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Jin T. Exploring the role of bacterial virulence factors and host elements in septic arthritis: insights from animal models for innovative therapies. Front Microbiol 2024; 15:1356982. [PMID: 38410388 PMCID: PMC10895065 DOI: 10.3389/fmicb.2024.1356982] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/16/2023] [Accepted: 01/18/2024] [Indexed: 02/28/2024] Open
Abstract
Septic arthritis, characterized as one of the most aggressive joint diseases, is primarily attributed to Staphylococcus aureus (S. aureus) and often results from hematogenous dissemination. Even with prompt treatment, septic arthritis frequently inflicts irreversible joint damage, leading to sustained joint dysfunction in a significant proportion of patients. Despite the unsatisfactory outcomes, current therapeutic approaches for septic arthritis have remained stagnant for decades. In the clinical context, devising innovative strategies to mitigate joint damage necessitates a profound comprehension of the pivotal disease mechanisms. This entails unraveling how bacterial virulence factors interact with host elements to facilitate bacterial invasion into the joint and identifying the principal drivers of joint damage. Leveraging animal models of septic arthritis emerges as a potent tool to achieve these objectives. This review provides a comprehensive overview of the historical evolution and recent advancements in septic arthritis models. Additionally, we address practical considerations regarding experimental protocols. Furthermore, we delve into the utility of these animal models, such as their contribution to the discovery of novel bacterial virulence factors and host elements that play pivotal roles in the initiation and progression of septic arthritis. Finally, we summarize the latest developments in novel therapeutic strategies against septic arthritis, leveraging insights gained from these unique animal models.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tao Jin
- Department of Rheumatology and Inflammation Research, Institute of Medicine, Sahlgrenska Academy, University of Gothenburg, Gothenburg, Sweden
- Department of Rheumatology, Sahlgrenska University Hospital, Gothenburg, Sweden
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2
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Hu Z, Kopparapu PK, Ebner P, Mohammad M, Lind S, Jarneborn A, Dahlgren C, Schultz M, Deshmukh M, Pullerits R, Nega M, Nguyen MT, Fei Y, Forsman H, Götz F, Jin T. Phenol-soluble modulin α and β display divergent roles in mice with staphylococcal septic arthritis. Commun Biol 2022; 5:910. [PMID: 36065015 PMCID: PMC9445034 DOI: 10.1038/s42003-022-03839-2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/10/2022] [Accepted: 08/12/2022] [Indexed: 11/17/2022] Open
Abstract
Phenol-soluble modulin α (PSMα) is identified as potent virulence factors in Staphylococcus aureus (S. aureus) infections. Very little is known about the role of PSMβ which belongs to the same toxin family. Here we compared the role of PSMs in S. aureus-induced septic arthritis in a murine model using three isogenic S. aureus strains differing in the expression of PSMs (Newman, Δpsmα, and Δpsmβ). The effects of PSMs on neutrophil NADPH-oxidase activity were determined in vitro. We show that the PSMα activates neutrophils via the formyl peptide receptor (FPR) 2 and reduces their NADPH-oxidase activity in response to the phorbol ester PMA. Despite being a poor neutrophil activator, PSMβ has the ability to reduce the neutrophil activating effect of PSMα and to partly reverse the effect of PSMα on the neutrophil response to PMA. Mice infected with S. aureus lacking PSMα had better weight development and lower bacterial burden in the kidneys compared to mice infected with the parental strain, whereas mice infected with bacteria lacking PSMβ strain developed more severe septic arthritis accompanied with higher IL-6 and KC. We conclude that PSMα and PSMβ play distinct roles in septic arthritis: PSMα aggravates systemic infection, whereas PSMβ protects arthritis development. Phenol-soluble modulin α and β display divergent roles in staphylococcal infection and its associated septic arthritis - whereas PSMα is a virulence factor for neutrophils that worsens infection, PSMβ protects from the development of septic arthritis.
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Affiliation(s)
- Zhicheng Hu
- Department of Rheumatology and Inflammation Research, Institute of Medicine, Sahlgrenska Academy, University of Gothenburg, Gothenburg, Sweden.,Center for Clinical Laboratories, the Affiliated Hospital of Guizhou Medical University, Guiyang, China
| | - Pradeep Kumar Kopparapu
- Department of Rheumatology and Inflammation Research, Institute of Medicine, Sahlgrenska Academy, University of Gothenburg, Gothenburg, Sweden
| | - Patrick Ebner
- Department of Microbial Genetics, Interfaculty Institute of Microbiology and Infection Medicine Tübingen (IMIT), University of Tübingen, Tübingen, Germany
| | - Majd Mohammad
- Department of Rheumatology and Inflammation Research, Institute of Medicine, Sahlgrenska Academy, University of Gothenburg, Gothenburg, Sweden
| | - Simon Lind
- Department of Rheumatology and Inflammation Research, Institute of Medicine, Sahlgrenska Academy, University of Gothenburg, Gothenburg, Sweden
| | - Anders Jarneborn
- Department of Rheumatology and Inflammation Research, Institute of Medicine, Sahlgrenska Academy, University of Gothenburg, Gothenburg, Sweden.,Department of Rheumatology, Sahlgrenska University Hospital, Gothenburg, Sweden
| | - Claes Dahlgren
- Department of Rheumatology and Inflammation Research, Institute of Medicine, Sahlgrenska Academy, University of Gothenburg, Gothenburg, Sweden
| | - Michelle Schultz
- Department of Rheumatology and Inflammation Research, Institute of Medicine, Sahlgrenska Academy, University of Gothenburg, Gothenburg, Sweden
| | - Meghshree Deshmukh
- Department of Rheumatology and Inflammation Research, Institute of Medicine, Sahlgrenska Academy, University of Gothenburg, Gothenburg, Sweden
| | - Rille Pullerits
- Department of Rheumatology and Inflammation Research, Institute of Medicine, Sahlgrenska Academy, University of Gothenburg, Gothenburg, Sweden.,Department of Clinical Immunology and Transfusion Medicine, Sahlgrenska University Hospital, Gothenburg, Sweden
| | - Mulugeta Nega
- Department of Microbial Genetics, Interfaculty Institute of Microbiology and Infection Medicine Tübingen (IMIT), University of Tübingen, Tübingen, Germany
| | - Minh-Thu Nguyen
- Institute of Medical Microbiology, University Hospital of Münster, Münster, Germany
| | - Ying Fei
- Center for Clinical Laboratories, the Affiliated Hospital of Guizhou Medical University, Guiyang, China
| | - Huamei Forsman
- Department of Rheumatology and Inflammation Research, Institute of Medicine, Sahlgrenska Academy, University of Gothenburg, Gothenburg, Sweden
| | - Friedrich Götz
- Department of Microbial Genetics, Interfaculty Institute of Microbiology and Infection Medicine Tübingen (IMIT), University of Tübingen, Tübingen, Germany
| | - Tao Jin
- Department of Rheumatology and Inflammation Research, Institute of Medicine, Sahlgrenska Academy, University of Gothenburg, Gothenburg, Sweden. .,Department of Rheumatology, Sahlgrenska University Hospital, Gothenburg, Sweden.
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3
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Na M, Hu Z, Mohammad M, Stroparo MDN, Ali A, Fei Y, Jarneborn A, Verhamme P, Schneewind O, Missiakas D, Jin T. The Expression of von Willebrand Factor-Binding Protein Determines Joint-Invading Capacity of Staphylococcus aureus, a Core Mechanism of Septic Arthritis. mBio 2020; 11:e02472-20. [PMID: 33203754 PMCID: PMC7683397 DOI: 10.1128/mbio.02472-20] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/01/2020] [Accepted: 10/14/2020] [Indexed: 12/20/2022] Open
Abstract
Septic arthritis, one of the most dangerous joint diseases, is predominantly caused by Staphylococcus aureus In contrast, coagulase-negative staphylococci are rarely found in septic arthritis. We hypothesize that coagulases released by S. aureus, including coagulase (Coa) and von Willebrand factor-binding protein (vWbp), play potent roles in the induction of septic arthritis. Four isogenic S. aureus strains differing in expression of coagulases (wild-type [WT] Newman, Δcoa, Δvwb, and Δcoa Δvwb) were used to induce septic arthritis in both wild-type and von Willebrand factor (vWF)-deficient mice. Septic arthritis severity was greatly reduced when wild-type mice were infected with the Δcoa Δvwb and Δvwb variants compared to WT or Δcoa strains, suggesting that vWbp rather than Coa is a major virulence factor in S. aureus septic arthritis. vWF-deficient mice were more susceptible to bone damage in septic arthritis, especially when the Δvwb strain was used. Importantly, no difference in arthritis severity between the Δvwb and WT strains was observed in vWF-deficient mice. Collectively, we conclude that vWbp production by S. aureus enhances staphylococcal septic arthritis.IMPORTANCE Septic arthritis remains one of the most dangerous joint diseases with a rapidly progressive disease character. Despite advances in the use of antibiotics, permanent reductions in joint function due to joint deformation and deleterious contractures occur in up to 50% of patients with septic arthritis. So far, it is still largely unknown how S. aureus initiates and establishes joint infection. Here, we demonstrate that von Willebrand factor-binding protein expressed by S. aureus facilitates the initiation of septic arthritis. Such effect might be mediated through its interaction with a host factor (von Willebrand factor). Our finding contributes significantly to the full understanding of septic arthritis etiology and will pave the way for new therapeutic modalities for this devastating disease.
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Affiliation(s)
- Manli Na
- Department of Rheumatology and Inflammation Research, Institution of Medicine, Sahlgrenska Academy at University of Gothenburg, Gothenburg, Sweden
| | - Zhicheng Hu
- Department of Rheumatology and Inflammation Research, Institution of Medicine, Sahlgrenska Academy at University of Gothenburg, Gothenburg, Sweden
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, The Affiliated Hospital of Guizhou Medical University, Guiyang, China
| | - Majd Mohammad
- Department of Rheumatology and Inflammation Research, Institution of Medicine, Sahlgrenska Academy at University of Gothenburg, Gothenburg, Sweden
| | - Mariana do Nascimento Stroparo
- Department of Rheumatology and Inflammation Research, Institution of Medicine, Sahlgrenska Academy at University of Gothenburg, Gothenburg, Sweden
| | - Abukar Ali
- Department of Rheumatology and Inflammation Research, Institution of Medicine, Sahlgrenska Academy at University of Gothenburg, Gothenburg, Sweden
| | - Ying Fei
- Department of Rheumatology and Inflammation Research, Institution of Medicine, Sahlgrenska Academy at University of Gothenburg, Gothenburg, Sweden
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, The Affiliated Hospital of Guizhou Medical University, Guiyang, China
| | - Anders Jarneborn
- Department of Rheumatology and Inflammation Research, Institution of Medicine, Sahlgrenska Academy at University of Gothenburg, Gothenburg, Sweden
- Department of Rheumatology, Sahlgrenska University Hospital, Gothenburg, Sweden
| | - Peter Verhamme
- Center for Molecular and Vascular Biology, Department of Cardiovascular Sciences, University of Leuven, Leuven, Belgium
| | - Olaf Schneewind
- Department of Microbiology, University of Chicago, Chicago, Illinois, USA
| | | | - Tao Jin
- Department of Rheumatology and Inflammation Research, Institution of Medicine, Sahlgrenska Academy at University of Gothenburg, Gothenburg, Sweden
- Department of Rheumatology, Sahlgrenska University Hospital, Gothenburg, Sweden
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4
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Marathe NP, Berglund F, Razavi M, Pal C, Dröge J, Samant S, Kristiansson E, Larsson DGJ. Sewage effluent from an Indian hospital harbors novel carbapenemases and integron-borne antibiotic resistance genes. MICROBIOME 2019; 7:97. [PMID: 31248462 PMCID: PMC6598227 DOI: 10.1186/s40168-019-0710-x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 64] [Impact Index Per Article: 12.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/11/2019] [Accepted: 06/05/2019] [Indexed: 05/17/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Hospital wastewaters contain fecal material from a large number of individuals, of which many are undergoing antibiotic therapy. It is, thus, plausible that hospital wastewaters could provide opportunities to find novel carbapenemases and other resistance genes not yet described in clinical strains. Our aim was therefore to investigate the microbiota and antibiotic resistome of hospital effluent collected from the city of Mumbai, India, with a special focus on identifying novel carbapenemases. RESULTS Shotgun metagenomics revealed a total of 112 different mobile antibiotic resistance gene types, conferring resistance against almost all classes of antibiotics. Beta-lactamase genes, including encoding clinically important carbapenemases, such as NDM, VIM, IMP, KPC, and OXA-48, were abundant. NDM (0.9% relative abundance to 16S rRNA genes) was the most common carbapenemase gene, followed by OXA-58 (0.84% relative abundance to 16S rRNA genes). Among the investigated mobile genetic elements, class 1 integrons (11% relative abundance to 16S rRNA genes) were the most abundant. The genus Acinetobacter accounted for as many as 30% of the total 16S rRNA reads, with A. baumannii accounting for an estimated 2.5%. High throughput sequencing of amplified integron gene cassettes identified a novel functional variant of an IMP-type (proposed IMP-81) carbapenemase gene (eight aa substitutions) along with recently described novel resistance genes like sul4 and blaRSA1. Using a computational hidden Markov model, we detected 27 unique metallo-beta-lactamase (MBL) genes in the shotgun data, of which nine were novel subclass B1 genes, one novel subclass B2, and 10 novel subclass B3 genes. Six of the seven novel MBL genes were functional when expressed in Escherichia coli. CONCLUSION By exploring hospital wastewater from India, our understanding of the diversity of carbapenemases has been extended. The study also demonstrates that the microbiota of hospital wastewater can serve as a reservoir of novel resistance genes, including previously uncharacterized carbapenemases with the potential to spread further.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nachiket P Marathe
- Centre for Antibiotic Resistance Research (CARe), University of Gothenburg, Gothenburg, Sweden
- Department of Infectious Diseases, Institute of Biomedicine, Sahlgrenska Academy, University of Gothenburg, Gothenburg, Sweden
- Institute of Marine Research (IMR), Bergen, Norway
| | - Fanny Berglund
- Centre for Antibiotic Resistance Research (CARe), University of Gothenburg, Gothenburg, Sweden
- Department of Mathematical Sciences, Chalmers University of Technology and University of Gothenburg, Gothenburg, Sweden
| | - Mohammad Razavi
- Centre for Antibiotic Resistance Research (CARe), University of Gothenburg, Gothenburg, Sweden
- Department of Infectious Diseases, Institute of Biomedicine, Sahlgrenska Academy, University of Gothenburg, Gothenburg, Sweden
| | - Chandan Pal
- Centre for Antibiotic Resistance Research (CARe), University of Gothenburg, Gothenburg, Sweden
- Plant Health and Environment Laboratory (PHEL), Ministry for Primary Industries (MPI), Auckland, New Zealand
| | - Johannes Dröge
- Department of Mathematical Sciences, Chalmers University of Technology and University of Gothenburg, Gothenburg, Sweden
| | - Sharvari Samant
- Mahatma Gandhi Mission medical college, Navi Mumbai, Maharashtra, India
| | - Erik Kristiansson
- Centre for Antibiotic Resistance Research (CARe), University of Gothenburg, Gothenburg, Sweden
- Department of Mathematical Sciences, Chalmers University of Technology and University of Gothenburg, Gothenburg, Sweden
| | - D G Joakim Larsson
- Centre for Antibiotic Resistance Research (CARe), University of Gothenburg, Gothenburg, Sweden.
- Department of Infectious Diseases, Institute of Biomedicine, Sahlgrenska Academy, University of Gothenburg, Gothenburg, Sweden.
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5
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Byrum S, Loughran AJ, Beenken KE, Orr LM, Storey AJ, Mackintosh SG, Edmondson RD, Tackett AJ, Smeltzer MS. Label-Free Proteomic Approach to Characterize Protease-Dependent and -Independent Effects of sarA Inactivation on the Staphylococcus aureus Exoproteome. J Proteome Res 2018; 17:3384-3395. [PMID: 30209945 PMCID: PMC6209314 DOI: 10.1021/acs.jproteome.8b00288] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/04/2023]
Abstract
The staphylococcal accessory regulator A ( sarA) impacts the extracellular accumulation of Staphylococcus aureus virulence factors at the level of intracellular production and extracellular protease-mediated degradation. We previously used a proteomics approach that measures protein abundance of all proteoforms to demonstrate that mutation of sarA results in increased levels of extracellular proteases and assesses the impact of this on the accumulation of S. aureus exoproteins. Our previous approach was limited as it did not take into account that large, stable proteolytic products from a given protein could result in false negatives when quantified by total proteoforms. Here, our goal was to use an expanded proteomics approach utilizing a dual quantitative method for measuring abundance at both the total proteoform and full-length exoprotein levels to alleviate these false negatives and thereby provide for characterization of protease-dependent and -independent effects of sarA mutation on the S. aureus exoproteome. Proteins present in conditioned medium from overnight, stationary phase cultures of the USA300 strain LAC, an isogenic sarA mutant, and a sarA mutant unable to produce any of the known extracellular proteases ( sarA/protease) were resolved using one-dimensional gel electrophoresis. Quantitative proteomic comparisons of sarA versus sarA/protease mutants identified proteins that were cleaved in a protease-dependent manner owing to mutation of sarA, and comparisons of sarA/protease mutant versus the LAC parent strain identified proteins in which abundance was altered in a sarA mutant in a protease-independent manner. Furthermore, the proteins uniquely identified by the full-length data analysis approach eliminated false negatives observed in the total proteoform analysis. This expanded approach provided for a more comprehensive analysis of the impact of mutating sarA on the S. aureus exoproteome.
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Affiliation(s)
- Stephanie
D. Byrum
- Department
of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, University
of Arkansas for Medical Sciences, 4301 West Markham Street, Little Rock, Arkansas 72205, United States,Arkansas
Children’s Research Institute, 13 Children’s Way, Little Rock, Arkansas 72202, United States
| | - Allister J. Loughran
- Department
of Microbiology and Immunology, University
of Arkansas for Medical Sciences, 4301 West Markham Street, Little Rock, Arkansas 72205, United States
| | - Karen E. Beenken
- Department
of Microbiology and Immunology, University
of Arkansas for Medical Sciences, 4301 West Markham Street, Little Rock, Arkansas 72205, United States
| | - Lisa M. Orr
- Department
of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, University
of Arkansas for Medical Sciences, 4301 West Markham Street, Little Rock, Arkansas 72205, United States
| | - Aaron J. Storey
- Department
of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, University
of Arkansas for Medical Sciences, 4301 West Markham Street, Little Rock, Arkansas 72205, United States
| | - Samuel G. Mackintosh
- Department
of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, University
of Arkansas for Medical Sciences, 4301 West Markham Street, Little Rock, Arkansas 72205, United States
| | - Ricky D. Edmondson
- Department
of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, University
of Arkansas for Medical Sciences, 4301 West Markham Street, Little Rock, Arkansas 72205, United States
| | - Alan J. Tackett
- Department
of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, University
of Arkansas for Medical Sciences, 4301 West Markham Street, Little Rock, Arkansas 72205, United States,Arkansas
Children’s Research Institute, 13 Children’s Way, Little Rock, Arkansas 72202, United States,E-mail:
| | - Mark S. Smeltzer
- Department
of Microbiology and Immunology, University
of Arkansas for Medical Sciences, 4301 West Markham Street, Little Rock, Arkansas 72205, United States,E-mail: , Phone: (501) 686-7958
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6
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Ashraf S, Cheng J, Zhao X. Clumping factor A of Staphylococcus aureus interacts with AnnexinA2 on mammary epithelial cells. Sci Rep 2017; 7:40608. [PMID: 28102235 PMCID: PMC5244385 DOI: 10.1038/srep40608] [Citation(s) in RCA: 22] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/15/2016] [Accepted: 12/07/2016] [Indexed: 01/08/2023] Open
Abstract
Staphylococcus aureus is one of major pathogens that can cause a series of diseases in different hosts. In the bovine, it mainly causes subclinical and contagious mastitis, but its mechanisms of infection are not fully understood. Considering the fact that virulence factors play key roles in interactions between the bacterium and host cells, this study aimed to identify if a binding partner of S. aureus clumping factor A (ClfA) exists on the bovine mammary epithelial cells. The ClfA protein was used as a bait to pull down lysates of cultured bovine mammary epithelial cells (MAC-T cells). One pull-down protein was identified through use of mass spectrometry and bioinformatics analyses as bovine AnnexinA2. The Western blot and in vitro binding assay confirmed that the full A domain of ClfA was necessary to bind to AnnexinA2. In addition, the interaction between ClfA and AnnexinA2 was validated biochemically by ELISA with a KD value of 418+/−93 nM. The confocal microscopy demonstrated that ClfA and AnnexinA2 partially co-localized in the plasma membrane and that the majority of them were transported into cytoplasm. Taken together, the results demonstrate that ClfA binds with AnnexinA2 and this interaction could mediate S. aureus invasion into bovine mammary epithelial cells.
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Affiliation(s)
- Shoaib Ashraf
- Department of Animal Science, McGill University, 21,111 Lakeshore Road Sainte-Anne-de-Bellevue, H9X3V9, Quebec, Canada
| | - Jing Cheng
- Department of Animal Science, McGill University, 21,111 Lakeshore Road Sainte-Anne-de-Bellevue, H9X3V9, Quebec, Canada
| | - Xin Zhao
- Department of Animal Science, McGill University, 21,111 Lakeshore Road Sainte-Anne-de-Bellevue, H9X3V9, Quebec, Canada
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7
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Ganesh VK, Liang X, Geoghegan JA, Cohen ALV, Venugopalan N, Foster TJ, Hook M. Lessons from the Crystal Structure of the S. aureus Surface Protein Clumping Factor A in Complex With Tefibazumab, an Inhibiting Monoclonal Antibody. EBioMedicine 2016; 13:328-338. [PMID: 27789272 PMCID: PMC5264652 DOI: 10.1016/j.ebiom.2016.09.027] [Citation(s) in RCA: 26] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/08/2016] [Revised: 09/13/2016] [Accepted: 09/29/2016] [Indexed: 01/07/2023] Open
Abstract
The Staphylococcus aureus fibrinogen binding MSCRAMM (Microbial Surface Components Recognizing Adhesive Matrix Molecules), ClfA (clumping factor A) is an important virulence factor in staphylococcal infections and a component of several vaccines currently under clinical evaluation. The mouse monoclonal antibody aurexis (also called 12-9), and the humanized version tefibazumab are therapeutic monoclonal antibodies targeting ClfA that in combination with conventional antibiotics were effective in animal models but showed less impressive efficacy in a limited Phase II clinical trial. We here report the crystal structure and a biochemical characterization of the ClfA/tefibazumab (Fab) complex. The epitope for tefibazumab is located to the "top" of the N3 subdomain of ClfA and partially overlaps with a previously unidentified second binding site for fibrinogen. A high-affinity binding of ClfA to fibrinogen involves both an interaction at the N3 site and the previously identified docking of the C-terminal segment of the fibrinogen γ-chain in the N2N3 trench. Although tefibazumab binds ClfA with high affinity we observe a modest IC50 value for the inhibition of fibrinogen binding to the MSCRAMM. This observation, paired with a common natural occurring variant of ClfA that is not effectively recognized by the mAb, may partly explain the modest effect tefibazumab showed in the initial clinic trail. This information will provide guidance for the design of the next generation of therapeutic anti-staphylococcal mAbs targeting ClfA.
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Affiliation(s)
- Vannakambadi K. Ganesh
- Center for Infectious and Inflammatory Diseases, Institute of Biosciences and Technology, Texas A & M University Health Science Center, 2121 W Holcombe Blvd., Houston, TX 77030, USA,Corresponding authors.
| | - Xiaowen Liang
- Center for Infectious and Inflammatory Diseases, Institute of Biosciences and Technology, Texas A & M University Health Science Center, 2121 W Holcombe Blvd., Houston, TX 77030, USA
| | - Joan A. Geoghegan
- Department of Microbiology, Moyne Institute of Preventive Medicine, School of Genetics and Microbiology, Trinity College Dublin, Dublin 2, Ireland
| | - Ana Luisa V. Cohen
- Center for Infectious and Inflammatory Diseases, Institute of Biosciences and Technology, Texas A & M University Health Science Center, 2121 W Holcombe Blvd., Houston, TX 77030, USA
| | - Nagarajan Venugopalan
- GM/CA@APS, Argonne National Laboratory, 9700 South Cass Avenue, Lemont, IL 60439, USA
| | - Timothy J Foster
- Department of Microbiology, Moyne Institute of Preventive Medicine, School of Genetics and Microbiology, Trinity College Dublin, Dublin 2, Ireland
| | - Magnus Hook
- Center for Infectious and Inflammatory Diseases, Institute of Biosciences and Technology, Texas A & M University Health Science Center, 2121 W Holcombe Blvd., Houston, TX 77030, USA,Corresponding authors.
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8
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Crosby HA, Kwiecinski J, Horswill AR. Staphylococcus aureus Aggregation and Coagulation Mechanisms, and Their Function in Host-Pathogen Interactions. ADVANCES IN APPLIED MICROBIOLOGY 2016; 96:1-41. [PMID: 27565579 DOI: 10.1016/bs.aambs.2016.07.018] [Citation(s) in RCA: 77] [Impact Index Per Article: 9.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/07/2023]
Abstract
The human commensal bacterium Staphylococcus aureus can cause a wide range of infections ranging from skin and soft tissue infections to invasive diseases like septicemia, endocarditis, and pneumonia. Muticellular organization almost certainly contributes to S. aureus pathogenesis mechanisms. While there has been considerable focus on biofilm formation and its role in colonizing prosthetic joints and indwelling devices, less attention has been paid to nonsurface-attached group behavior like aggregation and clumping. S. aureus is unique in its ability to coagulate blood, and it also produces multiple fibrinogen-binding proteins that facilitate clumping. Formation of clumps, which are large, tightly packed groups of cells held together by fibrin(ogen), has been demonstrated to be important for S. aureus virulence and immune evasion. Clumps of cells are able to avoid detection by the host's immune system due to a fibrin(ogen) coat that acts as a shield, and the size of the clumps facilitates evasion of phagocytosis. In addition, clumping could be an important early step in establishing infections that involve tight clusters of cells embedded in host matrix proteins, such as soft tissue abscesses and endocarditis. In this review, we discuss clumping mechanisms and regulation, as well as what is known about how clumping contributes to immune evasion.
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Affiliation(s)
- H A Crosby
- University of Iowa, Iowa City, IA, United States
| | - J Kwiecinski
- University of Iowa, Iowa City, IA, United States
| | - A R Horswill
- University of Iowa, Iowa City, IA, United States
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9
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Genetic elimination of the binding motif on fibrinogen for the S. aureus virulence factor ClfA improves host survival in septicemia. Blood 2013; 121:1783-94. [PMID: 23299312 DOI: 10.1182/blood-2012-09-453894] [Citation(s) in RCA: 63] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/31/2022] Open
Abstract
Fibrinogen can support host antimicrobial containment/clearance mechanisms, yet selected pathogens appear to benefit from host procoagulants to drive bacterial virulence. Here, we explored the hypothesis that host fibrin(ogen), on balance, supports Staphylococcus aureus infection in the context of septicemia. Survival studies following intravenous infection in control and fibrinogen-deficient mice established the overall utility of host fibrin(ogen) to S. aureus virulence. Complementary studies in mice expressing mutant forms of fibrinogen-retaining clotting function, but lacking either the bacterial ClfA (Fibγ(Δ5)) binding motif or the host leukocyte integrin receptor αMβ2 (Fibγ(390-396A)) binding motif, revealed the preeminent importance of the bacterial ClfA-fibrin(ogen) interaction in determining host survival. Studies of mice lacking platelets or the platelet integrin receptor subunit αIIb established that the survival benefits observed in Fibγ(Δ5) mice were largely independent of platelet αIIbβ3-mediated engagement of fibrinogen. Fibγ(Δ5) mice exhibited reduced bacterial burdens in the hearts and kidneys, a blunted host proinflammatory cytokine response, diminished microscopic tissue damage, and significantly diminished plasma markers of cardiac and other organ damage. These findings indicate that host fibrin(ogen) and bacterial ClfA are dual determinants of virulence and that therapeutic interventions at the level of fibrinogen could be advantageous in S. aureus septicemia.
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10
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Yu G. GenHtr: a tool for comparative assessment of genetic heterogeneity in microbial genomes generated by massive short-read sequencing. BMC Bioinformatics 2010; 11:508. [PMID: 20939910 PMCID: PMC2967562 DOI: 10.1186/1471-2105-11-508] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/20/2010] [Accepted: 10/12/2010] [Indexed: 12/02/2022] Open
Abstract
Background Microevolution is the study of short-term changes of alleles within a population and their effects on the phenotype of organisms. The result of the below-species-level evolution is heterogeneity, where populations consist of subpopulations with a large number of structural variations. Heterogeneity analysis is thus essential to our understanding of how selective and neutral forces shape bacterial populations over a short period of time. The Solexa Genome Analyzer, a next-generation sequencing platform, allows millions of short sequencing reads to be obtained with great accuracy, allowing for the ability to study the dynamics of the bacterial population at the whole genome level. The tool referred to as GenHtr was developed for genome-wide heterogeneity analysis. Results For particular bacterial strains, GenHtr relies on a set of Solexa short reads on given bacteria pathogens and their isogenic reference genome to identify heterogeneity sites, the chromosomal positions with multiple variants of genes in the bacterial population, and variations that occur in large gene families. GenHtr accomplishes this by building and comparatively analyzing genome-wide heterogeneity genotypes for both the newly sequenced genomes (using massive short-read sequencing) and their isogenic reference (using simulated data). As proof of the concept, this approach was applied to SRX007711, the Solexa sequencing data for a newly sequenced Staphylococcus aureus subsp. USA300 cell line, and demonstrated that it could predict such multiple variants. They include multiple variants of genes critical in pathogenesis, e.g. genes encoding a LysR family transcriptional regulator, 23 S ribosomal RNA, and DNA mismatch repair protein MutS. The heterogeneity results in non-synonymous and nonsense mutations, leading to truncated proteins for both LysR and MutS. Conclusion GenHtr was developed for genome-wide heterogeneity analysis. Although it is much more time-consuming when compared to Maq, a popular tool for SNP analysis, GenHtr is able to predict potential multiple variants that pre-exist in the bacterial population as well as SNPs that occur in the highly duplicated gene families. It is expected that, with the proper experimental design, this analysis can improve our understanding of the molecular mechanism underlying the dynamics and the evolution of drug-resistant bacterial pathogens.
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Affiliation(s)
- Gongxin Yu
- Department of Biological Science, Boise State University, 1910 University Drive, Boise, Idaho 83725, USA.
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11
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Contribution of coagulases towards Staphylococcus aureus disease and protective immunity. PLoS Pathog 2010; 6:e1001036. [PMID: 20700445 PMCID: PMC2916881 DOI: 10.1371/journal.ppat.1001036] [Citation(s) in RCA: 220] [Impact Index Per Article: 15.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/11/2010] [Accepted: 07/12/2010] [Indexed: 02/06/2023] Open
Abstract
The bacterial pathogen Staphylococcus aureus seeds abscesses in host tissues to replicate at the center of these lesions, protected from host immune cells via a pseudocapsule. Using histochemical staining, we identified prothrombin and fibrin within abscesses and pseudocapsules. S. aureus secretes two clotting factors, coagulase (Coa) and von Willebrand factor binding protein (vWbp). We report here that Coa and vWbp together are required for the formation of abscesses. Coa and vWbp promote the non-proteolytic activation of prothrombin and cleavage of fibrinogen, reactions that are inhibited with specific antibody against each of these molecules. Coa and vWbp specific antibodies confer protection against abscess formation and S. aureus lethal bacteremia, suggesting that coagulases function as protective antigens for a staphylococcal vaccine.
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12
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Bateman SL, Seed PC. Procession to pediatric bacteremia and sepsis: covert operations and failures in diplomacy. Pediatrics 2010; 126:137-50. [PMID: 20566606 PMCID: PMC3142627 DOI: 10.1542/peds.2009-3169] [Citation(s) in RCA: 37] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/31/2022] Open
Abstract
Despite advances in diagnosis and treatment, bacterial sepsis remains a major cause of pediatric morbidity and mortality, particularly among neonates, the critically ill, and the growing immunocompromised patient population. Sepsis is the end point of a complex and dynamic series of events in which both host and microbial factors drive high morbidity and potentially lethal physiologic alterations. In this article we provide a succinct overview of the events that lead to pediatric bloodstream infections (BSIs) and sepsis, with a focus on the molecular mechanisms used by bacteria to subvert host barriers and local immunity to gain access to and persist within the systemic circulation. In the events preceding and during BSI and sepsis, Gram-positive and Gram-negative pathogens use a battery of factors for translocation, inhibition of immunity, molecular mimicry, intracellular survival, and nutrient scavenging. Gaps in understanding the molecular pathogenesis of bacterial BSIs and sepsis are highlighted as opportunities to identify and develop new therapeutics.
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Affiliation(s)
- Stacey L. Bateman
- Department of Molecular Genetics and Microbiology, Duke University School of Medicine, Durham, NC 27710,Center for Microbial Pathogenesis, Duke University School of Medicine, Durham, NC 27710
| | - Patrick C. Seed
- Department of Molecular Genetics and Microbiology, Duke University School of Medicine, Durham, NC 27710,Department of Pediatrics, Duke University School of Medicine, Durham, NC 27710,Center for Microbial Pathogenesis, Duke University School of Medicine, Durham, NC 27710,Corresponding Author, Box 3499, DUMC, Durham, NC 27710, , Phone: (919) 684-9590, Fax: (919) 768-8589
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13
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Regional profiling for determination of genotype diversity of mastitis-specific Staphylococcus aureus lineage in Canada by use of clumping factor A, pulsed-field gel electrophoresis, and spa typing. J Clin Microbiol 2009; 48:375-86. [PMID: 19955267 DOI: 10.1128/jcm.01768-09] [Citation(s) in RCA: 23] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/02/2023] Open
Abstract
One of the major concerns in global public health and the dairy industry is the emergence of host-specific virulent Staphylococcus aureus strains. The high degree of stability of the species genome renders detection of genetic microvariations difficult. Thus, approaches for the rapid tracking of specialized lineages are urgently needed. We used clumping factor A (clfA) to profile 87 bovine mastitis isolates from four regions in Canada and compared the results to those obtained by pulsed-field gel electrophoresis (PFGE) and spa typing. Twenty-five pulsotypes were obtained by PFGE with an index of discrimination of 0.91. These were assigned to six PFGE lineage groups A to F and seven spa types, including two novel ones. Group A had 48.3% of the isolates and group D had 43.7% of the isolates, while only 8% of the isolates were variable. The results of antimicrobial susceptibility testing indicated that all isolates were sensitive to methicillin and the non-beta-lactam antibiotics, while three isolates were resistant to penicillin and one isolate was resistant to tetracycline. All isolates had the clfA gene and belonged to 20 clfA repeat types with an index of discrimination of 0.90. The dominant clfA types, types X, Q, C, and Z, formed 82% and 43% of PFGE groups A and D, respectively, and had copy numbers that varied only within a narrow range of between 46 and 52 copies, implying clonal selection. The rest were variable and region specific. Furthermore, the dominant groups contained subpopulations in different regions across Canada. Sequence information confirmed the relatedness obtained by the use of clfA repeat copy numbers and other methods and further revealed the occurrence of full-repeat deletions and conserved host-specific codon-triplet position biases at 18-bp units. Thus, concordant with the results of PFGE and spa typing, clfA typing proved useful for revealing the clonal nature of the mastitis isolate lineage and for the rapid profiling of subpopulations with comparable discriminatory powers.
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14
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Hafez MM, Aboulwafa MM, Yassien MA, Hassouna NA. Role of different classes of mammalian cell surface molecules in adherence of coagulase positive and coagulase negative staphylococci. J Basic Microbiol 2008; 48:353-62. [DOI: 10.1002/jobm.200700402] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/07/2023]
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15
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Jonsson IM, Lindholm C, Luong TT, Lee CY, Tarkowski A. mgrA regulates staphylococcal virulence important for induction and progression of septic arthritis and sepsis. Microbes Infect 2008; 10:1229-35. [PMID: 18692591 DOI: 10.1016/j.micinf.2008.07.026] [Citation(s) in RCA: 23] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/19/2007] [Revised: 06/23/2008] [Accepted: 07/07/2008] [Indexed: 02/01/2023]
Abstract
Septic arthritis and sepsis are common and feared complications of staphylococcal infections, and the increasing antibiotic resistance among staphylococci urge the extended research for virulence factors involved in these diseases. Staphylcoccus aureus produces a number of virulence factors controlled by several global regulatory genes including agr and sarA. MgrA is a recently identified global regulator, belonging to the SarA subfamily, which upregulates expression of several virulence factors including capsule and sortase. In addition, MgrA has been shown to regulate antibiotic resistance and decrease bacterial autolysis. In this study we have assessed the role of mgrA gene expression on induction and progression of septic arthritis and sepsis. Mice inoculated with the mgrA mutant displayed significantly less severe arthritis and showed a significantly better weight development, than wild-type inoculated mice. Importantly, all 10 mice inoculated with the mgrA mutant survived as compared to 70% mortality in the wild-type inoculated mice (p=0.003). In addition, the mgrA mutant showed significantly less bacterial persistence in kidneys as compared to the wild-type strain. We conclude that mgrA regulates virulence factors important for establishment and progression of septic arthritis and sepsis.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ing-Marie Jonsson
- Department of Rheumatology and Inflammation Research, Göteborg University, Göteborg, Sweden.
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16
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Higgins J, Loughman A, van Kessel KPM, van Strijp JAG, Foster TJ. Clumping factor A ofStaphylococcus aureusinhibits phagocytosis by human polymorphonuclear leucocytes. FEMS Microbiol Lett 2006; 258:290-6. [PMID: 16640587 DOI: 10.1111/j.1574-6968.2006.00229.x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 80] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/11/2022] Open
Abstract
Staphylococcus aureus is a major cause of nosocomial and community-acquired infection. It expresses several factors that promote avoidance of phagocytosis by polymorphonuclear leucocytes. Clumping factor A (ClfA) is a fibrinogen-binding surface protein of S. aureus that is an important virulence factor in several infection models. This study investigated whether ClfA is an antiphagocytic factor, and whether its antiphagocytic properties were based on its ability to bind fibrinogen. In S. aureus, ClfA was shown to be of equal importance to protein A, the antiphagocytic properties of which are well established. ClfA expressed in a surrogate Gram-positive host was also found to be antiphagocytic. A ClfA mutant that was unable to bind fibrinogen had a similar antiphagocytic effect to native ClfA in the absence of fibrinogen. ClfA inhibited phagocytosis in the absence of fibrinogen, and showed enhanced inhibition in the presence of fibrinogen.
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Affiliation(s)
- Judy Higgins
- Moyne Institute of Preventive Medicine, Trinity College Dublin, Dublin 2, Ireland
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17
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Futagawa-Saito K, Ba-Thein W, Sakurai N, Fukuyasu T. Prevalence of virulence factors in Staphylococcus intermedius isolates from dogs and pigeons. BMC Vet Res 2006; 2:4. [PMID: 16438708 PMCID: PMC1403770 DOI: 10.1186/1746-6148-2-4] [Citation(s) in RCA: 26] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/08/2005] [Accepted: 01/26/2006] [Indexed: 01/07/2023] Open
Abstract
Background Staphylococcus intermedius has been isolated from healthy dogs and pigeons as well as diseased dogs. Similar to Staphylococcus aureus, S. intermedius is known to carry many virulence factors but most of these factors remain to be studied. In this study, we examined 106 S. intermedius isolates (44 dog isolates and 62 pigeon isolates) for their hemolytic activity, biofilm formation, protease activity, and clumping factor and protein A production. Results Forty-three dog isolates (97.7%) and all pigeon isolates were hemolytic on sheep RBCs with a mean hemolytic titer of 336.7 and 47.32, respectively, whereas 43 dog isolates (97.7%) and 11 pigeon isolates (17.7%) exhibited a significant difference in their hemolytic activity on rabbit RBCs with a mean hemolytic titer of 11.04 and 3.76, respectively (p < 0.0005). The mean biofilm formation activity for dog isolates was 0.49, which was significantly higher than that (0.33) for pigeon isolates (p < 0.0005). Twenty-four dog isolates (54.5%) and 11 pigeon isolates (17.7%) were protease positive. Twenty-four dog isolates (54.5%) were clumping factor- and protein A- positive. Conclusion S. intermedius strains carrying the virulence factors examined in this study were more prevalent in dogs than pigeons.
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Affiliation(s)
- Keiko Futagawa-Saito
- Department of Animal Health 2, School of Veterinary Medicine, Azabu University, 1-17-71 Fuchinobe, Sagamihara, Kanagawa, 229-8501, Japan
| | - William Ba-Thein
- Department of Molecular Microbiology/Immunology, Faculty of Allied Health Sciences, Thammasat University, Rangsit Campus, Pathum-thani, 12121, Thailand
| | - Naomi Sakurai
- Center for Medical Sciences, School of Health Sciences, Ibaraki Prefectural University of Health Sciences, 4669-2 Ami, Inashiki, Ibaraki, 300-0394, Japan
| | - Tsuguaki Fukuyasu
- Department of Animal Health 2, School of Veterinary Medicine, Azabu University, 1-17-71 Fuchinobe, Sagamihara, Kanagawa, 229-8501, Japan
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Abstract
An important facet in the interaction between Staphylococcus aureus and its host is the ability of the bacterium to adhere to human extracellular matrix components and serum proteins. In order to colonise the host and disseminate, it uses a wide range of strategies, the molecular and genetic basis of which are multifactorial, with extensive functional overlap between adhesins. Here, we describe the current knowledge of the molecular features of the adhesive components of S. aureus, mechanisms of adhesion and the impact that these have on host-pathogen interaction.
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Affiliation(s)
- Simon R Clarke
- Department of Molecular Biology & Biotechnology, The University of Sheffield, Firth Court, Western Bank, Sheffield, S10 2TN, UK
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19
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Palmqvist N, Silverman GJ, Josefsson E, Tarkowski A. Bacterial cell wall-expressed protein A triggers supraclonal B-cell responses upon in vivo infection with Staphylococcus aureus. Microbes Infect 2005; 7:1501-11. [PMID: 16039897 DOI: 10.1016/j.micinf.2005.05.008] [Citation(s) in RCA: 31] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/11/2005] [Revised: 03/14/2005] [Accepted: 05/11/2005] [Indexed: 11/24/2022]
Abstract
We have previously shown that staphylococcal protein A (SpA) anchored to the cell wall of Staphylococcus aureus acts as a virulence factor in septic arthritis. Apart from the ability of SpA to interact with Fcgamma, it also binds to Fab-regions with immunoglobulin heavy chains encoded by the V(H) clan III gene family. The objective of the present study was to investigate whether in vivo expression of SpA by staphylococci induces V(H)III-dependent supraclonal B-cell responses, and whether such responses may affect the ability of the host to produce anti-staphylococcal antibodies. Upon primary infection of mice, a SpA-expressing staphylococcal strain gave rise to significantly higher serum levels of V(H)III-encoded antibodies specific for SpA devoid of Fcgamma-binding ability (MSpA) than an isogeneic spa deletion mutant strain. The V(H)III-dependence of MSpA-specific antibody responses was affected by the size of the staphylococcal inoculum, and differed for IgM and IgG isotypes. Mice that had recovered from a prior mild infection from a SpA-expressing strain were protected against infection-induced weight loss upon reinfection. Although no lasting MSpA-specific IgG was induced by previous mild infection, these protected mice possessed IgG specific for clumping factor A, a conventional staphylococcal protein antigen. Our findings demonstrate that the expression of a B-cell superantigen during staphylococcal infection causes supraclonal changes to the immune system. Notably, while superantigen-triggered B-cell responses do not favor the development of SpA-specific memory B-cells, such responses do not interfere with the development of antibodies specific for a staphylococcal protein antigen associated with protective immunity.
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Affiliation(s)
- Niklas Palmqvist
- Department of Rheumatology and Inflammation Research, Göteborg University, Guldhedsgatan 10 A, S-413 46, Sweden.
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