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Tanweer S, Sharma T, Grover A, Agarwal M, Grover S. Mycobacterium tuberculosis Essential Gene Thymidylate Synthase Is Involved in Immune Modulation and Survival inside the Host. ACS OMEGA 2024; 9:33743-33750. [PMID: 39130601 PMCID: PMC11308015 DOI: 10.1021/acsomega.4c02919] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/26/2024] [Revised: 07/01/2024] [Accepted: 07/03/2024] [Indexed: 08/13/2024]
Abstract
A Mycobacterium tuberculosis essential gene, ThyX (Rv2754c), plays a key role in intermediate metabolism and respiration by catalyzing the formation of dTMP and tetrahydrofolate from dUMP and methylenetetrahydrofolate. ThyX is present in the M.tb complex and in M. smegmatis a nonpathogenic strain of Mycobacteria. In this study, we identified a novel function of ThyX, an enzyme with immune-modulating properties. We have shown that ThyX can activate the macrophages in the host toward M1 response. Overexpression of ThyX stimulates the production of nitrite oxide (NO) and induces apoptosis in macrophages; indeed both responses help the host to control growth of M.tb. ThyX was also discovered to play a role in the recombinant bacterium's ability to survive when it was subjected to oxidative and hypoxic stress by macrophages. These findings demonstrate the protein's functional importance in M.tb. Indeed these findings represent ThyX as a potential candidate for future research and show this as a therapeutic target.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sana Tanweer
- Department
of Molecular Medicine, Jamia Hamdard, New Delhi-110065, India
| | - Tarina Sharma
- New
Jersey Medical School, Rutgers, The State
University of New Jersey, Newark, New Jersey 07103, United States
| | - Abhinav Grover
- School
of Biotechnology, Jawaharlal University, New Delhi-110069, India
| | - Meetu Agarwal
- Department
of Molecular Medicine, Jamia Hamdard, New Delhi-110065, India
| | - Sonam Grover
- Department
of Molecular Medicine, Jamia Hamdard, New Delhi-110065, India
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2
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Chevillon C, de Thoisy B, Rakestraw AW, Fast KM, Pechal JL, Picq S, Epelboin L, Le Turnier P, Dogbe M, Jordan HR, Sandel MW, Benbow ME, Guégan JF. Ecological and evolutionary perspectives advance understanding of mycobacterial diseases. THE LANCET. MICROBE 2024:100906. [PMID: 39116907 DOI: 10.1016/s2666-5247(24)00138-1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/07/2023] [Revised: 05/21/2024] [Accepted: 05/23/2024] [Indexed: 08/10/2024]
Abstract
Predicting the outbreak of infectious diseases and designing appropriate preventive health actions require interdisciplinary research into the processes that drive exposure to and transmission of disease agents. In the case of mycobacterial diseases, the epidemiological understanding of the scientific community hitherto was based on the clinical studies of infections in vertebrates. To evaluate the information gained by comprehensively accounting for the ecological and evolutionary constraints, we conducted literature searches assessing the role of mycobacteria interactions with non-vertebrate species in the origin of their pathogenicity and variations in disease risk. The reviewed literature challenges the current theory of person-to-person transmission for several mycobacterial infections. Furthermore, the findings suggest that diverse non-vertebrate organisms influence virulence, mediate transmission, and contribute to pathogen abundance in relation to vertebrate exposure. We advocate that an ecological and evolutionary framework provides novel insights to support a more comprehensive understanding of the prevention and management of diseases in vertebrates.
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Affiliation(s)
- Christine Chevillon
- MIVEGEC, Université de Montpellier, Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique, Institut de Recherche pour le Développement, Institut National de Recherches pour l'Agriculture, l'Alimentation et l'Environnement, Montpellier, France.
| | - Benoît de Thoisy
- Laboratoire des Interactions Virus Hôtes, Institut Pasteur de la Guyane, Cayenne, French Guiana, France
| | - Alex W Rakestraw
- Department of Entomology, Michigan State University, East Lansing, MI, USA
| | - Kayla M Fast
- Department of Wildlife, Fisheries, and Aquaculture, Mississippi State University, MS, USA
| | - Jennifer L Pechal
- Department of Entomology, Michigan State University, East Lansing, MI, USA
| | - Sophie Picq
- Department of Entomology, Michigan State University, East Lansing, MI, USA
| | - Loïc Epelboin
- Unité des Maladies Infectieuses et Tropicales, Centre Hospitalier de Cayenne, Cayenne, French Guiana, France; Centre d'Investigation Clinique Antilles-Guyane, Inserm 1424, Centre Hospitalier de Cayenne, Cayenne, French Guiana, France
| | - Paul Le Turnier
- Unité des Maladies Infectieuses et Tropicales, Centre Hospitalier de Cayenne, Cayenne, French Guiana, France; Centre d'Investigation Clinique Antilles-Guyane, Inserm 1424, Centre Hospitalier de Cayenne, Cayenne, French Guiana, France
| | - Magdalene Dogbe
- Department of Biological Sciences, Mississippi State University, MS, USA
| | - Heather R Jordan
- Department of Biological Sciences, Mississippi State University, MS, USA
| | - Michael W Sandel
- Department of Wildlife, Fisheries, and Aquaculture, Mississippi State University, MS, USA; Forest and Wildlife Research Center, Mississippi State University, MS, USA
| | - Mark Eric Benbow
- Department of Entomology, Michigan State University, East Lansing, MI, USA; Department of Osteopathic Medical Specialties, Michigan State University, East Lansing, MI, USA; Ecology, Evolution and Behavior Program, Michigan State University, East Lansing, MI, USA; Agbioresearch, Michigan State University, East Lansing, MI, USA
| | - Jean-François Guégan
- MIVEGEC, Université de Montpellier, Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique, Institut de Recherche pour le Développement, Institut National de Recherches pour l'Agriculture, l'Alimentation et l'Environnement, Montpellier, France; Epidémiologie des maladies animales et zoonotiques, Université Clermont Auvergne, INRAE, VetAgro Sup, Saint-Genès-Champanelle, France; Epidémiologie des maladies animales et zoonotiques, Université de Lyon, INRAE, VetAgro Sup, Marcy l'Etoile, France
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3
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Qin Y, Li T, An P, Ren Z, Xi J, Tang B. Important role of DNA methylation hints at significant potential in tuberculosis. Arch Microbiol 2024; 206:177. [PMID: 38494532 DOI: 10.1007/s00203-024-03888-7] [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: 12/02/2023] [Revised: 02/05/2024] [Accepted: 02/06/2024] [Indexed: 03/19/2024]
Abstract
Tuberculosis (TB), an infectious disease caused by Mycobacterium tuberculosis (Mtb) infection, has persisted as a major global public health threat for millennia. Until now, TB continues to challenge efforts aimed at controlling it, with drug resistance and latent infections being the two main factors hindering treatment efficacy. The scientific community is still striving to understand the underlying mechanisms behind Mtb's drug resistance and latent infection. DNA methylation, a critical epigenetic modification occurring throughout an individual's growth and development, has gained attention following advances in high-throughput sequencing technologies. Researchers have observed abnormal DNA methylation patterns in the host genome during Mtb infection. Given the escalating issue of drug-resistant Mtb, delving into the role of DNA methylation in TB's development is crucial. This review article explores DNA methylation's significance in human growth, development and disease, and its role in regulating Mtb's evolution and infection processes. Additionally, it discusses potential applications of DNA methylation research in tuberculosis.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yuexuan Qin
- School of Life Science, Anhui Province Key Laboratory of Immunology in Chronic Diseases, Anhui Key Laboratory of Infection and Immunity, Bengbu Medical University, Bengbu, 233030, Anhui Province, China
| | - Tianyue Li
- School of Life Science, Anhui Province Key Laboratory of Immunology in Chronic Diseases, Anhui Key Laboratory of Infection and Immunity, Bengbu Medical University, Bengbu, 233030, Anhui Province, China
| | - Peiyan An
- School of Life Science, Anhui Province Key Laboratory of Immunology in Chronic Diseases, Anhui Key Laboratory of Infection and Immunity, Bengbu Medical University, Bengbu, 233030, Anhui Province, China
| | - Zhi Ren
- First Affiliated Hospital of Bengbu Medical University, Bengbu, 233030, Anhui Province, China
| | - Jun Xi
- School of Life Science, Anhui Province Key Laboratory of Immunology in Chronic Diseases, Anhui Key Laboratory of Infection and Immunity, Bengbu Medical University, Bengbu, 233030, Anhui Province, China.
| | - Bikui Tang
- School of Life Science, Anhui Province Key Laboratory of Immunology in Chronic Diseases, Anhui Key Laboratory of Infection and Immunity, Bengbu Medical University, Bengbu, 233030, Anhui Province, China.
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Anes E, Pires D, Mandal M, Azevedo-Pereira JM. ESAT-6 a Major Virulence Factor of Mycobacterium tuberculosis. Biomolecules 2023; 13:968. [PMID: 37371548 DOI: 10.3390/biom13060968] [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: 04/28/2023] [Revised: 05/31/2023] [Accepted: 06/07/2023] [Indexed: 06/29/2023] Open
Abstract
Mycobacterium tuberculosis (Mtb), the causative agent of human tuberculosis (TB), is one of the most successfully adapted human pathogens. Human-to-human transmission occurs at high rates through aerosols containing bacteria, but the pathogen evolved prior to the establishment of crowded populations. Mtb has developed a particular strategy to ensure persistence in the host until an opportunity for transmission arises. It has refined its lifestyle to obviate the need for virulence factors such as capsules, flagella, pili, or toxins to circumvent mucosal barriers. Instead, the pathogen uses host macrophages, where it establishes intracellular niches for its migration into the lung parenchyma and other tissues and for the induction of long-lived latency in granulomas. Finally, at the end of the infection cycle, Mtb induces necrotic cell death in macrophages to escape to the extracellular milieu and instructs a strong inflammatory response that is required for the progression from latency to disease and transmission. Common to all these events is ESAT-6, one of the major virulence factors secreted by the pathogen. This narrative review highlights the recent advances in understanding the role of ESAT-6 in hijacking macrophage function to establish successful infection and transmission and its use as a target for the development of diagnostic tools and vaccines.
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Affiliation(s)
- Elsa Anes
- Host-Pathogen Interactions Unit, Research Institute for Medicines, iMed.ULisboa, Faculty of Pharmacy, Universidade de Lisboa, Av. Prof. Gama Pinto, 1649-003 Lisboa, Portugal
| | - David Pires
- Host-Pathogen Interactions Unit, Research Institute for Medicines, iMed.ULisboa, Faculty of Pharmacy, Universidade de Lisboa, Av. Prof. Gama Pinto, 1649-003 Lisboa, Portugal
- Center for Interdisciplinary Research in Health, Católica Medical School, Universidade Católica Portuguesa, Estrada Octávio Pato, 2635-631 Rio de Mouro, Portugal
| | - Manoj Mandal
- Host-Pathogen Interactions Unit, Research Institute for Medicines, iMed.ULisboa, Faculty of Pharmacy, Universidade de Lisboa, Av. Prof. Gama Pinto, 1649-003 Lisboa, Portugal
| | - José Miguel Azevedo-Pereira
- Host-Pathogen Interactions Unit, Research Institute for Medicines, iMed.ULisboa, Faculty of Pharmacy, Universidade de Lisboa, Av. Prof. Gama Pinto, 1649-003 Lisboa, Portugal
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5
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Rani A, Alam A, Ahmad F, P. M, Saurabh A, Zarin S, Mitra DK, Hasnain SE, Ehtesham NZ. Mycobacterium tuberculosis Methyltransferase Rv1515c Can Suppress Host Defense Mechanisms by Modulating Immune Functions Utilizing a Multipronged Mechanism. Front Mol Biosci 2022; 9:906387. [PMID: 35813825 PMCID: PMC9263924 DOI: 10.3389/fmolb.2022.906387] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/28/2022] [Accepted: 05/30/2022] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Mycobacterium tuberculosis (M. tb) gene Rv1515c encodes a conserved hypothetical protein exclusively present within organisms of MTB complex and absent in non-pathogenic mycobacteria. In silico analysis revealed that Rv1515c contain S-adenosylmethionine binding site and methyltransferase domain. The DNA binding and DNA methyltransferase activity of Rv1515c was confirmed in vitro. Knock-in of Rv1515c in a model mycobacteria M. smegmatis (M. s_Rv1515c) resulted in remarkable physiological and morphological changes and conferred the recombinant strain with an ability to adapt to various stress conditions, including resistance to TB drugs. M. s_Rv1515c was phagocytosed at a greater rate and displayed extended intra-macrophage survival in vitro. Recombinant M. s_Rv1515c contributed to enhanced virulence by suppressing the host defense mechanisms including RNS and ROS production, and apoptotic clearance. M. s_Rv1515c, while suppressing the phagolysosomal maturation, modulated pro-inflammatory cytokine production and also inhibited antigen presentation by downregulating the expression of MHC-I/MHC-II and co-stimulatory signals CD80 and CD86. Mice infected with M. s_Rv1515c produced more Treg cells than vector control (M. s_Vc) and exhibited reduced effector T cell responses, along-with reduced expression of macrophage activation markers in the chronic phase of infection. M. s_Rv1515c was able to survive in the major organs of mice up to 7 weeks post-infection. These results indicate a crucial role of Rv1515c in M. tb pathogenesis.
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Affiliation(s)
- Anshu Rani
- Kusuma School of Biological Sciences, Indian Institute of Technology Delhi (IIT-D), New Delhi, India
- ICMR-National Institute of Pathology, Safdarjung Hospital Campus, New Delhi, India
| | - Anwar Alam
- ICMR-National Institute of Pathology, Safdarjung Hospital Campus, New Delhi, India
| | - Faraz Ahmad
- ICMR-National Institute of Pathology, Safdarjung Hospital Campus, New Delhi, India
| | - Manjunath P.
- ICMR-National Institute of Pathology, Safdarjung Hospital Campus, New Delhi, India
| | - Abhinav Saurabh
- Department of Transplant Immunology and Immunogenetics, All India Institute of Medical Sciences, New Delhi, India
| | - Sheeba Zarin
- ICMR-National Institute of Pathology, Safdarjung Hospital Campus, New Delhi, India
| | - Dipendra Kumar Mitra
- Department of Transplant Immunology and Immunogenetics, All India Institute of Medical Sciences, New Delhi, India
| | - Seyed E. Hasnain
- Department of Biochemical Engineering and Biotechnology, Indian Institute of Technology Delhi (IIT-D), New Delhi, India
- Department of Life Science, School of Basic Sciences and Research, Sharda University, Greater Noida, India
- *Correspondence: Seyed E. Hasnain, , , , Nasreen Z. Ehtesham, ,
| | - Nasreen Z. Ehtesham
- ICMR-National Institute of Pathology, Safdarjung Hospital Campus, New Delhi, India
- *Correspondence: Seyed E. Hasnain, , , , Nasreen Z. Ehtesham, ,
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Gupta R, Pandey M, Pandey AK, Tiwari PK, Amrathlal RS. Novel genetic polymorphisms identified in the clinical isolates of Mycobacterium tuberculosis PE_PGRS33 gene modulate cytokines expression and promotes survival in macrophages. J Infect Public Health 2022; 15:245-254. [DOI: 10.1016/j.jiph.2022.01.001] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/21/2021] [Revised: 12/15/2021] [Accepted: 01/07/2022] [Indexed: 01/15/2023] Open
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Comparative Genomics of Mycobacterium avium Complex Reveals Signatures of Environment-Specific Adaptation and Community Acquisition. mSystems 2021; 6:e0119421. [PMID: 34665012 PMCID: PMC8525567 DOI: 10.1128/msystems.01194-21] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/20/2022] Open
Abstract
Nontuberculous mycobacteria, including those in the Mycobacterium avium complex (MAC), constitute an increasingly urgent threat to global public health. Ubiquitous in soil and water worldwide, MAC members cause a diverse array of infections in humans and animals that are often multidrug resistant, intractable, and deadly. MAC lung disease is of particular concern and is now more prevalent than tuberculosis in many countries, including the United States. Although the clinical importance of these microorganisms continues to expand, our understanding of their genomic diversity is limited, hampering basic and translational studies alike. Here, we leveraged a unique collection of genomes to characterize MAC population structure, gene content, and within-host strain dynamics in unprecedented detail. We found that different MAC species encode distinct suites of biomedically relevant genes, including antibiotic resistance genes and virulence factors, which may influence their distinct clinical manifestations. We observed that M. avium isolates from different sources—human pulmonary infections, human disseminated infections, animals, and natural environments—are readily distinguished by their core and accessory genomes, by their patterns of horizontal gene transfer, and by numerous specific genes, including virulence factors. We identified highly similar MAC strains from distinct patients within and across two geographically distinct clinical cohorts, providing important insights into the reservoirs which seed community acquisition. We also discovered a novel MAC genomospecies in one of these cohorts. Collectively, our results provide key genomic context for these emerging pathogens and will facilitate future exploration of MAC ecology, evolution, and pathogenesis. IMPORTANCE Members of the Mycobacterium avium complex (MAC), a group of mycobacteria encompassing M. avium and its closest relatives, are omnipresent in natural environments and emerging pathogens of humans and animals. MAC infections are difficult to treat, sometimes fatal, and increasingly common. Here, we used comparative genomics to illuminate key aspects of MAC biology. We found that different MAC species and M. avium isolates from different sources encode distinct suites of clinically relevant genes, including those for virulence and antibiotic resistance. We identified highly similar MAC strains in patients from different states and decades, suggesting community acquisition from dispersed and stable reservoirs, and we discovered a novel MAC species. Our work provides valuable insight into the genomic features underlying these versatile pathogens.
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Guerra Maldonado JF, Vincent AT, Chenal M, Veyrier FJ. CAPRIB: a user-friendly tool to study amino acid changes and selection for the exploration of intra-genus evolution. BMC Genomics 2020; 21:832. [PMID: 33243176 PMCID: PMC7690079 DOI: 10.1186/s12864-020-07232-3] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/04/2020] [Accepted: 11/17/2020] [Indexed: 11/10/2022] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND The evolution of bacteria is shaped by different mechanisms such as mutation, gene deletion, duplication, or insertion of foreign DNA among others. These genetic changes can accumulate in the descendants as a result of natural selection. Using phylogeny and genome comparisons, evolutionary paths can be somehow retraced, with recent events being much easier to detect than older ones. For this reason, multiple tools are available to study the evolutionary events within genomes of single species, such as gene composition alterations, or subtler mutations such as SNPs. However, these tools are generally designed to compare similar genomes and require advanced skills in bioinformatics. We present CAPRIB, a unique tool developed in Java that allows to determine the amino acid changes, at the genus level, that correlate with phenotypic differences between two groups of organisms. RESULTS CAPRIB has a user-friendly graphical interface and uses databases in SQL, making it easy to compare several genomes without the need for programming or thorough knowledge in bioinformatics. This intuitive software narrows down a list of amino acid changes that are concomitant with a given phenotypic divergence at the genus scale. Each permutation found by our software is associated with two already described statistical values that indicate its potential impact on the protein's function, helping the user decide which promising candidates to further investigate. We show that CAPRIB is able to detect already known mutations and uncovers many more, and that this tool can be used to question molecular phylogeny. Finally, we exemplify the utility of CAPRIB by pinpointing amino acid changes that coincided with the emergence of slow-growing mycobacteria from their fast-growing counterparts. The software is freely available at https://github.com/BactSymEvol/Caprib . CONCLUSIONS CAPRIB is a new bioinformatics software aiming to make genus-scale comparisons accessible to all. With its intuitive graphical interface, this tool identifies key amino acid changes concomitant with a phenotypic divergence. By comparing fast and slow-growing mycobacteria, we shed light on evolutionary hotspots, such as the cytokinin pathway, that are interesting candidates for further experimentations.
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Affiliation(s)
- Juan F Guerra Maldonado
- Institut national de la recherche scientifique, Centre Armand-Frappier Santé Biotechnologie, Bacterial Symbionts Evolution, Laval, Québec, Canada
| | - Antony T Vincent
- Institut national de la recherche scientifique, Centre Armand-Frappier Santé Biotechnologie, Bacterial Symbionts Evolution, Laval, Québec, Canada
| | - Martin Chenal
- Institut national de la recherche scientifique, Centre Armand-Frappier Santé Biotechnologie, Bacterial Symbionts Evolution, Laval, Québec, Canada
| | - Frederic J Veyrier
- Institut national de la recherche scientifique, Centre Armand-Frappier Santé Biotechnologie, Bacterial Symbionts Evolution, Laval, Québec, Canada.
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Pereira AC, Ramos B, Reis AC, Cunha MV. Non-Tuberculous Mycobacteria: Molecular and Physiological Bases of Virulence and Adaptation to Ecological Niches. Microorganisms 2020; 8:microorganisms8091380. [PMID: 32916931 PMCID: PMC7563442 DOI: 10.3390/microorganisms8091380] [Citation(s) in RCA: 24] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/26/2020] [Revised: 09/06/2020] [Accepted: 09/07/2020] [Indexed: 12/15/2022] Open
Abstract
Non-tuberculous mycobacteria (NTM) are paradigmatic colonizers of the total environment, circulating at the interfaces of the atmosphere, lithosphere, hydrosphere, biosphere, and anthroposphere. Their striking adaptive ecology on the interconnection of multiple spheres results from the combination of several biological features related to their exclusive hydrophobic and lipid-rich impermeable cell wall, transcriptional regulation signatures, biofilm phenotype, and symbiosis with protozoa. This unique blend of traits is reviewed in this work, with highlights to the prodigious plasticity and persistence hallmarks of NTM in a wide diversity of environments, from extreme natural milieus to microniches in the human body. Knowledge on the taxonomy, evolution, and functional diversity of NTM is updated, as well as the molecular and physiological bases for environmental adaptation, tolerance to xenobiotics, and infection biology in the human and non-human host. The complex interplay between individual, species-specific and ecological niche traits contributing to NTM resilience across ecosystems are also explored. This work hinges current understandings of NTM, approaching their biology and heterogeneity from several angles and reinforcing the complexity of these microorganisms often associated with a multiplicity of diseases, including pulmonary, soft-tissue, or milliary. In addition to emphasizing the cornerstones of knowledge involving these bacteria, we identify research gaps that need to be addressed, stressing out the need for decision-makers to recognize NTM infection as a public health issue that has to be tackled, especially when considering an increasingly susceptible elderly and immunocompromised population in developed countries, as well as in low- or middle-income countries, where NTM infections are still highly misdiagnosed and neglected.
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Affiliation(s)
- André C. Pereira
- Centre for Ecology, Evolution and Environmental Changes (cE3c), Faculdade de Ciências da Universidade de Lisboa, 1749-016 Lisboa, Portugal; (A.C.P.); (B.R.); (A.C.R.)
- Biosystems & Integrative Sciences Institute (BioISI), Faculdade de Ciências da Universidade de Lisboa, 1749-016 Lisboa, Portugal
| | - Beatriz Ramos
- Centre for Ecology, Evolution and Environmental Changes (cE3c), Faculdade de Ciências da Universidade de Lisboa, 1749-016 Lisboa, Portugal; (A.C.P.); (B.R.); (A.C.R.)
- Biosystems & Integrative Sciences Institute (BioISI), Faculdade de Ciências da Universidade de Lisboa, 1749-016 Lisboa, Portugal
| | - Ana C. Reis
- Centre for Ecology, Evolution and Environmental Changes (cE3c), Faculdade de Ciências da Universidade de Lisboa, 1749-016 Lisboa, Portugal; (A.C.P.); (B.R.); (A.C.R.)
- Biosystems & Integrative Sciences Institute (BioISI), Faculdade de Ciências da Universidade de Lisboa, 1749-016 Lisboa, Portugal
| | - Mónica V. Cunha
- Centre for Ecology, Evolution and Environmental Changes (cE3c), Faculdade de Ciências da Universidade de Lisboa, 1749-016 Lisboa, Portugal; (A.C.P.); (B.R.); (A.C.R.)
- Biosystems & Integrative Sciences Institute (BioISI), Faculdade de Ciências da Universidade de Lisboa, 1749-016 Lisboa, Portugal
- Correspondence: ; Tel.: +351-217-500-000 (ext. 22461)
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Personalized Approach as a Basis for the Future Diagnosis of Tuberculosis (Literature Review). ACTA BIOMEDICA SCIENTIFICA 2019. [DOI: 10.29413/abs.2019-4.3.17] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/21/2022] Open
Abstract
The global spread of tuberculosis remains one of actual problems of public health despite of introduction of public health safety programs. Early, rapid and accurate identification of M. tuberculosis and determination of drug susceptibility are essential for treatment and management of this disease. Delay in delivering results prolongs potentially inappropriate antituberculosis therapy, contributing to emergence of drug resistance, reducing treatment options and increasing treatment duration and associated costs, resulting in increased mortality and morbidity. Faster, more comprehensive diagnostics will enable earlier use of the most appropriate drug regimen, thus improving patient outcomes and reducing overall healthcare costs. The treatment of infection based on the using of massive antimicrobial therapy with analysis of bacterial strains resistance to first line drugs (FLD) isoniazid (INH), rifampin (RIF), pyrazinamide (PZA), ethambutol (EMB) and streptomycin (SM). However, the public health practitioners pay no attention to functional activity of human immune system genes. The interaction of bacterial genomes and immune system genes plays the major role in infection progress. There is growing evidence that, together with human and environmental factors, Mycobacterium tuberculosis complex strain diversity contributes to the variable outcome of infection and disease in human TB. We suppose that the future of diagnosis and treatment of tuberculosis lies in the field of personal medicine with comprehensive analysis of host and pathogen genes.
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Horizontal acquisition of a hypoxia-responsive molybdenum cofactor biosynthesis pathway contributed to Mycobacterium tuberculosis pathoadaptation. PLoS Pathog 2017; 13:e1006752. [PMID: 29176894 PMCID: PMC5720804 DOI: 10.1371/journal.ppat.1006752] [Citation(s) in RCA: 24] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/05/2017] [Revised: 12/07/2017] [Accepted: 11/13/2017] [Indexed: 12/16/2022] Open
Abstract
The unique ability of the tuberculosis (TB) bacillus, Mycobacterium tuberculosis, to persist for long periods of time in lung hypoxic lesions chiefly contributes to the global burden of latent TB. We and others previously reported that the M. tuberculosis ancestor underwent massive episodes of horizontal gene transfer (HGT), mostly from environmental species. Here, we sought to explore whether such ancient HGT played a part in M. tuberculosis evolution towards pathogenicity. We were interested by a HGT-acquired M. tuberculosis-specific gene set, namely moaA1-D1, which is involved in the biosynthesis of the molybdenum cofactor. Horizontal acquisition of this gene set was striking because homologues of these moa genes are present all across the Mycobacterium genus, including in M. tuberculosis. Here, we discovered that, unlike their paralogues, the moaA1-D1 genes are strongly induced under hypoxia. In vitro, a M. tuberculosis moaA1-D1-null mutant has an impaired ability to respire nitrate, to enter dormancy and to survive in oxygen-limiting conditions. Conversely, heterologous expression of moaA1-D1 in the phylogenetically closest non-TB mycobacterium, Mycobacterium kansasii, which lacks these genes, improves its capacity to respire nitrate and grants it with a marked ability to survive oxygen depletion. In vivo, the M. tuberculosis moaA1-D1-null mutant shows impaired survival in hypoxic granulomas in C3HeB/FeJ mice, but not in normoxic lesions in C57BL/6 animals. Collectively, our results identify a novel pathway required for M. tuberculosis resistance to host-imposed stress, namely hypoxia, and provide evidence that ancient HGT bolstered M. tuberculosis evolution from an environmental species towards a pervasive human-adapted pathogen. Mycobacterium tuberculosis, the etiological agent of tuberculosis (TB), can persist for years and even decades in the lungs of its human host. Here we report that a unique M. tuberculosis gene cluster involved in the synthesis of the molybdenum cofactor, a cofactor for several oxidoreductases including the nitrate reductase, allows this major pathogen to respire nitrate and to persist in a dormant state under hypoxia, a stress condition encountered in lung TB lesions. Strikingly the M. tuberculosis ancestor, which most likely was an environmental harmless bacterium, acquired this gene cluster, together with its hypoxia-responsive transcriptional regulator, horizontally from neighboring bacteria. Our results uncover a key step in M. tuberculosis evolution towards pathogenicity.
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Brites D, Gagneux S. The Nature and Evolution of Genomic Diversity in the Mycobacterium tuberculosis Complex. ADVANCES IN EXPERIMENTAL MEDICINE AND BIOLOGY 2017; 1019:1-26. [DOI: 10.1007/978-3-319-64371-7_1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 20] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/24/2022]
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Jankute M, Nataraj V, Lee OYC, Wu HHT, Ridell M, Garton NJ, Barer MR, Minnikin DE, Bhatt A, Besra GS. The role of hydrophobicity in tuberculosis evolution and pathogenicity. Sci Rep 2017; 7:1315. [PMID: 28465507 PMCID: PMC5431016 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-017-01501-0] [Citation(s) in RCA: 50] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/20/2017] [Accepted: 03/29/2017] [Indexed: 12/24/2022] Open
Abstract
The evolution of tubercle bacilli parallels a route from environmental Mycobacterium kansasii, through intermediate "Mycobacterium canettii", to the modern Mycobacterium tuberculosis complex. Cell envelope outer membrane lipids change systematically from hydrophilic lipooligosaccharides and phenolic glycolipids to hydrophobic phthiocerol dimycocerosates, di- and pentaacyl trehaloses and sulfoglycolipids. Such lipid changes point to a hydrophobic phenotype for M. tuberculosis sensu stricto. Using Congo Red staining and hexadecane-aqueous buffer partitioning, the hydrophobicity of rough morphology M. tuberculosis and Mycobacterium bovis strains was greater than smooth "M. canettii" and M. kansasii. Killed mycobacteria maintained differential hydrophobicity but defatted cells were similar, indicating that outer membrane lipids govern overall hydrophobicity. A rough M. tuberculosis H37Rv ΔpapA1 sulfoglycolipid-deficient mutant had significantly diminished Congo Red uptake though hexadecane-aqueous buffer partitioning was similar to H37Rv. An M. kansasii, ΔMKAN27435 partially lipooligosaccharide-deficient mutant absorbed marginally more Congo Red dye than the parent strain but was comparable in partition experiments. In evolving from ancestral mycobacteria, related to "M. canettii" and M. kansasii, modern M. tuberculosis probably became more hydrophobic by increasing the proportion of less polar lipids in the outer membrane. Importantly, such a change would enhance the capability for aerosol transmission, affecting virulence and pathogenicity.
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Affiliation(s)
- Monika Jankute
- Institute of Microbiology and Infection, School of Biosciences, University of Birmingham, Edgbaston, Birmingham, UK
| | - Vijayashankar Nataraj
- Institute of Microbiology and Infection, School of Biosciences, University of Birmingham, Edgbaston, Birmingham, UK
| | - Oona Y-C Lee
- Institute of Microbiology and Infection, School of Biosciences, University of Birmingham, Edgbaston, Birmingham, UK
| | - Houdini H T Wu
- Institute of Microbiology and Infection, School of Biosciences, University of Birmingham, Edgbaston, Birmingham, UK
| | - Malin Ridell
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, Institute of Biomedicine, University of Gothenburg, Gothenburg, Sweden
| | - Natalie J Garton
- Department of Infection, Immunity and Inflammation, University of Leicester, Leicester, UK
| | - Michael R Barer
- Department of Infection, Immunity and Inflammation, University of Leicester, Leicester, UK
| | - David E Minnikin
- Institute of Microbiology and Infection, School of Biosciences, University of Birmingham, Edgbaston, Birmingham, UK
| | - Apoorva Bhatt
- Institute of Microbiology and Infection, School of Biosciences, University of Birmingham, Edgbaston, Birmingham, UK
| | - Gurdyal S Besra
- Institute of Microbiology and Infection, School of Biosciences, University of Birmingham, Edgbaston, Birmingham, UK.
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A hypervariable genomic island identified in clinical and environmental Mycobacterium avium subsp. hominissuis isolates from Germany. Int J Med Microbiol 2016; 306:495-503. [PMID: 27481640 DOI: 10.1016/j.ijmm.2016.07.001] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/15/2016] [Revised: 06/06/2016] [Accepted: 07/17/2016] [Indexed: 11/21/2022] Open
Abstract
Mycobacterium avium subsp. hominissuis (MAH) is an opportunistic human pathogen widespread in the environment. Genomic islands (GI)s represent a part of the accessory genome of bacteria and influence virulence, drug-resistance or fitness and trigger bacterial evolution. We previously identified a novel GI in four MAH genomes. Here, we further explored this GI in a larger collection of MAH isolates from Germany (n=41), including 20 clinical and 21 environmental isolates. Based on comparative whole genome analysis, we detected this GI in 39/41 (95.1%) isolates. Although all these GIs integrated in the same insertion hotspot, there is high variability in the genetic structure of this GI: eight different types of GI have been identified, designated A-H (sized 6.2-73.3kb). These GIs were arranged as single GI (23/41, 56.1%), combination of two different GIs (14/41, 34.1%) or combination of three different GIs (2/41, 4.9%) in the insertion hotspot. Moreover, two GI types shared more than 80% sequence identity with sequences of M. canettii, responsible for Tuberculosis. A total of 253 different genes were identified in all GIs, among which the previously documented virulence-related genes mmpL10 and mce. The diversity of the GI and the sequence similarity with other mycobacteria suggests cross-species transfer, involving also highly pathogenic species. Shuffling of potential virulence genes such as mmpL10 via this GI may create new pathogens that can cause future outbreaks.
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Abstract
The causative agent of human tuberculosis (TB), Mycobacterium tuberculosis, is an obligate pathogen that evolved to exclusively persist in human populations. For M. tuberculosis to transmit from person to person, it has to cause pulmonary disease. Therefore, M. tuberculosis virulence has likely been a significant determinant of the association between M. tuberculosis and humans. Indeed, the evolutionary success of some M. tuberculosis genotypes seems at least partially attributable to their increased virulence. The latter possibly evolved as a consequence of human demographic expansions. If co-evolution occurred, humans would have counteracted to minimize the deleterious effects of M. tuberculosis virulence. The fact that human resistance to infection has a strong genetic basis is a likely consequence of such a counter-response. The genetic architecture underlying human resistance to M. tuberculosis remains largely elusive. However, interactions between human genetic polymorphisms and M. tuberculosis genotypes have been reported. Such interactions are consistent with local adaptation and allow for a better understanding of protective immunity in TB. Future 'genome-to-genome' studies, in which locally associated human and M. tuberculosis genotypes are interrogated in conjunction, will help identify new protective antigens for the development of better TB vaccines.
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Affiliation(s)
- Daniela Brites
- Department of Medical Parasitology and Infection Biology, Swiss Tropical and Public Health Institute and University of Basel, Basel, Switzerland
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Minnikin DE, Lee OYC, Wu HHT, Besra GS, Bhatt A, Nataraj V, Rothschild BM, Spigelman M, Donoghue HD. Ancient mycobacterial lipids: Key reference biomarkers in charting the evolution of tuberculosis. Tuberculosis (Edinb) 2015; 95 Suppl 1:S133-9. [PMID: 25736170 DOI: 10.1016/j.tube.2015.02.009] [Citation(s) in RCA: 20] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/24/2022]
Abstract
Mycobacterium tuberculosis has a cell envelope incorporating a peptidoglycan-linked arabinogalactan esterified by long-chain mycolic acids. A range of "free" lipids are associated with the "bound" mycolic acids, producing an effective envelope outer membrane. The distribution of these lipids is discontinuous among mycobacteria and such lipids have proven potential for biomarker use in tracing the evolution of tuberculosis. A plausible evolutionary scenario involves progression from an environmental organism, such as Mycobacterium kansasii, through intermediate "smooth" tubercle bacilli, labelled "Mycobacterium canettii"; cell envelope lipid composition possibly correlates with such a progression. M. kansasii and "M. canettii" have characteristic lipooligosaccharides, associated with motility and biofilms, and glycosyl phenolphthiocerol dimycocerosates ("phenolic glycolipids"). Both these lipid classes are absent in modern M. tuberculosis sensu stricto, though simplified phenolic glycolipids remain in certain current biotypes. Dimycocerosates of the phthiocerol family are restricted to smaller phthiodiolone diesters in M. kansasii. Diacyl and pentaacyl trehaloses are present in "M. canettii" and M. tuberculosis, accompanied in the latter by related sulfated acyl trehaloses. In comparison with environmental mycobacteria, subtle modifications in mycolic acid structures in "M. canettii" and M. tuberculosis are notable. The probability of essential tuberculosis evolution taking place in Pleistocene megafauna, rather than Homo sapiens, is reemphasised.
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Affiliation(s)
- David E Minnikin
- Institute of Microbiology and Infection, School of Biosciences, University of Birmingham, Edgbaston, Birmingham, UK.
| | - Oona Y-C Lee
- Institute of Microbiology and Infection, School of Biosciences, University of Birmingham, Edgbaston, Birmingham, UK.
| | - Houdini H T Wu
- Institute of Microbiology and Infection, School of Biosciences, University of Birmingham, Edgbaston, Birmingham, UK.
| | - Gurdyal S Besra
- Institute of Microbiology and Infection, School of Biosciences, University of Birmingham, Edgbaston, Birmingham, UK.
| | - Apoorva Bhatt
- Institute of Microbiology and Infection, School of Biosciences, University of Birmingham, Edgbaston, Birmingham, UK.
| | - Vijayashankar Nataraj
- Institute of Microbiology and Infection, School of Biosciences, University of Birmingham, Edgbaston, Birmingham, UK.
| | - Bruce M Rothschild
- Biodiversity Institute and Departments of Anthropology and Geology, University of Kansas, Lawrence, KS 66045, USA.
| | - Mark Spigelman
- Kuvin Center for the Study of Infectious and Tropical Diseases and Ancient DNA, Hadassah Medical School, Hebrew University, Jerusalem, Israel.
| | - Helen D Donoghue
- Centres for Clinical Microbiology and the History of Medicine, University College London, London, UK.
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Perdigão J, Silva H, Machado D, Macedo R, Maltez F, Silva C, Jordao L, Couto I, Mallard K, Coll F, Hill-Cawthorne GA, McNerney R, Pain A, Clark TG, Viveiros M, Portugal I. Unraveling Mycobacterium tuberculosis genomic diversity and evolution in Lisbon, Portugal, a highly drug resistant setting. BMC Genomics 2014; 15:991. [PMID: 25407810 PMCID: PMC4289236 DOI: 10.1186/1471-2164-15-991] [Citation(s) in RCA: 47] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/25/2013] [Accepted: 11/06/2014] [Indexed: 12/04/2022] Open
Abstract
Background Multidrug- (MDR) and extensively drug resistant (XDR) tuberculosis (TB) presents a challenge to disease control and elimination goals. In Lisbon, Portugal, specific and successful XDR-TB strains have been found in circulation for almost two decades. Results In the present study we have genotyped and sequenced the genomes of 56 Mycobacterium tuberculosis isolates recovered mostly from Lisbon. The genotyping data revealed three major clusters associated with MDR-TB, two of which are associated with XDR-TB. Whilst the genomic data contributed to elucidate the phylogenetic positioning of circulating MDR-TB strains, showing a high predominance of a single SNP cluster group 5. Furthermore, a genome-wide phylogeny analysis from these strains, together with 19 publicly available genomes of Mycobacterium tuberculosis clinical isolates, revealed two major clades responsible for M/XDR-TB in the region: Lisboa3 and Q1 (LAM). The data presented by this study yielded insights on microevolution and identification of novel compensatory mutations associated with rifampicin resistance in rpoB and rpoC. The screening for other structural variations revealed putative clade-defining variants. One deletion in PPE41, found among Lisboa3 isolates, is proposed to contribute to immune evasion and as a selective advantage. Insertion sequence (IS) mapping has also demonstrated the role of IS6110 as a major driver in mycobacterial evolution by affecting gene integrity and regulation. Conclusions Globally, this study contributes with novel genome-wide phylogenetic data and has led to the identification of new genomic variants that support the notion of a growing genomic diversity facing both setting and host adaptation. Electronic supplementary material The online version of this article (doi:10.1186/1471-2164-15-991) contains supplementary material, which is available to authorized users.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | - Isabel Portugal
- Centro de Patogénese Molecular, URIA, Faculdade de Farmácia da Universidade de Lisboa, Av, Prof, Gama Pinto, 1649-003 Lisboa, Portugal.
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Costa P, Botelho A, Couto I, Viveiros M, Inácio J. Standing of nucleic acid testing strategies in veterinary diagnosis laboratories to uncover Mycobacterium tuberculosis complex members. Front Mol Biosci 2014; 1:16. [PMID: 25988157 PMCID: PMC4428369 DOI: 10.3389/fmolb.2014.00016] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/11/2014] [Accepted: 09/25/2014] [Indexed: 12/03/2022] Open
Abstract
Nucleic acid testing (NAT) designate any molecular approach used for the detection, identification, and characterization of pathogenic microorganisms, enabling the rapid, specific, and sensitive diagnostic of infectious diseases, such as tuberculosis. These assays have been widely used since the 90s of the last century in human clinical laboratories and, subsequently, also in veterinary diagnostics. Most NAT strategies are based in the polymerase chain reaction (PCR) and its several enhancements and variations. From the conventional PCR, real-time PCR and its combinations, isothermal DNA amplification, to the nanotechnologies, here we review how the NAT assays have been applied to decipher if and which member of the Mycobacterium tuberculosis complex is present in a clinical sample. Recent advances in DNA sequencing also brought new challenges and have made possible to generate rapidly and at a low cost, large amounts of sequence data. This revolution with the high-throughput sequencing (HTS) technologies makes whole genome sequencing (WGS) and metagenomics the trendiest NAT strategies, today. The ranking of NAT techniques in the field of clinical diagnostics is rising, and we provide a SWOT (Strengths, Weaknesses, Opportunities, and Threats) analysis with our view of the use of molecular diagnostics for detecting tuberculosis in veterinary laboratories, notwithstanding the gold standard being still the classical culture of the agent. The complementary use of both classical and molecular diagnostics approaches is recommended to speed the diagnostic, enabling a fast decision by competent authorities and rapid tackling of the disease.
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Affiliation(s)
- Pedro Costa
- Instituto Nacional de Investigação Agrária e Veterinária IPLisboa, Portugal
- Grupo de Micobactérias, Unidade de Microbiologia Médica, Instituto de Higiene e Medicina Tropical da Universidade Nova de LisboaLisboa, Portugal
| | - Ana Botelho
- Instituto Nacional de Investigação Agrária e Veterinária IPLisboa, Portugal
| | - Isabel Couto
- Grupo de Micobactérias, Unidade de Microbiologia Médica, Instituto de Higiene e Medicina Tropical da Universidade Nova de LisboaLisboa, Portugal
- Centro de Recursos Microbiológicos (CREM), Universidade Nova de LisboaCaparica, Portugal
| | - Miguel Viveiros
- Grupo de Micobactérias, Unidade de Microbiologia Médica, Instituto de Higiene e Medicina Tropical da Universidade Nova de LisboaLisboa, Portugal
- Centro de Malária e Outras Doenças Tropicais, Instituto de Higiene e Medicina Tropical da Universidade Nova de LisboaLisboa, Portugal
| | - João Inácio
- School of Pharmacy and Biomolecular Sciences, University of BrightonBrighton, UK
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Bellanger X, Payot S, Leblond-Bourget N, Guédon G. Conjugative and mobilizable genomic islands in bacteria: evolution and diversity. FEMS Microbiol Rev 2014; 38:720-60. [DOI: 10.1111/1574-6976.12058] [Citation(s) in RCA: 223] [Impact Index Per Article: 22.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/19/2013] [Revised: 11/15/2013] [Accepted: 12/19/2013] [Indexed: 11/28/2022] Open
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Liu J, Gordon BRG. Targeting the global regulator Lsr2 as a novel approach for anti-tuberculosis drug development. Expert Rev Anti Infect Ther 2014; 10:1049-53. [DOI: 10.1586/eri.12.86] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/08/2022]
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Gupta T, Fine-Coulson K, Karls R, Gauthier D, Quinn F. Internalization of Mycobacterium shottsii and Mycobacterium pseudoshottsii by Acanthamoeba polyphaga. Can J Microbiol 2013; 59:570-6. [PMID: 23899000 DOI: 10.1139/cjm-2013-0079] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/22/2022]
Abstract
Amoebae serve as environmental hosts to a variety of mycobacteria, including Mycobacterium avium and Mycobacterium marinum. Mycobacterium shottsii and Mycobacterium pseudoshottsii are waterborne species isolated from the spleens and dermal lesions of striped bass (Morone saxatilis) from the Chesapeake Bay. The optimal growth temperature for these fish isolates is 25 °C. In the present study, amoebae were examined as a potential environmental reservoir for these fish pathogens. Several studies demonstrated that M. avium bacilli replicate within the trophozoite stage and reside in large numbers within the cytosol of the cyst of the free-living amoeba Acanthamoeba polyphaga. Results from the present study showed that M. shottsii, M. pseudoshottsii, and M. marinum bacilli were internalized by A. polyphaga trophozoites within 6 h but that intracellular viability decreased by 2 to 3 logs over 10 days. While an average of 25 M. marinum bacilli were identified by electron microscopy in the cytosol of the cyst, <5 M. pseudoshottsii and no M. shottsii bacilli were observed in this location. All Mycobacterium species examined remained viable but did not replicate after encystment and subsequent 48 h incubation in 4% HCl. This concentration of HCl will kill mycobacteria but will not enter amoebal cysts. Bacterial viability studies within stages of the amoeba life cycle indicate fewer M. shottsii and M. pseudoshottsii bacilli within the trophozoite and cyst stages relative to M. marinum.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tuhina Gupta
- Department of Infectious Diseases, College of Veterinary Medicine, University of Georgia, Athens, GA 30602, USA
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Osório NS, Rodrigues F, Gagneux S, Pedrosa J, Pinto-Carbó M, Castro AG, Young D, Comas I, Saraiva M. Evidence for diversifying selection in a set of Mycobacterium tuberculosis genes in response to antibiotic- and nonantibiotic-related pressure. Mol Biol Evol 2013; 30:1326-36. [PMID: 23449927 DOI: 10.1093/molbev/mst038] [Citation(s) in RCA: 35] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/06/2023] Open
Abstract
Tuberculosis (TB) is a global health problem estimated to kill 1.4 million people per year. Recent advances in the genomics of the causative agents of TB, bacteria known as the Mycobacterium tuberculosis complex (MTBC), have allowed a better comprehension of its population structure and provided the foundation for molecular evolution analyses. These studies are crucial for a better understanding of TB, including the variation of vaccine efficacy and disease outcome, together with the emergence of drug resistance. Starting from the analysis of 73 publicly available genomes from all the main MTBC lineages, we have screened for evidences of positive selection, a set of 576 genes previously associated with drug resistance or encoding membrane proteins. As expected, because antibiotics constitute strong selective pressure, some of the codons identified correspond to the position of confirmed drug-resistance-associated substitutions in the genes embB, rpoB, and katG. Furthermore, we identified diversifying selection in specific codons of the genes Rv0176 and Rv1872c coding for MCE1-associated transmembrane protein and a putative l-lactate dehydrogenase, respectively. Amino acid sequence analyses showed that in Rv0176, sites undergoing diversifying selection were in a predicted antigen region that varies between "modern" lineages and "ancient" MTBC/BCG strains. In Rv1872c, some of the sites under selection are predicted to impact protein function and thus might result from metabolic adaptation. These results illustrate that diversifying selection in MTBC is happening as a consequence of both antibiotic treatment and other evolutionary pressures.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nuno S Osório
- Life and Health Sciences Research Institute, School of Health Sciences, University of Minho, Braga, Portugal.
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Zakham F, Aouane O, Ussery D, Benjouad A, Ennaji MM. Computational genomics-proteomics and Phylogeny analysis of twenty one mycobacterial genomes (Tuberculosis & non Tuberculosis strains). MICROBIAL INFORMATICS AND EXPERIMENTATION 2012; 2:7. [PMID: 22929624 PMCID: PMC3504576 DOI: 10.1186/2042-5783-2-7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 22] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/15/2012] [Accepted: 08/02/2012] [Indexed: 12/04/2022]
Abstract
Background The genus Mycobacterium comprises different species, among them the most contagious and infectious bacteria. The members of the complex Mycobacterium tuberculosis are the most virulent microorganisms that have killed human and other mammals since millennia. Additionally, with the many different mycobacterial sequences available, there is a crucial need for the visualization and the simplification of their data. In this present study, we aim to highlight a comparative genome, proteome and phylogeny analysis between twenty-one mycobacterial (Tuberculosis and non tuberculosis) strains using a set of computational and bioinformatics tools (Pan and Core genome plotting, BLAST matrix and phylogeny analysis). Results Considerably the result of pan and core genome Plotting demonstrated that less than 1250 Mycobacterium gene families are conserved across all species, and a total set of about 20,000 gene families within the Mycobacterium pan-genome of twenty one mycobacterial genomes. Viewing the BLAST matrix a high similarity was found among the species of the complex Mycobacterium tuberculosis and less conservation is found with other slow growing pathogenic mycobacteria. Phylogeny analysis based on both protein conservation, as well as rRNA clearly resolve known relationships between slow growing mycobacteria. Conclusion Mycobacteria include important pathogenic species for human and animals and the Mycobacterium tuberculosis complex is the most cause of death of the humankind. The comparative genome analysis could provide a new insight for better controlling and preventing these diseases.
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Affiliation(s)
- Fathiah Zakham
- Laboratoire de Virologie et Hygiène & Microbiologie, Faculté des Sciences et Techniques, BP 146, Mohammedia, 20650, Morocco.
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Lee OYC, Wu HHT, Donoghue HD, Spigelman M, Greenblatt CL, Bull ID, Rothschild BM, Martin LD, Minnikin DE, Besra GS. Mycobacterium tuberculosis complex lipid virulence factors preserved in the 17,000-year-old skeleton of an extinct bison, Bison antiquus. PLoS One 2012; 7:e41923. [PMID: 22860031 PMCID: PMC3408397 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0041923] [Citation(s) in RCA: 49] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/24/2012] [Accepted: 06/29/2012] [Indexed: 12/22/2022] Open
Abstract
Tracing the evolution of ancient diseases depends on the availability and accessibility of suitable biomarkers in archaeological specimens. DNA is potentially information-rich but it depends on a favourable environment for preservation. In the case of the major mycobacterial pathogens, Mycobacterium tuberculosis and Mycobacterium leprae, robust lipid biomarkers are established as alternatives or complements to DNA analyses. A DNA report, a decade ago, suggested that a 17,000-year-old skeleton of extinct Bison antiquus, from Natural Trap Cave, Wyoming, was the oldest known case of tuberculosis. In the current study, key mycobacterial lipid virulence factor biomarkers were detected in the same two samples from this bison. Fluorescence high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) indicated the presence of mycolic acids of the mycobacterial type, but they were degraded and could not be precisely correlated with tuberculosis. However, pristine profiles of C29, C30 and C32 mycocerosates and C27 mycolipenates, typical of the Mycobacterium tuberculosis complex, were recorded by negative ion chemical ionization gas chromatography mass spectrometry of pentafluorobenzyl ester derivatives. These findings were supported by the detection of C34 and C36 phthiocerols, which are usually esterified to the mycocerosates. The existence of Pleistocene tuberculosis in the Americas is confirmed and there are many even older animal bones with well-characterised tuberculous lesions similar to those on the analysed sample. In the absence of any evidence of tuberculosis in human skeletons older than 9,000 years BP, the hypothesis that this disease evolved as a zoonosis, before transfer to humans, is given detailed consideration and discussion.
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Affiliation(s)
- Oona Y-C. Lee
- School of Biosciences, University of Birmingham, Edgbaston, Birmingham, United Kingdom
| | - Houdini H. T. Wu
- School of Biosciences, University of Birmingham, Edgbaston, Birmingham, United Kingdom
| | - Helen D. Donoghue
- Centre for Clinical Microbiology (M9), Royal Free Campus, University College London, London, United Kingdom
- Centre for the History of Medicine, University College London, London, United Kingdom
| | - Mark Spigelman
- Centre for Clinical Microbiology (M9), Royal Free Campus, University College London, London, United Kingdom
- Kuvin Center for the Study of Infectious and Tropical Diseases and Ancient DNA, Hadassah Medical School, Hebrew University, Jerusalem, Israel
| | - Charles L. Greenblatt
- Kuvin Center for the Study of Infectious and Tropical Diseases and Ancient DNA, Hadassah Medical School, Hebrew University, Jerusalem, Israel
| | - Ian D. Bull
- Organic Geochemistry Unit, School of Chemistry, University of Bristol, Bristol, United Kingdom
| | - Bruce M. Rothschild
- Department of Medicine, Northeast Ohio Medical University, Rootstown, Ohio, United States of America
- Biodiversity Institute, University of Kansas, Lawrence, Kansas, United States of America
| | - Larry D. Martin
- Biodiversity Institute, University of Kansas, Lawrence, Kansas, United States of America
| | - David E. Minnikin
- School of Biosciences, University of Birmingham, Edgbaston, Birmingham, United Kingdom
| | - Gurdyal S. Besra
- School of Biosciences, University of Birmingham, Edgbaston, Birmingham, United Kingdom
- * E-mail:
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SITVITWEB--a publicly available international multimarker database for studying Mycobacterium tuberculosis genetic diversity and molecular epidemiology. INFECTION GENETICS AND EVOLUTION 2012; 12:755-66. [PMID: 22365971 DOI: 10.1016/j.meegid.2012.02.004] [Citation(s) in RCA: 349] [Impact Index Per Article: 29.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/11/2011] [Revised: 02/08/2012] [Accepted: 02/09/2012] [Indexed: 11/20/2022]
Abstract
Among various genotyping methods to study Mycobacterium tuberculosis complex (MTC) genotypic polymorphism, spoligotyping and mycobacterial interspersed repetitive units-variable number of DNA tandem repeats (MIRU-VNTRs) have recently gained international approval as robust, fast, and reproducible typing methods generating data in a portable format. Spoligotyping constituted the backbone of a publicly available database SpolDB4 released in 2006; nonetheless this method possesses a low discriminatory power when used alone and should be ideally used in conjunction with a second typing method such as MIRU-VNTRs for high-resolution epidemiological studies. We hereby describe a publicly available international database named SITVITWEB which incorporates such multimarker data allowing to have a global vision of MTC genetic diversity worldwide based on 62,582 clinical isolates corresponding to 153 countries of patient origin (105 countries of isolation). We report a total of 7105 spoligotype patterns (corresponding to 58,180 clinical isolates) - grouped into 2740 shared-types or spoligotype international types (SIT) containing 53,816 clinical isolates and 4364 orphan patterns. Interestingly, only 7% of the MTC isolates worldwide were orphans whereas more than half of SITed isolates (n=27,059) were restricted to only 24 most prevalent SITs. The database also contains a total of 2379 MIRU patterns (from 8161 clinical isolates) from 87 countries of patient origin (35 countries of isolation); these were grouped in 847 shared-types or MIRU international types (MIT) containing 6626 isolates and 1533 orphan patterns. Lastly, data on 5-locus exact tandem repeats (ETRs) were available on 4626 isolates from 59 countries of patient origin (22 countries of isolation); a total of 458 different VNTR patterns were observed - split into 245 shared-types or VNTR International Types (VIT) containing 4413 isolates) and 213 orphan patterns. Datamining of SITVITWEB further allowed to update rules defining MTC genotypic lineages as well to have a new insight into MTC population structure and worldwide distribution at country, sub-regional and continental levels. At evolutionary level, the data compiled may be useful to distinguish the occasional convergent evolution of genotypes versus specific evolution of sublineages essentially influenced by adaptation to the host. This database is publicly available at: http://www.pasteur-guadeloupe.fr:8081/SITVIT_ONLINE.
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Weiner B, Gomez J, Victor TC, Warren RM, Sloutsky A, Plikaytis BB, Posey JE, van Helden PD, Gey van Pittius NC, Koehrsen M, Sisk P, Stolte C, White J, Gagneux S, Birren B, Hung D, Murray M, Galagan J. Independent large scale duplications in multiple M. tuberculosis lineages overlapping the same genomic region. PLoS One 2012; 7:e26038. [PMID: 22347359 PMCID: PMC3274525 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0026038] [Citation(s) in RCA: 28] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/18/2011] [Accepted: 09/16/2011] [Indexed: 11/19/2022] Open
Abstract
Mycobacterium tuberculosis, the causative agent of most human tuberculosis, infects one third of the world's population and kills an estimated 1.7 million people a year. With the world-wide emergence of drug resistance, and the finding of more functional genetic diversity than previously expected, there is a renewed interest in understanding the forces driving genome evolution of this important pathogen. Genetic diversity in M. tuberculosis is dominated by single nucleotide polymorphisms and small scale gene deletion, with little or no evidence for large scale genome rearrangements seen in other bacteria. Recently, a single report described a large scale genome duplication that was suggested to be specific to the Beijing lineage. We report here multiple independent large-scale duplications of the same genomic region of M. tuberculosis detected through whole-genome sequencing. The duplications occur in strains belonging to both M. tuberculosis lineage 2 and 4, and are thus not limited to Beijing strains. The duplications occur in both drug-resistant and drug susceptible strains. The duplicated regions also have substantially different boundaries in different strains, indicating different originating duplication events. We further identify a smaller segmental duplication of a different genomic region of a lab strain of H37Rv. The presence of multiple independent duplications of the same genomic region suggests either instability in this region, a selective advantage conferred by the duplication, or both. The identified duplications suggest that large-scale gene duplication may be more common in M. tuberculosis than previously considered.
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Affiliation(s)
- Brian Weiner
- The Broad Institute, Cambridge, Massachusetts, United States of America
| | - James Gomez
- The Broad Institute, Cambridge, Massachusetts, United States of America
| | - Thomas C. Victor
- Division of Molecular Biology and Human Genetics, Department of Biomedical Science, Faculty of Health Sciences, National Research Foundation Centre of Excellence for Tuberculosis Research, Medical Research Council Centre for Molecular and Cellular Biology, Stellenbosch University, Tygerberg, South Africa
| | - Robert M. Warren
- Division of Molecular Biology and Human Genetics, Department of Biomedical Science, Faculty of Health Sciences, National Research Foundation Centre of Excellence for Tuberculosis Research, Medical Research Council Centre for Molecular and Cellular Biology, Stellenbosch University, Tygerberg, South Africa
| | - Alexander Sloutsky
- Massachusetts Supranational TB Reference Laboratory, Center for Health Policy and Research, University of Massachusetts Medical School, Shrewsbury, Massachusetts, United States of America
| | - Bonnie B. Plikaytis
- Mycobacteriology Laboratory Branch, Division of TB Elimination, National Center for HIV/AIDS, Viral Hepatitis, STD, and TB Prevention Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Atlanta, Georgia, United States of America
| | - James E. Posey
- Mycobacteriology Laboratory Branch, Division of TB Elimination, National Center for HIV/AIDS, Viral Hepatitis, STD, and TB Prevention Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Atlanta, Georgia, United States of America
| | - Paul D. van Helden
- Division of Molecular Biology and Human Genetics, Department of Biomedical Science, Faculty of Health Sciences, National Research Foundation Centre of Excellence for Tuberculosis Research, Medical Research Council Centre for Molecular and Cellular Biology, Stellenbosch University, Tygerberg, South Africa
| | - Nicolass C. Gey van Pittius
- Division of Molecular Biology and Human Genetics, Department of Biomedical Science, Faculty of Health Sciences, National Research Foundation Centre of Excellence for Tuberculosis Research, Medical Research Council Centre for Molecular and Cellular Biology, Stellenbosch University, Tygerberg, South Africa
| | - Michael Koehrsen
- The Broad Institute, Cambridge, Massachusetts, United States of America
| | - Peter Sisk
- The Broad Institute, Cambridge, Massachusetts, United States of America
| | - Christian Stolte
- The Broad Institute, Cambridge, Massachusetts, United States of America
| | - Jared White
- The Broad Institute, Cambridge, Massachusetts, United States of America
| | - Sebastien Gagneux
- Medical Research Council, National Institute for Medical Research, London, United Kingdom
| | - Bruce Birren
- The Broad Institute, Cambridge, Massachusetts, United States of America
| | - Deborah Hung
- The Broad Institute, Cambridge, Massachusetts, United States of America
| | - Megan Murray
- Harvard School of Public Health, Boston, Massachusetts, United States of America
| | - James Galagan
- The Broad Institute, Cambridge, Massachusetts, United States of America
- Department of Biomedical Engineering and Microbiology, Boston University, Boston, Massachusetts, United States of America
- * E-mail:
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Huang Q, Cheng X, Cheung MK, Kiselev SS, Ozoline ON, Kwan HS. High-density transcriptional initiation signals underline genomic islands in bacteria. PLoS One 2012; 7:e33759. [PMID: 22448273 PMCID: PMC3309015 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0033759] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/21/2011] [Accepted: 02/21/2012] [Indexed: 02/07/2023] Open
Abstract
Genomic islands (GIs), frequently associated with the pathogenicity of bacteria and having a substantial influence on bacterial evolution, are groups of "alien" elements which probably undergo special temporal-spatial regulation in the host genome. Are there particular hallmark transcriptional signals for these "exotic" regions? We here explore the potential transcriptional signals that underline the GIs beyond the conventional views on basic sequence composition, such as codon usage and GC property bias. It showed that there is a significant enrichment of the transcription start positions (TSPs) in the GI regions compared to the whole genome of Salmonella enterica and Escherichia coli. There was up to a four-fold increase for the 70% GIs, implying high-density TSPs profile can potentially differentiate the GI regions. Based on this feature, we developed a new sliding window method GIST, Genomic-island Identification by Signals of Transcription, to identify these regions. Subsequently, we compared the known GI-associated features of the GIs detected by GIST and by the existing method Islandviewer to those of the whole genome. Our method demonstrates high sensitivity in detecting GIs harboring genes with biased GI-like function, preferred subcellular localization, skewed GC property, shorter gene length and biased "non-optimal" codon usage. The special transcriptional signals discovered here may contribute to the coordinate expression regulation of foreign genes. Finally, by using GIST, we detected many interesting GIs in the 2011 German E. coli O104:H4 outbreak strain TY-2482, including the microcin H47 system and gene cluster ycgXEFZ-ymgABC that activates the production of biofilm matrix. The aforesaid findings highlight the power of GIST to predict GIs with distinct intrinsic features to the genome. The heterogeneity of cumulative TSPs profiles may not only be a better identity for "alien" regions, but also provide hints to the special evolutionary course and transcriptional regulation of GI regions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Qianli Huang
- School of Life Sciences, The Chinese University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong SAR, China
| | - Xuanjin Cheng
- School of Life Sciences, The Chinese University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong SAR, China
| | - Man Kit Cheung
- School of Life Sciences, The Chinese University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong SAR, China
| | - Sergey S. Kiselev
- Institute of Cell Biophysics, Russian Academy of Sciences, Moscow, Russia
| | - Olga N. Ozoline
- Institute of Cell Biophysics, Russian Academy of Sciences, Moscow, Russia
| | - Hoi Shan Kwan
- School of Life Sciences, The Chinese University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong SAR, China
- * E-mail:
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Integrative analysis of transcriptome and genome indicates two potential genomic islands are associated with pathogenesis of Mycobacterium tuberculosis. Gene 2011; 489:21-9. [PMID: 21924330 DOI: 10.1016/j.gene.2011.08.019] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/17/2011] [Revised: 07/20/2011] [Accepted: 08/26/2011] [Indexed: 11/20/2022]
Abstract
Mycobacterium tuberculosis (M.tb) is a successful human pathogen and widely prevalent throughout the world. Genomic islands (GIs) are thought to be related to pathogenicity. In this study, we predicted two potential genomic islands in M.tb genome, respectively named as GI-1 and GI-2. It is indicated that the genes belong to PE_PGRS family in GI-1 and genes involved in sulfolipid-1 (SL-1) synthesis in GI-2 are strongly associated with M.tb pathogenesis. Sequence analysis revealed that the five PGRS genes are more polymorphic than other PGRS members in full virulence M.tb complex strains at significance level 0.01 but not in attenuated strains. Expression analysis of microarrays collected from literatures displayed that GI-1 genes, especially Rv3508 might be correlated with the response to the inhibition of aerobic respiration. Microarray analysis also showed that SL-1 cluster genes are drastically down-expressed in attenuated strains relative to full virulence strains. We speculated that the effect of SL-1 on M.tb pathogenicity could be associated with long-term survival and persistence establishment during infection. Additionally, the gene Rv3508 in GI-1 was under positive selection. Rv3508 may involve the response of M.tb to the inhibition of aerobic respiration by low oxygen or drug PA-824, and it may be a common feature of genes in GI-1. These findings may provide some novel insights into M.tb physiology and pathogenesis.
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Skippington E, Ragan MA. Lateral genetic transfer and the construction of genetic exchange communities. FEMS Microbiol Rev 2011; 35:707-35. [DOI: 10.1111/j.1574-6976.2010.00261.x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 123] [Impact Index Per Article: 9.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/14/2023] Open
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Bellanger X, Morel C, Gonot F, Puymege A, Decaris B, Guédon G. Site-specific accretion of an integrative conjugative element together with a related genomic island leads to cis mobilization and gene capture. Mol Microbiol 2011; 81:912-25. [PMID: 21722203 DOI: 10.1111/j.1365-2958.2011.07737.x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 26] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/21/2023]
Abstract
Genomic islands, flanked by attachment sites, devoid of conjugation and recombination modules and related to the integrative and conjugative element (ICE) ICESt3, were previously found in Streptococcus thermophilus. Here, we show that ICESt3 transfers to a recipient harbouring a similar engineered genomic island, CIMEL₃catR₃, and integrates by site-specific recombination into its attachment sites, leading to their accretion. The resulting composite island can excise, showing that ICESt3 mobilizes CIMEL₃catR₃, in cis. ICESt3, CIMEL₃catR₃, and the whole composite element can transfer from the strain harbouring the composite structure. The ICESt3 transfer to a recipient bearing CIMEL₃catR₃, can also lead to retromobilization, i.e. its capture by the donor. This is the first demonstration of specific conjugative mobilization of a genomic island in cis and the first report of ICE-mediated retromobilization. CIMEL₃catR₃, would be the prototype of a novel class of non-autonomous mobile elements (CIMEs: CIs mobilizable elements), which hijack the recombination and conjugation machinery of related ICEs to excise, transfer and integrate. Few genome analyses have shown that CIMEs could be widespread and have revealed internal repeats that could result from accretions in numerous genomic islands, suggesting that accretion and cis mobilization have a key role in evolution of genomic islands.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xavier Bellanger
- Nancy-Université, UMR1128 Génétique et Microbiologie, F-54506 Vandœuvre-lès-Nancy, France
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Veyrier FJ, Dufort A, Behr MA. The rise and fall of the Mycobacterium tuberculosis genome. Trends Microbiol 2011; 19:156-61. [PMID: 21277778 DOI: 10.1016/j.tim.2010.12.008] [Citation(s) in RCA: 54] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/18/2010] [Revised: 12/21/2010] [Accepted: 12/30/2010] [Indexed: 12/17/2022]
Abstract
When studied from the perspective of non-tuberculous mycobacteria (NTM) it is apparent that Mycobacterium tuberculosis has undergone a biphasic evolutionary process involving genome expansion (gene acquisition and duplication) and reductive evolution (deletions). This scheme can instruct descriptive and experimental studies that determine the importance of ancestral events (including horizontal gene transfer) in shaping the present-day pathogen. For example, heterologous complementation in an NTM can test the functional importance of M. tuberculosis-specific genetic insertions. An appreciation of both phases of M. tuberculosis evolution is expected to improve our fundamental understanding of its pathogenicity and facilitate the evaluation of novel diagnostics and vaccines.
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Affiliation(s)
- Frédéric J Veyrier
- Unité des Infections Bactériennes Invasives, Département Infection et Epidémiologie, Pasteur Institute, Paris, France
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Labesse G, Benkali K, Salard-Arnaud I, Gilles AM, Munier-Lehmann H. Structural and functional characterization of the Mycobacterium tuberculosis uridine monophosphate kinase: insights into the allosteric regulation. Nucleic Acids Res 2010; 39:3458-72. [PMID: 21149268 PMCID: PMC3082897 DOI: 10.1093/nar/gkq1250] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/29/2022] Open
Abstract
Nucleoside Monophosphate Kinases (NMPKs) family are key enzymes in nucleotide metabolism. Bacterial UMPKs depart from the main superfamily of NMPKs. Having no eukaryotic counterparts they represent attractive therapeutic targets. They are regulated by GTP and UTP, while showing different mechanisms in Gram(+), Gram(–) and archaeal bacteria. In this work, we have characterized the mycobacterial UMPK (UMPKmt) combining enzymatic and structural investigations with site-directed mutagenesis. UMPKmt exhibits cooperativity toward ATP and an allosteric regulation by GTP and UTP. The crystal structure of the complex of UMPKmt with GTP solved at 2.5 Å, was merely identical to the modelled apo-form, in agreement with SAXS experiments. Only a small stretch of residues was affected upon nucleotide binding, pointing out the role of macromolecular dynamics rather than major structural changes in the allosteric regulation of bacterial UMPKs. We further probe allosteric regulation by site-directed mutagenesis. In particular, a key residue involved in the allosteric regulation of this enzyme was identified.
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Affiliation(s)
- Gilles Labesse
- Atelier de Bio- et Chimie Informatique Structurale, CNRS, UMR5048, Centre de Biochimie Structurale, 29 rue de Navacelles, F-34090 Montpellier, France
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36
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Lsr2 is a nucleoid-associated protein that targets AT-rich sequences and virulence genes in Mycobacterium tuberculosis. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A 2010; 107:5154-9. [PMID: 20133735 DOI: 10.1073/pnas.0913551107] [Citation(s) in RCA: 159] [Impact Index Per Article: 11.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/18/2022] Open
Abstract
Bacterial nucleoid-associated proteins play important roles in chromosome organization and global gene regulation. We find that Lsr2 of Mycobacterium tuberculosis is a unique nucleoid-associated protein that binds AT-rich regions of the genome, including genomic islands acquired by horizontal gene transfer and regions encoding major virulence factors, such as the ESX secretion systems, the lipid virulence factors PDIM and PGL, and the PE/PPE families of antigenic proteins. Comparison of genome-wide binding data with expression data indicates that Lsr2 binding results in transcriptional repression. Domain-swapping experiments demonstrate that Lsr2 has an N-terminal dimerization domain and a C-terminal DNA-binding domain. Nuclear magnetic resonance analysis of the DNA-binding domain of Lsr2 and its interaction with DNA reveals a unique structure and a unique mechanism that enables Lsr2 to discriminately target AT-rich sequences through interactions with the minor groove of DNA. Taken together, we provide evidence that mycobacteria have employed a structurally distinct molecule with an apparently different DNA recognition mechanism to achieve a function similar to the Enterobacteriaceae H-NS, likely coordinating global gene regulation and virulence in this group of medically important bacteria.
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37
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Khare G, Gupta V, Gupta RK, Gupta R, Bhat R, Tyagi AK. Dissecting the role of critical residues and substrate preference of a Fatty Acyl-CoA Synthetase (FadD13) of Mycobacterium tuberculosis. PLoS One 2009; 4:e8387. [PMID: 20027301 PMCID: PMC2793005 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0008387] [Citation(s) in RCA: 22] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/16/2009] [Accepted: 11/22/2009] [Indexed: 11/24/2022] Open
Abstract
Newly emerging multi-drug resistant strains of Mycobacterium tuberculosis (M.tb) severely limit the treatment options for tuberculosis (TB); hence, new antitubercular drugs are urgently needed. The mymA operon is essential for the virulence and intracellular survival of M.tb and thus represents an attractive target for the development of new antitubercular drugs. This study is focused on the structure-function relationship of Fatty Acyl-CoA Synthetase (FadD13, Rv3089) belonging to the mymA operon. Eight site-directed mutants of FadD13 were designed, constructed and analyzed for the structural-functional integrity of the enzyme. The study revealed that mutation of Lys487 resulted in ∼95% loss of the activity thus demonstrating its crucial requirement for the enzymatic activity. Comparison of the kinetic parameters showed the residues Lys172 and Ala302 to be involved in the binding of ATP and Ser404 in the binding of CoenzymeA. The influence of mutations of the residues Val209 and Trp377 emphasized their importance in maintaining the structural integrity of FadD13. Besides, we show a synergistic influence of fatty acid and ATP binding on the conformation and rigidity of FadD13. FadD13 represents the first Fatty Acyl-CoA Synthetase to display biphasic kinetics for fatty acids. FadD13 exhibits a distinct preference for C26/C24 fatty acids, which in the light of earlier reported observations further substantiates the role of the mymA operon in remodeling the cell envelope of intracellular M.tb under acidic conditions. A three-dimensional model of FadD13 was generated; the docking of ATP to the active site verified its interaction with Lys172, Ala302 and Lys487 and corresponded well with the results of the mutational studies. Our study provides a significant understanding of the FadD13 protein including the identification of residues important for its activity as well as in the maintenance of structural integrity. We believe that the findings of this study will provide valuable inputs in the development of inhibitors against the mymA operon, an important target for the development of antitubercular drugs.
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Affiliation(s)
- Garima Khare
- Department of Biochemistry, University of Delhi South Campus, New Delhi, India
| | - Vibha Gupta
- Department of Biochemistry, University of Delhi South Campus, New Delhi, India
| | - Rakesh K. Gupta
- Department of Biochemistry, University of Delhi South Campus, New Delhi, India
- Department of Microbiology, Ram Lal Anand College, University of Delhi South Campus, New Delhi, India
| | - Radhika Gupta
- Department of Biochemistry, University of Delhi South Campus, New Delhi, India
| | - Rajiv Bhat
- School of Biotechnology, Jawaharlal Nehru University, New Delhi, India
| | - Anil K. Tyagi
- Department of Biochemistry, University of Delhi South Campus, New Delhi, India
- * E-mail:
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Ramage HR, Connolly LE, Cox JS. Comprehensive functional analysis of Mycobacterium tuberculosis toxin-antitoxin systems: implications for pathogenesis, stress responses, and evolution. PLoS Genet 2009; 5:e1000767. [PMID: 20011113 PMCID: PMC2781298 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pgen.1000767] [Citation(s) in RCA: 356] [Impact Index Per Article: 23.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/25/2009] [Accepted: 11/12/2009] [Indexed: 12/16/2022] Open
Abstract
Toxin-antitoxin (TA) systems, stress-responsive genetic elements ubiquitous in microbial genomes, are unusually abundant in the major human pathogen Mycobacterium tuberculosis. Why M. tuberculosis has so many TA systems and what role they play in the unique biology of the pathogen is unknown. To address these questions, we have taken a comprehensive approach to identify and functionally characterize all the TA systems encoded in the M. tuberculosis genome. Here we show that 88 putative TA system candidates are present in M. tuberculosis, considerably more than previously thought. Comparative genomic analysis revealed that the vast majority of these systems are conserved in the M. tuberculosis complex (MTBC), but largely absent from other mycobacteria, including close relatives of M. tuberculosis. We found that many of the M. tuberculosis TA systems are located within discernable genomic islands and were thus likely acquired recently via horizontal gene transfer. We discovered a novel TA system located in the core genome that is conserved across the genus, suggesting that it may fulfill a role common to all mycobacteria. By expressing each of the putative TA systems in M. smegmatis, we demonstrate that 30 encode a functional toxin and its cognate antitoxin. We show that the toxins of the largest family of TA systems, VapBC, act by inhibiting translation via mRNA cleavage. Expression profiling demonstrated that four systems are specifically activated during stresses likely encountered in vivo, including hypoxia and phagocytosis by macrophages. The expansion and maintenance of TA genes in the MTBC, coupled with the finding that a subset is transcriptionally activated by stress, suggests that TA systems are important for M. tuberculosis pathogenesis. Tuberculosis (TB) continues to be a major global health problem, causing 2 million deaths every year. A hallmark of TB pathogenesis is that the bacilli can enter into a slow or non-growing state in response to the host immune system. Because these persistent bacteria are resistant to antibiotic treatment, efforts to eliminate TB from the human population must include therapies to target dormant organisms as they can eventually resume replication to cause active disease. How Mycobacterium tuberculosis, the causative agent of TB, alters its replication dynamics in response to host cues is not understood. Toxin-antitoxin (TA) systems, which may control persistence in other bacteria, are massively expanded in M. tuberculosis, suggesting that they are important for TB pathogenesis. Surprisingly, the vast majority of these numerous TA systems are conserved only in pathogenic mycobacteria, suggesting their acquisition was important in M. tuberculosis evolution. Of the 88 putative TA systems identified, we show that 30 are functional in mycobacteria. A subset of these systems is activated upon exposure to stresses encountered during infection, indicating that specific TA systems are involved in adapting to environmental cues in the host. These genes are promising candidates for the development of novel therapies to target persistent bacteria.
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Affiliation(s)
- Holly R. Ramage
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, University of California San Francisco, San Francisco, California, United States of America
- Program in Microbial Pathogenesis and Host Defense, University of California San Francisco, San Francisco, California, United States of America
| | - Lynn E. Connolly
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, University of California San Francisco, San Francisco, California, United States of America
- Program in Microbial Pathogenesis and Host Defense, University of California San Francisco, San Francisco, California, United States of America
- Department of Medicine, Division of Infectious Diseases, University of California San Francisco, San Francisco, California, United States of America
| | - Jeffery S. Cox
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, University of California San Francisco, San Francisco, California, United States of America
- Program in Microbial Pathogenesis and Host Defense, University of California San Francisco, San Francisco, California, United States of America
- * E-mail:
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Veyrier F, Pletzer D, Turenne C, Behr MA. Phylogenetic detection of horizontal gene transfer during the step-wise genesis of Mycobacterium tuberculosis. BMC Evol Biol 2009; 9:196. [PMID: 19664275 PMCID: PMC3087520 DOI: 10.1186/1471-2148-9-196] [Citation(s) in RCA: 71] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/20/2009] [Accepted: 08/10/2009] [Indexed: 11/10/2022] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND In the past decade, the availability of complete genome sequence data has greatly facilitated comparative genomic research aimed at addressing genetic variability within species. More recently, analysis across species has become feasible, especially in genera where genome sequencing projects of multiple species have been initiated. To understand the genesis of the pathogen Mycobacterium tuberculosis within a genus where the majority of species are harmless environmental organisms, we have used genome sequence data from 16 mycobacteria to look for evidence of horizontal gene transfer (HGT) associated with the emergence of pathogenesis. First, using multi-locus sequence analysis (MLSA) of 20 housekeeping genes across these species, we derived a phylogeny that serves as the basis for HGT assignments. Next, we performed alignment searches for the 3989 proteins of M. tuberculosis H37Rv against 15 other mycobacterial genomes, generating a matrix of 59835 comparisons, to look for genetic elements that were uniquely found in M. tuberculosis and closely-related pathogenic mycobacteria. To assign when foreign genes were likely acquired, we designed a bioinformatic program called mycoHIT (mycobacterial homologue investigation tool) to analyze these data in conjunction with the MLSA-based phylogeny. RESULTS The bioinformatic screen predicted that 137 genes had been acquired by HGT at different phylogenetic strata; these included genes coding for metabolic functions and modification of mycobacterial lipids. For the majority of these genes, corroborating evidence of HGT was obtained, such as presence of phage or plasmid, and an aberrant GC%. CONCLUSION M. tuberculosis emerged through vertical inheritance along with the step-wise addition of genes acquired via HGT events, a process that may more generally describe the evolution of other pathogens.
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Affiliation(s)
- Frédéric Veyrier
- Department of Medicine, McGill University, Montreal, QC, H3G 1A4, Canada.
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Non mycobacterial virulence genes in the genome of the emerging pathogen Mycobacterium abscessus. PLoS One 2009; 4:e5660. [PMID: 19543527 PMCID: PMC2694998 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0005660] [Citation(s) in RCA: 278] [Impact Index Per Article: 18.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/09/2008] [Accepted: 04/28/2009] [Indexed: 11/19/2022] Open
Abstract
Mycobacterium abscessus is an emerging rapidly growing mycobacterium (RGM) causing a pseudotuberculous lung disease to which patients with cystic fibrosis (CF) are particularly susceptible. We report here its complete genome sequence. The genome of M. abscessus (CIP 104536T) consists of a 5,067,172-bp circular chromosome including 4920 predicted coding sequences (CDS), an 81-kb full-length prophage and 5 IS elements, and a 23-kb mercury resistance plasmid almost identical to pMM23 from Mycobacterium marinum. The chromosome encodes many virulence proteins and virulence protein families absent or present in only small numbers in the model RGM species Mycobacterium smegmatis. Many of these proteins are encoded by genes belonging to a “mycobacterial” gene pool (e.g. PE and PPE proteins, MCE and YrbE proteins, lipoprotein LpqH precursors). However, many others (e.g. phospholipase C, MgtC, MsrA, ABC Fe(3+) transporter) appear to have been horizontally acquired from distantly related environmental bacteria with a high G+C content, mostly actinobacteria (e.g. Rhodococcus sp., Streptomyces sp.) and pseudomonads. We also identified several metabolic regions acquired from actinobacteria and pseudomonads (relating to phenazine biosynthesis, homogentisate catabolism, phenylacetic acid degradation, DNA degradation) not present in the M. smegmatis genome. Many of the “non mycobacterial” factors detected in M. abscessus are also present in two of the pathogens most frequently isolated from CF patients, Pseudomonas aeruginosa and Burkholderia cepacia. This study elucidates the genetic basis of the unique pathogenicity of M. abscessus among RGM, and raises the question of similar mechanisms of pathogenicity shared by unrelated organisms in CF patients.
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Ambur OH, Davidsen T, Frye SA, Balasingham SV, Lagesen K, Rognes T, Tønjum T. Genome dynamics in major bacterial pathogens. FEMS Microbiol Rev 2009; 33:453-70. [PMID: 19396949 PMCID: PMC2734928 DOI: 10.1111/j.1574-6976.2009.00173.x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 84] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/23/2023] Open
Abstract
Pathogenic bacteria continuously encounter multiple forms of stress in their hostile environments, which leads to DNA damage. With the new insight into biology offered by genome sequences, the elucidation of the gene content encoding proteins provides clues toward understanding the microbial lifestyle related to habitat and niche. Campylobacter jejuni, Haemophilus influenzae, Helicobacter pylori, Mycobacterium tuberculosis, the pathogenic Neisseria, Streptococcus pneumoniae, Streptococcus pyogenes and Staphylococcus aureus are major human pathogens causing detrimental morbidity and mortality at a global scale. An algorithm for the clustering of orthologs was established in order to identify whether orthologs of selected genes were present or absent in the genomes of the pathogenic bacteria under study. Based on the known genes for the various functions and their orthologs in selected pathogenic bacteria, an overview of the presence of the different types of genes was created. In this context, we focus on selected processes enabling genome dynamics in these particular pathogens, namely DNA repair, recombination and horizontal gene transfer. An understanding of the precise molecular functions of the enzymes participating in DNA metabolism and their importance in the maintenance of bacterial genome integrity has also, in recent years, indicated a future role for these enzymes as targets for therapeutic intervention.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ole Herman Ambur
- Centre for Molecular Biology and Neuroscience, Institute of Microbiology, University of Oslo, Oslo University Hospital, Norway
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