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Dobrut A, Skibiński J, Bekier A, Drożdż K, Rudnicka K, Płociński P, Siemińska I, Brzychczy-Włoch M. Development of a prototypic, field-usable diagnostic tool for the detection of gram-positive cocci-induced mastitis in cattle. BMC Vet Res 2024; 20:169. [PMID: 38698383 PMCID: PMC11064325 DOI: 10.1186/s12917-024-04028-5] [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: 11/24/2023] [Accepted: 04/22/2024] [Indexed: 05/05/2024] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Bovine mastitis is one of the most widespread diseases affecting cattle, leading to significant losses for the dairy industry. Currently, the so-called gold standard in mastitis diagnosis involves determining the somatic cell count (SCC). Apart from a number of advantages, this method has one serious flaw: It does not identify the etiological factor causing a particular infection, making it impossible to introduce targeted antimicrobial therapy. This can contribute to multidrug-resistance in bacterial species. The diagnostic market lacks a test that has the advantages of SCC and also recognizes the species of pathogen causing the inflammation. Therefore, the aim of our study was to develop a lateral flow immunoassay (LFIA) based on elongation factor Tu for identifying most prevalent Gram-positive cocci responsible for causing mastitis including Streptococcus uberis, Streptococcus agalactiae and Staphylococcus aureus. RESULTS As a result, we showed that the assay for S. uberis detection demonstrated a specificity of 89.02%, a sensitivity of 43.59%, and an accuracy of 80.3%. In turn, the second variant - assay for Gram-positive cocci reached a specificity of 95.59%, a sensitivity of 43.28%, and an accuracy of 78.33%. CONCLUSIONS Our study shows that EF-Tu is a promising target for LFIA and we have delivered evidence that further evaluation could improve test parameters and fill the gap in the mastitis diagnostics market.
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Affiliation(s)
- Anna Dobrut
- Department of Molecular Medical Microbiology, Chair of Microbiology, Jagiellonian University Medical College, Krakow, Poland.
| | - Jakub Skibiński
- BioMedChem Doctoral School of University of Lodz and Lodz Institutes of The Polish Academy of Sciences, University of Lodz, Lodz, Poland
- Department of Immunology and Infectious Biology, Faculty of Biology and Environmental Protection, University of Lodz, Lodz, Poland
| | - Adrian Bekier
- Department of Immunology and Allergy, Chair of Pulmonology, Rheumatology and Clinical Immunology, Medical University of Lodz, Lodz, Poland
| | - Kamil Drożdż
- Department of Molecular Medical Microbiology, Chair of Microbiology, Jagiellonian University Medical College, Krakow, Poland
| | - Karolina Rudnicka
- Department of Immunology and Infectious Biology, Faculty of Biology and Environmental Protection, University of Lodz, Lodz, Poland.
| | - Przemysław Płociński
- Department of Immunology and Infectious Biology, Faculty of Biology and Environmental Protection, University of Lodz, Lodz, Poland
| | - Izabela Siemińska
- Institute of Veterinary Sciences, University Center of Veterinary Medicine JU-AU, University of Agriculture in Krakow, Krakow, Poland
| | - Monika Brzychczy-Włoch
- Department of Molecular Medical Microbiology, Chair of Microbiology, Jagiellonian University Medical College, Krakow, Poland
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Heggi MT, Nour El-Din HT, Morsy DI, Abdelaziz NI, Attia AS. Microbial evasion of the complement system: a continuous and evolving story. Front Immunol 2024; 14:1281096. [PMID: 38239357 PMCID: PMC10794618 DOI: 10.3389/fimmu.2023.1281096] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/21/2023] [Accepted: 11/30/2023] [Indexed: 01/22/2024] Open
Abstract
The complement system is a fundamental part of the innate immune system that plays a key role in the battle of the human body against invading pathogens. Through its three pathways, represented by the classical, alternative, and lectin pathways, the complement system forms a tightly regulated network of soluble proteins, membrane-expressed receptors, and regulators with versatile protective and killing mechanisms. However, ingenious pathogens have developed strategies over the years to protect themselves from this complex part of the immune system. This review briefly discusses the sequence of the complement activation pathways. Then, we present a comprehensive updated overview of how the major four pathogenic groups, namely, bacteria, viruses, fungi, and parasites, control, modulate, and block the complement attacks at different steps of the complement cascade. We shed more light on the ability of those pathogens to deploy more than one mechanism to tackle the complement system in their path to establish infection within the human host.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mariam T. Heggi
- Clinical Pharmacy Undergraduate Program, Faculty of Pharmacy, Cairo University, Cairo, Egypt
| | - Hanzada T. Nour El-Din
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, Faculty of Pharmacy, Cairo University, Cairo, Egypt
| | | | | | - Ahmed S. Attia
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, Faculty of Pharmacy, Cairo University, Cairo, Egypt
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3
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Song D, Qi X, Huang Y, Jia A, Liang Y, Man C, Yang X, Jiang Y. Comparative proteomics reveals the antibiotic resistance and virulence of Cronobacter isolated from powdered infant formula and its processing environment. Int J Food Microbiol 2023; 407:110374. [PMID: 37678039 DOI: 10.1016/j.ijfoodmicro.2023.110374] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/26/2023] [Revised: 07/31/2023] [Accepted: 08/29/2023] [Indexed: 09/09/2023]
Abstract
Cronobacter species are opportunistic foodborne pathogens that can cause neonatal meningitis, sepsis, and necrotizing enterocolitis. In this genus, certain level strains have high mortality to infant (Cronobacter sakazakii and Cronobacter malonaticus) and antibiotic tolerance. Cronobacter has strong environmental tolerance (acid resistance, high temperature resistance, UV resistance, antibiotic resistance, etc.) and can survive in a variety of environments. It has been isolated in various production environments and products in several countries. However, the relationships between Cronobacter antibiotic tolerance and virulence remain unclear, especially at the molecular level. In this study, 96 strains of Cronobacter were isolated from powdered infant formula and its processing environment and screened for antibiotic tolerance, and proteomic maps of the representative strains of Cronobacter with antibiotic tolerance were generated by analyzing proteomics data using multiple techniques to identify protein that are implicated in Cronobacter virulence and antibiotic resistance. The increase in antibiotic tolerance of Cronobacter had a certain increase in the production of enterotoxin and hemolysin. Only triple tolerated Cronobacter sakazakii decreased the utilization of sialic acid. A total of 16,131 intracellular proteins were detected in eight representative strains, and different proteomes were present in strains with different antibiotic tolerance, including 56 virulence-related proteins. Multiple virulence proteins regulated by unknown genes were also found in the eight isolated representative strains.
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Affiliation(s)
- Danliangmin Song
- Department of Food Science, Northeast Agricultural University, Harbin 150038, China
| | - Xuehe Qi
- Department of Food Science, Northeast Agricultural University, Harbin 150038, China.
| | - Yan Huang
- Department of Food Science, Northeast Agricultural University, Harbin 150038, China
| | - Ai Jia
- Department of Food Science, Northeast Agricultural University, Harbin 150038, China
| | - Yaqi Liang
- Department of Food Science, Northeast Agricultural University, Harbin 150038, China
| | - Chaoxin Man
- Key Laboratory of Dairy Science, Ministry of Education, Harbin 150030, China.
| | - Xinyan Yang
- Key Laboratory of Dairy Science, Ministry of Education, Harbin 150030, China.
| | - Yujun Jiang
- Department of Food Science, Northeast Agricultural University, Harbin 150038, China.
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Yasui Y, Hirayama S, Hiyoshi T, Isono T, Domon H, Maekawa T, Tabeta K, Terao Y. The Pneumococcal Protein SufC Binds to Host Plasminogen and Promotes Its Conversion into Plasmin. Microorganisms 2023; 11:2969. [PMID: 38138113 PMCID: PMC10745484 DOI: 10.3390/microorganisms11122969] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/24/2023] [Revised: 12/08/2023] [Accepted: 12/11/2023] [Indexed: 12/24/2023] Open
Abstract
Streptococcus pneumoniae causes otitis media, sinusitis, and serious diseases such as pneumonia and bacteremia. However, the in vivo dynamics of S. pneumoniae infections and disease severity are not fully understood. In this study, we investigated pneumococcal proteins detected in the bronchoalveolar lavage fluid of an S. pneumoniae-infected mouse, which were assumed to be expressed during infection. Analysis of three proteins with unknown infection-related functions revealed that recombinant Fe-S cluster assembly ATP-binding protein (SufC) binds to the host plasminogen and promotes its conversion into plasmin. SufC was detected in the bacterial cell-surface protein fraction, but it had no extracellular secretory signal. This study suggests that S. pneumoniae releases SufC extracellularly through LytA-dependent autolysis, binding to the bacterial cell surface and host plasminogen and promoting its conversion into plasmin. The recruitment of plasmin by S. pneumoniae is considered useful for bacterial survival and spread, and SufC is suggested to facilitate this process.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yoshihito Yasui
- Division of Microbiology and Infectious Diseases, Niigata University Graduate School of Medical and Dental Sciences, Niigata 951-8514, Japan
- Division of Periodontology, Niigata University Graduate School of Medical and Dental Sciences, Niigata 951-8514, Japan
| | - Satoru Hirayama
- Division of Microbiology and Infectious Diseases, Niigata University Graduate School of Medical and Dental Sciences, Niigata 951-8514, Japan
| | - Takumi Hiyoshi
- Division of Microbiology and Infectious Diseases, Niigata University Graduate School of Medical and Dental Sciences, Niigata 951-8514, Japan
- Division of Periodontology, Niigata University Graduate School of Medical and Dental Sciences, Niigata 951-8514, Japan
- Center for Advanced Oral Science, Niigata University Graduate School of Medical and Dental Sciences, Niigata 951-8514, Japan
| | - Toshihito Isono
- Division of Microbiology and Infectious Diseases, Niigata University Graduate School of Medical and Dental Sciences, Niigata 951-8514, Japan
| | - Hisanori Domon
- Division of Microbiology and Infectious Diseases, Niigata University Graduate School of Medical and Dental Sciences, Niigata 951-8514, Japan
- Center for Advanced Oral Science, Niigata University Graduate School of Medical and Dental Sciences, Niigata 951-8514, Japan
| | - Tomoki Maekawa
- Division of Microbiology and Infectious Diseases, Niigata University Graduate School of Medical and Dental Sciences, Niigata 951-8514, Japan
- Division of Periodontology, Niigata University Graduate School of Medical and Dental Sciences, Niigata 951-8514, Japan
- Center for Advanced Oral Science, Niigata University Graduate School of Medical and Dental Sciences, Niigata 951-8514, Japan
| | - Koichi Tabeta
- Division of Periodontology, Niigata University Graduate School of Medical and Dental Sciences, Niigata 951-8514, Japan
| | - Yutaka Terao
- Division of Microbiology and Infectious Diseases, Niigata University Graduate School of Medical and Dental Sciences, Niigata 951-8514, Japan
- Center for Advanced Oral Science, Niigata University Graduate School of Medical and Dental Sciences, Niigata 951-8514, Japan
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5
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Gulati S, Mattsson AH, Schussek S, Zheng B, DeOliveira RB, Shaughnessy J, Lewis LA, Rice PA, Comstedt P, Ram S. Preclinical efficacy of a cell division protein candidate gonococcal vaccine identified by artificial intelligence. mBio 2023; 14:e0250023. [PMID: 37905891 PMCID: PMC10746169 DOI: 10.1128/mbio.02500-23] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/14/2023] [Accepted: 09/19/2023] [Indexed: 11/02/2023] Open
Abstract
A safe and effective vaccine is urgently needed to combat the global threat of multidrug-resistant (MDR) Neisseria gonorrhoeae. We screened 26 gonococcal proteins discovered by an artificial intelligence-driven platform called Efficacy Discriminative Educated Network (EDEN) trained to identify novel, protective vaccine antigens against pathogenic bacteria for efficacy in the mouse vaginal colonization model of gonorrhea. Combinations of two to three antigens adjuvanted with GLA-SE (induces TH1 responses) yielded 11 groups that were used to vaccinate mice. An inverse correlation was noted between the complement-dependent bactericidal activity of antisera from each of the 11 groups and the burden of gonococcal colonization. The combination of NGO1549 (FtsN; cell divisome protein) and NGO0265 (predicted cell division protein) most substantially reduced the burden of colonization by MDR strain WHO X. The EDEN prediction score for each group of antigens correlated positively with reductions in overall bacterial burden, providing evidence for its predictive potential. FtsN and NGO0265 administered either individually, in combination, or as a chimeric protein significantly attenuated gonococcal vaginal colonization by all three test strains. IgG in antisera from mice immunized with the chimeric NGO0265-FtsN protein supported the complement-dependent killing of all 50 (100%) gonococcal isolates tested. The efficacy of the chimeric NGO0265-FtsN vaccine required the membrane attack complex (C5b-9) of complement, evidenced by loss of efficacy in complement C9-/- mice. In conclusion, a chimeric molecule comprising NGO0265 and FtsN adjuvanted with GLA-SE elicits IgG with broad anti-gonococcal bactericidal activity, attenuates gonococcal colonization in a complement-dependent manner, and represents a promising gonococcal vaccine candidate.IMPORTANCEVaccines to curb the global spread of multidrug-resistant gonorrhea are urgently needed. Here, 26 vaccine candidates identified by an artificial intelligence-driven platform (Efficacy Discriminative Educated Network[EDEN]) were screened for efficacy in the mouse vaginal colonization model. Complement-dependent bactericidal activity of antisera and the EDEN protective scores both correlated positively with the reduction in overall bacterial colonization burden. NGO1549 (FtsN) and NGO0265, both involved in cell division, displayed the best activity and were selected for further development. Both antigens, when fused to create a chimeric protein, elicited bactericidal antibodies against a wide array of gonococcal isolates and significantly attenuated the duration and burden of gonococcal colonization of mouse vaginas. Protection was abrogated in mice that lacked complement C9, the last step in the formation of the membrane attack complex pore, suggesting complement-dependent bactericidal activity as a mechanistic correlate of protection of the vaccine. FtsN and NGO0265 represent promising vaccine candidates against gonorrhea.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sunita Gulati
- Department of Medicine, Division of Infectious Diseases and Immunology, University of Massachusetts Medical School, Worcester, Massachusetts, USA
| | | | | | - Bo Zheng
- Department of Medicine, Division of Infectious Diseases and Immunology, University of Massachusetts Medical School, Worcester, Massachusetts, USA
| | - Rosane B. DeOliveira
- Department of Medicine, Division of Infectious Diseases and Immunology, University of Massachusetts Medical School, Worcester, Massachusetts, USA
| | - Jutamas Shaughnessy
- Department of Medicine, Division of Infectious Diseases and Immunology, University of Massachusetts Medical School, Worcester, Massachusetts, USA
| | - Lisa A. Lewis
- Department of Medicine, Division of Infectious Diseases and Immunology, University of Massachusetts Medical School, Worcester, Massachusetts, USA
| | - Peter A. Rice
- Department of Medicine, Division of Infectious Diseases and Immunology, University of Massachusetts Medical School, Worcester, Massachusetts, USA
| | | | - Sanjay Ram
- Department of Medicine, Division of Infectious Diseases and Immunology, University of Massachusetts Medical School, Worcester, Massachusetts, USA
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6
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Hirayama S, Hiyoshi T, Yasui Y, Domon H, Terao Y. C-Terminal Lysine Residue of Pneumococcal Triosephosphate Isomerase Contributes to Its Binding to Host Plasminogen. Microorganisms 2023; 11:1198. [PMID: 37317172 DOI: 10.3390/microorganisms11051198] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/17/2023] [Revised: 04/19/2023] [Accepted: 05/02/2023] [Indexed: 06/16/2023] Open
Abstract
The main causative agent of pneumonia, Streptococcus pneumoniae, is also responsible for invasive diseases. S. pneumoniae recruits human plasminogen for the invasion and colonization of host tissues. We previously discovered that S. pneumoniae triosephosphate isomerase (TpiA), an enzyme involved in intracellular metabolism that is essential for survival, is released extracellularly to bind human plasminogen and facilitate its activation. Epsilon-aminocaproic acid, a lysine analogue, inhibits this binding, suggesting that the lysine residues in TpiA are involved in plasminogen binding. In this study, we generated site-directed mutant recombinants in which the lysine residue in TpiA was replaced with alanine and analyzed their binding activities to human plasminogen. Results from blot analysis, enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay, and surface plasmon resonance assay revealed that the lysine residue at the C-terminus of TpiA is primarily involved in binding to human plasminogen. Furthermore, we found that TpiA binding to plasminogen through its C-terminal lysine residue was required for the promotion of plasmin activation by activating factors.
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Affiliation(s)
- Satoru Hirayama
- Division of Microbiology and Infectious Diseases, Niigata University Graduate School of Medical and Dental Sciences, Niigata 951-8514, Japan
| | - Takumi Hiyoshi
- Division of Microbiology and Infectious Diseases, Niigata University Graduate School of Medical and Dental Sciences, Niigata 951-8514, Japan
- Division of Periodontology, Niigata University Graduate School of Medical and Dental Sciences, Niigata 951-8514, Japan
- Center for Advanced Oral Science, Niigata University Graduate School of Medical and Dental Sciences, Niigata 951-8514, Japan
| | - Yoshihito Yasui
- Division of Microbiology and Infectious Diseases, Niigata University Graduate School of Medical and Dental Sciences, Niigata 951-8514, Japan
- Division of Periodontology, Niigata University Graduate School of Medical and Dental Sciences, Niigata 951-8514, Japan
| | - Hisanori Domon
- Division of Microbiology and Infectious Diseases, Niigata University Graduate School of Medical and Dental Sciences, Niigata 951-8514, Japan
- Center for Advanced Oral Science, Niigata University Graduate School of Medical and Dental Sciences, Niigata 951-8514, Japan
| | - Yutaka Terao
- Division of Microbiology and Infectious Diseases, Niigata University Graduate School of Medical and Dental Sciences, Niigata 951-8514, Japan
- Center for Advanced Oral Science, Niigata University Graduate School of Medical and Dental Sciences, Niigata 951-8514, Japan
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7
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Hirayama S, Yasui Y, Sasagawa K, Domon H, Terao Y. Pneumococcal proteins ClpC and UvrC as novel host plasminogen binding factors. Microbiol Immunol 2023; 67:99-104. [PMID: 36461153 DOI: 10.1111/1348-0421.13040] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/19/2022] [Revised: 10/20/2022] [Accepted: 11/28/2022] [Indexed: 12/05/2022]
Abstract
Two plasminogen binding proteins were identified from a mouse infected with Streptococcus pneumoniae. The pneumococcal proteins were annotated as ATP-dependent Clp protease ATP-binding subunit (ClpC) and excinuclease ABC subunit C (UvrC) using the isobaric tags for relative and absolute quantification (iTRAQ) method. Recombinants of both proteins showed significant binding to plasminogen and were found to promote plasminogen activation by tissue-type plasminogen activator. In addition, ClpC and UvrC were LytA-dependently released into the culture supernatant and bound to the bacterial surface. These results suggest that S. pneumoniae releases ClpC and UvrC by autolysis and recruits them to the bacterial surface, where they bind to plasminogen and promote its activation, contributing to extracellular matrix degradation and tissue invasion.
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Affiliation(s)
- Satoru Hirayama
- Division of Microbiology and Infectious Diseases, Niigata University Graduate School of Medical and Dental Sciences, Niigata, Japan
| | - Yoshihito Yasui
- Division of Microbiology and Infectious Diseases, Niigata University Graduate School of Medical and Dental Sciences, Niigata, Japan.,Division of Periodontology, Niigata University Graduate School of Medical and Dental Sciences, Niigata, Japan
| | - Karin Sasagawa
- Division of Microbiology and Infectious Diseases, Niigata University Graduate School of Medical and Dental Sciences, Niigata, Japan.,Division of Periodontology, Niigata University Graduate School of Medical and Dental Sciences, Niigata, Japan
| | - Hisanori Domon
- Division of Microbiology and Infectious Diseases, Niigata University Graduate School of Medical and Dental Sciences, Niigata, Japan.,Center for Advanced Oral Science, Niigata University Graduate School of Medical and Dental Sciences, Niigata, Japan
| | - Yutaka Terao
- Division of Microbiology and Infectious Diseases, Niigata University Graduate School of Medical and Dental Sciences, Niigata, Japan.,Center for Advanced Oral Science, Niigata University Graduate School of Medical and Dental Sciences, Niigata, Japan
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8
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A multiomics analysis of direct interkingdom dynamics between influenza A virus and Streptococcus pneumoniae uncovers host-independent changes to bacterial virulence fitness. PLoS Pathog 2022; 18:e1011020. [PMID: 36542660 PMCID: PMC9815659 DOI: 10.1371/journal.ppat.1011020] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/08/2022] [Revised: 01/05/2023] [Accepted: 11/22/2022] [Indexed: 12/24/2022] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND For almost a century, it has been recognized that influenza A virus (IAV) infection can promote the development of secondary bacterial infections (SBI) mainly caused by Streptococcus pneumoniae (Spn). Recent observations have shown that IAV is able to directly bind to the surface of Spn. To gain a foundational understanding of how direct IAV-Spn interaction alters bacterial biological fitness we employed combinatorial multiomic and molecular approaches. RESULTS Here we show IAV significantly remodels the global transcriptome, proteome and phosphoproteome profiles of Spn independently of host effectors. We identified Spn surface proteins that interact with IAV proteins (hemagglutinin, nucleoprotein, and neuraminidase). In addition, IAV was found to directly modulate expression of Spn virulence determinants such as pneumococcal surface protein A, pneumolysin, and factors associated with antimicrobial resistance among many others. Metabolic pathways were significantly altered leading to changes in Spn growth rate. IAV was also found to drive Spn capsule shedding and the release of pneumococcal surface proteins. Released proteins were found to be involved in evasion of innate immune responses and actively reduced human complement hemolytic and opsonizing activity. IAV also led to phosphorylation changes in Spn proteins associated with metabolism and bacterial virulence. Validation of proteomic data showed significant changes in Spn galactose and glucose metabolism. Furthermore, supplementation with galactose rescued bacterial growth and promoted bacterial invasion, while glucose supplementation led to enhanced pneumolysin production and lung cell apoptosis. CONCLUSIONS Here we demonstrate that IAV can directly modulate Spn biology without the requirement of host effectors and support the notion that inter-kingdom interactions between human viruses and commensal pathobionts can promote bacterial pathogenesis and microbiome dysbiosis.
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Cui Y, Miao C, Chen W, Shang W, Qi Q, Zhou W, Wang X, Li Y, Yan Z, Jiang Y. Construction and protective efficacy of a novel Streptococcus pneumoniae fusion protein vaccine NanAT1-TufT1-PlyD4. Front Immunol 2022; 13:1043293. [PMID: 36389808 PMCID: PMC9659761 DOI: 10.3389/fimmu.2022.1043293] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/13/2022] [Accepted: 10/17/2022] [Indexed: 01/19/2024] Open
Abstract
During the past decades, with the implementation of pneumococcal polysaccharide vaccine (PPV) and pneumococcal conjugate vaccines (PCVs), a dramatic reduction in vaccine type diseases and transmissions has occurred. However, it is necessary to develop a less expensive, serotype-independent pneumococcal vaccine due to the emergence of nonvaccine-type pneumococcal diseases and the limited effect of vaccines on colonization. As next-generation vaccines, conserved proteins, such as neuraminidase A (NanA), elongation factor Tu (Tuf), and pneumolysin (Ply), are promising targets against pneumococcal infections. Here, we designed and constructed a novel fusion protein, NanAT1-TufT1-PlyD4, using the structural and functional domains of full-length NanA, Tuf and Ply proteins with suitable linkers based on bioinformatics analysis and molecular cloning technology. Then, we tested whether the protein protected against focal and lethal pneumococcal infections and examined its potential protective mechanisms. The fusion protein NanAT1-TufT1-PlyD4 consists of 627 amino acids, which exhibits a relatively high level of thermostability, high stability, solubility and a high antigenic index without allergenicity. The purified fusion protein was used to subcutaneously immunize C57BL/6 mice, and NanAT1-TufT1-PlyD4 induced a strong and significant humoral immune response. The anti-NanAT1-TufT1-PlyD4 specific IgG antibody assays increased after the first immunization and reached the highest value at the 35th day. The results from in vitro experiments showed that anti-NanAT1-TufT1-PlyD4 antisera could inhibit the adhesion of Streptococcus pneumoniae (S. pneumoniae) to A549 cells. In addition, immunization with NanAT1-TufT1-PlyD4 significantly reduced S. pneumoniae colonization in the lung and decreased the damage to the lung tissues induced by S. pneumoniae infection. After challenge with a lethal dose of serotype 3 (NC_WCSUH32403), a better protection effect was observed with NanAT1-TufT1-PlyD4-immunized mice than with the separate full-length proteins and the adjuvant control; the survival rate was 50%, which met the standard of the marketed vaccine. Moreover, we showed that the humoral immune response and the Th1, Th2 and Th17-cellular immune pathways are involved in the immune protection of NanAT1-TufT1-PlyD4 to the host. Collectively, our results support that the novel fusion protein NanAT1-TufT1-PlyD4 exhibits extensive immune stimulation and is effective against pneumococcal challenges, and these properties are partially attributed to humoral and cellular-mediated immune responses.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yali Cui
- Department of Laboratory Medicine, West China Second University Hospital, Sichuan University, Chengdu, China
- Department of Laboratory Medicine, Meishan Women and Children’s Hospital, Alliance Hospital of West China Second University Hospital, Sichuan University, Meishan, China
| | - Chenglin Miao
- Department of Laboratory Medicine, West China Second University Hospital, Sichuan University, Chengdu, China
| | - Wen Chen
- Department of Pediatrics, West China Second University Hospital, Sichuan University, Chengdu, China
- Key Laboratory of Birth Defects and Related Diseases of Women and Children (Sichuan University), Ministry of Education, Chengdu, China
| | - Wenling Shang
- Department of Laboratory Medicine, West China Second University Hospital, Sichuan University, Chengdu, China
| | - Qianqian Qi
- Department of Laboratory Medicine, West China Second University Hospital, Sichuan University, Chengdu, China
| | - Wei Zhou
- Department of Laboratory Medicine, West China Second University Hospital, Sichuan University, Chengdu, China
- Key Laboratory of Birth Defects and Related Diseases of Women and Children (Sichuan University), Ministry of Education, Chengdu, China
| | - Xia Wang
- Department of Laboratory Medicine, West China Second University Hospital, Sichuan University, Chengdu, China
- Key Laboratory of Birth Defects and Related Diseases of Women and Children (Sichuan University), Ministry of Education, Chengdu, China
| | - Yingying Li
- Department of Laboratory Medicine, West China Second University Hospital, Sichuan University, Chengdu, China
- Key Laboratory of Birth Defects and Related Diseases of Women and Children (Sichuan University), Ministry of Education, Chengdu, China
| | - Ziyi Yan
- Department of Laboratory Medicine, West China Second University Hospital, Sichuan University, Chengdu, China
- Key Laboratory of Birth Defects and Related Diseases of Women and Children (Sichuan University), Ministry of Education, Chengdu, China
| | - Yongmei Jiang
- Department of Laboratory Medicine, West China Second University Hospital, Sichuan University, Chengdu, China
- Key Laboratory of Birth Defects and Related Diseases of Women and Children (Sichuan University), Ministry of Education, Chengdu, China
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10
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The Exploration of Complement-Resistance Mechanisms of Pathogenic Gram-Negative Bacteria to Support the Development of Novel Therapeutics. Pathogens 2022; 11:pathogens11080931. [PMID: 36015050 PMCID: PMC9412335 DOI: 10.3390/pathogens11080931] [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: 07/22/2022] [Revised: 08/15/2022] [Accepted: 08/16/2022] [Indexed: 11/17/2022] Open
Abstract
Resistance to antibiotics in Bacteria is one of the biggest threats to human health. After decades of attempting to isolate or design antibiotics with novel mechanisms of action against bacterial pathogens, few approaches have been successful. Antibacterial drug discovery is now moving towards targeting bacterial virulence factors, especially immune evasion factors. Gram-negative bacteria present some of the most significant challenges in terms of antibiotic resistance. However, they are also able to be eliminated by the component of the innate immune system known as the complement system. In response, Gram-negative bacteria have evolved a variety of mechanisms by which they are able to evade complement and cause infection. Complement resistance mechanisms present some of the best novel therapeutic targets for defending against highly antibiotic-resistant pathogenic bacterial infections.
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11
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Gil E, Noursadeghi M, Brown JS. Streptococcus pneumoniae interactions with the complement system. Front Cell Infect Microbiol 2022; 12:929483. [PMID: 35967850 PMCID: PMC9366601 DOI: 10.3389/fcimb.2022.929483] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/26/2022] [Accepted: 07/08/2022] [Indexed: 11/21/2022] Open
Abstract
Host innate and adaptive immunity to infection with Streptococcus pneumoniae is critically dependent on the complement system, demonstrated by the high incidence of invasive S. pneumoniae infection in people with inherited deficiency of complement components. The complement system is activated by S. pneumoniae through multiple mechanisms. The classical complement pathway is activated by recognition of S. pneumoniae by C-reactive protein, serum amyloid P, C1q, SIGN-R1, or natural or acquired antibody. Some S. pneumoniae strains are also recognised by ficolins to activate the mannose binding lectin (MBL) activation pathway. Complement activation is then amplified by the alternative complement pathway, which can also be activated by S. pneumoniae directly. Complement activation results in covalent linkage of the opsonic complement factors C3b and iC3b to the S. pneumoniae surface which promote phagocytic clearance, along with complement-mediated immune adherence to erythrocytes, thereby protecting against septicaemia. The role of complement for mucosal immunity to S. pneumoniae is less clear. Given the major role of complement in controlling infection with S. pneumoniae, it is perhaps unsurprising that S. pneumoniae has evolved multiple mechanisms of complement evasion, including the capsule, multiple surface proteins, and the toxin pneumolysin. There is considerable variation between S. pneumoniae capsular serotypes and genotypes with regards to sensitivity to complement which correlates with ability to cause invasive infections. However, at present we only have a limited understanding of the main mechanisms causing variations in complement sensitivity between S. pneumoniae strains and to non-pathogenic streptococci.
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Affiliation(s)
- Eliza Gil
- Division of Infection and Immunity, University College London, London, United Kingdom
- *Correspondence: Eliza Gil,
| | - Mahdad Noursadeghi
- Division of Infection and Immunity, University College London, London, United Kingdom
| | - Jeremy S. Brown
- Division of Medicine, University College London, London, United Kingdom
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12
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Sun Y, Wang X, Li J, Xue F, Tang F, Dai J. Extraintestinal pathogenic Escherichia coli utilizes the surface-expressed elongation factor Tu to bind and acquire iron from holo-transferrin. Virulence 2022; 13:698-713. [PMID: 35443872 PMCID: PMC9037478 DOI: 10.1080/21505594.2022.2066274] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/17/2022] Open
Abstract
Extraintestinal pathogenic Escherichia coli (ExPEC) is a common anthropozoonotic pathogen that causes systemic infections. To establish infection, ExPEC must utilize essential nutrients including iron from the host. Transferrin is an important iron source for multiple bacteria. However, the mechanism by which ExPEC utilizes transferrin remains unclear. In this study, we found that iron-saturated holo-transferrin rather than iron-free apo-transferrin promoted the vitality of ExPEC in heat-inactivated human serum. The multifunctional protein Elongation factor Tu (EFTu) worked as a holo-transferrin binding protein. EFTu not only bound holo-transferrin rather than apo-transferrin but also released transferrin-related iron, with all domains of EFTu involved in holo-transferrin binding and iron release events. We also identified the surface location of EFTu on ExPEC. Overexpression of EFTu on the surface of nonpathogenic E. coli not only promoted the binding of bacteria to holo-transferrin but also facilitated the uptake of transferrin-related iron. More importantly, it significantly enhanced the survival of E. coli in heat-inactivated human serum, which was positively correlated with holo-transferrin but not apo-transferrin. Our research revealed a novel function of EFTu in binding holo-transferrin to promote iron uptake by bacteria, suggesting that EFTu was a potential virulence factor of ExPEC. In addition, our study provided research avenues into the iron acquisition and pathogenicity mechanisms of ExPEC.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yu Sun
- MOE Joint International Research Laboratory of Animal Health and Food Safety, Key Lab of Animal Bacteriology, Ministry of Agriculture, College of Veterinary Medicine, Nanjing Agricultural University, Nanjing, China
| | - Xuhang Wang
- MOE Joint International Research Laboratory of Animal Health and Food Safety, Key Lab of Animal Bacteriology, Ministry of Agriculture, College of Veterinary Medicine, Nanjing Agricultural University, Nanjing, China
| | - Jin Li
- MOE Joint International Research Laboratory of Animal Health and Food Safety, Key Lab of Animal Bacteriology, Ministry of Agriculture, College of Veterinary Medicine, Nanjing Agricultural University, Nanjing, China
| | - Feng Xue
- MOE Joint International Research Laboratory of Animal Health and Food Safety, Key Lab of Animal Bacteriology, Ministry of Agriculture, College of Veterinary Medicine, Nanjing Agricultural University, Nanjing, China
| | - Fang Tang
- MOE Joint International Research Laboratory of Animal Health and Food Safety, Key Lab of Animal Bacteriology, Ministry of Agriculture, College of Veterinary Medicine, Nanjing Agricultural University, Nanjing, China
| | - Jianjun Dai
- MOE Joint International Research Laboratory of Animal Health and Food Safety, Key Lab of Animal Bacteriology, Ministry of Agriculture, College of Veterinary Medicine, Nanjing Agricultural University, Nanjing, China.,School of Life Science and Technology, China Pharmaceutical University, Nanjing, China
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13
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Hirayama S, Domon H, Hiyoshi T, Isono T, Tamura H, Sasagawa K, Takizawa F, Terao Y. Triosephosphate isomerase of Streptococcus pneumoniae is released extracellularly by autolysis and binds to host plasminogen to promote its activation. FEBS Open Bio 2022; 12:1206-1219. [PMID: 35298875 PMCID: PMC9157410 DOI: 10.1002/2211-5463.13396] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/17/2021] [Revised: 03/04/2022] [Accepted: 03/15/2022] [Indexed: 11/24/2022] Open
Abstract
Recruitment of plasminogen is an important infection strategy of the human pathogen Streptococcus pneumoniae to invade host tissues. In Streptococcus aureus, triosephosphate isomerase (TPI) has been reported to bind plasminogen. In this study, the TPI of S. pneumoniae (TpiA) was identified through proteomic analysis of bronchoalveolar lavage fluid from a murine pneumococcal pneumonia model. The binding kinetics of recombinant pneumococcal TpiA with plasminogen were characterized using surface plasmon resonance (SPR, Biacore), ligand blot analyses, and enzyme‐linked immunosorbent assay. Enhanced plasminogen activation and subsequent degradation by plasmin were also shown. Release of TpiA into the culture medium was observed to be dependent on autolysin. These findings suggest that S. pneumoniae releases TpiA via autolysis, which then binds to plasminogen and promotes its activation, thereby contributing to tissue invasion via degradation of the extracellular matrix.
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Affiliation(s)
- Satoru Hirayama
- Division of Microbiology and Infectious Diseases, Niigata University Graduate School of Medical and Dental Sciences, Niigata, Japan
| | - Hisanori Domon
- Division of Microbiology and Infectious Diseases, Niigata University Graduate School of Medical and Dental Sciences, Niigata, Japan.,Center for Advanced Oral Science, Niigata University Graduate School of Medical and Dental Sciences, Niigata, Japan
| | - Takumi Hiyoshi
- Division of Microbiology and Infectious Diseases, Niigata University Graduate School of Medical and Dental Sciences, Niigata, Japan.,Center for Advanced Oral Science, Niigata University Graduate School of Medical and Dental Sciences, Niigata, Japan.,Division of Periodontology, Niigata University Graduate School of Medical and Dental Sciences, Niigata, Japan
| | - Toshihito Isono
- Division of Microbiology and Infectious Diseases, Niigata University Graduate School of Medical and Dental Sciences, Niigata, Japan
| | - Hikaru Tamura
- Division of Microbiology and Infectious Diseases, Niigata University Graduate School of Medical and Dental Sciences, Niigata, Japan.,Division of Periodontology, Niigata University Graduate School of Medical and Dental Sciences, Niigata, Japan
| | - Karin Sasagawa
- Division of Microbiology and Infectious Diseases, Niigata University Graduate School of Medical and Dental Sciences, Niigata, Japan.,Division of Periodontology, Niigata University Graduate School of Medical and Dental Sciences, Niigata, Japan
| | - Fumio Takizawa
- Division of Microbiology and Infectious Diseases, Niigata University Graduate School of Medical and Dental Sciences, Niigata, Japan.,Division of Periodontology, Niigata University Graduate School of Medical and Dental Sciences, Niigata, Japan
| | - Yutaka Terao
- Division of Microbiology and Infectious Diseases, Niigata University Graduate School of Medical and Dental Sciences, Niigata, Japan.,Center for Advanced Oral Science, Niigata University Graduate School of Medical and Dental Sciences, Niigata, Japan
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14
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Kim H, Kim M, Kim S, Lee YM, Shin SC. Characterization of antimicrobial resistance genes and virulence factor genes in an Arctic permafrost region revealed by metagenomics. ENVIRONMENTAL POLLUTION (BARKING, ESSEX : 1987) 2022; 294:118634. [PMID: 34875269 DOI: 10.1016/j.envpol.2021.118634] [Citation(s) in RCA: 21] [Impact Index Per Article: 10.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/13/2021] [Revised: 11/29/2021] [Accepted: 12/03/2021] [Indexed: 06/13/2023]
Abstract
Antimicrobial resistance genes (ARGs) and virulence factor genes (VFGs) constitute a serious threat to public health, and climate change has been predicted to affect the increase in bacterial pathogens harboring ARGs and VFGs. However, studies on bacterial pathogens and their ARGs and VFGs in permafrost region have received limited attention. In this study, a metagenomic approach was applied to a comprehensive survey to detect potential ARGs, VFGs, and pathogenic antibiotic resistant bacteria (PARB) carrying both ARGs and VFGs in the active layer and permafrost. Overall, 70 unique ARGs against 18 antimicrobial drug classes and 599 VFGs classified as 38 virulence factors were detected in the Arctic permafrost region. Eight genes with mobile genetic elements (MGEs) carrying ARGs were identified; most MGEs were classified as phages. In the metagenome-assembled genomes, the presence of 15 PARB was confirmed. The soil profile showed that the transcripts per million (TPM) values of ARGs and VFGs in the sub-soil horizon were significantly lower than those in the top soil horizon. Based on the TPM value of each gene, major ARGs, VFGs, and these genes in PARB from the Arctic permafrost region were identified and their distribution was confirmed. The major host bacteria for ARGs and VFGs and PARB were identified. A comparison of the percentage identity distribution of ARGs and VFGs to reference databases indicated that ARGs and VFGs in the Arctic soils differ from previously identified genes. Our results may help understand the characteristics and distribution of ARGs, VFGs, and these genes in PARB in the Arctic permafrost region. This findings suggest that the Arctic permafrost region may serve as potential reservoirs for ARGs, VFGs, and PARB. These genes could pose a new threat to human health if they are released by permafrost thawing owing to global warming and propagate to other regions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Heesoo Kim
- Division of Life Sciences, Korea Polar Research Institute, Incheon, 21990, Republic of Korea
| | - Mincheol Kim
- Division of Life Sciences, Korea Polar Research Institute, Incheon, 21990, Republic of Korea
| | - Sanghee Kim
- Division of Life Sciences, Korea Polar Research Institute, Incheon, 21990, Republic of Korea
| | - Yung Mi Lee
- Division of Life Sciences, Korea Polar Research Institute, Incheon, 21990, Republic of Korea
| | - Seung Chul Shin
- Division of Life Sciences, Korea Polar Research Institute, Incheon, 21990, Republic of Korea.
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15
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Shan X, Fu J, Li X, Peng X, Chen L. Comparative proteomics and secretomics revealed virulence, and coresistance-related factors in non O1/O139 Vibrio cholerae recovered from 16 species of consumable aquatic animals. J Proteomics 2022; 251:104408. [PMID: 34737110 DOI: 10.1016/j.jprot.2021.104408] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/29/2021] [Revised: 09/12/2021] [Accepted: 10/13/2021] [Indexed: 02/06/2023]
Abstract
Vibrio cholerae can cause pandemic cholera in humans. The bacterium resides in aquatic environments worldwide. Identification of risk factors of V. cholerae in aquatic products is imperative for assuming food safety. In this study, we determined virulence-associated genes, cross-resistance between antibiotics and heavy metals, and genome fingerprinting profiles of non O1/O139 V. cholerae isolates (n = 20) recovered from 16 species of consumable aquatic animals. Secretomes and proteomes of V. cholerae with distinct genotypes and phenotypes were obtained by using two-dimensional gel electrophoresis (2D-GE) and/or liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry (LC-MS/MS) techniques. Comparative secretomic analysis revealed 4 common and 45 differential extracellular proteins among 20 V. cholerae strains, including 13 virulence- and 8 resistance-associated proteins. A total of 21,972 intracellular proteins were identified, and comparative proteomic analysis revealed 215 common and 913 differential intracellular proteins, including 22 virulence- and 8 resistance-associated proteins. Additionally, different secretomes and proteomes were observed between V. cholerae isolates of fish and shellfish origins. A number of novel proteins with unknown function and strain-specific proteins were also discovered in the V. cholerae isolates. SIGNIFICANCE: V. cholerae can cause pandemic cholera in humans. The bacterium is distributed in aquatic environments worldwide. Identification of risk factors of V. cholerae in aquatic products is imperative for assuming food safety. Non-O1/O139 V. cholerae has been reported to cause sporadic cholera-like diarrhea and bacteremia diseases, which indicates virulence factors rather than the major cholera toxin (CT) exist. This study for the first time investigated proteomes and secretomes of non-O1/O139 V. cholerae originating from aquatic animals. This resulted in the identification of a number of virulence and coresistance-related factors, as well as novel proteins and strain-specific proteins in V. cholerae isolates recovered from 16 species of consumable aquatic animals. These results fill gaps for better understanding of pathogenesis and resistance of V. cholerae, and also support the increasing need for novel diagnosis and vaccine targets against the leading waterborne pathogen worldwide.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xinying Shan
- Key Laboratory of Quality and Safety Risk Assessment for Aquatic Products on Storage and Preservation (Shanghai), China Ministry of Agriculture, College of Food Science and Technology, Shanghai Ocean University, Shanghai 201306, China
| | - Junfeng Fu
- Key Laboratory of Quality and Safety Risk Assessment for Aquatic Products on Storage and Preservation (Shanghai), China Ministry of Agriculture, College of Food Science and Technology, Shanghai Ocean University, Shanghai 201306, China
| | - Xiaohui Li
- Key Laboratory of Quality and Safety Risk Assessment for Aquatic Products on Storage and Preservation (Shanghai), China Ministry of Agriculture, College of Food Science and Technology, Shanghai Ocean University, Shanghai 201306, China
| | - Xu Peng
- Archaea Centre, Department of Biology, University of Copenhagen, Copenhagen, Denmark
| | - Lanming Chen
- Key Laboratory of Quality and Safety Risk Assessment for Aquatic Products on Storage and Preservation (Shanghai), China Ministry of Agriculture, College of Food Science and Technology, Shanghai Ocean University, Shanghai 201306, China.
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16
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Dobrut A, Brzychczy-Włoch M. Immunogenic Proteins of Group B Streptococcus-Potential Antigens in Immunodiagnostic Assay for GBS Detection. Pathogens 2021; 11:43. [PMID: 35055991 PMCID: PMC8778278 DOI: 10.3390/pathogens11010043] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/02/2021] [Revised: 12/29/2021] [Accepted: 12/29/2021] [Indexed: 12/21/2022] Open
Abstract
Streptococcus agalactiae (Group B Streptococcus, GBS) is an opportunistic pathogen, which asymptomatically colonizes the gastrointestinal and genitourinary tract of up to one third of healthy adults. Nevertheless, GBS carriage in pregnant women may lead to several health issues in newborns causing life threatening infection, such as sepsis, pneumonia or meningitis. Recommended GBS screening in pregnant women significantly reduced morbidity and mortality in infants. Nevertheless, intrapartum antibiotic prophylaxis, recommended following the detection of carriage or in case of lack of a carriage test result for pregnant women who demonstrate certain risk factors, led to the expansion of the adverse phenomenon of bacterial resistance to antibiotics. In our paper, we reviewed some immunogenic GBS proteins, i.e., Alp family proteins, β protein, Lmb, Sip, BibA, FsbA, ScpB, enolase, elongation factor Tu, IMPDH, and GroEL, which possess features characteristic of good candidates for immunodiagnostic assays for GBS carriage detection, such as immunoreactivity and specificity. We assume that they can be used as an alternative diagnostic method to the presently recommended bacteriological cultivation and MALDI.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Monika Brzychczy-Włoch
- Department of Molecular Medical Microbiology, Faculty of Medicine, Medical College, Jagiellonian University, 31-121 Krakow, Poland;
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17
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Moore SR, Menon SS, Cortes C, Ferreira VP. Hijacking Factor H for Complement Immune Evasion. Front Immunol 2021; 12:602277. [PMID: 33717083 PMCID: PMC7947212 DOI: 10.3389/fimmu.2021.602277] [Citation(s) in RCA: 42] [Impact Index Per Article: 14.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/02/2020] [Accepted: 01/15/2021] [Indexed: 12/15/2022] Open
Abstract
The complement system is an essential player in innate and adaptive immunity. It consists of three pathways (alternative, classical, and lectin) that initiate either spontaneously (alternative) or in response to danger (all pathways). Complement leads to numerous outcomes detrimental to invaders, including direct killing by formation of the pore-forming membrane attack complex, recruitment of immune cells to sites of invasion, facilitation of phagocytosis, and enhancement of cellular immune responses. Pathogens must overcome the complement system to survive in the host. A common strategy used by pathogens to evade complement is hijacking host complement regulators. Complement regulators prevent attack of host cells and include a collection of membrane-bound and fluid phase proteins. Factor H (FH), a fluid phase complement regulatory protein, controls the alternative pathway (AP) both in the fluid phase of the human body and on cell surfaces. In order to prevent complement activation and amplification on host cells and tissues, FH recognizes host cell-specific polyanionic markers in combination with complement C3 fragments. FH suppresses AP complement-mediated attack by accelerating decay of convertases and by helping to inactivate C3 fragments on host cells. Pathogens, most of which do not have polyanionic markers, are not recognized by FH. Numerous pathogens, including certain bacteria, viruses, protozoa, helminths, and fungi, can recruit FH to protect themselves against host-mediated complement attack, using either specific receptors and/or molecular mimicry to appear more like a host cell. This review will explore pathogen complement evasion mechanisms involving FH recruitment with an emphasis on: (a) characterizing the structural properties and expression patterns of pathogen FH binding proteins, as well as other strategies used by pathogens to capture FH; (b) classifying domains of FH important in pathogen interaction; and (c) discussing existing and potential treatment strategies that target FH interactions with pathogens. Overall, many pathogens use FH to avoid complement attack and appreciating the commonalities across these diverse microorganisms deepens the understanding of complement in microbiology.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sara R Moore
- Department of Medical Microbiology and Immunology, University of Toledo College of Medicine and Life Sciences, Toledo, OH, United States
| | - Smrithi S Menon
- Department of Medical Microbiology and Immunology, University of Toledo College of Medicine and Life Sciences, Toledo, OH, United States
| | - Claudio Cortes
- Department of Foundational Medical Sciences, Oakland University William Beaumont School of Medicine, Rochester, MI, United States
| | - Viviana P Ferreira
- Department of Medical Microbiology and Immunology, University of Toledo College of Medicine and Life Sciences, Toledo, OH, United States
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18
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Wall EC, Brownridge P, Laing G, Terra VS, Mlozowa V, Denis B, Nyirenda M, Allain T, Ramos-Sevillano E, Carrol E, Collins A, Gordon SB, Lalloo DG, Wren B, Beynon R, Heyderman RS, Brown JS. CSF Levels of Elongation Factor Tu Is Associated With Increased Mortality in Malawian Adults With Streptococcus pneumoniae Meningitis. Front Cell Infect Microbiol 2020; 10:603623. [PMID: 33363056 PMCID: PMC7759504 DOI: 10.3389/fcimb.2020.603623] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/07/2020] [Accepted: 11/10/2020] [Indexed: 12/03/2022] Open
Abstract
Background Mortality from bacterial meningitis, predominately caused by Streptococcus pneumoniae, exceeds 50% in sub-Saharan African countries with high HIV prevalence. Underlying causes of high mortality are poorly understood. We examined the host and pathogen proteome in the CSF of adults with proven pneumococcal meningitis (PM), testing if there was an association between differentially expressed proteins and outcome. Materials/Methods CSF proteomes were analyzed by quantitative Mass-Spectrometry. Spectra were identified using the Swissprot human and TIGR4 pneumococcal protein libraries. Proteins were quantitated and analyzed against mortality. Unique proteins in PM were identified against published normal CSF proteome. Random-Forest models were used to test for protein signatures discriminating outcome. Proteins of interest were tested for their effects on growth and neutrophil opsonophagocytic killing of S. pneumoniae. Results CSF proteomes were available for 57 Adults with PM (median age 32 years, 60% male, 70% HIV-1 co-infected, mortality 63%). Three hundred sixty individual human and 23 pneumococcal proteins were identified. Of the human protein hits, 30% were not expressed in normal CSF, and these were strongly associated with inflammation and primarily related to neutrophil activity. No human protein signature predicted outcome. However, expression of the essential S. pneumoniae protein Elongation Factor Tu (EF-Tu) was significantly increased in CSF of non-survivors [False Discovery Rate (q) <0.001]. Expression of EF-Tu was negatively co-correlated against expression of Neutrophil defensin (r 0.4 p p < 0.002), but not against complement proteins C3 or Factor H. In vitro, addition of EF-Tu protein impaired S. pneumoniae neutrophil killing in CSF. Conclusions Excessive S. pneumoniae EF-Tu protein in CSF was associated with reduced survival in meningitis in a high HIV prevalence population. We show EF-Tu may inhibit neutrophil mediated killing of S. pneumoniae in CSF. Further mechanistic work is required to better understand how S. pneumoniae avoids essential innate immune responses during PM through production of excess EF-Tu.
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Affiliation(s)
- Emma C. Wall
- The Francis Crick Institute, London, United Kingdom
- Division of Infection and Immunity, University College London, London, United Kingdom
- Malawi-Liverpool-Wellcome Trust Clinical Research Programme, College of Medicine, University of Malawi, Blantyre, Malawi
| | - Philip Brownridge
- Centre for Proteomics, Institute of Integrative Biology, University of Liverpool, Liverpool, United Kingdom
| | - Gavin Laing
- Liverpool School of Tropical Medicine, Liverpool, United Kingdom
| | - Vanessa S. Terra
- London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine, London, United Kingdom
| | - Veronica Mlozowa
- Malawi-Liverpool-Wellcome Trust Clinical Research Programme, College of Medicine, University of Malawi, Blantyre, Malawi
| | - Brigitte Denis
- Malawi-Liverpool-Wellcome Trust Clinical Research Programme, College of Medicine, University of Malawi, Blantyre, Malawi
| | - Mulinda Nyirenda
- Adult Emergency Trauma Centre, Queen Elizabeth Central Hospital, Ministry of Health, Blantyre, Malawi
- College of Medicine, University of Malawi, Blantyre, Malawi
| | - Theresa Allain
- College of Medicine, University of Malawi, Blantyre, Malawi
| | - Elisa Ramos-Sevillano
- UCL Respiratory, Division of Medicine, University College London, London, United Kingdom
| | - Enitan Carrol
- Institute of Infection and Global Health, University of Liverpool, Liverpool, United Kingdom
| | - Andrea Collins
- Liverpool School of Tropical Medicine, Liverpool, United Kingdom
- Liverpool University Hospital Foundation Trust, Liverpool, United Kingdom
| | - Stephen B. Gordon
- Malawi-Liverpool-Wellcome Trust Clinical Research Programme, College of Medicine, University of Malawi, Blantyre, Malawi
- Liverpool School of Tropical Medicine, Liverpool, United Kingdom
| | - David G. Lalloo
- Liverpool School of Tropical Medicine, Liverpool, United Kingdom
| | - Brendan Wren
- London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine, London, United Kingdom
| | - Robert Beynon
- Centre for Proteomics, Institute of Integrative Biology, University of Liverpool, Liverpool, United Kingdom
| | - Robert S. Heyderman
- Division of Infection and Immunity, University College London, London, United Kingdom
- Malawi-Liverpool-Wellcome Trust Clinical Research Programme, College of Medicine, University of Malawi, Blantyre, Malawi
| | - Jeremy S. Brown
- UCL Respiratory, Division of Medicine, University College London, London, United Kingdom
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19
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Syed S, Viazmina L, Mager R, Meri S, Haapasalo K. Streptococci and the complement system: interplay during infection, inflammation and autoimmunity. FEBS Lett 2020; 594:2570-2585. [PMID: 32594520 DOI: 10.1002/1873-3468.13872] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/07/2020] [Revised: 06/12/2020] [Accepted: 06/15/2020] [Indexed: 11/09/2022]
Abstract
Streptococci are a broad group of Gram-positive bacteria. This genus includes various human pathogens causing significant morbidity and mortality. Two of the most important human pathogens are Streptococcus pneumoniae (pneumococcus) and Streptococcus pyogenes (group A streptococcus or GAS). Streptococcal pathogens have evolved to express virulence factors that enable them to evade complement-mediated attack. These include factor H-binding M (S. pyogenes) and pneumococcal surface protein C (PspC) (S. pneumoniae) proteins. In addition, S. pyogenes and S. pneumoniae express cytolysins (streptolysin and pneumolysin), which are able to destroy host cells. Sometimes, the interplay between streptococci, the complement, and antistreptococcal immunity may lead to an excessive inflammatory response or autoimmune disease. Understanding the fundamental role of the complement system in microbial clearance and the bacterial escape mechanisms is of paramount importance for understanding microbial virulence, in general, and, the conversion of commensals to pathogens, more specifically. Such insights may help to identify novel antibiotic and vaccine targets in bacterial pathogens to counter their growing resistance to commonly used antibiotics.
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Affiliation(s)
- Shahan Syed
- Department of Bacteriology and Immunology, University of Helsinki, Finland
| | - Larisa Viazmina
- Department of Bacteriology and Immunology, University of Helsinki, Finland
| | | | - Seppo Meri
- Department of Bacteriology and Immunology, University of Helsinki, Finland.,Humanitas University, Milano, Italy
| | - Karita Haapasalo
- Department of Bacteriology and Immunology, University of Helsinki, Finland
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20
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Deciphering Additional Roles for the EF-Tu, l-Asparaginase II and OmpT Proteins of Shiga Toxin-Producing Escherichia coli. Microorganisms 2020; 8:microorganisms8081184. [PMID: 32759661 PMCID: PMC7464798 DOI: 10.3390/microorganisms8081184] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/09/2020] [Revised: 07/31/2020] [Accepted: 08/01/2020] [Indexed: 12/14/2022] Open
Abstract
Shiga toxin-producing Escherichia coli (STEC) causes outbreaks and sporadic cases of gastroenteritis. STEC O157:H7 is the most clinically relevant serotype in the world. The major virulence determinants of STEC O157:H7 are the Shiga toxins and the locus of enterocyte effacement. However, several accessory virulence factors, mainly outer membrane proteins (OMPs) that interact with the host cells may contribute to the virulence of this pathogen. Previously, the elongation factor thermo unstable (EF-Tu), l-asparaginase II and OmpT proteins were identified as antigens in OMP extracts of STEC. The known subcellular location of EF-Tu and l-asparaginase II are the cytoplasm and periplasm, respectively. Therefore, we investigate whether these two proteins may localize on the surface of STEC and, if so, what roles they have at this site. On the other hand, the OmpT protein, a well characterized protease, has been described as participating in the adhesion of extraintestinal pathogenic E. coli strains. Thus, we investigate whether OmpT has this role in STEC. Our results show that the EF-Tu and l-asparaginase II are secreted by O157:H7 and may also localize on the surface of this bacterium. EF-Tu was identified in outer membrane vesicles (OMVs), suggesting it as a possible export mechanism for this protein. Notably, we found that l-asparaginase II secreted by O157:H7 inhibits T-lymphocyte proliferation, but the role of EF-Tu at the surface of this bacterium remains to be elucidated. In the case of OmpT, we show its participation in the adhesion of O157:H7 to human epithelial cells. Thus, this study extends the knowledge of the pathogenic mechanisms of STEC.
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21
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Dasari P, Koleci N, Shopova IA, Wartenberg D, Beyersdorf N, Dietrich S, Sahagún-Ruiz A, Figge MT, Skerka C, Brakhage AA, Zipfel PF. Enolase From Aspergillus fumigatus Is a Moonlighting Protein That Binds the Human Plasma Complement Proteins Factor H, FHL-1, C4BP, and Plasminogen. Front Immunol 2019; 10:2573. [PMID: 31824478 PMCID: PMC6883375 DOI: 10.3389/fimmu.2019.02573] [Citation(s) in RCA: 32] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/11/2019] [Accepted: 10/17/2019] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
The opportunistic fungal pathogen Aspergillus fumigatus can cause severe infections, particularly in immunocompromised individuals. Upon infection, A. fumigatus faces the powerful and directly acting immune defense of the human host. The mechanisms on how A. fumigatus evades innate immune attack and complement are still poorly understood. Here, we identify A. fumigatus enolase, AfEno1, which was also characterized as fungal allergen, as a surface ligand for human plasma complement regulators. AfEno1 binds factor H, factor-H-like protein 1 (FHL-1), C4b binding protein (C4BP), and plasminogen. Factor H attaches to AfEno1 via two regions, via short conserved repeats (SCRs) 6-7 and 19-20, and FHL-1 contacts AfEno1 via SCRs 6-7. Both regulators when bound to AfEno1 retain cofactor activity and assist in C3b inactivation. Similarly, the classical pathway regulator C4BP binds to AfEno1 and bound to AfEno1; C4BP assists in C4b inactivation. Plasminogen which binds to AfEno1 via lysine residues is accessible for the tissue-type plasminogen activator (tPA), and active plasmin cleaves the chromogenic substrate S2251, degrades fibrinogen, and inactivates C3 and C3b. Plasmin attached to swollen A. fumigatus conidia damages human A549 lung epithelial cells, reduces the cellular metabolic activity, and induces cell retraction, which results in exposure of the extracellular matrix. Thus, A. fumigatus AfEno1 is a moonlighting protein and virulence factor which recruits several human regulators. The attached human regulators allow the fungal pathogen to control complement at the level of C3 and to damage endothelial cell layers and tissue components.
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Affiliation(s)
- Prasad Dasari
- Department of Infection Biology, Leibniz Institute for Natural Product Research and Infection Biology, Hans Knöll Institute, Jena, Germany
| | - Naile Koleci
- Department of Infection Biology, Leibniz Institute for Natural Product Research and Infection Biology, Hans Knöll Institute, Jena, Germany
| | - Iordana A Shopova
- Department of Molecular and Applied Microbiology, Leibniz Institute for Natural Product Research and Infection Biology, Hans Knöll Institute, Jena, Germany
| | - Dirk Wartenberg
- Department of Molecular and Applied Microbiology, Leibniz Institute for Natural Product Research and Infection Biology, Hans Knöll Institute, Jena, Germany
| | - Niklas Beyersdorf
- Institute for Virology and Immunobiology, University of Würzburg, Würzburg, Germany
| | - Stefanie Dietrich
- Research Group Applied Systems Biology, Leibniz Institute for Natural Product Research and Infection Biology, Hans Knöll Institute, Jena, Germany
| | - Alfredo Sahagún-Ruiz
- Laboratorio de Inmunología Molecular, Departamento de Microbiología e Inmunología, Facultad de Medicina Veterinaria y Zootecnia, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México, Mexico City, Mexico
| | - Marc Thilo Figge
- Research Group Applied Systems Biology, Leibniz Institute for Natural Product Research and Infection Biology, Hans Knöll Institute, Jena, Germany.,Institute of Microbiology, Friedrich Schiller University, Jena, Germany
| | - Christine Skerka
- Department of Infection Biology, Leibniz Institute for Natural Product Research and Infection Biology, Hans Knöll Institute, Jena, Germany
| | - Axel A Brakhage
- Department of Molecular and Applied Microbiology, Leibniz Institute for Natural Product Research and Infection Biology, Hans Knöll Institute, Jena, Germany.,Institute of Microbiology, Friedrich Schiller University, Jena, Germany
| | - Peter F Zipfel
- Department of Infection Biology, Leibniz Institute for Natural Product Research and Infection Biology, Hans Knöll Institute, Jena, Germany.,Institute of Microbiology, Friedrich Schiller University, Jena, Germany
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22
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Harvey KL, Jarocki VM, Charles IG, Djordjevic SP. The Diverse Functional Roles of Elongation Factor Tu (EF-Tu) in Microbial Pathogenesis. Front Microbiol 2019; 10:2351. [PMID: 31708880 PMCID: PMC6822514 DOI: 10.3389/fmicb.2019.02351] [Citation(s) in RCA: 95] [Impact Index Per Article: 19.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/18/2019] [Accepted: 09/27/2019] [Indexed: 12/25/2022] Open
Abstract
Elongation factor thermal unstable Tu (EF-Tu) is a G protein that catalyzes the binding of aminoacyl-tRNA to the A-site of the ribosome inside living cells. Structural and biochemical studies have described the complex interactions needed to effect canonical function. However, EF-Tu has evolved the capacity to execute diverse functions on the extracellular surface of both eukaryote and prokaryote cells. EF-Tu can traffic to, and is retained on, cell surfaces where can interact with membrane receptors and with extracellular matrix on the surface of plant and animal cells. Our structural studies indicate that short linear motifs (SLiMs) in surface exposed, non-conserved regions of the molecule may play a key role in the moonlighting functions ascribed to this ancient, highly abundant protein. Here we explore the diverse moonlighting functions relating to pathogenesis of EF-Tu in bacteria and examine putative SLiMs on surface-exposed regions of the molecule.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kate L Harvey
- The ithree Institute, University of Technology Sydney, Ultimo, NSW, Australia
| | - Veronica M Jarocki
- The ithree Institute, University of Technology Sydney, Ultimo, NSW, Australia
| | - Ian G Charles
- Quadram Institute, Norwich, United Kingdom.,Norwich Medical School, Norwich, United Kingdom
| | - Steven P Djordjevic
- The ithree Institute, University of Technology Sydney, Ultimo, NSW, Australia
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23
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Zhao N, Jiang Y, Ming S, Liu S, Zhao X, Wang F. Monoclonal Antibody Preparation and Epitope Identification for Brucella melitensis Elongation Factor Tu. Front Microbiol 2019; 10:1878. [PMID: 31474961 PMCID: PMC6705223 DOI: 10.3389/fmicb.2019.01878] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/04/2019] [Accepted: 07/30/2019] [Indexed: 12/02/2022] Open
Abstract
Elongation factor thermo-unstable (EF-Tu), an abundant multifunctional protein, is pivotal during protein synthesis and is an important antigen. Few studies have addressed the role of this protein in Brucella species, and the epitopes of this protein have not been reported. Here, we describe a monoclonal antibody (McAb), BD6, for EF-Tu in Brucella melitensis. Using western blotting involving a series of partially overlapping recombinant EF-Tu truncation peptides, a novel linear B-cell epitope, 110QTREHIL116 (EF), was identified. Alanine-scanning mutagenesis revealed that residues Q110, T111, R112, I115, and L116 were core residues involved in recognition. Sequence alignment suggested that the epitope peptide was conserved among bacterial species but differed by one amino acid residue (I115) from the host sequence. The epitope peptide was recognized by sera from B. melitensis-infected mice, and while recombinant epitope peptide induced a strong humoral immune response, the corresponding mouse peptide, QTREHLL, did not. These results suggested that I115 may be the key residue for the host immune system to distinguish between bacterial and self epitope EF sequences. Indirect immunofluorescence and western blotting assays showed that epitope peptide could be used in Saccharomyces cerevisiae, human embryonic kidney cell (HEK-293), and chicken fibroblast cell (DF1) expression systems and immunoprecipitation assay. Together, our results suggested that the McAb BD6 is a useful tool for further investigation of the potential functions of the EF-Tu protein in pathogen-host interactions, and that the epitope tag may be useful for application as a novel affinity tag to identify other bacterial pathogens, especially convenient for the identification of intracellular bacteria.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ningning Zhao
- Department of Preventive Veterinary Medicine, College of Veterinary Medicine, Shandong Agricultural University, Tai'an, China.,Shandong Provincial Key Laboratory of Animal Biotechnology and Disease Control and Prevention, Shandong Agricultural University, Tai'an, China.,Shandong Provincial Engineering Technology Research Center of Animal Disease Control and Prevention, Shandong Agricultural University, Tai'an, China
| | - Yue Jiang
- Department of Preventive Veterinary Medicine, College of Veterinary Medicine, Shandong Agricultural University, Tai'an, China.,Shandong Provincial Key Laboratory of Animal Biotechnology and Disease Control and Prevention, Shandong Agricultural University, Tai'an, China.,Shandong Provincial Engineering Technology Research Center of Animal Disease Control and Prevention, Shandong Agricultural University, Tai'an, China
| | - Shuzhen Ming
- Department of Preventive Veterinary Medicine, College of Veterinary Medicine, Shandong Agricultural University, Tai'an, China.,Shandong Provincial Key Laboratory of Animal Biotechnology and Disease Control and Prevention, Shandong Agricultural University, Tai'an, China.,Shandong Provincial Engineering Technology Research Center of Animal Disease Control and Prevention, Shandong Agricultural University, Tai'an, China
| | - Sidang Liu
- Department of Preventive Veterinary Medicine, College of Veterinary Medicine, Shandong Agricultural University, Tai'an, China.,Shandong Provincial Key Laboratory of Animal Biotechnology and Disease Control and Prevention, Shandong Agricultural University, Tai'an, China.,Shandong Provincial Engineering Technology Research Center of Animal Disease Control and Prevention, Shandong Agricultural University, Tai'an, China
| | - Xiaomin Zhao
- Department of Preventive Veterinary Medicine, College of Veterinary Medicine, Shandong Agricultural University, Tai'an, China.,Shandong Provincial Key Laboratory of Animal Biotechnology and Disease Control and Prevention, Shandong Agricultural University, Tai'an, China.,Shandong Provincial Engineering Technology Research Center of Animal Disease Control and Prevention, Shandong Agricultural University, Tai'an, China
| | - Fangkun Wang
- Department of Preventive Veterinary Medicine, College of Veterinary Medicine, Shandong Agricultural University, Tai'an, China.,Shandong Provincial Key Laboratory of Animal Biotechnology and Disease Control and Prevention, Shandong Agricultural University, Tai'an, China.,Shandong Provincial Engineering Technology Research Center of Animal Disease Control and Prevention, Shandong Agricultural University, Tai'an, China
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24
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van den Broek B, van der Flier M, de Groot R, de Jonge MI, Langereis JD. Common Genetic Variants in the Complement System and their Potential Link with Disease Susceptibility and Outcome of Invasive Bacterial Infection. J Innate Immun 2019; 12:131-141. [PMID: 31269507 DOI: 10.1159/000500545] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/16/2018] [Accepted: 04/19/2019] [Indexed: 01/01/2023] Open
Abstract
Streptococcus pneumoniae and Neisseria meningitidis are pathogens that frequently colonize the nasopharynx in an asymptomatic manner but are also a cause of invasive bacterial infections mainly in young children. The complement system plays a crucial role in humoral immunity, complementing the ability of antibodies to clear microbes, thereby protecting the host against bacterial infections, including S. pneumoniae and N. meningitidis. While it is widely accepted that complement deficiencies due to rare genetic variants increase the risk for invasive bacterial infection, not much is known about the common genetic variants in the complement system in relation to disease susceptibility. In this review, we provide an overview of the effects of common genetic variants on complement activation and on complement-mediated inflammation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Bryan van den Broek
- Paediatric Infectious Diseases and Immunology, Amalia Children's Hospital, Nijmegen, The Netherlands.,Section Paediatric Infectious Diseases, Laboratory of Medical Immunology, Radboud Institute for Molecular Life Sciences, Radboudumc, Nijmegen, The Netherlands.,Radboud Center for Infectious Diseases, Radboudumc, Nijmegen, The Netherlands
| | - Michiel van der Flier
- Paediatric Infectious Diseases and Immunology, Amalia Children's Hospital, Nijmegen, The Netherlands.,Expertise Center for Immunodeficiency and Auto inflammation (REIA), Radboudumc, Nijmegen, The Netherlands.,Section Paediatric Infectious Diseases, Laboratory of Medical Immunology, Radboud Institute for Molecular Life Sciences, Radboudumc, Nijmegen, The Netherlands.,Radboud Center for Infectious Diseases, Radboudumc, Nijmegen, The Netherlands
| | - Ronald de Groot
- Section Paediatric Infectious Diseases, Laboratory of Medical Immunology, Radboud Institute for Molecular Life Sciences, Radboudumc, Nijmegen, The Netherlands.,Radboud Center for Infectious Diseases, Radboudumc, Nijmegen, The Netherlands
| | - Marien I de Jonge
- Section Paediatric Infectious Diseases, Laboratory of Medical Immunology, Radboud Institute for Molecular Life Sciences, Radboudumc, Nijmegen, The Netherlands.,Radboud Center for Infectious Diseases, Radboudumc, Nijmegen, The Netherlands
| | - Jeroen D Langereis
- Section Paediatric Infectious Diseases, Laboratory of Medical Immunology, Radboud Institute for Molecular Life Sciences, Radboudumc, Nijmegen, The Netherlands, .,Radboud Center for Infectious Diseases, Radboudumc, Nijmegen, The Netherlands,
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25
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Abstract
Streptococcus pneumoniae (the pneumoccus) is the leading cause of otitis media, community-acquired pneumonia, and bacterial meningitis. The success of the pneumococcus stems from its ability to persist in the population as a commensal and avoid killing by immune system. This chapter first reviews the molecular mechanisms that allow the pneumococcus to colonize and spread from one anatomical site to the next. Then, it discusses the mechanisms of inflammation and cytotoxicity during emerging and classical pneumococcal infections.
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26
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Meinel C, Spartà G, Dahse HM, Hörhold F, König R, Westermann M, Coldewey SM, Cseresnyés Z, Figge MT, Hammerschmidt S, Skerka C, Zipfel PF. Streptococcus pneumoniae From Patients With Hemolytic Uremic Syndrome Binds Human Plasminogen via the Surface Protein PspC and Uses Plasmin to Damage Human Endothelial Cells. J Infect Dis 2019; 217:358-370. [PMID: 28968817 DOI: 10.1093/infdis/jix305] [Citation(s) in RCA: 24] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/25/2022] Open
Abstract
Pneumococcal hemolytic uremic syndrome (HUS) in children is caused by infections with Streptococcus pneumoniae. Because endothelial cell damage is a hallmark of HUS, we studied how HUS-inducing pneumococci derived from infant HUS patients during the acute phase disrupt the endothelial layer. HUS pneumococci efficiently bound human plasminogen. These clinical isolates of HUS pneumococci efficiently bound human plasminogen via the bacterial surface proteins Tuf and PspC. When activated to plasmin at the bacterial surface, the active protease degraded fibrinogen and cleaved C3b. Here, we show that PspC is a pneumococcal plasminogen receptor and that plasmin generated on the surface of HUS pneumococci damages endothelial cells, causing endothelial retraction and exposure of the underlying matrix. Thus, HUS pneumococci damage endothelial cells in the blood vessels and disturb local complement homeostasis. Thereby, HUS pneumococci promote a thrombogenic state that drives HUS pathology.
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Affiliation(s)
- Christian Meinel
- Department of Infection Biology, Leibniz Institute for Natural Product Research and Infection Biology-Hans Knoell Institute, Jena, Germany
| | - Giuseppina Spartà
- Klinik für Kinder- und Jugendmedizin, Kantonsspital Winterthur, Switzerland
| | - Hans-Martin Dahse
- Department of Infection Biology, Leibniz Institute for Natural Product Research and Infection Biology-Hans Knoell Institute, Jena, Germany
| | - Franziska Hörhold
- Department of Infection Biology, Leibniz Institute for Natural Product Research and Infection Biology-Hans Knoell Institute, Jena, Germany.,Associated Group of Network Modeling, Leibniz Institute for Natural Product Research and Infection Biology-Hans Knoell Institute.,Center for Sepsis Control and Care
| | - Rainer König
- Associated Group of Network Modeling, Leibniz Institute for Natural Product Research and Infection Biology-Hans Knoell Institute.,Center for Sepsis Control and Care
| | | | - Sina M Coldewey
- Center for Sepsis Control and Care.,Department of Anesthesiology and Intensive Care Medicine.,Septomics Research Center.,Applied Systems Biology, Leibniz Institute for Natural Product Research and Infection Biology-Hans Knoell Institute, Jena
| | - Zoltán Cseresnyés
- Applied Systems Biology, Leibniz Institute for Natural Product Research and Infection Biology-Hans Knoell Institute, Jena.,Friedrich Schiller University, Jena, Germany
| | - Marc Thilo Figge
- Applied Systems Biology, Leibniz Institute for Natural Product Research and Infection Biology-Hans Knoell Institute, Jena.,Friedrich Schiller University, Jena, Germany
| | - Sven Hammerschmidt
- Department Genetics of Microorganisms, Interfaculty Institute for Genetics and Functional Genomics, Ernst Moritz Arndt University, Greifswald
| | - Christine Skerka
- Department of Infection Biology, Leibniz Institute for Natural Product Research and Infection Biology-Hans Knoell Institute, Jena, Germany
| | - Peter F Zipfel
- Department of Infection Biology, Leibniz Institute for Natural Product Research and Infection Biology-Hans Knoell Institute, Jena, Germany.,Center for Sepsis Control and Care.,Friedrich Schiller University, Jena, Germany
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27
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Production of neutralizing antibodies against the secreted Clostridium chauvoei toxin A (CctA) upon blackleg vaccination. Anaerobe 2019; 56:78-87. [PMID: 30771460 DOI: 10.1016/j.anaerobe.2019.02.011] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/12/2018] [Revised: 01/30/2019] [Accepted: 02/13/2019] [Indexed: 01/23/2023]
Abstract
Clostridium chauvoei is the etiologic agent of blackleg in cattle, inducing fever, severe myonecrosis, oedemic lesions and ultimately death of infected animals. The pathogen often results in such rapid death that antibiotic therapy is futile and thus vaccination is the only efficient strategy in order to control the disease. The β-barrel pore forming leucocidin Clostridium chauvoei toxin A (CctA) is one of the best characterised toxins of C. chauvoei and has been shown to be an important virulence factor. It has been reported to induce protective immunity and is conserved across C. chauvoei strains collected from diverse geographical locations for more than 50 years. The aim of this study was to identify the location of the CctA toxin during liquid culture fermentation and to use CctA to develop an in vitro assay to replace the current guinea pig challenge assay for vaccine potency in standard batch release procedures. We report that CctA is fully secreted in C. chauvoei culture and show that it is found abundantly in the supernatant of liquid cultures. Sera from cattle vaccinated with a commercial blackleg vaccine revealed strong haemolysin-neutralizing activity against recombinant CctA which reached titres of 1000 times 28 days post-vaccination. Similarly, guinea pig sera from an official potency control test reached titres of 600 times 14 days post-vaccination. In contrast, ELISA was not able to specifically measure anti-CctA antibodies in cattle serum due to strong cross-reactions with antibodies against other proteins present pre-vaccination. We conclude that haemolysin-neutralizing antibodies are a valuable measurement for protective immunity against blackleg and have the potential to be a suitable replacement of the guinea pig challenge potency test, which would forego the unnecessary challenge of laboratory animals.
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28
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Ebner P, Götz F. Bacterial Excretion of Cytoplasmic Proteins (ECP): Occurrence, Mechanism, and Function. Trends Microbiol 2019; 27:176-187. [DOI: 10.1016/j.tim.2018.10.006] [Citation(s) in RCA: 32] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/04/2018] [Revised: 09/11/2018] [Accepted: 10/16/2018] [Indexed: 12/28/2022]
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29
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Thofte O, Kaur R, Su YC, Brant M, Rudin A, Hood D, Riesbeck K. Anti-EF-Tu IgG titers increase with age and may contribute to protection against the respiratory pathogen Haemophilus influenzae. Eur J Immunol 2019; 49:490-499. [PMID: 30566236 PMCID: PMC6491980 DOI: 10.1002/eji.201847871] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/18/2018] [Revised: 11/23/2018] [Accepted: 12/17/2018] [Indexed: 11/21/2022]
Abstract
Non‐typeable Haemophilus influenzae (NTHi) is a pathogen that commonly colonizes the nasopharynx of preschool children, causing opportunistic infections including acute otitis media (AOM). Patients suffering from chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) are persistently colonized with NTHi and occasionally suffer from exacerbations by the bacterium leading to increased morbidity. Elongation‐factor thermo unstable (EF‐Tu), a protein critical for bacterial protein synthesis, has been found to moonlight on the surface of several bacteria. Here, we show that antibodies against NTHi EF‐Tu were present in children already at 18 months of age, and that the IgG antibody titers increased with age. Children harboring NTHi in the nasopharynx also displayed significantly higher IgG concentrations. Interestingly, children suffering from AOM had significantly higher anti‐EF‐Tu IgG levels when NTHi was the causative agent. Human sera recognized mainly the central and C‐terminal part of the EF‐Tu molecule and peptide‐based epitope mapping confirmed similar binding patterns for sera from humans and immunized mice. Immunization of BALB/c and otitis‐prone Junbo (C3H/HeH) mice promoted lower infection rates in the nasopharynx and middle ear, respectively. In conclusion, our results suggest that IgG directed against NTHi EF‐Tu may play an important role in the host immune response against NTHi.
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Affiliation(s)
- Oskar Thofte
- Clinical Microbiology, Department of Translational Medicine, Faculty of Medicine, Lund University, Malmö, Sweden
| | - Ravinder Kaur
- Center for Infectious Diseases and Immunology, Rochester General Hospital Research Institute, Rochester, NY
| | - Yu-Ching Su
- Clinical Microbiology, Department of Translational Medicine, Faculty of Medicine, Lund University, Malmö, Sweden
| | - Marta Brant
- Clinical Microbiology, Department of Translational Medicine, Faculty of Medicine, Lund University, Malmö, Sweden
| | - Anna Rudin
- Department of Immunology, Sahlgrenska University Hospital, University of Gothenburg, Gothenburg, Sweden
| | - Derek Hood
- Mammalian Genetics Unit, MRC Harwell Institute, Harwell Science & Innovation Campus, Oxfordshire, UK
| | - Kristian Riesbeck
- Clinical Microbiology, Department of Translational Medicine, Faculty of Medicine, Lund University, Malmö, Sweden
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30
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Thofte O, Su YC, Brant M, Littorin N, Duell BL, Alvarado V, Jalalvand F, Riesbeck K. EF-Tu From Non-typeable Haemophilus influenzae Is an Immunogenic Surface-Exposed Protein Targeted by Bactericidal Antibodies. Front Immunol 2018; 9:2910. [PMID: 30619274 PMCID: PMC6305414 DOI: 10.3389/fimmu.2018.02910] [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: 06/16/2018] [Accepted: 11/27/2018] [Indexed: 01/07/2023] Open
Abstract
Non-typeable Haemophilus influenzae (NTHi), a commensal organism in pre-school children, is an opportunistic pathogen causing respiratory tract infections including acute otitis media. Adults suffering from chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) are persistently colonized by NTHi. Previous research has suggested that, in some bacterial species, the intracellular elongation factor thermo-unstable (EF-Tu) can moonlight as a surface protein upon host encounter. The aim of this study was to determine whether EF-Tu localizes to the surface of H. influenzae, and if such surface-associated EF-Tu is a target for bactericidal antibodies. Using flow cytometry, transmission immunoelectron microscopy, and epitope mapping, we demonstrated that EF-Tu is exposed at the surface of NTHi, and identified immunodominant epitopes of this protein. Rabbits immunized with whole-cell NTHi produced significantly more immunoglobulin G (IgG) directed against EF-Tu than against the NTHi outer membrane proteins D and F as revealed by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assays. Chemical cleavage of NTHi EF-Tu by cyanogen bromide (CNBr) followed by immunoblotting showed that the immunodominant epitopes were located within the central and C-terminal regions of the protein. Peptide epitope mapping by dot blot analysis further revealed four different immunodominant peptide sequences; EF-Tu41−65, EF-Tu161−185, EF-Tu221−245, and EF-Tu281−305. These epitopes were confirmed to be surface-exposed and accessible by peptide-specific antibodies in flow cytometry. We also analyzed whether antibodies raised against NTHi EF-Tu cross-react with other respiratory tract pathogens. Anti-EF-Tu IgG significantly detected EF-Tu on unencapsulated bacteria, including the Gram-negative H. parainfluenzae, H. haemolyticus, Moraxella catarrhalis and various Gram-positive Streptococci of the oral microbiome. In contrast, considerably less EF-Tu was observed at the surface of encapsulated bacteria including H. influenzae serotype b (Hib) and Streptococcus pneumoniae (e.g., serotype 3 and 4). Removal of the capsule, as exemplified by Hib RM804, resulted in increased EF-Tu surface density. Finally, anti-NTHi EF-Tu IgG promoted complement-dependent bacterial killing of NTHi and other unencapsulated Gram-negative bacteria as well as opsonophagocytosis of Gram-positive bacteria. In conclusion, our data demonstrate that NTHi EF-Tu is surface-exposed and recognized by antibodies mediating host innate immunity against NTHi in addition to other unencapsulated respiratory tract bacteria.
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Affiliation(s)
- Oskar Thofte
- Clinical Microbiology, Department of Translational Medicine, Faculty of Medicine, Lund University, Malmö, Sweden
| | - Yu-Ching Su
- Clinical Microbiology, Department of Translational Medicine, Faculty of Medicine, Lund University, Malmö, Sweden
| | - Marta Brant
- Clinical Microbiology, Department of Translational Medicine, Faculty of Medicine, Lund University, Malmö, Sweden
| | - Nils Littorin
- Clinical Microbiology, Department of Translational Medicine, Faculty of Medicine, Lund University, Malmö, Sweden
| | - Benjamin Luke Duell
- Clinical Microbiology, Department of Translational Medicine, Faculty of Medicine, Lund University, Malmö, Sweden
| | - Vera Alvarado
- Clinical Microbiology, Department of Translational Medicine, Faculty of Medicine, Lund University, Malmö, Sweden
| | - Farshid Jalalvand
- Clinical Microbiology, Department of Translational Medicine, Faculty of Medicine, Lund University, Malmö, Sweden
| | - Kristian Riesbeck
- Clinical Microbiology, Department of Translational Medicine, Faculty of Medicine, Lund University, Malmö, Sweden
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31
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Nagai K, Domon H, Maekawa T, Hiyoshi T, Tamura H, Yonezawa D, Habuka R, Saitoh A, Terao Y. Immunization with pneumococcal elongation factor Tu enhances serotype-independent protection against Streptococcus pneumoniae infection. Vaccine 2018; 37:160-168. [PMID: 30442480 DOI: 10.1016/j.vaccine.2018.11.015] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/12/2018] [Revised: 11/01/2018] [Accepted: 11/07/2018] [Indexed: 11/25/2022]
Abstract
Vaccination is an effective strategy to prevent pneumococcal diseases. Currently, licensed vaccines include the pneumococcal polysaccharide vaccine (PPSV) and the pneumococcal conjugate vaccine (PCV), which target some of the most common of the 94 serotypes of S. pneumoniae based on their capsular composition. However, it has been reported that PPSV is not effective in children aged less than 2 years old and PCV induces serotype replacement, which means that the pneumococcal population has changed following widespread introduction of these vaccines, and the non-vaccine serotypes have increased in being the cause of invasive pneumococcal disease. Therefore, it is important that there is development of novel pneumococcal vaccines to either replace or complement current polysaccharide-based vaccines. Our previous study suggested that S. pneumoniae releases elongation factor Tu (EF-Tu) through autolysis followed by the induction of proinflammatory cytokines in macrophages via toll-like receptor 4, that may contribute to the development of pneumococcal diseases. In this study, we investigated the expression of EF-Tu in various S. pneumoniae strains and whether EF-Tu could be an antigen candidate for serotype-independent vaccine against pneumococcal infection. Western blotting and flow cytometry analysis revealed that EF-Tu is a common factor expressed on the surface of all pneumococcal strains tested, as well as intracellularly. In addition, we demonstrate that immunization with recombinant (r) EF-Tu induced the production of inflammatory cytokines and the IgG1 and IgG2a antibodies in mice, and increased the CD4+ T-cells proportion in splenocytes. We also reveal that anti-EF-Tu serum increased the phagocytic activity of mouse peritoneal macrophages against S. pneumoniae infection, independent of their serotypes. Finally, our results indicate that mice immunized with rEF-Tu were significantly and non-specifically protected against lethal challenges with S. pneumoniae serotypes (2 and 15A). Therefore, pneumococcal EF-Tu could be an antigen candidate for the serotype-independent vaccine against pneumococcal infection.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kosuke Nagai
- Division of Microbiology and Infectious Diseases, Niigata University Graduate School of Medical and Dental Sciences, Niigata, Japan
| | - Hisanori Domon
- Division of Microbiology and Infectious Diseases, Niigata University Graduate School of Medical and Dental Sciences, Niigata, Japan; Research Centre for Advanced Oral Science, Niigata University Graduate School of Medical and Dental Sciences, Niigata, Japan
| | - Tomoki Maekawa
- Division of Microbiology and Infectious Diseases, Niigata University Graduate School of Medical and Dental Sciences, Niigata, Japan; Research Centre for Advanced Oral Science, Niigata University Graduate School of Medical and Dental Sciences, Niigata, Japan; Division of Periodontology, Niigata University Graduate School of Medical and Dental Sciences, Niigata, Japan
| | - Takumi Hiyoshi
- Division of Microbiology and Infectious Diseases, Niigata University Graduate School of Medical and Dental Sciences, Niigata, Japan; Division of Periodontology, Niigata University Graduate School of Medical and Dental Sciences, Niigata, Japan
| | - Hikaru Tamura
- Division of Microbiology and Infectious Diseases, Niigata University Graduate School of Medical and Dental Sciences, Niigata, Japan; Research Centre for Advanced Oral Science, Niigata University Graduate School of Medical and Dental Sciences, Niigata, Japan; Division of Periodontology, Niigata University Graduate School of Medical and Dental Sciences, Niigata, Japan
| | - Daisuke Yonezawa
- Research Centre for Advanced Oral Science, Niigata University Graduate School of Medical and Dental Sciences, Niigata, Japan; Division of Oral Science for Health Promotion, Niigata University Graduate School of Medical and Dental Sciences, Niigata, Japan
| | - Rie Habuka
- Department of Pediatrics, Niigata University Graduate School of Medical and Dental Sciences, Niigata, Japan
| | - Akihiko Saitoh
- Department of Pediatrics, Niigata University Graduate School of Medical and Dental Sciences, Niigata, Japan
| | - Yutaka Terao
- Division of Microbiology and Infectious Diseases, Niigata University Graduate School of Medical and Dental Sciences, Niigata, Japan; Research Centre for Advanced Oral Science, Niigata University Graduate School of Medical and Dental Sciences, Niigata, Japan.
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Streptococcus pneumoniae PspC Subgroup Prevalence in Invasive Disease and Differences in Contribution to Complement Evasion. Infect Immun 2018; 86:IAI.00010-18. [PMID: 29378798 DOI: 10.1128/iai.00010-18] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/09/2018] [Accepted: 01/24/2018] [Indexed: 01/20/2023] Open
Abstract
The pneumococcal capsular serotype is an important determinant of complement resistance and invasive disease potential, but other virulence factors have also been found to contribute. Pneumococcal surface protein C (PspC), a highly variable virulence protein that binds complement factor H to evade C3 opsonization, is divided into two subgroups: choline-bound subgroup I and LPxTG-anchored subgroup II. The prevalence of different PspC subgroups in invasive pneumococcal disease (IPD) and functional differences in complement evasion are unknown. The prevalence of PspC subgroups in IPD isolates was determined in a collection of 349 sequenced strains of Streptococcus pneumoniae isolated from adult patients. pspC deletion mutants and isogenic pspC switch mutants were constructed to study differences in factor H binding and complement evasion in relation to capsule thickness. Subgroup I pspC was far more prevalent in IPD isolates than subgroup II pspC The presence of capsule was associated with a greater ability of bound factor H to reduce complement opsonization. Pneumococcal subgroup I PspC bound significantly more factor H and showed more effective complement evasion than subgroup II PspC in isogenic encapsulated pneumococci. We conclude that variation in the PspC subgroups, independent of capsule serotypes, affects pneumococcal factor H binding and its ability to evade complement deposition.
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Liu YT, Pan Y, Lai F, Yin XF, Ge R, He QY, Sun X. Comprehensive analysis of the lysine acetylome and its potential regulatory roles in the virulence of Streptococcus pneumoniae. J Proteomics 2018; 176:46-55. [DOI: 10.1016/j.jprot.2018.01.014] [Citation(s) in RCA: 21] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/02/2017] [Revised: 01/18/2018] [Accepted: 01/25/2018] [Indexed: 12/28/2022]
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Pyclik M, Górska S, Brzozowska E, Dobrut A, Ciekot J, Gamian A, Brzychczy-Włoch M. Epitope Mapping of Streptococcus agalactiae Elongation Factor Tu Protein Recognized by Human Sera. Front Microbiol 2018; 9:125. [PMID: 29467739 DOI: 10.3389/fmicb.2018.00125] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/04/2017] [Accepted: 01/18/2018] [Indexed: 12/26/2022] Open
Abstract
The elongation factor Tu has been identified as one of the most immunoreactive proteins that was recognized by human sera of GBS (group B streptococcus) positive patients. In this paper, we present the polypeptide-specific epitopes of the bacterial protein that are recognized by human antibodies: 28LTAAITTVLARRLP41 (peptide no. 3) and 294GQVLAKPGSINPHTKF309 (peptide no. 21). To determine the shortest amino acid sequence recognized by antibodies, truncation peptide libraries were prepared using the PEPSCAN method. The analysis of immunoreactivity of peptides with sera of GBS positive and negative women revealed that the most immunoreactive sequence was 306HTKF309. Moreover, we observed that this sequence also showed the highest specificity which was based on ratio of reactivity with sera of GBS positive relative to sera of GBS negative patients. Epitope was synthetized on Wang resin with the Fmoc strategy. Our results open the possibility to use 306HTKF309 peptide in diagnostic assays to determine Streptococcus agalactiae infection in humans.
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Affiliation(s)
- Marcelina Pyclik
- Ludwik Hirszfeld Institute of Immunology and Experimental Therapy, Polish Academy of Sciences, Wroclaw, Poland
| | - Sabina Górska
- Ludwik Hirszfeld Institute of Immunology and Experimental Therapy, Polish Academy of Sciences, Wroclaw, Poland
| | - Ewa Brzozowska
- Ludwik Hirszfeld Institute of Immunology and Experimental Therapy, Polish Academy of Sciences, Wroclaw, Poland
| | - Anna Dobrut
- Chair of Microbiology, Department of Molecular Medical Microbiology, Jagiellonian University Medical College, Krakow, Poland
| | - Jarosław Ciekot
- Ludwik Hirszfeld Institute of Immunology and Experimental Therapy, Polish Academy of Sciences, Wroclaw, Poland
| | - Andrzej Gamian
- Ludwik Hirszfeld Institute of Immunology and Experimental Therapy, Polish Academy of Sciences, Wroclaw, Poland
| | - Monika Brzychczy-Włoch
- Chair of Microbiology, Department of Molecular Medical Microbiology, Jagiellonian University Medical College, Krakow, Poland
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Lewis ML, Surewaard BGJ. Neutrophil evasion strategies by Streptococcus pneumoniae and Staphylococcus aureus. Cell Tissue Res 2017; 371:489-503. [PMID: 29204747 DOI: 10.1007/s00441-017-2737-2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/19/2017] [Accepted: 11/06/2017] [Indexed: 02/05/2023]
Abstract
Humans are well equipped to defend themselves against bacteria. The innate immune system employs diverse mechanisms to recognize, control and initiate a response that can destroy millions of different microbes. Microbes that evade the sophisticated innate immune system are able to escape detection and could become pathogens. The pathogens Streptococcus pneumoniae and Staphylococcus aureus are particularly successful due to the development of a wide variety of virulence strategies for bacterial pathogenesis and they invest significant efforts towards mechanisms that allow for neutrophil evasion. Neutrophils are a primary cellular defense and can rapidly kill invading microbes, which is an indispensable function for maintaining host health. This review compares the key features of Streptococcus pneumoniae and Staphylococcus aureus in epidemiology, with a specific focus on virulence mechanisms utilized to evade neutrophils in bacterial pathogenesis. It is important to understand the complex interactions between pathogenic bacteria and neutrophils so that we can disrupt the ability of pathogens to cause disease.
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Affiliation(s)
- Megan L Lewis
- Department of Physiology & Pharmacology, Hotchkiss Brain Institute, University of Calgary, Calgary, AB, Canada
| | - Bas G J Surewaard
- Snyder Institute for Chronic Diseases, University of Calgary, Calgary, AB, Canada. .,Department of Medical Microbiology, University Medical Centre, Utrecht, Netherlands.
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Elongation factor Tu is a multifunctional and processed moonlighting protein. Sci Rep 2017; 7:11227. [PMID: 28894125 PMCID: PMC5593925 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-017-10644-z] [Citation(s) in RCA: 62] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/15/2017] [Accepted: 08/10/2017] [Indexed: 01/10/2023] Open
Abstract
Many bacterial moonlighting proteins were originally described in medically, agriculturally, and commercially important members of the low G + C Firmicutes. We show Elongation factor Tu (Ef-Tu) moonlights on the surface of the human pathogens Staphylococcus aureus (SaEf-Tu) and Mycoplasma pneumoniae (MpnEf-Tu), and the porcine pathogen Mycoplasma hyopneumoniae (MhpEf-Tu). Ef-Tu is also a target of multiple processing events on the cell surface and these were characterised using an N-terminomics pipeline. Recombinant MpnEf-Tu bound strongly to a diverse range of host molecules, and when bound to plasminogen, was able to convert plasminogen to plasmin in the presence of plasminogen activators. Fragments of Ef-Tu retain binding capabilities to host proteins. Bioinformatics and structural modelling studies indicate that the accumulation of positively charged amino acids in short linear motifs (SLiMs), and protein processing promote multifunctional behaviour. Codon bias engendered by an A + T rich genome may influence how positively-charged residues accumulate in SLiMs.
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Barenkamp SJ, Chonmaitree T, Hakansson AP, Heikkinen T, King S, Nokso-Koivisto J, Novotny LA, Patel JA, Pettigrew M, Swords WE. Panel 4: Report of the Microbiology Panel. Otolaryngol Head Neck Surg 2017; 156:S51-S62. [PMID: 28372529 PMCID: PMC5490388 DOI: 10.1177/0194599816639028] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/03/2015] [Accepted: 02/24/2016] [Indexed: 12/12/2022]
Abstract
Objective To perform a comprehensive review of the literature from July 2011 until June 2015 on the virology and bacteriology of otitis media in children. Data Sources PubMed database of the National Library of Medicine. Review Methods Two subpanels comprising experts in the virology and bacteriology of otitis media were created. Each panel reviewed the relevant literature in the fields of virology and bacteriology and generated draft reviews. These initial reviews were distributed to all panel members prior to meeting together at the Post-symposium Research Conference of the 18th International Symposium on Recent Advances in Otitis Media, National Harbor, Maryland, in June 2015. A final draft was created, circulated, and approved by all panel members. Conclusions Excellent progress has been made in the past 4 years in advancing our understanding of the microbiology of otitis media. Numerous advances were made in basic laboratory studies, in animal models of otitis media, in better understanding the epidemiology of disease, and in clinical practice. Implications for Practice (1) Many viruses cause acute otitis media without bacterial coinfection, and such cases do not require antibiotic treatment. (2) When respiratory syncytial virus, metapneumovirus, and influenza virus peak in the community, practitioners can expect to see an increase in clinical otitis media cases. (3) Biomarkers that predict which children with upper respiratory tract infections will develop otitis media may be available in the future. (4) Compounds that target newly identified bacterial virulence determinants may be available as future treatment options for children with otitis media.
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Affiliation(s)
- Stephen J. Barenkamp
- Department of Pediatrics, St Louis University School of Medicine, St Louis, Missouri, USA
| | - Tasnee Chonmaitree
- Department of Pediatrics, University of Texas Medical Branch, Galveston, Texas, USA
| | | | - Terho Heikkinen
- Department of Pediatrics, University of Turku and Turku University Hospital, Turku, Finland
| | - Samantha King
- The Research Institute at Nationwide Children’s Hospital and Ohio State University, Columbus, Ohio, USA
| | - Johanna Nokso-Koivisto
- Department of Otorhinolaryngology, University of Helsinki and Helsinki University Hospital, Helsinki, Finland
| | - Laura A. Novotny
- The Research Institute at Nationwide Children’s Hospital and Ohio State University, Columbus, Ohio, USA
| | - Janak A. Patel
- Department of Pediatrics, University of Texas Medical Branch, Galveston, Texas, USA
| | - Melinda Pettigrew
- Department of Epidemiology of Microbial Diseases, Yale School of Public Health, New Haven, Connecticut, USA
| | - W. Edward Swords
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, Wake Forest University, Winston-Salem, North Carolina, USA
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Andre GO, Converso TR, Politano WR, Ferraz LFC, Ribeiro ML, Leite LCC, Darrieux M. Role of Streptococcus pneumoniae Proteins in Evasion of Complement-Mediated Immunity. Front Microbiol 2017; 8:224. [PMID: 28265264 PMCID: PMC5316553 DOI: 10.3389/fmicb.2017.00224] [Citation(s) in RCA: 50] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/27/2016] [Accepted: 01/31/2017] [Indexed: 12/14/2022] Open
Abstract
The complement system plays a central role in immune defense against Streptococcus pneumoniae. In order to evade complement attack, pneumococci have evolved a number of mechanisms that limit complement mediated opsonization and subsequent phagocytosis. This review focuses on the strategies employed by pneumococci to circumvent complement mediated immunity, both in vitro and in vivo. At last, since many of the proteins involved in interactions with complement components are vaccine candidates in different stages of validation, we explore the use of these antigens alone or in combination, as potential vaccine approaches that aim at elimination or drastic reduction in the ability of this bacterium to evade complement.
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Affiliation(s)
- Greiciely O Andre
- Laboratório de Biologia Celular e Molecular de Microrganismos, Universidade São Francisco Bragança Paulista, Brazil
| | - Thiago R Converso
- Centro de Biotecnologia, Instituto ButantanSão Paulo, Brazil; Programa de Pós-graduação Interunidades em Biotecnologia, Universidade de São PauloSão Paulo, Brazil
| | - Walter R Politano
- Laboratório de Biologia Celular e Molecular de Microrganismos, Universidade São Francisco Bragança Paulista, Brazil
| | - Lucio F C Ferraz
- Laboratório de Biologia Celular e Molecular de Microrganismos, Universidade São Francisco Bragança Paulista, Brazil
| | - Marcelo L Ribeiro
- Laboratório de Farmacologia, Universidade São Francisco Bragança Paulista, Brazil
| | | | - Michelle Darrieux
- Laboratório de Biologia Celular e Molecular de Microrganismos, Universidade São Francisco Bragança Paulista, Brazil
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Host-derived extracellular RNA promotes adhesion of Streptococcus pneumoniae to endothelial and epithelial cells. Sci Rep 2016; 6:37758. [PMID: 27892961 PMCID: PMC5125276 DOI: 10.1038/srep37758] [Citation(s) in RCA: 19] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/27/2016] [Accepted: 10/31/2016] [Indexed: 12/27/2022] Open
Abstract
Streptococcus pneumoniae is the most frequent cause of community-acquired pneumonia. The infection process involves bacterial cell surface receptors, which interact with host extracellular matrix components to facilitate colonization and dissemination of bacteria. Here, we investigated the role of host-derived extracellular RNA (eRNA) in the process of pneumococcal alveolar epithelial cell infection. Our study demonstrates that eRNA dose-dependently increased S. pneumoniae invasion of alveolar epithelial cells. Extracellular enolase (Eno), a plasminogen (Plg) receptor, was identified as a novel eRNA-binding protein on S. pneumoniae surface, and six Eno eRNA-binding sites including a C-terminal 15 amino acid motif containing lysine residue 434 were characterized. Although the substitution of lysine 434 for glycine (K434G) markedly diminished the binding of eRNA to Eno, the adherence to and internalization into alveolar epithelial cells of S. pneumoniae strain carrying the C-terminal lysine deletion and the mutation of internal Plg-binding motif were only marginally impaired. Accordingly, using a mass spectrometric approach, we identified seven novel eRNA-binding proteins in pneumococcal cell wall. Given the high number of eRNA-interacting proteins on pneumococci, treatment with RNase1 completely inhibited eRNA-mediated pneumococcal alveolar epithelial cell infection. Our data support further efforts to employ RNAse1 as an antimicrobial agent to combat pneumococcal infectious diseases.
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40
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Stobernack T, Glasner C, Junker S, Gabarrini G, de Smit M, de Jong A, Otto A, Becher D, van Winkelhoff AJ, van Dijl JM. Extracellular Proteome and Citrullinome of the Oral Pathogen Porphyromonas gingivalis. J Proteome Res 2016; 15:4532-4543. [DOI: 10.1021/acs.jproteome.6b00634] [Citation(s) in RCA: 45] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/04/2023]
Affiliation(s)
- Tim Stobernack
- Department
of Medical Microbiology, University of Groningen, University Medical Center Groningen, Groningen 9700 RB, The Netherlands
| | - Corinna Glasner
- Department
of Medical Microbiology, University of Groningen, University Medical Center Groningen, Groningen 9700 RB, The Netherlands
| | - Sabryna Junker
- Institute
for Microbiology, Ernst-Moritz-Arndt-University Greifswald, Greifswald 17489, Germany
| | - Giorgio Gabarrini
- Department
of Medical Microbiology, University of Groningen, University Medical Center Groningen, Groningen 9700 RB, The Netherlands
- Center
for Dentistry and Oral Hygiene, Department of Periodontology, University of Groningen, University Medical Center Groningen, Groningen 9700 RB, The Netherlands
| | - Menke de Smit
- Center
for Dentistry and Oral Hygiene, Department of Periodontology, University of Groningen, University Medical Center Groningen, Groningen 9700 RB, The Netherlands
| | - Anne de Jong
- Department
of Molecular Genetics, University of Groningen, Groningen 9700 AB, The Netherlands
| | - Andreas Otto
- Institute
for Microbiology, Ernst-Moritz-Arndt-University Greifswald, Greifswald 17489, Germany
| | - Dörte Becher
- Institute
for Microbiology, Ernst-Moritz-Arndt-University Greifswald, Greifswald 17489, Germany
| | - Arie Jan van Winkelhoff
- Department
of Medical Microbiology, University of Groningen, University Medical Center Groningen, Groningen 9700 RB, The Netherlands
- Center
for Dentistry and Oral Hygiene, Department of Periodontology, University of Groningen, University Medical Center Groningen, Groningen 9700 RB, The Netherlands
| | - Jan Maarten van Dijl
- Department
of Medical Microbiology, University of Groningen, University Medical Center Groningen, Groningen 9700 RB, The Netherlands
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Abstract
Pneumococcal infections continue to cause significant morbidity and mortality in patients throughout the world. This microorganism remains the most common bacterial cause of community-acquired pneumonia and is associated with a considerable burden of disease and health-care costs in both developed and developing countries. Emerging antibiotic resistance has been a concern because of its potential negative impact on the outcome of patients who receive standard antibiotic therapy. However, there have been substantial changes in the epidemiology of this pathogen in recent years, not least of which has been due to the use of pneumococcal conjugate vaccines in children, with subsequent herd protection in unvaccinated adults and children. Furthermore, much recent research has led to a better understanding of the virulence factors of this pathogen and their role in the pathogenesis of severe pneumococcal disease, including the cardiac complications, as well as the potential role of adjunctive therapy in the management of severely ill cases. This review will describe recent advances in our understanding of the epidemiology, virulence factors, and management of pneumococcal community-acquired pneumonia.
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Affiliation(s)
- Charles Feldman
- Charlotte Maxeke Johannesburg Academic Hospital and Faculty of Health Sciences, University of the Witwatersrand Medical School, Johannesburg, South Africa
| | - Ronald Anderson
- Institute for Cellular and Molecular Medicine, Department of Immunology, Faculty of Health Sciences, University of Pretoria, Pretoria, South Africa
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42
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Abstract
While significant protection from pneumococcal disease has been achieved by the use of polysaccharide and polysaccharide-protein conjugate vaccines, capsule-independent protection has been limited by serotype replacement along with disease caused by nonencapsulated Streptococcus pneumoniae (NESp). NESp strains compose approximately 3% to 19% of asymptomatic carriage isolates and harbor multiple antibiotic resistance genes. Surface proteins unique to NESp enhance colonization and virulence despite the lack of a capsule even though the capsule has been thought to be required for pneumococcal pathogenesis. Genes for pneumococcal surface proteins replace the capsular polysaccharide (cps) locus in some NESp isolates, and these proteins aid in pneumococcal colonization and otitis media (OM). NESp strains have been isolated from patients with invasive and noninvasive pneumococcal disease, but noninvasive diseases, specifically, conjunctivitis (85%) and OM (8%), are of higher prevalence. Conjunctival strains are commonly of the so-called classical NESp lineages defined by multilocus sequence types (STs) ST344 and ST448, while sporadic NESp lineages such as ST1106 are more commonly isolated from patients with other diseases. Interestingly, sporadic lineages have significantly higher rates of recombination than classical lineages. Higher rates of recombination can lead to increased acquisition of antibiotic resistance and virulence factors, increasing the risk of disease and hindering treatment. NESp strains are a significant proportion of the pneumococcal population, can cause disease, and may be increasing in prevalence in the population due to effects on the pneumococcal niche caused by pneumococcal vaccines. Current vaccines are ineffective against NESp, and further research is necessary to develop vaccines effective against both encapsulated and nonencapsulated pneumococci.
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Berry IJ, Steele JR, Padula MP, Djordjevic SP. The application of terminomics for the identification of protein start sites and proteoforms in bacteria. Proteomics 2015; 16:257-72. [DOI: 10.1002/pmic.201500319] [Citation(s) in RCA: 24] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/06/2015] [Revised: 09/21/2015] [Accepted: 09/30/2015] [Indexed: 01/11/2023]
Affiliation(s)
- Iain J. Berry
- The ithree Institute; University of Technology Sydney; Broadway NSW Australia
- Proteomics Core Facility; University of Technology Sydney; Broadway NSW Australia
| | - Joel R. Steele
- Proteomics Core Facility; University of Technology Sydney; Broadway NSW Australia
| | - Matthew P. Padula
- The ithree Institute; University of Technology Sydney; Broadway NSW Australia
- Proteomics Core Facility; University of Technology Sydney; Broadway NSW Australia
| | - Steven P. Djordjevic
- The ithree Institute; University of Technology Sydney; Broadway NSW Australia
- Proteomics Core Facility; University of Technology Sydney; Broadway NSW Australia
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Ünal CM, Steinert M. Novel therapeutic strategies for Clostridium difficile infections. Expert Opin Ther Targets 2015; 20:269-85. [PMID: 26565670 DOI: 10.1517/14728222.2016.1090428] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/12/2022]
Abstract
INTRODUCTION In recent years, Clostridium difficile has become the primary cause of antibiotic-associated diarrhea and pseudomembranous colitis, resulting in long and complicated hospital stays that represent a serious burden for patients as well as health care systems. Currently, conservative treatment of C. difficile infection (CDI) relies on the antibiotics vancomycin, metronidazole or fidaxomicin, or in case of multiple recurrences, fecal microbiota transplantation (FMT). AREAS COVERED The fast-spreading, epidemic nature of this pathogen urgently necessitates the search for alternative treatment strategies as well as antibiotic targets. Accordingly, in this review, we highlight the recent findings regarding virulence associated traits of C. difficile, evaluate their potential as alternative drug targets, and present current efforts in designing inhibitory compounds, with the aim of pointing out possibilities for future treatment strategies. EXPERT OPINION Increased attention on systematic analysis of the virulence mechanisms of C. difficile has already led to the identification of several alternative drug targets. In the future, applying state of the art 'omics' and the development of novel infection models that mimic the human gut, a highly complex ecological niche, will unveil the genomic and metabolic plasticity of this pathogen and will certainly help dealing with future challenges.
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Affiliation(s)
- Can M Ünal
- a 1 Technische Universität Braunschweig, Institut für Mikrobiologie , Spielmannstr. 7, D-38106, Braunschweig, Germany ; .,b 2 Türk-Alman Üniversitesi, Fen Fakültesi , Şahinkaya Cad. 86, 34820, Istanbul, Turkey
| | - Michael Steinert
- a 1 Technische Universität Braunschweig, Institut für Mikrobiologie , Spielmannstr. 7, D-38106, Braunschweig, Germany ; .,c 3 Helmholtz Centre for Infection Research , Mascheroder Weg 1, 38124, Braunschweig, Germany
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45
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Peetermans M, Vanassche T, Liesenborghs L, Lijnen RH, Verhamme P. Bacterial pathogens activate plasminogen to breach tissue barriers and escape from innate immunity. Crit Rev Microbiol 2015; 42:866-82. [PMID: 26485450 DOI: 10.3109/1040841x.2015.1080214] [Citation(s) in RCA: 39] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/13/2022]
Abstract
Both coagulation and fibrinolysis are tightly connected with the innate immune system. Infection and inflammation cause profound alterations in the otherwise well-controlled balance between coagulation and fibrinolysis. Many pathogenic bacteria directly exploit the host's hemostatic system to increase their virulence. Here, we review the capacity of bacteria to activate plasminogen. The resulting proteolytic activity allows them to breach tissue barriers and evade innate immune defense, thus promoting bacterial spreading. Yersinia pestis, streptococci of group A, C and G and Staphylococcus aureus produce a specific bacterial plasminogen activator. Moreover, surface plasminogen receptors play an established role in pneumococcal, borrelial and group B streptococcal infections. This review summarizes the mechanisms of bacterial activation of host plasminogen and the role of the fibrinolytic system in infections caused by these pathogens.
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Affiliation(s)
- Marijke Peetermans
- a Center for Molecular and Vascular Biology, KU Leuven , Leuven , Belgium
| | - Thomas Vanassche
- a Center for Molecular and Vascular Biology, KU Leuven , Leuven , Belgium
| | | | - Roger H Lijnen
- a Center for Molecular and Vascular Biology, KU Leuven , Leuven , Belgium
| | - Peter Verhamme
- a Center for Molecular and Vascular Biology, KU Leuven , Leuven , Belgium
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46
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Whitney JC, Quentin D, Sawai S, LeRoux M, Harding BN, Ledvina HE, Tran BQ, Robinson H, Goo YA, Goodlett DR, Raunser S, Mougous JD. An interbacterial NAD(P)(+) glycohydrolase toxin requires elongation factor Tu for delivery to target cells. Cell 2015; 163:607-19. [PMID: 26456113 DOI: 10.1016/j.cell.2015.09.027] [Citation(s) in RCA: 163] [Impact Index Per Article: 18.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/18/2015] [Revised: 07/15/2015] [Accepted: 08/19/2015] [Indexed: 11/17/2022]
Abstract
Type VI secretion (T6S) influences the composition of microbial communities by catalyzing the delivery of toxins between adjacent bacterial cells. Here, we demonstrate that a T6S integral membrane toxin from Pseudomonas aeruginosa, Tse6, acts on target cells by degrading the universally essential dinucleotides NAD(+) and NADP(+). Structural analyses of Tse6 show that it resembles mono-ADP-ribosyltransferase proteins, such as diphtheria toxin, with the exception of a unique loop that both excludes proteinaceous ADP-ribose acceptors and contributes to hydrolysis. We find that entry of Tse6 into target cells requires its binding to an essential housekeeping protein, translation elongation factor Tu (EF-Tu). These proteins participate in a larger assembly that additionally directs toxin export and provides chaperone activity. Visualization of this complex by electron microscopy defines the architecture of a toxin-loaded T6S apparatus and provides mechanistic insight into intercellular membrane protein delivery between bacteria.
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Affiliation(s)
- John C Whitney
- Department of Microbiology, University of Washington, Seattle, WA 98195, USA
| | - Dennis Quentin
- Department of Structural Biochemistry, Max Planck Institute of Molecular Physiology, Otto-Hahn-Strasse 11, 44227 Dortmund, Germany
| | - Shin Sawai
- Department of Microbiology, University of Washington, Seattle, WA 98195, USA
| | - Michele LeRoux
- Department of Microbiology, University of Washington, Seattle, WA 98195, USA
| | - Brittany N Harding
- Department of Microbiology, University of Washington, Seattle, WA 98195, USA
| | - Hannah E Ledvina
- Department of Microbiology, University of Washington, Seattle, WA 98195, USA
| | - Bao Q Tran
- Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences, School of Pharmacy, University of Maryland, Baltimore, MD 21201, USA
| | - Howard Robinson
- Biology Department, Brookhaven National Laboratory, Upton, NY 11973, USA
| | - Young Ah Goo
- Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences, School of Pharmacy, University of Maryland, Baltimore, MD 21201, USA
| | - David R Goodlett
- Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences, School of Pharmacy, University of Maryland, Baltimore, MD 21201, USA
| | - Stefan Raunser
- Department of Structural Biochemistry, Max Planck Institute of Molecular Physiology, Otto-Hahn-Strasse 11, 44227 Dortmund, Germany
| | - Joseph D Mougous
- Department of Microbiology, University of Washington, Seattle, WA 98195, USA; Howard Hughes Medical Institute, Seattle, WA 98195, USA.
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Borrelia burgdorferi elongation factor EF-Tu is an immunogenic protein during Lyme borreliosis. Emerg Microbes Infect 2015; 4:e54. [PMID: 26954993 PMCID: PMC5176084 DOI: 10.1038/emi.2015.54] [Citation(s) in RCA: 19] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/18/2015] [Revised: 07/17/2015] [Accepted: 07/21/2015] [Indexed: 12/22/2022]
Abstract
Borrelia burgdorferi, the etiological agent of Lyme disease, does not produce lipopolysaccharide but expresses a large number of lipoproteins on its cell surface. These outer membrane lipoproteins are highly immunogenic and have been used for serodiagnosis of Lyme disease. Recent studies have shown that highly conserved cytosolic proteins such as enolase and elongation factor Tu (EF-Tu) unexpectedly localized on the surface of bacteria including B. burgdorferi, and surface-localized enolase has shown to contribute to the enzootic cycle of B. burgdorferi. In this study, we studied the immunogenicity, surface localization, and function of B. burgdorferi EF-Tu. We found that EF-Tu is highly immunogenic in mice, and EF-Tu antibodies were readily detected in Lyme disease patients. On the other hand, active immunization studies showed that EF-Tu antibodies did not protect mice from infection when challenged with B. burgdorferi via either needle inoculation or tick bites. Borrelial mouse-tick cycle studies showed that EF-Tu antibodies also did not block B. burgdorferi migration and survival in ticks. Consistent with these findings, we found that EF-Tu primarily localizes in the protoplasmic cylinder of spirochetes and is not on the surface of B. burgdorferi. Taken together, our studies suggest that B. burgdorferi EF-Tu is not surfaced exposed, but it is highly immunogenic and is a potential serodiagnostic marker for Lyme borreliosis.
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Koenigs A, Zipfel PF, Kraiczy P. Translation Elongation Factor Tuf of Acinetobacter baumannii Is a Plasminogen-Binding Protein. PLoS One 2015; 10:e0134418. [PMID: 26230848 PMCID: PMC4521846 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0134418] [Citation(s) in RCA: 26] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/17/2015] [Accepted: 07/08/2015] [Indexed: 11/19/2022] Open
Abstract
Acinetobacter baumannii is an important nosocomial pathogen, causing a variety of opportunistic infections of the skin, soft tissues and wounds, urinary tract infections, secondary meningitis, pneumonia and bacteremia. Over 63% of A. baumannii infections occurring in the United States are caused by multidrug resistant isolates, and pan-resistant isolates have begun to emerge that are resistant to all clinically relevant antibiotics. The complement system represents the first line of defense against invading pathogens. However, many A. baumannii isolates, especially those causing severe bacteremia are resistant to complement-mediated killing, though the underlying mechanisms remain poorly understood. Here we show for the first time that A. baumannii binds host-derived plasminogen and we identify the translation elongation factor Tuf as a moonlighting plasminogen-binding protein that is exposed on the outer surface of A. baumannii. Binding of plasminogen to Tuf is at least partly dependent on lysine residues and ionic interactions. Plasminogen, once bound to Tuf can be converted to active plasmin and proteolytically degrade fibrinogen as well as the key complement component C3b. Thus, Tuf acts as a multifunctional protein that may contribute to virulence of A. baumannii by aiding in dissemination and evasion of the complement system.
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Affiliation(s)
- Arno Koenigs
- Institute of Medical Microbiology and Infection Control, University Hospital of Frankfurt, Frankfurt, Germany
| | - Peter F. Zipfel
- Department of Infection Biology, Leibniz Institute for Natural Product Research and Infection Biology, Jena, Germany
- Friedrich Schiller University, Jena, Germany
| | - Peter Kraiczy
- Institute of Medical Microbiology and Infection Control, University Hospital of Frankfurt, Frankfurt, Germany
- * E-mail:
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Evasion and interactions of the humoral innate immune response in pathogen invasion, autoimmune disease, and cancer. Clin Immunol 2015; 160:244-54. [PMID: 26145788 DOI: 10.1016/j.clim.2015.06.012] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/22/2015] [Revised: 06/22/2015] [Accepted: 06/26/2015] [Indexed: 02/07/2023]
Abstract
The humoral innate immune system is composed of three major branches, complement, coagulation, and natural antibodies. To persist in the host, pathogens, such as bacteria, viruses, and cancers must evade parts of the innate humoral immune system. Disruptions in the humoral innate immune system also play a role in the development of autoimmune diseases. This review will examine how Gram positive bacteria, viruses, cancer, and the autoimmune conditions systemic lupus erythematosus and anti-phospholipid syndrome, interact with these immune system components. Through examining evasion techniques it becomes clear that an interplay between these three systems exists. By exploring the interplay and the evasion/disruption of the humoral innate immune system, we can develop a better understanding of pathogenic infections, cancer, and autoimmune disease development.
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Mou KT, Muppirala UK, Severin AJ, Clark TA, Boitano M, Plummer PJ. A comparative analysis of methylome profiles of Campylobacter jejuni sheep abortion isolate and gastroenteric strains using PacBio data. Front Microbiol 2015; 5:782. [PMID: 25642218 PMCID: PMC4294202 DOI: 10.3389/fmicb.2014.00782] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/09/2014] [Accepted: 12/20/2014] [Indexed: 12/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Campylobacter jejuni is a leading cause of human gastrointestinal disease and small ruminant abortions in the United States. The recent emergence of a highly virulent, tetracycline-resistant C. jejuni subsp. jejuni sheep abortion clone (clone SA) in the United States, and that strain's association with human disease, has resulted in a heightened awareness of the zoonotic potential of this organism. Pacific Biosciences' Single Molecule, Real-Time sequencing technology was used to explore the variation in the genome-wide methylation patterns of the abortifacient clone SA (IA3902) and phenotypically distinct gastrointestinal-specific C. jejuni strains (NCTC 11168 and 81-176). Several notable differences were discovered that distinguished the methylome of IA3902 from that of 11168 and 81-176: identification of motifs novel to IA3902, genome-specific hypo- and hypermethylated regions, strain level variability in genes methylated, and differences in the types of methylation motifs present in each strain. These observations suggest a possible role of methylation in the contrasting disease presentations of these three C. jejuni strains. In addition, the methylation profiles between IA3902 and a luxS mutant were explored to determine if variations in methylation patterns could be identified that might explain the role of LuxS-dependent methyl recycling in IA3902 abortifacient potential.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kathy T Mou
- Department of Veterinary Microbiology and Preventive Medicine, College of Veterinary Medicine, Iowa State University Ames, IA, USA
| | - Usha K Muppirala
- Genome Informatics Facility, Office of Biotechnology, Iowa State University Ames, IA, USA
| | - Andrew J Severin
- Genome Informatics Facility, Office of Biotechnology, Iowa State University Ames, IA, USA
| | | | | | - Paul J Plummer
- Department of Veterinary Diagnostic and Production Animal Medicine, College of Veterinary Medicine, Iowa State University Ames, IA, USA
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