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Bannantine JP, Duffy SC, Colombatti Olivieri MA, Behr MA, Biet F, Price NPJ. Genetic and chemical control of tuberculostearic acid production in Mycobacterium avium subspecies paratuberculosis. Microbiol Spectr 2024; 12:e0050824. [PMID: 38501867 PMCID: PMC11064506 DOI: 10.1128/spectrum.00508-24] [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: 02/26/2024] [Accepted: 02/28/2024] [Indexed: 03/20/2024] Open
Abstract
Tuberculostearic acid (TBSA) is a fatty acid unique to mycobacteria and some corynebacteria and has been studied due to its diagnostic value, biofuel properties, and role in membrane dynamics. In this study, we demonstrate that TBSA production can be abrogated either by addition of pivalic acid to mycobacterial growth cultures or by a bfaA gene knockout encoding a flavin adenine dinucleotide (FAD)-binding oxidoreductase. Mycobacterium avium subspecies paratuberculosis (Map) growth and TBSA production were inhibited in 0.5-mg/mL pivalic acid-supplemented cultures, but higher concentrations were needed to have a similar effect in other mycobacteria, including Mycobacterium smegmatis. While Map C-type strains, isolated from cattle and other ruminants, will produce TBSA in the absence of pivalic acid, the S-type Map strains, typically isolated from sheep, do not produce TBSA in any condition. A SAM-dependent methyltransferase encoded by bfaB and FAD-binding oxidoreductase are both required in the two-step biosynthesis of TBSA. However, S-type strains contain a single-nucleotide polymorphism in the bfaA gene, rendering the oxidoreductase enzyme vestigial. This results in the production of an intermediate, termed 10-methylene stearate, which is detected only in S-type strains. Fatty acid methyl ester analysis of a C-type Map bfaA knockout revealed the loss of TBSA production, but the intermediate was present, similar to the S-type strains. Collectively, these results demonstrate the subtle biochemical differences between two primary genetic lineages of Map and other mycobacteria as well as explain the resulting phenotype at the genetic level. These data also suggest that TBSA should not be used as a diagnostic marker for Map.IMPORTANCEBranched-chain fatty acids are a predominant cell wall component among species belonging to the Mycobacterium genus. One of these is TBSA, which is a long-chain middle-branched fatty acid used as a diagnostic marker for Mycobacterium tuberculosis. This fatty acid is also an excellent biolubricant. Control of its production is important for industrial purposes as well as understanding the biology of mycobacteria. In this study, we discovered that a carboxylic acid compound termed pivalic acid inhibits TBSA production in mycobacteria. Furthermore, Map strains from two separate genetic lineages (C-type and S-type) showed differential production of TBSA. Cattle-type strains of Mycobacterium avium subspecies paratuberculosis produce TBSA, while the sheep-type strains do not. This important phenotypic difference is attributed to a single-nucleotide deletion in sheep-type strains of Map. This work sheds further light on the mechanism used by mycobacteria to produce tuberculostearic acid.
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Affiliation(s)
- John P. Bannantine
- National Animal Disease Center, USDA Agricultural Research Service, Ames, Iowa, USA
| | - Shannon C. Duffy
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, McGill University, Montreal, Quebec, Canada
| | - María A. Colombatti Olivieri
- National Animal Disease Center, USDA Agricultural Research Service, Ames, Iowa, USA
- ARS Participation Program, Oak Ridge Institute for Science and Education (ORISE), Oak Ridge, Tennessee, USA
| | - Marcel A. Behr
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, McGill University, Montreal, Quebec, Canada
| | - Franck Biet
- INRAE, ISP, Université de Tours, Nouzilly, France
| | - Neil P. J. Price
- National Center for Agricultural Utilization Research, USDA Agricultural Research Service, Peoria, Illinois, USA
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Fong TH, Shi W, Ruan G, Li S, Liu G, Yang L, Wu K, Fan J, Ng CL, Hu Y, Jiang H. Tuberculostearic acid incorporated predictive model contributes to the clinical diagnosis of tuberculous meningitis. iScience 2023; 26:107858. [PMID: 37766994 PMCID: PMC10520543 DOI: 10.1016/j.isci.2023.107858] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/21/2023] [Revised: 08/05/2023] [Accepted: 09/06/2023] [Indexed: 09/29/2023] Open
Abstract
The conventional confirmation tests of tuberculous meningitis (TBM) are usually low in sensitivity, leading to high TBM mortality. Hence, sensitive methods for indicating the presence of bacilli are required. Tuberculostearic acid (TBSA), a constituent from Mycobacterium tuberculosis had been evaluated as a promising marker, but fails to demonstrate consistent results for definite TBM. This study retrospectively reviewed medical records of 113 TBM suspects, constructing a TBSA-combined scoring system based on multiple factors, which show sensitivity and specificity of 0.8148 and 0.8814, respectively, and the area under the receiver operating characteristic curve of 0.9010. Multivariate analyses revealed four co-predictive factors strongly associated with TBSA: extra-neural tuberculosis, basal meningeal enhancement, CSF glucose/Serum glucose <0.595, and coinfection in CNS (Total). The subsequent machine learning-based validation showed correspondent importance to factors in the TBSA model. This study demonstrates a simple scoring system to facilitate TBM prediction, yield reliable diagnoses and allow timely treatment initiation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tsz Hei Fong
- Department of Neurology, Nanfang Hospital, Southern Medical University, Guangzhou 510515, China
| | - Wangpan Shi
- The First Clinical Medical School, Southern Medical University, Guangzhou 510515, China
| | - Guohui Ruan
- School of Biomedical Engineering, Southern Medical University, Guangzhou 510515, China
| | - Siyi Li
- The First Clinical Medical School, Southern Medical University, Guangzhou 510515, China
| | - Guanghui Liu
- Department of Neurology, Nanfang Hospital, Southern Medical University, Guangzhou 510515, China
| | - Leyun Yang
- Department of Biostatistics, Bioinformatics, and Biomathematics, Georgetown University, Washington, DC 20057-1484, USA
| | - Kaibin Wu
- School of Biomedical Engineering, Southern Medical University, Guangzhou 510515, China
| | - Jingxian Fan
- Department of Neurology, Nanfang Hospital, Southern Medical University, Guangzhou 510515, China
| | - Chung Lam Ng
- The First Clinical Medical School, Southern Medical University, Guangzhou 510515, China
| | - Yafang Hu
- Department of Neurology, Nanfang Hospital, Southern Medical University, Guangzhou 510515, China
| | - Haishan Jiang
- Department of Neurology, Nanfang Hospital, Southern Medical University, Guangzhou 510515, China
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Prithviraj M, Kado T, Mayfield JA, Young DC, Huang AD, Motooka D, Nakamura S, Siegrist MS, Moody DB, Morita YS. Tuberculostearic Acid Controls Mycobacterial Membrane Compartmentalization. mBio 2023; 14:e0339622. [PMID: 36976029 PMCID: PMC10127668 DOI: 10.1128/mbio.03396-22] [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: 12/05/2022] [Accepted: 03/08/2023] [Indexed: 03/29/2023] Open
Abstract
The intracellular membrane domain (IMD) is a laterally discrete region of the mycobacterial plasma membrane, enriched in the subpolar region of the rod-shaped cell. Here, we report genome-wide transposon sequencing to discover the controllers of membrane compartmentalization in Mycobacterium smegmatis. The putative gene cfa showed the most significant effect on recovery from membrane compartment disruption by dibucaine. Enzymatic analysis of Cfa and lipidomic analysis of a cfa deletion mutant (Δcfa) demonstrated that Cfa is an essential methyltransferase for the synthesis of major membrane phospholipids containing a C19:0 monomethyl-branched stearic acid, also known as tuberculostearic acid (TBSA). TBSA has been intensively studied due to its abundant and genus-specific production in mycobacteria, but its biosynthetic enzymes had remained elusive. Cfa catalyzed the S-adenosyl-l-methionine-dependent methyltransferase reaction using oleic acid-containing lipid as a substrate, and Δcfa accumulated C18:1 oleic acid, suggesting that Cfa commits oleic acid to TBSA biosynthesis, likely contributing directly to lateral membrane partitioning. Consistent with this model, Δcfa displayed delayed restoration of subpolar IMD and delayed outgrowth after bacteriostatic dibucaine treatment. These results reveal the physiological significance of TBSA in controlling lateral membrane partitioning in mycobacteria. IMPORTANCE As its common name implies, tuberculostearic acid is an abundant and genus-specific branched-chain fatty acid in mycobacterial membranes. This fatty acid, 10-methyl octadecanoic acid, has been an intense focus of research, particularly as a diagnostic marker for tuberculosis. It was discovered in 1934, and yet the enzymes that mediate the biosynthesis of this fatty acid and the functions of this unusual fatty acid in cells have remained elusive. Through a genome-wide transposon sequencing screen, enzyme assay, and global lipidomic analysis, we show that Cfa is the long-sought enzyme that is specifically involved in the first step of generating tuberculostearic acid. By characterizing a cfa deletion mutant, we further demonstrate that tuberculostearic acid actively regulates lateral membrane heterogeneity in mycobacteria. These findings indicate the role of branched fatty acids in controlling the functions of the plasma membrane, a critical barrier for the pathogen to survive in its human host.
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Affiliation(s)
- Malavika Prithviraj
- Department of Microbiology, University of Massachusetts, Amherst, Massachusetts, USA
| | - Takehiro Kado
- Department of Microbiology, University of Massachusetts, Amherst, Massachusetts, USA
| | - Jacob A. Mayfield
- Division of Rheumatology, Inflammation and Immunity, Brigham and Women’s Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, Massachusetts, USA
| | - David C. Young
- Division of Rheumatology, Inflammation and Immunity, Brigham and Women’s Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, Massachusetts, USA
| | - Annie D. Huang
- Division of Rheumatology, Inflammation and Immunity, Brigham and Women’s Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, Massachusetts, USA
| | - Daisuke Motooka
- Research Institute for Microbial Diseases, Osaka University, Suita, Osaka, Japan
| | - Shota Nakamura
- Research Institute for Microbial Diseases, Osaka University, Suita, Osaka, Japan
| | - M. Sloan Siegrist
- Department of Microbiology, University of Massachusetts, Amherst, Massachusetts, USA
- Molecular and Cellular Biology Graduate Program, University of Massachusetts, Amherst, Massachusetts, USA
| | - D. Branch Moody
- Division of Rheumatology, Inflammation and Immunity, Brigham and Women’s Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, Massachusetts, USA
| | - Yasu S. Morita
- Department of Microbiology, University of Massachusetts, Amherst, Massachusetts, USA
- Molecular and Cellular Biology Graduate Program, University of Massachusetts, Amherst, Massachusetts, USA
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Valdemar-Aguilar CM, Manisekaran R, Acosta-Torres LS, López-Marín LM. Spotlight on mycobacterial lipid exploitation using nanotechnology for diagnosis, vaccines, and treatments. NANOMEDICINE : NANOTECHNOLOGY, BIOLOGY, AND MEDICINE 2023; 48:102653. [PMID: 36646193 PMCID: PMC9839462 DOI: 10.1016/j.nano.2023.102653] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/11/2022] [Revised: 12/24/2022] [Accepted: 01/07/2023] [Indexed: 01/15/2023]
Abstract
Tuberculosis (TB), historically the most significant cause of human morbidity and mortality, has returned as the top infectious disease worldwide, under circumstances worsened by the COVID-19 pandemic's devastating effects on public health. Although Mycobacterium tuberculosis, the causal agent, has been known of for more than a century, the development of tools to control it has been largely neglected. With the advancement of nanotechnology, the possibility of engineering tools at the nanoscale creates unique opportunities to exploit any molecular type. However, little attention has been paid to one of the major attributes of the pathogen, represented by the atypical coat and its abundant lipids. In this review, an overview of the lipids encountered in M. tuberculosis and interest in exploiting them for the development of TB control tools are presented. Then, the amalgamation of nanotechnology with mycobacterial lipids from both reported and future works are discussed.
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Affiliation(s)
- Carlos M. Valdemar-Aguilar
- Centro de Física Aplicada y Tecnología Avanzada, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México, Campus Juriquilla, 76230 Querétaro, Mexico,Programa de Doctorado en Ciencias Biomédicas, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México, Mexico
| | - Ravichandran Manisekaran
- Interdisciplinary Research Laboratory (LII), Nanostructures and Biomaterials Area, Escuela Nacional de Estudios Superiores Unidad León, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México, Predio el Saucillo y el Potrero, Comunidad de los Tepetates, 37689 León, Mexico.
| | - Laura S. Acosta-Torres
- Interdisciplinary Research Laboratory (LII), Nanostructures and Biomaterials Area, Escuela Nacional de Estudios Superiores Unidad León, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México, Predio el Saucillo y el Potrero, Comunidad de los Tepetates, 37689 León, Mexico
| | - Luz M. López-Marín
- Centro de Física Aplicada y Tecnología Avanzada, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México, Campus Juriquilla, 76230 Querétaro, Mexico,Corresponding authors
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Yu Y, Jiang XX, Li JC. Biomarker discovery for tuberculosis using metabolomics. Front Mol Biosci 2023; 10:1099654. [PMID: 36891238 PMCID: PMC9986447 DOI: 10.3389/fmolb.2023.1099654] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/16/2022] [Accepted: 02/06/2023] [Indexed: 02/22/2023] Open
Abstract
Tuberculosis (TB) is the leading cause of death among infectious diseases, and the ratio of cases in which its pathogen Mycobacterium tuberculosis (Mtb) is drug resistant has been increasing worldwide, whereas latent tuberculosis infection (LTBI) may develop into active TB. Thus it is important to understand the mechanism of drug resistance, find new drugs, and find biomarkers for TB diagnosis. The rapid progress of metabolomics has enabled quantitative metabolite profiling of both the host and the pathogen. In this context, we provide recent progress in the application of metabolomics toward biomarker discovery for tuberculosis. In particular, we first focus on biomarkers based on blood or other body fluids for diagnosing active TB, identifying LTBI and predicting the risk of developing active TB, as well as monitoring the effectiveness of anti-TB drugs. Then we discuss the pathogen-based biomarker research for identifying drug resistant TB. While there have been many reports of potential candidate biomarkers, validations and clinical testing as well as improved bioinformatics analysis are needed to further substantiate and select key biomarkers before they can be made clinically applicable.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yi Yu
- Center for Analyses and Measurements, College of Chemical Engineering, Zhejiang University of Technology, Hangzhou, China
| | - Xin-Xin Jiang
- Clinical Research Laboratory, Shaoxing Seventh People's Hospital, Shaoxing, China
| | - Ji-Cheng Li
- Clinical Research Laboratory, Shaoxing Seventh People's Hospital, Shaoxing, China.,Institute of Cell Biology, Zhejiang University Medical School, Hangzhou, China
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Lewis HM, Costa C, Dartois V, Kaya F, Chambers M, de Jesus J, Palitsin V, Webb R, Bailey MJ. Colocation of Lipids, Drugs, and Metal Biomarkers Using Spatially Resolved Lipidomics with Elemental Mapping. Anal Chem 2022; 94:11798-11806. [PMID: 35981335 PMCID: PMC9434551 DOI: 10.1021/acs.analchem.2c01940] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/02/2022]
Abstract
![]()
Elemental imaging is widely used for imaging cells and
tissues
but rarely in combination with organic mass spectrometry, which can
be used to profile lipids and measure drug concentrations. Here, we
demonstrate how elemental imaging and a new method for spatially resolved
lipidomics (DAPNe-LC-MS, based on capillary microsampling and liquid
chromatography mass spectrometry) can be used in combination to probe
the relationship between metals, drugs, and lipids in discrete areas
of tissues. This new method for spatial lipidomics, reported here
for the first time, has been applied to rabbit lung tissues containing
a lesion (caseous granuloma) caused by tuberculosis infection. We
demonstrate how elemental imaging with spatially resolved lipidomics
can be used to probe the association between ion accumulation and
lipid profiles and verify local drug distribution.
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Affiliation(s)
- Holly-May Lewis
- Department of Chemistry, University of Surrey, Guildford, Surrey GU2 7XH, U.K
| | - Catia Costa
- University of Surrey Ion Beam Centre, Guildford, Surrey GU2 7XH, U.K
| | - Véronique Dartois
- Center for Discovery and Innovation, Hackensack Meridian School of Medicine, 123 Metro Boulevard, Nutley, New Jersey 07110, United States
| | - Firat Kaya
- Center for Discovery and Innovation, Hackensack Meridian School of Medicine, 123 Metro Boulevard, Nutley, New Jersey 07110, United States
| | - Mark Chambers
- Faculty of Health and Medical Sciences, University of Surrey, Guildford, Surrey GU2 7XH, U.K
| | - Janella de Jesus
- Department of Chemistry, University of Surrey, Guildford, Surrey GU2 7XH, U.K
| | - Vladimir Palitsin
- University of Surrey Ion Beam Centre, Guildford, Surrey GU2 7XH, U.K
| | - Roger Webb
- University of Surrey Ion Beam Centre, Guildford, Surrey GU2 7XH, U.K
| | - Melanie J Bailey
- Department of Chemistry, University of Surrey, Guildford, Surrey GU2 7XH, U.K
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