occur globally every year, and of them approximately 95,000 die. About 1.3 billion people are currently at risk of infection from cholera. Meta-analysis and mathematical modelling have demonstrated that due to global warming the burden of vector-borne diseases like malaria, leishmaniasis, meningococcal meningitis, viral encephalitis, dengue and chikungunya will increase in the coming years in the tropics and beyond. Cholera and climate This review offers an overview of the interplay between global warming and the pathogenicity and epidemiology of V. cholerae. Several distinctive features of cholera survival (optimal thriving at 15% salinity, 30 °C water temperature, and pH 8.5) indicate a possible role of climate change in triggering the epidemic process. Genetic exchange (ctxAB, zot, ace, cep, and orfU) between strains and transduction process allows potential emergence of new toxigenic clones. These processes are probably controlled by precise environmental signals such as optimum temperature, sunlight and osmotic conditions. Environmental influences on phytoplankton growth and chitin remineralization will be discussed alongside the interplay of poor sanitary conditions, overcrowding, improper sewage disposal and global warming in promoting the growth and transmission of this deadly disease. Conclusion The development of an effective early warning system based on climate data could help to prevent and control future outbreaks. It may become possible to integrate real-time monitoring of oceanic regions, climate variability and epidemiological and demographic population dynamics to predict cholera outbreaks and support the design of cost-effective public health strategies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Fazle Rabbi Chowdhury
- Peter Medawar Building for Pathogen Research, University of Oxford, South Parks Road, Oxford, OX1 3SY, UK. .,Centre for Tropical Medicine and Global Health, University of Oxford, Oxford, UK. .,Health Directorate, Dhaka, Bangladesh.
| | - Zannatun Nur
- Yarrawonga Health and Yarrawonga Medical Centre, Yarrawonga, Victoria, 3730, Australia
| | - Nazia Hassan
- Department of Pathology, Dhaka Community Medical College, Dhaka, Bangladesh
| | | | - Susanna Dunachie
- Peter Medawar Building for Pathogen Research, University of Oxford, South Parks Road, Oxford, OX1 3SY, UK.,Centre for Tropical Medicine and Global Health, University of Oxford, Oxford, UK.,Mahidol-Oxford Tropical Medicine Research Unit, Bangkok, Thailand
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29
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Wang Y, Huang JM, Wang SL, Gao ZM, Zhang AQ, Danchin A, He LS. Genomic characterization of symbiotic mycoplasmas from the stomach of deep-sea isopod bathynomus sp. Environ Microbiol 2016; 18:2646-59. [PMID: 27312602 DOI: 10.1111/1462-2920.13411] [Citation(s) in RCA: 33] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/17/2016] [Accepted: 06/06/2016] [Indexed: 01/24/2023]
Abstract
Deep-sea isopod scavengers such as Bathynomus sp. are able to live in nutrient-poor environments, which is likely attributable to the presence of symbiotic microbes in their stomach. In this study we recovered two draft genomes of mycoplasmas, Bg1 and Bg2, from the metagenomes of the stomach contents and stomach sac of a Bathynomus sp. sample from the South China Sea (depth of 898 m). Phylogenetic trees revealed a considerable genetic distance to other mycoplasma species for Bg1 and Bg2. Compared with terrestrial symbiotic mycoplasmas, the Bg1 and Bg2 genomes were enriched with genes encoding phosphoenolpyruvate-dependent phosphotransferase systems (PTSs) and sodium-driven symporters responsible for the uptake of sugars, amino acids and other carbohydrates. The genome of mycoplasma Bg1 contained sialic acid lyase and transporter genes, potentially enabling the bacteria to attach to the stomach sac and obtain organic carbons from various cell walls. Both of the mycoplasma genomes contained multiple copies of genes related to proteolysis and oligosaccharide degradation, which may help the host survive in low-nutrient conditions. The discovery of the different types of mycoplasma bacteria in the stomach of this deep-sea isopod affords insights into symbiotic model of deep-sea animals and genomic plasticity of mycoplasma bacteria.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yong Wang
- Institute of Deep-Sea Science and Engineering, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Sanya, Hainan, China
| | - Jiao-Mei Huang
- Institute of Deep-Sea Science and Engineering, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Sanya, Hainan, China
| | - Shao-Lu Wang
- Institute of Deep-Sea Science and Engineering, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Sanya, Hainan, China
| | - Zhao-Ming Gao
- Institute of Deep-Sea Science and Engineering, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Sanya, Hainan, China
| | - Ai-Qun Zhang
- Institute of Deep-Sea Science and Engineering, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Sanya, Hainan, China
| | - Antoine Danchin
- Hôpital de la Pitié-Salpêtrière, Institute of Cardiometabolism and Nutrition, 47 boulevard de l'Hôpital, Paris, 75013, France
| | - Li-Sheng He
- Institute of Deep-Sea Science and Engineering, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Sanya, Hainan, China
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30
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Fröhlich KS, Papenfort K. Interplay of regulatory RNAs and mobile genetic elements in enteric pathogens. Mol Microbiol 2016; 101:701-13. [DOI: 10.1111/mmi.13428] [Citation(s) in RCA: 20] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 05/24/2016] [Indexed: 12/25/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Kathrin S. Fröhlich
- Department of Biology I, Microbiology; Ludwig-Maximilians-University Munich; 82152 Martinsried Germany
| | - Kai Papenfort
- Department of Biology I, Microbiology; Ludwig-Maximilians-University Munich; 82152 Martinsried Germany
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31
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Circulation of a Quorum-Sensing-Impaired Variant of Vibrio cholerae Strain C6706 Masks Important Phenotypes. mSphere 2016; 1:mSphere00098-16. [PMID: 27303743 PMCID: PMC4888887 DOI: 10.1128/msphere.00098-16] [Citation(s) in RCA: 22] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/15/2016] [Accepted: 05/04/2016] [Indexed: 01/09/2023] Open
Abstract
Phenotypic diversity between laboratory-domesticated bacterial strains is a common problem and often results in the failed reproduction of published data. However, researchers rarely compare such strains to elucidate the underlying mutation(s). In this study, we tested one of the best-studied V. cholerae isolates, O1 El Tor strain C6706 (a patient isolate from Peru), with respect to two main phenotypes: natural competence for transformation and type VI secretion. We recently demonstrated that the two phenotypes are coregulated and specifically induced upon the growth of pandemic V. cholerae O1 El Tor strains on chitinous surfaces. We provide evidence that of seven C6706 strains collected from different laboratories, four were impaired in the tested phenotypes due to a mutation in a QS gene. Collectively, our data indicate that the circulation of such a mutated wild-type strain of C6706 might have had important consequences for QS-related data. Vibrio cholerae, the causative agent of cholera, is a model organism for studying virulence regulation, biofilm formation, horizontal gene transfer, and the cell-to-cell communication known as quorum sensing (QS). As in any research field, discrepancies between data from diverse laboratories are sometimes observed for V. cholerae. Such discrepancies are often caused by the use of diverse patient or environmental isolates. In this study, we investigated the inability of a few laboratories to reproduce high levels of natural transformation, a mode of horizontal gene transfer that is specifically induced on chitinous surfaces. This irreproducibility was mostly related to one specific isolate of V. cholerae: the O1 El Tor C6706 strain. C6706 was previously described as QS proficient, an important prerequisite for the induction of natural competence for transformation. To elucidate the underlying problem, we collected seven isolates of the same C6706 strain from different research laboratories in North America and Europe and compared their phenotypes. Importantly, we observed a split response with respect to QS-related gene expression, including chitin-induced natural competence and type VI secretion (T6S). While approximately half of the strains behaved as reported for several other O1 El Tor pandemic isolates that are commonly studied in the laboratory, the other half were significantly impaired in QS-related expression patterns. This impairment was caused by a mutation in a QS-related gene (luxO). We conclude that the circulation of such QS-impaired wild-type strains is responsible for masking several important phenotypes of V. cholerae, including natural competence for transformation and T6S. IMPORTANCE Phenotypic diversity between laboratory-domesticated bacterial strains is a common problem and often results in the failed reproduction of published data. However, researchers rarely compare such strains to elucidate the underlying mutation(s). In this study, we tested one of the best-studied V. cholerae isolates, O1 El Tor strain C6706 (a patient isolate from Peru), with respect to two main phenotypes: natural competence for transformation and type VI secretion. We recently demonstrated that the two phenotypes are coregulated and specifically induced upon the growth of pandemic V. cholerae O1 El Tor strains on chitinous surfaces. We provide evidence that of seven C6706 strains collected from different laboratories, four were impaired in the tested phenotypes due to a mutation in a QS gene. Collectively, our data indicate that the circulation of such a mutated wild-type strain of C6706 might have had important consequences for QS-related data.
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32
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Metzger LC, Stutzmann S, Scrignari T, Van der Henst C, Matthey N, Blokesch M. Independent Regulation of Type VI Secretion in Vibrio cholerae by TfoX and TfoY. Cell Rep 2016; 15:951-958. [PMID: 27117415 PMCID: PMC4858559 DOI: 10.1016/j.celrep.2016.03.092] [Citation(s) in RCA: 52] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/21/2015] [Revised: 02/16/2016] [Accepted: 03/27/2016] [Indexed: 11/30/2022] Open
Abstract
Type VI secretion systems (T6SSs) are nanomachines used for interbacterial killing and intoxication of eukaryotes. Although Vibrio cholerae is a model organism for structural studies on T6SSs, the underlying regulatory network is less understood. A recent study showed that the T6SS is part of the natural competence regulon in V. cholerae and is activated by the regulator TfoX. Here, we identify the TfoX homolog TfoY as a second activator of the T6SS. Importantly, despite inducing the same T6SS core machinery, the overall regulons differ significantly for TfoX and TfoY. We show that TfoY does not contribute to competence induction. Instead, TfoY drives the production of T6SS-dependent and T6SS-independent toxins, together with an increased motility phenotype. Hence, we conclude that V. cholerae uses its sole T6SS in response to diverse cues and for distinctive outcomes: either to kill for the prey’s DNA, leading to horizontal gene transfer, or as part of a defensive escape reaction. The type VI secretion system (T6SS) of V. cholerae is activated by TfoX and TfoY Both regulators aim at different phenotypic outcomes TfoY drives the production of T6SS-dependent and T6SS-independent toxins The absence of TfoY severely impairs constitutive T6SS activity in strain V52
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Affiliation(s)
- Lisa C Metzger
- Laboratory of Molecular Microbiology, Global Health Institute, School of Life Sciences, Ecole Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne (EPFL), 1015 Lausanne, Switzerland
| | - Sandrine Stutzmann
- Laboratory of Molecular Microbiology, Global Health Institute, School of Life Sciences, Ecole Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne (EPFL), 1015 Lausanne, Switzerland
| | - Tiziana Scrignari
- Laboratory of Molecular Microbiology, Global Health Institute, School of Life Sciences, Ecole Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne (EPFL), 1015 Lausanne, Switzerland
| | - Charles Van der Henst
- Laboratory of Molecular Microbiology, Global Health Institute, School of Life Sciences, Ecole Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne (EPFL), 1015 Lausanne, Switzerland
| | - Noémie Matthey
- Laboratory of Molecular Microbiology, Global Health Institute, School of Life Sciences, Ecole Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne (EPFL), 1015 Lausanne, Switzerland
| | - Melanie Blokesch
- Laboratory of Molecular Microbiology, Global Health Institute, School of Life Sciences, Ecole Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne (EPFL), 1015 Lausanne, Switzerland.
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Siboni N, Balaraju V, Carney R, Labbate M, Seymour JR. Spatiotemporal Dynamics of Vibrio spp. within the Sydney Harbour Estuary. Front Microbiol 2016; 7:460. [PMID: 27148171 PMCID: PMC4829023 DOI: 10.3389/fmicb.2016.00460] [Citation(s) in RCA: 47] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/19/2015] [Accepted: 03/21/2016] [Indexed: 01/22/2023] Open
Abstract
Vibrio are a genus of marine bacteria that have substantial environmental and human health importance, and there is evidence that their impact may be increasing as a consequence of changing environmental conditions. We investigated the abundance and composition of the Vibrio community within the Sydney Harbour estuary, one of the most densely populated coastal areas in Australia, and a region currently experiencing rapidly changing environmental conditions. Using quantitative PCR (qPCR) and Vibrio-specific 16S rRNA amplicon sequencing approaches we observed significant spatial and seasonal variation in the abundance and composition of the Vibrio community. Total Vibrio spp. abundance, derived from qPCR analysis, was higher during the late summer than winter and within locations with mid-range salinity (5-26 ppt). In addition we targeted three clinically important pathogens: Vibrio cholerae, V. Vulnificus, and V. parahaemolyticus. While toxigenic strains of V. cholerae were not detected in any samples, non-toxigenic strains were detected in 71% of samples, spanning a salinity range of 0-37 ppt and were observed during both late summer and winter. In contrast, pathogenic V. vulnificus was only detected in 14% of samples, with its occurrence restricted to the late summer and a salinity range of 5-26 ppt. V. parahaemolyticus was not observed at any site or time point. A Vibrio-specific 16S rRNA amplicon sequencing approach revealed clear shifts in Vibrio community composition across sites and between seasons, with several Vibrio operational taxonomic units (OTUs) displaying marked spatial patterns and seasonal trends. Shifts in the composition of the Vibrio community between seasons were primarily driven by changes in temperature, salinity and NO2, while a range of factors including pH, salinity, dissolved oxygen (DO) and NOx (Nitrogen Oxides) explained the observed spatial variation. Our evidence for the presence of a spatiotemporally dynamic Vibrio community within Sydney Harbour is notable given the high levels of human use of this waterway, and the significant increases in seawater temperature predicted for this region.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nachshon Siboni
- Plant Functional Biology and Climate Change Cluster, University of Technology Sydney, UltimoNSW, Australia
| | - Varunan Balaraju
- Plant Functional Biology and Climate Change Cluster, University of Technology Sydney, UltimoNSW, Australia
- School of Life Sciences, The ithree institute, University of Technology Sydney, UltimoNSW, Australia
| | - Richard Carney
- Plant Functional Biology and Climate Change Cluster, University of Technology Sydney, UltimoNSW, Australia
| | - Maurizio Labbate
- School of Life Sciences, The ithree institute, University of Technology Sydney, UltimoNSW, Australia
| | - Justin R. Seymour
- Plant Functional Biology and Climate Change Cluster, University of Technology Sydney, UltimoNSW, Australia
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